Eliciting and specifying requirements for highly interactive systems using activity theory

The processes of eliciting user requirements and formalising these into specifications are critical for the success of highly interactive systems. These processes are still poorly understood, partly because current methods are usually ad hoc and lack any theoretical basis. A number of researchers have used Activity Theory (AT) to refine these processes and have met with some success. To date, this approach has been more useful explaining the processes post hoc. This positional paper proposes an AT method for requirement elicitation and specification definition. The method is sufficiently prescriptive and well formed that it does not require any detailed understanding of AT

Continuous intracranial pressure monitoring in severe traumatic brain injury in children

We present the results of the Romanian team for the multi-center grant “Paediatric Brain Monitoring with Information Technology (KidsBrainIT). Using IT Innovations to Improve Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury Intensive Care Management, Outcome, and Patient Safety”, acronym KidsBrainIT. Children aged 2 to 16 years who require intensive care management after sustaining traumatic severe brain injury are included in this study in three neurosurgical hospital: "Prof. Dr. N. Oblu" Clinical Emergency Hospital Iasi, "Sf. Maria" Children Clinical Emergency Hospital Iasi and "Bagdasar-Arseni" Clinical Emergency Hospital Bucharest. Continuous real-time intracranial pressure monitoring became a "gold standard" in TBI intensive-care management and ICP-lowering therapy is recommended when ICP is elevated above 20 mmHg or more. Continuous ICP and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) monitoring allow calculation of cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and to establish of an optimal CPP. This study aims to improve the treatments and the outcomes in severe traumatic brain injury in children

Mid-term results in continuous intracranial pressure monitoring in severe traumatic brain injury in children: ERA-NET NEURON Grant

This article presents the mid-term results of the multi-center grant “Paediatric Brain Monitoring with Information Technology (KidsBrainIT). Using IT Innovations to Improve Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury Intensive Care Management, Outcome, and Patient Safety”, acronym KidsBrainIT, of the Romanian team. Continuous real-time intracranial pressure monitoring is a standard in TBI intensive-care management and ICP-lowering therapy is recommended when ICP is elevated above 20 mmHg or more. Paediatric TBI patients requiring intensive care are recruited from more contributing centres in 4 different countries and the Romanian team includes doctors CA Apetrei, C Gheorghita and A Tascu as principal investigators. Children aged 2 to 16 years who require intensive care management after sustaining traumatic severe brain injury are included in this study in three neurosurgical hospital: "Prof. Dr. N. Oblu" Clinical Emergency Hospital Iasi, "Sf. Maria" Children Clinical Emergency Hospital Iasi and "Bagdasar-Arseni" Clinical Emergency Hospital Bucharest. Continuous ICP and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) monitoring allow calculation of cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and establish of an optimal CPP. The aim of this study is to improve the treatments in severe traumatic brain injury in children

Paediatric Brain Monitoring with Information Technology (KidsBrainIT): ERA-NET NEURON Grant

The complete name of this ERA-NET NEURON Grant is “Paediatric Brain Monitoring with Information Technology (KidsBrainIT). Using IT Innovations to Improve Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury Intensive Care Management, Outcome, and Patient Safety”. The Project Coordinators are Ms. Dr. Tsz-Yan Milly Lo (Consultant Paediatric Intensivist and Research Lead in Paediatric Critical Care Medicine ) and Ian Piper from University of Edinburgh, UK and the partners are: Prof. Bart Depreitere and his team from Neurosurgery & Intensive Care Research Group, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium; Prof. Juan Sahuquillo and his team from Department of Neurosurgery, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain and the Romanian team with doctors CA Apetrei, C Gheorghita and A Tascu as principal investigators in three different hospitals. This material is based on the scientific project proposal with the basic project data. The aim of this grant is to test two clinically relevant hypotheses: after sustaining traumatic brain injury (TBI), paediatric patients with a longer period of measured cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) maintained within the calculated optimal CPP (CPPopt) have an improved global clinical outcome and better tolerance against raised intracranial pressure (ICP). Paediatric TBI patients requiring intensive care are recruited from more contributing centres in 4 different countries. Their anonymised routinely collected bedside physiological monitoring data in minute-resolutions linking with anonmyised clinical and outcome data are exported and archived in the central KidsBrainIT data-bank. CPPopt is calculated and ICP dose-response analyses are performed on the KidsBrainIT dataset and their correlations with global outcome at 6 months are determined. The final aim of this study is to improve the treatments of the abnormal physiology insults: increase pressure from brain swelling (raised ICP) and brain perfusion pressure (CPP)

Opportunities for improving pLDH-based malaria diagnostic tests

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Monoclonal antibodies to <it>Plasmodium </it>lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) have been previously used to format immunochromatographic tests for the diagnosis of malaria. Using pLDH as an antigen has several advantages as a sensitive measure of the presence of parasites within patient blood samples. However, variable results in terms of specificity and sensitivity among different commercially available diagnostic kits have been reported and it has not been clear from these studies whether the performance of an individual test is due simply to how it is engineered or whether it is due to the biochemical nature of the pLDH-antibody reaction itself.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A series of systematic studies to determine how various pLDH monoclonal antibodies work in combination was undertaken. Different combinations of anti-pLDH monoclonal antibodies were used in a rapid-test immunochromatographic assay format to determine parameters of sensitivity and specificity with regard to individual <it>Plasmodium </it>species.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Dramatic differences were found in both species specificity and overall sensitivity depending on which antibody is used on the immunochromatographic strip and which is used on the colorimetric colloidal-gold used for visual detection.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The results demonstrate the feasibility of different test formats for the detection and speciation of malarial infections. In addition, the data will enable the development of a universal rapid test algorithm that may potentially provide a cost-effective strategy to diagnose and manage patients in a wide range of clinical settings.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data emphasize that using different anti-pLDH antibody combinations offers a tractable way to optimize immunochromatographic pLDH tests.</p

Indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric healthcare use and severe disease: a retrospective national cohort study

OBJECTIVES: To determine the indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric healthcare utilisation and severe disease at a national level following lockdown on 23 March 2020. DESIGN: National retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Emergency childhood primary and secondary care providers across Scotland; two national paediatric intensive care units (PICUs); statutory death records. PARTICIPANTS: 273 455 unscheduled primary care attendances; 462 437 emergency department attendances; 54 076 emergency hospital admissions; 413 PICU unplanned emergency admissions requiring invasive mechanical ventilation; and 415 deaths during the lockdown study period and equivalent dates in previous years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of emergency care consultations, attendances and admissions; clinical severity scores on presentation to PICU; rates and causes of childhood death. For all data sets, rates during the lockdown period were compared with mean or aggregated rates for the equivalent dates in 2016–2019. RESULTS: The rates of emergency presentations to primary and secondary care fell during lockdown in comparison to previous years. Emergency PICU admissions for children requiring invasive mechanical ventilation also fell as a proportion of cases for the entire population, with an OR of 0.52 for likelihood of admission during lockdown (95% CI 0.37 to 0.73), compared with the equivalent period in previous years. Clinical severity scores did not suggest children were presenting with more advanced disease. The greatest reduction in PICU admissions was for diseases of the respiratory system; those for injury, poisoning or other external causes were equivalent to previous years. Mortality during lockdown did not change significantly compared with 2016–2019. CONCLUSIONS: National lockdown led to a reduction in paediatric emergency care utilisation, without associated evidence of severe harm

The Role of Interleukin-1 and Interleukin-18 in Pro-Inflammatory and Anti-Viral Responses to Rhinovirus in Primary Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Human Rhinovirus (HRV) is associated with acute exacerbations of chronic respiratory disease. In healthy individuals, innate viral recognition pathways trigger release of molecules with direct anti-viral activities and pro-inflammatory mediators which recruit immune cells to support viral clearance. Interleukin-1alpha (IL-1α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) have critical roles in the establishment of neutrophilic inflammation, which is commonly seen in airways viral infection and thought to be detrimental in respiratory disease. We therefore investigated the roles of these molecules in HRV infection of primary human epithelial cells. We found that all three cytokines were released from infected epithelia. Release of these cytokines was not dependent on cell death, and only IL-1β and IL-18 release was dependent on caspase-1 catalytic activity. Blockade of IL-1 but not IL-18 signaling inhibited up-regulation of pro-inflammatory mediators and neutrophil chemoattractants but had no effect on virus induced production of interferons and interferon-inducible genes, measured at both mRNA and protein level. Similar level of virus mRNA was detected with and without IL-1RI blockade. Hence IL-1 signaling, potentially involving both IL-1β and IL-1α, downstream of viral recognition plays a key role in induction of pro-inflammatory signals and potentially in recruitment and activation of immune cells in response to viral infection instigated by the epithelial cells, whilst not participating in direct anti-viral responses

High levels of adherence to a rectal microbicide gel and to oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) achieved in MTN-017 among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women

Trials to assess microbicide safety require strict adherence to prescribed regimens. If adherence is suboptimal, safety cannot be adequately assessed. MTN-017 was a phase 2, randomized sequence, open-label, expanded safety and acceptability crossover study comparing 1) daily oral emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (FTC/TDF), 2) daily use of reduced-glycerin 1% tenofovir (RG-TFV) gel applied rectally, and 3) RG-TFV gel applied before and after receptive anal intercourse (RAI)—if participants had no RAI in a week, they were asked to use two doses of gel within 24 hours. Product use was assessed by mixed methods including unused product return count, text messaging reports, and qualitative plasma TFV pharmacokinetic (PK) results. Convergence interviews engaged participants in determining the most accurate number of doses used based on product count and text messaging reports. Client-centered adherence counseling was also used. Participants (N = 187) were men who have sex with men and transgender women enrolled in the United States (42%), Thailand (29%), Peru (19%) and South Africa (10%). Mean age was 31.4 years (range 18–64 years). Based on convergence interviews, over an 8-week period, 94% of participants had ≥80% adherence to daily tablet, 41% having perfect adherence; 83% had ≥80% adherence to daily gel, 29% having perfect adherence; and 93% had ≥80% adherence to twice-weekly use during the RAI-associated gel regimen, 75% having perfect adherence and 77% having ≥80% adherence to gel use before and after RAI. Only 4.4% of all daily product PK results were undetectable and unexpected (TFV concentrations <0.31 ng/mL) given self-reported product use near sampling date. The mixed methods adherence measurement indicated high adherence to product use in all three regimens. Adherence to RAI-associated rectal gel use was as high as adherence to daily oral PrEP. A rectal microbicide gel, if efficacious, could be an alternative for individuals uninterested in daily oral PrEP

Phosphoinositide-3 kinase inhibition modulates responses to rhinovirus by mechanisms that are predominantly independent of autophagy

Human rhinoviruses (HRV) are a major cause of exacerbations of airways disease. Aspects of cell signalling responses to HRV infection remain unclear, particularly with regard to signalling via PI3K, and the PI3K-dependent pathway, autophagy. We investigated the roles of PI3K and autophagy in the responses of epithelial cells to major and minor group HRV infection. The PI3K inhibitor 3-MA, commonly used to inhibit autophagy, markedly reduced HRV-induced cytokine induction. Further investigation of potential targets of 3-MA and comparison of results using this inhibitor to a panel of general and class I-selective PI3K inhibitors showed that several PI3Ks cooperatively regulate responses to HRV. Targeting by siRNA of the autophagy proteins Beclin-1, Atg7, LC3, alone or in combination, or targeting of the autophagy-specific class III PI3K had at most only modest effects on HRV-induced cell signalling as judged by induction of proinflammatory cytokine production. Our data indicate that PI3K and mTOR are involved in induction of proinflammatory cytokines after HRV infection, and that autophagy has little role in the cytokine response to HRV or control of HRV replication

Crop Updates 2003 - Geraldton

This session covers twenty eight papers from different authors Seasonal Outlook: What is in store for 2003, David Stephens, Department of Agriculture Examining The Management Options For Wheat Crops In The Coming Season, James Fisher, Department of Agriculture GMO’s – what do they offer? Ian Edwards, Grain Bio Tech Australia Pty Ltd The Big Gamble – Wheat prices for 2003, Dennis Wise, Profarmer Market outlook for other grains, Andrew Young, General Manager Agricorp Stripe rust – where to now for the WA wheat industry? Robert Loughman, Ciara Beard and Greg Shea, Department of Agriculture Baudin and Hamlin – new generation of malting barley developed in Western Australia, Blakely Paynter, Roslyn Jettner and Kevin Young, Department of Agriculture DBM in Canola, Kevin Walden, Department of Agriculture The latest on Lupin diseases, Geoff Thomas, Department of Agriculture Wheat variety performance in 2002 compared to the long term, Robin Wilson, Iain Barclay, Robyn McLean, Robert Loughman, Jenny Garlinge, Bill Lambe, Neil Venn and Peter Clarke, Department of Agriculture Do wide rows drought proof lupins on red loam? Martin Harries, Bob French, Wayne Parker and Murray Blyth, Department of Agriculture Do wide rows drought proof lupins on a sandy loam? Martin Harries, Bob French, Wayne Parker and Murray Blyth, Department of Agriculture Profit Proving Precision Agriculture, Peter Norris, Agronomy For Profit, Greg Lyle, CSIRO Land and Water, Yuna Farm Improvement Group Annual ryegrass seedbanks: the good, the bad, and the ugly, Kathryn Steadman, University of Western Australia, Amander Ellery, CSIRO Plant Industry, Sally C Peltzer, Department of Agriculture Wheat management packages for low rainfall areas, Kari-Lee Falconer, Department of Agriculture Ground water 1. Atrazine, Russell Speed, Department of Agriculture Groundwater 2. Current Trends, Russell Speed, Department of Agriculture Herbicide tolerance of wheat, lupins and pastures, Terry Piper and Harmohinder Dhammu, Department of Agriculture Farming with Tramlines, Bindi Webb, Paul Blackwell, Department of Agriculture, Phil Logue, Binnu, Nigel Moffat, Geraldton, Rohan Ford, Binnu, Miles Obst, Mingenew, The role of green manure crops in renovating poor performing paddocks: What’s it worth? Frances Hoyle, Leanne Schulz and Judith Devenish Department of Agriculture The looming threat of wild radish, Peter Newman, Department of Agriculture Does one ‘size’ fit all? Grant Morrow, Syngenta Crop Protection Climate Forecasts on the Internet, Ian Foster and David Stephens, Department of Agriculture Moisture delving = more reliable lupin establishment, Paul Blackwell, and Wayne Parker, Department of Agriculture Tramline Designs for better Weed control and Wheat value from non-spraying tramlines in a dry season, Paul Blackwell, Bindi Webb and Darshan Sharma, Department of Agriculture Biserrula Grazing Trial, Marnie Thomas, Department of Agriculture Performance of IT and TT canola varieties in the medium and high rainfall agzones of W.A., 2001-02, Graham Walton, Hasan Zaheer and Paul Carmody, Department of Agriculture Rapid Catchment Appraisal in Northern Agricultural Region, Mike Clarke, Paul Raper, Department of Agricultur