Der Baukasten Objektorientierte Software-Entwicklung mit UML : Berufliche Weiterbildung in der Software-Industrie

Der in den vergangenen Jahren erwartete Boom des E-Learning ist nicht so eingetreten wie ursprünglich erhofft. Verschiedene Gründe sind hier, gerade im Bereich der KMUs, für eine Nicht-Annahme des Konzepts E-Learning verantwortlich. Doch ist speziell die Weiterbildung von Fachpersonal und der Auf- und Ausbau von Kompetenz für KMUs ein essenzieller Bestandteil der Sicherung des langfristigen Überlebens. Aus einer Analyse der Gründe für den Fehlschlag des E-Learnings, des pädagogischen Konzepts des hybriden Lernens und typischer Geschäftsmodelle im Aus- und Weiterbildungsbereich wurde am Fraunhofer IESE der modulare Baukasten Objektorientierte Software-Entwicklung mit UML" geschaffen. Ziel des Baukasten ist es, aus einer Bedarfsanalyse heraus maßgeschneiderte, kostengünstige und Nutzen bringende, im Lernerfolg und Wissenstransfer nachhaltige Weiterbildungsangebote für KMUs im Bereich der objektorientierten Software-Entwicklung mittels web-basiertem Training, Präsenzschulung, Tutoring und Coaching zu ermöglichen

Is Routine Audiometric Evaluation Necessary in Gynaecologic Tumour Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy?

Background: Our objective was to assess the auditory function ofgynaecological tumour patients who had received cytotoxic agents and todetermine their associated risk of ototoxicity. Patients and Methods: 87patients who had undergone chemotherapy for gynaecological malignancieswere investigated. Of these patients, 79% had breast cancer, and 14%ovarian cancer. All of the patients had a subjective assessment of theirhearing function on a visual analogue scale. Audiometric tests wereperformed before and at 9 weeks, 18 weeks and 3 months after completionof chemotherapy. Results: The age of the patients ranged from 32 to 71years (mean age of 53.5 +/- 10.5 years). The average subjective ratingof the patients’ hearing function was 83.0 +/- 17.2 before and 84.8 +/-16.9 3 months after completion of chemotherapy. No significantaudiometric change at either the speech hearing frequency range (0.5-2KHz) or high frequencies was observed in the patients afterchemotherapy. There was also no significant difference in the hearingthreshold of the patients who had received platinum analogue-basedchemotherapy compared to non-platinum analogue-based chemotherapy.Conclusion: Hearing loss is uncommon in patients treated with thetypical gynaecological chemotherapy protocols. Hence, routineaudiometric testing in these patients is not necessary

Irinotecan and temozolomide in combination with dasatinib and rapamycin versus irinotecan and temozolomide for patients with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma (RIST-rNB-2011): a multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial

Background Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumour in children. Relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma is associated with a poor outcome. We assessed the combination of irinotecan–temozolomide and dasatinib–rapamycin (RIST) in patients with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma. Methods The multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 2, RIST-rNB-2011 trial recruited from 40 paediatric oncology centres in Germany and Austria. Patients aged 1–25 years with high-risk relapsed (defined as recurrence of all stage IV and MYCN amplification stages, after response to treatment) or refractory (progressive disease during primary treatment) neuroblastoma, with Lansky and Karnofsky performance status at least 50%, were assigned (1:1) to RIST (RIST group) or irinotecan–temozolomide (control group) by block randomisation, stratified by MYCN status. We compared RIST (oral rapamycin [loading 3 mg/m2 on day 1, maintenance 1 mg/m2 on days 2–4] and oral dasatinib [2 mg/kg per day] for 4 days with 3 days off, followed by intravenous irinotecan [50 mg/m2 per day] and oral temozolomide [150 mg/m2 per day] for 5 days with 2 days off; one course each of rapamycin–dasatinib and irinotecan–temozolomide for four cycles over 8 weeks, then two courses of rapamycin–dasatinib followed by one course of irinotecan–temozolomide for 12 weeks) with irinotecan–temozolomide alone (with identical dosing as experimental group). The primary endpoint of progression-free survival was analysed in all eligible patients who received at least one course of therapy. The safety population consisted of all patients who received at least one course of therapy and had at least one post-baseline safety assessment. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01467986, and is closed to accrual. Findings Between Aug 26, 2013, and Sept 21, 2020, 129 patients were randomly assigned to the RIST group (n=63) or control group (n=66). Median age was 5·4 years (IQR 3·7–8·1). 124 patients (78 [63%] male and 46 [37%] female) were included in the efficacy analysis. At a median follow-up of 72 months (IQR 31–88), the median progression-free survival was 11 months (95% CI 7–17) in the RIST group and 5 months (2–8) in the control group (hazard ratio 0·62, one-sided 90% CI 0·81; p=0·019). Median progression-free survival in patients with amplified MYCN (n=48) was 6 months (95% CI 4–24) in the RIST group versus 2 months (2–5) in the control group (HR 0·45 [95% CI 0·24-0·84], p=0·012); median progression-free survival in patients without amplified MYCN (n=76) was 14 months (95% CI 9–7) in the RIST group versus 8 months (4–15) in the control group (HR 0·84 [95% CI 0·51–1·38], p=0·49). The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events were neutropenia (54 [81%] of 67 patients given RIST vs 49 [82%] of 60 patients given control), thrombocytopenia (45 [67%] vs 41 [68%]), and anaemia (39 [58%] vs 38 [63%]). Nine serious treatment-related adverse events were reported (five patients given control and four patients given RIST). There were no treatment-related deaths in the control group and one in the RIST group (multiorgan failure). Interpretation RIST-rNB-2011 demonstrated that targeting of MYCN-amplified relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma with a pathway-directed metronomic combination of a multkinase inhibitor and an mTOR inhibitor can improve progression-free survival and overall survival. This exclusive efficacy in MYCN-amplified, relapsed neuroblastoma warrants further investigation in the first-line setting

Empirical practice in software engineering

Experimental software engineering has been defined as the scientific approach to systematically evaluating software technologies by referring to predefined hypotheses using sound empirical methods. The purpose of this chapter is to give an overview of the history, current practice, and future of empirical practice in Software Engineering. In particular, based on what we have learned from 20 years of research in empirical software engineering, we describe the empirical approach we are currently using in terms of a scientific approach to applied research and as a means for systematic evaluation

B.62 Emotion Detection: Application of the Valence Arousal Space for Rapid Biological Usability Testing to enhance Universal Access

Emotion is an important mental and physiological state, influencing cognition, perception, learning, communication, decision making, etc. It is considered as a definitive important aspect of user experience (UX), although at least well developed and most of all lacking experimental evidence. This paper deals with an application for emotion detection in usability testing of software. It describes the approach to utilize the valence arousal space for emotion modeling in a formal experiment. Our study revealed correlations between low performance and negative emotional states. Reliable emotion detection in usability tests will help to prevent negative emotions and attitudes in the final products. This can be a great advantage to enhance Universal Access

Evaluation of smell and taste in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis

Although a reduced olfactory/gustatory function affects patients in all parts of life, this problem has not received much attention in Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). The aim of this study was to assess the smell/taste function of WG patients. Demographic data of 16 WG patients (9 males, 7 females) were obtained. They all subjectively assessed their taste/smell function on visual analogue scale. Olfactory/gustatory functions of the patients were tested with 'Sniffin' Sticks and 'Taste' strips, respectively. The results were then compared with those from sex and age-matched control group (n = 16) and normative data. WG patients subjectively assessed their olfactory (p = 0.03) and gustatory (p = 0.02) function to be lower than control group. All the olfactory scores (odour identification, odour discrimination and threshold) in both genders were significantly below the scores in the control group. WG patients were hyposmic. For taste (total taste score, as well as scores for the qualities sweet, sour, salty and bitter), WG patients did not significantly differ from controls and were normogeusic. However, the gustatory scores showed the tendency of reduction as compared to the control group. In conclusion, WG patients truly suffer from olfactory/taste dysfunction, but this is worse with olfaction. It is, therefore, imperative that physicians should make their patients to be aware of these sensory dysfunctions and educate them on methods to cope with it for better quality of life