Towards Interoperability for Observed Parameters: Position Statement of an Emerging Working Group

For decades, many communities have worked on the definitions of parameters, specifically scientific observation and measurement parameters. A well known example are the climate and forecast standard names (CF) [1]. Controlled vocabularies (e.g. EnvThes [2], Anaeethes [3], BODC Parameter Usage Vocabulary [4], ...) are often used for describing parameters in different domains. PANGAEA [5] as a multidisciplinary data publisher for environmental sciences holds around 375 thousand citable data sets which have to be described with consistent semantics; this can be really challenging when dealing with complex parameters. Inconsistencies among existing parameter definitions as well as syntactic and semantic heterogeneity in their representation in systems prevent the integration of data about parameters from different providers. For individual providers, the growing number and complexity of observation and measurement parameters referred to in published data urgently demands viable approaches for their representation and organization. To address these problems and find common approaches, a group of interested scientists involved in different national and international initiatives and research infrastructures (PANGAEA, LTER-Europe [6], GFBio [7], BODC [8], ENVO [9], LifeWatch Italy [10], ICOS [11], AnaEE [12], AquaDiva [13], ...) decided to organize themselves as an RDA Working Group (WG). Having met several times via conference calls to present each other’s related work, it became clear that the problem has been recognized and tackled in various ways, reflecting the specific needs of data and semantic infrastructures of varying maturity. In this talk, we will describe the process of defining a common strategy with a clear output that will be beneficial for all involved communities, and beyond. This entails a consistent terminology used within the group, thorough SWOT analysis of the different methodologies in use (within and outside the group) and a synopsis of the current state. The ultimate aim of this undertaking is to elaborate a common concept for the definition of parameters and develop best practices illustrated on a number of use cases. We will highlight the problem, present and discuss the findings of the current working group, and provide an outlook for the planned work, in particular also a possible work plan for the RDA WG. The talk is an opportunity for this working group to reach out to other potentially interested parties. KEYWORDS: Network, Baltimore, Ecology, Long-term REFERENCES: 1. Climate and Forecast Standard Name Table. http://cfconventions.org/Data/cf-standard-names/49/build/cf-standard-name-table.html (accessed 10 April 2018). 2. EnvThes. http://vocabs.ceh.ac.uk/evn/tbl/envthes.evn (accessed 10 April 2018)

National early warning scores in care homes: do policy imperatives reflect a genuine need?

Background the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) is a tool based on vital signs that aims to standardise detection of, and response to, clinical deterioration in adults. NEWS has been adopted in hospitals but not adapted for other settings. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of measuring the NEWS in care homes and describe the distribution of NEWS readings amongst care home residents. Methods descriptive analysis of all NEWS readings recorded in a 30-month period (2016–19) across 46 care homes in one Clinical Commissioning Group in England. Comparisons were made between measurements taken as a routine reading and those prompted by concern about acute illness. Results a total of 19,604 NEWS were recorded from 2,424 older adults (≥65 years; mean age 85). Median NEWS was 2. Two thirds (66%) of residents had a low NEWS (≤2), and 28% had a score of 0. Of the total NEWS readings, 6,277 (32%) were known to be routine readings and 2,256 (12%) were measured because of staff concerns. Median NEWS was 1 for routine and 2 for concern recordings. Overall, only 12% of NEWS were high (≥5), but a higher proportion were elevated when there were concerns about acute illness (18%), compared with routine recordings (7%). Conclusions use of NEWS in care homes appears to be feasible. The majority of NEWS were not elevated, and the distribution of scores is consistent with other out-of-hospital settings. Further work is required to know if NEWS is triggering the most appropriate response and improving care home resident outcomes. Keywords care homes, track and trigger systems, National Early Warning Score, older people Topic internship and residencyprecipitating factorsvital signselderlymedical residenciesnational early warning score (news

Value of FDG-PET/MR in Oral Focus Assessment in Head and Neck Cancer Patients-A Feasibility Study

FDG-PET/MR is a hybrid imaging modality used for the staging and restaging of advanced head & neck cancer (HNC) patients. Their treatment typically involves radiation therapy, which requires previous dental focus assessment. The aim of this study was to analyze if staging FDG-PET/MR is a valuable tool for oral focus assessment. For this purpose, FDG-PET/MR findings, such as metabolic activity of periapical radiolucencies and marginal periodontitis, were retrospectively compared with conventional standardized dental focus assessment, including dental radiographs and clinical assessment of 124 teeth in seven patients. Increased FDG uptake of periapical lesions was found in one out of 23 lesions. Increased FDG uptake of the marginal periodontium was recorded in one out of 34 lesions. In summary, standardized dental focus assessment by panoramic radiography and periapical radiographs may be enriched by information from FDG-PET/MR, showing active inflammation in dental foci. However, many dental foci have no correlate in FDG-PET/MR. The treatment decision for oral foci may benefit from the visualized presence or absence of metabolic activity on FDG-PET/MR

Erfahrung Ganztagesschule in der Stadt Bern – Phase 2. Bericht zur Begleitforschung zu den drei neu eröffneten Ganztagesschulen in der Stadt Bern

Das Forschungsprojekt «Erfahrung Ganztagesschule in der Stadt Bern – Phase 2» dokumentiert die Eröffnung und Entwicklung von drei Ganztagesschulen in der Stadt Bern über den Zeitraum von zwei Jahren (2020-2022). Mit der Ganztagesschule verbunden ist die Erwartung, dass Unterricht und Betreuung eng miteinander verknüpft sind und ein reger Austausch zwischen Lehrpersonen und Betreuungspersonen stattfindet (Erziehungsdirektion des Kantons Bern [ERZ], 2009). Im Kanton Bern basiert die Umsetzung dieser innovativen Schulform auf einer langen Tradition der schulergänzenden Bildung und Betreuung in der Form von Tagesschulen, welche ab 2012 im Zuge des HarmoS-Konkordats fort-laufend ausgebaut wurden. Die Einführung einer Ganztagesschule und damit die strukturelle Neuorganisation des Zusammenspiels von Unterricht und Betreuung, bringt weitreichende Konsequenzen mit sich, wie sich dies schon im ersten Bericht «Erfahrung Ganztagesschule» zur ersten Phase des Auf-baus der Ganztagesschulen in der Stadt Bern 2018/2019 zeigte (Jutzi et al., 2020). So verändern sich beispielsweise die Organisation des Unterrichts und die Formen der Zusammenarbeit. Im Rahmen der aktuellen Begleitforschung zur zweiten Phase haben wir die Entwicklung der Ganztagesschulen während zwei Jahren untersucht und dabei Chancen und Herausforderungen bei der Ein-führung einer Ganztagesschule identifiziert. Das Forschungsprojekt wurde vom Schulamt der Stadt Bern und der PHBern finanziert. Uns interessierte, (1) welche strategischen Zielsetzungen im Rahmen der kantonalen und städtischen Vorgaben verfolgt werden, (2) welche strukturellen und pädagogischen Veränderungen im Schulalltag sich durch die Umsetzung ergeben und (3) inwiefern sich die pädagogische Kultur im Schulentwicklungsprozess verändert. Ausserdem (4) wollten wir untersuchen, wie die Mitarbeitenden und die Schüler*innen die Schule als Lern- und Lebensraum wahrnehmen und welche Erfahrungen ihr derzeitiges Wohlbefinden prägen. Die Begleitforschung fokussiert besonders auf die pädagogischen Aspekte der Organisations-, Angebots- und Personalentwicklung und ihre Entstehungsgeschichte und verfolgt einen fallorientierten und vergleichenden Ansatz. Wir gehen davon aus, dass der enge Praxisbezug (z. B. Austausch bei teilnehmenden Beobachtungen und Tagungen) gepaart mit der Erhebung und Auswertung qualitativer und quantitativer Daten zu den beschriebenen Themenbereichen eine umfassende und systematische Analyse der Entwicklung der Ganztagesschule ermöglicht. Mit den Befunden und Empfehlungen hinsichtlich der Entwicklungsschwerpunkte möchten wir der Stadt Bern empirisch fundierte Grundlagen für Entscheidungsprozesse hinsichtlich der Einführung weiterer Ganztagesschulen bieten, ganz allgemein einen Beitrag zur Weiterentwicklung und Ver-besserung der Rahmenbedingungen in Ganztagesschulen leisten, und helfen, Wissen und Kompetenzen für die Aus- und Weiterbildung an der PHBern zu generieren

Implementation of the National Early Warning Score in UK care homes:a qualitative evaluation

BACKGROUND: The National Early Warning Score (NEWS) is a tool for identifying and responding to acute illness. When used in care homes, staff measure residents' vital signs and record them on a tablet computer, which calculates a NEWS to share with health services. This article outlines an evaluation of NEWS implementation in care homes across one clinical commissioning group area in northern England. AIM: To identify challenges to implementation of NEWS in care homes. DESIGN AND SETTING: Qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with 15 staff members from six care homes, five health professionals, and one clinical commissioning group employee. METHOD: Interviews were intended to capture people's attitudes and experiences of using the intervention. Following an inductive thematic analysis, data were considered deductively against normalisation process theory constructs to identify the challenges and successes of implementing NEWS in care homes. RESULTS: Care home staff and other stakeholders acknowledged that NEWS could enhance the response to acute illness, improve communication with the NHS, and increase the confidence of care home staff. However, the implementation did not account for the complexity of either the intervention or the care home setting. Challenges to engagement included competing priorities, insufficient training, and shortcomings in communication. CONCLUSION: This evaluation highlights the need to involve care home staff and the primary care services that support them when developing and implementing interventions in care homes. The appropriateness and value of NEWS in non-acute settings requires ongoing monitoring

Identity construction in the very old : A qualitative narrative study

People are living longer internationally, with a growing number experiencing very old age (≥95 years). Physical, psychological and social changes can challenge one’s sense of self and disrupt existing identities. However, experiences of the very old in society are seldom researched and how they construct identity and negotiate a sense of self is little understood. Our study focuses on participants aged >95 years to understand how identity is conceptualised to negotiate a continued place in society. Qualitative interviews with 23 people were thematically analysed, underpinned by Positioning Theory. Five themes were generated: A contented life; reframing independence; familial positioning; appearance and physical wellbeing; reframing ill health. Participants saw themselves as largely content and, despite their world becoming smaller, found pleasure in small routines. Perceptions of self were reframed to maintain autonomy within narrow parameters. Past relationships and experiences/events were drawn on to make sense of ongoing ways of living. There were tensions around feelings of loss of autonomy and independence, with some valuing these over issues such as safety. This sometimes conflicted with views of others and small acts of resistance and subversion were acted out to maintain some sense of control. However, participants minimised progressive ill health. Findings provide insight into how the very old may utilise identity to negotiate, acquiesce, resist and challenge the world around them

FAIR Convergence Matrix: Optimizing the Reuse of Existing FAIR-Related Resources

The FAIR principles articulate the behaviors expected from digital artifacts that are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable by machines and by people. Although by now widely accepted, the FAIR Principles by design do not explicitly consider actual implementation choices enabling FAIR behaviors. As different communities have their own, often well-established implementation preferences and priorities for data reuse, coordinating a broadly accepted, widely used FAIR implementation approach remains a global challenge. In an effort to accelerate broad community convergence on FAIR implementation options, the GO FAIR community has launched the development of the FAIR Convergence Matrix. The Matrix is a platform that compiles for any community of practice, an inventory of their self-declared FAIR implementation choices and challenges. The Convergence Matrix is itself a FAIR resource, openly available, and encourages voluntary participation by any self-identified community of practice (not only the GO FAIR Implementation Networks). Based on patterns of use and reuse of existing resources, the Convergence Matrix supports the transparent derivation of strategies that optimally coordinate convergence on standards and technologies in the emerging Internet of FAIR Data and Services

Experiences of a National Early Warning Score (NEWS) intervention in care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative interview study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the care home sector, with residents accounting for up to half of all deaths in Europe. The response to acute illness in care homes plays a particularly important role in the care of residents during a pandemic. Digital recording of a National Early Warning Score (NEWS), which involves the measurement of physical observations, started in care homes in one area of England in 2016. Implementation of a NEWS intervention (including equipment, training and support) was accelerated early in the pandemic, despite limited evidence for its use in the care home setting. Objectives: To understand how a NEWS intervention has been used in care homes in one area of North-East England during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it has influenced resident care, from the perspective of stakeholders involved in care delivery and commissioning. Methods: A qualitative interview study with care home (n=10) and National Health Service (n=7) staff. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Use of the NEWS intervention in care homes in this area accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stakeholders felt that NEWS, and its associated education and support package, improved the response of care homes and healthcare professionals to deterioration in residents’ health during the pandemic. Healthcare professionals valued the ability to remotely monitor resident observations, which facilitated triage and treatment decisions. Care home staff felt empowered by NEWS, providing a common clinical language to communicate concerns with external services, acting as an adjunct to staff intuition of resident deterioration. Conclusions: The NEWS intervention formed an important part of the care home response to COVID-19 in the study area. Positive staff perceptions now need to be supplemented with data on the impact on resident health and well-being, workload, and service utilisation, during the pandemic and beyond