An evolutionary approach to the representation of adverse events

One way to detect, monitor and prevent adverse events with the help of Information Technology is by using ontologies capable of representing three levels of reality: what is the case, what is believed about reality, and what is represented. We report on how Basic Formal Ontology and Referent Tracking exhibit this capability and how they are used to develop an adverse event ontology and related data annotation scheme for the European ReMINE project

Introducing realist ontology for the representation of adverse events

The goal of the REMINE project is to build a high performance prediction, detection and monitoring platform for managing Risks against Patient Safety (RAPS). Part of the work involves developing in ontology enabling computer-assisted RAPS decision support on the basis of the disease history of a patient as documented in a hospital information system. A requirement of the ontology is to contain a representation for what is commonly referred to by the term 'adverse event', one challenge being that distinct authoritative sources define this term in different and context-dependent ways. The presence of some common ground in all definitions is, however, obvious. Using the analytical principles underlying Basic Formal Ontology and Referent Tracking, both developed in the tradition of philosophical realism, we propose a formal representation of this common ground which combines a reference ontology consisting exclusively of representations of universals and an application ontology which consists representations of defined classes. We argue that what in most cases is referred to by means of the term 'adverse event' - when used generically - is a defined class rather than a universal. In favour of the conception of adverse events as forming a defined class are the arguments that (1) there is no definition for 'adverse event' that carves out a collection of particulars which constitutes the extension of a universal, and (2) the majority of definitions require adverse events to be (variably) the result of some observation, assessment or (absence of) expectation, thereby giving these entities a nominal or epistemological flavour

Activation policies in Germany : from status protection to basic income support

"This paper provides an overview of the sequential shift towards activating labour market and social policy in Germany. It not only shows the changes in the instruments of active and passives labour market policies but also analyzes the implications of this change for the political economy, the governance and the legal structure of a 'Bismarckian' welfare state. Our study points at the changes in Germany's status- and occupation-oriented unemployment benefit regime that has been relinquished for a larger share of dependent population. Unemployment insurance benefit duration is shorter now and newly created basic income support for needy persons is not earnings-related anymore. Pressure on unemployed to take up jobs has increased considerably while more persons than before have access to employment assistance. The paper also aims at a preliminary assessment of the effects of activating labour market policy on labour market as well as social outcomes and sets out probable paths of future adaptation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))Arbeitsmarktpolitik, Sozialpolitik, Reformpolitik, Hartz-Reform, aktivierende Arbeitsmarktpolitik, aktivierende Sozialpolitik, Aktivierung, Leitbild, Wohlfahrtsstaat, Arbeitslosenunterstützung, Sozialleistungen, Leistungsanspruch, Leistungsbezug, Anspruchsvoraussetzung, Leistungshöhe, Grundsicherung nach SGB XII, Grundsicherung nach SGB II, Zielgruppe, Arbeitslosengeld II-Empfänger, Erwerbsfähigkeit, Sanktion, Arbeitslose, Existenzminimum, Eigentum, Berufswahlfreiheit, Arbeitsverwaltung, Kompetenzverteilung, organisatorischer Wandel, Job-Center, ARGE, aktivierende Arbeitsmarktpolitik - Erfolgskontrolle, öffentliche Ausgaben, Armut, politischer Wandel, Politikumsetzung

In defence of the fundamental values of society: an analysis of blasphemy trials and debates in Sweden around 1900

Critique of religion and its consequences is a topical theme. The attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris in January 2015 made the Western media establishment to rally in defence of freedom of expression, but it also raised the question of the limits of this freedom. There are always defined limits to freedom of expression, which change over time and are adapted to the political system that prevails. Ideas that in various ways question or threaten the current value system are not accepted. In Western society, racism is an example of such an illicit opinion, while blasphemy and criticism of the state-sanctioned religion took the same position in pre- and early modern society community – and in today’s Islamic states such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. In my paper, I discuss the blasphemy phenomenon and its changing meaning and position in Sweden around the turn of the century 1900 in a European perspective

Catholic Mission and Conversion in Scandinavia: Some Reflections on Religion, Modernization, and Identity Construction

The relation between mission, religious conversion and identity construction is the subject of my paper. On a concrete level, I discuss the Catholic mission and conversions in Scandinavia from the middle of nineteenth century to the present time. Up to the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), the Catholic Church strongly emphasised its claim to be the only true Church, and as a consequence, all non-Catholic regions were regarded as missionary areas. Most of the priests and sisters working in Scandinavia were foreigners, whereas converts from Protestantism dominated the parishes. I pay special attention to the question of national and religious identity and the changing discourses of Catholic conversion, reflected in conversion narratives