Case-based Framework Research Articles

Improving safety management in railway stations through a simulation-based digital twin approach

In the dynamic milieu of modern, bustling railway stations, the emphasis on safety and efficient pedestrian traffic management has never been more crucial, elevating the significance of Digital Twins (DTs). DTs bring transformative changes in the way we approach the design, operation, control, and maintenance of complex systems, such as transportation hubs. However, documented real-world applications are lacking, leaving scientists and practitioners without valuable insights on DT implementation. Drawing from a case study centered around a prominent Italian railway station, this paper showcases the prototype of a simulation-based DT that empowers station managers with capabilities such as pedestrian flow prediction, early congestion warnings, evacuation response planning, layout optimization, and intelligent gate management. The simulation-based DT acts as a sophisticated mirror reflecting the dynamics of a station's crowd, drawing data from its physical counterpart with a certain frequency, simulating the evolution of the system over a given time horizon, returning warning messages to the decision maker if issues are identified, and evaluating ex-ante different corrective solutions. The latter becomes crucial for controlling the physical world, providing a closed-loop system. Our case-based framework validates the effectiveness of methods and technical solutions engineered ad-hoc to achieve an acceptable tradeoff among accuracy, performance, and scalability. This includes addressing challenges related to the synchronization of the virtual and physical world, data integration and interoperability with existing systems, and human-system interaction. Ultimately, this contribution serves as a valuable resource, bridging the gap between theoretical concepts and tangible applications in the realm of transportation hub management.

Operationalising AI ethics through the agile software development lifecycle: a case study of AI-enabled mobile health applications

AbstractAlthough numerous ethical principles and guidelines have been proposed to guide the development of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, it has proven difficult to translate these principles into actionable practices beyond mere adherence to ethical ideas. This is particularly challenging in the context of AI systems for healthcare, which requires balancing the potential benefits of the solution against the risks to patients and the wider community, including minorities and underserved populations. To address this challenge, we propose a shift from one-size-fits-all ethical principles to contextualized case-based ethical frameworks. This study uses an AI-enabled mHealth application as a case study. Our framework is built on existing ethical guidelines and principles, including the AI4People framework, the EU High-Level Expert Group on trustworthy AI, and wider human rights considerations. Additionally, we incorporate relational perspectives to address human value concerns and moral tensions between individual rights and public health. Our approach is based on ”ethics by design,” where ethical principles are integrated throughout the entire AI development pipeline, ensuring that ethical considerations are not an afterthought but implemented from the beginning. For our case study, we identified 7 ethical principles: fairness, agility, precision, safeguarding humanity, respect for others, trust and accountability, and robustness and reproducibility. We believe that the best way to mitigate and address ethical consequences is by implementing ethical principles in the software development processes that developers commonly use. Finally, we provide examples of how our case-based framework can be applied in practice, using examples of AI-driven mobile applications in healthcare.

The PEST (Pathology, Epidemiology, Severity, Treatment) approach to optimizing antimicrobial therapy

BackgroundSelecting an empiric antimicrobial regimen can be difficult for early learners and misuse of antibiotics can lead to adverse events and antimicrobial resistance. There have been few interventions that have focused on improving antibiotic decision making, as a form of therapeutic reasoning, for post-graduate trainees. We describe here an approach to aid internal medicine interns in their therapeutic reasoning, particularly when it comes to diagnosing and empirically treating infections.MethodsThe PEST (pathology, epidemiology, severity, treatment) model was created as a four-step approach to therapeutic reasoning and choosing an appropriate antimicrobial regimen for a given infectious disease syndrome. In February 2020, we conducted two independent teaching sessions for interns on the PEST approach. We assessed pre-and post-teaching responses to five clinical vignette-based questions. Results were presented as a percentage of interns who chose an appropriate antibiotic and provided sufficient therapeutic reasoning as defined by using at least three out of the four PEST criteria. Statistical analysis occurred via Fischer’s exact test to determine the level of statistical significance between responses.ResultsTwenty-seven interns participated in the activity. At baseline, several interns had incorporated aspects of the PEST approach in their pre-teaching responses. Ten interns commented on the usefulness of such a systematic approach. While there was no statistically significant difference in antibiotic selection, the teaching session demonstrated a trend towards significance in improving therapeutic reasoning as defined by the PEST strategy.ConclusionOur results suggested an improvement in using a structured cognitive tool such as the PEST approach to reinforce therapeutic reasoning, but the method did little to improve antibiotic selection. Some interns used select “PEST” concepts prior to the intervention suggesting that the PEST approach may enhance prior knowledge or clinical reasoning skills. Continued incorporation of the PEST approach using a case-based framework may solidify conceptual and practical knowledge of antimicrobial selection. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of such teaching interventions.

How participatory arts can contribute to Dutch older adults’ wellbeing – revisiting a taxonomy of arts interventions for people with dementia

ABSTRACT Background A growing body of evidence suggests the positive impact of arts on health and wellbeing. The mechanisms underlying the impact however, remain overlooked. Methods 38 Semi-structured interviews were held with 30 older adults and 10 artists, involved in five participatory art projects in the Netherlands. Case-based framework and cross-over analyses were done on the basis of Cousins et al.’s taxonomy. Results Participatory art initiatives contributed to the wellbeing of older adults in a complex interplay with the artist, art form, group of participants, material aspects and continuity of activities. A welcoming environment appeared a consistent underlying mechanism for participants to grow on a personal and artistic level, connect with others and feel supported in their psychosocial wellbeing. Conclusion This article demonstrates the important social function participatory art can have for older adults, and argues for the importance of a thorough consideration of the context wherein underlying mechanisms and outcomes emerge.

Navigating the Challenges of Fertility and Reproductive Planning for Terminal Cancer Patients

Among the many disruptive effects of a terminal cancer diagnosis in young people is its ability to affect reproductive planning and the opportunity for parenthood. While many reproductive-aged cancer patients receive fertility counseling at diagnosis, ongoing guidance often does not occur during the illness course and associated distress may go unrecognized. Using a case-based framework, this palliative care rounds explores the existential, spiritual, ethical, and logistical challenges that complicate reproductive planning for patients and families as they face a terminal cancer diagnosis. We advocate that palliative care providers should seize currently underrecognized opportunities to screen for distress associated with fertility and reproduction at end of life and utilize an interdisciplinary team approach to provide appropriate support and counseling throughout the illness and bereavement experience.

1135. The PEST Approach to Choosing Antimicrobial Therapy

BackgroundSelecting an empiric antimicrobial regimen can be difficult for early learners and misuse of antibiotics can lead to adverse events and antimicrobial resistance. We describe here an approach to aid internal medicine interns in their clinical decision making, particularly when it comes to diagnosing and empirically treating infections.MethodsThe PEST model was created as a four-step approach to therapeutic reasoning and choosing an appropriate antimicrobial regimen for a given infectious disease syndrome (Figure 1).In February 2020, we conducted two independent teaching sessions for interns on the PEST approach during noon conference. We assessed pre-and post-teaching responses to five clinical vignette-based questions to assess optimal selection of antibiotics and improvement in the use therapeutic reasoning (Figure 2). Results were presented as a percentage of interns, both pre- and post-intervention, who chose an appropriate antibiotic and a percentage of interns who provided sufficient therapeutic reasoning as defined by using at least three out of the four PEST criteria.Figure 1 – The PEST Approach Model Figure 2 – Clinical Vignette Examples ResultsTwenty-seven interns participated in the activity. At baseline, several interns had incorporated aspects of the PEST approach in their pre-teaching responses. While the teaching session improved therapeutic reasoning as defined by the PEST strategy (Figure 3), there was no appreciable difference in antibiotic selection (Figure 4). Ten interns commented on the usefulness of the approach, specifically highlighting the systematic approach to antibiotic selection.Figure 3 – Differences in Therapeutic Reasoning After PEST Teaching Figure 4 – Choosing The Correct Antibiotic After PEST Teaching ConclusionOur results showed fidelity in using the PEST approach to improve therapeutic reasoning after a teaching session, but the method did little to improve antibiotic selection. Perhaps antibiotic selection requires greater clinical experience in order to provide a narrower or more optimal spectrum of coverage. Interestingly, some interns used select “PEST” concepts prior to the intervention suggesting that the PEST approach may solidify prior knowledge or clinical reasoning skills. Continued incorporation of the PEST approach using a case-based framework may solidify conceptual and practical knowledge of antimicrobial selection.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

A positioning strategy for a tourist destination, based on analysis of customers’ perceptions and satisfactions

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to measure the perception and satisfactions of consumers of the tourism product of Kashmir region and identify potential niche markets that could be used in the development of the destination’s positioning strategy. Design/methodology/approach The author used a case study methodology. Self-completion questionnaires were distributed to tourists visiting Kashmir region at the peak of the 2018 tourism season. The scales used were adapted from two authoritative sources. Data from 479 completed questionnaires were analysed quantitatively by a variety of statistical techniques, including factor analysis. Findings Four possible niche markets are identified that can inform the development of the destination’s positioning strategy: nature based, adventure, cultural and culinary. The overall conclusions and discussion of the findings should provide a case-based framework for the practical planning and implementation of positioning strategies in the tourism context. Research limitations/implications The time frame of the study was five summer months in one year, and only actual visitors completed the questionnaire. The study did not assess their evaluation of the quality of the services provided and consumed. Originality/value The overall conclusions and discussion of the findings should provide a case-based framework for the practical planning and implementation of positioning strategies in the tourism context.

Digital case-based learning system in school.

With the continuing growth of multi-media learning resources, it is important to offer methods helping learners to explore and acquire relevant learning information effectively. As services that organize multi-media learning materials together to support programming learning, the digital case-based learning system is needed. In order to create a case-oriented e-learning system, this paper concentrates on the digital case study of multi-media resources and learning processes with an integrated framework. An integration of multi-media resources, testing and learning strategies recommendation as the learning unit is proposed in the digital case-based learning framework. The learning mechanism of learning guidance, multi-media materials learning and testing feedback is supported in our project. An improved personalized genetic algorithm which incorporates preference information and usage degree into the crossover and mutation process is proposed to assemble the personalized test sheet for each learner. A learning strategies recommendation solution is proposed to recommend learning strategies for learners to help them to learn. The experiments are conducted to prove that the proposed approaches are capable of constructing personalized sheets and the effectiveness of the framework.

UCFrame

To build needed mobile applications in specific domains, requirements should be collected and analyzed in holistic approach. However, resource is limited for small vendor groups to perform holistic requirement acquisition and elicitation. The rise of crowdsourcing and crowdfunding gives small vendor groups new opportunities to build needed mobile applications for the crowd. By finding prior stakeholders and gathering requirements effectively from the crowd, mobile application projects can establish sound foundation in early phase of software process. Therefore, integration of crowd-based requirement engineering into software process is important for small vendor groups. Conventional requirement acquisition and elicitation methods are analyst-centric. Very little discussion is in adapting requirement acquisition tools for crowdcentric context. In this study, several tool features of use case documentation are revised in crowd-centric context. These features constitute a use case-based framework, called UCFrame, for crowd-centric requirement acquisition. An instantiation of UCFrame is also presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of UCFrame in collecting crowd requirements for building two mobile applications.

Public Health Research, Deception, and Distrust

Public Health Research, Deception, and Distrust

Rethinking validation in complex high-stakes assessment contexts

In this article we rethink validation within the complex contexts of high-stakes assessment. We begin by considering the utility of existing models for validation and argue that these models tend to overlook some of the complexities inherent to assessment use, including the multiple interpretations of assessment purposes and the potential interaction of assessment uses. We respond to these limitations by proposing an interpretive approach to validation that we call validation as narrative case description. This approach uses a case-based framework and hermeneutic methodology to construct and analyse validity evidence and suggests narrative as a representational format for communicating validation claims. We illustrate this approach by considering a case study of a secondary mathematics assessment administered in Ontario, Canada. In introducing this approach, we are contributing to the ongoing dialogue on reconceptualising validation as an interpretive process that serves a generative function.

On how buyback and remanufacturing strategies affect the profitability of spare parts supply chains

The purpose of this paper is to provide a case-based framework to offer insights on the opportunity of recovering parts. We consider a two-stage spare parts supply chain, where independent repair shops are responsible for handling the repair process. There are two options to meet spare parts demand: repair shops may replace the part with a new one (ordered from the OEM) or they may use a part that they themselves repaired before. While repair shops achieve a larger profit by repairing parts, the OEM would prefer the use of new parts. However, he has no control over demand which might be obtained by offering buyback of broken parts. Furthermore, the OEM could recover these parts on a higher level, thus reducing production/procurement of new parts. The main contribution of this paper is the provision of a simple deterministic framework for answering the question whether a buyback option should be offered by the OEM to the repair shops, and which buyback price should be paid for each returned core. We further highlight the impact of remanufacturing performed at the OEM on the profitability of buyback.

A case-based framework for reuse of previous design concepts in conceptual synthesis of mechanisms

This paper presents a case-based approach for reusing previous design concepts in conceptual synthesis of mechanisms. Design tasks for function generation and motion transmission are addressed in the current study. The basic idea of the present approach is to provide a computational framework for design synthesis by imitating the common design method of reviewing past designs to obtain solution concepts for a new design problem. A notion of virtual function generators is introduced to conceptualize and represent underlying design concepts contained in existing mechanisms. Virtual function generators are derived from previous designs, and serve as new conceptual building blocks for conceptual synthesis of mechanisms. Feasible design alternatives are generated by combining virtual function generators using some adaptation rules. The reuse of prior design concepts is accomplished via virtual function generators within the framework of case-based reasoning. The approach is demonstrated through an application.

Data mining and neural network techniques in case based system

This paper first puts forward a case-based system framework based on data mining techniques. Then the paper examines the possibility of using neural networks as a method of retrieval in such a case-based system. In this system we propose data mining algorithms to discover case knowledge and other algorithms.

A Case-Based Framework for Interactive Capture and Reuse of Design Knowledge

Aerospace design is a complex task requiring access to large amounts of specialized information. Consequently, intelligent systems that support and amplify the abilities of human designers by capturing and presenting relevant information can profoundly affect the speed and reliability of design generation. This article describes research on supporting aerospace design by integrating a case-based design support framework with interactive tools for capturing expert design knowledge through “concept mapping.” In the integrated system, interactive concept mapping tools provide crucial functions for generating and examining design cases and navigating their hierarchical structure, while CBR techniques facilitate retrieval and aid interactive adaptation of designs. Our goal is both to provide a useful design aid and to develop general interactive techniques to facilitate case acquisition and adaptation. Experiments illuminate the performance of the system's context-sensitive retrieval during interactive case adaptation and the conditions under which it provides the most benefit.