Follow-up Projects Research Articles

Converting Entity-Attribute-Value Data Sources to OMOP's CDM: Lessons Learned.

Clinical data repositories often use entity-attribute-value (EAV) data models. To be valuable for secondary use, these health data can be transformed to the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM). The present paper describes the lessons learned from such an endeavour based on the concept of registering transformation functions on source data elements. We further provide future work directions for follow-up projects.

How gender differences in informal networking result in unequal access to interorganizational R&D projects

Women are underrepresented in interorganizational research & development (R&D) projects. This affects the innovativeness of such projects, the representation of female perspectives in the design of innovations and the career opportunities of women. Such projects often emerge from preceding interorganizational R&D projects and are particularly successful when they do so. We argue that instrumental networking in ongoing projects is constitutive for the formation of such follow-up collaborations and, further, that stereotypical gender roles hinder women’s participation in instrumental interactions with their current project partners. Hence, we assume that unequal opportunities to participate in follow-up projects can be attributed to women’s lesser involvement in instrumental networks. Empirically, we test our argument using data on 2746 directed and weighted personal relationships across 24 interorganizational R&D projects. We show that instrumental interactions are crucial for who initiates follow-up projects with which current partner. Furthermore, we can show that the low participation of women in these activities can be better explained by gender roles than by gender homophily. In doing so, we reveal an important cause of women's under-representation in R&D.

Knowledge infrastructure for integrated data management and analysis supporting new approach methods in predictive toxicology and risk assessment

The EU-ToxRisk project (2016–2021) was a large European project working towards shifting toxicological testing away from animal tests, towards a toxicological assessment based on comprehensive mechanistic understanding of cause-consequence relationships of chemical adverse effects. More than 40 partners from scientific institutions, industry and regulators coordinated their work towards this goal in a six-year long programme. The breadth and variety of data and knowledge generated, presented a challenging data management landscape.Here, we describe our approach to data management as developed under EU-ToxRisk. The main building blocks of the data infrastructure are: 1) An easy-to-use, extensible data and metadata format; 2) A flexible system with protocols for data capture and sharing from the entire consortium; 3) A methods database for describing and reviewing data generation and processing protocols; 4) Data archiving using a sustainable resource; 5) Data transformation from the archive to the system that provides granular access; 6) Application Programming Interface (API) for access to individual data points; 7) Data exploration and analysis modules, based on a «web notebook» approach to executable data processing documentation; and 8) Knowledge portal that ties together all of the above and provides a collaboration space for information exchange across the consortium. This knowledge infrastructure is being extended and refined for the support of follow-up projects (RISK-HUNT3R, ASPIS cluster, European Open Science Cloud (2021–2026)).

CAVITY, Calar Alto Void Integral-field Treasury surveY and project extension

We have learnt in the last decades that the majority of galaxies belong to high density regions interconnected in a sponge-like fashion. This large-scale structure is characterised by clusters, filaments, and walls, where most galaxies concentrate, but also under-dense regions called voids. The void regions and the galaxies within represent an ideal place for the study of galaxy formation and evolution, as they are largely unaffected by the complex physical processes that transform galaxies in high-density environments. The void galaxies may hold the key to answer current challenges to the Lambda CDM paradigm as well. The CAVITY survey is a Legacy project approved by the Calar Alto Observatory to obtain spatially resolved spectroscopic information of $ void galaxies in the Local Universe (0.005 < z < 0.050), covering -17.0 to -21.5 in $ r$ band absolute magnitude. It officially started in January 2021 and has been awarded 110 useful dark observing nights at the 3.5 m telescope using the PMAS spectrograph. Complementary follow-up projects, including deep optical imaging, integrated as well as resolved CO data, and integrated HI spectra, have joined the PMAS observations and naturally complete the scientific aim of characterising galaxies in cosmic voids. The extension data has been named CAVITY+. The data will be available to the whole community in different data releases, the first of which is planned for July 2024, and it will provide the community with PMAS datacubes for around 100 void galaxies through a user friendly and well documented database platform. Here, we present the survey, sample selection, data reduction, quality control schemes, science goals, and some examples of the scientific power of the CAVITY and CAVITY+ data.

Community Service Through Training and Mentoring “Traditional Herbal Recipes for Pregnancy and Postnatal Care”

The aim of this training activity is to reduce the risk of Maternal Mortality Rate in the pregnant and postpartum women, provide more economical alternative methods, and increase the professional competence of midwives in pregnancy and postnatal care. The methods used are online presentations, questions/answers, and discussions via Zoom webinars as well as online and offline mentoring. The results w ere the community service activities through training on traditional herbal recipes for pregnancy and postpartum care received a positive response and were quite well received by the participants who took part in the training organized by the collaboration between the Future Insight Training Institute and STIKES Bina U sada Bali. It is hoped that there will be more in-depth collaboration between interested parties, such as carrying out follow-up projects from training with companies that have expertise in traditional medicines such as project partners.

Web-Based Development of Standard Operating Procedures and Midwifery Trainings at Ugandan Birth Clinic in the Framework of Implementing a Quality Improvement System for the MEWU-Midwife Exchange with Uganda.

High maternal and newborn mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa indicate the need for global action interventions. Thus, the clinic cooperation midwife exchange with Uganda (MEWU) between Hannover Medical School and Mutolere Hospital, Uganda, was founded. This study, as the first intervention within the MEWU framework, explored whether a web-based approach is suitable for developing, training, and establishing standard operating procedures (SOPs) at Mutolere Hospital. We focused on assessing midwives' confidence in midwifery core competencies. The study was conducted in a prospective, non-controlled intervention design. As a quality improvement tool, the Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle was implemented. SOPs for standard obstetric care were developed and trained in online meetings. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire completed pre- and post-intervention by participating midwives, evaluations, minutes and video recordings of each case training, and annual analytical reports from Mutolere Hospital containing morbidity and mortality data. The online intervention was successfully implemented. Nine SOPs on basic obstetric care were developed, trained in online case training, and integrated into clinical practice at Mutolere Hospital. An increase in midwives' confidence regarding all surveyed core competencies was observed. There were no significant changes in the hospital's morbidity and mortality rates. The quality management system was implemented to optimize the follow-up projects further. This pilot study shows the potential of web-based interventions as a quality improvement tool in developing countries. The developed SOPs and video database are being used in subsequent studies and extended to further health centers in the Kisoro region.

Application of a Hot Melt Recoverable Anchor Cable in Foundation Pit Support

With the continuous development of the social economy, the depth of foundation pit excavation of proposed construction projects in various places gradually increases, which is closer to the building red line, and the surrounding environment is relatively complex; therefore, there are few supporting schemes for foundation pit selection. Based on the Vanke B-6 plot of a real estate development project, the project has close neighboring buildings. If we use a normal anchor cable, underground cut line problems are possible, and so we choose the hot melt-type recoverable anchor; with three element dispersion pressure, the anchor cable can minimize broken sections of brush slope excavation and has advantages of a simplified construction process and good seismic performance. Except for the cable barrel, the other parts and all steel strands can be recycled, and recycled parts can be reused. The recyclable bolt (cable) overcomes the disadvantages of the conventional bolt (cable) as a temporary support, such as pollution of the underground environment, encroachment on the underground space of adjacent buildings, and becoming an underground obstacle in follow-up projects. It accords with the characteristics of the times of environmental protection and sustainable development, and has achieved good economic and social benefits.

디지털 인문학으로 분석한 문화재 안내판의 분포와 어휘

The Cultural Heritage Interpretation Boards are public facilities erected on site to explain the designation, historical background, and preservation value of the cultural heritages. The Cultural Heritage Administration has been revising the inscriptions for the improvement project since 2019. With the previous literature largely grounded upon linguistics, this article analyzes the distribution and vocabulary of the Boards reinstalled from 2019 to May 2023. To do so, I employ the methodology of GIS and corpus linguistics in the name of digital humanities. The first half of the analysis performs inductive analyses examining a total of 2,705 Boards revised. Gyeongju-si houses the greatest number of them, while Paldal-gu in Suwon-si has the highest density. The top-frequency words — involving designation, periodization, and appearance — vary across the four regions and affirm the corpora’s uniqueness as Boards. In the second half devoted to deductive analyses, I visualize the locations where specific terms are mentioned. The search words are found in unexpected places unless irrelative usages are filtered out. Although this paper examined only the latest revisions due to the limited accessibility to the previous information, I hope to identify the complete patterns of the Boards in follow-up projects by incorporating the pre-revision data.

The development of a hiPSC-based platform to identify tissue-dependencies of IDH1 R132H

The application of patient-derived (PD) in vitro tumor models represents the classical strategy for clinical translational oncology research. Using these cellular heterogeneous cultures for the isolation of cancer stem cells (CSCs), suggested to be the main driver for disease malignancy, relies on the use of surrogate biomarkers or is based on CSC-enriching culture conditions. However, the ability of those strategies to exclusively and efficiently enrich for CSC pool has been questioned. Here we present an alternative in vitro CSC model based on the oncogenic transformation of single clone-derived human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). Hotspot mutations in the DNA encoding for the R132 codon of the enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) and codon R175 of p53 are commonly occurring molecular features of different tumors and were selected for our transformation strategy. By choosing p53 mutant glial tumors as our model disease, we show that in vitro therapy discovery tests on IDH1-engineered synthetic CSCs (sCSCs) can identify kinases-targeting chemotherapeutics that preferentially target tumor cells expressing corresponding genetic alteration. In contrast, neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from the IDH1R132H overexpressing hiPSCs increase their resistance to the tested interventions indicating glial–to-neural tissue-dependent differences of IDH1R132H. Taken together, we provide proof for the potential of our sCSC technology as a potent addition to biomarker-driven drug development projects or studies on tumor therapy resistance. Moreover, follow-up projects such as comparing in vitro drug sensitivity profiles of hiPSC-derived tissue progenitors of different lineages, might help to understand a variety of tissue-related functions of IDH1 mutations.

Improving data accessibility and application for underground climate re-search at the British Geological Survey

Improving data accessibility and application for underground climate re-search at the British Geological Survey

Disease association and comparative genomics of compositional bias in human proteins.

Background: The evolutionary rate of disordered protein regions varies greatly due to the lack of structural constraints. So far, few studies have investigated the presence/absence patterns of compositional bias, indicative of disorder, across phylogenies in conjunction with human disease. In this study, we report a genome-wide analysis of compositional bias association with disease in human proteins and their taxonomic distribution. Methods: The human genome protein set provided by the Ensembl database was annotated and analysed with respect to both disease associations and the detection of compositional bias. The Uniprot Reference Proteome dataset, containing 11297 proteomes was used as target dataset for the comparative genomics of a well-defined subset of the Human Genome, including 100 characteristic, compositionally biased proteins, some linked to disease. Results: Cross-evaluation of compositional bias and disease-association in the human genome reveals a significant bias towards biased regions in disease-associated genes, with charged, hydrophilic amino acids appearing as over-represented. The phylogenetic profiling of 17 disease-associated, proteins with compositional bias across 11297 proteomes captures characteristic taxonomic distribution patterns. Conclusions: This is the first time that a combined genome-wide analysis of compositional bias, disease-association and taxonomic distribution of human proteins is reported, covering structural, functional, and evolutionary properties. The reported framework can form the basis for large-scale, follow-up projects, encompassing the entire human genome and all known gene-disease associations.

Vaginal Delivery in a Primipara with Glanzmann Thrombasthenia

Vaginal Delivery in a Primipara with Glanzmann Thrombasthenia

Disease association and comparative genomics of compositional bias in human proteins.

Background: The evolutionary rate of disordered proteins varies greatly due to the lack of structural constraints. So far, few studies have investigated the presence/absence patterns of intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) across phylogenies in conjunction with human disease. In this study, we report a genome-wide analysis of compositional bias association with disease in human proteins and their taxonomic distribution. Methods: The human genome protein set provided by the Ensembl database was annotated and analysed with respect to both disease associations and the detection of compositional bias. The Uniprot Reference Proteome dataset, containing 11297 proteomes was used as target dataset for the comparative genomics of a well-defined subset of the Human Genome, including 100 characteristic, compositionally biased proteins, some linked to disease. Results: Cross-evaluation of compositional bias and disease-association in the human genome reveals a significant bias towards low complexity regions in disease-associated genes, with charged, hydrophilic amino acids appearing as over-represented. The phylogenetic profiling of 17 disease-associated, low complexity proteins across 11297 proteomes captures characteristic taxonomic distribution patterns. Conclusions: This is the first time that a combined genome-wide analysis of low complexity, disease-association and taxonomic distribution of human proteins is reported, covering structural, functional, and evolutionary properties. The reported framework can form the basis for large-scale, follow-up projects, encompassing the entire human genome and all known gene-disease associations.

COMPARISON AND SELECTION OF AN EDGE DETECTION FILTERS FOR ECG APPLICATIONS

Edge detection is an important technique used in image processing to detect and extract objects or features from images. Therefore, it is very important to choose right edge detection algorithm. However, choosing the proper algorithm for a specific project can be challenging due to the variety of available methods and their different performance characteristics. In this paper we review and compare some of the most commonly used edge detection techniques, including Robert, Sobel, Prewitt, Canny, and Laplacian of Gaussian. Discussion and analysis of the performance of these algorithms on different types of images showed that Prewitt, and after it Sobel, showed the best results, while the other algorithms were very weak in processing noisy images. The conclusions presented in this article will help researchers choose the best algorithm for a follow-up projects and studies.

Ecological security evaluation and early warning in the water source area of the Middle Route of South-to-North Water Diversion Project

Ecological security has important influence on regional sustainable development. The ecological security of Nanyang, the water source area of the Middle Route of South-to-North Water Diversion Project, was threatened because of surface water pollution. The existing studies had not been able to comprehensively assess the ecological security and future trend of water source area. In order to promote the high-quality development of the follow-up projects of the South-to-North Water Diversion project, it is very important to probe into the current situation and predict the future trend of ecological security in the water source area. Therefore, this paper constructed an ecological security evaluation index system based on the Driving force, Pressure, State, Impact and Response (DPSIR) model, used the combination of Analytic Hierarchy Process and- entropy weighting method to evaluate the ecological security of each district and county in Nanyang from 2000 to 2020, and used the auto regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model to predict the ecological security of the water source area from 2021 to 2030. The results demonstrated that: (1) The ecological security of Nanyang had changed from a moderate warning to a general safety, and the ecological security index had improved. The ecological security level of Nanyang would improve continuously from 2021 to 2030. (2) The northwest area and the central area of Nanyang had better ecological security states, while the southeast area wasn't so. Based on the results, the countermeasures for improving ecological security were proposed.

섬 재생사업의 성과와 과제

Until recently, the island development effort has been primarily concerned with infrastructure. Jeollanam-do is leading the direction of the Korean island policy. Beginning in 2015, The Islands That People Hope to Visit was a strategy to construct a vision with three key promotion strategies: protection and recovery of biological resources, appealing island cultural tourist resources, and island development with citizens and local governments. This study intends to provide future solutions after reviewing the current status and performance of the ‘Islands that People Hope to Visit’ promoted by Jeollanam-do. As the ‘Islands that People Hope to Visit’ is led by a small number of leaders rather than by the entire population, conflicts between residents have arisen. In the place where the project started in the mid-range, issues of management and operation, and trust between residents and leaders, and villages and administration are being raised. Second, the premise is that certain island identities have been harmed as a result of village specialization and concept development. Third, the primary problem is that there is a lack of knowledge of the people' life since there are no cultural and welfare programs for the locals because it is established primarily for the tourism industry. Fourth, although the ratio of hardware and software expenses is stipulated in the ‘GuidelinesforIslands that People Hope to Visit’ as 8:2, in reality, it is often carried out at a ratio of 9:1. Furthermore, there are occasions when facilities cannot be developed or are installed illegally owing to issues with land ownership and land use planning during the promotion of hardware projects. Fifth, there are still tasks to be completed, such as dispute resolution, transparent project and budget execution, transparent administration and operation, the interaction between village residents and project entities, project assessment and rearrangement, and the establishment of follow-up projects.

“Those lessons learned went right out the window once I was atop the soil where it all happened”: Transformative Learning in a Study Abroad Course

This project investigated the learning process and outcomes of a study abroad course in England and France that focused on dramatic social shifts in the world war eras. Well-established adult learning theories provided the course framework, and this study examines the characteristics and elements contributing to transformative learning. Eleven undergraduate students participated in this descriptive qualitative study. Three themes emerged from the research: students experienced a journey of intense emotion (Theme I) and meaning making (Theme II) sparking profound developmental changes (Theme III). Learning involved the whole body with students referring to visceral sensations stimulated by specific places visited during the course. Subsequent disorientation triggered the transformative learning process. Dialogue, journaling, and follow-up projects led to critical self-reflection whereby students questioned their perspectives and self-concepts. Post-travel focus groups revealed the impact of the course on validation and/or revision of student perspectives which led to informed decisions and actions. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the complexities inherent in transformative learning, especially through place-based and embodied learning practices. Implications include embracing holistic learning, fostering awareness of the learning environment including historical context, developing authentic relationships, and role-modeling critical thought and reflection.

Objectively measuring learning outcomes of information technology-assisted training courses

PurposeThe objective of the presented pilot study was to test the applicability of a metric to specifically measure performance improvement via a hands-on workshop about collaborative robotics.Design/methodology/approachCandidates interested in acquiring basic practical skills in working with a collaborative robot completed a distance learning exercise in preparation for a hands-on training workshop. The candidates executed a test before and after the workshop for recording the parameters compiled in the tested performance index (PI).FindingsThe results reflected the potential of the tested PI for applications in detecting improvement in practical skill acquisition and revealed potential opportunities for integrating additional performance factors.Research limitations/implicationsThe low number of candidates available limited in-depth analyses of the learning outcomes.Practical implicationsThe study outcomes provide the basis for follow-up projects with larger cohorts of candidates and control groups in order to expedite the development of technology-assisted performance measurements.Social implicationsThe study contributes to research on performance improvement and prediction of learning outcomes, which is imperative to this emerging field in learning analytics.Originality/valueThe development of the presented PI addresses a scientific gap in learning analytics, i.e. the objective measurement of performance improvement and prediction along skill-intensive training courses. This paper presents an improved version of the PI, which was published at the 12th Conference on Learning Factories, Singapore, April 2022.

공공건물(학교, 도서관, 박물관)의 사례를 통한 새로운 청소년공간의 건립기준 연구

The purpose of this study is to analyze the basic requirements for the construction of youth facilities in Korea, derive the basic requirements and evaluation standards for the youth facility construction plan through comparison with similar public facilities construction guidelines, and to present basic data on the direction of youth facilities construction. For this purpose, the current concept of youth facilities, related laws, facility standards, etc. were analyzed, and guidelines for construction of similar public facilities such as schools, museums, and libraries were analyzed, and based on the comparison of the analysis results, the construction direction of youth facilities was suggested. Therefore specific construction standards that apply our country's youth policies and social environment are necessary so that not only the officials in charge, but also all those involved in youth facilities, such as youth and parents, can share their respective roles and responsibilities and participate actively in the decision-making process. Through this study, it is hoped that the national goals for the construction of youth facilities will be set as an occasion to establish the necessary guidelines, and furthermore, it will be used as a basis for the construction of public youth facilities by local governments, so that related follow-up projects can be actively carried out.

3D printed rotor blades for a research wind turbine: Aerodynamic and structural design and testing

This study combines the design, the 3D printing and the testing of a small 3-bladed wind turbine rotor for research and teaching purposes. The objective is the additive manufacturing of a rotor with a radius of one meter, as an alternative to subtractive methods, such as computerized milling. The blade design is developed using freely available software packages. The aerodynamic considerations include the airfoil selection, the calculation of the blade geometry and the simulation of the ultimate load cases. The structural considerations are focussed on the printable materials, the infill structures and the retrofit of a load-carrying spar. The rotor blades are 3D printed with the BigRep One at the maker space of the TH Wildau. The structural integrity of the prototype blade is tested in terms of the ultimate root bending moments and the centrifugal forces at the HTW Berlin. The aerodynamic run-up tests are performed at the large wind tunnel of the TU Berlin measuring the power curves. The successful prototype paves the way for follow-up projects, such as open field tests and the 3D printing of larger rotor blades.