Presentation of a new Method for Determination of Diffusion Coefficients of Gaseous Pollutants in Cladding Wall Materials Indoors

Abstract. Diffusion and partition coefficients are two key parameters of importance for the characterization of building materials as sources and sinks of air pollutants indoors. The number of coefficients for each pair 'chemical compound -material surface' available in the literature are still scarce and with a high discrepancy in the results obtained by different methods, even for the same method Intoduction The quality of the indoor environment of non-industrial buildings has been receiving a growing interest from the scientific community due to the implications of the 'non quality' on the health and well being of the occupants. Many studies present construction and cladding materials as main sources of indoor air pollution, particularly of volatile organic compounds (VOC). In this context the development of mathematical models for the prevision of the concentration of pollutants in real situations requires the previous study of the behaviour of the materials vs pollutants to quantify the parameters involved, represented namely by the diffusion coefficients and partition coefficients Research methods Diffusion is the mode of mass transfer of a compound caused by a concentration gradient. Diffusion transport of gases in building materials involves a complex variety of processes including molecular, Knudsen and surface diffusion within the porous interstice

Kompetenzen im digitalen Lehr- und Lernraum an Hochschulen

Lernen und Lehren mit digitalen Medien und im digitalen Raum birgt vielseitige Möglichkeiten der didaktisch-methodischen Ausgestaltung von Lehre. Zugleich wachsen jedoch auch die Anforderungen an alle, die am Lernprozess beteiligt sind. Lehrende und Lernende sind zur Nutzung digitaler Medien und Werkzeuge ebenso angehalten wie zur Weiterentwicklung ihrer Kompetenzen in der digitalen Welt in Lehre und Forschung. Dabei stellt sich die Frage nach den erforderlichen Kompetenzen, Fähigkeiten und Fertigkeiten von Studierenden, Lehrenden und Beschäftigten im Third Space, insbesondere in der Hochschuldidaktik. Die Jahrestagung des Jungen Forums für Medien und Hochschulentwicklung (JFMH), die 2022 an der Philipps-Universität Marburg stattfand, stand ganz im Zeichen der Beantwortung dieser Fragen. Aus der Nachwuchstagung haben sich wissenschaftlich hochwertige Beiträge ergeben, die in diesem Band der Reihe „Blickpunkt Hochschuldidaktik“ sichtbar werden. Die Beiträge nähern sich dem Lehren und Lernen im digitalen Raum mit Fokus auf den Erwerb, die Förderung, Messung und Abbildung der vielfältigen Kompetenzen. Dabei werden unterschiedlichen Agierenden im Lehr-Lernraum (Studierende, Lehrende, Mitarbeitende im Third Space) sowie unterschiedliche Kompetenzen (fachlich, digital, persönlich, sozial) in den Blick genommen. Die Publikation bietet vor allem für Young Researcher und Young Professionals vielfältige Anregungen, richtet sich aber an alle Personen, die sich mit Medien und Hochschulentwicklung beschäftigen. (DIPF/Orig.

Repurposing NGO data for better research outcomes: A scoping review of the use and secondary analysis of NGO data in health policy and systems research

Background Non-government organisations (NGOs) collect and generate vast amounts of potentially rich data, most of which are not used for research purposes. Secondary analysis of NGO data (their use and analysis in a study for which they were not originally collected) presents an important but largely unrealised opportunity to provide new research insights in critical areas including the evaluation of health policy and programmes. Methods A scoping review of the published literature was performed to identify the extent to which secondary analysis of NGO data has been used in health policy and systems research (HPSR). A tiered analytic approach provided a comprehensive overview and descriptive analyses of the studies which: 1) used data produced or collected by or about NGOs; 2) performed secondary analysis of the NGO data (beyond use of an NGO report as a supporting reference); 3) used NGO-collected clinical data. Results Of the 156 studies which performed secondary analysis of NGO-produced or collected data, 64% (n=100) used NGO-produced reports (e.g. to critique NGO activities and as a contextual reference) and 8% (n=13) analysed NGO-collected clinical data.. Of the studies, 55% investigated service delivery research topics, with 48% undertaken in developing countries and 17% in both developing and developed. NGO-collected clinical data enabled HPSR within marginalised groups (e.g. migrants, people in conflict-affected areas), with some limitations such as inconsistencies and missing data. Conclusion We found evidence that NGO-collected and produced data are most commonly perceived as a source of supporting evidence for HPSR and not as primary source data. However, these data can facilitate research in under-researched marginalised groups and in contexts that are hard to reach by academics, such as conflict-affected areas. NGO–academic collaboration could help address issues of NGO data quality to facilitate their more widespread use in research. Their use could enable relevant and timely research in the areas of health policy, programme evaluation and advocacy to improve health and reduce health inequalities, especially in marginalised groups and developing countries

The Use of Telemedicine for Penicillin Allergy Skin Testing

BACKGROUND: Penicillin skin testing (PST) is increasingly used as a tool to evaluate penicillin allergy in patients with a reported history. The limited availability of allergists, however, may be an impeding factor. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the clinical utility of telemedicine to facilitate PST. METHODS: Penicillin-allergic inpatients receiving systemic antibiotics were prospectively identified between April and August 2017. Qualifying patients underwent PST performed by a trained allergy/immunology physician assistant (PA). On completion of PST, a telemedicine consultation, through the use of real-time interactive video conferencing (Microsoft Lync 2013, Redmond, Wash), was performed remotely by an allergist. Patients were surveyed regarding their satisfaction with the telemedicine experience. RESULTS: Fifty patients consented to PST through a telemedicine consultation. The average total time to complete a consultation was 128 minutes (standard deviation [SD] ± 33). Of this, the average PA travel time was 46 minutes (36%) with the remaining time spent on clinical services (82 minutes, 64%). The average physician telemedicine time per patient was 5 minutes (SD ± 2). Patients rated their experience as an average of 4.5 on a scale of 1 (highly unsatisfied) to 5 (highly satisfied). Of the 46 PST-negative patients, 33 were transitioned to a β-lactam antibiotic that reduced the use of vancomycin, metronidazole, aztreonam, aminoglycosides, and clindamycin (P \u3c .05). More than $30,000 was saved throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Telemedicine is an effective and novel approach to facilitate PST in the inpatient setting and carries a high degree of patient satisfaction. This method has the potential to optimize and improve access to allergy/immunology resources