text:
More than 100 vacant lots dot St. Paul's Frogtown, and to the chagrin of neighborhood activists, many of them are owned by the city.
The situation isn't much better next door in the Aurora- St. Anthony and Summit-University neighborhoods, where some residents have rallied -- with mixed results -- to get the city to fill empty plots of land or rehabilitate rather than demolish eyesore properties.
St. Paul is studying a $13 million, four-prong strategy for selling or building on vacant lots and fixing up foreclosed properties in Frogtown, Payne-Phalen, Railroad Island, Dayton's Bluff and West Seventh Street.
The seven candidates for the Ward 1 seat on the St. Paul City Council have taken notice of the empty spaces and have proposed a bevy of their own strategies for filling them. The ward spans Frogtown and Summit-University, as well as parts of surrounding neighborhoods.
There is no incumbent running. Ward 1 council member Melvin Carter III resigned in July to take a state position. Interim council member Nathaniel Khaliq is not seeking election. The council election will be held in November.
Here's a look at the candidates:
"The city needs to stop its tear-down-at-any-cost policy," said Mark Voerding, a longtime district council organizer who is taking aim at the city's so-called "Bostrom ordinance." Under the ordinance, Category 3 homes -- those in the worst condition -- cannot be sold until brought up to code.
When the housing market was hot, the goal was to prevent speculators from snatching up broken-down homes at a pittance, covering them with fresh paint and unloading them to unsuspecting buyers at inflated prices. In a sluggish housing market, the ordinance has created a glut of dilapidated housing that cannot be sold, leaving the city with few choices but to condemn and demolish, he said.
Voerding hopes to modify the ordinance so Category 3 homes can be put on the market. Under existing city policy, "the Ramsey Hill neighborhood and the Irvine Park area would have been leveled, because those houses couldn't be sold. People in Ramsey Hill and Irvine Park bought those properties ... and they rehabbed the homes."
He'd like to see more historic districts within the ward, but with modified rules allowing vinyl siding and other modern improvements that a typical historic district might not allow.
Noel Nix, a legislative aide to Carter, acknowledges that Frogtown and Aurora-St. Anthony were hit hard by the foreclosure crisis. He's working on the new Frogtown-Rondo Home Fund, a collaboration between the city and housing nonprofits to take a targeted approach to filling vacant, city-owned lots.
He said the goal is to "work smarter, not harder" by focusing resources.
The fund, modeled after the Northside Home Fund in North Minneapolis, aims to create new home-ownership and rental opportunities for working families by pooling existing redevelopment efforts in six-to-eight-block areas around key locations, such as a park or school. The current "cluster strategy" would focus on blocks around the Church of St. Agnes on Thomas Avenue, Jackson Elementary School on Edmund Avenue and Maxfield Magnet School on Victoria Street.
Nix, a former property manager who holds a master's degree in urban planning from the University of Minnesota, said it would be cheaper to rehab some homes than demolish them and build anew on the same plot, but not every circumstance is so cut and dried.
Johnny Howard, a longtime community organizer, believes the city is labeling too many homes as Category 3. That makes borrowing money for improvements even more difficult, he said.
"We've got houses that are 70 to 80 years old," Howard said. "Bringing them up to today's code is nearly impossible. We don't want to take away people's ability to rehab them.
"If you want to sell a (Category 3) property, you should be able to sell it, but if I buy it, I should know 'you can't sit on this property,' " he said. The buyer should be given a timeframe to plan repairs, he said.
He'd also like to see programs offer low-cost improvements to surrounding homeowners.
"I think we've been condemnation and demolition happy," he said. "We need to revisit the whole process of what we're condemning, and what that means."
He said he supports a city strategy to sell "sliver" lots that are too small to develop to community organizations or neighboring property owners for gardens or green space.
He says the ward is becoming top heavy with new rental properties, and the city should take care to make sure its vacant lots are occupied by a better balance of owner-occupied homes.
Kazoua Kong-Thao, former chair of the St. Paul school board, doesn't buy arguments that Ward 1 has too much rental housing.
"If families can't afford to purchase a home, what are they going to do?" she said. "Of course they're going to rent."
Pointing to the popularity of the Frogtown Square/King's Crossing senior development at University Avenue and Dale Street, she said she'd like the city to focus more effort on bringing a wider range of housing types to the ward.
"We have a large baby-boomer population, and we need to accommodate them," she said. "I don't think there's enough affordable housing, especially in this area. We have a growing population of seniors who want to downsize."
Kazoua Kong-Thao said the city needs to step up enforcement of homes owned by absentee landlords, but she did not agree that too many homes have been demolished by the city.
"A lot of the homes in Ward 1 are old," she said.
"Most of the foreclosures in St. Paul have been concentrated in four main areas, and Frogtown is one of them," she said, calling job creation key to housing stability. "Many of the residents have the highest levels of unemployment and the lowest levels of education."
Dai Thao, an information technology specialist, said the city has not gone overboard with demolishing vacant and condemned properties.
The former organizer with the interfaith housing advocacy group ISAIAH said the city should focus on job creation and other prevention strategies to keep homes from being vacated in the first place. Among them, St. Paul should buy houses from homeowners facing foreclosure.
"I'd like to see a 'buy-back, sell-back' program where we look at underwater houses. The city would buy the houses and sell them back to the owner at a different (mortgage interest) rate," Dai Thao said. "We can use eminent domain to do that. ... When you have families moving around, that destabilizes a community. We have to do everything we can to keep residents in their homes."
He would also like the city to do "a more thorough job of connecting residents to existing programs that can save energy costs and (provide) wheelchair accessibility."
Dai Thao praised the city's efforts to build affordable senior housing connected to retail shops at Frogtown Square/King's Crossing. "That way, we're helping the small businesses. It's self-sustaining."
Paul Holmgren, an Office Max sales associate, says the city's best bet on housing issues would be to butt out.
"The city should not own or manage any residential property" or residentially zoned property, he said. "Those lots should be sold back to the private market."
He points out that the seven members of the St. Paul City Council also convene as the city's Housing and Redevelopment Authority, which makes key decisions about how public money is distributed to developers. "Why isn't there a housing board that votes on those issues?"
Holmgren, however, isn't quick to blame the city for demolishing condemned houses. "Yes, they're tearing down a lot of housing, but there's certainly a logic to it," he said, noting that they are problem properties, some with pest-control issues.
"There was one house where they took 100 cats from the home," he said. "Nobody could live there, so they had to tear the house down."
He took a dim view of the city's efforts to build affordable housing. "My concern is we're going to have so much housing, we're not going to know what to do with it, and it's going to drive the value of the single-family home down," Holmgren said.
Montgomery could not be reached for comment.
Frederick Melo can be reached at 651-228-2172. Follow him at twitter.com/FrederickMelo.


text:
Free of Strife, Baseball Turns to Trading
After surpassing its record $7 billion in revenue this season, Major League Baseball heads into its winter meetings this week primed for another season of lucrative free-agent contracts, especially with the game's biggest slugger, Albert Pujols, on the market.
Fifteen years ago, baseball seemed doomed to an endless series of labor wars. But unlike the National Football League and the National Basketball Association, both of which suffered through lengthy lockouts this year, baseball and its players union reached a new long-term deal last month without even a hint of major strife.
While labor strife isn't necessarily a sign of financial turmoil, labor peace is often a leading indicator of stability, at least in sports, where struggling owners often blame their woes on player salaries and try to organize attempts to roll back compensation.
That isn't happening in Major League Baseball, which is poised for a week of discussions about possible trades and free-agent signings. While MLB's business isn't perfect, it is probably as healthy as it has been since the rise of the players union in the 1970s.
Despite a struggling economy, the game's 30 teams sold more than 73.4 million tickets this year, its fifth highest total, the most since the 2008, and within shouting distance of the 2007 record of 79.5 million. The Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the marquee franchises, is on the block and expected to fetch at least $1 billion.
"Our story is about content, content, content and the value of it," said Tim Brosnan, MLB's executive vice president for business.
To be sure, MLB isn't without its trouble spots. Seventeen teams sold less than 65% of their tickets. Commissioner Bud Selig said he was troubled by the small audiences for the first round of the playoffs, which are broadcast exclusively on cable channels TBS and TNT. Franchises in Tampa Bay and Oakland are desperate for new ballparks and without public support may be forced to relocate.
Still, several broadcasters are preparing to bid for national television rights. The current contracts expire after the 2013 season, and the sport is set to take advantage of what has become a fervent market for the rights to the highest profile sports, including college football, the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. National rights fees are expected to increase 25% to 40% from the current level of roughly $700 million per year, according to media experts.
Local TV rights fees for individual teams also continue to soar, especially in larger markets as media companies see the 162-games schedule as the key tent-pole to any regional sports network. Last year the Texas Rangers signed a 20-year local media rights deal valued at $1.6 billion. Fox Sports, a unit of News Corp. which also owns The Wall Street Journal, recently offered the Dodgers a deal valued at $2.7 billion for local media rights for 2014-2030.
Also, the league-owned cable channel, the MLB Network, is now in 65 million homes and collects roughly $200 million a year in subscriber fees. "We've seen that the audience for this kind of sports content doesn't erode," said Lee Berke, an expert in sports media. "There is more competition than ever for attention, but the demand for sports is growing."
Just as Mr. Pujols would want it.
The Week Ahead looks at coming corporate events.
Write to Matthew Futterman at email@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ariah Park Camping Ground - Ariah Park
Just 34 kilometres west of Temora, Ariah Park Camping Ground is situated in a quiet picturesque area adjacent to the golf course and recreation ground.
The village is a short stroll away and offers 24 hour fuel, NRMA, Post Office/newsagency/ Rural Transaction Centre, EFTPOS facilities, supermarket and hardware store. Evening meals are available at the Bowling and Recreation Club.
There are 24 powered sites and facilities include: camp kitchen, free electric barbecue, stainless steel benchtops and sink, amenities block, tables and seating. Pet friendly.
The village provides facilities for a range of sporting activities including tennis, netball, football, bowls, golf and swimming.
Nearby attractions include Broken Dam walking trail with interpretive signs marking historic sites of the original Broken Dam Settlement, the recreational and picnic area of Lake Arbortree, bushwalking and birdwatching along the Mirrool Creek and National and State Forests within 30 minutes of the village.
- Barbecue
- Birdwatching
- Bushwalking
- Cycling
- Golfing
- 24 hour Reception
- Amenities block
- BBQ Facilities
- Cafe
- Gas
- Golf Course
- Ice
- Linen Not Supplied
|Camp Sites
|AUD$6 to AUD$12
|Price Range. Powered sites (standard power and hot showers) AUD12.00 per night. Unpowered sites (includes hot showers) AUD6 per night.
The Ariah Park Camping Ground provides 24 powered camp sites.
Facilities: Shared bathroom.


text:
Cyber Monday Sale
Save up to 60% off all December home games for 48 hours only. Enjoy the most Grizzli-ful time of the year with our insane-tastic Cyber Monday… and Tuesday Sale.
Holiday Student Saver Nights
All college students with a valid student ID can head on down to FedExForum and buy select terrace level seats for just $15.
Holiday Packs
The holidays are back and so is the gift that keeps on Grizzing. It's the all-new Grizzlies 7-Game Holiday Packs presented by Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid.
Season Tickets
Secure your 2015-16 Grizzlies Season Tickets to experience every towel-waving, heart pounding moment of Memphis hoops history.
15-Game Packs
Celebrate 15 seasons of Memphis Grizzlies basketball with the all-new 15-game pack starting at $15 per game.
22-Game Packs
Celebrate 15 seasons of Memphis Grizzlies basketball with 22-game packs starting at $13 per game.
Group Tickets
Enjoy savings on tickets for groups of 15 or more.
Single Game Tickets
Enjoy a great night out with the Grizzlies. Purchase your game tickets up to two hours prior to game time online, or order by phone at 1.800.4NBATIX.
Grizzlies Beer Tasting Nights
Included in the cost is your ticket for the game, hors d'oeuvres, a sampling of micro brews, and receive a commemorative Grizzlies pint glass exclusive to each event.
My MVP Account
Get the latest news and benefits for Season Ticket Holders plus, manage your tickets.
Suite Rentals
Reserve your premium game night suite today.
Military and Government Tickets
Military and government tickets.
Sell Tickets
Can't make it to the game? Sell your tickets here.
Get directions and parking information plus details on all upcoming events.


text:
Now that's how you end a season. Even though its first season was only eight episodes, Silicon Valley proved over its short run just how great of a show this is when it's firing on all cylinders. Tonight's finale, "Optimal Tip-to-Tip Efficiency," fully displayed Silicon Valley at its funniest, weirdest, and most celebratory.
When I reviewed the first episode of Silicon Valley back when it premiered in April, I said that one of the things that I liked best about the series was that it was, essentially, an underdog story—a show about these nerdy, neurotic guys as they tried to maneuver their way through the tech world and find success in the industry. In its finale, Silicon Valley provided its characters with quite a bit of success to be happy about, as Pied Piper (after Richard restructured the entire program) reaches a 5.2 on the Weisman scale, almost double what Hooli is able to get with Nucleus.
For a moment there, it looks like Richard is going to be a multi-millionaire with a date all planned out with Monica. It's all almost too perfect. However, what makes everything come together so nicely, and makes me so excited for next season, is that final scene between Richard and Monica, where she lays out how much more there still is to come for him, and Richard, naturally, responds by running outside and vomiting. It brings everything full circle, a callback to Richard's first panic attack during the bidding war between Gavin Belson and Peter Gregory in the pilot.
In short, the best way to describe "Optimal Tip-to-Tip" is balance—a balance of success versus failure for Pied Piper, a balance of development in Monica and Richard's relationship (tension between them can start, but nothing more just yet), and a balance of comedy between the show's cast. Everyone, from Richard to Erlich to my favorite character, Jared, has a moment in the finale where they had me roaring with laughter ("Most missing children are never found!"). More importantly, though, it's when all the guys come together (to diagram just exactly what Erlich would do to every single man in the room during their presentation) that Richard has his breakthrough. Although Silicon Valley has mainly been a story about Richard, told through his eyes, with this scene, the show's writers also showcase how important the rest of the characters are—as being the funny dudes that make us laugh but also as integral members of the Pied Piper team and Richard's friends.
Ultimately, this first season of Silicon Valley acted as a taste of the potential that the series has, as an appetizer to all the hilarious, dramatic, and just straight up goofy stuff that Mike Judge and company have in store for season two. The underdog story of Richard and the Pied Piper gang is only getting started, but as the conclusion to its first chapter, Silicon Valley's season finale was fantastic and definitely solidified the show, for me, as this year's best comedy.
Other thoughts:
– "And we have Shakira!" Hooli's over-the-topness will never stop being funny.
– Jared, as I said in my review, is by far my favorite character on the show. His sleep deprived antics throughout the entire episode were pure comedy gold. "Very interested, somewhat interested, or not interested at all?"
– And that's a wrap for season one of Silicon Valley. Thanks to everyone who has read or commented on these reviews. I've really loved writing about this how and am looking forward to continuing to do so when it returns.
What did everyone else think of the season finale of Silicon Valley? How did you like the first season overall?
[Photo via HBO]


text:
Politics Counts
Foreign Policy
"I don't give to Republicans as a matter of principle,"
Cuccinelli's social conservatism is so far to the right that it is frightening. He is only for traditional sex even amongst a married couple. he is also against birth control. this is the 2013, not 1800's.
Napoleon had his Waterloo, Custer his little Bighorn. Now it's the GOP's turn to get a hefty dose of reality. I can't believe that so many Republican voters are 100% convinced that the backward ideology that failed them in the past several elections is somehow going to rescue them if they make their platform even more intolerant and backward for 2014 and 2016. The sad (or humorous) part is that so many loyal Republican soldiers are sooooo convinced of this that it never occurs to them how idiotic their assumptions are.
Leftists remain so afraid of honest dialogue that they always lead with the tactics of lies and hate. It takes truly remarkable cognitive dissonance for them to believe in their own tripe.
Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what's happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.
Sign up for Capital Journal Daybreak


text:
Holiday Inn SHANGHAI VISTA4
700 Changshou Road,Putuo District, Shanghai, 200060
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About the hotel
Choose Holiday Inn Shanghai Vista for a strategic location, 10 minutes' drive from the city centre, with good transport links to the rest of Shanghai. Strategically located on No. 700 Chang Shou Road, the Holiday Inn Shanghai Vista is only 20 minutes drive from the Hong Qiao Airport, 55 minutes from the Pudong International Airport, 10 minutes from the Shanghai Railway Station, 28 minutes from National Convention and Exhibition Center and only 5 minutes from hotel to Metro line 7 and Line 13.
Surf the web with complimentary wireless Internet in modernist Jing Lobby Lounge, amid sleek geometric sculptures and muted colours. Or simply unwind in the uncluttered surroundings of your air-conditioned guestroom. With our extensive meeting facilities, doing business at Holiday Inn Shanghai Vista is a breeze. Entertain up to 350 people in our ballroom, or give a presentation in one of 4 fully equipped meeting rooms. Feel free to make use of the PCs in our Business Centre. Our state-of-the-art Fitness Centre and indoor pool offer impressive views of the city. It's a short stroll to cafes in the trendy Suzhou Creek area and the tranquil Temple of the Jade Buddha. Hop in a taxi to reach the shops on popular Nanjing Road. Enjoy Western and Asian cuisine on the sunny terrace outside Holiday Inn Shanghai Vista's relaxed Inn Place Cafe. Chinese Wen Xuan Restaurant serves authentic local and Cantonese dishes.
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text:
No description
Ein echt spannender Film!
No description
Enjoy hot arab girls belly dance from middle east!
5.9.09 - ACCESS GRANTED - Playboy Playmate 2009 DJ Crystal Ellis, Playboy Cover Models The Ikki Twins from MTV's Double Shot at Love were on site along with special guests Playboy Model Monica Lee Paige, Mollyrose, Emily Skye and Sheridyn Fisher for SEN Entertainment's red carpet event at BOSS in San Francisco, CA Produced by SEN Entertainment and HKL Films video/editing by Justin Berger http://senentertainment.com/ http://www.myspace.com/senentertainment http://www.myspace.com/hklfilms http://www.hklfilms.com
Arsenal FC in the 2009 season
This is a suite I made a few years ago using some tracks from the Basic Instinct soundtrack, which I love. The original track lasted over 14 minutes and I had to cut it in order to post it here on youtube. My intention was to create a suit that could be played as background music, so I omitted the 'bombastic' cues of the soundtrack. Hope you like it
Mulher Melancia ,Melão, Jaca e Moranguinho juntas num unico viceo inedito.
firstname.lastname@example.com bobil/bego/0124367021 ...
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text:
So I was watching another Rubix cube video and I was thinking to myself, "Ok this is getting old, people are pretty awesome at it, not much left to do." And I was thinking of a variant of Rubix cubing that might be a lot more challenging. Hand someone a solved Rubix cube (or I guess it could be messed up too), and show them a picture of a cube with a specific pattern on it (ie RGB, WBR, YYW) for every side, and then have them work to get that specific pattern. Reverse Rubix Cubing.
What do you think?
Rubix Cubes
Started by ChurchSkiz, Jun 01 2011 07:16 AM
4 replies to this topic
#1 Members - Reputation: 654
Posted 01 June 2011 - 07:16 AM
#2 Crossbones+ - Reputation: 4408
Posted 01 June 2011 - 11:17 AM
I don't think its more difficult by itself (strictly mathematically speaking). Surely it will be even more confusing as the patterns are more difficult to remember than a flat color per-side. Might eventually turn out interesting to rubik fans. It sounds nice.
#3 Members - Reputation: 3542
Posted 01 June 2011 - 11:58 AM
What is a challenge is start with a solved cube, then apply some restriction to what can be turned. A few examples are:
- you are only allowed to turn two faces.
- you are only allowed to turn three faces.
- Select to pieces that are side by side and those pieces can never be separated, as if they were glued together
- The top and bottom face can be rotated freely, the other four faces can only be rotated 180 degrees.
My current game project Platform RPG
#4 Crossbones+ - Reputation: 1164
Posted 01 June 2011 - 12:07 PM
Note that not all imaginable combinations are possible (eg: flip two opposite center pieces, leave everything else the same) and finding out which ones aren't is non-trivial. I suppose the only good way would be to scramble a cube and ask someone to get a solved cube to that state.
#5 Members - Reputation: 635
Posted 01 June 2011 - 12:15 PM


text:
Recipe by: MisoPiso
Original recipe yields 8 servings
Based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Sort stores by
Ready In
This salad is bursting with fruit and nuts, and is a great holiday side dish.
A yuba "noodle" and cabbage salad with a flavorful peanut dressing.
See how to make an astonishingly delicious dessert salad.


text:
Cheesy Onion Roll-ups Recipe
These roll-ups are very fast to fix. You can make them ahead and keep them wrapped in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve. —Barbara Keith, Faucett, Missouri
- 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeno pepper
- 1 package (10 ounces) flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed
- Picante sauce
- 1. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Spread over each tortilla and roll up tightly. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Slice into 1-in. pieces. Serve with picante sauce. Yield: about 5 dozen.
Nutritional Facts
1 serving (3 each) equals 119 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 23 mg cholesterol, 169 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 3 g protein.
Wine Pairings
Sweet Red Wine
Enjoy this recipe with a sweet red wine.
© 2015 RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC


text:
Release Date:
May 6, 2003
Rating: pg - Suitable for Children
This old fashioned service comedy is suitable for the whole family. It is set in Vietnam during the war and chronicles the efforts of a small band of Green Berets as they endeavor to help out a beleaguered village located next to a major supply route for the Viet Cong. The leader, Capt. Sam Cahill has been working overtime to create good relations between the American soldiers and the villagers so he can use their little town to monitor enemy activities. Unfortunately, Cahill is slated to retire and his replacement is shaping up to be the classic Ugly American. It is he who accidentally lets the North Vietnamese know that the hapless villagers have been harboring American soldiers. To punish them, the VC shoot the only elephant in the village. To help the villagers, Cahill goes against the wishes of the new leader and promises to replace the slaughtered beast in time for an important local ritual. The trouble is, the Americans have only five days in which to find and bring back an elephant; they find one, but it is 200 miles from the village. The men decide the only way to do it is to load the beast aboard a transport plane and send it to the village via parachute. Now all they have to do is figure how to engineer this feat. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Genre: Comedy
- Category Animal Picture, Military Comedy
- Theme: Race Against Time, Heroic Mission
- Run Time: 01 hr 48 min
- Language: English , French
- Subtitle Language: Spanish
- Picture Format: pan_and_scan
- Lead Actor: Danny Glover , Denis Leary , Ray Liotta , Corin Nemec , Doug E. Doug
- Supporting Actor: Marshall Bell , Tchéky Karyo , Michael Lee , Jared Chandler , Tim Kelleher , James Hong
- Director: Simon Wincer
other Info.
- Online Item #: 11330884
- Store Item Number (DPCI): 246-00-4583
- Made in the USA or Imported


text:
Defensive resurgence leading Bucs
Football Outsiders examines the resurgence of the Buccaneers' defense
Originally Published: December 6, 2008By Doug Farrar | Football Outsiders
It took a decade to build the Tampa Bay defense that led the Bucs to a 48-21 win over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Former Stanford quarterback John Lynch was the first on board, drafted in the third round in 1993 to play safety. The big haul came in 1995, when defensive tackle Warren Sapp and linebacker Derrick Brooks were taken in the first round. Cornerback Donnie Abraham, who tied for the league lead in interceptions in 1999, was a third-round choice in 1996, and ...
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text:
Patent application title: METHOD FOR INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION OF SOFTWARE-ASSISTED ACTIVITY, IN PARTICULAR IN A HOSPITAL
Karlheinz Dorn (Kalchreuth, DE)
Vladyslav Ukis (Nurnberg, DE)
IPC8 Class: AG06Q1000FI
USPC Class:
705 9
Class name: Operations research allocating resources or scheduling for an administrative function staff scheduling or task assignment
Publication date: 2010-07-08
Patent application number: 20100174580
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In a hospital, a virtual team can be formed on an interdepartmental basis,
with individual roles of treating physicians being defined based on a
scheme appropriate to a treatment situation and specific physicians being
allocated to the roles such that just-in-time planning of a patient's
treatment can be carried out. In at least one embodiment, the sequential
execution of tasks appropriate to the individual departments is monitored
by a central data processing device.
1. A method for coordinating software-assisted activity of a plurality of
departments of an organization, comprising:a) providing a central data
processing device and, for the plurality of departments, at least one
departmental data processing device coupled to the central data
processing device for data exchange purposes;b) receiving at least one
input for designating a possible starting situation;c) receiving at least
one input for specifying a function flow and roles assigned by a
plurality of individual functions of the function flow;d) receiving at
least one input for assigning software task flows for each of the
plurality of individual functions and providing the software for the
software task;e) if all inputs appropriate to a real starting situation
that has currently occurred were made and the results of the inputs were
made available to the central data processing device, equating a real
starting situation to the possible starting situation and transitioning
to step f), orif steps a) to d) were carried out spaced apart in time
prior to the occurrence of a real starting situation which is a possible
starting situation, providing the results of the inputs on the central
data processing device, receiving an input for designating the real
starting situation, assigning the inputs made in relation to the
corresponding possible starting situation to the real starting situation
and transitioning to step f); andf) for each function in the function
flow assigned to the real starting situation: putting the central data
processing device into a state of readiness to receive an identification
input for the role assigned to the function at a departmental data
processing device associated with said role and receiving such an
identification input as well as generating the tasks associated with the
function and executing the task flow using program code stored on memory
of the central data processing device.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in step f), the tasks are generated through interaction between the central data processing device and a departmental data processing device associated with the respective role, the tasks at least one of acting on an output device connected to the departmental data processing device and responding to inputs made on an input device connected to the departmental data processing device.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in step e), the central data processing device assigns at least one of actual individuals and devices to the individual roles with a time interval for fulfilling the associated function in order to specify a timeline.
4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in step f), the central data processing device effects the issuing of notifications by the departmental data processing devices to actual individuals at least one of simultaneously and at times defined by the timeline.
5. A method for coordinating software-assisted activity of a plurality of hospital departments, comprising:a) specifying a treatment situation from a plurality of stored possible treatment situations based on an input;b) allocating a function flow with roles associated with each function;c) allocating software task flows associated with each function; andd) effecting the execution of tasks on data processing devices in hospital departments differing according to role in accordance with the function flow allocated to the treatment situation and software task flows assigned to the functions from said function flow.
6. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, in step e), the central data processing device assigns at least one of actual individuals and devices to the individual roles with a time interval for fulfilling the associated function in order to specify a timeline.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein, in step f), the central data processing device effects the issuing of notifications by the departmental data processing devices to actual individuals at least one of simultaneously and at times defined by the timeline.
8. A computer readable medium including program segments for, when executed on a computer device, causing the computer device to implement the method of claim 1.
9. A computer readable medium including program segments for, when executed on a computer device, causing the computer device to implement the method of claim 5.
[0001]The present application hereby claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 on German patent application number DE 10 2009 004 004.8 filed Jan. 7, 2009, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0002]At least one embodiment of the invention generally relates to a method for coordinating software-assisted activity of a plurality of departments in an organization, the method being provided in particular for a hospital.
[0003]In hospitals, many patients pass through a plurality of departments. It has meanwhile become common practice in hospitals to perform activities with software support, e.g. the recording of patient images, the management of the patient images, the viewing of the patient images and finally also the generation of medical reports, with each department having its own software. In the past there has been no coordination of the patient's visit to different departments. Rather it has been the case that if it is deemed necessary to have activities performed by another department, one department transfers the patient to precisely that other department. There, the patient is received effectively like a new patient. Each department operates its own time management. This results in the patients having to put up with waiting times in the individual departments.
[0004]Particularly in the case of emergency patients who have to be examined in a number of departments, a quick examination is desirable, if not vital for the patients. It would be desirable if a patient's passage through departments of a hospital could be organized according to the just-in-time principle. The fact that the software for each individual department of a hospital is provided separately makes just-in-time planning impossible. Often individual departments of a hospital even use totally different software systems which are incompatible with one another.
[0005]At least one embodiment of the invention is directed to a method for coordinating software-assisted activity in a plurality of departments of an organization, in particular a hospital, so that better planning of this activity is made possible. In the case of the hospital it is aimed to enable the patient to be allocated to individual departments according to the just-in-time principle, thereby improving the patient's situation.
[0006]The method according to at least one embodiment incorporates the provisioning of software and data, whereas the emphasis in the method according to the second aspect is on the use of software.
[0007]The method according to at least one embodiment begins with the step of providing a central data processing device as well as departmental data processing devices coupled to same for the purpose of exchanging data, with at least one such departmental data processing device for each department. Thus, a network having one central point of control is built up in the organization. The method continues with the step of receiving at least one input for designating a possible starting situation. The purpose of this is to enable the activity that is to be coordinated to be designated as a whole. In the step of receiving at least one input for specifying a sequence of functions and roles assigned by the individual functions, it is then specified as a logical consequence, which type of activity (functions) is to be performed according to the designation, i.e. in the starting situation. At the same time, by specifying the roles it is defined from which group of people the individual having to perform an individual function can be selected.
[0008]In a hospital, the performance of many a function demands a specific qualification. In this case, in particular the professional qualification (cardiologist, oncologist etc.) can be specified as the role. For each function there is now received in addition at least one input for assigning software task flows. At the same time the software for these software tasks is provided. Let it be noted that what is to be understood by "software task" is the provisioning of a specific functionality. The higher-order concept of the "function", on the other hand, encompasses the abstract specification of which objective is to be reached, or how an objective is to be reached.
[0009]By way of the steps a) to d) of the method according to at least one embodiment that has just been explained, the preconditions are first established that enable software-assisted activity to be coordinated. A distinction is now made in at least one embodiment between two cases: First, the preconditions are tailored to a specific starting situation which was not thought of previously. Then, the inputs must naturally have been made when this starting situation occurs as a real starting situation. In the method according to at least one embodiment the invention, the inputs are then made available in any case to the central data processing device, either directly via input means at the central data processing device, or they are input via input means at a departmental data processing device--e.g. a data processing device in an emergency admissions unit of a hospital--and then, owing to the coupling of same to the central data processing device, transferred to the latter. In the present scenario, namely that the received inputs are directly available on the central data processing device at any event, it is then only necessary for a real starting situation, on the preexistence of which the further course of method is based, to be equated to the possible starting situation.
[0010]Alternatively, all steps a) to d) of the method according to at least one embodiment can have been performed in preparation for the occurrence of a real starting situation, steps b) to d) in particular being performed more than once for different possible starting situations. Then the results of the inputs should be provided on the central data processing device. On the basis of the results having been provided, the method then proceeds as follows: An input for designating the real starting situation is received, and this can then be assigned to the corresponding possible starting situations.
[0011]In both alternatives cited in step e) of at least one embodiment, a real starting situation is then assigned a function flow, and the latter is in turn assigned a software task flow, with software being available for the software tasks.
[0012]For each function from the function flow assigned to the now defined real starting situation, the central data processing device is now placed in readiness to receive an identification input for the role assigned to the function on a departmental data processing device, wherein the departmental data processing device in particular can be assigned to this role. The identification input can be e.g. a conventional login password. Finally, such an identification input is received, and tasks associated with the relevant function for which the identification input was made are generated and the task flow executed. Generating a task essentially consists in software being written into a working memory, which is to say being allowed to run. In the present case the tasks are to be generated and the task flow is to be executed using program code stored on memory of the central data processing device. The central data processing device can therefore assume the function of coordination and process a task flow task by task, and in turn process, task flow by task flow, each function in the function flow. In this case the departmental data processing devices play a supporting role, but are dependent on the central data processing device.
[0013]In this way it becomes possible to carry out a full planning of how activity in the organization can be completed, in particular how a patient can be treated step by step in different departments in a hospital. There is no longer any necessity for the individual departments to communicate with one another, in other words e.g. where one department makes a decision about to which other department a patient is to be transferred; instead, the coordination of the activity is accomplished centrally according to a predetermined scheme, associated with the possible starting situation, which has then been identified with a real starting situation. Physically transferring the patient between departments also constitutes a possible function, with the result that this is planned centrally and not left to the respective department pairings.
[0014]The software on the central data processing device does not have to effect the execution of tasks on its own; rather, the tasks can be generated through interaction between the central data processing device and a departmental data processing device assigned to the respective role, in other words through interaction between executing program code on the central data processing device on the one hand and the departmental data processing device on the other. The tasks are preferably embodied such that they interact with a user located in the region of the departmental data processing device. Thus, they can act on an output device connected to the departmental data processing device. Alternatively or in addition, they can also respond to an input made on an input device connected to the departmental data processing device.
[0015]Via the output device the operator can be prompted to perform certain steps sequentially. This can include the inputting of data which is then processed subsequently. The software is divided up into software components (program code packages), wherein by preference those program code packages that are specifically responsible for the communication between the system and the operator are arranged in the region of the departmental data processing device, whereas in particular such recurring operations of the software that are required as part of the activity of different departments are assigned to the central data processing device. For example, the central data processing device can be responsible for the function of visualizing and storing images; it can then fulfill this function in each case by interacting with different departmental data processing devices. Equally, the central data processing device can administer a medical report into which new entries are inserted in each case by the individual departments.
[0016]It is possible to perform the method according to at least one embodiment the invention and leave it to the individual departments to decide which individual and which devices will be used in each case when individual functions are fulfilled. In a preferred embodiment variant, however, individuals and/or devices are allocated to the individual roles in advance by the central data processing device, in other words before step f) of the method according to at least one embodiment of the invention. The allocation can include in particular that a time interval for fulfilling the associated function is additionally assigned to the individuals and/or devices, such that a timeline is defined.
[0017]To ensure the timeline is adhered to, the central data processing device then notifies the allocated individuals that they have to fulfill the function. This notification can be communicated simultaneously to all allocated individuals so that they know at an early stage when they have to expect the arrival of a particular patient and which functions they will then have to perform. Alternatively or in addition, the issuing of notifications by the departmental data processing devices to actual individuals can be initiated by the central data processing device at times defined by the timeline. This can include e.g. that in a departmental data processing device the users are called upon to log in under a specific role. The treating physicians are then instructed by the central data processing device to adhere to the planned timeline. This enables just-in-time treatment of a patient, which is helpful in particular in the case of emergency patients.
[0018]The method according to at least one embodiment for coordinating software-assisted activity of a plurality of hospital departments comprises the steps of: [0019]a) specifying a treatment situation from a plurality of stored possible treatment situations based on an input, [0020]b) allocating a function flow (relevant to the treatment situation) with roles associated with each function, [0021]c) allocating software task flows to each function, and [0022]d) effecting the execution of tasks on data processing devices in hospital departments differing according to role (in particular based on respective inputs, e.g. logins) in accordance with the allocated function flow and with software task flows assigned to the functions of said function flow.
[0023]The input in step a) can be, for example, an identification code under which a specific treatment situation is administered in a central data processing device, and the latter can then access a scheme that is stored in relation to the respective treatment situation and under the scheme can then perform the allocating steps, e.g. by retrieving previously stored files. The input in step a) can also be made by selection from a menu in which different treatment situations are represented. The specification of the treatment situation by the associated data processing device is then effected by the click of a mouse.
[0024]Step d) is preferably also performed by a central data processing device. This can moreover be identical with a data processing device in a hospital department on which tasks are to be executed.
[0025]Example embodiment variants of the invention are described below with reference to the drawing, in which:
[0026]FIG. 1 schematically depicts the organizational structure in a hospital, as required for the method according to an embodiment of the invention,
[0027]FIG. 2 is a flowchart representing how it can be made possible to coordinate the activity carried out by hospital departments by generating software and data,
[0028]FIG. 3 schematically depicts how a software system can be built which enables activity carried out in departments of a hospital to be coordinated, and
[0029]FIG. 4 is a flowchart representing the sequence of steps according to one embodiment variant of a method according to the invention.
[0030]Various example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which only some example embodiments are shown. Specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiments. The present invention, however, may be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only the example embodiments set forth herein.
[0031]Accordingly, while example embodiments of the invention are capable of various modifications and alternative forms, embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit example embodiments of the present invention to the particular forms disclosed. On the contrary, example embodiments are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description of the figures.
[0032]It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments of the present invention. As used herein, the term "and/or," includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0033]It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected," or "coupled," to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected," or "directly coupled," to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., "between," versus "directly between," "adjacent," versus "directly adjacent," etc.).
[0034]The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the," are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the terms "and/or" and "at least one of" include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," and/or "including," when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
[0035]It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
[0036]Spatially relative terms, such as "beneath", "below", "lower", "above", "upper", and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, term such as "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.
[0037]Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, it should be understood that these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another region, layer, or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention.
[0038]In a hospital 10 there are departments as shown schematically in FIG. 1, e.g. cardiology 12, radiology 14, pathology 16 and oncology 18. Cardiology 12 has treating physicians 121, 122, 123, 124, radiology has treating physicians 141, 142, 143, 144, pathology has treating physicians 161, 162, 163, 164, and oncology has treating physicians 181, 182, 183, 184.
[0039]It can now happen that a particular patient has to pass through several of these departments or through all of the departments. In the case of a brain disorder, for example, it is theoretically possible that cardiology will check whether the brain is being adequately supplied with blood by the heart, radiology will record images of the brain, pathology will investigate whether the lungs are absorbing enough oxygen, and finally in oncology the head will be examined using ultrasound, in particular to determine whether a tumor is present.
[0040]Within the framework of an embodiment of the present invention a so-called virtual team is formed in order to deal with a patient. Departmental teams consist of physicians all belonging to the same department. A virtual team is characterized in that it has at least two physicians from different departments. It is shown symbolically in FIG. 1 that the physicians 124, 144, 164 and 184 are to be combined in order to form a virtual team.
[0041]A central data processing device is required in order to manage a virtual team; this device is shown in FIG. 1 and denoted by 20. Connected to the central data processing device 20 are departmental data processing devices, in the present example one in each department. These departmental data processing devices are denoted by 22, 24, 26 and 28 in FIG. 1.
[0042]Embodiments of the present invention not only enable new situations to be defined in which virtual teams are to be formed, but also permit recourse to be made to schemes. In the present context reference is made to a "treatment situation", which is to say that a patient is in a situation in which a specific treatment is necessary. By treatment is meant the totality of all activities that are to be provided in individual departments. Initially this mainly includes an examination of the patient for the purpose of creating the possibility of producing a diagnosis.
[0043]In the following it is explained with reference to FIG. 2 how preparations can be made for coordinating software-assisted activity of the individual hospital departments 12, 14, 16 and 18. In this regard reference is made to FIG. 2. The method starts at the point denoted by "A": In step S10 a possible treatment situation is input, e.g. on the central data processing device 20. Software which provides a predefined input scheme 30 is deployed on the data processing device in which the input is made. Said scheme, which can also be designated in technical terminology as a "template", includes that initially it is specified in relation to a possible treatment situation, what type of physician is to be part of the necessary virtual team. This takes place within the framework of step S12.
[0044]In the above-cited example of a malfunction of the brain ("mental disorder") a virtual team appropriate to this possible treatment situation is created which comprises the roles of a cardiologist, a radiologist, a pathologist and an oncologist for different functions. Initially, rather than the role being filled by an actual individual, it is specified abstractly what purpose this individual has to fulfill. After step S12 a function flow is then specified (step S14), this being supported by the software scheme 30. In the case of the brain malfunction it is therefore specified that a cardiologist must record a two-dimensional image of the heart, must analyze same and write a report relating thereto. The next function entails a radiologist acquiring a 3D image dataset of the brain, selecting same and writing a report relating thereto. The next function entails a pathologist acquiring a two-dimensional image of the lungs, evaluating same and writing a report relating thereto. The last function comprises an oncologist examining the patient's head using ultrasound, forming an image of the patient and writing a report relating thereto.
[0045]In the course of performing the individual functions the treating physicians need to be supported by software. In this scenario the software takes action to ensure individual tasks are performed. Typically, a function entails that more than one individual task is required to be performed. For that reason a task flow is specified for each function in step S16. While the concept of the "function" abstractly includes the activity of the treating physician, what is understood by the concept of a "task" is that certain functionalities are handled by software.
[0046]In step S18 the individual tasks are then made available in the form of software. Either these are programmed directly or specified by provision of a so-called configuration file for tasks, or alternatively it is possible to resort to existing software.
[0047]In order to generate a software system, the method terminates via point "B" with step S20. In addition to the software, data is made available simultaneously, specifically in a file which contains the composition of the team appropriate to a possible treatment situation and in a file containing the function sequence and in one or more files containing task flow(s).
[0048]In this way software is obtained in a scheme as represented in FIG. 3.
[0049]The lowest level of the software is the operating system (referred to as the "site engine") for the central data processing device 20, which operating system is denoted by 32 in FIG. 3. Running on top of the operating system is software 34a to 34n, each of which effects a coordination according to a function flow specified in step S14 specifically for a possible treatment situation. For each function from the function flow, software is then provided which monitors the task sequence (task flow). This software is denoted by 36a to 36n and 38a in FIG. 3. In turn the software 36a now enables tasks to execute, to which end corresponding software 40a, 40n, 42a, 42n, 44a, 44n is provided for each task.
[0050]The software modules 34a to 34n, 36a to 36n, 38a, 40a, 40n, 42a, 42n, 44a, 44n can each be designated as "containers", a container being defined by the fact that it images program code into the working memory, in other words performs the operation termed "mapping". For example, a task container 40a uses a task configuration file in order to generate a task, that is to say to make it executable in the working memory.
[0051]Corresponding software is available for each task, the software being subdivided in the present instance into so-called "frontend" software and "backend" software. In this arrangement the backend software is intended to run on the central data processing device 20, while the frontend software executes on the departmental data processing devices 22, 24 and 28. In the present example, backend software 140a associated with the task generated by the task container 40a is stored on the central data processing device 20, while associated frontend software 240a resides on the data processing device 22 of the cardiology department. The same applies to the software modules 140n, 240n, 142a, 242a, 142n, 242n, 144a, 244a or, as the case may be, 144n and 244n, the numbers between 140 and 150 in each case denoting backend software packages and the numbers between 240 and 250 denoting frontend software packages. The association between the individual software modules and the data processing devices 20, 22, 24 and 28 is illustrated by the dashed representation in FIG. 3.
[0052]The subdivision of the software associated with the tasks into backend software and frontend software enables one and the same task to be generated simultaneously by the central data processing device 20 and one of the departmental data processing devices 22, 24, 26 and 28, with the software-based user interface in particular being provided in the individual departments, while lower-priority activities are performed by the central data processing device.
[0053]In the following it will now be explained with reference to FIG. 4, how a real patient can be treated.
[0054]The method of an embodiment according to FIG. 4 starts with the occurrence of a real treatment situation in step S22.
[0055]If the real treatment situation is one of the possible treatment situations for which software according to the scheme from FIG. 3 was previously created in step S20 of the method according to FIG. 2, then in the patient admissions unit an input appropriate to the existing software needs to be made only in step S24 in order for the software to identify one of the stored possible treatment situations as the real treatment situation.
[0056]In the event that the real treatment situation is none of the previously provided possible treatment situations, the method explained with reference to FIG. 2 is effectively reiterated, i.e. starting at point "A" and stopping at point "C". It should be pointed out that a point "C" is named intentionally, and not point "B", for if a new treatment situation arises, it is possible, when steps S12 to S18 are being performed, to fall back on what already exists in the software generated in step S20. Thus, for example, it may be that in a new treatment situation the same team has to be created as in a previously known possible treatment situation, and that said team also has to perform the same functions.
[0057]It may also be that a function flow specified for a possible treatment situation simply needs to be modified. If individual functions of the function flow for the new treatment situation are known, it is also not necessary to generate the associated task flow from new. Finally, the tasks also do not have to be generated from new each time. The method explained with reference to FIG. 2 is therefore exited at point "C" at any position, whether starting from step S12, starting from step S14, starting from step S16 or starting from step S18, or whether it be that individual steps (S14, S16) are effectively skipped or modified.
[0058]The end result is that, as in accordance with step S20, software with associated data is then available. No input as in step S24 is necessary, because it is self-evident in any event as a result of the new input that the possible treatment situation is identical to the real treatment situation which is the starting point for the method according to FIG. 4.
[0059]In the two above-discussed scenarios a team can now be assigned to the real treatment situation, as well as n functions of a function flow (step S26), it being possible to resort to the team created according to step S12. Step S26 therefore includes more a formal allocation of the team and the functions. In the following step S28, the individual roles of the team are now filled by attendant physicians, and devices are allocated at the same time. The allocation can be made in particular in such a way that the patient can be treated on a just-in-time basis, in other words has no waiting times. The allocated physicians can be selected so that they are available according to a timeline precisely when the function that is to be fulfilled by them is pending. The same applies to the availability of the devices.
[0060]The central data processing device 20 now puts itself into a state of readiness to receive a login. In this state it starts with the first function and waits for the login of the physician assigned to the first function. The physician can log in under a specific role. This can also happen implicitly in that the physician logs in at a specific departmental data processing device 22, 24, 26, 28, i.e. at the device in his/her department. If, according to step S30, such a login is now received, then according to step S32 the central data processing device ensures that the task flow associated with the respective function is executed. In the process the respective backend software (units 140a, 140n, . . . ) interacts with the respective frontend software (240a, 240n, . . . ).
[0061]In the example case of a brain malfunction, the login of the cardiologist 124 is received for the first function in step S30 and then a task flow specifically defined for the cardiologist is performed in step S32, enabling the cardiologist to record images of the heart and supporting him/her in the diagnosis and in the preparation of a medical report. For the second function, the login of the radiologist 144 is received in step S30 and a task flow appropriate thereto is performed in step S32 so that the radiologist 144 can record three-dimensional images of the patient's brain, can analyze said images and can write a medical report relating thereto. In the case of the third function, the login of the pathologist 164 is awaited in step S30 and by execution of a corresponding task flow according to step S32 it is made possible for said physician to record two-dimensional images of the lungs, to analyze same and to produce a report relating thereto. Finally, for the fourth function, the login of the oncologist 184 is awaited according to step S30 and in step S32 a task flow appropriate thereto is allowed to run, thereby assisting the oncologist 184 in acquiring ultrasound information about the patient's brain.
[0062]Steps S30 and S32 are performed for each of the n functions, this being illustrated in FIG. 4 by way of the formal step S34, according to which a check is made to determine whether a counter i has reached the number n, said counter being incremented by one and steps S30 and S32 being performed until finally the n functions have been processed and the method has been terminated according to step S36.
[0063]The invention provides an innovative concept whereby through formation of virtual teams in hospitals, initially through allocation of roles and then through allocation of specialist physicians to the roles, the treatment of a patient in a real treatment situation can be coordinated on an interdepartmental basis and available devices can be assigned in each case. It is possible in particular to carry out optimal time management so that the patient is treated as quickly as possible, without long waiting times. At the same time the use of expensive devices can be managed centrally and therefore organized in an optimal manner. The physicians' time can be optimally allocated. A physician may be a member of a plurality of virtual teams.
[0064]The patent claims filed with the application are formulation proposals without prejudice for obtaining more extensive patent protection. The applicant reserves the right to claim even further combinations of features previously disclosed only in the description and/or drawings.
[0065]The example embodiment or each example embodiment should not be understood as a restriction of the invention. Rather, numerous variations and modifications are possible in the context of the present disclosure, in particular those variants and combinations which can be inferred by the person skilled in the art with regard to achieving the object for example by combination or modification of individual features or elements or method steps that are described in connection with the general or specific part of the description and are contained in the claims and/or the drawings, and, by way of combineable features, lead to a new subject matter or to new method steps or sequences of method steps, including insofar as they concern production, testing and operating methods.
[0066]References back that are used in dependent claims indicate the further embodiment of the subject matter of the main claim by way of the features of the respective dependent claim; they should not be understood as dispensing with obtaining independent protection of the subject matter for the combinations of features in the referred-back dependent claims. Furthermore, with regard to interpreting the claims, where a feature is concretized in more specific detail in a subordinate claim, it should be assumed that such a restriction is not present in the respective preceding claims.
[0067]Since the subject matter of the dependent claims in relation to the prior art on the priority date may form separate and independent inventions, the applicant reserves the right to make them the subject matter of independent claims or divisional declarations. They may furthermore also contain independent inventions which have a configuration that is independent of the subject matters of the preceding dependent claims.
[0068]Further, elements and/or features of different example embodiments may be combined with each other and/or substituted for each other within the scope of this disclosure and appended claims.
[0069]Still further, any one of the above-described and other example features of the present invention may be embodied in the form of an apparatus, method, system, computer program, computer readable medium and computer program product. For example, of the aforementioned methods may be embodied in the form of a system or device, including, but not limited to, any of the structure for performing the methodology illustrated in the drawings.
[0070]Even further, any of the aforementioned methods may be embodied in the form of a program. The program may be stored on a computer readable medium and is adapted to perform any one of the aforementioned methods when run on a computer device (a device including a processor). Thus, the storage medium or computer readable medium, is adapted to store information and is adapted to interact with a data processing facility or computer device to execute the program of any of the above mentioned embodiments and/or to perform the method of any of the above mentioned embodiments.
[0071]The computer readable medium or storage medium may be a built-in medium installed inside a computer device main body or a removable medium arranged so that it can be separated from the computer device main body. Examples of the built-in medium include, but are not limited to, rewriteable non-volatile memories, such as ROMs and flash memories, and hard disks. Examples of the removable medium include, but are not limited to, optical storage media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magneto-optical storage media, such as MOs; magnetism storage media, including but not limited to floppy disks (trademark), cassette tapes, and removable hard disks; media with a built-in rewriteable non-volatile memory, including but not limited to memory cards; and media with a built-in ROM, including but not limited to ROM cassettes; etc. Furthermore, various information regarding stored images, for example, property information, may be stored in any other form, or it may be provided in other ways.
[0072]Example embodiments being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
[0073]10 Hospital [0074]12 Cardiology [0075]14 Radiology [0076]16 Pathology [0077]18 Oncology [0078]121, 122, 123, 124 Physicians of the cardiology department [0079]141, 142, 143, 144 Physicians of the radiology department [0080]161, 162, 163, 164 Physicians of the pathology department [0081]181, 182, 183, 184 Physicians of the oncology department [0082]20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 32 Data processing devices [0083]30 Input scheme [0084]34a to 34n, 36a to 36n, Software [0085]38a, 40a, 40n, 42a, [0086]42n, 44a, 44n [0087]140a, 140n Backend software [0088]240a, 240n Frontend software [0089]i Counter [0090]n Functions [0091]S10, S12, S14, S16, Steps [0092]S18, S20, S22, S24, [0093]S26, S28, S30, S32, [0094]S34, S36
Patent applications by Karlheinz Dorn, Kalchreuth DE
Patent applications by Vladyslav Ukis, Nurnberg DE
Patent applications in class Staff scheduling or task assignment
Patent applications in all subclasses Staff scheduling or task assignment
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text:
Comedian Robin Williams dead in apparent suicide
SAN FRANCISCO — Robin Williams, the Academy Award winner and comic supernova whose explosions of pop culture riffs and impressions dazzled audiences for decades and made him a gleamy-eyed laureate for the Information Age, died Monday in an apparent suicide. He was 63.
Williams was pronounced dead at his home in California on Monday, according to the sheriff's office in Marin County, north of San Francisco. The sheriff's office said a preliminary investigation shows the cause of death to be a suicide due to asphyxia.
"This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken," said Williams' wife, Susan Schneider. "On behalf of Robin's family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin's death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions,"
Williams had been battling severe depression recently, said Mara Buxbaum, his press representative.
From his breakthrough in the late 1970s as the alien in the hit TV show "Mork and Mindy," through his standup act and such films as "Good Morning, Vietnam," the short, barrel-chested Williams ranted and shouted as if just sprung from solitary confinement. Loud, fast, manic, he parodied everyone from John Wayne to Keith Richards, impersonating a Russian immigrant as easily as a pack of Nazi attack dogs.
He was a riot in drag in "Mrs. Doubtfire," or as a cartoon genie in "Aladdin." He won his Academy Award in a rare, but equally intense dramatic role, as a teacher in the 1997 film "Good Will Hunting."
He was no less on fire in interviews. During a 1989 chat with The Associated Press, he could barely stay seated in his hotel room, or even mention the film he was supposed to promote, as he free-associated about comedy and the cosmos.
"There's an Ice Age coming," he said. "But the good news is there'll be daiquiris for everyone and the Ice Capades will be everywhere. The lobster will keep for at least 100 years, that's the good news. The Swanson dinners will last a whole millennium. The bad news is the house will basically be in Arkansas."
Following Williams on stage, Billy Crystal once observed, was like trying to top the Civil War. In a 1993 interview with the AP, Williams recalled an appearance early in his career on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." Bob Hope was also there.
"It was interesting," Williams said. "He was supposed to go on before me and I was supposed to follow him, and I had to go on before him because he was late. I don't think that made him happy. I don't think he was angry, but I don't think he was pleased.
"I had been on the road and I came out, you know, gassed, and I killed and had a great time. Hope comes out and Johnny leans over and says, 'Robin Williams, isn't he funny?' Hope says, 'Yeah, he's wild. But you know, Johnny, it's great to be back here with you.'"
In 1992, Carson chose Williams and Bette Midler as his final guests.
Like so many funnymen, he had serious ambitions, winning his Oscar for his portrayal of an empathetic therapist in "Good Will Hunting." He also played for tears in "Awakenings," "Dead Poets Society" and "What Dreams May Come," something that led New York Times critic Stephen Holden to once say he dreaded seeing the actor's "Humpty Dumpty grin and crinkly moist eyes."
Williams also won three Golden Globes, for "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "The Fisher King."
His other film credits included Robert Altman's "Popeye" (a box office bomb), Paul Mazursky's "Moscow on the Hudson," Steven Spielberg's "Hook" and Woody Allen's "Deconstructing Harry." On stage, Williams joined fellow comedian Steve Martin in a 1988 Broadway revival of "Waiting for Godot."
"I dread the word 'art,'" Williams told the AP in 1989. "That's what we used to do every night before we'd go on with 'Waiting for Godot.' We'd go, 'No art. Art dies tonight.' We'd try to give it a life, instead of making "Godot" so serious. It's cosmic vaudeville staged by the Marquis de Sade."
His personal life was often short on laughter. He had acknowledged drug and alcohol problems in the 1970s and '80s and was among the last to see John Belushi before the "Saturday Night Live" star died of a drug overdose in 1982.
Williams announced in recent years that he was again drinking but rebounded well enough to joke about it during his recent tour. "I went to rehab in wine country," he said, "to keep my options open."
Born in Chicago in 1951, Williams would remember himself as a shy kid who got some early laughs from his mother - by mimicking his grandmother. He opened up more in high school when he joined the drama club and he was accepted into the Juilliard Academy, where he had several classes in which he and Christopher Reeve were the only students and John Houseman was the teacher.
Encouraged by Houseman to pursue comedy, Williams identified with the wildest and angriest of performers: Jonathan Winters, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, George Carlin. Their acts were not warm and lovable. They were just being themselves.
"You look at the world and see how scary it can be sometimes and still try to deal with the fear," he told the AP in 1989. "Comedy can deal with the fear and still not paralyze you or tell you that it's going away. You say, OK, you got certain choices here, you can laugh at them and then once you've laughed at them and you have expunged the demon, now you can deal with them. That's what I do when I do my act."
He unveiled Mork, the alien from the planet Ork, in an appearance on "Happy Days," and was granted his own series, which ran from 1978-82.
In subsequent years, Williams often returned to television - for appearances on "Saturday Night Live," for "Friends," for comedy specials, for "American Idol," where in 2008 he pretended to be a "Russian idol" who belts out a tuneless, indecipherable "My Way."
Williams also could handle a script, when he felt like it, and also think on his feet. He ad-libbed in many of his films and was just as quick in person. During a media tour for "Awakenings," when director Penny Marshall mistakenly described the film as being set in a "menstrual hospital," instead of "mental hospital," Williams quickly stepped in and joked, "It's a period piece."
Winner of a Grammy in 2003 for best spoken comedy album, "Robin Williams — Live 2002," he once likened his act to the daily jogs he took across the Golden Gate Bridge. There were times he would look over the edge, one side of him pulling back in fear, the other insisting he could fly.
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text:
South Zone India vs Cobras
Yorkshire vs Western Australia
Kandurata vs Titans
North Zone India vs New South Wales
Teams due in Wednesday 9am AEST
Please check injuries
South Zone India vs Cobras
Yorkshire vs Western Australia
Kandurata vs Titans
North Zone India vs New South Wales
Teams due in Wednesday 9am AEST
Please check injuries
1. J Langer*
2. C Rogers
3. M North
4. M Hussey
5. L Pomersbach
6. A Voges
7. A Gilchrist+
8. O Cope
9. B Dorey
10. S Magoffin
11. M Inness
I am a brave man, I am a coward. I am the tiger, I am the flower.
I am honest, and I'm a liar. I am vital, I am tired.
I am a free man, I am caught. From where I am, I see the top.
I am most importantly never concerned with what I am not.
Forever, more than just surviving.
President of SKAS - Kat is King | Proud member of CVAAS - One of the best | LRPLTAS - Rosco rocks!
Go Tigers!
R.I.P. Fardin & Craig
P Hughes
P Jaques
S Katich (C)
M Clarke
D Thornley
B Haddin (WK)
D Bollinger
S Clark
N Bracken
Q Moore
D Bollinger
No'ones gonna take me alive
The time has come to make things right
You and I must fight for our rights
You and I must fight to survive
New Zealand Cricket Supporter
1. Marvan Atapattu
2. Tharanga Parnavitana
3. *+Kumar Sangakkara
4. Mahela Jayawardene
5. Adnan Raza
6. Thilan Samaraweera
7. Thiru Alwis
8. Sajith Fernando
9. Ian Bowes
10. Kaushalya Weeraratne
11. Muttiah Muralitharan
Gun pace attack
The man, the mountain, the Mathews. The greatest all rounder since Keith Miller. (Y)
Jaffna Jets CC (Battrick & FTP)
RIP WCC and CW Cricket
Member of the MSC, JMAS and CVAAS
1. V Sehwag
2. A Chopra
3. G Gambhir
4. S Dhawan
5. R Bhatia
6. I Tamhane
7. U Kaul +
8. P Sangwan
9. VRV Singh
10. D Withe
11. V Malik
Last edited by oz_fan; 21-06-2008 at 08:52 AM.
Member of CW Black
Goalkeeper for the Northside Power
NZI Manager in WCC
1 G Smith*
2 H Gibbs
3 JP Duminy
4 J Kallis
5 F Hammett
6 R Levi
7 A Puttick+
8 J Kemp
9 Y Porter
10 V Philander
11 P Sandri
SZI 1st XI
Kumble replaces Kumar.
Thats what the txt says. Got NFI.
De Villiers (wk)
Van Jaarsveld
Du Plessis
A Mørkel
M Mørkel
U Indrasiri
D Steyn
I Tahir
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