Search results for: characteristic of medical equipment

Authors: Mark Christian Inductivo Siwa, Jesrelle Ormoc Bontuyan

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This study was conducted in selected tertiary schools in selected universities in Asian countries such as Philippines, Thailand, and China, which are the top performing countries in Southeast Asian Games or SEA Games and Asian School Games (ASG), also known as the Youth SEA Games and Asian Games. The respondents of the study are sports administrators/directors and coaches in selected Southeast Asian countries such as Philippines, Thailand, and in Asia which is China. This study has generated a progressive sports operational model of Sports Leadership and Management in Selected Universities in Asia. This study utilized mixed-method research. It is a methodology for conducting research that involves collecting, analyzing and integrating quantitative (e.g., experiments, surveys) and qualitative (e.g., focus groups, interviews) research. This approach to research is used to provide integration for a better understanding of the research problem than either of each alone. This study particularly employed the explanatory sequential design of mixed methods, which involved two phases: the quantitative phase, which involves the collection and analysis of quantitative data, followed by the qualitative phase, which involves the collection and analysis of qualitative data. This study will prioritize the quantitative data and the findings will be followed up during the interpretation phase in the qualitative data of the study. The qualitative data help explain or build upon initial quantitative results. In phase I, the researcher began with the collection and analysis of the quantitative data. His investigation gave greater emphasis on the quantitative methods, particularly employed surveys with the coaches and sports directors of the three selected universities in Asia. In Phase II, the researcher subsequently collected and analyzed the qualitative data obtained through an interview with the sports directors to follow from or connect to the results of the quantitative phase. This study followed the data analysis spiral so that the researcher could follow – up or explain the quantitative results. The researcher engaged in the process of moving in analytic circles. Based on the school's mission and vision, the sports leadership and management consistently followed the key factors to take into account when leading the organization and managing the process in sports leadership and management when formulating objectives/goals, budget, equipment care and maintenance, facilities, training matrix, and consideration. Also, sports management demonstrates the need for development in terms of the upkeep and care of equipment as well as athlete funding. The development of goals or sports management goals, sports facilities and equipment, as well as improvements in demonstrating training and consideration, and incentives, should also include a maintenance plan. The study concluded with a progressive sports operational model that was created based on the result of the study.

Keywords: sports leadership and management, formulating objectives, budget, equipment care and maintenance, training, consideration, incentives, progressive sports operational model

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Authors: Youngsun Moon, Yeong-Ju Go, Jong-Soo Choi

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Most drones that currently have surveillance/reconnaissance missions are basically equipped with optical equipment, but we also need to use a microphone array to estimate the location of the acoustic source. This can provide additional information in the absence of optical equipment. The purpose of this study is to estimate Direction of Arrival (DOA) based on Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) estimation of the acoustic source in the drone. The problem is that it is impossible to measure the clear target acoustic source because of the drone noise. To overcome this problem is to separate the drone noise and the target acoustic source using Blind Source Separation(BSS) based on Independent Component Analysis(ICA). ICA can be performed assuming that the drone noise and target acoustic source are independent and each signal has non-gaussianity. For maximized non-gaussianity each signal, we use Negentropy and Kurtosis based on probability theory. As a result, we can improve TDOA estimation and DOA estimation of the target source in the noisy environment. We simulated the performance of the DOA algorithm applying BSS algorithm, and demonstrated the simulation through experiment at the anechoic wind tunnel.

Keywords: aeroacoustics, acoustic source detection, time difference of arrival, direction of arrival, blind source separation, independent component analysis, drone

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Authors: Tran Trong Thang, Nguyen Phan Kien, Trinh Quang Duc

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The phased-array ultrasound transducer types are utilities for medical ultrasonography as well as optical imaging. However, their discontinuity characteristic limits the applications due to the artifacts contaminated into the reconstructed images. Because of the effects of the ultrasound pressure field pattern to the echo ultrasonic waves as well as the optical modulated signal, the side lobes of the focused ultrasound beam induced by discontinuity of the phased-array ultrasound transducer might the reason of the artifacts. In this paper, a simple method in approach of numerical simulation was used to investigate the limitation of discontinuity of the elements in phased-array ultrasound transducer and their effects to the ultrasound pressure field. Take into account the change of ultrasound pressure field patterns in the conditions of variation of the pitches between elements of the phased-array ultrasound transducer, the appropriated parameters for phased-array ultrasound transducer design were asserted quantitatively.

Keywords: phased-array ultrasound transducer, sound pressure pattern, discontinuous sound field, numerical visualization

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Authors: Larissa Burruano, Sergey Grabovyj, Irina Nguen

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The study aimed to assess the level of adherence to anti retroviral therapy (ART) and to examine the relationship between adherence and risk behavior factor (drug use) among patients infected with HIV. The patients with newly diagnosed or established HIV infection under follow-up at the Sumskij Regional Centre for AIDS Prevention in Ukraine were eligible for this study. Medical records were used to measure the patient’s adherence to medication. Measurements were obtained at month 6 and at month 12 to calculate the number of medication omission during the past 30 days: (on a 2-point scale – once until three in a month – were considered adherent, three and more in a month – were considered non-adherent). Of the 50 study participants, 27 (54.0%) were men and 23 (46.0%) women. The mean age is 35.2 years (SD= 5.1). A majority of the patients (82.0%) is in the age group of 25-30 years. The main level of adherence was 74.0% and 66.0% at 6 and 12 months, respectively. The main routes of HIV transmission were drug injection among men 12 (44.4%) and sexual contact among women 11 (47.8%). Univariate analyses indicated that patients who had lower level of education were more likely to have been non-adherent at month 6- (X2 =5.1, n=50, p < .05) and at month 12 (X2 = 4.34, n=50, p < .05). Multivariate tests showed that only age (OR= 1.163 [95% CI 0.98–1.370]) was significant independent predictor of treatment adherence, while gender, education, employment status were not predictive for the risk of developing non-compliance. There was not a significant interaction between non-adherence and intravenous drug use. Consistent with these findings, younger people were more likely to have missed a dose of their medication because they had a greater sense of invulnerability than older patients. The study indicates that the socio demographic characteristic should be taken into an account in the future research regarding adherence in the case of HIV infection. If the patient anti retroviral adherence can be improved by qualitatively better medical care in all regions of the Ukraine, behavioral changes in the population can to be expected in the long term.

Keywords: HIV, antiretroviral therapy, adherence, Ukraine, Eastern Europe

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Authors: Azadeh Safadoust, Ali Akbar Mahboubi, Mohammad Reza Mosaddeghi, Bahram Gharabaghi

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A study was conducted to evaluate hydraulic properties of a sandy loam soil and corn (Zea mays L.) crop production under a short-term tillage and manure combinations field experiment carried out in west of Iran. Treatments included composted cattle manure application rates [0, 30, and 60 Mg (dry weight) ha⁻¹] and tillage systems [no-tillage (NT), chisel plowing (CP), and moldboard plowing (MP)] arranged in a split-plot design. Soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) were significantly affected by manure and tillage treatments. At any matric suction, the soil water content was in the order of MP>CP>NT. At all matric suctions, the amount of water retained by the soil increased as manure application rate increased (i.e. 60>30>0 Mg ha⁻¹). Similar to the tillage effects, at high suctions the differences of water retained due to manure addition were less than that at low suctions. The change of SWCC from tillage methods and manure applications may attribute to the change of pore size and aggregate size distributions. Soil Ks was in the order of CP>MP>NT for the first two layers and in the order of MP>CP and NT for the deeper soil layer. The Ks also increased with increasing rates of manure application (i.e. 60>30>0 Mg ha⁻¹). This was due to the increase in the total pore size and continuity.

Keywords: corn, manure, saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water characteristic curve, tillage

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Authors: Nazmul Hussain, Saba Owais

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The paper is an effort to come across the fertility differential by religion and socio-economic characteristic by religion. Religion and Socio-economic characteristic are conceptualised as touching demography in two ways- through its theoretical content, and in terms of the socio-economic ‘characteristics’ of different religious groups. The mean number of children ever born (MCEB) is used to measure fertility. Efficient contrast of Muslims and Non-Muslims shows little difference in their theological positions on demographic issues, with the omission of their position on birth control. The present paper using data from a primary field survey of 2590 households in the Malda district of West Bengal. Older and younger cohorts of women were examined separately for assessing fertility differential. MCEB was found to be high for women with husbands employed as labourers with a low monthly income. This was true for both the cohorts, but fertility levels were much higher among the older cohort. Low MCEB was found with increasing income and for those in regular salaried jobs. The analysis shows that there is a major dissimilarity in the effects of various socio-economic aspects on the number of children-ever-born among the religious groups, suggesting that religious groups may need to be targeted differently by policy-makers in order to influence demographic decision-making.

Keywords: fertility, socio-economic differences, religion, MCEB

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Authors: Parameshwaran Nair

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Filling and packaging lines for bottling of beverages into glass, PET or aluminum containers require specialized expertise and a different configuration of equipment like – Filler, Warmer, Labeller, Crater/Recrater, Shrink Packer, Carton Erector, Carton Sealer, Date Coder, Palletizer, etc. Over the period of time, the packaging industry has evolved from manually operated single station machines to highly automized high-speed lines. Human factor and ergonomics have gained significant consideration in this course of transformation. A pre-requisite for such bottling lines, irrespective of the container type and size, is to be suitable for multi-format applications. It should also be able to handle format changeovers with minimal adjustment. It should have variable capacity and speeds, for providing great flexibility of use in managing accumulation times as a function of production characteristics. In terms of layout as well, it should demonstrate flexibility for operator movement and access to machine areas for maintenance. Packaging technology during the past few decades has risen to these challenges by a series of major breakthroughs interspersed with periods of refinement and improvement. The milestones are many and varied and are described briefly in this paper. In order to have a brief understanding of the human factor and ergonomics in the modern packaging lines, this paper, highlights the various technologies, design considerations and statutory requirements in packaging equipment for different types of containers used in India.

Keywords: human-factor, ergonomics, bottling lines, automized high-speed lines

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Authors: C. A. Barros, Ana P. Barroso

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Any industrial company needs to determine the amount of variation that exists within its measurement process and guarantee the reliability of their data, studying the performance of their measurement system, in terms of linearity, bias, repeatability and reproducibility and stability. This issue is critical for automotive industry suppliers, who are required to be certified by the 16949:2016 standard (replaces the ISO/TS 16949) of International Automotive Task Force, defining the requirements of a quality management system for companies in the automotive industry. Measurement System Analysis (MSA) is one of the mandatory tools. Frequently, the measurement system in companies is not connected to the equipment and do not incorporate the methods proposed by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG). To address these constraints, an R&D project is in progress, whose objective is to develop a web and cloud-based MSA tool. This MSA tool incorporates Industry 4.0 concepts, such as, Internet of Things (IoT) protocols to assure the connection with the measuring equipment, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, statistical tools, and advanced mathematical algorithms. This paper presents the preliminary findings of the project. The web and cloud-based MSA tool is innovative because it implements all statistical tests proposed in the MSA-4 reference manual from AIAG as well as other emerging methods and techniques. As it is integrated with the measuring devices, it reduces the manual input of data and therefore the errors. The tool ensures traceability of all performed tests and can be used in quality laboratories and in the production lines. Besides, it monitors MSAs over time, allowing both the analysis of deviations from the variation of the measurements performed and the management of measurement equipment and calibrations. To develop the MSA tool a ten-step approach was implemented. Firstly, it was performed a benchmarking analysis of the current competitors and commercial solutions linked to MSA, concerning Industry 4.0 paradigm. Next, an analysis of the size of the target market for the MSA tool was done. Afterwards, data flow and traceability requirements were analysed in order to implement an IoT data network that interconnects with the equipment, preferably via wireless. The MSA web solution was designed under UI/UX principles and an API in python language was developed to perform the algorithms and the statistical analysis. Continuous validation of the tool by companies is being performed to assure real time management of the ‘big data’. The main results of this R&D project are: MSA Tool, web and cloud-based; Python API; New Algorithms to the market; and Style Guide of UI/UX of the tool. The MSA tool proposed adds value to the state of the art as it ensures an effective response to the new challenges of measurement systems, which are increasingly critical in production processes. Although the automotive industry has triggered the development of this innovative MSA tool, other industries would also benefit from it. Currently, companies from molds and plastics, chemical and food industry are already validating it.

Keywords: automotive Industry, industry 4.0, Internet of Things, IATF 16949:2016, measurement system analysis

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Authors: Chien-Kuo Chang, Yu-Hsiang Lin, Yi-Yun Tang, Min-Chiu Wu

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With the trend of technological advancement, the harm caused by power outages is substantial, mostly due to problems in the power grid. This highlights the necessity for further improvement in the reliability of the power system. In the power system, gas-insulated switches (GIS) and power cables play a crucial role. Long-term operation under high voltage can cause insulation materials in the equipment to crack, potentially leading to partial discharges. If these partial discharges (PD) can be analyzed, preventative maintenance and replacement of equipment can be carried out, there by improving the reliability of the power grid. This research will diagnose defects by identifying three different defects in GIS and three different defects in straight cable joints, for a total of six types of defects. The partial discharge data measured will be converted through phase analysis diagrams and pulse sequence analysis. Discharge features will be extracted using convolutional image processing, and three different deep learning models, CNN, ResNet18, and MobileNet, will be used for training and evaluation. Class Activation Mapping will be utilized to interpret the black-box problem of deep learning models, with each model achieving an accuracy rate of over 95%. Lastly, the overall model performance will be enhanced through an ensemble learning voting method.

Keywords: partial discharge, gas-insulated switches, straight cable joint, defect identification, deep learning, ensemble learning

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Authors: Krasimir Ivanov, Elitsa Kolentsova, Dimitar Dimitrov, Petya Petrova, Tatyana Tabakova

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This work studies the effect of chemical composition on the activity and selectivity of γ–alumina supported CuO/ MnO2/Cr2O3 catalysts toward deep oxidation of CO, dimethyl ether (DME) and methanol. The catalysts were prepared by impregnation of the support with an aqueous solution of copper nitrate, manganese nitrate and CrO3 under different conditions. Thermal, XRD and TPR analysis were performed. The catalytic measurements of single compounds oxidation were carried out on continuous flow equipment with a four-channel isothermal stainless steel reactor. Flow-line equipment with an adiabatic reactor for simultaneous oxidation of all compounds under the conditions that mimic closely the industrial ones was used. The reactant and product gases were analyzed by means of on-line gas chromatographs. On the basis of XRD analysis it can be concluded that the active component of the mixed Cu-Mn-Cr/γ–alumina catalysts consists of at least six compounds – CuO, Cr2O3, MnO2, Cu1.5Mn1.5O4, Cu1.5Cr1.5O4 and CuCr2O4, depending on the Cu/Mn/Cr molar ratio. Chemical composition strongly influences catalytic properties, this influence being quite variable with regards to the different processes. The rate of CO oxidation rapidly decrease with increasing of chromium content in the active component while for the DME was observed the reverse trend. It was concluded that the best compromise are the catalysts with Cu/(Mn + Cr) molar ratio 1:5 and Mn/Cr molar ratio from 1:3 to 1:4.

Keywords: Cu-Mn-Cr oxide catalysts, volatile organic compounds, deep oxidation, dimethyl ether (DME)

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Authors: Byoungjoon Yu, Jihwan Park, Sujung Sin, Junghyun Im, Minsoo Park, Sehwan Park, Seunghee Park

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In this paper, we propose a technology to monitor the soundness of an Internet-based bridge using a non-conductive inspection function. There has been a collapse accident due to the aging of the bridge structure, and it is necessary to prepare for the deterioration of the bridge. The NDT/SHM system for maintenance of existing bridge structures requires a large number of inspection personnel and expensive inspection costs, and access of expensive and large equipment to measurement points is required. Because current drone inspection equipment can only be inspected through camera, it is difficult to inspect inside damage accurately, and the results of an internal damage evaluation are subjective, and it is difficult for non-specialists to recognize the evaluation results. Therefore, it is necessary to develop NDT/SHM techniques for maintenance of new-concept bridge structures that allow for free movement and real-time evaluation of measurement results. This work is financially supported by Korea Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) as 'Smart City Master and Doctor Course Grant Program' and a grant (14SCIP-B088624-01) from Construction Technology Research Program funded by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Korean government.

Keywords: Structural Health Monitoring, SHM, non-contact sensing, nondestructive testing, NDT, Internet of Things, autonomous self-driving drone

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Authors: Safa Ladhari, Alireza Saidi, Phuong Nguyen-Tri

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During health crises, such as COVID-19, using disposable protective equipment (PEs) (masks, gowns, etc.) causes long-term problems, increasing the volume of hazardous waste that must be handled safely and expensively. Therefore, producing textiles for antimicrobial and reusable materials is highly desirable to decrease the use of disposable PEs that should be treated as hazardous waste. In addition, if these items are used regularly in the workplace or for daily activities by the public, they will most likely end up in household waste. Furthermore, they may pose a high risk of contagion to waste collection workers if contaminated. Therefore, to protect the whole population in times of sanitary crisis, it is necessary to equip these materials with tools that make them resilient to the challenges of carrying out daily activities without compromising public health and the environment and without depending on them external technologies and producers. In addition, the materials frequently used for EPs are plastics of petrochemical origin. The subject of the present work is replacing petroplastics with bioplastic since it offers better biodegradability. The chosen polymer is polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a family of polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesized by different bacteria. It has similar properties to conventional plastics. However, it is renewable, biocompatible, and has attractive barrier properties compared to other polyesters. These characteristics make it ideal for EP protection applications. The current research topic focuses on the preparation and rapid evaluation of the biological activity of nanotechnology-based antimicrobial agents to treat textile surfaces used for PE. This work will be carried out to provide antibacterial solutions that can be transferred to a workplace application in the fight against short-term biological risks. Three main objectives are proposed during this research topic: 1) the development of suitable methods for the deposition of antibacterial agents on the surface of textiles; 2) the development of a method for measuring the antibacterial activity of the prepared textiles and 3) the study of the biodegradability of the prepared textiles. The studied textile is a non-woven fabric based on a biodegradable polymer manufactured by the electrospinning method. Indeed, nanofibers are increasingly studied due to their unique characteristics, such as high surface-to-volume ratio, improved thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties, and confinement effects. The electrospun film will be surface modified by plasma treatment and then loaded with hybrid antibacterial silver and titanium dioxide nanoparticles by the dip-coating method. This work uses simple methods with emerging technologies to fabricate nanofibers with suitable size and morphology to be used as components for protective equipment. The antibacterial agents generally used are based on silver, zinc, copper, etc. However, to our knowledge, few researchers have used hybrid nanoparticles to ensure antibacterial activity with biodegradable polymers. Also, we will exploit visible light to improve the antibacterial effectiveness of the fabric, which differs from the traditional contact mode of killing bacteria and presents an innovation of active protective equipment. Finally, this work will allow for the innovation of new antibacterial textile materials through a simple and ecological method.

Keywords: protective equipment, antibacterial textile materials, biodegradable polymer, electrospinning, hybrid antibacterial nanoparticles

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Authors: Matza Gusto Andika, Syariefatunnisa

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Hanger at the arch bridges is an important part to transfer load on the bridge deck onto the arch. Bridges are subjected to several types of loadings, such as dead load, temperature load, wind load, moving loads etc. Usually the hanger bridge has a typical bluff body shape such as circle, square, H beam, etc. When flow past bluff body, the flow separates from the body surface generating an unsteady broad wake. These vortices are shed to the wake periodically with some frequency that is related to the undisturbed wind speed and the size of the cross-section body by the well-known Strouhal relationship. The dynamic characteristic and hanger shape are crucial for the evaluation of vortex induced vibrations and structural vibrations. The effect of vortex induced vibration is not catastrophic as a flutter phenomenon, but it can make fatigue failure to the structure. Wind tunnel tests are conducted to investigate the VIV and galloping effect at circle, hexagonal, and H beam bluff body for hanger bridge. From this research, the hanger bridge with hexagonal shape has a minimum vibration amplitude due to VIV phenomenon compared to circle and H beam. However, when the wind bruises the acute angle of hexagon shape, the vibration amplitude of bridge hanger with hexagonal shape is higher than the other bluff body.

Keywords: vortex induced vibration, hanger bridge, wind tunnel, galloping

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Authors: Jaewoo Choi, Ki-Tae Hwang, Eunyoung Ko

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Backgrounds/Aims: Patients with breast cancer are currently classified according to TNM stage. Nevertheless, the actual volume would be mis-estimated, and it would bring on inappropriate diagnosis. Tridimensional volume-stage derived from the ellipsoid formula was presented as useful measure. Methods: The medical records of 480 consecutive breast cancer between January 2001 and March 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were divided into three groups according to tumor volume by receiver operating characteristic analysis, and the ranges of each volume-stage were that V1 was below 2.5 cc, V2 was exceeded 2.5 and below 10.9 cc, and V3 was exceeded 10.9 cc. We analyzed outcomes of volume-stage and compared disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) between size-stage and volume-stage with variant intrinsic factor. Results: In the T2 stage, there were patients who had a smaller volume than 4.2 cc known as maximum value of T1. These findings presented that patients in T1c had poorer DFS than T2-lesser (mean of DFS 48.7 vs. 51.8, p = 0.011). Such is also the case in OS (mean of OS 51.1 vs. 55.3, p = 0.006). The cumulative survival curves for V1, V2 compared T1, T2 showed similarity in DFS (HR 1.9 vs. 1.9), and so did it for V3 compared T3 (HR 3.5 vs. 2.6) significantly. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that tumor volume had good feasibility on the prognosis of patients with breast cancer. We proposed that volume-stage should be considered for an additional stage indicator, particularly in early breast cancer.

Keywords: breast cancer, tridimensional volume of tumor, TNM stage, volume stage

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Authors: Lazzat M. Zhamaliyeva, Nurgul A. Abenova, Gauhar S. Dilmagambetova, Ziyash Zh. Tanbetova, Moldir B. Ahmetzhanova, Tatyana P. Ostretcova, Aliya A. Yegemberdiyeva

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Introduction: There are many reasons for the weak training of family doctors in Kazakhstan: the unified national educational program is not focused on competencies, the role of a general practitioner (GP) is not clear, poor funding for the health care and education system, outdated teaching and assessment methods, inefficient management. We highlight two issues in particular. Firstly, academic teachers of family medicine (FM) in Kazakhstan do not practice as family doctors; most of them are narrow specialists (pediatricians, therapists, surgeons, etc.); they usually hold one-time consultations; clinical mentors from practical healthcare (non-academic teachers) do not have the teaching competences, and the vast majority of them are also narrow specialists. Secondly, clinical sites (polyclinics) are unprepared for general practice and do not follow the principles of family medicine; residents do not like to be in primary health care (PHC) settings due to the chaos that is happening there, as well as due to the lack of the necessary equipment for mastering and consolidating practical skills. Aim: We present the concept of the family physicians’ training office (FPTO), which is being created as a friendly learning environment for young general practitioners and for the involvement of academic teachers of family medicine in the practical work and innovative development of PHC. Methodology: In developing the conceptual framework and identifying practical activities, we drew on literature and expert input, and interviews. Results: The goal of the FPTO is to create a favorable educational and clinical environment for the development of the FM residents’ competencies, in which the residents with academic teachers and clinical mentors could understand and accept the principles of family medicine, improve clinical knowledge and skills, and gain experience in improving the quality of their practice in scientific basis. Three main areas of office activity are providing primary care to the patients, improving educational services for FM residents and other medical workers, and promoting research in PHC and innovations. The office arranges for residents to see outpatients at least 50% of the time, and teachers of FM departments at least 1/4 of their working time conduct general medical appointments next to residents. Taking into account the educational and scientific workload, the number of attached population for one GP does not exceed 500 persons. The equipment of the office allows FPTO workers to perform invasive and other manipulations without being sent to other clinics. In the office, training for residents is focused on their needs and aimed at achieving the required level of competence. International methodologies and assessment tools are adapted to local conditions and evaluated for their effectiveness and acceptability. Residents and their faculty actively conduct research in the field of family medicine. Conclusions: We propose to change the learning environment in order to create teams of like-minded people, to unite residents and teachers even more for the development of family medicine. The offices will also invest resources in developing and maintaining young doctors' interest in family medicine.

Keywords: educational environment, family medicine residents, family physicians’ training office, primary care research

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Authors: Karen C. Olufokunbi, Odetunji A. Odejobi

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The discourse of this paper is the examination of the generation, accumulation and growth of e-waste in a developing country. Images and other data about computer e-waste were collected using a digital camera, 290 copies of questionnaire and three structured interviews using Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Nigeria environment as a case study. The numerical data were analysed using R data analysis and process tool. Automata-based techniques and Petri net modeling tool were used to design and simulate a computational model for the recovery of saleable materials from e-waste. The R analysis showed that at a 95 percent confidence level, the computer equipment that will be disposed by 2020 will be 417 units. Compared to the 800 units in circulation in 2014, 50 percent of personal computer components will become e-waste. This indicates that personal computer components were in high demand due to their low costs and will be disposed more rapidly when replaced by new computer equipment Also, 57 percent of the respondents discarded their computer e-waste by throwing it into the garbage bin or by dumping it. The simulated model using Coloured Petri net modelling tool for the process showed that the e-waste dynamics is a forward sequential process in the form of a pipeline meaning that an e-waste recovery of saleable materials process occurs in identifiable discrete stages indicating that e-waste will continue to accumulate and grow in volume with time.

Keywords: Coloured Petri net, computational modelling, electronic waste, electronic waste process dynamics

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Authors: Auni Idi Muhire

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Background: Prior to April 2012, resuscitations were often ineffective resulting in poor patient outcomes. An initiative was implemented at Rwanda Military Hospital (RMH) to review root causes and plan strategies to improve patient outcomes. An interdisciplinary committee was developed to review this problem. Purpose: Analyze the frequency, obstacles, and outcome of patient resuscitation following cardiac and/or respiratory arrest. Methods: A form was developed to allow recording of all actions taken during resuscitation including response times, staff present, and equipment and medications used. Results:-The patient population requiring the most resuscitation effort are the intensive care patients, most frequently the neonatal the intensive care patients (42.8%) -Despite having trained staff representatives, not all resuscitations follow protocol -Lack of compliance with drug administration guidelines was noted, particularly in initiating use of drugs despite the drug being available (59%). Lesson Learned: Basic Life Support training for interdisciplinary staff resulted in more effective response to cardiac and/or respiratory arrest at RMH. Obstacles to effective resuscitation included number of staff, knowledge and skill level of staff, availability of appropriate equipment and medications, staff communication, and patient Do not Attempt Resuscitation (DNR) status.

Keywords: resuscitation, case analysis of knowledge versus practice, intensive care, critical care

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Authors: A. Armin, R. Fotouhi, W. Szyszkowski

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This paper is part of a study to develop robots for farming. As such power requirement to operate equipment attach to such robots become an important factor. Soil-tool interaction play major role in power consumption, thus predicting accurately the forces which act on the blade during the farming is prime importance for optimal designing of farm equipment. In this paper a finite element investigation for tillage tools and soil interaction is described by using an inelastic constitutive material law for agriculture application. A 3-dimentional (3D) nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) is developed to examine behavior of a blade with different rake angles moving in a block of soil, and to estimate the blade force. The soil model considered is an elastic-plastic with non-associated Drucker-Prager material model. Special use of contact elements are employed to consider connection between soil-blade and soil-soil surfaces. The FEA results are compared with experiment ones, which show good agreement in accurately predicting draft forces developed on the blade when it moves through the soil. Also, a very good correlation was obtained between FEA results and analytical results from classical soil mechanics theories for straight blades. These comparisons verified the FEA model developed. For analyzing complicated soil-tool interactions and for optimum design of blades, this method will be useful.

Keywords: finite element analysis, soil-blade contact modeling, blade force, mechanical engineering

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Authors: Naso Isaiah Thanavisuth

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Medical cannabis can be used for treatment including pain, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and cancer. However, medical cannabis leads to adverse effects (AEs), which is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In previous studies, the major of THC metabolism enzymes are CYP2C9. Especially, the variation of CYP2C9 gene consist of CYP2C9*2 on exon 3 and CYP2C9*3 on exon 7 to decrease enzyme activity. Notwithstanding, there is no data describing whether the variant of CYP2C9 genes are apharmacogenetics marker for the prediction of THC-induced AEs in Thai patients. We want to investigate the association between CYP2C9 gene and THC-induced AEs in Thai patients. We enrolled 39 Thai patients with medical cannabis treatment who were classified by clinical data. The CYP2C9*2 and *3 genotyping were conducted using the TaqMan real time PCR assay. All Thai patients who received the medical cannabis consist of twenty-four (61.54%) patients were female, and fifteen (38.46%) were male, with age range 27- 87 years. Moreover, the most AEs in Thai patients who were treated with medical cannabis between cases and controls were tachycardia, arrhythmia, dry mouth, and nausea. Particularly, thirteen (72.22%) medical cannabis-induced AEs were female and age range 33 – 69 years. In this study, none of the medical cannabis groups carried CYP2C9*2 variants in Thai patients. The CYP2C9*3 variants (*1/*3, intermediate metabolizer, IM) and (*3/*3, poor metabolizer, PM) were found, three of thirty-nine (7.69%) and one of thirty-nine (2.56%), respectively. Although, our results indicate that there is no found the CYP2C9*2. However, the variation of CYP2C9 allele might serve as a pharmacogenetics marker for screening before initiating the therapy with medical cannabis for the prevention of medical cannabis-induced AEs.

Keywords: CYP2C9, medical cannabis, adverse effects, THC, P450

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Authors: Naseem M. Twaissi

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Medical professionals play an important role in society, and in general, they care more about their patients than about their personal well-being. They need to take a professional approach to maintain a work-life balance. Through a collection of primary data from 1020 medical professionals and the application of relevant statistical tools, this paper explores the pressures on medical professionals with reference to their work-life balance. This study highlights how hospital management, in addition to economic reasons, needs to identify variables to enhance the work-life balance of medical professionals so that quality healthcare facilities may be provided to the citizens of Jordan. Results indicate that formulation and implementation of policies for enhancing work-life balance together with career and retention plans for medical professionals would enhance the performance of hospitals and the quality of health care in Jordan, leading to greater societal well-being.

Keywords: work life balance, job environment, job satisfaction, employee well-being, stress, hospital industry

Procedia PDF Downloads 124

Authors: Ana P. R. N. Barroso, Maurício N. Kleinberg, Frederico R. Silva, Rodrigo F. Guimarães, Marcelo M. V. Parente, Walney S. Araújo

Abstract:

The fight against accelerated wear of the equipment used in the oil and gas sector is a challenge for minimizing maintenance costs. Corrosion being one of the main agents of equipment deterioration, we seek alternative materials that exhibit improved corrosion resistance at low cost of production. This study aims to evaluate the corrosion behavior of experimental alloys containing 15% and 17% of chromium (Cr) and 5% of molybdenum (Mo) in comparison with an AISI 444 commercial alloy. Microstructural analyzes were performed on samples of the alloys before and after the electrochemical tests. Two samples of each solubilized alloy were also taken for analysis of the corrosion behavior by testing potentiodynamic polarization (PP) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) with immersion time of 24 hours in electrolytic solution with acidic character. The graphics obtained through electrochemical tests of PP and EIS indicated that among the experimental alloys, the alloy with higher chromium content (17%) had a higher corrosion resistance, confirming the beneficial effect of adding chromium. When comparing the experimental alloys with the AISI 444 commercial alloy, it is observed that the AISI 444 commercial alloy showed superior corrosion resistance to that of the experimental alloys for both assays, PP and EIS. The microstructural analyzes performed after the PP and EIS tests confirmed the results previously described. These results suggest that the addition of these levels of molybdenum did not favor the electrochemical behavior of experimental ferritic alloys for the electrolytic medium studied.

Keywords: corrosion, molybdenum, electrochemical tests, experimental alloys

Procedia PDF Downloads 551

Authors: Andrew Anis Fakhrey Mosaad

Abstract:

Objectives: Physiotherapy in the intensive care unit (ICU) improves patient outcomes. We aimed to determine the characteristics of physiotherapy practice and critical barriers to applying physiotherapy in ICUs. Materials and Methods: A 54-item survey for determining the characteristics physiotherapists and physiotherapy applications in the ICU was developed. The survey was electronically sent to potential participants through the Turkish Physiotherapy Association network. Sixty-five physiotherapists (47F and 18M; 23–52 years; ICU experience: 6.0±6.2 years) completed the survey. The data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Results: The duration of ICU practice was 3.51±2.10 h/day. Positioning (90.8%), active exercises (90.8%), breathing exercises (89.2%), passive exercises (87.7%), and percussion (87.7%) were the most commonly used applications. The barriers were related to physiotherapists (low level of employment and practice, lack of shift); patients (unwillingness, instability, participation restriction); teamwork (lack of awareness and communication); equipment (inadequacy, non-priority to purchase); and legal (reimbursement, lack of direct physiotherapy access, non-recognition of autonomy) procedures. Conclusion: The most common interventions were positioning, active, passive, breathing exercises, and percussion. Critical barriers toward physiotherapy are multifactorial and related to physiotherapists, patients, teams, equipment, and legal procedures. Physiotherapist employment, service maintenance, and multidisciplinary teamwork should be considered for physiotherapy effectiveness in ICUs.

Keywords: intensive care units, physical therapy, physiotherapy, exercises

Procedia PDF Downloads 82

Authors: Rozo D. Juan Felipe, Ramírez L. Leonardo Juan, Puerta A. Gabriel Alberto

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The telemedicine services require correct computing resource management to guarantee productivity and efficiency for medical and non-medical staff. The aim of this study was to examine web management strategies to ensure the availability of resources and services in telemedicine so as to provide medical information management with an accessible strategy. In addition, to evaluate the quality-of-service parameters, the followings were measured: delays, throughput, jitter, latency, available bandwidth, percent of access and denial of services based of web management performance map with profiles permissions and database management. Through 24 different test scenarios, the results show 100% in availability of medical information, in relation to access of medical staff to web services, and quality of service (QoS) of 99% because of network delay and performance of computer network. The findings of this study suggest that the proposed strategy of web management is an ideal solution to guarantee the availability, reliability, and accessibility of medical information. Finally, this strategy offers seven user profile used at telemedicine center of Bogota-Colombia keeping QoS parameters suitable to telemedicine services.

Keywords: availability, medical information, QoS, strategy, telemedicine

Procedia PDF Downloads 179

Authors: Shuji Fujimoto, Fumiko Kojima, Mika Shigematsu

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Biorisk management (Biosafety/Biosecurity) is required for anyone working in a clinical laboratory (including medical/clinical research laboratories) where infectious agents and potentially hazardous biological materials are examined/stored. Proper education and training based on international standards of biorisk management should be provided not only as a part of laboratory safety program in work place but also as a part of introductory training at educational institutions for continuity and to elevate overall baseline of the biorisk management. We reported results of the pilot study of biorisk management education for graduate students majored in laboratory diagnostics previously. However, postgraduate education is still late in their profession and the participants’ interview also revealed importance and demands of earlier biorisk management education for undergraduates. The aim of this study is to identify the need for biosafety/biosecurity education and training program which is designed for undergraduate students who are entering the profession in clinical microbiology. We modified the previous program to include more basic topics and explanations (risk management, principles of safe clinical lab practices, personal protective equipment, disinfection, disposal of biological substances) and provided incorporating in the routine educational system for faculty of medical sciences in Kyushu University. The results of the pre and post examinations showed that the knowledge of the students on biorisk control had developed effectively as a proof of effectiveness of the program even in the undergraduate students. Our study indicates that administrating the basic biorisk management program in the earlier stage of learning will add positive impact to the understanding of biosafety to the health professional education.

Keywords: biorisk management, biosafety, biosecurity, clinical microbiology, education for undergraduates

Procedia PDF Downloads 201

Authors: Hye-Young Shin, Chan Kee Park

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Background: To compare the thinning patterns of the ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) as measured using Cirrus high-definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT) in patients with visual field (VF) defects that respect the vertical meridian. Methods: Twenty eyes of eleven patients with VF defects that respect the vertical meridian were enrolled retrospectively. The thicknesses of the macular GCIPL and pRNFL were measured using Cirrus HD-OCT. The 5% and 1% thinning area index (TAI) was calculated as the proportion of abnormally thin sectors at the 5% and 1% probability level within the area corresponding to the affected VF. The 5% and 1% TAI were compared between the GCIPL and pRNFL measurements. Results: The color-coded GCIPL deviation map showed a characteristic vertical thinning pattern of the GCIPL, which is also seen in the VF of patients with brain lesions. The 5% and 1% TAI were significantly higher in the GCIPL measurements than in the pRNFL measurements (all P < 0.01). Conclusions: Macular GCIPL analysis clearly visualized a characteristic topographic pattern of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss in patients with VF defects that respect the vertical meridian, unlike pRNFL measurements. Macular GCIPL measurements provide more valuable information than pRNFL measurements for detecting the loss of RGCs in patients with retrograde degeneration of the optic nerve fibers.

Keywords: brain lesion, macular ganglion cell, inner plexiform layer, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

Procedia PDF Downloads 320

Authors: Bhavita S. Dave, Chandresh H. Solanki, Atul K. Desai

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Soils of Greater Himalayas mostly pertain to Leh & Ladakh, Lahaul & Sppiti, & high reaches to Uttarakhand. The moisture regime is aridic. The arid zone starts from Baralacha pass in Lahaul and covers the entire Spiti valley in the district of Lahaul & Spiti, Himachal Pradesh of India. Here, the present study is an attempt to determine the suction value of soil collected from the arid zone of Spiti valley for different freezing-thawing cycles considering the climate ranges of Spiti valley. Suction is the basic and most important parameter which influences the behavior of unsaturated soil. It is essential to determine the suction value of unsaturated soil before other tests like shear test, and permeability. Basically, it is the negative pore water pressure in partially saturated soil measured in terms of the height of the water column. The filter paper method has been used for the study as an economical approach to evaluate suction. It is the only method from which both contact and non-contact suction can be deduced. In this study, soil specimens were subjected to 0, 1, 3, & 5 freezing-thawing (F-T) cycles for different degrees of saturation to have a wide range of suction, and soil freezing characteristic curves (SFCC) were formulated for all F-T cycles. The result data collected from the experiments have shown best-fitted values using Fredlund & Xing model for each SFCC.

Keywords: suction, arid region soil, soil freezing characteristic curve, freezing-thawing cycle

Procedia PDF Downloads 203

Authors: Jalil Qoulizadeh, Hasan Sadeghi

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Brain waves are electrical wave patterns that are produced in the human brain. Knowing these waves and activating them can have a positive effect on brain function and ultimately create an ideal life. The brain has the ability to produce waves from 0.1 to above 65 Hz. (The Beta One device produces exactly these waves) This is because it is said that the waves produced by the Beta One device exactly match the waves produced by the brain. The function and method of this device is based on the magnetic stimulation of the brain. The technology used in the design and producƟon of this device works in a way to strengthen and improve the frequencies of brain waves with a pre-defined algorithm according to the type of requested function, so that the person can access the expected functions in life activities. to perform better. The effect of this field on neurons and their stimulation: In order to evaluate the effect of this field created by the device, on the neurons, the main tests are by conducting electroencephalography before and after stimulation and comparing these two baselines by qEEG or quantitative electroencephalography method using paired t-test in 39 subjects. It confirms the significant effect of this field on the change of electrical activity recorded after 30 minutes of stimulation in all subjects. The Beta One device is able to induce the appropriate pattern of the expected functions in a soft and effective way to the brain in a healthy and effective way (exactly in accordance with the harmony of brain waves), the process of brain activities first to a normal state and then to a powerful one. Production of inexpensive neuroscience equipment (compared to existing rTMS equipment) Magnetic brain stimulation for clinics - homes - factories and companies - professional sports clubs.

Keywords: stimulation, brain, waves, betaOne

Procedia PDF Downloads 61

Authors: Chien-Kuo Chang, You-Syuan Wu, Min-Chiu Wu, Bharath-Kumar Boyanapalli

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The electrical treeing mechanism in epoxy resin insulation is a critical area of study concerning the degradation of high-voltage electrical equipment. In this study, we conducted pressure-induced degradation experiments on epoxy resin specimens using a needle-plane electrode structure to simulate electrical treeing. The specimens featured two different defect spacings, allowing for detailed observation facilitated by time-lapse photography. Our investigation revealed four distinct stages of insulation degradation: initial dark tree growth, filamentary tree growth, reverse tree growth, and eventual insulation breakdown. The initial dark treeing stage, though shortest in duration, exhibited a thicker main branch and shorter branching, ceasing upon the appearance of filamentary treeing. Filamentary treeing manifested in two forms: dark filamentary treeing during the resin's glassy state, characterized by branching structures, and fuzzy filamentary treeing during the rubbery state, resembling white feathers. The channels formed by filamentary treeing were observed to be as narrow as a few micrometers and continued to grow until the end of the experiment. Additionally, the transition to reverse treeing occurred when filamentary treeing reached the ground electrode, with the earliest manifestation being growth from the ground electrode towards the high-voltage end.

Keywords: epoxy resin insulation, high-voltage equipment, electrical treeing mechanism

Procedia PDF Downloads 45

Authors: Marek Gancarz, Agnieszka Nawrocka, Robert Rusinek, Marcin Tadla

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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the fungi metabolites in the gaseous form produced during improper storage of agricultural commodities (e.g. grain, food). The spoilt commodities produce a wide range of VOCs including alcohols, esters, aldehydes, ketones, alkanes, alkenes, furans, phenols etc. The characteristic VOCs and odours can be determined by using electronic nose (e-Nose) which contains a matrix of different kinds of sensors e.g. resistive sensors. The aim of the present studies was to determine relationship between response of the resistive sensors on the chosen volatiles and their concentration. According to the literature, it was chosen volatiles characteristic for the cereals: ethanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol and hexanal. Analysis of the sensor signals shows that a signal shape is different for the different substances. Moreover, each VOC signal gives information about a maximum of the normalized sensor response (R/Rmax), an impregnation time (tIM) and a cleaning time at half maximum of R/Rmax (tCL). These three parameters can be regarded as a ‘VOC fingerprint’. Seven resistive sensors (TGS2600-B00, TGS2602-B00, TGS2610-C00, TGS2611-C00, TGS2611-E00, TGS2612-D00, TGS2620-C00) produced by Figaro USA Inc., and one (AS-MLV-P2) produced by AMS AG, Austria were used. Two out of seven sensors (TGS2611-E00, TGS2612-D00) did not react to the chosen VOCs. The most responsive sensor was AS-MLV-P2. The research was supported by the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), Grant No. PBS2/A8/22/2013.

Keywords: agricultural commodities, organic compounds, resistive sensors, volatile

Procedia PDF Downloads 346

Authors: Monique Palma, Isabel Amaral

Abstract:

This paper aims at mapping medical places in Oporto in the twentieth century in order to bring the urban history of medicine and healthcare in Portugal to a large audience, using Oporto as a case study. This analysis is consistent with the SDS's 2030 goals for policy guidance for heritage and development actors. As a result, it is critical to begin this research in order to place on the political agenda the preservation of Portuguese culture's history, memory, and heritage, particularly the medical culture, which is one of the most important drivers of civilizational development. To understand the evolution of medical care in urban history, we will conduct archive research (manuals, treatises, reports, periodic journals, newspapers, etc.) and interviews with key actors from medical institutions and medical museums. The findings of this study will be used to develop medical itineraries for inclusion in touristic agendas in Portugal and abroad, to include Portuguese medicine in global roadmaps, and to promote the preservation of the most iconic places of health care and medical heritage, as well as tools to promote social cohesion, dialogue among people, and "sense of place" globally.

Keywords: medical itineraries, history of medicine, urban history, Oporto

Procedia PDF Downloads 208