Search results for: left ventricular assist device

Authors: Jun Young Moon, Hyeonggeon Lee, Jong Tae Kim

Abstract:

In this paper, we present Cortex-M3 based virtual platform which can virtualize wearable hardware platform and evaluate hardware performance. Cortex-M3 is very popular microcontroller in wearable devices, hardware sensors and display devices. This platform can be used to implement software layer for specific hardware architecture. By using the proposed platform the software development process can be parallelized with hardware development process. We present internal mechanism to implement the proposed virtual platform and describe how to use the proposed platform to develop software by using case study which is low cost wearable device that uses Cortex-M3.

Keywords: electronic system level design, software development, virtual platform, wearable device

Procedia PDF Downloads 353

Authors: Shin-Jer Yang, Kai-Tai Yang

Abstract:

In response to a changing world and the fast growth of the Internet, more and more enterprises are replacing web-based services with cloud-based ones. Multi-tenancy technology is becoming more important especially with Software as a Service (SaaS). This in turn leads to a greater focus on the application of Identity and Access Management (IAM). Conventional Near-Field Communication (NFC) based verification relies on a computer browser and a card reader to access an NFC tag. This type of verification does not support mobile device login and user-based access management functions. This study designs an NFC-based third-party cloud identity and access management scheme (NFC-IAM) addressing this shortcoming. Data from simulation tests analyzed with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) suggest that the NFC-IAM not only takes less time in identity identification but also cuts time by 80% in terms of two-factor authentication and improves verification accuracy to 99.9% or better. In functional performance analyses, NFC-IAM performed better in salability and portability. The NFC-IAM App (Application Software) and back-end system to be developed and deployed in mobile device are to support IAM features and also offers users a more user-friendly experience and stronger security protection. In the future, our NFC-IAM can be employed to different environments including identification for mobile payment systems, permission management for remote equipment monitoring, among other applications.

Keywords: cloud service, multi-tenancy, NFC, IAM, mobile device

Procedia PDF Downloads 416

Authors: Lynndee Kemmet

Abstract:

The U.S. military plays an increasing role in supporting political stability efforts, and this includes efforts to prevent the food insecurity that can trigger political and social instability. This paper presents a model that assists military commanders in identifying variables that impact food production and distribution in their areas of operation (AO), in identifying connections between variables and in assessing the impacts of those variables on food production and distribution. Through use of the model, military units can better target their data collection efforts and can categorize and analyze data within the data categorization framework most widely-used by military forces—PMESII-PT (Political, Military, Economic, Infrastructure, Information, Physical Environment and Time). The model provides flexibility of analysis in that commanders can target analysis to be highly focused on a specific PMESII-PT domain or variable or conduct analysis across multiple PMESII-PT domains. The model is also designed to assist commanders in mapping food systems in their AOs and then identifying components of those systems that must be strengthened or protected.

Keywords: food security, food system model, political stability, US Military

Procedia PDF Downloads 174

Authors: R. Furutani, G. Kikuchi

Abstract:

Generally, the optical interferometer system is too complicated and difficult to change the measurement items, pitch, yaw, and row, etc. In this article, the optical interferometer system using the transmissive Liquid Crystal Device (LCD) as the switch of the optical path was proposed. At first, the normal optical interferometer, Michelson interferometer, was constructed to measure the pitch angle and the yaw angle. In this optical interferometer, the ball lenses with the refractive indices of 2.0 were used as the retroreflectors. After that, the transmissive LCD was introduced as the switch to select the adequate optical path. In this article, these optical systems were constructed. Pitch measurement interferometer and yaw measurement interferometer were switched by the transmissive LCD. When the LCD was open for the yaw measurement, the yaw was sufficiently measured and optical path for the pitch measurement was blocked. On the other hand, when the LCD was open for the pitch measurement, the pitch was measured and the optical path for the yaw measurement was also blocked. In this article, the results of both of pitch measurement and yaw measurement were shown, and the result of blocked yaw measurement and pitch measurement were shown. As this measurement system was based on Michelson interferometer, the other measuring items, the deviation along the optical axis, the vertical deviation to the optical axis and row angle, could be measured by the additional ball lenses and the additional switching in future work.

Keywords: any direction angle, ball lens, laser interferometer, transmissive liquid crystal device

Procedia PDF Downloads 135

Authors: Lakhdar Zaid, Albane Sangiovanni

Abstract:

A reconfigurable microstrip patch antenna with polyphase filter for polarization diversity and cross polarization filtering operation is presented in this paper. In our approach, a polyphase filter is used to obtain the four 90° phase shift outputs to feed a square microstrip patch antenna. The antenna can be switched between four states of polarization in transmission as well as in receiving mode. Switches are interconnected with the polyphase filter network to produce left-hand circular polarization, right-hand circular polarization, horizontal linear polarization, and vertical linear polarization. Additional advantage of using polyphase filter is its filtering capability for cross polarization filtering in right-hand circular polarization and left-hand circular polarization operation. The theoretical and simulated results demonstrated that polyphase filter is a good candidate to drive microstrip patch antenna to accomplish polarization diversity and cross polarization filtering operation.

Keywords: active antenna, polarization diversity, patch antenna, polyphase filter

Procedia PDF Downloads 390

Authors: Vitaliy Petrov, Natalia Shusharina, Vitaliy Kasymov, Maksim Patrushev, Evgeny Bogdanov

Abstract:

The leading worldwide death reasons are ischemic heart disease and other cardiovascular illnesses. Generally, the common symptom is high blood pressure. Long-time blood pressure control is very important for the prophylaxis, correct diagnosis and timely therapy. Non-invasive methods which are based on Korotkoff sounds are impossible to apply often and for a long time. Implantable devices can combine longtime monitoring with high accuracy of measurements. The main purpose of this work is to create a real-time monitoring system for decreasing the death rate from cardiovascular diseases. These days implantable electronic devices began to play an important role in medicine. Usually implantable devices consist of a transmitter, powering which could be wireless with a special made battery and measurement circuit. Common problems in making implantable devices are short lifetime of the battery, big size and biocompatibility. In these work, blood pressure measure will be the focus because it’s one of the main symptoms of cardiovascular diseases. Our device will consist of three parts: the implantable pressure sensor, external transmitter and automated workstation in a hospital. The Implantable part of pressure sensors could be based on piezoresistive or capacitive technologies. Both sensors have some advantages and some limitations. The Developed circuit is based on a small capacitive sensor which is made of the technology of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The Capacitive sensor can provide high sensitivity, low power consumption and minimum hysteresis compared to the piezoresistive sensor. For this device, it was selected the oscillator-based circuit where frequency depends from the capacitance of sensor hence from capacitance one can calculate pressure. The external device (transmitter) used for wireless charging and signal transmission. Some implant devices for these applications are passive, the external device sends radio wave signal on internal LC circuit device. The external device gets reflected the signal from the implant and from a change of frequency is possible to calculate changing of capacitance and then blood pressure. However, this method has some disadvantages, such as the patient position dependence and static using. Developed implantable device doesn’t have these disadvantages and sends blood pressure data to the external part in real-time. The external device continuously sends information about blood pressure to hospital cloud service for analysis by a physician. Doctor’s automated workstation at the hospital also acts as a dashboard, which displays actual medical data of patients (which require attention) and stores it in cloud service. Usually, critical heart conditions occur few hours before heart attack but the device is able to send an alarm signal to the hospital for an early action of medical service. The system was tested with wireless charging and data transmission. These results can be used for ASIC design for MEMS pressure sensor.

Keywords: MEMS sensor, RF power, wireless data, oscillator-based circuit

Procedia PDF Downloads 568

Authors: Matei Tudor Berceanu, Hema Viswambharan, Kirti Kain, Chew Weng Cheng

Abstract:

Background - Obesity parameters, particularly visceral obesity as measured by the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), correlate with insulin resistance. The metabolic microvascular changes associated with insulin resistance causes increased peripheral arteriolar resistance primarily to the lower limb vessels. We hypothesize that ankle systolic blood pressures (SBPs) are more significantly associated with visceral obesity than brachial SBPs. Methods - 1098 adults enriched in south Asians or Europeans with diabetes (T2DM) were recruited from a primary care practice in West Yorkshire. Their medical histories, including T2DM and cardiovascular disease (CVD) status, were gathered from an electronic database. The brachial, dorsalis pedis, and posterior tibial SBPs were measured using a Doppler machine. Their body mass index (BMI) and WHtR were calculated after measuring their weight, height, and waist circumference. Linear regressions were performed between the 6 SBPs and both obesity parameters, after adjusting for covariates. Results - Generally, the left posterior tibial SBP (P=4.559*10⁻¹⁵) and right posterior tibial SBP (P=1.114* 10⁻¹³ ) are the pressures most significantly associated with the BMI, as well as in south Asians (P < 0.001) and Europeans (P < 0.001) specifically. In South Asians, although the left (P=0.032) and right brachial SBP (P=0.045) were associated to the WHtR, the left posterior tibial SBP (P=0.023) showed the strongest association. Conclusion - Regardless of ethnicity, ankle SBPs are more significantly associated with generalized obesity than brachial SBPs, suggesting their screening potential for screening for early detection of T2DM and CVD. A combination of ankle SBPs with WHtR is proposed in south Asians.

Keywords: ankle blood pressures, body mass index, insulin resistance, waist-to-height-ratio

Procedia PDF Downloads 120

Authors: R. Kanthavel, R. Yogesh Kumar, T. Narendrakumar, B. Santhosh, S. Surya Prakash

Abstract:

This paper primarily focuses on developing an affordable personal assistant and the implementation of it in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create a virtual assistant/friend. The problem in existing home automation techniques is that it requires the usage of exact command words present in the database to execute the corresponding task. Our proposed work is ATOM a.k.a ‘Artificial intelligence Talking Omnipresent Machine’. Our inspiration came from an unlikely source- the movie ‘Iron Man’ in which a character called J.A.R.V.I.S has omnipresence, and device controlling capability. This device can control household devices in real time and send the live information to the user. This device does not require the user to utter the exact commands specified in the database as it can capture the keywords from the uttered commands, correlates the obtained keywords and perform the specified task. This ability to compare and correlate the keywords gives the user the liberty to give commands which are not necessarily the exact words provided in the database. The proposed work has a higher flexibility (due to its keyword extracting ability from the user input) comparing to the existing work Intelligent Home automation System (IHAS), is more accurate, and is much more affordable as it makes use of WI-FI module and raspberry pi 2 instead of ZigBee and a computer respectively.

Keywords: home automation, speech recognition, voice control, personal assistant, artificial intelligence

Procedia PDF Downloads 319

Authors: H. V. H. De Soysa, N. D. Hiripitiya, H. S. U. Thrimavithana, B. R. Epitawala, K. A. D. D. Kuruppu, D. J. K. Lokupathirage

Abstract:

This research was based on developing a mechanism in order to optimize the landing distance. Short distance braking and long distance braking may cause several issues for the aircraft including tyre wearing. The worst case occurs with short distance landing. The issues related to short distance landing were identified after conducting interviews with pilots, aeronautical engineers and technicians. A model was constructed in order to optimize the landing distance. The device started to function at the point where the main wheels of the aircraft touchdown the runway. It was found that implementing this device to the aircraft benefits to optimize the landing distance. This could lead to rectifying several issues occurred due to improper braking distances.

Keywords: aircraft, mechanism, optimize landing distance, runway

Procedia PDF Downloads 293

Authors: Rehab F. Abdel-Rahman, Sally A. El Awdan, Rehab R. Hegazy, Dina F. Mansour, Hanan A. Ogaly, Marwan Abdelbaset

Abstract:

Disorders of the cerebral circulation are the leading cause of numerous neurological and psychiatric illnesses. The transient middle cerebral artery occlusion model (MCAO) is considered to be a reliable and reproducible rodent model of cerebral ischemia. The purpose of the current study was to examine the neuroprotective effects of Crocus sativus (saffron) in a rat model of left middle cerebral artery MCAO. Male Wistar rats were anesthetized and subjected to 1 h of MCAO followed by 48 h reperfusion or sham surgery. One group of the ischemia operated animals was kept as left brain ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Another 2 operated groups received saffron extract (100 or 200 mg/kg, i.p) four times (60 min before the surgery, during the surgery, and on days 1 and 2 after the occlusion). During the experiment, behavioral tests were performed. After 72 h the animals were euthanized and their left brain hemispheres were used in the biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical studies. Saffron administration revealed an improvement in I/R-induced alteration of locomotor balance and coordination ability of rats. Moreover, saffron decreased the brain content of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, brain natriuretic peptide and vascular endothelial growth factor with significant increase of reduced glutathione. Immunohistochemical evaluation of caspase-3 and Bax protein expression revealed reduction in I/R-enhanced apoptosis in saffron treated rats. In conclusion, saffron treatment decreases ischemic brain injury in association with inhibition of apoptotic and oxidative cell death in a dose dependent manner.

Keywords: caspase-3, cerebral ischemia, Crocus sativus, rats, vascular endothelial growth factor

Procedia PDF Downloads 243

Authors: A. Mathieu, B. Aubry, E. Chhim, M. Jobe, M. Arnaud

Abstract:

Present project consists in a study and a development of piezoelectric devices for supplying power to new generation pacemakers. They are miniaturized leadless implants without battery placed directly in right ventricle. Amongst different acceptable energy sources in cardiac environment, we choose the solution of a device based on conversion of the energy produced by pressure variation inside the heart into electrical energy. The proposed energy harvesters can meet the power requirements of pacemakers, and can be a good solution to solve the problem of regular surgical operation. With further development, proposed device should provide enough energy to allow pacemakers autonomy, and could be good candidate for next pacemaker generation.

Keywords: energy harvester, heart, leadless pacemaker, piezoelectric cells, pressure variation

Procedia PDF Downloads 430

Authors: Sheng-Chuan Hsu

Abstract:

Because the existing structure of ambient light sensor is most silicon photodiode device, it is extremely sensitive in the red and infrared regions. Even though the IR-Cut filter had added, it still cannot completely eliminate the influence of infrared light, and the spectral response of infrared light was stronger than that of the human eyes. Therefore, it is not able to present the vision spectrum of the human eye reacts with the ambient light. Then it needs to consider that the human eye feels the spectra that show significant differences between light and dark place. Consequently, in practical applications, we must create and develop advanced device of human-like photosensor which can solve these problems of ambient light sensor and let cognitive lighting system to provide suitable light to achieve the goals of vision spectrum of human eye and save energy.

Keywords: ambient light sensor, vision spectrum, cognitive lighting system, human eye

Procedia PDF Downloads 316

Authors: Ardiansyah I. Ryan, Ashsholih K. R., Fathurrohman G. R., Kurniadi M. R., Huda P. A

Abstract:

The burden of brain-related disease is very high. There are a lot of brain-related diseases with limited treatment result and thus raise the burden more. The Parkinson Disease (PD), Mental Health Problem, or Paralysis of extremities treatments had risen concern, as the patients for those diseases usually had a low quality of life and low chance to recover fully. There are also many other brain or related neural diseases with the similar condition, mainly the treatments for those conditions are still limited as our understanding of the brain function is insufficient. Brain Implant Technology had given hope to help in treating this condition. In this paper, we examine the current update of the brain implant technology. Neurotechnology is growing very rapidly worldwide. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) as a brain implant in humans. As for neural implant both the cochlear implant and retinal implant are approved by FDA too. All of them had shown a promising result. DBS worked by stimulating a specific region in the brain with electricity. This device is planted surgically into a very specific region of the brain. This device consists of 3 main parts: Lead (thin wire inserted into the brain), neurostimulator (pacemaker-like device, planted surgically in the chest) and an external controller (to turn on/off the device by patient/programmer). FDA had approved DBS for the treatment of PD, Pain Management, Epilepsy and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The target treatment of DBS in PD is to reduce the tremor and dystonia symptoms. DBS has been showing the promising result in animal and limited human trial for other conditions such as Alzheimer, Mental Health Problem (Major Depression, Tourette Syndrome), etc. Every surgery has risks of complications, although in DBS the chance is very low. DBS itself had a very satisfying result as long as the subject criteria to be implanted this device based on indication and strictly selection. Other than DBS, there are several brain implant devices that still under development. It was included (not limited to) implant to treat paralysis (In Spinal Cord Injury/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), enhance brain memory, reduce obesity, treat mental health problem and treat epilepsy. The potential of neurotechnology is unlimited. When brain function and brain implant were fully developed, it may be one of the major breakthroughs in human history like when human find ‘fire’ for the first time. Support from every sector for further research is very needed to develop and unveil the true potential of this technology.

Keywords: brain implant, deep brain stimulation (DBS), deep brain stimulation, Parkinson

Procedia PDF Downloads 135

Authors: Haroon Khan, Chul Min Kim, Sung Yeol Kim, Sanket Goel, Prabhat K. Dwivedi, Ashutosh Sharma, Gyu Man Kim

Abstract:

Enzymatic biofuel cells (EBFCs) have drawn the attention of researchers due to its demanding application in medical implants. In EBFCs, electricity is produced with the help of redox enzymes. In this study, we report the fabrication of membraneless EBFC with new design of electrodes to overcome microchannel related limitations. The device consists of double layer of electrodes on both sides of Y-shaped microchannel to reduce the effect of oxygen depletion layer and diffusion of fuel and oxidant at the end of microchannel. Moreover, the length of microchannel was reduced by half keeping the same area of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) electrodes. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stencils were used to pattern MWCNT electrodes on etched Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) glass. PDMS casting was used to fabricate microchannel of the device. Both anode and cathode were modified with glucose oxidase and laccase. Furthermore, these enzymes were covalently bound to carboxyl MWCNTs with the help of EDC/NHS. Glucose used as fuel was oxidized by glucose oxidase at anode while oxygen was reduced to water at the cathode side. The resulted devices were investigated with the help of polarization curves obtained from Chronopotentiometry technique by using potentiostat. From results, we conclude that the performance of double layer EBFC is improved 15 % as compared to single layer EBFC delivering maximum power density of 71.25 µW cm-2 at a cell potential of 0.3 V and current density of 250 µA cm-2 at micro channel height of 450-µm and flow rate of 25 ml hr-1. However, the new device was stable only for three days after which its power output was rapidly dropped by 75 %. This work demonstrates that the power output of membraneless EBFC is improved comparatively, but still efforts will be needed to make the device stable over long period of time.

Keywords: EBFC, glucose, MWCNT, microfluidic

Procedia PDF Downloads 303

Authors: Sreejith Jayachandran, Mojtaba Ghods, Morteza Mohammadzaheri

Abstract:

The modern busy world is running behind new embedded technologies based on computers and software; meanwhile, some people forget to do their health condition and regular medical check-ups. Some of them postpone medical check-ups due to a lack of time and convenience, while others skip these regular evaluations and medical examinations due to huge medical bills and hospital expenses. Engineers and medical experts have come together to give birth to a new device in the telemonitoring system capable of monitoring, checking, and evaluating the health status of the human body remotely through the internet for the needs of all kinds of people. The remote health monitoring device is a microcontroller-based embedded unit. Various types of sensors in this device are connected to the human body, and with the help of an Arduino UNO board, the required analogue data is collected from the sensors. The microcontroller on the Arduino board processes the analogue data collected in this way into digital data and transfers that information to the cloud, and stores it there, and the processed digital data is instantly displayed through the LCD attached to the machine. By accessing the cloud storage with a username and password, the concerned person’s health care teams/doctors and other health staff can collect this data for the assessment and follow-up of that patient. Besides that, the family members/guardians can use and evaluate this data for awareness of the patient's current health status. Moreover, the system is connected to a Global Positioning System (GPS) module. In emergencies, the concerned team can position the patient or the person with this device. The setup continuously evaluates and transfers the data to the cloud, and also the user can prefix a normal value range for the evaluation. For example, the blood pressure normal value is universally prefixed between 80/120 mmHg. Similarly, the RHMS is also allowed to fix the range of values referred to as normal coefficients. This IoT-based miniature system (11×10×10) cm³ with a low weight of 500 gr only consumes 10 mW. This smart monitoring system is manufactured with 100 GBP, which can be used not only for health systems, it can be used for numerous other uses including aerospace and transportation sections.

Keywords: embedded technology, telemonitoring system, microcontroller, Arduino UNO, cloud storage, global positioning system, remote health monitoring system, alert system

Procedia PDF Downloads 66

Authors: Seyedeh Mozhgan Seyed Talebi, Chih -Hao Lee

Abstract:

With an abrupt rise in the power conservation efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) within a short span of time, the toxicity of lead was raised as a major hurdle in the path toward their commercialization. In the present research, a systematic investigation of the electrical and optical characteristics of the all-inorganic CsSnI₃ perovskite absorber layer was performed with the Vienna Ab Initio Simulation Package (VASP) using the projector-augmented wave method. The presence of inorganic halide perovskite offers the advantages of enhancing the degradation resistance of the device, reducing the cost of cells, and minimizing the recombination of generated carriers. The simulated standard device using a 1D simulator like solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS) version 3308 involves FTO/n-TiO₂/CsSnI₃ Perovskite absorber/Spiro OmeTAD HTL/Au contact layer. The variation in the device design key parameters such as the thickness and defect density of perovskite absorber, hole transport layer and electron transport layer and interfacial defects are examined with their impact on the photovoltaic characteristic parameters. The effect of an increase in operating temperature from 300 K to 400 K on the performance of CsSnI3-based perovskite devices is also investigated. The optimized standard device at room temperature shows the highest PCE of 25.18 % with FF of 75.71 %, Voc of 0.96 V, and Jsc of 34.67 mA/cm². The outcomes and interpretation of different inorganic Cu-based HTLs presence, such as CuSCN, Cu₂O, CuO, CuI, SrCu₂O₂, and CuSbS₂, here represent a critical avenue for the possibility of fabricating high PCE perovskite devices made of stable, low-cost, efficient, safe, and eco-friendly all-inorganic materials like CsSnI₃ perovskite light absorber.

Keywords: CsSnI₃, hole transporting layer (HTL), lead-free perovskite solar cell, SCAPS-1D software

Procedia PDF Downloads 62

Authors: Vahid Mehrabi, Iman Sharifi, H. A. Talebi

Abstract:

The automation of rehabilitation procedure by the implementation of robotic devices can overcome the limitation in conventional physiotherapy methods by increasing training sessions and duration of process. In this paper, the design of a simple rehabilitation robot for forearm-wrist therapy in stroke and spinal cord injuries is presented. Wrist’s biological joint motion is modeled by a gimbal-like mechanism which resembles the human arm anatomy. Presented device is an exoskeleton robot with rotation axes corresponding to human skeleton anatomy. The mechanical structure, actuator and sensor selection, system kinematics and comparison between our device range of motion and required active daily life values is illustrated.

Keywords: rehabilitation, robotic devices, physiotherapy, forearm-wrist

Procedia PDF Downloads 256

Authors: Z. S. Yip, T. K. Tan, C. C. Geh, T. T. Ting

Abstract:

The mobile phone is an indispensable device in today’s daily living. The arising new brands in the market with different specification are targeting at the different population. The most promising market would be the younger generation who are IT savvy. Therefore, it is beneficial to find out their factors of consideration in purchasing a mobile phone. A survey is carried out in Malaysia to discover the current youngster’s mobile phone buying behavior. This study has found that the most influencing factor of consideration is Price, followed by Feature, and Battery Lifespan. Gender and Income have no relationship with certain factors of consideration. It is important to discover the factors of consideration in order to provide industry insight into the current trend of smartphone in Malaysia.

Keywords: buying behavior, smart phone, mobile brand, mobile operating system, specification, battery lifespan

Procedia PDF Downloads 330

Authors: Nabila Jaman, K. E. Hoque, S. Sawall, M. Ferdows

Abstract:

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most lethal diseases of the cardiovascular diseases. Coronary arteries stenosis and bifurcation angles closely interact for myocardial infarction. We want to use computer-aided design model coupled with computational hemodynamics (CHD) simulation for detecting several types of coronary artery stenosis with different locations in an idealized model for identifying virtual fractional flow reserve (vFFR). The vFFR provides us the information about the severity of stenosis in the computational models. Another goal is that we want to imitate patient-specific computed tomography coronary artery angiography model for constructing our idealized models with different left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex (LCx) bifurcation angles. Further, we want to analyze whether the bifurcation angles has an impact on the creation of narrowness in coronary arteries or not. The numerical simulation provides the CHD parameters such as wall shear stress (WSS), velocity magnitude and pressure gradient (PGD) that allow us the information of stenosis condition in the computational domain.

Keywords: CAD, CHD, vFFR, bifurcation angles, coronary stenosis

Procedia PDF Downloads 140

Authors: Paul B Stone, Subhashini Ganapathy, Mary E. Fendley, Layla Akilan

Abstract:

As notifications become more common through mobile devices, it is important to understand the impact of wearable devices on the improved user experience of man-machine interfaces. This study examined the use of a wearable device for a real-time system using a computer-simulated petrochemical system. The key research question was to determine how using the information provided by the wearable device can improve human performance through measures of situational awareness and decision making. Results indicate that there was a reduction in response time when using the watch, and there was no difference in situational awareness. Perception of using the watch was positive, with 83% of users finding value in using the watch and receiving haptic feedback.

Keywords: computer applications, haptic feedback, petrochemical systems, situational awareness, wearable technology

Procedia PDF Downloads 180

Authors: Diptoshi Roy, G. Sreevidya Varma, S. Asokan, Chandasree Das

Abstract:

Germanium Telluride based quaternary thin film switching devices with composition Ge₁₅In₅Te₅₆Ag_24, have been deposited in sandwich geometry on glass substrate with aluminum as top and bottom electrodes. The bulk glassy form of the said composition is prepared by melt quenching technique. In this technique, appropriate quantity of elements with high purity are taken in a quartz ampoule and sealed under a vacuum of 10^-5 mbar. Then, it is allowed to rotate in a horizontal rotary furnace for 36 hours to ensure homogeneity of the melt. After that, the ampoule is quenched into a mixture of ice - water and NaOH to get the bulk ingot of the sample. The sample is then coated on a glass substrate using flash evaporation technique at a vacuum level of 10^-6 mbar. The XRD report reveals the amorphous nature of the thin film sample and Energy - Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX) confirms that the film retains the same chemical composition as that of the base sample. Electrical switching behavior of the device is studied with the help of Keithley (2410^c) source-measure unit interfaced with Lab VIEW 7 (National Instruments). Switching studies, mainly SET (changing the state of the material from amorphous to crystalline) operation is conducted on the thin film form of the sample. This device is found to manifest memory switching as the device remains 'ON' even after the removal of the electric field. Also it is found that amorphous Ge₁₅In₅Te₅₆Ag₂₄ thin film unveils clean memory type of electrical switching behavior which can be justified by the absence of fluctuation in the I-V characteristics. The I-V characteristic also reveals that the switching is faster in this sample as no data points could be seen in the negative resistance region during the transition to on state and this leads to the conclusion of fast phase change during SET process. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies are performed on the chosen sample to study the structural changes at the time of switching. SEM studies on the switched Ge₁₅In₅Te₅₆Ag₂₄ sample has shown some morphological changes at the place of switching wherein it can be explained that a conducting crystalline channel is formed in the device when the device switches from high resistance to low resistance state. From these studies it can be concluded that the material may find its application in fast switching Non-Volatile Phase Change Memory (PCM) Devices.

Keywords: Chalcogenides, Vapor deposition, Electrical switching, PCM.

Procedia PDF Downloads 358

Authors: Vishal V. R. Nandigana, Mohammad Heiranian, Narayana R. Aluru

Abstract:

Graphene material has found tremendous applications in water desalination, DNA sequencing and energy storage. Multiple nanopores are etched to create opening for water desalination and energy storage applications. The nanopores created are of the order of 3-5 nm allowing multiple ions to transport through the pore. In this paper, we present for the first time, molecular dynamics study of single ion transport, where only one ion passes through the graphene nanopore. The diameter of the graphene nanopore is of the same order as the hydration layers formed around each ion. Analogous to single electron transport resulting from ionic transport is observed for the first time. The current-voltage characteristics of such a device are similar to single electron transport in quantum dots. The current is blocked until a critical voltage, as the ions are trapped inside a hydration shell. The trapped ions have a high energy barrier compared to the applied input electrical voltage, preventing the ion to break free from the hydration shell. This region is called “Coulomb blockade region”. In this region, we observe zero transport of ions inside the nanopore. However, when the electrical voltage is beyond the critical voltage, the ion has sufficient energy to break free from the energy barrier created by the hydration shell to enter into the pore. Thus, the input voltage can control the transport of the ion inside the nanopore. The device therefore acts as a binary storage unit, storing 0 when no ion passes through the pore and storing 1 when a single ion passes through the pore. We therefore postulate that the device can be used for fluidic computing applications in chemistry and biology, mimicking a computer. Furthermore, the trapped ion stores a finite charge in the Coulomb blockade region; hence the device also acts a super capacitor.

Keywords: graphene nanomembrane, single ion transport, Coulomb blockade, nanofluidics

Procedia PDF Downloads 304

Authors: Moriom Akter Mousumi, Spyridon Paparrizos, Fulco Ludwig

Abstract:

Rice yield reduction due to climate change-induced disease occurrence is becoming a great concern for coastal farmers of Bangladesh. The development of participatory climate information services (CIS) based on farmers’ needs could implicitly facilitate farmers to get disease forecasts and make better decisions to manage diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how participatory climate information services assist coastal rice farmers to take up rice disease forecasts and better manage rice diseases by improving their informed decision-making. Through participatory approaches, we developed a tailor-made agrometeorological service through the DROP app to forecast rice diseases and manage them in advance. During farmers field schools (FFS) we communicated 7-day disease forecasts during face-to-face weekly meetings using printed paper and, messenger app derived from DROP app. Results show that the majority of the farmers understand disease forecasts through visualization, symbols, and text. The majority of them use disease forecast information directly from the DROP app followed by face-to-face meetings, messenger app, and printed paper. Farmers participation and engagement during capacity building training at FFS also assist them in making more informed decisions and improved management of diseases using both preventive measures and chemical measures throughout the rice cultivation period. We conclude that the development of participatory CIS and the associated capacity-building and training of farmers has increased farmers' understanding and uptake of disease forecasts to better manage of rice diseases. Participatory services such as the DROP app offer great potential as an adaptation option for climate-smart rice production under changing climatic conditions.

Keywords: participatory climate service, disease forecast, disease management, informed decision making, coastal Bangladesg

Procedia PDF Downloads 24

Authors: Ahmad Nazrun Shuid, Isa Naina Mohamed, Nurul Izzah Ibrahim, Norazlina Mohamed

Abstract:

Studies have shown that oral tocotrienol, a potent vitamin E, promoted fracture healing of osteoporotic bone. In this study, tocotrienol was combined with a polymer carrier (PLGA), and injected to the fracture site. The slow and constant release of tocotrienol particles would promote fracture healing of post-menopausal osteoporosis rat model. Fracture healing was assessed using micro-CT. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomised or sham-operated and the left tibiae were fractured and fixed with plate and screws. The fractures were created at the upper third of the left tibiae. The rats were divided into 3 groups: sham-operated (SO), ovariectomised-control (OVxC) and PLGA-incorporated tocotrienol treatment (OVx + TT) groups. After 4 weeks, the OVx + TT group showed significantly better callus fracture healing than the OVxC group. In conclusion, tocotrienol-incorporated PLGA was able to promote fracture healing of osteoporotic bone.

Keywords: osteoporosis, micro-CT, tocotrienol, PLGA, fracture

Procedia PDF Downloads 647

Authors: Dayei Oh, Feeza Vasudeva, Narges Azizi Fard

Abstract:

Drawing on the Foucauldian conception of episteme, epistemic communities refer to a community in which members share common frames of epistemic reference, delineating the proper construction of social realities for their members. One of the most cited definitions of epistemic communities is a group of professionals possessing acknowledged expertise and proficiency in a specific field, influencing policymaking and governance. More recently, the advancement of the Internet has changed the way society produces, disseminates, and consumes knowledge. Against this backdrop, this literature review explores the ways in which online epistemic communities are studied in communication scholarship between 2002 and 2022. Examining 92 peer-reviewed journal articles from the Web of Science database, three research objectives have been addressed: (1) geographical contexts, platforms, and methods that are studied in communication research, (2) different types of epistemic communities, and (3) prevailing themes and concepts that are related to the research of the chosen epistemic communities. This research demonstrates increasing scholarly attention towards the lay public as prominent online epistemic communities along with more conventional epistemic communities such as academia and journalists, hinting at how the Internet provides epistemic capacities for negotiating the boundaries of epistemic authority and competencies between experts and lay people. Through qualitative reading of these papers, the findings show that communication research tends to approach epistemic communities of the political left and right asymmetrically: The right-wing epistemic communities are studied in connection with mis/disinformation, conspiracy theories, populist rejection of authoritative epistemologies, whereas the left-wing communities are studied as emancipatory epistemic struggles and activism against Western, colonial, white, and male-centric knowledge systems. This points to a grave need for communication and multidisciplinary scholarship to investigate such uncharted characters of right- and left-wing epistemic communities.

Keywords: communication research, internet, knowledge, online epistemic communities

Procedia PDF Downloads 32

Authors: Ming-Hsiang Shih, Wen-Pei Sung, Shih-Heng Tung

Abstract:

Semi-active control system for structure under excitation of earthquake provides with the characteristics of being adaptable and requiring low energy. DSHD (Displacement Semi-Active Hydraulic Damper) was developed by our research team. Shake table test results of this DSHD installed in full scale test structure demonstrated that this device brought its energy-dissipating performance into full play for test structure under excitation of earthquake. The objective of this research is to develop a new AIC (Active Interaction Control Device) and apply shake table test to perform its dissipation of energy capability. This new proposed AIC is converting an improved DSHD (Displacement Semi-Active Hydraulic Damper) to AIC with the addition of an accumulator. The main concept of this energy-dissipating AIC is to apply the interaction function of affiliated structure (sub-structure) and protected structure (main structure) to transfer the input seismic force into sub-structure to reduce the structural deformation of main structure. This concept is tested using full-scale multi-degree of freedoms test structure, installed with this proposed AIC subjected to external forces of various magnitudes, for examining the shock absorption influence of predictive control, stiffness of sub-structure, synchronous control, non-synchronous control and insufficient control position. The test results confirm: (1) this developed device is capable of diminishing the structural displacement and acceleration response effectively; (2) the shock absorption of low precision of semi-active control method did twice as much seismic proof efficacy as that of passive control method; (3) active control method may not exert a negative influence of amplifying acceleration response of structure; (4) this AIC comes into being time-delay problem. It is the same problem of ordinary active control method. The proposed predictive control method can overcome this defect; (5) condition switch is an important characteristics of control type. The test results show that synchronism control is very easy to control and avoid stirring high frequency response. This laboratory results confirm that the device developed in this research is capable of applying the mutual interaction between the subordinate structure and the main structure to be protected is capable of transforming the quake energy applied to the main structure to the subordinate structure so that the objective of minimizing the deformation of main structural can be achieved.

Keywords: DSHD (Displacement Semi-Active Hydraulic Damper), AIC (Active Interaction Control Device), shake table test, full scale structure test, sub-structure, main-structure

Procedia PDF Downloads 501

Authors: Melissa James Maceachern

Abstract:

This study examines a financial aid program that is designed to “keep residents at home” to attend higher education by providing financial aid as an incentive or discount in their first year of university following high school graduation. This study offers insight into financial matters for higher education students that can assist in providing policy direction for student financing. In particular, this study found that students appeared to value the bursary but none of the key metrics related to participation or conversion to the home institution indicated that the bursary impacted enrolment or participation. One key metric, student loans received by direct entry high school students did indicate a decline in the number of recipients. This study also identified accessibility issues to higher education that are of importance when considering the declining youth populations, future labour market needs and the need to sustain higher education institutions. This is undoubtedly a challenging period of time given the changing social and demographic forces within Canada. A comprehensive examination of the policy and programs to address these forces needs to be undertaken. This study highlights the importance of utilizing financial aid in combination with other policy to assist students in accessing higher education.

Keywords: accessibility, participation, financing, government

Procedia PDF Downloads 399

Authors: Atitallah Sofien, Bouyahia Olfa, Krifi Farah, Missaoui Nada, Ben Rabeh Rania, Yahyaoui Salem, Mazigh Sonia, Boukthir Samir

Abstract:

Introduction: Cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita (CMTC) is a rare cutaneous vascular malformation. It most often appears at birth or during the first days of life. Its origin is still unknown. It associates a livedo with telangiectasias of diffuse or segmental topography. In rare cases, it can be associated with neurological disorders such as macrocephaly and, less frequently, with epilepsy. Methodology: We report a case of an infant with Macrocephaly- Cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita syndrome associated with epilepsy. Results: This is the case of a one month and 15 days old female infant from a non-consanguineous marriage, admitted for a status epilepticus in the context of apyrexia. Infectious and metabolic causes had been eliminated. Physical examination had shown non-infiltrated and reticular livedoid erythematous patches affecting the left upper limb and atrophic on the back of the left hand. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed thin layers of bifrontal, temporal, and left parietal hygromas associated with the widening of the bifrontal subarachnoid spaces. The electroencephalogram showed a well-organized sleep tracing with a single right occipital paroxysmal abnormality. Antiepileptic treatment has been administered with good clinical evolution and regression of the skin lesion and a control electroencephalogram without abnormality. Conclusion: This observation illustrates an association of CMTC with both macrocephaly and epilepsy. This pathology, which is relatively benign and has a good prognosis, generally does not require treatment. However, a detailed examination must be carried out, and a follow-up plan must be put in place for each patient presenting with CMTC, given the risk of association with other abnormalities, which can be potentially serious.

Keywords: cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita, macrocephaly, epilepsy, children

Procedia PDF Downloads 40

Authors: Jeonghyun Chang, Taegeun Lee, Heungsup Sung, Yoon-Seon Lee, Youn-Jung Kim, Mi-Na Kim

Abstract:

Background: Safety device has been applied to improve safety and performance of blood culture practice. BD vacutainer® Safety-Lokᵀᴹ blood collection sets with pre-attached holder (Safety-Lok) (BD, USA) was evaluated in the emergency room (ER) of a tertiary care hospital. Methods: From April to June 2017, interns and nurses in ER were surveyed for blood culture practices with a questionnaire before and after 2 or 3 weeks of experience of Safety-Lok. All of them participated in exercise workshop for 1 hour combined with video education prior to the initial survey. The blood volume, positive and contamination rates of Safety-Lok-drawn (SD) blood cultures were compared to those of overall blood cultures. Results: Eighteen interns and 30 nurses were enrolled. As a result of the initial survey, interns had higher rates of needlestick incidence (27.8%), carriage of the blood-filled syringe with needle (88.9%) and lower rates of vacutainer use (38.9%) than nurses (13.3%, 53.3%, and 60.0%). Interns preferred to use safety devices (88.9%) rather than nurses (40.0%). The number of overall blood cultures and SD blood cultures was 9,053 and 555, respectively. While the overall blood volume of aerobic bottles was 2.6±2.1 mL, those of SD blood cultures were 5.0±3.0 mL in aerobic bottles and 6.0±3.0 mL in anaerobic bottles. Positive and contamination rates were 6.5% and 0.72% with SD blood cultures and 6.2% and 0.3% with overall blood cultures. Conclusions: The introduction of the safety device would encourage healthcare workers to collect adequate blood volume as well as lead to safer practices in the ER.

Keywords: blood culture, needlestick, safety device, volume

Procedia PDF Downloads 179

Authors: Wilai Masanga, Chirapha Tannanonta, Sangutid Thongsawad, Sasikarn Chamchod, Todsaporn Fuangrod

Abstract:

The major factors of radiotherapy for head and neck (HN) cancers include patient’s anatomical changes and tumour shrinkage. These changes can significantly affect the planned dose distribution that causes the treatment plan deterioration. A measured transit EPID images compared to a predicted EPID images using gamma analysis has been clinically implemented to verify the dose accuracy as part of adaptive radiotherapy protocol. However, a global gamma analysis dose not sensitive to some critical organ changes as the entire treatment field is compared. The objective of this feasibility study is to evaluate the dosimetric response to patient anatomical changes during the treatment course in HN IMRT (Head and Neck Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy) using a novel comparison method; organ-of-interest gamma analysis. This method provides more sensitive to specific organ change detection. Random replanned 5 HN IMRT patients with causes of tumour shrinkage and patient weight loss that critically affect to the parotid size changes were selected and evaluated its transit dosimetry. A comprehensive physics-based model was used to generate a series of predicted transit EPID images for each gantry angle from original computed tomography (CT) and replan CT datasets. The patient structures; including left and right parotid, spinal cord, and planning target volume (PTV56) were projected to EPID level. The agreement between the transit images generated from original CT and replanned CT was quantified using gamma analysis with 3%, 3mm criteria. Moreover, only gamma pass-rate is calculated within each projected structure. The gamma pass-rate in right parotid and PTV56 between predicted transit of original CT and replan CT were 42.8%( ± 17.2%) and 54.7%( ± 21.5%). The gamma pass-rate for other projected organs were greater than 80%. Additionally, the results of organ-of-interest gamma analysis were compared with 3-dimensional cone-beam computed tomography (3D-CBCT) and the rational of replan by radiation oncologists. It showed that using only registration of 3D-CBCT to original CT does not provide the dosimetric impact of anatomical changes. Using transit EPID images with organ-of-interest gamma analysis can provide additional information for treatment plan suitability assessment.

Keywords: re-plan, anatomical change, transit electronic portal imaging device, EPID, head, and neck

Procedia PDF Downloads 199