Search results for: medical equipment
3781 Implementation of a Web-Based Wireless ECG Measuring and Recording System
Authors: Onder Yakut, Serdar Solak, Emine Dogru Bolat
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Measuring the Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is an essential process for the diagnosis of the heart diseases. The ECG signal has the information of the degree of how much the heart performs its functions. In medical diagnosis and treatment systems, Decision Support Systems processing the ECG signal are being developed for the use of clinicians while medical examination. In this study, a modular wireless ECG (WECG) measuring and recording system using a single board computer and e-Health sensor platform is developed. In this designed modular system, after the ECG signal is taken from the body surface by the electrodes first, it is filtered and converted to digital form. Then, it is recorded to the health database using Wi-Fi communication technology. The real time access of the ECG data is provided through the internet utilizing the developed web interface.Keywords: ECG, e-health sensor shield, Raspberry Pi, wiFi technology
Procedia PDF Downloads 4013780 Characterization of Coastal Solid Waste: Basis for the Development of Waste Collector
Authors: Arnold I. Malag
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The study wants to establish the data on the characteristics of coastal solid waste in main Island of Masbate as a model for technology interventions. The research utilized the Google Maps to measure the coastal length and Fishbowl Method for area identification. The solid wastes gathered were classified as residual, non-biodegradable, recyclable wastes, and special wastes, based on the waste analysis and characterization manual of Philippine Environmental Governance Project. The wastes were evaluated by weight in kg., dimension in cm., and characteristics as floating or non-floating. Based on the dimension of coastal solid waste, the biodegradable, recyclable, residual and special waste have the average of 40.95 cm., 16.25 cm., 31.37 cm., and 0.725cm. respectively. The waste in the coastal areas is dominated by biodegradable, followed by residual, then recyclable and special wastes with the data of 0.566 kg/m, 0.533 kg/m, 0.114 kg/m and .0007 kg/m respectively. The 97.15% of solid wastes collected is characterized as “floating”, where in the sources are the nearest rivers and waterways and/or the nearest populated areas adjacent to the island. This accumulation of solid wastes can be minimized and controlled by utilizing a floating equipment.Keywords: solid waste, coastal waste, waste characterization, waste collector
Procedia PDF Downloads 833779 The Application of Maintenance Strategy in Energy Power Plant: A Case Study
Authors: Steven Vusmuzi Mashego, Opeyeolu Timothy Laseinde
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This paper presents a case study on applying maintenance strategies observed in a turbo-generator at a coal power plant. Turbo generators are one of the primary and critical components in energy generation. It is essential to apply correct maintenance strategies and apply operational procedures accordingly. The maintenance strategies are implemented to ensure the high reliability of the equipment. The study was carried out at a coal power station which will transit to a cleaner energy source in the nearest future. The study is relevant as lessons learned in this system will support plans and operational models implemented when cleaner energy sources replace coal-powered turbines. This paper first outlines different maintenance strategies executed on the turbo-generator modules. Secondly, the impacts of human factors on a coal power station are discussed, and the findings prompted recommendations for future actions.Keywords: maintenance strategies, turbo generator, operational error, human factor, electricity generation
Procedia PDF Downloads 1123778 Prediction of California Bearing Ratio from Physical Properties of Fine-Grained Soils
Authors: Bao Thach Nguyen, Abbas Mohajerani
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The California bearing ratio (CBR) has been acknowledged as an important parameter to characterize the bearing capacity of earth structures, such as earth dams, road embankments, airport runways, bridge abutments, and pavements. Technically, the CBR test can be carried out in the laboratory or in the field. The CBR test is time-consuming and is infrequently performed due to the equipment needed and the fact that the field moisture content keeps changing over time. Over the years, many correlations have been developed for the prediction of CBR by various researchers, including the dynamic cone penetrometer, undrained shear strength, and Clegg impact hammer. This paper reports and discusses some of the results from a study on the prediction of CBR. In the current study, the CBR test was performed in the laboratory on some fine-grained subgrade soils collected from various locations in Victoria. Based on the test results, a satisfactory empirical correlation was found between the CBR and the physical properties of the experimental soils.Keywords: California bearing ratio, fine-grained soils, soil physical properties, pavement, soil test
Procedia PDF Downloads 5113777 Analyzing Current Transformer’s Transient and Steady State Behavior for Different Burden’s Using LabVIEW Data Acquisition Tool
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Current transformers (CTs) are used to transform large primary currents to a small secondary current. Since most standard equipment’s are not designed to handle large primary currents the CTs have an important part in any electrical system for the purpose of Metering and Protection both of which are integral in Power system. Now a days due to advancement in solid state technology, the operation times of the protective relays have come to a few cycles from few seconds. Thus, in such a scenario it becomes important to study the transient response of the current transformers as it will play a vital role in the operating of the protective devices. This paper shows the steady state and transient behavior of current transformers and how it changes with change in connected burden. The transient and steady state response will be captured using the data acquisition software LabVIEW. Analysis is done on the real time data gathered using LabVIEW. Variation of current transformer characteristics with changes in burden will be discussed.Keywords: accuracy, accuracy limiting factor, burden, current transformer, instrument security factor
Procedia PDF Downloads 3433776 Roadway Maintenance Management System
Authors: Chika Catherine Ayogu
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Rehabilitation plays an important and integral part in the life of roadway rehabilitation management system. It is a systematic method for inspection and rating the roadway condition in a given area. The system performs a cost effective analysis of various maintenance and rehabilitation strategies. Finally the system prioritize and recommend roadway rehabilitation and maintenance to maximize results within a given budget amount. During execution of maintenance activity, the system also tracks labour, materials, equipment and cost for activities performed. The system implements physical assessment field inspection and rating of each street segment which is then entered into a database. The information is analyzed using a software, and provide recommendations and project future conditions. The roadway management system provides a deterioration curve for each segment based on input then assigns the most cost-effective maintenance strategy based on conditions, surface type and functional classification, and available budget. This paper investigates the roadway management system and its capabilities to assist in applying the right treatment to the right roadway at the right time so that expected service life of the roadway is extended as long as possible with acceptable cost.Keywords: effectiveness, rehabilitation, roadway, software system
Procedia PDF Downloads 1523775 Investigating the Effect of Adding the Window Layer and the Back Surface Field Layer of InₓGa₍₁₋ₓ₎P Material to GaAs Single Junction Solar Cell
Authors: Ahmad Taghinia, Negar Gholamishaker
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GaAs (gallium arsenide) solar cells have gained significant attention for their use in space applications. These solar cells have the potential for efficient energy conversion and are being explored as potential power sources for electronic devices, satellites, and telecommunication equipment. In this study, the aim is to investigate the effect of adding a window layer and a back surface field (BSF) layer made of InₓGa₍₁₋ₓ₎P material to a GaAs single junction solar cell. In this paper, we first obtain the important electrical parameters of a single-junction GaAs solar cell by utilizing a two-dimensional simulator software for virtual investigation of the solar cell; then, we analyze the impact of adding a window layer and a back surface field layer made of InₓGa₍₁₋ₓ₎P on the solar cell. The results show that the incorporation of these layers led to enhancements in Jsc, Voc, FF, and the overall efficiency of the solar cell.Keywords: back surface field layer, solar cell, GaAs, InₓGa₍₁₋ₓ₎P, window layer
Procedia PDF Downloads 763774 Development of a Miniature and Low-Cost IoT-Based Remote Health Monitoring Device
Authors: Sreejith Jayachandran, Mojtaba Ghods, Morteza Mohammadzaheri
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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 903773 Revisiting the Donning and Doffing Procedure: Ensuring a Coordinated Practice
Authors: Deanna Ruano-Meas, Laura Shenkman
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Variances are seen in the way healthcare personnel (HCP) don and doff PPE risking contamination to self and others. By standardizing practice, variances in technique decrease, and so does the risk of contamination. To implement this change, the Model for Improvement will be used. A system change will be developed that will outline the role of the organizational leader’s support of HCP in the proper donning and doffing of PPE. Interventions will include environmental surveys to assess the safety and work situation ensuring a permissible environment, plan audits to confirm consistency, and the assessment of PPE wear for standardization. The change will also include an educational plan that will involve instruction of the current guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to all pertinent HCP, and the incorporation of PPE education in yearly educational training. The goal is a standardized practice and a reduced risk of contamination through education and organizational support. Personal protective equipment has had recent attention with the coming of the SARS-CoV-2. The realization that proper technique is important to decreasing contamination of pathogens has led to the revising of current processes.Keywords: donning and doffing, HAI, infection control, PPE
Procedia PDF Downloads 2053772 Examining Employers’ Health Responsibility
Authors: Ildikó Balatoni, Nikolett Kosztin
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In this study the importance of maintaining the mental and physical health of employees was examined from the perspective of the employers. To this end companies in Hajdú-Bihar county of Hungary that are within in the TOP 100 based on their net revenue were interviewed. Economic sectors that were represented the most in this survey were processing, services, trade, agriculture, and construction. We examined whether or not companies provided any benefits to their employees concerning health awareness. Among respondents those who offered various services of medical specialists and/or discounted gym or swim passes in addition to compulsory medical examinations were hard to find, however more employers organize health and sports days. Nevertheless, a significant albeit very shallow positive correlation were found between the number of offered benefits vs. total gross income and vs. number of employees (r2=0.2555, p<0.001 and r2=0.1196 and p<0.05, respectively). In conclusion, while workplace health promotion is necessary it requires a change in employers’attitudes.Keywords: corporate health promotion, employees, employers, health
Procedia PDF Downloads 1283771 Shock Isolation Performance of a Pre-Compressed Large Deformation Shock Isolator with Quasi-Zero-Stiffness Characteristic
Authors: Ji Chen, Chunhui Zhang, Fanming Zeng, Lei Zhang, Ying Li, Wei Zhang
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Based on the synthetic principle of force, a pre-compressed nonlinear isolator with quasi-zero-stiffness (QZS) is developed for shock isolation of ship equipment. The proposed isolator consists of a vertical spring with positive stiffness and several lateral springs with negative stiffness. An analytical expression of vertical stiffness of the nonlinear isolator is derived and numerical simulation on the effect of the geometric design parameters is carried out. Besides, a pre-compressed QZS shock isolation system model is established. The stiffness characteristic of the system is studied and the effects of excitation amplitude and friction damping on shock isolation performance are discussed respectively. The research results show that in comparison with linear shock isolation system, the pre-compressed QZS shock isolation system could realize constant-force or approximately constant-force function and perform better anti-impact performance.Keywords: quasi-zero-stiffness, constant-force, pre-compressed, large deformation, shock isolation, friction damping
Procedia PDF Downloads 6973770 Bridging the Gap between Teaching and Learning: A 3-S (Strength, Stamina, Speed) Model for Medical Education
Authors: Mangala. Sadasivan, Mary Hughes, Bryan Kelly
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Medical Education must focus on bridging the gap between teaching and learning when training pre-clinical year students in skills needed to keep up with medical knowledge and to meet the demands of health care in the future. The authors were interested in showing that a 3-S Model (building strength, developing stamina, and increasing speed) using a bridged curriculum design helps connect teaching and learning and improves students’ retention of basic science and clinical knowledge. The authors designed three learning modules using the 3-S Model within a systems course in a pre-clerkship medical curriculum. Each module focused on a bridge (concept map) designed by the instructor for specific content delivered to students in the course. This with-in-subjects design study included 304 registered MSU osteopathic medical students (3 campuses) ranked by quintile based on previous coursework. The instructors used the bridge to create self-directed learning exercises (building strength) to help students master basic science content. Students were video coached on how to complete assignments, and given pre-tests and post-tests designed to give them control to assess and identify gaps in learning and strengthen connections. The instructor who designed the modules also used video lectures to help students master clinical concepts and link them (building stamina) to previously learned material connected to the bridge. Boardstyle practice questions relevant to the modules were used to help students improve access (increasing speed) to stored content. Unit Examinations covering the content within modules and materials covered by other instructors teaching within the units served as outcome measures in this study. This data was then compared to each student’s performance on a final comprehensive exam and their COMLEX medical board examinations taken some time after the course. The authors used mean comparisons to evaluate students’ performances on module items (using 3-S Model) to non-module items on unit exams, final course exam and COMLEX medical board examination. The data shows that on average, students performed significantly better on module items compared to non-module items on exams 1 and 2. The module 3 exam was canceled due to a university shut down. The difference in mean scores (module verses non-module) items disappeared on the final comprehensive exam which was rescheduled once the university resumed session. Based on Quintile designation, the mean scores were higher for module items than non-module items and the difference in scores between items for Quintiles 1 and 2 were significantly better on exam 1 and the gap widened for all Quintile groups on exam 2 and disappeared in exam 3. Based on COMLEX performance, all students on average as a group, whether they Passed or Failed, performed better on Module items than non-module items in all three exams. The gap between scores of module items for students who passed COMLEX to those who failed was greater on Exam 1 (14.3) than on Exam 2 (7.5) and Exam 3 (10.2). Data shows the 3-S Model using a bridge effectively connects teaching and learningKeywords: bridging gap, medical education, teaching and learning, model of learning
Procedia PDF Downloads 613769 Modeling of Digital and Settlement Consolidation of Soil under Oedomete
Authors: Yu-Lin Shen, Ming-Kuen Chang
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In addition to a considerable amount of machinery and equipment, intricacies of the transmission pipeline exist in Petrochemical plants. Long term corrosion may lead to pipeline thinning and rupture, causing serious safety concerns. With the advances in non-destructive testing technology, more rapid and long-range ultrasonic detection techniques are often used for pipeline inspection, EMAT without coupling to detect, it is a non-contact ultrasonic, suitable for detecting elevated temperature or roughened e surface of line. In this study, we prepared artificial defects in pipeline for Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer Testing (EMAT) to survey the relationship between the defect location, sizing and the EMAT signal. It was found that the signal amplitude of EMAT exhibited greater signal attenuation with larger defect depth and length.. In addition, with bigger flat hole diameter, greater amplitude attenuation was obtained. In summary, signal amplitude attenuation of EMAT was affected by the defect depth, defect length and the hole diameter and size.Keywords: EMAT, artificial defect, NDT, ultrasonic testing
Procedia PDF Downloads 3333768 Finite Element Simulation for Preliminary Study on Microorganism Detection System
Authors: Muhammad Rosli Abdullah, Noor Hasmiza Harun
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A microorganism detection system has a potential to be used with the advancement in a biosensor development. The detection system requires an optical sensing system, microfluidic device and biological reagent. Although, the biosensors are available in the market, a label free and a lab-on-chip approach will promote a flexible solution. As a preliminary study of microorganism detection, three mechanisms such as Total Internal Reflection (TIR), Micro Fluidic Channel (MFC) and magnetic-electric field propagation were study and simulated. The objective are to identify the TIR angle, MFC parabolic flow and the wavelength for the microorganism detection. The simulation result indicates that evanescent wave is achieved when TIR angle > 42°, the corner and centre of a parabolic velocity are 0.02 m/s and 0.06 m/s respectively, and a higher energy distribution of a perfect electromagnetic scattering with dipole resonance radiation occurs at 500 nm. This simulation is beneficial to determine the components of the microorganism detection system that does not rely on classical microbiological, immunological and genetic methods which are laborious, time-consuming procedures and confined to specialized laboratories with expensive instrumentation equipment.Keywords: microorganism, microfluidic, total internal reflection, lab on chip
Procedia PDF Downloads 2773767 Dynamic Reroute Modeling for Emergency Evacuation: Case Study of Brunswick City, Germany
Authors: Yun-Pang Flötteröd, Jakob Erdmann
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The human behaviors during evacuations are quite complex. One of the critical behaviors which affect the efficiency of evacuation is route choice. Therefore, the respective simulation modeling work needs to function properly. In this paper, Simulation of Urban Mobility’s (SUMO) current dynamic route modeling during evacuation, i.e. the rerouting functions, is examined with a real case study. The result consistency of the simulation and the reality is checked as well. Four influence factors (1) time to get information, (2) probability to cancel a trip, (3) probability to use navigation equipment, and (4) rerouting and information updating period are considered to analyze possible traffic impacts during the evacuation and to examine the rerouting functions in SUMO. Furthermore, some behavioral characters of the case study are analyzed with use of the corresponding detector data and applied in the simulation. The experiment results show that the dynamic route modeling in SUMO can deal with the proposed scenarios properly. Some issues and function needs related to route choice are discussed and further improvements are suggested.Keywords: evacuation, microscopic traffic simulation, rerouting, SUMO
Procedia PDF Downloads 1943766 Transforming Health Information from Manual to Digital (Electronic) World: A Reference and Guide
Authors: S. Karthikeyan, Naveen Bindra
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Introduction: To update ourselves and understand the concept of latest electronic formats available for Health care providers and how it could be used and developed as per standards. The idea is to correlate between the patients Manual Medical Records keeping and maintaining patients Electronic Information in a Health care setup in this world. Furthermore this stands with adapting to the right technology depending upon the organization and improve our quality and quantity of Healthcare providing skills. Objective: The concept and theory is to explain the terms of Electronic Medical Record (EMR), Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Personal Health Record (PHR) and selecting the best technical among the available Electronic sources and software before implementing. It is to guide and make sure the technology used by the end users without any doubts and difficulties. The idea is to evaluate is to admire the uses and barriers of EMR-EHR-PHR. Aim and Scope: The target is to achieve the health care providers like Physicians, Nurses, Therapists, Medical Bill reimbursements, Insurances and Government to assess the patient’s information on easy and systematic manner without diluting the confidentiality of patient’s information. Method: Health Information Technology can be implemented with the help of Organisations providing with legal guidelines and help to stand by the health care provider. The main objective is to select the correct embedded and affordable database management software and generating large-scale data. The parallel need is to know how the latest software available in the market. Conclusion: The question lies here is implementing the Electronic information system with healthcare providers and organisation. The clinicians are the main users of the technology and manage us to ‘go paperless’. The fact is that day today changing technologically is very sound and up to date. Basically the idea is to tell how to store the data electronically safe and secure. All three exemplifies the fact that an electronic format has its own benefit as well as barriers.Keywords: medical records, digital records, health information, electronic record system
Procedia PDF Downloads 4593765 Estimation of Grinding Force and Material Characterization of Ceramic Matrix Composite
Authors: Lakshminarayanan, Vijayaraghavan, Krishnamurthy
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The ever-increasing demand for high efficiency in automotive and aerospace applications requires new materials to suit to high temperature applications. The Ceramic Matrix Composites nowadays find its applications for high strength and high temperature environments. In this paper, Al2O3 and Sic ceramic materials are taken in particulate form as matrix and reinforcement respectively. They are blended together in Ball Milling and compacted in Cold Compaction Machine by powder metallurgy technique. Scanning Electron Microscope images are taken for the samples in order to find out proper blending of powders. Micro harness testing is also carried out for the samples in Vickers Micro Hardness Testing Equipment. Surface grinding of the samples is also carried out in Surface Grinding Machine in order to find out grinding force estimates. The surface roughness of the grounded samples is also taken in Surface Profilometer. These are yielding promising results.Keywords: ceramic matrix composite, cold compaction, material characterization, particulate and surface grinding
Procedia PDF Downloads 2423764 General Awareness of Teenagers in Information Security
Authors: Magdaléna Náplavová, Tomáš Ludík, Petr Hrůza, František Božek
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The use of IT equipment has become a part of every day. However, each device that is part of cyberspace should be secured against unauthorized use. It is very important to know the basics of these security devices, but also the basics of safe conduct their owners. This information should be part of every curriculum computer science education in primary and secondary schools. Therefore, the work focuses on the education of pupils in primary and secondary schools on the Internet. Analysis of the current state describes approaches to the education of pupils in security issues on the Internet. The paper presents a questionnaire-based survey which was carried out in the Czech Republic, whose task was to ascertain the level of opinion pupils in primary and secondary schools on the issue of communication in social networks. The research showed that awareness of socio-pathological phenomena on the Internet environment is very low. Based on the results it was proposed appropriate ways of teaching to this issue and its inclusion a proposal of curriculum for primary and secondary schools.Keywords: information security, cyber space, general awareness, questionnaire, socio-pathological phenomena, educational system
Procedia PDF Downloads 3903763 Occupational Safety in Construction Projects
Authors: Heba Elbibas, Esra Gnijeewa, Zedan Hatush
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This paper presents research on occupational safety in construction projects, where the importance of safety management in projects was studied, including the preparation of a safety plan and program for each project and the identification of the responsibilities of each party to the contract. The research consists of two parts: 1-Field visits: which were field visits to three construction projects, including building projects, road projects, and tower installation. The safety level of these projects was evaluated through a checklist that includes the most important safety elements in terms of the application of these items in the projects. 2-Preparation of a questionnaire: which included supervisors and engineers and aimed to determine the level of awareness and commitment of different project categories to safety standards. The results showed the following: i) There is a moderate occupational safety policy. ii) The preparation and storage of maintenance reports are not fully complied with. iii) There is a moderate level of training on occupational safety for project workers. iv) The company does not impose penalties on safety violators permanently. v) There is a moderate policy for equipment and machinery safety. vi) Self-injuries occur due to (fatigue, lack of attention, deliberate error, and emotional factors), with a rate of 82.4%.Keywords: management, safety, occupational safety, classification
Procedia PDF Downloads 1063762 Arterial Line Use for Acute Type 2 Respiratory Failure
Authors: C. Scurr, J. Jeans, S. Srivastava
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Introduction: Acute type two respiratory failure (T2RF) has become a common presentation over the last two decades primarily due to an increase in the prevalence of chronic lung disease. Acute exacerbations can be managed either medically or in combination with non-invasive ventilation (NIV) which should be monitored with regular arterial blood gas samples (ABG). Arterial lines allow more frequent arterial blood sampling with less patient discomfort. We present the experience from a teaching hospital emergency department (ED) and level 2 medical high-dependency unit (HDU) that together form the pathway for management of acute type 2 respiratory failure. Methods: Patients acutely presenting to Charing Cross Hospital, London, with T2RF requiring non-invasive ventilation (NIV) over 14 months (2011 to 2012) were identified from clinical coding. Retrospective data collection included: demographics, co-morbidities, blood gas numbers and timing, if arterial lines were used and who performed this. Analysis was undertaken using Microsoft Excel. Results: Coding identified 107 possible patients. 69 notes were available, of which 41 required NIV for type 2 respiratory failure. 53.6% of patients had an arterial line inserted. Patients with arterial lines had 22.4 ABG in total on average compared to 8.2 for those without. These patients had a similar average time to normalizing pH of (23.7 with arterial line vs 25.6 hours without), and no statistically significant difference in mortality. Arterial lines were inserted by Foundation year doctors, Core trainees, Medical registrars as well as the ICU registrar. 63% of these were performed by the medical registrar rather than ICU, ED or a junior doctor. This is reflected in that the average time until an arterial line was inserted was 462 minutes. The average number of ABGs taken before an arterial line was 2 with a range of 0 – 6. The average number of gases taken if no arterial line was ever used was 7.79 (range of 2-34) – on average 4 times as many arterial punctures for each patient. Discussion: Arterial line use was associated with more frequent arterial blood sampling during each inpatient admission. Additionally, patients with an arterial line have less individual arterial punctures in total and this is likely more comfortable for the patient. Arterial lines are normally sited by medical registrars, however this is normally after some delay. ED clinicians could improve patient comfort and monitoring thus allowing faster titration of NIV if arteral lines were regularly inserted in the ED. We recommend that ED doctors insert arterial lines when indicated in order improve the patient experience and facilitate medical management.Keywords: non invasive ventilation, arterial blood gas, acute type, arterial line
Procedia PDF Downloads 4283761 Productivity Improvement of Faffa Food Share Company Using a Computerized Maintenance Management System
Authors: Gadisa Alemayehu, Muralidhar Avvari, Atkilt Mulu G.
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Since 1962 EC, the Faffa Food Share Company has been producing and supplying flour (famix) and value-added flour (baby food) in Ethiopia. It meets nearly all of the country's total flour demand, both for relief and commercial markets. However, it is incompetent in the international market due to a poor maintenance management system. The results of recorded documents and stopwatches revealed that frequent failure machines, as well as a poor maintenance management system, cause increased production downtimes, resulting in a 29.19 percent decrease in production from the planned production. As a result, the current study's goal is to recommend newly developed software for use in and as a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). As a result, the system increases machine reliability and decreases the frequency of equipment failure, reducing breakdown time and maintenance costs. The company's overall manufacturing performance improved by 4.45 percent, particularly after the implementation of the CMMS.Keywords: CMMS, manufacturing performance, delivery, availability, flexibility, Faffa Food Share Company
Procedia PDF Downloads 1373760 Intelligent Irrigation Control System Using Wireless Sensors and Android Application
Authors: Rajeshwari Madli, Santhosh Hebbar, Vishwanath Heddoori, G. V. Prasad
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Agriculture is the major occupation in India and forms the backbone of Indian economy in which irrigation plays a crucial role for increasing the quality and quantity of crop yield. In spite of many revolutionary advancements in agriculture, there has not been a dramatic increase in agricultural performance. Lack of irrigation infrastructure and agricultural knowledge are the critical factors influencing agricultural performance. However, by using advanced agricultural equipment, the effect of these factors can be curtailed. The presented system aims at increasing the yield of crops by using an intelligent irrigation controller that makes use of wireless sensors. Sensors are used to monitor primary parameters such as soil moisture, soil pH, temperature and humidity. Irrigation decisions are taken based on the sensed data and the type of crop being grown. The system provides a mobile application in which farmers can remotely monitor and control the irrigation system. Also, the water pump is protected against damages due to voltage variations and dry running.Keywords: android application, Bluetooth, wireless sensors, irrigation, temperature, soil pH
Procedia PDF Downloads 3823759 Effect of Various Tillage Systems on Soil Compaction
Authors: Sushil Kumar, Mukesh Jain, Vijaya Rani, Vinod Kumar
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The prime importance of tillage is that it prepares the land where the seed easily germinate and later the plant can well establish. Using different types of equipments driven manually or by powered, machines make the soil suitable to place the seeds into the desirable depth. Moreover, tillage loosens the compacted layers. Heavy equipment and tillage implements can cause damage to the soil structure. Effect of various tillage methods on soil compaction was studied in Rabi season of 2013-14 at village Ladwa, Hisar, Haryana (India). The experiments studied the effect of six tillage treatments i.e. no tillage or zero tillage (T1), tillage with rotavator (T2), disc harrow (T3), rotavator + sub soiler (T4), disc harrow + sub soiler (T5) and power harrow (T6) on soil compaction. Soil compaction was measured before tillage and after sowing at 0, 30, 60 and 90 days after sowing. No change in soil resistance was recorded before and after no tillage treatment. Maximum soil resistance was found in zero tillage followed by disc harrow up to 150 mm soil depth. Minimum soil resistance was found in rotavator immediately after the tillage treatment. However, the soil resistance approached the same level as it had been before the tillage after the soil strata where the implement cannot reach.Keywords: tillage, no tillage, rotavator, subsoiler, compaction
Procedia PDF Downloads 3183758 Therapeutic Potential of Cannabis in Cancer: Advances in Clinical Research and Pharmacogenomic Aspects
Authors: Bouchaïb Gazzaz, Hamid El Amri, Hind Dehbi, Abderraouf Hilali
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Medical cannabis has been cultivated and used in many countries around the world. The story of the use of cannabis as a therapeutic agent is difficult to trace, in particular, because the laws regulating its production, distribution, possession, and consumption are relatively recent. Nowadays, in countries where it is authorized, medical cannabis is used in a very wide variety of illnesses and pathologies, particularly in cancer cures. Presently, cannabinoid receptor agonists (like nabilone and dronabinol) are used for reducing chemotherapy induced vomiting. This review aims to discuss a recent finding on the use of therapeutic cannabis in patients with cancer. First, this work addresses the progress made in the use of cannabinoids as therapeutic agent and their application in the treatment of different types of cancer. Secondly, a detailed analysis of the pharmacogenetic aspect of cannabis will be discussed.Keywords: cannabinoids, endocannabinoids system, cancer treatment, cannabinoid receptors, genetic polymorphism, pharmacogenomics
Procedia PDF Downloads 1443757 Review of Ultrasound Image Processing Techniques for Speckle Noise Reduction
Authors: Kwazikwenkosi Sikhakhane, Suvendi Rimer, Mpho Gololo, Khmaies Oahada, Adnan Abu-Mahfouz
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Medical ultrasound imaging is a crucial diagnostic technique due to its affordability and non-invasiveness compared to other imaging methods. However, the presence of speckle noise, which is a form of multiplicative noise, poses a significant obstacle to obtaining clear and accurate images in ultrasound imaging. Speckle noise reduces image quality by decreasing contrast, resolution, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This makes it difficult for medical professionals to interpret ultrasound images accurately. To address this issue, various techniques have been developed to reduce speckle noise in ultrasound images, which improves image quality. This paper aims to review some of these techniques, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each algorithm and identifying the scenarios in which they work most effectively.Keywords: image processing, noise, speckle, ultrasound
Procedia PDF Downloads 1113756 Element Content in Some Wild Amantia Taxa from Marmara Region, Turkey
Authors: Hasan Hüseyin Doğan, Murad Aydın Şanda
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Element contents were analyzed in twelve wild Amanita taxa [A. caesarea (Scop.) Pers., A. citrina (Schaeff.) Pers., A. excelsa (Fr.) Bertill., A. franchetii (Boud.) Fayod, A. gemmata (Fr.) Bertill., A. mairei Foley, A. muscaria (L.) Lam., A. pantherina (DC.) Krombh., A. phalloides (Fr.) Link, A. rubescens Pers., A. vaginata (Bull.) Lam., and A. verna (Bull.) Lam.] from Marmara Region of Turkey by ICP-AES equipment. The element uptake levels were observed at different amounts in each Amanita species. The highest Pb and P concentrations were determined as 15.11 and 0.861 mg.kg-1 in A. caesarea. Fe, Co, As, Sr, Ca, Mg, Al and Na concentrations were determined as 0.832, 4.56, 15.6, 18.9, 0.44, 0.253 and 0.190 mg.kg-1 in A. gemmata respectively. A. muscaria has highest Mo, Th, Sb, V, Cr, and B concentrations as 1.45, 1.17, 1.06, 44, 75, and 7 mg.kg-1 respectively, whereas A. rubescens has highest Zn, Ba, K, S, and Se as 430.6, 65.7, 5.47, 1.16, 11.5 mg.kg-1 respectively. A. muscaria has highest Hg concentrations as 5855 µg.kg-1.The highest Mn concentration were found in A. pantherina with 1176 mg.kg-1, the highest Cd were found in A. phalloides as 10.77 mg.kg-1. In contrast to A. verna has highest Ag and Au content as 77728 and 192 µg.kg-1. Although A. citrina has only the highest Ni content as 75.9 mg.kg-1and A. vaginata has Cu content as 67.04 mg.kg-1 on the other hand A. phalloides has highest Cd concentrations as 10.77 mg.kg-1.Keywords: amanita, element, macrofungi, Turkey
Procedia PDF Downloads 4143755 Extraction, Characterization and Application of Natural Dyes from the Fresh Rind of Index Colour 5 Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.)
Authors: Basitah Taif
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This study was to explore and utilize the fresh rind of mangosteen Index Colour 5 as an upcoming raw material for the production of natural dyes. Rind from the fresh mangosteen Index Colour 5 was utilized to extract the dyes. The established extracts were experimented on silk fabrics via three types of mordanting and dyeing procedures; pre-mordanting, simultaneous mordanting and post-mordanting. As a result, the applications of the freeze-drying methodology and mechanizable equipment have helped to produce excellent range of natural colours. Silk fabric treated simultaneously with mordanting and dyeing with extract dye Index Colour 5 produced a brilliant shade of the red colour and the colour from this index is also discovered sensitive to light and washing during the fastness tests. The preliminary evaluation and instrumentation analysis allowed us to examine whether the application of different mordanting and dyeing procedures with the same extract samples and concentrations affected the colours and shades of the fabric samples.Keywords: natural dye, freeze-drying, Garcinia mangostana Linn, mordanting
Procedia PDF Downloads 4623754 The Various Forms of a Soft Set and Its Extension in Medical Diagnosis
Authors: Biplab Singha, Mausumi Sen, Nidul Sinha
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In order to deal with the impreciseness and uncertainty of a system, D. Molodtsov has introduced the concept of ‘Soft Set’ in the year 1999. Since then, a number of related definitions have been conceptualized. This paper includes a study on various forms of Soft Sets with examples. The paper contains the concepts of domain and co-domain of a soft set, conversion to one-one and onto function, matrix representation of a soft set and its relation with one-one function, upper and lower triangular matrix, transpose and Kernel of a soft set. This paper also gives the idea of the extension of soft sets in medical diagnosis. Here, two soft sets related to disease and symptoms are considered and using AND operation and OR operation, diagnosis of the disease is calculated through appropriate examples.Keywords: kernel of a soft set, soft set, transpose of a soft set, upper and lower triangular matrix of a soft set
Procedia PDF Downloads 3443753 Cluster Analysis of Students’ Learning Satisfaction
Authors: Purevdolgor Luvsantseren, Ajnai Luvsan-Ish, Oyuntsetseg Sandag, Javzmaa Tsend, Akhit Tileubai, Baasandorj Chilhaasuren, Jargalbat Puntsagdash, Galbadrakh Chuluunbaatar
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One of the indicators of the quality of university services is student satisfaction. Aim: We aimed to study the level of satisfaction of students in the first year of premedical courses in the course of Medical Physics using the cluster method. Materials and Methods: In the framework of this goal, a questionnaire was collected from a total of 324 students who studied the medical physics course of the 1st course of the premedical course at the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences. When determining the level of satisfaction, the answers were obtained on five levels of satisfaction: "excellent", "good", "medium", "bad" and "very bad". A total of 39 questionnaires were collected from students: 8 for course evaluation, 19 for teacher evaluation, and 12 for student evaluation. From the research, a database with 39 fields and 324 records was created. Results: In this database, cluster analysis was performed in MATLAB and R programs using the k-means method of data mining. Calculated the Hopkins statistic in the created database, the values are 0.88, 0.87, and 0.97. This shows that cluster analysis methods can be used. The course evaluation sub-fund is divided into three clusters. Among them, cluster I has 150 objects with a "good" rating of 46.2%, cluster II has 119 objects with a "medium" rating of 36.7%, and Cluster III has 54 objects with a "good" rating of 16.6%. The teacher evaluation sub-base into three clusters, there are 179 objects with a "good" rating of 55.2% in cluster II, 108 objects with an "average" rating of 33.3% in cluster III, and 36 objects with an "excellent" rating in cluster I of 11.1%. The sub-base of student evaluations is divided into two clusters: cluster II has 215 objects with an "excellent" rating of 66.3%, and cluster I has 108 objects with an "excellent" rating of 33.3%. Evaluating the resulting clusters with the Silhouette coefficient, 0.32 for the course evaluation cluster, 0.31 for the teacher evaluation cluster, and 0.30 for student evaluation show statistical significance. Conclusion: Finally, to conclude, cluster analysis in the model of the medical physics lesson “good” - 46.2%, “middle” - 36.7%, “bad” - 16.6%; 55.2% - “good”, 33.3% - “middle”, 11.1% - “bad” in the teacher evaluation model; 66.3% - “good” and 33.3% of “bad” in the student evaluation model.Keywords: questionnaire, data mining, k-means method, silhouette coefficient
Procedia PDF Downloads 503752 Alumni Experiences of How Their Undergraduate Medical Education Instilled and Fostered a Commitment to Community-Based Work in Later Life: A Sequential Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Harini Aiyer, Kalyani Premkumar
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Health professionals are the key players who can help achieve the goals of population health equity. Social accountability (SA) of health professionals emphasizes their role in addressing issues of equity in the population they serve. Therefore, health professional education must focus on instilling SA in health professionals. There is limited literature offering a longitudinal perspective of how students sustain the practice of SA in later life. This project aims to identify the drivers of social accountability among physicians. This study employed an exploratory mixed methods design (QUAL-> Quant) to explore alumni perceptions and experiences. The qualitative data, collected via 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews, provided an understanding of the perceptions of the alumni regarding the influence of their undergraduate learning environment on their SA. This was followed by a quantitative portion -a questionnaire designed from the themes identified from the qualitative data. Emerging themes from the study highlighted community-centered education and a focus on social and preventative medicine in both curricular and non-curricular facilitators of SA among physicians. Curricular components included opportunities to engage with the community, such as roadside clinics, community-orientation programs, and postings at a secondary hospital. Other facilitators that emerged were the faculty leading by example, a subsidized fee structure, and a system that prepared students for practice in rural and remote areas. The study offers a fresh perspective and dimension on how SA is addressed by medical schools. The findings may be adapted by medical schools to understand how their own SA initiatives have been sustained among physicians over the long run.Keywords: community-based work, global health, health education, medical education, providing health in remote areas, social accountability
Procedia PDF Downloads 81