3,585 research outputs found

    Water, Sanitation & Hygiene innovation Catalogue: A Collection of Innovations for the Humanitarian Sector

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    We are proud to present this catalogue as a collection of some of the most promising new solutions in WASH, offering the WASH practitioner community a unique opportunity to access over 30 innovations that could help to solve their most pressing problems.Over the last few years, we have heavily invested in funding and supporting innovation and research in the WASH sector, highlighting gaps in evidence, exploring the problems, identifying opportunities where innovation can play a vital role, and funding the right people to find potential solutions.Our WASH Innovation Catalogue is the first of its kind. It offers a unique overview of some of the most promising new solutions in WASH, and is designed to help practitioners decide which innovations could help them solve their most pressing problems. Taking an innovation from idea to scale can take years, and the innovations featured in this catalogue are all at different stages on that journey, but what this offers the WASH sector now is a look at the exciting work happening around the world to address common challenges

    Aplicações de IoT no contexto de uma cidade inteligente

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    Over the last few years, Smart City solutions mature very rapidly alongside IoT and cloud computing. These technologies made it easier to create services and incorporate applications devoted to improving citizen’s quality of life and offer ways for businesses to implement their solutions. Through rapid advances in the quality of sensors, new methods emerged, combining different types of devices to create a better picture of the environment. The purpose of this dissertation is to provide useful information thought public services, that can be accessed by people visiting or residing in the beach area of Costa Nova and Barra. It also provides a solution for the traffic classification problem that projects based on radar data tend to face. These applications take advantage of the devices implemented in the PASMO project, such as parking sensors, radars, and CCTV cameras. By making the service public, businesses have the opportunity to build applications on top of it, utilizing the sensor data without being directly connected to the data storage. The example developed in this dissertation offers a dashboard experience where users can navigate through charts that provide a variety of data and real-time maps. It also provides a public API that researchers and businesses can use to develop new applications in the context of PASMO. The other area tackled in this document is traffic classification. Although the data provided is reliable for the most part, one big issue is the accuracy of vehicle classification provided by the radar. Still, this device offers precise values when it comes to detection, with the cameras doing a good job in classifying traffic. The goal is to combine these two devices to present much precise information, using state-of-the-art object detection algorithms and sensor fusion methods. In the end, the system will enrich the PASMO project by making its data easily available to the public while correcting the accuracy problems of some devices.Nos últimos anos, as soluções Smart City amadurecem muito rapidamente em conjunto com IoT e serviços na cloud. Estas tecnologias facilitam a criação de serviços e a incorporação de aplicações direcionados á melhoria da qualidade de vida do cidadão, oferecendo formas das empresas implementarem suas soluções. Por meio de rápidos avanços na qualidade dos sensores, novos métodos surgiram, combinando diferentes tipos de dispositivos para criar uma melhor imagem da realidade. O objetivo desta dissertação é fornecer informações úteis através de serviços públicos, que podem ser acedidos por pessoas que visitam ou residem na Costa Nova e Barra. Também fornece uma solução para o problema de classificação de tráfego que projetos baseados em dados de radar tendem a enfrentar. Estas aplicações beneficiam dos dispositivos implementados no projeto PASMO, como sensores de estacionamento, radares e câmeras de CFTV. Ao disponibilizar os serviços publicamente, as empresas têm a oportunidade de construir as suas próprias aplicações em cima destes, usando os dados dos sensores sem estar diretamente conectado ao armazenamento de dados. O exemplo desenvolvido nesta dissertação oferece uma experiência de dashboard onde os utilizadores podem navegar por gráficos que fornecem uma variedade de dados e mapas em tempo real. Também fornece uma API pública que os investigadores e empresas podem usar para desenvolver novos aplicativos no contexto do PASMO. A outra área abordada neste documento é a classificação de tráfego. Embora os dados fornecidos sejam confiáveis, um grande problema provém da precisão da classificação dos veículos fornecida pelo radar. Ainda assim, este dispositivo oferece valores precisos quando se trata de detecção, com as câmeras fazendo um bom trabalho na parte de classificação do tráfego. O objetivo é combinar estes dois dispositivos para apresentar informações corretas, usando algoritmos de detecção de objetos e métodos de fusão de sensores. No final, o sistema irá enriquecer o projeto PASMO, tornando seus dados facilmente disponíveis ao público e corrigindo problemas de precisão de alguns dispositivos.Mestrado em Engenharia de Computadores e Telemátic

    Reconfigurable middleware architectures for large scale sensor networks

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    Wireless sensor networks, in an effort to be energy efficient, typically lack the high-level abstractions of advanced programming languages. Though strong, the dichotomy between these two paradigms can be overcome. The SENSIX software framework, described in this dissertation, uniquely integrates constraint-dominated wireless sensor networks with the flexibility of object-oriented programming models, without violating the principles of either. Though these two computing paradigms are contradictory in many ways, SENSIX bridges them to yield a dynamic middleware abstraction unifying low-level resource-aware task reconfiguration and high-level object recomposition. Through the layered approach of SENSIX, the software developer creates a domain-specific sensing architecture by defining a customized task specification and utilizing object inheritance. In addition, SENSIX performs better at large scales (on the order of 1000 nodes or more) than other sensor network middleware which do not include such unified facilities for vertical integration

    Perspectives and approaches for the internet of things

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    Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de ComputadoresThis thesis was developed based on a scenario in which a CEO of a certain company asked the author to conduct an exploratory work evaluating the potential opportunities and limitations of this emerging area described as the future of the Internet, the Internet of Things (IoT). The objective is thus to provide the reader with a wide view of the vital points for the implementation and exploitation of the IoT, a technology that promises to deliver a new and wider range of applications to the society. In this subject there is a need to gather and organize information produced by several researchers and contributors. Due to the fact of being a new area and researchers work independently of each other, the work is scattered and inconsistencies can be found among different projects and publications. As such, in a first stage some definitions are provided and an attempt to clarify concepts is made. To support and emphasize the exponential growth of IoT, a brief historical overview is provided to the reader. This overview is based on the new trends and expectations that arise every day through news, potential businesses and also in important tools such as Google Trends. Several examples of applications in the context of the IoT, illustrate the benefits, not only in terms of society, but also for business opportunities, safety, and well-being. The main areas of interest to achieve the IoT such as: hardware, software, modeling, methods of connection, security and integration are studied in this work, in order to provide some insight into current strong and weak points. As the Internet of Things become a matter of large interest, various research groups are active in exploring and organizing projects in this area. Some of these projects, namely the ones considered the most important, are also presented in this thesis. Taking into account the facts surrounding this new technology, it becomes quite important to bring them together, clarifying them and trying to open new perspectives for further studies and improvements. Finally, in order to allow a practical evaluation of the technology, a prototype is developed around the connection of an intelligent object – a small mobile robot – to the Internet. A set of conclusions and future work directions are then presented which take into account the findings of the bibliographic analysis as well as the acquired experience with the implementation of the prototype

    Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injuries

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    Stem cell-based therapies are an emerging branch of medicine with the purpose of restoring tissue function for patients with serious injuries, such as a spinal cord injury. As a result, scientists and engineers are increasing research efforts in the field of regenerative medicine. Due to the delicate nature of stem cells, producing the large quantity required for a successful therapy has proved challenging. In recent years, research has shown the potential of stem cell-based therapies, and thus there is a need for the commercialization of these treatments. The proposed facility targets the demand for spinal cord injury treatments and can support production for both clinical trials and a commercial release. Bioreactors designed specifically for the culture and growth of stem cells have flexibility in their ability to support different stem cell lines for various therapies. Small reactors in parallel can easily adapt to changes in production size. This process also takes advantage of the best options currently available for purification and preservation to maximize the product yield. Due to the strict regulations set in place by the FDA and lack of adequate funding, there is an untapped market for stem cell therapies for spinal cord injuries. Approximately 250,000 people in the United States suffer from spinal cord injuries, varying in severity, and this patient base increases at a rate of 12,000 new injuries every year (“Spinal Cord Injury Facts and Figures”, 2009). Future markets include expansion into Europe and Asia. There are two steps to this proposal: the upstream process and the downstream process. The upstream process includes the scale-up, differentiation, and purification of human embryonic stem cells; the downstream process consists of the scale-up of neurons for injection. The upstream process will be built initially and yield enough cells for clinical trials, without incurring the capital costs of building the entire plant. Upon success of the clinical trials, the downstream process will be built for maximum production. The profitability of this proposal is based on running 26 batches a year at 1.02x1010 cells per batch or 2.66x1011 cells per year. By targeting 5,000 patients, two percent of the current market, and charging 45,000perdose,aprofitableprofilecanbecreated.Assuming5045,000 per dose, a profitable profile can be created. Assuming 50% production capacity the first year and a ten-year plant life, the ROI, NPV, and IRR of the proposal are 226.09%, 961,892,600, and 242.81% respectively. Using a 50% production capacity allows for higher profit margins upon expansion. The proposed plan will meet the need of this growing market

    Creating Shared Value in India: How Indian Corporations Are Contributing to Inclusive Growth While Strengthening Their Competitive Advantage

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    Leading companies are finding new ways to accelerate growth and increase competitive advantage through innovative business models that meet societal needs at scale. These companies are "creating shared value" by using their core business processes and practices to enhance the competitiveness of companies while improving social and environmental conditions. The concept of Creating Shared Value (CSV) was introduced by the co-founders of FSG, Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter and senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Mark Kramer, in several Harvard Business Review articles (most recently in January/February 2011). FSG's research in India has identified a number of highly innovative examples of shared value. In this paper, we highlight these examples and call on corporations, especially our largest ones, to lead the charge toward a strategy for growth that benefits all our citizens

    Monoclonal Antibody Production and Purification

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    Monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy is a form of immunotherapy that uses mAbs to bind mono-specifically to certain cells or proteins. This may then stimulate the patient\u27s immune system to attack those cells. MAbs are currently used to treat medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, psoriasis, and Crohn’s Disease, but have the potential to treat countless diseases and disorders. In 2015, the mAb market was valued at 85.4billion,andisexpectedtoreach85.4 billion, and is expected to reach 138.6 billion by 2024.1 In manufacturing, mAbs are typically produced in suspension in a series of fed-batch bioreactors using genetically engineered cells originally obtained from Chinese Hamster Ovaries (CHO).2 In this proposal, two upstream bioreactor designs were analyzed for economic comparison given an annual production goal of 100 kg of mAb, with the first design culminating in a 20,000 L volume at low mAb titer and the second design culminating with a 2,000 L volume at high mAb titer. Following upstream mAb production, the protein was purified to meet clinical FDA standards using a series of downstream purification techniques, including centrifugation, filtration, and chromatography. The two designs can be modeled for both an on-patent and off-patent mAb in order to ensure long-term economic viability. In this project, the drug was modeled based on Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), a humanized therapeutic mAb brought to market in 2017 that targets a CD20-positive B cell to treat the symptoms of both primary progressive and relapsing Multiple Sclerosis.3 For an off-patent drug, it is recommended that the mAb be priced at 35,000per1200mgannualtreatmentinordertoearna1535,000 per 1200 mg annual treatment in order to earn a 15% Internal Rate of Return (IRR) within 5 years of market uptake. For an on-patent drug, a price of 65,000 per 1200 mg treatment should be used to recover the R&D costs of developing a new drug and sunk cost of past unsuccessful drugs. After analyzing both designs, it was concluded that the second, smaller design scheme is more scalable, less risky, and more cost effective for the production of both the on- and off-patent drugs

    16th Annual Symposium of the School of Science, Engineering and Health

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    In this 16th Annual Symposium of the School of Science, Engineering, and Health, our faculty, staff and students continue the strong tradition of showcasing student and faculty innovation, creativity, and productivity in our academic departments. Basic and applied research in science and health fields stem from curiosity, acquired skill, and a desire to test and improve processes from foundational principles. The outcomes of scientific research expand intellectual understanding and have tremendous impact on quality of life, environmental health, and human flourishing. Angela C. Hare, Ph.D. Dean of the School of Science, Engineering and Healt
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