The Evolution of a Coding Schema in a Paced Program of Research

A major task involved in the management, analysis, and integration of qualitative data is the development of a coding schema to facilitate the analytic process. Described in this paper is the evolution of a coding schema that was used in the analysis of qualitative data generated from online forums of middle-aged women with chronic conditions who participated in a computer support intervention in the rural west. The coding schema evolved over three phases of the research project and included coding tree nodes based on study-driven categories and nodes that arose from the data and changes in conceptual thinking. This paper provides researchers with information about a potential approach that can be used when coding large amounts of qualitative data from a multi-phased study

Quantum metastability in time-periodic potentials

In this paper we investigate quantum metastability of a particle trapped in between an infinite wall and a square barrier, with either a time-periodically oscillating barrier (Model A) or bottom of the well (Model B). Based on the Floquet theory, we derive in each case an equation which determines the stability of the metastable system. We study the influence on the stability of two Floquet states when their Floquet energies (real part) encounter a direct or an avoided crossing at resonance. The effect of the amplitude of oscillation on the nature of crossing of Floquet energies is also discussed. It is found that by adiabatically changing the frequency and amplitude of the oscillation field, one can manipulate the stability of states in the well. By means of a discrete transform, the two models are shown to have exactly the same Floquet energy spectrum at the same oscillating amplitude and frequency. The equivalence of the models is also demonstrated by means of the principle of gauge invariance.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure

Artificial Prosthetic Tongue

Oral cancer can result in the loss of a patients’ tongue through total glossectomy, the surgical removal of all or parts of the tongue. Patients that lose their tongue have difficulty with speech, deglutition and mastication. Current tongue prosthesis lack the ability to move for mastication and deglutition and are mainly for cosmetic purposes. The goal of this project was to investigate and develop a self-contained prosthetic tongue that could aid in deglutition by moving bolus from the front of the mouth to the back of the mouth. Previous iterations of the project used pneumatic and electromagnetic actuation techniques for the silicone tongue prosthetic. While both methods showed promise, they had multiple issues. Pneumatic methods involving air pumps are challenging to miniaturize while still achieving the necessary actuation. The electromagnetic actuation technique using magnets and solenoids results in a miniature system but the amount of actuation produced to move the bolus is insufficient. Multiple bolus and actuation testing were carried out on electromagnetic and pneumatic powered silicone tongues to verify these problems. Additional research was done to explore alternative designs and it was determined that a linkage system mounted into a silicone cast might be the most efficient method to move the bolus from the front to the back of the mouth. The development of this new prosthetic tongue design entailed creating silicone molds, printing linkage systems and jaws, and developing new circuits. The circuit used a TinyDuino and MOSFET. A force sensor was used to trigger actuation of the tongue when bolus was placed on it. Two micro-servo motors were also used to actuate the linkage system. A functional mandibular Hawley retainer was added to hold the tongue to increase ease of use. The initial prosthetic tongue prototype was tested on actuation height, bolus movement and functionality within an anatomically sized, resin-printed jaw set. Redesigns to the circuit and linkage system were done based on initial testing results as a major problem was the bolus getting stuck on the upper palette. The final circuit design contained an EMG sensor to trigger actuation and a single servo motor with a gear system to actuate the tongue. Kinematic analysis and finite element analysis on the finalized linkage system were carried out. The prosthetic tongue succeeded in moving bolus from the front of the mouth to the back when lying at an 5 degree angle and actuating between 1.8 - 2.31cm. The paper will describe the development process, challenges and future work

Artificial Prosthetic Tongue

Oral cancer can result in the loss of a patients’ tongue through total glossectomy, the surgical removal of all or parts of the tongue. Patients that lose their tongue have difficulty with speech, deglutition and mastication. Current tongue prosthesis lack the ability to move for mastication and deglutition and are mainly for cosmetic purposes. The goal of this project was to investigate and develop a self-contained prosthetic tongue that could aid in deglutition by moving bolus from the front of the mouth to the back of the mouth. Previous iterations of the project used pneumatic and electromagnetic actuation techniques for the silicone tongue prosthetic. While both methods showed promise, they had multiple issues. Pneumatic methods involving air pumps are challenging to miniaturize while still achieving the necessary actuation. The electromagnetic actuation technique using magnets and solenoids results in a miniature system but the amount of actuation produced to move the bolus is insufficient. Multiple bolus and actuation testing were carried out on electromagnetic and pneumatic powered silicone tongues to verify these problems. Additional research was done to explore alternative designs and it was determined that a linkage system mounted into a silicone cast might be the most efficient method to move the bolus from the front to the back of the mouth. The development of this new prosthetic tongue design entailed creating silicone molds, printing linkage systems and jaws, and developing new circuits. The circuit used a TinyDuino and MOSFET. A force sensor was used to trigger actuation of the tongue when bolus was placed on it. Two micro-servo motors were also used to actuate the linkage system. A functional mandibular Hawley retainer was added to hold the tongue to increase ease of use. The initial prosthetic tongue prototype was tested on actuation height, bolus movement and functionality within an anatomically sized, resin-printed jaw set. Redesigns to the circuit and linkage system were done based on initial testing results as a major problem was the bolus getting stuck on the upper palette. The final circuit design contained an EMG sensor to trigger actuation and a single servo motor with a gear system to actuate the tongue. Kinematic analysis and finite element analysis on the finalized linkage system were carried out. The prosthetic tongue succeeded in moving bolus from the front of the mouth to the back when lying at an 5 degree angle and actuating between 1.8 - 2.31cm. The paper will describe the development process, challenges and future work

An Analysis of Centro de Acopio de Reciclables in Ciudad del Saber, Panama

In Ciudad del Saber, Fundación de Acción Social Panamá operates a recycling center that faces a budget deficit, inefficiencies with its operation, and an unsuccessful public education effort. Through working remotely with our sponsor, Fundación Ciudad del Saber, the team strived to uncover the problems, improve the recycling operation, and educate the visitors about the importance and correct practices of recycling. By using literature review, an online survey, four interviews, and two virtual tours, we discovered the biggest issue at the center is material contamination. Using this result and others, we proposed six recommendations about workers’ training/retraining, tailored education programs, visual control usage, layout rearrangement, equipment usage, and forecasting and scheduling