APPROXIMATE COMPUTING BASED PROCESSING OF MEA SIGNALS ON FPGA

The Microelectrode Array (MEA) is a collection of parallel electrodes that may measure the extracellular potential of nearby neurons. It is a crucial tool in neuroscience for researching the structure, operation, and behavior of neural networks. Using sophisticated signal processing techniques and architectural templates, the task of processing and evaluating the data streams obtained from MEAs is a computationally demanding one that needs time and parallel processing.This thesis proposes enhancing the capability of MEA signal processing systems by using approximate computing-based algorithms. These algorithms can be implemented in systems that process parallel MEA channels using the Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). In order to develop approximate signal processing algorithms, three different types of approximate adders are investigated in various configurations. The objective is to maximize performance improvements in terms of area, power consumption, and latency associated with real-time processing while accepting lower output accuracy within certain bounds. On FPGAs, the methods are utilized to construct approximate processing systems, which are then contrasted with the precise system. Real biological signals are used to evaluate both precise and approximative systems, and the findings reveal notable improvements, especially in terms of speed and area. Processing speed enhancements reach up to 37.6%, and area enhancements reach 14.3% in some approximate system modes without sacrificing accuracy. Additional cases demonstrate how accuracy, area, and processing speed may be traded off. Using approximate computing algorithms allows for the design of real-time MEA processing systems with higher speeds and more parallel channels. The application of approximate computing algorithms to process biological signals on FPGAs in this thesis is a novel idea that has not been explored before

Outcome and Prognosis of Patients with Bladder Cancer below 20 Years Old

Objective: evaluate the treatment and prognosis of the bladder mass in young patients less than 20 years old               Patients and methods: twenty patients with bladder tumors (papilloma and transitional cell carcinoma)18 male and 2 female underwent this study from 2001-2011 all evaluated by abdominal ultrasound and cystoscopy. Results: the age of the patients between 18 months to 20 years, 18 male and 2 female. Hematuria is presenting symptoms in 15 patients, lower abdominal pain in 3 patients and irritative voiding symptoms in 2 patients. Histopathology was papilloma in one patient transitional cell carcinoma grade I in 16 patients, grade II in 2 patients and grade III in one patient. All patients treated by TUR of the tumor except 2 patients treated by open excision and fulguration and one patient by total cystectomy. Follow up period between 6 months to 10 years, mortality reported in one patient only. Conclusion: the bladder tumor in young patient carry good prognosis with low grade and stage at time of presentatio

Resilience of healthcare and education networks and their interactions following major earthquakes

2021 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.Healthcare and education systems have been identified by various national and international organizations as the main pillars of communities' stability. Ensuring the continuation of vital community services such as healthcare and education is critical for minimizing social losses after extreme events. A shortage of healthcare services could have catastrophic short-term and long-term effects on a community including an increase in morbidity and mortality, as well as population outmigration. Moreover, a shortage or lack of facilities for K-12 education, including elementary, middle, and high schools could impact a wide range of the community's population and could lead to impact population outmigration. Despite their importance to communities, there are a lack of comprehensive models that can be used to quantify recovery of functionalities of healthcare systems and schools following natural disasters. In addition to capturing the recovery of functionality, understanding the correlation between these main social services institutions is critical to determining the welfare of communities following natural disasters. Although hospitals and schools are key indicators of the stability of community social services, no studies to date have been conducted to determine the level of interdependence between hospitals and schools and their collective influence on their recoveries following extreme events. In this study, comprehensive frameworks are devised for estimating the losses, functionality, and recovery of healthcare and educational services following earthquakes. Success trees and semi-Markov stochastic models coupled with dynamic optimization are used to develop socio-technical models that describe functionalities and restorations of the facilities providing these services, by integrating the physical infrastructure, the supplies, and the people who operate and use these facilities. New frameworks are proposed to simulate processes such as patient demand on hospitals, hospitals' interaction, student enrollment, and school administration as well as different decisions and mitigation strategies applied by hospitals and schools while considering the disturbance imposed by earthquake events on these processes. The complex interaction between healthcare and education networks is captured using a new agent-based model which has been developed in the context of the communities' physical, social, and economic sectors that affect overall recovery. This model is employed to simulate the functional processes within each facility while optimizing their recovery trajectories after earthquake occurrence. The results highlight significant interdependencies between hospitals and schools, including direct and indirect relationships, suggesting the need for collective coupling of their recovery to achieve full functionality of either of the two systems following natural disasters. Recognizing this high level of interdependence, a social services stability index is then established which can be used by policymakers and community leaders to quantify the impact of healthcare and educational services on community resilience and social services stability

Assessment of Nurses’ Performance Regarding Care of Children Undergoing Liver Transplantation

Background: Liver transplantation has become a common surgical procedure worldwide. Children with end stage liver disease or acute liver failure as well as, who suffering from hepatitis C virus and has not responded to conventional medical or surgical intervention, liver transplantation may be the best hope for those children Egypt has the highest hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence in the world, whereas, those children have difficulty for responding to conventional medical or surgical intervention. Aim: This study aims to assess nurses’ performance regarding care of children undergoing liver transplantation. Design: Descriptive study was be utilized to conduct the study. Sample: Number and percentage distribution of the studied nurses' according to their characteristics (n=35). Tools: Two tools were used to collect data. Tool I: A structured interviewing questionnaire. Tool II: Observation Checklist. Result: The current study showed that less than one third of studied nurses age range from 25 to less than 30 years old, three fifth have Bachelor degree, and more than half (51.4%) range from 1 to 5 years. In addition, 57.1% did not receive training about liver transplantation. The majority of studied nurses (94.3%) have correct knowledge regarding the liver' location. less than half of studied nurses (42.9%) had correct knowledge regard the conditions that must be met. The more than half of studied nurses (57.1%) had competent practice of immediate care after liver transplantation (ABC). Conclusion: Most of studied nurses had satisfactory knowledge regarding anatomy and function of the liver but had unsatisfactory knowledge regarding liver transplantation donors’ types and conditions. So, the study answered the research question relation between nurses’ knowledge and practices and their characteristics regarding care of children undergoing liver transplantation. Recommendation: Develop an educational program to meet the actual need of nurses regarding care of children undergoing Liver Transplantation

Optimal design of pumped storm water systems.

Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1977 .I626. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 40-07, page: . Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1977