28 research outputs found

    A Suggestion on the Roadmapping Process to Make an Integration Roadmap between Service-Device-Technology–With a Focus on the Case of U-City

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    The Technology Roadmap(TRM) is a technical strategic decision support framework in order for the anticipation and projection of the changes of technologies in the future, which has higher uncertainty in general. While the importance of technology management is receiving more attention these days, the research works on the TRMs have been limited to project future technology trends yet diversely studied in different sector such as the service industry The aim of research is therefore to explored and proposed a integrated roadmapping process based on the service oriented business model which based on technology. Proposed methodology has been applied into smart city development project to validate its usefulness and benefit

    Patient Descriptions of Rectal Effluents May Help to Predict the Quality of Bowel Preparation With Photographic Examples

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    Background/AimsPrevious studies have suggested a weak correlation between self-reported rectal effluent status and bowel preparation quality. We aim to evaluate whether photographic examples of rectal effluents could improve the correlation between patient descriptions of rectal effluents and bowel preparation quality.MethodsBefore colonoscopy, patients were asked to describe the nature of their last three rectal effluents. Photographic examples of rectal effluents were provided as a reference for scoring. Bowel preparation was subsequently assessed by a single endoscopist using a global preparation assessment scale. Preparation outcomes were grouped into two levels (excellent to good vs. fair to inadequate). Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to find any association between bowel preparation quality and patient characteristics.ResultsA total of 138 patients completed the questionnaires. The mean age was 56.5±10.4 years. The mean sum of the last three rectal effluent scores was 5.9±2.0. Higher rectal effluent scores (odds ratio [OR], 0.82; P=0.043) and the presence of diverticula (OR, 0.16; P<0.001) were risk factors for suboptimal preparation.ConclusionsPhotographic example-guided patient descriptions of rectal effluents showed a statistically significant association with bowel preparation quality. However, clinical significance seemed to be low. The presence of diverticula was an independent predictive factor for suboptimal bowel preparation quality

    An Optimal Digital Filtering Technique for Incremental Delta-Sigma ADCs Using Passive Integrators

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    This paper presents an optimal digital filtering technique to enhance the resolution of incremental delta-sigma modulators (incremental DSMs, IDSMs) using a low-power passive integrator. We first describe a link between a passive integrator and its impact on the output of the IDSM. We then show that the optimal digital filter design can be cast as a convex optimization problem, which can be efficiently solved. As a test vehicle of the proposed technique, we use a behavioral 2nd-order IDSM model that captures critical non-idealities of the integrator, such as gain compression and output saturation. The effectiveness of the presented technique is verified using extensive simulations. The result shows that the presented filtering technique improves signal-to-noise and distortion ratio (SNDR) by 15 dB–20 dB, achieving SNDR over 90 dB when the oversampling ratio (OSR) = 256, and this corresponds to best-in-class performance when compared to previously published DSM designs using passive integrators

    Review of capacitive coupling human body communications based on digital transmission

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    Human body communications (HBC) have been studied as an enabling technology to meet the recently increased demands for low-power and high-simplicity in wireless body area networks for wearable-device applications. Previous works on HBC focused mainly on channel modeling with a measurement method, signal transmission scheme, and transceiver implementation. In particular, the digital transmission, invented as a customized approach for the human body channel, has contributed to develope low-complexity HBC systems. This paper addresses on-going research on capacitive coupling HBC based on digital transmission by exploring recent literature

    Effects of Guided and Unguided Style Learning on User Attention in a Virtual Environment

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    Abstract. In this paper, we investigated the effects of guided and unguided style VR learning on user attention and retained knowledge. We conducted a study where users performed guided or unguided style learning in the virtual environment while user attention was measured through an eye tracking system and physiological sensors. The virtual environment contained the five specific events associated with different stimuli, but the guided task was designed to provide the specific goals whereas the unguided task asked the user to actively search for the interesting items. The results showed that the unguided task followed by the guided task made a considerable learning effect by giving a preview to the user. In addition, tactile feedback, sudden view point change, unique appearance and behavior, and sound stimuli played an important factor in increasing human attention states that also induced enhancing human memory about VR experience.

    Enhanced Micro-Channeling System via Dissolving Microneedle to Improve Transdermal Serum Delivery for Various Clinical Skincare Treatments

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    Topical liquid formulations, dissolving microneedles (DMNs), and microscale needles composed of biodegradable materials have been widely used for the transdermal delivery of active compounds for skincare. However, transdermal active compound delivery by topical liquid formulation application is inhibited by skin barriers, and the skincare efficacy of DMNs is restricted by the low encapsulation capacity and incomplete insertion. In this study, topical serum application via a dissolvable micro-channeling system (DMCS) was used to enhance serum delivery through micro-channels embedded with DMNs. Transdermal serum delivery was evaluated after the topical-serum-only application and combinatorial serum application by assessing the intensity of allophycocyanin (APC) loaded with the serum in the porcine skin. APC intensity was significantly higher in the skin layer at a depth of 120&ndash;270 &mu;m upon combinatorial serum application as compared to topical-serum-only application. In addition, the combinatorial serum application showed significantly improved efficacy in the clinical assessment of skin hydration, depigmentation, improvement of wrinkles, elasticity, dermal density, skin pores, and skin soothing without any safety issues compared to the serum-only application. The results indicate that combinatorial serum application with DMCS is a promising candidate for improving skincare treatments with optimal transdermal delivery of active compounds
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