Controlling and Processing Core for Wireless Implantable Telemetry System

Wireless implantable telemetry systems are suitable choices for monitoring various physiological parameters such as blood pressure and volume. These systems typically compose of an internal device implanted into a living body captures the physiological data and sends them to an external base station located outside of the body for further processing. The internal device usually consists of a sensor interface to convert the collected data to electrical signals; a digital core to digitize the analog signals, process them and prepare them for transmission; an RF front-end to transmit the data outside the body and to receive the required commands from the end station; and a wireless power supply. The digital core plays an important role in these systems since the data must be digitized and processed before transmitting to the end station for further processing. In this thesis, we presented an FPGA-based prototype for controlling and processing core of a miniature implantable telemetry system that is used to monitoring physiological parameters of laboratory small animals. The presented module samples and digitizes the collected data using an analog to digital converter, stores the collected data, generates the controlling output commands, processing the received data, and controls the power consumption of the system. The circuit is prototyped and experimentally verified using an FPGA development platform, then synthesized and simulated in 130 nm CMOS IC technology using standard digital cells. The overall core design occupies 1.6 mm × 1.6 mm CMOS area, and consumes 14.5 mW (IC) or 208 mW (FPGA) total power

Students' epistemological framing in quantum mechanics problem solving

Students' difficulties in quantum mechanics may be the result of unproductive framing and not a fundamental inability to solve the problems or misconceptions about physics content. We observed groups of students solving quantum mechanics problems in an upper-division physics course. Using the lens of epistemological framing, we investigated four frames in our observational data: algorithmic math, conceptual math, algorithmic physics, and conceptual physics. We discuss the characteristics of each frame as well as causes for transitions between different frames, arguing that productive problem solving may occur in any frame as long as students' transition appropriately between frames. Our work extends epistemological framing theory on how students frame discussions in upper-division physics courses.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review -- Physics Education Researc

A Comparative Study Of The Printed And Hypertext Novel 10:01 By Lance Olsen

Dalam era pascamoden, kesan daripada pengaruh timbalbalik antara novel bercetak dan media digital, telah menghasilkan antara naratif dengan persekitaran interaktif sehingga dapat melahirkan genre-genre baru seperti cereka hiperteks. In the postmodern era, the mutual impression between printed literature and digital media has embedded narratives into interactive environments and new genres like hypertext fiction are created

Interactive digital environment: A symbiosis of hypertext fiction and reader

In 1965, when Theodore Nelson and Douglas Engelbart developed Vannevar Bush’s idea of an efficient information retrieval device called Memex and coined the term “hypertext,” least did they realize that the revolutionary system would result in radical changes to human thoughts from the production of texts and its form to the reading experience of these electronic texts in the digital platform. The purpose of this paper is to account for multiplicity of readings in interactive narrative structure of hypertext fiction and its comparison to that of linear printed text. Additionally, this study involves changing role of a reader which is reinforced in an interactive environment while navigating narrative structures of hypertext fictions

Learning about the Energy of a Hurricane System through an Estimation Epistemic Game

As part of a study into students' problem solving behaviors, we asked upper-division physics students to solve estimation problems in clinical interviews. We use the Resources Framework and epistemic games to describe students' problem solving moves. We present a new epistemic game, the "estimation epistemic game". In the estimation epistemic game, students break the larger problem into a series of smaller, tractable problems. Within each sub-problem, they try to remember a method for solving the problem, and use estimation and reasoning abilities to justify their answers. We demonstrate how a single case study student plays the game to estimate the total energy in a hurricane. Finally, we discuss the implications of epistemic game analysis for other estimation problems.Comment: 4 pages. Submitted to Physics Education Research Conference 201

A Comparative Study Of The Printed And Hypertext Novel 10:01

In the postmodern era. the mutual impression between printed literature and digital media has embedded narratives into interactive environments and new genres like hypertext fiction are created. Lance Olsen has adapted his postmodern printed novel entitled 10:01 into the hypertext version which is in the digital fonn. Considering that both novels are postmodern literary works by the same author this adaptation has produced certain questions; how can the narrative structure of the hypertext fiction be compared to the printed one? The second question that arises is how can aesthetic experiences be different in the reading processes of both versions

Managing a locally advanced malignant thymoma complicated by nephrotic syndrome: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The management of locally advanced inoperable malignant thymoma is difficult as there are no large randomized clinical trial data to guide treatment. However various case series have shown that malignant thymoma is often a chemosensitive disease. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy has been the gold-standard in the management of these patients. However when thymic cancers are complicated by paraneoplastic syndromes that damage kidney and neurological function, cisplatin use is often contraindicated.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a case of a 37 year old man with locally advanced malignant thymoma complicated by significant nephrotic syndrome and renal impairment. He responded to a novel combination of carboplatin, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy used as first line therapy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The treatment with chemotherapy of locally advanced malignant thymoma complicated by nephrotic syndrome and renal impairment is difficult due to the increase of toxicity. In this case, a novel chemotherapy combination with lesser toxicity was used successfully. In addition this chemotherapy combination did not impede the later use of conventional cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Therefore we suggest a course of carboplatin-based chemotherapy for locally advanced malignant thymoma in patients who are unsuitable for cisplatin.</p

Exploring the Middle Eastern American Students’ College Experience: Adjustment, Discrimination, and Coping

Experiences of perceived prejudice and discrimination are prevalent in the Middle Eastern American community (Arab American Institute, 2015), and these rates have only increased since September 11th, 2001 (Rousseau, Hassan, Moreau, &amp; Thombs,2011). However, little is known about how such experiences influence the Middle Eastern American emerging adulthood population, despite the importance of this critical developmental period (Arnett, 2000). Given past findings that discrimination can negatively impact ethnic minority college adjustment across social, academic, and emotional domains (Carter, Locks, &amp; Winkle-Wagner, 2013), it is important to understand the interrelationships of discrimination experiences, coping, and college adjustment specifically for Middle Eastern Americans. The current study explored experiences of discrimination, microaggressions, coping, and college adjustment through in-depth interviews with 25 Middle Eastern American first- year and second-year undergraduate college students. Participants were recruited from a public university with a mean age of 18.72 and a sample of 7 men and 18 women of diverse Middle Eastern heritage. Of the 25 participants, 15 were first-year undergraduate students and 10 were second-year undergraduate students. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded using grounded theory. This process allowed for the in-depth exploration and theory generation that is particularly important when conducting research with a population underrepresented in the literature. Study findings resulted in a theoretical model of how discrimination influenced college adjustment across multiple socio-ecological levels: (a) societal: climate and context, (b) community: discrimination and sense of belonging, (c) relationships and self: family, peers, and coping, and (d) individual: college adjustment. Results suggested that discrimination experiences were critical components to consider in the matter of Middle Eastern American students’ college persistence, and the findings carried a number of clinical implications for working with these college students on an institutional, interpersonal, and individual level