Integration of creativity enhancement tools in medical device design process

This paper aims at presenting the integration of different creativity enhancement tools, from C-K theory and TRIZ, in medical device design. After the description of the current development process, the paper focuses on the application of C-K mapping and TRIZ tools in a case study concerning the improvement of knee implants for total knee replacement - TKR - surgery. The analysis of this case study highlights that the synergy between TRIZ and C-K theory is possible. As a result, C-K theory represents a good way for structuring design reasoning mostly in the conceptual phases of product innovation and development and it may be also used to explore market information, while TRIZ is suitable for formulating and refining the design problem in a structured way

Trends in engineering education for additive manufacturing in the industry 4.0 era: a systematic literature review

Additive manufacturing represents one of the most promising and innovative technologies of the moment. In fact, it is considered among the nine technological pillars on which Industry 4.0 is based. In particular, it has received a lot of interest from industries, educational institutions and government agencies. For these reasons, it is necessary to develop and train a specialised workforce and to prepare it for these new opportunities. This work aims to investigate, through the completion of a survey based on a systematic review of the literature, the current state of education and dissemination of educational practices related to the training of young engineers at university on the issues of additive manufacturing and related to Industry 4.0. The results show that the introduction of additive manufacturing education represents an important leverage in the preparation of young engineers who benefit from it both in terms of personal preparation and in terms of learning and refining different skills. However, certain aspects, linked to the need to have adequate equipment and a properly trained teaching staff, should not be overlooked

Systematic Creativity Tools for Product Concept Generation: Evaluation of Learning Experiences in Engineering Design Education

This study considers the use of systematic creativity tools for concept generation belonging to C-K theory and TRIZ, in addition to traditional ones used for product development. The aim of this study is twofold. On one hand, it aims to contribute to the improvement of the creative and innovation skills of engineering students and designers in general by the introduction of specific creativity enhancement tools. On the other hand, it proposes a method for evaluating the training and learning outcomes of the students involved in the courses based on Kirkpatrick\u2019s Four Levels of Evaluation and used a questionnaire to collect students' answers and opinions. This way, some practical cases are carried on and two of these are presented in detail: one concerning the ideation of a new kind of gym towel and one concerning the analysis of a knee implant for total knee replacement surgery for possible improvements. The questionnaire results show that students considered the training and learning experiences and the use of the two new methods in a positive way. In particular, TRIZ method represents the most appreciated at all, while C-K theory is revealed as the newest one and very promising for the students\u2019 future professional development

Classifying TRIZ methods to speed up their adoption and the ROI for SMEs

n/

Determination of fluconazole and its oxidation products with kinetic evaluation under potassium permanganate treatment in acidic solutions by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

For the determination of fluconazole (FLU) oxidation stability under permanganate treatment at the acidic pH, a sensitive, reproducible, and stability-indicating ultra-performance liquid chromatographyñmass spectrometry (UPLC/MS) method was developed. Three additional products (tR = 5.79, 6.98, 7.54) were observed besides the FLU (tR = 6.22). The proposed method was used to study the kinetics of FLU oxidative degradation. An oxidation process followed the kinetics of the second-order reaction. The degradation rate constant and the corresponding half-life obtained for the FLU oxidative degradation were 0.5626 h-1 and 16.69 h, respectively. The putative oxidation products were characterized and their fragmentation pathways, on a basis of MS/MS data, were proposed

Ocena wpływu hormonalnej terapii zastępczej na występowanie choroby wieńcowej po 8 latach obserwacji

Wstęp: Z roku na rok coraz więcej wiadomo na temat terapii hormonalnej w okresie menopauzy, jednak nadal budzi ona spore kontrowersje. W ostatnich latach obserwuje się tendencję do odwrotu od stosowania hormonalnej terapii zastępczej (HTZ). Jest ona spowodowana między innymi publikacjami Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study (HERS) i Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) czy przerwaniem badania Women’s International Study of Long Duration Oestrogen after Menoupause (WISDOM), w których zwraca się uwagę nie na zalety tej terapii, lecz na występowanie objawów ubocznych w układzie sercowo-naczyniowym. Hormonalna terapia zastępcza, jak każdy rodzaj leczenia, wywołuje objawy uboczne. Informacje o zwiększonym ryzyku chorób układu sercowo-naczyniowego w trakcie HTZ pochodzą z badań przeprowadzonych w grupach kobiet po 60. roku życia, co czyni je nie do końca obiektywnymi. Estrogeny należy stosować przede wszystkim u kobiet zdecydowanie młodszych (ok. 50. rż.), gdyż to właśnie w tej grupie obserwuje się nasilone objawy naczynioruchowe oraz ogólnie mniejsze ryzyko powikłań w układzie sercowo-naczyniowym niż u kobiet po 60. roku życia, głównie z powodu lepszego stanu naczyń i braku rozwiniętych procesów aterogennych. Celem pracy była ocena wpływu HTZ na występowanie choroby wieńcowej w okresie 8 lat obserwacji oraz porównanie zmian czynników ryzyka w grupie kobiet stosujących HTZ i w grupie niestosującej tego typu leczenia. Materiał i metody: Analizie poddano dane 353 kobiet urodzonych w 1951 roku zebrane podczas badań u lekarzy rodzinnych oraz w Klinice Kardiologii w Szczecinie w 2001 roku i porównano je z wynikami uzyskanymi w trakcie badań przeprowadzonych po upływie 8 lat. Punktem końcowym było udokumentowane stwierdzenie choroby wieńcowej u kobiet w 2009 roku. Do obliczeń jakościowych wykorzystano test c2, zaś do ilościowych test t-Studenta. Wyniki: Po wykluczeniach do badania włączono 187 kobiet, 103 stosowało HTZ, 84 nie korzystało z tej formy terapii. Wśród kobiet poddawanych HTZ u 7 (6,8%) po 8 latach stwierdzono chorobę wieńcową. Spośród tych, które nie stosowały terapii, choroba wieńcowa wystąpiła u 2 osób (2,38%). Wnioski: Zaobserwowano częstsze występowanie choroby wieńcowej po 8 latach obserwacji u kobiet poddanych HTZ, jednak różnica nie jest istotna statystycznie. Nie można stwierdzić,że HTZ stosowana przez kobiety w wieku okołomenopauzalnym wpływa na rozwój choroby wieńcowej, przynajmniej w ciągu 8 lat obserwacji. Jednocześnie nie można wykluczyć, że HTZ nie będzie oddziaływała na rozwój choroby wieńcowej u tych pacjentek w następnych latach obserwacji. (Folia Cardiologica Excerpta 2010; 5, 6: 388–393

Rocznik Lubuski (t. 31, cz.1): Muzea i ochrona dziedzictwa kulturowego na Środkowym Nadodrzu

Muzea i Ochrona Dziedzictwa Kulturowego na Środkowym Nadodrzu

Neurological symptoms in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 and their association with in-hospital mortality

Objectives. To evaluate the spectrum of neurological symptoms in patients with COVID-19 during the first 14 days of hospitalisation and its association with in-hospital mortality. Material and methods. We included 200 patients with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 admitted to University Hospital in Krakow, Poland. In 164 patients, a detailed questionnaire concerning neurological symptoms and signs was performed prospectively within 14 days of hospitalisation. In the remaining 36 patients, such questionnaires were completed retrospectively based on daily observations in the Department of Neurology. Results. During hospitalisation, 169 patients (84.5%) experienced neurological symptoms; the most common were: fatigue (62.5%), decreased mood (45.5%), myalgia (43.5%), and muscle weakness (42.5%). Patients who died during hospitalisation compared to the remainder were older (79 [70.5–88.5] vs. 63.5 [51–77] years, p = 0.001), and more often had decreased level of consciousness (50.0% vs. 9.3%, p < 0.001), delirium (33.3% vs. 4.4%, p < 0.001), arterial hypotension (50.0% vs. 19.6%, p = 0.005) or stroke during (18.8% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.026) or before hospitalisation (50.0% vs. 7.1, p < 0.001), whereas those who survived more often suffered from headache (42.1% vs. 0%, p = 0.012) or decreased mood (51.7% vs. 0%, p = 0.003). Conclusions. Most hospitalised patients with COVID-19 experience neurological symptoms. Decreased level of consciousness, delirium, arterial hypotension, and stroke during or before hospitalisation increase the risk of in-hospital mortality

Comparison of Creativity Enhancement and Idea Generation Methods in Engineering Design Training

The research presented in this paper aims at evaluating how simple and intuitive are the learning, understanding, and application of some creativity enhancement methods by non-expert users in an engineering design context. The three methods under investigation are TRIZ, C-K theory and SCAMPER. To evaluate the training experience the authors set an evaluation framework based on Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation and used a questionnaire to collect students' experiences. The results show that the understanding and the consequent application of the three creativity enhancement and idea generation methods are judged positively by the participants. In particular, TRIZ method represents the most appreciated at all, while SCAMPER stands out for its intuitiveness and easiness of use. Finally, C-K theory is revealed as the newest one and very promising for future developments. \ua9 2014 Springer International Publishing