Developing Problem Solving Competency for Future Engineers in Medicine

This paper summarizes five critical aspects of problem-solving competency for engineers in medicine, including the balance of depth and breadth, research capability, ideation skills, teamwork, and communication skills. Furthermore, the paper outlines the imperatives for enhancing undergraduate engineering education to cultivate problem-solving competency. An interdisciplinary approach to education in medical engineering can cultivate students to develop a holistic view of the field and equip them with a broad range of skills for problem-solving

Transient Behavior of Wind Driven Synchronous Machines

Electrical Engineerin

Trade diversification and Economic Growth of Pakistan

Objective: This paper examines Verdoorn hypothesis for Pakistan with its trading partners, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Malaysia. The another objective of this paper is to analyse shortrun and longrun association between intra-industry trade and its determinants, population growth, free trade agreement, term of trade and economic growth. Research Gap: In Authors’ best knowledge, few research papers have analysed benefits of intra-industry trade and incorporate its determinants for four trading partners countries Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Design/Methodology/Approach: Grubel and Lloyd Index employed to estimate Intra-Industry Trade. The paper also estimates ARDL cointegration test, with three estimators Pooled Mean Group (PMG), Mean Group (MG), and Dynamic Fixed Effect (DFE), and Error Correction Model to find out shortrun and long-run association between intra-industry trade and its factors for Pakistan with its trading Partners by using panel data from 2000 to 2002. The Main Findings: Verdoorn Index has found positive for Pakistan and ARDL model also found long-run cointegration with speed of adjustment 1.6014. Population growth and terms of trade are positively associated with intra-industry Trade in the shortrun but these variables are insignificant with intra-industry trade in the long-run for Pakistan. The free trade agreement and real GDP, both, are positively associated long-run and shortrun with intra-industry trade. Theoretical / Practical Implications of the Findings: The policymakers should diversify Pakistan international trade and improve infrastructure to reduce transport cost and other cost to expand economic growth. Originality/Value: Some research papers have analysed IIT for Pakistan but these research papers do not consider impact of these determinants on Intra-industry trade for Pakistan and its trading partners

Early PNF exercises functional outcome and quality in patients with stroke of urban and rural area in Uttar Pradesh: a prospective community based study

Background: Early rehabilitation plays a very important role in stroke outcome. In India people from rural areas get primary treatment from district hospitals, where the rehabilitation facilities are not available, and then referred to the tertiary care hospital (after 2-3weeks) hence the rehabilitation process is delayed. It may delay the improvement in functional outcome and quality of life. These factors should be evaluated. To evaluate effects of PNF intervention in urban and rural population in Uttar Pradesh.Methods: Total 90 patients were recruited in this study and divided into rural (coming from rural areas of Uttar Pradesh) and urban (coming from urban areas) groups. Patients were given rehabilitation for 4weeks and improvement in functional activities was assessed by Barthel's-Index (BI), Quality of Life was assessed by Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale (SSQOL) and sensory motor improvement was assessed by Fugl- Meyer Assessment before and after the intervention. Patients were again assessed at 6months.Results: 41 patients in experimental and 49 patients in control group completed the 6 months follow up and were available for analysis. On analysis urban group showed better (<0.05) improvement in functional activities, sensory motor improvement (FMA) and quality of life (SSQOL) as well. People who directly admitted to our multispecialty and tertiary care hospital and received early rehabilitation showed better improvement than the patients who received late rehabilitation.Conclusions: Early rehabilitation leads to early improvement in functional activities. PNF exercises are very effective in improving motor function and should be given from the first day after stroke

A nonsense mutation in S-antigen (p.Glu306*) causes Oguchi disease

Contains fulltext : 110974.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)PURPOSE: Genetic studies were performed to identify the causative mutation in a 15-year-old girl diagnosed with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) presenting Mizuo-Nakamura phenomenon, a typical Oguchi disease symptom. The patient also had dural sinus thrombosis (DST), thrombocytopenia, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Mutation analysis was done by sequencing two candidate genes, S-antigen (SAG; arrestin 1), associated with Oguchi type 1, and rhodopsin kinase (GRK1), associated with Oguchi type 2. In addition, the C677T variation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene was also screened in the family, to determine its probable association with hyperhomocysteinemia in the patient. RESULTS: Sequencing of the SAG and GRK1 resulted in identifying a novel homozygous nonsense mutation (c.916G>T; p.Glu306*) in SAG, which in unaffected siblings either was present in a heterozygous state or absent. The C677T heterozygous allele in the MTHFR gene was found to be associated with hyperhomocysteinemia in the patient and other family members. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of Oguchi type 1 in a Pakistani patient due to a nonsense mutation (c.916G>T; p.Glu306*) in SAG. The neurologic and hematological abnormalities likely are not associated with the SAG variant

Optical Sensors Based on Whispering Gallery Modes in Fluorescent Microbeads: Response to Specific Interactions

Whispering gallery modes (WGMs) in surface-fixated fluorescent polystyrene microbeads are studied in view of their capability of sensing the formation of biochemical adsorption layers on their outer surface with the well-established biotin-streptavidin specific binding as the model system. Three different methods for analysis of the observed shifts in the WGM wavelength positions are applied and used to quantify the adsorbed mass densities, which are then compared with the results of a comparative surface plasmon resonance (SPR) study

Ultrasensitive Detection of a Protein by Optical Trapping in a Photonic-Plasmonic Microcavity

Microcavity and whispering gallery mode (WGM) biosensors derive their sensitivity from monitoring frequency shifts induced by protein binding at sites of highly confined field intensities, where field strengths can be further amplified by excitation of plasmon resonances in nanoparticle layers. Here, we propose a mechanism based on optical trapping of a protein at the site of plasmonic field enhancements for achieving ultra sensitive detection in only microliter-scale sample volumes, and in real-time. We demonstrate femto-Molar sensitivity corresponding to a few 1000s of macromolecules. Simulations based on Mie theory agree well with the optical trapping concept at plasmonic 'hotspots' locations.Comment: submitted JBP March 2012 published JBP June 2012; Journal of Biophotonics June 2012 (online

High sensitivity and label-free oligonucleotides detection using photonic bandgap sensing structures biofunctionalized with molecular beacon probes

A label-free sensor, based on the combination of silicon photonic bandgap (PBG) structures with immobilized molecular beacon (MB) probes, is experimentally developed. Complementary target oligonucleotides are specifically recognized through hybridization with the MB probes on the surface of the sensing structure. This combination of PBG sensing structures and MB probes demonstrates an extremely high sensitivity without the need for complex PCR-based amplification or labelling methods