Enabling Longitudinal Respiration Monitoring Using Vapor-Coated Conducting Textiles

Wearable sensors allow for portable, long-term health monitoring in natural environments. Recently, there has been an increase in demand for technology that can reliably monitor respiration, which can be indicative of cardiac diseases, asthma, and infection by respiratory viruses. However, to date, the most reliable respiration monitoring system involves a tightly worn chest belt that is not conducive to longitudinal monitoring. Herein, we report that accurate respiration monitoring can be effected using a fabric-based humidity sensor mounted within a face mask. Our humidity sensor is created using cotton fabrics coated with a persistently p-doped conjugated polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):chloride (PEDOT-Cl), using a previously reported chemical vapor deposition process. The vapor-deposited polymer coating displays a stable, rapid, and reversible change in conductivity with an increase in local humidity, such as the humidity changes experienced within a face mask as the wearer breathes. Thus, when integrated into a face mask, the PEDOT-Cl-coated cotton humidity sensor is able to transduce breaths into an electrical signal. The humidity sensor-incorporated face mask is able to differentiate between deep and shallow breathing, as well as breathing versus talking. The sensor-incorporated face mask platform also functions both while walking and sitting, providing equally high signal quality in both indoor and outdoor contexts. Additionally, we show that the face mask can be worn for long periods of time with a negligible decline in the signal quality

New Measures for Predicting Birth-Related Pelvic Floor Trauma.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to establish the predictive role of obstetric variables for obstetric outcomes and birth related levator ani muscle (LAM) trauma. METHODS: In this prospective study, women underwent 3-dimensional pelvic floor ultrasound at their first appointment at 36 weeks and also 3 months postpartum. The measurements included minimal levator hiatus circumference (MLHC) and the ratio of fetal head circumference to MLHC = head-induced stretch ratio (HISR) as an indicator of the discrepancy between passage and passing canal. To derive the true impact of baby's mass on the levator ani musculature, we devised the levator ani stretch ratio (LASR), which was calculated by multiplying the HISR and the baby's weight. RESULTS: Data set of 173 women was available for analysis. Mean HISR and LASR values were statistically different across all binary outcome categories, with 1 exception for HISR and levator ani injury. The odds ratios for LASR indicated positive and statistically significant associations with all obstetric outcomes examined. The probability of the LASR correctly classifying those with the adverse obstetric outcome, as estimated by the area under the curve, ranged from 0.64 to 0.80 with the strongest discriminatory ability observed for severe LAM trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal head circumference/mother MLHC ratio (HISR) is associated with longer length of second stage of labor, assisted delivery, and increased severity of perineal trauma. Similar associations were observed for LASR, but in addition, LASR had good discriminatory ability to identify severe LAM trauma

Enabling Daily Tracking of Individual’s Cognitive State With Eyewear

Research studies show that sleep deprivation causes severe fatigue, impairs attention and decision making, and affects our emotional interpretation of events, which makes it a big threat to public safety, and mental and physical well-being. Hence, it would be most desired if we could continuously measure one’s drowsiness and fatigue level, their emotion while making decisions, and assess their sleep quality in order to provide personalized feedback or actionable behavioral suggestions to modulate sleep pattern and alertness levels with the aim of enhancing performance, well-being, and quality of life. While there have been decades of studies on wearable devices, we still lack good instruments to measure an individual’s cognitive state in natural settings. In this thesis, we propose novel eyewear solutions in order to track various cognitive states, with the focus of being low-power, unobtrusive, and robust to confounders present in everyday scenarios. We propose the following contributions: i) design and implementation of a system, iLid, that is able to extract key features of fatigue and drowsiness at low power and high frame rate from a wearable eye tracker in natural settings, ii) design of a privacy-sensitive system, W!NCE, for detecting various facial expressions and pain instances, by leveraging only three small dry electrodes on the nose-bridge of a normal looking pair of glasses, and iii) design of a comfortable, unobtrusive, and accurate sleep monitoring system, PhyMask that can be worn continuously during long duration of wear without impacting sleep. We introduce novel fabric-based sensing elements to measure various physiological signals such as brain activity, eye movement patterns, heart rate, and breathing rate as well as head posture and body motions during sleep

The effects of targeted subsides on the prices of metal exchanging in the mercantile exchange

Abstract: One of the important matters performed by the government was making subsides targeted. After targeting subsides, a rise in the domestic price of metals occurred. Hence, some believed in a cause and effect relationship between targeted subsides and rising the domestic price of metals. Analyzing this issue, an econometric method to estimate the relationship between virtual variables of targeted subsides and price of metals exchanging in the mercantile exchange has been used. In the beginning, the characteristics of the available time series has been analyzed for evaluating the model based on its reliability and considering whether a unique root exists based on Generalized Dickey Fuller Test. Then, according to the reliability of variables, for assessing the effectiveness of targeted subsides, Auto Regression Model with Distributed Lags (ARDL) has been used. The results suggest that metal prices have not been affected by the targeted subsides

An Explanation of the Position of Tolerance and Flexibility In the Islamic Management

According to the Alawite teachings in Nahj-ul-Balaghah, the methods of leadership contain two components: "maximum flexibility" and "minimum intensity" (Nahj-ul-Balaghah, letter 46). This leadership style is similar to behavioral theories in management because in the neoclassical school, employees stand at the focus of attention and managers attempt to receive more output through staffing. Are maximum tolerance and flexibility the same as staffing? What are the components of flexibility and tolerance? Explaining the differences in behavioral theoretical views, this research is intended to identify the components of tolerance and flexibility and to prioritize them. This is a mixed research composed of qualitative (Ijtihadi) and quantitative method. The field of study mainly encompasses the sayings of Imam Ali (AS). According to Islamic teachings, neither work-orientation, nor employee-orientation is acceptable because they both share the tendency of increasing profit and an instrumental view to human beings. In Islamic sources, however, the focus is on the human being due to his inherent dignity. Therefore, man is supposed to be behaved graciously and elegantly. The most important indicators of gracefulness in dealing with employees to man include: kindness, forgiveness, getting advice, being at hand, attention to criticism, effective hearing, openness and respect, tolerance, benevolence, dependability, and consideration of capacities. The results recommended the degree of flexibility and tolerance of each indicators and their effect on leadership desirability. Interestingly, elimination or reducing the amount of negative behavior indicated greater impact on creating and enhancing positive behavior on leadership desirability