Chromatic techniques for in vivo monitoring jaundice in neonate tissues

Objective: A chromatic method is described for providing a preliminary indication of unacceptable bilirubin levels in a newly born baby in order to avoid the development of serious mental deficiencies. The aim was to investigate the reliability of a new chromatic approach using a novel template unit for a preliminary, non-invasive monitoring of the skin tissue of newly born babies with jaundice and its capability for use with different mobile phone cameras. Approach: A description of the monitoring system is given along with an explanation of the monitoring technique used. Preliminary tests have been performed on 48 different neonates each being addressed by one of six different mobile phone cameras, which were randomly available to the operating clinicians. Main results: The test results have a correlation (R 2) of 0.81, a sensitivity (Sn) of 0.97, a specificity (Sp) of 0.82, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.95 and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 0.9. Significance: The significance of the results obtained is that they show the approach to have a high level of fail-safe reliability in indicating the bilirubin levels when compared with blood test results. The results also show that the approach can be used with a few different mobile phone cameras and that because of its non-invasive nature and its cost effectiveness, has the potential for remote use from a medical hospital to provide an immediate preliminary diagnosis

Six-Gear Roadmap Towards the Smart Factory

The fourth industrial revolution is the transformation of industrial manufacturing into smart manufacturing. The advancement of digital technologies that make the trend Industry 4.0 are considered as the transforming force that will enable this transformation. However, Industry 4.0 digital technologies need to be connected, integrated and used effectively to create value and to provide insightful information for data driven manufacturing. Smart manufacturing is a journey and requires a roadmap to guide manufacturing organizations for its adoption. The objective of this paper is to review different methodologies and strategies for smart manufacturing implementation to propose a simple and a holistic roadmap that will support the transition into smart factories and achieve resilience, flexibility and sustainability. A comprehensive review of academic and industrial literature was preformed based on multiple stage approach and chosen criteria to establish existing knowledge in the field and to evaluate latest trends and ideas of Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing technologies, techniques and applications in the manufacturing industry. These criteria are sub-grouped to fit within various stages of the proposed roadmap and attempts to bridge the gap between academia and industry and contributes to a new knowledge in the literature. This paper presents a conceptual approach based on six stages. In each stage, key enabling technologies and strategies are introduced, the common challenges, implementation tips and case studies of industrial applications are discussed to potentially assist in a successful adoption. The significance of the proposed roadmap serve as a strategic practical tool for rapid adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies for smart manufacturing and to bridge the gap between the advanced technologies and their application in manufacturing industry, especially for SMEs

3D boundary layer computations on wing-pylon-nacelle configuration

Communication to : Workshop on aspects of airframe engine integration for transport aircraft, Braunschweig (Germany), March 6-7, 1996SIGLEAvailable at INIST (FR), Document Supply Service, under shelf-number : 22419, issue : a.1996 n.75 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueFRFranc

A portable system for identifying urinary tract infection in primary care using a PC-based chromatic technique.

An approach is described for monitoring urine samples using a portable system based on chromatic techniques and for predicting urinary tract infection (UTI) from the results. The system uses a webcam-computer combination with the screen of a computer visual display unit as a tuneable illumination source. It is shown that the system can operate in a robust manner under ambient lighting conditions and with potential for use as a point of care test in primary care. The present approach combines information on urine liquid concentration and turbidity. Its performance in an exploratory study is compared with microbiological culture of 200 urine samples, of which 79 had bacterial growth >10(5) colony forming unit/millilitre (cfu ml(-1)) indicative of UTI. It is shown that both sensitivity and negative predictive value of 0.92 could be achieved

Prospective observational cohort study on grading the severity of postoperative complications in global surgery research

Background The Clavien–Dindo classification is perhaps the most widely used approach for reporting postoperative complications in clinical trials. This system classifies complication severity by the treatment provided. However, it is unclear whether the Clavien–Dindo system can be used internationally in studies across differing healthcare systems in high- (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods This was a secondary analysis of the International Surgical Outcomes Study (ISOS), a prospective observational cohort study of elective surgery in adults. Data collection occurred over a 7-day period. Severity of complications was graded using Clavien–Dindo and the simpler ISOS grading (mild, moderate or severe, based on guided investigator judgement). Severity grading was compared using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Data are presented as frequencies and ICC values (with 95 per cent c.i.). The analysis was stratified by income status of the country, comparing HICs with LMICs. Results A total of 44 814 patients were recruited from 474 hospitals in 27 countries (19 HICs and 8 LMICs). Some 7508 patients (16·8 per cent) experienced at least one postoperative complication, equivalent to 11 664 complications in total. Using the ISOS classification, 5504 of 11 664 complications (47·2 per cent) were graded as mild, 4244 (36·4 per cent) as moderate and 1916 (16·4 per cent) as severe. Using Clavien–Dindo, 6781 of 11 664 complications (58·1 per cent) were graded as I or II, 1740 (14·9 per cent) as III, 2408 (20·6 per cent) as IV and 735 (6·3 per cent) as V. Agreement between classification systems was poor overall (ICC 0·41, 95 per cent c.i. 0·20 to 0·55), and in LMICs (ICC 0·23, 0·05 to 0·38) and HICs (ICC 0·46, 0·25 to 0·59). Conclusion Caution is recommended when using a treatment approach to grade complications in global surgery studies, as this may introduce bias unintentionally