Accuracy Assessment and Improvement of FMCW Radar-based Vital Signs Monitoring under Practical Scenarios

Acquisition of human vital signs through radar is a very promising technology that can address the shortcomings of the traditional contact-based measurement devices and enable the move toward a contactless vital monitoring system. This research is focused on monitoring breath rate (BR) and heart rate (HR) via a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar. Currently, the two approaches used for BR and HR estimation are filter-based and decomposition-based, such as variational mode decomposition (VMD) for high-quality signal separation. We propose an adaptive VMD (AVMD) to address the problem of setting the number of segmentation levels required by the VMD algorithm. Various experiments are conducted under practical scenarios in terms of distance, angle, posture, and activity as well as the existence of a nearby person and fan. We have made a comprehensive assessment of accuracy change and impact in these scenarios. The experimental results show clearly that the proposed AVMD gives higher accuracy compared to the filter-based and VMD-based. A real-time BR-HR monitoring system using the proposed AVMD and the TI’s IWR1843Boost radar board has been implemented to demonstrate its practical uses

Etude d’un jet de ferrofluide confiné en présence de deux sources magnétiques

La présente étude est une analyse numérique du transfert de chaleur et de l’écoulement d’un jet de ferrofluide confiné dans un canal plan en présence de deux sources magnétiques. Le modèle de Buongiorno est utilisé pour décrire l’écoulement du ferrofluide avec la prise en compte de l’effet ferrohydrodynamique. Les équations gouvernantes avec les conditions aux limites associées sont résolues par la méthode des volumes finis. Les résultats révèlent une amélioration du transfert de chaleur avec l’augmentation du nombre magnétique (Mn) et la réduction du rapport d’ouverture (R)

Mechanisms and Tools for Environmental Protection in Algeria from the Perspective of Sustainable Development

هدفت الورقة البحثية إلى معالجة موضوع تطور الإطار التشريعي والمؤسساتي لحماية البيئة  في الجزائر، وذلك من خلال ترصد أهم مراحل تطور الإطار التشريعي لحماية البيئة في الجزائر، وكذا أهم الوزارات والمؤسسات التي عنيت بحمايتها. وتوصلت الدراسة إلى أنه في ظل الوضعية الصعبة التي آلت إليها البيئة في الجزائر جعلت المشرع الجزائري يسن مجموعة من القوانين والتي ترمي إلى التسيير الحسن للتهئية العمرانية والبيئية، حيث يعتبر القانون رقم 83/03 المؤرخ في 05 فيفري 1983 المتعلق بحماية البيئة أول تشريع يختص بالبيئة وبعد ذلك تلته مجموعة من القوانين والمراسيم، وكذا استحداث إطار مؤسساتي مكلف بحماية البيئة، وتبنّي أدوات السياسة البيئية كآلية للمحافظة عليها، والمصادقة على العديد من الاتفاقيات البيئية الدولية. رغم وجود العديد من التشريعات والقوانين التي تنص على حماية البيئة ، يبقى الوضع البيئي في الجزائر في تدهور مستمر، ذلك راجع إلى عدم التطبيق الفعلي للقوانين في أرض الواقع لإفتقاده صفة الإلزامية والردع، كما أن تناوب الوزارات والهيئات على حماية البيئة انعكس سلباً على اتخاذ قرارات صارمة في مجال حماية البيئة، وعدم توجيه حصيلة الرسوم البيئية المفروضة على الأنشطة الملوثة كلها لحماية البيئة ومكافحة التلوث. تصنيف  JEL: Q5 Q58.The paper aimed to address the development of the legislative and institutional framework for the protection of the environment in Algeria through monitoring the most important stages of the development of the legislative framework for the protection of the environment in Algeria, as well as the most important ministries and institutions that took care of its protection. The study found that in light of the difficult situation that the environment in Algeria has become, the Algerian legislator has made a set of laws aimed at the good management of urban and environmental development. Law No. 83/03 of February 05, 1983, on the protection of the environment is considered the first legislation related to the environment, this was followed by a series of laws and decrees, as well as the development of an institutional framework for the protection of the environment, the adoption of environmental policy instruments as a mechanism for preserving them, and the ratification of several international environmental conventions. Despite the existence of many Legislation and laws that provide for the protection of the environment, the environmental situation in Algeria continues to deteriorate due to the lack of effective enforcement of the laws on the ground for its lack of mandatory and deterrent status. The rotation of ministries and agencies to protect the environment has negatively affected the adoption of strict decisions in the field of environmental protection, and not to direct the proceeds of environmental charges imposed on all polluting activities to protect the environment and control pollution

Early repolarization electrocardiography pattern with unexplained syncope during training in a young black African non-elite athlete: An accidental finding?

Until recently it was generally thought that early repolarization is benign. But a recent article in the NEJM (Haissaguerre et al.) suggests that some persons with early repolarization may be at risk of life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Unexplained syncope or sudden death occurs mostly during sleep. However, some cases of cardiac arrest during exertion have been reported. We report the case of a 39 year-old black African male with early repolarization pattern on electrocardiogram who regularly experienced dizziness (and one episode of transient loss of consciousness) exclusively while exercising. Detailed examination was normal. Under quinidine therapy, he experienced no further episodes. Increasingly reported cases of cardiac arrest in Africans, and significant prevalence of early repolarization in this population, have to be taken into account since the Haissaguerre et al. report. Further evidence of the lethal consequences of this syndrome are needed, bearing in mind that diagnostic tools for life-threatening arrhythmias are often scarce in sub-Saharan Africa

Investigation of microstructure and texture evolution of a Mg/Al laminated composite elaborated by accumulative roll bonding

International audienceThe microstructure and texture of an Al1050/AZ31/Al1050 laminated composite fabricated by accumulative roll bonding at 400 °C up to 5 cycles are investigated using Electron BackScatter Diffraction, neutron diffraction, microhardness measurements and tensile tests. EBSD analysis has shown that ARB processing led to microstructural refinement with equiaxed grain microstructure in AZ31 layers and to the development of elongated grains parallel to the rolling direction in Al 1050 layers. No new phases formed at the bond interface after the first ARB cycle while Mg17Al12 and Mg2Al3 phases appeared after subsequent cycles. During the ARB processing, a typical strong basal (0002) texture is observed in AZ31 layers along with a weak rolling texture showed in Al 1050 layers with a dominant Rotated Cube {001}〈110〉 component. The microhardness of Al1050/AZ31/Al1050 laminated composite increased with increasing ARB cycles and almost saturated after five ARB cycles. The yield strength and ultimate strength increased gradually between 1 and 3 ARB cycles due to the strain hardening and grain refinement. They decreased with further increasing of the ARB cycles because of crack and failure of the MgxAly intermetallic compounds which developed during 4th and 5th ARB cycles. The deformation behavior of the laminated composite becomes rather similar to the behavior of AZ31 alloy that underwent a dynamic recrystallization during processing

Etude expérimentale et théorique d'un écoulement entraîné par des ultrasons (acoustic streaming)

Il s'agit d'une étude théorique et expérimentale d'écoulements stationnaires entraînés par des ultrasons dans des liquides (en anglais : acoustic streaming). Nous développons des modèles basés sur les équations de Navier-Stokes incompressibles dans lesquelles est introduit un terme de force due aux ondes acoustiques. Un dispositif permet de mesurer les champs de pression acoustique, le champ de vitesse stationnaire par PIV ou LDA. L'objectif étant d'établir un benchmark. On présentera aussi des possibilités de contrôle d'instabilité ou d'amélioration du mélange grâce à ces écoulements

Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality and life expectancy, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Assessments of age-specific mortality and life expectancy have been done by the UN Population Division, Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNPOP), the United States Census Bureau, WHO, and as part of previous iterations of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD). Previous iterations of the GBD used population estimates from UNPOP, which were not derived in a way that was internally consistent with the estimates of the numbers of deaths in the GBD. The present iteration of the GBD, GBD 2017, improves on previous assessments and provides timely estimates of the mortality experience of populations globally. Methods The GBD uses all available data to produce estimates of mortality rates between 1950 and 2017 for 23 age groups, both sexes, and 918 locations, including 195 countries and territories and subnational locations for 16 countries. Data used include vital registration systems, sample registration systems, household surveys (complete birth histories, summary birth histories, sibling histories), censuses (summary birth histories, household deaths), and Demographic Surveillance Sites. In total, this analysis used 8259 data sources. Estimates of the probability of death between birth and the age of 5 years and between ages 15 and 60 years are generated and then input into a model life table system to produce complete life tables for all locations and years. Fatal discontinuities and mortality due to HIV/AIDS are analysed separately and then incorporated into the estimation. We analyse the relationship between age-specific mortality and development status using the Socio-demographic Index, a composite measure based on fertility under the age of 25 years, education, and income. There are four main methodological improvements in GBD 2017 compared with GBD 2016: 622 additional data sources have been incorporated; new estimates of population, generated by the GBD study, are used; statistical methods used in different components of the analysis have been further standardised and improved; and the analysis has been extended backwards in time by two decades to start in 1950.Background Assessments of age-specific mortality and life expectancy have been done by the UN Population Division, Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNPOP), the United States Census Bureau, WHO, and as part of previous iterations of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD). Previous iterations of the GBD used population estimates from UNPOP, which were not derived in a way that was internally consistent with the estimates of the numbers of deaths in the GBD. The present iteration of the GBD, GBD 2017, improves on previous assessments and provides timely estimates of the mortality experience of populations globally. Methods The GBD uses all available data to produce estimates of mortality rates between 1950 and 2017 for 23 age groups, both sexes, and 918 locations, including 195 countries and territories and subnational locations for 16 countries. Data used include vital registration systems, sample registration systems, household surveys (complete birth histories, summary birth histories, sibling histories), censuses (summary birth histories, household deaths), and Demographic Surveillance Sites. In total, this analysis used 8259 data sources. Estimates of the probability of death between birth and the age of 5 years and between ages 15 and 60 years are generated and then input into a model life table system to produce complete life tables for all locations and years. Fatal discontinuities and mortality due to HIV/AIDS are analysed separately and then incorporated into the estimation. We analyse the relationship between age-specific mortality and development status using the Socio-demographic Index, a composite measure based on fertility under the age of 25 years, education, and income. There are four main methodological improvements in GBD 2017 compared with GBD 2016: 622 additional data sources have been incorporated; new estimates of population, generated by the GBD study, are used; statistical methods used in different components of the analysis have been further standardised and improved; and the analysis has been extended backwards in time by two decades to start in 1950

Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017) includes a comprehensive assessment of incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for 354 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. Previous GBD studies have shown how the decline of mortality rates from 1990 to 2016 has led to an increase in life expectancy, an ageing global population, and an expansion of the non-fatal burden of disease and injury. These studies have also shown how a substantial portion of the world's population experiences non-fatal health loss with considerable heterogeneity among different causes, locations, ages, and sexes. Ongoing objectives of the GBD study include increasing the level of estimation detail, improving analytical strategies, and increasing the amount of high-quality data. Methods: We estimated incidence and prevalence for 354 diseases and injuries and 3484 sequelae. We used an updated and extensive body of literature studies, survey data, surveillance data, inpatient admission records, outpatient visit records, and health insurance claims, and additionally used results from cause of death models to inform estimates using a total of 68 781 data sources. Newly available clinical data from India, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Nepal, China, Brazil, Norway, and Italy were incorporated, as well as updated claims data from the USA and new claims data from Taiwan (province of China) and Singapore. We used DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression tool, as the main method of estimation, ensuring consistency between rates of incidence, prevalence, remission, and cause of death for each condition. YLDs were estimated as the product of a prevalence estimate and a disability weight for health states of each mutually exclusive sequela, adjusted for comorbidity. We updated the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary development indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and total fertility rate. Additionally, we calculated differences between male and female YLDs to identify divergent trends across sexes. GBD 2017 complies with the Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting. Findings: Globally, for females, the causes with the greatest age-standardised prevalence were oral disorders, headache disorders, and haemoglobinopathies and haemolytic anaemias in both 1990 and 2017. For males, the causes with the greatest age-standardised prevalence were oral disorders, headache disorders, and tuberculosis including latent tuberculosis infection in both 1990 and 2017. In terms of YLDs, low back pain, headache disorders, and dietary iron deficiency were the leading Level 3 causes of YLD counts in 1990, whereas low back pain, headache disorders, and depressive disorders were the leading causes in 2017 for both sexes combined. All-cause age-standardised YLD rates decreased by 3·9% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 3·1-4·6) from 1990 to 2017; however, the all-age YLD rate increased by 7·2% (6·0-8·4) while the total sum of global YLDs increased from 562 million (421-723) to 853 million (642-1100). The increases for males and females were similar, with increases in all-age YLD rates of 7·9% (6·6-9·2) for males and 6·5% (5·4-7·7) for females. We found significant differences between males and females in terms of age-standardised prevalence estimates for multiple causes. The causes with the greatest relative differences between sexes in 2017 included substance use disorders (3018 cases [95% UI 2782-3252] per 100 000 in males vs 1400 [1279-1524] per 100 000 in females), transport injuries (3322 [3082-3583] vs 2336 [2154-2535]), and self-harm and interpersonal violence (3265 [2943-3630] vs 5643 [5057-6302]). Interpretation: Global all-cause age-standardised YLD rates have improved only slightly over a period spanning nearly three decades. However, the magnitude of the non-fatal disease burden has expanded globally, with increasing numbers of people who have a wide spectrum of conditions. A subset of conditions has remained globally pervasive since 1990, whereas other conditions have displayed more dynamic trends, with different ages, sexes, and geographies across the globe experiencing varying burdens and trends of health loss. This study emphasises how global improvements in premature mortality for select conditions have led to older populations with complex and potentially expensive diseases, yet also highlights global achievements in certain domains of disease and injury

Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality and life expectancy, 1950-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: Assessments of age-specific mortality and life expectancy have been done by the UN Population Division, Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNPOP), the United States Census Bureau, WHO, and as part of previous iterations of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD). Previous iterations of the GBD used population estimates from UNPOP, which were not derived in a way that was internally consistent with the estimates of the numbers of deaths in the GBD. The present iteration of the GBD, GBD 2017, improves on previous assessments and provides timely estimates of the mortality experience of populations globally. Methods: The GBD uses all available data to produce estimates of mortality rates between 1950 and 2017 for 23 age groups, both sexes, and 918 locations, including 195 countries and territories and subnational locations for 16 countries. Data used include vital registration systems, sample registration systems, household surveys (complete birth histories, summary birth histories, sibling histories), censuses (summary birth histories, household deaths), and Demographic Surveillance Sites. In total, this analysis used 8259 data sources. Estimates of the probability of death between birth and the age of 5 years and between ages 15 and 60 years are generated and then input into a model life table system to produce complete life tables for all locations and years. Fatal discontinuities and mortality due to HIV/AIDS are analysed separately and then incorporated into the estimation. We analyse the relationship between age-specific mortality and development status using the Socio-demographic Index, a composite measure based on fertility under the age of 25 years, education, and income. There are four main methodological improvements in GBD 2017 compared with GBD 2016: 622 additional data sources have been incorporated; new estimates of population, generated by the GBD study, are used; statistical methods used in different components of the analysis have been further standardised and improved; and the analysis has been extended backwards in time by two decades to start in 1950. Findings: Globally, 18·7% (95% uncertainty interval 18·4–19·0) of deaths were registered in 1950 and that proportion has been steadily increasing since, with 58·8% (58·2–59·3) of all deaths being registered in 2015. At the global level, between 1950 and 2017, life expectancy increased from 48·1 years (46·5–49·6) to 70·5 years (70·1–70·8) for men and from 52·9 years (51·7–54·0) to 75·6 years (75·3–75·9) for women. Despite this overall progress, there remains substantial variation in life expectancy at birth in 2017, which ranges from 49·1 years (46·5–51·7) for men in the Central African Republic to 87·6 years (86·9–88·1) among women in Singapore. The greatest progress across age groups was for children younger than 5 years; under-5 mortality dropped from 216·0 deaths (196·3–238·1) per 1000 livebirths in 1950 to 38·9 deaths (35·6–42·83) per 1000 livebirths in 2017, with huge reductions across countries. Nevertheless, there were still 5·4 million (5·2–5·6) deaths among children younger than 5 years in the world in 2017. Progress has been less pronounced and more variable for adults, especially for adult males, who had stagnant or increasing mortality rates in several countries. The gap between male and female life expectancy between 1950 and 2017, while relatively stable at the global level, shows distinctive patterns across super-regions and has consistently been the largest in central Europe, eastern Europe, and central Asia, and smallest in south Asia. Performance was also variable across countries and time in observed mortality rates compared with those expected on the basis of development. Interpretation: This analysis of age-sex-specific mortality shows that there are remarkably complex patterns in population mortality across countries. The findings of this study highlight global successes, such as the large decline in under-5 mortality, which reflects significant local, national, and global commitment and investment over several decades. However, they also bring attention to mortality patterns that are a cause for concern, particularly among adult men and, to a lesser extent, women, whose mortality rates have stagnated in many countries over the time period of this study, and in some cases are increasing