Feature Analysis for Classification of Physical Actions using surface EMG Data

Based on recent health statistics, there are several thousands of people with limb disability and gait disorders that require a medical assistance. A robot assisted rehabilitation therapy can help them recover and return to a normal life. In this scenario, a successful methodology is to use the EMG signal based information to control the support robotics. For this mechanism to function properly, the EMG signal from the muscles has to be sensed and then the biological motor intention has to be decoded and finally the resulting information has to be communicated to the controller of the robot. An accurate detection of the motor intention requires a pattern recognition based categorical identification. Hence in this paper, we propose an improved classification framework by identification of the relevant features that drive the pattern recognition algorithm. Major contributions include a set of modified spectral moment based features and another relevant inter-channel correlation feature that contribute to an improved classification performance. Next, we conducted a sensitivity analysis of the classification algorithm to different EMG channels. Finally, the classifier performance is compared to that of the other state-of the art algorithm

Impact of fracture spacing and mechanical parameter anisotropy on fracture width in horizontal wells in shales

The success of economically viable production of oil and gas from ultra-low permeability shale reservoirs depends on the creation of an extensive fracture network through hydraulic fracture stimulation. Multiple hydraulic fractures are created simultaneously in each stage to increase the surface area of contact between the wellbore and reservoir. The spacing between fractures is an important component to consider when developing an optimum stimulation design. An important aspect of shale rock properties is that shales are inherently anisotropic with a horizontal plane of isotropy (transversely isotropic) due to their finely layered structure. This study aims to provide an insight into the controlling effects of fracture spacing and different levels of rock property anisotropy on the fracture aperture during simultaneous fracture initiation and propagation. Multiple fracture propagation is simulated using 3-dimensional [3D] finite element models [FEM]. All simulations in this study include simultaneous propagation of four fractures in pre-defined planes using cohesive elements in a linear elastic medium. Numerous FEMs with varying spacing between fractures and varying levels of anisotropy are generated to analyze the effect of spacing and rock anisotropy on the fracture apertures. The modeling results show that there is a significant fracture width reduction in the center fractures when compared to the edge fractures across the entire range of fracture spacing included in the study. Previous studies present analyses on the effect of anisotropy on fractures whereas this study further investigates the individual effect of anisotropy on the edge fractures and center fractures. It can be taken further to simulate production rates and cumulative production over time and hence can be used as a guideline for different shale plays. --Abstract, page iii

Application of feed back control theory in production and inventory control

Call number: LD2668 .R4 1965 R16

Pharmaceutical manufacturing--structuring organizational learning through "benchmarking"

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1994.by Gokaraju Kanaka Prasad Raju.M.S

Review of Food Access in the Shade of Critical Times

Food security is a condition where people at all times have physical, economic, and social access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. Even though the world produces enough food for all humans, we have people with low access to food due to several socioeconomic variables, and this lack of food access affects their lives and health in return. On regular days, physical access to food outlets is limited by several variables and that creates categories in food access areas. In extreme weather events, the accessibility becomes more limited due to the impact on mobility, and interruption to electricity or transportation systems. These weather events increase due to climate change, and the future is highly unpredictable. The cumulative effect of climate change and pandemics increases the risk of complicated circumstances for food security. COVID-19 pandemic is considered the largest epidemic, and the onset of these large-scale future epidemics is predicted to be inevitable. This chapter will describe the extent of food access categories in Guilford county of North Carolina pre-COVID-19, and the influence of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic on the food-access distribution

Understanding Pharmaceutical Quality by Design

This review further clarifies the concept of pharmaceutical quality by design (QbD) and describes its objectives. QbD elements include the following: (1) a quality target product profile (QTPP) that identifies the critical quality attributes (CQAs) of the drug product; (2) product design and understanding including identification of critical material attributes (CMAs); (3) process design and understanding including identification of critical process parameters (CPPs), linking CMAs and CPPs to CQAs; (4) a control strategy that includes specifications for the drug substance(s), excipient(s), and drug product as well as controls for each step of the manufacturing process; and (5) process capability and continual improvement. QbD tools and studies include prior knowledge, risk assessment, mechanistic models, design of experiments (DoE) and data analysis, and process analytical technology (PAT). As the pharmaceutical industry moves toward the implementation of pharmaceutical QbD, a common terminology, understanding of concepts and expectations are necessary. This understanding will facilitate better communication between those involved in risk-based drug development and drug application review

Myolipoma Affecting the Erector Spinae: A Case Report in a Child

Myolipoma is a rare, benign, lipomatous tumour which most commonly occurs in the retroperitoneum, pelvis, and abdomen. A 4-year-old boy presented with a painless enlarging mass in the left paraspinal region. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) revealed a soft tissue lesion with high fat content and areas of calcification. Excision and histopathological analysis revealed a tumour composed of lobules of mature adipose tissue and broad septa of well-differentiated smooth muscle tissue. The smooth muscle nature of the nonfatty component was demonstrated by a diffuse and strong immunoreactivity for smooth muscle actin and desmin. The mass was reported as a myolipoma. The patient made an unremarkable recovery from surgery and remains healthy with no signs of recurrence at seven years. This paper represents the youngest patient diagnosed with this rare soft tissue tumour which is normally confined to the adult population. A newly reported site of the tumour is also highlighted

Regularized Ridge Regression Models to Estimate Static Elastic Moduli from Wireline Measurements: Case Study from Southern Iraq

Elastic moduli such as Young\u27s modulus (E), Poisson\u27s ratio (v), and bulk modulus (K) are vital to creating geomechanical models for wellbore stability, hydraulic fracturing, sand production, etc. Due to the difficulty of obtaining core samples and performing rock testing, alternatively, wireline measurements can be used to estimate dynamic moduli. However, dynamic moduli are significantly different from elastic moduli due to many factors. In this paper, correlations for three zones (Nahr Umr shale, Zubair shale, and Zubair sandstone) located in southern Iraq were created to estimate static E, K, and ν from dynamic data. Core plugs from the aforementioned three zones alongside wireline measurements for the same sections were acquired. Single-stage triaxial (SST) tests with CT scans were executed for the core plugs. The data were separated into two parts; training (70%), and testing (30%) to ensure the models can be generalized to new data. Regularized ridge regression models were created to estimate static E, K, and ν from dynamic data (wireline measurements). The shrinkage parameter (α) was selected for each model based on an iterative process, where the goal is to ensure having the smallest error. The results showed that all models had testing R2 ranging between 0.92 and 0.997 and consistent with the training results. All models of E, K, and ν were linear besides ν for the Zubair sandstone and shale which were second-degree polynomial. Furthermore, root means squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) were utilized to assess the error of the models. Both RMSE and MAE were consistently low in training and testing without a large discrepancy. Thus, with the regularization of ridge regression and consistent low error during the training and testing, it can be concluded that the proposed models can be generalized to new data and no overfitting can be observed. The proposed models for Nahr Umr shale, Zubair shale, and Zubair sandstone can be utilized to estimate E, K, and ν based on readily available dynamic data which can contribute to creating robust geomechanical models for hydraulic fracturing, sand production, wellbore stability, etc

Use of a Distal Radius Endoprosthesis Following Resection of a Bone Tumour: A Case Report

Limited literature is available on the reconstruction of the distal radius using prosthetic replacement following resection of a bone tumour. We present the first reported case, in the English literature, of the use of an entirely metal endoprosthesis for the reconstruction of the distal radius. This case involves a 66-year-old male who was treated for giant cell tumour of the distal radius with surgical excision of the lesion and replacement of the defect using a predominantly titanium endoprosthesis. He was followed-up for 56 months following surgery and had a good functional outcome with no associated pain or complications. We propose that the use of a primarily titanium endoprosthesis for the reconstruction of a bone defect of the distal radius is a suitable alternative, providing good function of the forearm with satisfactory range of movement at the wrist and adequate pain relief

The Capability Maturity Model as an Industrial Process Improvement Model

Abstract This study examined the potential of adapting the software Capability Maturity Model as a process improvement paradigm within the context of industrial process improvement. Traditional methods of process improvement incorporate some facets of Total Quality Management (TQM), business process improvement (BPI), business process reengineering (BPR), business process management (BPM), benchmarking, regulation, legislation, Six Sigma, and standards. Hypothesis testing showed two statistically significant outcomes regarding the first and the fifth maturity levels reflecting ad hoc processes and optimized processes, respectively