From zero to one : integrating engineering and non-engineering students in a service-learning engineering project

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The use of three-dimensional printing technology in orthopaedic surgery: A review

Three-dimensional (3-D) printing or additive manufacturing, an advanced technology that 3-D physical models are created, has been wildly applied in medical industries, including cardiothoracic surgery, cranio-maxillo-facial surgery and orthopaedic surgery. The physical models made by 3-D printing technology give surgeons a realistic impression of complex structures, allowing surgical planning and simulation before operations. In orthopaedic surgery, this technique is mainly applied in surgical planning especially revision and reconstructive surgeries, making patient-specific instruments or implants, and bone tissue engineering. This article reviews this technology and its application in orthopaedic surgery.published_or_final_versio

How Patient Work Changes Over Time for People With Multimorbid Type 2 Diabetes: Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: The experiences of patients change throughout their illness trajectory and differ according to their medical history, but digital support tools are often designed for one specific moment in time and do not change with the patient as their health state changes. This presents a fragmented support pattern where patients have to move from one app to another as they move between health states, and some subpopulations of patients do not have their needs addressed at all. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate how patient work evolves over time for those living with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic multimorbidity, and explore the implications for digital support system design. METHODS: In total, 26 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic multimorbidity were recruited. Each interview was conducted twice, and interviews were transcribed and analyzed according to the Chronic Illness Trajectory Model. RESULTS: Four unique illness trajectories were identified with different patient work goals and needs: living with stable chronic conditions involves patients seeking to make patient work as routinized and invisible as possible; dealing with cycles of acute or crisis episodes included heavily multimorbid patients who sought support with therapy adherence; responding to unstable changes described patients currently experiencing rapid health changes and increasing patient work intensity; and coming back from crisis focused on patients coping with a loss of normalcy. CONCLUSIONS: Patient work changes over time based on the experiences of the individual, and its timing and trajectory need to be considered when designing digital support interventions. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022163

MelodicBrush : a cross-modal link between ancient and digital art forms

Author name used in this publication: Stephen ChanRefereed conference paper2011-2012 > Academic research: refereed > Refereed conference paperVersion of RecordPublishe

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger

On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta

Speed-dependent treadmill training is effective to improve gait and balance performance in patients with sub-acute stroke

2010-2011 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordSelf-fundedPublishe

Cadmium sequestration in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

We demonstrated that phytochelatin (PC) is the major intracellular cadmium (Cd) chelator in the microalga, Chlamydomonas reinharcitii. From Cd challenged algal cells, two types of PC-Cd complexes were purified and characterized; the high molecular weight (HMW) complex and the lower molecular weight (LMW) complex. These complexes differed in accumulation kinetics, PC profile, acid labile sulfide content. in vivo turnover rate, UV absorption spectra, and acid sensitivity in vitro. Although the HMW complex appeared first during Cd treatment, our detailed analysis suggested the quick conversion of LMW complex to HMW complex inside the algal cells and HMW complex contributed to stable Cd sequestration. The accumulation of LMW complex appeared to be an early sign of metal stress. In several Cd resistant mutants generated in this lab, the level of PC production was proportional to the capacity of Cd accumulation. Cd-resistant mutant could grow in elevated Cd concentration through different mechanisms. One type of mutant produced high levels of HMW complex with a distinct PC profile to facilitate Cd accumulation. In this mutant, we detected higher content of reduced glutathione and cystein than the wild type. This study suggested the involvement of assimilatory sulfate reduction pathway(s) in Cd sequestration. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved