scholarly journals Structural Design and Preliminary Tests of a Novel Patient Transfer Apparatus for Medical Scenarios

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Yu Tian ◽  
Hongbo Wang ◽  
Yongshun Zhang ◽  
Bowen Su ◽  
Jiazheng Du ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Difficult Problem ◽  
Patient Transfer ◽  
Functional Realization ◽  
Significant Damage ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Secondary Injuries ◽  
Cross Coupling Control ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Transfer Apparatus

Patient transfer has always been a difficult problem, usually requiring multiple caregivers to work together, which is time consuming and can easily cause secondary injuries to the patient. In addition, with the crisis of COVID-19, the issue of patient transfer is even more critical, as caregivers are at a high risk of infection, causing significant damage to healthcare resources. In this paper, a patient transfer assist system named E-pat-plus (Easy Patient Transfer plus) has been proposed; it can assist caregivers in transferring patients, reduce direct contact between them, and avoid secondary injuries. In the mechanical structure of this apparatus, a novel five-gear assembly module and a synchronous belt pulley set are proposed; they are the key points to the basic functional realization of the device and can reduce the cost of the prototype. Furthermore, a fuzzy (proportion-integration-differentiation) PID-based cross-coupling control strategy is applied to the apparatus to ensure the stability and safety of the operation. Finally, some preliminary experiments, including current experiments and error experiments, are carried out to verify the reliability of the device and lay the foundation for clinical tests.

scholarly journals Black Hole Algorithm for Sustainable Design of Counterfort Retaining Walls

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Yepes ◽  
José V. Martí ◽  
José García
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Sustainable Design ◽  
Retaining Walls ◽  
The Other ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Construction Company ◽  
Geometric Variables ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Black Hole Algorithm

The optimization of the cost and CO 2 emissions in earth-retaining walls is of relevance, since these structures are often used in civil engineering. The optimization of costs is essential for the competitiveness of the construction company, and the optimization of emissions is relevant in the environmental impact of construction. To address the optimization, black hole metaheuristics were used, along with a discretization mechanism based on min–max normalization. The stability of the algorithm was evaluated with respect to the solutions obtained; the steel and concrete values obtained in both optimizations were analyzed. Additionally, the geometric variables of the structure were compared. Finally, the results obtained were compared with another algorithm that solved the problem. The results show that there is a trade-off between the use of steel and concrete. The solutions that minimize CO 2 emissions prefer the use of concrete instead of those that optimize the cost. On the other hand, when comparing the geometric variables, it is seen that most remain similar in both optimizations except for the distance between buttresses. When comparing with another algorithm, the results show a good performance in optimization using the black hole algorithm.

scholarly journals Longevity of Raw and Lyophilized Crude Urease Extracts

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 325-334
Author(s):  
Neda Javadi ◽  
Hamed Khodadadi Tirkolaei ◽  
Nasser Hamdan ◽  
Edward Kavazanjian
Keyword(s):  
Crude Extract ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Extraction Process ◽  
Crude Extracts ◽  
Simple Extraction ◽  
Commercial Applications ◽  
Stable Source ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Cost

The stability (longevity of activity) of three crude urease extracts was evaluated in a laboratory study as part of an effort to reduce the cost of urease for applications that do not require high purity enzyme. A low-cost, stable source of urease will greatly facilitate engineering applications of urease such as biocementation of soil. Inexpensive crude extracts of urease have been shown to be effective at hydrolyzing urea for carbonate precipitation. However, some studies have suggested that the activity of a crude extract may decrease with time, limiting the potential for its mass production for commercial applications. The stability of crude urease extracts shown to be effective for biocementation was studied. The crude extracts were obtained from jack beans via a simple extraction process, stored at room temperature and at 4 ℃, and periodically tested to evaluate their stability. To facilitate storage and transportation of the extracted enzyme, the longevity of the enzyme following freeze drying (lyophilization) to reduce the crude extract to a powder and subsequent re-hydration into an aqueous solution was evaluated. In an attempt to improve the shelf life of the lyophilized extract, dextran and sucrose were added during lyophilization. The stability of purified commercial urease following rehydration was also investigated. Results of the laboratory tests showed that the lyophilized crude extract maintained its activity during storage more effectively than either the crude extract solution or the rehydrated commercial urease. While incorporating 2% dextran (w/v) prior to lyophilization of the crude extract increased the overall enzymatic activity, it did not enhance the stability of the urease during storage.

scholarly journals Competing Conventions with Costly Information Acquisition

Games ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Roberto Rozzi
Keyword(s):  
Information Acquisition ◽  
Evolutionary Model ◽  
Equilibrium Selection ◽  
The Other ◽  
Group Interactions ◽  
Social Coordination ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Stochastic Stability Analysis ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Cost

We consider an evolutionary model of social coordination in a 2 × 2 game where two groups of players prefer to coordinate on different actions. Players can pay a cost to learn their opponent’s group: if they pay it, they can condition their actions concerning the groups. We assess the stability of outcomes in the long run using stochastic stability analysis. We find that three elements matter for the equilibrium selection: the group size, the strength of preferences, and the information’s cost. If the cost is too high, players never learn the group of their opponents in the long run. If one group is stronger in preferences for its favorite action than the other, or its size is sufficiently large compared to the other group, every player plays that group’s favorite action. If both groups are strong enough in preferences, or if none of the groups’ sizes is large enough, players play their favorite actions and miscoordinate in inter-group interactions. Lower levels of the cost favor coordination. Indeed, when the cost is low, in inside-group interactions, players always coordinate on their favorite action, while in inter-group interactions, they coordinate on the favorite action of the group that is stronger in preferences or large enough.

scholarly journals Computing the Exact Number of Similarity Classes in the Longest Edge Bisection of Tetrahedra

Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1447
Author(s):  
Jose P. Suárez ◽  
Agustín Trujillo ◽  
Tania Moreno
Keyword(s):  
Data Structure ◽  
Stability Condition ◽  
Open Problem ◽  
Integer Arithmetic ◽  
Exact Number ◽  
Similarity Class ◽  
The Stability ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Cost

Showing whether the longest-edge (LE) bisection of tetrahedra meshes degenerates the stability condition or not is still an open problem. Some reasons, in part, are due to the cost for achieving the computation of similarity classes of millions of tetrahedra. We prove the existence of tetrahedra where the LE bisection introduces, at most, 37 similarity classes. This family of new tetrahedra was roughly pointed out by Adler in 1983. However, as far as we know, there has been no evidence confirming its existence. We also introduce a new data structure and algorithm for computing the number of similarity tetrahedral classes based on integer arithmetic, storing only the square of edges. The algorithm lets us perform compact and efficient high-level similarity class computations with a cost that is only dependent on the number of similarity classes.

scholarly journals Design and experimental study of the remote control for a novel patient transfer apparatus

2021 ◽  
Vol 1748 ◽  
pp. 062040
Author(s):  
Yu Tian ◽  
Hongbo Wang ◽  
Yongshun Zhang ◽  
Junjie Tian ◽  
Jiazheng Du
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Remote Control ◽  
Patient Transfer ◽  
Transfer Apparatus

The Mitigation of the French Nuclear Option: New Industrial Realism and Technical Democracy

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Finon
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Electricity Markets ◽  
Social Preferences ◽  
Public Inquiry ◽  
The Future ◽  
Parliamentary Committee ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Phase Out

Nuclear phase-out policies and the European obligation to liberalise electricity markets could put the French nuclear option dramatically at risk by influencing social preferences or by constraining power producers' investment choices in the future. So far, the particular institutional set-up which has allowed the efficient build-up and operation of several series of standardised reactors preserves the stability of the main elements of the option. However, important adaptations to the evolving industrial and political environment occur and contribute to changing the option. Some institutional changes (such as local public inquiry, creation of a Parliamentary committee, independence of safety authorities) and divergence between industrial interests already allow debates on internal options such as reprocessing, type of waste management deposits, ordering of an advanced PWR. These changes improve the cost transparency, even if internalisation of nuclear externalities (cost of insurance, provisions for waste management) is still incomplete. However, when effective, this internalisation would not affect definitively the competitive position of the nuclear production because of the parallel internalisation of CO2 externalities from fossil fuel power generation in the official rationale. Consequently the real issue for the future of the nuclear option in France remains the preservation of social acceptability in the perception of nuclear risks.

USING MALIC ACID SOLUTIONS FOR THE HYDRATION OF VEGETABLE OILS AND LECITHIN PRODUCTION

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Л.А. МАРЧЕНКО ◽  
Т.Н. БОКОВИКОВА ◽  
Е.В. ЛИСОВАЯ ◽  
С.А. ИЛЬИНОВА ◽  
Е.П. ВИКТОРОВА
Keyword(s):  
Malic Acid ◽  
Complex Compounds ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Magnesium Ions ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Calcium And Magnesium ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Calcium And Magnesium Ions

Исследована возможность применения яблочной кислоты (ЯК) в качестве гидратирующего агента для перевода негидратируемых форм фосфолипидов в гидратируемые. Выбор ЯК обусловлен ее стоимостью, которая в 1,5 раза меньше стоимости янтарной кислоты, широко применяемой в качестве гидратирующего агента, а также большей доступностью с точки зрения промышленного производства. Исследование процесса комплексообразования и определение состава комплексных соединений ЯК с ионами кальция и магния осуществляли методом потенциометрического титрования. Установлено, что внесение в раствор ЯК ионов кальция и магния приводит к снижению значений рН, что свидетельствует о наличии комплексообразования в указанных системах. Наиболее устойчивыми являются комплексы ионов кальция и магния с непротонированным лигандом при соотношении Ме2 : лиганд 1 : 1. В процессе комплексообразования ионы Ca2 и Mg2 вытесняют протоны только карбоксильных групп ЯК, которая с ионами кальция образует более устойчивые комплексы, чем с ионами магния. Показано, что устойчивость комплексов ЯК с ионами кальция и магния значительно выше, чем устойчивость комплексов фосфатидилсеринов и фосфатидных кислот с указанными ионами. Использование водных растворов ЯК в качестве гидратирующего агента позволит повысить эффективность процесса гидратации и увеличить выход фосфолипидов и, следовательно, готового продукта лецитина. The possibility of using malic acid (MA) as a hydrating agent for converting non-hydrated forms of phospholipids into hydrated ones has been investigated. The choice of MA is due to its cost, which is 1,5 times less than the cost of succinic acid, as well as greater availability from the point of view of industrial production. The study of the complexation process and determination of the composition of complex compounds of MA with calcium and magnesium ions was carried out by the method of potentiometric titration. It was found that the introduction of calcium and magnesium ions into the MA solution leads to a decrease in pH values, which indicates the presence of complexation in these systems. Complexes of calcium and magnesium ions with an unprotected ligand at a ratio of ME2 : ligand 1 : 1 are the most stable. In the process of complexing, Ca2 and Mg2 ions displace protons only of the carboxyl groups of MA, which forms more stable complexes with calcium ions than with magnesium ions. It is shown that the stability of MA complexes with calcium and magnesium ions is significantly higher than the stability of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidic acid complexes with these ions. Using water solutions of MA as a hydrating agent will increase the efficiency of the hydration process and increase the yield of phospholipids and, consequently, the finished product lecithin.

scholarly journals Stability Analysis of R&D Cooperation in a Supply Chain

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luyun Xu ◽  
Dong Liang ◽  
Zhenjie Duan ◽  
Xu Xiao
Keyword(s):  
Game Theory ◽  
Stability Analysis ◽  
Knowledge Spillovers ◽  
Opportunistic Behavior ◽  
Collaborative Process ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Inherent Quality

R&D outsourcing becomes the often-adopted strategy for firms to innovate. However, R&D cooperation often ends up with failure because of its inherent quality of instability. One of the main reasons for cooperation failure is the opportunistic behavior. As the R&D contract between firms is inherently incomplete, opportunistic behavior always cannot be avoided in the collaborative process. R&D cooperation has been divided into horizontal and vertical types. This paper utilizes game theory to study opportunistic behavior in the vertical R&D cooperation and analyzes the equilibrium of the cooperation. Based on the equilibrium and numerical results, it is found that the vertical R&D cooperation is inherently unstable, and the downstream firm is more likely to break the agreement. The level of knowledge spillovers and the cost of R&D efforts have different effects on firms’ payoffs. When the level of knowledge spillover is low or the cost of R&D efforts is high, mechanisms such as punishment for opportunism may be more effective to guarantee the stability of cooperation.

scholarly journals Managing cost uncertainties in transportation and assignment problems

1998 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Adlakha ◽  
H. Arsham
Keyword(s):  
Time Lag ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Solution Algorithm ◽  
Assignment Problems ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Order Assignment ◽  
Cost Parameters ◽  
The Cost

In a fast changing global market, a manager is concerned with cost uncertainties of the cost matrix in transportation problems (TP) and assignment problems (AP).A time lag between the development and application of the model could cause cost parameters to assume different values when an optimal assignment is implemented. The manager might wish to determine the responsiveness of the current optimal solution to such uncertainties. A desirable tool is to construct a perturbation set (PS) of cost coeffcients which ensures the stability of an optimal solution under such uncertainties.The widely-used methods of solving the TP and AP are the stepping-stone (SS) method and the Hungarian method, respectively. Both methods fail to provide direct information to construct the needed PS. An added difficulty is that these problems might be highly pivotal degenerate. Therefore, the sensitivity results obtained via the available linear programming (LP) software might be misleading.We propose a unified pivotal solution algorithm for both TP and AP. The algorithm is free of pivotal degeneracy, which may cause cycling, and does not require any extra variables such as slack, surplus, or artificial variables used in dual and primal simplex. The algorithm permits higher-order assignment problems and side-constraints. Computational results comparing the proposed algorithm to the closely-related pivotal solution algorithm, the simplex, via the widely-used pack-age Lindo, are provided. The proposed algorithm has the advantage of being computationally practical, being easy to understand, and providing useful information for managers. The results empower the manager to assess and monitor various types of cost uncertainties encountered in real-life situations. Some illustrative numerical examples are also presented.

scholarly journals Chapter 8 Swelling and shrinking soils

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Jones ◽  
Vanessa Banks ◽  
Ian Jefferson
Keyword(s):  
Arid Environments ◽  
Local Site ◽  
Geotechnical Characterization ◽  
Significant Damage ◽  
The World ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Structural Engineers ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Swelling And Shrinking

AbstractSwelling and shrinking soils are soils that can experience large changes in volume due to changes in water content. This may be due to seasonal changes in moisture content, local site changes such as leakage from water supply pipes or drains, changes to surface drainage and landscaping, or following the planting, removal or severe pruning of trees or hedges. These soils represent a significant hazard to structural engineers across the world due to their shrink–swell behaviour, with the cost of mitigation alone running into several billion pounds annually. These soils usually contain some form of clay mineral, such as smectite or vermiculite, and can be found in humid and arid/semi-arid environments where their expansive nature can cause significant damage to properties and infrastructure. This chapter discusses the properties and costs associated with shrink–swell soils, their formation and distribution throughout the UK and the rest of the world, and their geological and geotechnical characterization. It also considers the mechanisms of shrink-swell soils and their behaviour, reviewing strategies for managing them in an engineering context, before finally outlining the problem of trees and shrink–swell soils.

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