scholarly journals Education in the Field of Forensic Engineering

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kousay Al-Sanjery ◽  
◽  
Kong Fah Tee ◽  
Horng Hean Tee ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Practice ◽  
Process Design ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Engineering Discipline ◽  
Standards And Regulations ◽  
Judicial Proceedings ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Design Construction

The profession of forensic engineering has been used in investigations for causes of failure in various engineering cases and used when engineers require to give testimony in judicial proceedings. Forensic engineering has become a field of professional practice of its own; criteria and procedural methods have been proposed in the United States, UK and Europe. Many professionals and engineering institutions have venture in this field and set basic principles to establish a platform for going forward. This paper will cover the topics in design-construction process, design codes and standards, construction safety codes, standards and regulations, the first steps after failure, legal concerns after a failure, standard of care and case studies. It is hoped that the paper will enlighten the scope and details of the forensic engineering discipline which can be used as a tool for a failure knowledge base for engineering education and learning outcomes.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Analysis: Biomechanics is an Engineering Discipline

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Lee
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Injury Mechanism ◽  
Academic Programs ◽  
Biomechanical Analysis ◽  
Engineering Discipline ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Event Reconstruction ◽  
Injury Mechanisms ◽  
Injury Event ◽  
Forensic Engineering

Forensic engineering experts with expertise in the field of biomechanics are frequently retained to conduct a biomechanical analysis of some injury-related incident. This may involve the areas of injury event reconstruction, what forces may have been involved, how the person responded to these forces, and whether injury mechanisms consistent with the claimed injuries were (or were not) established during the incident. It is the view of someengineering biomechanics experts that the presentation of injury mechanism-related opinions is based on biomechanics (a subject of engineering) and is not intended to serve as an opinion regarding injury causation (i.e., was the claimant injured as a result of the described incident). Attorneys have challenged the ability of forensic engineering biomechanics experts to offer injury mechanism-related opinions (and often the other associated areas described above) based on a theory that “biomechanics” is not a subject of engineering, butrather a subject of medicine, and, in turn, the engineering expert should not be allowed to present such opinions. This paper explores the validity of this claim, focusing on the academic evidence. More specifically, academic programs within the United States in both the areas of engineering and medicine were examined to find evidence of formal classes in the area of biomechanics, dedicated biomechanics research activities, current textbooks and references (focusing on author affiliation), and other academic-related activities.

The 2008 Declaration of Helsinki — First among Equals in Research Ethics?

2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Rid ◽  
Harald Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Research ◽  
Research Ethics ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Declaration Of Helsinki ◽  
The World ◽  
Ethical Guidance ◽  
Post Trial ◽  
The U.S

The World Medical Association's (WMA) Declaration of Helsinki is one of the most important and influential international research ethics documents. Launched in 1964, when ethical guidance for research was scarce, the Declaration comprised eleven basic principles and provisions on clinical research. The document has since evolved to a complex set of principles, norms, and directions for action of varying degrees of specificity, ranging from specific rules to broad aspirational statements. It has been revised six times in an effort to maintain its influence. While all revisions were the result of vigorous debate, the 2000 revision and two subsequent notes of clarification spurred particular controversy surrounding the use of placebo in clinical research and the standard of care and post-trial obligations in research in developing countries. Several institutions opted to cite earlier versions of the Declaration, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently removed all reference to the Declaration in its approval requirements for drugs and biological products that are studied outside the United States.

scholarly journals Testing telediagnostic thyroid ultrasound in Peru: a new horizon in expanding access to imaging in rural and underserved areas

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Marini ◽  
S. L. Weiss ◽  
A. Gupta ◽  
Y. T. Zhao ◽  
T. M. Baran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Nodule ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Thyroid Ultrasound ◽  
Target Region ◽  
Experienced Radiologist ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Size Evaluation

Abstract Purpose Thyroid ultrasound is a key tool in the evaluation of the thyroid, but billions of people around the world lack access to ultrasound imaging. In this study, we tested an asynchronous telediagnostic ultrasound system operated by individuals without prior ultrasound training which may be used to effectively evaluate the thyroid and improve access to imaging worldwide. Methods The telediagnostic system in this study utilizes volume sweep imaging (VSI), an imaging technique in which the operator scans the target region with simple sweeps of the ultrasound probe based on external body landmarks. Sweeps are recorded and saved as video clips for later interpretation by an expert. Two operators without prior ultrasound experience underwent 8 h of training on the thyroid VSI protocol and the operation of the telemedicine platform. After training, the operators scanned patients at a health center in Lima. Telediagnostic examinations were sent to the United States for remote interpretation. Standard of care thyroid ultrasound was performed by an experienced radiologist at the time of VSI examination to serve as a reference standard. Results Novice operators scanned 121 subjects with the thyroid VSI protocol. Of these exams, 88% were rated of excellent image quality showing complete or near complete thyroid visualization. There was 98.3% agreement on thyroid nodule presence between VSI teleultrasound and standard of care ultrasound (Cohen’s kappa 0.91, P < 0.0001). VSI measured the thyroid size, on average, within 5 mm compared to standard of care. Readers of VSI were also able to effectively characterize thyroid nodules, and there was no significant difference in measurement of thyroid nodule size (P = 0.74) between VSI and standard of care. Conclusion Thyroid VSI telediagnostic ultrasound demonstrated both excellent visualization of the thyroid gland and agreement with standard of care thyroid ultrasound for nodules and thyroid size evaluation. This system could be deployed for evaluation of palpable thyroid abnormalities, nodule follow-up, and epidemiological studies to promote global health and improve the availability of diagnostic imaging in underserved communities.

scholarly journals Recommendations for Increasing Physician Provision of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis: Implications for Medical Student Training

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 004695802110176
Author(s):  
Robert L. Cooper ◽  
Paul D. Juarez ◽  
Matthew C. Morris ◽  
Aramandla Ramesh ◽  
Ryan Edgerton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Care Management ◽  
Financial Constraints ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Risk Compensation ◽  
Continuous Care ◽  
Student Training ◽  
Hiv Acquisition ◽  
Hiv Risk Assessment ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

There is growing evidence that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) prevents HIV acquisition. However, in the United States, approximately only 4% of people who could benefit from PrEP are currently receiving it, and it is estimated only 1 in 5 physicians has ever prescribed PrEP. We conducted a scoping review to gain an understanding of physician-identified barriers to PrEP provision. Four overarching barriers presented in the literature: Purview Paradox, Patient Financial Constraints, Risk Compensation, and Concern for ART Resistance. Considering the physician-identified barriers, we make recommendations for how physicians and students may work to increase PrEP knowledge and competence along each stage of the PrEP cascade. We recommend adopting HIV risk assessment as a standard of care, improving physician ability to identify PrEP candidates, improving physician interest and ability in encouraging PrEP uptake, and increasing utilization of continuous care management to ensure retention and adherence to PrEP.

scholarly journals Testing telediagnostic obstetric ultrasound in Peru: a new horizon in expanding access to prenatal ultrasound

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marika Toscano ◽  
Thomas J. Marini ◽  
Kathryn Drennan ◽  
Timothy M. Baran ◽  
Jonah Kan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Excellent Agreement ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Second Trimester ◽  
Obstetric Ultrasound ◽  
Biometric Measurements

Abstract Background Ninety-four percent of all maternal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and the majority are preventable. Access to quality Obstetric ultrasound can identify some complications leading to maternal and neonatal/perinatal mortality or morbidity and may allow timely referral to higher-resource centers. However, there are significant global inequalities in access to imaging and many challenges to deploying ultrasound to rural areas. In this study, we tested a novel, innovative Obstetric telediagnostic ultrasound system in which the imaging acquisitions are obtained by an operator without prior ultrasound experience using simple scan protocols based only on external body landmarks and uploaded using low-bandwidth internet for asynchronous remote interpretation by an off-site specialist. Methods This is a single-center pilot study. A nurse and care technician underwent 8 h of training on the telediagnostic system. Subsequently, 126 patients (68 second trimester and 58 third trimester) were recruited at a health center in Lima, Peru and scanned by these ultrasound-naïve operators. The imaging acquisitions were uploaded by the telemedicine platform and interpreted remotely in the United States. Comparison of telediagnostic imaging was made to a concurrently performed standard of care ultrasound obtained and interpreted by an experienced attending radiologist. Cohen’s Kappa was used to test agreement between categorical variables. Intraclass correlation and Bland-Altman plots were used to test agreement between continuous variables. Results Obstetric ultrasound telediagnosis showed excellent agreement with standard of care ultrasound allowing the identification of number of fetuses (100% agreement), fetal presentation (95.8% agreement, κ =0.78 (p < 0.0001)), placental location (85.6% agreement, κ =0.74 (p < 0.0001)), and assessment of normal/abnormal amniotic fluid volume (99.2% agreement) with sensitivity and specificity > 95% for all variables. Intraclass correlation was good or excellent for all fetal biometric measurements (0.81–0.95). The majority (88.5%) of second trimester ultrasound exam biometry measurements produced dating within 14 days of standard of care ultrasound. Conclusion This Obstetric ultrasound telediagnostic system is a promising means to increase access to diagnostic Obstetric ultrasound in low-resource settings. The telediagnostic system demonstrated excellent agreement with standard of care ultrasound. Fetal biometric measurements were acceptable for use in the detection of gross discrepancies in fetal size requiring further follow up.

Forensic Engineering: Professional Liability Risks of Engineering Sustainable Materials and Systems, Designing for Durability, and Pushing Materials to Their Limits

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua B. Kardon
Keyword(s):  
Limit State ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
State Behavior ◽  
Professional Engineer ◽  
Professional Liability ◽  
Design For Sustainability ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Liability Risks ◽  
Uninsurable Risk

<p>Professional engineers in the US may be found negligent and therefore liable for damages arising from failure to exercise a level of care, diligence, and skill exercised by other reputable practitioners in similar circumstances in an effort to accomplish the purpose for which the professional engineer was hired. If the professional engineer has accepted the obligation to design for sustainability or durability, or where materials, elements, or assemblies are intended by design to be “pushed to their limits” in normal service, the professional engineer may be accepting an extreme or uninsurable risk.</p><p>The subject of this paper is the standard of care and the relationship between the standard of care and design for sustainability or durability, or design where the engineered features are expected to be “pushed to their limits” in normal service. The paper’s contents include 1) an explanation of the concept of the standard of care, and 2) the professional liability pitfalls inherent in a design effort intended to result in sustainability or durability, or intended to achieve limit-state behavior in normal service. The subject is relevant for practitioners wishing to understand professional responsibilities for such designs.</p>

Emergency management collaboration: A review and new collaboration cycle

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-68
Author(s):  
Corey Olszewski, BS ◽  
Laura Siebeneck, PhD
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Process Design ◽  
The United States ◽  
Previous Literature ◽  
Trust Building ◽  
Collaborative Relationships ◽  
Collaborative Process ◽  
Form Function ◽  
Collaboration Process ◽  
New Framework

Objective: The purpose of this article is to review the nature of collaborations in the field of emergency management and to propose a new cyclical framework that better reflects how collaborations form, function, and evolve throughout the collaboration process. Design: An extensive review of previous literature pertaining to the collaborative process was carried out in order to identify stages through which these collaborative relationships progress in the emergency management arena.Setting: This article focuses on the nature of emergency management collaborations at the local, state, and federal levels in the United States. Results: This article builds upon the previous literature pertaining to collaboration and offers a new framework which visualizes collaboration as a trust-building and outcome cycle which moves through four repeating phases: initiation, inclusion, execution, and evaluation.Conclusions: This cycle supports the continuous, sustained, and safe learning and sharing platform identified in the previous literature and offers an improved visualization that can be used to better prepare for, manage, and reset emergency management collaborations.

A Comprehensive Review of Spirit Drink Safety Standards and Regulations from an International Perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Na Pang ◽  
Zhao-Jie Li ◽  
Jing-Yu Chen ◽  
Li-Juan Gao ◽  
Bei-Zhong Han
Keyword(s):  
Maximum Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Perspective ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Alcoholic Beverages ◽  
Hydrocyanic Acid ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
Standards And Regulations

ABSTRACT Standards and regulations related to spirit drinks have been established by different countries and international organizations to ensure the safety and quality of spirits. Here, we introduce the principles of food safety and quality standards for alcoholic beverages and then compare the key indicators used in the distinct standards of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the European Union, the People's Republic of China, the United States, Canada, and Australia. We also discuss in detail the “maximum level” of the following main contaminants of spirit drinks: methanol, higher alcohols, ethyl carbamate, hydrocyanic acid, heavy metals, mycotoxins, phthalates, and aldehydes. Furthermore, the control measures used for potential hazards are introduced. Harmonization of the current requirements based on comprehensive scope analysis and the risk assessment approach will enhance both the trade and quality of distilled spirits. This review article provides valuable information that will enable producers, traders, governments, and researchers to increase their knowledge of spirit drink safety requirements, control measures, and research trends.

scholarly journals HYDRAULIC ASPECTS OF WETLAND DESIGN

1988 ◽  
Vol 1 (21) ◽  
pp. 198
Author(s):  
James R. Walker ◽  
Andrea Bertolotti ◽  
Reinhard E. Flick ◽  
C. Robert Feldmeth
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Coastal Development ◽  
Regulatory Agencies ◽  
Tidal Wetlands ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Wetland Functions ◽  
Biological Features ◽  
The World ◽  
Key Features ◽  
Wetland Design

Tidal wetland preservation, restoration and creation have become requisites for coastal development projects in the United States. A basic approach to design of tidal wetlands is presented, stressing cooperation between regulatory agencies, biologists, engineers, and developers. Basic principles of wetland functions are explained and presented as criteria for engineering design. A description of wetlands is given to identify biological features relevant to design. Also, some key features of tides are summarized as they affect wetland design. A numerical model was used to demonstrate how tidal wetlands may be designed to conform with criteria developed by the agencies and biologists. This approach has been used on wetland designs in California, but the approach may be applicable to other areas of the world.

scholarly journals Forensic Engineering Analysis Of Dot Verses Non-Dot Helmet Performance As A Function Of Velocities Exceeding Standardized Testing As A Function Of Velocities Exceeding Standardized Testing

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura L. Liptai
Keyword(s):  
Standardized Testing ◽  
The United States ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Impact Performance ◽  
Performance Improvements ◽  
Motorcycle Helmet ◽  
Road Surfaces ◽  
Hybrid Iii ◽  
Forensic Engineering ◽  
Testing Standards

Motorcyclists Suffer Serious Trauma More Often Than Automotive Occupants Tracing To Contact With Non-Yielding Road Surfaces And/Or Direct Impact From Other Vehicles. A Motorcycle Helmet Is The Principal Defense To Head Impact. If A Motorcycle Helmet Passes Dot, Department Of Transportation, Approval, What Performance Improvements Correlate? Dot And Non-Dot Helmets Were Tested To Determine Impact Performance At Velocities Exceeding Standardized Testing Velocities. Three Types Of Dot Approved And Three Types Of Non-Dot Approved Helmets Were Tested At Two Speeds Outside Of The Federal Testing Standards In The United States. The Analysis Was Performed Using An Inverted Pendulum Sub-System Experimental Device With A Hybrid-Iii Anthropometric Dummy Cranium And Neck. Results Quantify The Performance By Category, Model, And Experiment By Test Metric.

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