Self-Assessment of Biomedical Activity Related to Medical Devices Embedded in EMS Ambulances: Towards a Roadmap for an Efficient Improvement

Objective: The present investigation is focused on a self-assessment of the biomedical activity related to embedded Medical Devices on board a fleet of 46 EMS medicalized ambulances, according to the High Authority of Health standard (criterion 8K) and the Guide of the Good Practices of Biomedical Engineering. Materials and Methods: The methodology adopted for this purpose is based on an analysis allowing the evaluation and observation of practices related to biomedical activity in these ambulances. An initial assessment, carried out in March 2021, made it possible to measure the gaps between the actual situation and the recommendations of the two self-diagnosis tools (High Authority of Health and Guide of the Good Practices of Biomedical Engineering standards). A series of corrective actions were proposed and then implemented. A second self-assessment took place after 6 months, in October 2021. Results: Between March and October 2021, an improvement in the scores for almost all the axes of the two self-assessment tools was noted. Indeed, the score of the self-assessment for the High Authority of Health reference system rose from 44% in March 2021 to 63% in October 2021, i.e. an increase of 19%, and that of the Guide of the Good Practices of Biomedical Engineering increased from 67.54% in March 2021 to 80.96% in October 2021, i.e. an increase of 13.42%. Conclusion: The implementation of a maintenance strategy integrating the notion of quality, relevant procedures and pertinent work tools has made it possible to significantly improve the biomedical activity within the medical ambulances and to optimise the embedded medical devices.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative with ASEAN Countries: Examining the Trade Cooperation and Impact of Coronavirus

The rising US–China tension in the global trade war increased the trade cooperation between China and the ASEAN. Consequently, China’s total import and export volume with ASEAN increased tremendously to 684.60 billion USD in 2020, up by 6.7% year on year. This trend is part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which promotes China’s infrastructure building program in the neighboring ASEAN countries and exports China’s technical know-how and engineering standards. However, the recent coronavirus outbreak that stormed China and the rest of the world caused delays to many BRI projects. Subsequently, this outbreak also hit the ASEAN countries and halted many of their mega-projects under the BRI framework. Thus, this study attempts to highlight the trade cooperation and project developments of BRI in the ASEAN countries. In addition, the study features the landscape of BRI projects that were affected by the coronavirus amongst the ASEAN countries.

Model-driven system-level validation and verification on the space software domain

The development process of on-board software applications can benefit from model-driven engineering techniques. Model validation and model transformations can be applied to drive the activities of specification, requirements definition, and system-level validation and verification according to the space software engineering standards ECSS-E-ST-40 and ECSS-Q-ST-80. This paper presents a model-driven approach to completing these activities by avoiding inconsistencies between the documents that support them and providing the ability to automatically generate the system-level validation tests that are run on the Ground Support Equipment and the matrices required to complete the software verification. A demonstrator of the approach has been built using as a proof of concept a subset of the functionality of the software of the control unit of the Energetic Particle Detector instrument on-board Solar Orbiter.

How Should Learning through STEM and Music Be Aligned?

This chapter begins by providing a few “Pool Rules” before jumping into aligning STEM and Music. The importance of quality and authenticity in the learning experience is paramount, and this part of the book seeks to help the reader achieve both. The chapter then explores multiple sides of STEM and Music to provide guidance on using and assessing high-quality educational standards currently available to the greater educational community. Each set of standards explained provides another way that educators may find direct connections between content areas. These standards include the Next Generation Science Standards, International Society for Technology in Education Standards, Computer Science Teachers Association & K–12 Computer Science Framework, Common Core Mathematics Standards for Practice, Engineering Standards, and National Core Arts Standards.

Strength and stiffness of 3-ply industrial bamboo matting

There is a pressing need to develop engineering standards for timber- and other wood-based mats suitable for supporting construction vehicles, etc. In 2018, a group of mat producers and users began discussing a potential grading standard specific to mats. There are large gaps in the literature regarding the performance of the available raw materials as well as bolt-laminated mat systems. This study addresses the issue of determining the strength and stiffness values of a commercially sourced industrial bamboo mat. A total of seven 8 ft × 14 ft (2.44 m × 4.27 m) commercial bamboo mats were cut into 28 billets that were 21.5 in (54.6 cm) in width. The bamboo mat billets were evaluated for bending stiffness (modulus of elasticity [MOE]) and strength (modulus of rupture [MOR]) using a three-point static bending test. The 5th percentile non-parametric tolerance limit (5% NTL) and design value for fiber stress in bending (Fb) were calculated. The mechanical property values measured for the 3-ply bamboo mat were at least 25% less than values reported for mixed hardwood timber mats. This type of structural performance information is helpful and useful in the development of matting standards, as it describes the minimum performance characteristics for this type of composite matting.

Engineering Site Investigation for Foundation Design and Construction in Shale and Sandstone Derived Soils of Okitipupa Area, Southwestern Nigeria

Geotechnical and geo-electrical investigations of Okitipupa has been carried out with the major objectives of establishing the subsoil/geology, evaluate the geotechnical properties and recommend appropriate foundation alternatives for building foundation construction. Seven borings were carried out with hand auger at two cone penetration test locations, and representative samples were collected and analyzed in the laboratory in accordance with relevant geotechnical engineering standards. In addition, six vertical electrical soundings (VES) were also conducted using Schlumberger configuration. The result of VES delineates three major geologic sequence comprising the topsoil/caprock, sand surficial aquifer, and sand intermediate aquifer. The topsoil has resistivity range of 242 – 1503 ohm-m and thickness of 3.4 - 20.9 m composed of clay sand and sand. This layer is capable of supporting shallow foundation such as simple spread, raft of reinforced concrete, with recommended allowable bearing pressure of 100 KN/m2 at depths of 1.0 m and 3.2 m in the northern and southern part of the study area respectively. The estimated settlement are less than 50 mm using foundation width of 0.6 m, but could be reduced by almost 50% if the width is greater than or equal to 2 m. The groundwater level is very deep (>10 m) and may not likely threatens the integrity of the foundation structures. The estimated allowable bearing capacity for strip footing (203 – 980 KN/m2), square footing (608 – 2940 KN/m2) within 1.4 m depth is appropriate. The capacity of driven (deep foundation) circular piles of diameters 400mm, 500mm, and 600mm, the recommended pile capacity varies at depth of 5 m (69 – 124 KN), 10 m (225 – 378 KN), and 15 m (470 – 766 KN), while that of bored circular pile ranges from (36 – 75 KN), 10 m (93 – 180 KN), and 15 m (170 – 317 KN).

Is the Volume-of-Fluid Method Coupled with a Sub-Grid Bubble Equation Efficient for Simulating Local and Continuum Aeration?

Air entrainment is common in free surface flows in large hydraulic structures (e.g., spillways, chutes, energy dissipation structures) and must be considered to assure an effective and safe operation. Due to the large size of the prototype structures, it is infeasible to model individual air bubbles. Therefore, using the OpenFOAM toolbox, an efficient simulation model for aerated flows is developed for engineering purposes. The Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations and the volume-of-fluid method are coupled with a sub-grid bubble population model that simulates entrainment and transport. A comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness, computational cost, and reliability is performed. Local and continuum bubble entrainment are evaluated in two distinct flows: an impinging jet and along a spillway chute. Aeration is induced, respectively, by a shear flow and by the thickening of the turbulent boundary layer. Moreover, a detailed sensitivity analysis of the model’s parameters is conducted. Calibration and validation are performed against experimental and prototype data. Among the analyzed entrainment formulations, the one depending exclusively on the turbulent kinetic energy is the only applicable to different flow types. Good accuracy is found, meeting engineering standards, and the additional computation cost is marginal. Results depend primarily on the volume-of-fluid method ability to reproduce the interface. Calibration is straightforward in self-aeration but more difficult for local aeration.