Time and motion assessment of pit-emptying operations in Kigali, Rwanda

To ensure sanitation for all by 2030, fecal sludge collection services in low-income urban areas with no sewer connections need improvement. One of the major issues is the gap between low-income household's willingness to pay and the cost of emptying services in low-income areas. One way of lowering the cost of these services is through process optimization. In this regard, we conducted a time and motion study to better understand the bottlenecks associated with the collection of fecal waste from different types of on-site sanitation facilities. Our results show that emptying pit latrines, which make up 53% of the market for emptying services in Kigali, takes twice longer than emptying septic tanks. 33% of households that requested the service were located in an informal settlement with no access to road and could only be served by a semi-mechanized method which required use of barrels, and a portable pump. In general, interventions related to minimizing trash disposal in pits and septic tanks can go a long way in making the emptying process more time and cost-efficient. Additionally, developing effective and efficient pumping technologies that are suitable for use in inaccessible areas should be prioritized.

The Portable Fuel Transfer Pump Control System of Android Based for The Fuel Filling Effectiveness of Penerbad’s Helicopter

– The task of Army Aviation Operations is carried out in remote areas where airport services are still minimal, the process related to refueling for pilot helicopters is an obstacle in carrying out the pilot's main tasks. So, we need tools to make the process more effective. This research uses a method that will obtain quantitative data for research to prove the hypothesis. The method is known as the Development Life Cycle Waterfall Diagram and experimental research. Currently still using a hand pump, therefore it is necessary to have a tool that is portable and uses an electric pump. specifically for fuel which is controlled by Arduino and the android application as input for a filling command and can store charging data. In this case the tool system uses supporting components, namely batteries, Bluetooth hc 05, 5v relays and flow sensors. With the research on portable pump tools, the process can be more efficient than hand pumps. When refueling the helicopter, it is enough to enter the charging value from the android application, the charging is already running, and the charging data is stored in the android file.

The Design and Evaluation of a Portable Extracorporeal Centrifugal Blood Pump

In recent years, blood pumps have become the bridge to heart transplantation for patients with heart failure. Portability and wearability of blood pumps should be considered to ensure patient satisfaction in everyday life. To date, the focus has been on the development of portable and wearable peripheral components, little attention has been paid to the portable and wearable performance of the blood pump itself. This study reported a novel design of a wearable and portable extracorporeal centrifugal blood pump. Based on an in-house centrifugal maglev blood pump, the wearable and portable blood pump was designed with parallel inlet and outlet pipes to improve the wearable performance. A ring cavity was set at the inlet to convert the circumferential velocity of the inlet pipe to an axial velocity. The hydraulic and hemolytic performance of the baseline and portable blood pumps were analyzed and compared. Compared with the baseline pump, the hydrodynamic and hemolytic performance of the portable pump has been maintained without serious degradation. The results of this study will improve the life quality of patients with heart failure, and enhance the clinical benefits of artificial heart.

Subcutaneous vitamin B12 administration using a portable infusion pump in cobalamin-related remethylation disorders: a gentle and easy to use alternative to intramuscular injections

Background Cobalamin (cbl)-related remethylation disorders are a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders comprising the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine and affecting multiple organ systems, most prominently the nervous system and the bone marrow. To date, the parenteral, generally intramuscular, lifelong administration of hydroxycobalamin (OHCbl) is the mainstay of therapy in these disorders. The dosage and frequency of OHCbl is titrated in each patient to the minimum effective dose in order to account for the painful injections. This may result in undertreatment, a possible risk factor for disease progression and disease-related complications. Results We describe parenteral administration of OHCbl using a subcutaneous catheter together with a portable infusion pump in a home therapy setting in four pediatric patients with remethylation disorders, two patients with cblC, one patient with cblG, and one patient with cblE deficiency, in whom intramuscular injections were not or no longer feasible. The placement of the subcutaneous catheters and handling of the infusion pump were readily accomplished and well accepted by the patients and their families. No adverse events occurred. The use of a small, portable syringe driver pump allowed for a most flexible administration of OHCbl in everyday life. The concentrations of total homocysteine levels were determined at regular patient visits and remained within the therapeutic target range. This approach allowed for the continuation of OHCbl therapy or the adjustment of therapy required to improve metabolic control in our patients. Conclusions Subcutaneous infusion using a subcutaneous catheter system and a portable pump for OHCbl administration in combined and isolated remethylation disorders is safe, acceptable, and effective. It decreases disease burden in preventing frequent single injections and providing patient independence. Thus, it may promote long-term adherence to therapy in patients and parents.

Consensus on tasks to be included in a return to work assessment for a UK firefighter following an injury: an online Delphi study

Objective The aim was to provide a consensus tasks needed to be included in a return to work assessment for operational firefighters. Methods A two round online Delphi study was conducted with twenty-four participants including firefighters, service fitness advisers and occupational health managers. A consensus was set at 70% agreement. In round one, participants completed an online survey relating to tasks to be included during a return to work assessment for firefighters following an injury. Round two was an online consensus meeting to discuss the tasks where consensus was not achieved. Results A consensus was reached for ten of the thirteen tasks, including the number of repetitions required when lifting a light portable pump and climbing a ladder. A consensus was reached for the total distance equipment which should be carried. This included carrying a ladder, a hose and a light portable pump. Conclusions This study has provided a consensus for tasks to be included when assessing a firefighter for return to work. Further research is needed to understand how to use this assessment optimally

Ambulatory chemotherapy: Past, present, and future

Ambulatory chemotherapy allows the delivery of short and extended chemotherapy infusions through a portable pump from the comfort of patients’ homes. It is essential to offer it for suitable candidates to ensure both their safety and the success of the treatment session. This requires a delicate balance between clinical assessment and patient acceptance. The two main components of this treatment modality are the pump and the access device. There are several pump designs and mechanisms on the market, with the latest being the portable disposable elastomeric one. Clinicians along with a multidisciplinary medical team often decide upon the type of access device; patients are also involved whenever shared decision making is practiced. Despite some reports of pump programming errors or malfunctions, research is underway to find innovative solutions to support its use.

Fabrication of 3D continuous-flow reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction microdevice integrated with on-chip fluorescence detection for semi-quantitative assessment of gene expression

A 3D microdevice equipped with a portable pump and a single heater was fabricated integrating RNA amplification and detection functionalities.

Long-Term Cooling Strategy for the Primary Containment Vessel of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station in a Severe Accident

This paper explains the strategy of our company (Tokyo Electric Power, TEPCO) regarding means of long-term heat removal from the primary containment vessel (PCV) of Units 6 and 7 (ABWR) of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station in a severe accident. If the PCV continues in a high-temperature state for a long time, the strength of the PCV concrete will decline, and the risk of being affected by an earthquake will increase. Therefore, it is crucial for safety to cool the PCV and reduce its temperature to the maximum working temperature or lower. TEPCO provides a means of cooling the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) and PCV called the alternative coolant circulation system (ACCS). This system uses the heat exchanger of the residual heat removal (RHR) system, the make up water condensate (MUWC) pump, and alternative heat exchanger vehicles. By using these measures, it is possible reduce temperature in the PCV over the long term to the maximum working temperature (design value) or less, even in severe accident scenarios such as a large LOCA + ECCS function failures + SBO (station blackout). This function has quite high reliability, but in a scenario where these measures cannot be used, expectations are placed on the filtered vent (FV). However, due to FV characteristics, it is impossible to reduce to below the saturation temperature of 100°C at atmospheric pressure using FV alone, and it will be necessary in the medium/long-term to cool the PCV while also restoring the cooling equipment. Therefore, the following restoration operation of PCV cooling and its dose evaluation were studied. (1) RPV heat removal by restoring the RHR system (2) RPV and PCV heat removal using a portable pump employing a portable heat exchanger (3) RPV and PCV heat removal using the suppression pool water clean up system (SPCU) employing portable heat exchangers (4) RPV heat removal using the clean up water system (CUW) By clarifying beforehand issues such as feasibility of these systems, the on-site environment for restoration measures, and the necessary gear/systems, the authors were able to secure means of long-term cooling of the PCV, and further enhance PCV reliability.

Administration of aldoxorubicin and 14 days continuous infusion of ifosfamide/mesna in metastatic or locally advanced sarcomas.

11051 Background: Aldoxorubicin (A) has demonstrated superior anti-tumor efficacy and lack of cumulative cardiac toxicity in multiple studies. A is doxorubicin (D) with a linker which rapidly binds in vivo to albumin after iv. We studied the combination of A administered on Day 1 with continuous infusion (CI) of ifosfamide/Mesna (I-M) days 1-14, as first line therapy or second line therapy in patients with soft tissue sarcomas (STS) to evaluate efficacy and toxicity. Methods: 27 patients have entered the study at 250 mg/m2 ( 185 mg/m2 D equiv) administered on Day 1. I-M (1 g/m2 of each per day) was given up to 14 days as a CI via an out-patient portable pump. Chemotherapy cycles were repeated at 28 day interval. I-M was limited to a maximum of 6 cycles to avoid cumulative marrow toxicity, but A was continued per investigator decision in responding or SD patients for clinical benefit. Subjects were followed for tumor response (RECIST 1.1) by CT scans and echocardiogram/ECG for cardiac toxicity every 8 weeks along with standard labs. Enrollment continues up to 50 patients. Results: Demographics: Leiomyosarc. = 20%, liposarc. = 20%, synovial sarc. = 20%, rhabdosarc. = 8%, others = 32%. Caucasian, 11% Asian, 4% Black; 67% no prior tx, 26% 1 prior tx, 7% > 1 prior tx; Median cum. A = 1000 mg/m2 (740 mg/m2 D eq.; 185-4070 mg/m2 D eq.); I = 6.9 g/m2 (2.1-12.6 g/m2). Best response: 42% PR, 58% SD. Median PFS not reached. 10 subjects with either PR or SD had surgery to remove accesible tumors. Range of tumor necrosis = 70 to > 95%. Grade 3/4 AEs: neutropenia = 78%, febrile neutropenia = 9%, thrombocytopenia = 22%, anemia = 65%, nausea = 4%. Related SAEs = 4 (febrile neutropenia (2), pyrexia, stomatitis). No tx related deaths. No clinically significant cardiac AEs, no decrease in LVEF > 20% Conclusions: A can be administered for prolonged periods and safely with CI ifosfamide/mesna and achieves high ORR and SD with substantial tumor necrosis. Clinical trial information: NCT02235701.