Optical Fiber Sensors For Monitoring Joint Articulation And Chest Expansion Of A Human Body

DOEpatents

Muhs, Jeffrey D.; Allison, Stephen W.

1997-12-23

Fiber-optic sensors employing optical fibers of elastomeric material are incorporated in devices adapted to be worn by human beings in joint and chest regions for the purpose of monitoring and measuring the extent of joint articulation and chest expansion especially with respect to time.

Health monitoring with optical fiber sensors: from human body to civil structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinet, Éric; Hamel, Caroline; Glišić, Branko; Inaudi, Daniele; Miron, Nicolae

2007-04-01

Although structural health monitoring and patient monitoring may benefit from the unique advantages of optical fiber sensors (OFS) such as electromagnetic interferences (EMI) immunity, sensor small size and long term reliability, both applications are facing different realities. This paper presents, with practical examples, several OFS technologies ranging from single-point to distributed sensors used to address the health monitoring challenges in medical and in civil engineering fields. OFS for medical applications are single-point, measuring mainly vital parameters such as pressure or temperature. In the intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP) therapy, a miniature OFS can monitor in situ aortic blood pressure to trigger catheter balloon inflation/deflation in counter-pulsation with heartbeats. Similar sensors reliably monitor the intracranial pressure (ICP) of critical care patients, even during surgical interventions or examinations under medical resonance imaging (MRI). Temperature OFS are also the ideal monitoring solution for such harsh environments. Most of OFS for structural health monitoring are distributed or have long gage length, although quasi-distributed short gage sensors are also used. Those sensors measure mainly strain/load, temperature, pressure and elongation. SOFO type deformation sensors were used to monitor and secure the Bolshoi Moskvoretskiy Bridge in Moscow. Safety of Plavinu dam built on clay and sand in Latvia was increased by monitoring bitumen joints displacement and temperature changes using SMARTape and Temperature Sensitive Cable read with DiTeSt unit. A similar solution was used for monitoring a pipeline built in an unstable area near Rimini in Italy.

Integrated structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farrar, Charles R.; Sohn, Hoon; Fugate, Michael L.; Czarnecki, Jerry J.

2001-07-01

Structural health monitoring is the implementation of a damage detection strategy for aerospace, civil and mechanical engineering infrastructure. Typical damage experienced by this infrastructure might be the development of fatigue cracks, degradation of structural connections, or bearing wear in rotating machinery. The goal of the research effort reported herein is to develop a robust and cost-effective structural health monitoring solution by integrating and extending technologies from various engineering and information technology disciplines. It is the author's opinion that all structural health monitoring systems must be application specific. Therefore, a specific application, monitoring welded moment resisting steel frame connections in structures subjected to seismic excitation, is described along with the motivation for choosing this application. The structural health monitoring solution for this application will integrate structural dynamics, wireless data acquisition, local actuation, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, and statistical pattern recognition algorithms. The proposed system is based on an assessment of the deficiencies associated with many current structural health monitoring technologies including past efforts by the authors. This paper provides an example of the integrated approach to structural health monitoring being undertaken at Los Alamos National Laboratory and summarizes progress to date on various aspects of the technology development.

A self-diagnostic adhesive for monitoring bonded joints in aerospace structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuang, Yitao; Li, Yu-hung; Kopsaftopoulos, Fotis; Chang, Fu-Kuo

2016-04-01

Bondline integrity is still one of the most critical concerns in the design of aircraft structures up to date. Due to the lack of confidence on the integrity of the bondline both during fabrication and service, the industry standards and regulations still require assembling the composite using conventional fasteners. Furthermore, current state-of-the-art non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques are incapable of offering mature solutions on the issue of bondline integrity monitoring. Therefore, the objective of this work is the development of an intelligent adhesive film with integrated micro-sensors for monitoring the integrity of the bondline interface. The proposed method makes use of an electromechanical-impedance (EMI) based method, which is a rapidly evolving approach within the SHM family. Furthermore, an innovative screen-printing technique to fabricate piezoelectric ceramic sensors with minimal thickness has been developed at Stanford. The approach presented in this study is based on the use of (i) micro screen-printed piezoelectric sensors integrated into adhesive leaving a minimal footprint on the material, (ii) numerical and analytical modeling of the EMI spectrum of the adhesive bondline, (iii) novel diagnostic algorithms for monitoring the bondline integrity based on advanced signal processing techniques, and (iv) the experimental assessment via prototype adhesively bonded structures in static (varying loads) and dynamic (fatigue) environments. The proposed method will provide a huge confidence on the use of bonded joints for aerospace structures and lead to a paradigm change in their design by enabling enormous weight savings while maximizing the economic and performance efficiency.

Activities of the US-Japan Safety Monitor Joint Working Group

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Richard L. Savercool; Lee C. Cadwallader

2004-09-01

This paper documents the activities of the US-Japan exchange in the area of personnel safety at magnetic and laser fusion experiments. A near-miss event with a visiting scientist to the US in 1992 was the impetus for forming the Joint Working Group on Fusion Safety. This exchnge has been under way for over ten years and has provided many safety insights for both US and Japanese facility personnel at national institutes and at universities. The background and activities of the Joint Working Group are described, including the facilities that have been visited for safety walkthroughs, the participants from both countries,more » and the main safety issues examined during visits. Based on these visits, some operational safety ideas to enhance experiment safety are given. The near-term future plans of the Safety Monitor Joint Working group are also discussed.« less

Structural health monitoring of wind turbine blade using fiber Bragg grating sensors and fiber optic rotary joint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.; Ni, Y. Q.; Ye, X. W.; Yang, H. X.; Zhu, S.

2012-04-01

Wind energy utilization as a reliable energy source has become a large industry in the last 20 years. Nowadays, wind turbines can generate megawatts of power and have rotor diameters that are on the order of 100 meters in diameter. One of the key components in a wind turbine is the blade which could be damaged by moisture absorption, fatigue, wind gusts or lighting strikes. The wind turbine blades should be routinely monitored to improve safety, minimize downtime, lower the risk of sudden breakdowns and associated huge maintenance and logistics costs, and provide reliable power generation. In this paper, a real-time wind turbine blade monitoring system using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors with the fiber optic rotary joint (FORJ) is proposed, and applied to monitor the structural responses of a 600 W small scale wind turbine. The feasibility and effectiveness of the FORJ is validated by continuously transmitting the optical signals between the FBG interrogator at the stationary side and the FBG sensors on the rotating part. A comparison study between the measured data from the proposed system and those from an IMote2-based wireless strain measurement system is conducted.

Health monitoring of prestressing tendons in post-tensioned concrete structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salamone, Salvatore; Bartoli, Ivan; Nucera, Claudio; Phillips, Robert; Lanza di Scalea, Francesco

2011-04-01

Currently 90% of bridges built in California are post-tensioned box-girder. In such structures the steel tendons are the main load-carrying components. The loss of prestress, as well as the presence of defects or the tendon breakage, can be catastrophic for the entire structure. Unfortunately, today there is no well-established method for the monitoring of prestressing (PS) tendons that can provide simultaneous information related to the presence of defects and the level of prestress in a continuous, real time manner. If such a monitoring system were available, considerable savings would be achieved in bridge maintenance since repairs would be implemented in a timely manner without traffic disruptions. This paper presents a health monitoring system for PS tendons in post-tensioned structures of interest to Caltrans. Such a system uses ultrasonic guided waves and embedded sensors to provide simultaneously and in real time, (a) measurements of the level of applied prestress, and (b) defect detection at early grow stages. The proposed PS measurement technique exploits the sensitivity of ultrasonic waves to the inter-wire contact developing in a multi-wire strand as a function of prestress level. In particular the nonlinear ultrasonic behavior of the tendon under changing levels of prestress is monitored by tracking higher-order harmonics at (nω) arising under a fundamental guided-wave excitation at (ω). Moreover this paper also present real-time damage detection and location in post-tensioned bridge joints using Acoustic Emission techniques. Experimental tests on large-scale single-tendon PT joint specimens, subjected to multiple load cycles, will be presented to validate the monitoring of PS loads (through nonlinear ultrasonic probing) and the monitoring of damage progression and location (through acoustic emission techniques). Issues and potential for the use of such techniques to monitor post-tensioned bridges in the field will be discussed.

Income-related health transfers principles and orderings of joint distributions of income and health.

PubMed

Khaled, Mohamad A; Makdissi, Paul; Yazbeck, Myra

2018-01-01

The objective of this article is to provide the analyst with the necessary tools that allow for a robust ordering of joint distributions of health and income. We contribute to the literature on the measurement and inference of socioeconomic health inequality in three distinct but complementary ways. First, we provide a formalization of the socioeconomic health inequality-specific ethical principle introduced by Erreygers et al. (2012) . Second, we propose new graphical tools and dominance tests for the identification of robust orderings of joint distributions of income and health associated with this new ethical principle. Finally, based on both pro-poor and pro-extreme ranks ethical principles we address a very important aspect of dominance literature: the inference. To illustrate the empirical relevance of the proposed approach, we compare joint distributions of income and a health-related behavior in the United States in 1997 and 2014. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Health Monitoring Technology for Thermal Protection Systems on Reusable Hypersonic Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milos, Frank S.; Watters, D. G.; Heinemann, J. M.; Karunaratne, K. S.; Arnold, Jim (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Integrated subsystem health diagnostics is an area where major improvements have been identified for potential implementation into the design of new reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) in order to reduce life cycle costs, to increase safety margins, and to improve mission reliability. This talk summarizes a joint effort between NASA Ames and industry partners to develop rapid non-contact diagnostic tools for health and performance monitoring of thermal protection systems (TPS) on future RLVs. The specific goals for TPS health monitoring are to increase the speed and reliability of TPS inspections for improved operability at lower cost. The technology being developed includes a 3-D laser scanner for examining the exterior surface of the TPS, and a subsurface microsensor suite for monitoring the health and performance of the TPS. The sensor suite consists of passive overlimit sensors and sensors for continuous parameter monitoring in flight. The sensors are integrated with radio-frequency identification (RFID) microchips to enable wireless communication of-the sensor data to an external reader that may be a hand-held scanner or a large portal. Prototypes of the laser system and both types of subsurface sensors have been developed. The laser scanner was tested on Shuttle Orbiter Columbia and was able to dimension surface chips and holes on a variety of TPS materials. The temperature-overlimit microsensor has a diameter under 0.05 inch (suitable for placement in gaps between ceramic TPS tiles) and can withstand 700 F for 15 minutes.

Preload Monitoring of Bolted L-Shaped Lap Joints Using Virtual Time Reversal Method.

PubMed

Du, Fei; Xu, Chao; Wu, Guannan; Zhang, Jie

2018-06-13

L-shaped bolt lap joints are commonly used in aerospace and civil structures. However, bolt joints are frequently subjected to loosening, and this has a significant effect on the safety and reliability of these structures. Therefore, bolt preload monitoring is very important, especially at the early stage of loosening. In this paper, a virtual time reversal guided wave method is presented to monitor preload of bolted L-shaped lap joints accurately and simply. In this method, a referenced reemitting signal (RRS) is extracted from the bolted structure in fully tightened condition. Then the RRS is utilized as the excitation signal for the bolted structure in loosening states, and the normalized peak amplitude of refocused wave packet is used as the tightness index (TI A ). The proposed method is experimentally validated by L-shaped bolt joints with single and multiple bolts. Moreover, the selections of guided wave frequency and tightness index are also discussed. The results demonstrate that the relationship between TI A and bolt preload is linear. The detection sensitivity is improved significantly compared with time reversal (TR) method, particularly when bolt loosening is at its embryo stage. The results also show that TR method is an effective method for detection of the number of loosening bolts.

FBG in PVC foils for monitoring the knee joint movement during the rehabilitation process.

PubMed

Rocha, R P; Silva, A F; Carmo, J P; Correia, J H

2011-01-01

This paper presents a sensing electronic-free wearable solution for monitoring the body kinematics. The measuring of the knee movements, flexion and extension, with the corresponding joint acting as the rotation axis is shown as working principle. The proposed sensing system is based on a single optical Fiber-Bragg Grating (FBG) with a resonance wavelength of 1547.76 nm. The optical fiber with the FBG is placed inside a new polymeric foil composed by three flexible layers which facilitates its placement in the anatomic parts under investigation while maintaining full sensing capabilities. The way the device is placed in the specific body part to be measured enables the clear detection of the movements in respect to the joint. The proposed solution was tested using a prototype that was built to evaluate the device under different condition tests and also to assess the system's consistency. The designed and fabricated system demonstrates clear advantages in medical fields like physical therapy applications as optical fiber is not affected by electromagnetic interference nor does the system needs complex and expensive electronic systems and mechanical parts. Another advantage is the possibility to measure, record and evaluate specific mechanical parameters of the limbs' motion. Patients with bone, muscular and joint related health conditions, as well as athletes, are within the most important end-user applications.

Joint External Evaluation—Development and Scale-Up of Global Multisectoral Health Capacity Evaluation Process

PubMed Central

Bell, Elizabeth; Ijaz, Kashef; Bartee, Maureen; Fernandez, Jose; Burris, Hannah; Sliter, Karen; Nikkari, Simo; Chungong, Stella; Rodier, Guenael; Jafari, Hamid

2017-01-01

The Joint External Evaluation (JEE), a consolidation of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR 2005) Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and the Global Health Security Agenda country assessment tool, is an objective, voluntary, independent peer-to-peer multisectoral assessment of a country’s health security preparedness and response capacity across 19 IHR technical areas. WHO approved the standardized JEE tool in February 2016. The JEE process is wholly transparent; countries request a JEE and are encouraged to make its findings public. Donors (e.g., member states, public and private partners, and other public health institutions) can support countries in addressing identified JEE gaps, and implementing country-led national action plans for health security. Through July 2017, 52 JEEs were completed, and 25 more countries were scheduled across WHO’s 6 regions. JEEs facilitate progress toward IHR 2005 implementation, thereby building trust and mutual accountability among countries to detect and respond to public health threats. PMID:29155678

Application of 3D-MR image registration to monitor diseases around the knee joint.

PubMed

Takao, Masaki; Sugano, Nobuhiko; Nishii, Takashi; Miki, Hidenobu; Koyama, Tsuyoshi; Masumoto, Jun; Sato, Yoshinobu; Tamura, Shinichi; Yoshikawa, Hideki

2005-11-01

To estimate the accuracy and consistency of a method using a voxel-based MR image registration algorithm for precise monitoring of knee joint diseases. Rigid body transformation was calculated using a normalized cross-correlation (NCC) algorithm involving simple manual segmentation of the bone region based on its anatomical features. The accuracy of registration was evaluated using four phantoms, followed by a consistency test using MR data from the 11 patients with knee joint disease. The registration accuracy in the phantom experiment was 0.49+/-0.19 mm (SD) for the femur and 0.56+/-0.21 mm (SD) for the tibia. The consistency value in the experiment using clinical data was 0.69+/-0.25 mm (SD) for the femur and 0.77+/-0.37 mm (SD) for the tibia. These values were all smaller than a voxel (1.25 x 1.25 x 1.5 mm). The present method based on an NCC algorithm can be used to register serial MR images of the knee joint with error on the order of a sub-voxel. This method would be useful for precisely assessing therapeutic response and monitoring knee joint diseases; normalized cross-correlation; accuracy. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2005. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Health Professionals' Perceptions of the Effects of Exercise on Joint Health in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.

PubMed

Halls, Serena; Law, Rebecca-Jane; Jones, Jeremy G; Markland, David A; Maddison, Peter J; Thom, Jeanette M

2017-09-01

Although exercise is an important factor in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), research indicates that patients perceive that health professionals (HPs) are uncertain about the place of exercise in treatment and its relationship with joint damage. The present study investigated the perceptions of HPs regarding the effects of exercise on joint health in RA patients. A questionnaire investigating perceptions of exercise and joint health was distributed via professional networks and websites. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to analyse questionnaire data and develop a focus group interview guide. Focus groups were conducted with multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) of rheumatology HPs and analysed using framework analysis. A total of 137 rheumatology HPs (95 female; 27-65 years of age) completed questionnaires. CFA showed that a four-factor model provided a marginally acceptable fit. Analysis of four focus groups (n = 24; 19 female; 30-60 years of age) identified five themes relating to HPs' perceptions of exercise and joint health in RA patients: 'Exercise is beneficial', 'Concerns about damage to joints', 'Patients have barriers to exercise', 'HP knowledge differs' and 'Patients may think service delivery is vague'. HPs were highly aware of the benefits and importance of exercise for RA patients. However, to remove the patient perception that HPs lack certainty and clarity regarding exercise it is important to ensure: (i) consistent promotion of exercise across the whole MDT; (ii) clear provision of information regarding rest, joint protection and exercise; (iii) HP education to ensure consistent, accurate knowledge, and understanding of the potential for conflicting advice when promoting exercise as part of an MDT. Copy © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Microseismic monitoring of columnar jointed basalt fracture activity: a trial at the Baihetan Hydropower Station, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Bing-Rui; Li, Qing-Peng; Feng, Xia-Ting; Xiao, Ya-Xun; Feng, Guang-Liang; Hu, Lian-Xing

2014-10-01

Severe stress release has occurred to the surrounding rocks of the typically columnar jointed basalt after excavation at the Baihetan Hydropower Station, Jinsha River, China, where cracking, collapse, and other types of failure may take place occasionally due to relaxation fracture. In order to understand the relaxation fracture characteristics of the columnar jointed basalt in the entire excavation process at the diversion tunnel of the Baihetan Hydropower Station, real-time microseismic monitoring tests were performed. First, the applicability of a geophone and accelerometer was analyzed in the columnar jointed basalt tunnel, and the results show that the accelerometer was more applicable to the cracking monitoring of the columnar jointed basalt. Next, the waveform characteristics of the microseismic signals were analyzed, and the microseismic signals were identified as follows: rock fracture signal, drilling signal, electrical signal, heavy vehicle passing signal, and blast signal. Then, the attenuation characteristics of the microseismic signals in the columnar jointed basalt tunnel were studied, as well as the types and characteristics of the columnar jointed basalt fracture. Finally, location analysis was conducted on the strong rock fracture events, in which four or more sensors were triggered, to obtain the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics and laws of the columnar jointed basalt relaxation fracture after excavation. The test results are not only of important reference value to the excavation and support of diversion tunnel at the Baihetan Hydropower Station, but also of great referential significance and value to the conduction of similar tests.

Health care joint ventures between tax-exempt organizations and for-profit entities.

PubMed

Sanders, Michael I

2005-01-01

Health care exempt organizations have many options regarding their structure and affiliations with for-profit entities. As long as any joint ventures are carefully structured and the nonprofit retains control over the exempt health care activities, the Internal Revenue Service should not question the structure. However, as outlined above, if the for-profit entity effectively gains control over the activities of the venture, the structure is not likely to be upheld by the IRS or the courts, and either the exempt status of the nonprofit will be denied or revoked, or health care income will be subject to the unrelated business income tax. In summary, the health care industry has been severely impacted by many economic forces, including uncertainty in the area of joint ventures between nonprofits and for-profit health care systems. The uncertainty as to whether the joint venture would negatively impact the nonprofit's tax-exempt status undoubtedly caused many nonprofits to form for-profit subsidiaries and otherwise expanded operations in a for-profit marketplace. Fortunately, with the guidance that is currently available in the form of Revenue Ruling 98-15, Redlands, St. David's, and now Revenue Ruling 2004-51, health care institutions can move forward with properly structured joint ventures with greater confidence that the joint venture will not endanger the tax-exempt status of the nonprofit.

Registration of knee joint surfaces for the in vivo study of joint injuries based on magnetic resonance imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Rita W. T.; Habib, Ayman F.; Frayne, Richard; Ronsky, Janet L.

2006-03-01

In-vivo quantitative assessments of joint conditions and health status can help to increase understanding of the pathology of osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that affects a large population each year. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a non-invasive and accurate means to assess and monitor joint properties, and has become widely used for diagnosis and biomechanics studies. Quantitative analyses and comparisons of MR datasets require accurate alignment of anatomical structures, thus image registration becomes a necessary procedure for these applications. This research focuses on developing a registration technique for MR knee joint surfaces to allow quantitative study of joint injuries and health status. It introduces a novel idea of translating techniques originally developed for geographic data in the field of photogrammetry and remote sensing to register 3D MR data. The proposed algorithm works with surfaces that are represented by randomly distributed points with no requirement of known correspondences. The algorithm performs matching locally by identifying corresponding surface elements, and solves for the transformation parameters relating the surfaces by minimizing normal distances between them. This technique was used in three applications to: 1) register temporal MR data to verify the feasibility of the algorithm to help monitor diseases, 2) quantify patellar movement with respect to the femur based on the transformation parameters, and 3) quantify changes in contact area locations between the patellar and femoral cartilage at different knee flexion angles. The results indicate accurate registration and the proposed algorithm can be applied for in-vivo study of joint injuries with MRI.

Joint Venture Health Plans May Give ACOs a Run for Their Money.

PubMed

Reinke, Thomas

2016-12-01

Joint venture plans are starting to demonstrate their ability to implement clinical management and financial management reforms. A JV health plan replaces the offloading of financial risk by health plans to ill-equipped providers with an executive-level cost management committee stated jointly by the hospital and payer.

Structural health monitoring of compression connectors for overhead transmission lines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Hong; Wang, Jy-An John; Swindeman, Joseph P

Two-stage aluminum conductor steel-reinforced (ACSR) compression connectors are extensively used in US overhead transmission lines. The connectors are made by crimping a steel sleeve onto a steel core and an aluminum sleeve over aluminum conductive strands. The connectors are designed to operate at temperatures up to 125 C, but their performance is increasingly degrading because of overloading of lines. Currently, electric utilities conduct routine line inspections using thermal and electrical measurements. However, information about the structural integrity of connectors cannot be obtained. In this work, structural health monitoring (SHM) of compression connectors was studied using electromechanical impedance (EMI) analysis. Leadmore » zirconate titanate (PZT)-5A was identified as a smart material for SHM. A flexible high-temperature bonding layer was used to address challenges in PZT integration due to a significant difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion of PZT and the aluminum substrate. The steel joint on the steel core was investigated because it is responsible for the ultimate tensile strength of the connector. Tensile testing was used to create structural damage to the joint, or steel core pullout, and thermal cycling introduced additional structural perturbations. EMI measurements were conducted between the tests. The root mean square deviation (RMSD) of EMI was identified as a damage index. The use of steel joints has been shown to enable SHM under simulated conditions. The EMI signature is sensitive to variations in structural conditions. RMSD can be correlated to the structural health of a connector and has potential for use in the SHM and structural integrity evaluation.« less

Structural health monitoring of compression connectors for overhead transmission lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hong; Wang, Jy-An John; Swindeman, Joseph P.; Ren, Fei; Chan, John

2017-04-01

Two-stage aluminum conductor steel-reinforced (ACSR) compression connectors are extensively used in US overhead transmission lines. The connectors are made by crimping a steel sleeve onto a steel core and an aluminum sleeve over electrical conducting aluminum strands. The connectors are designed to operate at temperatures up to 125°C, but their performance is increasingly degrading because of overloading of lines. Currently, electric utilities conduct routine line inspections using thermal and electrical measurements, but these methods do not provide information about the structural integrity of connectors. In this work, structural health monitoring (SHM) of compression connectors was studied using electromechanical impedance (EMI) analysis. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-5A was identified as a smart material for SHM. A flexible high-temperature bonding layer was used to address challenges in PZT integration due to a significant difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion of PZT and the aluminum substrate. The steel joint on the steel core was investigated because it is responsible for the ultimate tensile strength of the connector. Tensile testing was used to induce structural damage to the joint, or steel core pullout, and thermal cycling introduced additional structural perturbations. EMI measurements were conducted between the tests. The root mean square deviation (RMSD) of EMI was identified as a damage index. The use of steel joints has been shown to enable SHM under simulated conditions. The EMI signature is sensitive to variations in structural conditions. RMSD can be correlated to the structural health of a connector and has potential for use in the SHM and structural integrity evaluation.

Development of Wireless Subsurface Microsensors for Health Monitoring of Thermal Protection Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pallix, Joan; Milos, Frank; Arnold, James O. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Low cost access to space is a primary goal for both NASA and the U.S. aerospace industry. Integrated subsystem health diagnostics is an area where major improvements have been identified for potential implementation into the design of new reusable launch vehicles (RLVS) in order to reduce life cycle costs, increase safety margins and improve mission reliability. A number of efforts are underway to use existing and emerging technologies to establish new methods for vehicle health monitoring on operational vehicles as well as X-vehicles. This paper summarizes a joint effort between several NASA centers and industry partners to develop rapid wireless diagnostic tools for failure management and long-term TPS performance monitoring of thermal protection systems (TPS) on future RLVS. An embedded wireless microsensor suite is being designed to allow rapid subsurface TPS health monitoring and damage assessment. This sensor suite will consist of both passive overlimit sensors and sensors for continuous parameter monitoring in flight. The on-board diagnostic system can be used to radio in maintenance requirements before landing and the data could also be used to assist in design validation for X-vehicles. For a 3rd generation vehicle, wireless diagnostics should be at a stage of technical development that will allow use for intelligent feedback systems for guidance and navigation control applications and can also serve as feedback for TPS that can intelligently adapt to its environment.

Indicators for Universal Health Coverage: can Kenya comply with the proposed post-2015 monitoring recommendations?

PubMed

Obare, Valerie; Brolan, Claire E; Hill, Peter S

2014-12-20

Universal Health Coverage (UHC), referring to access to healthcare without financial burden, has received renewed attention in global health spheres. UHC is a potential goal in the post-2015 development agenda. Monitoring of progress towards achieving UHC is thus critical at both country and global level, and a monitoring framework for UHC was proposed by a joint WHO/World Bank discussion paper in December 2013. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of the framework proposed by WHO/World Bank for global UHC monitoring framework in Kenya. The study utilised three documents--the joint WHO/World Bank UHC monitoring framework and its update, and the Bellagio meeting report sponsored by WHO and the Rockefeller Foundation--to conduct the research. These documents informed the list of potential indicators that were used to determine the feasibility of the framework. A purposive literature search was undertaken to identify key government policy documents and relevant scholarly articles. A desk review of the literature was undertaken to answer the research objectives of this study. Kenya has yet to establish an official policy on UHC that provides a clear mandate on the goals, targets and monitoring and evaluation of performance. However, a significant majority of Kenyans continue to have limited access to health services as well as limited financial risk protection. The country has the capacity to reasonably report on five out of the seven proposed UHC indicators. However, there was very limited capacity to report on the two service coverage indicators for the chronic condition and injuries (CCIs) interventions. Out of the potential tracer indicators (n = 27) for aggregate CCI-related measures, four tracer indicators were available. Moreover the country experiences some wider challenges that may impact on the implementation and feasibility of the WHO/World Bank framework. The proposed global framework for monitoring UHC will only be feasible in Kenya if

Public Health Monitoring of Privilege and Deprivation With the Index of Concentration at the Extremes

PubMed Central

Waterman, Pamela D.; Spasojevic, Jasmina; Li, Wenhui; Maduro, Gil; Van Wye, Gretchen

2016-01-01

Objectives. We evaluated use of the Index of Concentration at the Extremes (ICE) for public health monitoring. Methods. We used New York City data centered around 2010 to assess cross-sectional associations at the census tract and community district levels, for (1) diverse ICE measures plus the US poverty rate, with (2) infant mortality, premature mortality (before age 65 years), and diabetes mortality. Results. Point estimates for rate ratios were consistently greatest for the novel ICE that jointly measured extreme concentrations of income and race/ethnicity. For example, the census tract–level rate ratio for infant mortality comparing the bottom versus top quintile for an ICE contrasting low-income Black versus high-income White equaled 2.93 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.11, 4.09), but was 2.19 (95% CI = 1.59, 3.02) for low versus high income, 2.77 (95% CI = 2.02, 3.81) for Black versus White, and 1.56 (95% CI = 1.19, 2.04) for census tracts with greater than or equal to 30% versus less than 10% below poverty. Conclusions. The ICE may be a useful metric for public health monitoring, as it simultaneously captures extremes of privilege and deprivation and can jointly measure economic and racial/ethnic segregation. PMID:26691119

Promoting health equity: WHO health inequality monitoring at global and national levels.

PubMed

Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Bergen, Nicole; Schlotheuber, Anne

2015-01-01

Health equity is a priority in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda and other major health initiatives. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a history of promoting actions to achieve equity in health, including efforts to encourage the practice of health inequality monitoring. Health inequality monitoring systems use disaggregated data to identify disadvantaged subgroups within populations and inform equity-oriented health policies, programs, and practices. This paper provides an overview of a number of recent and current WHO initiatives related to health inequality monitoring at the global and/or national level. We outline the scope, content, and intended uses/application of the following: Health Equity Monitor database and theme page; State of inequality: reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health report; Handbook on health inequality monitoring: with a focus on low- and middle-income countries; Health inequality monitoring eLearning module; Monitoring health inequality: an essential step for achieving health equity advocacy booklet and accompanying video series; and capacity building workshops conducted in WHO Member States and Regions. The paper concludes by considering how the work of the WHO can be expanded upon to promote the establishment of sustainable and robust inequality monitoring systems across a variety of health topics among Member States and at the global level.

Promoting health equity: WHO health inequality monitoring at global and national levels

PubMed Central

Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Bergen, Nicole; Schlotheuber, Anne

2015-01-01

Background Health equity is a priority in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda and other major health initiatives. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a history of promoting actions to achieve equity in health, including efforts to encourage the practice of health inequality monitoring. Health inequality monitoring systems use disaggregated data to identify disadvantaged subgroups within populations and inform equity-oriented health policies, programs, and practices. Objective This paper provides an overview of a number of recent and current WHO initiatives related to health inequality monitoring at the global and/or national level. Design We outline the scope, content, and intended uses/application of the following: Health Equity Monitor database and theme page; State of inequality: reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health report; Handbook on health inequality monitoring: with a focus on low- and middle-income countries; Health inequality monitoring eLearning module; Monitoring health inequality: an essential step for achieving health equity advocacy booklet and accompanying video series; and capacity building workshops conducted in WHO Member States and Regions. Conclusions The paper concludes by considering how the work of the WHO can be expanded upon to promote the establishment of sustainable and robust inequality monitoring systems across a variety of health topics among Member States and at the global level. PMID:26387506

Perceptions and misconceptions regarding the Joint Commission's view of quality monitoring.

PubMed

Patterson, C H

1989-10-01

The Joint Commission recently has revised its hospital standards for infection control to reflect more accurately current state-of-the-art practices. In addition, the Joint Commission's Agenda for Change initiatives include the development of clinical indicators; one of the topics that will be included in those clinical indicator sets will be infection control. How the hospital chooses to organize itself to conduct the historically required monitoring and evaluation of clinical patient care currently required by the standards of the Joint Commission is at the option of the hospital. How the hospital will organize and collect data specific to infection control indicators yet to be developed by the Joint Commission has not been determined and will not be defined until specific research and development projects are completed. The hospital is expected to have in place infection prevention, surveillance, and control programs; it also is expected to have in place a quality assurance program that focuses not only on solving identified problems but also on the improvement of patient care quality. How the hospitals organize and/or integrate these activities is also at its option. It is expected that qualified professionals will direct and enforce infection prevention, surveillance, and control practices; indicators for infection control can provide data that will help assess the relative success of those practices and activities. The Joint Commission is not developing the capability to judge, on its own part, the actual quality of care provided by an organization seeking accreditation. Rather, the Joint Commission is committed to developing more accurate means to evaluate the structures, processes, and outcomes of diagnosis and treatment activities, as well as their interrelationships. Clinical excellence is supported by quality in the organizational environment and the managerial and leadership contexts within which patient care is delivered. Both clinical and

Wireless Subsurface Microsensors for Health Monitoring of Thermal Protection Systems on Hypersonic Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milos, Frank S.; Watters, David G.; Pallix, Joan B.; Bahr, Alfred J.; Huestis, David L.; Arnold, Jim (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Health diagnostics is an area where major improvements have been identified for potential implementation into the design of new reusable launch vehicles in order to reduce life cycle costs, to increase safety margins, and to improve mission reliability. NASA Ames is leading the effort to develop inspection and health management technologies for thermal protection systems. This paper summarizes a joint project between NASA Ames and SRI International to develop 'SensorTags,' radio frequency identification devices coupled with event-recording sensors, that can be embedded in the thermal protection system to monitor temperature or other quantities of interest. Two prototype SensorTag designs containing thermal fuses to indicate a temperature overlimit are presented and discussed.

Generalised joint hypermobility and knee joint hypermobility: prevalence, knee joint symptoms and health-related quality of life in a Danish adult population.

PubMed

Junge, Tina; Henriksen, Peter; Hansen, Sebrina; Østengaard, Lasse; Golightly, Yvonne M; Juul-Kristensen, Birgit

2017-10-27

Several biomechanical factors, such as knee joint hypermobility (KJH), are suggested to play a role in the etiology of knee joint symptoms and knee osteoarthritis. Nevertheless, the prevalence or consequences of KJH solely or included in the classification of generalized joint hypermobility (GJHk) is unknown for a general population. Therefore, the objectives were to report the prevalence of self-reported GJHk and KJH, as well as the association of these conditions to knee joint symptoms, severity and duration of symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a Danish adult population. This study is a cross-sectional population-based survey of 2056 Danish adults. Respondents received online questionnaires of GJHk and KJH, knee joint symptoms, the severity and duration of these, as well as HRQoL. Total response rate was 49% (n = 1006). The prevalence of self-reported GJHk and KJH was 13% and 23%, mostly representing women. More than half of the respondents with GJHk and KJH had knee joint symptoms. The odds for reporting knee joint symptoms, severity of knee joint symptoms and duration of knee joint symptoms were twice as high for respondents with GJHk and KJH. Respondents with GJHk and KJH reported lower HRQoL. GJHk and KJH were frequently reported in the Danish adult population, mostly in women. Respondents with GJHk and KJH were two times more likely to report knee joint-related symptoms such as pain, reduced performance of usual activity and lower HRQoL. The impact of these conditions on HRQoL is comparable with knee osteoarthritis. © 2017 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Wearable Health Monitoring Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, John

2015-01-01

The shrinking size and weight of electronic circuitry has given rise to a new generation of smart clothing that enables biological data to be measured and transmitted. As the variation in the number and type of deployable devices and sensors increases, technology must allow their seamless integration so they can be electrically powered, operated, and recharged over a digital pathway. Nyx Illuminated Clothing Company has developed a lightweight health monitoring system that integrates medical sensors, electrodes, electrical connections, circuits, and a power supply into a single wearable assembly. The system is comfortable, bendable in three dimensions, durable, waterproof, and washable. The innovation will allow astronaut health monitoring in a variety of real-time scenarios, with data stored in digital memory for later use in a medical database. Potential commercial uses are numerous, as the technology enables medical personnel to noninvasively monitor patient vital signs in a multitude of health care settings and applications.

Health Monitoring System for Car Seat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elrod, Susan Vinz (Inventor); Dabney, Richard W. (Inventor)

2004-01-01

A health monitoring system for use with a child car seat has sensors mounted in the seat to monitor one or more health conditions of the seat's occupant. A processor monitors the sensor's signals and generates status signals related to the monitored conditions. A transmitter wireless transmits the status signals to a remotely located receiver. A signaling device coupled to the receiver produces at least one sensory (e.g., visual, audible, tactile) output based on the status signals.

Health Monitoring System for Composite Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tang, S. S.; Riccardella, P. C.; Andrews, R. J.; Grady, J. E.; Mucciaradi, A. N.

1996-01-01

An automated system was developed to monitor the health status of composites. It uses the vibration characteristics of composites to identify a component's damage condition. The vibration responses are characterized by a set of signal features defined in the time, frequency and spatial domains. The identification of these changes in the vibration characteristics corresponding to different health conditions was performed using pattern recognition principles. This allows efficient data reduction and interpretation of vast amounts of information. Test components were manufactured from isogrid panels to evaluate performance of the monitoring system. The components were damaged by impact to simulate different health conditions. Free vibration response was induced by a tap test on the test components. The monitoring system was trained using these free vibration responses to identify three different health conditions. They are undamaged vs. damaged, damage location and damage zone size. High reliability in identifying the correct component health condition was achieved by the monitoring system.

Lunar Health Monitor (LHM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lisy, Frederick J.

2015-01-01

Orbital Research, Inc., has developed a low-profile, wearable sensor suite for monitoring astronaut health in both intravehicular and extravehicular activities. The Lunar Health Monitor measures respiration, body temperature, electrocardiogram (EKG) heart rate, and other cardiac functions. Orbital Research's dry recording electrode is central to the innovation and can be incorporated into garments, eliminating the need for conductive pastes, adhesives, or gels. The patented dry recording electrode has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The LHM is easily worn under flight gear or with civilian clothing, making the system completely versatile for applications where continuous physiological monitoring is needed. During Phase II, Orbital Research developed a second-generation LHM that allows sensor customization for specific monitoring applications and anatomical constraints. Evaluations included graded exercise tests, lunar mission task simulations, functional battery tests, and resting measures. The LHM represents the successful integration of sensors into a wearable platform to capture long-duration and ambulatory physiological markers.

National health inequality monitoring: current challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Bergen, Nicole; Schlotheuber, Anne; Boerma, Ties

National health inequality monitoring needs considerably more investment to realize equity-oriented health improvements in countries, including advancement towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Following an overview of national health inequality monitoring and the associated resource requirements, we highlight challenges that countries may encounter when setting up, expanding or strengthening national health inequality monitoring systems, and discuss opportunities and key initiatives that aim to address these challenges. We provide specific proposals on what is needed to ensure that national health inequality monitoring systems are harnessed to guide the reduction of health inequalities.

Radiofrequency Denervation Improves Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Thoracic Zygapophyseal Joint Pain.

PubMed

Hambraeus, Johan; Hambraeus, Kjerstin S; Persson, Jan

2018-05-01

To describe a practical approach for the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic zygapophyseal joint pain and to present preliminary clinical data on the effects of this treatment approach on health-related quality of life. An observational study. Specialist outpatient pain clinic in northern Sweden. Patients with long-term thoracic pain. We describe a method of radiofrequency denervation of thoracic zygapophyseal joints. We compared health-related quality of life between patients who underwent radiofrequency denervation of thoracic zygapophyseal joints and patients who underwent radiofrequency denervation for lumbar and cervical zygapophyseal joint pain. Treatment according to the Spine Intervention Society Guidelines was performed on the lumbar region in 178 patients and in the cervical region in 55 patients. Another 82 patients were treated in the thoracic region with our proposed technique. A survival plot of improvements in health-related quality of life revealed that all three treatments were effective in 65% or more of patients. The improvement in health-related quality of life was maintained for 12 or more months after treatment in 47% to 51% of patients. Our results suggest that radiofrequency denervation of thoracic zygapophyseal joint pain is as effective as radiofrequency denervation, the standard treatment, for lumbar and cervical zygapophyseal joint pain. If these results can be confirmed by other centers, radiofrequency denervation is likely to become more widely available for the treatment of thoracic zygapophyseal joint pain.

Overview of space propulsion systems for identifying nondestructive evaluation and health monitoring opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Generazio, Edward R.

1991-01-01

The next generation of space propulsion systems will be designed to incorporate advanced health monitoring and nondestructive inspection capabilities. As a guide to help the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) community impact the development of these space propulsion systems, several questions should be addressed. An overview of background and current information on space propulsion systems at both the programmatic and technical levels is provided. A framework is given that will assist the NDE community in addressing key questions raised during the 2 to 5 April 1990 meeting of the Joint Army-Navy-NASA-Air Force (JANNAF) Nondestructive Evaluation Subcommittee (NDES).

Toward Wireless Health Monitoring via an Analog Signal Compression-Based Biosensing Platform.

PubMed

Zhao, Xueyuan; Sadhu, Vidyasagar; Le, Tuan; Pompili, Dario; Javanmard, Mehdi

2018-06-01

Wireless all-analog biosensor design for the concurrent microfluidic and physiological signal monitoring is presented in this paper. The key component is an all-analog circuit capable of compressing two analog sources into one analog signal by the analog joint source-channel coding (AJSCC). Two circuit designs are discussed, including the stacked-voltage-controlled voltage source (VCVS) design with the fixed number of levels, and an improved design, which supports a flexible number of AJSCC levels. Experimental results are presented on the wireless biosensor prototype, composed of printed circuit board realizations of the stacked-VCVS design. Furthermore, circuit simulation and wireless link simulation results are presented on the improved design. Results indicate that the proposed wireless biosensor is well suited for sensing two biological signals simultaneously with high accuracy, and can be applied to a wide variety of low-power and low-cost wireless continuous health monitoring applications.

Joint principles: Integrating behavioral health care into the patient-centered medical home.

PubMed

2014-06-01

The Patient-centered Medical Home (PCMH) is an innovative, improved, and evolving approach to providing primary care that has gained broad acceptance in the United States. The Joint Principles of the PCMH, formulated and endorsed in February 2007, are sound and describe the ideal toward which we aspire. However, there is an element running implicitly through these joint principles that is difficult to achieve yet indispensable to the success of the entire PCMH concept. The incorporation of behavioral health care has not always been included as practices transform to accommodate to the PCMH ideals. This is an alarming development because the PCMH will be incomplete and ineffective without the full incorporation of this element, and retrofitting will be much more difficult than prospectively integrating into the original design of the PCMH. Therefore we offer a complementary set of joint principles that recognizes the centrality of behavioral health care as part of the PCMH. This document follows the order and language of the original joint principles while emphasizing what needs to be addressed to insure incorporation of the essential behavioral elements. It is intended to supplement and not replace the original Joint Principles document, which still stands.

From intensive care monitoring to personal health monitoring to ambient intelligence.

PubMed

Rienhoff, Otto

2013-01-01

The historical roots of IT-based monitoring in health care are described. Since the 1970ies monitoring has been spreading to more and more domains of health care and public health. Today one can observe monitoring of persons in many environments and regarding widely different questions. While these monitoring applications have been introduced ethical questions have been raised to balance the possible positive and negative outcomes of the approaches. Today IT-technology is entering many parts of our life - IT eventually became what had been coined already in the last century by IBM as "electronic dust" which one can find in every part of our environment. As most of these "dust-particles" are able to observe something one can also understand this development as a development into ubiquitous monitoring of nearly everything at any time. The foreseen ambient intelligence worlds are also spaces of ambient monitoring. This article describes this historical development. It emphasizes why ethical and data protection questions are an absolute must in most IT activities today.

A clamping force measurement system for monitoring the condition of bolted joints on railway track joints and points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tesfa, B.; Horler, G.; Thobiani, F. Al; Gu, F.; Ball, A. D.

2012-05-01

can be developed to monitor the condition of bolted joints as found on railway track and points.

Toward flexible and wearable human-interactive health-monitoring devices.

PubMed

Takei, Kuniharu; Honda, Wataru; Harada, Shingo; Arie, Takayuki; Akita, Seiji

2015-03-11

This Progress Report introduces flexible wearable health-monitoring devices that interact with a person by detecting from and stimulating the body. Interactive health-monitoring devices should be highly flexible and attach to the body without awareness like a bandage. This type of wearable health-monitoring device will realize a new class of electronics, which will be applicable not only to health monitoring, but also to other electrical devices. However, to realize wearable health-monitoring devices, many obstacles must be overcome to economically form the active electrical components on a flexible substrate using macroscale fabrication processes. In particular, health-monitoring sensors and curing functions need to be integrated. Here recent developments and advancements toward flexible health-monitoring devices are presented, including conceptual designs of human-interactive devices. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[Current state and prospects of military personnel health monitoring].

PubMed

Rezvantsev, M V; Kuznetsov, S M; Ivanov, V V; Zakurdaev, V V

2014-01-01

The current article is dedicated to some features of the Russian Federation Armed Forces military personnel health monitoring such as legal and informational provision, methodological basis of functioning, historical aspect of formation and development of the social and hygienic monitoring in the Russian Federation Armed Forces. The term "military personnel health monitoring" is defined as an analytical system of constant and long-term observation, analysis, assessment, studying of factors determined the military personnel health, these factors correlations, health risk factors management in order to minimize them. The current state of the military personnel health monitoring allows coming to the conclusion that the military health system does have forces and resources for state policy of establishing the population health monitoring system implementation. The following directions of the militarily personnel health monitoring improvement are proposed: the Russian Federation Armed Forces medical service record and report system reorganization bringing it closer to the civilian one, implementation of the integrated approach to the medical service informatisation, namely, military personnel health status and medical service resources monitoring. The leading means in this direction are development and introduction of a military serviceman individual health status monitoring system on the basis of a serviceman electronic medical record card. Also it is proposed the current Russian Federation Armed Forces social and hygienic monitoring improvement at the expense of informational interaction between the two subsystems on the basis of unified military medical service space.

Inductive System Health Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iverson, David L.

2004-01-01

The Inductive Monitoring System (IMS) software was developed to provide a technique to automatically produce health monitoring knowledge bases for systems that are either difficult to model (simulate) with a computer or which require computer models that are too complex to use for real time monitoring. IMS uses nominal data sets collected either directly from the system or from simulations to build a knowledge base that can be used to detect anomalous behavior in the system. Machine learning and data mining techniques are used to characterize typical system behavior by extracting general classes of nominal data from archived data sets. IMS is able to monitor the system by comparing real time operational data with these classes. We present a description of learning and monitoring method used by IMS and summarize some recent IMS results.

Small Autonomous Aircraft Servo Health Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quintero, Steven

2008-01-01

Small air vehicles offer challenging power, weight, and volume constraints when considering implementation of system health monitoring technologies. In order to develop a testbed for monitoring the health and integrity of control surface servos and linkages, the Autonomous Aircraft Servo Health Monitoring system has been designed for small Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platforms to detect problematic behavior from servos and the air craft structures they control, This system will serve to verify the structural integrity of an aircraft's servos and linkages and thereby, through early detection of a problematic situation, minimize the chances of an aircraft accident. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's rotary-winged UAV has an Airborne Power management unit that is responsible for regulating, distributing, and monitoring the power supplied to the UAV's avionics. The current sensing technology utilized by the Airborne Power Management system is also the basis for the Servo Health system. The Servo Health system measures the current draw of the servos while the servos are in Motion in order to quantify the servo health. During a preflight check, deviations from a known baseline behavior can be logged and their causes found upon closer inspection of the aircraft. The erratic behavior nay include binding as a result of dirt buildup or backlash caused by looseness in the mechanical linkages. Moreover, the Servo Health system will allow elusive problems to be identified and preventative measures taken to avoid unnecessary hazardous conditions in small autonomous aircraft.

Privacy by design in personal health monitoring.

PubMed

Nordgren, Anders

2015-06-01

The concept of privacy by design is becoming increasingly popular among regulators of information and communications technologies. This paper aims at analysing and discussing the ethical implications of this concept for personal health monitoring. I assume a privacy theory of restricted access and limited control. On the basis of this theory, I suggest a version of the concept of privacy by design that constitutes a middle road between what I call broad privacy by design and narrow privacy by design. The key feature of this approach is that it attempts to balance automated privacy protection and autonomously chosen privacy protection in a way that is context-sensitive. In personal health monitoring, this approach implies that in some contexts like medication assistance and monitoring of specific health parameters one single automatic option is legitimate, while in some other contexts, for example monitoring in which relatives are receivers of health-relevant information rather than health care professionals, a multi-choice approach stressing autonomy is warranted.

Physical health monitoring in mental health settings: a study exploring mental health nurses' views of their role.

PubMed

Mwebe, Herbert

2017-10-01

To explore nurses' views of their role in the screening and monitoring of the physical care needs of people with serious mental illness in a mental health service provider. There is increasing awareness through research that people with serious mental illness disproportionately experience and die early from physical health conditions. Mental health nurses are best placed as front-line workers to offer screening, monitoring and interventions; however, their views on physical care interventions are not studied often. Qualitative exploratory study. The study was carried out in a mental health inpatient centre in England. Volunteer sampling was adopted for the study with a total target sample of (n = 20) nurses from three inpatient wards. Semistructured interviews were conducted with (n = 10) registered mental health nurses who had consented to take part in the study. Inductive data analysis and theme development were guided by a thematic analytic framework. Participants shared a clear commitment regarding their role regarding physical health screening and monitoring in mental health settings. Four themes emerged as follows: features of current practice and physical health monitoring; perceived barriers to physical health monitoring; education and training needs; and strategies to improve physical health monitoring. Nurses were unequivocal in their resolve to ensure good standard physical health monitoring and screening interventions in practice. However, identified obstacles have to be addressed to ensure that physical health screening and monitoring is integrated adequately in everyday clinical activities. Achieving this would require improvements in nurses' training, and an integrated multiservice and team-working approach. Attending to the physical health needs of people with serious mental illness has been associated with multiple improvements in both mental and physical health; nurses have a vital role to play in identifying and addressing causes of poor

Forest health monitoring: 2008 national technical report

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2012-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program’s annual national technical report has three objectives: (1) to present forest health status and trends from a national or a multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, (2) to introduce new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and (3) to report results of recently completed evaluation monitoring...

Design of wearable health monitoring device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devara, Kresna; Ramadhanty, Savira; Abuzairi, Tomy

2018-02-01

Wearable smart health monitoring devices have attracted considerable attention in both research community and industry. Some of the causes are the increasing healthcare costs, along with the growing technology. To address this demand, in this paper, design and evaluation of wearable health monitoring device integrated with smartphone were presented. This device was designed for patients in need of constant health monitoring. The performance of the proposed design has been tested by conducting measurement once in 2 minutes for 10 minutes to obtain heart rate and body temperature data. The comparation between data measured by the proposed device and that measured by the reference device yields only an average error of 1.45% for heart rate and 1.04% for body temperature.

Health Monitoring System Technology Assessments: Cost Benefits Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kent, Renee M.; Murphy, Dennis A.

2000-01-01

The subject of sensor-based structural health monitoring is very diverse and encompasses a wide range of activities including initiatives and innovations involving the development of advanced sensor, signal processing, data analysis, and actuation and control technologies. In addition, it embraces the consideration of the availability of low-cost, high-quality contributing technologies, computational utilities, and hardware and software resources that enable the operational realization of robust health monitoring technologies. This report presents a detailed analysis of the cost benefit and other logistics and operational considerations associated with the implementation and utilization of sensor-based technologies for use in aerospace structure health monitoring. The scope of this volume is to assess the economic impact, from an end-user perspective, implementation health monitoring technologies on three structures. It specifically focuses on evaluating the impact on maintaining and supporting these structures with and without health monitoring capability.

Smart health monitoring systems: an overview of design and modeling.

PubMed

Baig, Mirza Mansoor; Gholamhosseini, Hamid

2013-04-01

Health monitoring systems have rapidly evolved during the past two decades and have the potential to change the way health care is currently delivered. Although smart health monitoring systems automate patient monitoring tasks and, thereby improve the patient workflow management, their efficiency in clinical settings is still debatable. This paper presents a review of smart health monitoring systems and an overview of their design and modeling. Furthermore, a critical analysis of the efficiency, clinical acceptability, strategies and recommendations on improving current health monitoring systems will be presented. The main aim is to review current state of the art monitoring systems and to perform extensive and an in-depth analysis of the findings in the area of smart health monitoring systems. In order to achieve this, over fifty different monitoring systems have been selected, categorized, classified and compared. Finally, major advances in the system design level have been discussed, current issues facing health care providers, as well as the potential challenges to health monitoring field will be identified and compared to other similar systems.

The Joint Experiment for Crop Assessment and Monitoring (JECAM) Initiative: Developing methods and best practices for global agricultural monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champagne, C.; Jarvis, I.; Defourny, P.; Davidson, A.

2014-12-01

Agricultural systems differ significantly throughout the world, making a 'one size fits all' approach to remote sensing and monitoring of agricultural landscapes problematic. The Joint Experiment for Crop Assessment and Monitoring (JECAM) was established in 2009 to bring together the global scientific community to work towards a set of best practices and recommendations for using earth observation data to map, monitor and report on agricultural productivity globally across an array of diverse agricultural systems. These methods form the research and development component of the Group on Earth Observation Global Agricultural Monitoring (GEOGLAM) initiative to harmonize global monitoring efforts and increase market transparency. The JECAM initiative brings together researchers from a large number of globally distributed, well monitored agricultural test sites that cover a range of crop types, cropping systems and climate regimes. Each test site works independently as well as together across multiple sites to test methods, sensors and field data collection techniques to derive key agricultural parameters, including crop type, crop condition, crop yield and soil moisture. The outcome of this project will be a set of best practices that cover the range of remote sensing monitoring and reporting needs, including satellite data acquisition, pre-processing techniques, information retrieval and ground data validation. These outcomes provide the research and development foundation for GEOGLAM and will help to inform the development of the GEOGLAM "system of systems" for global agricultural monitoring. The outcomes of the 2014 JECAM science meeting will be discussed as well as examples of methods being developed by JECAM scientists.

Health disparities monitoring in the U.S.: lessons for monitoring efforts in Israel and other countries.

PubMed

Abu-Saad, Kathleen; Avni, Shlomit; Kalter-Leibovici, Ofra

2018-02-28

Health disparities are a persistent problem in many high-income countries. Health policymakers recognize the need to develop systematic methods for documenting and tracking these disparities in order to reduce them. The experience of the U.S., which has a well-established health disparities monitoring infrastructure, provides useful insights for other countries. This article provides an in-depth review of health disparities monitoring in the U.S. Lessons of potential relevance for other countries include: 1) the integration of health disparities monitoring in population health surveillance, 2) the role of political commitment, 3) use of monitoring as a feedback loop to inform future directions, 4) use of monitoring to identify data gaps, 5) development of extensive cross-departmental cooperation, and 6) exploitation of digital tools for monitoring and reporting. Using Israel as a case in point, we provide a brief overview of the healthcare and health disparities landscape in Israel, and examine how the lessons from the U.S. experience might be applied in the Israeli context. The U.S. model of health disparities monitoring provides useful lessons for other countries with respect to documentation of health disparities and tracking of progress made towards their elimination. Given the persistence of health disparities both in the U.S. and Israel, there is a need for monitoring systems to expand beyond individual- and healthcare system-level factors, to incorporate social and environmental determinants of health as health indicators/outcomes.

A Biomimetic Structural Health Monitoring Approach Using Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yingtao; Rajadas, Abhishek; Chattopadhyay, Aditi

2012-07-01

A self-sensing nanocomposite material has been developed to track the presence of damage in complex composite structures. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes are integrated with polymer matrix to develop a novel bonding material with sensing capabilities. The changes of the piezoresistance in the presence of damage are used to monitor the condition of bonded joints, where the usual bonding material is replaced by the self-sensing nanocomposite. The feasibility of this concept is investigated through experiments conducted on single-lap joints subject to monotonic tensile loading conditions. The results show that the self-sensing nanocomposite is sensitive to crack propagation within the matrix material. An acoustic emission-based sensing technique has been used to validate these results and shows good correlation with damage growth. A digital image correlation system is used to measure the shear strain field in the joint area.

Joint health and functional ability in children with haemophilia who receive intensive replacement therapy.

PubMed

Groen, W; van der Net, J; Bos, K; Abad, A; Bergstrom, B-M; Blanchette, V S; Feldman, B M; Funk, S; Helders, P; Hilliard, P; Manco-Johnson, M; Petrini, P; Zourikian, N; Fischer, K

2011-09-01

Joint physical examination is an important outcome in haemophilia; however its relationship with functional ability is not well established in children with intensive replacement therapy. Boys aged 4-16 years were recruited from two European and three North American treatment centres. Joint physical structure and function was measured with the Haemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS) while functional ability was measured with the revised Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ₃₈. Two haemophilia-specific domains were created by selecting items of the CHAQ₃₈ that cover haemophilia-specific problems. Associations between CHAQ, HJHS, cumulative number of haemarthroses and age were assessed. A total of 226 subjects - mean 10.8 years old (SD 3.8) - participated; the majority (68%) had severe haemophilia. Most severe patients (91%) were on prophylactic treatment. Lifetime number of haemarthroses [median=5; interquartile range (IQR)=1-12] and total HJHS (median = 5; IQR=1-12) correlated strongly (ρ = 0.51). Total HJHS did not correlate with age and only weakly (ρ=-0.19) with functional ability scores (median=0; IQR=-0.06-0). Overall, haemarthroses were reported most frequently in the ankles. Detailed analysis of ankle joint health scores revealed moderate associations (ρ=0.3-0.5) of strength, gait and atrophy with lower extremity tasks (e.g. stair climbing). In this population, HJHS summating six joints did not perform as well as individual joint scores, however, certain elements of ankle impairment, specifically muscle strength, atrophy and gait associated significantly with functional loss in lower extremity activities. Mild abnormalities in ankle assessment by HJHS may lead to functional loss. Therefore, ankle joints may warrant special attention in the follow up of these children. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

On the Design of an Efficient Cardiac Health Monitoring System Through Combined Analysis of ECG and SCG Signals.

PubMed

Sahoo, Prasan Kumar; Thakkar, Hiren Kumar; Lin, Wen-Yen; Chang, Po-Cheng; Lee, Ming-Yih

2018-01-28

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public concern and socioeconomic problem across the globe. The popular high-end cardiac health monitoring systems such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography scan (CT scan), and echocardiography (Echo) are highly expensive and do not support long-term continuous monitoring of patients without disrupting their activities of daily living (ADL). In this paper, the continuous and non-invasive cardiac health monitoring using unobtrusive sensors is explored aiming to provide a feasible and low-cost alternative to foresee possible cardiac anomalies in an early stage. It is learned that cardiac health monitoring based on sole usage of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals may not provide powerful insights as ECG provides shallow information on various cardiac activities in the form of electrical impulses only. Hence, a novel low-cost, non-invasive seismocardiogram (SCG) signal along with ECG signals are jointly investigated for the robust cardiac health monitoring. For this purpose, the in-laboratory data collection model is designed for simultaneous acquisition of ECG and SCG signals followed by mechanisms for the automatic delineation of relevant feature points in acquired ECG and SCG signals. In addition, separate feature points based novel approach is adopted to distinguish between normal and abnormal morphology in each ECG and SCG cardiac cycle. Finally, a combined analysis of ECG and SCG is carried out by designing a Naïve Bayes conditional probability model. Experiments on Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved licensed ECG/SCG signals acquired from real subjects containing 12,000 cardiac cycles show that the proposed feature point delineation mechanisms and abnormal morphology detection methods consistently perform well and give promising results. In addition, experimental results show that the combined analysis of ECG and SCG signals provide more reliable cardiac health monitoring compared to the

On the Design of an Efficient Cardiac Health Monitoring System Through Combined Analysis of ECG and SCG Signals

PubMed Central

Lin, Wen-Yen; Chang, Po-Cheng

2018-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public concern and socioeconomic problem across the globe. The popular high-end cardiac health monitoring systems such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography scan (CT scan), and echocardiography (Echo) are highly expensive and do not support long-term continuous monitoring of patients without disrupting their activities of daily living (ADL). In this paper, the continuous and non-invasive cardiac health monitoring using unobtrusive sensors is explored aiming to provide a feasible and low-cost alternative to foresee possible cardiac anomalies in an early stage. It is learned that cardiac health monitoring based on sole usage of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals may not provide powerful insights as ECG provides shallow information on various cardiac activities in the form of electrical impulses only. Hence, a novel low-cost, non-invasive seismocardiogram (SCG) signal along with ECG signals are jointly investigated for the robust cardiac health monitoring. For this purpose, the in-laboratory data collection model is designed for simultaneous acquisition of ECG and SCG signals followed by mechanisms for the automatic delineation of relevant feature points in acquired ECG and SCG signals. In addition, separate feature points based novel approach is adopted to distinguish between normal and abnormal morphology in each ECG and SCG cardiac cycle. Finally, a combined analysis of ECG and SCG is carried out by designing a Naïve Bayes conditional probability model. Experiments on Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved licensed ECG/SCG signals acquired from real subjects containing 12,000 cardiac cycles show that the proposed feature point delineation mechanisms and abnormal morphology detection methods consistently perform well and give promising results. In addition, experimental results show that the combined analysis of ECG and SCG signals provide more reliable cardiac health monitoring compared to the

Joint inversion of time-lapse VSP data for monitoring CO2 injection at the Farnsworth EOR field in Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, M.; Gao, K.; Balch, R. S.; Huang, L.

2016-12-01

During the Development Phase (Phase III) of the U.S. Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP), time-lapse 3D vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data were acquired to monitor CO2 injection/migration at the Farnsworth Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) field, in partnership with the industrial partner Chaparral Energy. The project is to inject a million tons of carbon dioxide into the target formation, the deep oil-bearing Morrow Formation in the Farnsworth Unit EOR field. Quantitative time-lapse seismic monitoring has the potential to track CO2 movement in geologic carbon storage sites. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has recently developed new full-waveform inversion methods to jointly invert time-lapse seismic data for changes in elastic and anisotropic parameters in target monitoring regions such as a CO2 reservoir. We apply our new joint inversion methods to time-lapse VSP data acquired at the Farnsworth EOR filed, and present some preliminary results showing geophysical properties changes in the reservoir.

Space Shuttle Main Engine: Advanced Health Monitoring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singer, Chirs

1999-01-01

The main gola of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Advanced Health Management system is to improve flight safety. To this end the new SSME has robust new components to improve the operating margen and operability. The features of the current SSME health monitoring system, include automated checkouts, closed loop redundant control system, catastropic failure mitigation, fail operational/ fail-safe algorithms, and post flight data and inspection trend analysis. The features of the advanced health monitoring system include: a real time vibration monitor system, a linear engine model, and an optical plume anomaly detection system. Since vibration is a fundamental measure of SSME turbopump health, it stands to reason that monitoring the vibration, will give some idea of the health of the turbopumps. However, how is it possible to avoid shutdown, when it is not necessary. A sensor algorithm has been developed which has been exposed to over 400 test cases in order to evaluate the logic. The optical plume anomaly detection (OPAD) has been developed to be a sensitive monitor of engine wear, erosion, and breakage.

Remote personal health monitoring with radio waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Andrew

2008-03-01

We present several techniques utilizing radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology for personal health monitoring. One technique involves using RFID sensors external to the human body, while another technique uses both internal and external RFID sensors. Simultaneous monitoring of many patients in a hospital setting can also be done using networks of RFID sensors. All the monitoring are done wirelessly, either continuously or periodically in any interval, in which the sensors collect information on human parts such as the lungs or heart and transmit this information to a router, PC or PDA device connected to the internet, from which patient's condition can be diagnosed and viewed by authorized medical professionals in remote locations. Instantaneous information allows medical professionals to intervene properly and timely to prevent possible catastrophic effects to patients. The continuously monitored information provides medical professionals more complete and long-term studies of patients. All of these result in not only enhancement of the health treatment quality but also significant reduction of medical expenditure. These techniques demonstrate that health monitoring of patients can be done wirelessly at any time and any place without interfering with the patients' normal activities. Implementing the RFID technology would not only help reduce the enormous and significantly growing medical costs in the U.S.A., but also help improve the health treatment capability as well as enhance the understanding of long-term personal health and illness.

Distributed FBG sensors apply in spacecraft health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xiujun; Zhang, Cuicui; Shi, Dele; Shen, Jingshi

2017-10-01

At present, Spacecraft manufacturing face with high adventure for its complicate structure, serious space environment and not maintained on orbit. When something wrong with spacecraft, monitoring its health state, supply health data in real time would assure quickly locate error and save more time to rescue it. For FBG sensor can distributed test several parameters such as temperature, strain, vibration and easily construct net. At same time, it has more advantages such as ant-radiate, anti-jamming, rodent-resistant and with long lifetime, which more fit for applying in space. In this paper, a spacecraft health monitor system based on FBG sensors is present, Firstly, spacecraft health monitor system and its development are introduced. Then a four channels FBG demodulator is design. At last, Temperature and strain detecting experiment is done. The result shows that the demodulator fully satisfied the need of spacecraft health monitor system.

The Overview of the Health Monitoring Management System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong-Ji, Tan; Zhiqiang, Zhang; Yan-Bin, Shi

The health monitoring management system has prominent function to improve the security and dependability of the aircraft, can also shortens the maintain cycle by a large margin, improves the sortie rate at the same time. This paper has explained the concept, the development in domestic and international and the key technology of the health monitoring management system of aircraft; Construct the structure of the aircraft health monitoring management system, and has carried on analysis and research to its implementation method.

Health Monitor for Multitasking, Safety-Critical, Real-Time Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoerner, Roger

2011-01-01

Health Manager can detect Bad Health prior to a failure occurring by periodically monitoring the application software by looking for code corruption errors, and sanity-checking each critical data value prior to use. A processor s memory can fail and corrupt the software, or the software can accidentally write to the wrong address and overwrite the executing software. This innovation will continuously calculate a checksum of the software load to detect corrupted code. This will allow a system to detect a failure before it happens. This innovation monitors each software task (thread) so that if any task reports "bad health," or does not report to the Health Manager, the system is declared bad. The Health Manager reports overall system health to the outside world by outputting a square wave signal. If the square wave stops, this indicates that system health is bad or hung and cannot report. Either way, "bad health" can be detected, whether caused by an error, corrupted data, or a hung processor. A separate Health Monitor Task is started and run periodically in a loop that starts and stops pending on a semaphore. Each monitored task registers with the Health Manager, which maintains a count for the task. The registering task must indicate if it will run more or less often than the Health Manager. If the task runs more often than the Health Manager, the monitored task calls a health function that increments the count and verifies it did not go over max-count. When the periodic Health Manager runs, it verifies that the count did not go over the max-count and zeroes it. If the task runs less often than the Health Manager, the periodic Health Manager will increment the count. The monitored task zeroes the count, and both the Health Manager and monitored task verify that the count did not go over the max-count.

A Systems Biology Approach to Synovial Joint Lubrication in Health, Injury, and Disease

PubMed Central

Hui, Alexander Y.; McCarty, William J.; Masuda, Koichi; Firestein, Gary S.; Sah, Robert L.

2013-01-01

The synovial joint contains synovial fluid (SF) within a cavity bounded by articular cartilage and synovium. SF is a viscous fluid that has lubrication, metabolic, and regulatory functions within synovial joints. SF contains lubricant molecules, including proteoglycan-4 and hyaluronan. SF is an ultrafiltrate of plasma with secreted contributions from cell populations lining and within the synovial joint space, including chondrocytes and synoviocytes. Maintenance of normal SF lubricant composition and function are important for joint homeostasis. In osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and joint injury, changes in lubricant composition and function accompany alterations in the cytokine and growth factor environment and increased fluid and molecular transport through joint tissues. Thus, understanding the synovial joint lubrication system requires a multi-faceted study of the various parts of the synovial joint and their interactions. Systems biology approaches at multiple scales are being used to describe the molecular, cellular, and tissue components and their interactions that comprise the functioning synovial joint. Analyses of the transcriptome and proteome of SF, cartilage, and synovium suggest that particular molecules and pathways play important roles in joint homeostasis and disease. Such information may be integrated with physicochemical tissue descriptions to construct integrative models of the synovial joint that ultimately may explain maintenance of health, recovery from injury, or development and progression of arthritis. PMID:21826801

mHealthMon: toward energy-efficient and distributed mobile health monitoring using parallel offloading.

PubMed

Ahnn, Jong Hoon; Potkonjak, Miodrag

2013-10-01

Although mobile health monitoring where mobile sensors continuously gather, process, and update sensor readings (e.g. vital signals) from patient's sensors is emerging, little effort has been investigated in an energy-efficient management of sensor information gathering and processing. Mobile health monitoring with the focus of energy consumption may instead be holistically analyzed and systematically designed as a global solution to optimization subproblems. This paper presents an attempt to decompose the very complex mobile health monitoring system whose layer in the system corresponds to decomposed subproblems, and interfaces between them are quantified as functions of the optimization variables in order to orchestrate the subproblems. We propose a distributed and energy-saving mobile health platform, called mHealthMon where mobile users publish/access sensor data via a cloud computing-based distributed P2P overlay network. The key objective is to satisfy the mobile health monitoring application's quality of service requirements by modeling each subsystem: mobile clients with medical sensors, wireless network medium, and distributed cloud services. By simulations based on experimental data, we present the proposed system can achieve up to 10.1 times more energy-efficient and 20.2 times faster compared to a standalone mobile health monitoring application, in various mobile health monitoring scenarios applying a realistic mobility model.

Wearable Sensors for Remote Health Monitoring.

PubMed

Majumder, Sumit; Mondal, Tapas; Deen, M Jamal

2017-01-12

Life expectancy in most countries has been increasing continually over the several few decades thanks to significant improvements in medicine, public health, as well as personal and environmental hygiene. However, increased life expectancy combined with falling birth rates are expected to engender a large aging demographic in the near future that would impose significant  burdens on the socio-economic structure of these countries. Therefore, it is essential to develop cost-effective, easy-to-use systems for the sake of elderly healthcare and well-being. Remote health monitoring, based on non-invasive and wearable sensors, actuators and modern communication and information technologies offers an efficient and cost-effective solution that allows the elderly to continue to live in their comfortable home environment instead of expensive healthcare facilities. These systems will also allow healthcare personnel to monitor important physiological signs of their patients in real time, assess health conditions and provide feedback from distant facilities. In this paper, we have presented and compared several low-cost and non-invasive health and activity monitoring systems that were reported in recent years. A survey on textile-based sensors that can potentially be used in wearable systems is also presented. Finally, compatibility of several communication technologies as well as future perspectives and research challenges in remote monitoring systems will be discussed.

Wearable Sensors for Remote Health Monitoring

PubMed Central

Majumder, Sumit; Mondal, Tapas; Deen, M. Jamal

2017-01-01

Life expectancy in most countries has been increasing continually over the several few decades thanks to significant improvements in medicine, public health, as well as personal and environmental hygiene. However, increased life expectancy combined with falling birth rates are expected to engender a large aging demographic in the near future that would impose significant  burdens on the socio-economic structure of these countries. Therefore, it is essential to develop cost-effective, easy-to-use systems for the sake of elderly healthcare and well-being. Remote health monitoring, based on non-invasive and wearable sensors, actuators and modern communication and information technologies offers an efficient and cost-effective solution that allows the elderly to continue to live in their comfortable home environment instead of expensive healthcare facilities. These systems will also allow healthcare personnel to monitor important physiological signs of their patients in real time, assess health conditions and provide feedback from distant facilities. In this paper, we have presented and compared several low-cost and non-invasive health and activity monitoring systems that were reported in recent years. A survey on textile-based sensors that can potentially be used in wearable systems is also presented. Finally, compatibility of several communication technologies as well as future perspectives and research challenges in remote monitoring systems will be discussed. PMID:28085085

Separate and joint effects of alcohol and caffeine on conflict monitoring and adaptation.

PubMed

Bailey, Kira; Amlung, Michael T; Morris, David H; Price, Mason H; Von Gunten, Curtis; McCarthy, Denis M; Bartholow, Bruce D

2016-04-01

Caffeine is commonly believed to offset the acute effects of alcohol, but some evidence suggests that cognitive processes remain impaired when caffeine and alcohol are coadministered. No previous study has investigated the separate and joint effects of alcohol and caffeine on conflict monitoring and adaptation, processes thought to be critical for self-regulation. This was the purpose of the current study. Healthy, young adult social drinkers recruited from the community completed a flanker task after consuming one of four beverages in a 2 × 2 experimental design: Alcohol + caffeine, alcohol + placebo caffeine, placebo alcohol + caffeine, or placebo alcohol + placebo caffeine. Accuracy, response time, and the amplitude of the N2 component of the event-related potential (ERP), a neural index of conflict monitoring, were examined as a function of whether or not conflict was present (i.e., whether or not flankers were compatible with the target) on both the previous trial and the current trial. Alcohol did not abolish conflict monitoring or adaptation. Caffeine eliminated conflict adaptation in sequential trials but also enhanced neural conflict monitoring. The combined effect of alcohol and caffeine was apparent only in how previous conflict affected the neural conflict monitoring response. Together, the findings suggest that caffeine leads to exaggeration of attentional resource utilization, which could provide short-term benefits but lead to problems conserving resources for when they are most needed.

Individualized Behavioral Health Monitoring Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mollicone, Daniel

2015-01-01

Behavioral health risks during long-duration space exploration missions are among the most difficult to predict, detect, and mitigate. Given the anticipated extended duration of future missions and their isolated, extreme, and confined environments, there is the possibility that behavior conditions and mental disorders will develop among astronaut crew. Pulsar Informatics, Inc., has developed a health monitoring tool that provides a means to detect and address behavioral disorders and mental conditions at an early stage. The tool integrates all available behavioral measures collected during a mission to identify possible health indicator warning signs within the context of quantitatively tracked mission stressors. It is unobtrusive and requires minimal crew time and effort to train and utilize. The monitoring tool can be deployed in space analog environments for validation testing and ultimate deployment in long-duration space exploration missions.

Acoustic Techniques for Structural Health Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frankenstein, B.; Augustin, J.; Hentschel, D.; Schubert, F.; Köhler, B.; Meyendorf, N.

2008-02-01

Future safety and maintenance strategies for industrial components and vehicles are based on combinations of monitoring systems that are permanently attached to or embedded in the structure, and periodic inspections. The latter belongs to conventional nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and can be enhanced or partially replaced by structural health monitoring systems. However, the main benefit of this technology for the future will consist of systems that can be differently designed based on improved safety philosophies, including continuous monitoring. This approach will increase the efficiency of inspection procedures at reduced inspection times. The Fraunhofer IZFP Dresden Branch has developed network nodes, miniaturized transmitter and receiver systems for active and passive acoustical techniques and sensor systems that can be attached to or embedded into components or structures. These systems have been used to demonstrate intelligent sensor networks for the monitoring of aerospace structures, railway systems, wind energy generators, piping system and other components. Material discontinuities and flaws have been detected and monitored during full scale fatigue testing. This paper will discuss opportunities and future trends in nondestructive evaluation and health monitoring based on new sensor principles and advanced microelectronics. It will outline various application examples of monitoring systems based on acoustic techniques and will indicate further needs for research and development.

Using routine Haemophilia Joint Health Score for international comparisons of haemophilia outcome: standardization is needed.

PubMed

Nijdam, A; Bladen, M; Hubert, N; Pettersson, M; Bartels, B; van der Net, J; Liesner, R; Petrini, P; Kurnik, K; Fischer, K

2016-01-01

Haemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS) is the most sensitive validated score for physical examination of joint health in haemophilia. HJHS performed at regular intervals can be used for clinical monitoring as well as for comparative outcomes research. To determine whether routinely collected HJHS could be used to compare outcome of three different prophylactic regimens in children with severe haemophilia A (primary) and which parameters caused variability in HJHS (secondary). International retrospective observational multi-centre study comparing routine HJHS in 127 children with severe haemophilia A born from 1995 to 2009, from London, Stockholm and Utrecht centres. Patient and treatment data were collected from the European Paediatric Network for Haemophilia Management registry and patient files. The independent effects of regimens, physiotherapists, age and inhibitor status on HJHS were explored, using multivariable regression analysis. Prophylaxis varied across participating centres, with differences in initial frequency of infusions (1× per week vs. 3× per week), age at reaching infusions ≥3× per week, and dose kg(-1) week(-1) at HJHS assessment. Evaluation at median age of 11 years showed an illogical association of HJHS with treatment regimen: the least intensive regimen had the lowest HJHS. The HJHS increased with age and history of inhibitor, as expected (internal validity). But the comparison of prophylactic regimens was obscured by systematic differences in assessment between physiotherapists, both within and between centres. Inter-physiotherapist discrepancies in routine HJHS hamper comparison of scores between treatment regimens. For multi-centre research, additional inter-observer standardization for HJHS scoring is needed. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Wearable sensors for human health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asada, H. Harry; Reisner, Andrew

2006-03-01

Wearable sensors for continuous monitoring of vital signs for extended periods of weeks or months are expected to revolutionize healthcare services in the home and workplace as well as in hospitals and nursing homes. This invited paper describes recent research progress in wearable health monitoring technology and its clinical applications, with emphasis on blood pressure and circulatory monitoring. First, a finger ring-type wearable blood pressure sensor based on photo plethysmogram is presented. Technical issues, including motion artifact reduction, power saving, and wearability enhancement, will be addressed. Second, sensor fusion and sensor networking for integrating multiple sensors with diverse modalities will be discussed for comprehensive monitoring and diagnosis of health status. Unlike traditional snap-shot measurements, continuous monitoring with wearable sensors opens up the possibility to treat the physiological system as a dynamical process. This allows us to apply powerful system dynamics and control methodologies, such as adaptive filtering, single- and multi-channel system identification, active noise cancellation, and adaptive control, to the monitoring and treatment of highly complex physiological systems. A few clinical trials illustrate the potentials of the wearable sensor technology for future heath care services.

Design of smart neonatal health monitoring system using SMCC.

PubMed

De, Debashis; Mukherjee, Anwesha; Sau, Arkaprabha; Bhakta, Ishita

2017-02-01

Automated health monitoring and alert system development is a demanding research area today. Most of the currently available monitoring and controlling medical devices are wired which limits freeness of working environment. Wireless sensor network (WSN) is a better alternative in such an environment. Neonatal intensive care unit is used to take care of sick and premature neonates. Hypothermia is an independent risk factor for neonatal mortality and morbidity. To prevent it an automated monitoring system is required. In this Letter, an automated neonatal health monitoring system is designed using sensor mobile cloud computing (SMCC). SMCC is based on WSN and MCC. In the authors' system temperature sensor, acceleration sensor and heart rate measurement sensor are used to monitor body temperature, acceleration due to body movement and heart rate of neonates. The sensor data are stored inside the cloud. The health person continuously monitors and accesses these data through the mobile device using an Android Application for neonatal monitoring. When an abnormal situation arises, an alert is generated in the mobile device of the health person. By alerting health professional using such an automated system, early care is provided to the affected babies and the probability of recovery is increased.

One-year assessment of joint procurement of pharmaceuticals in the public health sector in Jordan.

PubMed

Al-Abbadi, Ibrahim; Qawwas, Abdelraouf; Jaafreh, Mahmoud; Abosamen, Taher; Saket, Maisa

2009-06-01

About 10% of the gross domestic product in Jordan is spent on health care, and almost one third of that is spent on pharmaceuticals. The public health sector in Jordan has 4 main governmental parties that purchase medicines independently through annual tenders (ie, the process of bidding, being awarded, ordering, paying for, and receiving drugs) issued in the generic (or scientific) name of the medicines or therapeutic groups. Double purchasing is a problem that leads to higher spending on drugs and poor availability of medicines throughout the year. To remedy this problem, a joint procurement process was established in Jordan in 2004 and went into practice in 2006. The aim of this research was to assess the first year of purchasing pharmaceuticals in the public health sector in Jordan through the joint procurement process for the 4 participating parties in comparison with purchasing pharmaceuticals independently before the institution of joint procurement. The first tender under the joint procurement process was issued in 2007 for antibiotics, anti-HIV medications, and antituberculosis agents, which represent 15% of the annual pharmaceutical public-sector purchases in Jordan. A research committee solicited lists of purchased quantities and final purchase prices of these pharmaceuticals obtained in 2006 by each participating group and in 2007 through the joint procurement process. The quantity-comparison method was used to compare the costs of drugs purchased in 2006 and 2007, and estimated cost savings were calculated for each product for each party for 2006 and 2007 under the assumption that the same quantities purchased by each participating party in 2006 would be purchased through joint procurement (prices of 2007). Purchasing through the joint procurement process achieved an estimated savings of 2.4%. This savings increased to 8.9% after excluding 1 item (a cephalosporin), the raw material price of which increased markedly in 2007 compared with 2006 because of

Monitoring of fatigue damage in composite lap-joints using guided waves and FBG sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpenko, Oleksii; Khomenko, Anton; Koricho, Ermias; Haq, Mahmoodul; Udpa, Lalita

2016-02-01

Adhesive bonding is being increasingly employed in many applications as it offers possibility of light-weighting and efficient multi-material joining along with reduction in time and cost of manufacturing. However, failure initiation and progression in critical components like joints, specifically in fatigue loading is not well understood, which necessitates reliable NDE and SHM techniques to ensure structural integrity. In this work, concurrent guided wave (GW) and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor measurements were used to monitor fatigue damage in adhesively bonded composite lap-joints. In the present set-up, one FBG sensor was strategically embedded in the adhesive bond-line of a lap-joint, while two other FBGs were bonded on the surface of the adherends. Full spectral responses of FBG sensors were collected and compared at specific intervals of fatigue loading. In parallel, guided waves were actuated and sensed using PZT wafers mounted on the composite adherends. Experimental results demonstrated that time-of-flight (ToF) of the fundamental modes transmitted through the bond-line and spectral response of FBG sensors were sensitive to fatigue loading and damage. Combination of guided wave and FBG measurements provided the desired redundancy and synergy in the data to evaluate the degradation in bond-line properties. Measurements taken in the presence of continuously applied load replicated the in-situ/service conditions. The approach shows promise in understanding the behavior of bonded joints subjected to complex loading.

Forest Health Monitoring in Maryland 1996-1999

Treesearch

Northeastern Research Station

2003-01-01

The National Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) program monitors the long-term status, changes and trends in the health of forest ecosystems and is conducted in cooperation with individual states. In Maryland, 40 FHM plots were established in 1991. Beginning in 1998, 95 plots were added. Each plot is a series of four fixed-area circular plots. Most tree measurements are...

Robust Strategy for Rocket Engine Health Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santi, L. Michael

2001-01-01

Monitoring the health of rocket engine systems is essentially a two-phase process. The acquisition phase involves sensing physical conditions at selected locations, converting physical inputs to electrical signals, conditioning the signals as appropriate to establish scale or filter interference, and recording results in a form that is easy to interpret. The inference phase involves analysis of results from the acquisition phase, comparison of analysis results to established health measures, and assessment of health indications. A variety of analytical tools may be employed in the inference phase of health monitoring. These tools can be separated into three broad categories: statistical, rule based, and model based. Statistical methods can provide excellent comparative measures of engine operating health. They require well-characterized data from an ensemble of "typical" engines, or "golden" data from a specific test assumed to define the operating norm in order to establish reliable comparative measures. Statistical methods are generally suitable for real-time health monitoring because they do not deal with the physical complexities of engine operation. The utility of statistical methods in rocket engine health monitoring is hindered by practical limits on the quantity and quality of available data. This is due to the difficulty and high cost of data acquisition, the limited number of available test engines, and the problem of simulating flight conditions in ground test facilities. In addition, statistical methods incur a penalty for disregarding flow complexity and are therefore limited in their ability to define performance shift causality. Rule based methods infer the health state of the engine system based on comparison of individual measurements or combinations of measurements with defined health norms or rules. This does not mean that rule based methods are necessarily simple. Although binary yes-no health assessment can sometimes be established by

Flexible Sensing Electronics for Wearable/Attachable Health Monitoring.

PubMed

Wang, Xuewen; Liu, Zheng; Zhang, Ting

2017-07-01

Wearable or attachable health monitoring smart systems are considered to be the next generation of personal portable devices for remote medicine practices. Smart flexible sensing electronics are components crucial in endowing health monitoring systems with the capability of real-time tracking of physiological signals. These signals are closely associated with body conditions, such as heart rate, wrist pulse, body temperature, blood/intraocular pressure and blood/sweat bio-information. Monitoring such physiological signals provides a convenient and non-invasive way for disease diagnoses and health assessments. This Review summarizes the recent progress of flexible sensing electronics for their use in wearable/attachable health monitoring systems. Meanwhile, we present an overview of different materials and configurations for flexible sensors, including piezo-resistive, piezo-electrical, capacitive, and field effect transistor based devices, and analyze the working principles in monitoring physiological signals. In addition, the future perspectives of wearable healthcare systems and the technical demands on their commercialization are briefly discussed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Acceptance by laypersons and medical professionals of the personalized eHealth platform, eHealthMonitor.

PubMed

Griebel, Lena; Kolominsky-Rabas, Peter; Schaller, Sandra; Siudyka, Jakub; Sierpinski, Radoslaw; Papapavlou, Dimitrios; Simeonidou, Aliki; Prokosch, Hans-Ulrich; Sedlmayr, Martin

2017-09-01

Often, eHealth services are not accepted because of factors such as eHealth literacy or trust. Within this study, eHealthMonitor was evaluated in three European countries (Germany, Greece, and Poland) by medical professionals and laypersons with respect to numerous acceptance factors. Questionnaires were created on the basis of factors from literature and with the help of scales which have already been validated. A qualitative survey was conducted in Germany, Poland, and Greece. The eHealth literacy of all participants was medium/high. Laypersons mostly agreed that they could easily become skillful with eHealthMonitor and that other people thought that they should use eHealthMonitor. Amongst medical professionals, a large number were afraid that eHealthMonitor could violate their privacy or the privacy of their patients. Overall, the participants thought that eHealthMonitor was a good concept and that they would use it. The main hindrances to the use of eHealthMonitor were found in trust issues including data privacy. In the future, more research on the linkage of all measured factors is needed, for example, to address the question of whether highly educated people tend to mistrust eHealth information more than people with lower levels of education.

Haemophilia Joint Health Score in healthy adults playing sports.

PubMed

Sluiter, D; Foppen, W; de Kleijn, P; Fischer, K

2014-03-01

To evaluate outcome of prophylactic clotting factor replacement in children with haemophilia, the Haemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS) was developed aiming at scoring early joint changes in children aged 4-18. The HJHS has been used for adults on long-term prophylaxis but interpretation of small changes remains difficult. Some changes in these patients may be due to sports-related injuries. Evaluation of HJHS score in healthy adults playing sports could improve the interpretation of this score in haemophilic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the HJHS scores in a cohort of young, healthy men participating in sports. Concomitant with a project collecting MRI images of ankles and knees in normal young adults, HJHS scores were assessed in 30 healthy men aged 18-26, participating in sports one to three times per week. One physiotherapist assessed their clinical function using the HJHS 2.1. History of joint injuries was documented. MRI images were scored by a single radiologist, using the International Prophylaxis Study Group additive MRI score. Median age of the study group was 24.3 years (range 19.0-26.4) and median frequency of sports activities was three times per week (range 1-4). Six joints (five knees, one ankle) had a history of sports-related injury. The median overall HJHS score was 0 out of 124 (range 0-3), with 60% of subjects showing no abnormalities on HJHS. All joints were normal on MRI. These results suggest that frequent sports participation and related injuries are not related with abnormalities in HJHS scores. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Wearable sensors for health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suciu, George; Butca, Cristina; Ochian, Adelina; Halunga, Simona

2015-02-01

In this paper we describe several wearable sensors, designed for monitoring the health condition of the patients, based on an experimental model. Wearable sensors enable long-term continuous physiological monitoring, which is important for the treatment and management of many chronic illnesses, neurological disorders, and mental health issues. The system is based on a wearable sensors network, which is connected to a computer or smartphone. The wearable sensor network integrates several wearable sensors that can measure different parameters such as body temperature, heart rate and carbon monoxide quantity from the air. After the portable sensors measuring parameter values, they are transmitted by microprocessor through the Bluetooth to the application developed on computer or smartphone, to be interpreted.

Monitoring of bolted joints using piezoelectric active-sensing for aerospace applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, Gyuhae; Farrar, Charles R; Park, Chan - Yik

2010-01-01

This paper is a report of an initial investigation into tracking and monitoring the integrity of bolted joints using piezoelectric active-sensors. The target application of this study is a fitting lug assembly of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), where a composite wing is mounted to a UAV fuselage. The SHM methods deployed in this study are impedance-based SHM techniques, time-series analysis, and high-frequency response functions measured by piezoelectric active-sensors. Different types of simulated damage are introduced into the structure, and the capability of each technique is examined and compared. Additional considerations encountered in this initial investigation are made to guide furthermore » thorough research required for the successful field deployment of this technology.« less

Design of smart neonatal health monitoring system using SMCC

PubMed Central

Mukherjee, Anwesha; Bhakta, Ishita

2016-01-01

Automated health monitoring and alert system development is a demanding research area today. Most of the currently available monitoring and controlling medical devices are wired which limits freeness of working environment. Wireless sensor network (WSN) is a better alternative in such an environment. Neonatal intensive care unit is used to take care of sick and premature neonates. Hypothermia is an independent risk factor for neonatal mortality and morbidity. To prevent it an automated monitoring system is required. In this Letter, an automated neonatal health monitoring system is designed using sensor mobile cloud computing (SMCC). SMCC is based on WSN and MCC. In the authors’ system temperature sensor, acceleration sensor and heart rate measurement sensor are used to monitor body temperature, acceleration due to body movement and heart rate of neonates. The sensor data are stored inside the cloud. The health person continuously monitors and accesses these data through the mobile device using an Android Application for neonatal monitoring. When an abnormal situation arises, an alert is generated in the mobile device of the health person. By alerting health professional using such an automated system, early care is provided to the affected babies and the probability of recovery is increased. PMID:28261491

Patient monitoring in mobile health: opportunities and challenges.

PubMed

Mohammadzadeh, Niloofar; Safdari, Reza

2014-01-01

In most countries chronic diseases lead to high health care costs and reduced productivity of people in society. The best way to reduce costs of health sector and increase the empowerment of people is prevention of chronic diseases and appropriate health activities management through monitoring of patients. To enjoy the full benefits of E-health, making use of methods and modern technologies is very important. This literature review articles were searched with keywords like Patient monitoring, Mobile Health, and Chronic Disease in Science Direct, Google Scholar and Pub Med databases without regard to the year of publications. Applying remote medical diagnosis and monitoring system based on mobile health systems can help significantly to reduce health care costs, correct performance management particularly in chronic disease management. Also some challenges are in patient monitoring in general and specific aspects like threats to confidentiality and privacy, technology acceptance in general and lack of system interoperability with electronic health records and other IT tools, decrease in face to face communication between doctor and patient, sudden interruptions of telecommunication networks, and device and sensor type in specific aspect. It is obvious identifying the opportunities and challenges of mobile technology and reducing barriers, strengthening the positive points will have a significant role in the appropriate planning and promoting the achievements of the health care systems based on mobile and helps to design a roadmap for improvement of mobile health.

Lamb wave propagation in Z-pin reinforced co-cured composite pi-joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swenson, Eric D.; Soni, Som R.; Kapoor, Hitesh

2010-04-01

This paper presents an initial study on Lamb wave propagation characteristics in z-pin reinforced, co-cured composite pi-joints for the purposes of structural health monitoring (SHM). Pi-joint test articles were designed and created to replicate a co-cured, all composite skin-spar joint found within a typical aircraft wing structure. Because pi-joints exhibit various complex damage modes, formal studies are required if SHM systems are to be developed to monitor these types of joints for potential damage. Experiments were conducted on a undamaged (healthy) and damaged test articles where Lamb waves were excited using one lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducer. A three-dimensional (3D) scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) was used to collect high-density scans of both the in-plane and out-of-plane velocity measurements. In the damaged test article, where delamination, matrix cracking, and fiber breakage can clearly be seen, changes in both the fundamental antisymmetric A0 and symmetric S0 Lamb wave modes are apparent. In both test articles, the effects of narrow geometry, discontinuity due to the attachment of the web, and thickness has detectable effects on Lamb wave propagation. From the comparisons between Lamb waves propagating through the undamaged and damaged test articles, it is clear that damage can be detected using Lamb waves in z-pin reinforced, co-cured composite pi-joints for this case of extensive damage.

Health State Utilities Associated with Glucose Monitoring Devices.

PubMed

Matza, Louis S; Stewart, Katie D; Davies, Evan W; Hellmund, Richard; Polonsky, William H; Kerr, David

2017-03-01

Glucose monitoring is important for patients with diabetes treated with insulin. Conventional glucose monitoring requires a blood sample, typically obtained by pricking the finger. A new sensor-based system called "flash glucose monitoring" monitors glucose levels with a sensor worn on the arm, without requiring blood samples. To estimate the utility difference between these two glucose monitoring approaches for use in cost-utility models. In time trade-off interviews, general population participants in the United Kingdom (London and Edinburgh) valued health states that were drafted and refined on the basis of literature, clinician input, and a pilot study. The health states had identical descriptions of diabetes and insulin treatment, differing only in glucose monitoring approach. A total of 209 participants completed the interviews (51.7% women; mean age = 42.1 years). Mean utilities were 0.851 ± 0.140 for conventional monitoring and 0.882 ± 0.121 for flash monitoring (significant difference between the mean utilities; t = 8.3; P < 0.0001). Of the 209 participants, 78 (37.3%) had a higher utility for flash monitoring, 2 (1.0%) had a higher utility for conventional monitoring, and 129 (61.7%) had the same utility for both health states. The flash glucose monitoring system was associated with a significantly greater utility than the conventional monitoring system. This difference may be useful in cost-utility models comparing the value of glucose monitoring devices for patients with diabetes. This study adds to the literature on treatment process utilities, suggesting that time trade-off methods may be used to quantify preferences among medical devices. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optical Fiber Distributed Sensing Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Strain Measurements Taken During Cryotank Y-Joint Test Article Load Cycling at Liquid Helium Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allison, Sidney G.; Prosser, William H.; Hare, David A.; Moore, Thomas C.; Kenner, Winfred S.

2007-01-01

This paper outlines cryogenic Y-joint testing at Langley Research Center (LaRC) to validate the performance of optical fiber Bragg grating strain sensors for measuring strain at liquid helium temperature (-240 C). This testing also verified survivability of fiber sensors after experiencing 10 thermal cool-down, warm-up cycles and 400 limit load cycles. Graphite composite skins bonded to a honeycomb substrate in a sandwich configuration comprised the Y-joint specimens. To enable SHM of composite cryotanks for consideration to future spacecraft, a light-weight, durable monitoring technology is needed. The fiber optic distributed Bragg grating strain sensing system developed at LaRC is a viable substitute for conventional strain gauges which are not practical for SHM. This distributed sensing technology uses an Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometer (OFDR). This measurement approach has the advantage that it can measure hundreds of Bragg grating sensors per fiber and the sensors are all written at one frequency, greatly simplifying fiber manufacturing. Fiber optic strain measurements compared well to conventional strain gauge measurements obtained during these tests. These results demonstrated a high potential for a successful implementation of a SHM system incorporating LaRC's fiber optic sensing system on the composite cryotank and other future cryogenic applications.

Real-time monitoring of laser welding of galvanized high strength steel in lap joint configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Fanrong; Ma, Junjie; Carlson, Blair; Kovacevic, Radovan

2012-10-01

Two different cases regarding the zinc coating at the lap joint faying surface are selected for studying the influence of zinc vapor on the keyhole dynamics of the weld pool and the final welding quality. One case has the zinc coating fully removed at the faying surface; while the other case retains the zinc coating on the faying surface. It is found that removal of the zinc coating at the faying surface produces a significantly better weld quality as exemplified by a lack of spatters whereas intense spatters are present when the zinc coating is present at the faying surface. Spectroscopy is used to detect the optical spectra emitted from a laser generated plasma plume during the laser welding of galvanized high strength DP980 steel in a lap-joint configuration. A correlation between the electron temperature and defects within the weld bead is identified by using the Boltzmann plot method. The laser weld pool keyhole dynamic behavior affected by a high-pressure zinc vapor generated at the faying surface of galvanized steel lap-joint is monitored in real-time by a high speed charge-coupled device (CCD) camera assisted with a green laser as an illumination source.

Introduction to:Forest health monitoring program

Treesearch

Mark J. Ambrose

2009-01-01

This annual technical report is a product of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program. The report provides information about a variety of issues relating to forest health at a national scale. FHM national reports have the dual focus of presenting analyses of the latest available data and showcasing innovative techniques for analyzing forest health data. The report is...

Jointly reconstructing ground motion and resistivity for ERT-based slope stability monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyle, Alistair; Wilkinson, Paul B.; Chambers, Jonathan E.; Meldrum, Philip I.; Uhlemann, Sebastian; Adler, Andy

2018-02-01

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is increasingly being used to investigate unstable slopes and monitor the hydrogeological processes within. But movement of electrodes or incorrect placement of electrodes with respect to an assumed model can introduce significant resistivity artefacts into the reconstruction. In this work, we demonstrate a joint resistivity and electrode movement reconstruction algorithm within an iterative Gauss-Newton framework. We apply this to ERT monitoring data from an active slow-moving landslide in the UK. Results show fewer resistivity artefacts and suggest that electrode movement and resistivity can be reconstructed at the same time under certain conditions. A new 2.5-D formulation for the electrode position Jacobian is developed and is shown to give accurate numerical solutions when compared to the adjoint method on 3-D models. On large finite element meshes, the calculation time of the newly developed approach was also proven to be orders of magnitude faster than the 3-D adjoint method and addressed modelling errors in the 2-D perturbation and adjoint electrode position Jacobian.

Action Monitoring for Equity and Gender in Health

PubMed Central

Bhuiya, Abbas; Hanifi, S.M.A.; Mahmood, Shehrin Shaila

2008-01-01

Equity and gender, despite being universal concerns for all health programmes in Bangladesh, are often missing in many of the health agenda. The health programmes fail to address these important dimensions unless these are specifically included in the planning stage of a programme and are continually monitored for progress. This paper presents the situation of equity in health in Bangladesh, innovations in monitoring equity in the use of health services in general and by the poor in particular, and impact of targeted non-health interventions on health outcomes of the poor. It was argued that an equitable use of health services might also result in enhanced overall coverage of the services. The findings show that government services at the upazila level are used by the poor proportionately more than they are in the community, while at the private facilities, the situation is reverse. Commonly-used monitoring tools, at times, are not very useful for the programme managers to know how well they are doing in reaching the poor. Use of benefit-incidence ratio may provide a quick feedback to the health facility managers about their extent of serving the poor. Similarly, Lot Quality Assurance Sampling can be an easy-to-use tool for monitoring coverage at the community level requiring a very small sample size. Although health problems are biomedical phenomena, their solutions may include actions beyond the biomedical framework. Studies have shown that non-health interventions targeted towards the poor improve the use of health services and reduce mortality among children in poor households. The study on equity and health deals with various interlocking issues, and the examples and views presented in this paper intend to introduce their importance in designing and managing health and development programmes. PMID:18831232

Action monitoring for equity and gender in health.

PubMed

Bhuiya, Abbas; Hanifi, S M A; Mahmood, Shehrin Shaila

2008-09-01

Equity and gender, despite being universal concerns for all health programmes in Bangladesh, are often missing in many of the health agenda. The health programmes fail to address these important dimensions unless these are specifically included in the planning stage of a programme and are continually monitored for progress. This paper presents the situation of equity in health in Bangladesh, innovations in monitoring equity in the use of health services in general and by the poor in particular, and impact of targeted non-health interventions on health outcomes of the poor. It was argued that an equitable use of health services might also result in enhanced overall coverage of the services. The findings show that government services at the upazila level are used by the poor proportionately more than they are in the community, while at the private facilities, the situation is reverse. Commonly-used monitoring tools, at times, are not very useful for the programme managers to know how well they are doing in reaching the poor. Use of benefit-incidence ratio may provide a quick feedback to the health facility managers about their extent of serving the poor. Similarly, Lot Quality Assurance Sampling can be an easy-to-use tool for monitoring coverage at the community level requiring a very small sample size. Although health problems are biomedical phenomena, their solutions may include actions beyond the biomedical framework. Studies have shown that non-health interventions targeted towards the poor improve the use of health services and reduce mortality among children in poor households. The study on equity and health deals with various interlocking issues, and the examples and views presented in this paper intend to introduce their importance in designing and managing health and development programmes.

Flexible Structural-Health-Monitoring Sheets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Qing, Xinlin; Kuo, Fuo

2008-01-01

A generic design for a type of flexible structural-health-monitoring sheet with multiple sensor/actuator types and a method of manufacturing such sheets has been developed. A sheet of this type contains an array of sensing and/or actuation elements, associated wires, and any other associated circuit elements incorporated into various flexible layers on a thin, flexible substrate. The sheet can be affixed to a structure so that the array of sensing and/or actuation elements can be used to analyze the structure in accordance with structural-health-monitoring techniques. Alternatively, the sheet can be designed to be incorporated into the body of the structure, especially if the structure is made of a composite material. Customarily, structural-health monitoring is accomplished by use of sensors and actuators arrayed at various locations on a structure. In contrast, a sheet of the present type can contain an entire sensor/actuator array, making it unnecessary to install each sensor and actuator individually on or in a structure. Sensors of different types such as piezoelectric and fiber-optic can be embedded in the sheet to form a hybrid sensor network. Similarly, the traces for electric communication can be deposited on one or two layers as required, and an entirely separate layer can be employed to shield the sensor elements and traces.

Health Care Providers' Knowledge and Practice Gap towards Joint Zoonotic Disease Surveillance System: Challenges and Opportunities, Gomma District, Southwest Ethiopia.

PubMed

Gemeda, Desta Hiko; Sime, Abiot Girma; Hajito, Kifle Woldemichael; Gelalacha, Benti Deresa; Tafese, Wubit; Gebrehiwot, Tsegaye Tewelde

2016-01-01

Background. Health care providers play a crucial role for realization of joint zoonotic diseases surveillance by human and animal health sectors, yet there is limited evidence. Hence, this study aimed to determine knowledge and practice gap of health care providers towards the approach for Rabies and Anthrax in Southwest Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from December 16, 2014, to January 14, 2015. Eligible health care providers were considered for the study. Data were entered in to Epi-data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results. A total of 323 (92.02%) health care providers participated in the study. Three hundred sixteen (97.8%) of participants reported that both human and animal health sectors can work together for zoonotic diseases while 96.9% of them replied that both sectors can jointly conduct surveillance. One hundred seventeen (36.2%) of them reported that their respective sectors had conducted joint surveillance for zoonotic diseases. Their involvement was, however, limited to joint outbreak response. Conclusion. There is good opportunity in health care providers' knowledge even though the practice was unacceptably low and did not address all surveillance components. Therefore, formal joint surveillance structure should be in place for optimal implementation of surveillance.

Effects of free-range and confined housing on joint health in a herd of fattening pigs.

PubMed

Etterlin, Pernille Engelsen; Ytrehus, Bjørnar; Lundeheim, Nils; Heldmer, Eva; Österberg, Julia; Ekman, Stina

2014-09-11

Free-range housing, in which pigs have access to both indoor and outdoor areas, is mandatory in organic pig production in Europe, but little is known about the effects of this housing on joint health in pigs. A high level of joint condemnations at slaughter has been reported in organic free-range pigs in Sweden, compared with pigs raised in conventional confined housing. We hypothesised that biomechanical forces imposed on the joints of pigs that range freely promote the development of osteochondrosis and lead to joint condemnation. We compared the prevalence of osteochondrosis and other joint lesions (e.g. arthritis, traumatic) in the elbow and hock joints of 91 crossbred Hampshire (Yorkshire × Landrace) fattening pigs that were housed in a free-range indoor/outdoor system with that in 45 pigs housed in confined indoor pens. A larger proportion of free-range than confined pigs had osteochondrosis in the elbow joints (69 vs. 50%, p < 0.05), and a higher proportion of these joints in free-range pigs showed moderate or severe lesions (33 vs. 16%, p < 0.05). The free-range pigs also showed a higher prevalence of osteochondrosis in the hock joints (83 vs. 62%, p < 0.05) and a larger proportion of these joints had moderate or severe lesions (69 vs. 33%, p < 0.001). At slaughter, 4.2% of the free-range pigs had condemned joints, all of which showed severe osteochondrosis, while no joints of confined pigs were condemned. In this experiment the prevalence of osteochondrosis in the elbow and the hock was higher, and lesions were more severe, in free-range than in confined pigs, suggesting that free-range housing increases the risk of acquiring osteochondrosis. Increased biomechanical stress to vulnerable joint structures may be the mechanism behind this effect, however more studies are needed to verify these results. This study suggests that modification of housing, and breeding for joints that are more adapted to free-range movement may be needed in free-range pig

Recommendations for Health Monitoring and Reporting for Zebrafish Research Facilities

PubMed Central

Crim, Marcus J.; Lieggi, Christine

2016-01-01

Abstract The presence of subclinical infection or clinical disease in laboratory zebrafish may have a significant impact on research results, animal health and welfare, and transfer of animals between institutions. As use of zebrafish as a model of disease increases, a harmonized method for monitoring and reporting the health status of animals will facilitate the transfer of animals, allow institutions to exclude diseases that may negatively impact their research programs, and improve animal health and welfare. All zebrafish facilities should implement a health monitoring program. In this study, we review important aspects of a health monitoring program, including choice of agents, samples for testing, available testing methodologies, housing and husbandry, cost, test subjects, and a harmonized method for reporting results. Facilities may use these recommendations to implement their own health monitoring program. PMID:26991393

The Joint Commission calls for comprehensive action on poor health literacy.

PubMed

2007-03-01

A new call to action on poor health literacy. Maintaining that the problem is costing the country dearly in dollars as well as quality of life, The Joint Commission has put out a new policy white paper calling on all key players to take steps to deal with the problem of poor health literacy. Although changes at the top are sorely needed, policy makers maintain that there is much that individual providers can do to alleviate the problem.

Forest health monitoring: National status, trends, and analysis 2012

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2014-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring...

Forest health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2011

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2013-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring...

Forest Health Monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2010

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2013-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation Monitoring...

Adaptable System for Vehicle Health and Usage Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodart, Stanley E.; Woodman, Keith L.; Coffey, Neil C.; Taylor, Bryant D.

2005-01-01

Aircraft and other vehicles are often kept in service beyond their original design lives. As they age, they become susceptible to system malfunctions and fatigue. Unlike future aircraft that will include health-monitoring capabilities as integral parts in their designs, older aircraft have not been so equipped. The Adaptable Vehicle Health and Usage Monitoring System is designed to be retrofitted into a preexisting fleet of military and commercial aircraft, ships, or ground vehicles to provide them with state-of-the-art health- and usage-monitoring capabilities. The monitoring system is self-contained, and the integration of it into existing systems entails limited intrusion. In essence, it has bolt-on/ bolt-off simplicity that makes it easy to install on any preexisting vehicle or structure. Because the system is completely independent of the vehicle, it can be certified for airworthiness as an independent system. The purpose served by the health-monitoring system is to reduce vehicle operating costs and to increase safety and reliability. The monitoring system is a means to identify damage to, or deterioration of, vehicle subsystems, before such damage or deterioration becomes costly and/or disastrous. Frequent monitoring of a vehicle enables identification of the embryonic stages of damage or deterioration. The knowledge thus gained can be used to correct anomalies while they are still somewhat minor. Maintenance can be performed as needed, instead of having the need for maintenance identified during cyclic inspections that take vehicles off duty even when there are no maintenance problems. Measurements and analyses acquired by the health-monitoring system also can be used to analyze mishaps. Overall, vehicles can be made more reliable and kept on duty for longer times. Figure 1 schematically depicts the system as applied to a fleet of n vehicles. The system has three operational levels. All communication between system components is by use of wireless

Maintaining the Health of Software Monitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Person, Suzette; Rungta, Neha

2013-01-01

Software health management (SWHM) techniques complement the rigorous verification and validation processes that are applied to safety-critical systems prior to their deployment. These techniques are used to monitor deployed software in its execution environment, serving as the last line of defense against the effects of a critical fault. SWHM monitors use information from the specification and implementation of the monitored software to detect violations, predict possible failures, and help the system recover from faults. Changes to the monitored software, such as adding new functionality or fixing defects, therefore, have the potential to impact the correctness of both the monitored software and the SWHM monitor. In this work, we describe how the results of a software change impact analysis technique, Directed Incremental Symbolic Execution (DiSE), can be applied to monitored software to identify the potential impact of the changes on the SWHM monitor software. The results of DiSE can then be used by other analysis techniques, e.g., testing, debugging, to help preserve and improve the integrity of the SWHM monitor as the monitored software evolves.

Summary report: Forest health monitoring in the South, 1992

Treesearch

John S. Vissage; William H. Hoffard

1997-01-01

In 1990, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched a cooperative program, Forest Health Monitoring, to monitor the health of the Nation's forests. Several indicators of forest health have been measured on permanent plots in 14 States. Data gathered from Alabama, Georgia, and Virginia in 1992 are...

Equity-Oriented Monitoring in the Context of Universal Health Coverage

PubMed Central

Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Bergen, Nicole; Koller, Theadora; Prasad, Amit; Schlotheuber, Anne; Valentine, Nicole; Lynch, John; Vega, Jeanette

2014-01-01

Monitoring inequalities in health is fundamental to the equitable and progressive realization of universal health coverage (UHC). A successful approach to global inequality monitoring must be intuitive enough for widespread adoption, yet maintain technical credibility. This article discusses methodological considerations for equity-oriented monitoring of UHC, and proposes recommendations for monitoring and target setting. Inequality is multidimensional, such that the extent of inequality may vary considerably across different dimensions such as economic status, education, sex, and urban/rural residence. Hence, global monitoring should include complementary dimensions of inequality (such as economic status and urban/rural residence) as well as sex. For a given dimension of inequality, subgroups for monitoring must be formulated taking into consideration applicability of the criteria across countries and subgroup heterogeneity. For economic-related inequality, we recommend forming subgroups as quintiles, and for urban/rural inequality we recommend a binary categorization. Inequality spans populations, thus appropriate approaches to monitoring should be based on comparisons between two subgroups (gap approach) or across multiple subgroups (whole spectrum approach). When measuring inequality absolute and relative measures should be reported together, along with disaggregated data; inequality should be reported alongside the national average. We recommend targets based on proportional reductions in absolute inequality across populations. Building capacity for health inequality monitoring is timely, relevant, and important. The development of high-quality health information systems, including data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting practices that are linked to review and evaluation cycles across health systems, will enable effective global and national health inequality monitoring. These actions will support equity-oriented progressive realization of UHC

[Equity-oriented monitoring in the context of universal health coverage].

PubMed

Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Bergen, Nicole; Koller, Theadora; Prasad, Amit; Schlotheuber, Anne; Valentine, Nicole; Lynch, John; Vega, Jeanette

2015-07-01

Monitoring inequalities in health is fundamental to the equitable and progressive realization of universal health coverage (UHC). A successful approach to global inequality monitoring must be intuitive enough for widespread adoption, yet maintain technical credibility. This article discusses methodological considerations for equity-oriented monitoring of UHC, and proposes recommendations for monitoring and target setting. Inequality is multidimensional, such that the extent of inequality may vary considerably across different dimensions such as economic status, education, sex, and urban/rural residence. Hence, global monitoring should include complementary dimensions of inequality (such as economic status and urban/rural residence) as well as sex. For a given dimension of inequality, subgroups for monitoring must be formulated taking into consideration applicability of the criteria across countries and subgroup heterogeneity. For economic-related inequality, we recommend forming subgroups as quintiles, and for urban/rural inequality we recommend a binary categorization. Inequality spans populations, thus appropriate approaches to monitoring should be based on comparisons between two subgroups (gap approach) or across multiple subgroups (whole spectrum approach). When measuring inequality absolute and relative measures should be reported together, along with disaggregated data; inequality should be reported alongside the national average. We recommend targets based on proportional reductions in absolute inequality across populations. Building capacity for health inequality monitoring is timely, relevant, and important. The development of high-quality health information systems, including data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting practices that are linked to review and evaluation cycles across health systems, will enable effective global and national health inequality monitoring. These actions will support equity-oriented progressive realization of UHC.

Structural health monitoring system/method using electroactive polymer fibers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott-Carnell, Lisa A. (Inventor); Siochi, Emilie J. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A method for monitoring the structural health of a structure of interest by coupling one or more electroactive polymer fibers to the structure and monitoring the electroactive responses of the polymer fiber(s). Load changes that are experienced by the structure cause changes in the baseline responses of the polymer fiber(s). A system for monitoring the structural health of the structure is also provided.

Estimation of ground reaction forces and joint moments on the basis on plantar pressure insoles and wearable sensors for joint angle measurement.

PubMed

Ostaszewski, Michal; Pauk, Jolanta

2018-05-16

Gait analysis is a useful tool medical staff use to support clinical decision making. There is still an urgent need to develop low-cost and unobtrusive mobile health monitoring systems. The goal of this study was twofold. Firstly, a wearable sensor system composed of plantar pressure insoles and wearable sensors for joint angle measurement was developed. Secondly, the accuracy of the system in the measurement of ground reaction forces and joint moments was examined. The measurements included joint angles and plantar pressure distribution. To validate the wearable sensor system and examine the effectiveness of the proposed method for gait analysis, an experimental study on ten volunteer subjects was conducted. The accuracy of measurement of ground reaction forces and joint moments was validated against the results obtained from a reference motion capture system. Ground reaction forces and joint moments measured by the wearable sensor system showed a root mean square error of 1% for min. GRF and 27.3% for knee extension moment. The correlation coefficient was over 0.9, in comparison with the stationary motion capture system. The study suggests that the wearable sensor system could be recommended both for research and clinical applications outside a typical gait laboratory.

Physical health care monitoring for people with serious mental illness.

PubMed

Tosh, Graeme; Clifton, Andrew; Mala, Shereen; Bachner, Mick

2010-03-17

Current guidance suggests that we should monitor the physical health of people with serious mental illness and there has been a significant financial investment over recent years to provide this. To assess the effectiveness of physical health monitoring as a means of reducing morbidity, mortality and reduction in quality of life in people with serious mental illness. We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register (October 2009) which is based on regular searches of CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsycINFO. All randomised or quasi-randomised clinical trials focusing on physical health monitoring versus standard care or comparing i) self monitoring vs monitoring by health care professional; ii) simple vs complex monitoring; iii) specific vs non-specific checks iv) once only vs regular checks or v) comparison of different guidance. The authors (GT, AC, SM) independently screened search results and identified three studies as possibly fulfilling the review's criteria. On examination, however, all three were subsequently excluded. We did not identify any randomised trials which assessed the effectiveness of physical health monitoring in people with serious mental illness. There is no evidence from randomised trials to support current guidance and practice. Guidance and practice are based on expert consensus, clinical experience and good intentions rather than high quality evidence.

Principles in wireless building health monitoring systems.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pentaris, F. P.; Makris, J. P.; Stonham, J.; Vallianatos, F.

2012-04-01

Monitoring the structural state of a building is essential for the safety of the people who work, live, visit or just use it as well as for the civil protection of urban areas. Many factors can affect the state of the health of a structure, namely man made, like mistakes in the construction, traffic, heavy loads on the structures, explosions, environmental impacts like wind loads, humidity, chemical reactions, temperature changes and saltiness, and natural hazards like earthquakes and landslides. Monitoring the health of a structure provides the ability to anticipate structural failures and secure the safe use of buildings especially those of public services. This work reviews the state of the art and the challenges of a wireless Structural Health Monitoring (WiSHM). Literature review reveals that although there is significant evolution in wireless structural health monitoring, in many cases, monitoring by itself is not enough to predict when a structure becomes inappropriate and/or unsafe for use, and the damage or low durability of a structure cannot be revealed (Chintalapudi, et al., 2006; Ramos, Aguilar, & Lourenço, 2011). Several features and specifications of WiSHM like wireless sensor networking, reliability and autonomy of sensors, algorithms of data transmission and analysis should still be evolved and improved in order to increase the predictive effectiveness of the SHM (Jinping Ou & Hui Li, 2010; Lu & Loh, 2010) . Acknowledgments This work was supported in part by the ARCHEMEDES III Program of the Ministry of Education of Greece and the European Union in the framework of the project entitled «Interdisciplinary Multi-Scale Research of Earthquake Physics and Seismotectonics at the front of the Hellenic Arc (IMPACT-ARC) ».

Joint physical custody, turning to parents for emotional support, and subjective health: A study of adolescents in Stockholm, Sweden.

PubMed

Låftman, Sara Brolin; Bergström, Malin; Modin, Bitte; Östberg, Viveca

2014-07-01

Among children with separated parents, the arrangement of joint physical custody, i.e. children living equally much in both parents' homes, has increased substantially during the last decades in Sweden. To date, empirical research on the living conditions of this group is limited. This study analyses family type differences in turning to parents for emotional support and in subjective health among adolescents. The focus of the study is adolescents in joint physical custody, who are compared with those living with two original parents in the same household; those living (only) in a single-parent household; and those living (only) in a reconstituted family. The data come from the Stockholm School Survey of 2004, a total population survey of students in grade 9 (15-16 years) in Stockholm (n=8,840). Ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions were conducted. Turning to both parents about problems is most commonly reported by adolescents in intact families, followed by those in joint physical custody. Adolescents in non-traditional family types report worse subjective health than adolescents in intact families, but the difference is smaller for those in joint physical custody than for those living with a single parent. The slightly poorer health of adolescents in joint physical custody than those in intact families is not explained by their lower use of parents as a source of emotional support. The study suggests that joint physical custody is associated with a higher inclination to use parents as a source of emotional support and better subjective health than other post-divorce family types. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Results in Health Science Mixed Methods Research Through Joint Displays.

PubMed

Guetterman, Timothy C; Fetters, Michael D; Creswell, John W

2015-11-01

Mixed methods research is becoming an important methodology to investigate complex health-related topics, yet the meaningful integration of qualitative and quantitative data remains elusive and needs further development. A promising innovation to facilitate integration is the use of visual joint displays that bring data together visually to draw out new insights. The purpose of this study was to identify exemplar joint displays by analyzing the various types of joint displays being used in published articles. We searched for empirical articles that included joint displays in 3 journals that publish state-of-the-art mixed methods research. We analyzed each of 19 identified joint displays to extract the type of display, mixed methods design, purpose, rationale, qualitative and quantitative data sources, integration approaches, and analytic strategies. Our analysis focused on what each display communicated and its representation of mixed methods analysis. The most prevalent types of joint displays were statistics-by-themes and side-by-side comparisons. Innovative joint displays connected findings to theoretical frameworks or recommendations. Researchers used joint displays for convergent, explanatory sequential, exploratory sequential, and intervention designs. We identified exemplars for each of these designs by analyzing the inferences gained through using the joint display. Exemplars represented mixed methods integration, presented integrated results, and yielded new insights. Joint displays appear to provide a structure to discuss the integrated analysis and assist both researchers and readers in understanding how mixed methods provides new insights. We encourage researchers to use joint displays to integrate and represent mixed methods analysis and discuss their value. © 2015 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Results in Health Science Mixed Methods Research Through Joint Displays

PubMed Central

Guetterman, Timothy C.; Fetters, Michael D.; Creswell, John W.

2015-01-01

PURPOSE Mixed methods research is becoming an important methodology to investigate complex health-related topics, yet the meaningful integration of qualitative and quantitative data remains elusive and needs further development. A promising innovation to facilitate integration is the use of visual joint displays that bring data together visually to draw out new insights. The purpose of this study was to identify exemplar joint displays by analyzing the various types of joint displays being used in published articles. METHODS We searched for empirical articles that included joint displays in 3 journals that publish state-of-the-art mixed methods research. We analyzed each of 19 identified joint displays to extract the type of display, mixed methods design, purpose, rationale, qualitative and quantitative data sources, integration approaches, and analytic strategies. Our analysis focused on what each display communicated and its representation of mixed methods analysis. RESULTS The most prevalent types of joint displays were statistics-by-themes and side-by-side comparisons. Innovative joint displays connected findings to theoretical frameworks or recommendations. Researchers used joint displays for convergent, explanatory sequential, exploratory sequential, and intervention designs. We identified exemplars for each of these designs by analyzing the inferences gained through using the joint display. Exemplars represented mixed methods integration, presented integrated results, and yielded new insights. CONCLUSIONS Joint displays appear to provide a structure to discuss the integrated analysis and assist both researchers and readers in understanding how mixed methods provides new insights. We encourage researchers to use joint displays to integrate and represent mixed methods analysis and discuss their value. PMID:26553895

Health Monitoring for Airframe Structural Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Munns, Thomas E.; Kent, Renee M.; Bartolini, Antony; Gause, Charles B.; Borinski, Jason W.; Dietz, Jason; Elster, Jennifer L.; Boyd, Clark; Vicari, Larry; Ray, Asok;

Bayesian inference for the distribution of grams of marijuana in a joint.

PubMed

Ridgeway, Greg; Kilmer, Beau

2016-08-01

The average amount of marijuana in a joint is unknown, yet this figure is a critical quantity for creating credible measures of marijuana consumption. It is essential for projecting tax revenues post-legalization, estimating the size of illicit marijuana markets, and learning about how much marijuana users are consuming in order to understand health and behavioral consequences. Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring data collected between 2000 and 2010 contain relevant information on 10,628 marijuana transactions, joints and loose marijuana purchases, including the city in which the purchase occurred and the price paid for the marijuana. Using the Brown-Silverman drug pricing model to link marijuana price and weight, we are able to infer the distribution of grams of marijuana in a joint and provide a Bayesian posterior distribution for the mean weight of marijuana in a joint. We estimate that the mean weight of marijuana in a joint is 0.32g (95% Bayesian posterior interval: 0.30-0.35). Our estimate of the mean weight of marijuana in a joint is lower than figures commonly used to make estimates of marijuana consumption. These estimates can be incorporated into drug policy discussions to produce better understanding about illicit marijuana markets, the size of potential legalized marijuana markets, and health and behavior outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A System for Monitoring Employee Health in a Navy Occupational Setting.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-30

AD0AIGI 064 NAVAL HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER SAN DIEGO CA F/G 6/5 A SYSTEM FOR MONITORING EMPLOYEE HEALTH IN A NAVY OCCUPATIONAL --ETC(U) DEC 80 L...CALORWIM , NAVAL IMEDCAL. REEARC AIND DEVELOPMUT Claww KWh~v, - ji, A System for Monitoring Employee Health in a Navy Occupational Setting Larry Hermansen...and Health Act of 1970 and Executive Order 11807 have engendered a need for a comprehensive system that can monitor and document employee health and

The Joint Experiment for Crop Assessment and Monitoring (JECAM): Update on Multisite Inter-comparison Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarvis, I.; Gilliams, S. J. B.; Defourny, P.

2016-12-01

Globally there is significant convergence on agricultural monitoring research questions. The focus of interest usually revolves around crop type, crop area estimation and near real time crop condition and yield forecasting. Notwithstanding this convergence, agricultural systems differ significantly throughout the world, reflecting the diversity of ecosystems they are located in. Consequently, a global system of systems for operational monitoring must be based on multiple approaches. Research is required to compare and assess these approaches to identify which are most appropriate for any given location. To this end the Joint Experiments for Crop Assessment and Monitoring (JECAM) was established in 2009 to as a research platform to allow the global agricultural monitoring community to work towards a set of best practices and recommendations for using earth observation data to map, monitor and report on agricultural productivity globally. The JECAM initiative brings together researchers from a large number of globally distributed, well monitored agricultural test sites that cover a range of crop types, cropping systems and climate regimes. The results of JECAM optical inter-comparison research taking place in the Stimulating Innovation for Global Monitoring of Agriculture (SIGMA) project and the Sentinel-2 for Agriculture project will be discussed. The presentation will also highlight upcoming work on a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) inter-comparison study. The outcome of these projects will result in a set of best practices that cover the range of remote sensing monitoring and reporting needs, including satellite data acquisition, pre-processing techniques, information retrieval and ground data validation. These outcomes provide the R&D foundation for GEOGLAM and will help to inform the development of the GEOGLAM system of systems for global agricultural monitoring.

Health Monitoring of a Satellite System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Robert H.; Ng, Hok K.; Speyer, Jason L.; Guntur, Lokeshkumar S.; Carpenter, Russell

2004-01-01

A health monitoring system based on analytical redundancy is developed for satellites on elliptical orbits. First, the dynamics of the satellite including orbital mechanics and attitude dynamics is modelled as a periodic system. Then, periodic fault detection filters are designed to detect and identify the satellite's actuator and sensor faults. In addition, parity equations are constructed using the algebraic redundant relationship among the actuators and sensors. Furthermore, a residual processor is designed to generate the probability of each of the actuator and sensor faults by using a sequential probability test. Finally, the health monitoring system, consisting of periodic fault detection lters, parity equations and residual processor, is evaluated in the simulation in the presence of disturbances and uncertainty.

Forest health monitoring in the United States: focus on national reports

Treesearch

Kurt Riitters; Kevin Potter

2013-01-01

The health and sustainability of United States forests have been monitored for many years from several different perspectives. The national Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program was established in 1990 by Federal and State agencies to develop a national system for monitoring and reporting on the status and trends of forest ecosystem health. We describe and illustrate...

Forest Health Monitoring and Forest Inventory Analysis programs monitor climate change effects in forest ecosystems

Treesearch

Kenneth W. Stolte

2001-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) and Forest Inventory and Analyses (FIA) programs are integrated bilogical monitoring systems that use nationally standardized methods to evaluate and report on the health and sustainability of forest ecosystems in the United States. Many of the anticipated changes in forest ecosystems from climate change were also issues addressed in...

Physiotherapy management of joint hypermobility syndrome--a focus group study of patient and health professional perspectives.

PubMed

Palmer, S; Terry, R; Rimes, K A; Clark, C; Simmonds, J; Horwood, J

2016-03-01

To develop an understanding of patient and health professional views and experiences of physiotherapy to manage joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS). An explorative qualitative design. Seven focus groups were convened, audio recorded, fully transcribed and analysed using a constant comparative method to inductively derive a thematic account of the data. Four geographical areas of the U.K. 25 people with JHS and 16 health professionals (14 physiotherapists and two podiatrists). Both patients and health professionals recognised the chronic heterogeneous nature of JHS and reported a lack of awareness of the condition amongst health professionals, patients and wider society. Diagnosis and subsequent referral to physiotherapy services for JHS was often difficult and convoluted. Referral was often for acute single joint injury, failing to recognise the long-term multi-joint nature of the condition. Health professionals and patients felt that if left undiagnosed, JHS was more difficult to treat because of its chronic nature. When JHS was treated by health professionals with knowledge of the condition patients reported satisfactory outcomes. There was considerable agreement between health professionals and patients regarding an 'ideal' physiotherapy service. Education was reported as an overarching requirement for patients and health care professionals. Physiotherapy should be applied holistically to manage JHS as a long-term condition and should address injury prevention and symptom amelioration rather than cure. Education for health professionals and patients is needed to optimise physiotherapy provision. Further research is required to explore the specific therapeutic actions of physiotherapy for managing JHS. Copyright © 2015 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring progress towards universal health coverage at country and global levels.

PubMed

Boerma, Ties; Eozenou, Patrick; Evans, David; Evans, Tim; Kieny, Marie-Paule; Wagstaff, Adam

2014-09-01

Universal health coverage (UHC) has been defined as the desired outcome of health system performance whereby all people who need health services (promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliation) receive them, without undue financial hardship. UHC has two interrelated components: the full spectrum of good-quality, essential health services according to need, and protection from financial hardship, including possible impoverishment, due to out-of-pocket payments for health services. Both components should benefit the entire population. This paper summarizes the findings from 13 country case studies and five technical reviews, which were conducted as part of the development of a global framework for monitoring progress towards UHC. The case studies show the relevance and feasibility of focusing UHC monitoring on two discrete components of health system performance: levels of coverage with health services and financial protection, with a focus on equity. These components link directly to the definition of UHC and measure the direct results of strategies and policies for UHC. The studies also show how UHC monitoring can be fully embedded in often existing, regular overall monitoring of health sector progress and performance. Several methodological and practical issues related to the monitoring of coverage of essential health services, financial protection, and equity, are highlighted. Addressing the gaps in the availability and quality of data required for monitoring progress towards UHC is critical in most countries.

Monitoring Progress towards Universal Health Coverage at Country and Global Levels

PubMed Central

Boerma, Ties; Eozenou, Patrick; Evans, David; Evans, Tim; Kieny, Marie-Paule; Wagstaff, Adam

2014-01-01

Universal health coverage (UHC) has been defined as the desired outcome of health system performance whereby all people who need health services (promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliation) receive them, without undue financial hardship. UHC has two interrelated components: the full spectrum of good-quality, essential health services according to need, and protection from financial hardship, including possible impoverishment, due to out-of-pocket payments for health services. Both components should benefit the entire population. This paper summarizes the findings from 13 country case studies and five technical reviews, which were conducted as part of the development of a global framework for monitoring progress towards UHC. The case studies show the relevance and feasibility of focusing UHC monitoring on two discrete components of health system performance: levels of coverage with health services and financial protection, with a focus on equity. These components link directly to the definition of UHC and measure the direct results of strategies and policies for UHC. The studies also show how UHC monitoring can be fully embedded in often existing, regular overall monitoring of health sector progress and performance. Several methodological and practical issues related to the monitoring of coverage of essential health services, financial protection, and equity, are highlighted. Addressing the gaps in the availability and quality of data required for monitoring progress towards UHC is critical in most countries. PMID:25243899

Forest health monitoring: 2007 national technical report

Treesearch

Barbara L. Conkling

2011-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring Program produces an annual technical report that has two main objectives. The first objective is to present information about forest health from a national perspective. The second objective is to present examples of useful techniques for analyzing forest health data new to the annual national reports and new applications of techniques...

Forest health monitoring: 2009 national technical report

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2012-01-01

The annual national technical report of the Forest Health Monitoring Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

Forest health assessment for eastern hardwood forests

Treesearch

Daniel B. Twardus

1995-01-01

Information presented here, was obtained generally from 3 sources: the Cooperative Forest Health Protection Program, the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program and the National Forest Health Monitoring Program. The Cooperative Forest Health Protection Program is a joint State-Federal effort responsible for forest-wide surveys of forest damage. From these surveys, we...

Joint Disorders - Multiple Languages

MedlinePlus

... a new window. Arabic (العربية) Expand Section Home Care After Total Joint Replacement - العربية (Arabic) Bilingual PDF Health Information Translations Bosnian (bosanski) Expand Section Home Care After Total Joint Replacement - bosanski (Bosnian) Bilingual PDF Health Information ...

Exploiting geo-distributed clouds for a e-health monitoring system with minimum service delay and privacy preservation.

PubMed

Shen, Qinghua; Liang, Xiaohui; Shen, Xuemin; Lin, Xiaodong; Luo, Henry Y

2014-03-01

In this paper, we propose an e-health monitoring system with minimum service delay and privacy preservation by exploiting geo-distributed clouds. In the system, the resource allocation scheme enables the distributed cloud servers to cooperatively assign the servers to the requested users under the load balance condition. Thus, the service delay for users is minimized. In addition, a traffic-shaping algorithm is proposed. The traffic-shaping algorithm converts the user health data traffic to the nonhealth data traffic such that the capability of traffic analysis attacks is largely reduced. Through the numerical analysis, we show the efficiency of the proposed traffic-shaping algorithm in terms of service delay and privacy preservation. Furthermore, through the simulations, we demonstrate that the proposed resource allocation scheme significantly reduces the service delay compared to two other alternatives using jointly the short queue and distributed control law.

Dynamic Self-adaptive Remote Health Monitoring System for Diabetics

PubMed Central

Suh, Myung-kyung; Moin, Tannaz; Woodbridge, Jonathan; Lan, Mars; Ghasemzadeh, Hassan; Bui, Alex; Ahmadi, Sheila; Sarrafzadeh, Majid

2016-01-01

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. In 2010, about 1.9 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older. Remote health monitoring systems can help diabetics and their healthcare professionals monitor health-related measurements by providing real-time feedback. However, data-driven methods to dynamically prioritize and generate tasks are not well investigated in the remote health monitoring. This paper presents a task optimization technique used in WANDA (Weight and Activity with Blood Pressure and Other Vital Signs); a wireless health project that leverages sensor technology and wireless communication to monitor the health status of patients with diabetes. WANDA applies data analytics in real-time to improving the quality of care. The developed algorithm minimizes the number of daily tasks required by diabetic patients using association rules that satisfies a minimum support threshold. Each of these tasks maximizes information gain, thereby improving the overall level of care. Experimental results show that the developed algorithm can reduce the number of tasks up to 28.6% with minimum support 0.95, minimum confidence 0.97 and high efficiency. PMID:23366365

Perceptions of issues relating to exercise and joint health in rheumatoid arthritis: a UK-based questionnaire study.

PubMed

Law, Rebecca-Jane; Markland, David A; Jones, Jeremy G; Maddison, Peter J; Thom, Jeanette M

2013-09-01

This questionnaire study investigated the perceptions of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients across the UK in relation to exercise and joint health. The validity of the measure was also assessed. Members of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) with self-reported RA completed the questionnaire online. Items related to five factors that emerged from previous qualitative research. Participants responded using a five-point Likert-style scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) assessed physical activity. The model was tested using confirmatory factor analysis (LISREL 8.8); statistical analyses were conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). A total of 247 responses were collected over 47 days (88% females; age: 18-77 years; disease duration: <1-51 years). Acceptable factorial validity was revealed (Satorra-Bentler χ(2)  = 774.47, df = 454, p < 0.001, root mean squared error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.05, 90% confidence interval RMSEA = 0.05-0.06, comparative fit index = 0.94, standardized root mean square residual = 0.09), with the following factor endorsements: 'Health professionals show exercise knowledge' (19%); 'Knowing what exercise should be done' (43%); 'Having to exercise because it is helpful' (72%); 'Worry about causing harm to joints' (44%); and 'Not wanting to exercise as joints hurt' (52%). Patient concerns about joint pain, joint harm and how to exercise were significantly associated with lower physical activity (p < 0.05). These results confirm that patients perceive exercise as beneficial. However, concerns about how to exercise, joint pain, causing harm to joints and a perceived lack of exercise knowledge among health professionals remain. Addressing these concerns may have implications for increasing physical activity within the RA population. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A synthesis of evaluation monitoring projects by the forest health monitoring program (1998-2007)

Treesearch

William A. Bechtold; Michael J. Bohne; Barbara L. Conkling; Dana L. Friedman

2012-01-01

The national Forest Health Monitoring Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, has funded over 200 Evaluation Monitoring projects. Evaluation Monitoring is designed to verify and define the extent of deterioration in forest ecosystems where potential problems have been identified. This report is a synthesis of results from over 150 Evaluation...

Monitoring intervention coverage in the context of universal health coverage.

PubMed

Boerma, Ties; AbouZahr, Carla; Evans, David; Evans, Tim

2014-09-01

Monitoring universal health coverage (UHC) focuses on information on health intervention coverage and financial protection. This paper addresses monitoring intervention coverage, related to the full spectrum of UHC, including health promotion and disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliation. A comprehensive core set of indicators most relevant to the country situation should be monitored on a regular basis as part of health progress and systems performance assessment for all countries. UHC monitoring should be embedded in a broad results framework for the country health system, but focus on indicators related to the coverage of interventions that most directly reflect the results of UHC investments and strategies in each country. A set of tracer coverage indicators can be selected, divided into two groups-promotion/prevention, and treatment/care-as illustrated in this paper. Disaggregation of the indicators by the main equity stratifiers is critical to monitor progress in all population groups. Targets need to be set in accordance with baselines, historical rate of progress, and measurement considerations. Critical measurement gaps also exist, especially for treatment indicators, covering issues such as mental health, injuries, chronic conditions, surgical interventions, rehabilitation, and palliation. Consequently, further research and proxy indicators need to be used in the interim. Ideally, indicators should include a quality of intervention dimension. For some interventions, use of a single indicator is feasible, such as management of hypertension; but in many areas additional indicators are needed to capture quality of service provision. The monitoring of UHC has significant implications for health information systems. Major data gaps will need to be filled. At a minimum, countries will need to administer regular household health surveys with biological and clinical data collection. Countries will also need to improve the production of

Monitoring Intervention Coverage in the Context of Universal Health Coverage

PubMed Central

Boerma, Ties; AbouZahr, Carla; Evans, David; Evans, Tim

2014-01-01

Monitoring universal health coverage (UHC) focuses on information on health intervention coverage and financial protection. This paper addresses monitoring intervention coverage, related to the full spectrum of UHC, including health promotion and disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliation. A comprehensive core set of indicators most relevant to the country situation should be monitored on a regular basis as part of health progress and systems performance assessment for all countries. UHC monitoring should be embedded in a broad results framework for the country health system, but focus on indicators related to the coverage of interventions that most directly reflect the results of UHC investments and strategies in each country. A set of tracer coverage indicators can be selected, divided into two groups—promotion/prevention, and treatment/care—as illustrated in this paper. Disaggregation of the indicators by the main equity stratifiers is critical to monitor progress in all population groups. Targets need to be set in accordance with baselines, historical rate of progress, and measurement considerations. Critical measurement gaps also exist, especially for treatment indicators, covering issues such as mental health, injuries, chronic conditions, surgical interventions, rehabilitation, and palliation. Consequently, further research and proxy indicators need to be used in the interim. Ideally, indicators should include a quality of intervention dimension. For some interventions, use of a single indicator is feasible, such as management of hypertension; but in many areas additional indicators are needed to capture quality of service provision. The monitoring of UHC has significant implications for health information systems. Major data gaps will need to be filled. At a minimum, countries will need to administer regular household health surveys with biological and clinical data collection. Countries will also need to improve the production of

Application of near field communication for health monitoring in daily life.

PubMed

Strömmer, Esko; Kaartinen, Jouni; Pärkkä, Juha; Ylisaukko-Oja, Arto; Korhonen, Ilkka

2006-01-01

We study the possibility of applying an emerging RFID-based communication technology, NFC (Near Field Communication), to health monitoring. We suggest that NFC is, compared to other competing technologies, a high-potential technology for short-range connectivity between health monitoring devices and mobile terminals. We propose practices to apply NFC to some health monitoring applications and study the benefits that are attainable with NFC. We compare NFC to other short-range communication technologies such as Bluetooth and IrDA, and study the possibility of improving the usability of health monitoring devices with NFC. We also introduce a research platform for technical evaluation, applicability study and application demonstrations of NFC.

The Joint Experiment for Crop Assessment and Monitoring (JECAM): Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Inter-Comparison Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dingle Robertson, L.; Hosseini, M.; Davidson, A. M.; McNairn, H.

2017-12-01

The Joint Experiment for Crop Assessment and Monitoring (JECAM) is the research and development branch of GEOGLAM (Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring), a G20 initiative to improve the global monitoring of agriculture through the use of Earth Observation (EO) data and remote sensing. JECAM partners represent a diverse network of researchers collaborating towards a set of best practices and recommendations for global agricultural analysis using EO data, with well monitored test sites covering a wide range of agriculture types, cropping systems and climate regimes. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for crop inventory and condition monitoring offers many advantages particularly the ability to collect data under cloudy conditions. The JECAM SAR Inter-Comparison Experiment is a multi-year, multi-partner project that aims to compare global methods for (1) operational SAR & optical; multi-frequency SAR; and compact polarimetry methods for crop monitoring and inventory, and (2) the retrieval of Leaf Area Index (LAI) and biomass estimations using models such as the Water Cloud Model (WCM) employing single frequency SAR; multi-frequency SAR; and compact polarimetry. The results from these activities will be discussed along with an examination of the requirements of a global experiment including best-date determination for SAR data acquisition, pre-processing techniques, in situ data sharing, model development and statistical inter-comparison of the results.

Tapping and listening: a new approach to bolt looseness monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Qingzhao; Zhu, Junxiao; Ho, Siu Chun Michael; Song, Gangbing

2018-07-01

Bolted joints are among the most common building blocks used across different types of structures, and are often the key components that sew all other structural parts together. Monitoring and assessment of looseness in bolted structures is one of the most attractive topics in mechanical, aerospace, and civil engineering. This paper presents a new percussion-based non-destructive approach to determine the health condition of bolted joints with the help of machine learning. The proposed method is very similar to the percussive diagnostic techniques used in clinical examinations to diagnose the health of patients. Due to the different interfacial properties among the bolts, nuts and the host structure, bolted joints can generate unique sounds when it is excited by impacts, such as from tapping. Power spectrum density, as a signal feature, was used to recognize and classify recorded tapping data. A machine learning model using the decision tree method was employed to identify the bolt looseness level. Experiments demonstrated that the newly proposed method for bolt looseness detection is very easy to implement by ‘listening to tapping’ and the monitoring accuracy is very high. With the rapid in robotics, the proposed approach has great potential to be implemented with intimately weaving robotics and machine learning to produce a cyber-physical system that can automatically inspect and determine the health of a structure.

Physiological effects of oral glucosamine on joint health: current status and consensus on future research priorities

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The aim of this paper was to provide an overview of the current knowledge and understanding of the potential beneficial physiological effects of glucosamine (GlcN) on joint health. The objective was to reach a consensus on four critical questions and to provide recommendations for future research priorities. To this end, nine scientists from Europe and the United States were selected according to their expertise in this particular field and were invited to participate in the Hohenheim conference held in August 2011. Each expert was asked to address a question that had previously been posed by the chairman of the conference. Based on a systematic review of the literature and the collection of recent data, the experts documented the effects of GlcN on cartilage ageing, metabolic/kinetic and maintenance of joint health as well as reduction of risk of OA development. After extensive debate and discussion the expert panel addressed each question and a general consensus statement was developed, agreeing on the current state-of-the-art and future areas for basic and clinical studies. This paper summarizes the available evidence for beneficial effects of GlcN on joint health and proposes new insight into the design of future clinical trials aimed at identifying beneficial physiological effect of GlcN on joint tissues. PMID:23531101

Engine health monitoring: An advanced system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyson, R. J. E.

1981-01-01

The advanced propulsion monitoring system is described. The system was developed in order to fulfill a growing need for effective engine health monitoring. This need is generated by military requirements for increased performance and efficiency in more complex propulsion systems, while maintaining or improving the cost to operate. This program represents a vital technological step in the advancement of the state of the art for monitoring systems in terms of reliability, flexibility, accuracy, and provision of user oriented results. It draws heavily on the technology and control theory developed for modern, complex, electronically controlled engines and utilizes engine information which is a by-product of such a system.

Forest health monitoring: 2001 national technical report

Treesearch

Barbara L. Conkling; John W. Coulston; Mark J. Ambrose

2005-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program’s annual national report uses FHM data, as well as data from a variety of other programs, to provide an overview of forest health based on the criteria and indicators of sustainable forestry framework of the Santiago Declaration. It presents information about the status of and trends in various forest health indicators...

Improving the Rank Precision of Population Health Measures for Small Areas with Longitudinal and Joint Outcome Models

PubMed Central

Athens, Jessica K.; Remington, Patrick L.; Gangnon, Ronald E.

2015-01-01

Objectives The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute has published the County Health Rankings since 2010. These rankings use population-based data to highlight health outcomes and the multiple determinants of these outcomes and to encourage in-depth health assessment for all United States counties. A significant methodological limitation, however, is the uncertainty of rank estimates, particularly for small counties. To address this challenge, we explore the use of longitudinal and pooled outcome data in hierarchical Bayesian models to generate county ranks with greater precision. Methods In our models we used pooled outcome data for three measure groups: (1) Poor physical and poor mental health days; (2) percent of births with low birth weight and fair or poor health prevalence; and (3) age-specific mortality rates for nine age groups. We used the fixed and random effects components of these models to generate posterior samples of rates for each measure. We also used time-series data in longitudinal random effects models for age-specific mortality. Based on the posterior samples from these models, we estimate ranks and rank quartiles for each measure, as well as the probability of a county ranking in its assigned quartile. Rank quartile probabilities for univariate, joint outcome, and/or longitudinal models were compared to assess improvements in rank precision. Results The joint outcome model for poor physical and poor mental health days resulted in improved rank precision, as did the longitudinal model for age-specific mortality rates. Rank precision for low birth weight births and fair/poor health prevalence based on the univariate and joint outcome models were equivalent. Conclusion Incorporating longitudinal or pooled outcome data may improve rank certainty, depending on characteristics of the measures selected. For measures with different determinants, joint modeling neither improved nor degraded rank precision. This approach suggests a simple

Scoping review: national monitoring frameworks for social determinants of health and health equity

PubMed Central

Pedrana, Leo; Pamponet, Marina; Walker, Ruth; Costa, Federico; Rasella, Davide

2016-01-01

Background The strategic importance of monitoring social determinants of health (SDH) and health equity and inequity has been a central focus in global discussions around the 2011 Rio Political Declaration on SDH and the Millennium Development Goals. This study is part of the World Health Organization (WHO) equity-oriented analysis of linkages between health and other sectors (EQuAL) project, which aims to define a framework for monitoring SDH and health equity. Objectives This review provides a global summary and analysis of the domains and indicators that have been used in recent studies covering the SDH. These studies are considered here within the context of indicators proposed by the WHO EQuAL project. The objectives are as follows: to describe the range of international and national studies and the types of indicators most frequently used; report how they are used in causal explanation of the SDH; and identify key priorities and challenges reported in current research for national monitoring of the SDH. Design We conducted a scoping review of published SDH studies in the PubMed® database to obtain evidence of socio-economic indicators. We evaluated, selected, and extracted data from national scale studies published from 2004 to 2014. The research included papers published in English, Italian, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. Results The final sample consisted of 96 articles. SDH monitoring is well reported in the scientific literature independent of the economic level of the country and magnitude of deprivation in population groups. The research methods were mostly quantitative and many papers used multilevel and multivariable statistical analyses and indexes to measure health inequalities and SDH. In addition to the usual economic indicators, a high number of socio-economic indicators were used. The indicators covered a broad range of social dimensions, which were given consideration within and across different social groups. Many indicators included in the

Efficient color correction method for smartphone camera-based health monitoring application.

PubMed

Duc Dang; Chae Ho Cho; Daeik Kim; Oh Seok Kwon; Jo Woon Chong

2017-07-01

Smartphone health monitoring applications are recently highlighted due to the rapid development of hardware and software performance of smartphones. However, color characteristics of images captured by different smartphone models are dissimilar each other and this difference may give non-identical health monitoring results when the smartphone health monitoring applications monitor physiological information using their embedded smartphone cameras. In this paper, we investigate the differences in color properties of the captured images from different smartphone models and apply a color correction method to adjust dissimilar color values obtained from different smartphone cameras. Experimental results show that the color corrected images using the correction method provide much smaller color intensity errors compared to the images without correction. These results can be applied to enhance the consistency of smartphone camera-based health monitoring applications by reducing color intensity errors among the images obtained from different smartphones.

Image Registration-Based Bolt Loosening Detection of Steel Joints

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Self-loosening of bolts caused by repetitive loads and vibrations is one of the common defects that can weaken the structural integrity of bolted steel joints in civil structures. Many existing approaches for detecting loosening bolts are based on physical sensors and, hence, require extensive sensor deployment, which limit their abilities to cost-effectively detect loosened bolts in a large number of steel joints. Recently, computer vision-based structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies have demonstrated great potential for damage detection due to the benefits of being low cost, easy to deploy, and contactless. In this study, we propose a vision-based non-contact bolt loosening detection method that uses a consumer-grade digital camera. Two images of the monitored steel joint are first collected during different inspection periods and then aligned through two image registration processes. If the bolt experiences rotation between inspections, it will introduce differential features in the registration errors, serving as a good indicator for bolt loosening detection. The performance and robustness of this approach have been validated through a series of experimental investigations using three laboratory setups including a gusset plate on a cross frame, a column flange, and a girder web. The bolt loosening detection results are presented for easy interpretation such that informed decisions can be made about the detected loosened bolts. PMID:29597264

Image Registration-Based Bolt Loosening Detection of Steel Joints.

PubMed

Kong, Xiangxiong; Li, Jian

2018-03-28

Self-loosening of bolts caused by repetitive loads and vibrations is one of the common defects that can weaken the structural integrity of bolted steel joints in civil structures. Many existing approaches for detecting loosening bolts are based on physical sensors and, hence, require extensive sensor deployment, which limit their abilities to cost-effectively detect loosened bolts in a large number of steel joints. Recently, computer vision-based structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies have demonstrated great potential for damage detection due to the benefits of being low cost, easy to deploy, and contactless. In this study, we propose a vision-based non-contact bolt loosening detection method that uses a consumer-grade digital camera. Two images of the monitored steel joint are first collected during different inspection periods and then aligned through two image registration processes. If the bolt experiences rotation between inspections, it will introduce differential features in the registration errors, serving as a good indicator for bolt loosening detection. The performance and robustness of this approach have been validated through a series of experimental investigations using three laboratory setups including a gusset plate on a cross frame, a column flange, and a girder web. The bolt loosening detection results are presented for easy interpretation such that informed decisions can be made about the detected loosened bolts.

Dynamic Computation Offloading for Low-Power Wearable Health Monitoring Systems.

PubMed

Kalantarian, Haik; Sideris, Costas; Mortazavi, Bobak; Alshurafa, Nabil; Sarrafzadeh, Majid

2017-03-01

The objective of this paper is to describe and evaluate an algorithm to reduce power usage and increase battery lifetime for wearable health-monitoring devices. We describe a novel dynamic computation offloading scheme for real-time wearable health monitoring devices that adjusts the partitioning of data processing between the wearable device and mobile application as a function of desired classification accuracy. By making the correct offloading decision based on current system parameters, we show that we are able to reduce system power by as much as 20%. We demonstrate that computation offloading can be applied to real-time monitoring systems, and yields significant power savings. Making correct offloading decisions for health monitoring devices can extend battery life and improve adherence.

Forest health monitoring: 2004 national technical report

Treesearch

John W. Coulston; Mark J. Ambrose; Kurt H. Riitters; Barbara L. Conkling

2005-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program’s annual national technical report presents results of forest health analyses from a national perspective using data from a variety of sources. Results presented in the report pertain to the Santiago Declaration’s Criterion 1— Conservation of Biological Diversity and Criterion 3—Maintenance of Forest Ecosystem Health and...

Integrating Social Media Monitoring Into Public Health Emergency Response Operations.

PubMed

Hadi, Tamer A; Fleshler, Keren

2016-10-01

Social media monitoring for public health emergency response and recovery is an essential response capability for any health department. The value of social media for emergency response lies not only in the capacity to rapidly communicate official and critical incident information, but as a rich source of incoming data that can be gathered to inform leadership decision-making. Social media monitoring is a function that can be formally integrated into the Incident Command System of any response agency. The approach to planning and required resources, such as staffing, logistics, and technology, is flexible and adaptable based on the needs of the agency and size and scope of the emergency. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has successfully used its Social Media Monitoring Team during public health emergency responses and planned events including major Ebola and Legionnaires' disease responses. The concepts and implementations described can be applied by any agency, large or small, interested in building a social media monitoring capacity. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;page 1 of 6).

Augmented Fish Health Monitoring; Volume II of II, Completion Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michak, Patty

1991-12-01

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) initiated the Augmented Fish Health Monitoring project in 1986. This project was a five year interagency project involving fish rearing agencies in the Columbia Basin. Participating agencies included: Washington Department of Fisheries (WDF), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). This is the final data report for the Augmented Fish Health Monitoring project. Data collected and sampling results for 1990 and 1991 are presented within this report. An evaluation of this project can be found in Augmented Fish Health Monitoring, Volume 1,more » Completion Report.'' May, 1991. Pathogen detection methods remained the same from methods described in Augmented Fish Health Monitoring, Annual Report 1989,'' May, 1990. From January 1, 1990 to June 30, 1991 fish health monitoring sampling was conducted. In 1990 21 returning adult stocks were sampled. Juvenile pre-release exams were completed on 20 yearling releases, and 13 sub-yearling releases in 1990. In 1991 17 yearling releases and 11 sub-yearling releases were examined. Midterm sampling was completed on 19 stocks in 1990. Organosomatic analysis was performed at release on index station stocks; Cowlitz spring and fall chinook, Lewis river early coho and Lyons Ferry fall chinook.« less

Augmented Fish Health Monitoring; Volume I of II, Completion Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michak, Patty

1991-05-01

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) initiated the Augmented Fish Health Monitoring project in 1986. This project was a five year interagency project involving fish rearing agencies in the Columbia Basin. Historically, all agencies involved with fish health in the Columbia Basin were conducting various levels of fish health monitoring, pathogen screening and collection. The goals of this project were; to identify, develop and implement a standardized level of fish health methodologies, develop a common data collection and reporting format in the area of artificial production, evaluate and monitor water quality, improve communications between agencies and provide annual evaluation of fishmore » health information for production of healthier smolts. This completion report will contain a project evaluation, review of the goals of the project, evaluation of the specific fish health analyses, an overview of highlights of the project and concluding remarks. 8 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs.« less

Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation and joint symptoms in postmenopausal women in the women's health initiative randomized trial.

PubMed

Chlebowski, Rowan T; Pettinger, Mary; Johnson, Karen C; Wallace, Robert; Womack, Catherine; Mossavar-Rahmani, Yasmin; Stefanick, Marcia; Wactawski-Wende, Jean; Carbone, Laura; Lu, Bing; Eaton, Charles; Walitt, Brian; Kooperberg, Charles L

2013-10-01

Low vitamin D intake and levels have been associated with increased joint symptoms in some observational studies but the findings are mixed and evidence from randomized trials sparse. To evaluate the influence of supplemental calcium and vitamin D on joint symptoms in the Women's Health Initiative randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial. In post hoc analyses, the results of the Women's Health Initiative randomized clinical trial in which 36,282 postmenopausal women were randomized to receive calcium carbonate (1,000 mg as elemental calcium) with vitamin D-3 (400 IU) daily or placebo were examined in the 6% subgroup of 1,911 participants, oversampled for minorities, who had serial joint symptom assessment. Qualitative information on joint pain and joint swelling was collected by questionnaire before entry and 2 years after randomization. Logistic regression models were used to compare the occurrence and severity of joint symptoms across randomization groups. At baseline, total calcium and vitamin D intakes from diet and supplements were similar in the two randomization groups. In addition, both joint pain (reported by 73%) and joint swelling (reported by 34%) were commonly reported and comparable in the supplement and placebo groups. Two years after randomization, no statistically significant differences between supplement and placebo groups were seen for joint pain frequency (74.6% compared with 75.1% [P=0.79] for supplement and placebo groups, respectively) or joint swelling frequency (34.6% compared with 32.4% [P=0.29], respectively) or in severity scores for either outcome. Subgroup analyses suggested study participants also using nonprotocol calcium supplements at study entry may have less joint pain with supplement group randomization (interaction P=0.02). Joint symptoms are relatively common in postmenopausal women. However, daily supplementation with 1,000 mg calcium carbonate and 400 IU vitamin D-3 in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial

A handheld computer as part of a portable in vivo knee joint load monitoring system

PubMed Central

Szivek, JA; Nandakumar, VS; Geffre, CP; Townsend, CP

2009-01-01

In vivo measurement of loads and pressures acting on articular cartilage in the knee joint during various activities and rehabilitative therapies following focal defect repair will provide a means of designing activities that encourage faster and more complete healing of focal defects. It was the goal of this study to develop a totally portable monitoring system that could be used during various activities and allow continuous monitoring of forces acting on the knee. In order to make the monitoring system portable, a handheld computer with custom software, a USB powered miniature wireless receiver and a battery-powered coil were developed to replace a currently used computer, AC powered bench top receiver and power supply. A Dell handheld running Windows Mobile operating system(OS) programmed using Labview was used to collect strain measurements. Measurements collected by the handheld based system connected to the miniature wireless receiver were compared with the measurements collected by a hardwired system and a computer based system during bench top testing and in vivo testing. The newly developed handheld based system had a maximum accuracy of 99% when compared to the computer based system. PMID:19789715

Preservation Health Check: Monitoring Threats to Digital Repository Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kool, Wouter; van der Werf, Titia; Lavoie, Brian

2014-01-01

The Preservation Health Check (PHC) project, undertaken as a joint effort by Open Planets Foundation (OPF) and OCLC Research, aims to evaluate the usefulness of the preservation metadata created and maintained by operational repositories for assessing basic preservation properties. The PHC project seeks to develop an implementable logic to support…

What is the added value of ultrasound joint examination for monitoring synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis and can it be used to guide treatment decisions? A systematic review and cost-effectiveness analysis.

PubMed

Simpson, Emma; Hock, Emma; Stevenson, Matt; Wong, Ruth; Dracup, Naila; Wailoo, Allan; Conaghan, Philip; Estrach, Cristina; Edwards, Christopher; Wakefield, Richard

2018-04-01

group attained DAS44 remission ( p  = 0.03). The Aiming for Remission in Rheumatoid Arthritis (ARCTIC) trial found that the addition of PDUS and grey-scale ultrasound (GSUS) to a DAS-based strategy did not produce a significant between-group difference in the primary end point: composite DAS of < 1.6, no swollen joints and no progression in van der Heijde-modified total Sharp score (vdHSS). The ARCTIC trial did find that the erosion score of the vdHS had a significant advantage for the US group ( p  = 0.04). In the TaSER trial there was no significant group difference for erosion. Other studies suggested that PDUS was significantly associated with radiographic progression and that US had added value for wrist and hand joints rather than foot and ankle joints. Heterogeneity between trials made conclusions uncertain. No studies were identified that reported the cost-effectiveness of US in monitoring synovitis. The model estimated that an average reduction of 2.5% in the costs of biological DMARDs would be sufficient to offset the costs of 3-monthly US. The money could not be recouped if oral methotrexate was the only drug used. Heterogeneity of the trials precluded meta-analysis. Therefore, no summary estimates of effect were available. Additional costs and health-related quality of life decrements, relating to a flare following tapering or disease progression, have not been included. The feasibility of increased US monitoring has not been assessed. Limited evidence suggests that US monitoring of synovitis could provide a cost-effective approach to selecting RA patients for treatment tapering or escalation avoidance. Considerable uncertainty exists for all conclusions. Future research priorities include evaluating US monitoring of RA synovitis in longitudinal clinical studies. This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42015017216. The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.

Device-based monitoring in physical activity and public health research.

PubMed

Bassett, David R

2012-11-01

Measurement of physical activity is important, given the vital role of this behavior in physical and mental health. Over the past quarter of a century, the use of small, non-invasive, wearable monitors to assess physical activity has become commonplace. This review is divided into three sections. In the first section, a brief history of physical activity monitoring is provided, along with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of different devices. In the second section, recent applications of physical activity monitoring in physical activity and public health research are discussed. Wearable monitors are being used to conduct surveillance, and to determine the extent and distribution of physical activity and sedentary behaviors in populations around the world. They have been used to help clarify the dose-response relation between physical activity and health. Wearable monitors that provide feedback to users have also been used in longitudinal interventions to motivate research participants and to assess their compliance with program goals. In the third section, future directions for research in physical activity monitoring are discussed. It is likely that new developments in wearable monitors will lead to greater accuracy and improved ease-of-use.

Monitoring environmental hazards and public health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

Saying that no national system exists to monitor public health problems linked to environmental hazards, former U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker, Jr., announced on May 11 the launch of a Pew Charitable Trusts blue ribbon panel to focus on this issue.The panel, which includes representatives from academia and health care organizations, will focus on how the United States tracks diseases and recommend ways to fill data gaps; review what tools are needed to improve disease tracking; and focus on children's health issues, such as asthma, childhood cancer, and birth defects that may be linked to the environment, according to Pew Environmental Health Commission Executive Director Shelley Hearne.

Monitoring and Protecting Health and Human Rights in Mexico.

PubMed

Gómez-Dantés; Frenk; Zorrilla

1995-01-01

This paper describes a unique system through which health care-related human rights are now being monitored and protected in Mexico. Based on the ombudsman concept, the system focuses on identifying and responding to violations of human rights and dignity which may occur in the context of health care delivery. Experience thus far has been encouraging; the Mexican population has identified and used the National Commission of Human Rights as a forum for a variety of health-related complaints. The Mexican system, while requiring strengthening and expansion, is an effort to integrate the monitoring and protection of health-related human rights into the broader field of human rights work in Mexico.

Joint Problems

MedlinePlus

... Help Related Topics Arthritis Join our e-newsletter! Aging & Health A to Z Joint Problems Basic Facts & ... April 2017 Posted: March 2012 © 2018 Health in Aging. All rights reserved. Feedback • Site Map • Privacy Policy • ...

Forest health monitoring: 2006 national technical report

Treesearch

Mark J. Ambrose; Barbara L. Conkling

2009-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring Program’s annual national technical report presents results of forest health analyses from a national perspective using data from a variety of sources. The report is organized according to the Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests of the...

Forest health monitoring: 2005 national technical report

Treesearch

Mark J. Ambrose; Barbara L. Conkling

2007-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring program's annual national technical report presents results of forest health analyses from a national perspective using data from a variety of sources. The report is organized according to the Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests of the Santiago Declaration. The results...

Intelligent Control and Health Monitoring. Chapter 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garg, Sanjay; Kumar, Aditya; Mathews, H. Kirk; Rosenfeld, Taylor; Rybarik, Pavol; Viassolo, Daniel E.

2009-01-01

Advanced model-based control architecture overcomes the limitations state-of-the-art engine control and provides the potential of virtual sensors, for example for thrust and stall margin. "Tracking filters" are used to adapt the control parameters to actual conditions and to individual engines. For health monitoring standalone monitoring units will be used for on-board analysis to determine the general engine health and detect and isolate sudden faults. Adaptive models open up the possibility of adapting the control logic to maintain desired performance in the presence of engine degradation or to accommodate any faults. Improved and new sensors are required to allow sensing at stations within the engine gas path that are currently not instrumented due in part to the harsh conditions including high operating temperatures and to allow additional monitoring of vibration, mass flows and energy properties, exhaust gas composition, and gas path debris. The environmental and performance requirements for these sensors are summarized.

Physical health care monitoring for people with serious mental illness.

PubMed

Tosh, Graeme; Clifton, Andrew V; Xia, Jun; White, Margueritte M

2014-01-17

Current guidance suggests that we should monitor the physical health of people with serious mental illness, and there has been a significant financial investment over recent years to provide this. To assess the effectiveness of physical health monitoring, compared with standard care for people with serious mental illness. We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register (October 2009, update in October 2012), which is based on regular searches of CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsycINFO. All randomised clinical trials focusing on physical health monitoring versus standard care, or comparing i) self monitoring versus monitoring by a healthcare professional; ii) simple versus complex monitoring; iii) specific versus non-specific checks; iv) once only versus regular checks; or v) different guidance materials. Initially, review authors (GT, AC, SM) independently screened the search results and identified three studies as possibly fulfilling the review's criteria. On examination, however, all three were subsequently excluded. Forty-two additional citations were identified in October 2012 and screened by two review authors (JX and MW), 11 of which underwent full screening. No relevant randomised trials which assess the effectiveness of physical health monitoring in people with serious mental illness have been completed. We identified one ongoing study. There is still no evidence from randomised trials to support or refute current guidance and practice. Guidance and practice are based on expert consensus, clinical experience and good intentions rather than high quality evidence.

[Monitoring social determinants of health].

PubMed

Espelt, Albert; Continente, Xavier; Domingo-Salvany, Antonia; Domínguez-Berjón, M Felicitas; Fernández-Villa, Tania; Monge, Susana; Ruiz-Cantero, M Teresa; Perez, Glòria; Borrell, Carme

2016-11-01

Public health surveillance is the systematic and continuous collection, analysis, dissemination and interpretation of health-related data for planning, implementation and evaluation of public health initiatives. Apart from the health system, social determinants of health include the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work and age, and they go a long way to explaining health inequalities. A surveillance system of the social determinants of health requires a comprehensive and social overview of health. This paper analyses the importance of monitoring social determinants of health and health inequalities, and describes some relevant aspects concerning the implementation of surveillance during the data collection, compilation and analysis phases, as well as dissemination of information and evaluation of the surveillance system. It is important to have indicators from sources designed for this purpose, such as continuous records or periodic surveys, explicitly describing its limitations and strengths. The results should be published periodically in a communicative format that both enhances the public's ability to understand the problems that affect them, whilst at the same time empowering the population, with the ultimate goal of guiding health-related initiatives at different levels of intervention. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Smart homes and home health monitoring technologies for older adults: A systematic review.

PubMed

Liu, Lili; Stroulia, Eleni; Nikolaidis, Ioanis; Miguel-Cruz, Antonio; Rios Rincon, Adriana

2016-07-01

Around the world, populations are aging and there is a growing concern about ways that older adults can maintain their health and well-being while living in their homes. The aim of this paper was to conduct a systematic literature review to determine: (1) the levels of technology readiness among older adults and, (2) evidence for smart homes and home-based health-monitoring technologies that support aging in place for older adults who have complex needs. We identified and analyzed 48 of 1863 relevant papers. Our analyses found that: (1) technology-readiness level for smart homes and home health monitoring technologies is low; (2) the highest level of evidence is 1b (i.e., one randomized controlled trial with a PEDro score ≥6); smart homes and home health monitoring technologies are used to monitor activities of daily living, cognitive decline and mental health, and heart conditions in older adults with complex needs; (3) there is no evidence that smart homes and home health monitoring technologies help address disability prediction and health-related quality of life, or fall prevention; and (4) there is conflicting evidence that smart homes and home health monitoring technologies help address chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The level of technology readiness for smart homes and home health monitoring technologies is still low. The highest level of evidence found was in a study that supported home health technologies for use in monitoring activities of daily living, cognitive decline, mental health, and heart conditions in older adults with complex needs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Joint OSNR monitoring and modulation format identification in digital coherent receivers using deep neural networks.

PubMed

Khan, Faisal Nadeem; Zhong, Kangping; Zhou, Xian; Al-Arashi, Waled Hussein; Yu, Changyuan; Lu, Chao; Lau, Alan Pak Tao

2017-07-24

We experimentally demonstrate the use of deep neural networks (DNNs) in combination with signals' amplitude histograms (AHs) for simultaneous optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) monitoring and modulation format identification (MFI) in digital coherent receivers. The proposed technique automatically extracts OSNR and modulation format dependent features of AHs, obtained after constant modulus algorithm (CMA) equalization, and exploits them for the joint estimation of these parameters. Experimental results for 112 Gbps polarization-multiplexed (PM) quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), 112 Gbps PM 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM), and 240 Gbps PM 64-QAM signals demonstrate OSNR monitoring with mean estimation errors of 1.2 dB, 0.4 dB, and 1 dB, respectively. Similarly, the results for MFI show 100% identification accuracy for all three modulation formats. The proposed technique applies deep machine learning algorithms inside standard digital coherent receiver and does not require any additional hardware. Therefore, it is attractive for cost-effective multi-parameter estimation in next-generation elastic optical networks (EONs).

INDUCTIVE SYSTEM HEALTH MONITORING WITH STATISTICAL METRICS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iverson, David L.

2005-01-01

Model-based reasoning is a powerful method for performing system monitoring and diagnosis. Building models for model-based reasoning is often a difficult and time consuming process. The Inductive Monitoring System (IMS) software was developed to provide a technique to automatically produce health monitoring knowledge bases for systems that are either difficult to model (simulate) with a computer or which require computer models that are too complex to use for real time monitoring. IMS processes nominal data sets collected either directly from the system or from simulations to build a knowledge base that can be used to detect anomalous behavior in the system. Machine learning and data mining techniques are used to characterize typical system behavior by extracting general classes of nominal data from archived data sets. In particular, a clustering algorithm forms groups of nominal values for sets of related parameters. This establishes constraints on those parameter values that should hold during nominal operation. During monitoring, IMS provides a statistically weighted measure of the deviation of current system behavior from the established normal baseline. If the deviation increases beyond the expected level, an anomaly is suspected, prompting further investigation by an operator or automated system. IMS has shown potential to be an effective, low cost technique to produce system monitoring capability for a variety of applications. We describe the training and system health monitoring techniques of IMS. We also present the application of IMS to a data set from the Space Shuttle Columbia STS-107 flight. IMS was able to detect an anomaly in the launch telemetry shortly after a foam impact damaged Columbia's thermal protection system.

Computation offloading for real-time health-monitoring devices.

PubMed

Kalantarian, Haik; Sideris, Costas; Tuan Le; Hosseini, Anahita; Sarrafzadeh, Majid

2016-08-01

Among the major challenges in the development of real-time wearable health monitoring systems is to optimize battery life. One of the major techniques with which this objective can be achieved is computation offloading, in which portions of computation can be partitioned between the device and other resources such as a server or cloud. In this paper, we describe a novel dynamic computation offloading scheme for real-time wearable health monitoring devices that adjusts the partitioning of data between the wearable device and mobile application as a function of desired classification accuracy.

Joint Instability and Osteoarthritis

PubMed Central

Blalock, Darryl; Miller, Andrew; Tilley, Michael; Wang, Jinxi

2015-01-01

Joint instability creates a clinical and economic burden in the health care system. Injuries and disorders that directly damage the joint structure or lead to joint instability are highly associated with osteoarthritis (OA). Thus, understanding the physiology of joint stability and the mechanisms of joint instability-induced OA is of clinical significance. The first section of this review discusses the structure and function of major joint tissues, including periarticular muscles, which play a significant role in joint stability. Because the knee, ankle, and shoulder joints demonstrate a high incidence of ligament injury and joint instability, the second section summarizes the mechanisms of ligament injury-associated joint instability of these joints. The final section highlights the recent advances in the understanding of the mechanical and biological mechanisms of joint instability-induced OA. These advances may lead to new opportunities for clinical intervention in the prevention and early treatment of OA. PMID:25741184

Joint instability and osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Blalock, Darryl; Miller, Andrew; Tilley, Michael; Wang, Jinxi

2015-01-01

Joint instability creates a clinical and economic burden in the health care system. Injuries and disorders that directly damage the joint structure or lead to joint instability are highly associated with osteoarthritis (OA). Thus, understanding the physiology of joint stability and the mechanisms of joint instability-induced OA is of clinical significance. The first section of this review discusses the structure and function of major joint tissues, including periarticular muscles, which play a significant role in joint stability. Because the knee, ankle, and shoulder joints demonstrate a high incidence of ligament injury and joint instability, the second section summarizes the mechanisms of ligament injury-associated joint instability of these joints. The final section highlights the recent advances in the understanding of the mechanical and biological mechanisms of joint instability-induced OA. These advances may lead to new opportunities for clinical intervention in the prevention and early treatment of OA.

A Framework for Monitoring Progress Using Summary Measures of Health.

PubMed

Madans, Jennifer H; Weeks, Julie D

2016-10-01

Initiatives designed to monitor health typically incorporate numerous specific measures of health and the health system to assess improvements, or lack thereof, for policy and program purposes. The addition of summary measures provides overarching information which is essential for determining whether the goals of such initiatives are met. Summary measures are identified that relate to the individual indicators but that also reflect movement in the various parts of the system. A hierarchical framework that is conceptually consistent and which utilizes a succinct number of summary measures incorporating indicators of functioning and participation is proposed. While a large set of individual indicators can be useful for monitoring progress, these individual indicators do not provide an overall evaluation of health, defined broadly, at the population level. A hierarchical framework consisting of summary measures is important for monitoring the success of health improvement initiatives. © The Author(s) 2016.

Inflatable Habitat Health Monitoring: Implementation, Lessons Learned, and Application to Lunar or Martian Habitat Health Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rojdev, Kristina; Hong, Todd; Hafermalz, Scott; Hunkins, Robert; Valle, Gerald; Toups, Larry

2009-01-01

NASA's exploration mission is to send humans to the Moon and Mars, in which the purpose is to learn how to live and work safely in those harsh environments. A critical aspect of living in an extreme environment is habitation, and within that habitation element there are key systems which monitor the habitation environment to provide a safe and comfortable living and working space for humans. Expandable habitats are one of the options currently being considered due to their potential mass and volume efficiencies. This paper discusses a joint project between the National Science Foundation (NSF), ILC Dover, and NASA in which an expandable habitat was deployed in the extreme environment of Antarctica to better understand the performance and operations over a one-year period. This project was conducted through the Innovative Partnership Program (IPP) where the NSF provided the location at McMurdo Station in Antarctica and support at the location, ILC Dover provided the inflatable habitat, and NASA provided the instrumentation and data system for monitoring the habitat. The outcome of this project provided lessons learned in the implementation of an inflatable habitat and the systems that support that habitat. These lessons learned will be used to improve current habitation capabilities and systems to meet the objectives of exploration missions to the moon and Mars.

In situ health monitoring of piezoelectric sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drouant, George J. (Inventor); Jensen, Scott L. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

An in situ health monitoring apparatus may include an exciter circuit that applies a pulse to a piezoelectric transducer and a data processing system that determines the piezoelectric transducer's dynamic response to the first pulse. The dynamic response can be used to evaluate the operating range, health, and as-mounted resonance frequency of the transducer, as well as the strength of a coupling between the transducer and a structure and the health of the structure.

Forest health monitoring: 2002 national technical report

Treesearch

John W. Coulston; Mark J. Ambrose; Kurt H. Riitters; Barbara L. Conkling

2005-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program’s annual national technical report presents results of forest health analyses from a national perspective using data from a variety of sources. This annual report focuses on “Criterion 3—Maintenance of Forest Ecosystem Health and Vitality” from the “Criteria and Indicators of Sustainable Forestry of the Santiago Declaration”...

Autonomous self-powered structural health monitoring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qing, Xinlin P.; Anton, Steven R.; Zhang, David; Kumar, Amrita; Inman, Daniel J.; Ooi, Teng K.

2010-03-01

Structural health monitoring technology is perceived as a revolutionary method of determining the integrity of structures involving the use of multidisciplinary fields including sensors, materials, system integration, signal processing and interpretation. The core of the technology is the development of self-sufficient systems for the continuous monitoring, inspection and damage detection of structures with minimal labor involvement. A major drawback of the existing technology for real-time structural health monitoring is the requirement for external electrical power input. For some applications, such as missiles or combat vehicles in the field, this factor can drastically limit the use of the technology. Having an on-board electrical power source that is independent of the vehicle power system can greatly enhance the SHM system and make it a completely self-contained system. In this paper, using the SMART layer technology as a basis, an Autonomous Self-powered (ASP) Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system has been developed to solve the major challenge facing the transition of SHM systems into field applications. The architecture of the self-powered SHM system was first designed. There are four major components included in the SHM system: SMART Layer with sensor network, low power consumption diagnostic hardware, rechargeable battery with energy harvesting device, and host computer with supporting software. A prototype of the integrated self-powered active SHM system was built for performance and functionality testing. Results from the evaluation tests demonstrated that a fully charged battery system is capable of powering the SHM system for active scanning up to 10 hours.

Introduction to: The Forest Health monitoring program

Treesearch

Barbara L. Conkling

2011-01-01

The National Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, produces an annual technical report on forest health as one of its products. The report is organized using the Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests (Montréal Process Working Group 2007) as a...

Forest health monitoring: 2003 national technical report

Treesearch

John W. Coulston; Mark J. Ambrose; Kurt H. Riitters; Barbara L. Conkling; William D. Smith

2005-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring Program’s annual national reports present results from forest health data analyses focusing on a national perspective. The Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests are used as a reporting framework. This report has five main sections. The first contains introductory material....

Monitoring and Benchmarking eHealth in the Nordic Countries.

PubMed

Nøhr, Christian; Koch, Sabine; Vimarlund, Vivian; Gilstad, Heidi; Faxvaag, Arild; Hardardottir, Gudrun Audur; Andreassen, Hege K; Kangas, Maarit; Reponen, Jarmo; Bertelsen, Pernille; Villumsen, Sidsel; Hyppönen, Hannele

2018-01-01

The Nordic eHealth Research Network, a subgroup of the Nordic Council of Ministers eHealth group, is working on developing indicators to monitor progress in availability, use and outcome of eHealth applications in the Nordic countries. This paper reports on the consecutive analysis of National eHealth policies in the Nordic countries from 2012 to 2016. Furthermore, it discusses the consequences for the development of indicators that can measure changes in the eHealth environment arising from the policies. The main change in policies is reflected in a shift towards more stakeholder involvement and intensified focus on clinical infrastructure. This change suggests developing indicators that can monitor understandability and usability of eHealth systems, and the use and utility of shared information infrastructure from the perspective of the end-users - citizens/patients and clinicians in particular.

Monitoring hemlock crown health in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

Treesearch

Michael E. Montgomery; Bradley Onken; Richard A. Evans; Richard A. Evans

2005-01-01

Decline of the health of hemlocks in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area was noticeable in the southern areas of the park by 1992. The following year, a series of plots were established to monitor hemlock health and the abundance of hemlock woolly adelgid. This poster examines only the health rating of the hemlocks in the monitoring plots.

FAO UN-REDD- INPE Joint Programme on Forest Monitoring Systems based on RS and GIS techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jonckheere, I. G.; FAO UN-REDD MRV Team

2010-12-01

Capacity Development and Training for National Forest Monitoring Systems for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD+) REDD+, which stands for ’Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries’ - is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. The UN-REDD Programme, a collaborative partnership between FAO, UNDP and UNEP launched in September 2008, supports countries to develop capacity to REDD+ and to implement a future REDD+ mechanism in a post-2012 climate regime. The programme works at both the national and global scale, through support mechanisms for country-driven REDD strategies and international consensus-building on REDD+ processes. The UN-REDD Programme gathers technical teams from around the world to develop common approaches, analyses and guidelines on issues such as measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of carbon emissions and flows, remote sensing, and greenhouse gas inventories. Within the partnership, FAO supports countries on technical issues related to forestry and the development of cost effective and credible MRV processes for emission reductions. While at the international level, it fosters improved guidance on MRV approaches, including consensus on principles and guidelines for MRV and training programmes. It provides guidance on how best to design and implement REDD+, to ensure that forests continue to provide multiple benefits for livelihoods and biodiversity to societies while storing carbon at the same time. Other areas of work include national forest assessments and monitoring of in-country policy and institutional change. FAO and INPE (Brazilian Space Agency) have joint forces through a MoU signed last year in Copenhagen. A major joint programme has been agreed upon to set

Exploration of joint working practices on anti-social behaviour between criminal justice, mental health and social care agencies: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Krayer, Anne; Robinson, Catherine A; Poole, Rob

2018-05-01

Although the police play an important role for people with mental health problems in the community, little is known about joint working practices between mental health, social care and police services. There is potential for tensions and negative outcomes for people with mental health problems, in particular when the focus is on behaviours that could be interpreted as anti-social. This study explores perceptions about joint working between mental health, social care and police services with regard to anti-social behaviour. We conducted a multi-method sequential qualitative study in the UK collecting data between April 2014 and August 2016. Data were collected from two study sites: 60 narrative police logs of routinely gathered information, and semi-structured interviews and focus groups with professionals from a range of statutory and third sector organisations (N = 55). Data sets were analysed individually, using thematic iterative coding before integrating the findings. We also looked at sequencing and turning points in the police logs. Findings mapped on a continuum of joint working practices, with examples more likely to be away from the policy ideal of partnership working as being central to mainstream activities. Joint working was driven by legal obligations and concerns about risk rather than a focus on the needs of a person with mental health problems. This was complicated by different perceptions of the police role in mental health. Adding anti-social behaviour to this mix intensified challenges as conceptualisation of the nature of the problem and agreeing on best practice and care is open to interpretations and judgements. Of concern is an evident lack of awareness of these issues. There is a need to reflect on joint working practices, including processes and goals, keeping in mind the health and welfare needs of people with mental health problems. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Capacity building for health inequality monitoring in Indonesia: enhancing the equity orientation of country health information system.

PubMed

Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Nambiar, Devaki; Tawilah, Jihane; Schlotheuber, Anne; Briot, Benedicte; Bateman, Massee; Davey, Tamzyn; Kusumawardani, Nunik; Myint, Theingi; Nuryetty, Mariet Tetty; Prasetyo, Sabarinah; Suparmi; Floranita, Rustini

Inequalities in health represent a major problem in many countries, including Indonesia. Addressing health inequality is a central component of the Sustainable Development Goals and a priority of the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO provides technical support for health inequality monitoring among its member states. Following a capacity-building workshop in the WHO South-East Asia Region in 2014, Indonesia expressed interest in incorporating health-inequality monitoring into its national health information system. This article details the capacity-building process for national health inequality monitoring in Indonesia, discusses successes and challenges, and how this process may be adapted and implemented in other countries/settings. We outline key capacity-building activities undertaken between April 2016 and December 2017 in Indonesia and present the four key outcomes of this process. The capacity-building process entailed a series of workshops, meetings, activities, and processes undertaken between April 2016 and December 2017. At each stage, a range of stakeholders with access to the relevant data and capacity for data analysis, interpretation and reporting was engaged with, under the stewardship of state agencies. Key steps to strengthening health inequality monitoring included capacity building in (1) identification of the health topics/areas of interest, (2) mapping data sources and identifying gaps, (3) conducting equity analyses using raw datasets, and (4) interpreting and reporting inequality results. As a result, Indonesia developed its first national report on the state of health inequality. A number of peer-reviewed manuscripts on various aspects of health inequality in Indonesia have also been developed. The capacity-building process undertaken in Indonesia is designed to be adaptable to other contexts. Capacity building for health inequality monitoring among countries is a critical step for strengthening equity-oriented national health

Capacity building for health inequality monitoring in Indonesia: enhancing the equity orientation of country health information systems

PubMed Central

Tawilah, Jihane; Schlotheuber, Anne; Bateman, Massee; Davey, Tamzyn; Kusumawardani, Nunik; Myint, Theingi; Nuryetty, Mariet Tetty; Prasetyo, Sabarinah; Suparmi; Floranita, Rustini

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Inequalities in health represent a major problem in many countries, including Indonesia. Addressing health inequality is a central component of the Sustainable Development Goals and a priority of the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO provides technical support for health inequality monitoring among its member states. Following a capacity-building workshop in the WHO South-East Asia Region in 2014, Indonesia expressed interest in incorporating health-inequality monitoring into its national health information system. Objectives: This article details the capacity-building process for national health inequality monitoring in Indonesia, discusses successes and challenges, and how this process may be adapted and implemented in other countries/settings. Methods: We outline key capacity-building activities undertaken between April 2016 and December 2017 in Indonesia and present the four key outcomes of this process. Results: The capacity-building process entailed a series of workshops, meetings, activities, and processes undertaken between April 2016 and December 2017. At each stage, a range of stakeholders with access to the relevant data and capacity for data analysis, interpretation and reporting was engaged with, under the stewardship of state agencies. Key steps to strengthening health inequality monitoring included capacity building in (1) identification of the health topics/areas of interest, (2) mapping data sources and identifying gaps, (3) conducting equity analyses using raw datasets, and (4) interpreting and reporting inequality results. As a result, Indonesia developed its first national report on the state of health inequality. A number of peer-reviewed manuscripts on various aspects of health inequality in Indonesia have also been developed. Conclusions: The capacity-building process undertaken in Indonesia is designed to be adaptable to other contexts. Capacity building for health inequality monitoring among countries is a critical

Travel Health Advisory Group: a joint travel industry and travel health Special Interest Group promoting healthy travel in Australia.

PubMed

Leggat, Peter A; Zwar, Nicholas; Hudson, Bernie

2012-09-01

The Travel Health Advisory Group (THAG), established in 1997, is a joint initiative between the travel industry and travel health professionals in Australia that aims to promote healthy travel. THAG seeks to promote cooperation in improving the health of travellers between the travel industry and travel medicine professionals and to raise public awareness of the importance of travel health. From 2011, THAG has been a Special Interest Group of The Australasian College of Tropical Medicine and its membership has been active in several areas, including web-based travel health information, travel health promotion, media releases, research and education in Australia. Information is given on the objectives, membership and an overview of the various activities of the group. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring of hearing and language in primary health care: project pilot.

PubMed

Wagner, Julianne; Bonamigo, Andrea Wander; Oliveira, Fabiana de; Machado, Márcia Salgado

2017-11-01

This article analyzes the feasibility of implementing a program that monitors the hearing and language development in the first year of life. It is a prospective longitudinal study, in which 41 community health workers were invited to monitor, on a monthly basis, by means of a questionnaire validated earlier, the hearing and language of children born in their micro areas of expertise. Thirty-nine community health workers agreed to participate, with only two refusals. Five gave up participating. Twenty-six (66.66%) did not perform monitoring, seven (17.94%) monitored improperly and only six (15.38%) monitored properly. Just one child failed the quiz, who was forwarded to the hospital that conducted the auditory screening for retesting. These professionals' high activity demand was considered the main reason for the difficulties encountered in this project. In addition, there is the difficulty to have contact with the Family Health Strategy teams, as well as the impossibility of permanent face-to-face discussions and the influence of the community health agents' supervisors.

Implementation of the IHR Joint External Evaluation: Taiwan's Experiences.

PubMed

Lo, Yi-Chun

In February 2016, the World Health Organization developed the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) tool to independently assess country capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats as part of the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) monitoring and evaluation framework. In light of this, the Taiwan government actively engaged at least 19 government agencies or institutions and voluntarily implemented the JEE. An External Assessment Team consisting of 6 US subject matter experts conducted the external evaluation, including site visits, from June 21 to July 1, 2016. The results, published on October 18, 2016, are useful and will be translated into actions and change in the system. Based on Taiwan's experiences, early stakeholder engagement and an experts' pre-JEE pilot visit would contribute to a successful JEE process.

[What potential do geographic information systems have for population-wide health monitoring in Germany? : Perspectives and challenges for the health monitoring of the Robert Koch Institute].

PubMed

Thißen, Martin; Niemann, Hildegard; Varnaccia, Gianni; Rommel, Alexander; Teti, Andrea; Butschalowsky, Hans; Manz, Kristin; Finger, Jonas David; Kroll, Lars Eric; Ziese, Thomas

2017-12-01

Geographic information systems (GISs) are computer-based systems with which geographical data can be recorded, stored, managed, analyzed, visualized and provided. In recent years, they have become an integral part of public health research. They offer a broad range of analysis tools, which enable innovative solutions for health-related research questions. An analysis of nationwide studies that applied geographic information systems underlines the potential this instrument bears for health monitoring in Germany. Geographic information systems provide up-to-date mapping and visualization options to be used for national health monitoring at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Furthermore, objective information on the residential environment as an influencing factor on population health and on health behavior can be gathered and linked to RKI survey data at different geographic scales. Besides using physical information, such as climate, vegetation or land use, as well as information on the built environment, the instrument can link socioeconomic and sociodemographic data as well as information on health care and environmental stress to the survey data and integrate them into concepts for analyses. Therefore, geographic information systems expand the potential of the RKI to present nationwide, representative and meaningful health-monitoring results. In doing so, data protection regulations must always be followed. To conclude, the development of a national spatial data infrastructure and the identification of important data sources can prospectively improve access to high quality data sets that are relevant for the health monitoring.

Frequency Selective Surface for Structural Health Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norlyana Azemi, Saidatul; Mustaffa, Farzana Hazira Wan; Faizal Jamlos, Mohd; Abdullah Al-Hadi, Azremi; Soh, Ping Jack

2018-03-01

Structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies have attained attention to monitor civil structures. SHM sensor systems have been used in various civil structures such as bridges, buildings, tunnels and so on. However the previous sensor for SHM is wired and encounter with problem to cover large areas. Therefore, wireless sensor was introduced for SHM to reduce network connecting problem. Wireless sensors for Structural Health monitoring are new technology and have many advantages to overcome the drawback of conventional and wired sensor. This project proposed passive wireless SHM sensor using frequency selective surface (FSS) as an alternative to conventional sensors. The electromagnetic wave characteristic of FSS will change by geometrical changes of FSS due to mechanical strain or structural failure. The changes feature is used as a sensing function without any connecting wires. Two type of design which are circular ring and square loop along with the transmission and reflection characteristics of SHM using FSS were discussed in this project. A simulation process has shown that incident angle characteristics can be use as a data for SHM application.

Cost-Effective Mobile-Based Healthcare System for Managing Total Joint Arthroplasty Follow-Up.

PubMed

Bitsaki, Marina; Koutras, George; Heep, Hansjoerg; Koutras, Christos

2017-01-01

Long-term follow-up care after total joint arthroplasty is essential to evaluate hip and knee arthroplasty outcomes, to provide information to physicians and improve arthroplasty performance, and to improve patients' health condition. In this paper, we aim to improve the communication between arthroplasty patients and physicians and to reduce the cost of follow-up controls based on mobile application technologies and cloud computing. We propose a mobile-based healthcare system that provides cost-effective follow-up controls for primary arthroplasty patients through questions about symptoms in the replaced joint, questionnaires (WOMAC and SF-36v2) and the radiological examination of knee or hip joint. We also perform a cost analysis for a set of 423 patients that were treated in the University Clinic for Orthopedics in Essen-Werden. The estimation of healthcare costs shows significant cost savings (a reduction of 63.67% for readmission rate 5%) in both the University Clinic for Orthopedics in Essen-Werden and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia when the mobile-based healthcare system is applied. We propose a mHealth system to reduce the cost of follow-up assessments of arthroplasty patients through evaluation of diagnosis, self-monitoring, and regular review of their health status.

Mental health care Monitor Older adults (MEMO): monitoring patient characteristics and outcome in Dutch mental health services for older adults.

PubMed

Veerbeek, Marjolein; Oude Voshaar, Richard; Depla, Marja; Pot, Anne Margriet

2013-06-01

Information on which older adults attend mental health care and whether they profit from the care they receive is important for policy-makers. To assess this information in daily practice, the "Mental health care Monitor Older adults" (MEMO) was developed in the Netherlands. The aim of this paper is to describe MEMO and the older adults who attend outpatient mental health care regarding their predisposing and enabling characteristics and need for care. In MEMO all patients referred to the division of old age psychiatry of the participating mental health care organisations are assessed at baseline and monitored at 4, 8 and 12-month follow-up. Primary outcomes are mental and social functioning, consumer satisfaction, and type of treatment provided (MEMO Basic). Over the years, MEMO Basic is repeated. In each cycle, additional information on specific patient groups is added (e.g. mood disorders). Data collection is supported by a web-based system for clinicians, including direct feedback to monitor patients throughout treatment. First results at baseline showed that the majority of patients that entered the division of old age psychiatry was female (69%), had low education (83%), lived alone (53%), was depressed (42%) and had a comorbid condition (82%). It seemed that older immigrants were not sufficiently reached. The current study is the first in the Netherlands to evaluate patient characteristics and outcome in mental health care provided for older adults in day-to-day practice. If MEMO works out successfully, the method should be extended to other target groups. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Wireless microsensors for health monitoring of aircraft structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varadan, Vijay K.

2003-01-01

The integration of MEMS, IDTs (interdigital transducers) and required microelectronics and conformal antennas to realize programmable, robust and low cost passive microsensors suitable for many military structures and systems including aircraft, missiles and munitions is presented in this paper. The technology is currently being applied to the structural health monitoring of critical aircraft components. The approach integrates acoustic emission, strain gauges, MEMS accelerometers, gyroscopes and vibration monitoring devices with signal processing electronics to provide real-time indicators of incipient failure of aircraft components with a known history of catastrophic failure due to fracture. Recently a combination of the need for safety in the air and the desire to control costs is encouraging the use of in-flight monitoring of aircraft components and systems using light-weight, wireless and cost effective microsensors and MEMS. An in-situ Aircraft structural health monitoring (ASHM) system, with sensors embedded in the composite structure or surface-mounted on the structure, would permit the timely detection of damage in aircraft. Micromachining offers the potential for fabricating a range of microsensors and MEMS for structural applications including load, vibration and acoustics characterization and monitoring. Such microsensors are extremely small; they can be embedded into structural materials, can be mass-produced and are therefore potentially cheap. Additionally a range of sensor types can be integrated onto a single chip with built-in electronics and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), providing a low power Microsystems. The smart sensors are being developed using the standard microelectronics and micromachining in conjunction with novel Penn State smart electronics or wireless communication systems suitable for condition monitoring of aircraft structures in-flight. A hybrid accelerometer and gyroscope in a single chip suitable for inertial

Vibration health monitoring for tensegrity structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashwear, Nasseradeen; Eriksson, Anders

2017-02-01

Tensegrities are assembly structures, getting their equilibrium from the interaction between tension in cables and compression in bars. During their service life, slacking in their cables and nearness to buckling in their bars need to be monitored to avoid a sudden collapse. This paper discusses how to design the tensegrities to make them feasible for vibrational health monitoring methods. Four topics are discussed; suitable finite elements formulation, pre-measurements analysis to find the locations of excitation and sensors for the interesting modes, the effects from some environmental conditions, and the pre-understanding of the effects from different slacking scenarios.

Subjective health complaints and illness perception amongst adults with Joint Hypermobility Syndrome/Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-HypermobilityType - a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Hope, Lena; Juul-Kristensen, Birgit; Løvaas, Helene; Løvvik, Camilla; Maeland, Silje

2017-10-17

To investigate the prevalence and severity of subjective health complaints and describe illness perception in a population of Joint Hypermobility Syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-Hypermobile Type. This study was a postal survey with a questionnaire battery on demographic data, subjective health complaints inventory, and illness perception. A total of 110 individuals diagnosed with Joint Hypermobility Syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-Hypermobile Type from two specialized hospitals in Norway were offered participation. Further, 140 gender- and age-matched healthy controls from statistics Norway representing the general population were sent the questionnaire for reference. Overall response rate was 30.4% (n = 76), with 44.5% (n = 49) in Joint Hypermobility Syndrome/Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-Hypermobile Type and 19.3% (n = 27) in controls. Subjective health complaints were significantly higher in Joint Hypermobility Syndrome/Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-Hypermobile Type - than in the controls (32.06 vs. 11.08; p < 0.001). Further the brief illness perception questionnaire indicated that the adults with Joint Hypermobility Syndrome/Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-Hypermobile Type had low understanding of their illness and symptoms (understanding, mean: 3.93, SD 2.88), and reported to have moderate personal and treatment control over their illness. Adults with Joint Hypermobility Syndrome/Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-Hypermobile Type reported higher frequency and severity of subjective health complaints than the matched controls from the general adult population in Norway. Furthermore, Joint Hypermobility Syndrome/Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome-Hypermobile Type reported low understanding of their illness and associated symptoms, and moderate belief that their illness can be kept under control through self-management or treatment. This may indicate one of the reasons why prognosis for these patients is poor. Implications for rehabilitation Awareness of the complexity of the

Health claims assessment in the field of joint and cartilage: a consensus viewpoint of the Group for the Respect of Ethics and Excellence in Science.

PubMed

Bruyère, O; Avouac, B; Richette, P; Maheu, E; Bruel, P; Coxam, V; Guillou, G B; Lugrin, A-E; Merceron, C; Pauquai, T; Rannou, F; Ythier-Moury, P; Tsouderos, Y; Urban, N; Rovati, L; Guicheux, J; Reginster, J-Y

2012-04-01

In 2006, the European Parliament and Council issued a regulation (No. 1924/2006) for the nutrition and health claims made on foods, including food supplements. According to the regulation, the use of nutrition and health claims shall only be permitted if the substance in respect of which the claim is made has been shown to have a beneficial nutritional or physiological effect. In the field of joint and cartilage health, there is no clear scientific-based definition of the nature of such a beneficial nutritional or physiological effect. The objective of this paper is to scientifically define the possible content of health claims related to joint and cartilage health and to provide scientific guidelines for the design of clinical studies which need to be adopted to substantiate such health claims. Literature review up to September 2011 followed by a consensus expert discussion organized by the Group for the Respect of Ethics and Excellence in Science (GREES). In line with the general principles of the PASSCLAIM and the Codex recommendations, the GREES identified four acceptable health claims related to joint and cartilage health based on the effects on discomfort, joint and cartilage structural integrity or risk factors for joint and cartilage diseases. The GREES considers that randomized controlled trials on a relevant outcome is the best design to assess health claims. Moreover, animal studies could also be of interest to substantiate some health claims, to assess the clinical relevance of endpoints used in human studies or to extrapolate data obtained in patients to the target (apparently) healthy population. According to the methodology and biomarkers used in the study and whether or not additional animal studies are provided to support the claim, various health claims can be acceptable in the field of joint and cartilage health.

Personalized Health Monitoring System for Managing Well-Being in Rural Areas.

PubMed

Nedungadi, Prema; Jayakumar, Akshay; Raman, Raghu

2017-12-14

Rural India lacks easy access to health practitioners and medical centers, depending instead on community health workers. In these areas, common ailments that are easy to manage with medicines, often lead to medical escalations and even fatalities due to lack of awareness and delayed diagnosis. The introduction of wearable health devices has made it easier to monitor health conditions and to connect doctors and patients in urban areas. However, existing initiatives have not succeeded in providing adequate health monitoring to rural and low-literate patients, as current methods are expensive, require consistent connectivity and expect literate users. Our design considerations address these concerns by providing low-cost medical devices connected to a low-cost health platform, along with personalized guidance based on patient physiological parameters in local languages, and alerts to medical practitioners in case of emergencies. This patient-centric integrated healthcare system is designed to manage the overall health of villagers with real-time health monitoring of patients, to offer guidance on preventive care, and to increase health awareness and self-monitoring at an affordable price. This personalized health monitoring system addresses the health-related needs in remote and rural areas by (1) empowering health workers in monitoring of basic health conditions for rural patients in order to prevent escalations, (2) personalized feedback regarding nutrition, exercise, diet, preventive Ayurveda care and yoga postures based on vital parameters and (3) reporting of patient data to the patient's health center with emergency alerts to doctor and patient. The system supports community health workers in the diagnostic procedure, management, and reporting of rural patients, and functions well even with only intermittent access to Internet.

78 FR 9701 - Draft Joint Food and Drug Administration/Health Canada Quantitative Assessment of the Risk of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-11

... on the sources of L. monocytogenes contamination, the effects of individual manufacturing and/or... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2012-N-1182] Draft Joint Food and Drug Administration/Health Canada Quantitative Assessment of the Risk of...

Health Monitoring and Management for Manufacturing Workers in Adverse Working Conditions.

PubMed

Xu, Xiaoya; Zhong, Miao; Wan, Jiafu; Yi, Minglun; Gao, Tiancheng

2016-10-01

In adverse working conditions, environmental parameters such as metallic dust, noise, and environmental temperature, directly affect the health condition of manufacturing workers. It is therefore important to implement health monitoring and management based on important physiological parameters (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature). In recent years, new technologies, such as body area networks, cloud computing, and smart clothing, have allowed the improvement of the quality of services. In this article, we first give five-layer architecture for health monitoring and management of manufacturing workers. Then, we analyze the system implementation process, including environmental data processing, physical condition monitoring and system services and management, and present the corresponding algorithms. Finally, we carry out an evaluation and analysis from the perspective of insurance and compensation for manufacturing workers in adverse working conditions. The proposed scheme will contribute to the improvement of workplace conditions, realize health monitoring and management, and protect the interests of manufacturing workers.

Design of a National Retail Data Monitor for Public Health Surveillance

PubMed Central

Wagner, Michael M.; Robinson, J. Michael; Tsui, Fu-Chiang; Espino, Jeremy U.; Hogan, William R.

2003-01-01

The National Retail Data Monitor receives data daily from 10,000 stores, including pharmacies, that sell health care products. These stores belong to national chains that process sales data centrally and utilize Universal Product Codes and scanners to collect sales information at the cash register. The high degree of retail sales data automation enables the monitor to collect information from thousands of store locations in near to real time for use in public health surveillance. The monitor provides user interfaces that display summary sales data on timelines and maps. Algorithms monitor the data automatically on a daily basis to detect unusual patterns of sales. The project provides the resulting data and analyses, free of charge, to health departments nationwide. Future plans include continued enrollment and support of health departments, developing methods to make the service financially self-supporting, and further refinement of the data collection system to reduce the time latency of data receipt and analysis. PMID:12807802

[Economic efficiency of computer monitoring of health].

PubMed

Il'icheva, N P; Stazhadze, L L

2001-01-01

Presents the method of computer monitoring of health, based on utilization of modern information technologies in public health. The method helps organize preventive activities of an outpatient clinic at a high level and essentially decrease the time and money loss. Efficiency of such preventive measures, increased number of computer and Internet users suggests that such methods are promising and further studies in this field are needed.

Antipsychotic Cardiometabolic Side Effect Monitoring in a State Community Mental Health System.

PubMed

Cotes, Robert O; de Nesnera, Alex; Kelly, Michael; Orsini, Karen; Xie, Haiyi; McHugo, Greg; Bartels, Stephen; Brunette, Mary F

2015-08-01

Antipsychotic medications can cause serious cardiometabolic side effects. No recent research has broadly evaluated monitoring and strategies to improve monitoring in U.S. public mental health systems. To address this knowledge gap, we evaluated education with audit and feedback to leaders to improve cardiometabolic monitoring in a state mental health system. We used Chi square statistics and logistic regressions to explore changes in monitoring recorded in randomly sampled records over 2 years. In 2009, assessment of patients on antipsychotics was 29.6 % for cholesterol, 40.4 % for glucose, 29.1 % for triglycerides, 54.3 % for weight, 33.6 % for blood pressure, and 5.7 % for abdominal girth. In 2010, four of ten mental health centers improved their rate of adult laboratory monitoring. Overall monitoring in the state did not increase. Education for prescribers with audit and feedback to leaders can improve monitoring in some settings, but more intensive and/or prolonged interventions may be required.

Measures of Local Segregation for Monitoring Health Inequities by Local Health Departments.

PubMed

Krieger, Nancy; Waterman, Pamela D; Batra, Neelesh; Murphy, Johnna S; Dooley, Daniel P; Shah, Snehal N

2017-06-01

To assess the use of local measures of segregation for monitoring health inequities by local health departments. We analyzed preterm birth and premature mortality (death before the age of 65 years) rates for Boston, Massachusetts, for 2010 to 2012, using the Index of Concentration at the Extremes (ICE) and the poverty rate at both the census tract and neighborhood level. For premature mortality at the census tract level, the rate ratios comparing the worst-off and best-off terciles were 1.58 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.36, 1.83) for the ICE for income, 1.66 (95% CI = 1.43, 1.93) for the ICE for race/ethnicity, and 1.63 (95% CI = 1.40, 1.90) for the ICE combining income and race/ethnicity, as compared with 1.47 (95% CI = 1.27, 1.71) for the poverty measure. Results for the ICE and poverty measures were more similar for preterm births than for premature mortality. The ICE, a measure of social spatial polarization, may be useful for analyzing health inequities at the local level. Public Health Implications. Local health departments in US cities can meaningfully use the ICE to monitor health inequities associated with racialized economic segregation.

Remote health monitoring using mobile phones and Web services.

PubMed

Agarwal, Sparsh; Lau, Chiew Tong

2010-06-01

Diabetes and hypertension have become very common perhaps because of increasingly busy lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits, and a highly competitive workplace. The rapid advancement of mobile communication technologies offers innumerable opportunities for the development of software and hardware applications for remote monitoring of such chronic diseases. This study describes a remote health-monitoring service that provides an end-to-end solution, that is, (1) it collects blood pressure readings from the patient through a mobile phone; (2) it provides these data to doctors through a Web interface; and (3) it enables doctors to manage the chronic condition by providing feedback to the patients remotely. This article also aims at understanding the requirements and expectations of doctors and hospitals from such a remote health-monitoring service.

In-service health monitoring of composite structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinto, Gino A.; Ventres, C. S.; Ginty, Carol A.; Chamis, Christos C.

1990-01-01

The aerospace industry is witnessing a vast utilization of composites in critical structural applications and anticipates even more use of them in future aircraft. Therefore, a definite need exists for a composite health monitoring expert system to meet today's current needs and tomorrow's future demands. The primary goal for this conceptual health monitoring system is functional reliably for in-service operation in the environments of various composite structures. The underlying philosophy of this system is to utilize proven vibration techniques to assess the structural integrity of a fibrous composite. Statistical methods are used to determine if the variances in the measured data are acceptable for making a reliable decision on the health status of the composite. The flexible system allows for algorithms describing any composite fatigue or damage behavior characteristic to be provided as an input to the system. Alert thresholds and variances can also be provided as an input to this system and may be updated to allow for future changes/refinements in the composite's structural integrity behavior.

CSHM: Web-based safety and health monitoring system for construction management.

PubMed

Cheung, Sai On; Cheung, Kevin K W; Suen, Henry C H

2004-01-01

This paper describes a web-based system for monitoring and assessing construction safety and health performance, entitled the Construction Safety and Health Monitoring (CSHM) system. The design and development of CSHM is an integration of internet and database systems, with the intent to create a total automated safety and health management tool. A list of safety and health performance parameters was devised for the management of safety and health in construction. A conceptual framework of the four key components of CSHM is presented: (a) Web-based Interface (templates); (b) Knowledge Base; (c) Output Data; and (d) Benchmark Group. The combined effect of these components results in a system that enables speedy performance assessment of safety and health activities on construction sites. With the CSHM's built-in functions, important management decisions can theoretically be made and corrective actions can be taken before potential hazards turn into fatal or injurious occupational accidents. As such, the CSHM system will accelerate the monitoring and assessing of performance safety and health management tasks.

Tracking the health of trees over time on forest health monitoring plots

Treesearch

Jim Steinman

2000-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program was initiated in 1990 as a cooperative effort between the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. Program efforts include detecting changes in tree health from a national grid of one-sixth acre permanent sample plots. Tree data have been collected in various states since 1991, and include species,...

Tracking the health of trees over time on Forest Health Monitoring plots

Treesearch

Jim Steinman

2000-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program was initiated in 1990 as a cooperative effort between the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. Program efforts include detecting changes in tree health from a national grid of one-sixth acre permanent sample plots. Tree data have been collected in various States since 1991, and include species...

Urban forest health monitoring: large-scale assessments in the United States

Treesearch

Anne Buckelew Cumming; Daniel B. Twardus; David J. Nowak

2008-01-01

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS), together with state partners, developed methods to monitor urban forest structure, function, and health at a large statewide scale. Pilot studies have been established in five states using protocols based on USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis and Forest Health Monitoring program data collection standards....

Forest health monitoring indicators and their interpretability: a Lithuanian case study

Treesearch

Romualdas Kuknys; Algirdas Augustaitis

1998-01-01

Growth and productivity of forests are important indicators for understanding the general condition and health of forests. It is very important that indicators detected during monitoring procedures afford an opportunity for direct or indirect evaluation of forest productivity and its natural and anthropogenic changes. Analysis of the U.S. Forest Health Monitoring (FHM...

To track or not to track: user reactions to concepts in longitudinal health monitoring.

PubMed

Beaudin, Jennifer S; Intille, Stephen S; Morris, Margaret E

2006-01-01

Advances in ubiquitous computing, smart homes, and sensor technologies enable novel, longitudinal health monitoring applications in the home. Many home monitoring technologies have been proposed to detect health crises, support aging-in-place, and improve medical care. Health professionals and potential end users in the lay public, however, sometimes question whether home health monitoring is justified given the cost and potential invasion of privacy. The aim of the study was to elicit specific feedback from health professionals and laypeople about how they might use longitudinal health monitoring data for proactive health and well-being. Interviews were conducted with 8 health professionals and 26 laypeople. Participants were asked to evaluate mock data visualization displays that could be generated by novel home monitoring systems. The mock displays were used to elicit reactions to longitudinal monitoring in the home setting as well as what behaviors, events, and physiological indicators people were interested in tracking. Based on the qualitative data provided by the interviews, lists of benefits of and concerns about health tracking from the perspectives of the practitioners and laypeople were compiled. Variables of particular interest to the interviewees, as well as their specific ideas for applications of collected data, were documented. Based upon these interviews, we recommend that ubiquitous "monitoring" systems may be more readily adopted if they are developed as tools for personalized, longitudinal self-investigation that help end users learn about the conditions and variables that impact their social, cognitive, and physical health.

Ultrasonic wave-based structural health monitoring embedded instrument.

PubMed

Aranguren, G; Monje, P M; Cokonaj, Valerijan; Barrera, Eduardo; Ruiz, Mariano

2013-12-01

Piezoelectric sensors and actuators are the bridge between electronic and mechanical systems in structures. This type of sensor is a key element in the integrity monitoring of aeronautic structures, bridges, pressure vessels, wind turbine blades, and gas pipelines. In this paper, an all-in-one system for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) based on ultrasonic waves is presented, called Phased Array Monitoring for Enhanced Life Assessment. This integrated instrument is able to generate excitation signals that are sent through piezoelectric actuators, acquire the received signals in the piezoelectric sensors, and carry out signal processing to check the health of structures. To accomplish this task, the instrument uses a piezoelectric phased-array transducer that performs the actuation and sensing of the signals. The flexibility and strength of the instrument allow the user to develop and implement a substantial part of the SHM technique using Lamb waves. The entire system is controlled using configuration software and has been validated through functional, electrical loading, mechanical loading, and thermal loading resistance tests.

An overview: modern techniques for railway vehicle on-board health monitoring systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chunsheng; Luo, Shihui; Cole, Colin; Spiryagin, Maksym

2017-07-01

Health monitoring systems with low-cost sensor networks and smart algorithms are always needed in both passenger trains and heavy haul trains due to the increasing need for reliability and safety in the railway industry. This paper focuses on an overview of existing approaches applied for railway vehicle on-board health monitoring systems. The approaches applied in the data measurement systems and the data analysis systems in railway on-board health monitoring systems are presented in this paper, including methodologies, theories and applications. The pros and cons of the various approaches are analysed to determine appropriate benchmarks for an effective and efficient railway vehicle on-board health monitoring system. According to this review, inertial sensors are the most popular due to their advantages of low cost, robustness and low power consumption. Linearisation methods are required for the model-based methods which would inevitably introduce error to the estimation results, and it is time-consuming to include all possible conditions in the pre-built database required for signal-based methods. Based on this review, future development trends in the design of new low-cost health monitoring systems for railway vehicles are discussed.

Forest health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2016

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2017-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introducesnew techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed...

A Survey of Current Rotorcraft Propulsion Health Monitoring Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delgado, Irebert R.; Dempsey, Paula J.; Simon, Donald L.

2012-01-01

A brief review is presented on the state-of-the-art in rotorcraft engine health monitoring technologies including summaries on current practices in the area of sensors, data acquisition, monitoring and analysis. Also, presented are guidelines for verification and validation of Health Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) and specifically for maintenance credits to extend part life. Finally, a number of new efforts in HUMS are summarized as well as lessons learned and future challenges. In particular, gaps are identified to supporting maintenance credits to extend rotorcraft engine part life. A number of data sources were consulted and include results from a survey from the HUMS community, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) documents, American Helicopter Society (AHS) papers, as well as references from Defence Science & Technology Organization (DSTO), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Validity and reliability of the South African health promoting schools monitoring questionnaire

PubMed Central

Struthers, Patricia; de Koker, Petra; Lerebo, Wondwossen; Blignaut, Renette J.

2017-01-01

Summary Health promoting schools, as conceptualised by the World Health Organisation, have been developed in many countries to facilitate the health-education link. In 1994, the concept of health promoting schools was introduced in South Africa. In the process of becoming a health promoting school, it is important for schools to monitor and evaluate changes and developments taking place. The Health Promoting Schools (HPS) Monitoring Questionnaire was developed to obtain opinions of students about their school as a health promoting school. It comprises 138 questions in seven sections: socio-demographic information; General health promotion programmes; health related Skills and knowledge; Policies; Environment; Community-school links; and support Services. This paper reports on the reliability and face validity of the HPS Monitoring Questionnaire. Seven experts reviewed the questionnaire and agreed that it has satisfactory face validity. A test-retest reliability study was conducted with 83 students in three high schools in Cape Town, South Africa. The kappa-coefficients demonstrate mostly fair (κ-scores between 0.21 and 0.4) to moderate (κ-scores between 0.41 and 0.6) agreement between test-retest General and Environment items; poor (κ-scores up to 0.2) agreement between Skills and Community test-retest items, fair agreement between Policies items, and for most of the questions focussing on Services a fair agreement was found. The study is a first effort at providing a tool that may be used to monitor and evaluate students’ opinions about changes in health promoting schools. Although the HPS Monitoring Questionnaire has face validity, the results of the reliability testing were inconclusive. Further research is warranted. PMID:27694227

Validity and reliability of the South African health promoting schools monitoring questionnaire.

PubMed

Struthers, Patricia; Wegner, Lisa; de Koker, Petra; Lerebo, Wondwossen; Blignaut, Renette J

2017-04-01

Health promoting schools, as conceptualised by the World Health Organisation, have been developed in many countries to facilitate the health-education link. In 1994, the concept of health promoting schools was introduced in South Africa. In the process of becoming a health promoting school, it is important for schools to monitor and evaluate changes and developments taking place. The Health Promoting Schools (HPS) Monitoring Questionnaire was developed to obtain opinions of students about their school as a health promoting school. It comprises 138 questions in seven sections: socio-demographic information; General health promotion programmes; health related Skills and knowledge; Policies; Environment; Community-school links; and support Services. This paper reports on the reliability and face validity of the HPS Monitoring Questionnaire. Seven experts reviewed the questionnaire and agreed that it has satisfactory face validity. A test-retest reliability study was conducted with 83 students in three high schools in Cape Town, South Africa. The kappa-coefficients demonstrate mostly fair (κ-scores between 0.21 and 0.4) to moderate (κ-scores between 0.41 and 0.6) agreement between test-retest General and Environment items; poor (κ-scores up to 0.2) agreement between Skills and Community test-retest items, fair agreement between Policies items, and for most of the questions focussing on Services a fair agreement was found. The study is a first effort at providing a tool that may be used to monitor and evaluate students' opinions about changes in health promoting schools. Although the HPS Monitoring Questionnaire has face validity, the results of the reliability testing were inconclusive. Further research is warranted. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Joint Polar Satellite System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trenkle, Timothy; Driggers, Phillip

2011-01-01

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is a joint NOAA/NASA mission comprised of a series of polar orbiting weather and climate monitoring satellites which will fly in a sun-synchronous orbit, with a 1330 equatorial crossing time. JPSS resulted from the decision to reconstitute the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) into two separate programs, one to be run by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the other by NOAA. This decision was reached in early 2010, after numerous development issues caused a series of unacceptable delays in launching the NPOESS system.

Examining Functioning and Contextual Factors in Individuals with Joint Contractures from the Health Professional Perspective Using the ICF: An International Internet-Based Qualitative Expert Survey.

PubMed

Fischer, Uli; Müller, Martin; Strobl, Ralf; Bartoszek, Gabriele; Meyer, Gabriele; Grill, Eva

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify disease-related aspects of functioning and disability in people with joint contractures from a health professionals' perspective and to describe the findings, using categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). An Internet-based expert survey. We asked international health professionals for typical problems in functioning and important contextual factors of individuals with joint contractures using an Internet-based open-ended questionnaire. All answers were linked to the ICF according to established rules. Absolute and relative frequencies of the linked ICF categories were reported. Eighty experts named 1785 meaning units which could be linked to 256 ICF categories. Among the categories, 24.2% belonged to the component Body Functions, 20.7% to Body Structures, 36.3% to Activities and Participation, and 18.8% to Environmental Factors. Health professionals addressed a large variety of functional problems and multifaceted aspects due to the symptom joint contractures. International health professionals reported a large variety of aspects of functioning and health, which are related to joint contractures. © 2014 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

Forest health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2013

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2015-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

Forest Health Monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2014

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2015-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

Forest health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2017

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2018-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

Damage detection of an in-service condensation pipeline joint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briand, Julie; Rezaei, Davood; Taheri, Farid

2010-04-01

The early detection of damage in structural or mechanical systems is of vital importance. With early detection, the damage may be repaired before the integrity of the system is jeopardized, resulting in monetary losses, loss of life or limb, and environmental impacts. Among the various types of structural health monitoring techniques, vibration-based methods are of significant interest since the damage location does not need to be known beforehand, making it a more versatile approach. The non-destructive damage detection method used for the experiments herein is a novel vibration-based method which uses an index called the EMD Energy Damage Index, developed with the aim of providing improved qualitative results compared to those methods currently available. As part of an effort to establish the integrity and limitation of this novel damage detection method, field testing was completed on a mechanical pipe joint on a condensation line, located in the physical plant of Dalhousie University. Piezoceramic sensors, placed at various locations around the joint were used to monitor the free vibration of the pipe imposed through the use of an impulse hammer. Multiple damage progression scenarios were completed, each having a healthy state and multiple damage cases. Subsequently, the recorded signals from the healthy and damaged joint were processed through the EMD Energy Damage Index developed in-house in an effort to detect the inflicted damage. The proposed methodology successfully detected the inflicted damages. In this paper, the effects of impact location, sensor location, frequency bandwidth, intrinsic mode functions, and boundary conditions are discussed.

An intelligent health monitoring system using radio-frequency identification technology.

PubMed

Lai, Yeong-Lin; Chen, Chin-Ling; Chang, Ching-Hisang; Hsu, Chih-Yu; Lai, Yeong-Kang; Tseng, Kuo-Kun; Chen, Chih-Cheng; Zheng, Chun-Yi

2015-01-01

Long-term care (LTC) for the elderly has become extremely important in recent years. It is necessary for the different physiological monitoring systems to be integrated on the same interface to help oversee and manage the elderly's needs. This paper presents a novel health monitoring system for LTC services using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology. Dual-band RFID protocols were included in the system, in which the high-frequency (HF) band of 13.56 MHz was used to identify individuals and the microwave band of 2.45 GHz was used to monitor physiological information. Distinct physiological data, including oxyhemoglobin saturation by pulse oximetry (SpO2), blood pressure, blood sugar, electrocardiogram (ECG) readings, body temperature, and respiration rate, were monitored by various biosensors. The intelligent RFID health monitoring system provided the features of the real-time acquisition of biomedical signals and the identification of personal information pertaining to the elderly and patients in nursing homes.

Smart sensor systems for human health breath monitoring applications.

PubMed

Hunter, G W; Xu, J C; Biaggi-Labiosa, A M; Laskowski, D; Dutta, P K; Mondal, S P; Ward, B J; Makel, D B; Liu, C C; Chang, C W; Dweik, R A

2011-09-01

Breath analysis techniques offer a potential revolution in health care diagnostics, especially if these techniques can be brought into standard use in the clinic and at home. The advent of microsensors combined with smart sensor system technology enables a new generation of sensor systems with significantly enhanced capabilities and minimal size, weight and power consumption. This paper discusses the microsensor/smart sensor system approach and provides a summary of efforts to migrate this technology into human health breath monitoring applications. First, the basic capability of this approach to measure exhaled breath associated with exercise physiology is demonstrated. Building from this foundation, the development of a system for a portable asthma home health care system is described. A solid-state nitric oxide (NO) sensor for asthma monitoring has been identified, and efforts are underway to miniaturize this NO sensor technology and integrate it into a smart sensor system. It is concluded that base platform microsensor technology combined with smart sensor systems can address the needs of a range of breath monitoring applications and enable new capabilities for healthcare.

Structural health monitoring technology for bolted carbon-carbon thermal protection panels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jinkyu

2005-12-01

The research in this dissertation is motivated by the need for reliable inspection technologies for the detection of bolt loosening in Carbon-Carbon (C-C) Thermal Protection System (TPS) panels on Space Operation Vehicles (SOV) using minimal human intervention. A concept demonstrator of the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system was developed to autonomously detect the degradation of the mechanical integrity of the standoff C-C TPS panels. This system assesses the torque levels of the loosened bolts in the C-C TPS panel, as well as identifies the location of those bolts accordingly. During the course of building the proposed SHM prototype, efforts have been focused primarily on developing a trustworthy diagnostic scheme and a responsive sensor suite. Based on the microcontact conditions and damping phenomena of ultrasonic waves across the bolted joints, an Attenuation-based Diagnostic Method was proposed to assess the fastener integrity by observing the attenuation patterns of the resultant sensor signals. Parametric model studies and prototype testing validated the theoretical explanation of the attenuation-based method. Once the diagnostic scheme was determined, the implementation of a sensor suite was the next step. A new PZT-embedded sensor washer was developed to enhance remote sensing capability and achieve sufficient sensitivity by guiding diagnostic waves primarily through the inspection areas. The sensor-embedded washers replace the existing washers to constitute the sensor network, as well as to avoid jeopardizing the integrity of the original fastener components. After sensor design evolution and appropriate algorithm development, verification tests were conducted using a shaker and a full-scale oven, which simulated the acoustic and thermal environments during the re-entry process, respectively. The test results revealed that the proposed system successfully identifies the loss of the preload for the bolted joints that were loosened. The sensors were

The design of an m-Health monitoring system based on a cloud computing platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Boyi; Xu, Lida; Cai, Hongming; Jiang, Lihong; Luo, Yang; Gu, Yizhi

2017-01-01

Compared to traditional medical services provided within hospitals, m-Health monitoring systems (MHMSs) face more challenges in personalised health data processing. To achieve personalised and high-quality health monitoring by means of new technologies, such as mobile network and cloud computing, in this paper, a framework of an m-Health monitoring system based on a cloud computing platform (Cloud-MHMS) is designed to implement pervasive health monitoring. Furthermore, the modules of the framework, which are Cloud Storage and Multiple Tenants Access Control Layer, Healthcare Data Annotation Layer, and Healthcare Data Analysis Layer, are discussed. In the data storage layer, a multiple tenant access method is designed to protect patient privacy. In the data annotation layer, linked open data are adopted to augment health data interoperability semantically. In the data analysis layer, the process mining algorithm and similarity calculating method are implemented to support personalised treatment plan selection. These three modules cooperate to implement the core functions in the process of health monitoring, which are data storage, data processing, and data analysis. Finally, we study the application of our architecture in the monitoring of antimicrobial drug usage to demonstrate the usability of our method in personal healthcare analysis.

Development of structural health monitoring techniques using dynamics testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

James, G.H. III

Today`s society depends upon many structures (such as aircraft, bridges, wind turbines, offshore platforms, buildings, and nuclear weapons) which are nearing the end of their design lifetime. Since these structures cannot be economically replaced, techniques for structural health monitoring must be developed and implemented. Modal and structural dynamics measurements hold promise for the global non-destructive inspection of a variety of structures since surface measurements of a vibrating structure can provide information about the health of the internal members without costly (or impossible) dismantling of the structure. In order to develop structural health monitoring for application to operational structures, developments inmore » four areas have been undertaken within this project: operational evaluation, diagnostic measurements, information condensation, and damage identification. The developments in each of these four aspects of structural health monitoring have been exercised on a broad range of experimental data. This experimental data has been extracted from structures from several application areas which include aging aircraft, wind energy, aging bridges, offshore structures, structural supports, and mechanical parts. As a result of these advances, Sandia National Laboratories is in a position to perform further advanced development, operational implementation, and technical consulting for a broad class of the nation`s aging infrastructure problems.« less

Wearable sweat detector device design for health monitoring and clinical diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qiuchen; Zhang, Xiaodong; Tian, Bihao; Zhang, Hongyan; Yu, Yang; Wang, Ming

2017-06-01

Miniaturized sensor is necessary part for wearable detector for biomedical applications. Wearable detector device is indispensable for online health care. This paper presents a concept of an wearable digital health monitoring device design for sweat analysis. The flexible sensor is developed to quantify the amount of hydrogen ions in sweat and skin temperature in real time. The detection system includes pH sensor, temperature sensor, signal processing module, power source, microprocessor, display module and so on. The sweat monitoring device is designed for sport monitoring or clinical diagnosis.

Monitoring health interventions--who's afraid of LQAS?

PubMed

Pezzoli, Lorenzo; Kim, Sung Hye

2013-11-08

Lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) is used to evaluate health services. Subunits of a population (lots) are accepted or rejected according to the number of failures in a random sample (N) of a given lot. If failures are greater than decision value (d), we reject the lot and recommend corrective actions in the lot (i.e. intervention area); if they are equal to or less than d, we accept it. We used LQAS to monitor coverage during the last 3 days of a meningitis vaccination campaign in Niger. We selected one health area (lot) per day reporting the lowest administrative coverage in the previous 2 days. In the sampling plan we considered: N to be small enough to allow us to evaluate one lot per day, deciding to sample 16 individuals from the selected villages of each health area, using probability proportionate to population size; thresholds and d to vary according to administrative coverage reported; α ≤5% (meaning that, if we would have conducted the survey 100 times, we would have accepted the lot up to five times when real coverage was at an unacceptable level) and β ≤20% (meaning that we would have rejected the lot up to 20 times, when real coverage was equal or above the satisfactory level). We classified all three lots as with the acceptable coverage. LQAS appeared to be a rapid, simple, and statistically sound method for in-process coverage assessment. We encourage colleagues in the field to consider using LQAS in complement with other monitoring techniques such as house-to-house monitoring.

General Purpose Data-Driven Online System Health Monitoring with Applications to Space Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iverson, David L.; Spirkovska, Lilly; Schwabacher, Mark

2010-01-01

Modern space transportation and ground support system designs are becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex. Determining the health state of these systems using traditional parameter limit checking, or model-based or rule-based methods is becoming more difficult as the number of sensors and component interactions grows. Data-driven monitoring techniques have been developed to address these issues by analyzing system operations data to automatically characterize normal system behavior. System health can be monitored by comparing real-time operating data with these nominal characterizations, providing detection of anomalous data signatures indicative of system faults, failures, or precursors of significant failures. The Inductive Monitoring System (IMS) is a general purpose, data-driven system health monitoring software tool that has been successfully applied to several aerospace applications and is under evaluation for anomaly detection in vehicle and ground equipment for next generation launch systems. After an introduction to IMS application development, we discuss these NASA online monitoring applications, including the integration of IMS with complementary model-based and rule-based methods. Although the examples presented in this paper are from space operations applications, IMS is a general-purpose health-monitoring tool that is also applicable to power generation and transmission system monitoring.

A Battery Health Monitoring Framework for Planetary Rovers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daigle, Matthew J.; Kulkarni, Chetan Shrikant

2014-01-01

Batteries have seen an increased use in electric ground and air vehicles for commercial, military, and space applications as the primary energy source. An important aspect of using batteries in such contexts is battery health monitoring. Batteries must be carefully monitored such that the battery health can be determined, and end of discharge and end of usable life events may be accurately predicted. For planetary rovers, battery health estimation and prediction is critical to mission planning and decision-making. We develop a model-based approach utilizing computaitonally efficient and accurate electrochemistry models of batteries. An unscented Kalman filter yields state estimates, which are then used to predict the future behavior of the batteries and, specifically, end of discharge. The prediction algorithm accounts for possible future power demands on the rover batteries in order to provide meaningful results and an accurate representation of prediction uncertainty. The framework is demonstrated on a set of lithium-ion batteries powering a rover at NASA.

Structural health monitoring of inflatable structures for MMOD impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anees, Muhammad; Gbaguidi, Audrey; Kim, Daewon; Namilae, Sirish

2017-04-01

Inflatable structures for space habitat are highly prone to damage caused by micrometeoroid and orbital debris impacts. Although the structures are effectively shielded against these impacts through multiple layers of impact resistant materials, there is a necessity for a health monitoring system to monitor the structural integrity and damage state within the structures. Assessment of damage is critical for the safety of personnel in the space habitat, as well as predicting the repair needs and the remaining useful life of the habitat. In this paper, we propose a unique impact detection and health monitoring system based on hybrid nanocomposite sensors. The sensors are composed of two fillers, carbon nanotubes and coarse graphene platelets with an epoxy matrix material. The electrical conductivity of these flexible nanocomposite sensors is highly sensitive to strains as well as presence of any holes and damage in the structure. The sensitivity of the sensors to the presence of 3mm holes due to an event of impact is evaluated using four point probe electrical resistivity measurements. An array of these sensors when sandwiched between soft good layers in a space habitat can act as a damage detection layer for inflatable structures. An algorithm is developed to determine the event of impact, its severity and location on the sensing layer for active health monitoring.

Health technology assessment to optimize health technology utilization: using implementation initiatives and monitoring processes.

PubMed

Frønsdal, Katrine B; Facey, Karen; Klemp, Marianne; Norderhaug, Inger Natvig; Mørland, Berit; Røttingen, John-Arne

2010-07-01

The way in which a health technology is used in any particular health system depends on the decisions and actions of a variety of stakeholders, the local culture, and context. In 2009, the HTAi Policy Forum considered how health technology assessment (HTA) could be improved to optimize the use of technologies (in terms of uptake, change in use, or disinvestment) in such complex systems. In scoping, it was agreed to focus on initiatives to implement evidence-based guidance and monitoring activities. A review identified systematic reviews of implementation initiatives and monitoring activities. A two-day deliberative workshop was held to discuss key papers, members' experiences, and collectively address key questions. This consensus paper was developed by email and finalized at a postworkshop meeting. Evidence suggests that the impact and use of HTA could be increased by ensuring timely delivery of relevant reports to clearly determined policy receptor (decision-making) points. To achieve this, the breadth of assessment, implementation initiatives such as incentives and targeted, intelligent dissemination of HTA result, needs to be considered. HTA stakeholders undertake a variety of monitoring activities, which could inform optimal use of a technology. However, the quality of these data varies and is often not submitted to an HTA. Monitoring data should be sufficiently robust so that they can be used in HTA to inform optimal use of technology. Evidence-based implementation initiatives should be developed for HTA, to better inform decision makers at all levels in a health system about the optimal use of technology.

D-002 (beeswax alcohols): concurrent joint health benefits and gastroprotection.

PubMed

Molina, Vivian; Mas, R; Carbajal, D

2015-01-01

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs include the traditional drugs and more selective COX-2 inhibitors. Traditional nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use is hampered by their gastrotoxicity, while COX-2-inhibitors increase the cardiovascular risk. The search of safer substances for managing inflammatory conditions is updated, a challenge wherein dual COX/5-LOX inhibitors have a place. This review summarizes the benefits of D-002, a mixture of higher aliphatic beeswax alcohols, on joint health and gastric mucosa. D-002 elicits gastroprotection through a multiple mechanism that involves the increased secretion and improved quality of the gastric mucus, the reduction of hydroxyl radical, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, neutrophil infiltration and the increase of antioxidant enzymes on the gastric mucosa. Consistently, D-002 inhibits NSAIDs, ethanol, pylorus-ligation and acetic acid-induced gastric ulceration in rats, and has reduced gastrointestinal symptoms in clinical studies. Early results found that D-002 was effective in the cotton pellet-induced granuloma and carrageenan-induced pleurisy model in rats, lowering pleural leukotriene B4 levels without causing gastrointestinal ulceration. However, D-002 effects on inflammation received little attention for years. Recent data have shown that D-002 inhibited both COX and 5-LOX activities with a greater affinity for 5-LOX and could act as a dual COX/5-LOX inhibitor. This mechanism might explain efficacy in experimental inflammatory and osteoarthritic models as well as clinical efficacy in osteoarthritic patients while supporting the lack of D-002 gastrotoxicity, but not the gastroprotective effects, which appear to be due to multiple mechanisms. In summary oral D-002 intake could help manage inflammatory conditions that impair joint health, while offering gastroprotection.

78 FR 2677 - Joint Meeting of the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs and the Drug Safety and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-14

... Reproductive Health Drugs and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee. General Function of the...] Joint Meeting of the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice...

76 FR 59143 - Joint Meeting of the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs and the Drug Safety and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-23

... Reproductive Health Drugs and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee. General Function of the...] Joint Meeting of the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice...

76 FR 59142 - Joint Meeting of the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs and the Drug Safety and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-23

... Reproductive Health Drugs and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee. General Function of the...] Joint Meeting of the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice...

78 FR 16271 - Joint Meeting of the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs and the Drug Safety and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-14

... Reproductive Health Drugs and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee. General Function of the...] Joint Meeting of the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice...

Statement of the American Psychological Association in response to the "joint principles: integrating behavioral health care into the patient-centered medical home".

PubMed

Anderson, Norman B; Belar, Cynthia D; Cubic, Barbara A; Garrison, Ellen G; Johnson, Suzanne Bennett; Kaslow, Nadine J

2014-06-01

Comments on the article "Joint principles: Integrating behavioral health care into the patient-centered medical home" (see record 2014-24217-011), presented by the Working Party Group on Integrated Behavioral Healthcare. The American Psychological Association (APA) shares concerns about the lack of reference to behavioral health care in the original 2007 Joint Principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home for which this new document is intended to supplement but not replace. The decision to support the supplemental Joint Principles was not an easy one for APA, as there is one area of significant concern. That concern is related to the use of the term "physician-directed medical practice"

A qualitative review for wireless health monitoring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arshad, Atika; Fadzil Ismail, Ahmad; Khan, Sheroz; Zahirul Alam, A. H. M.; Tasnim, Rumana; Samnan Haider, Syed; Shobaki, Mohammed M.; Shahid, Zeeshan

2013-12-01

A proliferating interest has been being observed over the past years in accurate wireless system development in order to monitor incessant human activities in health care centres. Furthermore because of the swelling number of elderly population and the inadequate number of competent staffs for nursing homes there is a big market petition for health care monitoring system. In order to detect human researchers developed different methods namely which include Field Identification technique, Visual Sensor Network, radar detection, e-mobile techniques and so on. An all-encompassing overview of the non-wired human detection application advancement is presented in this paper. Inductive links are used for human detection application while wiring an electronic system has become impractical in recent times. Keeping in mind the shortcomings, an Inductive Intelligent Sensor (IIS) has been proposed as a novel human monitoring system for future implementation. The proposed sensor works towards exploring the signature signals of human body movement and size. This proposed sensor is fundamentally based on inductive loop that senses the presence and a passing human resulting an inductive change.

Augmented Fish Health Monitoring in Oregon, 1987-1988 Annual Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bauer, Jerry

1988-05-01

Diminished natural fish production in the Columbia River Basin has prompted increased artificial propagation to compensate both for losses of anadromous salmonids related to hydroelectric facilities and for other causes. The health and quality of artificially propagated smolts probably is a major influence on survival. Smolt survival varies greatly from one location to another, among different species and from one year to the next. Fish health monitoring is necessary to identify cause of mortality, assist in producing a healthy smolt, and provide a means for improving hatchery effectiveness. The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) conducted a series of meetings to definemore » the minimum ''needed'' level of fish health monitoring, determine what was presently being done and what additional effort was needed in the Basin's 54 anadromous fish hatcheries. Funding for the additional effort in Oregon began June 2, 1987. The goal of this project is to increase smolt-to-adult survival by accomplishing the following: (1) increase monitoring for specific fish pathogens and fish health parameters; (2) measure hatchery water supply quality; (3) identify facility impediments to fish health; (4) create a database of hatchery and fish health information; (5) establish a technical steering committee to evaluate and refine the project annually; and (6) increase communication and technology application among personnel in hatcheries, research, management, other agencies and the public. 4 refs., 3 figs., 10 tabs.« less

10th World IHEA and ECHE Joint Congress: health economics in the age of longevity.

PubMed

Jakovljevic, Mihajlo B; Getzen, Thomas E; Torbica, Aleksandra; Anegawa, Tomofumi

2014-12-01

The 10th consecutive World Health Economics conference was organized jointly by International Health Economics Association and European Conference on Health Economics Association and took place at The Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland in July 2014. It has attracted broad participation from the global professional community devoted to health economics teaching,research and policy applications. It has provided a forum for lively discussion on hot contemporary issues such as health expenditure projections, reimbursement regulations,health technology assessment, universal insurance coverage, demand and supply of hospital services, prosperity diseases, population aging and many others. The high-profile debate fostered by this meeting is likely to inspire further methodological advances worldwide and spreading of evidence-based policy practice from OECD towards emerging markets.

Wireless Subsurface Sensors for Health Monitoring of Thermal Protection Systems on Hypersonic Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milos, Frank S.; Arnold, Jim (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Health diagnostics is an area where major improvements have been identified for potential implementation into the design of new reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) in order to reduce life cycle costs, to increase safety margins, and to improve mission reliability. NASA Ames is leading the effort to develop inspection and health management technologies for thermal protection systems. This paper summarizes a joint project between NASA Ames and industry partners to develop "wireless" devices that can be embedded in the thermal protection system to monitor temperature or other quantities of interest. These devices are sensors integrated with radio-frequency identification (RFID) microchips to enable non-contact communication of sensor data to an external reader that may be a hand-held scanner or a large portal. Both passive and active prototype devices have been developed. The passive device uses a thermal fuse to indicate the occurrence of excessive temperature. This device has a diameter under 0.13 cm. (suitable for placement in gaps between ceramic TPS tiles on an RLV) and can withstand 370 C for 15 minutes. The active device contains a small battery to provide power to a thermocouple for recording a temperature history during flight. The bulk of the device must be placed beneath the TPS for protection from high temperature, but the thermocouple can be placed in a hot location such as near the external surface.

Structural health monitoring using wireless sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreevallabhan, K.; Nikhil Chand, B.; Ramasamy, Sudha

2017-11-01

Monitoring and analysing health of large structures like bridges, dams, buildings and heavy machinery is important for safety, economical, operational, making prior protective measures, and repair and maintenance point of view. In recent years there is growing demand for such larger structures which in turn make people focus more on safety. By using Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Accelerometer we can perform Structural Health Monitoring by studying the dynamic response through measure of ambient vibrations and strong motion of such structures. By using Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) we can embed these sensors in wireless networks which helps us to transmit data wirelessly thus we can measure the data wirelessly at any remote location. This in turn reduces heavy wiring which is a cost effective as well as time consuming process to lay those wires. In this paper we developed WSN based MEMS-accelerometer for Structural to test the results in the railway bridge near VIT University, Vellore campus.

Monitoring diver kinematics with dielectric elastomer sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Christopher R.; Anderson, Iain A.

2017-04-01

Diving, initially motivated for food purposes, is crucial to the oil and gas industry, search and rescue, and is even done recreationally by millions of people. There is a growing need however, to monitor the health and activity of divers. The Divers Alert Network has reported on average 90 fatalities per year since 1980. Furthermore an estimated 1000 divers require recompression treatment for dive-related injuries every year. One means of monitoring diver activity is to integrate strain sensors into a wetsuit. This would provide kinematic information on the diver potentially improving buoyancy control assessment, providing a platform for gesture communication, detecting panic attacks and monitoring diver fatigue. To explore diver kinematic monitoring we have coupled dielectric elastomer sensors to a wetsuit worn by the pilot of a human-powered wet submarine. This provided a unique platform to test the performance and accuracy of dielectric elastomer strain sensors in an underwater application. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of strain sensors to monitor the kinematics of a diver. This study was in collaboration with the University of Auckland's human-powered submarine team, Team Taniwha. The pilot, completely encapsulated in a hull, pedals to propel the submarine forward. Therefore this study focused on leg motion as that is the primary motion of the submarine pilot. Four carbon-filled silicone dielectric elastomer sensors were fabricated and coupled to the pilot's wetsuit. The first two sensors were attached over the knee joints, with the remaining two attached between the pelvis and thigh. The goal was to accurately measure leg joint angles thereby determining the position of each leg relative to the hip. A floating data acquisition unit monitored the sensors and transmitted data packets to a nearby computer for real-time processing. A GoPro Hero 4 silver edition was used to capture the experiments and provide a means of post-validation. The

PRISM: A DATA-DRIVEN PLATFORM FOR MONITORING MENTAL HEALTH

PubMed Central

KAMDAR, MAULIK R.; WU, MICHELLE J.

2018-01-01

Neuropsychiatric disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide and there is no gold standard currently available for the measurement of mental health. This issue is exacerbated by the fact that the information physicians use to diagnose these disorders is episodic and often subjective. Current methods to monitor mental health involve the use of subjective DSM-5 guidelines, and advances in EEG and video monitoring technologies have not been widely adopted due to invasiveness and inconvenience. Wearable technologies have surfaced as a ubiquitous and unobtrusive method for providing continuous, quantitative data about a patient. Here, we introduce PRISM — Passive, Real-time Information for Sensing Mental Health. This platform integrates motion, light and heart rate data from a smart watch application with user interactions and text insights from a web application. We have demonstrated a proof of concept by collecting preliminary data through a pilot study of 13 subjects. We have engineered appropriate features and applied both unsupervised and supervised learning to develop models that can recapitulate user-reported ratings of their emotional state. This demonstrates that the data has the potential to be useful for evaluating mental health. This platform will allow us to leverage continuous streams of passive data for early and accurate diagnosis as well as constant monitoring of patients suffering from mental disorders. PMID:26776198

Integration of structural health monitoring solutions onto commercial aircraft via the Federal Aviation Administration structural health monitoring research program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swindell, Paul; Doyle, Jon; Roach, Dennis

2017-02-01

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) started a research program in structural health monitoring (SHM) in 2011. The program's goal was to understand the technical gaps of implementing SHM on commercial aircraft and the potential effects on FAA regulations and guidance. The program evolved into a demonstration program consisting of a team from Sandia National Labs Airworthiness Assurance NDI Center (AANC), the Boeing Corporation, Delta Air Lines, Structural Monitoring Systems (SMS), Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing Corp (AEM) and the FAA. This paper will discuss the program from the selection of the inspection problem, the SHM system (Comparative Vacuum Monitoring-CVM) that was selected as the inspection solution and the testing completed to provide sufficient data to gain the first approved use of an SHM system for routine maintenance on commercial US aircraft.

Application of ubiquitous computing in personal health monitoring systems.

PubMed

Kunze, C; Grossmann, U; Stork, W; Müller-Glaser, K D

2002-01-01

A possibility to significantly reduce the costs of public health systems is to increasingly use information technology. The Laboratory for Information Processing Technology (ITIV) at the University of Karlsruhe is developing a personal health monitoring system, which should improve health care and at the same time reduce costs by combining micro-technological smart sensors with personalized, mobile computing systems. In this paper we present how ubiquitous computing theory can be applied in the health-care domain.

Exploration of video-based structural health monitoring techniques.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-10-01

Structural health monitoring (SHM) has become a viable tool to provide owners with objective data for maintenance and repair. Traditionally, discrete contact sensors such as strain gages or accelerometers have been used : for SHM. However, distribute...

Civionics specifications for fiber optic sensors for structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivera, Evangeline; Mufti, Aftab A.; Thomson, Douglas J.

2004-07-01

As the design and construction of civil structures continue to evolve, it is becoming imperative that these structures be monitored for their health. In order to meet this need, the discipline of Civionics has emerged. It involves the applications to civil structures and aims to assist engineers in realizing the full benefits of structural health monitoring (SHM). Therefore, the goal of the specification outlined in this work is to ensure that correct installation and operating of fiber optic sensors, such as bridges, will be discussed that motivated the writing of these specifications. The main reason for the failure of FOS based monitoring systems can be traced directly to the installation of the fiber sensor itself. Therefore, by creating a standard procedure for SHM, several ambiguities are eliminated such as fiber sensor specifications and the types of cables required. As a result, these specifications will help ensure that the sensors will survive the installation process and eventually prove their value over years of monitoring the health of the structure. The Civionics FOS specifications include the requirements for fiber sensors, specifically Bragg grating sensors, and their corresponding readout unit. It also includes specifications on the cables, conduits, junction boxes, cable termination and the environmental.

[Four axiological considerations in social epidemiology for the monitoring of health inequality].

PubMed

Mújica, Oscar J

2015-12-01

As the conceptual components of the most important contemporary public health agendas at the global and regional levels are brought into alignment and as it becomes more clearly understood that equity is a constitutive principle of these agendas, there is also a growing awareness of the strategic value of monitoring social inequalities in health. This is the health intelligence tool par excellence, not only for objectively assessing progress towards achieving health equity, but also for reporting action on the social determinants of health, progress towards the attainment of health for all, and the success of intersectoral efforts that take a "health in all policies" approach. These transformations are taking place in the context of an increasingly evident paradigm shift in public health. This essay presents four axiological considerations inherent to-and essential for -conceptualizing and implementing ways to measure and monitor health inequalities: ecoepidemiology as an emerging field in contemporary public health; the determinants of health as the causal model and core of the new paradigm; the relationship between the social hierarchy and health to understand the health gradient; and the practical need for a socioeconomic classification system that captures the social dimension in the determinants of health. The essay argues that these four axiological considerations lend epidemiologic coherence and rationality to the process of measuring and monitoring health inequalities and, by extension, to the development of pro-equity health policy proposals.

Long-term real-time structural health monitoring using wireless smart sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Shinae; Mensah-Bonsu, Priscilla O.; Li, Jingcheng; Dahal, Sushil

2013-04-01

Improving the safety and security of civil infrastructure has become a critical issue for decades since it plays a central role in the economics and politics of a modern society. Structural health monitoring of civil infrastructure using wireless smart sensor network has emerged as a promising solution recently to increase structural reliability, enhance inspection quality, and reduce maintenance costs. Though hardware and software framework are well prepared for wireless smart sensors, the long-term real-time health monitoring strategy are still not available due to the lack of systematic interface. In this paper, the Imote2 smart sensor platform is employed, and a graphical user interface for the long-term real-time structural health monitoring has been developed based on Matlab for the Imote2 platform. This computer-aided engineering platform enables the control, visualization of measured data as well as safety alarm feature based on modal property fluctuation. A new decision making strategy to check the safety is also developed and integrated in this software. Laboratory validation of the computer aided engineering platform for the Imote2 on a truss bridge and a building structure has shown the potential of the interface for long-term real-time structural health monitoring.

Health monitoring system for transmission shafts based on adaptive parameter identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Souflas, I.; Pezouvanis, A.; Ebrahimi, K. M.

2018-05-01

A health monitoring system for a transmission shaft is proposed. The solution is based on the real-time identification of the physical characteristics of the transmission shaft i.e. stiffness and damping coefficients, by using a physical oriented model and linear recursive identification. The efficacy of the suggested condition monitoring system is demonstrated on a prototype transient engine testing facility equipped with a transmission shaft capable of varying its physical properties. Simulation studies reveal that coupling shaft faults can be detected and isolated using the proposed condition monitoring system. Besides, the performance of various recursive identification algorithms is addressed. The results of this work recommend that the health status of engine dynamometer shafts can be monitored using a simple lumped-parameter shaft model and a linear recursive identification algorithm which makes the concept practically viable.

Status in the development of self-powered wireless sensor node for structural health monitoring and prognosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godinez-Azcuaga, Valery F.; Farmer, Justin; Ziehl, Paul H.; Giurgiutiu, Victor; Nanni, Antonio; Inman, Daniel J.

2012-04-01

This paper discusses the development status of a self-powered wireless sensor node for steel and concrete bridges monitoring and prognosis. By the end of the third year in this four-year cross-disciplinary project, the 4-channel acoustic emission wireless node, developed by Mistras Group Inc, has already been deployed in concrete structures by the University of Miami. Also, extensive testing is underway with the node powered by structural vibration and wind energy harvesting modules developed by Virginia Tech. The development of diagnosis tools and models for bridge prognosis, which will be discussed in the paper, continues and the diagnosis tools are expected to be programmed in the node's AVR during the 4th year of the project. The impact of this development extends beyond the area of bridge health monitoring into several fields, such as offshore oil platforms, composite components on military ships and race boats, combat deployable bridges and wind turbine blades. Some of these applications will also be discussed. This project was awarded to a joint venture formed by Mistras Group Inc, Virginia Tech, University of South Carolina and University of Miami by the National Institute of Standards and Technology through its Technology Innovation Program Grant #70NANB9H007.

The European Union Joint Procurement Agreement for cross-border health threats: what is the potential for this new mechanism of health system collaboration?

PubMed

Azzopardi-Muscat, Natasha; Schroder-Bäck, Peter; Brand, Helmut

2017-01-01

The Joint Procurement Agreement (JPA) is an innovative instrument for multi-country procurement of medical countermeasures against cross-border health threats. This paper aims to assess its potential performance. A literature review was conducted to identify key features of successful joint procurement programmes. Documentary analysis and a key informants' interview were carried out to analyse the European Union (EU) JPA. Ownership, equity, transparency, stable central financing, standardisation, flexibility and gradual development were identified as important prerequisites for successful establishment of multi-country joint procurement programmes in the literature while security of supply, favourable prices, reduction of operational costs and administrative burden and creation of professional expert networks were identified as desirable outcomes. The EU JPA appears to fulfil the criteria of ownership, transparency, equity, flexibility and gradual development. Standardisation is only partly fulfilled and central EU level financing is not provided. Security of supply is an important outcome for all EU Member States (MS). Price savings, reduction in administrative burden and creation of professional networks may be particularly attractive for the smaller MS. The JPA has the potential to increase health system collaboration and efficiency at EU level provided that the incentives for sustained commitment of larger MS are sufficiently attractive.

Continuous Monitoring of Glucose for Type 1 Diabetes: A Health Technology Assessment.

PubMed

2018-01-01

Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. People with type 1 diabetes must manage their blood glucose levels by monitoring the amount of glucose in their blood and administering appropriate amounts of insulin via injection or an insulin pump. Continuous glucose monitoring may be beneficial compared to self-monitoring of blood glucose using a blood glucose meter. It provides insight into a person's blood glucose levels on a continuous basis, and can identify whether blood glucose levels are trending up or down. We conducted a health technology assessment, which included an evaluation of clinical benefit, value for money, and patient preferences related to continuous glucose monitoring. We compared continuous glucose monitoring with self-monitoring of blood glucose using a finger-prick and a blood glucose meter. We performed a systematic literature search for studies published since January 1, 2010. We created a Markov model projecting the lifetime horizon of adults with type 1 diabetes, and performed a budget impact analysis from the perspective of the health care payer. We also conducted interviews and focus group discussions with people who self-manage their type 1 diabetes or support the management of a child with type 1 diabetes. Twenty studies were included in the clinical evidence review. Compared with self-monitoring of blood glucose, continuous glucose monitoring improved the percentage of time patients spent in the target glycemic range by 9.6% (95% confidence interval 8.0-11.2) to 10.0% (95% confidence interval 6.75-13.25) and decreased the number of severe hypoglycemic events.Continuous glucose monitoring was associated with higher costs and small increases in health benefits (quality-adjusted life-years). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) ranged from $592,206 to $1,108,812 per quality-adjusted life-year gained in analyses comparing four continuous glucose monitoring interventions to usual care

Integration of structural health monitoring and asset management.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

The Virginia Center for Innovation and Transportation Research and Virginia Tech installed a structural health : monitoring (SHM) system on a Virginia bridge. Using data from this SHM system as input, a procedure was : developed to provide informatio...

Joint cartilage thickness and automated determination of bone age and bone health in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

PubMed

Twilt, Marinka; Pradsgaard, Dan; Spannow, Anne Helene; Horlyck, Arne; Heuck, Carsten; Herlin, Troels

2017-08-10

BoneXpert is an automated method to calculate bone maturation and bone health index (BHI) in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Cartilage thickness can also be seen as an indicator for bone health and arthritis damage. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relation between cartilage thickness, bone maturation and bone health in patients with JIA. Patients with JIA diagnosed according ILAR criteria included in a previous ultrasonography (US) study were eligible if hand radiographs were taken at the same time as the US examination. Of the 95 patients 67 met the inclusion criteria. Decreased cartilage thickness was seen in 27% of the examined joints. Decreased BHI was seen in half of the JIA patient, and delayed bone maturation was seen in 33% of patients. A combination of decreased BHI and bone age was seen in 1 out of 5 JIA patients. Decreased cartilage thickness in the knee, wrist and MCP joint was negatively correlated with delayed bone maturation but not with bone health index. Delayed bone maturation and decreased BHI were not related to a thinner cartilage, but a thicker cartilage. No relation with JADAS 10 was found. The rheumatologist should remain aware of delayed bone maturation and BHI in JIA patients with cartilage changes, even in the biologic era.

Optimization and Characterization of the Friction Stir Welded Sheets of AA 5754-H111: Monitoring of the Quality of Joints with Thermographic Techniques.

PubMed

De Filippis, Luigi Alberto Ciro; Serio, Livia Maria; Palumbo, Davide; De Finis, Rosa; Galietti, Umberto

2017-10-11

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid-state welding process, based on frictional and stirring phenomena, that offers many advantages with respect to the traditional welding methods. However, several parameters can affect the quality of the produced joints. In this work, an experimental approach has been used for studying and optimizing the FSW process, applied on 5754-H111 aluminum plates. In particular, the thermal behavior of the material during the process has been investigated and two thermal indexes, the maximum temperature and the heating rate of the material, correlated to the frictional power input, were investigated for different process parameters (the travel and rotation tool speeds) configurations. Moreover, other techniques (micrographs, macrographs and destructive tensile tests) were carried out for supporting in a quantitative way the analysis of the quality of welded joints. The potential of thermographic technique has been demonstrated both for monitoring the FSW process and for predicting the quality of joints in terms of tensile strength.

Optimization and Characterization of the Friction Stir Welded Sheets of AA 5754-H111: Monitoring of the Quality of Joints with Thermographic Techniques

PubMed Central

De Filippis, Luigi Alberto Ciro; Serio, Livia Maria; Galietti, Umberto

2017-01-01

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid-state welding process, based on frictional and stirring phenomena, that offers many advantages with respect to the traditional welding methods. However, several parameters can affect the quality of the produced joints. In this work, an experimental approach has been used for studying and optimizing the FSW process, applied on 5754-H111 aluminum plates. In particular, the thermal behavior of the material during the process has been investigated and two thermal indexes, the maximum temperature and the heating rate of the material, correlated to the frictional power input, were investigated for different process parameters (the travel and rotation tool speeds) configurations. Moreover, other techniques (micrographs, macrographs and destructive tensile tests) were carried out for supporting in a quantitative way the analysis of the quality of welded joints. The potential of thermographic technique has been demonstrated both for monitoring the FSW process and for predicting the quality of joints in terms of tensile strength. PMID:29019948

75 FR 52711 - Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection; National Animal Health Monitoring...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-27

...] Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection; National Animal Health Monitoring System... to support the National Animal Health Monitoring System Sheep 2011 Study. DATES: We will consider all... Coordinator, at (301) 851-2908. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: National Animal Health Monitoring System...

Wearable health monitoring using capacitive voltage-mode Human Body Communication.

PubMed

Maity, Shovan; Das, Debayan; Sen, Shreyas

2017-07-01

Rapid miniaturization and cost reduction of computing, along with the availability of wearable and implantable physiological sensors have led to the growth of human Body Area Network (BAN) formed by a network of such sensors and computing devices. One promising application of such a network is wearable health monitoring where the collected data from the sensors would be transmitted and analyzed to assess the health of a person. Typically, the devices in a BAN are connected through wireless (WBAN), which suffers from energy inefficiency due to the high-energy consumption of wireless transmission. Human Body Communication (HBC) uses the relatively low loss human body as the communication medium to connect these devices, promising order(s) of magnitude better energy-efficiency and built-in security compared to WBAN. In this paper, we demonstrate a health monitoring device and system built using Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) sensors and components, that can collect data from physiological sensors and transmit it through a) intra-body HBC to another device (hub) worn on the body or b) upload health data through HBC-based human-machine interaction to an HBC capable machine. The system design constraints and signal transfer characteristics for the implemented HBC-based wearable health monitoring system are measured and analyzed, showing reliable connectivity with >8× power savings compared to Bluetooth low-energy (BTLE).

Propulsion health monitoring of a turbine engine disk using spin test data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdul-Aziz, Ali; Woike, Mark; Oza, Nikunj; Matthews, Bryan; Baakilini, George

2010-03-01

On line detection techniques to monitor the health of rotating engine components are becoming increasingly attractive options to aircraft engine companies in order to increase safety of operation and lower maintenance costs. Health monitoring remains a challenging feature to easily implement, especially, in the presence of scattered loading conditions, crack size, component geometry and materials properties. The current trend, however, is to utilize noninvasive types of health monitoring or nondestructive techniques to detect hidden flaws and mini cracks before any catastrophic event occurs. These techniques go further to evaluate materials' discontinuities and other anomalies that have grown to the level of critical defects which can lead to failure. Generally, health monitoring is highly dependent on sensor systems that are capable of performing in various engine environmental conditions and able to transmit a signal upon a predetermined crack length, while acting in a neutral form upon the overall performance of the engine system. Efforts are under way at NASA Glenn Research Center through support of the Intelligent Vehicle Health Management Project (IVHM) to develop and implement such sensor technology for a wide variety of applications. These efforts are focused on developing high temperature, wireless, low cost and durable products. Therefore, in an effort to address the technical issues concerning health monitoring of a rotor disk, this paper considers data collected from an experimental study using high frequency capacitive sensor technology to capture blade tip clearance and tip timing measurements in a rotating engine-like-disk-to predict the disk faults and assess its structural integrity. The experimental results collected at a range of rotational speeds from tests conducted at the NASA Glenn Research Center's Rotordynamics Laboratory will be evaluated using multiple data-driven anomaly detection techniques to identify anomalies in the disk. This study

Remote health monitoring system for detecting cardiac disorders.

PubMed

Bansal, Ayush; Kumar, Sunil; Bajpai, Anurag; Tiwari, Vijay N; Nayak, Mithun; Venkatesan, Shankar; Narayanan, Rangavittal

2015-12-01

Remote health monitoring system with clinical decision support system as a key component could potentially quicken the response of medical specialists to critical health emergencies experienced by their patients. A monitoring system, specifically designed for cardiac care with electrocardiogram (ECG) signal analysis as the core diagnostic technique, could play a vital role in early detection of a wide range of cardiac ailments, from a simple arrhythmia to life threatening conditions such as myocardial infarction. The system that the authors have developed consists of three major components, namely, (a) mobile gateway, deployed on patient's mobile device, that receives 12-lead ECG signals from any ECG sensor, (b) remote server component that hosts algorithms for accurate annotation and analysis of the ECG signal and (c) point of care device of the doctor to receive a diagnostic report from the server based on the analysis of ECG signals. In the present study, their focus has been toward developing a system capable of detecting critical cardiac events well in advance using an advanced remote monitoring system. A system of this kind is expected to have applications ranging from tracking wellness/fitness to detection of symptoms leading to fatal cardiac events.

Dynamic Structural Health Monitoring of Slender Structures Using Optical Sensors

PubMed Central

Antunes, Paulo; Travanca, Rui; Rodrigues, Hugo; Melo, José; Jara, José; Varum, Humberto; André, Paulo

2012-01-01

In this paper we summarize the research activities at the Instituto de Telecomunicações—Pólo de Aveiro and University of Aveiro, in the field of fiber Bragg grating based sensors and their applications in dynamic measurements for Structural Health Monitoring of slender structures such as towers. In this work we describe the implementation of an optical biaxial accelerometer based on fiber Bragg gratings inscribed on optical fibers. The proof-of-concept was done with the dynamic monitoring of a reinforced concrete structure and a slender metallic telecommunication tower. Those structures were found to be suitable to demonstrate the feasibility of FBG accelerometers to obtain the structures' natural frequencies, which are the key parameters in Structural Health Monitoring and in the calibration of numerical models used to simulate the structure behavior. PMID:22778661

Dynamic Structural Health Monitoring of slender structures using optical sensors.

PubMed

Antunes, Paulo; Travanca, Rui; Rodrigues, Hugo; Melo, José; Jara, José; Varum, Humberto; André, Paulo

2012-01-01

In this paper we summarize the research activities at the Instituto de Telecomunicações--Pólo de Aveiro and University of Aveiro, in the field of fiber Bragg grating based sensors and their applications in dynamic measurements for Structural Health Monitoring of slender structures such as towers. In this work we describe the implementation of an optical biaxial accelerometer based on fiber Bragg gratings inscribed on optical fibers. The proof-of-concept was done with the dynamic monitoring of a reinforced concrete structure and a slender metallic telecommunication tower. Those structures were found to be suitable to demonstrate the feasibility of FBG accelerometers to obtain the structures' natural frequencies, which are the key parameters in Structural Health Monitoring and in the calibration of numerical models used to simulate the structure behavior.

The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries' legislative activities and the Joint Medical Library Association/Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries Legislative Task Force

PubMed Central

Zenan, Joan S.

2003-01-01

The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries' (AAHSL's) involvement in national legislative activities and other advocacy initiatives has evolved and matured over the last twenty-five years. Some activities conducted by the Medical Library Association's (MLA's) Legislative Committee from 1976 to 1984 are highlighted to show the evolution of MLA's and AAHSL's interests in collaborating on national legislative issues, which resulted in an agreement to form a joint legislative task force. The history, work, challenges, and accomplishments of the Joint MLA/AAHSL Legislative Task Force, formed in 1985, are discussed. PMID:12883581

TPS In-Flight Health Monitoring Project Progress Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kostyk, Chris; Richards, Lance; Hudston, Larry; Prosser, William

2007-01-01

Progress in the development of new thermal protection systems (TPS) is reported. New approaches use embedded lightweight, sensitive, fiber optic strain and temperature sensors within the TPS. Goals of the program are to develop and demonstrate a prototype TPS health monitoring system, develop a thermal-based damage detection algorithm, characterize limits of sensor/system performance, and develop ea methodology transferable to new designs of TPS health monitoring systems. Tasks completed during the project helped establish confidence in understanding of both test setup and the model and validated system/sensor performance in a simple TPS structure. Other progress included complete initial system testing, commencement of the algorithm development effort, generation of a damaged thermal response characteristics database, initial development of a test plan for integration testing of proven FBG sensors in simple TPS structure, and development of partnerships to apply the technology.

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Health Monitoring and Materials Damage Prognosis for Metallic Aerospace Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

framework of orientation distribution functions and crack-induced texture o Quantify effects of temperature on damage behavior and damage monitoring...measurement model was obtained from hidden Markov modeling (HMM) of joint time-frequency (TF) features extracted from the PZT sensor signals using the...considered PZT sensor signals recorded from a bolted aluminum plate. About only 20% of the samples of a signal were first randomly selected as

Summary for Forest health monitoring: 2005 national technical report

Treesearch

Mark J. Ambrose

2007-01-01

Forest Health Monitoring (FHM), together with cooperating researchers both in and outside of the U.S. Department of AgricultureForest Service, continues to investigate the variety of issues relating to forest health. This report provides a review of the latest analyses and results. The broad range of indicators presented alone demonstrates how difficult it...

Design and Analysis of Architectures for Structural Health Monitoring Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mukkamala, Ravi; Sixto, S. L. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

During the two-year project period, we have worked on several aspects of Health Usage and Monitoring Systems for structural health monitoring. In particular, we have made contributions in the following areas. 1. Reference HUMS architecture: We developed a high-level architecture for health monitoring and usage systems (HUMS). The proposed reference architecture is shown. It is compatible with the Generic Open Architecture (GOA) proposed as a standard for avionics systems. 2. HUMS kernel: One of the critical layers of HUMS reference architecture is the HUMS kernel. We developed a detailed design of a kernel to implement the high level architecture.3. Prototype implementation of HUMS kernel: We have implemented a preliminary version of the HUMS kernel on a Unix platform.We have implemented both a centralized system version and a distributed version. 4. SCRAMNet and HUMS: SCRAMNet (Shared Common Random Access Memory Network) is a system that is found to be suitable to implement HUMS. For this reason, we have conducted a simulation study to determine its stability in handling the input data rates in HUMS. 5. Architectural specification.

Nurses views on accepting the creation of a nurses’ health monitoring system

PubMed Central

Rasoulzadeh, Nasrin; Abbaszadeh, Abbas; Zaefarian, Reza; Khounraz, Fariba

2017-01-01

Background Nurses’ health is often accompanied by various dangers due to the nature of their career. Therefore, it is required to monitor their health. Based on designing any system, users’ views should be investigated relative to the usefulness, necessity and acceptance of the system. Then, a designing and implementing process is conducted. Objective To investigate nurses’ views on accepting the creation of a Nurses’ Health Monitoring System. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015. Sample size was 586 nurses of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Sampling was conducted using multi-stage random sampling method. Research tool was a two-section researcher-made questionnaire. In the first section, demographic data were studied and in the second section, a twelve-item questionnaire was presented based on technology acceptance model. Five-item questions were regulated on perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU) and views towards creating this system. Validity of the questionnaire was approved by content validity and content validity index and its reliability was approved by Cronbach’s alpha. Data were analyzed using SPSS16 and descriptive statistics (frequency distribution, percentage, mean). Results The majority of participants (75.3%) were females between 25–35 years of age (44.4%) and (58.2%) were married. Mean work experience was 11.5±8.19. Mean perceived usefulness (PU) (17.36±2.66) and perceived ease of use (PEU) (16.75±2.65) and views towards using a Nurses’ Health Monitoring System was (16.220±3.05). Conclusion Over two-thirds of nurses demonstrated perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use as well as positive views towards creating a nurses’ health monitoring system. It is recommended to design and implement a nurses’ health monitoring system based on local culture of Iranian nurses using IT in the health sector. PMID:28713521

Flexible, Stretchable Sensors for Wearable Health Monitoring: Sensing Mechanisms, Materials, Fabrication Strategies and Features

PubMed Central

Liu, Yan; Wang, Hai; Zhao, Wei; Qin, Hongbo; Xie, Yongqiang

2018-01-01

Wearable health monitoring systems have gained considerable interest in recent years owing to their tremendous promise for personal portable health watching and remote medical practices. The sensors with excellent flexibility and stretchability are crucial components that can provide health monitoring systems with the capability of continuously tracking physiological signals of human body without conspicuous uncomfortableness and invasiveness. The signals acquired by these sensors, such as body motion, heart rate, breath, skin temperature and metabolism parameter, are closely associated with personal health conditions. This review attempts to summarize the recent progress in flexible and stretchable sensors, concerning the detected health indicators, sensing mechanisms, functional materials, fabrication strategies, basic and desired features. The potential challenges and future perspectives of wearable health monitoring system are also briefly discussed. PMID:29470408

Flexible, Stretchable Sensors for Wearable Health Monitoring: Sensing Mechanisms, Materials, Fabrication Strategies and Features.

PubMed

Liu, Yan; Wang, Hai; Zhao, Wei; Zhang, Min; Qin, Hongbo; Xie, Yongqiang

2018-02-22

Wearable health monitoring systems have gained considerable interest in recent years owing to their tremendous promise for personal portable health watching and remote medical practices. The sensors with excellent flexibility and stretchability are crucial components that can provide health monitoring systems with the capability of continuously tracking physiological signals of human body without conspicuous uncomfortableness and invasiveness. The signals acquired by these sensors, such as body motion, heart rate, breath, skin temperature and metabolism parameter, are closely associated with personal health conditions. This review attempts to summarize the recent progress in flexible and stretchable sensors, concerning the detected health indicators, sensing mechanisms, functional materials, fabrication strategies, basic and desired features. The potential challenges and future perspectives of wearable health monitoring system are also briefly discussed.

Incorporating engine health monitoring capability into the SSME Block II controller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, James W.; Copa, Roderick J.

An account is given of the architecture of the SSME's Block II controller's architecture, its incorporation of smart input electronics (SIE), and the potential benefits of this technology in SSME health-monitoring capabilities. SIE allows the Block II controller to conduct its control functions while simultaneously furnishing the computational capabilities and sensor input interface for any newly defined health-monitoring functions. It is expected that the SIE technology may be directly transferred to any follow-on engine design.

Mobile health-monitoring system through visible light communication.

PubMed

Tan, Yee-Yong; Chung, Wan-Young

2014-01-01

Promising development in the light emitting diode (LED) technology has spurred the interest to adapt LED for both illumination and data transmission. This has fostered the growth of interest in visible light communication (VLC), with on-going research to utilize VLC in various applications. This paper presents a mobile-health monitoring system, where healthcare information such as biomedical signals and patient information are transmitted via the LED lighting. A small and portable receiver module is designed and developed to be attached to the mobile device, providing a seamless monitoring environment. Three different healthcare information including ECG, PPG signals and HL7 text information is transmitted simultaneously, using a single channel VLC. This allows for a more precise and accurate monitoring and diagnosis. The data packet size is carefully designed, to transmit information in a minimal packet error rate. A comprehensive monitoring application is designed and developed through the use of a tablet computer in our study. Monitoring and evaluation such as heart rate and arterial blood pressure measurement can be performed concurrently. Real-time monitoring is demonstrated through experiment, where non-hazardous transmission method can be implemented alongside a portable device for better and safer healthcare service.

The impact of severe haemophilia and the presence of target joints on health-related quality-of-life.

PubMed

O'Hara, Jamie; Walsh, Shaun; Camp, Charlotte; Mazza, Giuseppe; Carroll, Liz; Hoxer, Christina; Wilkinson, Lars

2018-05-02

Joint damage remains a major complication associated with haemophilia and is widely accepted as one of the most debilitating symptoms for persons with severe haemophilia. The aim of this study is to describe how complications of haemophilia such as target joints influence health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Data on hemophilia patients without inhibitors were drawn from the 'Cost of Haemophilia across Europe - a Socioeconomic Survey' (CHESS) study, a cost-of-illness assessment in severe haemophilia A and B across five European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK). Physicians provided clinical and sociodemographic information for 1285 adult patients, 551 of whom completed corresponding questionnaires, including EQ-5D. A generalised linear model was developed to investigate the relationship between EQ-5D index score and target joint status (defined in the CHESS study as areas of chronic synovitis), adjusted for patient covariates including socio-demographic characteristics and comorbidities. Five hundred and fifteen patients (42% of the sample) provided an EQ-5D response; a total of 692 target joints were recorded across the sample. Mean EQ-5D index score for patients with no target joints was 0.875 (standard deviation [SD] 0.179); for patients with one or more target joints, mean index score was 0.731 (SD 0.285). Compared to having no target joints, having one or more target joints was associated with lower index scores (average marginal effect (AME) -0.120; SD 0.0262; p < 0.000). This study found that the presence of chronic synovitis has a significant negative impact on HRQOL for adults with severe haemophilia. Prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of target joints should be an important consideration for clinicians and patients when managing haemophilia.

Design and analysis for detection monitoring of forest health

Treesearch

F. A. Roesch

1995-01-01

An analysis procedure is proposed for the sample design of the Forest Health Monitoring Program (FHM) in the United States. The procedure is intended to provide increased sensitivity to localized but potentially important changes in forest health by explicitly accounting for the spatial relationships between plots in the FHM design. After a series of median sweeps...

Summary of Forest health monitoring: 2006 national technical report

Treesearch

Mark J. Ambrose

2009-01-01

Forest Health Monitoring (FHM), together with cooperating researchers both in and outside of the Forest Service, continues to investigate a variety of issues relating to forest health. This report provides some of the latest analyses and results. The broad range of indicators presented demonstrates one reason it can be difficult to draw general conclusions about the...

Health Care Utilization and Expenditures Associated With Remote Monitoring in Patients With Implantable Cardiac Devices.

PubMed

Ladapo, Joseph A; Turakhia, Mintu P; Ryan, Michael P; Mollenkopf, Sarah A; Reynolds, Matthew R

2016-05-01

Several randomized trials and decision analysis models have found that remote monitoring may reduce health care utilization and expenditures in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), compared with in-office monitoring. However, little is known about the generalizability of these findings to unselected populations in clinical practice. To compare health care utilization and expenditures associated with remote monitoring and in-office monitoring in patients with CIEDs, we used Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Claims and Medicare Supplemental Databases. We selected patients newly implanted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D), or permanent pacemaker (PPM), in 2009, who had continuous health plan enrollment 2 years after implantation. Generalized linear models and propensity score matching were used to adjust for confounders and estimate differences in health care utilization and expenditures in patients with remote or in-office monitoring. We identified 1,127; 427; and 1,295 pairs of patients with a similar propensity for receiving an ICD, CRT-D, or PPM, respectively. Remotely monitored patients with ICDs experienced fewer emergency department visits resulting in discharge (p = 0.050). Remote monitoring was associated with lower health care expenditures in office visits among patients with PPMs (p = 0.025) and CRT-Ds (p = 0.006) and lower total inpatient and outpatient expenditures in patients with ICDs (p <0.0001). In conclusion, remote monitoring of patients with CIEDs may be associated with reductions in health care utilization and expenditures compared with exclusive in-office care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How to exploit twitter for public health monitoring?

PubMed

Denecke, K; Krieck, M; Otrusina, L; Smrz, P; Dolog, P; Nejdl, W; Velasco, E

2013-01-01

Detecting hints to public health threats as early as possible is crucial to prevent harm from the population. However, many disease surveillance strategies rely upon data whose collection requires explicit reporting (data transmitted from hospitals, laboratories or physicians). Collecting reports takes time so that the reaction time grows. Moreover, context information on individual cases is often lost in the collection process. This paper describes a system that tries to address these limitations by processing social media for identifying information on public health threats. The primary objective is to study the usefulness of the approach for supporting the monitoring of a population's health status. The developed system works in three main steps: Data from Twitter, blogs, and forums as well as from TV and radio channels are continuously collected and filtered by means of keyword lists. Sentences of relevant texts are classified relevant or irrelevant using a binary classifier based on support vector machines. By means of statistical methods known from biosurveillance, the relevant sentences are further analyzed and signals are generated automatically when unexpected behavior is detected. From the generated signals a subset is selected for presentation to a user by matching with user queries or profiles. In a set of evaluation experiments, public health experts assessed the generated signals with respect to correctness and relevancy. In particular, it was assessed how many relevant and irrelevant signals are generated during a specific time period. The experiments show that the system provides information on health events identified in social media. Signals are mainly generated from Twitter messages posted by news agencies. Personal tweets, i.e. tweets from persons observing some symptoms, only play a minor role for signal generation given a limited volume of relevant messages. Relevant signals referring to real world outbreaks were generated by the system and

Connecticut permanent long-term bridge monitoring network, volume 7 : lessons learned for specifications to guide design of structural health monitoring systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-08-01

This report proposes a set of specifications for bridge structural health monitoring that has resulted from the : experiences gained during the installation and monitoring of six permanent long-term bridge monitoring systems in : Connecticut. As expe...

Nuclear propulsion control and health monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walter, P. B.; Edwards, R. M.

1993-01-01

An integrated control and health monitoring architecture is being developed for the Pratt & Whitney XNR2000 nuclear rocket. Current work includes further development of the dynamic simulation modeling and the identification and configuration of low level controllers to give desirable performance for the various operating modes and faulted conditions. Artificial intelligence and knowledge processing technologies need to be investigated and applied in the development of an intelligent supervisory controller module for this control architecture.

Nuclear propulsion control and health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, P. B.; Edwards, R. M.

1993-11-01

An integrated control and health monitoring architecture is being developed for the Pratt & Whitney XNR2000 nuclear rocket. Current work includes further development of the dynamic simulation modeling and the identification and configuration of low level controllers to give desirable performance for the various operating modes and faulted conditions. Artificial intelligence and knowledge processing technologies need to be investigated and applied in the development of an intelligent supervisory controller module for this control architecture.

Self-learning health monitoring algorithm in composite structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grassia, Luigi; Iannone, Michele; Califano, America; D'Amore, Alberto

2018-02-01

The paper describes a system that it is able of monitoring the health state of a composite structure in real time. The hardware of the system consists of a wire of strain sensors connected to a control unit. The software of the system elaborates the strain data and in real time is able to detect the presence of an eventual damage of the structures monitored with the strain sensors. The algorithm requires as input only the strains of the monitored structured measured on real time, i.e. those strains coming from the deformations of the composite structure due to the working loads. The health monitoring system does not require any additional device to interrogate the structure as often used in the literature, instead it is based on a self-learning procedure. The strain data acquired when the structure is healthy are used to set up the correlations between the strain in different positions of structure by means of neural network. Once the correlations between the strains in different position have been set up, these correlations act as a fingerprint of the healthy structure. In case of damage the correlation between the strains in the position of the structure near the damage will change due to the change of the stiffness of the structure caused by the damage. The developed software is able to recognize the change of the transfer function between the strains and consequently is able to detect the damage.

Monitoring Indoor Air Quality for Enhanced Occupational Health.

PubMed

Pitarma, Rui; Marques, Gonçalo; Ferreira, Bárbara Roque

2017-02-01

Indoor environments are characterized by several pollutant sources. Because people spend more than 90% of their time in indoor environments, several studies have pointed out the impact of indoor air quality on the etiopathogenesis of a wide number of non-specific symptoms which characterizes the "Sick Building Syndrome", involving the skin, the upper and lower respiratory tract, the eyes and the nervous system, as well as many building related diseases. Thus, indoor air quality (IAQ) is recognized as an important factor to be controlled for the occupants' health and comfort. The majority of the monitoring systems presently available is very expensive and only allow to collect random samples. This work describes the system (iAQ), a low-cost indoor air quality monitoring wireless sensor network system, developed using Arduino, XBee modules and micro sensors, for storage and availability of monitoring data on a web portal in real time. Five micro sensors of environmental parameters (air temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and luminosity) were used. Other sensors can be added for monitoring specific pollutants. The results reveal that the system can provide an effective indoor air quality assessment to prevent exposure risk. In fact, the indoor air quality may be extremely different compared to what is expected for a quality living environment. Systems like this would have benefit as public health interventions to reduce the burden of symptoms and diseases related to "sick buildings".

Integrating social determinants of health in the universal health coverage monitoring framework.

PubMed

Vega, Jeanette; Frenz, Patricia

2013-12-01

Underpinning the global commitment to universal health coverage (UHC) is the fundamental role of health for well-being and sustainable development. UHC is proposed as an umbrella health goal in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda because it implies universal and equitable effective delivery of comprehensive health services by a strong health system, aligned with multiple sectors around the shared goal of better health. In this paper, we argue that social determinants of health (SDH) are central to both the equitable pursuit of healthy lives and the provision of health services for all and, therefore, should be expressly incorporated into the framework for monitoring UHC. This can be done by: (a) disaggregating UHC indicators by different measures of socioeconomic position to reflect the social gradient and the complexity of social stratification; and (b) connecting health indicators, both outcomes and coverage, with SDH and policies within and outside of the health sector. Not locating UHC in the context of action on SDH increases the risk of going down a narrow route that limits the right to health to coverage of services and financial protection.

Continuous Monitoring of Glucose for Type 1 Diabetes: A Health Technology Assessment

PubMed Central

Vandersluis, Stacey; Kabali, Conrad; Djalalov, Sandjar; Gajic-Veljanoski, Olga; Wells, David; Holubowich, Corinne

2018-01-01

Background Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. People with type 1 diabetes must manage their blood glucose levels by monitoring the amount of glucose in their blood and administering appropriate amounts of insulin via injection or an insulin pump. Continuous glucose monitoring may be beneficial compared to self-monitoring of blood glucose using a blood glucose meter. It provides insight into a person's blood glucose levels on a continuous basis, and can identify whether blood glucose levels are trending up or down. Methods We conducted a health technology assessment, which included an evaluation of clinical benefit, value for money, and patient preferences related to continuous glucose monitoring. We compared continuous glucose monitoring with self-monitoring of blood glucose using a finger-prick and a blood glucose meter. We performed a systematic literature search for studies published since January 1, 2010. We created a Markov model projecting the lifetime horizon of adults with type 1 diabetes, and performed a budget impact analysis from the perspective of the health care payer. We also conducted interviews and focus group discussions with people who self-manage their type 1 diabetes or support the management of a child with type 1 diabetes. Results Twenty studies were included in the clinical evidence review. Compared with self-monitoring of blood glucose, continuous glucose monitoring improved the percentage of time patients spent in the target glycemic range by 9.6% (95% confidence interval 8.0–11.2) to 10.0% (95% confidence interval 6.75–13.25) and decreased the number of severe hypoglycemic events. Continuous glucose monitoring was associated with higher costs and small increases in health benefits (quality-adjusted life-years). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) ranged from $592,206 to $1,108,812 per quality-adjusted life-year gained in analyses comparing four continuous glucose monitoring

National Forest Health Monitoring Program Maryland and Massachusetts Street Tree Monitoring Pilot Projects

Treesearch

Buckelew Cumming Anne; Daniel Twardus; William Smith

2006-01-01

Urban forests have many components: park trees, small woodlands, riparian buffers, street trees, and others. While some communities conduct city-wide inventories of street tree populations, there has been no comprehensive, statewide sampling to characterize the structure, health, and function of street tree populations. A statewide Street Tree Monitoring pilot study...

Sitewide monitoring at Agra, Kansas, June 2009.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division

In 1985, carbon tetrachloride was discovered in the groundwater at Agra, Kansas, during routine sampling of public water supply wells. Two of Agra's four public water supply wells contained low but detectable levels of carbon tetrachloride; the concentrations in wells PWS-3 and PWS-4 exceeded the maximum contaminant level. These wells were removed from service in 1986, although they remain available for uses other than drinking water. Other public wells, outside the area of contamination, supply drinking water for the city of Agra. In 1987-2005, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S.more » Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) conducted investigations to delineate the contaminant plume and to identify source areas for the contamination - which results from the past use of grain fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride. Source areas were identified on the former CCC/USDA grain storage facility property and on the Producers Agricultural Marketing Association, Inc., property located to the south (Argonne 2006). The contaminant plume extends to the southeast, toward well PWS-3, from the identified source areas. Both the CCC/USDA and Pro-Ag Marketing are currently implementing KDHE-approved interim measures (IMs). To address the contamination identified on its former property, the CCC/USDA is implementing a source control IM consisting of large-diameter boreholes (LDBs) coupled with soil vapor extraction (SVE) and air sparging (AS). Pro-Ag Marketing plans to use groundwater extraction to address the downgradient plume. The CCC/USDA and Pro-Ag completed installation of the two interim measures in May 2009 and August 2009, respectively. The performance and assessments of the effectiveness of the IMs are being reported separately by the responsible entities. As part of the IM process, the KDHE (2008) requested the development of a joint sitewide groundwater monitoring plan to allow periodic assessment of

Optical metabolic imaging for monitoring tracheal health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharick, Joe T.; Gil, Daniel A.; Choma, Michael A.; Skala, Melissa C.

2016-04-01

The health of the tracheal mucosa and submucosa is a vital yet poorly understood component of critical care medicine, and a minimally-invasive method is needed to monitor tracheal health in patients. Of particular interest are the ciliated cells of the tracheal epithelium that move mucus away from the lungs and prevent respiratory infection. Optical metabolic imaging (OMI) allows cellular-level measurement of metabolism, and is a compelling method for assessing tracheal health because ciliary motor proteins require ATP to function. In this pilot study, we apply multiphoton imaging of the fluorescence intensities and lifetimes of metabolic co-enzymes NAD(P)H and FAD to the mucosa and submucosa of ex vivo mouse trachea. We demonstrate the feasibility and potential diagnostic utility of these measurements for assessing tracheal health and pathophysiology at the single-cell level.

Overview of the forest health monitoring program

Treesearch

2000-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the Forest Health Monitoring Program (FHM), a partnership among the USDA Forest Service, State Foresters, universities, and the USDI Bureau of Land Management. The purpose of FHM is to annually assess the condition of the nation's forested ecosystems in a standardized way. There are four components of the program - Detection...

Overview of the Forest Health Monitoring Program

Treesearch

2000-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the Forest Health Monitoring Program (FHM), a partnership among the USDA Forest Service, State Foresters, universities, and the USDI Bureau of Land Management. The purpose of FHM is to annually assess the condition of the Nation's forested ecosystems in a standardized way. There are four components of the program-Detection...

An Overview of the NASA Aviation Safety Program Propulsion Health Monitoring Element

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Donald L.

2000-01-01

The NASA Aviation Safety Program (AvSP) has been initiated with aggressive goals to reduce the civil aviation accident rate, To meet these goals, several technology investment areas have been identified including a sub-element in propulsion health monitoring (PHM). Specific AvSP PHM objectives are to develop and validate propulsion system health monitoring technologies designed to prevent engine malfunctions from occurring in flight, and to mitigate detrimental effects in the event an in-flight malfunction does occur. A review of available propulsion system safety information was conducted to help prioritize PHM areas to focus on under the AvSP. It is noted that when a propulsion malfunction is involved in an aviation accident or incident, it is often a contributing factor rather than the sole cause for the event. Challenging aspects of the development and implementation of PHM technology such as cost, weight, robustness, and reliability are discussed. Specific technology plans are overviewed including vibration diagnostics, model-based controls and diagnostics, advanced instrumentation, and general aviation propulsion system health monitoring technology. Propulsion system health monitoring, in addition to engine design, inspection, maintenance, and pilot training and awareness, is intrinsic to enhancing aviation propulsion system safety.

An open and reconfigurable wireless sensor network for pervasive health monitoring.

PubMed

Triantafyllidis, A; Koutkias, V; Chouvarda, I; Maglaveras, N

2008-01-01

Sensor networks constitute the backbone for the construction of personalized monitoring systems. Up to now, several sensor networks have been proposed for diverse pervasive healthcare applications, which are however characterized by a significant lack of open architectures, resulting in closed, non-interoperable and difficult to extend solutions. In this context, we propose an open and reconfigurable wireless sensor network (WSN) for pervasive health monitoring, with particular emphasis in its easy extension with additional sensors and functionality by incorporating embedded intelligence mechanisms. We consider a generic WSN architecture comprised of diverse sensor nodes (with communication and processing capabilities) and a mobile base unit (MBU) operating as the gateway between the sensors and the medical personnel, formulating this way a body area network (BAN). The primary focus of this work is on the intra-BAN data communication issues, adopting SensorML as the data representation mean, including the encoding of the monitoring patterns and the functionality of the sensor network. In our prototype implementation two sensor nodes are emulated; one for heart rate monitoring and the other for blood glucose observations, while the MBU corresponds to a personal digital assistant (PDA) device. Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) is used to implement both the sensor nodes and the MBU components. Intra-BAN wireless communication relies on the Blue-tooth protocol. Via an adaptive user interface in the MBU, health professionals may specify the monitoring parameters of the WSN and define the monitoring patterns of interest in terms of rules. This work constitutes an essential step towards the construction of open, extensible, inter-operable and intelligent WSNs for pervasive health monitoring.

Mobile health platform for pressure ulcer monitoring with electronic health record integration.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Joel J P C; Pedro, Luís M C C; Vardasca, Tomé; de la Torre-Díez, Isabel; Martins, Henrique M G

2013-12-01

Pressure ulcers frequently occur in patients with limited mobility, for example, people with advanced age and patients wearing casts or prostheses. Mobile information communication technologies can help implement ulcer care protocols and the monitoring of patients with high risk, thus preventing or improving these conditions. This article presents a mobile pressure ulcer monitoring platform (mULCER), which helps control a patient's ulcer status during all stages of treatment. Beside its stand-alone version, it can be integrated with electronic health record systems as mULCER synchronizes ulcer data with any electronic health record system using HL7 standards. It serves as a tool to integrate nursing care among hospital departments and institutions. mULCER was experimented with in different mobile devices such as LG Optimus One P500, Samsung Galaxy Tab, HTC Magic, Samsung Galaxy S, and Samsung Galaxy i5700, taking into account the user's experience of different screen sizes and processing characteristics.

Fiber Optic Sensors for Health Monitoring of Morphing Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Timothy; Wood, Karen; Childers, Brooks; Cano, Roberto; Jensen, Brian; Rogowski, Robert

2001-01-01

Fiber optic sensors are being developed for health monitoring of future aircraft. Aircraft health monitoring involves the use of strain, temperature, vibration and chemical sensors. These sensors will measure load and vibration signatures that will be used to infer structural integrity. Sine the aircraft morphing program assumes that future aircraft will be aerodynamically reconfigurable there is also a requirement for pressure, flow and shape sensors. In some cases a single fiber may be used for measuring several different parameters. The objective of the current program is to develop techniques for using optical fibers to monitor composite cure in real time during manufacture and to monitor in-service structural integrity of the composite structure. Graphite-epoxy panels were fabricated with integrated optical fibers of various types. The panels were mechanically and thermally tested to evaluate composite strength and sensor durability. Finally the performance of the fiber optic sensors was determined. Experimental results are presented evaluating the performance of embedded and surface mounted optical fibers for measuring strain, temperature and chemical composition. The performance of the fiber optic sensors was determined by direct comparison with results from more conventional instrumentation. The facilities for fabricating optical fiber and associated sensors and methods of demodulating Bragg gratings for strain measurement will be described.

Monitoring health interventions – who's afraid of LQAS?

PubMed Central

Pezzoli, Lorenzo; Kim, Sung Hye

2013-01-01

Lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) is used to evaluate health services. Subunits of a population (lots) are accepted or rejected according to the number of failures in a random sample (N) of a given lot. If failures are greater than decision value (d), we reject the lot and recommend corrective actions in the lot (i.e. intervention area); if they are equal to or less than d, we accept it. We used LQAS to monitor coverage during the last 3 days of a meningitis vaccination campaign in Niger. We selected one health area (lot) per day reporting the lowest administrative coverage in the previous 2 days. In the sampling plan we considered: N to be small enough to allow us to evaluate one lot per day, deciding to sample 16 individuals from the selected villages of each health area, using probability proportionate to population size; thresholds and d to vary according to administrative coverage reported; α ≤5% (meaning that, if we would have conducted the survey 100 times, we would have accepted the lot up to five times when real coverage was at an unacceptable level) and β ≤20% (meaning that we would have rejected the lot up to 20 times, when real coverage was equal or above the satisfactory level). We classified all three lots as with the acceptable coverage. LQAS appeared to be a rapid, simple, and statistically sound method for in-process coverage assessment. We encourage colleagues in the field to consider using LQAS in complement with other monitoring techniques such as house-to-house monitoring. PMID:24206650

Monitoring the health of sugar maple, Acer saccharum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlson, Martha

The sugar maple, Acer saccharum, is projected to decline and die in 88 to 100 percent of its current range in the United States. An iconic symbol of the northeastern temperate forest and a dominant species in this forest, the sugar maple is identified as the most sensitive tree in its ecosystem to rising temperatures and a warming climate. This study measures the health of sugar maples on 12 privately owned forests and at three schools in New Hampshire. Laboratory quantitative analyses of leaves, buds and sap as well as qualitative measures of leaf and bud indicate that record high beat in 2012 stressed the sugar maple. The study identifies several laboratory and qualitative tests of health which seem most sensitive and capable of identifying stress early when intervention in forest management or public policy change might counter decline of the species. The study presents evidence of an unusual atmospheric pollution event which defoliated sugar maples in 2010. The study examines the work of citizen scientists in Forest Watch, a K-12 school program in which students monitor the impacts of ozone on white pine, Pinus strobus, another keystone species in New Hampshire's forest. Finally, the study examines three simple measurements of bud, leaf and the tree's acclimation to light. The findings of these tests illuminate findings in the first study. And they present examples of what citizen scientists might contribute to long-term monitoring of maples. A partnership between science and citizens is proposed to begin long-term monitoring and to report on the health of sugar maples.

The use of animals as a surveillance tool for monitoring environmental health hazards, human health hazards and bioterrorism.

PubMed

Neo, Jacqueline Pei Shan; Tan, Boon Huan

2017-05-01

This review discusses the utilization of wild or domestic animals as surveillance tools for monitoring naturally occurring environmental and human health hazards. Besides providing early warning to natural hazards, animals can also provide early warning to societal hazards like bioterrorism. Animals are ideal surveillance tools to humans because they share the same environment as humans and spend more time outdoors than humans, increasing their exposure risk. Furthermore, the biologically compressed lifespans of some animals may allow them to develop clinical signs more rapidly after exposure to specific pathogens. Animals are an excellent channel for monitoring novel and known pathogens with outbreak potential given that more than 60 % of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate as zoonoses. This review attempts to highlight animal illnesses, deaths, biomarkers or sentinel events, to remind human and veterinary public health programs that animal health can be used to discover, monitor or predict environmental health hazards, human health hazards, or bioterrorism. Lastly, we hope that this review will encourage the implementation of animals as a surveillance tool by clinicians, veterinarians, ecosystem health professionals, researchers and governments. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

History and results of the Northern Forest Health Monitoring Program

Treesearch

Charles J. Barnett

2000-01-01

Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program was established because of a concern that the forests in the United States were declining. The program was established to monitor the state of and changes in forest conditions across the nation. This report looks at the distributions of trees into various rating categories for three variables collected on the FHM plots from 1991...

A Low Cost Sensor Controller for Health Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birbas, M.; Petrellis, N.; Gioulekas, F.

2015-09-01

Aging population can benefit from health care systems that allow their health and daily life to be monitored by expert medical staff. Blood pressure, temperature measurements or more advanced tests like Electrocardiograms (ECG) can be ordered through such a healthcare system while urgent situations can be detected and alleviated on time. The results of these tests can be stored with security in a remote cloud or database. Such systems are often used to monitor non-life threatening patient health problems and their advantage in lowering the cost of the healthcare services is obvious. A low cost commercial medical sensor kit has been used in the present work, trying to improve the accuracy and stability of the sensor measurements, the power consumption, etc. This Sensor Controller communicates with a Gateway installed in the patient's residence and a tablet or smart phone used for giving instructions to the patient through a comprehensive user interface. A flexible communication protocol has been defined supporting any short or long term sensor sampling scenario. The experimental results show that it is possible to achieve low power consumption by applying apropriate sleep intervals to the Sensor Controller and by deactivating periodically some of its functionality.

Cointegration as a data normalization tool for structural health monitoring applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, Dustin Y.; Todd, Michael D.

2012-04-01

The structural health monitoring literature has shown an abundance of features sensitive to various types of damage in laboratory tests. However, robust feature extraction in the presence of varying operational and environmental conditions has proven to be one of the largest obstacles in the development of practical structural health monitoring systems. Cointegration, a technique adapted from the field of econometrics, has recently been introduced to the SHM field as one solution to the data normalization problem. Response measurements and feature histories often show long-run nonstationarity due to fluctuating temperature, load conditions, or other factors that leads to the occurrence of false positives. Cointegration theory allows nonstationary trends common to two or more time series to be modeled and subsequently removed. Thus, the residual retains sensitivity to damage with dependence on operational and environmental variability removed. This study further explores the use of cointegration as a data normalization tool for structural health monitoring applications.

Integrity mechanism for eHealth tele-monitoring system in smart home environment.

PubMed

Mantas, Georgios; Lymberopoulos, Dimitrios; Komninos, Nikos

2009-01-01

During the past few years, a lot of effort has been invested in research and development of eHealth tele-monitoring systems that will provide many benefits for healthcare delivery from the healthcare provider to the patient's home. However, there is a plethora of security requirements in eHealth tele-monitoring systems. Data integrity of the transferred medical data is one of the most important security requirements that should be satisfied in these systems, since medical information is extremely sensitive information, and even sometimes life threatening information. In this paper, we present a data integrity mechanism for eHealth tele-monitoring system that operates in a smart home environment. Agent technology is applied to achieve data integrity with the use of cryptographic smart cards. Furthermore, the overall security infrastructure and its various components are described.

Health Monitoring of a Planetary Rover Using Hybrid Particle Petri Nets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaudel, Quentin; Ribot, Pauline; Chanthery, Elodie; Daigle, Matthew J.

2016-01-01

This paper focuses on the application of a Petri Net-based diagnosis method on a planetary rover prototype.The diagnosis is performed by using a model-based method in the context of health management of hybrid systems.In system health management, the diagnosis task aims at determining the current health state of a system and the fault occurrences that lead to this state. The Hybrid Particle Petri Nets (HPPN) formalism is used to model hybrid systems behavior and degradation, and to define the generation of diagnosers to monitor the health states of such systems under uncertainty. At any time, the HPPN-based diagnoser provides the current diagnosis represented by a distribution of beliefs over the health states. The health monitoring methodology is demonstrated on the K11 rover. A hybrid model of the K11 is proposed and experimental results show that the approach is robust to real system data and constraints.

Issues in implementing a knowledge-based ECG analyzer for personal mobile health monitoring.

PubMed

Goh, K W; Kim, E; Lavanya, J; Kim, Y; Soh, C B

2006-01-01

Advances in sensor technology, personal mobile devices, and wireless broadband communications are enabling the development of an integrated personal mobile health monitoring system that can provide patients with a useful tool to assess their own health and manage their personal health information anytime and anywhere. Personal mobile devices, such as PDAs and mobile phones, are becoming more powerful integrated information management tools and play a major role in many people's lives. We focus on designing a health-monitoring system for people who suffer from cardiac arrhythmias. We have developed computer simulation models to evaluate the performance of appropriate electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis techniques that can be implemented on personal mobile devices. This paper describes an ECG analyzer to perform ECG beat and episode detection and classification. We have obtained promising preliminary results from our study. Also, we discuss several key considerations when implementing a mobile health monitoring solution. The mobile ECG analyzer would become a front-end patient health data acquisition module, which is connected to the Personal Health Information Management System (PHIMS) for data repository.

Data for development in health: a case study and monitoring framework from Kazakhstan

PubMed Central

Obermann, Konrad; Chanturidze, Tata; Richardson, Erica; Tanirbergenov, Serik; Shoranov, Marat; Nurgozhaev, Ali

2016-01-01

Healthcare reforms are often not coupled with a relevant and appropriate monitoring framework, leaving policymakers and the public without evidence about the implications of such reforms. Kazakhstan has embarked on a large-scale reform of its healthcare system in order to achieve Universal Health Coverage. The health-related 2020 Strategic Development Goals reflect this political ambition. In a case-study approach and on the basis of published and unpublished evidence as well as personal involvement and experience (A) the indicators in the 2020 Strategic Development Goals were assessed and (B) a ‘data-mapping’ exercise was conducted, where the WHO health system framework was used to describe the data available at present in Kazakhstan and comment on the different indicators regarding their usefulness for monitoring the current health-related 2020 Strategic Development Goals in Kazakhstan. It was concluded that the country’s current monitoring framework needs further development to track the progress and outcomes of policy implementation. The application of a modified WHO/World Bank/Global Fund health system monitoring framework was suggested to examine the implications of recent health sector reforms. Lessons drawn from the Kazakhstan experience on tailoring the suggested framework, collecting the data, and using the generated intelligence in policy development and decision-making can serve as a useful example for other middle-income countries, potentially enabling them to fast-track developments in the health sector. PMID:28588905

Providing Health Sciences Services in a Joint-Use Distributed Learning Library System: An Organizational Case Study.

PubMed

Enslow, Electra; Fricke, Suzanne; Vela, Kathryn

2017-01-01

The purpose of this organizational case study is to describe the complexities librarians face when serving a multi-campus institution that supports both a joint-use library and expanding health sciences academic partnerships. In a system without a centralized health science library administration, liaison librarians are identifying dispersed programs and user groups and collaborating to define their unique service and outreach needs within a larger land-grant university. Using a team-based approach, health sciences librarians are communicating to integrate research and teaching support, systems differences across dispersed campuses, and future needs of a new community-based medical program.

Tunable Laser Development for In-Flight Fiber Optic Based Structural Health Monitoring Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richards, Lance; Parker, Allen; Chan, Patrick

2013-01-01

Briefing based on tunable laser development for in flight fiber optic based structural health monitoring systems. The objective of this task is to investigate, develop, and demonstrate a low-cost swept lasing light source for NASA DFRC's fiber optics sensing system (FOSS) to perform structural health monitoring on current and future aerospace vehicles.

Army requirements for micro and nanotechnology-based sensors in weapons health and battlefield environmental monitoring applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruffin, Paul; Brantley, Christina; Edwards, Eugene; Hutcheson, Guilford

2006-03-01

The Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) and the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) have initiated a joint advanced technology demonstration program entitled "Prognostics/Diagnostics for the Future Force (PDFF)" with a key objective of developing low or no power embedded sensor suites for harsh environmental monitoring. The most critical challenge of the program is to specify requirements for the embedded sensor suites which will perform on-board diagnostics, maintain a history of sensor data, and forecast weapon health. The authors are currently collaborating with the PDFF program managers and potential customers to quantify the requirements for remotely operated, micro/nano-technology-based sensors for a host of candidate weapon systems. After requirements are finalized, current micro/nanotechnology-based temperature, humidity, g-shock, vibration and chemical sensors for monitoring the out-gassing of weapons propellant, as well as hazardous gaseous species on the battlefield and in urban environments will be improved to meet the full requirements of the PDFF program. In this paper, performance requirements such as power consumption, reliability, maintainability, survivability, size, and cost, along with the associated technical challenges for micro/nanotechnology-based sensor systems operating in military environments, are discussed. In addition, laboratory results from the design and testing of a wireless sensor array, which was developed using a thin film of functionalized carbon nanotube materials, are presented. Conclusions from the research indicate that the detection of bio-hazardous materials is possible using passive and active wireless sensors based on monitoring the reflected phase from the sensor.

Engine health monitoring systems: Tools for improved maintenance management in the 1980's

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimball, J. C.

1981-01-01

The performance monitoring aspect of maintenance, characteristic of the engine health monitoring system are discussed. An overview of the system activities is presented and a summary of programs for improved monitoring in the 1980's are discussed.

Chip-scale sensor system integration for portable health monitoring.

PubMed

Jokerst, Nan M; Brooke, Martin A; Cho, Sang-Yeon; Shang, Allan B

2007-12-01

The revolution in integrated circuits over the past 50 yr has produced inexpensive computing and communications systems that are powerful and portable. The technologies for these integrated chip-scale sensing systems, which will be miniature, lightweight, and portable, are emerging with the integration of sensors with electronics, optical systems, micromachines, microfluidics, and the integration of chemical and biological materials (soft/wet material integration with traditional dry/hard semiconductor materials). Hence, we stand at a threshold for health monitoring technology that promises to provide wearable biochemical sensing systems that are comfortable, inauspicious, wireless, and battery-operated, yet that continuously monitor health status, and can transmit compressed data signals at regular intervals, or alarm conditions immediately. In this paper, we explore recent results in chip-scale sensor integration technology for health monitoring. The development of inexpensive chip-scale biochemical optical sensors, such as microresonators, that are customizable for high sensitivity coupled with rapid prototyping will be discussed. Ground-breaking work in the integration of chip-scale optical systems to support these optical sensors will be highlighted, and the development of inexpensive Si complementary metal-oxide semiconductor circuitry (which makes up the vast majority of computational systems today) for signal processing and wireless communication with local receivers that lie directly on the chip-scale sensor head itself will be examined.

Monitoring of health care personnel employee and occupational health immunization program practices in the United States.

PubMed

Carrico, Ruth M; Sorrells, Nikka; Westhusing, Kelly; Wiemken, Timothy

2014-01-01

Recent studies have identified concerns with various elements of health care personnel immunization programs, including the handling and management of the vaccine. The purpose of this study was to assess monitoring processes that support evaluation of the care of vaccines in health care settings. An 11-question survey instrument was developed for use in scripted telephone surveys. State health departments in all 50 states in the United States and the District of Columbia were the target audience for the surveys. Data from a total of 47 states were obtained and analyzed. No states reported an existing monitoring process for evaluation of health care personnel immunization programs in their states. Our assessment indicates that vaccine evaluation processes for health care facilities are rare to nonexistent in the United States. Identifying existing practice gaps and resultant opportunities for improvements may be an important safety initiative that protects patients and health care personnel. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Conformal and embedded IDT microsensors for health monitoring of structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varadan, Vijay K.; Varadan, Vasundara V.

2000-06-01

MEMS are currently being applied to the structural health monitoring of critical aircraft components and composites. The approach integrates acoustic emission, strain gauges, MEMS accelerometers and vibration monitoring aircraft components with a known history of catastrophic failure due to fracture. Recently a combination of the need for safety in the air and the desire to control costs is encouraging the use of in-flight monitoring of aircraft components and systems using light-weight, wireless and cost effective microsensors and MEMS. An in-situ aircraft structural health monitoring system, with sensors embedded in the composite structure or surface-mounted on the structure, would permit the timely detection of damage in aircraft. Micromachining offers the potential for fabricating a range of microsensor and MEMS for structural applications including load, vibration and acoustics characterization and monitoring. Such microsensors are extremely small; they can be embedded into structural materials, can be mass-produced and are therefore potentially cheap. The smart sensors are being developed using the standard microelectronics and micromachining in conjunction with novel Penn State wireless communication systems suitable for condition monitoring of aircraft structures in-flight. The main application areas of this investigation include continuos monitoring of a) structural integrity of aging aircraft, b) fatigue cracking, c) corrosion, d) deflection and strain of aircraft structures, wings, and rotorblades, e) impact damage, f) delamination and g) location and propagation of cracks. In this paper we give an overview of wireless programmable microsensors and MEMS and their associated driving electronics for such applications.

Forest health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2015

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2016-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi- State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

Space Station Environmental Health System water quality monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vincze, Johanna E.; Sauer, Richard L.

1990-01-01

One of the unique aspects of the Space Station is that it will be a totally encapsulated environment and the air and water supplies will be reclaimed for reuse. The Environmental Health System, a subsystem of CHeCS (Crew Health Care System), must monitor the air and water on board the Space Station Freedom to verify that the quality is adequate for crew safety. Specifically, the Water Quality Subsystem will analyze the potable and hygiene water supplies regularly for organic, inorganic, particulate, and microbial contamination. The equipment selected to perform these analyses will be commercially available instruments which will be converted for use on board the Space Station Freedom. Therefore, the commercial hardware will be analyzed to identify the gravity dependent functions and modified to eliminate them. The selection, analysis, and conversion of the off-the-shelf equipment for monitoring the Space Station reclaimed water creates a challenging project for the Water Quality engineers and scientists.

Wireless health monitoring of cracks in structures with MEMS-IDT sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jae-Sung; Vinoy, K. J.; Varadan, Vijay K.

2002-07-01

The integration of MEMS, IDTs and required microelectronics and conformal antennas to realize programmable, robust and low cost passive microsensors suitable for many military structures and systems including aircraft, missiles and munitions is presented in this paper. The technology is currently being applied to the structural health monitoring of accelerometers, gyroscopes and vibration monitoring devices with signal processing electronics to provide real- time indicators of incipient failure of aircraft components with a known history of catastrophic failure due to fracture. Recently a combination of the need for safety in the air and the desire to control costs is encouraging the use of in-flight monitoring of aircraft components and systems using light-weight, wireless and cost effective microsensors and MEMS. An in-situ Aircraft structural health monitoring system, with sensors embedded in the composite structure or surface-mounted on the structure, would permit the timely detection of damage in aircraft. Micromachining offers the potential for fabricating a range of microsensors and MEMS for structural applications including load, vibration and acoustics characteristics and monitoring. Such microsensors are extremely small; they can be embedded into structural materials, can be mass-produced and are therefore potentially cheap. Additionally a range of sensor types can be integrated onto a single chip with built-in electronics and ASIC, providing a low power microsystem. The smart sensors are being developed using the standard microelectronics and micromachining in conjunction with novel Penn State smart electronics or wireless communication systems suitable for condition monitoring of aircraft structures in-flight. A hybrid accelerometer and gyroscope in a single chip suitable for inertial navigation system and other microsensors for health monitoring and condition-based maintenance of structures, drag sensing and control of aircraft, strain and deflection

Demonstration of a roving-host wireless sensor network for rapid assessment monitoring of structural health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mascarenas, David D. L.; Flynn, Eric; Lin, Kaisen; Farinholt, Kevin; Park, Gyuhae; Gupta, Rajesh; Todd, Michael; Farrar, Charles

2008-03-01

A major challenge impeding the deployment of wireless sensor networks for structural health monitoring (SHM) is developing means to supply power to the sensor nodes in a cost-effective manner. In this work an initial test of a roving-host wireless sensor network was performed on a bridge near Truth or Consequences, NM in August of 2007. The roving-host wireless sensor network features a radio controlled helicopter responsible for wirelessly delivering energy to sensor nodes on an "as-needed" basis. In addition, the helicopter also serves as a central data repository and processing center for the information collected by the sensor network. The sensor nodes used on the bridge were developed for measuring the peak displacement of the bridge, as well as measuring the preload of some of the bolted joints in the bridge. These sensors and sensor nodes were specifically designed to be able to operate from energy supplied wirelessly from the helicopter. The ultimate goal of this research is to ease the requirement for battery power supplies in wireless sensor networks.

A fully automated health-care monitoring at home without attachment of any biological sensors and its clinical evaluation.

PubMed

Motoi, Kosuke; Ogawa, Mitsuhiro; Ueno, Hiroshi; Kuwae, Yutaka; Ikarashi, Akira; Yuji, Tadahiko; Higashi, Yuji; Tanaka, Shinobu; Fujimoto, Toshiro; Asanoi, Hidetsugu; Yamakoshi, Ken-ichi

2009-01-01

Daily monitoring of health condition is important for an effective scheme for early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of lifestyle-related diseases such as adiposis, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other diseases. Commercially available devices for health care monitoring at home are cumbersome in terms of self-attachment of biological sensors and self-operation of the devices. From this viewpoint, we have been developing a non-conscious physiological monitor installed in a bath, a lavatory, and a bed for home health care and evaluated its measurement accuracy by simultaneous recordings of a biological sensors directly attached to the body surface. In order to investigate its applicability to health condition monitoring, we have further developed a new monitoring system which can automatically monitor and store the health condition data. In this study, by evaluation on 3 patients with cardiac infarct or sleep apnea syndrome, patients' health condition such as body and excretion weight in the toilet and apnea and hypopnea during sleeping were successfully monitored, indicating that the system appears useful for monitoring the health condition during daily living.

Dedicated real-time monitoring system for health care using ZigBee.

PubMed

Alwan, Omar S; Prahald Rao, K

2017-08-01

Real-time monitoring systems (RTMSs) have drawn considerable attentions in the last decade. Several commercial versions of RTMS for patient monitoring are available which are used by health care professionals. Though they are working satisfactorily on various communication protocols, their range, power consumption, data rate and cost are really bothered. In this study, the authors present an efficient embedded system based wireless health care monitoring system using ZigBee. Their system has a capability to transmit the data between two embedded systems through two transceivers over a long range. In this, wireless transmission has been applied through two categories. The first part which contains Arduino with ZigBee will send the signals to the second device, which contains Raspberry with ZigBee. The second device will measure the patient data and send it to the first device through ZigBee transceiver. The designed system is demonstrated on volunteers to measure the body temperature which is clinically important to monitor and diagnose for fever in the patients.

Fatigue in aerostructures--where structural health monitoring can contribute to a complex subject.

PubMed

Boller, Christian; Buderath, Matthias

2007-02-15

An overview of the aircraft design and maintenance process is given with specific emphasis on the fatigue design as well as the phenomenon of the ageing aircraft observed over the life cycle. The different measures taken to guarantee structural integrity along the maintenance process are addressed. The impact of structural health monitoring as a means of possibly revolutionizing the current aircraft structural monitoring and design process is emphasized and comparison is made to jet engines and helicopters, where health monitoring has already found the respective breakthrough.

Tunable Laser Development for In-flight Fiber Optic Based Structural Health Monitoring Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richards, Lance; Parker, Allen; Chan, Patrick

2014-01-01

The objective of this task is to investigate, develop, and demonstrate a low-cost swept lasing light source for NASA DFRC's fiber optics sensing system (FOSS) to perform structural health monitoring on current and future aerospace vehicles. This is the regular update of the Tunable Laser Development for In-flight Fiber Optic Based Structural Health Monitoring Systems website.

Health monitoring method for composite materials

DOEpatents

Watkins, Jr., Kenneth S.; Morris, Shelby J [Hampton, VA

2011-04-12

An in-situ method for monitoring the health of a composite component utilizes a condition sensor made of electrically conductive particles dispersed in a polymeric matrix. The sensor is bonded or otherwise formed on the matrix surface of the composite material. Age-related shrinkage of the sensor matrix results in a decrease in the resistivity of the condition sensor. Correlation of measured sensor resistivity with data from aged specimens allows indirect determination of mechanical damage and remaining age of the composite component.

Multivariate EMD and full spectrum based condition monitoring for rotating machinery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xiaomin; Patel, Tejas H.; Zuo, Ming J.

2012-02-01

Early assessment of machinery health condition is of paramount importance today. A sensor network with sensors in multiple directions and locations is usually employed for monitoring the condition of rotating machinery. Extraction of health condition information from these sensors for effective fault detection and fault tracking is always challenging. Empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is an advanced signal processing technology that has been widely used for this purpose. Standard EMD has the limitation in that it works only for a single real-valued signal. When dealing with data from multiple sensors and multiple health conditions, standard EMD faces two problems. First, because of the local and self-adaptive nature of standard EMD, the decomposition of signals from different sources may not match in either number or frequency content. Second, it may not be possible to express the joint information between different sensors. The present study proposes a method of extracting fault information by employing multivariate EMD and full spectrum. Multivariate EMD can overcome the limitations of standard EMD when dealing with data from multiple sources. It is used to extract the intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) embedded in raw multivariate signals. A criterion based on mutual information is proposed for selecting a sensitive IMF. A full spectral feature is then extracted from the selected fault-sensitive IMF to capture the joint information between signals measured from two orthogonal directions. The proposed method is first explained using simple simulated data, and then is tested for the condition monitoring of rotating machinery applications. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through monitoring damage on the vane trailing edge of an impeller and rotor-stator rub in an experimental rotor rig.

Structural Health Monitoring Analysis for the Orbiter Wing Leading Edge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yap, Keng C.

2010-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews Structural Health Monitoring Analysis for the Orbiter Wing Leading Edge. The Wing Leading Edge Impact Detection System (WLE IDS) and the Impact Analysis Process are also described to monitor WLE debris threats. The contents include: 1) Risk Management via SHM; 2) Hardware Overview; 3) Instrumentation; 4) Sensor Configuration; 5) Debris Hazard Monitoring; 6) Ascent Response Summary; 7) Response Signal; 8) Distribution of Flight Indications; 9) Probabilistic Risk Analysis (PRA); 10) Model Correlation; 11) Impact Tests; 12) Wing Leading Edge Modeling; 13) Ascent Debris PRA Results; and 14) MM/OD PRA Results.

eHealth in the future of medications management: personalisation, monitoring and adherence.

PubMed

Car, Josip; Tan, Woan Shin; Huang, Zhilian; Sloot, Peter; Franklin, Bryony Dean

2017-04-05

Globally, healthcare systems face major challenges with medicines management and medication adherence. Medication adherence determines medication effectiveness and can be the single most effective intervention for improving health outcomes. In anticipation of growth in eHealth interventions worldwide, we explore the role of eHealth in the patients' medicines management journey in primary care, focusing on personalisation and intelligent monitoring for greater adherence. eHealth offers opportunities to transform every step of the patient's medicines management journey. From booking appointments, consultation with a healthcare professional, decision-making, medication dispensing, carer support, information acquisition and monitoring, to learning about medicines and their management in daily life. It has the potential to support personalisation and monitoring and thus lead to better adherence. For some of these dimensions, such as supporting decision-making and providing reminders and prompts, evidence is stronger, but for many others more rigorous research is urgently needed. Given the potential benefits and barriers to eHealth in medicines management, a fine balance needs to be established between evidence-based integration of technologies and constructive experimentation that could lead to a game-changing breakthrough. A concerted, transdisciplinary approach adapted to different contexts, including low- and middle-income contries is required to realise the benefits of eHealth at scale.

Self-, other-, and joint monitoring using forward models.

PubMed

Pickering, Martin J; Garrod, Simon

2014-01-01

In the psychology of language, most accounts of self-monitoring assume that it is based on comprehension. Here we outline and develop the alternative account proposed by Pickering and Garrod (2013), in which speakers construct forward models of their upcoming utterances and compare them with the utterance as they produce them. We propose that speakers compute inverse models derived from the discrepancy (error) between the utterance and the predicted utterance and use that to modify their production command or (occasionally) begin anew. We then propose that comprehenders monitor other people's speech by simulating their utterances using covert imitation and forward models, and then comparing those forward models with what they hear. They use the discrepancy to compute inverse models and modify their representation of the speaker's production command, or realize that their representation is incorrect and may develop a new production command. We then discuss monitoring in dialogue, paying attention to sequential contributions, concurrent feedback, and the relationship between monitoring and alignment.

Self-, other-, and joint monitoring using forward models

PubMed Central

Pickering, Martin J.; Garrod, Simon

2014-01-01

In the psychology of language, most accounts of self-monitoring assume that it is based on comprehension. Here we outline and develop the alternative account proposed by Pickering and Garrod (2013), in which speakers construct forward models of their upcoming utterances and compare them with the utterance as they produce them. We propose that speakers compute inverse models derived from the discrepancy (error) between the utterance and the predicted utterance and use that to modify their production command or (occasionally) begin anew. We then propose that comprehenders monitor other people’s speech by simulating their utterances using covert imitation and forward models, and then comparing those forward models with what they hear. They use the discrepancy to compute inverse models and modify their representation of the speaker’s production command, or realize that their representation is incorrect and may develop a new production command. We then discuss monitoring in dialogue, paying attention to sequential contributions, concurrent feedback, and the relationship between monitoring and alignment. PMID:24723869

Audio-based bolt-loosening detection technique of bolt joint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yang; Zhao, Xuefeng; Su, Wensheng; Xue, Zhigang

2018-03-01

Bolt joint, as the commonest coupling structure, is widely used in electro-mechanical system. However, it is the weakest part of the whole system. The increase of preload tension force can raise the reliability and strength of the bolt joint. Therefore, the pretension force is one of the most important factors to ensure the stability of bolt joint. According to the way of generating pretension force, the pretension force can be monitored by bolt torque, degrees and elongation. The existing bolt-loosening monitoring methods all require expensive equipment, which greatly restricts the practicality of the bolt-loosening monitoring. In this paper, a new method of bolt-loosening detection technique based on audio is proposed. The sound that bolt is hit by a hammer is recorded on the Smartphone, and the collected audio signal is classified and identified by support vector machine algorithm. First, a verification test was designed and the results show that this new method can identify the damage of bolt looseness accurately. Second, a variety of bolt-loosening was identified. The results indicate that this method has a high accuracy in multiclass classification of the bolt looseness. This bolt-loosening detection technique based on audio not only can reduce the requirements of technical and professional experience, but also make bolt-loosening monitoring simpler and easier.

Health Monitor Instrument 6 Months Post Deployment

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

Netherlands, Health Care Policy. PO box 20701, 2500 ES The Hague THE NETHERLANDS 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9 . SPONSORING/MONITORING...AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) 11 . SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) 12. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved...questionnaires with personal interviews. Occup Environ Med 1997;54:54- 9 . Bouter LM, Dongen MCJM van. Epidemiologisch onderzoek: opzet en interpretatie

A design of the u-health monitoring system using a Nintendo DS game machine.

PubMed

Lee, Sangjoon; Kim, Jinkwon; Kim, Jungkuk; Lee, Myoungho

2009-01-01

In this paper, we used the hand held type a Nintendo DS Game Machine for consisting of a u-Health Monitoring system. This system is consists of four parts. Biosignal acquire device is the first. The Second is a wireless sensor network device. The third is a wireless base-station for connecting internet network. Displaying units are the last part which were a personal computer and a Nintendo DS game machine. The bio-signal measurement device among the four parts the u-health monitoring system can acquire 7-channels data which have 3-channels ECG(Electrocardiogram), 3-axis accelerometer and tilting sensor data. Acquired data connect up the internet network throughout the wireless sensor network and a base-station. In the experiment, we concurrently display the bio-signals on to a monitor of personal computer and LCD of a Nintendo DS using wireless internet protocol and those monitoring devices placed off to the one side an office building. The result of the experiment, this proposed system effectively can transmit patient's biosignal data as a long time and a long distance. This suggestion of the u-health monitoring system need to operate in the ambulance, general hospitals and geriatric institutions as a u-health monitoring device.

Respiratory pattern changes during costovertebral joint movement.

PubMed

Shannon, R

1980-05-01

Experiments were conducted to determine if costovertebral joint manipulation (CVJM) could influence the respiratory pattern. Phrenic efferent activity (PA) was monitored in dogs that were anesthetized with Dial-urethane, vagotomized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated. Ribs 6-10 (bilaterally) were cut and separated from ribs 5-11. Branches of thoracic nerves 5-11 were cut, leaving only the joint nerve supply intact. Manual joint movement in an inspiratory or expiratory direction had an inhibitory effect on PA. Sustained displacement of the ribs could inhibit PA for a duration equal to numerous respiratory cycles. CVJM in synchrony with PA resulted in an increased respiratory rate. The inspiratory inhibitory effect of joint receptor stimulation was elicited with manual chest compression in vagotomized spontaneously breathing dogs, but not with artificial lung inflation or deflation. It is concluded that the effect of CVJM on the respiratory pattern is due to stimulation of joint mechanoreceptors, and that they exert their influence in part via the medullary-pontine rhythm generator.

Hardware Specific Integration Strategy for Impedance-Based Structural Health Monitoring of Aerospace Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Owen, Robert B.; Gyekenyesi, Andrew L.; Inman, Daniel J.; Ha, Dong S.

2011-01-01

The Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) Project, sponsored by NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, is conducting research to advance the state of highly integrated and complex flight-critical health management technologies and systems. An effective IVHM system requires Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). The impedance method is one such SHM technique for detection and monitoring complex structures for damage. This position paper on the impedance method presents the current state of the art, future directions, applications and possible flight test demonstrations.

QoS-aware health monitoring system using cloud-based WBANs.

PubMed

Almashaqbeh, Ghada; Hayajneh, Thaier; Vasilakos, Athanasios V; Mohd, Bassam J

2014-10-01

Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) are amongst the best options for remote health monitoring. However, as standalone systems WBANs have many limitations due to the large amount of processed data, mobility of monitored users, and the network coverage area. Integrating WBANs with cloud computing provides effective solutions to these problems and promotes the performance of WBANs based systems. Accordingly, in this paper we propose a cloud-based real-time remote health monitoring system for tracking the health status of non-hospitalized patients while practicing their daily activities. Compared with existing cloud-based WBAN frameworks, we divide the cloud into local one, that includes the monitored users and local medical staff, and a global one that includes the outer world. The performance of the proposed framework is optimized by reducing congestion, interference, and data delivery delay while supporting users' mobility. Several novel techniques and algorithms are proposed to accomplish our objective. First, the concept of data classification and aggregation is utilized to avoid clogging the network with unnecessary data traffic. Second, a dynamic channel assignment policy is developed to distribute the WBANs associated with the users on the available frequency channels to manage interference. Third, a delay-aware routing metric is proposed to be used by the local cloud in its multi-hop communication to speed up the reporting process of the health-related data. Fourth, the delay-aware metric is further utilized by the association protocols used by the WBANs to connect with the local cloud. Finally, the system with all the proposed techniques and algorithms is evaluated using extensive ns-2 simulations. The simulation results show superior performance of the proposed architecture in optimizing the end-to-end delay, handling the increased interference levels, maximizing the network capacity, and tracking user's mobility.

Data acquisition, detection and estimation for structural health monitoring.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-05-01

This project deals with using a wireless sensor network for structural health monitoring. It includes two objectives: (1) to develop : energy-efficient protocols for sensing and communication that are suitable for battery-powered sensor nodes; (2) to...

Health Monitoring System Based on Intra-Body Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razak, A. H. A.; Ibrahim, I. W.; Ayub, A. H.; Amri, M. F.; Hamzi, M. H.; Halim, A. K.; Ahmad, A.; Junid, S. A. M. Al

2015-11-01

This paper presents a model of a Body Area Network (BAN) health monitoring system based on Intra-Body Communication. Intra-body Communication (IBC) is a communication technique that uses the human body as a medium for electrical signal communication. One of the visions in the health care industry is to provide autonomous and continuous self and the remote health monitoring system. This can be achieved via BAN, LAN and WAN integration. The BAN technology itself consists of short range data communication modules, sensors, controller and actuators. The information can be transmitted to the LAN and WAN via the RF technology such as Bluetooth, ZigBee and ANT. Although the implementations of RF communication have been successful, there are still limitations in term of power consumption, battery lifetime, interferences and signal attenuations. One of the solutions for Medical Body Area Network (MBANs) to overcome these issues is by using an IBC technique because it can operate at lower frequencies and power consumption compared to the existing techniques. The first objective is to design the IBC's transmitter and receiver modules using the off the shelf components. The specifications of the modules such as frequency, data rate, modulation and demodulation coding system were defined. The individual module were designed and tested separately. The modules was integrated as an IBC system and tested for functionality then was implemented on PCB. Next objective is to model and implement the digital parts of the transmitter and receiver modules on the Altera's FPGA board. The digital blocks were interfaced with the FPGA's on board modules and the discrete components. The signals that have been received from the transmitter were converted into a proper waveform and it can be viewed via external devices such as oscilloscope and Labview. The signals such as heartbeats or pulses can also be displayed on LCD. In conclusion, the IBC project presents medical health monitoring model

Airborne Transducer Integrity under Operational Environment for Structural Health Monitoring

PubMed Central

Salmanpour, Mohammad Saleh; Sharif Khodaei, Zahra; Aliabadi, Mohammad Hossein

2016-01-01

This paper investigates the robustness of permanently mounted transducers used in airborne structural health monitoring systems, when exposed to the operational environment. Typical airliners operate in a range of conditions, hence, structural health monitoring (SHM) transducer robustness and integrity must be demonstrated for these environments. A set of extreme temperature, altitude and vibration environment test profiles are developed using the existing Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA)/DO-160 test methods. Commercially available transducers and manufactured versions bonded to carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite materials are tested. It was found that the DuraAct transducer is robust to environmental conditions tested, while the other transducer types degrade under the same conditions. PMID:27973450

The association between health utility and joint status among people with severe haemophilia A: findings from the KAPPA register.

PubMed

Osooli, M; Steen Carlsson, K; Baghaei, F; Holmström, M; Rauchensteiner, S; Holme, P A; Hvitfeldt, L; Astermark, J; Berntorp, E

2017-05-01

People with severe haemophilia A have reportedly impaired health related quality of life (utility) mainly due to recurrent bleeding, arthropathy and treatment burden. To estimate utilities and evaluate their potential correlates - most importantly the joint status - among people with severe haemophilia A. In this cross-sectional study, eligible participants had severe haemophilia A, were aged ≥15, negative for factor VIII inhibitor and included in the KAPPA register of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Data on demographics, treatment history, haemophilia joint health score, and EQ-5D utility were obtained from the register. We used box plots to present utilities and joint status and ordinary least squares regression to evaluate correlates of utilities. Participants were consecutively enrolled in the KAPPA register between April 2013 and June 2016. Overall, 173 participants with median age of 34 (interquartile range: 25-45) were included. Twelve (6.9%) participants were on episodic treatment while 161 (93.1%) were treated using prophylaxis. Concomitant diseases and positive inhibitor history were reported for 73 (43.2%) and 21 (12.1%) participants, respectively. The highest median utility (1.0) was observed among those aged <29 on prophylaxis and those aged 30-44 who had started prophylaxis by age 3. In the multi-variable regression, joint scores of 16-25 (Coef. -0.18, 95% CI: -0.30, -0.06), 26-35 (Coef. -0.21, 95% CI: -0.36, -0.06) and >35 (Coef. -0.37, 95% CI: -0.52, -0.23) were associated with lower utilities. Moderate to severe joint manifestations are associated with reduced utilities among persons with severe haemophilia A. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Severity Summarization and Just in Time Alert Computation in mHealth Monitoring.

PubMed

Pathinarupothi, Rahul Krishnan; Alangot, Bithin; Rangan, Ekanath

2017-01-01

Mobile health is fast evolving into a practical solution to remotely monitor high-risk patients and deliver timely intervention in case of emergencies. Building upon our previous work on a fast and power efficient summarization framework for remote health monitoring applications, called RASPRO (Rapid Alerts Summarization for Effective Prognosis), we have developed a real-time criticality detection technique, which ensures meeting physician defined interventional time. We also present the results from initial testing of this technique.

Propulsion Health Monitoring for Enhanced Safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butz, Mark G.; Rodriguez, Hector M.

2003-01-01

This report presents the results of the NASA contract Propulsion System Health Management for Enhanced Safety performed by General Electric Aircraft Engines (GE AE), General Electric Global Research (GE GR), and Pennsylvania State University Applied Research Laboratory (PSU ARL) under the NASA Aviation Safety Program. This activity supports the overall goal of enhanced civil aviation safety through a reduction in the occurrence of safety-significant propulsion system malfunctions. Specific objectives are to develop and demonstrate vibration diagnostics techniques for the on-line detection of turbine rotor disk cracks, and model-based fault tolerant control techniques for the prevention and mitigation of in-flight engine shutdown, surge/stall, and flameout events. The disk crack detection work was performed by GE GR which focused on a radial-mode vibration monitoring technique, and PSU ARL which focused on a torsional-mode vibration monitoring technique. GE AE performed the Model-Based Fault Tolerant Control work which focused on the development of analytical techniques for detecting, isolating, and accommodating gas-path faults.

CHILD HEALTH CHAMPION AIR QUALITY MONITORING AND EDUCATION PROJECT

EPA Science Inventory

In response to two presidential directives, EPA has created the Child Health Champion (CHC) Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) pilot program in communities where environmental data are not widely available and significant environmental heal...

An autonomous structural health monitoring solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Featherston, Carol A.; Holford, Karen M.; Pullin, Rhys; Lees, Jonathan; Eaton, Mark; Pearson, Matthew

2013-05-01

Combining advanced sensor technologies, with optimised data acquisition and diagnostic and prognostic capability, structural health monitoring (SHM) systems provide real-time assessment of the integrity of bridges, buildings, aircraft, wind turbines, oil pipelines and ships, leading to improved safety and reliability and reduced inspection and maintenance costs. The implementation of power harvesting, using energy scavenged from ambient sources such as thermal gradients and sources of vibration in conjunction with wireless transmission enables truly autonomous systems, reducing the need for batteries and associated maintenance in often inaccessible locations, alongside bulky and expensive wiring looms. The design and implementation of such a system however presents numerous challenges. A suitable energy source or multiple sources capable of meeting the power requirements of the system, over the entire monitoring period, in a location close to the sensor must be identified. Efficient power management techniques must be used to condition the power and deliver it, as required, to enable appropriate measurements to be taken. Energy storage may be necessary, to match a continuously changing supply and demand for a range of different monitoring states including sleep, record and transmit. An appropriate monitoring technique, capable of detecting, locating and characterising damage and delivering reliable information, whilst minimising power consumption, must be selected. Finally a wireless protocol capable of transmitting the levels of information generated at the rate needed in the required operating environment must be chosen. This paper considers solutions to some of these challenges, and in particular examines SHM in the context of the aircraft environment.

In Situ Monitoring of Pb2+ Leaching from the Galvanic Joint Surface in a Prepared Chlorinated Drinking Water.

PubMed

Ma, Xiangmeng; Armas, Stephanie M; Soliman, Mikhael; Lytle, Darren A; Chumbimuni-Torres, Karin; Tetard, Laurene; Lee, Woo Hyoung

2018-02-20

A novel method using a micro-ion-selective electrode (micro-ISE) technique was developed for in situ lead monitoring at the water-metal interface of a brass-leaded solder galvanic joint in a prepared chlorinated drinking water environment. The developed lead micro-ISE (100 μm tip diameter) showed excellent performance toward soluble lead (Pb 2+ ) with sensitivity of 22.2 ± 0.5 mV decade -1 and limit of detection (LOD) of 1.22 × 10 -6 M (0.25 mg L -1 ). The response time was less than 10 s with a working pH range of 2.0-7.0. Using the lead micro-ISE, lead concentration microprofiles were measured from the bulk to the metal surface (within 50 μm) over time. Combined with two-dimensional (2D) pH mapping, this work clearly demonstrated that Pb 2+ ions build-up across the lead anode surface was substantial, nonuniform, and dependent on local surface pH. A large pH gradient (ΔpH = 6.0) developed across the brass and leaded-tin solder joint coupon. Local pH decreases were observed above the leaded solder to a pH as low as 4.0, indicating it was anodic relative to the brass. The low pH above the leaded solder supported elevated lead levels where even small local pH differences of 0.6 units (ΔpH = 0.6) resulted in about four times higher surface lead concentrations (42.9 vs 11.6 mg L -1 ) and 5 times higher fluxes (18.5 × 10 -6 vs 3.5 × 10 -6 mg cm -2 s -1 ). Continuous surface lead leaching monitoring was also conducted for 16 h.

A comprehensive health service evaluation and monitoring framework.

PubMed

Reeve, Carole; Humphreys, John; Wakerman, John

2015-12-01

To develop a framework for evaluating and monitoring a primary health care service, integrating hospital and community services. A targeted literature review of primary health service evaluation frameworks was performed to inform the development of the framework specifically for remote communities. Key principles underlying primary health care evaluation were determined and sentinel indicators developed to operationalise the evaluation framework. This framework was then validated with key stakeholders. The framework includes Donabedian's three seminal domains of structure, process and outcomes to determine health service performance. These in turn are dependent on sustainability, quality of patient care and the determinants of health to provide a comprehensive health service evaluation framework. The principles underpinning primary health service evaluation were pertinent to health services in remote contexts. Sentinel indicators were developed to fit the demographic characteristics and health needs of the population. Consultation with key stakeholders confirmed that the evaluation framework was applicable. Data collected routinely by health services can be used to operationalise the proposed health service evaluation framework. Use of an evaluation framework which links policy and health service performance to health outcomes will assist health services to improve performance as part of a continuous quality improvement cycle. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Volunteer Watershed Health Monitoring by Local Stakeholders: New Mexico Watershed Watch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleming, William

2003-01-01

Volunteers monitor watershed health in more than 700 programs in the US, involving over 400,000 local stakeholders. New Mexico Watershed Watch is a student-based watershed monitoring program sponsored by the state's Department of Game and Fish which provides high school teachers and students with instruction on methods for water quality…

45 CFR 30.24 - Joint and several liability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Joint and several liability. 30.24 Section 30.24 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL ADMINISTRATION CLAIMS COLLECTION Debt Compromise § 30.24 Joint and several liability. (a) When two or more debtors are jointly and severally liable...

An Integrated Socio-Environmental Model of Health and Well-Being: a Conceptual Framework Exploring the Joint Contribution of Environmental and Social Exposures to Health and Disease Over the Life Span.

PubMed

Olvera Alvarez, Hector A; Appleton, Allison A; Fuller, Christina H; Belcourt, Annie; Kubzansky, Laura D

2018-06-01

Environmental and social determinants of health often co-occur, particularly among socially disadvantaged populations, yet because they are usually studied separately, their joint effects on health are likely underestimated. Building on converging bodies of literature, we delineate a conceptual framework to address these issues. Previous models provided a foundation for study in this area, and generated research pointing to additional important issues. These include a stronger focus on biobehavioral pathways, both positive and adverse health outcomes, and intergenerational effects. To accommodate the expanded set of issues, we put forward the Integrated Socio-Environmental Model of Health and Well-Being (ISEM), which examines how social and environmental factors combine and potentially interact, via multi-factorial pathways, to affect health and well-being over the life span. We then provide applied examples including the study of how food environments affect dietary behavior. The ISEM provides a comprehensive, theoretically informed framework to guide future research on the joint contribution of social and environmental factors to health and well-being across the life span.

Potential of optical spectral transmission measurements for joint inflammation measurements in rheumatoid arthritis patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meier, A. J. Louise; Rensen, Wouter H. J.; de Bokx, Pieter K.; de Nijs, Ron N. J.

2012-08-01

Frequent monitoring of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients enables timely treatment adjustments and improved outcomes. Currently this is not feasible due to a shortage of rheumatologists. An optical spectral transmission device is presented for objective assessment of joint inflammation in RA patients, while improving diagnostic accuracy and clinical workflow. A cross-sectional, nonrandomized observational study was performed with this device. In the study, 77 proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints in 67 patients have been analyzed. Inflammation of these PIP joints was also assessed by a rheumatologist with a score varying from 1 (not inflamed) to 5 (severely inflamed). Out of 77 measurements, 27 were performed in moderate to strongly inflamed PIP joints. Comparison between the clinical assessment and an optical measurement showed a correlation coefficient r=0.63, p<0.001, 95% CI [0.47, 0.75], and a ROC curve (AUC=0.88) that shows a relative good specificity and sensitivity. Optical spectral transmission measurements in a single joint correlate with clinical assessment of joint inflammation, and therefore might be useful in monitoring joint inflammation in RA patients.

Remote Monitoring of the Structural Health of Hydrokinetic Composite Turbine Blades

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J.L. Rovey

A health monitoring approach is investigated for hydrokinetic turbine blade applications. In-service monitoring is critical due to the difficult environment for blade inspection and the cost of inspection downtime. Composite blade designs have advantages that include long life in marine environments and great control over mechanical properties. Experimental strain characteristics are determined for static loads and free-vibration loads. These experiments are designed to simulate the dynamic characteristics of hydrokinetic turbine blades. Carbon/epoxy symmetric composite laminates are manufactured using an autoclave process. Four-layer composite beams, eight-layer composite beams, and two-dimensional eight-layer composite blades are instrumented for strain. Experimental results for strainmore » measurements from electrical resistance gages are validated with theoretical characteristics obtained from in-house finite-element analysis for all sample cases. These preliminary tests on the composite samples show good correlation between experimental and finite-element strain results. A health monitoring system is proposed in which damage to a composite structure, e.g. delamination and fiber breakage, causes changes in the strain signature behavior. The system is based on embedded strain sensors and embedded motes in which strain information is demodulated for wireless transmission. In-service monitoring is critical due to the difficult environment for blade inspection and the cost of inspection downtime. Composite blade designs provide a medium for embedding sensors into the blades for in-situ health monitoring. The major challenge with in-situ health monitoring is transmission of sensor signals from the remote rotating reference frame of the blade to the system monitoring station. In the presented work, a novel system for relaying in-situ blade health measurements in hydrokinetic systems is described and demonstrated. An ultrasonic communication system is used to

Health Monitoring of Composite Material Structures using a Vibrometry Technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schulz, Mark J.

1997-01-01

Large composite material structures such as aircraft and Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVS) operate in severe environments comprised of vehicle dynamic loads, aerodynamic loads, engine vibration, foreign object impact, lightning strikes, corrosion, and moisture absorption. These structures are susceptible to damage such as delamination, fiber breaking/pullout, matrix cracking, and hygrothermal strain. To ensure human safety and load-bearing integrity, these structures must be inspected to detect and locate often invisible damage and faults before becoming catastrophic. Moreover, nearly all future structures will need some type of in-service inspection technique to increase their useful life and reduce maintenance and overall costs. Possible techniques for monitoring the health and indicating damage on composite structures include: c-scan, thermography, acoustic emissions using piezoceramic actuators or fiber-optic wires with gratings, laser ultrasound, shearography, holography, x-ray, and others. These techniques have limitations in detecting damage that is beneath the surface of the structure, far away from a sensor location, or during operation of the vehicle. The objective of this project is to develop a more global method for damage detection that is based on structural dynamics principles, and can inspect for damage when the structure is subjected to vibratory loads to expose faults that may not be evident by static inspection. A Transmittance Function Monitoring (TFM) method is being developed in this project for ground-based inspection and operational health monitoring of large composite structures as a RLV. A comparison of the features of existing health monitoring approaches and the proposed TFM method is given.

Temporal Informative Analysis in Smart-ICU Monitoring: M-HealthCare Perspective.

PubMed

Bhatia, Munish; Sood, Sandeep K

2016-08-01

The rapid introduction of Internet of Things (IoT) Technology has boosted the service deliverance aspects of health sector in terms of m-health, and remote patient monitoring. IoT Technology is not only capable of sensing the acute details of sensitive events from wider perspectives, but it also provides a means to deliver services in time sensitive and efficient manner. Henceforth, IoT Technology has been efficiently adopted in different fields of the healthcare domain. In this paper, a framework for IoT based patient monitoring in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is presented to enhance the deliverance of curative services. Though ICUs remained a center of attraction for high quality care among researchers, still number of studies have depicted the vulnerability to a patient's life during ICU stay. The work presented in this study addresses such concerns in terms of efficient monitoring of various events (and anomalies) with temporal associations, followed by time sensitive alert generation procedure. In order to validate the system, it was deployed in 3 ICU room facilities for 30 days in which nearly 81 patients were monitored during their ICU stay. The results obtained after implementation depicts that IoT equipped ICUs are more efficient in monitoring sensitive events as compared to manual monitoring and traditional Tele-ICU monitoring. Moreover, the adopted methodology for alert generation with information presentation further enhances the utility of the system.

Investigation of piezoelectric impedance-based health monitoring of structure interface debonding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Li; Chen, Guofeng; Chen, Xiaoming; Qu, Wenzhong

2016-04-01

Various damages might occur during the solid rocket motor (SRM) manufacturing/operational phase, and the debonding of propellant/insulator/composite case interfaces is one of damage types which determine the life of a motor. The detection of such interface debonding damage will be beneficial for developing techniques for reliable nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and structural health monitoring (SHM). Piezoelectric sensors are widely used for structural health monitoring technique. In particular, electromechanical impedance (EMI) techniques give simple and low-cost solutions for detecting damage in various structures. In this work, piezoelectric EMI structural health monitoring technique is applied to identify the debonding condition of propellant/insulator interface structure using finite element method and experimental investigation. A three-dimensional coupled field finite element model is developed using the software ANSYS and the harmonic analysis is conducted for high-frequency impedance analysis procedure. In the experimental study, the impedance signals were measured from PZT and MFC sensors outside attached to composite case monitoring the different debonding conditions between the propellant and insulator. Root mean square deviation (RMSD) based damage index is conducted to quantify the changes i n impedance for different de bonding conditions and frequency range. Simulation and experimental results confirmed that the EMI technique can be used effectively for detecting the debonding damage in SRM and is expected to be useful for future application of real SRM's SHM.

[SOME ASPECTS OF URBAN POPULATION AWARENESS ABOUT JOINT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN HEALTH].

PubMed

Dauletkaliyeva, Z; Kulov, D; Sergaliyev, T; Syzdykov, M; Abdrakhmanov, K

2016-01-01

One of the key goals of public health policy is to improve the joint responsibility of the population in the promotion of their health. In this context, the aim of this study was to determine the public opinion poll on attitudes to own health and to health care. Total covered 450 people, aged 18 to 60 years. The share of women was 60.0%, men - 40.0%. Almost half of respondents (47.0%) had higher education, 36.0% - specialized secondary education and 17.0% - secondary education. More than half (60.0%) of respondents were employed in the production of intellectual work, 40.0% - individuals, over ⅔ (67.2%) of the respondents at the time of the survey had a family. As a result of self-rated health, a third (35.6%) of the respondents rated their health as good to excellent. Men are more often evaluated positively their health than women. Persons engaged in mental labor rarely considered themselves unhealthy than engaged in the production of physical labor. The majority of respondents agree that the health - the most important thing in life (82.9%), for young people it is not significant and is ranked only third place (4.7%), giving primacy of material well-being (73.7%), and the appearance of the human (15.8%). They also found that the higher the education level, the more demanding patients to themselves as responsible for the health and the quality of medical services provided by the clinic. The bulk of the population doesn't want to part with the usual attributes inherent in the current system of public health (69.6%) state and free. With the introduction of compulsory health insurance of the population is afraid of losing with the innovations at least minimal social guarantees for the protection of health.

Smartphone Ownership and Interest in Mobile Applications to Monitor Symptoms of Mental Health Conditions

PubMed Central

Friedman, Rohn; Keshavan, Matcheri

2014-01-01

Background Patient retrospective recollection is a mainstay of assessing symptoms in mental health and psychiatry. However, evidence suggests that these retrospective recollections may not be as accurate as data collection though the experience sampling method (ESM), which captures patient data in “real time” and “real life.” However, the difficulties in practical implementation of ESM data collection have limited its impact in psychiatry and mental health. Smartphones with the capability to run mobile applications may offer a novel method of collecting ESM data that may represent a practical and feasible tool for mental health and psychiatry. Objective This paper aims to provide data on psychiatric patients’ prevalence of smartphone ownership, patterns of use, and interest in utilizing mobile applications to monitor their mental health conditions. Methods One hundred psychiatric outpatients at a large urban teaching hospital completed a paper-and-pencil survey regarding smartphone ownership, use, and interest in utilizing mobile applications to monitor their mental health condition. Results Ninety-seven percent of patients reported owning a phone and 72% reported that their phone was a smartphone. Patients in all age groups indicated greater than 50% interest in using a mobile application on a daily basis to monitor their mental health condition. Conclusions Smartphone and mobile applications represent a practical opportunity to explore new modalities of monitoring, treatment, and research of psychiatric and mental health conditions. PMID:25098314

Smartphone ownership and interest in mobile applications to monitor symptoms of mental health conditions.

PubMed

Torous, John; Friedman, Rohn; Keshavan, Matcheri

2014-01-21

Patient retrospective recollection is a mainstay of assessing symptoms in mental health and psychiatry. However, evidence suggests that these retrospective recollections may not be as accurate as data collection though the experience sampling method (ESM), which captures patient data in "real time" and "real life." However, the difficulties in practical implementation of ESM data collection have limited its impact in psychiatry and mental health. Smartphones with the capability to run mobile applications may offer a novel method of collecting ESM data that may represent a practical and feasible tool for mental health and psychiatry. This paper aims to provide data on psychiatric patients' prevalence of smartphone ownership, patterns of use, and interest in utilizing mobile applications to monitor their mental health conditions. One hundred psychiatric outpatients at a large urban teaching hospital completed a paper-and-pencil survey regarding smartphone ownership, use, and interest in utilizing mobile applications to monitor their mental health condition. Ninety-seven percent of patients reported owning a phone and 72% reported that their phone was a smartphone. Patients in all age groups indicated greater than 50% interest in using a mobile application on a daily basis to monitor their mental health condition. Smartphone and mobile applications represent a practical opportunity to explore new modalities of monitoring, treatment, and research of psychiatric and mental health conditions.

SHARD - a SeisComP3 module for Structural Health Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, B.; Becker, J.; Ellguth, E.; Henneberger, R.; Herrnkind, S.; Roessler, D.

2016-12-01

Monitoring building and structure response to strong earthquake ground shaking or human-induced vibrations in real-time forms the backbone of modern structural health monitoring (SHM). The continuous data transmission, processing and analysis reduces drastically the time decision makers need to plan for appropriate response to possible damages of high-priority buildings and structures. SHARD is a web browser based module using the SeisComp3 framework to monitor the structural health of buildings and other structures by calculating standard engineering seismology parameters and checking their exceedance in real-time. Thresholds can be defined, e.g. compliant with national building codes (IBC2000, DIN4149 or EC8), for PGA/PGV/PGD, response spectra and drift ratios. In case thresholds are exceeded automatic or operator driven reports are generated and send to the decision makers. SHARD also determines waveform quality in terms of data delay and variance to report sensor status. SHARD is the perfect tool for civil protection to monitor simultaneously multiple city-wide critical infrastructure as hospitals, schools, governmental buildings and structures as bridges, dams and power substations.

Passive in-home health and wellness monitoring: overview, value and examples.

PubMed

Alwan, Majd

2009-01-01

Modern sensor and communication technology, coupled with advances in data analysis and artificial intelligence techniques, is causing a paradigm shift in remote management and monitoring of chronic disease. In-home monitoring technology brings the added benefit of measuring individualized health status and reporting it to the care provider and caregivers alike, allowing timely and targeted preventive interventions, even in home and community based settings. This paper presents a paradigm for geriatric care based on monitoring older adults passively in their own living settings through placing sensors in their living environments or the objects they use. Activity and physiological data can be analyzed, archived and mined to detect indicators of early disease onset or changes in health conditions at various levels. Examples of monitoring systems are discussed and results from field evaluation pilot studies are summarized. The approach has shown great promise for a significant value proposition to all the stakeholders involved in caring for older adults. The paradigm would allow care providers to extend their services into the communities they serve.

Dedicated real-time monitoring system for health care using ZigBee

PubMed Central

Alwan, Omar S.

2017-01-01

Real-time monitoring systems (RTMSs) have drawn considerable attentions in the last decade. Several commercial versions of RTMS for patient monitoring are available which are used by health care professionals. Though they are working satisfactorily on various communication protocols, their range, power consumption, data rate and cost are really bothered. In this study, the authors present an efficient embedded system based wireless health care monitoring system using ZigBee. Their system has a capability to transmit the data between two embedded systems through two transceivers over a long range. In this, wireless transmission has been applied through two categories. The first part which contains Arduino with ZigBee will send the signals to the second device, which contains Raspberry with ZigBee. The second device will measure the patient data and send it to the first device through ZigBee transceiver. The designed system is demonstrated on volunteers to measure the body temperature which is clinically important to monitor and diagnose for fever in the patients. PMID:28868152

[Function and structure of the Federal Joint Committee and the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care in consideration of patient involvement].

PubMed

Mühlbauer, V; Teupen, S

2014-01-01

The Federal Joint Committee and the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care have become important players in the German health care system, not only since the benefit assessment of pharmaceuticals and the Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG) were established. However, the manifold tasks and duties these institutions have besides the benefit assessment of pharmaceuticals is less known, just as the role the patient's representatives play. The function and structure of the Federal Joint Committee and the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care as well as their collaboration in consideration of patient involvement will be explained in this article. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Toward youth self-report of health and quality of life in population monitoring.

PubMed

Topolski, Tari D; Edwards, Todd C; Patrick, Donald L

2004-01-01

This paper addresses population monitoring of youth health and quality of life, including the concepts used, methodological and practical criteria for indicators, and existing surveys and measures. Current population surveys of youth generally focus on poor health, such as disability or health-risk behaviors. Although these are important end points, indicators of illness or risk do not reflect the health or life perspective of the majority of youth who do not experience health problems. The measures used to monitor youth health should be appropriate and sensitive to future needs and capture the perspectives of youths. Two potential concepts for this "scorecard" are self-perceived health and quality of life, which have been shown to be useful in adults. For youth, the quality of life framework seems particularly relevant as it incorporates both positive and negative aspects of health and well-being and also captures salient aspects of health other than physical health, such as sense of self, social relationships, environment and culture, and life satisfaction.

Are joint health plans effective for coordination of health services? An analysis based on theory and Danish pre-reform results

PubMed Central

Strandberg-Larsen, Martin; Bernt Nielsen, Mikkel; Krasnik, Allan

2007-01-01

Background Since 1994 formal health plans have been used for coordination of health care services between the regional and local level in Denmark. From 2007 a substantial reform has changed the administrative boundaries of the system and a new tool for coordination has been introduced. Purpose To assess the use of the pre-reform health plans as a tool for strengthening coordination, quality and preventive efforts between the regional and local level of health care. Methods A survey addressed to: all counties (n=15), all municipalities (n=271) and a randomised selected sample of general practitioners (n=700). Results The stakeholders at the administrative level agree that health plans have not been effective as a tool for coordination. The development of health plans are dominated by the regional level. At the functional level 27 percent of the general practitioners are not familiar with health plans. Among those familiar with health plans 61 percent report that health plans influence their work to only a lesser degree or not at all. Conclusion Joint health planning is needed to achieve coordination of care. Efforts must be made to overcome barriers hampering efficient whole system planning. Active policies emphasising the necessity of health planning, despite involved cost, are warranted to insure delivery of care that benefits the health of the population. PMID:17925882

An Apparatus for Monitoring the Health of Electrical Cables

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pai, Devdas M.; Tatum, Paul; Pace, Rachel

2004-01-01

As with most elements of infrastructure, electrical wiring is innocuous; usually hidden away and unnoticed until it fails. Failure of infrastructure, however, sometimes leads to serious health and safety hazards. Electrical wiring fails when the polymeric (usually rubber) insulation material that sheathes the conductor gets embrittled with age from exposure to pressure, temperature or radiation cycling or when the insulation gets removed by the chafing of wires against each other. Miles of such wiring can be found in typical aircraft, with significant lengths of the wiring immersed in aviation fuel - a recipe for an explosion if a spark were to occur. Diagnosing the health of wiring is thus an important aspect of monitoring the health of aging aircraft. Stress wave propagation through wiring affords a quick and non-invasive method for health monitoring. The extent to which a stress wave propagating through the cable core gets attenuated depends on the condition of the surrounding insulation. When the insulation is in good condition - supple and pliable, there is more damping or attenuation of the waveform. As the insulation gets embrittled and cracked, the attenuation is likely to reduce and the waveform of the propagating stress wave is likely to change. The monitoring of these changes provides a potential tool to evaluate wiring or cabling in service that is not accessible for visual inspection. This experiment has been designed for use in an introductory mechanical or materials engineering instrumentation lab. Initial setup (after procuring all the materials) should take the lab instructor about 4 hours. A single measurement can be initiated and saved to disk in less than 3 minutes, allowing for all the students in a typical lab section to take their own data rather than share a single set of data for the entire class.

Establishment of Peripheral Nerve Injury Data Repository to Monitor and Support Population Health Decisions

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-16-0-DM167033 TITLE: Establishment of Peripheral Nerve Injury Data Repository to Monitor and Support Population Health...Injury Data Repository to Monitor and Support Population Health Decisions 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-16-0-DM167033 5c. PROGRAM...patient enrollment. Collected data will be utilized to 1) describe the outcomes of various PNI and 2) suggest outcomes that support population health

77 FR 42255 - Notice of Request for Approval of a New Information Collection; National Animal Health Monitoring...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-18

... Collection; National Animal Health Monitoring System; Layers 2013 Study AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health... Health Inspection Service's intention to initiate the Layers 2013 Study, an information collection to... INFORMATION: Title: National Animal Health Monitoring System; Layers 2013 Study. OMB Number: 0579-XXXX. Type...

Structural Health Monitoring for a Z-Type Special Vehicle

PubMed Central

Yuan, Chaolin; Ren, Liang; Li, Hongnan

2017-01-01

Nowadays there exist various kinds of special vehicles designed for some purposes, which are different from regular vehicles in overall dimension and design. In that case, accidents such as overturning will lead to large economical loss and casualties. There are still no technical specifications to follow to ensure the safe operation and driving of these special vehicles. Owing to the poor efficiency of regular maintenance, it is more feasible and effective to apply real-time monitoring during the operation and driving process. In this paper, the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors are used to monitor the safety of a z-type special vehicle. Based on the structural features and force distribution, a reasonable structural health monitoring (SHM) scheme is presented. Comparing the monitoring results with the finite element simulation results guarantees the accuracy and reliability of the monitoring results. Large amounts of data are collected during the operation and driving progress to evaluate the structural safety condition and provide reference for SHM systems developed for other special vehicles. PMID:28587161

Structural health monitoring of wind turbine blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rumsey, Mark A.; Paquette, Joshua A.

2008-03-01

As electric utility wind turbines increase in size, and correspondingly, increase in initial capital investment cost, there is an increasing need to monitor the health of the structure. Acquiring an early indication of structural or mechanical problems allows operators to better plan for maintenance, possibly operate the machine in a de-rated condition rather than taking the unit off-line, or in the case of an emergency, shut the machine down to avoid further damage. This paper describes several promising structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques that were recently exercised during a fatigue test of a 9 meter glass-epoxy and carbon-epoxy wind turbine blade. The SHM systems were implemented by teams from NASA Kennedy Space Center, Purdue University and Virginia Tech. A commercial off-the-shelf acoustic emission (AE) NDT system gathered blade AE data throughout the test. At a fatigue load cycle rate around 1.2 Hertz, and after more than 4,000,000 fatigue cycles, the blade was diagnostically and visibly failing at the out-board blade spar-cap termination point at 4.5 meters. For safety reasons, the test was stopped just before the blade completely failed. This paper provides an overview of the SHM and NDT system setups and some current test results.

Improving joint pain and function in osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Owens, Claire; Conaghan, Philip G

2016-12-01

Osteoarthritis has become a major chronic pain condition. It affects more than 10% of adults and accounts for almost 10% of health service resources. The impact of osteoarthritis is amplified by underuse of effective muscle strengthening exercises and a focus on often less effective and poorly tolerated analgesic therapies. Although traditionally considered to be primarily a disease of cartilage, there is now ample evidence that typical clinical osteoarthritis involves multiple tissue pathologies. Increased BMI is associated with a higher incidence of knee osteoarthritis. Anatomical abnormalities such as valgus alignment or previous joint trauma including meniscectomy, anterior cruciate ligament rupture and fracture through the joint are also associated with increased incidence of osteoarthritis. Pain is the main presenting symptom. However, we still have a poor understanding of the causes of pain in osteoarthritis. In patients aged 45 or over the diagnosis should be made clinically without investigations if the patient has activity-related joint pain in addition to early morning joint stiffness lasting less than 30 minutes. Muscle strengthening and aerobic exercise have been shown to improve joint pain and function. Weight loss not only improves joint pain and function but has a myriad of other health benefits, reducing the incidence of lifestyle associated diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, and mechanical stress on the joints.

The Interface of Mechanics and Nociception in Joint Pathophysiology: Insights From the Facet and Temporomandibular Joints

PubMed Central

Sperry, Megan M.; Ita, Meagan E.; Kartha, Sonia; Zhang, Sijia; Yu, Ya-Hsin; Winkelstein, Beth

2017-01-01

Chronic joint pain is a widespread problem that frequently occurs with aging and trauma. Pain occurs most often in synovial joints, the body's load bearing joints. The mechanical and molecular mechanisms contributing to synovial joint pain are reviewed using two examples, the cervical spinal facet joints and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Although much work has focused on the macroscale mechanics of joints in health and disease, the combined influence of tissue mechanics, molecular processes, and nociception in joint pain has only recently become a focus. Trauma and repeated loading can induce structural and biochemical changes in joints, altering their microenvironment and modifying the biomechanics of their constitutive tissues, which themselves are innervated. Peripheral pain sensors can become activated in response to changes in the joint microenvironment and relay pain signals to the spinal cord and brain where pain is processed and perceived. In some cases, pain circuitry is permanently changed, which may be a potential mechanism for sustained joint pain. However, it is most likely that alterations in both the joint microenvironment and the central nervous system (CNS) contribute to chronic pain. As such, the challenge of treating joint pain and degeneration is temporally and spatially complicated. This review summarizes anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of these joints and the sensory pain relays. Pain pathways are postulated to be sensitized by many factors, including degeneration and biochemical priming, with effects on thresholds for mechanical injury and/or dysfunction. Initiators of joint pain are discussed in the context of clinical challenges including the diagnosis and treatment of pain. PMID:28056123

Structural Health Monitoring of Nuclear Spent Fuel Storage Facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yu, Lingyu

Interim storage of spent nuclear fuel from reactor sites has gained additional importance and urgency for resolving waste-management-related technical issues. To ensure that nuclear power remains clean energy, monitoring has been identified by DOE as a high priority cross-cutting need, necessary to determine and predict the degradation state of the systems, structures, and components (SSCs) important to safety (ITS). Therefore, nondestructive structural condition monitoring becomes a need to be installed on existing or to be integrated into future storage system to quantify the state of health or to guarantee the safe operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs) during their extendedmore » life span. In this project, the lead university and the collaborating national laboratory teamed to develop a nuclear structural health monitoring (n-SHM) system based on in-situ piezoelectric sensing technologies that can monitor structural degradation and aging for nuclear spent fuel DCSS and similar structures. We also aimed to identify and quantify possible influences of nuclear spent fuel environment (temperature and radiation) to the piezoelectric sensor system and come up with adequate solutions and guidelines therefore. We have therefore developed analytical model for piezoelectric based n-SHM methods, with considerations of temperature and irradiation influence on the model of sensing and algorithms in acoustic emission (AE), guided ultrasonic waves (GUW), and electromechanical impedance spectroscopy (EMIS). On the other side, experimentally the temperature and irradiation influence on the piezoelectric sensors and sensing capabilities were investigated. Both short-term and long-term irradiation investigation with our collaborating national laboratory were performed. Moreover, we developed multi-modal sensing, validated in laboratory setup, and conducted the testing on the We performed multi-modal sensing development, verification and validation tests on very complex

Design of an Air Pollution Monitoring Campaign in Beijing for Application to Cohort Health Studies.

PubMed

Vedal, Sverre; Han, Bin; Xu, Jia; Szpiro, Adam; Bai, Zhipeng

2017-12-15

No cohort studies in China on the health effects of long-term air pollution exposure have employed exposure estimates at the fine spatial scales desirable for cohort studies with individual-level health outcome data. Here we assess an array of modern air pollution exposure estimation approaches for assigning within-city exposure estimates in Beijing for individual pollutants and pollutant sources to individual members of a cohort. Issues considered in selecting specific monitoring data or new monitoring campaigns include: needed spatial resolution, exposure measurement error and its impact on health effect estimates, spatial alignment and compatibility with the cohort, and feasibility and expense. Sources of existing data largely include administrative monitoring data, predictions from air dispersion or chemical transport models and remote sensing (specifically satellite) data. New air monitoring campaigns include additional fixed site monitoring, snapshot monitoring, passive badge or micro-sensor saturation monitoring and mobile monitoring, as well as combinations of these. Each of these has relative advantages and disadvantages. It is concluded that a campaign in Beijing that at least includes a mobile monitoring component, when coupled with currently available spatio-temporal modeling methods, should be strongly considered. Such a campaign is economical and capable of providing the desired fine-scale spatial resolution for pollutants and sources.

Design of an Air Pollution Monitoring Campaign in Beijing for Application to Cohort Health Studies

PubMed Central

Vedal, Sverre; Han, Bin; Szpiro, Adam; Bai, Zhipeng

2017-01-01

No cohort studies in China on the health effects of long-term air pollution exposure have employed exposure estimates at the fine spatial scales desirable for cohort studies with individual-level health outcome data. Here we assess an array of modern air pollution exposure estimation approaches for assigning within-city exposure estimates in Beijing for individual pollutants and pollutant sources to individual members of a cohort. Issues considered in selecting specific monitoring data or new monitoring campaigns include: needed spatial resolution, exposure measurement error and its impact on health effect estimates, spatial alignment and compatibility with the cohort, and feasibility and expense. Sources of existing data largely include administrative monitoring data, predictions from air dispersion or chemical transport models and remote sensing (specifically satellite) data. New air monitoring campaigns include additional fixed site monitoring, snapshot monitoring, passive badge or micro-sensor saturation monitoring and mobile monitoring, as well as combinations of these. Each of these has relative advantages and disadvantages. It is concluded that a campaign in Beijing that at least includes a mobile monitoring component, when coupled with currently available spatio-temporal modeling methods, should be strongly considered. Such a campaign is economical and capable of providing the desired fine-scale spatial resolution for pollutants and sources. PMID:29244738

Changes in Structural Health Monitoring System Capability Due to Aircraft Environmental Factors

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

and R. Ikegami . “Hot-Spot Fatigue Crack Monitoring of Inaccessible Structural Regions in Air- craft Subsystems Using Structural Health Monitoring...national Society for Optical Engineering, volume 4702 of Smart Structures and Materials 2002, 29–40. Newport Beach, CA: SPIE, 2002. 54. Ikegami , R

Ultrasonic wireless health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petit, Lionel; Lefeuvre, Elie; Guyomar, Daniel; Richard, Claude; Guy, Philippe; Yuse, Kaori; Monnier, Thomas

2006-03-01

The integration of autonomous wireless elements in health monitoring network increases the reliability by suppressing power supplies and data transmission wiring. Micro-power piezoelectric generators are an attractive alternative to primary batteries which are limited by a finite amount of energy, a limited capacity retention and a short shelf life (few years). Our goal is to implement such an energy harvesting system for powering a single AWT (Autonomous Wireless Transmitter) using our SSH (Synchronized Switch Harvesting) method. Based on a non linear process of the piezoelement voltage, this SSH method optimizes the energy extraction from the mechanical vibrations. This AWT has two main functions : The generation of an identifier code by RF transmission to the central receiver and the Lamb wave generation for the health monitoring of the host structure. A damage index is derived from the variation between the transmitted wave spectrum and a reference spectrum. The same piezoelements are used for the energy harvesting function and the Lamb wave generation, thus reducing mass and cost. A micro-controller drives the energy balance and synchronizes the functions. Such an autonomous transmitter has been evaluated on a 300x50x2 mm 3 composite cantilever beam. Four 33x11x0.3 mm 3 piezoelements are used for the energy harvesting and for the wave lamb generation. A piezoelectric sensor is placed at the free end of the beam to track the transmitted Lamb wave. In this configuration, the needed energy for the RF emission is 0.1 mJ for a 1 byte-information and the Lamb wave emission requires less than 0.1mJ. The AWT can harvested an energy quantity of approximately 20 mJ (for a 1.5 Mpa lateral stress) with a 470 μF storage capacitor. This corresponds to a power density near to 6mW/cm 3. The experimental AWT energy abilities are presented and the damage detection process is discussed. Finally, some envisaged solutions are introduced for the implementation of the required data

Joint ETV/NOWATECH test plan for the Sorbisense GSW40 passive sampler

EPA Science Inventory

The joint test plan is the implementation of a test design developed for verification of the performance of an environmental technology following the NOWATECH ETV method. The verification is a joint verification with the US EPA ETV scheme and the Advanced Monitoring Systems Cent...

Method of joint bit rate/modulation format identification and optical performance monitoring using asynchronous delay-tap sampling for radio-over-fiber systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guesmi, Latifa; Menif, Mourad

2016-08-01

In the context of carrying a wide variety of modulation formats and data rates for home networks, the study covers the radio-over-fiber (RoF) technology, where the need for an alternative way of management, automated fault diagnosis, and formats identification is expressed. Also, RoF signals in an optical link are impaired by various linear and nonlinear effects including chromatic dispersion, polarization mode dispersion, amplified spontaneous emission noise, and so on. Hence, for this purpose, we investigated the sampling method based on asynchronous delay-tap sampling in conjunction with a cross-correlation function for the joint bit rate/modulation format identification and optical performance monitoring. Three modulation formats with different data rates are used to demonstrate the validity of this technique, where the identification accuracy and the monitoring ranges reached high values.

A Microwave Blade Tip Clearance Sensor for Propulsion Health Monitoring