Applied Research Unit Research Articles

Artificial neural networks based prediction of hourly horizontal solar radiation data: case study

The aim of the present study is to predict global solar radiation (GSR) received on the horizontal surface using artificial neural network (ANN). The measured data of the year (2013) was provided by the Applied Research Unit of Ghardaia - Algeria. The best results were obtained with a 7/24/1 ANN model trained with the quasi-Newton back propagation (BFGS) algorithm. The prediction accuracy for the internal and the external validation set was estimated by the Q2LOO and Q2ext which are equal to 0.9984, 0.9977 for ANN, with percent root mean square error (PRMSE) of 4.71% and the mean bias error (MBE) 0.021% for the internal validation and 5.60%, 0.42% for the external validation, respectively. These results show that the optimised model is robust and have a good predictive power explained by a good agreement between the measurement and prediction values of the solar radiation.

EXTRACTION AND CHARACETRIZATION OF FURFURAL FROM WASTE OMANI DATE SEEDS

Purpose: Furfural (C5H4O2), is an economic and business product in European countries such as America and Australia. Previous years have seen a remarkable increase in the number of palm trees in the Arabian region. The percentage of furfural present in dates seed is around 30%. This paper outline the extraction of furfural from waste Omani date seeds.Methodology: Date seeds were washed, sun dried, heated at 1000C, ground, powdered, and mixed with solvent n-hexane for one day. Then filtered and the filtrate was subjected to simple distillation at 600C in round bottom flask. Furfural was recovered in round-bottom flask and solvent was recovered in another beaker. This hexane was reused for furfural extraction from other batches. Findings: Extracted product was characterized by Carbon NMR and Proton NMR. The Carbon NMR result the experiments were carried out in Bruker Avance III HD 700 MHz spectrometer equipped with 5mm TCI H/C/N cryoprobe. The proton NMR experiment was run using zg30 pulse program operating at 700.13 MHz. The occurrence of C-NMR peaks at 127, 131, 173 ppm confirms the presence of carbon atoms in furfural ring. And the presence of H-NMR peaks between 4 to 8 ppm confirms the presence of furfural protons. Social Implications: Furfural substance is used in some of the important chemical industries such as nylon, plastic, ratings that protect the metals from corrosion, solvents, adhesive, medicines, and plastics and is used in the industry of insecticides, fungicides, anti-microbe, and antiseptics. Therefore, it is widely used in the petrol refinery laboratories to treat the bad Carbon and different Sulfuric combinations existing in the lube oils and it is used in the operations of refining some types of fuel as well, such as diesel. Originality/Novelty: This study is done on Omani date seeds at Caledonian College of Engineering in Chemical Analysis Lab. Extraction product was characterized in Central Analytical and Applied Research Unit at Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat.

Case study of a solar pumped storage prototype station implementation designed for the region of Ghardia

With more than 4000 hours/year sunshine duration, Algeria is blessed by a perfect geographic location which makes it suitable for solar domain applied studies as solution for the future of the green renewable energies. Unfortunately, despite the great support given by the state and mines minister to encourage the Algerian population to integrate solar energy especially for the southern regions, The survey shows that people hesitates the integration of this type of sources looking the increases of the prices for these systems; mainly the storage part using batteries cell storage. Even the new technology based on lithium ion batteries that gives more storage capacity and more performances; remains out of reach for the majority of citizens which is the case in the different parts of the world. With collaboration between LGEC laboratories within a full support from the ministry of mines under a Basic deliver although precise data by CDER (National Center for renewable energies) and URAER (the applied research unit for renewable energies). Through this article, the researchers propose a thorough study of a whole solar pumped hydro energy storage plant system for a consumption model on the wilaya of Ghardaia in the southern of Algeria.

The pre-hospital care conference

The Pre-hospital Care Conference was the third and final day of the London Trauma Conference. The first speaker, Professor Malcolm Woollard, Director, Pre-hospital, Emergency & Cardiovascular Care Applied Research Unit, Coventry University, spoke on Needle Decompression of the Chest – fact or fiction? Professor Woollard’s comprehensive review of the epidemiology, appropriateness, effectiveness and risks of the procedure illustrated some interesting and important points. He argued that needle decompression of the chest is an infrequently performed procedure with currently taught techniques risking inappropriate use, failure and iatrogenic injury. Critically, multiple studies demonstrate that a standard 14G cannula of 4.5cm length will not penetrate the chest wall in many patients. Moreover, retrospective analysis of interventions undertaken reveals that the insertion site is often incorrect and frequently in the cardiac zone. He concluded that the intervention does have a role in the emergent management of trauma patients but emphasised that appropriate equipment should be used by practitioners with regular re-training in indications, technique and positioning. Surgeon Commander Jason Smith, Royal Navy Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Derriford Hospital recently led a UK consensus group on treatment of crush injury and he spoke on Crush Injury – is it More Than One Syndrome? He answered this question by broadening the definition of the syndrome to ‘the systemic manifestation of muscle cell damage resulting from pressure or crush’ rather than the conventional perception of an injury caused by prolonged entrapment. He encouraged delegates to consider the diagnosis in a broad range of presentations and explained that the severity of the syndrome depends upon the magnitude and duration of the force and the bulk of muscle affected. This focus on damage to the sarcolemma explains how the same condition may develop from an instantaneous massive energy transfer or the prolonged application of a minor force to a large muscle bulk, such as that seen during prolonged immobility on a hard surface. The management of this condition adds an extra dimension to conventional trauma management and hyperkalaemia should be considered as a reversible cause of traumatic cardiac arrest when crush injury is suspected. Prevention of renal failure is paramount in the medical management of crush injury and, again counter to the current management of trauma patients, Surgeon Commander Smith advocated that aggressive crystalloid resuscitation be commenced in the pre-hospital setting. Reports from the management of crush injury in earthquake victims associate delay to fluid resuscitation as a risk factor for the development of renal failure. Mannitol and urine alkalisation should be considered although the evidence is limited, dated and largely anecdotal. Surgeon Commander Smith’s enthusiastic talk was interspersed with reverential pauses to admire spectacular photos of Royal Navy ships and helicopters – his prehospital workplace is rather more impressive than that of most of the conference delegates. The controversial topic of Compression only CPR was addressed by Professor Kjetil Sunde, Oslo University Hospital, Norway in a fascinating and thoughtful analysis of some conflicting literature. There was a conventional central theme to this wide-ranging lecture: survival of cardiac arrest depends upon the chain of survival, consisting of early recognition, early CPR, early defibrillation and post resuscitation care. Professor Sunde’s unapologetic recycling of this familiar message was reinforced by the evidence that there is a 10 fold variation in reported OOHCA outcomes and that much can be done to improve the vital chain of survival. Evidence was presented to confirm that both early initiation and quality of CPR are critical and that the evidence demonstrating the superiority of compression only CPR over conventional 30:2 may reflect this. Non-CPR trained bystanders, particularly when guided by telephone instructions, are more likely to commence resuscitation and achieve adequate cardiac output with compression only CPR than when interrupted with reluctant attempts at ineffective ventilation. Despite Oxford, UK Full list of author information is available at the end of the article Thompson and Crewdson Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine 2012, 20(Suppl 1):I3 http://www.sjtrem.com/content/20/S1/I3

Mass screening: when does it make sense?

Correspondence to: David L. Streiner, PhD, CPsych, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Senior Scientist, Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied Research Unit Baycrest Centre, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6A 2E1; telephone: 416-785-2500, ext. 2534; fax: 416-785-4230; e-mail: dstreiner@klaru-baycrest.on.ca. Mass screening: when does it make sense? David L. Streiner, PhD, CPsych,1 and Geoffrey R. Norman, PhD2

How good are we at distinguishing errors observed in a naturalistic test of executive functions?

Event Abstract Back to Event How good are we at distinguishing errors observed in a naturalistic test of executive functions? C Bottari1, 2*, N D Anderson3, 4, D. Stuss5, 6 and D. Dawson3, 7 1 McGill University, Montreal Neurological Institute, Canada 2 Université de Montréal, École de réadaptation, Canada 3 Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied Research Unit at Baycrest, Canada 4 University of Toronto, Departments of Medicine (Psychiatry) and Psychology, Canada 5 Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest, Canada 6 University of Toronto, Departments of Medicine (Neurology) and Psychology, Canada 7 University of Toronto, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Canada Individuals with cognitive deficits at times make errors during the performance of everyday tasks, such as forgetting to turn off the stove. Despite the implicit assumption that clinicians can discriminate individuals with various executive function deficits from healthy controls, investigating the validity of this assumption is critical to informed treatment plans. Objective: To determine if clinicians can discriminate errors of action observed in a neurological population from those observed in healthy controls. Methods: A convenience sample of 90 occupational therapists and neuropsychologists were recruited. Clinicians participated in one session where they analyzed 27 one-to three-minute video clips illustrating errors made by healthy controls and adults with stroke or TBI during the Baycrest Multiple Errands Test (Dawson et al., 2009). For each error, clinicians were asked to indicate whether the error had been committed by a neurological or healthy subject. Results: There was considerable discrepancy in the attribution of errors -only one error was attributed correctly by all participants. Clinicians attributed only 15 of the 27 errors (55.6%) to the correct population at a proportion significantly different than chance (p<0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that the number, rather than the type, of observed errors may more robustly distinguish controls from neurological subjects. Conference: The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, The frontal lobes, Toronto, Canada, 22 Mar - 26 Mar, 2010. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Neuropsychology Citation: Bottari C, Anderson N, Stuss D and Dawson D (2010). How good are we at distinguishing errors observed in a naturalistic test of executive functions?. Conference Abstract: The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, The frontal lobes. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.14.00129 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 30 Jun 2010; Published Online: 30 Jun 2010. * Correspondence: C Bottari, McGill University, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montréal, Canada, carolina.bottari@umontreal.ca Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers C Bottari N D Anderson D. Stuss D. Dawson Google C Bottari N D Anderson D. Stuss D. Dawson Google Scholar C Bottari N D Anderson D. Stuss D. Dawson PubMed C Bottari N D Anderson D. Stuss D. Dawson Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Apathy in Dementia: An Examination of the Psychometric Properties of the Apathy Evaluation Scale

Apathy in Dementia: An Examination of the Psychometric Properties of the Apathy Evaluation Scale

Reporting near-miss events in nursing homes

Since the Institute of Medicine report To Err Is Human was published in 1999, improving patient safety has become a major initiative for nurses working in all care settings. Nursing homes are a fertile environment for both a high frequency of adverse events to occur and a high number of institutional barriers to reporting them. This article outlines the barriers to reporting adverse events in nursing homes and provides support for why reporting near-miss events can serve as a means of reducing these barriers. It also provides recommendations and specific strategies for how to implement near-miss reporting systems in nursing homes such as policy changes, supportive leadership, and educating nurses about near-miss events. Further nursing research in this evolving area of patient safety is warranted.

Using Technology to Reduce Adverse Drug Events in Elderly Long-Term Care Patients: The Case for Computerized Physician Order Entry

Jennifer L Gold1 & Paula A Rochon2† †Author for correspondence 1University of Toronto, Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied Research Unit, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Faculty of Law, Canada. 2University of Toronto, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Sunnybrook & Women’s College Health Sciences Centre, Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied Research Unit Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto M6A 2E1, Canada. Tel.: +1 416 785 2500 ext. 2516; Fax: +1 416 785 4230; E-mail: paula.rochon@ utoronto.ca

Evidence on Service Quality for the Social Services Inspectorate Inspection Process: Piloting the Application of Research

This paper describes the piloting of an approach to social services inspection using a range of objective research evidence as part of the Social Services Inspectorate's inspection process in 1997, in eight local authorities in England. The Welsh Centre for Learning Disabilities Applied Research Unit worked with the Social Services Inspectorate to collect details on residential and day services in advance of the inspection process. The paper repeats the findings of this Report and of the collaboration.

ONE APPROACH TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF SERVICES IN WALES FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED

Journal of the Institute of Mental Subnormality (APEX)Volume 4, Issue 4 p. 14-15 ONE APPROACH TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF SERVICES IN WALES FOR THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED R. BLUNDEN, R. BLUNDEN Mental Handicap in Wales—Applied Research Unit, Ely Hospital, Cardiff.Search for more papers by this authorS. I. REVILL, S. I. REVILL Mental Handicap in Wales—Applied Research Unit, Ely Hospital, Cardiff.Search for more papers by this authorJ. K. PORTERFIELD, J. K. PORTERFIELD Mental Handicap in Wales—Applied Research Unit, Ely Hospital, Cardiff.Search for more papers by this author R. BLUNDEN, R. BLUNDEN Mental Handicap in Wales—Applied Research Unit, Ely Hospital, Cardiff.Search for more papers by this authorS. I. REVILL, S. I. REVILL Mental Handicap in Wales—Applied Research Unit, Ely Hospital, Cardiff.Search for more papers by this authorJ. K. PORTERFIELD, J. K. PORTERFIELD Mental Handicap in Wales—Applied Research Unit, Ely Hospital, Cardiff.Search for more papers by this author First published: March 1977 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-3156.1977.tb00267.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume4, Issue4March 1977Pages 14-15 RelatedInformation

Applied Research Unit, East African Institute of Social Research

Applied Research Unit, East African Institute of Social Research

East African Institute of Social Research: Applied Research Unit

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