Equipment Design Considerations Research Articles

Infrastructure Design: A Critical Element in the Care of the Patient With Obesity.

The worldwide rate of obesity continues to rise, causing healthcare systems to morph to meet the demands posed by the concomitant increase in comorbidities associated with this condition. Increasing patient weight imposes its own constraints on the safety of patients and providers; therefore, a sound healthcare facility infrastructure is required to properly address the medical needs of patients with obesity. Currently, most healthcare systems-in their attitudes, equipment, and facility design-are ill equipped to meet the needs of this epidemic. In this article, we discuss the facilities and equipment design considerations in providing medical care to patients with obesity. Extending beyond the physical plant, we also touch on organizational elements that enable the healthcare provider to safely care for this challenging patient population. The rising prevalence and disease burden of excess adiposity highlight the obligation to recognize that the design needs common to all of our patients must include the particular needs of the patient with obesity.

Density of aqueous choline chloride-based ionic liquids analogues

Ionic liquids analogues known as Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) are increasingly realized in many chemical and industrial applications. The physical and chemical characteristics of these fluids are affected considerably by their moisture content. This study focuses on the evaluation and prediction of the density of choline chloride-based DES aqueous mixtures. The study involved six well known DESs with water mole fraction ranging between 0 and 1 within the temperature range (298.15–353.15K). Since, the density of pure DESs is more than that of water, the resulting aqueous mixtures density trends were similar. The Jouyban-Acree mixture density correlation was adopted for each DES mixture separately with very good prediction accuracy. In addition, an alternative modified model was suggested. This model is capable of predicting all DES mixtures density data based on their corresponding critical properties. Negative excess molar volume suggests formation of stronger H-bond and a more extensive H-bond network within the mixture. This is enhanced by the packing effect created by difference between the molecular structures of the DES and water. The aqueous DES solutions density model presented in this work may assist in evaluating the effect of moisture content on this important physical property. This will further help in adopting proper chemical equipment design considerations and relevant process modeling and simulation calculations.

What if MacGyver Taught Physical Education?

In an era of rising childhood obesity rates, many physical educators find themselves with declining financial resources. Similar to how MacGyver had to do when he was in a bind on his self-titled television show, physical educators need to think creatively when providing equipment for use by their students. The problem that has been identified is: “How does a teacher provide for the daily equipment needs of the students when the financial resources are severely limited?” One common solution is the construction of “homemade” or improvised equipment. Although there are an array of resources that provide examples of self-made equipment, the physical education literature is somewhat sparse in providing guiding principles and underlying concepts to assist the “builder” during the decision making, design and construction phases. This article leads with the question, “What would MacGyver do?” and provides the novice improviser with a template of resource banks for the “raw” materials, concrete suggestions for equipment design considerations, and step by step helpful hints to assist in the creation, construction and utilization of physical education equipment.

Equipment design considerations for large scale cell culture.

Equipment design is frequently recognized as a key component in the success of GMP biologics manufacturing, but is not always implemented with full appreciation of the processing implications. In the case of mammalian cell culture, there are some recognized issues and risks that develop when transitioning to a large scale of operation. The developing demand for cell culture production capacity in the biopharmaceutical industry has led to a progressive increase in the scale of operation in the last decade. This review will provide a high level summary of the documented process difficulties unique to serum-free large scale (LS) cell culture, analyze the engineering constraints typical of these processes, and suggest some practical equipment design considerations to enhance the productivity, reliability and operability of such systems under GMP manufacturing conditions. A systems approach will be used to establish a good LS bioreactor design practice, providing a discussion on gas distribution, agitation, vessel design, SIP/CIP and control issues.

Design considerations for achieving MLS Category III requirements

The authors examine microwave landing system (MLS) ground equipment design considerations for achieving the requirements for Category III landing operations. Specifically addressed are accuracy, continuity of service, and integrity requirements. Accuracy near the touchdown region is achieved by providing adequate transmitter power, sufficiently small antenna beamwidth, low effective sidelobes (e.g. by introducing a degree of randomness in the dynamic sidelobes and by using a directive element pattern), and, in the azimuth antenna, by shaping the vertical pattern. High continuity of service is achieved by using a high-reliability design, through redundancy of critical elements, by providing an uninterruptible power supply, and by incorporating prealarm warnings. High integrity is achieved by providing an appropriate configuration of redundant monitors, a capability to verify monitor performance periodically, a high-reliability control circuit, and sufficiently independent implementation of transmitter, monitor, and control functions. >

Individual Differences in Flight Simulation Performance Experiments

In a review of flight simulation performance experiments conducted at the U.S. Navy's Visual Technology Research simulator (VTRS), it was observed that individual difference variables accounted for a major portion of the total explained variance, in many cases more than the simulator equipment variables that were deliberately manipulated. This finding underscores the importance of individual differences in performance and training research in support of man-machine systems development and implementation. The identification of the substrates underlying individual differences will impact on equipment design considerations and training program requirements for military and industrial systems.

Mixed gas sorption in glassy polymers: Equipment design considerations and preliminary results

A novel apparatus to measure precisely both pure and mixed gas sorption in glassy polymers is described. A method for accurate calibration and operation of the equipment is discussed, based upon complete closure of the material balance of all gaseous components in all phases. The description is accompanied by pure and mixed gas sorption equilibria measured with this equipment for the system CO 2/C 2H 4/Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at 35°C. The observed reduction in sorption of individual components is explained by competition between the penetrants for the unrelaxed volume fraction in a glassy polymer. This effect is a natural consequence of the dual mode sorption model applied to mixed penetrants.

Computer Oriented Microdensitometers

Problems in designing advanced microdensitometer systems are discussed. Requirements for systems capable of generating data suitable for direct use as computer input and some equipment design considerations are reviewed.

Rapid acquisition of radar targets from moving and static displays.

Aerial-reconnaissance radar imagery can be presented to an observer for near-real time interpretation in two ways: as a continuously moving display or in discrete, static steps. Both were studied in a laboratory experiment designed to determine their effect on the probability and speed of target acquisition. The results indicated: (1) no significant differences in the number of real or false targets acquired, (2) significantly less time required to find a target on the moving display, and (3) the time difference increased as targets became more difficult to recognize and as the available observation time increased. The relevance of this study for equipment design considerations and the generality of the results to other near-real-time reconnaissance missions are discussed. It is concluded that even among a wide variety of conditions not included in this study, where targets are of simple, well-defined patterns capable of recognition with little study, the moving presentation mode—in balance—will result in better target acquisition performance.

The Society and Education: Operations Research on Instructional Films

The needs for instructional films and how these needs are being met can be thought of as one operation. The factors in this operation include sound, picture, motion, color, cost, ease of preparation, use and maintenance, as well as other less important considerations. Instructional film research provides the guidance for evaluating the relative importance of these factors and points to films and equipment design considerations.