Professional Equipment Research Articles

Complications in urological surgery. Prevention

The objective of this article was to summarize the means and tools of prevention and safety of care to reduce non-random surgical complications in urology, related to the care environment and the patient. The prevention of complications is an essential strategy to be applied in a standardized way in urological surgery, as in the world of aeronautics, from which we can draw valuable lessons. This prevention is multifactorial and concerns interventions, systems and human factors. The essential points listed below must be traceable: the quality of the assessment of the patient and his co-morbidities. This is a multidisciplinary task; the relevance of the surgical indication, which must take into account the state of the art at the time it is given; the expertise of the urologist and his continuing education; the relevance of the surgical indication, which must take into account the state of the art at the time it is given; the quality of the information provided to the patient and his family, and to the medical and paramedical team involved in the patient's care; the quality of the professional environment and equipment; compliance with recommended safety rules (e.g. checklist, identity check). All these points are not isolated but interdependent. They must be recorded in the patient's file, the quality and completeness of which is essential to the patient's follow-up, to the prevention and management of complications and to the understanding, if necessary, of the truth of the medical facts.

A Flexible and Highly Sensitive Capacitive Pressure Sensor With Microstructured Dielectric TPU Layer Based on Mesh Fabric as Template

Flexible and highly sensitive capacitive pressure sensors have outstanding privileges, such as good stability, simple structure, low power consumption, small hysteresis, and low-temperature effect. However, their challenging preparation method is an obstacle to being industrialized. To address this issue, a simple and low-cost method has been proposed in the present work by which highly sensitive capacitive pressure sensors can be feasibly constructed. First, the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) layer was obtained by employing two-step replication and using the stainless-steel mesh fabric as a template. Then, the dielectric TPU layer was assembled with conductive fabric electrodes to form the capacitive pressure sensor. There is no need to apply expensive professional equipment with high precision during the formation process of the present capacitive pressure sensor as it is easy to control the microstructure of the TPU film by changing templates. Eventually, the microstructured dielectric TPU layer is prone to deform with external pressure, resulting in superior sensing performance of the sensor, such as high sensitivity of 0.182 kPa <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{-{1}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> , a short response time of 78 ms, a low detection limit of 15 Pa, as well as remarkable pressure resolution and good stability. This capacitive pressure sensor is also able to detect several human movements, such as finger bending, finger pressing, fist-clenching, and swallowing, indicating its applications in electronic skin, smart wearable, and human–computer interaction.

Video recording of hand surgeries using a field of view (FOV) matching USB camera module and smartphone in the era of COVID-19.

As the online medium has gained in popularity due to the recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, video recording of surgical procedures has become crucial in medical education. Various methods for recording are available but many require professional equipment and experienced personnel. Here, we propose a feasible and acceptable method for video recording of surgeries. An M12 mount USB camera, which is based on an Android micro-USB, was utilized. The device was purchased from a website for $32-$40. The camera was mounted between the eyes of the binocular loupes. Surgical procedures were recorded with the camera. The optimal settings were determined according to the types of surgeries. We recorded the following surgical procedures: radial artery superficial palmar branch (RASP) free flap harvest, carpal tunnel release, and free flap operation. The default values were retained for all settings, but the highest image quality (1080 p) was selected with an 8 mm lens. The camera battery was sufficient to record each surgery in its entirety. The USB camera produced high-quality videos that perfectly matched the surgeon's field of view without the need for additional staff for recording. This low-cost equipment could be widely employed for the recording of educational videos for surgeons, especially in the era of COVID 19.

Resourcefulness of chefs and food waste prevention in fine dining restaurants

The challenge of food waste in top-end, luxury foodservice provision is understudied, especially from the chefs’ perspective. This is a major knowledge gap as (in)effective management of food waste depends on chefs’ (dis)engagement. This exploratory study employs practice theory to examine how chefs (dis)engage in food waste prevention in kitchens of UK fine dining restaurants. 17 in-depth, semi-structured interviews reveal that chefs have good awareness of food waste and understand its negative socio-economic and environmental implications. Chefs have access to professional equipment enabling them to waste less food. However, the competencies of chefs in resourceful cooking are often limited while corporate policies and procedures discourage resourcefulness in the kitchen. The study’s findings suggest that resourceful cooking should become an integral element of hospitality teaching curriculum and chefs’ training. Corporate policies and procedures of fine dining restaurants should be streamlined to encourage more active engagement of chefs in food waste prevention.

The Study Of Factors On Job Performance Of A Forensic Handwriting Expert: The Case Of Mongolia

Influence of professional skills, technique and equipment, satisfaction, training and development, behavior, and engagement on the job handwriting in the National Institute of Forensic Science of Mongolia (NIFS). To accomplish the determined aim of our study research we collected data through a structured questionnaire from 71 forensic handwriting experts, who work in the center, capital city, and province, researchers of NIFS and University of internal affairs, Mongolia, and other experts. We analyzed 6 hypotheses in May-June 2022, and result determined two positive relationships and four negative relationships, estimated via SMART PLS 3.0 and SPSS 24.0.

Replacement of natural sand with sand obtained from the recycling of crushed household glass

According to Eurostat in 2018, Romania occupies the penultimate place in waste recycling. Packaging waste, generated in the European Union, was 174 kg per capita, but these quantities varied between Croatia - 67.8 kg per capita and Germany - 227.5 kg per capita. In the first place are waste paper and cardboard - 41%, plastic - 19%, glass - 18%, wood - 16% and metal - 6%, in the European Union 2018, these types being the most common household waste. Of the types of packaging waste, glass with 18.7%, is the greatest danger to the environment, being a waste that is not biodegradable, obtained by melting a mixture of quartz sand, limestone and soda ash. Glass packaging waste is 100% recyclable, theoretically, if the recycling and sorting process is followed, removing impurities (paper, sand, metals, etc.), non-compliance with the process will make the smelting process impractical. By recycling one ton of glass, we save 660 kg of sand, water for four people a day and avoid emitting 315 kg of carbon emissions from the greenhouse. Glass packaging waste is recycled with various professional equipment, which is used to obtain glass granules of different sizes, from 0.1 mm to 10 mm, the edges of the granules are rounded and have the appearance of fine sand. The present study presents the use of sand obtained from recycled and crushed household glass, in constructions, filters for domestic water, thermal insulation. The sand obtained from the recycling of household glass has a great advantage, it can be used cold and hot, temperatures weighing 1000C °, substantially reducing production costs, higher resistance by up to 30% and processing time.

Dynamic study of pendulum systems through smartphone-based laboratory experiments

The dynamic study of pendulum systems is considered an indispensable subject for physics and mechanics students in colleges and high schools. In this paper, a detailed methodology is given concerning the use of smartphones in pedagogical practical work for studying the dynamics of pendulum systems. Whereas, three aspects have been discussed through three cases concerning the study of the oscillatory motion, trajectories, and the energy aspect. Besides, some recommendations were provided regarding the process of data acquisition and curve-fitting processing to mitigate measurement errors. Experimental results exhibit a good agreement with theoretical results regarding the period of motion, trajectories, and mechanical energy. This makes the smartphone highlights a real opportunity to be a useful instrument to perform an overall study of the pendulum systems, the thing that was impossible without the intervention of professional equipment.

The aesthetics of light in Afghan Cinema

Human observation is essentially the reflection of light from surrounding objects. The main nature of light is to show. Exposure mode allows objects and spaces around us to appear. By appearing, shaping the color and texture and reaching the audience in a space beyond what they see, it makes sense to us. The light shows the texture of the face so that the audience can see the inner state and feeling of the character. Like high-contrast lighting, it pays more attention to the nature of light conduction in such cases. The places that have more light are seen more than other places and attract the viewer’s attention. The presence of these shadows of light causes gestures in the light. An image that is rarely seen or not seen at all.Filmmakers use the most professional lighting equipment, But Afghan cinema lacks some of the tools and techniques of cinema. This deprivation is related to the structure, perspective and science of cinematographers. Because in Afghanistan, cinema is not defined as a tool and industry, but as a means of entertainment and many filmmakers have not studied cinema academically but have learned it empirically. Therefore, they have not realized the nature of lighting. As a result, they suffice with ordinary lighting and no special light is seen in most movies Films that have been produced in Afghanistan and are of special importance have been produced by some people Who have studied cinema academically Like Atiq Rahimi who makes “Soil and Ash” and “Patient Stone” and Siddiq Barmak who makes “Osama” and “Opium War” And some of them have gained years of experience experimentally and now they are making films like Kaveh Eric who is making the film “Dubanoo”. And Masod Eslami, who is making the film “Kabul Girls”.

Influence of specialized medical devices intended for microsurgeries on the dynamic characteristics of the IOP-level, refraction and the ocular surface of ophthalmic surgeons

Most ophthalmic interventions are examples of microinvasive surgery using microscopes of various modifications, which can have a negative impact on the eye condition of ophthalmic surgeons. Thus, presumably, a prolonged and repeated change in the accommodation of surgeons can contribute to a change in the dynamic refraction of the eye; separate articles began to appear describing the development of artifical dry eye syndrome (DES). It seems obvious that systematic work in the operating room and the conduct of microsurgical operations affect the organ of vision of ophthalmic surgeons.Purpose: to determine the degree of influence of equipment intended for microsurgical ophthalmic operations on the dynamic characteristics of the level of intraocular pressure, refraction and the state of the eye surface of ophthalmic surgeons.Materials and Methods. As part of a multicenter analytical scientific cross‑sectional study, data from 48 people (48 eyes, men – 50% and women – 50%) were analyzed. The indicators of total tear production (Schirmer test, I), as well as individual tonometry and refractive index characteristics of volunteers at the beginning and at the end of the surgical day, were studied. Individual risk factors for the development and progression of the dry eye syndrome (age, smoking, use of hormonal systemic drugs, wearing soft contact lenses), as well as instillation of artificial tears, were recorded. Additionally, all subjects completed the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire.Results. After the operation day, which averaged 2.8 ± 0.2 hours, the subjects (mean age – 41.9 ± 1.1 years) had a statistically significant change in the index of tear production (from 11.9 ± 0.9 to 10.8 ± 1.7 mm, p = 0.01; Z = 2.407). A significant decrease in the parameters of the Schirmer test 1 was found in the age group of surgeons under 40 years old (p = 0.018; Z = 2.353), and in persons over 40 years old, there was a tendency for a decrease in tear production parameters, which was not statistically significant (p = 0.213; Z = 1.244). There was a tendency to increase the IOP‑level in surgeons of both age groups (p = 0.314; Z = 1.006 and p = 0.632; Z = 0.407, respectively). In addition, in surgeons older than 40 years, there was a change in accommodation, expressed in an increase in myopic refraction by 0.5 diopters at the end of the surgical day (p = 0.076; Z = 1.771).Conclusions. The use of specialized professional equipment (operating microscope) was found to have a negative effect on total tear production regardless of the presence of traditional risk factors for DES. The severity of violations depended on the age category of the subjects. The data obtained are of particular relevance in the period of development and progression of methods of surgical treatment of ophthalmic diseases and substantiate the need to develop specific preventive measures.

Fast Calculation of Broadband Battery Impedance Spectra Based on S Transform of Step Disturbance and Response

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is one of the most powerful tools for battery sorting, state estimation, and diagnosis. To obtain EIS, a conventional and time-consuming sweeping sine method is commonly used in a laboratory depending on professional equipment, which is limited for practical applications. For the first time, this article proposed a fast calculation method of broadband battery impedance based on the S transform (ST). It reduces the requirements for the broadband impedance acquisition greatly by processing the step disturbance and response, which can be generated with a common charging/discharging device. For a pouch lithium-ion battery cell, the method can obtain its impedance of 1 kHz–0.01 Hz with the real part errors smaller than 5%. Also, the imaginary part errors of 1.9953–501.19 Hz in the charging case and 1–316.23 Hz in the discharging case are within ±10%. Compared to the sweeping sine method, at least 19% of the acquisition time can be saved. Also, more than 84% of the calculation time is also shortened compared to the previously reported Morlet wavelet transform. For practical guidance, the effects of the algorithm parameters (integration interval, sampling frequency, signal length, and signal amplitude) are also comprehensively studied.

Early and Long-Term Effects of Abdominal Fat Reduction Using Ultrasound and Radiofrequency Treatments.

Background: Abdominal obesity, together with atherogenic dyslipidemia, increased blood pressure and impaired glucose tolerance, was included in the components of metabolic syndrome identifying patients at high risk of cardiovascular diseases. Subcutaneous adipose tissue is a buffer for dietary fatty acids (FAs). It was reported that the fatty acid composition of adipose tissue reflects the dietary intake of FAs in the previous 6 to 9 months. Therefore, we decided to evaluate the early and long-term metabolic effects of lipocavitation and/or thermolipolysis on abdominal fat reduction. Material and Methods: The study population comprised 60 women. Subjects were randomly allocated into one of three subgroups, 20 women per subgroup, and each subgroup received 10 treatments with ultrasound (U group), radiofrequency (RF group), or combined radiofrequency and ultrasound (RF/U group) for the abdominal region. Treatments were provided three times a week using the multifunctional device (Professional Beauty Equipment, HEBE, Warsaw, Poland). Each treatment to reduce adipose tissue, regardless of the method used, involved 20 min of massage with the dedicated applicator head on a rectangular 20 cm × 10 cm area of the abdominal region. Fatty acid composition and biochemical and anthropometric parameters were measured before the first, after 10 treatments and 6 months after the last treatment. Results and discussion: The series of 10 treatments to reduce abdominal adipose tissue using ultrasound, radiofrequency or both methods resulted in a cosmetic effect which was reflected in weight loss and BMI reduction. Reduced waist circumference was also found in patients who received radiofrequency or two types of intervention (RF + U) but not ultrasound treatments. The long-term cosmetic effect (lasting for at least 6 months) was achieved only with RF treatment and was reflected in reduced body weight, BMI and waist circumference. None of the treatments had a direct, short or long-term effect on the lipid profile, insulin resistance markers, inflammation markers, or blood pressure. Consequently, did not modify the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Validation of a tablet-based assessment of auditory sensitivity for researchers.

Quantifying hearing acuity is increasingly important across a wide range of research areas in the behavioral and neurosciences. Scientists have relied on either self-reported hearing status or the availability of diagnostic hearing assessment in past studies. There remains a need for a valid and reliable assessment of auditory sensitivity that can provide estimates of the magnitude of hearing loss, if present, without requirements for professional audiologists, facilities, and equipment that are needed to conduct a diagnostic hearing assessment. The goal of this experiment was to validate the NIH Toolbox® Hearing Threshold Test (HTT), a tablet-based hearing assessment available via iPad application that uses consumer-grade headphones, on a clinical sample of children and adults with varying degrees of hearing acuity. Electroacoustic analysis of the hearing assessment application and headphones demonstrated acoustic outputs within established conformity standards for hearing assessment. Twenty-seven children and 63 adults participated in a standard diagnostic hearing assessment and the experimental tablet-based assessment. The results showed that thresholds from the tablet-based assessment were highly correlated with thresholds from the clinical hearing assessment (r = .83-.93) for children and adults for all frequencies and across a range of levels of hearing acuity. The HTT also met clinical test-retest reliability standards (Cronbach's α > .86). The tablet-based hearing assessment provides acceptable estimates of hearing levels for children and adults when diagnostic audiometric assessment capabilities are not available.

Biographies of Cleaners in the Thoopukari Novel

Located to tell the biographies of the cleaners. Caste Difference the class differences within the castes can be seen in this period of computerization. There are those who do this work without proper pay and without professional equipment. Cleaners clean the dirty area and make it look dirty to the eyes of others. The denial of a woman's love for being the daughter of a scavenger is a painful one. The story revolves around the life of the people living in Kanyakumari district. Thuppukari's novel focuses on the lives of marginalized sweepers. Poverty alone stands by those who have lost their physical health and their vitality till the end. Cleaners Poverty, class struggle, sentiments are all taken up in this article.

Strategi Peningkatan Prestasi Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat Pada Pekan Olahraga Nasional Ke-20 Di Papua

The West Nusa Tenggara government in 2021 participate in a national event, namely the National Sports Week (PON) in Papua. This participation encourages the regions to get proud achievements. For this reason, the West Nusa Tenggara government has made a strategy in dealing with the 2021 National Sports Week in Papua. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the strategies used by the NTB regional government in dealing with the Papua PON 2021. This type of research is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach to explain the NTB regional government's strategy to improve performance at the 2021 National Sports Week in Papua. The results showed that the strategy taken by the NTB government was successful in improving regional sports performance. These strategies include the regional training center (puslatda), the use of professional sports equipment, and increasing the number of the reward of the medal winners. NTB's achievement at the Papua PON 2021 is by winning 15 gold, 11 silver and 12 bronze. In terms of standings, it is ranked ninth nationally, where with this result is a new history for the Province of West Nusa Tenggara.

Strategi Peningkatan Prestasi Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat Pada Pekan Olahraga Nasional Ke-20 Di Papua

The West Nusa Tenggara government in 2021 participate in a national event, namely the National Sports Week (PON) in Papua. This participation encourages the regions to get proud achievements. For this reason, the West Nusa Tenggara government has made a strategy in dealing with the 2021 National Sports Week in Papua. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the strategies used by the NTB regional government in dealing with the Papua PON 2021. This type of research is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach to explain the NTB regional government's strategy to improve performance at the 2021 National Sports Week in Papua. The results showed that the strategy taken by the NTB government was successful in improving regional sports performance. These strategies include the regional training center (puslatda), the use of professional sports equipment, and increasing the number of the reward of the medal winners. NTB's achievement at the Papua PON 2021 is by winning 15 gold, 11 silver and 12 bronze. In terms of standings, it is ranked ninth nationally, where with this result is a new history for the Province of West Nusa Tenggara.

Covid-related educational policies in action: a system dynamics view

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to adopt a learning-based approach to portray the impact of Covid-19 on state school services in Italy, with a specific focus on the role of street-level bureaucrats and the triggering of co-creative processes.Design/methodology/approachThe study proposes a qualitative system dynamics (or SD) approach describing the implementation of Covid-related educational policies in Italy. An insight model, made of causal loop diagrams, integrates the selected multi-disciplinary literature and institutional sources, secondary data from national and local reports (about Palermo, the fifth largest metropolitan city in Italy) and insights from a panel of school street–level bureaucrats.FindingsThe study provides an insight into the impacts of governmental decisions (school closures and the subsequent need to activate distance learning during the first wave of Covid-19) at a local level. Specifically, it portrays the influences of managerial and professional discretion, infrastructural equipment and socio-economic factors favouring/deterring co-creative educational processes.Practical implicationsThe SD model highlights vicious/virtuous circles in policy implementation and suggests new managerial paths for education, more routed towards public value creation and less attached to bureaucratic procedures and the unquestioning application of performance culture.Originality/valueThe paper proposes an original and holistic approach to dealing with policy making in education and its managerial features. The research findings are considered important, not only to face the current emergency, but also to pro-actively think about the post-Covid era.

A smart microhydrogel membrane sensor realized by pipette tip

In this paper, we describe a simple and practical way to prepare hydrogel membranes in a conical channel (pipette tip). We used a pipette to create a gas pressure difference on both sides of the gel precursor, which drove the gel precursor to move in the pipette tip. During movement, the shape of the hydrogel precursor gradually becomes thinner as the radius of the tapered channel becomes larger. We use this principle to realize the highly controllable preparation of the hydrogel membrane structure (130 μm at its thinnest). Moreover, we fabricated a hydrogel membrane sensor in one step by implanting smart molecules in the hydrogel, which achieved rapid and sensitive detection of 0.5 μM–500 mM potassium ions. This method of preparing the hydrogel membrane sensor does not rely on professional membrane production equipment and complex molecular design processes, has high gel utilization and simple and controllable membrane thickness, and has a wide range of application value in the field of intelligent hydrogel-based analysis technology.

Early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease using Continuous Convolution Network: Handwriting recognition based on off-line hand drawing without template

The examination of patients' handwriting has become an important auxiliary method for the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease which can be used for early self-diagnosis of patients with Parkinson's disease. However, at present, the recognition of writing disorders based on artificial intelligence technology mainly relies on pattern templates and intelligent dynamic acquisition equipment, which has some design limitations. And professional acquisition equipment is not suitable for ordinary home patients. In order to facilitate the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and get more accurate diagnostic results, this paper is devoted to studying various features of spiral hand drawing of Parkinson's disease and developing an auxiliary diagnosis scheme based on hand drawing. Firstly, through the ablation experiment with open dataset, it is verified that the visual information of hand drawing can better reflect the characteristics of hand drawing of patients with Parkinson's disease than the original dynamic information. Secondly, an Archimedes spiral hand drawing dataset is established that can accurately reflect the tremor, shape and spacing characteristics of the image, with no limitation of the application scenario. Finally, Continuous Convolution Network (CC-Net) is proposed to reduce the pooling layer. Compared with the traditional classification network, CC-Net can accurately extract diversified features of hand drawings and maximize the retention of image information, and obtain a higher classification accuracy with qualified stability (the classification accuracy on the dataset of this paper is about 89.3%, MCC is about 0.733, and average AUC is about 0.934).

Cellulose nanocrystal chiral photonic micro-flakes for multilevel anti-counterfeiting and identification

Counterfeiting and forgery have caused enormous economic loss and many safety concerns, and many approaches have been employed for anti-counterfeiting. However, most of these approaches suffer intrinsic issues such as replicability, environmental sustainability, or the requirement of professional equipment to authenticate. Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) chiral photonic films prepared by evaporation induced self-assembling display iridescent structural colors, circular dichroism, and unique fingerprint texture in microsize, which are promising for anti-counterfeiting. However, the application of CNC films in anti-counterfeiting are severely limited by their brittleness and nonuniformity. Herein, CNC chiral photonic micro-flakes facilely prepared via ultrasonication of CNC films preserve the optical characteristics of CNC chiral photonic films, and can be mixed with polymer matrices to fabricate flexible films or coatings for practical anti-counterfeiting and identification. The anti-counterfeiting characteristics of CNC chiral photonic micro-flakes can be authenticated by an inspection with naked eyes, using 3D glasses, and further with a polarized optical microscope. Therefore, CNC chiral photonic micro-flakes provide a non-replicable, environmentally friendly, easy-to-authenticate, and practical approach for multilevel anti-counterfeiting and identification.

The Economic Effect of the Steel Industry on Sustainable Growth in China—A Focus on Input–Output Analysis

The purpose of this study is to analyze the economic ripple effects caused by the supply-side reforms on China’s steel industry. To this end, using the 2012 and the 2017 China Input–Output Tables, this study analyzes the economic ripple effect of the Chinese steel industry caused by its supply-side reform. In this study, the influence coefficients (rear-linked effect) and the sensitivity coefficients (forward-linked effect), conceptualized by Leontief, are used as research tools to analyze the ripple effects of the Chinese steel industry. The analysis results are as follows. First, the fact that 2012 ranked high in professional equipment and meter manufacturing shows that the Chinese government’s supply-side reforms are effective and creating the required shift from traditional manufacturing to qualitative growth. Second, in terms of the sensitivity coefficient, in 2012, most of the top industries contributed significantly to the development of the Chinese economy. The originality of this study is as follows. The input production analysis used in this paper is a methodology mainly used in the steel, coal, automobile, and petrochemical industries, which clearly distinguishes the front and rear industries. Additionally, this study is a novel attempt at comparative research on the Chinese steel industry between 2012 and 2017.