This research paper highlights the significance of mock circulatory loops in aiding the development and testing of left ventricle assist devices (LVADs). Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, and LVAD offers an effective solution to patients with severe coronary artery disease who are not eligible for heart transplants. However, before testing LVADs in-vivo, extensive performance and reliability testing is required as per Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Mock circulatory loops are useful for simulating the cardiac cycle and capturing pressure and flow meter readings. The research focused on developing and testing a mock circulatory loop that accurately captures pressure and flow meter readings. The team experimented with various silicone elastomers and a urethane-based material, ClearFlex 30, to create a transparent phantom. The report highlights the importance of surface roughness for optical clarity, with an average surface roughness of 0.186 μ being ideal for optimal clarity achieved with 800-grit sandpaper. The impact of pressure differences between the aortic and mitral inlet/outlets was also studied, and it was found that the loop's resistance can be modified to achieve elevated pressure in the aortic outlet. The report further emphasized the importance of refractive index matching to perform particle image velocity. Matching the refractive index of the phantom with the medium is critical to avoid distortion and refraction of the light. Glycerol water was found to be an effective medium for refractive index matching. Overall, the successful testing of the mock circulatory loop provides valuable insights into the flow structure within the heart, aiding in the development of future LVADs. This research is significant in advancing the cardiology field and will potentially benefit many patients suffering from heart disease. / Master of Science / This research paper focuses on developing and testing left ventricle assist devices (LVADs) using a mock circulatory loop tool. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in America, and LVADs provide an effective solution for patients with severe coronary artery disease who are not eligible for heart transplants. However, before testing LVADs on humans, extensive performance and reliability testing is required as per Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Mock circulatory loops are a tool that helps simulate the cardiac cycle and capture pressure and flow meter readings. The researchers developed and tested a mock circulatory loop that could accurately capture pressure and flow meter readings. They used various materials to create a transparent phantom that allowed them to see inside the loop. The researchers found that the surface roughness of the phantom was important for optical clarity, and they achieved optimal clarity using 800-grit sandpaper. They also studied the impact of pressure differences between the aortic and mitral inlet/outlets. They found that the loop's resistance can be modified to achieve elevated pressure in the aortic outlet. To study the flow structure within the heart, the researchers used a technique called particle image velocity. They emphasized the importance of refractive index matching, which helps avoid distortion and refraction of light. The researchers found that glycerol water was an effective medium for refractive index matching. Overall, the successful testing of the mock circulatory loop provides valuable insights into the flow structure within the heart, aiding in the development of future LVADs. This research has significant implications for advancing the cardiology field and potentially benefitting many patients suffering from heart disease.

Background Frailty is an aging-associated vulnerability to poor health comes when challenged by physiologic stressors. Frailty is a common problem amongst the elderly and is associated with increased mortality and health care resource utilization. Frailty is common in recipients of cardiac devices. What is not known is whether interventions will improve frailty and if this changes patient outcomes. Methods There are four chapters in this thesis. In chapter 1, a review of the current state of frailty research, methods of measurement, biomarkers, imaging modalities and interventions are presented. In chapter 2, a pilot randomized controlled trial is proposed to determine if a supervised exercise program and nutritional supplement improves physical frailty in cardiac device patients. Chapter 3 presents the results of the pilot study to date. In chapter 4, we discuss the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to recruitment and conducting the trial and changes to the protocol that could have improved the study and adapted to the current state of research. Results There are two conceptual models of frailty which include the frailty phenotype and frailty index. Frailty instruments are abundant and there is no gold standard measurement. Frailty biomarkers, imaging techniques in their current state are complementary measures and are not yet ready for clinical practice. The DEFINIT P trial is single centre RCT involving 24 cardiac device patients randomized to 12 month supervised exercise program and nutritional supplement. Recruitment was halted due to COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions Frailty is common in cardiac device recipients. A gold standard frailty instrument is not yet established though efforts are currently underway. The DEFINIT P study is feasible with respect to recruitment and consent targets but whether the adherence target to the exercise intervention and nutritional supplement is achieved remains unknown due to stopping the pilot trial as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Frailty is a state of vulnerability in elderly that makes them susceptible to large declines in health from minor illnesses. Frail elderly are more likely to be admitted to the hospital, nursing homes and have higher chance of dying. Old age and frailty are not the same. Frailty is common in patients with a pacemakers and defibrillators. The purpose of this study is to test whether a supervised exercise program and a nutritional supplement will help improve frailty. We planned to recruit 24 patients into the randomized control trial and 100 patients in the registry and follow them for a period of one year. We aimed to understand how common is frailty in elderly with pacemakers and defibrillators and what factors contribute to developing frailty.

This thesis examines a floating gate device (FGD) structure available under standard (digital) CMOS manufacturing processes and puts forth two applications for these devices. The first application is the creation of a tunable current mirror. Inclusion of the FGD structure allows the legs of the mirror to be electronically tweaked to compensate for mismatch. Experimental data is presented on this device structure?s performance. The second application explores using the FGD structure as a tunable resistor. Operation of the FGD in this manner creates the possibility of an electrically tunable beta-multiplier current reference. This tunability allows theoretical adjustment of both the generated reference current as well as a selectable temperature performance. Experimental data of obtained resistor values is presented with simulation results of the entire circuit.

No description available.

Class II malocclusions affect over twenty percent of the population. Over the years numerous appliances have been invented and modified in order to treat this type of maloclussion. Functional appliances have been advocated for their ability to assist in mandibular growth along with restraint of maxillary growth, as two-thirds of Class II malocclusions are classified with retrognathic. Publications from the following electronic databases were searched: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Science Direct. Searches included any article published until July 13, 2012. Searches were performed under the term "ForsusTM." These searches yielded sixty-one (61) articles. These were reviewed for relevance based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Articles were excluded if they did not measure the effectiveness of ForsusTM treatment or were not written in English. Seven (7) articles were deemed of relevance with a high quality study design and were included in this study for evaluation. The current literature suggests that Class II treatment with the ForsusTM appliance is an effective and efficient method to treat Class II maloclussions in six months. It produces mainly a restraining effect on maxillary growth, while the Class II molar correction is derived primarily from dentoalveolar changes. Overjet and overbite is reduced through proclination, mesialization and intrusion of the mandibular incisors and retrusion and extrusion of the maxillary incisors. There is also a distalizing and intrusive force on the maxillary first molars which make this appliance ideal for high angle and open bite cases. Some other noted effects are palatal and occlusal plane clockwise rotation and slight expansion of the intermolar widths after treatment. The other obvious advantage is the continuous wear guaranteed by this non compliance method of treatment. / Oral Biology

This thesis with the research development in design and modeling of the lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) optical waveguides. In particular, the material and modal properties of the titanium (Ti)-indiffusion and annealed proton-exchange (APE) are investigated thoroughly. By linking the relation of the design and fabrication parameters with modal properties of the LiNbO₃ waveguides, a comparative study on modaling and characterization of diffused optical waveguides is presented. First we investigate the diffusion, exchange, and annealing processes analytically and numerically. Through comparing different models of index change with concentration of the related species such as titanium and hydrogen, the material properties can be calculated. The accuracy and the scope of validity for the analytical methods are also investigated. Some important fabrication and design parameters are abstracted and used for calculating the index distribution of the optical waveguides. Then, by applying a rigorous finite difference method, the modal properties of the diffused waveguides, such as modal profile, effective index, and coupling loss with the standard fiber, can be calculated. The modal properties of the optical waveguides directly link to the fabrication parameters of corresponding waveguides. Based on modal properties of optimized waveguides, the device performances of the related devices can be easily obtained. Based on the analysis of general LiNbO₃ optical waveguides, the detail material and modal properties of the titanium-indiffusion and APE LiNbO₃ optical waveguides are further investigated. Their fabrication processes are reviewed and typical process parameters are given. Furthermore, by comparing with measurement results of the titanium-diffusion and APE LiNbO₃ optical waveguides made in McMaster University, the relation between the waveguide modal performance and design parameters is built through some effective methods and ready to be applied in the design of optical devices. Finally, we reconstruct the refractive index distribution of the optical waveguides by using the measurement results of modal properties. / Thesis / Master of Engineering (ME)

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第18990号 / 工博第4032号 / 新制||工||1621 / 31941 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科電気工学専攻 / (主査)教授 引原 隆士, 教授 北野 正雄, 准教授 山田 啓文 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当

As mobile phones get increasingly complicated the demands for an effective firmware update service increase. A proposed solution is Firmware Over The Air (FOTA) and the Open Mobile Alliance’s Device Management where mobile phones can be updated and managed via the mobile phone network. However, before these operations can be carried out, all FOTA capable mobile phones that should be served must be discovered and registered with a distributor of updates. The information provided must be sufficient to uniquely identify devices, initiate a Device Management session, and determine if a firmware update is needed. This thesis addresses the problems that a solution in automatically collecting this information. Several solutions are presented and their suitability evaluated on the basis of defined and analyzed requirements. The solutions most thoroughly examined are various manual solutions, retrieval of information from core network nodes, and utilizing the Short Message Service (SMS) or Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD). A phone application has been implemented according to the requirements from the Chinese network operator China Mobile Communications Corporation (CMCC). It is a part of a solution in which the information is delivered via a SMS session. The design and development phase of the application is described, accompanied by a brief description of the Symbian OS and the working environment (tools, devices, etc.) needed to implement this solution. This work took place at the Sony Ericsson office in Beijing, China. The application implemented is robust and it is impossible to avoid registration, furthermore the user can not be exposed to acknowledgement messages. It has been made possible on the cost of decreased phone performance (a few kB of memory) since the application runs all the time. Malfunctioning phone or network may hinder registration. / Mobiltelefoner blir ständigt mer komplicerade vilket medför att efterfrågan av en effektiv lösning för uppdateringar av mjukvaran i mobiltelefonerna ökar. Lösningen är Firmware Over The Air (FOTA) och Device Management; mobiltelefonerna uppdateras och sköts via mobiltelefonnätverket. Men innan förfaranden kan exekveras måste alla mobiltelefoner med FOTA som ska omfattas av tjänsten upptäckas och registreras hos den som distribuerar uppdateringarna. Den information som måste levereras måste vara tillräcklig för att kunna identifiera mobiltelefonen, genomföra en Device Management session och avgöra om en uppdatering av mjukvaran är nödvändig. Detta examensarbete behandlar de problem som en lösning i vilken information tillhandahålls möter. Ett flertal lösningar presenteras och deras lämplighet utvärderas på basis av definierade och analyserade krav. De mest ingående undersökta lösningarna är olika manuella lösningar, insamling av information från noderna av kärnnätverket samt utnyttjande av SMS eller USSD. En telefonapplikation har implementeras enligt krav från den kinesiska operatören CMCC. Applikationen är en del av en lösning i vilken informationen levereras via en SMS-session. Applikationens design och utvecklingsfasen är beskriven, samt en översiktlig beskrivning av Symbian operativsystem och utvecklingsmiljön (verktyg, mobiltelefoner, etc.) som behövdes för att implementera lösningen. Detta arbete genomfördes på Sony Ericssons kontor i Beijing, Kina.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第18990号 / 工博第4032号 / 新制||工||1621(附属図書館) / 31941 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科電気工学専攻 / (主査)教授 引原 隆士, 教授 北野 正雄, 准教授 山田 啓文 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

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