This dissertation presents a novel procedure to select explanatory variables, without the influence of human bias, for deterioration model development using National Bridge Inventory (NBI) data. Using NBI information, including geometric data and climate information, candidate explanatory variables can be converted into normalized numeric values and analyzed prior to the development of deterministic or stochastic deterioration models. The prevailing approach for explanatory variable selection is to use expert opinion solicited from experienced engineers. This may introduce human influenced biases into the deterioration modeling process. A framework using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) penalized regression and covariance analysis are combined to compensate for this potential bias. Additionally, the cross validation analysis and solution path is used as a standard for the selection of minimum number of explanatory variables. The proposed method is demonstrated through the creation of deterministic deterioration models for deck, superstructure, and substructure for Wyoming bridges and compared to explanatory variables using the expert selection method. The comparison shows a significant decrease in error using the presented framework based on the L2 relative error norm. The final chapter presents a new method to develop stochastic deterioration models using logistic regression. The relative importance amongst explanatory variables is used to develop a classification tree for Wyoming bridges. The bridges in a subset are commonly associated with several explanatory variables, so that the deterioration models can be more representative and accurate than using a single explanatory variable. The logistic regression is used to introduce the stochastic contribution into the deterioration models. In order to avoid missing data problems, the binary categories condition rating, either remaining the same or decreased, are considered for logistic regression. The probability of changes in bridges’ condition rating is obtained and the averages for same condition ratings are used to create transition probability matrix for each age group. The deterioration model based on Markov chain are developed for Wyoming bridges and compared with the previous model based on percentage prediction and optimization approach. The prediction error is analyzed, which demonstrates the considerable performance of the proposed method and is suitable for relatively small data samples.

Submitted by Maicon Juliano Schmidt (maicons) on 2015-07-07T19:39:46Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Claudia Maria Scheffel Corrêa da Silva.pdf: 2016853 bytes, checksum: f5d5261b705656a755b11441e297653d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-07T19:39:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Claudia Maria Scheffel Corrêa da Silva.pdf: 2016853 bytes, checksum: f5d5261b705656a755b11441e297653d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-20 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Este estudo pretendeu conhecer o estágio em que se encontra o processo de integração entre a Atenção Básica e a Vigilância em Saúde em um município da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre/RS. Acredita-se que a integração entre estas duas áreas é fundamental para se alcançar a integralidade da atenção, um dos princípios do Sistema Único de Saúde. O município escolhido tem investido em inovações gerenciais, contando com a presença do apoiador institucional, que valoriza as ações intersetoriais, buscando a articulação entre as diversas áreas do sistema de saúde e de outros setores fora dele. Espera-se que esta opção favoreça a integração entre a Atenção Básica e a Vigilância em Saúde. O estudo teve como objetivo conhecer os entraves existentes e as conquistas já vivenciadas durante o processo de integração entre a Atenção Básica e a Vigilância em Saúde em um município da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre/RS. O delineamento da pesquisa é o Estudo de Caso. As técnicas de pesquisa utilizadas foram a entrevista semiestruturada, o grupo de discussão focal e a pesquisa documental. A análise interpretativa chamada de hermenêutica dialética foi a técnica utilizada nesse estudo para a análise dos dados. Verificou-se que grande parte das ações de vigilância epidemiológica foi descentralizada e é executada pela Atenção Básica (AB). A vigilância ambiental é a área com menos ações descentralizadas e atividades realizadas de forma conjunta. O território da AB é respeitado pelos servidores da Vigilância em Saúde. O maior desafio encontrado para a integração entre a AB e a vigilância foi a troca de servidores não estáveis por funcionários concursados em 2012. Em torno de 80% dos servidores da Atenção Básica precisou ser substituído. Tal quadro se refletiu na rotina de trabalho e na integração entre as áreas. O quadro funcional ainda sofre alterações. Sabe-se que vai levar algum tempo para que a rede esteja novamente completa. Entretanto, passado esse período difícil, acredita-se que funcionários estáveis e com plano de carreira definido se fixem, o que tornaria a rotatividade bem menos frequente. Por isso, pensa-se que o cenário futuro tende a ser melhor do que era antes da troca de funcionários e que o processo de integração tenda a se efetivar. / This study aimed to learn about the status of the integration process between the Primary Health Care and the Health Monitoring System in a city of the metropolitan area of de Porto Alegre/RS. It is believed that the integration between such areas is fundamental for the integrality of Health Care, one of the principles of the Unified Health System. The chosen city has invested in management innovation, relying on the presence of the intitutional supporter, who prioritizes intersectoral actions, seeking articulation among the several areas of the health care system as well as of other segments external to it. It is expected that such option favors the integration between the Primary Health Care and the Health Surveillance. This study had the intent of making known the existing obstacles and the conquests already experienced throughout the integration process between the Primary Health Care and the Health Surveillance in a city of the metropolitan area of de Porto Alegre/RS. The outline of the research is based on a Case Study method. The survey techniques used were: semi-structured interview, focus group discussion, and desk research. The interpretative analysis type called Dialectical Hermeneutics was the technique used in the group for the data analysis. It has been demonstrated that the integration process between the Primary Health Care and the Health Surveillance in the city is at an advanced stage. Most of the actions are already done conjunctively and the territory of the Basic Health Care is respected by the workers in the Health Surveillance. The greatest challenge for the integration of the Primary Health Care and the Health Surveillance was the exchange of non-tenured workers for long-tenured ones in 2012. About 80% of the workers in Primary Health Care needed to be replaced. Such scenario reflected on the work routine and on the integration between the areas. The staff are still undergoing changes. Still, it is known that it will be a long time until the network is again settled. Nevertheless, after such a difficult time, it is believed that the long-tenured workers with a career plan will end up settling down, making the turnover quite less frequent. For that reason, it is thought that the future prospect tends to be better than it was before the replacement of workers and that the integration process is prone to be achieved.

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) with emerging technologies like e.g. fibre optic sensors, lasers, radars, acoustic emission and Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) made an entrance into the civil engineering field in last decades. Expansion of new technologies together with development in data communication benefited for rapid development. The author has been doing research as well as working with SHM and related tasks nearly a decade. Both theoretical knowledge and practical experience are gained in this constantly developing field. This doctoral thesis presents lessons learned in SHM and sensory technologies when monitoring civil engineering structures, mostly bridges. Nevertheless, these techniques can also be used in most applications related to civil engineering like dams, high rise buildings, off-shore platforms, pipelines, harbour structures and historical monuments. Emerging and established technologies are presented, discussed and examples are given based on the experience achieved. A special care is given to Fibre Optic Sensor (FOS) technology and its latest approach. Results from crack detection testing, long-term monitoring, and sensor comparison and installation procedure are highlighted. The important subjects around sensory technology and SHM are discussed based on the author's experience and recommendations are given. Applied research with empirical and experimental methods was carried out. A state-of-the art-review of SHM started the process but extensive literature studies were done continuously along the years in order to keep the knowledge up to date. Several SHM cases, both small and large scale, were carried out including sensor selection, installation planning, physical installation, data acquisition set-up, testing, monitoring, documentation and reporting. One case study also included modification and improvement of designed system and physical repair of sensors as well as two Site Acceptance Tests (SATs) and the novel crack detection system testing. Temporary measuring and testing also took place and numerous Structural Health Monitoring Systems (SHMSs) were designed for new bridges. The observed and measured data/phenomena were documented and analysed.  Engineers, researchers and owners of structures are given an essential implement in managing and maintaining structures. Long-term effects like shrinkage and creep in pre-stressed segmental build bridges were studied. Many studies show that existing model codes are not so good to predict these long-term effects. The results gained from the research study with New Årsta Railway Bridge are biased be the fact that our structure is indeed special. Anyhow, the results can be compared to other similar structures and adequately used for the maintenance planning for the case study. A long-term effect like fatigue in steel structures is a serious issue that may lead to structural collapse. Novel crack detection and localisation system, based on development on crack identification algorithm implemented in DiTeSt system and SMARTape delamination mechanism, was developed, tested and implemented. Additionally, new methods and procedures in installing, testing, modifying and improving the installed system were developed. There are no common procedures how to present the existing FOS techniques. It is difficult for an inexperienced person to judge and compare different systems. Experience gained when working with Fibre Optic Sensors (FOS) is collected and presented. The purpose is, firstly to give advice when judging different systems and secondly, to promote for more standardised way to present technical requirements. Furthermore, there is need to regulate the vocabulary in the field. Finally, the general accumulated experience is gathered. It is essential to understand the complexity of the subject in order to make use of it. General trends and development are compared for different applications. As the area of research is wide, some chosen, specific issues are analysed on a more detailed level. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations are given, both specific and more general. SHMS for a complex structure requires numerous parameters to be measured. Combination of several techniques will enable all required measurements to be taken. In addition, experienced specialists need to work in collaboration with structural engineers in order to provide high-quality systems that complete the technical requirement. Smaller amount of sensors with proper data analysis is better than a complicated system with numerous sensors but with poor analysis. Basic education and continuous update for people working with emerging technologies are also obligatory. A lot of capital can be saved if more straightforward communication and international collaboration are established: not only the advances but also the experienced problems and malfunctions need to be highlighted and discussed in order not to be repeated. Quality assurance issues need to be optimized in order to provide high quality SHMSs. Nevertheless, our structures are aging and we can be sure that the future for sensory technologies and SHM is promising. The final conclusion is that an expert in SHM field needs wide education, understanding, experience, practical sense, curiosity and preferably investigational mind in order to solve the problems that are faced out when working with emerging technologies in the real world applications.  The human factor, to be able to bind good relationship with workmanship cannot be neglected either. There is also need to be constantly updated as the field itself is in continuous development. / QC 20111117 / SHMS of the New Årsta Railway Bridge

The use of information and communications technology (ICT) to provide medical information, interaction between patients and health-service providers, institution-to-institution transmission of data, in known as eHealth. ICT have become an inseparable part of our life, it can integrate health care more seamlessly to our everyday life. ICT enables the delivery of accurate medical information anytime anywhere in an efficient manner. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the single leading cause of death, especially in elderly people. The condition of heart is monitor by electrocardiogram (ECG). The Electrocardiogram (ECG) is widely used clinical tool to diagnose complex heart diseases. In clinical settings, resting ECG is used to monitor patients. Holter-based portable monitoring solutions capable of 24 to 48-hour ECG recording, they lack the capability of providing any real-time feedback in case of alarming situation. The recorded ECG data analyzed offline by doctor. To address this issue, authors propose a functionality of intelligence decision support system, in heart monitoring system. The proposed system has capability of generate an alarm in case of serious abnormality in heart, during monitoring of heart activity.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system uses vehicle’s on-board sensors such as radar, LIDAR, camera, infrared, etc. to detect the potential collisions, alert the driver and make safety braking decision to avoid a potential collision. Its limitation is that it requires clear line-of-sight to detect what is in front of the vehicle. Whereas, in current V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle communication) systems, vehicles communicate with each other over a wireless network and share information about their states. Thus the safety of a V2V system is limited to the vehicles with communication capabilities. Our idea is to integrate the complementary capabilities of V2V and AEB systems together to overcome the limitations of V2V and AEB systems. In a V2V-AEB system, vehicles exchange data about the objects information detected by their onboard sensors along with their locations, speeds, and movements. The object information detected by a vehicle and the information received through the V2V network is processed by the AEB system of the subject vehicle. If there is an imminent crash, the AEB system alerts the driver or applies the brake automatically in critical conditions to prevent the collision. To make V2V-AEB system advance, we have developed an intelligent heart Monitoring system and integrated it with the V2V-AEB system of the vehicle. The advancement of wearable and implantable sensors enables them to communicate driver’s health conditions with PC’s and handheld devices. Part of this thesis work concentrates on monitoring the driver’s heart status in real time by using fitness tracker. In the case of a critical health condition such as the cardiac arrest of a driver, the system informs the vehicle to take an appropriate operation decision and broadcast emergency messages over the V2V network. Thus making other vehicles and emergency services aware of the emergency condition, which can help a driver to get immediate medical attention and prevent accident casualties. To ensure that the effectiveness of the V2V-AEB system is not reduced by a time delay, it is necessary to study the effect of delay thoroughly and to handle them properly. One common practice to control the delayed vehicle trajectory information is to extrapolate trajectory to the current time. We have put forward a dynamic system that can help to reduce the effect of delay in different environments without extrapolating trajectory of the pedestrian. This method dynamically controls the AEB start braking time according to the estimated delay time in the scenario. This thesis also addresses the problem of communication overload caused by V2V-AEB system. If there are n vehicles in a V2V network and each vehicle detects m objects, the message density in the V2V network will be n*m. Processing these many messages by the receiving vehicle will take considerable computation power and cause a delay in making the braking decision. To prevent flooding of messages in V2V-AEB system, some approaches are suggested to reduce the number of messages in the V2V network that include not sending information of objects that do not cause a potential collision and grouping the object information in messages.

No description available.

This thesis project was conveyed in collaboration with Block Zero, a strategic Design Studio in Malmö, Sweden, with the purpose to design a product that develops a new type of interaction within the Smart Home. This design project will primarily focus on the research, exploration and definition of possible solutions, and the resulting design and development of the final product, a Smart Home Health Hub. From a global perspective, throughout the following document is covered a description of the design process from initial research to the final prototype. The project is defined in this approach and establishes the mentioned principles to guide the execution of the project through a deductive method, synthesising until the final result.