Pressure ulcers and related skin integrity threats are a significant problem in current transfer/transport systems used for spinal cord injury patients. To understand this problem twenty-three different slings with varying type, material, and features were analyzed in hopes to identify at-risk areas for skin integrity threats such as pressure ulcers. Population samples included non-disabled (otherwise referred to as "healthy") volunteers as well as SCI patients from the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. High resolution pressure interface mapping was utilized to directly measure the interface pressures between the patient and sling interface. Overall results provide relevant feedback on the systems used and to suggest a particular type of sling that might reduce and possibly minimize skin integrity threats as well as extend safe patient handling guidelines with sling use. It was found that the highest interface pressures convened along the seams of the sling, regardless of manufacturer or type.

This investigation seeks to perform a comparative study between the combined effects of internal pressure and piping loads versus external pressure and piping loads on a pressure vessel. There are currently several well-known and widely-used procedures for predicting the stress situation and the structural stability of pressure vessels under internal pressure when external piping loads (due to thermal expansion, weight, pressure, etc.) are applied at the nozzles. This project familiarises one with several international pressure vessel design Codes and standards, including AS ME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) pressure vessel code sections and WRC (Welding Research Council) bulletins. It has been found that many vessels are designed to operate under normal or steam-out conditions (in vacuum). The combined effect of the external atmospheric pressure and the piping loads at the nozzle could be catastrophic if not addressed properly - especially when the stability of the structure is a crucial consideration, i.e. when buckling is a concern. The above-mentioned codes and standards do not directly address procedures or provide acceptance criteria for external loads during vacuum conditions. The approach to the study was, firstly, to investigate the effects of internal pressure and piping loads at the shell-to-nozzle junction. Theoretical stresses were compared with Finite Element results generated using the software package MSC PATRAN. Finite Element Methods provide a more realistic approach to the design of pressure vessels as compared to theoretical methods. It was necessary to determine if the theoretical procedures currently used were adequate in predicting the structural situation of a pressure vessel. Secondly, the buckling effects of vessels subjected to external atmospheric pressure and piping loads were also investigated. Buckling of the shell-to-nozzle region was explored with the aid of Finite Element software. The results gained were used to develop appropriate procedures for the design of vessels under external atmospheric pressure and piping loads. The design is such that it indicates if buckling will occur at the shell-to-nozzle junction. These design procedures form the basis for future exploration in this regard. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Univ., 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(理学) / 乙第13300号 / 論理博第1563号 / 新制||理||1653(附属図書館) / (主査)准教授 王 功輝, 教授 釜井 俊孝, 教授 福田 洋一 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DGAM

More and more institutions have begun to implement digital transformation. Identifying the reasons behind institutions’ digital transformation can help them make the right strategies. This thesis focuses on the digital transformation taking place in the financial industry and uses organizational institutionalism theory to analyze the influence of external pressures, and what responsible strategies institutions may adopt. We use qualitative methods to conduct the research. We interview eight employees from different institutions in the financial industry in China. Our findings show how coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures affect these financial institutions differently, and in responding to these pressures, these financial institutions develop office management systems and new digital products and services. The study evaluates to which extent the new digital reality fits the theory of the influence of external pressures on institutions. For managerial practice, the findings provide guidance in describing and diagnosing external pressures that drive digital transformation, and in coping with these pressures appropriately to formulate effective digital transformation strategies.

To aid in the design of future wearable health devices (WHDs), contact pressure between the distal forearm (wrist) and two different wrist-worn devices was investigated in this work. The first device included eight force sensors arranged in series along the length of a wristband to measure the pressure profile. The band also included a tensioner device for manually tightening the band while on a wrist. Testing was done on dummy wrists and the results were statistically significant supporting the hypothesis that areas of the wrist with lower radius of curvature will experience higher contact pressures generally and a faster rate of change in pressure as the band is tightened. The second band included a controller, actuator, and force sensors for actively controlling the contact pressure of a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor on the wrist during user motion. A total of eight tests were performed on six human subjects to estimate previously unknown design parameters related to contact pressure control of a wrist-worn device. Participants were asked to perform several actions including tapping their finger at different rates, tossing a ball, wrist flexion and extension, and making a fist. The design parameters investigated were system stiffness, range in contact pressure caused by motion, range of motion in the radial direction required to maintain a desired pressure, arterial pulse pressure amplitude and its relation to pressure tolerance, and system response time required to maintain a constant pressure. System stiffness was observed to be greater during motion (dynamic) than during rest (static) and to increase with increasing contact pressure. The change in contact pressure caused by motion was around 18 kPa in some cases and the maximum range of motion to maintain a contact pressure was about 7 mm. The arterial pulse pressure amplitude ranged between 0.05 to 0.3 kPa. It was estimated that a maximum sensor platform speed of 30 mm/s or greater is required to maintain a constant contact pressure during large motion actions such as flexing the wrist up and down. Finally, no significant differences were observed in the PPG signal between states in which the contact pressure was controlled vs. not controlled.

This work presents the experimental study of the flow generated in the wakes of three three-dimensional bumps in the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel. The three bumps examined are named bump 1, small bump 3, and large bump 3, and are the same test cases studied by Byun et al. (2004) and Ma and Simpson (2004) with a LDV system and a quad-wire hot-wire probe, respectively. Various experimental methods are used in this work: For measuring the mean velocity component in the planes examined, a seven-hole pressure probe is used with the data reduction algorithm developed by Johansen et al. (2001). A sixteen-hole pressure rake is used for boundary layer data on the sidewalls and ceiling of the test section and a Pitot-static probe is used to obtain mean velocity magnitude in the centerline of the test section. Specific techniques are developed to minimize the uncertainties due to the apparatus used, and an uncertainty analysis is used to confirm the efficiency of these techniques. Measurements in the wake of bump 1 reveal a strong streamwise vorticity creating large amounts of high moment fluid entrained close to the wall. In the wake of small bump 3, the amount of high momentum fluid entrained close to the wall is small as well as the streamwise vorticity. The flow in the wake of large bump 3 incorporate the characteristics of the two previous bumps by having a relatively large entrainment of high momentum fluid close to the wall and a low generation of streamwise vorticity. In the wakes of the three bumps, a pair of counter rotating vortices is created. The influence of large bump 3 on the incoming flow-field is found to be significant and induces an increase of the boundary layer thickness. By comparing LDV data and quad-wire hot-wire data with seven-hole probe data in the wakes of the bumps at the same locations, it is shown that uncertainties defined for a quasi-steady, non-turbulent flow-field without velocity gradient are bad indicators of the magnitude of the uncertainties in a more complex flow-field. A theoretical framework is discussed to understand the effects of the velocity gradient and of turbulence on the pressures measured by the seven-hole probe. In this fashion, a model is proposed and validated to explain these effects. It is observed that the main contribution to the uncertainties in seven-hole probe measurements due to the velocity gradient and to the turbulence comes from the velocity gradient. To correct for the effects of the velocity gradient on seven-hole probe measurements in an unknown flow-field, a technique is proposed. Using an estimation of the velocity gradient calculated from the seven-hole probe, the proposed model could be used to re-evaluate non-dimensional pressure coefficients used in the data reduction algorithm therefore correcting for the effects of the velocity gradient on seven-hole probe measurements. / Master of Science

This study examined the effects of isometric handgrip (IHG) training on resting blood pressure (RBP), heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure variability (BPV) in older adults with hypertension. Nine subjects performed four 2-minute IHG contractions at 30% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) 3 days/week for 10 weeks and 8 subjects served as controls. Power spectral analysis (PSA) of HRV and BPV was used to assess changes in modulation of the autonomic nervous system. After training, there was a marked attenuation in arterial pressure and evidence for a shift in HR.V and BPV sympathovagal balance. There was a reduction in systolic blood pressure (156 ± 9.4 to 137 ± 7.8 mm Hg; p<0.05), diastolic blood pressure (82 ± 9.3 to 75 ± 10.9 mm Hg; N.S), mean arterial pressure (107 ± 8.53 to 96 ± 8.7 mm Hg; p<0.05) and resting heart rate (RHR) (70 ± 14.2 to 68 ± 12.1 beats/min). In addition, PSA of HRV showed a decrease in sympathetic modulation represented by low frequency (LF) area, an increase in parasympathetic modulation represented by high frequency (HF) area (p<0.05) and a decrease in LF:HF area ratio. After training, BPV PSA showed a decrease in systolic blood pressure LF area (p<0.05), an increase in HF area (p<0.05) and decrease in LF:HF area (p<0.05). Similar, but non-significant changes occurred in diastolic BPV. It is concluded that isometric training at a moderate intensity can elicit a hypotensive response and can potentially alter sympathovagal balance of HRV and BPV in older adults with hypertension. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

Bakgrund Trycksår är en sårskada i huden som är vanligt förekommande inom hälso- och sjukvården. Det finns många effektiva åtgärder gällande trycksår som används för att undvika onödigt lidande och vårdskador. Därför behöver sjuksköterskor förbättra förebyggandet och hanteringen av trycksår genom ökad förståelse för sårläkningsprocessen, genom preventiva åtgärder och nutritionsbehandlingar. Syfte Syftet är att undersöka hur effektivt god nutrition är vid läkning av trycksår. Ett sekundärt syfte är att mäta samband mellan nutrition och trycksår. Metod En litteraturöversikt besvarar syftet genom en sammanställning av vetenskapliga artiklar. Databaserna CINAHL och PubMed har använts för att söka artiklar. Resultatet baseras på 17 relevanta artiklar. Nästan alla artiklar som analyserades var kvantitativa, en var kvalitativ med starka kvantitativa drag. Resultat Litteraturöversikten resulterade i fem underrubriker: Användandet av riskbedömningsinstrument, Effekten på kroppens biokemiska mått, Effekter av typen av näringsintag: Peroral, enteral och parenteral, Näring förbättrar sårläkning och Sambandet mellan undernäring och trycksår. Resultatet från denna litteraturöversikt visar att god nutrition är en viktig faktor för att förebygga trycksår men påvisar även att nutrition inte ensamt läker trycksår. Slutsats Näringsinterventioner har en viktig roll för trycksårets läkning. Särskilt lyfts vikten av att undvika undernäring, vilket inte bara är en riskfaktor för trycksår utan medför även negativa hälsoeffekter för patienterna. Slutligen visar resultaten att det behövs en helhetssyn med många olika aspekter för att behandla trycksår. För att bedöma exakt hur nutritionen påverkar trycksår behövs ytterligare forskning. / Background Pressure ulcers is a skin wound, which is commonly occurring within health services, with the severity of wounds varying. There are many effective measures regarding pressure ulcers that are needed to avoid unnecessary suffering and healthcare-related injuries.Therefore, nurses need to improve the prevention and control of pressure ulcers through increased understanding of the wound healing process, through preventative measures and nutritional treatments. Aim The aim is to investigate the effectiveness of good nutrition in healing pressure ulcers. A secondary aim is to measure the connection between nutrition and pressure ulcers. Method A review that answers the aim through a compilation of scientific articles. The databases CINAHL and PubMed were used to search for articles. The result is based on 17 relevant articles. Almost all articles analyzed were quantitative, one was qualitative with strong quantitative traits. Results The reviews resulted in five subheadings: The use of risk assessment instruments, The effects on the body’s biochemical measures, The effect of the type of nutritional intake: Peroral, enteral and parentral, Nutrition improving wound healing and The connection between malnutrition and pressure ulcers. The result of this review shows that good nutrition is an important factor in preventing pressure ulcers but also shows that nutrition cannot on its own heal wounds. Conclusions Nutritional interventions have an important role in the healing of pressure ulcers. In particular, the importance of avoiding malnutrition is highlighted, which is not only a riskfactor but also gives negative health effects for patients. Finally, the results are showing that a holistic view with many aspects is needed to treat pressure ulcers. To determine the exact effects of nutrition on pressure ulcers, more research is needed.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 2002. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-61).