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In disaster relief operations, lives can depend on timely location and safe removal of trapped and often injured people within damaged infrastructure (collapsed buildings, etc.). Further, these operations must be carried out without further collapsing structures within the environment. An emerging class of rope-like continuous backbone “continuum” robots provides new capabilities to address these...
Aquaponics, also known as the integration of hydroponics with aquaculture, has emerged to be a successful model of sustainable food production. The symbiotic relationship between fish, plants, and bacteria, in a controlled environment, is contingent upon optimal water quality conditions. This calls for a need to develop continuous water-quality monitoring techniques that are based on intelligent data...
Biomarkers are objective indications of a medical state that can be measured accurately and reproducibly. Traditional biomarkers enable diagnosis of disease through detection of disease-specific molecular signatures or distinct physiological or anatomical signatures. This work provides a framework for selecting biomarkers that are most likely to provide useful information about a patient's disease...
Big Data and Big Data Analytics are a set of emerging technologies that allow researchers, organizations, and businesses to draw actionable insights from large data sets. A primary source of such large data sets are those created in a healthcare or medical context. This can include data from, but not limited to, electronic health records, mobile applications (mHealth), diagnostic equipment, genomics,...
Over the past 12 years, the Peugeot Center for Engineering Service in Developing Communities at Lipscomb University, in conjunction with Lipscomb University's Engineering Missions, has completed nearly 50 projects in 6 different countries and served over 10,000 people. The Peugeot Center has a vision of providing opportunities for engineering students and professionals to work alongside one other...
Mobile devices have been helping to empower underserved communities around the world. From bringing information on health and farming to substituting expensive devices, cellular phones and apps have proved to be powerful tools in poverty alleviation and disaster relief. The Mobile Lab at Santa Clara University focuses on developing mobile solutions for social benefit and, in this paper, we describe...
The fundamental roots of micro-grids are different types of renewable energy sources. There are two broad and distinctive control set ups for power systems. They are centralized and decentralized (hierarchical) controls. In market models of micro-grids there are normally groups of electricity sources and loads that operate in synch with a centralized grid or macro-grid. This paper studies the functionality...
Micro-grids are bits of a power circulation organize that supply various loads, and incorporate distributed generation (DG) like: wind and solar generators. Optimal power flow (OPF) is considered with the goal of limiting either the power circulation misfortunes, or, the cost of influence drawn from the substation and provided by (DG) units. This paper analyzes two systems: a system with no transmission...
This paper proposes an ethics code for stakeholders on using Genetically Modified Ornamental Plants (GMOP). The advances in Genetically Modified (GM) plants had dramatic effect on increasing agricultural productivities. However, negative consequences were associated with GM plants such creating invasive and pervasive plants or pesticide tolerant plants. GM ornamental plants and grass created new colorful...
Lithium-ion batteries are currently the most widely used form of energy storage in electric vehicles. They have a high vitality thickness with a potential for higher limits, they don't need prolonged priming when they're new. However, they're subject to aging rapidly even when they aren't being used. Being able to predict the life expectancy of these batteries can prove to be beneficial in order to...
Advances in mobile technologies have led to the use of mobile devices in telemedicine. Examples include smartphones for capturing microscopic images from glass slides for remote telepathology and in teledermatology consultations. As use of smartphones become even more pervasive in developing countries where expert medical consultation is greatly needed, telemedicine, such as telepathology and telemicroscopy...
The difficulty of detecting small quantities of contaminants in water supplies currently threatens the health of millions of people worldwide, as consumption of contaminated water has been associated with both cancerous and noncancerous health risks. Existing technologies make it possible to very accurately quantify contaminant levels in water; however the expense, extensive training, and off-site...
This report explores the practical application of 3D printing as a medium for large and small scale braille maps. In October 2016 the Engineering Innovation Center located at Texas A&M University completed a draft run of braille maps printed in a desktop ABS printer. This project resulted when one mechanical engineering freshman took a 3D printing class at the Engineering Innovation Center and...
In the spring of 2013, Alberta experienced significant flooding. According to the government of Alberta, this flood was “the largest and most expensive natural disaster in Alberta's history” [1]. Siksika Nation was severely impacted, with almost 170 homes devastated by the flood [2]. Recovery was slow, with many families left in temporary housing or without power for several years. A community engagement...
Adoption rates and performance metrics of wheelchairs in low-resource settings are thought to vary significantly based on the type of wheelchair distributed and after-sales services provided. Several organizations have been innovating on low-cost wheelchairs, developing ruggedized designs to better withstand off-road usage. The benefits provided by these wheelchairs, however, have been difficult to...
The socioeconomic impact of limb disabilities produced by injuries, traumas or congenital defects is evident in low-income countries, where there are often inadequate systems of trauma care and rehabilitation. The most medical schools in developing countries do not include a disability and rehabilitation component in their curricula. Even worst, many institutes do not have facilities or equipment...
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