• Healthcare Informatics Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.387-393
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• 2018

Objectives: This paper describes an experience of implementing seamless service trials online and offline by adopting Internet of Things (IoT) technology based on near-field communication (NFC) tags and Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) beacons. The services were provided for both patients and health professionals. Methods: The pilot services were implemented to enhance healthcare service quality, improve patient safety, and provide an effective business process to health professionals in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea. The services to enhance healthcare service quality include healing tours, cancer information/education, psychological assessments, indoor navigation, and exercise volume checking. The services to improve patient safety are monitoring of high-risk inpatients and delivery of real-time health information in emergency situations. In addition, the services to provide an effective business process to health professionals include surveys and web services for patient management. Results: Considering the sustainability of the pilot services, we decided to pause navigation and patient monitoring services until the interference problem could be completely resolved because beacon signal interference significantly influences the quality of services. On the other hand, we had to continue to provide new wearable beacons to high-risk patients because of hygiene issues, so the cost increased over time and was much higher than expected. Conclusions: To make the smart connected hospital services sustainable, technical feasibility (e.g., beacon signal interference), economic feasibility (e.g., continuous provision of new necklace beacons), and organizational commitment and support (e.g., renewal of new alternative medical devices and infrastructure) are required.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.4385-4399
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• 2021

The Internet of Things (IoT) eHealth systems composed by Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) has emerged recently. Sensor nodes are placed around or in the human body to collect physiological data. WBAN has many different applications, for instance health monitoring. Since the limitation of the size of the battery, besides speed, reliability, and accuracy; design of WBAN protocols should consider the energy efficiency and time delay. To solve these problems, this paper adopt the end-edge-cloud orchestrated network architecture and propose a transmission based on reinforcement algorithm. The priority of sensing data is classified according to certain application. System utility function is modeled according to the channel factors, the energy utility, and successful transmission conditions. The optimization problem is mapped to Q-learning model. Following this online power control protocol, the energy level of both the senor to coordinator, and coordinator to edge server can be modified according to the current channel condition. The network performance is evaluated by simulation. The results show that the proposed power control protocol has higher system energy efficiency, delivery ratio, and throughput.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.207-211
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• 2017

It is introduced an outstanding book about an important topic in occupational and environmental sciences i.e., the opportunities and challenges that may be connected with increasing the use and distribution of rare earth elements. These chemically similar elements, comprising the lanthanides, scandium, and yttrium, are involved in a number of essential technological applications, and their effects raise a number of human health issues of relevance to the occupational and environmental sciences. The book that I introduced here, "Rare Earth Elements in Human and Environmental Health; At the Crossroads between Toxicity and Safety" edited by Giovanni Pagano (Pan Stanford Publishing Pte. Ltd., Temasek Boulevard, Singapore) represents a break from that situation. It is essential to increase our knowledge about the environmental fate and biological effects of these technologically important metals in order to prevent unforeseen long-term man-made consequences to human health. This book is likely to become an important resource for scientists, engineers, and decision makers who understand the need for sensible exploitation of this resource.

• IEMEK Journal of Embedded Systems and Applications
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.82-94
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• 2007

Wireless sensor networking technology is one of the basic infrastructures for ubiquitous environment. It enables us to gather various sensory data such as temperature, humidity, gas leakage, and speed from the remote sensor devices. To support these networking functions, IEEE WPAN working group makes standards for PHY and MAC, while ZigBee Alliance defines the standards for the network, security, and applications. The low-rate WPAN was emerged to have the characteristics of network resilience, low cost, and low power consumption. It has a broad range of applications including, but not limit to industrial control and monitoring, home automation, disaster forecast and monitoring, health care. In order to provide more intelligent and robust services, users want voice-based solutions to accommodate to low-rate WPAN. In this paper, we have evaluated voice quality of an IEEE 802.15.4 standard compliant voice node. Specifically, it includes the design of a voice node and experiments based on the prediction of voice quality using the E-model suggested by ITU-T G.107, and the network communication mechanisms considering beacon-enabled and nonbeacon-enabled networks for real-time voice communications.

• Communications for Statistical Applications and Methods
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.43-60
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• 2018

This paper considers the use of classical and Bayesian inference methods to analyze data generated by variables whose natural behavior can be modeled using asymmetric distributions in the presence of left censoring. Our approach used a $L{\grave{e}}vy$ distribution in the presence of left censored data and covariates. This distribution could be a good alternative to model data with asymmetric behavior in many applications as lifetime data for instance, especially in engineering applications and health research, when some observations are large in comparison to other ones and standard distributions commonly used to model asymmetry data like the exponential, Weibull or log-logistic are not appropriate to be fitted by the data. Inferences for the parameters of the proposed model under a classical inference approach are obtained using a maximum likelihood estimators (MLEs) approach and usual asymptotical normality for MLEs based on the Fisher information measure. Under a Bayesian approach, the posterior summaries of interest are obtained using standard Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation methods and available software like SAS. A numerical illustration is presented considering data of thyroglobulin levels present in a group of individuals with differentiated cancer of thyroid.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.423-427
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• 2022

A pressure sensor that mimics the sensing ability of human skin has emerged as high-profile technology because it shows remarkable applications in numerous fields such as robotics, human health monitoring, and artificial prosthetics. Whereas recent pressure sensors have achieved high sensitivity similar to that of human skin, they still show limited detection bandwidth. Moreover, once these e-skin are fabricated, their sensitivity and stiffness are fixed; therefore, they can be used for only limited applications. Our study proposes a new adaptive pressure sensor built with uniform gallium microdroplet-elastomer composite. Based on the phase transition of gallium microdroplets, the proposed sensor undergoes mode transformation, enabling it to have a higher sensitivity and wider detection bandwidth compared with those of human skin. In addition, we succeeded in extending a single adaptive pressure sensor to sensor arrays based on its high uniformity, reproducibility, and large-scale manufacturability. Finally, we designed an adaptive e-skin with the sensor array and demonstrated its applications on health monitoring tasks including blood pulse and body weight measurements.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.49-89
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• 2019

Many studies have been conducted on adoption of healthcare applications. However, few studies have paid their attention to continuous usage intention of healthcare applications even though success of healthcare applications is determined by Continuous usage intention rather than adoption. Therefore, this study tried to identify the factors affecting the continuous usage intention of healthcare applications and examined the relationship between them empirically. In addition, the role of gender and age in the relationship was investigated. The results showed that self-efficacy and innovation had a significant effect on perceived ease of use of healthcare application, while self-efficacy, health information seeking, and enjoyment had a significant effect on perceived usefulness. Perceived ease of use and usefulness showed positive impact on continuous usage intention of healthcare application. Finally, age and gender had a moderator effect the relationship between perceived usefulness and continuous usage intention. This study is expected to make contributions to the existing research by identifying the factors affecting the Continuous usage intention of healthcare applications, but also to give a guideline for managers who want to provide healthcare application services.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.223-240
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• 2009

As in any engineering application, the problem of structural assessment should face the different uncertainties present in real world. The main source of uncertainty in Health Monitoring System (HMS) applications are those related to the sensor accuracy, the theoretical models and the variability in structural parameters and applied loads. In present work, two methodologies have been developed to deal with these uncertainties in order to adopt reliable decisions related to the presence of damage. A simple example, a steel beam analysis, is considered in order to establish a liable comparison between them. Also, such methodologies are used with a developed structural assessment algorithm that consists in a direct and consistent comparison between sensor data and numerical model results, both affected by uncertainty. Such algorithm is applied to a simple concrete laboratory beam, tested till rupture, to show it feasibility and operational process. From these applications several conclusions are derived with a high value, regarding the final objective of the work, which is the implementation of this algorithm within a HMS, developed and applied into a prototype structure.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.201-210
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• 2023

Dust filter membranes play a crucial role in human life and various industries, as they contribute to several important aspects of human health, safety, and environmental protection. This study presents the development of a polysulfone@polyphenylene sulfide/polytetrafluoroethylene (PSf@PPS/ePTFE) composite dust filter membrane with excellent thermal stability and adhesion properties for high-temperature conditions. FT-IR analysis confirms successful impregnation of PSf adhesive onto PPS fabric and interaction with ePTFE support. FE-SEM images reveal improved fiber interconnection and adhesion with increased PSf concentration. PSf@PPS/ePTFE-5 exhibits the most suitable porous structure. The composite membrane demonstrates exceptional thermal stability up to 400℃. Peel resistance tests show sufficient adhesion for dust filtration, ensuring reliable performance under tough, high-temperature conditions without compromising air permeability. This membrane offers promising potential for industrial applications. Further optimizations and applications can be explored.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.472-478
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• 2010

Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world. Education is at the core of cancer prevention activities, especially programs targeting empowering existing public health workforce. In the past 10 years, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have been building the Global Health Network Supercourse project, a library of over 4500 online lectures and a network of nearly 50000 public health professionals in 174 countries. As of November 2010, the overall number of Supercourse participants from Asia exceeds 7000 participants. The Supercourse network has been investigating methods for Internet based recruitment of cancer prevention professionals in order to network cancer experts locally and globally, including the use of mHealth technologies for cancer research education and for NCD registries. Supercourse is a tool that can offer a solution to the challenges of information sharing, especially in the field of NCDs and cancer. In this paper, we highlight the need for the development of Cancer Supercourse with Satellite in Asia and encourage faculty members from Asia to join the network.