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Wireless Power Transfer for Implantable Medical Devices: Impact of Implantable Antennas on Energy Harvesting
Get PDFThis paper presents a thorough review of the main techniques used for wireless power transfer (WPT) in implantable medical devices (IMDs) with a specific focus on the techniques that employ implantable antennas for energy harvesting (electromagnetic (EM) WPT techniques). The techniques are first analysed and compared based on the IMD application, power transfer efficiency (PTE), transfer distance, implantation depth, implant size, operating frequency, and specific absorption rate (SAR). The study provides a critical analysis of the main WPT system’s as well as implantable antennas’ design parameters that control the PTE and hence the charging rate of the IMD. The investigated design parameters include the WPT TX-RX antennas’ gain, WPT-RX size, transfer distance, and the WPT TX-RX antennas’ alignment. Tutorial simulation examples are included to showcase the impact of these design parameters on the amount of power coupled to the IMD. The paper also discusses recent techniques used for improving the amount of power received by implantable antennas, and hence higher PTE and IMDs charging rate, namely, the use of implantable MIMO WPT-RX antennas to mitigate antennas misalignment and the use of metamaterial surfaces to focus the power emitted from WPT-TX antennas towards the implantable WPT-RX antennas. The findings and observations reported in this study serve as a valuable resource for designers and researchers to comprehend the effect of various WPT TX-RX antennas design parameters on PTE. The analysis and full-wave simulation examples, included in the paper, are shown very useful in understanding the challenges associated with WPT in IMDs and in proposing potential solutions
Draft genome sequence of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain isolated from a chronic wound
Get PDFWe report the draft genome sequence and antimicrobial resistance gene profile of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clinical isolate recovered from a chronic pressure injury wound infection of an adult female patient. The draft genome sequence included a 2.86-Mb chromosome, which was accompanied by a 27-kb plasmid containing blaZ
What is the effectiveness of methods for eradicating or controlling abundance and biomass of invasive aquatic plants in Canada? A systematic review protocol
Get PDF1.Invasive freshwater aquatic plants can have adverse ecological effects on the systems to which they are introduced, changing ecosystem function, threatening native plant species and causing billions of dollars in damage to infrastructure. Additionally, once established, invasive aquatic plants are often difficult to eradicate or control. 2.Given the importance of managing invasive aquatic plants, and the high associated economic costs of doing so, it is essential to determine the relative effectiveness of different control methods. Here, we present a protocol for a systematic review that will estimate the effectiveness of various biological, chemical, habitat manipulations and/or manual/mechanical methods for eradicating or controlling invasive plant abundance and biomass. 3.This systematic review will use published and grey literature, without date restriction, that determines the effectiveness of invasive plant control methods. English-language searches will be performed using five bibliographic databases, Google Scholar, and networking tools to find relevant literature. Eligibility screening will be conducted at two stages: (1) title and abstract and (2) full text. Studies that evaluate the effectiveness of methods for controlling the abundance or biomass or eradicating invasive plants will be included. A list of plant species currently, or potentially, in Canadian freshwater systems and of management concern will be considered. 4.Included studies will undergo critical appraisal of internal study validity. We will extract information on study characteristics, intervention and comparator details, measured outcomes (abundance and biomass, broadly defined) and effect modifiers (e.g., plant growth pattern or timing of treatments). A narrative synthesis will be used to describe the quantity and characteristics of the evidence base, while quantitative synthesis (i.e., meta-analysis) will be conducted to estimate an overall mean and variance of effect when sufficient numbers of similar studies are available
On Differential Equations With Indefinite Principal Parts
No full textThis doctoral dissertation consists of three refereed open access papers. These papers comprise chapters 2-4 herein. They deal with problems arising from a study of various differential equations with indefinite principal parts whether they be classified as ordinary, abstract, or fractional. In the first paper (Chapter 2) we show that Sturm’s separation theorem always fails for a classical real two term second order differential equation in the event that the principal part has one turning point inside the interval of definition. In the second paper (Chapter 3) we consider differential equations defined by so-called conformable derivatives and show that these differential operators are essentially multiplication operators (by a possibly sign-indefinite leading term) on a space of ordinary derivatives of functions. In the third paper (Chapter 4) we prove existence and uniqueness theorems for initial value problems and two-point boundary problems associated with fractional differential equations defined by composition of right Caputo differential operators and left Riemann-Liouville differential operators with indefinite principal parts
At Face Value: Mapping the Controversy of Facial Recognition Technology in Canada and its use by the RCMP
No full textUntil the use of certain technologies become public, they tend to operate with limited controversy, which is the case with Clearview AI. Current literature on data-driven surveillance considers how these technologies violate constitutional rights to privacy and security. I propose to challenge this narrative by asking us to consider how the ontology of facial recognition is grounded within multiple realities. Specifically how different tools render the function of surveillance as contingent, multiple, and context dependent. By mapping out the controversies around facial recognition technology in Canada, this thesis will offer a critical perspective on what security controversies tell us about practices of surveillance and security politics in general. Please consider referencing my interactive timeline alongside this thesis (https://xmind.app/m/pwRKgK). This timeline functions to visualize different aspects of this controversy, while bridging the gap between multiple publics who may be interested in this case outside of the theoretical scope of this thesis
Individual Variation in French-L2 Spelling Ability
No full textCanadian French-as-a-Second-Language (FSL) programmes teach students how to read and write in French with the goal of bilingualism. However, students are not consistently attaining a level of French equivalent to native French speakers (Genesee, 1987) and many graduates do not retain their French knowledge (Turcotte, 2019). To explore this pattern in greater depth, 92 graduates of Canadian FSL programmes completed an online survey. Participants were assessed on receptive vocabulary, print exposure (PE), morphological awareness (MA), and general spelling ability, in both English and French. English vocabulary, PE, and MA accounted for 35% of the variance in overall English spelling. French vocabulary and MA accounted for 28% of the variance in overall French spelling, but French PE was not a significant predictor. Finally, print exposure in English was not correlated with French spelling outcomes. These results suggest that morphological awareness is a key metalinguistic skill to supporting French spelling beyond graduation
Stó:lō Relationalities: Exploring Infrastructures of Climate Adaptation along the Fraser River
No full textStó:lō, or the Fraser River in British Columbia, is a site of many intersecting forces, from the urgency of climate change caused by flooding and ecological degradation to the material and political hierarchies produced by settler-colonial infrastructures. All of which is imposed onto a rich landscape of indigenous life and history. This paper's approach follows three phases—encountering, entangling, and engaging—of indigenous culture from a non-indigenous (Chinese Canadian) perspective. The process analyzes, practices, and builds on connected histories of indigeneity, migrant labour, and modern colonial conditions. ‘Mapping’ also becomes integral for macroscopic and embodied interpretations of the Stó:lō, followed by the design of a socio-ecological infrastructure addressing climate change from a cultural angle. The paper concludes by reflecting on place-knowing for architectural practice, engagements with indigeneity, LANDBACK, and the cultural dimensions of climate change, suggesting further steps for related projects
Integrative Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization Techniques for Efficient Data-Intensive Applications in Edge Computing Infrastructures
No full textThe fourth industrial revolution is blurring the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds. New solutions are becoming increasingly complex and involve expertise in multiple domains. Thus, they can no longer be considered stand-alone solutions but a system of systems comprising devices, users, and other supporting systems. Their conception, design, and deployment require a thorough analysis of the scenario to be successful. Modeling and simulation-based systems engineering (MSBSE) applies advanced Modeling and Simulation (M&S) techniques to ensure a logical, robust, and reliable incremental design, allowing the technical risks of the system to be assessed while lowering the costs of the solution under development. However, these methods still have different shortcomings. This thesis proposes a novel approach that integrates Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization methodologies for developing complex systems. This holistic view emphasizes using formal modeling tools to build more robust and reliable solutions. Simulation is the main tool to verify that the proposed model meets the system requirements. It also incorporates optimization techniques to automate design decisions and improve the system under development performance. We provide an in-depth study of formal modeling, simulation, and optimization approaches to aid the development of more robust solutions throughout the design and development of complex systems. We then propose a new process for integrating these modeling, simulation, and optimization techniques. In addition, we explore techniques for improving simulation performance to accelerate the proposed system development process. Finally, we define an M&S-agnostic optimization framework that integrates different optimization algorithms to improve the performance of any complex system under development. Decoupling the optimization tools from the specific problem allows us to reuse the optimization tools for multiple systems under study. We define a use case of a complex system to elaborate on the proposed methodology. Namely, we focus on federated Edge Computing infrastructures. This use case can benefit significantly from the proposed workflow, as the number of interconnected devices is growing exponentially and the current infrastructures are becoming saturated. Edge Computing stands out as a technology enabler for new services that require intensive, distributed real-time computation
Representations of Lie Algebras of Vector Fields on Algebraic Varieties and Supervarieties
No full textThis thesis is devoted to a study of the structure and representation theory of some infinite-dimensional Lie algebras and Lie superalgebras. The first family studied is the Lie algebras of vector fields on smooth affine algebraic varieties. After an exposition of the structure of such Lie algebras, we consider representations that admit a compatible action of the coordinate ring of the algebraic variety and are finitely generated as modules over this commutative algebra. We prove that these representations can be associated with a vector bundle that admits a compatible action of the tangent sheaf. We also prove that the action of the tangent sheaf is given by a differential operator. These results allow us to solve a conjecture made in the first papers of this theory. The second family considered is a supergeometry version of the previous. After an investigation of the smoothness of algebraic supervarieties, we prove that the global sections of the tangent sheaf of a smooth integral affine supervariety form a simple Lie superalgebra. Subsequently, we consider representations of this Lie superalgebra that admit a compatible action of global sections of the structure sheaf of the affine supervariety. Analogously to the non-super case, we show that the associated sheaf of modules admits a compatible action of the tangent sheaf when it is coherent. We also prove that this action is defined by a differential operator. Lastly, we study the weight modules with finite multiplicities over the map superalgebra associated with a basic Lie superalgebra. We prove that these representations are either cuspidal or parabolically induced from a cuspidal bounded module over a subalgebra of the map superalgebra. We also show that cuspidal bounded modules are evaluation modules
Navigating Trust in Modern Currency Systems: A Trust-Based Examination of the Cryptocurrency Evolution as a Fiat Currency Alternative
No full textWith growing interest in cryptocurrencies there comes a need for understanding this emergent currency in relation to fiat currencies that make up our modern financial systems. Drawing upon concepts developed by Simmel and Marx, this study explores the role of social relations and trust in shaping the development of cryptocurrencies, examining the portrayal of this emerging financial and technological system within the mainstream media. This research has two key findings. First, this research demonstrates how certain libertarian characteristics pose as obstacles in the development of trust in cryptocurrencies as currencies, due to their resistance to polity. Second, the implementation of familiarity and trust will be beneficial for the integration of digital currencies in modern day currencies. Overall, these findings suggest that for cryptocurrencies to succeed as money and replace fiat currencies, they will need to lose some of their libertarian characteristics and embrace the importance of trust and polity