213 research outputs found
Effect of skin tone on the accuracy of the estimation of arterial oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry: a systematic review
No full textBackground: pulse oximetry derived oxygen saturation (SpO2) is an estimate of true arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2). The aim of this review was to evaluate available evidence determining the effect of skin tone on the ability of pulse oximeters to accurately estimate SaO2.Methods: literature was screened to identify clinical and non-clinical studies enrolling adults and children when SpO2 was compared to a paired co-oximetry SaO2 value. We searched literature databases from their inception to March 20th 2023. Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool. Certainty of assessment was evaluated using the GRADE tool.Results: forty-four studies were selected reporting on at least 222,644 participants (6121 of whom were children) and 733,722 paired SpO2-SaO2 measurements. Methodologies included laboratory studies, prospective clinical and retrospective clinical studies. A high RoB was detected in 64% of studies and there was considerable heterogeneity in study design, data analysis and reporting metrics. Only 11 (25%) studies measured skin tone in 2353 (1.1%) participants; the remainder reported participant ethnicity. 68,930 (31.0%) participants were of non-White ethnicity or had non-light skin tones. The majority of studies reported overestimation of SaO2 by pulse oximetry in participants with darker skin tones or from ethnicities assumed to have darker skin tones. Several studies reported no inaccuracy related to skin tone. Meta-analysis of the data was not possible.Conclusion: pulse oximetry may overestimate true SaO2 in people with darker skin tones. The clinical relevance of this bias remains unclear, but its magnitude is likely to greater when SaO2 is lower.<br/
Narrative worlds and fictional worlds: (be)coming and going in the novels of Raymond Queneau, Claude Simon, and Alain Robbe-Grillet
No full textThrough a focused exploration of “experimental” novels by Raymond Queneau, Claude Simon, and Alain Robbe-Grillet, the reading experience is reexamined in this dissertation. Special attention is paid to the process of “worldbuilding,” namely the symbiotic relationship between synthetic reading competency and higher-level acts of interpretation. It is argued throughout that readers interact with literary texts not simply as verbal structures, but also by co-creating a multiplicity of imaginary worlds subtended by intentional structures that span the divide between reader and text. The intentional attenuation of subject and object is characteristic of the aesthetic experience as described by Dufrenne, Iser, and Merleau-Ponty, and it is further intensified in the novels of Queneau, Simon, and Robbe-Grillet, which address the status of fiction in fiction. In this way, the reader’s attention wanders between the worlds depicted by texts and the words by means of which these worlds are depicted.
The work of these authors is marked by transition and transaction on the part of character and reader. Behind Queneau’s language-games, a multiplicity of fictional worlds rapidly cycles in and out of being. Simon’s densely packed prose shifts the novice reader into his fictional worlds through the figure of the “soldier-subject.” The geometric simplicity of Robbe-Grillet’s descriptions hides the impossibility of deciphering the events of his fictional worlds. The reader’s interaction with these texts is dynamic, relying upon the basic process of building a world out of disparate textual and extra-textual elements.
Following possible worlds theorists such as Dolezel and Pavel, the two primary worlds engendered by the literary artwork are conceived of as (1) “narrative,” whereby the reader manipulates the linguistic building blocks of the text, and (2) “fictional,” in which the reader transcends such language-based constraints to emerge into a space clearly distinguished from everyday life. Examination of the reader’s nonlinear movement between intertwined narrative and fictional worlds demonstrates Matei Calinescu’s provocative notion that every reader is a rereader. It is suggested that understanding the reader’s movement between absorption in a text and interaction with a text by means of worldbuilding might elucidate a novel kind of “rereading” exemplified by new technologies.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical references (p. 409-432)by Peter Sorrel
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE): creating an electronics equipment takeback program in light of current European Union directives and possible U.S. legislation
No full textPlan BThe lack of a takeback program for Waste Electrical and Electronics Equipment (WEEE) places XYZ Corporation at risk of violating European Union directives currently in effect. Legislation of electronic waste is also being proposed in various jurisdictions within the United States. The purpose of this study was to:
1. Determine what options are available to XYZ to dispose of its end-of-life electronic hardgoods in a manner that:
a. Maintains its industry-leading reputation as a good corporate environmental citizen
b. Complies with European Union directives and any other laws and regulations
2. Determine if an electronic hardgoods takeback program for Product One and Product
Two can be developed in the United States prior to the enactment of laws and regulations requiring such takeback
Invasion strategies in clonal aquatic plants: Are phenotypic differences caused by phenotypic plasticity or local adaptation?
No full textBackground and Aims: The successful spread of invasive plants in new environments is often linked to multiple introductions and a diverse gene pool that facilitates local adaptation to variable environmental conditions. For clonal plants, however, phenotypic plasticity may be equally important. Here the primary adaptive strategy in three non-native, clonally reproducing macrophytes (Egeria densa, Elodea canadensis and Lagarosiphon major) in New Zealand freshwaters were examined and an attempt was made to link observed differences in plant morphology to local variation in habitat conditions. Methods: Field populations with a large phenotypic variety were sampled in a range of lakes and streams with different chemical and physical properties. The phenotypic plasticity of the species before and after cultivation was studied in a common garden growth experiment, and the genetic diversity of these same populations was also quantified. Key Results: For all three species, greater variation in plant characteristics was found before they were grown in standardized conditions. Moreover, field populations displayed remarkably little genetic variation and there was little interaction between habitat conditions and plant morphological characteristics. Conclusions: The results indicate that at the current stage of spread into New Zealand, the primary adaptive strategy of these three invasive macrophytes is phenotypic plasticity. However, while limited, the possibility that genetic diversity between populations may facilitate ecotypic differentiation in the future cannot be excluded. These results thus indicate that invasive clonal aquatic plants adapt to new introduced areas by phenotypic plasticity. Inorganic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous were important in controlling plant size of E. canadensis and L. major, but no other relationships between plant characteristics and habitat conditions were apparent. This implies that within-species differences in plant size can be explained by local nutrient conditions. All together this strongly suggests that invasive clonal aquatic plants adapt to a wide range of habitats in introduced areas by phenotypic plasticity rather than local adaptation. © 2010 The Author. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved
Analysis of methods for controlling losses from slips, trips, and falls at XYZ Company
No full textPlan BThis study provided an in-depth examination of losses resulting from slips, trips, and falls at an industrial facility. Areas of analysis included a comprehensive review of XYZ Company’s loss records, a review of housekeeping policies/programs, testing of floor surfaces to determine the slip resistant characteristics, as well as the testing and evaluation of footwear options to determine the effectiveness and financial feasibility of this control option. These areas were examined in order to develop the detailed understanding of the loss problem at the facility necessary for solution development and implementation. Methods of analysis included the use of an English XL slip meter to quantitatively determine the slip resistance of three types of flooring surfaces at the facility. Evaluated surfaces were tested under both uncontaminated and contaminated conditions to determine the ability of the flooring to provide adequate traction. A quantitative method was also developed using a force gauge to evaluate the slip resistant characteristics of footwear; experimental trials were conducted on a non-slip resistant and slip resistant boot to determine which boot performed better in XYZ Company’s environments. Coefficient of friction values were generated from the footwear experiments, and a comparative analysis performed to evaluate the performance of the boots. An additional element of the study was a cost/benefit analysis examining the financial impact on XYZ Company of implementing a slip resistant footwear program. Findings of the study indicated generally adequate levels of slip resistance on two of the tested surfaces, with a smooth concrete surface exhibiting low slip resistant properties. Results of the footwear tests indicated neither type of boot performed ideally on all of the tested surfaces; variations in sole design were determined to be the cause of the performance differences. Data obtained from the footwear experiments supports the slip resistant footwear selection criteria of ANSI/ASSE 1264.2-2001
Invasion strategies in clonal aquatic plants: Are phenotypic differences caused by phenotypic plasticity or local adaptation?
No full textBackground and Aims: The successful spread of invasive plants in new environments is often linked to multiple introductions and a diverse gene pool that facilitates local adaptation to variable environmental conditions. For clonal plants, however, phenotypic plasticity may be equally important. Here the primary adaptive strategy in three non-native, clonally reproducing macrophytes (Egeria densa, Elodea canadensis and Lagarosiphon major) in New Zealand freshwaters were examined and an attempt was made to link observed differences in plant morphology to local variation in habitat conditions. Methods: Field populations with a large phenotypic variety were sampled in a range of lakes and streams with different chemical and physical properties. The phenotypic plasticity of the species before and after cultivation was studied in a common garden growth experiment, and the genetic diversity of these same populations was also quantified. Key Results: For all three species, greater variation in plant characteristics was found before they were grown in standardized conditions. Moreover, field populations displayed remarkably little genetic variation and there was little interaction between habitat conditions and plant morphological characteristics. Conclusions: The results indicate that at the current stage of spread into New Zealand, the primary adaptive strategy of these three invasive macrophytes is phenotypic plasticity. However, while limited, the possibility that genetic diversity between populations may facilitate ecotypic differentiation in the future cannot be excluded. These results thus indicate that invasive clonal aquatic plants adapt to new introduced areas by phenotypic plasticity. Inorganic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous were important in controlling plant size of E. canadensis and L. major, but no other relationships between plant characteristics and habitat conditions were apparent. This implies that within-species differences in plant size can be explained by local nutrient conditions. All together this strongly suggests that invasive clonal aquatic plants adapt to a wide range of habitats in introduced areas by phenotypic plasticity rather than local adaptation. © 2010 The Author. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved
The integration of safety and ergonomics into a lean manufacturing processa case study
No full textIncludes bibliographical references
Remotely piloted aircraft improve precision of capture–mark–resight population estimates of Australian fur seals
No full textRemotely piloted aircraft (RPA or drones) have become a powerful tool for use in spatial and temporal ecology. Major benefits for environmental management, including improved accuracy and precision for population monitoring of fauna, are being realized. We used Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus) as a model system to assess how counts and capture–mark–resight (CMR) estimates derived from RPA surveys compared with both traditionally used ground counts and CMR abundance estimates at two colonies in southeastern Australia. To manage the large volume of data, we implemented a citizen science portal SealSpotter to screen RPA imagery for animals of the target age classes. Capture–mark–resight estimates and direct counts using RPA imagery provided measurable improvement in monitoring precision when compared with traditional techniques. A key methodological assumption of CMR estimates is that there is uniform mixing of marked animals across the focal area. This was also validated using spatial data derived from images and linear models, a novel capability of the RPA technique. Our findings have the potential to improve wildlife monitoring techniques for fur seals and are broadly transferable to a wide range of other animal taxa where CMR techniques are employed. Furthermore, they add to the growing body of evidence that demonstrates the benefits of RPAs for wildlife monitoring exceed those of traditional techniques.</p
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