Enhancement of surgical training practice with the spring tensor heuristic model

The enhancement of surgical simulation tools is an important research study, to assist in the assessment and feedback of medical training practice. In this research, the Spring Tensor Model (STEM) has been used for laparoscopic end-effector navigation through obstacles and high-risk areas. The modelling of the surgical trainer as part of the laparoscopic simulator seeks to emulate the physical environment as a virtualised representation in the integrated infrastructure. Combining sensor network framework paradigms to a surgical knowledge-based construct demonstrates how STEM can enhance medical practice. The architectural hybridisation of the training framework has enabled the adaptation of STEM modelling techniques for a simulated laparoscopic training methodology. The primary benefit of the architecture is that this integration strategy has resulted in a seamless transition of the heuristic framework to be applied to surgical training

Effect of spin-orbit interaction on heterojunction band discontinuities

The effect of spin-orbit interaction is included in the linear combination of atomic orbitals calculation of heterojunction band discontinuities. It is found that spin-orbit interaction is not negligible when the atomic number of the constituent atoms exceeds about 40. The effect of spin-orbit interaction as well as some interesting observations and their implications are briefly discussed

Deployment of an agent-based SANET architecture for healthcare services

This paper describes the adaptation of a computational technique utilizing Extended Kohonen Maps (EKMs) and Rao-Blackwell-Kolmogorov (R-B) Filtering mechanisms for the administration of Sensor-Actuator networks (SANETs). Inspired by the BDI (Belief-Desire-Intention) Agent model from Rao and Georgeff, EKMs perform the quantitative analysis of an algorithmic artificial neural network process by using an indirect-mapping EKM to self-organize, while the Rao-Blackwell filtering mechanism reduces the external noise and interference in the problem set introduced through the self-organization process. Initial results demonstrate that a combinatorial approach to optimization with EKMs and Rao-Blackwell filtering provides an improvement in event trajectory approximation in comparison to standalone cooperative EKM processes to allow responsive event detection and optimization in patient healthcare

Business process re-engineering in Saudi Arabia: A survey of understanding and attitudes

This survey was conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to investigate the level of awareness of BPR. Respondents (customers, employees, and managers) had different educational backgrounds and were from private and public sectors. Findings of the study indicate a general awareness of BPR in KSA. © 2008 IEEE

Software infrastructure for wireless sensor and actuator networks

In the development of large ad-hoc Wireless Sensor and Actuator Agent Networks (SANETS), a multitude of disparate problems are faced. In order for these networks to function, software must be able to effectively manage: unreliable dynamic distributed communication, the power constraints of un-wired devices, failure of hardware devices in hostile environments and the remote allocation of distributed processing tasks throughout the network. The solutions to these problems must be solved in a highly scalable manner. The paper describes the process of analysis of the requirements and presents a design of a service-oriented software infrastructure (middleware) solution for scalable ad-hoc networks, in a context of a system made of mobile sensors and actuators. © 2011 IEEE

Cooperative agent-based SANET architecture for personalised healthcare monitoring

The application of an software agent-based computational technique that implements Extended Kohonen Maps (EKMs) for the management of Sensor-Actuator networks (SANETs) in health-care facilities. The agent-based model incorporates the BDI (Belief-Desire-Intention) Agent paradigms by Georgeff et al. EKMs perform the quantitative analysis of an algorithmic artificial neural network process by using an indirect-mapping EKM to self-organize. Current results show a combinatorial approach to optimization with EKMs provides an improvement in event trajectory estimation compared to standalone cooperative EKM processes to allow responsive event detection for patient monitoring scenarios. This will allow healthcare professionals to focus less on administrative tasks, and more on improving patient needs, particularly with people who are in need for dedicated care and round-the-clock monitoring. ©2010 IEEE

File compression using typogenetic computation

Typogenetic algorithms are a break from classical approaches to computation. Based on gene expression and intercellular processes, typo-genetic computation can offer a new approach to the algorithmic problems of system security, data compression and encryption. The method has a potential of much higher compression ratios at the limited computational costs i.e. processing time. This paper presents a formal system based on typogenetics for the purposes of compression. Lossless data compression is an important part of computer science. While the ability to reduce consumption of hard disk space or transmission bandwidth through statistical redundancy has served well in the past, the explosive growth in high quality media content (*.mp3, *.mpg) on the internet in the past few years have highlighted the limitations of traditional statistical techniques for compression. © 2008 IEEE

Smart Hospital Management System: An integration of enterprise level solutions utilising open group architecture framework (TOGAF)

A significant portion of the Hospital Information Systems currently consists of various individual legacy applications that have to be integrated, to deliver a more unified solution. The performance, reliability and other factors of these applications can alter the performance, reliability and other characteristics of integrated Solution, the Smart Hospital Management System (SHS). The actual evaluation of these parameters of these applications is outside the scope of this document. The SHS being an infrastructure component relies heavily on the actual resources made available to it for its proper functioning, operation and maintenance. This article aims to deliver an approach in architecting solutions which can be utilised as framework to address common issues in integration of enterprise level solutions. The methodologies discussed in TOGAF version 9 are utilised to demonstrate the feasibility of proposed solution. This paper introduces the problem space/scenarios, constraints, requirements, enablers, risks, sample legacy application architectures and proposed integration solution presented with TOGAF components. The growing number of waiting lists, rising pressure on medical professionals and accountability for medical negligence are only part of the motivation to take initiative towards holds a core model integration strategy in various legacy infrastructure systems. © 2010 IEEE

Short cavity InGaAsP/InP lasers with dielectric mirrors

Short cavity length (38 µm) lasers have been fabricated using a recently developed microcleavage technique. SiO2-amorphous Si multilayer coatings have been evaported on the lasers to obtain high reflectivity mirrors. The lasers have current thresholds as low as 3.8 mA with 85% reflecting front mirror and high reflectivity rear mirror and 2.9 mA with two high reflectivity mirrors. Single longitudinal mode operation is observed over a wide range of driving currents and temperatures