Emmanuel Bible College

To determine the prevalence and factors associated with pain-related disabilities among First Nations people living off-reserve in Canada in 2017. Secondary analysis of the 2017 Aboriginal Peoples Survey, a cross-sectional survey of individuals living in private dwellings throughout Canada. First Nations people living off-reserve aged 15 years and older (n=9115; weighted n=482 066). Pain-related disabilities, defined as pain-related activity limitations lasting ≥6 months. Overall, 22.1% (95% CI 20.9% to 23.4%) of First Nations people living off-reserve reported pain-related disabilities. Prevalence was higher among females (26.1%; 95% CI (24.3% to 28.0%)), increased with age (34.3%; 95% CI (30.3% to 38.5%) among those 45 to 54 years) and was similar across geographic areas (ranging from 21.0%; 95% CI (18.3% to 23.9%) to 22.5%; 95% CI (20.8% to 24.2%)). Pain-related disabilities increased with the number of coexisting disabilities (96.2%; 95% CI (94.3% to 97.5%) among those with >3 disabilities) and was highest among those reporting physical disabilities (ranging from 88.2%; 95% CI (85.6% to 90.4%) for those with mobility disabilities to 91.0%; 95% CI (88.6% to 92.9%) for those with disability related to flexibility). Regression models suggested that individuals with unmet basic needs, housing dissatisfaction, unmet healthcare needs, a history of mental health consultations, part-time or no employment, chronic conditions, residential school attendance or a low sense of belonging were more likely to report pain-related disabilities. Pain-related disabilities are common among First Nations people living off-reserve, and their aetiology may be multifactorial. Continued collaboration with Indigenous partners is required to contextualise findings and to inform culturally responsive clinical and rehabilitation strategies.

This study presents a novel feature-wise non-linear least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) based technique for optimal feature selection of high-dimensional features in Partial discharges (PD) data. Laboratory conditions are employed to develop four insulation defects in medium voltage (MV) switchgear, extracting raw PD data. An experimental platform comprising a hybrid PD detection technique is employed to capture 4000 conventional and 4000 unconventional PD signals. Also, 4000 cumulative energy (CE) signals are generated from unconventional PD signals. From this dataset comprising 12000 signals, 35 typical PD features, 490 two-dimensional features, and 777 three-dimensional features are achieved. Finally, a novel feature-wise non-linear Lasso-based feature selection technique is implemented for optimal feature selection of PD data. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated through different classifiers. The proposed technique demonstrates exceptional performance in feature selection for PD data in MV switchgear with the potential for application to other power system components.

Abstract Background Anastomotic leak is a serious complication following esophagectomy, with risk factors including poor conduit blood flow and cervical location of the anastomosis. Leaks occur in 10–25% of patients and lead to increased morbidity, additional healthcare utilization, and a mortality rate of 7–35%. Fluid acidity (pH) and electrical conductivity (EC) have been shown to be predictors of leak after colonic anastomoses. We hypothesize that pH and EC, from drain output, can enable early prediction of anastomotic leaks following esophagectomy. Methods A prospective pilot study of patients undergoing esophagectomy at a single academic institution was performed. A portable, non-invasive biosensor system was attached inline between a standard anastomotic drainage catheter and evacuator bulb. The sensor continuously monitored drainage fluid characteristics including pH and electrical conductivity (EC), viewed in real-time on a bedside monitor. Preliminary data are summarized with Lowess plots for visual comparison and summary statistics (average, standard deviation). Results Thirteen patients have been evaluated: 9 neck drains (from 7 transhiatal and 2 McKeown esophagectomies) and 7 chest drains (from 4 Ivor Lewis esophagectomies with 1–2 drains). One patient was diagnosed with a leak, and two patients were diagnosed with clinical neck infections without leak. Average pH from cervical (n = 6) or chest (n = 7) drains without leak/infection was 8.005+/−0.661 and 8.135+/−0.224, respectively (Fig. 1a). Average EC from cervical or chest drains was 11.441+/−1.178mS/cm and 12.691+/−0.538mS/cm, respectively (Fig. 1b). In one patient with leak, the average cervical drain pH was 7.639 (Fig. 1c) and average EC was 12.443 (Fig. 1d). Conclusion Preliminary data suggest that monitoring para-anastomotic electrical conductivity and pH merits continued investigation to predict post-esophagectomy anastomotic leaks, with pilot data showing similar trends (lower pH, higher EC) observed for intraperitoneal bowel anastomotic leaks.

To ensure passenger safety, contemporary vehicle designs require robust systems of in-cabin child presence detection (CPD) that adhere to stringent standards or regulatory requirements. These systems are expected to accurately classify children, adults, and nonhuman objects with 100% accuracy and zero false alarms in less than 10 seconds. Challenges have persisted for years to achieve highly reliable CPD using frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW), particularly in missed detections and high detection precision for small displacements. This article presents integrated design strategies, wireless intelligent sensing (WISe), for mitigating these challenges and implementation details of the FMCW-based CPD system. Key hardware design guidelines and software methodologies for enabling WISe are highlighted in this article. First of all, a co-design approach for hardware is introduced, including the transmitting and receiving antenna isolation influence on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the radar systems. Second, software strategies are presented to enhance signal processing and data extraction, leveraging spatial-temporal features from point clouds (PCs) and vital signs for accurate and reliable classifications. Future applications of FMCW radar for advanced vehicular in-cabin sensing are also discussed.

In this paper the effect of contamination under varying temperature and relative humidity (RH) in electrical electric motors’ (EM) insulation is investigated through partial discharge (PD) diagnostics. The variations in PD intensity have been investigated under varying environmental conditions. For this purpose, PD measurements were carried out within an artificial industrial environment inside a climate-controlled chamber. Various PD features were extracted to study probability distribution functions to further investigate the PD severity at various levels of contamination, under varying temperatures and RH. Based on the experimental outcomes, it was revealed that PD activity within the EM insulation was significantly affected by temperature and RH under varying contamination conditions. The proposed methodology is believed to be helpful in achieving the desired level of reliability for a wide range of industrial applications exposed to ambient stresses.

BackgroundThe creation of Family Health Teams in Ontario was intended to reconfigure primary care services to better meet the needs of an aging population, an increasing proportion of which is affected by frailty and multimorbidity. However, evaluations of family health teams have yielded mixed results.MethodsWe conducted interviews with 22 health professionals affiliated or working with a well-established family health team in Southwest Ontario to understand how it approached the development of interprofessional chronic disease management programs, including successes and areas for improvement.ResultsQualitative analysis of the transcripts identified two primary themes: [1] Interprofessional team building and [2] Inadvertent creation of silos. Within the first theme, two subthemes were identified: (a) collegial learning and (b) informal and electronic communication.ConclusionEmphasis on collegiality among professionals, rather than on more traditional hierarchical relationships and common workspaces, created opportunities for better informal communication and shared learning and hence better care for patients. However, formal communication and process structures are required to optimize the deployment, engagement, and professional development of clinical resources to better support chronic disease management and to avoid internal care fragmentation for more complex patients with clustered chronic conditions.

"Barbara J. McClure. Emotions: Problems and Promise for Human Flourishing." Toronto Journal of Theology, 38(2), pp. 237–238

For decades, we have been hearing about the “fast pace” of technology, the “rapidly changing technology environment,” and the need for companies to be on the “cutting edge” in order to remain competitive or even relevant. Different methodologies have come and gone, some like Six Sigma remaining popular and effective and others like the Capability Maturity Model (and its short-lived successor, the Capability Maturity Model Integrated) falling by the wayside after a respectable run.