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PubMed1985

Design verification on a speech synthesizer using electron beam testing techniques.

The use of Electron Beam Testing (EBT) techniques in the verification both of the circuit and of electric simulation tools turns out to be very powerful and promises to improve the reliability and performance of VLSI circuit design by providing an effective feedback from measurements to circuit design. That is true within the traditional design environment and, more effectively, in a standard cell design approach, characterized by a fast development and update time. In the latter case it is really possible to take strong advantage of tools and circuit improvements. The design tool taken into account is the world-wide used electrical simulator SPICE. The EBT system used, allows in sampling mode 1 ns time resolution and applies an oscilloscope with programmable digitizer to display the acquired waveforms. The actual example is carried out on a 2-phase generator inside a VLSI circuit: a speech synthesizer (Linear Predicting Code technique) designed in CSELT and implemented in a N-MOS 4 micron process by SGS-ATES.

Communication Devices for People with Disabilities↗
PubMed1992

Temperature and humidity control system in a lunar base.

An increasing number of lunar base construction programs are in the process of developing lunar resources such as helium 3. The objective of the present work is to evaluate the temperature and humidity control system, which will allow man to live and work on the moon while developing lunar resources. The results of thermal load calculation show that the load of electric lighting is a 80 to 90% of the cooling load in the habitat module and that only the cooling function is required for temperature control. Due to this, a fluorocarbon refrigerant heat pump system was selected to satisfy reliability, energy consumption, size and weight requirements for the lunar base equipment. According to the load calculation, occupants will feel discomfort due to radiant heat from lighting fixtures. To resolve this problem, an air conditioning system, used in combination with forced convective cooling and panel cooling on the ceiling, was adopted in the living space. Moreover, the experiment on the ground was carried out to evaluate the effects of panel cooling.

Air Conditioning↗
PubMed1995

Health care system changes and their effect on design and construction.

In the rapidly changing health care delivery system, architects, engineers and health professionals must change their thinking of the design and construction of health care facilities. There are many influences affecting the health care environment design process. This technical document examines those influences and the key role that those involved in design and construction have in changing the way people view the health care environment.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

[Epidemiology of chemical cancers].

The relationship between environment and the development of human carcinomas is no longer questionable. The term environment designates exposures that are both collective (pollution of air, water, occupational environment) and individual (tobacco, food, drugs). Epidemiological research, supported by experimental investigations, has led to the determination of a "profile" of various risk factors. This profile is always incomplete since man continuously modifies his environment, thus exposing himself to agents against which he has no protective mechanisms. The multiplicity of chemical or physical carcinogenetic agents makes their study difficult as the development of a carcinoma is probably not due to contact with a single carcinogenic factor but rather of the sum of all possible causative agents. Current data on the role of chemical environmental factors (pollution, occupational environment, dietary factors, tobacco, drugs) in the development of the various forms of cancer will be exposed and discussed.

Carcinogens, Environmental↗
PubMed1992

Design of institutions: cognitive functioning and social interactions of the aged resident.

Older people experience sensory, cognitive, and social deficits that adversely affect their interaction with the environment. Design of institutions for the elderly resident should be prosthetic to ensure that environments optimally accommodate the functioning of the residents. The sensory and cognitive state of the residents should be considered in every facility. This review discusses how sensory and cognitive changes in aging affect orientation and wayfinding as well as how the physical aspects of the environment can accommodate these changes to reduce confusion and disorientation. Environmental features that promote social interaction are reviewed. Because the environmental needs and unique characteristics of the cognitively impaired resident differs from that of the nonimpaired resident, special issues in the design of facilities for demented residents are reviewed. Conclusions are offered with regard to research needs and applied problems.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The association of neighborhood design and recreational environments with physical activity.

PURPOSE: To determine the association of neighborhood design factors and recreational environments with physical activity. METHODS: Randomly selected adults (n = 102, 52% female, 81% white, mean age = 48 years) completed a survey of eight neighborhood design variables, convenient recreational facilities, and availability of home equipment. Physical activity was measured by self-report and 7 days of accelerometer monitoring. RESULTS: Residential density and an overall environment index were significantly related to both vigorous-intensity self-reported (r = .35 and .28, respectively) and objectively measured physical activity (r = .39 and .23, respectively). Home equipment was correlated with self-reported total (r = .34) and vigorous leisure-time physical activity (r = .27). The vigorous and total activity accelerometer measures were correlated with street connectivity (r = .25 and .21, respectively). DISCUSSION: Few self-reported neighborhood design factors and recreational environment variables were correlated with physical activity, and some findings were unexpected.

Adult↗
PubMed2007

The experimental humanoid robot H7: a research platform for autonomous behaviour.

This paper gives an overview of the humanoid robot 'H7', which was developed over several years as an experimental platform for walking, autonomous behaviour and human interaction research at the University of Tokyo. H7 was designed to be a human-sized robot capable of operating autonomously in indoor environments designed for humans. The hardware is relatively simple to operate and conduct research on, particularly with respect to the hierarchical design of its control architecture. We describe the overall design goals and methodology, along with a summary of its online walking capabilities, autonomous vision-based behaviours and automatic motion planning. We show experimental results obtained by implementations running within a simulation environment as well as on the actual robot hardware.

Artificial Intelligence↗
PubMed2026

Impact of Physical Environment of Pediatric Inpatient Wards on Children: A Systematic Literature Review.

ObjectiveThe study aimed to examine empirical studies published between 2003 and 2025 to identify elements of physical environments influencing health outcomes and experiences of children and families.BackgroundIn the past 40 years, research has shown that the physical environment influences the health and well-being of patients in the healthcare environment. However, similar research in the context of "pediatric inpatient wards" remains underexplored.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were used to identify relevant articles. All extracted articles underwent a three-step screening process using PRISMA. A total of 30 eligible articles were used for the analysis. The protocol is registered at PROSPERO (CRD42023408997).ResultsKey findings reveal positive and negative impacts of identified elements. Positive-effect elements include play spaces, space for parents, natural light, connections with nature, and so on, which promote comfort, healing, and emotional resilience. Conversely, negative-effect elements, such as noise, artificial lighting, uncomfortable temperature, and so on, contribute to stress and disrupted sleep. Mixed effects were observed for elements like art and television, which underscore the complexity of designing environments that address the diverse needs of different age groups and genders.ConclusionsThe review findings highlight significant knowledge gaps. The study also tries to bridge existing gaps between research and practice by systematically identifying environmental elements, offering actionable insights to architects, designers, healthcare providers, and policymakers. Future research must adopt rigorous, culturally inclusive approaches to advance the field of pediatric healthcare design and ensure equitable care across diverse sociocultural contexts.

Humans↗
PubMed2006

The cost-effectiveness of screening for oral cancer in primary care.

OBJECTIVES: To use a decision-analytic model to determine the incremental costs and outcomes of alternative oral cancer screening programmes conducted in a primary care environment. DESIGN: The cost-effectiveness of oral cancer screening programmes in a number of primary care environments was simulated using a decision analysis model. Primary data on actual resource use and costs were collected by case note review in two hospitals. Additional data needed to inform the model were obtained from published costs, from systematic reviews and by expert opinion using the Trial Roulette approach. The value of future research was determined using expected value of perfect information (EVPI) for the decision to screen and for each of the model inputs. SETTING: Hypothetical screening programmes conducted in a number of primary care settings. Eight strategies were compared: (A) no screen; (B) invitational screen--general medical practice; (C) invitational screen--general dental practice; (D) opportunistic screen--general medical practice; (E) opportunistic screen--general dental practice; (F) opportunistic high-risk screen--general medical practice; (G) opportunistic high-risk screen--general dental practice; and (H) invitational screen--specialist. PARTICIPANTS: A hypothetical population over the age of 40 years was studied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main measures were mean lifetime costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of each alternative screening scenario and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) to determine the additional costs and benefits of each strategy over another. RESULTS: No screening (strategy A) was always the cheapest option. Strategies B, C, E and H were never cost-effective and were ruled out by dominance or extended dominance. Of the remaining strategies, the ICER for the whole population (age 49-79 years) ranged from pound 15,790 to pound 25,961 per QALY. Modelling a 20% reduction in disease progression always gave the lowest ICERs. Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves showed that there is considerable uncertainty in the optimal decision identified by the ICER, depending on both the maximum amount that the NHS may be prepared to pay and the impact that treatment has on the annual malignancy transformation rate. Overall, however, high-risk opportunistic screening by a general dental or medical practitioner (strategies F and G) may be cost-effective. EVPIs were high for all parameters with population values ranging from pound 8 million to pound 462 million. However, the values were significantly higher in males than females but also varied depending on malignant transformation rate, effects of treatment and willingness to pay. Partial EVPIs showed the highest values for malignant transformation rate, disease progression, self-referral and costs of cancer treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Opportunistic high-risk screening, particularly in general dental practice, may be cost-effective. This screening may more effectively be targeted to younger age groups, particularly 40-60 year olds. However, there is considerable uncertainty in the parameters used in the model, particularly malignant transformation rate, disease progression, patterns of self-referral and costs. Further study is needed on malignant transformation rates of oral potentially malignant lesions and to determine the outcome of treatment of oral potentially malignant lesions. Evidence has been published to suggest that intervention has no greater benefit than 'watch and wait'. Hence a properly planned randomised controlled trial may be justified. Research is also needed into the rates of progression of oral cancer and on referral pathways from primary to secondary care and their effects on delay and stage of presentation.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Starting research in interaction design with visuals for low-functioning children in the autistic spectrum: a protocol.

On starting to think about interaction design for low-functioning persons in the autistic spectrum (PAS), especially children, one finds a number of questions that are difficult to answer: Can we typify the PAS user? Can we engage the user in interactive communication without generating frustrating or obsessive situations? What sort of visual stimuli can we provide? Will they prefer representational or abstract visual stimuli? Will they understand three-dimensional (3D) graphic representation? What sort of interfaces will they accept? Can we set ambitious goals such as education or therapy? Unfortunately, most of these questions have no answer yet. Hence, we decided to set an apparently simple goal: to design a "fun application," with no intention to reach the level of education or therapy. The goal was to be attained by giving the users a sense of agency--by providing first a sense of control in the interaction dialogue. Our approach to visual stimuli design has been based on the use of geometric, abstract, two-dimensional (2D), real-time computer graphics in a full-body, non-invasive, interactive space. The results obtained within the European-funded project MultiSensory Environment Design for an Interface between Autistic and Typical Expressiveness (MEDIATE) have been extremely encouraging.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed1996

Perspectives of different type biological life support systems (BLSS) usage in space missions.

In the paper an attempt is made to combine three important criteria of LSS comparison: minimum mass, maximum safety and maximum quality of life. Well-known types of BLSS were considered: with higher plant, higher plants and mushrooms, microalgae, and hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria. These BLSSs were compared in terms of "integrated" mass for the case of a vegetarian diet and a "normal" one (with animal proteins and fats). It was shown that the BLSS with higher plants and incineration of wastes becomes the best when the exploitation period is more than 1 yr. The dependence of higher plants' LSS structure on operation time was found. Comparison of BLSSs in terms of integral reliability (this criterion includes mass and quality of life criteria) for a lunar base scenario showed that BLSSs with higher plants are advantageous in reliability and comfort. This comparison was made for achieved level of technology of closing and for perspective one.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1991

Effect of heterosis on performance of mice across three environments.

Performance of six genetic groups of mice was studied in three different environments in order to determine the effect of heterosis on consistency of performance in varied environments. Designed as a 3 x 6 factorial, data were analyzed using least squares analyses of variance. Genetic group effects, environmental effects, genetic group x environment interaction, and heterosis were examined for 42-d weight, age and weight at vaginal opening, age and weight at puberty, ovulation rate (determined by total corpora lutea), number of implantations, and number of fetuses at 10 d of gestation. Weight at vaginal opening, ovulation rate, implantation rate and total number of fetuses exhibited significant heterosis. Regression of these traits against an environmental index (mean performance of all genetic groups over environments) provided an estimate of stability of performance. In general, genetic groups exhibiting heterosis expressed more consistent performance across environments than pure lines did. We conclude that a stability model could be used to aid in identification of lines with consistent performance for production traits in variable environments.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Greening healthcare: practicing as if the natural environment really mattered.

OBJECTIVE: The natural world's role in human well-being is an essential, yet often forgotten, aspect of healthcare. Of particular importance are the benefits one can derive through interaction with natural environments. While health is an obvious goal of allopathic medicine, many healthcare settings are neither nurturing nor healing. Reincorporating the natural world into the design of settings in which medicine is practiced is one way to complement conventional healing modalities and move healthcare toward being more "green." This article discusses the breadth of existing knowledge available on the positive aspects of interaction with nature and provides a comprehensive theoretical perspective for future research. DATA SOURCES: Computerized searches were conducted using MEDLINE, PsycINFO, the Social and Scientific Science Indices, Dissertation Abstracts, Lexus-Nexus, the University of Michigan library, and the Internet. Searches were conducted from June 2001 through March 2002. STUDY SELECTION: Keywords used included health, well-being stress, attention, nature, garden, landscape, restorative, and healing. The literature, published between 1960 and 2001, came from various disciplines, including medicine, public health, nursing psychology, natural resources, history, and landscape architecture. Four components of well-being were used as a framework for literature selection: physical psychological-emotional social, and spiritual. DATA EXTRACTION: Articles were qualitatively reviewed to extract theories, hypotheses, and experimental evidence. DATA SYNTHESIS: Interaction with nature positively affects multiple dimensions of human health. Physiological effects of stress on the autonomic nervous system are lessened. Psychologically, deficits in attention can be restored or minimized, and people report feeling greater satisfaction with a variety of aspects of life. The presence of the natural world promotes social health by encouraging positive social interaction and lessening the frequency of aggressive behavior. Spiritual well-being is enhanced through the experience of greater interconnectedness, which occurs when interacting with the natural world. CONCLUSIONS: The literature reviewed provides evidence to support the intuitive belief that interaction with the natural world is a vital part of biopsychosocial-spiritual well-being. Incorporating the natural world into healthcare could provide health benefits and improve the design of healthcare facilities. Applied more broadly to society, this knowledge may change the way we approach public health, guard and manage natural resources, and design environments for human use.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1998

Environmental correlates of resident agitation in Alzheimer's disease special care units.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the point prevalence of agitated behaviors in a representative sample of Alzheimer's disease Special Care Units, and to determine the extent to which agitation is associated with aspects of the treatment environment. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study in which nonparticipant observers recorded 3723 observations of resident behaviors in 53 Alzheimer's disease Special Care Units. Observational data were gathered on the physical environment and staff treatment in these settings, and resident characteristics were extracted from a data base developed in the study states by the Health Care Financing Agency. Analyses studied the association between aspects of the staff and physical environment and resident agitation levels, controlling for resident cognitive and functional status. SETTING: Special Care Units in nursing homes in Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, and South Dakota. PARTICIPANTS: All residents and staff of the participating units. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Eight specific agitated behaviors and two indexes of resident agitation were measured by direct observation by research assistants on three to four data collection walk-throughs in each of the study facilities. RESULTS: The most common agitated behaviors noted were repetitive mannerisms (4.5% of resident observations) and non-loud verbal excess (3.8%). Wandering, which frequently reflects agitation, was noted in 6.5% of resident observations. The proportion of residents exhibiting an agitated behavior varied from none in some units to 38% in one unit. Independent correlates of low unit agitation levels included favorable scores on measures of the physical environment and of staff treatment activities, low rates of physical restraint use, a high proportion of residents in bed during the day, small unit size, low levels of resident functional dependency, and fewer numbers of comorbid conditions. CONCLUSIONS: While the prevalence of agitation tends to increase as Alzheimer's disease progresses, modifiable treatment factors appear to have a strong influence on the prevalence of agitation. Both physical design and staff treatment appear to influence agitation rates, as do some measures consistent with a low stimulus approach to Alzheimer's care.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2002

Housing and inequalities in health: a study of socioeconomic dimensions of housing and self reported health from a survey of Vancouver residents.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between housing, socioeconomic status, and self reported general and mental health. This study is an empirical investigation of social and economic dimensions of housing, specifically, demand, control, and material (affordability, dwelling type) and meaningful (pride in dwelling, home as a refuge) dimensions of everyday life as they occur in the domestic environment. DESIGN: A cross sectional telephone survey was administered to a random sample of households. Survey items included measures of demand, control, and meaningfulness of the domestic environment, as well as standard measures of socioeconomic status and social support. Main outcome measures were self reported health (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor) and self reported frequency of feeling "downhearted and blue" in the two weeks before interview (from the Rand Mental Health Index). SETTING: Households (n=650) from 12 neighbourhood areas in the city of Vancouver, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: One randomly selected adult from each of 650 households completed the interview and constitute the sample for this study. MAIN RESULTS: In bivariate analyses, measures of housing demand, control and meaningfulness exhibited strong and significantly graded relations with self reported health and somewhat less strong relations with mental health. In logistic regression analyses housing demand and control variables made significant contributions to health both general and mental health. Respondents were more likely to report fair/poor health if they: reported that they couldn't stand to be at home sometimes (OR=2.29, p<0.05); rated their domestic housework as somewhat or quite a strain (OR=5.71, p<0.001); were somewhat or very dissatisfied with their social activities (OR=3.41, p<0.001); and reported that they were constantly under stress a good bit of the time or more (OR=3.56, p<0.05). In terms of mental health, respondents were more likely to report poorer mental health if they: lived longer in their neighbourhood (OR=1.05, p<0.05); reported their housework duties to be somewhat or quite a strain (OR=5.55, p<0.001); reported that they did not have somebody that could help them if they needed it (OR=9.28, p<0.001); and reported that they were constantly under stress a good bit of the time or more in the two weeks before the interview (OR=5.26, p<0.001). One of the main hypotheses investigated-that meaningful dimensions of housing are associated with health status-found support in bivariate analyses without controls, but did not contribute to multivariable models. CONCLUSIONS: The influence of housing demand and control variables superseded a well known correlate of health status, educational attainment, attesting to their importance. The findings of this paper lend support to the hypothesis that features of the domestic environment, especially as they pertain to the exercise of control and the experience of demand, are significant predictors of self reported general and mental health status. Housing is a concrete manifestation of socioeconomic status, which has an important part to play in the development of explanations of the social production of health inequalities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Spatial ability and learning the use of an angled laparoscope in a virtual environment.

Little is known about the cognitive demands that underlie surgical performance. Several studies have suggested that spatial ability plays a substantial role in surgical skill. An example of a skill in which spatial cognition appears to be of importance is the use of the angled laparoscope. This paper describes a virtual environment designed to assess and train the use of the angled laparoscope. The learning rates of novices learning the skill for the first time in the virtual environment were measured. The rates were found to be highly variable and strongly correlated with spatial ability.

Adolescent↗