Evaluation of Sigma-Metric and Application of Quality Tools in Clinical Laboratory of a Tertiary Care Hospital

Variability in analytical performance of some analyte indicated the need of evaluation of quality plan of our laboratory. We tried to put the same degree of effort into our quality metrics as we put into the laboratory processes themselves. Application of six sigma methodologies improve the quality by focusing on the root causes of the problems in performance and analyzing by flowcharts, fishbone diagrams and other quality tools. Sigma metric was calculated for laboratory parameters for a period of 8 months during 2018–19. The analytes with poor sigma metric were free Thyroxine (FT3, FT4), Sodium, Calcium and Magnesium. Sigma metric of free Thyroxine (FT3, FT4), Sodium, Calcium and Magnesium were below 3. A road map for process improvement was designed with DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) model to solve the issue. Possible causes for low analytical performance of the particular analytes were depicted in Fishbone diagram. The Fishbone analysis identified the water quality issues with electrolyte analysis while high ambient temperature was culprit for poor assay performance of free Thyroxine. Sigma metric of the analytical performance was assessed once again after root cause analysis. Sigmametric showed marked improvement in control phase. Identification of problems led to reduction in non value added work leading to adequate resource utilization by addressing the priority issue. Therefore, DMAIC tool with Fish bone model analysis can be recommended as a well suited method for troubleshooting in poor performance of laboratory parameter.     

Deformation of red blood cells using acoustic radiation forces

Acoustic radiation forces have been used to manipulate cells and bacteria in a number of recent microfluidic applications. The net force on a cell has been subject to careful investigation over a number of decades. We demonstrate that the radiation forces also act to deform cells. An ultrasonic standing wave field is created in a 0.1 mm glass capillary at a frequency of 7.9 MHz. Using osmotically swollen red-blood cells, we show observable deformations up to an aspect ratio of 1.35, comparable to deformations created by optical tweezing. In contrast to optical technologies, ultrasonic devices are potentially capable of deforming thousands of cells simultaneously. We create a finite element model that includes both the acoustic environment of the cell, and a model of the cell membrane subject to forces resulting from the non-linear aspects of the acoustic field. The model is found to give reasonable agreement with the experimental results, and shows that the deformation is the result of variation in an acoustic force that is directed outwards at all points on the cell membrane. We foresee applications in diagnostic devices, and in the possibility of mechanically stimulating cells to promote differentiation and physiological effects.     

Improved krill herd algorithm based sliding mode MPPT controller for variable step size P&O method in PV system under simultaneous change of irradiance and temperature

In recent years, Photovoltaic (PV) systems have been received great attention all over the words as they are sustainable, unlimited and environmentally friendly energy. However, it is required for the PV system to apply a tracking controller to guarantee efficient operation by extracting the maximum power, which named maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method. Due to the simple structure, the conventional perturb and observe (P&O) MPPT algorithm is very popular in the literature. Nevertheless, conventional methods show inaccurate performance, particularly when high variations occur in irradiance, resulting in fluctuations around the MPP. To deal with these challenges, a novel technique on the basis of the variable-step size of P&O MPPT and sliding mode controller (SMC) adjusted by the θ-modified krill herd (θ-MKH) algorithm is presented. The θ-MKH algorithm is utilized to fine-tune the optimal SMC parameters to drive the variable step of the classical P&O algorithm. Simulations are prepared to compare the performance of the suggested scheme with conventional methods by considering simultaneous fast changes of irradiance and temperature. The results show that the suggested scheme have proper performance in both transient and steady-state, particularly under quickly varying climate circumstances.     

非政府组织在天文学科普方面的作用

古代伊朗科学家曾对科学,特别是天文学做出过重大贡献。当代的伊朗科学家继承了这一传统,并致力于向公众传播科学。21世纪初,由一批科学家、热心科学传播的社会人士和私营企业组成的非政府组织积极筹建马什哈德天文馆、科学中心等科普场馆。本文通过这一案例,讨论了非政府组织在科普场馆建设和科学传播中的作用、问题和可行性,并介绍了马什哈德天文学会为此采取的相应对策。     

Towards mapping competencies through learning analytics: real-time competency assessment for career direction through interactive simulation

Abstract

The selection of career paths and making of academic choices is a difficult and often confusing task for young people. The impact on their lives, however, is enormous as it can determine entire future career possibilities. In India, a general remedy to this stress is that instead of choosing a field of study tailored to individual preferences and strengths, topics are chosen that align with the choices of the students’ families or their friends. This can have the effect of entrenching patterns of intergenerational inequity. The aim of this research is to give students greater access to the knowledge capital which will help them make better choices. This is achieved by engaging students in the career planning process, in order to convey information in a likeable and credible way. The COMPCAT (Competency and Career Assessment Tool) game engine combines the use of learning analytics and real time, interactive computer simulations designed to gain insights into the students’ engagement in the making of these complex decisions. This paper presents the conceptual architecture of the game and demonstrates its role in enhancing the learning effectiveness of the students.