Luis Serrano

Bio: Luis Serrano is an academic researcher from Universidad Pública de Navarra. The author has contributed to research in topics: Interoperability & ISO/IEEE 11073. The author has an hindex of 17, co-authored 82 publications receiving 910 citations. Previous affiliations of Luis Serrano include Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León & Bellvitge University Hospital.

3D Magnetic Induction Maps of Nanoscale Materials Revealed by Electron Holographic Tomography.

Abstract: The investigation of three-dimensional (3D) ferromagnetic nanoscale materials constitutes one of the key research areas of the current magnetism roadmap and carries great potential to impact areas such as data storage, sensing, and biomagnetism. The properties of such nanostructures are closely connected with their 3D magnetic nanostructure, making their determination highly valuable. Up to now, quantitative 3D maps providing both the internal magnetic and electric configuration of the same specimen with high spatial resolution are missing. Here, we demonstrate the quantitative 3D reconstruction of the dominant axial component of the magnetic induction and electrostatic potential within a cobalt nanowire (NW) of 100 nm in diameter with spatial resolution below 10 nm by applying electron holographic tomography. The tomogram was obtained using a dedicated TEM sample holder for acquisition, in combination with advanced alignment and tomographic reconstruction routines. The powerful approach presented here is widely applicable to a broad range of 3D magnetic nanostructures and may trigger the progress of novel spintronic nonplanar nanodevices.

ECG frequency domain features extraction: a new characteristic for arrhythmias classification

Abstract: This article describes a new ECG spectrum feature that allows the classification of dangerous arrhythmia. In order to check the classification effectiveness of this variable, the statistical method known as ANOVA has been used. The results obtained show that this parameter could be an effective classification feature of dangerous arrhythmia with an approximated probability of error of 0.00%.

Telemonitoring Systems Interoperability Challenge: An Updated Review of the Applicability of ISO/IEEE 11073 Standards for Interoperability in Telemonitoring

Abstract: Advances in Information and Communication Technologies, ICT, are bringing new opportunities and use cases in the field of systems and Personal Health Devices used for the telemonitoring of citizens in Home or Mobile scenarios. At a time of such challenges, this review arises from the need to identify robust technical telemonitoring solutions that are both open and interoperable. These systems demand standardized solutions to be cost effective and to take advantage of standardized operation and interoperability. Thus, the fundamental challenge is to design plug-&-play devices that, either as individual elements or as components, can be incorporated in a simple way into different Telecare systems, perhaps configuring a personal user network. Moreover, there is an increasing market pressure from companies not traditionally involved in medical markets, asking for a standard for Personal Health Devices, which foresee a vast demand for telemonitoring, wellness, Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) and e- health applications. However, the newly emerging situations imply very strict requirements for the protocols involved in the communication. The ISO/IEEE 11073 family of standards is adapting and moving in order to face the challenge and might appear the best positioned international standards to reach this goal. This work presents an updated survey of these standards, trying to track the changes that are being fulfilled, and tries to serve as a starting-point for those who want to familiarize themselves with them.

La telemedicina: ¿ciencia o ficción?

Abstract: Telemedicine has been considered to be a scientific discipline midway between medicine and technology. Thus, over the last decade it has been largely influenced by the continuous development of computer and communications technologies. Now that the phase of its laboratory investigation has been completed, it can be considered to be a technique in a mature state. Hence, both from the point of view of technology suppliers and of the users of medicine -patients and professionals- there is a demand for a takeoff in the arena of its implantation, that is to say, the need for new health services based on telemedicine. This article offers an up-to-date view of the state of the art of telemedicine but without entering into an in-depth evaluation and description of the technology and its applications. On the contrary, our aim is to make it known to users and to the different health organisations, including their managers, that the conditions for its development are now available. Thus the success or failure of its implantation is a task for all of the actors involved. What is certain is that in the light of the experience and results of its application during the last decade, both in our surrounding geographical milieu and in the United States, there are unmistakable signs that telemedicine is here to stay.

Diabetic retinopathy screening using tele-ophthalmology in a primary care setting.

Abstract: We evaluated tele-ophthalmology for diabetic retinopathy screening in a primary care setting. Four general practitioners (GPs) were taught to assess non-mydriatic retinography images of patients with diabetes. After training, a total of 1223 patients were screened using this method: 926 (76%) did not have diabetic retinopathy and 297 (24%) were referred for an ophthalmologic assessment. Of the 297 patients, 186 (15%) did not have diabetic retinopathy and were considered to be false positives, 85 (7%) had diabetic retinopathy and in 26 cases (2%) the retinography images were unreadable. The specificity of GPs for detecting diabetic retinopathy by non-mydriatic retinography was 83%. Ophthalmologists also assessed 120 patients who had been diagnosed as normal to detect false negatives. Ten patients (8.3%) had mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy with small isolated retinal hemorrhages. Only one patient (0.8%) had treatable diabetic retinopathy with hard exudates and microaneurysms. The sensitivity of GPs for detecting diabetic retinopathy was 90.9%; the sensitivity for detecting treatable lesions was 99.2%. We concluded that adequately trained GPs can screen for treatable lesions of diabetic retinopathy with a very high level of reliability using non-mydriatic retinography.

Unobtrusive Sensing and Wearable Devices for Health Informatics

Abstract: The aging population, prevalence of chronic diseases, and outbreaks of infectious diseases are some of the major challenges of our present-day society. To address these unmet healthcare needs, especially for the early prediction and treatment of major diseases, health informatics, which deals with the acquisition, transmission, processing, storage, retrieval, and use of health information, has emerged as an active area of interdisciplinary research. In particular, acquisition of health-related information by unobtrusive sensing and wearable technologies is considered as a cornerstone in health informatics. Sensors can be weaved or integrated into clothing, accessories, and the living environment, such that health information can be acquired seamlessly and pervasively in daily living. Sensors can even be designed as stick-on electronic tattoos or directly printed onto human skin to enable long-term health monitoring. This paper aims to provide an overview of four emerging unobtrusive and wearable technologies, which are essential to the realization of pervasive health information acquisition, including: 1) unobtrusive sensing methods, 2) smart textile technology, 3) flexible-stretchable-printable electronics, and 4) sensor fusion, and then to identify some future directions of research.

Three-dimensional nanomagnetism

Abstract: Magnetic nanostructures are being developed for use in many aspects of our daily life, spanning areas such as data storage, sensing and biomedicine. Whereas patterned nanomagnets are traditionally two-dimensional planar structures, recent work is expanding nanomagnetism into three dimensions; a move triggered by the advance of unconventional synthesis methods and the discovery of new magnetic effects. In three-dimensional nanomagnets more complex magnetic configurations become possible, many with unprecedented properties. Here we review the creation of these structures and their implications for the emergence of new physics, the development of instrumentation and computational methods, and exploitation in numerous applications.

Uml Distilled A Brief Guide To The Standard Object Modeling Language

Abstract: Software engineering is concerned with the development and evolution of high-quality software systems in a systematic, controlled, and efficient manner. Software engineers are concerned with safety and reliability of the product as well as the cost and schedule of the development process. The lectures and the group projects will cover all aspects of the software life cycle, from development team management, problem specification and analysis, system design techniques, implementation and documentation practices, testing, to maintenance and evaluation of the final product.

Block-Based Neural Networks for Personalized ECG Signal Classification

Abstract: This paper presents evolvable block-based neural networks (BbNNs) for personalized ECG heartbeat pattern classification. A BbNN consists of a 2-D array of modular component NNs with flexible structures and internal configurations that can be implemented using reconfigurable digital hardware such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Signal flow between the blocks determines the internal configuration of a block as well as the overall structure of the BbNN. Network structure and the weights are optimized using local gradient-based search and evolutionary operators with the rates changing adaptively according to their effectiveness in the previous evolution period. Such adaptive operator rate update scheme ensures higher fitness on average compared to predetermined fixed operator rates. The Hermite transform coefficients and the time interval between two neighboring R-peaks of ECG signals are used as inputs to the BbNN. A BbNN optimized with the proposed evolutionary algorithm (EA) makes a personalized heartbeat pattern classifier that copes with changing operating environments caused by individual difference and time-varying characteristics of ECG signals. Simulation results using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Beth Israel Hospital (MIT-BIH) arrhythmia database demonstrate high average detection accuracies of ventricular ectopic beats (98.1%) and supraventricular ectopic beats (96.6%) patterns for heartbeat monitoring, being a significant improvement over previously reported electrocardiogram (ECG) classification results.

Ambient assisted living healthcare frameworks, platforms, standards, and quality attributes.

Abstract: Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) is an emerging multi-disciplinary field aiming at exploiting information and communication technologies in personal healthcare and telehealth systems for countering the effects of growing elderly population. AAL systems are developed for personalized, adaptive, and anticipatory requirements, necessitating high quality-of-service to achieve interoperability, usability, security, and accuracy. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the AAL field with a focus on healthcare frameworks, platforms, standards, and quality attributes. To achieve this, we conducted a literature survey of state-of-the-art AAL frameworks, systems and platforms to identify the essential aspects of AAL systems and investigate the critical issues from the design, technology, quality-of-service, and user experience perspectives. In addition, we conducted an email-based survey for collecting usage data and current status of contemporary AAL systems. We found that most AAL systems are confined to a limited set of features ignoring many of the essential AAL system aspects. Standards and technologies are used in a limited and isolated manner, while quality attributes are often addressed insufficiently. In conclusion, we found that more inter-organizational collaboration, user-centered studies, increased standardization efforts, and a focus on open systems is needed to achieve more interoperable and synergetic AAL solutions.