Ryerson University

About: Ryerson University is a education organization based out in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 7671 authors who have published 20164 publications receiving 394976 citations. The organization is also known as: Ryerson Polytechnical Institute & Ryerson Institute of Technology.

Model Predictive Control of High-Power Modular Multilevel Converters—An Overview

Abstract: Model predictive control (MPC) has emerged as a promising approach to control a modular multilevel converter (MMC). With the help of a cost function, the control objectives of an MMC are achieved easily by using an MPC approach. However, the MPC has several technical challenges and issues including the need of accurate system models, computational complexity, and variable switching frequency operation and weighting factor selection, when it comes to the control of an MMC. In the past few years, several research studies are conducted to address some of the challenges and issues in an MPC and developed several model predictive algorithms for an MMC. In this paper, the importance of each challenge and its impact on the system performance is discussed. Also, the MMC mathematical models used in the implementation of MPC are presented. Furthermore, some of the popular MPC algorithms are discussed briefly, and their features and performance are highlighted through case studies. Finally, summary and future trends of MPC for an MMC are presented.

Fear of recurrence, treatment satisfaction, and quality of life after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer

Abstract: Fear of cancer recurrence (FOR) is common in prostate cancer patients, but little research has examined the impact of FOR on quality of life (QOL) or the mechanism by which these fears become intensified. The objective of this study was to examine treatment satisfaction (TS) as a moderator of the relationship between FOR and QOL. Data were drawn from the CaPSURE™ database, a 12,000-man national observational prostate cancer registry. Three hundred and thirty-three patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) to treat their prostate cancer completed self-report measures. TS was measured 0–6 months post-RP with a nine-item scale developed for this study, FOR was measured 6–12 months post-RP with a previously validated five-item scale, and QOL was measured 12–18 months post-RP with the Short Form 36. After controlling for age, education, number of comorbid medical conditions, and cancer severity, lower FOR (B = −0.12, p < 0.0001), higher TS (B = 0.09, p < 0.001), and the interaction of TS × FOR (B = 0.87, p < 0.05) significantly predicted higher mental health QOL scores. Furthermore, lower FOR (B = −0.08, p < 0.01), and the interaction of TS × FOR (B = −1.11, p < 0.01) significantly predicted higher physical health QOL scores. TS levels mitigated the impact of high FOR on lower levels of QOL. Specifically, patients who reported lower TS and greater FOR endorsed significantly lower levels of QOL compared to other patients in the sample.

The attitudes of Canadian maternity care practitioners towards labour and birth: many differences but important similarities.

Abstract: Objective Collaborative, interdisciplinary care models have the potential to improve maternity care. Differing attitudes of maternity care providers may impede this process. We sought to examine the attitudes of Canadian maternity care practitioners towards labour and birth. Methods We performed a cross-sectional web- and paper-based survey of 549 obstetricians, 897 family physicians (400 antepartum only, 497 intrapartum), 545 nurses, 400 midwives, and 192 doulas. Results Participants responded to 43 Likert-type attitudinal questions. Nine themes were identified: electronic fetal monitoring, epidural analgesia, episiotomy, doula roles, Caesarean section benefits, factors decreasing Caesarean section rates, maternal choice, fear of vaginal birth, and safety of birth mode and place. Obstetrician scores reflected positive attitudes towards use of technology, in contrast to midwives’ and doulas’ scores. Family physicians providing only antenatal care had attitudinal scores similar to obstetricians; family physicians practising intrapartum care and nurses had intermediate scores on technology. Obstetricians’ scores indicated that they had the least positive attitudes towards home birth, women’s roles in their own births, and doula care, and they were the most concerned about the consequences of vaginal birth. Midwives’ and doulas’ scores reflected opposing views on these issues. Although 71% of obstetricians supported regulated midwifery, 88.9% were against home birth. Substantial numbers of each group held attitudes similar to dominant attitudes from other disciplines. Conclusion To develop effective team practice, efforts to reconcile differing attitudes towards labour and birth are needed. However, the overlap in attitudes between disciplines holds promise for a basis upon which to begin shared problem solving and collaboration.

Wearable Hardware Design for the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

Abstract: As the life expectancy of individuals increases with recent advancements in medicine and quality of living, it is important to monitor the health of patients and healthy individuals on a daily basis. This is not possible with the current health care system in North America, and thus there is a need for wireless devices that can be used from home. These devices are called biomedical wearables, and they have become popular in the last decade. There are several reasons for that, but the main ones are: expensive health care, longer wait times, and an increase in public awareness about improving quality of life. With this, it is vital for anyone working on wearables to have an overall understanding of how they function, how they were designed, their significance, and what factors were considered when the hardware was designed. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the hardware components that are required to design wearable devices that are used in the emerging context of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). This means that they can be used, to an extent, for disease monitoring through biosignal capture. In particular, this review study covers the basic components that are required for the front-end of any biomedical wearable, and the limitations that these wearable devices have. Furthermore, there is a discussion of the opportunities that they create, and the direction that the wearable industry is heading in.