Product lines are receiving more and more attention in software and mechanical engineering processes in the automotive industry. The benefits of using a product line approach are clearly defined in literature and widely accepted. Nevertheless, until now there are only few applications that exploit the variability knowledge during a complete development process. In this paper we argue that all t...

Introduction HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) is a consequence of HIV infection of the central nervous system. The prevalence ranges between 15% and 60% in different settings. Objectives This prospective study determined the prevalence of HAND at a peri-urban HIV clinic in KwaZulu-Natal. Factors associated with HAND were examined, alternate neurocognitive tools were tested agains...

Ecological impacts of forest vegetation management are highly complex with many interactions. Interactions are bounded on the one hand by hierarchical levels from genes to species to ecosystems and on the other hand by the tools used and the intensity of management applied to each level of possible interactions. Some impacts are easy to measure, but impacts become more difficult to measure and ...

Tools built in an ad hoc way and without proper models often display problems for both tool users and designers. Firstly, without systematic analysis and good understanding of the underlying software process model, we have little chance to design a tool that will adequately address user’s needs. Next, because one tool is often used in many different situations and by people who have different w...

Drug and health literacy is a key determinant of health outcomes. There are several tools to assess drug and health literacy. The objective of this article is to determine drug literacy level and its relationships with other factors using a single screening tool. A cross- sectional survey was conducted among 1104 people in Qazvin province, Iran. Based on the proportional-to-size method, partici...

• Micro-scale surgery requires a very technically advanced skill set, including high hand-eye coordination and little-tono hand tremor. • To improve microsurgical procedures, such as vein suturing, we have developed tools for the REMS, a cooperativelycontrolled surgical robot that reduces tremor when operating. • Our goal is to design effective needle holders and validate the use of the REMS by...

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) is relatively frequent among HIV-infected patients and is often underdiagnosed. Assessment of HAND in daily clinical practice is challenging and different tools have been proposed. Objective To evaluate risk factors and compare different screening tools for neurocognitive impairment in HIV-infected patients. Methods HIV-infected patients were ev...

This paper presents the results of an anthropometric study of the hand from a sample of 120 female and 115 male adults from four major cities in Jordan. The mean, standard deviation, and various percentiles are summarized in tables and, for each dimension, a comparison is made between genders, using t-tests. Comparisons between Jordanians and other populations (Bangladeshis, Nigerians, Vietname...

This dissertation proposes a pro-active approach to ecodesign. A survey of the state of the art revealed two major shortcomings of current ecodesign support methods. On the one hand, the available ecodesign support tools are primarily useful in late stages of a design process. On the other hand, a thorough integration of ecodesign in the wider business processes of companies is lacking. Therefo...

OBJECTIVE Occupational use of vibrating hand tools contributes to the development of upper extremity disorders. While several types of vibration damping materials are commercially available, reductions in vibration exposure are usually tested in the laboratory rather than in actual work environments. This study evaluated reductions in hand vibration with different vibration damping intervention...