Ricardo Silva
Villanova University, Computing Science, Faculty Member
- Universidad Simón Bolívar, Medicine, Faculty Memberadd
Research Interests:
The project provides a modular system for the acquisition of bioelectrical signals from neuronal populations, conditioning of the signal obtained and the evaluation of the results using signal processing methods. The acquisition phase is... more
The project provides a modular system for the acquisition of bioelectrical signals from neuronal populations, conditioning of the signal obtained and the evaluation of the results using signal processing methods. The acquisition phase is comprised by electrodes made from Indium Tin Oxide "ITO" using sputtering and thermal evaporation of indium tin cathode as filler. The conditioning step and pre - processing of the signal is represented by a differential amplifier with bandpass filter, composed of an instrumentation amplifier, a feedback loop with lower cutoff frequency (100 Hz) and baseline correction, a fourth order Butterworth filter switched capacitor to establish the upper cutoff frequency (2 kHz) and an electrical isolation amplifier with high accuracy. The step of processing information is based on wavelet transform (Daubechies, Coiflets and Symlets). Through filters - low pass banks, it was established that the higher level of decomposition of each wavelet provides...
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Research Interests:
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ABSTRACT
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The Teaching Hospital System at University of Guayaquil (THSUG), started operations in April 2005; Milton Maridueña, Professor of Computer Systems at the Faculty of Mathematics constituted a research group to systematize the development... more
The Teaching Hospital System at University of Guayaquil (THSUG), started operations in April 2005; Milton Maridueña, Professor of Computer Systems at the Faculty of Mathematics constituted a research group to systematize the development of software for the THSUG. Today THSUG possesses a reliable Hospital Information System (HIS), with efficient Electronic Medical Records (EMR). This system has never been used for needs assessment. The Informatics Medical Program (PROMEINFO) was created with the participation of the schools of medicine, computer systems and multimedia at Guayaquil University (GU). PROMEINFO studied both Laboratory (LA) and Imaging (IA) requests from the Emergency Room (ER) at THSUG. Patients are classified in one of three categories: MSP (Ministry of Public Health referral), SOAT (Compulsory Traffic Accidents Insurance) and SHDUG (Spontaneous Admittance). Once a patient is admitted at the ER, the EMR is updated and every clinical activity registered. We concentrated ...
The article describes the status of scientific publications by Ecuatorian Scientists and the motivation for the members of the Prometheus Program to help publish research results.
The purpose of this research is to propose the use of ivermectin against the larvae of Aedes aegypti for dengue control in drinking water and as a vector control mechanism against the resistance of larvicides used today. In this study,... more
The purpose of this research is to propose the use of ivermectin against the larvae of Aedes aegypti for dengue control in drinking water and as a vector control mechanism against the resistance of larvicides used today. In this study, various bioassays were conducted with ivermectin until 50% lethal dose (LD 50%) and it was demonstrated that with the use of antiparasitic human and veterinary use at very low concentrations, it is able to prevent the development of Aedes aegypti larvae. Results suggested that after 24 hours of exposure to an ivermectin dose of 300ug / L water produces 97.3% mortality of larvae in all stages.
This article presents the results obtained during six years of research on two cases of schizophrenia and eight of autism in people of both sexes aged 37-59 years. The study was conducted based on the rescue of the original tenets of Paul... more
This article presents the results obtained during six years of research on two cases of schizophrenia and eight of autism in people of both sexes aged 37-59 years. The study was conducted based on the rescue of the original tenets of Paul Eugene Bleuler´s schizophrenia and autism. Tests demonstrated the biological etiology of the entity. We tested the effect of the original symptoms Bleuler (Fundamental & Accessories), detected three new fundamental symptoms and validated the Montenegro Protocol for adult recovery. During the period of the study, we collected enough evidence to propose an alternative definition, the Bleuler Syndrome (SB) that groups all of those entities with cognitive disorders but without mental retardation.
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We present the design of a linear induction motor based on electromagnetic interactions. The engine is capable of producing a linear movement from electricity. The design consists of stators arranged in parallel, which produce a magnetic... more
We present the design of a linear induction motor based on electromagnetic interactions. The engine is capable of producing a linear movement from electricity. The design consists of stators arranged in parallel, which produce a magnetic field sufficient to displace a plunger along its axial axis. Furthermore, the winding has a shell and cap of ferromagnetic material that amplifies the magnetic field. This produces a force along the length of the motor that is similar to that of skeletal muscle. In principle, the objective is to use the engine in the development of an artificial muscle system for prosthetic applications, but it could have multiple applications, not only in the medical field, but in other industries.
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Research Interests:
The Y2K problem in the Venezuelan Health Sector was not evaluated until the month of September 1999. This paper explains how Simon Bolivar's University Health Care Technology Group was able to accomplish a whole country... more
The Y2K problem in the Venezuelan Health Sector was not evaluated until the month of September 1999. This paper explains how Simon Bolivar's University Health Care Technology Group was able to accomplish a whole country evaluation in less than three months
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From the evaluation and technical assistance of the Management Unit of Health Technology (Unidad de Gestión de Tecnologías en Salud - UGTS) of The Electric Company of Caracas (Electricidad de Caracas) and its Subsidiaries; this paper... more
From the evaluation and technical assistance of the Management Unit of Health Technology (Unidad de Gestión de Tecnologías en Salud - UGTS) of The Electric Company of Caracas (Electricidad de Caracas) and its Subsidiaries; this paper presents a methodological proposal to develop a complete Health Information System. The first step to develop this system is to evaluate the company and its major objectives aligned with its mission and vision and with the existing laws of the particular country. This first step is one of the most important aspects to consider when evaluating a medical center, counting with the complete agreement of the whole company. After the evaluation was made, UGTS could discover the major needs and challenges presented by the Medical Service of the Electric Company of Caracas (MSECC) which should serve to generate effectiveness indicators, namely, access and health care quality focused on the main objectives of the program.
Research Interests:
We considered the problem of determining the neural contribution to the signal recorded by an intracortical electrode. We developed a linear least-squares approach to determine the energy fraction of a signal attributable to an arbitrary... more
We considered the problem of determining the neural contribution to the signal recorded by an intracortical electrode. We developed a linear least-squares approach to determine the energy fraction of a signal attributable to an arbitrary number of autocorrelation-defined signals buried in noise. Application of the method requires estimation of autocorrelation functions R(ap)(tau) characterizing the action potential (AP) waveforms and R(n)(tau) characterizing background noise. This method was applied to the analysis of chronically implanted microelectrode signals from motor cortex of rat. We found that neural (AP) energy consisted of a large-signal component which grows linearly with the number of threshold-detected neural events and a small-signal component unrelated to the count of threshold-detected AP signals. The addition of pseudorandom noise to electrode signals demonstrated the algorithm's effectiveness for a wide range of noise-to-signal energy ratios (0.08 to 39). We suggest, therefore, that the method could be of use in providing a measure of neural response in situations where clearly identified spike waveforms cannot be isolated, or in providing an additional 'background' measure of microelectrode neural activity to supplement the traditional AP spike count.
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Introduction: It has been reported that inhibitory control at the superficial dorsal horn (SDH) can act in a regionally distinct manner, which suggests that regionally specific subpopulations of SDH inhibitory neurons may prevent one... more
Introduction: It has been reported that inhibitory control at the superficial dorsal horn (SDH) can act in a regionally distinct manner, which suggests that regionally specific subpopulations of SDH inhibitory neurons may prevent one specific neuropathic condition. Methods: In an attempt to address this issue, we provide an alternative approach by integrating neuroanatomical information provided by different studies to construct a network-model of the SDH. We use Neuroids to simulate each neuron included in that model by adapting available experimental evidence. Results: Simulations suggest that the maintenance of the proper level of pain sensitivity may be attributed to lamina II inhibitory neurons and, therefore, hyperalgesia may be elicited by suppression of the inhibitory tone at that lamina. In contrast, lamina III inhibitory neurons are more likely to be responsible for keeping the nociceptive pathway from the mechanoreceptive pathway, so loss of inhibitory control in that reg...
Research Interests:
IEEE, IHE, and HL7 have collaborated to develop “medical informatics” standards for over two decades. These organizations are working to assure medical device and electronic medical record systems can reliably exchange data for safe and... more
IEEE, IHE, and HL7 have collaborated to develop
“medical informatics” standards for over two decades. These
organizations are working to assure medical device and
electronic medical record systems can reliably exchange data for
safe and secure acute-care and personal health applications. This
paper presents advancement in the field of Interoperable
Biomedical Technologies to save lives, reduce errors, and
improve the quality and cost of healthcare around the globe.
“medical informatics” standards for over two decades. These
organizations are working to assure medical device and
electronic medical record systems can reliably exchange data for
safe and secure acute-care and personal health applications. This
paper presents advancement in the field of Interoperable
Biomedical Technologies to save lives, reduce errors, and
improve the quality and cost of healthcare around the globe.
Research Interests: Patient Safety, Health Informatics, Telehealth, Standards, Interoperability, and 7 moreHealth Information Exchange, Consumer Health Informatics, eHealth, health informatics, Healthcare Technology, Medical Informatics, eHealth, ICT for health service delivery, Clinical Engineering and Health Care Technologies, mHealth and eHealth, and Digital technologies’ (mHealth, eHealth) impact on health and care practices
This work offers a biomimetic, mechatronic linear model for the passive behavior of dynamic nuclear bag fibers of the muscle spindle, capable of transducing joint position and velocity into an electrical signal, similar to that of the... more
This work offers a biomimetic, mechatronic linear
model for the passive behavior of dynamic nuclear bag fibers of
the muscle spindle, capable of transducing joint position and
velocity into an electrical signal, similar to that of the afferent
anulospiral fibers. We built a mechatronic joint system,
composed of a dashpot and a spring in series (Maxwell System)
and mechanically coupled the spring to a frequency-modulated
oscillator via a variable resistor. The system was capable of
sensing the speed of the joint and converting it into a frequency
modulated signal in a way similar to that reproduced by the
dynamic nuclear bag fibers of the muscle spindle. We were able
to prove the concept that the dynamic nuclear bag fibers,
effectively behave like a Maxwell system. This is a very simple
design that can easily be incorporated into biorobotic systems,
greatly improving the accurate positioning of a mechanical
joint if it is moving at a measurable speed.
model for the passive behavior of dynamic nuclear bag fibers of
the muscle spindle, capable of transducing joint position and
velocity into an electrical signal, similar to that of the afferent
anulospiral fibers. We built a mechatronic joint system,
composed of a dashpot and a spring in series (Maxwell System)
and mechanically coupled the spring to a frequency-modulated
oscillator via a variable resistor. The system was capable of
sensing the speed of the joint and converting it into a frequency
modulated signal in a way similar to that reproduced by the
dynamic nuclear bag fibers of the muscle spindle. We were able
to prove the concept that the dynamic nuclear bag fibers,
effectively behave like a Maxwell system. This is a very simple
design that can easily be incorporated into biorobotic systems,
greatly improving the accurate positioning of a mechanical
joint if it is moving at a measurable speed.
Research Interests:
In this paper we introduce a novel computational neuron-model, the Neuroid, which is based on three basic operations that are carried out by nerve cells to process the incoming information, such as comparison, and frequency pulse... more
In this paper we introduce a novel computational
neuron-model, the Neuroid, which is based on three basic
operations that are carried out by nerve cells to process the
incoming information, such as comparison, and frequency
pulse modulation-demodulation. The model was implemented
using LabVIEW 10.0, in order to assign to each of these
operations, an execution block (Virtual Instrument). The
results of its implementation showed a very similar behavior to
that exhibited by real neurons. Furthermore, due to its
simplicity and low computational requirements, it is expected
that the Neuroid can be used to create several software models of biological neural systems, either for research or teaching purposes.
neuron-model, the Neuroid, which is based on three basic
operations that are carried out by nerve cells to process the
incoming information, such as comparison, and frequency
pulse modulation-demodulation. The model was implemented
using LabVIEW 10.0, in order to assign to each of these
operations, an execution block (Virtual Instrument). The
results of its implementation showed a very similar behavior to
that exhibited by real neurons. Furthermore, due to its
simplicity and low computational requirements, it is expected
that the Neuroid can be used to create several software models of biological neural systems, either for research or teaching purposes.