A Bathroom Scale to Measure Blood Pressure

A Bathroom Scale to Measure Blood Pressure A Bathroom Scale to Measure Blood Pressure A Bathroom Scale to Measure Blood PressureWith funding from the National Institutes of Health, engineers and researchers at four universities are collaborating on the development of a system for measuring blood pressure using a more convenient approach than available now that will facilitate frequent feedback for monitoring at home or other locations, such as gyms.According to NIHs National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), hypertension is responsible for approximately half of all deaths from stroke and heart disease and is the second leading cause of kidney failure. The condition goes untreated in one in three adults worldwide because effective screening, diagnosis, and management can be difficult using current technologies.Studies have shown that more frequent readings over a longer period of time better represent a patients true blood pressure, but most cuffs for home us e and methods at kiosks can be highly inaccurate, says biomedical engineer Omer Inan, assistant prof at Georgia Tech, one of the universities working on the project.NIBIB is encouraging the development of new technologies for measuring blood pressure that are passive and convenient and eventually can automatically provide feedback. The goal is to create less expensive, less intrusive, and faster technologies that can be operated by untrained individuals in low-resource settings. An ideal system would be more convenient than a home cuff yet have the same accuracy as the professional cuff, Inan says.Researchers have designed the weighing scale and wearable blood pressure sensing systems. Image Georgia TechThe new approach developed by the engineering team, led by Michigan State University and also including the University of Maryland in addition to Inans lab, uses a standard off-the-shelf weighing scale retrofitted by changing the circuit to make it more sensitive and incorporates a f ootstrap with an array of optical sensors. These two devices take the two measurements required to determine pulse transit time, the time it takes for a pressure wave to travel along the walls of the arteries from the heart after it contracts to a distant part of the body.Pulse transit time has been known about for a long time, said Inan, but obtaining the measurements when the blood first leaves the heart and when the pressure wave arrives at a peripheral point in the body, has been even more inconvenient than with a cuff, and leid consistently accurate.Ever since working on his Ph.D., Inan has been studying the ballistocardiogram signal movements of the body in response to every heartbeat.Every time the heart pumps blood through the aorta, the body has a reactionary force and thats the ballistocardiogram (BCG) signal, he says.What I found in my Ph.D. work I am understanding better since this signal can be measured with high accuracy with a weighing scale, he says. A scale shows ab out a 0.1 pound increase every time the heart ejects blood. So you weigh one-tenth of a pound heavier every time your heart beats, and then one-tenth of a pound lighter as the blood changes direction through the aorta. Its a phenomenon thats been known about for over 100 years but has not been used in medicine because traditionally it required cumbersome, expensive and large setups to measure. In our work we have been measuring it with a scale that can be used in a home or locker room.Thats the starting measurement needed. The second signal required is when the pulse arrives at the foot, and that is measured with an array of optical sensors in a foot strap. The time delay between them is what we then correlate to blood pressure, Inan says.Led by Ramakrishna Mukkamala, biomedical engineer, cardiovascular researcher and professor at Michigan State, the team, about halfway through the five-year project, recently published its latest findings in Nature Scientific Reports, entitled Weigh ing Scale-Based Pulse Transit Time Is a Superior Marker of Blood Pressure than Conventional Pulse Arrival Time.Inan says some of the biggest challenges have been identifying which feature on the BCG signal they should use as the index of when the pulse starts since the BCG signal is not uniform in each person. Another challenge was the footstrap because of the noise and interference from muscles contracting in the feet trying to help stabilize a person who is standing.We had to do quite a bit of work on the construction of the footstrap. We found that the optical approach works the best, but its important to have an array of sensors on the top of the foot so that we can find the dorsal artery which gives us the highest signal level, Inan says.But there is still work to do, with the major challenge being calibration including converting the time delay in units of milliseconds measurement to standard blood pressure results in units of millimeters of mercury and determining convenient ways of extracting calibration coefficients for each person.Although Inan is investigating universal calibration by just entering height, weight, and age for a calibration coefficient that would give blood pressure, this may prove difficult. Also under investigation are ways to obtain measurements using wearable devices, such as a skin patch.By the end of the project, he also wants to have measurements from many more than the some 23 healthy subjects he has now. We need to have much more data and from patients with hypertension as well as older people to get a better idea of the accuracy of our system in a broad population, he points out. Nancy Giges is an independent writer. For Further DiscussionIn our work we have been measuring BCG signal with a scale that can be used in a home or locker room.Prof. Omer Inan, Georgia Tech

Get Hired With Our Inbound Call Center Agent Resume Template for Word

Get Hired With Our Inbound Call Center Agent Resume Template for WordGet Hired With Our Inbound Call Center Agent Resume Template for WordIntroductionIf you are considering employment as an inbound call center agent, you can improve your chances of being hired for a great job by writing a strong, succinct, and skimmable resume. There are ways to communicate your qualifications that are more likely to be accepted by applicant tracking systems and impress hiring managers or recruiters with your capabilities to succeed. Review our inbound call center agent resume schablone for Word with explanations and examples for each resume section from the summary statement to the skills, experience, and education sections.Inbound Call Center Agent Resume Template For Word Ron DawsonWichita, KS 11111E rdawsonanymail.com P (555) 987Call center agent with more than three years of experience. Skilled at answering inbound calls with inquiries regarding account services. Capable of efficiently and effe ctively resolving conflicts and issues.Perfect Your Skills SectionYour skills section should be formatted as a list with bullet points. Describe each skill in a short phrase without a period at the end and prioritize your most pertinent qualifications for an inbound call center agent position. A combination of hard and soft skills can be useful for giving a more complete picture of your capabilities and character. The skills section is also a great place to include exact words and phrases from the job description so your resume is more likely to be approved by applicant tracking systems, recruiters, or hiring managers. Refer to our inbound call center agent resume template for Word for a sample skills section in context. Some of the most important skills for call center agents includeVerbal and telephone communication skillsMultitaskingProblem solvingFlexibilityPolish Your Work History SectionYour work history or experience section is where you list past employment starting with you r current or most recent position. Include your role, the employer, and the location and dates of your employment. Underneath each set of details, include a bullet pointed list of duties and accomplishments. Start every line with a strong action verb, using present tense when describing current employment and past tense for all previous work. One of the best ways to make your resume stand out for an inbound call center agent position is to include metrics or figures that quantify your skills. If you increased the number of issues resolved per day or reduced the average length of untersttzung calls in your current or previous position, try to find a way to include these statistics in your work history section. See the extensive example of a work history section in our inbound call center agent resume template for Word as well as the following sample entries Inbound Call Center Agent Telecom Inc. Springfield, MO 09/15 to CurrentAddress incoming customer support inquiriesVerify acc ount details to ensure customer privacyResolve account and billing issues in an average of five minutes of active calltimeTransfer technical inquiries to the service deskAchieve an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 on postBachelor of Science in Corporate Communication in progressIdaho State University, Pocatello, IDCurrent 3.7 GPA

How to Prepare for Pre-Job Interview Questions

How to Prepare for Pre-Job einstellungsgesprch QuestionsHow to Prepare for Pre-Job Interview QuestionsSome companies want candidates to respond to questions prior to their scheduledjob interview. To that end, they will send a pre-interview questionnaire with questions to fill out beforehand. If youre asked to complete one, you may need to provide some of the same information that is on your resume and thejob application you submitted. You may also be asked questions related to your background, your skills, your experience, and your availability for work. The questionnaire might also include test questions to measure your ability to do the job. Employers who use pre-interview questionnaires send them to candidates prior to an interview. The questions may be completed online or via email, depending on the company. You will be instructed on how to complete them when you get the questions. Why Employers Use Pre-Interview Questionnaires Pre-interview questionnaires allow employers to gather mora information about you thanwhat is provided on your resume and cover letter. The goal of asking pre-interview questions is to find outwhetheryou are agood fitfor both the job and the company, as well as to ask questions that might notlage be asked during the interview. It saves the company time because they will have some of the information they need to make a hiring decision in advance, which leaves more time for other questions during the actual job interview. Tips for Answering Pre-Interview Questions Although you will likely already have an interview lined up when you receive the questionnaire, you still need to take the pre-interview seriously. Occasionally, employers will cancel an interview if your responses indicate youre not a match for the job. Most questionnaires are designed to take the candidate about half an hour to fill out. Thoroughly answer each question without providing too much detail, just as you would in an actual in-person orphone interview. If the questionnaire includes space in which to answer each question, dont exceed the space given. Keep your answers concise but complete. Recruiting-Related Questions Rather than asking unterstellung questions during the actual interview, employers often ask more detailed, recruiting-related questions during the pre-interview. Below are some examples of these questions Where did you see our posting?Would you be willing to participate in a telephone interview?What is the minimum starting yearly salary that you will accept for this position?Is there anyone that you would like to meet or talk to during your visit for an interview?What decision criteria will you use to decide whether you will acceptthis job offerif it is offered to you?What other companies have you applied to recently?May I contact the references you listed on your job application?What is your availability? When could you begin work if you were hired? What other companies have you applied to recently? Strengths and Weaknesses An employer will likely ask you about your strengths and weaknesses during the actual interview. However, pre-interview questionnaires often also contain questions about yourstrengths and weaknesses,just in case these questions are skipped over during the interview. Here are typical questions regarding strengths and weaknesses What knowledge areas and technical skills are your strongest?What team and leadership skills are your strongest?Do you have any additional skills or experiences that you did not include in your resume that we should know about?Can you provide us with a sample or demonstration of your best work? Motivation and Frustration Employers want to know whether or not you will fit in with theircompanys cultureand managerial style. They also want to know what motivates you to workatyour best - do you have long-term goals, and are they appropriate for the position to which you are applying? Below are sample questions you may be asked about motivation and frustration in the workplace. Describe a time when you were asked to work overtime without compensation. How did you manage the situation?Where do you expect to be in two years? Five years?Are you interested in further professional development?How does this position fit in with your long-term goals? Skill Test Questions There may be test questions on the pre-interview questionnaire. For example, if you are applying for a writing or editing position, you may be asked to take an editing test. If youre applying for a social media job, you may be asked to explain how to create a Facebook page or a Twitter profile. For applicants applyingfor programmer jobs, you may be asked about the programs you know and the certifications you hold. The types of questions you will be asked, if any, will be related to the type of position the company is hiring for. Check Your Responses Before you send back or submit your questionnaire,be sure to proofread your responses to make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors. Also be sure the information you submitted matches your resume andjob application. Discrepancies will be a red flag for an employer and could cost you the interview. Information About the Interview In addition to asking questions, employers often include information that will be necessary for the upcoming interview in the questionnaire. This information may include details on what to wear to the interview, directions to the office, and the materials you will need to bring. Key Takeaways Take pre-interview questions seriously Hiring managers will assess your response to the questionnaire, as well as your interview responses, in making a hiring decision.Questions can varyThey may be related to your background or abilities, or may even be test questions designed to assess your skills in specific areas.Follow instructions carefullyIf youre asked to provide three sentences, do so - not four or two. Proofread your responses before submitting.