Autonomous helicopter shipboard recovery flight control design based on tau theory

This paper develops an autonomous flight control system to alleviate the heavy workload involved in managing multiple emergencies during manned helicopter shipboard recovery operations. It can operate either partially or fully autonomously preserving the pilot's familiar guidance strategies while allowing pilot intervention when necessary. First, a simulation model of helicopter recovery flight is developed integrating the impacts of ship airwake turbulence and ship motions. A comprehensive flight control system is subsequently established to facilitate multi-mode and multi-response-type capabilities for manned helicopters. Then, the tasks of ‘Precision Hover’ and ‘Vertical Maneuver’ are employed as examples to demonstrate the methodologies for deceleration-to-hover and end-to-end trajectory planning utilizing bio-inspired tau theory. Furthermore, precision trajectory tracking control laws are formulated. Finally, numerical simulations of helicopter recovery flight are conducted to assess the efficacy of the flight control system. The results indicate that the tau theory-based planning results in efficient and smooth helicopter maneuvers, particularly in acceleration, deceleration, and transitions, which mirrors real pilot strategies. The trajectory tracking control laws effectively follow the prescribed trajectory and compensate for ship movements, with robust turbulence rejection capabilities

From classroom concepts to real-world ventures!

Follow our students as they embarked upon a 10-week journey, transforming ideas into tangible business plans. Mentored by industry experts, they learned what it takes to scale a startup. “Entrepreneurship: New Venture Creation, that was some course

FRC Quality Inspections and Materiality Judgment

This study examines the impact of Financial Reporting Council (FRC) inspections on audit materiality decisions. Using data from listed UK companies between 2017 and 2022— following the adoption of ISA 700—we investigate whether FRC inspections influence materiality thresholds in both inspected and non-inspected audit engagements. Our results indicate that auditors reduce materiality following an inspection. However, this adjustment is not accompanied by improvements in audit quality, suggesting symbolic compliance. We also find spillover effects: non-inspected engagements within inspected offices similarly reduce materiality level, indicating that the informational impact of FRC inspections extends beyond the engagements directly subject to review. Our findings contribute to the literature on regulatory oversight, audit quality, and materiality, highlighting the dual role of inspections as both a signaling and disciplinary mechanism. Policy implications suggest that while auditors respond to regulatory scrutiny through materiality adjustments, these changes may not result in substantive quality enhancements

China's power supply chain sustainability: an analysis of performance and technology gap

The power industry is a major source of carbon emissions in China and it is vital, therefore, to address the industry to promote carbon emission reduction. This study takes the power supply chain (PSC) in China, composed of coal-fired thermal power plants and downstream power grid enterprises as its primary research object. From the perspective of sustainable development, the study explores and analyzes the sustainable performance and technology heterogeneity of China’s provinces’ PSCs, proposing the two-system model to evaluate the sustainable performance, generation performance and sale performance of PSCs. In addition, to understand the technology level of PSC, this study applies the meta-frontier technique to analyze the technology heterogeneity of all PSCs across different regions. The proposed models are then applied to analyze the sustainable performance of China’s provincial PSCs. The empirical results demonstrate the market-oriented reform of the power industry in China played a role in promoting the development of power generation enterprises in China’s PSCs but had a limited effect on the power grid enterprises in the PSC. The study also shows that there are significant regional differences in the sustainable performance and technology of China’s PSC. Generally, PSCs in Eastern China have a high level of sustainable performance and technology, while the sustainable performance and technology of the PSCs in Central and Northeast China are relatively poor. Based on these empirical results, specific policy recommendations are presented to improve PSC’s sustainable performance and technology levels at government and enterprise levels

Master statistical analysis plan: attractive targeted sugar bait phase III trials in Kenya, Mali, and Zambia

This manuscript is a master statistical analysis plan for each of three-cluster randomized controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy of attractive targeted sugar baits (ATSB) described in an already published protocol. The master SAP contains an overarching plan for all three trials, which can be adapted to trial-specific circumstances. The primary objective of the trials is to evaluate the efficacy of ATSB in the presence of universal vector control coverage with insecticide-treated nets (ITN) or indoor residual spraying (IRS) after two transmission seasons on clinical malaria incidence as compared with universal vector control coverage with ITN or IRS alone. The primary outcome measure is the incidence rate of clinical malaria, assessed in cohorts aged 12 months to less than 15 years (≥ 5 years to 15 years in Mali) during monthly follow-up visits. The primary unadjusted analysis will be conducted on the intention-to-treat analysis population without adjustment for any anticipated confounding variables. The primary outcome will be analyzed using a multi-level model constructed on a generalized linear model framework with a Poisson likelihood and a log link function. Random intercepts will be included for each study cluster and a fixed effect for study-arm. The analyst will be blinded to study arm assignment. Several secondary outcomes will be analyzed, as well as a pooled analysis (individual patient data meta-analysis) across the three trial sites. Additionally, a standard meta-analysis is expected to be conducted using combined data from all sites

More than just treats? Effects of grandparental support for children growing up in adversity

This study examined whether grandparental support is a protective factor for children's socio-emotional development in the context of adversity. Using longitudinal data from the Millennium Cohort Study, we investigated the effects of grandparental support across development in children with and without adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Socio-emotional development was assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire when children were aged 3 years (N = 10,186), 5 years (N = 10,412) and 7 years (N = 10,551). Parent-reported grandparental childcare, coresidence and financial help were assessed and parents reported on the occurrence of five ACEs: physical and emotional abuse assessed with the Straus’ Conflict Tactics Scale, parental mental illness assessed with the Kessler scale, domestic violence and parental separation. We found that children with relatively higher levels of ACEs showed more prosocial behaviour and less externalizing problems when they received grandparental care compared to non-grandparental (in)formal care, but only at age 3. By age 7, children with higher levels of ACEs receiving grandparental care showed less prosocial behaviour and more externalizing problems. In addition, grandparental financial support at age 3 was related to more externalizing problems. Post-hoc analyses showed that internalizing and externalizing behaviours at age 5 were related to an increased probability of grandparental childcare at age 7, indicating that children's socio-emotional problems trigger grandparental support. Our findings point to a protective effect of grandparental care on children's socio-emotional development at age 3. Our results highlight the importance of going beyond the nuclear family towards the impact of the wider family network when examining children's socio-emotional development

Long‐term follow‐up of the TRED ‐ HF trial: Implications for therapy in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure remission

Aims: In TRED-HF, 40% of patients with recovered dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) relapsed in the short term after therapy withdrawal. This follow-up investigates the longer-term effects of therapy withdrawal. Methods and results: TRED-HF was a randomized trial investigating heart failure therapy withdrawal in patients with recovered DCM over 6 months. Those randomized to continue therapy subsequently withdrew treatment between 6 and 12 months. Participants were recommended to restart therapy post-trial and were followed until May 2023. Clinical outcomes are reported in a non-randomized fashion from enrolment and from the end of the trial. The primary outcome was relapse defined as ≥10% reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction to <50%, doubling in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide to >400 ng/L, or clinical features of heart failure. From enrolment to the last follow-up (median 6 years, interquartile range 6–7), 33 of 51 patients (65%) relapsed. The 5-year relapse rate from enrolment was 61% (95% confidence interval [CI] 45–73) and from the end of the trial was 39% (95% CI 19–54). Of 20 patients who relapsed during the trial, nine had a recurrent relapse during follow-up. Thirteen relapsed for the first time after the trial; seven had restarted low intensity therapy, four had not restarted therapy and two did not have therapy withdrawn. The mean intensity of therapy was lower after the trial compared to enrolment (mean difference −6 [−8 to −4]; p < 0.001). One third of relapses during follow-up had identifiable triggers (arrhythmia [n = 4], pregnancy [n = 1], hypertension [n = 1], infection [n = 1]). Corrected atrial fibrillation was associated with reduced risk of relapse (hazard ratio 0.33, 95% CI 0.12–0.96; p = 0.042). Conclusions: The risk of relapse in the 5 years following the TRED-HF trial remained high. Restarting lower doses of heart failure medications at the end of the trial, external triggers and disease progression are likely to have contributed to relapse

A full-length 16S survey using Nanopore sequencing to uncover the bacterial microbiome in Ixodes ricinus ticks from a single UK woodland, collected across three springs (2019-2021)

Ixodes ricinus is a key vector of several bacterial pathogens, including Borrelia and Rickettsia species. To assess bacterial prevalence and diversity, we characterised the microbiome of ticks collected from a single UK woodland, comparing different woodland types, life stages (adult male, female, and nymph), and sampling years (spring 2019–2021). Unlike previous studies that target short regions of the 16S rRNA gene, we used Nanopore sequencing to generate full-length 16S reads, allowing for higher taxonomic resolution. Our results showed significant microbiome differences across life stages, but not by woodland type or year. Rickettsia was the most abundant taxon, with prevalence varying by life stage and year. Borrelia was present in all life stages but absent in 2021 samples. Anaplasma abundance varied significantly by year and life stage, peaking in nymphs from Pine woodland. Bartonella was found across all woodland types, with the highest abundance in nymphs from Oak-dominated areas

Bulk synthesis and superconductivity of rock salt-type nitrogen-rich, zirconium-deficient nitrides, Zr1-xN

Zirconium nitrides were derived from crystalline powders of layer-structured ZrNCl via ammonothermal dechlorination at various temperatures under flowing ammonia gas. Regardless of which polymorph of ZrNCl was employed as a starting material, the products of the ammonothermal dechlorination reactions were zirconium nitride powders with the rock salt structure. The size of the cubic lattice parameter was found to be dependent on the ammonia flow rate. Each of the synthesized zirconium nitrides is nonstoichiometric and nitrogen-rich (zirconium-deficient), Zr1–xN, and some exhibit superconductivity at subambient temperature. The superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of each of the nitrides scales linearly with the corresponding cubic unit cell volume (lattice parameter, a) and the N/Zr ratio. This paper represents the first report of a superconducting dome in bulk nitrogen-rich zirconium nitrides with a rock-salt-type structure; to date, a unique characteristic among superconducting rock salt phases