Systematic Review: Comparative Efficacy of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) to Other Augmentative Communication Systems in Increasing Social Communication Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Purpose: This systematic review aims to compare the efficacy of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) to other forms of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in increasing social communication skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Methods: A systematic review of the literature on PECS and other forms of AAC written between 2007 and 2018 was conducted. Studies were selected based on the established inclusionary and exclusionary criteria. The inclusionary criteria incorporated subjects with a formal diagnosis of ASD under the age of 18. Exclusionary criteria included individuals with severe sensory, motor, and/or other medical conditions that may have affected their use of PECS. 25 articles of varying study designs were critically appraised for validity and reliability to minimize bias. Results: Results suggest that both PECS and other forms of AAC are conducive to improving social communication in children (\u3c18 \u3eyears) with ASD. Advancements in conversation initiation, requesting behaviors and joint attention were noted, resulting in a global increase in communication interactions. However, studies demonstrated mixed results with specific consideration of rate of acquisition, modality preference, and overall effectiveness of the system. Conclusion: Synthesis of results from the 25 studies suggest that both PECS and other AAC systems show favorable outcomes for encouraging social-communicative behavior. The clinical implications of these results suggest the implementation of an AAC system may be client dependent. Single design designs were included in this review due to the lack of research in the areas of ASD and AAC. Further research of this comparison should be conducted on larger populations of children with ASD to improve clinical decision making to target social communication and increase generalizability.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/csdms/1000/thumbnail.jp

An AI-based solution for wireless channel interference prediction and wireless remote control

Abstract. Most control systems rely on wired connectivity between controllers and plants due to their need for fast and reliable real-time control. Yet the demand for mobility, scalability, low operational and maintenance costs call for wireless networked control system designs. Naturally, over-the-air communication is susceptible to interference and fading and therefore, enabling low latency and high reliability is crucial for wireless control scenarios. In this view, the work of this thesis aims to enhance reliability of the wireless communication and to optimize the energy consumption while maintaining low latency and the stability of the controller-plant system. To achieve this goal, two core abstractions have been used, a neural wireless channel interference predictor and a neural predictive controller. This neural predictor design is motivated by the capability of machine learning in assimilating underlying patterns and dynamics of systems using the observed data. The system model is composed of a controller-plant scheme on which the controller transmits control signals wirelessly. The neural wireless predictor and the neural controller predict wireless channel interference and plant states, respectively. This information is used to optimize energy consumption and prevent communication outages while controlling the plant. This thesis presents the development of the neural wireless predictor, the neural controller and a neural plant. Interaction and functionality of these elements are demonstrated using a Simulink simulation. Results of simulation illustrate the effectiveness of neural networks in both control and wireless domain. The proposed solution yields about 17% reduction in energy consumption compared to state-of-the-art designs by minimizing the impact of interference in the control links while ensuring plant stability

Aerospace Vehicle Design, Spacecraft Section. Volume 1: Project Groups 3-5

Three groups of student engineers in an aerospace vehicle design course present their designs for a vehicle that can be used to resupply the Space Station Freedom and provide an emergency crew return to earth capability. The vehicle's requirements include a lifetime that exceeds six years, low cost, the capability for withstanding pressurization, launch, orbit, and reentry hazards, and reliability. The vehicle's subsystems are analyzed. These subsystems are structures, communication and command data systems, attitude and articulation control, life support and crew systems, power and propulsion, reentry and recovery systems, and mission management, planning, and costing

Factors Associated with Colorectal Cancer Screening among Younger African American Men: A Systematic Review

Of cancers affecting both men and women, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cancer killer among African Americans in the U.S. Compared to White men, African American men have incidence and mortality rates 25% and 50% higher from CRC. Despite the benefits of early detection and the availability of effective screening, most adults over age 50 have not undergone testing, and disparities in colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) persist. Owing to CRC’s high incidence and younger age at presentation among African American men, CRCS is warranted at age 45 rather than 50. However, the factors influencing young adult (i.e., age \u3c 50) African American men’s intention to screen and/or their CRCS behaviors has not been systematically assessed. To assess whether the factors influencing young adult African American men’s screening intentions and behaviors are changeable through structured health education interventions, we conducted a systematic review, with the two-fold purpose of: (1) synthesizing studies examining African American men\u27s knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors regarding CRCS; and (2) assessing these studies’ methodological quality. Utilizing Garrard’s Matrix Method, a total of 28 manuscripts met our inclusion/exclusion criteria: 20 studies followed a non-experimental research design, 4 comprised a quasi-experimental design, and 4, an experimental design. Studies were published between 2002 and 2012; the majority, between 2007 and 2011. The factors most frequently assessed were behaviors (79%), beliefs (68%), and knowledge (61%) of CRC and CRCS. Six factors associated with CRC and CRCS emerged: previous CRCS, CRC test preference, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, CRC/CRCS knowledge, and physician support/recommendation. Studies were assigned a methodological quality score (MQS – ranging from 0 to 21). The mean MQS of 10.9 indicated these studies were, overall, of medium quality and suffered from specific flaws. Alongside a call for more rigorous research, this review provides important suggestions for practice and culturally relevant interventions

SmallSat Booming Growth Realized with Cost-Effective COTS in Space

Space is one of the harshest environments that electronics need to operate in and is also one of the hardest to sustain repeating success. These reasons underscore the importance of testing and validation of mission critical systems used in space. Success in a space system is defined by its continued reliability, autonomous operation, and unwavering communication within its limited uplink and downlink network bandwidth for the missions. A growing challenge among satellite and payload builders, from privately-funded organizations to government entities, is to meet aggressive development-to-deployment schedules with a tight budget. The industry pushes for designs with increased computing performance and tighter system integration in space electronics to achieve the smallest size, weight and power (SWaP). As a result, mission-specific design priorities and cost implications are addressed at the start of the design cycle to help mitigate risks and ensure mission success