Diffusive Molecular Communication with Disruptive Flows

In this paper, we study the performance of detectors in a diffusive molecular communication environment where steady uniform flow is present. We derive the expected number of information molecules to be observed in a passive spherical receiver, and determine the impact of flow on the assumption that the concentration of molecules throughout the receiver is uniform. Simulation results show the impact of advection on detector performance as a function of the flow's magnitude and direction. We highlight that there are disruptive flows, i.e., flows that are not in the direction of information transmission, that lead to an improvement in detector performance as long as the disruptive flow does not dominate diffusion and sufficient samples are taken.Comment: 7 pages, 1 table, 5 figures. Will be presented at the 2014 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC) in Sydney, Australia, on September 12, 201

Does a Novice Technician Produce Results Similar to That of an Experienced DXA Technician When Assessing Body Composition and Bone Mineral Density?

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry is a commonly used clinical assessment tool for body composition and bone mineral density, which is gaining popularity in athletic cohorts. Results from body composition scans are useful for athletic populations to track training and nutritional interventions, whilst bone mineral density scans are valuable for athletes at risk of developing stress fractures due to low bone mineral density. However, no research has ascertained if a novice technician (accredited but not experienced) could produce similar results to an experienced technician. Two groups of recreational athletes were scanned, one by an experienced technician, one by a novice technician. All participants were scanned twice with repositioning between scans. The experienced technician\u27s reliability (ICC 0.989 - 0.998, percentage change in mean -0.01 - 0.10), precision (typical error as CV% 0.01 to 0.47. standard error of measurement percentage 0.61% - 1.39%) and sensitivity to change (smallest real difference percentage 1.70% - 3.85%) were similar, however superior, to those of the novice technician. The novice technician results were: reliability (ICC 0.985 - 0.997, percentage change in mean -0.03 - 0.23), precision (typical error as CV% 0.03 - 0.75%, standard error of measurement percentage 1.06% - 2.12%) and sensitivity to change (smallest real difference percentage 2.73% - 5.86%). Extensive experience whilst valuable is not a necessary requirement to produce quality results when undertaking whole body dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning

Towards a super connected Australia - GenNBN: understanding Australia's most connected generation

Foreword Bernard Salt, KPMG partner and social researcher There is one feature that has galvanised Australians across every generation since WWII and possibly longer and that is the irrepressible pursuit of lifestyle. To most Australians the idea of lifestyle involves having the personal and economic freedom to live comfortably and to pursue interests, family/relationships and work. In the post-war era the Australian lifestyle was embodied in the suburban home and the traditional nuclear family; today the idea of lifestyle is more sophisticated, more international perhaps, but at its core it still involves having personal and economic freedoms. From the time of the three-bedroom brick veneer and the barbeque area of the 1950s and the 1960s through to the sea-change shift of the late 1990s, and into the new century with the rise of the inner-city hipster, it’s always been about and probably always will be about, lifestyle. That’s what Australia is famous for and when you look at the way we Aussies live, the reason for our lifestyle fixation is really quite simple. Australia is a resource rich continent that naturally affords its inhabitants a good quality of life and a high standard of living. If my central proposition is correct, Australians are now, and in the past have been, fixated with lifestyle then this trend will continue to be at the core of our values. New technologies in communication, new housing styles, new forms of transportation, the arrival of new cultural influences, even changes to the way we work, have all been leveraged in one way or another by the Australian people to enhance their quality of life and their lifestyle. This report looks at the themes and the technologies that have been central to the making of the modern Australia lifestyle, from the time of Federation right through to today and beyond. It also investigates how the introduction of fast broadband could be the catalyst for a new generation, Australia’s most connected generation, ‘GenNBN’.   KPMG Partner Bernard Salt founded and heads KPMG Demographics a specialist advisory group that looks at social, cultural and demographic trends over time. Bernard has worked as an advisor to business and government for more than 25 years drawing on census and other datasets. He is a twice weekly columnist with The Australian newspaper and he is one of the most in-demand speakers on the Australian corporate speaking circuit. Bernard holds a Master of Arts degree from Monash University and since 2011 has been an adjunct professor at Curtin University Business School. Bernard also holds a number of board positions in education and the art

Power Switching Protocol for Two-way Relaying Network under Hardware Impairments

In this paper, we analyze the impact of hardware impairments at relay node and source node (i.e. imperfect nodes) on network performance by evaluating outage probability based on the effective signal to noise and distortion ratio (SNDR). Especially, we propose energy harvesting protocol at the relay and source nodes, namely, power switching imperfect relay (PSIR) and power switching imperfect source (PSIS). Aiming to determine the performance of energy constrained network, we first derive closed-form expressions of the outage probability and then the throughput can be maximized in delay-limited transmission mode. The simulation results provide practical insights into the impacts of hardware impairments and power switching factors of the energy harvesting protocol on the performance of energy harvesting enabled two-way relaying network

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry positioning protocols in assessing body composition: A systematic review of the literature:A systematic review of the literature

OBJECTIVES: To systematically identify and assess methods and protocols used to reduce technical and biological errors in published studies that have investigated reliability of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for assessing body composition. DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: Systematic searches of five databases were used to identify studies of DXA reliability. Two independent reviewers used a modified critical appraisal tool to assess their methodological quality. Data was extracted and synthesised using a level of evidence approach. Further analysis was then undertaken of methods used to decrease DXA errors (technical and biological) and so enhance DXA reliability. RESULTS: Twelve studies met eligibility criteria. Four of the articles were deemed high quality. Quality articles considered biological and technical errors when preparing participants for DXA scanning. The Nana positioning protocol was assessed to have a strong level of evidence. The studies providing this evidence indicated very high test–retest reliability (ICC 0.90–1.00 or less than 1% change in mean) of the Nana positioning protocol. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) positioning protocol was deemed to have a moderate level of evidence due to lack of high quality studies. However, the available studies found the NHANES positioning protocol had very high test–retest reliability. Evidence is limited and reported reliability has varied in papers where no specific positioning protocol was used or reported. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the strong level of evidence of excellent test–retest reliability that supports use of the Nana positioning protocol, it is recommended as the first choice for clinicians when using DXA to assess body composition

Using new and innovative technologies to assess clinical stage in early intervention youth mental health services: Evaluation study

Background: Globally there is increasing recognition that new strategies are required to reduce disability due to common mental health problems. As 75% of mental health and substance use disorders emerge during the teenage or early adulthood years, these strategies need to be readily accessible to young people. When considering how to provide such services at scale, new and innovative technologies show promise in augmenting traditional clinic-based services. Objective: The aim of this study was to test new and innovative technologies to assess clinical stage in early intervention youth mental health services using a prototypic online system known as the Mental Health eClinic (MHeC). Methods: The online assessment within the MHeC was compared directly against traditional clinician assessment within 2 Sydney-based youth-specific mental health services (headspace Camperdown and headspace Campbelltown). A total of 204 young people were recruited to the study. Eligible participants completed both face-to-face and online assessments, which were randomly allocated and counterbalanced at a 1-to-3 ratio. These assessments were (1) a traditional 45- to 60-minute headspace face-to-face assessment performed by a Youth Access Clinician and (2) an approximate 60-minute online assessment (including a self-report Web-based survey, immediate dashboard of results, and a video visit with a clinician). All assessments were completed within a 2-week timeframe from initial presentation. Results: Of the 72 participants who completed the study, 71% (51/72) were female and the mean age was 20.4 years (aged 16 to 25 years); 68% (49/72) of participants were recruited from headspace Camperdown and the remaining 32% (23/72) from headspace Campbelltown. Interrater agreement of participants’ stage, as determined after face-to-face assessment or online assessment, demonstrated fair agreement (kappa=.39, P\u3c.001) with concordance in 68% of cases (49/72). Among the discordant cases, those who were allocated to a higher stage by online raters were more likely to report a past history of mental health disorders (P=.001), previous suicide planning (P=.002), and current cannabis misuse (P=.03) compared to those allocated to a lower stage. Conclusions: The MHeC presents a new and innovative method for determining key clinical service parameters. It has the potential to be adapted to varied settings in which young people are connected with traditional clinical services and assist in providing the right care at the right tim

Green space and child weight status : does outcome measurement matter? Evidence from an Australian longitudinal study

Taren Sanders is supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award. Thomas Astell-Burt is supported by a Fellowship with the National Heart Foundation of Australia.Objective. To examine whether neighbourhood green space is beneficially associated with (i) waist circumference (WC) and (ii) waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) across childhood. Methods. Gender-stratified multilevel linear regressions were used to examine associations between green space and objective measures of weight status in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, a nationally representative source of data on 4,423 children aged 6 y to 13 y. WC and WtHR were measured objectively. Percentage green space within the local area of residence was calculated. Effect modification by age was explored, adjusting for socioeconomic confounding. Results. Compared to peers with 0-5% green space locally, boys and girls with >40% green space tended to have lower WC (βboys -1.15, 95% CI -2.44, 0.14; βgirls -0.21, 95% CI -1.47, 1.05) and WtHR (βboys -0.82, 95% CI -1.65, 0.01; βgirls -0.32, 95% CI -1.13, 0.49). Associations among boys were contingent upon age (p valuesage green space40% green space at 73.85 cm and 45.75% compared to those with 0-5% green space at 75.18 cm and 46.62%, respectively. Conclusions. Greener neighbourhoods appear beneficial to alternative child weight status measures, particularly among boys.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe