13,739 research outputs found

    Towards Autonomous Selective Harvesting: A Review of Robot Perception, Robot Design, Motion Planning and Control

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    This paper provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art in selective harvesting robots (SHRs) and their potential for addressing the challenges of global food production. SHRs have the potential to increase productivity, reduce labour costs, and minimise food waste by selectively harvesting only ripe fruits and vegetables. The paper discusses the main components of SHRs, including perception, grasping, cutting, motion planning, and control. It also highlights the challenges in developing SHR technologies, particularly in the areas of robot design, motion planning and control. The paper also discusses the potential benefits of integrating AI and soft robots and data-driven methods to enhance the performance and robustness of SHR systems. Finally, the paper identifies several open research questions in the field and highlights the need for further research and development efforts to advance SHR technologies to meet the challenges of global food production. Overall, this paper provides a starting point for researchers and practitioners interested in developing SHRs and highlights the need for more research in this field.Comment: Preprint: to be appeared in Journal of Field Robotic

    Annual report of the officers of the town of Jackson, New Hampshire for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022.

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    This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire

    Impact of Population Based Indoor Residual Spraying with and without Mass Drug Administration with Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine on Malaria Prevalence in a High Transmission Setting: A Quasi-Experimental Controlled Before-and-After Trial in Northeastern Uganda

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    Background: Declines in malaria burden in Uganda have slowed. Modelling predicts that indoor residual spraying (IRS) and mass drug administration (MDA), when co-timed, have synergistic impact. This study investigated additional protective impact of population-based MDA on malaria prevalence, if any, when added to IRS, as compared with IRS alone and with standard of care (SOC). Methods: The 32-month quasi-experimental controlled before-and-after trial enrolled an open cohort of residents (46,765 individuals, 1st enumeration and 52,133, 4th enumeration) of Katakwi District in northeastern Uganda. Consented participants were assigned to three arms based on residential subcounty at study start: MDA+IRS, IRS, SOC. IRS with pirimiphos methyl and MDA with dihydroartemisinin- piperaquine were delivered in 4 co-timed campaign-style rounds 8 months apart. The primary endpoint was population prevalence of malaria, estimated by 6 cross-sectional surveys, starting at baseline and preceding each subsequent round. Results: Comparing malaria prevalence in MDA+IRS and IRS only arms over all 6 surveys (intention-to-treat analysis), roughly every 6 months post-interventions, a geostatistical model found a significant additional 15.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): [13.7%, 17.5%], Z = 9.6, p = 5e−20) decrease in the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) due to MDA for all ages, a 13.3% reduction in under 5’s (95% CI: [10.5%, 16.8%], Z = 4.02, p = 5e−5), and a 10.1% reduction in children 5–15 (95% CI: [8.5%, 11.8%], Z = 4.7, p = 2e−5). All ages residents of the MDA + IRS arm enjoyed an overall 80.1% reduction (95% CI: [80.0%, 83.0%], p = 0.0001) in odds of qPCR confirmed malaria compared with SOC residents. Secondary difference-in-difference analyses comparing surveys at different timepoints to baseline showed aOR (MDA + IRS vs IRS) of qPCR positivity between 0.28 and 0.66 (p \u3c 0.001). Of three serious adverse events, one (nonfatal) was considered related to study medications. Limitations include the initial non-random assignment of study arms, the single large cluster per arm, and the lack of an MDA-only arm, considered to violate equipoise. Conclusions: Despite being assessed at long time points 5–7 months post-round, MDA plus IRS provided significant additional protection from malaria infection over IRS alone. Randomized trials of MDA in large areas undergoing IRS recommended as well as cohort studies of impact on incidence

    People make Places

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    For centuries Glasgow, as a bucolic fishing village and ecclesiastical centre on the banks of the River Clyde, held little of strategic significance. When success and later threats came to the city, it was as a consequence of explosive growth during the industrial era that left a significant civic presence accompanied by social and environmental challenges. Wartime damage to the fabric of the city and the subsequent implementation of modernist planning left Glasgow with a series of existential threats to the lives and the health of its people that have taken time to understand and come to terms with. In a few remarkable decades of late 20th century regeneration, Glasgow began to be put back together. The trauma of the second half of the 20th century is fading but not yet a distant memory. Existential threats from the climate emergency can provoke the reaction “what, again?” However, the resilience built over the last 50 years has instilled a belief that a constructive, pro-active and creative approach to face this challenge along with the recognition that such action can be transformational for safeguarding and improving people’s lives and the quality of their places. A process described as a just transition that has become central to Glasgow’s approach. Of Scotland’s four big cities, three are surrounded by landscape and sea only Glasgow is surrounded by itself. Even with a small territory, Glasgow is still the largest of Scotland’s big cities and by some margin. When the wider metropolitan area is considered, Glasgow is – like Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool – no mean city. People make Places begins with a review of the concept and complexities of place, discusses why these matter and reviews the growing body of evidence that place quality can deliver economic, social and environmental value. The following chapters focus on the history and evolution of modern Glasgow in four eras of 19th and early 20th century industrialisation, de- industrialisation and modernism in mid 20th century, late 20th century regeneration and a 21st century recovery towards transition and renaissance, and document the process, synthesis and the results of a major engagement programme and to explore systematic approaches to place and consensus building around the principal issues. The second half of the work reflects on a stocktaking of place in contemporary Glasgow, looking at the city through the lenses of an international, metropolitan and everyday city, concluding with a review of the places of Glasgow and what may be learned from them revealing some valuable insights presented in a series of Place Stories included. The concluding chapter sets out the findings of the investigation and analysis reviewing place goals, challenges and opportunities for Glasgow over the decades to 2030 and 2040 and ends with some recommendations about what Glasgow might do better to combine place thinking and climate awareness and setting out practical steps to mobilise Glasgow’s ‘place ecosystem’

    Construction of radon chamber to expose active and passive detectors

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    In this research and development, we present the design and manufacture of a radon chamber (PUCP radon chamber), a necessary tool for the calibration of passive detectors, verification of the operation of active radon monitors as well as diffusion chamber calibration used in radon measurements in air, and soils. The first chapter is an introduction to describe radon gas and national levels of radon concentration given by many organizations. Parameters that influence the calibration factor of the LR 115 type 2 film detector are studied, such as the energy window, critical angle, and effective volumes. Those are strongly related to the etching processes and counting of tracks all seen from a semi-empirical approach studied in the second chapter. The third chapter presents a review of some radon chambers that have been reported in the literature, based on their size and mode of operation as well as the radon source they use. The design and construction of the radon chamber are presented, use of uranium ore (autunite) as a chamber source is also discussed. In chapter fourth, radon chamber characterization is presented through leakage lambda, homogeneity of radon concentration, regimes-operation modes, and the saturation concentrations that can be reached. Procedures and methodology used in this work are contained in the fifth chapter and also some uses and applications of the PUCP radon chamber are presented; the calibration of cylindrical metallic diffusion chamber based on CR-39 chips detectors taking into account overlapping effect; transmission factors of gaps and pinhole for the same diffusion chambers are determined; permeability of glass fiber filter for 222Rn is obtained after reach equilibrium through Ramachandran model and taking into account a partition function as the rate of track density. The results of this research have been published in indexed journals. Finally, the conclusion and recommendations that reflect the fulfillment aims of this thesis are presented

    Examples of works to practice staccato technique in clarinet instrument

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    Klarnetin staccato tekniğini güçlendirme aşamaları eser çalışmalarıyla uygulanmıştır. Staccato geçişlerini hızlandıracak ritim ve nüans çalışmalarına yer verilmiştir. Çalışmanın en önemli amacı sadece staccato çalışması değil parmak-dilin eş zamanlı uyumunun hassasiyeti üzerinde de durulmasıdır. Staccato çalışmalarını daha verimli hale getirmek için eser çalışmasının içinde etüt çalışmasına da yer verilmiştir. Çalışmaların üzerinde titizlikle durulması staccato çalışmasının ilham verici etkisi ile müzikal kimliğe yeni bir boyut kazandırmıştır. Sekiz özgün eser çalışmasının her aşaması anlatılmıştır. Her aşamanın bir sonraki performans ve tekniği güçlendirmesi esas alınmıştır. Bu çalışmada staccato tekniğinin hangi alanlarda kullanıldığı, nasıl sonuçlar elde edildiği bilgisine yer verilmiştir. Notaların parmak ve dil uyumu ile nasıl şekilleneceği ve nasıl bir çalışma disiplini içinde gerçekleşeceği planlanmıştır. Kamış-nota-diyafram-parmak-dil-nüans ve disiplin kavramlarının staccato tekniğinde ayrılmaz bir bütün olduğu saptanmıştır. Araştırmada literatür taraması yapılarak staccato ile ilgili çalışmalar taranmıştır. Tarama sonucunda klarnet tekniğin de kullanılan staccato eser çalışmasının az olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Metot taramasında da etüt çalışmasının daha çok olduğu saptanmıştır. Böylelikle klarnetin staccato tekniğini hızlandırma ve güçlendirme çalışmaları sunulmuştur. Staccato etüt çalışmaları yapılırken, araya eser çalışmasının girmesi beyni rahatlattığı ve istekliliği daha arttırdığı gözlemlenmiştir. Staccato çalışmasını yaparken doğru bir kamış seçimi üzerinde de durulmuştur. Staccato tekniğini doğru çalışmak için doğru bir kamışın dil hızını arttırdığı saptanmıştır. Doğru bir kamış seçimi kamıştan rahat ses çıkmasına bağlıdır. Kamış, dil atma gücünü vermiyorsa daha doğru bir kamış seçiminin yapılması gerekliliği vurgulanmıştır. Staccato çalışmalarında baştan sona bir eseri yorumlamak zor olabilir. Bu açıdan çalışma, verilen müzikal nüanslara uymanın, dil atış performansını rahatlattığını ortaya koymuştur. Gelecek nesillere edinilen bilgi ve birikimlerin aktarılması ve geliştirici olması teşvik edilmiştir. Çıkacak eserlerin nasıl çözüleceği, staccato tekniğinin nasıl üstesinden gelinebileceği anlatılmıştır. Staccato tekniğinin daha kısa sürede çözüme kavuşturulması amaç edinilmiştir. Parmakların yerlerini öğrettiğimiz kadar belleğimize de çalışmaların kaydedilmesi önemlidir. Gösterilen azmin ve sabrın sonucu olarak ortaya çıkan yapıt başarıyı daha da yukarı seviyelere çıkaracaktır

    Norsk rå kumelk, en kilde til zoonotiske patogener?

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    The worldwide emerging trend of eating “natural” foods, that has not been processed, also applies for beverages. According to Norwegian legislation, all milk must be pasteurized before commercial sale but drinking milk that has not been heat-treated, is gaining increasing popularity. Scientist are warning against this trend and highlights the risk of contracting disease from milkborne microorganisms. To examine potential risks associated with drinking unpasteurized milk in Norway, milk- and environmental samples were collected from dairy farms located in south-east of Norway. The samples were analyzed for the presence of specific zoonotic pathogens; Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter spp., and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Cattle are known to be healthy carriers of these pathogens, and Campylobacter spp. and STEC have a low infectious dose, meaning that infection can be established by ingesting a low number of bacterial cells. L. monocytogenes causes one of the most severe foodborne zoonotic diseases, listeriosis, that has a high fatality rate. All three pathogens have caused milk borne disease outbreaks all over the world, also in Norway. During this work, we observed that the prevalence of the three examined bacteria were high in the environment at the examined farms. In addition, 7% of the milk filters were contaminated by STEC, 13% by L. monocytogenes and 4% by Campylobacter spp. Four of the STEC isolates detected were eaepositive, which is associated with the capability to cause severe human disease. One of the eae-positive STEC isolates were collected from a milk filter, which strongly indicate that Norwegian raw milk may contain potential pathogenic STEC. To further assess the possibilities of getting ill by STEC after consuming raw milk, we examined the growth of the four eae-positive STEC isolates in raw milk at different temperatures. All four isolates seemed to have ability to multiply in raw milk at 8°C, and one isolate had significant growth after 72 hours. Incubation at 6°C seemed to reduce the number of bacteria during the first 24 hours before cell death stopped. These findings highlight the importance of stable refrigerator temperatures, preferable < 4°C, for storage of raw milk. The L. monocytogenes isolates collected during this study show genetic similarities to isolates collected from urban and rural environmental locations, but different clones were predominant in agricultural environments compared to clinical and food environments. However, the results indicate that the same clone can persist in a farm over time, and that milk can be contaminated by L. monocytogenes clones present in farm environment. Despite testing small volumes (25 mL) of milk, we were able to isolate both STEC and Campylobacter spp. directly from raw milk. A proportion of 3% of the bulk tank milk and teat milk samples were contaminated by Campylobacter spp. and one STEC was isolated from bulk tank milk. L monocytogenes was not detected in bulk tank milk, nor in teat milk samples. The agricultural evolvement during the past decades have led to larger production units and new food safety challenges. Dairy cattle production in Norway is in a current transition from tie-stall housing with conventional pipeline milking systems, to modern loose housing systems with robotic milking. The occurrence of the three pathogens in this project were higher in samples collected from farms with loose housing compared to those with tiestall housing. Pasteurization of cow’s milk is a risk reducing procedure to protect consumers from microbial pathogens and in most EU countries, commercial distribution of unpasteurized milk is legally restricted. Together, the results presented in this thesis show that the animal housing may influence the level of pathogenic bacteria in the raw milk and that ingestion of Norwegian raw cow’s milk may expose consumers to pathogenic bacteria which can cause severe disease, especially in children, elderly and in persons with underlying diseases. The results also highlight the importance of storing raw milk at low temperatures between milking and consumption.Å spise mat som er mindre prosessert og mer «naturlig» er en pågående trend i Norge og i andre deler av verden. Interessen for å drikke melk som ikke er varmebehandlet, såkalt rå melk, er også økende. I Norge er det påbudt å pasteurisere melk før kommersielt salg for å beskytte forbrukeren mot sykdomsfremkallende mikroorganismer. Fagfolk advarer mot å drikke rå melk, og påpeker risikoen for å bli syk av patogene bakterier som kan finnes i melken. I denne avhandlingen undersøker vi den potensielle risikoen det medfører å drikke upasteurisert melk fra Norge. I tillegg til å samle inn tankmelk- og speneprøver fra melkegårder i sørøst Norge, samlet vi også miljøprøver fra de samme gårdene for å kartlegge forekomst og for å identifisere potensielle mattrygghetsrisikoer i melkeproduksjonen. Alle prøvene ble analysert for de zoonotiske sykdomsfremkallende bakteriene Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter spp., og Shiga toksin-produserende Escherichia coli (STEC). Kyr kan være friske smittebærere av disse bakteriene, som dermed kan etablere et reservoar på gårdene. Bakteriene kan overføres fra gårdsmiljøet til melkekjeden og dermed utfordre mattryggheten. Disse bakteriene har forårsaket melkebårne sykdomsutbrudd over hele verden, også i Norge. Campylobacter spp. og STEC har lav infeksiøs dose, som vil si at man kan bli syk selv om man bare inntar et lavt antall bakterieceller. L. monocytogenes kan gi sykdommen listeriose, en av de mest alvorlige matbårne zoonotiske sykdommene vi har i den vestlige verden. Resultater fra denne oppgaven viser en høy forekomst av de tre patogenene i gårdsmiljøet. I tillegg var 7% av melkefiltrene vi testet positive for STEC, 13% positive for L. monocytogenes og 4% positive for Campylobacter spp.. Fire av STEC isolatene bar genet for Intimin, eae, som er ansett som en viktig virulensfaktor som øker sjansen for alvorlig sykdom. Ett av de eae-positive isolatene ble funnet i et melkefilter, noe som indikerer at norsk rå melk kan inneholde patogene STEC. For å videre vurdere risikoen for å bli syk av STEC fra rå melk undersøkte vi hvordan de fire eae-positive isolatene vokste i rå melk lagret ved forskjellige temperaturer. For alle isolatene økte antall bakterier etter lagring ved 8°C, og for et isolat var veksten signifikant. Etter lagring ved 6°C ble antallet bakterier redusert de første 24 timene, deretter stoppet reduksjonen i antall bakterier. Disse resultatene viser hvor viktig det er å ha stabil lav lagringstemperatur for rå melk, helst < 4°C. L. monocytogenes isolatene som ble samlet inn fra melkegårdene viste genetiske likheter med isolater samlet inn fra urbane og rurale miljøer rundt omkring i Norge. Derimot var kloner som dominerte i landbruksmiljøet forskjellige fra kliniske isolater og isolater fra matproduksjonslokaler. Videre så man at en klone kan persistere på en gård over tid og at melk kan kontamineres av L. monocytogenes kloner som er til stede i gårdsmiljøet. Til tross for små testvolum av tankmelken (25 mL) fant vi både STEC og Campylobacter spp. i melkeprøvene. 3% av tankmelkprøvene og speneprøvene var positive for Campylobacter spp. og ett STEC isolat ble funnet i tankmelk. L. monocytogenes ble ikke funnet direkte i melkeprøvene. Landbruket i Norge er i stadig utvikling der besetningene blir større, men færre. Melkebesetningene er midt i en overgang der tradisjonell oppstalling med melking på bås byttes ut med løsdriftssystemer og melkeroboter. Forekomsten av de tre patogenene funnet i denne studien var høyere i besetningene med løsdrift sammenliknet med besetningene som hadde melkekyrne oppstallet på bås. Pasteurisering er et viktig forebyggende tiltak for å beskytte konsumenter fra mikrobielle patogener, og i de fleste EU-land er kommersielt salg av rå melk juridisk begrenset. Denne studien viser at oppstallingstype kan påvirke nivåene av patogene bakterier i gårdsmiljøet og i rå melk. Inntak av rå melk kan eksponere forbruker for patogene bakterier som kan gi alvorlig sykdom, spesielt hos barn, eldre og personer med underliggende sykdommer. Resultatene underbygger viktigheten av å pasteurisere melk for å sikre mattryggheten, og at det er avgjørende å lagre rå melk ved kontinuerlig lave temperaturer for å forebygge vekst av zoonotiske patogener

    Anuário científico da Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa - 2021

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    É com grande prazer que apresentamos a mais recente edição (a 11.ª) do Anuário Científico da Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde de Lisboa. Como instituição de ensino superior, temos o compromisso de promover e incentivar a pesquisa científica em todas as áreas do conhecimento que contemplam a nossa missão. Esta publicação tem como objetivo divulgar toda a produção científica desenvolvida pelos Professores, Investigadores, Estudantes e Pessoal não Docente da ESTeSL durante 2021. Este Anuário é, assim, o reflexo do trabalho árduo e dedicado da nossa comunidade, que se empenhou na produção de conteúdo científico de elevada qualidade e partilhada com a Sociedade na forma de livros, capítulos de livros, artigos publicados em revistas nacionais e internacionais, resumos de comunicações orais e pósteres, bem como resultado dos trabalhos de 1º e 2º ciclo. Com isto, o conteúdo desta publicação abrange uma ampla variedade de tópicos, desde temas mais fundamentais até estudos de aplicação prática em contextos específicos de Saúde, refletindo desta forma a pluralidade e diversidade de áreas que definem, e tornam única, a ESTeSL. Acreditamos que a investigação e pesquisa científica é um eixo fundamental para o desenvolvimento da sociedade e é por isso que incentivamos os nossos estudantes a envolverem-se em atividades de pesquisa e prática baseada na evidência desde o início dos seus estudos na ESTeSL. Esta publicação é um exemplo do sucesso desses esforços, sendo a maior de sempre, o que faz com que estejamos muito orgulhosos em partilhar os resultados e descobertas dos nossos investigadores com a comunidade científica e o público em geral. Esperamos que este Anuário inspire e motive outros estudantes, profissionais de saúde, professores e outros colaboradores a continuarem a explorar novas ideias e contribuir para o avanço da ciência e da tecnologia no corpo de conhecimento próprio das áreas que compõe a ESTeSL. Agradecemos a todos os envolvidos na produção deste anuário e desejamos uma leitura inspiradora e agradável.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Redefining Community in the Age of the Internet: Will the Internet of Things (IoT) generate sustainable and equitable community development?

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    There is a problem so immense in our built world that it is often not fully realized. This problem is the disconnection between humanity and the physical world. In an era of limitless data and information at our fingertips, buildings, public spaces, and landscapes are divided from us due to their physical nature. Compared with the intense flow of information from our online world driven by the beating engine of the internet, our physical world is silent. This lack of connection not only has consequences for sustainability but also for how we perceive and communicate with our built environment in the modern age. A possible solution to bridge the gap between our physical and online worlds is a technology known as the Internet of Things (IoT). What is IoT? How does it work? Will IoT change the concept of the built environment for a participant within it, and in doing so enhance the dynamic link between humans and place? And what are the implications of IoT for privacy, security, and data for the public good? Lastly, we will identify the most pressing issues existing in the built environment by conducting and analyzing case studies from Pomona College and California State University, Northridge. By analyzing IoT in the context of case studies we can assess its viability and value as a tool for sustainability and equality in communities across the world
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