A smartphone localization algorithm using RSSI and inertial sensor measurement fusion

Indoor navigation using the existing wireless infrastructure and mobile devices is a very active research area. The major challenge is to leverage the extensive smartphone sensor suite to achieve location tracking with high accuracy. In this paper, we develop a navigation algorithm which fuses the WiFi received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and smartphone inertial sensor measurements. A sequential Monte Carlo filter is developed for inertial sensor based tracking, and a radiolocation algorithm is developed to infer mobile location based on RSSI measurements. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm significantly outperforms the extended Kalman filter (EKF), and achieves competitive location accuracy compared with the round trip time (RTT) based ultra-wideband (UWB) system.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant ECCS-0901034)United States. Office of Naval Research (Grant N00014-11-1-0397)Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (U.S.) (Grant N00014-08-1-0826)Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologie

Integrated IMU and radiolocation-based navigation using a Rao-Blackwellized particle filter

In this paper, we develop a cooperative IMU/radio-location-based navigation system, where each node tracks the location not only based on its own measurements, but also via collaboration with neighbor nodes. The key problem is to design a nonlinear filter to fuse IMU and radiolocation information. We apply the Rao-Blackwellization method by using a particle filter and parallel Kalman filters for the estimation of orientation and other states (i.e., position, velocity, etc.), respectively. The proposed method significantly outperforms the extended Kalman filter (EKF) in the set of simulations here.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant ECCS-0901034)United States. Office of Naval Research (Grant N00014-11-1-0397)Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (U.S.) (Grant N00014-08-1-0826)Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologie

Evaluation of T2G band intensity distribution across a surface of an UO2 ceramic

International audienc

Thyroid cancer following nuclear tests in French Polynesia

BACKGROUND: Between 1966 and 1974, France conducted 41 atmospheric nuclear tests in Polynesia, but their potential health effects have not previously been investigated. METHODS: In a case-control study, we compared the radiation exposure of almost all the French Polynesians diagnosed with differentiated thyroid carcinoma between 1981 and 2003 (n = 229) to the exposure of 373 French Polynesian control individuals without cancer from the general population. Radiation exposures were estimated using measurements after the nuclear tests, age at time of each test, residential and dietary information. RESULTS: The average thyroid dose before 15 years of age was about 1.8 mGy, and 5% of the cases and 3% of the controls received a dose above 10 mGy. Despite this low level of dose, and after adjusting for ethnic group, level of education, body surface area, family history of thyroid cancer and number of pregnancies for women, we observed an increasing risk (P = 0.04) of thyroid cancer with increasing thyroid dose received before age of 15 years, which remained after excluding non-aggressive differentiated thyroid micro-carcinomas. This increase of risk per unit of thyroid radiation dose was higher (P = 0.03) in women who later experienced four or more pregnancies than among other women. CONCLUSION: The risk estimate is low, but is based on limited exposure data. The release of information on exposure, currently classified, would greatly improve the reliability of the risk estimation. British Journal of Cancer (2010) 103, 1115-1121. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6605862 www.bjcancer.com Published online 31 August 2010 (c) 2010 Cancer Research U

Кераміка для техніки

The benthic invertebrates fauna of most of the saline lakes of the Sud Lipez region (Bolivia, Altiplano) has been until now quite unstudied. Samples collected during an extensive survey of 12 lakes and two small inflow rivers allow a first list of the main macroinvertebrates living in the biotopes. The heterogeneous nature of these saline lakes with their freshwater springs and phreatic inflows offers a variety of habitats to macroinvertebrates. The benthic fauna in lakes with salinity > 10 g l-1 is not so low in density but includes few species and is dominated by Orthocladinae and Podonominae larvae. In contrast, the freshwater springs and inflows are colonized by a diverse fauna with a mixture of both freshwater and saline taxa, but dominated by Elmidae and Amphipoda. The lakes are quite isolated and, apart from some cosmopolitan organisms, their fauna can be quite distinctive. (Résumé d'auteur

A Novel Fast Neutron Detector For Nuclear Data Measurements

International audienceAccelerator driven system will use a heavy element target such as lead. Many calculations are available to simulate high-energy spallation neutron induced reactions, but little data are available for comparison with the simulations. In order to constrain the simulation tools we have measured (n,Xn) double differential cross section on different targets at The Svedberg Laboratory, Uppsala, Sweden. For neutron energy above 40 MeV, we have developed a novel detector, CLODIA, based on proton recoil and drift chambers to determine neutron energy. CLODIA (Chamber for LOcalization with DrIft and Amplification) is able to track recoil protons with energy up to 90 MeV with spatial resolution of about one millimeter and a detection efficiency of 99% for each drift chamber. Using CLODIA coupled with the SCANDAL set-up, we have been able to measure double differential (n,Xn) cross section on lead and iron for incident neutron energy in the 40-95 MeV energy region

A systematic review of frameworks for the interrelationships of mental health evidence and policy in low- and middle-income countries

Background: The interrelationships between research evidence and policy-making are complex. Different theoretical frameworks exist to explain general evidence–policy interactions. One largely unexplored element of these interrelationships is how evidence interrelates with, and influences, policy/political agenda-setting. This review aims to identify the elements and processes of theories, frameworks and models on interrelationships of research evidence and health policy-making, with a focus on actionability and agenda-setting in the context of mental health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: A systematic review of theories was conducted based on the BeHeMOTh search method, using a tested and refined search strategy. Nine electronic databases and other relevant sources were searched for peer-reviewed and grey literature. Two reviewers screened the abstracts, reviewed full-text articles, extracted data and performed quality assessments. Analysis was based on a thematic analysis. The included papers had to present an actionable theoretical framework/model on evidence and policy interrelationships, such as knowledge translation or evidence-based policy, specifically target the agenda-setting process, focus on mental health, be from LMICs and published in English. Results: From 236 publications included in the full text analysis, no studies fully complied with our inclusion criteria. Widening the focus by leaving out ‘agenda-setting’, we included ten studies, four of which had unique conceptual frameworks focusing on mental health and LMICs but not agenda-setting. The four analysed frameworks confirmed research gaps from LMICs and mental health, and a lack of focus on agenda-setting. Frameworks and models from other health and policy areas provide interesting conceptual approaches and lessons with regards to agenda-setting. Conclusion: Our systematic review identified frameworks on evidence and policy interrelations that differ in their elements and processes. No framework fulfilled all inclusion criteria. Four actionable frameworks are applicable to mental health and LMICs, but none specifically target agenda-setting. We have identified agenda-setting as a research theory gap in the context of mental health knowledge translation in LMICs. Frameworks from other health/policy areas could offer lessons on agenda-setting and new approaches for creating policy impact for mental health and to tackle the translational gap in LMICs