Urban regeneration and sustainable housing renewal trends

Urban planning, affordable houses and protection of the cultural natural heritage are important elements to be considered in the design of sustainable urban realities. Homes for One Pound, Granby Four Streets CLT, Homebaked CLT, Make Liverpool CIC and Engage Liverpool CIC are examples of successful initiatives oriented to foster urban regeneration by promoting environmental quality and social cohesion

Improving an Inverse Model of Sheet Metal Forming by Neural Network Based Regression

An inverse model for a sheet meta l forming process aims to determine the initial parameter levels required to form the final formed shape. This is a difficult problem that is usually approached by traditional methods such as finite element analysis. Formulating the problem as a classification problem makes it possible to use well established classification algorithms, such as decision trees. Classification is, however, generally based on a winner-takes-all approach when associating the output value with the corresponding class. On the other hand, when formulating the problem as a regression task, all the output values are combined to produce the corresponding class value. For a multi-class problem, this may result in very different associations compared with classification between the output of the model and the corresponding class. Such formulation makes it possible to use well known regression algorithms, such as neural networks. In this paper, we develop a neural network based inverse model of a sheet forming process, and compare its performance with that of a linear model. Both models are used in two modes, classification mode and a function estimation mode, to investigate the advantage of re-formulating the problem as a function estimation. This results in large improvements in the recognition rate of set-up parameters of a sheet metal forming process for both models, with a neural network model achieving much more accurate parameter recognition than a linear model

Improving the Prediction of the Roll Separating Force in a Hot Steel Finishing Mill

This paper focuses on the development of a hybrid phenomenological/inductive model to improve the current physical setup force model on a five stand industrial hot strip finishing mill. We approached the problem from two directions. In the first approach, the starting point was the output of the current setup force model. A feedforward multilayer perceptron (MLP) model was then used to estimate the true roll separating force using some other available variables as additional inputs to the model. It was found that it is possible to significantly improve the estimation of a roll separating force from 5.3% error on average with the current setup model to 2.5 % error on average with the hybrid model. The corresponding improvements for the first coils are from 7.5 % with the current model to 3.8 % with the hybrid model. This was achieved by inclusion, in addition to each stand's force from the current model, the contributions from setup forces from the other stands, as well as the contributions from a limited set of additional variables such as: a) aim width; b) setup thickness; c) setup temperature; and d) measured force from the previous coil. In the second approach, we investigated the correlation between the large errors in the current model and input parameters of the model. The data set was split into two subsets, one representing the "normal " leve

Perioperative Care of Children with Severe Neurological Impairment and Neuromuscular Scoliosis—A Practical Pathway to Optimize Peri-Operative Health and Guide Decision Making

Neuromuscular scoliosis is a common feature in children with severe neurological impairment (SNI), including those with severe cerebral palsy. Surgical correction of scoliosis is the mainstay of treatment. This group of patients also have associated medical complexity. The complication rates post-surgery are high, although, for many, they are worth the risk. There are currently no published practice guidelines or care pathways for children with SNI who are undergoing scoliosis corrective surgery. In response to the high uptake of this surgery, coupled with the expected complication rates, our hospital established a perioperative clinic. The purpose of this paper is to describe our perioperative approach. This clinic has developed into a service beyond perioperative care and, with the collaborative meeting, enables shared decision-making to identify the right candidate for surgery. The process involves surgical expertise, understanding the family and child at the centre, and optimisation of medical care pre- and post-surgery. In this paper, we describe the process in a step-by-step manner. We provide clinical vignettes, as well as the proformas that we use, and we highlight the benefits of the team-based process

Sexual and reproductive health in men with cystic fibrosis: Consistent preferences, inconsistent practices

AbstractBackgroundSexual and reproductive health (SRH) is increasingly relevant for men with CF. However, the extent of similarities or differences in SRH clinical practices across different centres or states is unknown as single clinic studies are not informative about variations in male preferences or clinical practices. We wished to determine the variability of male SRH knowledge and preferences, and clinical practices across different CF clinics.MethodsMen attending 5 adult CF clinics in Australasia completed a survey of SRH knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.Results264 (64%) men participated, with a median age of 30 years (17–56). 65% knew of near universal infertility due to a transport problem. 43% heard about infertility from their preferred source, but significantly later than desired. Less than half had undergone semen analysis (SA), which, while varying by site, was consistently later than preferred. 57 men were fathers, of whom 29 had utilised ART.ConclusionMen's preferences around SRH were more consistent than clinical practices. Clinical practice guidelines and training for health professionals would help reduce the gap between men's SRH preferences and clinical practice