A High Performance Fuzzy Logic Architecture for UAV Decision Making

The majority of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in operation today are not truly autonomous, but are instead reliant on a remote human pilot. A high degree of autonomy can provide many advantages in terms of cost, operational resources and safety. However, one of the challenges involved in achieving autonomy is that of replicating the reasoning and decision making capabilities of a human pilot. One candidate method for providing this decision making capability is fuzzy logic. In this role, the fuzzy system must satisfy real-time constraints, process large quantities of data and relate to large knowledge bases. Consequently, there is a need for a generic, high performance fuzzy computation platform for UAV applications. Based on Lees’ [1] original work, a high performance fuzzy processing architecture, implemented in Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), has been developed and is shown to outclass the performance of existing fuzzy processors

The Impact of Information and Communication Technology on the User Services Division of the Forde Library of University of the Southern Caribbean

This study seeks to assess the user frequency and impact of ICT on the performance of the User Services Division, with specific insight on the Circulation, Reference and Instruction Units of the Forde Library. The impact of ICT was measured using cluster-based sampling given to 340 undergraduate students, with a return rate of 62% - 211 students. The analysis revealed a significant lack of awareness and usage of the ICT offerings. Exceptions to low usage and awareness were the OPAC and the Library’s Website. The main factors that impacted the low awareness and usage were limited marketing, no knowledge of ICT offerings, no need for the offerings and complications experienced while using the offerings. Overall, the benefits of the ICT offerings were not recognized by the sample size and as such, lower scores of relevancy, ease of use and user-friendliness were recorded. Recommendations focused on marketing, training, and interdepartmental collaboration

The Moderating Effect of Family-Ownership on Firm Performance: An Examination of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Social Capital

Within the small business literature, a number of recent studies have examined the importance of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and the development of social capital (SC) as each contributes to a firm's performance. While it is generally accepted in previous studies that each of these constructs positively affects firm performance, relatively less attention has been paid to potential moderating factors that can affect these relationships. The purpose of our research is to address one such moderator, family ownership. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the moderating effect of family ownership on the relationships among entrepreneurial orientation, social capital, and firm performance, our results show that the effects of EO and SC vary depending upon whether the firm is family-owned or non-family owned. Implications of these findings and future research directions are provided

Internal derangement of the knee in physically demanding occupations: A rapid review

Aim: To identify and review studies reporting on occupational risk factors for the occurrence of internal derangement of the knee (IDK) in physically demanding occupations.Design: Systematic review of the literature.Method: This review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive search of seven databases was performed using terms derived from three concepts: ‘risk’, ‘paid occupations’, and ‘IDK’.Results: One article met the eligibility criteria. Findings revealed that male Turkish military personnel with IDK that was secondary to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures, managed without reconstruction, and who continued their regular military duties following ACL rupture, had a high prevalence of additional intra- articular lesions. A moderate positive correlation was found between the time from the initial ACL rupture and the presence of at least one additional intra-articular lesion (rs = 0.574; p = 0.0001). Additionally, individuals aged 30 years and older were at slightly greater risk than their younger peers.Conclusion: These findings suggest that the occupational demands to which Turkish military personnel are exposed are associated with IDK developing and worsening over time after ACL rupture as military duties continue.</div

The incidence and risk factors for the development of fractures in military recruits and qualified personnel: A rapid review

Aim: To identify and synthesise findings from studies reporting on the incidence of, and risk factors for, traumatic fractures in military personnel.Design: Rapid reviewMethods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, EBSCO, CINAHL and ProQuest databases were systematically searched using key terms derived from the following concepts: ‘fractures’, ‘work’ and ‘risk’. Key findings from the included studies were extracted and tabulated, including risk factors, incidence and risk ratios.Results: Twenty-eight studies were included, with four studies reporting on recruit/trainees and 24 reporting on qualified military personnel. Recruit incidence ranged from 7.7 – 29.5 cases per 1,000 person-years, while incidence in qualified personnel ranged from 1.9 – 57.6 cases per 1,000 person-years. Enlisted personnel, younger service members (18 – 29 years), and personnel of Army and Marines Corp branches were at increased risk. Fractures predominantly occurred in the lower extremities, although the hands were often a site of traumatic fracture. Risk factors and mechanisms identified for traumatic fractures included NSAID use, sports, physical training, motor vehicle accidents, collisions, blasts from improvised explosive devices, and gunshots, often in combat settings.Conclusion: The findings highlight the incidence of fractures in recruits and qualified military personnel, and identify a range of risk factors in military environments

The effects of early physiotherapy treatment on musculoskeletal injury outcomes in military personnel: A narrative review

The risks and incidence rates of musculoskeletal injuries among military personnel are high, and the importance of physiotherapy in treating these injuries is well established. However, what is less clear is whether the timing of commencement of physiotherapy treatment affects musculoskeletal injury outcomes in military personnel. This lack of clarity is exacerbated by the known underreporting of injuries among military personnel, and the resulting self-management of musculoskeletal injuries using analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and other means. This narrative review was designed to identify and synthesize current evidence regarding the effects of timing of physiotherapy treatment on musculoskeletal injury outcomes, focusing on potential benefits of early versus typical or delayed commencement of physiotherapy treatment. Overall, current evidence suggests early physiotherapy treatment of musculoskeletal injuries offers distinct advantages over typical or delayed commencement of physiotherapy treatment in military settings. Specifically, it appears early treatment expedites recovery in early phases following injury onset and benefits longer term mental health and well-being. It may also reduce the need for more invasive and costly health care interventions and enable earlier return to training and operational service. Importantly, a cultural shift within military contexts to ensure early reporting of musculoskeletal injuries is required if the benefits of early commencement of physiotherapy treatment are to be achieved

Results from the Supernova Photometric Classification Challenge

We report results from the Supernova Photometric Classification Challenge (SNPCC), a publicly released mix of simulated supernovae (SNe), with types (Ia, Ibc, and II) selected in proportion to their expected rate. The simulation was realized in the griz filters of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) with realistic observing conditions (sky noise, point-spread function and atmospheric transparency) based on years of recorded conditions at the DES site. Simulations of non-Ia type SNe are based on spectroscopically confirmed light curves that include unpublished non-Ia samples donated from the Carnegie Supernova Project (CSP), the Supernova Legacy Survey (SNLS), and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II (SDSS-II). A spectroscopically confirmed subset was provided for training. We challenged scientists to run their classification algorithms and report a type and photo-z for each SN. Participants from 10 groups contributed 13 entries for the sample that included a host-galaxy photo-z for each SN, and 9 entries for the sample that had no redshift information. Several different classification strategies resulted in similar performance, and for all entries the performance was significantly better for the training subset than for the unconfirmed sample. For the spectroscopically unconfirmed subset, the entry with the highest average figure of merit for classifying SNe~Ia has an efficiency of 0.96 and an SN~Ia purity of 0.79. As a public resource for the future development of photometric SN classification and photo-z estimators, we have released updated simulations with improvements based on our experience from the SNPCC, added samples corresponding to the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and the SDSS, and provided the answer keys so that developers can evaluate their own analysis.Comment: accepted by PAS

Educational outreach to general practitioners reduces children's asthma symptoms: a cluster randomised controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Childhood asthma is common in Cape Town, a province of South Africa, but is underdiagnosed by general practitioners. Medications are often prescribed inappropriately, and care is episodic. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of educational outreach to general practitioners on asthma symptoms of children in their practice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This is a cluster randomised trial with general practices as the unit of intervention, randomisation, and analysis. The setting is Mitchells Plain (population 300,000), a dormitory town near Cape Town. Solo general practitioners, without nurse support, operate from storefront practices. Caregiver-reported symptom data were collected for 318 eligible children (2 to 17 years) with moderate to severe asthma, who were attending general practitioners in Mitchells Plain. One year post-intervention follow-up data were collected for 271 (85%) of these children in all 43 practices.</p> <p>Practices randomised to intervention (21) received two 30-minute educational outreach visits by a trained pharmacist who left materials describing key interventions to improve asthma care. Intervention and control practices received the national childhood asthma guideline. Asthma severity was measured in a parent-completed survey administered through schools using a symptom frequency and severity scale. We compared intervention and control group children on the change in score from pre-to one-year post-intervention.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Symptom scores declined an additional 0.84 points in the intervention vs. control group (on a nine-point scale. p = 0.03). For every 12 children with asthma exposed to a doctor allocated to the intervention, one extra child will have substantially reduced symptoms.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Educational outreach was accepted by general practitioners and was effective. It could be applied to other health care quality problems in this setting.</p

Have the roles of two functional polymorphisms in breast cancer, R72P in P53 and MDM2-309 in MDM2, become clearer?

Genetic differences between individuals have been predicted to account for disparate outcomes in patients diagnosed with cancer. The search for genetic determinants has been ongoing for a considerable amount of time and it is only now that insights have been gained into which polymorphisms are most likely to be important in determining not only disease likelihood but also outcome. The quest to be able to accurately predict patient outcomes in breast cancer may now be a step closer as increased sample size is leading to more robust statistical analysis and a better understanding of molecular mechanisms of disease are forthcoming