Nonlinear control and observation of full-variable speed wind turbine systems.

With increasing concern for the environmental effects of power generation from fossil fuels, wind energy is a competitive source for electrical power with higher efficiency than other clean sources. However, the nature of this power source makes controlling wind turbines difficult. The variability of wind as a source either requires highly accurate measurement equipment or sophisticated mathematical alternatives. In addition to the unknown quantities of the weather itself, the efficiency of power capture at the turbine blades is highly nonlinear in nature and difficult to ascertain. The ability of either determine these troublesome quantities, or control the system despite ignorance of them, greatly increases the overall efficiency of power capture. To this end, a series of nonlinear controllers and observers have been developed for wind turbine systems

Factors affecting the motivation of migrant workers studying ESOL at an FE college: Can motivation and amotivation be predicted and can measures be taken to improve attendance and retention?

A modified AMS 28 test was given to advanced and upper-intermediate level ESOL students studying English Language at a Further Education College in the UK. The test measures student motivation and categorises it into six types plus amotivation. It is thought that identifying the type of motivation of the students may enable those with weak or no motivation to be identified and, if necessary, intervention to take place. It was shown that there was little significant difference in the background of the students who withdrew from the course compared with those who completed, although those students who had been resident in the country for 3-4 years were more likely to withdraw than those resident for either fewer or more years. Students in the cohort were found to be well motivated, and in general had an even balance of extrinsic and intrinsic motivational types. Students who withdrew were, however, more likely to have an extrinsic integrated type of motivation, which may indicate they placed value on the course as a means to getting (or getting better) employment in the UK, and left the course when this goal was achieved. No students in this cohort were amotivated, according to the test. The low number of students (13.5%) who withdrew from the course is an indication that students found the course of value and is similar to the national average for such courses, although this low number made statistical interpretation of the results difficult. It would be useful to extend this survey in the future to include students of lower levels who may become demotivated more quickly than the students in the higher levels questioned. It would also be of value to incorporate iii achievement statistics (ie which students obtained or did not obtain a full qualification) at the end of the course and correlate that data with motivation type

Introducing research initiatives into healthcare: What do doctors think?

Background: Current national and international policies emphasize the need to develop research initiatives within our health care system. Institutional biobanking represents a modern, large-scale research initiative that is reliant upon the support of several aspects of the health care organization. This research project aims to explore doctors' views on the concept of institutional biobanking and to gain insight into the factors which impact the development of research initiatives within healthcare systems. Methods: Qualitative research study using semi-structured interviews. The research was conducted across two public teaching hospitals in Sydney, Australia where institutional biobanking was being introduced. Twenty-five participants were interviewed, of whom 21 were medical practitioners at the specialist trainee level or above in a specialty directly related to biobanking; four were key stakeholders responsible for the design and implementation of the biobanking initiative. Results: All participants strongly supported the concept of institutional biobanking. Participants highlighted the discordance between the doctors who work to establish the biobank (the contributors) and the researchers who use it (the consumers). Participants identified several barriers that limit the success of research initiatives in the hospital setting including: the 'resistance to change' culture; the difficulties in engaging health professionals in research initiatives; and the lack of incentives offered to doctors for their contribution. Doctors positively valued the opportunity to advise the implementation team, and felt that the initiative could benefit from their knowledge and expertise. Conclusion: Successful integration of research initiatives into hospitals requires early collaboration between the implementing team and the health care professionals to produce a plan that is sensitive to the needs of the health professionals and tailored to the hospital setting. Research initiatives must consider incentives that encourage doctors to adopt operational responsibility for hospital research initiatives

The Promise of Proton Beam Therapy for Oesophageal Cancer: A Systematic Review of Dosimetric and Clinical Outcomes

AIMS: Due to its physical advantages over photon radiotherapy, proton beam therapy (PBT) has the potential to improve outcomes from oesophageal cancer. However, for many tumour sites, high-quality evidence supporting PBT use is limited. We carried out a systematic review of published literature of PBT in oesophageal cancer to ascertain potential benefits of this technology and to gauge the current state-of-the-art. We considered if further evaluation of this technology in oesophageal cancer is desirable. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature search of Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science using structured search terms was carried out. Inclusion criteria included non-metastatic cancer, full articles and English language studies only. Articles deliberating technical aspects of PBT planning or delivery were excluded to maintain a clinical focus. Studies were divided into two sections: dosimetric and clinical studies; qualitatively synthesised. RESULTS: In total, 467 records were screened, with 32 included for final qualitative synthesis. This included two prospective studies with the rest based on retrospective data. There was heterogeneity in treatment protocols, including treatment intent (neoadjuvant or definitive), dose, fractionation and chemotherapy used. Compared with photon radiotherapy, PBT seemed to reduce dose to organs at risk, especially lung and heart, although not for all reported parameters. Toxicity outcomes, including postoperative complications, were reduced compared with photon radiotherapy. Survival outcomes were reported to be at least comparable with photon radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: There is a paucity of high-quality evidence supporting PBT use in oesophageal cancer. Wide variation in intent and treatment protocols means that the role and 'gold-standard' treatment protocol are yet to be defined. Current literature suggests significant benefit in terms of toxicity reduction, especially in the postoperative period, with comparable survival outcomes. PBT in oesophageal cancer holds significant promise for improving patient outcomes but requires robust systematic evaluation in prospective studies