A design of a short course with COTS UAV system for higher education students

This paper aims to propose a short course with a commercial off the shelf unmanned aerial vehicle (COTS UAV) system. From the short course, students can have a conception of a UAV system, and they would have not only the knowledge about the hardware integration but also the theoretical background of the guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) and the situation awareness system. The proposed course consists of two parts; the GNC system for holding the position and the situation awareness system with the marker detection and tracking. A Pixhawk is selected for a flight controller with an open source autopilot, i.e. px 4, and a Raspberry Pi with a downward camera is utilised for the visual navigation of the situation awareness system. The Pixhawk and Raspberry Pi are integrated into the robot operating system (ROS) via the WIFI network, and the MAVROS is adopted for the communication between the Pixhawk and the Raspberry Pi. The first part of the course is designed as the hands-on based lectures, and the second part of the course is adopted the problem-based project

Target Detection, Tracking and Avoidance System for Low-cost UAVs using AI-Based Approaches

An onboard target detection, tracking and avoidance system has been developed in this paper, for low-cost UAV flight controllers using AI-Based approaches. The aim of the proposed system is that an ally UAV can either avoid or track an unexpected enemy UAV with a net to protect itself. In this point of view, a simple and robust target detection, tracking and avoidance system is designed. Two open-source tools were used for the aim: a state-of-the-art object detection technique called SSD and an API for MAVLink compatible systems called MAVSDK. The MAVSDK performs velocity control when a UAV is detected so that the manoeuvre is done simply and efficiently. The proposed system was verified with Software in the loop (SITL) and Hardware in the loop (HITL) simulators. The simplicity of this algorithm makes it innovative, and therefore it should be used in future applications needing robust performances with low-cost hardware such as delivery drone applications.Comment: IEEE RED-UAS 2019 Conferenc

Advancements in the treatment of pediatric acute leukemia and brain tumor - continuous efforts for 100% cure

Treatment outcomes of pediatric cancers have improved greatly with the development of improved treatment protocols, new drugs, and better supportive measures, resulting in overall survival rates greater than 70%. Survival rates are highest in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, reaching more than 90%, owing to risk-based treatment through multicenter clinical trials and protocols developed to prevent central nervous system relapse and testicular relapse in boys. New drugs including clofarabine and nelarabine are currently being evaluated in clinical trials, and other targeted agents are continuously being developed. Chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells are now attracting interest for the treatment of recurrent or refractory disease. Stem cell transplantation is still the most effective treatment for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, in order to reduce treatment-related death after stem cell transplantation, there is need for improved treatments. New drugs and targeted agents are also needed for improved outcome of AML. Surgery and radiation therapy have been the mainstay for brain tumor treatment. However, chemotherapy is becoming more important for patients who are not eligible for radiotherapy owing to age. Stem cell transplant as a means of high dose chemotherapy and stem cell rescue is a new treatment modality and is often repeated for improved survival. Drugs such as temozolomide are new chemotherapeutic options. In order to achieve 100% cure in children with pediatric cancer, every possible treatment modality and effort should be considered

Results of Air Caloric and Other Vestibular Tests in Patients with Chronic Otitis Media

ObjectivesAir caloric results are supposed to be influenced by anatomic changes of the middle ear. The aims of our study were to evaluate the incidence and characteristics of abnormal air caloric results in patients with unilateral chronic otitis media and without any history of vertigo, and to compare caloric results with there of other vestibular function tests (VFTs).MethodsTwenty five patients with unilateral chronic otitis media (COM) who were scheduled for surgery underwent VFTs preoperatively. Hearing was assessed using pure-tone audiometry and vestibular function was assessed using a set of VFTs: air caloric, head-shaking nystagmus (HSN), vibration-induced nystagmus (VIN), and subjective visual vertical (SVV) tests.ResultsSix patients (24%) showed pathologic canal paresis (CP) on COM-sided ears. Two patients showed pathologic CP on the contralateral side. However, both of the two showed inverted nystagmus to warm air stimulation on the COM-side and hyperactive nystagmus to cold air stimulation on the COM-side, which means that the COM-sided ear was stimulated too much. There was pathologic HSN in 12 patients (48%), pathologic VIN in 7 (28%), and pathologic SVV in 5 (20%). Overall, 20 (80%) patients showed abnormal findings through a set of VFTs. Patients with an interaural difference of bone-conduction hearing thresholds ≥10 dB tended to show more abnormal VFT results than those for whom the interaural difference of bone-conduction hearing thresholds was <10 dB.ConclusionOur data show that one-fourth of patients with unilateral COM show abnormal caloric results on the COM side. However, subclinical latent vestibular imbalances were found to be common, which might be related to the gradual vestibular involvement in inflammatory processes, regardless of the caloric results. Results of a set of VFTs should be referred to when determining vestibular imbalance in patients with COM

The Phonetic Characteristics in Patients of Bilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis Without Tracheotomy

Objectives Patients with bilateral vocal fold paralysis (BVFP) theoretically have difficulty producing voiceless consonants. However, perceptual studies have revealed clear production of voiceless consonants with good articulation scores in nontracheostomized patients. The purpose of this study was to clarify the production of voiceless stops during articulation in patients with BVFP compared to normal speakers. Methods The perceptual, acoustic, and aerodynamic characteristics of patients with BVFP and those with normal speech were investigated with special reference to voiceless stop consonants. Test words were prepared to place the stop consonants in different phonological environments, and were all nonsense words. Results The patients with BVFP perceptually produced the three types of stops successfully. However, they acoustically varied voice onset time to produce phonetically representative stops but decreased voice onset time of /ph/ and /p/ compared to those of normal speakers. These patients may properly control air pressure to produce the three types of stop consonants similar to normal speakers. Conclusion The patients with BVFP realized the distinctions between the three types of stops similar to the normal speakers. Although vocal mobility was absent in the patients with BVFP, voice onset time, vowel duration, closure duration, and air pressure were similar to those of normal speakers

Bare-metal stents versus drug-eluting stents in large (≥3.5mm) single coronary artery: Angiographic and clinical outcomes at 6 months

SummaryBackgroundAlthough drug-eluting stents (DES) have been shown to dramatically reduce restenosis and improve the rate of event-free survival in large randomized trials, the benefit of DES appears to be limited to restenosis. In large arteries, it is not clear which type of stent is more superior in angiographic and clinical outcomes between DES and bare-metal stents (BMS). We compared the angiographic and clinical outcomes of DES versus BMS in large arteries (≥3.5mm).MethodTwo hundred and forty patients from March 2002 to March 2007 received stents; 196 patients were treated with DES (44.9% sirolimus-eluting stents; 43.9% paclitaxel-eluting stents; 11.2% zotarolimus-eluting stents) and 44 with cobalt–chromium BMS for single de novo lesions in a large vessel. All subjects received aspirin, clopidogrel, and/or cilostazol as the standard antiplatelet regimen. The angiographic and clinical outcomes were evaluated at 6 months.ResultsFor the baseline characteristics, there were no significant differences between the DES and BMS groups. In addition, for the initially implanted stent there was no difference in the length, stent diameter, and lesion site between the two groups. After 6 months, the follow-up angiogram showed that in-stent diameter restenosis and late loss was more common with BMS than DES (39±21% vs. 19±17%, p=0.007; 1.44±0.83mm vs. 0.62±0.58mm, p=0.009, respectively). However, the target-lesion revascularization/target-vessel revascularization, and total major adverse cardiac events showed no significant differences between the groups (5.3% vs. 3.6%, p=0.62; 5.3% vs. 4.6%, p=0.86, respectively).ConclusionThe DES and cobalt–chromium BMS placed in large coronary arteries showed equally favorable 6-month clinical outcomes, although the 6-month angiographic results appeared more favorable in the DES group than in the BMS group

Enhanced cardiac expression of two isoforms of matrix metalloproteinase-2 in experimental diabetes mellitus.

BackgroundDiabetic cardiomyopathy (DM CMP) is defined as cardiomyocyte damage and ventricular dysfunction directly associated with diabetes independent of concomitant coronary artery disease or hypertension. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), especially MMP-2, have been reported to underlie the pathogenesis of DM CMP by increasing extracellular collagen content.PurposeWe hypothesized that two discrete MMP-2 isoforms (full length MMP-2, FL-MMP-2; N-terminal truncated MMP-2, NTT-MMP-2) are induced by high glucose stimulation in vitro and in an experimental diabetic heart model.MethodsRat cardiomyoblasts (H9C2 cells) were examined to determine whether high glucose can induce the expression of the two isoforms of MMP-2. For the in vivo study, we used the streptozotocin-induced DM mouse heart model and age-matched controls. The changes of each MMP-2 isoform expression in the diabetic mice hearts were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Immunohistochemical stains were conducted to identify the location and patterns of MMP-2 isoform expression. Echocardiography was performed to compare and analyze the changes in cardiac function induced by diabetes.ResultsQuantitative RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining showed that the two MMP-2 isoforms were strongly induced by high glucose stimulation in H9C2 cells. Although no definite histologic features of diabetic cardiomyopathy were observed in diabetic mice hearts, left ventricular systolic dysfunction was determined by echocardiography. Quantitative RT-PCR and IHC staining showed this abnormal cardiac function was accompanied with the increases in the mRNA levels of the two isoforms of MMP-2 and related to intracellular localization.ConclusionTwo isoforms of MMP-2 were induced by high glucose stimulation in vitro and in a Type 1 DM mouse heart model. Further study is required to examine the role of these isoforms in DM CMP