Geometric Controls for a Tethered Quadrotor UAV

This paper deals with the dynamics and controls of a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle that is connected to a fixed point on the ground via a tether. Tethered quadrotors have been envisaged for long-term aerial surveillance with high-speed communications. This paper presents an intrinsic form of the dynamic model of a tethered quadrotor including the coupling between deformations of the tether and the motion of the quadrotor, and it constructs geometric control systems to asymptotically stabilize the coupled dynamics of the quadrotor and the tether. The proposed global formulation of dynamics and control also avoids complexities and singularities associated with local coordinates. These are illustrated by numerical examples

Membangun jiwa kreativitas anak panti asuhan Al-Maa’uun melalui pembuatan sabun cuci piring untuk meningkatkan keterampilan hidup

Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan kegiatan pengabdian yang dilakukan terhadap anak-anak Panti Asuhan Al-Maa’uun mengenai pembuatan hingga pengemasan sabun cuci piring. Kegiatan ini dilakukan dalam rangka meningkatkan keterampilan anak-anak Panti Asuhan Al-Maa’uun serta dapat menambah penghasilan tambahan bagi mereka. Metode yang digunakan dalam pengabdian ini adalah pelatihan dengan pemberian materi seputar produk yang akan dibuat dan proses pembuatan Sabun Cuci Piring hingga siap digunakan maupun untuk dijual. Dengan terlaksananya kegiatan pengabdian ini, tim pengabdian kepada anak-anak Panti Asuhan Al-Maa’uun memberikan pelatihan tentang pembuatan Sabun Cuci Piring dari penyampaian materi, proses pembuatan Sabun Cuci Piring hingga proses sehingga anak-anak tersebut memiliki keterampilan untuk membuat Sabun Cuci Piring yang siap digunakan maupun dijual sehingga bisa menjadi salah satu alternatif usaha yang dapat menjadi penghasilan tambahan bagi mereka

Against the Stream: Ajit Singh and His Battles

This book pays homage to Ajit Singh, economist and intellectual fighter for many causes. It does so through intertwined narratives including, among the major strands, Singh’s life and works, the Faculty of Economics and Politics in Cambridge, and the Punjab and Sikhism — all of which the author manages to weave together with rich prose, fine scholarship and passionate commitment to the subject

Sensory Design in the Birth Environment: Learning from Existing Case Studies

Studies have shown how built environments for hospitals can influence psychological and physiological conditions and status for childbearing women. Sensory attributes of birth spaces can enhance comfort, feelings of wellbeing, and, to some extent, clinical outcomes. Recently, some case studies of multisensory rooms for the birth environment have been developed based on, e.g., Snoezelen room examples. The aim of this research is to develop an overview of how sensory aspects for birth environments are designed, used, and tested in current and recent studies. Case studies were selected according to sensory aspect significance, observing space factors, and relationship with the experience and comfort of users (women, partners, midwives). All case studies were analysed to collect information about the design and validation process. The collected data were organised in categories and compared for the selected case studies. Main findings were summarised in tables with the aim of underlining how sensory design processes and projects can positively influence comfort for birthing. Conclusions about how to bring forward the issue of sensory design so that it can be used and applied to support childbearing women is discussed

Women’s Experiences of Physical Features in a Specially Designed Birthing Room: A Mixed-Methods Study in Sweden

Aim: To explore women’s experiences of physical features in a birthing room designed to be adaptable to personal wishes and needs during labor and birth. Background: Childbirth is a central life event influenced by numerous factors, including the healthcare environment; however, there is insufficient knowledge on how the physical design affects women during birth. Methods: This study was part of a randomized controlled trial in the Room4Birth research project, including women randomized to receive care in a new birthing room designed with physical features changeable according to personal wishes. Data consisted of responses to two questions analyzed with descriptive statistics (n = 202) and semi-structured interviews analyzed for content (n = 19). Results: A total of 93.6% (n = 189) assessed the physical features in the birthing room as meaningful to a very high or high extent. The overall impression of the room was positive and exceeded women’s expectations. They felt welcomed and strengthened by the room, which shifted the focus to a more positive emotional state. The room differed from traditional hospital birthing rooms, contained familiar features that maintained integrity, and had space for companions. The variety of physical features was appreciated. Of nine listed physical features, the bathtub was ranked most important, followed by the projection of nature scenery, and dimmable lighting, but the room as a whole appeared most important. Conclusions: When planning and designing hospital-based birthing rooms, it is crucial to offer possibilities to adapt the room and physical features according to personal wishes

Hospital Childbirth: Perspectives of Women and Professionals for a Positive Experience - A Qualitative Study

The perception and interpretation of childbirth are changing as values change. This requires women and professionals to adapt to new circumstances. The objective of this study was to analyze the perspectives of women and professionals on hospital birth and to identify improvement areas in order to achieve a positive perinatal experience. A qualitative prospective study with a phenomenological approach was conducted using semi-structured interviews with women, two and eight months after childbirth, participant observation, and professional focus groups. The analysis of the transcribed texts involved a thematic inductive approach. Four improvement areas emerged from the analysis: (a) strengthening communication and the therapeutic relationship; (b) unifying criteria between hospitals and primary care centers to provide coordinated and coherent information; (c) involvement of the partner in the whole process of pregnancy-childbirth-puerperium; (d) improvement of the spaces used in prenatal care and births. The need for a continuity of care from the beginning of pregnancy to the postpartum period is emphasized, which requires an improvement in information, participation, and the promotion of shared decision-making. To this end, coordinated interdisciplinary work, involvement of the partner and the improvement of the spaces used in prenatal care and births are essential

Automatic Optic Nerve Measurement: A New Tool to Standardize Optic Nerve Assessment in Ultrasound B-Mode Images

Transorbital sonography provides reliable information about the estimation of intra-cranial pressure by measuring the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD), whereas the optic nerve (ON) diameter (OND) may reveal ON atrophy in patients with multiple sclerosis. Here, an AUTomatic Optic Nerve MeAsurement (AUTONoMA) system for OND and ONSD assessment in ultrasound B-mode images based on deformable models is presented. The automated measurements were compared with manual ones obtained by two operators, with no significant differences. AUTONoMA correctly segmented the ON and its sheath in 71 out of 75 images. The mean error compared with the expert operator was 0.06 ± 0.52 mm and 0.06 ± 0.35 mm for the ONSD and OND, respectively. The agreement between operators and AUTONoMA was good and a positive correlation was found between the readers and the algorithm with errors comparable with the inter-operator variability. The AUTONoMA system may allow for standardization of OND and ONSD measurements, reducing manual evaluation variability

EGFR genomic alterations in cancer: prognostic and predictive values

none11: The role of EGFR in cancer development and progression has been recognized for long time in a variety of human malignancies including lung, head and neck, colon, breast, ovary and glioma. Recently its role as a target of antineoplastic agents has also been identified and a variety of EGFR-targeted drugs is already being used in a clinical setting and others are at present under investigation. Many data involving EGFR protein expression are now available for the choice of anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies in colorectal cancer and with regard to EGFR gene mutations for the choice of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in lung cancer. Other EGFR-related molecular factors, including the EGFR gene copy number, are currently under investigation. This review summarizes both preclinical and clinical available data regarding EGFR genomic alterations as prognostic and predictive factors.openBronte, Giuseppe; Terrasi, Marianna; Rizzo, Sergio; Sivestris, Nicola; Ficorella, Corrado; Cajozzo, Massimo; Di Gaudio, Francesca; Gulotta, Gaspare; Siragusa, Sergio; Gebbia, Nicola; Russo, AntonioBronte, Giuseppe; Terrasi, Marianna; Rizzo, Sergio; Sivestris, Nicola; Ficorella, Corrado; Cajozzo, Massimo; Di Gaudio, Francesca; Gulotta, Gaspare; Siragusa, Sergio; Gebbia, Nicola; Russo, Antoni

Association between home layout connectivity and cognitive ability in community dwelling older adults: Implication for occupational therapy

Physical environment has long been recognized within occupational therapy as a key factor contributing to residents’ functional abilities. However, the specific aspects of the physical environment that matter and the extent to which they do so remain less understood. This paper reports a quantitative study of the relationship between a characteristic of the physical home environment—the degree of interconnectedness of its rooms—and the cognitive ability of adults. Working with demographic, health, and home layout data collected from a sample of community-dwelling older adults in Atlanta, Georgia (N=72, Mage=69.5), we found that the cognitive functioning determined by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score was significantly associated with the average connectivity and mean depth of the homes while controlling participants’ age and education. Regression analysis suggested home connectivity independently explained a little more than 4% of the variance in the MoCA scores. The results further revealed that the relationship may be better modeled using non-linear models, and that the increase in the numbers of circulation rings as average room connectivity rises may be partly, but not entirely, responsible for its association with cognitive ability. The study points to directions for further work, including causal modeling, based on recommendations that could be developed for homes to support older adults’ abilities to continue to reside in their own homes as they grow older