Implementing flexible software techniques in a 4GL environment

Today more IT professionals arc employed on the maintenance of existing software applications than are employed to develop new systems. Why is there such a need for this maintenance? Part of the problem is that developers have traditionally seen system requirements as fixed from the time they have been \u27signed off. In reality requirements arc dynamic and subject to change as an organisation\u27s environment changes. Flexible software techniques recognise that software requirements are subject to future changes. Flexibility is seen as an important design goal criterion with true or strong flexibility implying that an application\u27s behaviour can be altered without the need for changing program code. The purpose of this study is to: - Identify flexible software techniques described in the current literature. - Identify features present in the Oracle suite of tools that can lead to flexibility. - Design and implement a demonstration application that demonstrates both the flexible techniques and features identified

Strategies for the Efficacy and Safety of Antiplatelet Drugs

SUMMARY P2Y12 receptor antagonists including clopidogrel, prasugrel or ticagrelor in addition toaspirin are the standard of care for the treatment in acute coronary syndrome andpercutaneous coronary intervention. The benefit of this therapy is based on the balance between the reduction of ischaemic events and minimising bleeding risk. Therefore, it isimportant to have strategies to both ensure the optimal inhibition of the P2Y12 receptor andthe effective prevention and treatment of bleeding events. These form the basis for our three studies. In the first study, we demonstrated in 241 patients after an acute coronary syndrome, thefeasibility of individualised P2Y12 receptor antagonist therapy based on rapid genotyping to identify common CYP2C19 polymorphisms associated with clopidogrel metabolism. Our findings show that this strategy, when combined with follow up point-of-care platelet function testing, almost eliminated high on-treatment platelet reactivity (2.9%) and allowed the more judicious use of prasugrel therapy, thereby minimising both thrombotic and bleeding risk. In the latter two studies, we examined in an ex-vivo and in-vivo model the biological efficacy of platelet transfusion in the restoration of platelet function in patients on P2Y12 receptor antagonists. In 35 patients receiving loading doses of clopidogrel and prasugrel for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) we demonstrated that increasing proportions of platelets are needed reverse stronger P2Y12 inhibition. In the ex-vivo model, we showed that in 33 cardiac surgery patients on P2Y12 receptor antagonists that were given platelet transfusion for perioperative bleeding, there was a 30% increase in platelet activation vasodilator stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) phosphorylation platetet reactivity index (PRI), a sensitive marker of platelet activation. Platelet transfusion was also associated with changes in the rate and strength of clot formation as assessed by thromboelastograph (TEG). In conclusion, we demonstrated strategies to best identify patients outside the therapeutic window of P2Y12 receptor antagonism using rapid genetic and point-of-care platelet function platforms, allowing the tailored selection of treatment with the potential to avoid future adverse clinical events. For those presenting with bleeding events, we showed the biological efficacy of the strategy of platelet transfusion for the rapid reversal of P2Y12 therapy in both the ACS/PCI and the cardiac surgery setting

Perceptions and Practices of Hydration in Triathlon

Perceptions and Practices of Hydration in Triathlon Corey S. O\u27Connor, David Q. Thomas, Kelly R. Laurson, Dale D. Brown. Illinois State University, Normal, IL Purpose: To examine where triathletes obtain information regarding hydration, if their performances have been affected by dehydration, and how they monitor their hydration status. Methods: Two hundred and two participants (age=38.70 ± 9.73 years) from various triathlon groups in Illinois participated in the study. Each participant was asked to complete an electronic survey. The survey was composed of twenty seven items and was developed by O\u27Neal (2011). The survey was modified for triathletes and seven questions were added in order to categorize different triathlon groupings. The survey targeted training background, sources of information on hydration, beverage perceptions and if dehydration negatively impacted performance. Results: Seventy-eight percent of the triathletes reported that peer-reviewed research played a minor role or no role as a source of information on hydration. Eighty-two percent of the triathletes experienced at least one instance where they felt their performance was decreased as a result of dehydration. Sixty-one percent of the triathletes reported suffering at least one instance of heat-related illness symptoms caused by dehydration. Seventy-seven percent of participants reported monitoring their hydration status with seventy-six percent of people monitoring their hydration by thirst and listening to their body. Conclusion: Triathletes may experience fewer decreases in performance if they use a variety of techniques rather than just one to monitor hydration status because a majority of participants felt they experienced decreases in performance as a result of dehydration. Triathletes also should utilize scientific resources on hydration in order to properly understand the correct hydration guidelines

Identifying Trippers and Non-Trippers Based on Knee Kinematics During Obstacle-Free Walking

Trips are a major cause of falls. Sagittal-plane kinematics affect clearance between the foot and obstacles, however, it is unclear which kinematic measures during obstacle-free walking are associated with avoiding a trip when encountering an obstacle. The purpose of this study was to determine kinematic factors during obstacle-free walking that are related to obstacle avoidance ability. It was expected that successful obstacle avoidance would be associated with greater peak flexion/dorsiflexion and range of motion (ROM), and differences in timing of peak flexion/dorsiflexion during swing of obstacle-free walking for the hip, knee and ankle. Three-dimensional kinematics were recorded as 35 participants (young adults age 18–45 (N = 10), older adults age 65+ without a history of falls (N = 10), older adults age 65+ who had fallen in the last six months (N = 10), and individuals who had experienced a stroke more than six months earlier (N = 5)) walked on a treadmill, under obstacle-free walking conditions with kinematic features calculated for each stride. A separate obstacle avoidance task identified trippers (multiple obstacle contact) and non-trippers. Linear discriminant analysis with sequential feature selection classified trippers and non-trippers based on kinematics during obstacle-free walking. Differences in classification performance and selected features (knee ROM and timing of peak knee flexion during swing) were evaluated between trippers and non-trippers. Non-trippers had greater knee ROM (P = .001). There was no significant difference in classification performance (P = .193). Individuals with reduced knee ROM during obstacle-free walking may have greater difficulty avoiding obstacles

Sensor node localisation using a stereo camera rig

In this paper, we use stereo vision processing techniques to detect and localise sensors used for monitoring simulated environmental events within an experimental sensor network testbed. Our sensor nodes communicate to the camera through patterns emitted by light emitting diodes (LEDs). Ultimately, we envisage the use of very low-cost, low-power, compact microcontroller-based sensing nodes that employ LED communication rather than power hungry RF to transmit data that is gathered via existing CCTV infrastructure. To facilitate our research, we have constructed a controlled environment where nodes and cameras can be deployed and potentially hazardous chemical or physical plumes can be introduced to simulate environmental pollution events in a controlled manner. In this paper we show how 3D spatial localisation of sensors becomes a straightforward task when a stereo camera rig is used rather than a more usual 2D CCTV camera