A quantification of the behaviourial dynamics of certain Lepidoptera in response to light

Many types of insect, in particular the nocturnal Lepidoptera, will fly towards artificial sources of illumination. Such animals are often described as being positively phototactic, but although little progress has been made towards a fundamental understanding of this phenomenon, its existence continues to be exploited with the use of light-traps. This thesis attempts to explain, in part, why certain British night-flying Lepidoptera are caught, or fly close to, light-traps. The experimentation and analysis has been structured into three separate but inter-related studies. The first is an investigation into the effects that weather factors exert on light-trap catch. Standard analytical procedures were extended to reveal that sensitivity to these factors is related to insect size and gross morphology. The second of these studies is an analysis of the types of moth flight pattern produced when these insects are exposed to various forms of illumination under field conditions. Moth tracks were recorded on video with the help of image intensification, and the frame-by-frame co-ordinates transferred to, and processed by, a microcomputer, which produced matrix maps of speeds, accelerations and time-surface densities around a light-trap. Instantaneous windspeeds were recorded. The dynamical analysis suggests that moth flight towards light arises primarily from a misinterpretation of the stimulus, competing at short distances with a strong escape response, thus evoking a profound state of disorientation. Furthermore, the data indicated that the types of pattern found were species linked. In the third study, a remotesensing technique was used to quantify moth aerial density, which was compared with simultaneous light-trap catches nearby, giving an estimate of absolute trap catching efficiency under various meteorological conditions. Because of their mode of operation, and their increasing loss of effectiveness in higher windspeeds, light-traps have only a limited capacity to reflect aerial density

Urinary incontinence: A vibration alert system for detecting pad overflow

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2011 RESNA.A sensor and electronics system is described that monitors the leakage of urine from continence pads into surrounding underwear. Urinary incontinence is involuntary loss of urine and occurs when the bladder muscles contract without warning or the sphincter muscles surrounding the urethra are too weak to prevent leakage. The system comprises a wetness sensor and electronics unit. The sensor is stitched into the underwear and detects overspills of urine from the pad. The electronics unit is attached to the underwear and responds by vibrating, signaling to the wearer that pad has failed. This system has application for individuals who use continence pads in the community, but it could also be used in care homes

Tackling ageing continence through theory, tools & technology (TACT3)

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2012 Common Ground.After dementia, nothing is more feared by older people than the loss of continence. It is often the reason many people enter care facilities and can contribute to the breakdown of caring relationships. This paper reports on a three-year research project funded by the UK New Dynamics of Aging programme, which has explored three key issues in the predicament of maintaining continence from the “user’s” perspective. Firstly, understanding how continence services operated by the UK National Health Service can be improved to offer cost effective benefits that encourage people to report this sometimes embarrassing condition with confidence. Secondly, working directly with the US Simon Foundation, the project has developed user-requested, assistive devices that target the most embarrassing aspects of the condition, namely issues of personal odor control and urine leakage from continence pads. Lastly, understanding the challenges of managing continence in daily living outside of the home, with particular reference to accessing publicly accessible toilet facilities. The paper will highlight the research that has provided the basis for innovative design solutions.ESRC, EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, and AHRC

Tackling Ageing Continence through Theory, Tools & Technology

Originally presented at ‘Aging and Society: An Interdisciplinary Conference’, University of California, Berkeley (2011), this article was double-blind peer reviewed, receiving scores of 96% and 73%. It outlines the interdisciplinary research of the cross-Research-Council-funded New Dynamics of Ageing Tackling Ageing Continence through Theory Tools & Technology (TACT3) project (2008–12), which brought together designers, social scientists, bio-engineers, chemists and care-management services to understand the challenges faced by an ageing population in the management of continence. Bichard’s Work Package, ‘Challenging Environmental Barriers to Continence’, explored the need for public toilet provision as essential for quality of life, health and well-being. It developed a life-course methodology that considered ageing from birth through to advanced age (0–101 years), and involved inclusive design research with members of the public and providers of facilities to assess public expectations and provider limitations in service provision. As co-investigator on TACT3, this research built on Bichard’s previous work for the VivaCity2020 consortium (Bichard REF Output 2). Whereas the VivaCity2020 work focused on architectural barriers in toilet provision, the TACT3 project examined the problem in service provision, and how, through inclusive design research, service-design solutions might be explored and implemented. Bichard’s contribution to the TACT3 project produced The Great British Public Toilet Map (http://greatbritishpublictoiletmap.rca.ac.uk/), a public participation website that provides information and locations of public toilets, encouraging members of the public to contact relevant local authorities that have not released information in the format of Open Data. Secondary analysis of TACT3 data for references to issues of personal safety and community initiative in toilet provision was used for the ESRC-funded Robust Accessible Toilets (RATs) project (2011) and produced Publicly Accessible Toilets: An Inclusive Design Guide (2011). Related published conference papers include those in ‘Cumulus 2010’ (China) and ‘Include 2011’ (UK)

An Intelligent Electrical Time Domain Reflectometry System for the Detection and Characterisation of Fault Conditions in Posttensioning Ducts of Smart Concrete Structures

In civil engineering structures involving prestressed concrete, the use of posttensioned systems is very common. Post-tensioning is achieved by passing steel cables into ducts previously cast into the concrete. When the concrete has set, the cables are tensioned with hydraulic jacks and then sealed into the duct by pumping in a slurry of cement and water, called grout. The grouting mixture, being alkaline in composition, protects the steel cable from corrosion

An Intelligent Remote Monitoring System for Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients

© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media New York. For the first six weeks following total knee arthroplasty (TKA), a patient will attend an outpatient clinic typically seen twice weekly. Here, an exercise regime is performed and improvement assessed using a hand held goniometer that measures the maximum angle of knee flexion, an important metric of progress. Additionally a series of daily exercises is performed at home, recorded in a diary. This protocol has problems. Patients must attend the hospital with assistance since they are not permitted to drive for six weeks following the procedure; appointments are sometimes missed; there are occasionally not enough physiotherapy appointment available; furthermore, it is difficult to be sure that patients are compliant with their exercises at home. The economic and social costs are therefore significant both to the patient and the health service. We describe here an automatic system that performs the monitoring of knee flexion within a domestic environment rather than in a hospital setting. It comprises a master and slave sensor unit that attach using Velcro straps to the thigh and shin above and below the operation wound. The patient performs the prescribed knee exercises whilst wearing the device, during which time it measures and records the angles of knee flexion. The device utilises the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) infrastructure to transmit data through the Internet to a secure hospital-based server using an on-board GSM modem. The clinician is then able to view and interpret the information from any computer with internet access and the software. The system does not require the patient to possess a mobile telephone, a computer, or have internet access; the necessary communications technology is completely integrated into the device

Formalization of Transform Methods using HOL Light

Transform methods, like Laplace and Fourier, are frequently used for analyzing the dynamical behaviour of engineering and physical systems, based on their transfer function, and frequency response or the solutions of their corresponding differential equations. In this paper, we present an ongoing project, which focuses on the higher-order logic formalization of transform methods using HOL Light theorem prover. In particular, we present the motivation of the formalization, which is followed by the related work. Next, we present the task completed so far while highlighting some of the challenges faced during the formalization. Finally, we present a roadmap to achieve our objectives, the current status and the future goals for this project.Comment: 15 Pages, CICM 201

Local Abundance Patterns of Noctuid Moths in Olive Orchards: Life-History Traits, Distribution Type and Habitat Interactions

Local species abundance is related to range size, habitat characteristics, distribution type, body size, and life-history variables. In general, habitat generalists and polyphagous species are more abundant in broad geographical areas. Underlying this, local abundance may be explained from the interactions between life-history traits, chorological pattern, and the local habitat characteristics. The relationship within taxa between life-history traits, distribution area, habitat characteristics, and local abundance of the noctuid moth (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) assemblage in an olive orchard, one of the most important agro-ecosystems in the Mediterranean basin, was analyzed. A total of 66 species were detected over three years of year-round weekly samplings using the light-trap method. The life-history traits examined and the distribution type were found to be related to the habitat-species association, but none of the biological strategies defined from the association to the different habitats were linked with abundance. In contrast to general patterns, dispersal ability and number of generations per year explained differences in abundance. The relationships were positive, with opportunistic taxa that have high mobility and several generations being locally more abundant. In addition, when the effect of migrant species was removed, the distribution type explained abundance differences, with Mediterranean taxa (whose baricenter is closer to the studied area) being more abundant