Improving Situational Awareness for First Responders via Mobile Computing

This project looks to improve first responder incident command, and an appropriately managed flow of situational awareness using mobile computing techniques. The prototype system combines wireless communication, real-time location determination, digital imaging, and three-dimensional graphics. Responder locations are tracked in an outdoor environment via GPS and uploaded to a central server via GPRS or an 802. II network. Responders can also wireless share digital images and text reports, both with other responders and with the incident commander. A pre-built three dimensional graphics model of the emergency scene is used to visualize responder and report locations. Responders have a choice of information end points, ranging from programmable cellular phones to tablet computers. The system also employs location-aware computing to make responders aware of particular hazards as they approach them. The prototype was developed in conjunction with the NASA Ames Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team and has undergone field testing during responder exercises at NASA Ames

SSRL Emergency Response Shore Tool

The SSRL Emergency Response Shore Tool (wherein SSRL signifies Smart Systems Research Laboratory ) is a computer program within a system of communication and mobile-computing software and hardware being developed to increase the situational awareness of first responders at building collapses. This program is intended for use mainly in planning and constructing shores to stabilize partially collapsed structures. The program consists of client and server components, runs in the Windows operating system on commercial off-the-shelf portable computers, and can utilize such additional hardware as digital cameras and Global Positioning System devices. A first responder can enter directly, into a portable computer running this program, the dimensions of a required shore. The shore dimensions, plus an optional digital photograph of the shore site, can then be uploaded via a wireless network to a server. Once on the server, the shore report is time-stamped and made available on similarly equipped portable computers carried by other first responders, including shore wood cutters and an incident commander. The staff in a command center can use the shore reports and photographs to monitor progress and to consult with structural engineers to assess whether a building is in imminent danger of further collapse

Measuring calcium content in plants using NEXAFS spectroscopy

Calcium is important for the growth and development of plants. It serves crucial functions in cell wall and cell membrane structure and serves as a secondary messenger in signaling pathways relevant to nutrient and immunity responses. Thus, measuring calcium levels in plants is important for studies of plant biology and for technology development in food, agriculture, energy, and forest industries. Often, calcium in plants has been measured through techniques such as atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and electrophysiology. These techniques, however, require large sample sizes, chemical extraction of samples or have limited spatial resolution. Here, we used near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy at the calcium L- and K-edges to measure the calcium to carbon mass ratio with spatial resolution in plant samples without requiring chemical extraction or large sample sizes. We demonstrate that the integrated absorbance at the calcium L-edge and the edge jump in the fluorescence yield at the calcium K-edge can be used to quantify the calcium content as the calcium mass fraction, and validate this approach with onion epidermal peels and ICP-MS. We also used NEXAFS to estimate the calcium mass ratio in hypocotyls of a model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, which has a cell wall composition that is similar to that of onion epidermal peels. These results show that NEXAFS spectroscopy performed at the calcium edge provides an approach to quantify calcium levels within plants, which is crucial for understanding plant physiology and advancing plant-based materials

A qualitative study of naturopathy in rural practice: A focus upon naturopaths' experiences and perceptions of rural patients and demands for their services

Background. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use - of which naturopathy constitutes a significant proportion - accounts for approximately half of all health consultations and half of out-of-pocket expenditure in Australia. Data also suggest CAM use is highest amongst rural Australians. Unfortunately little is known about the grass-roots reality of naturopathy or other CAM use in rural regions. Methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 naturopaths practising in the Darling Downs region of South-East Queensland to assess their perceptions and experiences of rural patients and demand for their services. Results. Naturopaths described strong demand in rural areas for their services and perceived much of this demand as attributable to cultural traits in rural communities that served as pull factors for their naturopathic services. Such perceived traits included a cultural affinity for holistic approaches to health and disease and the preventive philosophy of naturopathy and an appreciation of the core tenet of naturopathic practice to develop closer therapeutic relationships. However, cost and a rural culture of self-reliance were seen as major barriers to naturopathic practice in rural areas. Conclusions. Demand for naturopathic services in rural areas may have strong underlying cultural and social drivers. Given the apparent affinity for and increasingly large role played by CAM services, including naturopathic medicine, in rural areas it is imperative that naturopathic medicine and the CAM sector more broadly become a core focus of rural health research

Psychopharmacology in the Context of Systems of Care

This chapter discusses psychopharmacological treatment for children\u27s emotional and psychiatric disorders. It considers approaches to the selection of pharmacological agents. It then reviews the current state of psychopharmacological treatment with children and adolescents, focusing on pharmacological agents for the treatment of established psychiatric diagnoses and psychopharmacological agents selected to control or treat behaviors experienced by the child regardless of the presence of a clear diagnosis

Psychopharmacology in School-Based Mental Health Services

The use of pharmacological approaches in the treatment of children with serious emotional and mental disorders has become increasingly accepted and proven to be an important component of overall care. Increasingly, greater numbers of children attend school under pharmacological treatment, and such treatment is increasingly used to address behavioral difficulties that interfere with learning within school-based mental health services. However, the appropriate use of such agents and the use of psychiatric diagnosis in their selection continue to be topics of discussion in the lay and educational literature. This article will address the current state of psychopharmacological treatment for diagnostic entities and behavioral symptomatology, which can present in the context of the classroom and in school-based mental health services. The roles of the child and family, child and adolescent psychiatrists, and other health and educational professionals in treatment selection and implementation is discussed

Point-Of-Sale System (POS System)

The Point-of-Sale System can be used in small to medium scale supermarkets for its inventory and sales operations. The system is done in a PC-based environment. The point-of-Sale System has three components, namely, data communication, cash register and the application program. The data communication serves as the link between the computer and the cash register through an RS232 cable. The cash register is where the sales transactions are accepted. These sales transactions, on the other hand, is processed by an application program to produce inventory and sales information to update the company regarding its operations

Naltrexone Treatment of Dementia With Severe Self-Injurious Behaviors: A Single Case Study

The results of studies of the opiate antagonist Naltrexone (NL TX) in the treatment of self-injurious behavior (SIB) in various psychiatric populations have been equivocal. The majority of studies has relied on small samples, many of which lacked scientific rigor and none of which occurred in a nursing facility. The present study investigates the use ofNL TX on a patient with severe SIB who resides in a nursing facility. The patient is a 38-year-old male with a history of heavy drug and alcohol abuse. He has been in either a state hospital or nursing facility since age 21. The patient overdosed on alcohol and drugs in 1990, which led to a prolonged coma with organic brain damage