METHOD FOR A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE TO AID AN ADMINISTRATOR IN CREATING PROGRAMS THAT INTERACT WITH A DEVICE VIA AN APPLICATION PROGRAMMING INTERFACE

An Application Programming Interface (API) Workflow Recorder is described herein which enhances the human Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a device to directly expose the programmatic methods that can be used to make changes to the device. An administrator may enable the API Workflow Recorder, make changes to the device using familiar point-and-click workflow in the GUI, and then generate a programmatic script for a machine that uses API calls to accomplish the same tasks that were just performed in the GUI, but using the API for the device. This system greatly improves the speed and accuracy for creating offline programs that interact with a device via the device’s API

MONITORING AND REPORTING THE SAFETY PERFORMANCE OF DIFFERENT MODELS AND VERSIONS OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

Presented herein are techniques that enable an administrative authority (e.g., city, municipality, etc.) to determine when a vehicle is under autonomous control, as well as to specifically determine the vendor and software version of the autonomous control system controlling the vehicle. If the vehicle has problems navigating the environment, the details of that problem are reported directly to the administrative authority. Any trending problems detected after a software update to the control systems can be proactively detected and reported to the vehicle vendor and upstream aggregation systems

TECHNIQUES FOR VISUALIZATION OF DEVICE INTERNAL PACKET PROCESSING AND NETWORK EVENTS

The techniques presented herein provide an easy to understand animation representing how traffic is entering, being processed, and exiting a device. In certain examples, events are represented by flying icons that enter an interface of a device. As they are processed by different features their tails get longer and gain segments that represent what feature acted on them. Any packet drops may be shown, for example, by the icons falling down from the device onto a floor that represents the drop reason and piling up to show the scale of the drops

ENSURING TRUSTWORTHINESS OF INCIDENT EVIDENCE DATA GENERATED BY THINGS

Techniques are provided that leverage blockchain technology to ensure that evidence that is recorded by things of an incident is saved and shared with interested parties in a method that ensures the trustworthiness of the evidence data. A thing, a local fog router, or a central integrity service might save evidence trustworthiness data to a blockchain. Complementary methods are also provided that bolster the solution’s applicability to connected cities and other implementation opportunities

WIRELESS EMERGENCY PROBE MESSAGE

The techniques described herein leverage The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ax probe request messages to encode an Emergency Beacon (Request for Help) within the initial non-Access-Point (AP) station’s (client’s) probe request packets which would notify the AP that a client is in distress and to notify Emergency Services (via text-to-911 and provide e911 location information). This new capability allows any 802.11ax AP to receive emergency beacons, regardless of how “closed” the networks are on that AP, thereby allowing any wireless client the ability to reach out for help and allowing the AP to relay that information onward towards emergency services

How many doctors does it take to manage an Elective General Surgical patient? Individualised Surgeon Specific Outcomes Data misrepresent modern team centred work practices

Peer reviewedPostprin

Downsizing and Affective Organisational Commitment: A Contextual Proximity Perspective.

While the dominant literature on downsizing suggests that workforce reductions have a negative impact on employee commitment, knowledge of downsizing is limited by the undifferentiated ways in which downsizing activities are usually approached. This study analyses differences in employee commitment depending on a) the downsizing method used (voluntary redundancies, divestment, layoffs and closure of units) and b) the degree of exposure of employees to the downsizing event. Using downsizing announcements and questionnaires, two distinct families of downsizing methods were identified. Layoffs and closure of units have a negative effect on commitment while voluntary redundancies and divestment have a positive effect. Employee exposure (direct, indirect or not exposed) to the downsizing event accounts for significant differences on commitment. Studying downsizing in a differentiated way shows that assuming that all downsizing is detrimental to commitment is inadequate. We outline the theoretical and practical implications of a more nuanced approach to downsizing

What is the function of mitochondrial networks? A theoretical assessment of hypotheses and proposal for future research

Mitochondria can change their shape from discrete isolated organelles to a large continuous reticulum. The cellular advantages underlying these fused networks are still incompletely understood. In this paper, we describe and compare hypotheses regarding the function of mitochondrial networks. We use mathematical and physical tools both to investigate existing hypotheses and to generate new ones, and we suggest experimental and modelling strategies. Among the novel insights we underline from this work are the possibilities that (i) selective mitophagy is not required for quality control because selective fusion is sufficient; (ii) increased connectivity may have non-linear effects on the diffusion rate of proteins; and (iii) fused networks can act to dampen biochemical fluctuations. We hope to convey to the reader that quantitative approaches can drive advances in the understanding of the physiological advantage of these morphological changes

The risk to relatives of patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease of motor neurons with a median survival of 2 years. Most patients have no family history of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but current understanding of such diseases suggests there should be an increased risk to relatives. Furthermore, it is a common question to be asked by patients and relatives in clinic. We therefore set out to determine the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to first degree relatives of patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis attending a specialist clinic. Case records of patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis seen at a tertiary referral centre over a 16-year period were reviewed, and pedigree structures extracted. All individuals who had originally presented with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but who subsequently had an affected first degree relative, were identified. Calculations were age-adjusted using clinic population demographics. Probands (n = 1502), full siblings (n = 1622) and full offspring (n = 1545) were identified. Eight of the siblings and 18 offspring had developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The unadjusted risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis over the observation period was 0.5% for siblings and 1.0% for offspring. Age information was available for 476 siblings and 824 offspring. For this subset, the crude incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis was 0.11% per year (0.05–0.21%) in siblings and 0.11% per year (0.06–0.19%) in offspring, and the clinic age-adjusted incidence rate was 0.12% per year (0.04–0.21%) in siblings. By age 85, siblings were found to have an 8-fold increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in comparison to the background population. In practice, this means the risk of remaining unaffected by age 85 dropped from 99.7% to 97.6%. Relatives of people with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have a small but definite increased risk of being affected

Increased rod stiffness improves the degree of deformity correction by segmental pedicle screw fixation in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There are limited reports in literature studying the impact of rod diameter and stiffness on the degree of deformity correction in patients with AIS.</p> <p>Aims</p> <p>The aims of this study were to evaluate the 3-dimentional deformity correction achieved by segmental pedicle screw fixation in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and to find out if learning or the change to stiffer rods had any positive impact on deformity correction.</p> <p>Study design</p> <p>Retrospective study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Plain radiographs and low-dose spine CTs of 116 consecutive patients (aged 15.9 ± 2.8 years) operated during the period 2005-2009 (group 1: patients operated autumn 2005-2006; group 2: 2007; group 3: 2008; group 4: 2009) were retrospectively evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was no statistically significant difference between the correction of the Cobb angle (P = 0.425) or lower end vertebra tilt (P = 0.298) in patients operated during the first versus the remaining periods of the study. No restoration of the sagittal kyphosis was reported in the first period compared with 5.9° in the last study period (P < 0.001). The correction of vertebral rotation was also improved from 4.2° to 7.8° (P < 0.001) for the same periods. For the whole study population, there was statistically significant correlation between the order of the operation (patient number) and the restoration of sagittal kyphosis (r = -0.344, P = 0.001), and the correction of vertebral rotation (r = 0.370, P < 0.001), but not for the Cobb angle or LEVT. However, there was no significant difference in restoration of sagittal kyphosis and the vertebral rotation in the first 17 patients compared with the last 17 patients operated with rods of 5.5 mm diameter (P = 0.621, and 0.941, respectively), indicating that rod stiffness had more impact on the deformity correction than did learning.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study showed that rod stiffness had more impact on the deformity correction than did learning.</p