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Online state-to-state time-optimal trajectory planning for quadrotors in unknown cluttered environments
No full textThis paper introduces the first planner, called STAMINER (STAte-to-state tiMe-optImal memoryless planNER), which is able to real-time plan collision-free, local time-optimal trajectories in unknown and cluttered settings without the need for any maps or fused occupancy structures of the surrounding environment. Specifically, our method explores a library of state-to-state time-optimal trajectories in a memoryless collision-checking framework. It iteratively searches for the best trajectory with the longest projection on the direction to the goal. Results obtained from two different simulated cluttered scenarios demonstrate that our planner outperforms the state-of-the-art baselines concerning global finishing time. Furthermore, real-world flight trials were conducted to validate the effectiveness of our algorithm in an actual quadrotor. Finally, this paper also provides a mathematical proof of the solution characterization that is not available in the literature for the considered state-to-state time-optimal trajectory generation problem. © 2024 IEEE
A data-driven trajectory approach for dynamic VAr support in renewable rich power grid
Get PDFShort-term voltage stability (STVS) of power grids could be jeopardized due to the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of loads such as induction motors (IMs) and the retirement of synchronous generators. Moreover, the appearance of inverter-based generators (IBGs) in the system would make the grids more susceptible to voltage instability. Hence, there is an indispensable need to identify adequate mitigation measures to deal with these enduring challenges. This paper proposes a driven-data trajectory approach to locate the dynamic VAr support (DVS) to maintain STVS in power grids with high penetration of IBGs. The proposed data-driven trajectory approach ranks the best locations for DVS by comparing grid responses of different possible DVS sites with respect to the desired reference response. The developed approach covers the full signature of grid dynamics in generation and load sides. For illustration, this approach is applied to the Reliability and Voltage Stability (RVS) test system designed for STVS analysis. Several scenarios are tested, including various IM penetrations and IBG integration, control and load compositions, to demonstrate the viability and robustness of the proposed approach. Moreover, the STVS performance of the system with the proposed algorithm is verified through the motor stalling scan. The comprehensive assessment shows that the system exhibits the best STVS performance with DVS placement using the proposed method. © 2013 IEEE
Stella Clarke : landscape to earthscape practice and aesthetics in a time of environmental crisis
No full text17 APRIL - 8 JUNE 2024 This exhibition, created in partial fulfillment of a Master of Visual Arts, explores the practice of landscape art in the context of global environmental crisis. The artworks were made amidst goldfields bushland, which, though beautiful, is successive to major industrial-extractive disturbance and subject to climate threat. The focus is upon responding to what is known about this fragile environment, as much as what is seen. The genre of 'landscape' is taken toward the diversity of 'earthscape', inclusive of habitat and multispecies. Damage to ecosystems is a consequence of human ability to disconnect from the natural, or material world of which we are part. Inspired by eco-critical thought, and eco-materialist principles, these artworks opt for sustainable processes and aim for a planetary aesthetics. The work is on paper, with organically unstable mediums such as kino and charcoal. Generative of life, carbon is also the colour of mourning; solastalgia is expressed in these artworks, but also care and the desire to connect. A closing event for this exhibition was held on Thursday 6 June @ 5.30pm with the artist, Dr Stella Clarke, and remarks by Dr Carole Wilson, Higher Degrees by Research Coordinator, Graduate Research School, Federation University. Image: Stella Clarke Earthbound in the Fabric of Undoing, 2023, charcoal & pigments on paper H70 x W115c
Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
Get PDFBackground: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Methods: The GBD 2021 risk factor analysis used data from 54 561 total distinct sources to produce epidemiological estimates for 88 risk factors and their associated health outcomes for a total of 631 risk–outcome pairs. Pairs were included on the basis of data-driven determination of a risk–outcome association. Age-sex-location-year-specific estimates were generated at global, regional, and national levels. Our approach followed the comparative risk assessment framework predicated on a causal web of hierarchically organised, potentially combinative, modifiable risks. Relative risks (RRs) of a given outcome occurring as a function of risk factor exposure were estimated separately for each risk–outcome pair, and summary exposure values (SEVs), representing risk-weighted exposure prevalence, and theoretical minimum risk exposure levels (TMRELs) were estimated for each risk factor. These estimates were used to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF; ie, the proportional change in health risk that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the TMREL). The product of PAFs and disease burden associated with a given outcome, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), yielded measures of attributable burden (ie, the proportion of total disease burden attributable to a particular risk factor or combination of risk factors). Adjustments for mediation were applied to account for relationships involving risk factors that act indirectly on outcomes via intermediate risks. Attributable burden estimates were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile and presented as counts, age-standardised rates, and rankings. To complement estimates of RR and attributable burden, newly developed burden of proof risk function (BPRF) methods were applied to yield supplementary, conservative interpretations of risk–outcome associations based on the consistency of underlying evidence, accounting for unexplained heterogeneity between input data from different studies. Estimates reported represent the mean value across 500 draws from the estimate's distribution, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) calculated as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile values across the draws. Findings: Among the specific risk factors analysed for this study, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8·0% (95% UI 6·7–9·4) of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure (SBP; 7·8% [6·4–9·2]), smoking (5·7% [4·7–6·8]), low birthweight and short gestation (5·6% [4·8–6·3]), and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG; 5·4% [4·8–6·0]). For younger demographics (ie, those aged 0–4 years and 5–14 years), risks such as low birthweight and short gestation and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing (WaSH) were among the leading risk factors, while for older age groups, metabolic risks such as high SBP, high body-mass index (BMI), high FPG, and high LDL cholesterol had a greater impact. From 2000 to 2021, there was an observable shift in global health challenges, marked by a decline in the number of all-age DALYs broadly attributable to behavioural risks (decrease of 20·7% [13·9–27·7]) and environmental and occupational risks (decrease of 22·0% [15·5–28·8]), coupled with a 49·4% (42·3–56·9) increase in DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, all reflecting ageing populations and changing lifestyles on a global scale. Age-standardised global DALY rates attributable to high BMI and h gh FPG rose considerably (15·7% [9·9–21·7] for high BMI and 7·9% [3·3–12·9] for high FPG) over this period, with exposure to these risks increasing annually at rates of 1·8% (1·6–1·9) for high BMI and 1·3% (1·1–1·5) for high FPG. By contrast, the global risk-attributable burden and exposure to many other risk factors declined, notably for risks such as child growth failure and unsafe water source, with age-standardised attributable DALYs decreasing by 71·5% (64·4–78·8) for child growth failure and 66·3% (60·2–72·0) for unsafe water source. We separated risk factors into three groups according to trajectory over time: those with a decreasing attributable burden, due largely to declining risk exposure (eg, diet high in trans-fat and household air pollution) but also to proportionally smaller child and youth populations (eg, child and maternal malnutrition); those for which the burden increased moderately in spite of declining risk exposure, due largely to population ageing (eg, smoking); and those for which the burden increased considerably due to both increasing risk exposure and population ageing (eg, ambient particulate matter air pollution, high BMI, high FPG, and high SBP). Interpretation: Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global disease burden attributable to a range of risk factors, particularly those related to maternal and child health, WaSH, and household air pollution. Maintaining efforts to minimise the impact of these risk factors, especially in low SDI locations, is necessary to sustain progress. Successes in moderating the smoking-related burden by reducing risk exposure highlight the need to advance policies that reduce exposure to other leading risk factors such as ambient particulate matter air pollution and high SBP. Troubling increases in high FPG, high BMI, and other risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome indicate an urgent need to identify and implement interventions. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 30 including Federation University Australia affiliates “Biswajit Banik, Balasankar Ganesan and Muhammad Aziz Rahman” are provided in this record*
On rainbow vertex antimagic coloring and its application on STGNN time series forecasting on subsidized diesel consumption
Get PDFLet G = (V, E) be a simple, connected and un-directed graph. We introduce a new notion of rainbow vertex antimagic coloring. This is a natural expansion of rainbow vertex coloring combined with antimagic labeling. For f: E(G
Low-complexity virtual-vector-based FCS-MPC with unaffected neutral-point voltage for three-phase T-type inverters
No full textThis article presents a new finite control set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) algorithm for three-phase (3P) T-type voltage source inverters. The proposed algorithm incorporates a vector combination technique to generate a total of 51 virtual vectors (VVs), which is 89% more than the traditional algorithm, leading to excellent inverter output voltage tracking capability with reduced harmonics. Such VVs do not affect the neutral point (NP) voltage. Therefore, the NP voltage balance term can be eliminated in the cost function. In addition, to achieve a low computational burden, a three-stage optimization is employed. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and demonstrate its superiority over conventional approaches. © 2013 IEEE
Voice of persons with a life-limiting illness in conversation with healthcare professionals : systematic review and meta-synthesis
No full textBackground Healthcare organisations are transforming the way care is delivered to people with a life-limiting illness with an increased focus on recognising the voice of the persons experiencing the illness and putting them in the centre of decision-making. However, the clinical practice remains largely based on the views of healthcare professionals and families or carers of the person with the illness. Objectives To synthesise the best available evidence on the experience of persons living with a life-limiting illness about expressing their voice during communication with healthcare professionals. Design Systematic review and meta-synthesis. Data sources CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Review methods A structured search was conducted to identify qualitative studies that reported on the experience of persons living with a life-limiting illness. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklists. The review was undertaken using the JBI and PRISMA guidelines. Results The expression of the voice of persons living with a life-limiting illness is influenced by: (1) the uncertain future surrounding illness trajectory and prognosis; (2) what is known from experience, media, family and friends; (3) emotional and psychological factors and (4) control and personal autonomy. Conclusions In the early stages of a life-limiting illness, the voice of those experiencing the disease is not always audible. Instead, this voice is potentially present but silent and carried and promoted within healthcare professionals’ values of accountability, professionalism, respect, altruism, equality, integrity and morality. © 2024 BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved
Unveiling knowledge of anaphylaxis among nursing students
No full textIntroduction: Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening condition. Evidence appertaining to anaphylaxis knowledge amongst Vietnamese nursing students is limited which questions their preparedness to respond to clinical deterioration. Aim: To examine anaphylaxis knowledge amongst Vietnamese nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design of third and fourth-year nursing students. Results: A total of 140 nursing students participated. Eighty-nine (63.6%) students possessed good, generalized knowledge however, only 67 (47.9%) had good knowledge of anaphylaxis treatment. More than half (n=86, 61,4%) identified epinephrine as the first line treatment, but 55.7% (n=78) and 52.1% (n=73) of students incorrectly answered anaphylaxis treatment procedures and epinephrine dose for children, respectively. Knowledge of anaphylaxis varied between third- and fourth-year students. Discussion: Despite showcasing a general good level of knowledge, some knowledge aspects require improvement. Recommendations include enhancing experiential learning opportunities to support student knowledge and reasoning to ensure effective translation of learning to practice. © 202
Understanding rural pharmacists' perspectives : lived experiences and insights associated with rural recruitment and retention
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Pharmacists serve an important role in rural communities, and in some cases they may be the only health professional available. Their recruitment and retention is a major concern for rural communities and health services; however, a deeper understanding regarding the advantages and challenges of sustaining a rural pharmacy workforce is somewhat limited. The aim of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of pharmacists' perspectives about factors influencing pharmacist recruitment and retention to rural and remote communities. METHODS: The exploratory study, carried out in rural Tasmania and rural Western Victoria, used a qualitative descriptive design. Structured interviews, lasting between 30-60 minutes, were conducted by a single researcher using the Pharmacist Community Apgar Questionnaire via face-to-face, telephone or videoconferencing technology. Data were analysed thematically using verbatim transcription, extraction of significant statements and identification of similarities in formulated meanings, grouping the similar meanings and significant statements that pertained to the phenomena of interest. Specifically, qualitative data were used to provide a deeper understanding of factors identified as key assets, capabilities, or those most challenging for pharmacist recruitment and retention. RESULTS: The advantages and disadvantages rural communities face in recruiting and retaining pharmacists are presented. These insights are linked to the advantages of financial income, incentives and moving allowance. Further advantages include the degree of practice autonomy, breadth of tasks, the perception of the community, loyalty to the pharmacy and its pharmacists, along with community recognition. Challenges associated with the recruitment and retention of pharmacists centred on the need for spousal or partner employment opportunities, having greater proximity to schools, access to social or cultural opportunities, along with good transport connections. Further challenges included housing, the cost of schooling for children, having adequate locum or peer coverage and opportunities to host interns. DISCUSSION: The study provides a deeper exploration of the meaning and experiences of factors that previous research has shown are considered advantageous or challenging to the recruitment and retention of pharmacists in rural areas. Through the voices of pharmacists living and working in a rural area, the findings further enlighten our understanding regarding how the multifaceted and complex nature of health workforce planning may be addressed. As such, greater pharmacist recruitment and retention is enabled through adequate financial compensation and incentives, along with additional tax incentives for business and health services. Further, innovation is required to enhance economic sustainability. Locum coverage and intern opportunities also require innovative approaches to address concerns among potential candidates. Lastly, efforts to enable and support social connections such as schooling and spousal employment, while building community connection and a sense of rural community belonging, remain essential to recruit and retain pharmacists. CONCLUSION: Rural pharmacist recruitment and retention is complex, requiring a multi-pronged approach to implement practical solutions. Given this complexity and the unique features of each rural community, solutions require whole-of-community ownership to create innovative solutions. Recognition of specific advantages and challenges can address key driving factors for pharmacist recruitment and retention in rural communities
“I don't really wanna go back. I know what I've got in front of me.” Lived experiences of emergency nurses 2 years into the global COVID-19 pandemic
Get PDFIntroduction: As the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic continued into 2021 and beyond, unrelenting work pressures continued to mount on the emergency nursing workforce. In the second year of this longitudinal study on emergency nurse lived experiences, staff outlined the continued strain of the profession, highlighting their increasing levels of burnout and identifying early stages of trauma response. Methods: This research aimed to continue to explore lived experiences of Australian emergency nurses working on the frontline 2 years into the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. A qualitative research design was used, guided by an interpretive hermeneutic phenomenological approach. A total of 9 Victorian emergency nurses from both regional and metropolitan hospitals were interviewed between October and November 2021. Analysis was undertaken using a thematic analysis method. Results: A total of 3 major themes and 12 subthemes were extracted from the data. The 3 overarching themes included “On the floor each day,” “Can I keep going?” and “What's around the corner?” Increasing levels of emotional exhaustion and burnout were evident, with emergency nurses stating their intentions to leave the profession. Discussion: Deep engagement with participant emergency nurses across 2 years of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has revealed a need for greater emphasis on staff well-being for future maintenance of a resilient and healthy workforce. Without this, lack of support for subsequent nursing cohorts may affect the quality and reliability of care being provided in acute care centers. © 2023 Emergency Nurses Associatio