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Impact of fuel bed permeability on feasibility of fire detection in waste and recycling materials
Get PDFWaste fire testing of deep-seated fires in a variety of materials identified that waste material fuel beds may be categorised by the permeability of the fuel bed with regards to the products of combustion including heat and flames. Current works experimental measurements showed that permeable fuel beds allow for the passage of heat through the fuel bed while impermeable fuel beds hinder the movement of a fire and of fire products. It is proposed, based on the observed differences in heat spread through and to the exterior of an impermeable versus a permeable fuel bed, that typical fire detection methods are less effective on impermeable fuel beds
Identification of Pre-Heart Failure in Early Stages: The Role of Six Stages of Heart Failure
Get PDFDespite increased availability of effective drug therapy for treatment of heart failure (HF), the morbidity and mortality in chronic heart failure (CHF) are unacceptably high. Therefore, there is an urgent need to ascertain new imaging techniques to identify early sub-clinical forms of cardiac dysfunctions, to guide early relevant treatment. It seems that all the behavioral risk factors—such as tobacco, alcoholism, Western-type diet, sedentary behavior and obesity, emotional disorders, and sleep disorder are associated with early cardiac dysfunction, which may be identified by speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE). Cardiac remodeling can also occur chronologically in association with biological risk factors of CHF, such as diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, and coronary artery disease (CAD). In these conditions, twisting and untwisting of the heart, cardiac fibrosis, and hypertrophy can be identified early and accurately with 2-Dimentional (2D) and 3D echocardiography (2D echo and 3D echo) with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), strain imaging via STE, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). Both 2D and 3D echo with STE are also useful in the identification of myocardial damage during chemotherapy and in the presence of risk factors. It is possible that global longitudinal systolic strain (GLS) obtained by STE may be an accurate marker for early identification of the severity of CAD in patients with non-ST segment elevation MI. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is not the constant indicator of HF and it is normal in early cardiac dysfunction. In conclusion, this review suggests that GLS can be a useful early diagnostic marker of early or pre-cardiac dysfunction which may be treated by suitable drug therapy of HF along with the causes of HF and adhere to prevention strategies for recurrence. In addition, STE may be a superior clinical tool in the identification of cardiac dysfunction in its early stages compared to ejection fraction (EF) based on conventional echocardiography. Therefore, it is suggested that the chances of either stalling or reversing HF are far better for patients who are identified at an early stage of the disease
Progressing the Development of a Collaborative Metareasoning Framework: Prospects and Challenges
Get PDFThe metareasoning framework, proposed by Ackerman and Thompson (2017, 2018), refers to processes that monitor and control ongoing thinking and reasoning. This framework has been useful in explaining how monitoring processes during reasoning are sensitive to an individual’s fluctuating feelings of certainty and uncertainty. The framework was developed to capture metareasoning at an individual level. It does not capture metareasoning during collaborative activities. We argue this is significant, given the many domains in which team-based reasoning is critical, including design, innovation, process control, defence and security. Currently, there is no conceptual framework that addresses the nature of collaborative metareasoning in these kinds of domains. We advance a framework of collaborative metareasoning that develops an understanding of how teams respond to the demands and opportunities of the task at hand, as well as to the demands and opportunities afforded by interlocuters who have different perspectives, knowledge, skills and experiences. We point to the importance of a tripartite distinction between “self monitoring”, “other monitoring” and “joint monitoring”. We also highlight a parallel distinction between “self-focused control”, “other-focused control” and “joint control”. In elaborating upon these distinctions, we discuss the prospects for developing a comprehensive collaborative metareasoning framework with a unique focus on language as a measure of both uncertainty and misalignment
Intelligent Airborne Monitoring of Livestock Using Autonomous Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles
Get PDFPrecision Livestock Farming (PLF) is one of the most promising applications showing the benefits of using drones where a lack of human element in the farming industry is becoming evident. UAV-assisted smart farming within large farms has gained momentum in managing large farms effectively by avoiding high costs and increasing the quality of monitoring. To this end, the high mobility of UAVs combined with a high level of autonomy, sensor-driven technologies and AI decision-making abilities can provide many advantages to farmers in exploiting instant information from every corner of a large farm. The key objective of this research is to develop user-friendly AI-based software that can combine the sensor data sets and accurately detect animals and health anomalies, so the information can be presented in an easy-to-understand on-demand format for livestock farmers to take targeted or preemptive action, and improve the health, welfare, and productivity of their livestock. In this research, an automated drone solution with a cross-discipline approach has been developed to periodically survey livestock in an automated manner using vision-based sensor modalities involving both standard visual band sensing and a thermal imager. The experimental results suggest that the accuracy rates of detecting livestock are very high with very high sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) values. Additionally, the results regarding the animal body heat signatures obtained from the thermal imagery show promising results in detecting disease-related cases. This research is a productivity and sustainability-focused pilot to investigate and demonstrate how drones and artificial intelligence software can provide a better way to regularly inspect animals on a large farm to avoid high costs and to increase the quality of monitoring. The research demonstrates how highly integrated technologies with drones can help the farming industry to overcome the challenging issues in the management of livestock, particularly, health monitoring of livestock in very large farms in an eco-friendly and sustainable way
Evaluating methods of detecting and determining the type of urinary incontinence in adults after a stroke: a systematic review
Get PDFIntroduction: Urinary incontinence (UI) affects over half of people with stroke. It is unclear which methods are accurate in assessing presence and type of UI to inform clinical management. Diagnosis of UI based on inaccurate methods may lead to unnecessary interventions. The aims of this systematic review were to identify, for adults with stroke, clinically accurate methods to determine the presence of UI and type of UI.
Method: We searched seven electronic databases and additional conference proceedings. To be included, studies had to be primary research comparing two or more methods, or use a reference test.
Results: We identified 3846 studies with eight eligible for inclusion. We identified 11 assessment methods within the eight studies. Only five studies had sufficient comparator data for synthesis. Due to heterogeneity of data, results on the following methods were narratively synthesised: Core Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Score (CLSS), clinical history and physical examination, Barthel Activities of Daily Living Index, International Consultation Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICiQ-SF) and urodynamic studies (UDS). Most studies were small and of low to medium quality. All reported differences in sensitivity, and none compared the same assessment methods.
Conclusion: Current evidence is insufficient to support recommendations on the most accurate UI assessment for adults with stroke. Further research is needed
Does elite European match-play affect salivary immunoglobulin-A and cortisol in soccer players? The influence of playing status and match outcome
Get PDFThe aims of this study were to: a) investigate salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) and cortisol (s-Cort) responses to nine competitive fixtures in starting and non-starting soccer players; and b) compare s-IgA and s-Cort responses of starters and non-starters considering match outcome. Saliva from 19 male outfield players from an elite soccer team (mean ± SD, age 26 ± 4 years; weight 80.5 ± 8.1 kg; height 1.83 ± 0.07 m; was collected. Saliva samples were taken on the day before each match (MD-1), 60-minutes before kick-off (MDpre), 30-minutes post-match (MDpost), and 72-hours post-match (MD+3). There were five wins, one draw and three losses. Results revealed that the mean s-IgA value was found to be significantly lower at MD+3 compared to MDpre and MDpost. s-Cort was significantly higher at MDpost compared to MD-1 and MDpre.When compared to MDpre, a statistically significant decrease in s-Cort was observed at MD+3 compared toMDpre to MDpost in starting players. At MDpost, starters had significantly higher s-Cort values. s-IgA values of starting and non-starting players following successful and unsuccessful matches did not reveal a significant difference. However, similar analysis of s-Cort in successful matches showed a significant difference between starters and non-starters. s-IgA values at MD-1, MDpre, MDpost and MD+3 in starters and non-starters following successful and unsuccessful matches revealed significant differences at MDpre and MDpost in starters, respectively. Furthermore, s-Cort values at MDpre, successful and unsuccessful matches revealed significant differences at MD+3 in starting players. The present study suggests that in elite level soccer players, both starting status and match outcome influence s-IgA and s-Cort responses, particularly starters. Specifically, s-IgA was lower for starters before and after the match following successful outcomes. Moreover, higher s-Cort values were found before the match while lower values occurred after the match for starters in successful matches