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Distributed acoustic sensor systems for vehicle detection and classification
Get PDFIntelligent transport systems (ITS) are pivotal in the development of sustainable and green urban living. ITS is data-driven and enabled by the profusion of sensors ranging from pneumatic tubes to smart cameras which are used to detect and categorise passing vehicles. Simple sensors, such as pneumatic tubes, are successfully deployed for counting passing vehicles but are not useful for vehicle tracking or re-identification. Smart cameras, on the other hand, collect comprehensive information but suffer from occlusion, patchy coverage, and compromised vision in adverse weather and visibility. This work explores a novel ITS data source based on an optical fibre which acts as an uninterrupted length of virtual sensors using a distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) system. Based on real DAS data collected in the field, we first present a study of latent DAS features that uniquely identify a given vehicle, otherwise referred to as the vehicle signature. We formulate a classification problem that examines incoming DAS data to extract vehicle signatures and identify the different types of vehicle. To this end, we implement different classification methods and present a comparative performance analysis that reveals novel insights into the potential role of DAS for ITS applications. This work is a pilot study of DAS for vehicle classification that is driven by real DAS data and validated by promising results where a vehicle’s type is correctly identified with 94% accuracy and the size of a vehicle with 95% accuracy
Multi-Target Tracking Using a Swarm of UAVs by Q-learning Algorithm
Get PDFThis paper proposes a scheme for multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to track multiple targets in challenging 3-D environments while avoiding obstacle collisions.
The scheme relies on Received-Signal-Strength-Indicator (RSSI) measurements to estimate and track target positions and uses a Q-Learning (QL) algorithm to enhance the intelligence of UAVs for autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance. Considering the limitation of UAVs in their power and computing capacity, a global reward function is used to determine the optimal actions for the joint control of energy consumption, computation time, and tracking accuracy. Extensive simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme, achieving accurate and efficient target tracking with low energy consumption
Domain Applications of Project Management Knowledge (DAPMK): Beneficial Knowledge Transfer and Soft Skill Development for Life-long Enhancement
Get PDFThe focus of higher education in the developed economies of the Global North has steadily shifted since the 1970s from being dominantly rooted in academic knowledge and learning as an end in themselves towards a wider perspective. The needs of the professions, careers and employability were present then, but were generally a secondary concern for the HEIs. The expansion of HE across more diverse populations has produced successive changes in curriculum and more broadly in purposes, strategies, and philosophies of HE. Against the background of global, economic, societal, and technological changes, the need to maintain ‘traditions’ but with wider relevance to society, personal adaptability, and capability as well as support for lifelong careers and learning have come to impact, HE main agendas.
Most undertakings in life require the ability to define requirements, shape responses and form processes which will lead to achieving desired goals. In short, this is the nature of ‘project’ as a concept and of project management as a means to undertake what is necessary. This paper reports on how the concepts and techniques of Project Management (PM) can be beneficially transferred in a process of soft skill development for life-long enhancement in the transitions from HE to employability and career. A project was set up at University of West London as part of their knowledge transfer activities. The researchers have established ‘proof of concept’ and are currently trialling pathways for providing learning opportunities with knowledge transfer and soft skill enhancement. The opportunity to adapt the root concepts of PM to any domain carries enormous potential for enhancing HE outcomes and for wider continuing education and skills development across communities
Annotated Pedestrians: A Dataset for Soft Biometrics Estimation for Varying Distances.
No full textFollowing the significance of soft biometrics to facilitate seamless recognition or retrieval, the need for multi-modality annotated datasets is increasing - to evaluate any standalone soft biometrics system. Although, large-size datasets like PETA were annotated to evaluate soft biometrics systems, however, they were mainly annotated for global soft biometrics such as gender and age and for clothing modality. By looking at the usefulness of multiple modalities of the human body during recognition or retrieval, we designed, developed and annotated a new dataset called Annotated Pedestrians for the individuals. The images in the dataset were explicitly recorded for the individuals at four different distances from the camera and they incorporate annotations for four different modalities of the human body i.e., i) global soft biometrics, ii) extended facial region, iii) body including limbs, and iv) clothing with attachments. The annotation process was expert opinion and qualitative annotation types were used. There were a total of three global soft biometrics annotated and for remaining three modalities, categorical annotations for 46 soft biometrics were performed. In terms of comparative annotations, there were a total of 26 soft biometrics annotated for the same three modalities. To the best of our knowledge, Annotated Pedestrians is a unique dataset designed by incorporating the impact of distance during recognition or retrieval, where markers were placed on the surface at 4, 6, 8, and 10 distances from the camera, and approximately 300 frames were recorded for 50 distinct individuals in a 20 long corridor. Moreover, the usefulness of the dataset is annotation using four different modalities of the human body, and a total of 75 soft biometrics annotated using a qualitative approach - making Annotated Pedestrians a highly-diverse dataset to evaluate any soft biometrics system for recognition during short-term tracking and feature-based retrieval from the database
Performance comparison of different medical image fusion algorithms for clinical glioma grade classification with advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI
Get PDFNon-invasive glioma grade classification is an exciting area in neuroimaging. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the performance of different medical image fusion algorithms for glioma grading purposes by fusing advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images. Ninety-six subjects underwent an Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map and Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) MRI scan. After preprocessing, the different medical image fusion methods used to fuse ADC maps and SWI were Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Structure-Aware, Discrete Cosine Harmonic Wavelet Transform (DCHWT), Deep-Convolutional Neural network (DNN), Dual-Discriminator conditional generative adversarial network (DDcGAN), and Laplacian Re-Decomposition (LRD). The Entropy, standard deviation (STD), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index measure (SSIM), and Relative Signal Contrast (RSC) were calculated for qualitative and quantitative analysis. We found high fused image quality with LRD and DDcGAN methods. Further quantitative analysis showed that RSCs in fused images in Low-Grade glioma (LGG) were significantly higher than RSCs in High-Grade glioma (HGG) with PCA, DCHWT, LRD, and DDcGAN. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve test highlighted that LRD and DDcGAN have the highest performance for glioma grade classification. Our work suggests using the DDcGAN and LRD networks for glioma grade classification by fusing ADC maps and SWI images
Being intentional about intersectionality and positionality
No full textThis paper describes how a familiar exercise, known as the ‘Privilege Walk’, or Step Forward or Back line activity, could be used to develop s understanding of the skills and knowledge needed, prior to their first placement. Specifically, the activity puts particular emphasis on the need to apply ethical principles, values and anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive principles into professional practices, as well as applying, and advancing human rights and promoting social justice and economic wellbeing. Encouraging a deeper understanding of students’ motivations to become social workers, particularly exploring Carl Jung’s 1951 ‘wounded healer’. The activity, used in the training of foster carers and adopters, will be described as a teaching technique to provide an opportunity to understand the intricacies of privilege, and to explore how membership of specific social identity groups endows individuals with privilege and power. Social work courses can help students recognize ways that they can use their privileges, both collectively and individually, to work for social justice. The purpose is not to imply culpability, provoke shame or guilt due to being in a position of relative power or privilege. Instead by raising awareness of the obstacles and benefits experienced, students gain an understanding of the significance of identity in order that they become better social work professionals
Patients’ perceived quality of care and their satisfaction with care given for MDR-TB at referral hospitals in Ethiopia.
Get PDFBackground
There is presently dearth of evidence in Ethiopia on patients’ perception on quality of care given for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and their satisfaction with the care and services they receive for the disease. Moreover, there is no evidence on the experiences and practices of caregivers for MDR-TB regarding the functionality of the programmatic management of MDR-TB at referral hospitals in Ethiopia. Thus, this study was conducted to address these gaps. Evidence in these areas would help to institute interventions that could enhance patient satisfaction and their adherence to the treatment given for MDR-TB.
Design and methods
This study employed an inductive phenomenological approach to investigate patients’ perception of the quality of care given for MDR-TB, level of their satisfaction with the care they received for MDR-TB and the experiences and practices of caregivers for MDR-TB on the functionality of the programmatic management of MDR-TB at referral hospitals in Ethiopia. The data were analysed manually, and that helped to get more control over the data.
Results
The majority of the patients were satisfied with the compassionate communication and clinical care they received at hospitals. However, as no doctor was dedicated exclusively for the MDR-TB centre of the hospitals, patients could not get timely medical attention during emergent medical conditions. Patients were dissatisfied with the poor communication and uncaring practice of caregivers found at treatment follow-up centres (TFCs). Patients perceived that socio-economic difficulties are both the cause of MDR-TB and it has also challenged their ability to cope-up with the disease and its treatment. Patients were dissatisfied with the poor quality and inadequate quantity of the socio-economic support they got from the programme. Despite the high MDR-TB and HIV/AIDS co-infection, services for both diseases were not available under one roof.
Conclusions
Socio-economic challenges, inadequate socio-economic support, absence of integrated care for MDR-TB and HIV/AIDS, and the uncaring practice of caregivers at treatment follow-up centres are found to negatively affect patients’ perceived quality of care and their satisfaction with the care given for MDR-TB. Addressing these challenges is recommended to assist patients’ coping ability with MDR-TB and its treatment
'Darling Men, Lover Boys and Rogues:' Connie Sachs, Molly Doran and the Precarity of of Institutional Memory in John le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Mick Herron's Dead Lions
No full textEffects of Cyberattacks on Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Technologies for People with Disabilities
Get PDFVirtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies offer transformative solutions for individuals with disabilities, empowering them with enhanced accessibility and immersive experiences. The importance of VR and AR for accessibility provides assistive solutions for disabled users through accessibility enhancements, personalized assistive technologies to support education, rehabilitation support, and social inclusion and empathy building. However, limitations and security challenges are inherent in the current integration of VR and AR. That includes inadequate authentication, insecure communication channels, software errors, device incompatibilities, keystroke errors on controllers, poor network speed, and cyberattacks, potentially jeopardising vulnerable users' safety and well-being. The paper explores the impact of cyberattacks on VR and AR technologies for disabled users. The novelty contribution of the paper is threefold. First, we analyze existing VR and AR technologies and their immersive environments, including their vulnerabilities. Secondly, we consider the various cyberattacks being deployed to exploit the vulnerabilities in the settings and their impact on users with disabilities. Finally, we implement an attack to exploit a vulnerability in the AR and VR environment to determine security and recommend control mechanisms. The paper raises awareness of the importance of securing VR and AR to safeguard the inclusivity and independence of disabled users
Carbon quantum dots derived from fish scales as fluorescence sensors for detection of malachite green
No full textIn the current work, fish scale carbon quantum dots (FS-CQDs) were prepared from grass fish scales as precursors via a one-step hydrothermal approach to detect malachite green. The size distribution of FS-CQDs was uniform with an average particle diameter of 4.70 nm, which exhibited emission at 415 nm upon excitation at 310 nm. The FS-CQDs were demonstrated to selectively react with malachite green, leading to the fluorescence quenching effect. The established fluorescence nanosensor showed malachite green detection in the linear range of 0–150 μM, with the limit of detection (LOD) of 4.4 μM. The quenching type is static quenching, and the interaction was mainly driven by van der Waals interactions and the hydrogen bond, which were studied using the Stern–Volmer equation and thermodynamic analysis. Furthermore, the sensor was applied for the measurement of malachite green in real water samples and turbot with acceptable recovery of 91.6–115.5%. The utilization of fish scales in this study not only provided a new way of utilization of aquatic by-products, but also generated a novel alternative fluorescence nanosensor for the sensing field