Stakeholder views on young adults with intellectual disabilities as a workforce: A qualitative study on students’ performance in upper secondary education and their employment potential

People with intellectual disabilities are the most disadvantaged group among all disability types when it comes to employment. In Sweden, special needs upper secondary schools prepare students with intellectual disabilities for the labour market using practice periods at workplaces. This study targets stakeholder involved in their school-to-work transition (i.e. teachers, employers, employment agency officials). The aim is to identify how they view: (1) the working capabilities of students during practice periods and (2) their employment potential. We base the analysis on interview data with the stakeholders using Grounded Theory. Our results identify three student types whose preparedness for the labour market differs considerably. One student type performs well during the practice period and represents a high potential to enter the workforce. The other two student types have the lower working capability and employment potential. Our study highlights stakeholders as resources to improve the labour market preparations of students with intellectual disabilities.

Improved Neural Network Adaptive Control for Compound Helicopter with Uncertain Cross-Coupling in Multimodal Maneuver

The main goal of this study was to create a robust control system that could guide or replace the pilots in tracking of commanded velocity and attitude in multimodal maneuver, while complex dynamics and uncertain aerodynamic cross-coupling among control surfaces of compound helicopter are considered. To this end, a Pi-Sigma neural network (PSNN) adaptive controller is proposed based upon the certainty-equivalence (CE) principle, where a novel Lyapunov-based weight self-tuning algorithm augmented with e-modification is designed to realize efficient uncertainty approximation and guarantee robustness of convergence process. Compared with traditional neural networks in control field, stronger generalization ability of PSNN must be balanced against weaker stability, which leads to inevitable parameters perturbation. Therefore, an incremental nonlinear dynamic inversion (INDI) framework is established to decouple original overactuated system and reject parameters perturbation in PSNN. Meanwhile, by incorporating Lagrang- multiplier method into allocation, an original incremental allocation method is designed to get globally ideal control input according to time-varying working capability of each surface. In terms of Lyapunov theorem, it is demonstrated that the closed-loop augmented system driven by the proposed control scheme is semi-global uniformly ultimately bounded (SGUUB). Finally, the simulation result validates the effectiveness of proposed control scheme.

Thermodynamic Analysis of a Gamma-configuration Stirling Engine

Stirling engine is seen as a viable alternative to the conventional power generator due to its special capability to work with externally supplied heat sources which make the renewable and waste energy can be applied directly for a green energy production. Researchers from institutions and industries around the world have put their efforts in developing Stirling engine from numerical analysis to prototype development. In this paper, a simple thermodynamic analysis has been done on a proposed slider-crank gamma-configuration Stirling engine. The purpose of this analysis is to investigate the engine working capability of the proposed design prior to its prototype development. The analysis is done based on modified Schmidt ideal adiabatic model. The expansion and compression space temperature were set as 573K and 300K, respectively and air was used as the working fluid. With the assumed speed of 300rpm and running at atmospheric pressure, from the analysis, the proposed engine is predicted to produce 33.41W of power output. Additional to that, the selection of 90° phase angle also has been verified and the relationship between the temperature difference and produced power output also has been investigated. It is found that with 400K increment of the temperature difference between expansion and compression space, the produced power output can be increased by 94.93%. From the analysis, it showed that the proposed design can be proceeded for the prototype development.

Software Defect Prediction using Support Vectorised Data and Intelligent Techniques

Software enhances the working capability of any business. Developing such a software entrusts the developing organization to build defect free software. In this context we have used PC1 dataset(NASA dataset) which has sufficient parameters for analysis. Intelligent techniques using different methodologies have been applied exhaustively on the PC1 data to find out the best intelligent technique for software defect. As the PC1 data is highly imbalanced data, there was biasness in the prediction of the intelligent techniques. Hence, to overcome this issue, in this paper we tried to propose best balancing method along with the intelligent technique to predict the software defect accurately.

Working capability of composite wood-rubcon (rubber concrete) reinforced bridge beams under static loads

The results of experimental studies of the performance of bent composite wood-rubcon reinforced bridge beams under static loads are presented and the bearing capacity of composite wood-rubcon reinforced bridge beams is determined. A method for calculating wood-rubcon reinforced composite bridge beams is proposed.

Real-Time Monitoring & Adaptive Protection of Power Transformer to Enhance Smart Grid Reliability

Power transformer is one of the most important pieces of equipment in the grid to reliably and efficiently transmit power to the consumers. Asset management and protection are the best concepts for prolongation of transformer lifespan as well as for the increase of grid reliability. This article presents electrical and non-electrical parameter-based power transformer monitoring and protection. Various data such as core flux, age of asset, heat generation, current harmonics and temperature are monitored in real time and processed accordingly to enhance the working capability of the transformer. The proposed scheme is successfully tested on 15 kVA laboratory transformer using Arm CORTEX-M4 processor. A Fitness Function (Ff) is estimated from the collected data to examine the working condition of the transformer. Moreover, voltage, current and power-based inrush detection as well as Adaptive Power Differential Protection (APDP) are applied to protect the transformer against fault. The hardware implementation and result validation prove the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in enhancing reliability of the distribution grid.

Management of Artificial Intelligence Enabled Smart Wearable Devices for Early Diagnosis and Continuous Monitoring of CVDS

Cardiovascular diseases are often sudden and deadly. Every year, world over, there are millions of CVD deaths, not due to timely detection and treatment and continuous monitoring of patient situations. In the medical field, Artificial intelligence enabled/driven wearable devices are a new, and welcome development. This study is addressed to the cure and management of CVDs for timely diagnosis detection, treatment and monitoring CVDs. It is found that the wearable devices are effective means of meeting the challenges of CVDs. However, it is a just picking up technology, which needs to be generally known and cost effective, for which certain suggestions are made such as solar powered batteries in the device for their ever fully working capability.

Factorial structure of physical performance in children aged of 7-8 years

The given research is devoted to the comprehensive investigation of physical working capability within the whole range of accessible loads in healthy schoolchildren aged of 7-8 years (n=159). During the working process there were identifiedfive important facts determining the structure ofpupils ’physical working capability in the researched aged group. They include common working capability, aerobic alactant working capability, anaerobic glycolytic working capability, aerobic power and aerobic volume. The pointed out facts except the fact of common working capability, are associated with the maximum, sub maximum, large and medium zones of relative capacity respectively. During the study there were found out the expressed differences between boys and girls according to the development level of aerobic and anaerobic components ofphysical working capability. Therewith the most substantial differences were observed concerning the variables characterizing the working capability in zones of large and medium power dealing predominantly with aerobic muscle activity power supply, and the least valuable ones - in accordance with working indices in the sub maximum power dealing with anaerobic glycolytic system. The received data can be applied in solving practical problems of hygienic rating and control ofphysical loads value of different relative power during the process of physical education as well as in prenosological diagnostics of children’s health on the base of the evaluation of their organism’s adaptative capabilities.

RESEARCH OF HUMAN FATIGUE AND MEASUREMENT PARAMETERS FOR WORKABILITY ASSESSMENT

Human fatigue is reduced working capability for certain period of time as the result of unusual or prolonged workload. Fatigue arises when the body’s energy requirements exceed its supply. Fatigue first manifests as reduced concentration capability causing movement coordination and precision disruption leading to decreasing workability. Fatigue is an object of research in physiology, psychology, work ergonomics, medicine, and biotechnology where each domain has a focus on mental fatigue. The functional state in the context of professional activity is defined as a complex of characteristics of functions and qualities that determine the fulfilment of labour activity. Furthermore, a comprehensive estimation of subject functional state in combination with other factors like subject self-assessment and objective performance tests (cognitive load tests) is a necessary input for the evaluation of workability and efficiency on task. The heterogeneous nature of fatigue as a systemic manifestation requires analysis of multiple key parameters which are relevant to the specific type. The current feasibility study focuses on human biological signal from electrical activity of heart, brain, muscles and skin potentials as well as temperature, position, and respiration to obtain diagnostic parameters reflecting the state of cardiovascular, muscles, and central nervous systems for physiological monitoring of vital signs. The fatigue physiological parameter and feature formalization aim to support the development of a platform with complex passive multi-level fatigue monitoring system and workability evaluation system designed in order to provide an integrated service.