Reading Comprehension and Processing Time When People With Aphasia Use Text-to-Speech Technology With Personalized Supports and Features

Background: Person-centered approaches promote consistent use of supportive technology and feelings of empowerment for people with disabilities. Feature personalization is an aspect of person-centered approaches that can affect the benefit people with aphasia (PWA) derive from using text-to-speech (TTS) technology as a reading support. Aims: This study's primary purpose was to compare the comprehension and processing time of PWA when performing TTS-supported reading with preferred settings for voice, speech output rate, highlighting type, and highlighting color versus unsupported reading. A secondary aim was to examine initial support and feature preference selections, preference changes following TTS exposure, and anticipated functional reading activities for utilizing TTS technology. Method and Procedure: Twenty PWA read passages either via written text or text combined with TTS output using personally selected supports and features. Participants answered comprehension questions, reevaluated their preference selections, and provided feedback both about feature selections and possible future TTS technology uses. Outcomes and Results: Comprehension accuracy did not vary significantly between reading conditions; however, processing time was significantly less in the TTS-supported condition, thus suggesting TTS support promoted greater reading speed without compromising comprehension. Most participants preferred the TTS condition and several anticipated benefits when reading lengthy and difficult materials. Alterations to initial settings were relatively rare. Conclusions: Personalizing TTS systems is relevant to person-centered interventions. Reading with desired TTS system supports and features promotes improved reading efficiency by PWA compared with reading without TTS support. Attending to client preferences is important when customizing and implementing TTS technology as a reading support.

STUDY OF INFLUENCE OF QUADROCOPTER DESIGN AND SETTINGS ON QUALITY OF ITS WORK DURING MONITORING OF GROUND OBJECTS

The subject of the article is methods of reducing quadcopter magnetometer crosstalk by changing the design and settings of the copter to improve the quality of its work during the monitoring of ground objects. The relevance of the development is determined by the need to increase the physical safety of quadcopters when monitoring ground facilities in various industries because the magnetometer is the most noise-sensitive sensor, and its failure leads to the fall and loss of the drone. The purpose of the article is to determine the optimal design and settings of the quadcopter in terms of its physical safety and quality of work during monitoring of ground facilities in various industries. The research task is to check whether it is possible to protect the magnetometer placed inside the drone body from the power cables crosstalk by grounding, shielding and changing the initial settings of the copter, namely by changing the value of the startup power factor of the motors. Research methods are as follows: theory of automatic control, methods of optimal control and hardware design methods. Conclusions. The role of the drone magnetometer in the monitoring of ground objects has been studied. The study has shown that copters at monitoring ground objects must be equipped with a magnetometer and GPS. The magnetometer is the most sensitive to interference of all sensors. If it does not work properly, the entire drone navigation system stops working. We have carried out experimental studies of the influence of quadcopter design and settings on the quality of its magnetometer work, and hence on work of the copter as a whole. In this paper it is proposed to place a magnetometer inside the body of the drone that will increase its physical safety and simplify the design of the drone, but at the same time it will increase the coupling from the power cables of motors, so it is necessary to choose effective methods of protection. It has been tested whether it is possible to protect the magnetometer from interference from power cables when placing it inside the drone body by grounding, shielding and changing the initial settings of the copter, namely by changing the value of the startup power factor of the motors. The results of the experiments showed that to protect against the interference for magnetometer placed inside the drone body, it is necessary to combine shielding of the magnetometer and decreasing of the startup power factor of the motors.

A New Approach to the Development of Additive Fibonacci Generators Based on Prime Numbers

Pseudorandom number and bit sequence generators are widely used in cybersecurity, measurement, and other technology fields. A special place among such generators is occupied by additive Fibonacci generators (AFG). By itself, such a generator is not cryptographically strong. Nevertheless, when used as a primary it can be quite resistant to cryptanalysis generators. This paper proposes a modification to AGF, the essence of which is to use prime numbers as modules of recurrent equations describing the operation of generators. This modification made it possible to ensure the constancy of the repetition period of the output pseudorandom pulse sequence in the entire range of possible values of the initial settings–keys (seed) at specific values of the module. In addition, it has proposed a new generator scheme, which consists of two generators: the first of which is based on a modified AFG and the second is based on a linear feedback shift register (LFSR). The output pulses of both generators are combined through a logic element XOR. The results of the experiment show that the specific values of modules provide a constant repetition period of the output pseudorandom pulse sequence in a whole range of possible values of the initial settings–keys (seed) and provide all the requirements of the NIST test to statistical characteristics of the sequence. Modified AFGs are designed primarily for hardware implementation, which allows them to provide high performance.

Abstract 13076: Refractory Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Patients With Pulmonary Embolism and Use of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Prague OHCA Study Subanalysis

Introduction: Refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (r-OHCA) in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) has poor outcome. Data about use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in PE are heterogenous and there is minimal evidence for its use in patients presenting with r-OHCA. Hypothesis: To describe in detail profile, initial settings of cardiac arrest (CA) and clinical course of patients with PE presenting with r-OHCA and its specifics in comparison to patients with r-OHCA of other cause. The special attention was paid to the use of ECMO and its potential benefit for patient prognosis. Methods: We reanalyzed subgroup of patients with PE from Prague OHCA study - a randomized control trial evaluating the effect of hyperinvasive approach including the use of ECMO in r-OHCA. Patients characteristics, the specifics of CA settings and the outcome were compared to the patients with other cause of r-OHCA. The neurologically favorable survival was then compared between PE patients randomized to Hyperinvasive and Standard arm of the study. Results: The PE was identified as a cause of CA in 24 (9.4 %) patients in Prague OHCA study. PE patients were more likely women (12 [50 %] vs 32 [13.8 %]) with non-shockable initial rhythm (23 [95.8 %] vs 77 [33.2 %]; P < 0.0001). The CA occurs more frequently after arrival of emergency medical service (14 [58.3 %], vs 22 [9.5 %]; P < 0.0001), had shorter time to hospital admission (median in minutes [IQR], 40 [34.5-57.8] vs 54 [46-64]; P = 0.01) with more severe acidosis at admission (median pH [IQR]; 6.83 [6.75-6.88] vs 6.98 [6.82-7.14] P = 0.0008). The primary outcome of patients with PE - CPC 1 or 2 at 180 days - was significantly worse (2 [8.3 %] vs 66 [28.4 %]; P = 0.049). There was non-significant difference in primary outcome - CPC 1 or 2 at 180 days - between PE patients in Hyperinvasive (12 [50%]) and Standard arm of the study (2 [16.7 %] vs 0; P = 0.24). Conclusion: The initial profile of patients and the settings of CA in patients with r-OHCA and PE differs from patients with other CA cause and their prognosis is significantly worse. The Hyperinvasive approach did not improved outcome in this subgroup of patients.

EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION OF COMBINED TRIP ESTIMATOR FOR SMALL POWER ELECTRIC TRACTOR

The combined use of the electric tractor in high-speed travel and high-torque towing must involve a trip range estimation and an optimal driving behavior of the vehicle. The paper proposes an estimation method based on the measured usable energy reserve and on prediction of the power consumption for the two selected operating modes: rolling and towing. As driver’s interface will be used an interactive graphical display which can be used for the initial settings and further adjustments of some of the working parameters. The demonstrations are sustained by trip recordings used for calibration process and for error mitigation.

Airway Pressure Release Ventilation setting disagreements. A survey of clinicians

Background: Airway pressure release ventilation has been available to clinicians for the last four decades. Unfortunately, its clinical value continues to be debatable. One of the many reasons responsible is the lack of consistency between its settings in clinical practice and research. We hypothesized that clinicians disagree on specific methods when establishing these parameters. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based survey was developed and sent to clinicians (critical care attending physician, critical care fellows in training and respiratory therapists) in about one hundred different academic hospitals with critical care training program. The survey consisted of ten questions including each of the four major APRV settings: T-High, T-Low, P-High, and P-Low. The survey was anonymous. Main results: Amongst the 187 respondents, there were significant disagreements between different categories of clinicians regarding methodology for establishing initial settings of APRV. However, when the responses were analyzed after sub-grouping based on categories of clinicians (Critical care attending physician vs critical care fellows vs respiratory therapists), no significant differences could be found. Conclusions: There is no agreement between different categories of clinicians when it comes to the methodology for establishing initial APRV settings. Our study highlights the need for larger clinical trials comparing different approaches to the same which could then be used for establishing scientific guidelines based on best evidence. Keywords: APRV, survey, T-High, T-Low, P-High, P-Low

ПОВЫШЕНИЕ ТОЧНОСТИ РАСЧЕТА ПОЛЯ ТЕМПЕРАТУР ГАЗА НА ВЫХОДЕ ИЗ КАМЕРЫ СГОРАНИЯ ГТД МЕТОДОМ ТРЕХМЕРНОГО КОМПЬЮТЕРНОГО МОДЕЛИРОВАНИЯ

The problem of numerical simulation of the gas flow with the combustion of atomized liquid fuel was solved (the equilibrium combustion model pdf was used along with the partially mixed mixture model) in the annular combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine. Numerical modeling was performed in Ansys Fluent calculation complex. The purpose of the calculations was to simulate the radial and circumferential unevenness of the gas temperature pattern at the outlet of the combustion chamber. As a result of the calculations, it was found that the accuracy of modeling the radial and circumferential unevenness of the gas temperature pattern at the outlet of the combustion chamber is unsatisfactory when using the k–e turbulence model with the initial settings for the Ansys Fluent calculation complex. Moreover, the maximum value of the radial non-uniformity of the gas temperature pattern at the outlet of the combustion chamber exceeded the value obtained in the experiment by 12.61 %, and the maximum value of the circumferential non-uniformity by 12.69 %. To improve the accuracy of modeling the temperature pattern non-uniformity at the outlet of the combustion chamber, a numerical experiment was conducted to study the effect of the degree of turbulent diffusion of gas components on the value of temperature pattern non-uniformity. To reduce the non-uniformity of the temperature pattern at the outlet of the combustion chamber, the degree of turbulent diffusion of gas components was increased with respect to the initial version of the calculation, performed using the k–e model of turbulence with the initial settings for the Ansys Fluent calculation complex, by reducing the turbulent Schmidt number Sc in the turbulence model. For the initial settings of the k–e turbulence model in the Ansys Fluent calculation complex, the turbulent Schmidt number Sc = 0.85. A numerical experiment was performed for the values of Sc = 0.6, Sc = 0.4, and Sc = 0.2. The results of a numerical experiment confirmed the influence of the turbulent Schmidt number Sc on the result of calculating the gas temperature pattern at the outlet of the combustion chamber; as the value of Sc decreases, the level of the circumferential and radial non-uniformities of the gas temperature pattern decreases. However, the degree of reduction of radial and circumferential irregularities with a decrease in Sc is different. Therefore, to ensure high accuracy in calculating both the circumferential and radial non-uniformities of the gas temperature pattern, it was proposed to use a variable value of the turbulent Schmidt number Sc depending on the gas temperature instead of a constant value. The functional dependence of the turbulent Schmidt number Sc on the gas temperature was implemented in the Ansys Fluent calculation complex using the user function (UDF). The results of modeling the gas temperature pattern using the proposed UDF function for the turbulent Schmidt number Sc are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data for both radial and circumferential non-uniformities of the gas temperature pattern at the outlet of the combustion chamber.

‘Who Were the Maccabees?’

Jennifer Knust surveys the gradual canonisation of the Maccabean martyrs within a collection of Christian sacred texts. The eventual adoption of these martyrs as proto-Christian models of faith were clearly the result of a complex but now lost process of reconfiguration and appropriation. This march forward of a Christian Maccabean cult also coincides with a post-Julian consolidation of Christian ascendancy that began during Julian’s reign and was then further advanced during the ramping up of Christianisation following his death. The introduction of the Christian cult of the Maccabean martyrs can be interpreted both as an anti-Jewish Christian response to changing circumstances under Julian and as evidence that the traditions associated with the Maccabees endured as a continuing site of Christian-Jewish interaction even as these same martyrs were spiritualised. The fourth-century re-signification of these martyrs as Christian participated in what Andrew Jacobs describes as the ‘historicisation’ of the Jew, a process that renders living Jews merely ‘historical’ by transferring the Jew or the Jew’s remains into an embodied, living Christian past. Once the martyrs were detached from earlier commemorative contexts, they served to buttress particular, disputed formulations of Christian rather than Jewish identity. According to Knust, the reverberations of this process reach beyond their initial settings and Christian anti-Judaism, rhetorical or real, and have persisted within ongoing and contested histories of difference.