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Current pig house cleaning procedures are hazardous to the health of farm workers, and yet necessary if the spread of disease between batches of animals is to be satisfactorily controlled. Autonomous cleaning using robot technology offers salient benefits. This paper addresses the feasibility of designing a vision-based system to locate dirty areas and subsequently direct a cleaning robot to remove dirt. Novel results include the characterisation of the spectral properties of real surfaces and dirt in a pig house and the design of illumination to obtain discrimination of clean from dirty areas with a low probability of misclassification. A Bayesian discriminator is shown to be efficient in this context and implementation of a prototype tool demonstrates the feasibility of designing a low-cost vision-based sensor for autonomous cleaning.

This paper examines the distinctive features of narrative inquiry, reviews how narrative has been taken up in a range of disciplinary areas, and argues for the use of a narrative approach to the study of social processes in marketing organisation. An illustration is provided of narrative analysis of an exemplar case with the aim of surfacing tacit knowledge and drawing lessons from practice on a successful collaborative branding activity. A series of practices, including accounting, justifying and empathising are identified as important in the development of this emergent branding project. The findings resonate with Boje's (1991) contention that being able to perform stories is an underrated yet important management skill that can assist organisation members to make sense of what is going on and to effect change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that neonatal patients who require airway support should receive heated and humidified gases. This can be a challenge when providing short-prong nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in the transport environment. This article describes how heated and humidified gases can be provided during transport in this group of patients and describes the results of an audit into its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents correspondence of the February 1991 issue of British Medical Journal in Great Britain. Prevalence of congenital rubella in the Asian community; Criteria used in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease; Discussion on the performance of religious circumcisions in the National Health system.

Neonatal patients with trache-oesophageal fistulas are at risk of aspiration and require constant drainage of the pouch in order to clear secretions. This can be a challenge in the transport environment where low pressure suction is not always available. This article describes a solution to this problem utilising a dry seal chest drain with a built-in suction regulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability and usage of portable image intensifiers has revolutionised routine orthopaedic practice. Extensive use of fluoroscopy however may result into significant radiation exposure to operating staff. An accumulated dose of 65 microSv per procedure over long exposure has been reported to increase the risk of thyroid cancer. The present prospective study aimed at measuring the scattered dose to the thyroid using an Unfors EDD dosimeter during DHS/IMHS for fractures of the neck of the femur and IM nailing for long bone fractures. In 32 procedures, the dose of 65 microSv was exceeded 13 times; 8 times during DHS/IMHS and 5 times during IMN. The average thyroid dose was 142 microSv during IMN and 55 microSv during DHS. Only 9 of the total 223 (4%) theatre personnel were using a thyroid shield in spite of its availability. These results suggest that the thyroid is frequently exposed to potentially harmful radiation during these procedures. Strict inclusion of a thyroid shield as a part of routine radiation protection is recommended.