Agent swarms: Cooperation and coordination under stringent communications constraint.

Here we consider the communications tactics appropriate for a group of agents that need to "swarm" together in a challenging communications environment. Swarms are increasingly important in a number of applications, including land, air, sea and space exploration, and their constituent agents could be satellites, drones, or other autonomous vehicles. A particularly difficult problem is to autonomously connect a swarm of agents together in a situation where stringent communication constraints are present, whether due to a need for stealth, restricted on-board power, external requirements to avoid certain broadcast directions, or equipment & hardware limitations.

Late-gestation maternal undernutrition induces circulatory redistribution while preserving uteroplacental function independent of fetal glycaemic state.

Programming effects of maternal undernutrition on fetal metabolic and cardiovascular systems are well elucidated, yet a detailed characterization of maternal haemodynamics is not available. This study used comprehensive cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging to quantify maternal haemodynamics after 29 days (111-140 days) of late-gestation undernutrition (LGUN) in pregnant sheep. Control ewes received 100% of metabolizable energy requirements (MERs, n = 15), whereas LGUN ewes were globally nutrient restricted to 50% MER (n = 18), with a subset of fetuses undergoing continuous glucose infusion (LGUN + G, n = 6/18).

Induction of Labor: A Narrative Review on Cost Efficiency in Maternity Care.

The clinical and financial implications of induction of labor (IOL) in comparison to elective cesarean sections and expectant management are examined in this review. IOL is frequently used to avoid complications such as hypertensive disorders and stillbirth, but is can be expensive, particularly if a failed induction is followed by a cesarean. The cost-effectiveness of IOL varies based on factors such as gestational age, maternal obesity, and prior cesareans.

Betamethasone improved near-term neonatal lamb lung maturation in experimental maternal asthma.

Maternal asthma is associated with increased rates of neonatal lung disease, and fetuses from asthmatic ewes have fewer surfactant-producing cells and lower surfactant-protein B gene (SFTPB) expression than controls. Antenatal betamethasone increases lung surfactant production in preterm babies, and we therefore tested this therapy in experimental maternal asthma. Ewes were sensitised to house dust mite allergen, and an asthmatic phenotype induced by fortnightly allergen lung challenges; controls received saline.

Demonstration of an End-To-End Workflow Using Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe-Mass Spectrometry (ASAP-MS) With Real-Time Sample Recognition Software for the Identification of Falsified and Substandard Pharmaceutical Tablets.

Counterfeit pharmaceuticals are a subclass of falsified and substandard medicines. They are illicit products, purporting to be genuine medicines, that are made and sold by criminal organisations. They represent a significant risk to patient safety, as well as a financial and reputational threat to the companies who make the genuine medicines.