Location Of Victims Research Articles

Saving lives: design and implementation of lifeline emergency ad hoc network

PurposeThis paper aims to propose a system for automatically forming ad hoc networks using mobile phones and battery-powered wireless routers for emergency situations. The system also provides functions to send emergency messages and identify the location of victims based on the network topology information.Design/methodology/approachOptimized link state routing protocol is used to instantly form an ad hoc emergency network based on WiFi signals from mobile phones of the victims, backup battery-powered wireless routers preinstalled in buildings and mobile devices deployed by search and rescue teams. The proposed system is also designed to recover from partial crash of network and nodes lost.FindingsExperimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system in terms of battery life, transmission distance and noises.Originality/valueA novel message routing schedule is proposed for conserving battery life. A novel function to estimate the location of a mobile device which sent an emergency message is proposed in this paper.

Temporal trends in physical violence, gender differences and spatial vulnerability of the location of victim's residences

The aim of study was to describe trends in physical violence among Brazilian victims and investigate spatial vulnerability of the location of victim's residences. This study performed an ecological-level longitudinal analysis, examining violence rates over 4 years. Cases of 4795 victims of physical aggression attended at a Center of Legal Medicine were investigated. Trend analysis was used to evaluate the data, with the creation of polynomial regression models (p < 0.05). Violence rates showed significant temporal variations according to sociodemographic characteristics of victims (p < 0.05) and the circumstances of aggressions (p < 0.05). Moreover, there was a significant increase in violence rate in the North (R2 = 16.1%; p = 0.019) and South (R2 = 18.4%; p = 0.010), whereas the rural zone (R2 = 10.1%; p = 0.028) presented a decrease. The findings highlight the need for protection policies that address spatial-temporal aspects.

3D reconstruction of disaster scenes for urban search and rescue

Natural and man-made disasters that may take place due to a catastrophic incident (e.g., earthquake, explosion, terrorist attack) often result in trapped humans under rubble piles. In such emergency response situations, Urban Search and Rescue (USaR) teams have to make quick decisions under stress in order to determine the location of possible trapped victims. Fast 3D modelling of fully or partially collapsed buildings using images from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can considerably help USaR efforts, thus improving disaster response and increasing survival rates. The a-priori establishment of a proper workflow for fast and reliable image-based 3D modelling and the a priori determination of the parameters that have to be set in each step of the photogrammetric pipeline are critical aspects that ensure the readiness in an emergency response situation. This paper evaluates powerful commercial and open-source software solutions for the 3D reconstruction of disaster scenes for rapid response situations. The software packages are tested using UAV datasets of a real earthquake scene. A thorough analysis on the parameters of the various modelling steps that may lead to desired results for USaR tasks is made and indicative processing chains are proposed, taking into account the restriction of time. Furthermore, some weaknesses of the data acquisition process that have been detected by performing the experiments are outlined and some improvements and additions are proposed, including an initial preprocessing of the images using a graph-based approach.

On the Noise Path Determination With the Noise Source Modulation Technique

The fundamental properties and key parameters of the noise source modulation technique (NSMT) to determine the electromagnetic noise path are discussed. The basic idea behind the NSMT is to apply a known time variation (modulation) to one of the possible noise paths and to observe its effect at the noise victim location. Different modulations can be applied to different noise paths simultaneously. Based on the type and amount of noise modulation at the victim location, the noise path can be determined. An experiment in ideal conditions has been conducted where two cables carry the same amount of common mode current but only one is the main noise path to the victim. By comparing the path index with the measured insertion loss between cables and receiving antennas, the correctness of the NSMT to determine the noise path is confirmed.

P.6.a.008 - Study of the effects of caffeinated/sugared energy drinks on ethanol craving, in rats

We developed time trend model, determined treatment outcome and estimated annual human deaths among dog bite victims (DBVs) from 2010 to 2013 in Monrovia, Liberia. Data obtained from clinic records included victim's age, gender and site of bite marks, site name of residence of rabies-exposed patients, promptness of care sought, initial treatment and post-exposure-prophylaxis (PEP) compliance. We computed DBV time-trend plot, seasonal index and year 2014 case forecast. Associated annual human death (AHD) was estimated using a standardized decision tree model. Of the 775 DBVs enlisted, care seeking time was within 24 h of injury in 328 (42.32%) DBVs. Victim's residential location, site of bite mark, and time dependent variables were significantly associated with treatment outcome (p< 0.05). The equation X^t=28.278−0.365t models the trend of DBVs. The high (n = 705, 90.97%) defaulted PEP and average 155 AHD from rabies implied urgent need for policy formulation on national programme for rabies prevention in Liberia.

On Time Assist for Victims Trapped in Collapsed Building Enhanced with IOT Technology

Objectives: To increase the chances of saving the victims under debris especially those trapped under collapsed building. Methods: Technology used in this project is Internet of Things (IOT); through this technology the information about the victim trapped under debris is collected and stored in internet which is used for future use. A separate website is created to store the information about the workers in and out time and a GPS system is used to identify the victim location Findings: The simulation result explains about the latitude and longitude position of victim under rubble, Employer Id and the status of the victim under rubble. While comparing with the existing system the ARM processor is used where the analog to digital signal conversion is faster while comparing with PIC microcontroller, the information stored about the victim is useful for future purpose. Applications: Improvement is to reduce the size of the hardware and weight of the hardware. It is mainly applicable for saving the victims' life under collapsed building and under rubble.

Time series analysis and mortality model of dog bite victims presented for treatment at a referral clinic for rabies exposure in Monrovia, Liberia, 2010–2013

We developed time trend model, determined treatment outcome and estimated annual human deaths among dog bite victims (DBVs) from 2010 to 2013 in Monrovia, Liberia. Data obtained from clinic records included victim's age, gender and site of bite marks, site name of residence of rabies-exposed patients, promptness of care sought, initial treatment and post-exposure-prophylaxis (PEP) compliance. We computed DBV time-trend plot, seasonal index and year 2014 case forecast. Associated annual human death (AHD) was estimated using a standardized decision tree model. Of the 775 DBVs enlisted, care seeking time was within 24h of injury in 328 (42.32%) DBVs. Victim's residential location, site of bite mark, and time dependent variables were significantly associated with treatment outcome (p< 0.05). The equation X^t=28.278−0.365t models the trend of DBVs. The high (n=705, 90.97%) defaulted PEP and average 155 AHD from rabies implied urgent need for policy formulation on national programme for rabies prevention in Liberia.

ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS OF AIR POLLUTION DISPERSION AND SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT IN NIGERIA

The basic properties of chlorine was used to determine the dispersion patterns of the recent Jos explosion. The dynamic aerosols content model was used to affirm the eight kinds of dispersion patterns discussed in this text. The location of the victims showed that the dispersion at Jos was either linear or polynomial dispersion. The dispersions are influenced by atmospheric ventilation, stagnation and recirculation. The last chlorine gas explosion follows the linear or polynomial dispersion because of the current state of aerosol loadings in Jos. The aftermath effect of this kind of dispersion may be more threatening than the initial danger due to the chemical formation of more dangerous compounds. The atmospheric conditions for the formation of toxic compound were investigated using twelve years MERRA satellite observation. The degree of freedom of methane, carbon oxide and ozone was nearly uniform for the past five years. This means the next five years or more may be threatening for life forms within the region. The installation of gas tracers within major locations in Jos was suggested to monitor the formation of dioxins in the atmosphere.

Epidemiological study of snakebites in Ardabil Province (Iran)

IntroductionAverage annual incidence of snakebite worldwide is between 5.5 to 1.2 million, and at least 125,000 of them are fatal. In Iran, around 4,500–11,000 snakebites occur annually, and a small number of them are fatal. Snake bites can cause intoxity and immediate death in patients, and the aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiological study of snakebites in Ardabil Province.MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional that has been done on 67 snakebite patients who were admitted to the Imam Khomeini Hospital of Ardabil during 2008–2013. Information included: age and sex of victims, region of incidence, site of bite, hospitalized duration and symptoms. Data analyzed by descriptive statistical methods using SPSS version 19.ResultsThere was significant difference between the two sexes (p=0.001). There was no significant difference between the mean age of male and female victims (p=0.68). Most of the victims were in the age group of 20–29 years (34.3%). All snakebites happened in rural areas. There was no significant relation between gender of victims and the residential location of victims (p=0.32). Most snakebites happened during 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (32.8%). Most of the snakebites occurred in spring and summer seasons. Results showed that most of the bites in yearly months was seen in the summer season and the difference between seasons is significant. (p=0001). Most snakebites, with 38 cases (56.7%), were observed on lower limbs and among them right limbs with 20 cases (52.6%) had the greatest number. There was significant difference between organs of bites in victims because the most organs were in the right lower limb (p=0.002). Of all cases, 66 (98.5%) were injured by a species of viper snake. All patients, showed symptoms of pain, swelling, erythema and ecchymosis bite. Twenty-seven (40.3%) of all cases, suffered fainting. Nausea and vomiting were two other common symptoms. The antidote used in patients was 5.1±1.3 vials. The mean incidence rate of snakebite was an estimated 4.1 per 100000.ConclusionsPossible risk factors include male gender and young age. It was also found that the stings reach peak in the morning and noon. These reports are all in rural areas, and mostly occurred in the warm months. Snakebites in rural parts around Ardebil were prevalent. Severe side effects were rare, but the incidence of other complications was common among the victims.

Swarm robotics search & rescue: A novel artificial intelligence-inspired optimization approach

In this paper, a novel heuristic algorithm is proposed to solve continuous non-linear optimization problems. The presented algorithm is a collective global search inspired by the swarm artificial intelligent of coordinated robots. Cooperative recognition and sensing by a swarm of mobile robots have been fundamental inspirations for development of Swarm Robotics Search & Rescue (SRSR). Swarm robotics is an approach with the aim of coordinating multi-robot systems which consist of numbers of mostly uniform simple physical robots. The ultimate aim is to emerge an eligible cooperative behavior either from interactions of autonomous robots with the environment or their mutual interactions between each other. In this algorithm, robots which represent initial solutions in SRSR terminology have a sense of environment to detect victim in a search & rescue mission at a disaster site. In fact, victim’s location refers to global best solution in SRSR algorithm. The individual with the highest rank in the swarm is called master and remaining robots will play role of slaves. However, this leadership and master position can be transitioned from one robot to another one during mission. Having the supervision of master robot accompanied with abilities of slave robots for sensing the environment, this collaborative search assists the swarm to rapidly find the location of victim and subsequently a successful mission. In order to validate effectiveness and optimality of proposed algorithm, it has been applied on several standard benchmark functions and a practical electric power system problem in several real size cases. Finally, simulation results have been compared with those of some well-known algorithms. Comparison of results demonstrates superiority of presented algorithm in terms of quality solutions and convergence speed.

Location Detection and Visualization for Buried Victims Using Wireless Communication Technology in Disaster Area

이 연구는 도심지 시설물 붕괴현장에서의 매몰자의 위치정보 탐지 및 제공 방법론을 제시하는데 목적이 있다. 도심지 붕괴사고는 지진, 테러, 화재 등 다양한 상황에서 발생가능하기 때문에 사고발생 시 매몰된 사람들을 구조하기 위해 매몰자의 위치를 확인하는 노력들이 반드시 필요하다. 따라서 이 연구에서는 재난발생 이후에 신속하고 안전한 매몰자 구호를 위해 다음과 같은 방법론을 제시하였다. 첫째, 기존 매몰자 탐지방식이 갖고 있는 문제점을 분석하고 구조자의 2차 붕괴사고로부터 안전 확보와 신속한 탐지를 위해 무인비행장치(드론)를 제안하였다. 둘째, 도시민 대다수가 소지하고 있는 스마트폰의 Wi-Fi를 활용하여 위치정보를 취득할 수 있도록 무선통신모듈을 개발하였다. 셋째, 무선통신기반 스마트폰 감지 모듈과 연동되는 매몰자 탐지 시스템을 구현할 수 있는 운용프로그램을 개발하였다. 넷째, 매몰자의 위치정보를 2차원 맵 상에 가시화하였으며, 개발된 장비 및 시스템에 대하여 현장검증 테스트를 실시하였다. 이와 같은 방법론을 토대로 알고리즘 개발과 함께 패키지화된 장비 개발을 통해 실제 현장에 적용 시, 인명구호작업에 큰 도움이 될 것으로 판단된다.The aim of this study is to suggest methodologies of location detection and information provision for buried victims in the collapsed area. Since the collapse accidents in urban areas can occur in diverse disaster environments such as earthquake, terrors and fire, it is essential to identify the location of buried victims for rapid and safe rescue. For this purpose, this study presented the following methodologies: First, we developed a wireless communication module that can acquire location information by using WiFi in smartphones possessed by a majority of urban residents in Korea and then built an operation program that can implement a detection system for buried victims. Second, the location information of buried victims was visualized on the two-dimensional map and tested for verification on fields. Based on the suggested methodologies, if a packaged equipment is developed along with the algorithm, it is expected that these technologies will be helpful in rescuing buried victims rapidly.

The Historical Use of Amnesties, Immunities, and Sentence Reductions in Northern Ireland

Throughout the Northern Ireland transition, discussions of amnesty have been controversial and in some cases have undermined political stability. While no formal amnesty has been adopted in the current peace process, there have been repeated processes to limit the liability of particular groups to criminal investigation or punishment. Furthermore, between Partition and the peace process, amnesties were used on several occasions for a range of purposes. Given the controversy surrounding the term amnesty, this report begins by defining the key measures that have been proposed or employed including amnesties, sentence reductions and use immunities. It then explores their historical use by reviewing measures including the Early Release Scheme, the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains, the ‘On-the-Runs’ scheme, use immunity offered by public inquiries, and proposals relating to amnesty and immunity made by the Consultative Group on the Past, the Haass-O’Sullivan draft agreement, and the Stormont House Agreement. The report concludes that these experiences illustrate that different forms of amnesty and immunity can encourage stakeholders to engage with peacebuilding and truth recovery programmes. However, these past experiences also provide lessons for the proposed Independent Commission on Information Retrieval. On this basis, the report recommends that any new legislation incorporating immunity provisions should be debated openly from the start, and that guarantees of immunity should be sufficiently robust to ensure that those with knowledge of past crimes can engage with the process without fear of prosecution. This report is produced as part of AHRC-funded project on Amnesties, Prosecutions, and the Public Interest in the Northern Ireland Transition.

Victims of Irish Republican Paramilitary Violence—The Case of “The Disappeared”

Throughout the history of Northern Ireland's (NI) “Troubles,” over 3,800 individuals were killed, with between 40,000 to 100,000 individuals injured, leaving many families and communities struggling with the aftermath. In recent times a particular category of victims and survivors has been politically active and thus featured prominently in the media: “The Disappeared.” This label has come to represent the victims of paramilitary groups whose remains were secretly disposed of. Through a long public and political battle the families of the Disappeared have achieved a measure of political success resulting in the establishment of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR). Achieving political voice is not the only or perhaps the most significant difficulty encountered by these families. Their experiences in fact epitomise the complexity of the conflict and divisions in NI society and reflect the dominant issues of loyalty, identity, and importantly—silence. Throughout The Troubles, this silence and related notions of loyalty permeated all levels of society: at a community level which included the response of the church; at a statutory level including the response from social services and police; and, at a political level including local political processes but also departments within the British and Irish governments. This article examines the experiences of the families of the Disappeared through a multilevel analysis of their public campaign seeking the return of the remains of their family members. Using data collected from the families, members of the ICLVR, and support workers, the experience of the families of the Disappeared are analysed through accessing the social dynamics of silence (and loyalty), in-group affiliations, notions of sacrifice, and the attribution of blame; political successes both national and international will also serve to frame the analysis.

The deadliest storm of the 20th century striking Portugal: Flood impacts and atmospheric circulation

Summary The deadliest storm affecting Portugal since, at least, the early 19th century, took place on the 25 and 26 November 1967 causing more than 500 fatalities. This work aims to assess the most relevant aspects of this episode. This includes describing the associated meteorological conditions and key hydrological characterisation such as the level of exceptionality of the observed precipitation at different temporal scales, or the estimation of peak discharge values in 20 small river catchments affected. Additionally, from a human impact perspective we provide a full account of all the main socio-economic impacts, particularly the numbers and location of victims (dead, injured, homeless and evacuated). Based on the sub-daily time series of a representative station, and its Intensity–Duration–Frequency curves, we have found that the exceptionality of this rainfall event is particularly linked to rainfall intensities ranging in duration from 4 to 9 h compatible with return periods of 100-years or more. This range of time scale which are similar to the estimated concentration time values of the hydrographic basins affected by the flash flood event. From a meteorological perspective, this episode was characterised by strong convection at the regional scale, fuelled by high availability of moisture over the Lisbon region associated with a low pressure system centered near Lisbon that favoured the convective instability. Most victims were sleeping or were caught by surprise at home in the small river catchments around the main Lisbon metropolitan area. The majority of people who died or who were severely affected by the flood lived in degraded housing conditions often raised in a clandestine way, occupying flood plains near the stream beds. This level of destruction observed at the time is in stark contrast to what was observed in subsequent episodes of similar amplitude. In particular, since 1967 the Lisbon area, was struck by two comparable intense precipitation events in 1983 and 2008 but generating considerably fewer deaths and evacuated people.

Maxillofacial Injuries as Markers of Interpersonal Violence in Belo Horizonte-Brazil: Analysis of the Socio-Spatial Vulnerability of the Location of Victim's Residences.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the spatial pattern of cases of maxillofacial injuries caused by interpersonal violence, based on the location of the victim’s residence, and to investigate the existence of conditions of socio-spatial vulnerability in these areas. This is a cross-sectional study, using the data of victims attended in three emergency hospitals in Belo Horizonte-Brazil between January 2008 and December 2010. Based on the process of spatial signature, the socio-spatial condition of the victims was identified according to data from census tracts. The spatial distribution trends of the addresses of victims were analyzed using Kernel maps and Ripley’s K function. Multicriteria analysis was used to analyze the territorial insertion of victims, using a combination of variables to obtain the degree of socio-spatial vulnerability. The residences of the victims were distributed in an aggregated manner in urban areas, with a confidence level of 99%. The highest densities were found in areas of unfavorable socioeconomic conditions and, to a lesser extent, areas with worse residential and neighborhood infrastructure. Spatial clusters of households formed in slums with a significant level of socio-spatial vulnerability. Explanations of the living conditions in segregated urban areas and analysis of the concentration of more vulnerable populations should be a priority in the development of public health and safety policies.

Human Surveillance with Android basedS.M.A.R.T Emergency Application

Human Surveillance With Android based S.M.A.R.T(Smart Mobile Accessibility at Right Time) emergency application enables you to connect your android phone across the internet from a device powered by Google android platform. Once click,this application will send messages and call with the location you are in.As there are number of android application developed everyday, we realize the importance of an safety application.In this paper, we are proposing to use the smart phones for retrieving the location of the victim with continuous update of its location.Including one of the most interesting feature of continuous call which can be helpful in case of emergency( if a person is not responding to message at a particular instant), this call would be predefined one, making helper alert that an message from the victims side is been received. This application would be useful when someone is in need of you, by providing victim location, as it is crucial for helper to know victim location.This application is been developed in Eclipse IDE platform using an android smart phone.The application flow starts with a side selecting screen.

1A1-U10 音声と慣性センサに基づく災害救助犬の吠え検出

This paper proposes audio-based and motion-based methods for detecting search and rescue (SAR) dogs' continuous barking. SAR dogs are trained to bark continuously when they find a victim. Therefore, the victim location can be detected based on using barking actions. Dynamic time warping (DTW) is used to analyze audio data. Periodic motion was happened during the dogs' barking action. The motion can be detected by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the vest. A fast Fourier transform (FFT) is used to analyze the dog's barking motion. The proposed detection methods were evaluated using audio and IMU data recorded during actual SAR dog trainings. The F-scores of the audio-based and motion-based barking detection methods were 0.95 and 0.90. As a trial, we marked victim locations on a map based on the body motion.

Influencing Factors for Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems in Support of Aviation Accident and Emergency Response

 Abstract— examine the influencing factors associated with the use of unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology to support aviation accident and emergency response. The ability of first responders to react to an emergency is dependent on the quality, accuracy, timeliness, and usability of information. With aviation accidents such as the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash at San Francisco International Airport, the ability to sense and communicate the location of victims may reduce the potential for accidental passenger death. Furthermore, the ability to obtain information enroute to an accident may also to assist to reduce overall response and coordination time of first responders (e.g., Aviation Rescue and Firefighting [ARFF]). By identifying and examining current and potential practices, capabilities, and technology (e.g., human-machine-interface [HMI], human factors, tools, and capability modifiers) a more comprehensive model of the influencing factors is established to further support the growing body of knowledge (i.e., safety, human computer interaction, human-robot systems, socio-economical systems, service and public sector systems, and technological forecasting). A series of recommendations regarding the technology and application are provided to support future development or adaptation of regulations, policies, or future research. Index Terms—unmanned aerial systems, UAS emergency response, UAS aviation accident response, UAS application, UAS HMI, UAS disaster response, UAS situational awareness

A deep insight into avalanche transceivers for optimizing rescue

It is well known that in order to increase the chances of survival after an avalanche accident, the rescue time has to be minimized. Therefore, the accurate and prompt location of an avalanche victim is of vital importance. Nowadays, searching with avalanche transceivers is the only reliable method for locating a completely buried victim immediately after an accident. The present work is firstly focused on the magnetic field pattern generated by an avalanche transceiver and how it is perceived depending on the number of receiving antennas. The influence of the snow and soil media is theoretically studied. The computations show that the magnetic field is notably distorted by the soil at distances from the transmitter that can take place during the signal and coarse search. The location of the victim is usually directly inferred from the maximum signal position. However, the computations clearly show that this can be wrong. There is a location error limited to 50% of the burial depth for one and two-antenna receivers whereas for three-antenna transceivers, assuming location takes place within the third antenna range, this figure is reduced to 25% of the burial depth. Furthermore, real tests show that the cross-like search method using three-antenna receivers can be inefficient depending on the algorithm used for the distance calculation for burial depths greater than 1.5m. As a result, a new search technique, called the bisector method, is proposed and experimentally validated. In addition, a new transmission mode mainly directed to minimize the location error is suggested. This is a vertical transmission that can optimize the search. The present theoretical and experimental outcomes will contribute to further progress in rescue operations conducted with avalanche transceivers.

Mobile DIORAMA-II: infrastructure less information collection system for mass casualty incidents.

In this paper we introduce DIORAMA-II system that provides real time information collection in mass casualty incidents. Using a mobile platform that includes active RFID tags and readers as well as Smartphones, the system can determine the location of victims and responders. The system provides user friendly multi dimensional user interfaces as well as collaboration tools between the responders and the incident commander. We conducted two simulated mass casualty incidents with 50 victims each and professional responders. DIORAMA-II significantly reduces the evacuation time by up to 43% when compared to paper based triage systems. All responders that participated in all trials were very satisfied. They felt in control of the incident and mentioned that the system significantly reduced their stress level during the incident. They all mentioned that they would use the system in an actual incident.