Peer state assessment of TxDOT maintenance program and practices, part I : workshop findings and recommendations

To assess and improve their practices, and thus ensure the future excellence of the Texas highway system, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) sought a forum in which experts from other State Departments of Transportation could evaluate the TxDOT maintenance program and practices based on their expertise. To meet this need, a Peer State Review of TxDOT Maintenance Practices project was organized and conducted by the Center for Transportation Research (CTR) at The University of Texas at Austin. CTR researchers, along with TxDOT staff, conducted a workshop to present TxDOT’s maintenance practices to the visiting peer reviewers and invite their feedback. Directors of maintenance from six different states—California, Kansas, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, and Washington—participated in the workshop. CTR and TxDOT worked together to design a questionnaire with 15 key questions to capture the peers’ opinions on maintenance program and practices. This paper compiles and summarizes this information. The examination results suggested that TxDOT should use a more state-wide approach to funding and planning, in addition to funding and planning for each district separately. Additionally, the peers recommended that criteria such as condition and level of service of the roadways be given greater weight in the funding allocation than lane miles or vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The Peer Reviewers also determined that TxDOT maintenance employee experience and communications were strong assets. Additional strengths included the willingness of TxDOT to invite peer reviews of their practices and a willingness to consider opportunities for improvement.

Assessment of operability and maintainability success factors in provision of extended constructability principles

The concept of constructability integrates individual construction functions and experiences through suitable and timely inputs into early stages of project planning and design. It aims to ease construction processes for a more effective and efficient achievement of overall project objectives. Similarly, the concepts of operability and maintainability integrate the functions and experiences of Operation and Maintenance (O&M) into project planning and design. Various studies suggested that these concepts have been implemented in isolation of each other and thus preventing optimum result in delivering infrastructure projects. This paper explores the integration of these three concepts in order to maximize the benefits of their implementation. It reviews the literature to identify the main O&M concerns, and assesses their association with constructability principles. This provides a structure to develop an extended constructability model that includes O&M concerns. It is anticipated that an extended constructability model that include O&M considerations can lead to a more efficient and effective delivery of infrastructure projects.

A longitudinal assessment of chronic wound fluid to detect biochemical indicators of healing

Chronic venous leg ulcers are a detrimental health issue plaguing our society, resulting in long term pain, immobility and decreased quality of life for a large proportion of sufferers. The frequency of these chronic wounds has led current research to focus on the wound environment to provide important information regarding the prolonged, fluctuated or static healing patterns of these wounds. Disruption to the normal wound healing process results in release of multiple factors in the wound environment that could correlate to wound chronicity. These biochemical factors can often be detected through non-invasively sampling chronic wound fluid (CWF) from the site of injury. Of note, whilst there are numerous studies comparing acute and chronic wound fluids, there have not been any reports in the literature employing a longitudinal study in order to track biochemical changes in wound fluid as patients transition from a non-healing to healed state. Initially the objective of this study was to identify biochemical changes in CWF associated with wound healing using a proteomic approach. The proteomic approach incorporated a multi-dimensional liquid chromatography fractionation technique coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) to enable identification of proteins present in lower concentrations in CWF. Not surprisingly, many of the proteins identified in wound fluid were acute phase proteins normally expressed during the inflammatory phase of healing. However, the number of proteins positively identified by MS was quite low. This was attributed to the diverse range in concentration of protein species in CWF making it challenging to detect the diagnostically relevant low molecular weight proteins. In view of this, SELDI-TOF MS was also explored as a means to target low molecular weight proteins in sequential patient CWF samples during the course of healing. Unfortunately, the results generated did not yield any peaks of interest that were altered as wounds transitioned to a healed state. During the course of proteomic assessment of CWF, it became evident that a fraction of non-proteinaceous compounds strongly absorbed at 280 nm. Subsequent analyses confirmed that most of these compounds were in fact part of the purine catabolic pathway, possessing distinctive aromatic rings and which results in high absorbance at 254 nm. The accumulation of these purinogenic compounds in CWF suggests that the wound bed is poorly oxygenated resulting in a switch to anaerobic metabolism and consequently ATP breakdown. In addition, the presence of the terminal purine catabolite, uric acid (UA), indicates that the enzyme xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) catalyses the reaction of hypoxanthine to xanthine and finally to UA. More importantly, the studies provide evidence for the first time of the exogenous presence of XOR in CWF. XOR is the only enzyme in humans capable of catalysing the production of UA in conjunction with a burst of the highly reactive superoxide radical and other oxidants like H2O2. Excessive release of these free radicals in the wound environment can cause cellular damage disrupting the normal wound healing process. In view of this, a sensitive and specific assay was established for monitoring low concentrations of these catabolites in CWF. This procedure involved combining high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with tandem mass spectrometry and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). This application was selective, using specific MRM transitions and HPLC separations for each analyte, making it ideal for the detection and quantitation of purine catabolites in CWF. The results demonstrated that elevated levels of UA were detected in wound fluid obtained from patients with clinically worse ulcers. This suggests that XOR is active in the wound site generating significant amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, analysis of the amount of purine precursors in wound fluid revealed elevated levels of purine precursors in wound fluid from patients with less severe ulcers. Taken together, the results generated in this thesis suggest that monitoring changes of purine catabolites in CWF is likely to provide valuable information regarding the healing patterns of chronic venous leg ulcers. XOR catalysis of purine precursors not only provides a method for monitoring the onset, prognosis and progress of chronic venous leg ulcers, but also provides a potential therapeutic target by inhibiting XOR, thus blocking UA and ROS production. Targeting a combination of these purinogenic compounds and XOR could lead to the development of novel point of care diagnostic tests. Therefore, further investigation of these processes during wound healing will be worthwhile and may assist in elucidating the pathogenesis of this disease state, which in turn may lead to the development of new diagnostics and therapies that target these processes.

A thermoanalytical assessment of an organoclay

High resolution thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) has attracted much attention in the synthesis of organoclays and its applications. In this study, organoclays were synthesised through ion exchange of a single cationic surfactant for sodium ions, and characterised by methods including X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The changes of surface properties in montmorillonite and organoclays intercalated with surfactant were determined using XRD through the changes in the basal spacing. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was applied in this study to investigate more information of the configuration and structural changes in the organoclays with thermal decomposition. There are four different decompositions steps in differential thermogravimetric (DTG) curves. The obtained TG steps are relevant to the arrangement of the surfactant molecules intercalated in montmorillonite and the thermal analysis indicates the thermal stability of surfactant modified clays. This investigation provides new insights into the properties of organoclays and is important in the synthesis and processing of organoclays for environmental applications.

Understanding graphicacy : students’ making sense of graphics in mathematics assessment tasks

The ability to decode graphics is an increasingly important component of mathematics assessment and curricula. This study examined 50, 9- to 10-year-old students (23 male, 27 female), as they solved items from six distinct graphical languages (e.g., maps) that are commonly used to convey mathematical information. The results of the study revealed: 1) factors which contribute to success or hinder performance on tasks with various graphical representations; and 2) how the literacy and graphical demands of tasks influence the mathematical sense making of students. The outcomes of this study highlight the changing nature of assessment in school mathematics and identify the function and influence of graphics in the design of assessment tasks.

When non-significance maybe significant: lessons learned from a study into the development, implementation and evaluation of a risk assessment tool for fleet settings

Introduction This study reports on the development of a self report assessment tool to increase the efficacy of crash prediction within Australian Fleet settings Over last 20 years an array of measures have been produced (Driver anger scale, Driving Skill Inventory, Manchester Driver Behaviour Questionnaire, Driver Attitude Questionnaire, Driver Stress Inventory, Safety Climate Questionnaire) While these tools are useful, research has demonstrated limited ability to accurately identify individuals most likely to be involved in a crash. Reasons cited include; - Crashes are relatively rare - Other competing factors may influence crash event - Ongoing questions regarding the validity of self report measures (common method variance etc) - Lack of contemporary issues relating to fleet driving performance

Performance and scalability assessment for non-certificate-based public key management in VANETS

Current research in secure messaging for Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs) appears to focus on employing a digital certificate-based Public Key Cryptosystem (PKC) to support security. The security overhead of such a scheme, however, creates a transmission delay and introduces a time-consuming verification process to VANET communications. This paper proposes a non-certificate-based public key management for VANETs. A comprehensive evaluation of performance and scalability of the proposed public key management regime is presented, which is compared to a certificate-based PKC by employing a number of quantified analyses and simulations. Not only does this paper demonstrate that the proposal can maintain security, but it also asserts that it can improve overall performance and scalability at a lower cost, compared to the certificate-based PKC. It is believed that the proposed scheme will add a new dimension to the key management and verification services for VANETs.

Breaching the standardised assessment boundary : assessment for learning as a field of exchange

The introduction of the Australian curriculum, the use of standardised testing (e.g. NAPLAN) and the My School website are couched in a context of accountability. This circumstance has stimulated and in some cases renewed a range of boundaries in Australian Education. The consequences that arise from standardised testing have accentuated the boundaries produced by social reproduction in education which has led to an increase in the numbers of students disengaging from mainstream education and applying for enrolment at the Edmund Rice Education Australia Flexible Learning Centre Network (EREAFLCN). Boundaries are created for many young people who are denied access to credentials and certification as a result of being excluded from or in some way disengaging from standardised education and testing. Young people who participate at the EREAFLCN arrive with a variety of forms of cultural capital that are not valued in current education and employment fields. This is not to say that these young people’s different forms of cultural capital have no value, but rather that such funds of knowledge, repertoires and cultural capital are not valued by the majority of powerful agents in educational and employment fields. How then can the qualitative value of traditionally unorthodox - yet often intricate, ingenious, and astute - versions of cultural capital evident in the habitus of many young people be made to count, be recognised, be valuated? Can a process of educational assessment be a field of capital exchange and a space which breaches boundaries through a valuating process? This paper reports on the development of an innovative approach to assessment in an alternative education institution designed for the re-engagement of ‘at risk’ youth who have left formal schooling. A case study approach has been used to document the engagement of six young people, with an educational approach described as assessment for learning as a field of exchange across two sites in the EREAFLCN. In order to capture the broad range of students’ cultural and social capital, an electronic portfolio system (EPS) is under trial. The model draws on categories from sociological models of capital and reconceptualises the eportfolio as a sociocultural zone of learning and development. Results from the trial show a general tendency towards engagement with the EPS and potential for the attainment of socially valued cultural capital in the form of school credentials. In this way restrictive boundaries can be breached and a more equitable outcome achieved for many young Australians.

Towards general capabilities through technology : assessment for learning as a field of exchange

The introduction of the Australian curriculum, the use of standardised testing (e.g. NAPLAN) and the My School website have stimulated and in some cases renewed a range of boundaries for young people in Australian Education. Standardised testing has accentuated social reproduction in education with an increase in the numbers of students disengaging from mainstream education and applying for enrolment at the Edmund Rice Education Australia Flexible Learning Centre Network (EREAFLCN). Many young people are denied access to credentials and certification as they become excluded from standardised education and testing. The creativity and skills of marginalised youth are often evidence of general capabilities and yet do not appear to be recognised in mainstream educational institutions when standardised approaches are adopted. Young people who participate at the EREAFLCN arrive with a variety of forms of cultural capital, frequently utilising general capabilities, which are not able to be valued in current education and employment fields. This is not to say that these young people‟s different forms of cultural capital have no value, but rather that such funds of knowledge, repertoires and cultural capital are not valued by the majority of powerful agents in educational and employment fields. How then can the inherent value of traditionally unorthodox - yet often intricate, ingenious, and astute-versions of cultural capital evident in the habitus of many young people be made to count, be recognised, be valuated?Can a process of educational assessment be a field of capital exchange and a space which crosses boundaries through a valuating process? This paper reports on the development of an innovative approach to assessment in an alternative education institution designed for the re engagement of „at risk‟ youth who have left formal schooling. A case study approach has been used to document the engagement of six young people, with an educational approach described as assessment for learning as a field of exchange across two sites in the EREAFLCN. In order to capture the broad range of students‟ cultural and social capital, an electronic portfolio system (EPS) is under trial. The model draws on categories from sociological models of capital and reconceptualises the eportfolio as a sociocultural zone of learning and development. Results from the trial show a general tendency towards engagement with the EPS and potential for the attainment of socially valued cultural capital in the form of school credentials. In this way restrictive boundaries can be breached and a more equitable outcome achieved for many young Australians.

Turning histories into futures : assessment for learning as a field of exchange

Standardised testing does not recognise the creativity and skills of marginalised youth. Young people who come to the Edmund Rice Education Australia Flexible Learning Centre Network (EREAFLCN) in Australia arrive with forms of cultural capital that are not valued in the field of education and employment. This is not to say that young people‟s different modes of cultural capital have no value, but rather that such funds of knowledge, repertoires and cultural capital are not valued by the powerful agents in educational and employment fields. The forms of cultural capital which are valued by these institutions are measurable in certain structured formats which are largely inaccessible for what is seen in Australia to be a growing segment of the community. How then can the inherent value of traditionally unorthodox - yet often intricate, adroit, ingenious, and astute - versions of cultural capital evident in the habitus of many young people be made to count, be recognised, be valuated? Can a process of educational assessment be used as a marketplace, a field of capital exchange? This paper reports on the development of an innovative approach to assessment in an alternative education institution designed for the re-engagement of „at risk‟ youth who have left formal schooling. In order to capture the broad range of students‟ cultural and social capital, an electronic portfolio system (EPS) is under trial. The model draws on categories from sociological models of capital and reconceptualises the eportfolio as a sociocultural zone of learning and development. Initial results from the trial show a general tendency towards engagement with the EPS and potential for the attainment of socially valued cultural capital in the form of school credentials.

Automated cross-lingual link discovery in Wikipedia

At NTCIR-9, we participated in the cross-lingual link discovery (Crosslink) task. In this paper we describe our approaches to discovering Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (CJK) cross-lingual links for English documents in Wikipedia. Our experimental results show that a link mining approach that mines the existing link structure for anchor probabilities and relies on the “translation” using cross-lingual document name triangulation performs very well. The evaluation shows encouraging results for our system.

Overview of the NTCIR-9 crosslink task : cross-lingual link discovery

This paper presents an overview of NTCIR-9 Cross-lingual Link Discovery (Crosslink) task. The overview includes: the motivation of cross-lingual link discovery; the Crosslink task definition; the run submission specification; the assessment and evaluation framework; the evaluation metrics; and the evaluation results of submitted runs. Cross-lingual link discovery (CLLD) is a way of automatically finding potential links between documents in different languages. The goal of this task is to create a reusable resource for evaluating automated CLLD approaches. The results of this research can be used in building and refining systems for automated link discovery. The task is focused on linking between English source documents and Chinese, Korean, and Japanese target documents.

Trust-based automated recommendation making

Recommender systems are one of the recent inventions to deal with ever growing information overload in relation to the selection of goods and services in a global economy. Collaborative Filtering (CF) is one of the most popular techniques in recommender systems. The CF recommends items to a target user based on the preferences of a set of similar users known as the neighbours, generated from a database made up of the preferences of past users. With sufficient background information of item ratings, its performance is promising enough but research shows that it performs very poorly in a cold start situation where there is not enough previous rating data. As an alternative to ratings, trust between the users could be used to choose the neighbour for recommendation making. Better recommendations can be achieved using an inferred trust network which mimics the real world "friend of a friend" recommendations. To extend the boundaries of the neighbour, an effective trust inference technique is required. This thesis proposes a trust interference technique called Directed Series Parallel Graph (DSPG) which performs better than other popular trust inference algorithms such as TidalTrust and MoleTrust. Another problem is that reliable explicit trust data is not always available. In real life, people trust "word of mouth" recommendations made by people with similar interests. This is often assumed in the recommender system. By conducting a survey, we can confirm that interest similarity has a positive relationship with trust and this can be used to generate a trust network for recommendation. In this research, we also propose a new method called SimTrust for developing trust networks based on user's interest similarity in the absence of explicit trust data. To identify the interest similarity, we use user's personalised tagging information. However, we are interested in what resources the user chooses to tag, rather than the text of the tag applied. The commonalities of the resources being tagged by the users can be used to form the neighbours used in the automated recommender system. Our experimental results show that our proposed tag-similarity based method outperforms the traditional collaborative filtering approach which usually uses rating data.