Traffic Signal Inventory Project, 2001

The Center for Transportation Research and Education performed a traffic signal inventory study for the Iowa Department of Transportation. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and other industry standards of traffic signals on the state highway system. Signals were randomly selected throughout the State of Iowa. Only signals in cities with a population less than 5,000 were considered. Several intersections need to be addressed immediately to correct clearance timing settings. Red clearance intervals were frequently too short. A handful of intersections had inadequate pedestrian clearance times. Six intersections had at least one yellow clearance interval that did not meet Institute of Transportation Engineers standards. Some of the intersections likely would not meet traffic signal warrants and should be investigated for possible removal. The most common problem found with traffic signals was a lack of maintenance. Many of the signals had at least one of the following problems: burned out lights (signals and/or pedestrian heads), pedestrian lenses in need of replacement, dirty cabinet/missing or poor filter, missing visors, or inoperative pedestrian push buttons. Timing sheets were frequently missing or out of date. Another frequent noncompliance issue was the use of backplates. The MUTCD states that backplates should be used on signals viewed against a bright sky. The majority of signals inventoried did not have backplates on the mast-arm mounted signals. The timing at some intersections could likely be improved by reducing the cycle length. Where there were multiple signals in close proximity rarely was there any attempt at signal coordination. Finally, a number of intersections had equipment that by today’s standards would be considered obsolete.

Exploratory Factor Analysis of the contents and styles of irrational thoughts assessed by "The Attitudes and Beliefs Inventory"

The factor structure of a back translated Spanish version (Lega, Caballo and Ellis, 2002) of the Attitudes and Beliefs Inventory (ABI) (Burgess, 1990) is analyzed in a sample of 250 university students.The Spanish version of the ABI is a 48-items self-report inventory using a 5-point Likert scale that assesses rational and irrational attitudes and beliefs. 24-items cover two dimensions of irrationality: a) areas of content (3 subscales), and b) styles of thinking (4 subscales).An Exploratory Factor Analysis (Parallel Analysis with Unweighted Least Squares method and Promin rotation) was performed with the FACTOR 9.20 software (Lorenzo-Seva and Ferrando, 2013).The results reproduced the main four styles of irrational thinking in relation with the three specific contents of irrational beliefs. However, two factors showed a complex configuration with important cross-loadings of different items in content and style. More analyses are needed to review the specific content and style of such items.

A spatially explicit life cycle inventory of the global textile chain

Life cycle analyses (LCA) approaches require adaptation to reflect the increasing delocalization of production to emerging countries. This work addresses this challenge by establishing a country-level, spatially explicit life cycle inventory (LCI). This study comprises three separate dimensions. The first dimension is spatial: processes and emissions are allocated to the country in which they take place and modeled to take into account local factors. Emerging economies China and India are the location of production, the consumption occurs in Germany, an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development country. The second dimension is the product level: we consider two distinct textile garments, a cotton T-shirt and a polyester jacket, in order to highlight potential differences in the production and use phases. The third dimension is the inventory composition: we track CO2, SO2, NO (x), and particulates, four major atmospheric pollutants, as well as energy use. This third dimension enriches the analysis of the spatial differentiation (first dimension) and distinct products (second dimension). We describe the textile production and use processes and define a functional unit for a garment. We then model important processes using a hierarchy of preferential data sources. We place special emphasis on the modeling of the principal local energy processes: electricity and transport in emerging countries. The spatially explicit inventory is disaggregated by country of location of the emissions and analyzed according to the dimensions of the study: location, product, and pollutant. The inventory shows striking differences between the two products considered as well as between the different pollutants considered. For the T-shirt, over 70% of the energy use and CO2 emissions occur in the consuming country, whereas for the jacket, more than 70% occur in the producing country. This reversal of proportions is due to differences in the use phase of the garments. For SO2, in contrast, over two thirds of the emissions occur in the country of production for both T-shirt and jacket. The difference in emission patterns between CO2 and SO2 is due to local electricity processes, justifying our emphasis on local energy infrastructure. The complexity of considering differences in location, product, and pollutant is rewarded by a much richer understanding of a global production-consumption chain. The inclusion of two different products in the LCI highlights the importance of the definition of a product's functional unit in the analysis and implications of results. Several use-phase scenarios demonstrate the importance of consumer behavior over equipment efficiency. The spatial emission patterns of the different pollutants allow us to understand the role of various energy infrastructure elements. The emission patterns furthermore inform the debate on the Environmental Kuznets Curve, which applies only to pollutants which can be easily filtered and does not take into account the effects of production displacement. We also discuss the appropriateness and limitations of applying the LCA methodology in a global context, especially in developing countries. Our spatial LCI method yields important insights in the quantity and pattern of emissions due to different product life cycle stages, dependent on the local technology, emphasizing the importance of consumer behavior. From a life cycle perspective, consumer education promoting air-drying and cool washing is more important than efficient appliances. Spatial LCI with country-specific data is a promising method, necessary for the challenges of globalized production-consumption chains. We recommend inventory reporting of final energy forms, such as electricity, and modular LCA databases, which would allow the easy modification of underlying energy infrastructure.

Stratified estimation of forest inventory variables using spatially summarized stratifications

Abstract

Inventory of sparse forest populations using adaptive cluster sampling

Abstract

Vendor Managed Inventory: the Critical Success Factors from the Manufacturer Point of View

Yritykset ovat pakotettuja erilaisiin yhteistyömuotoihin pärjätäkseen kiristyvässä kilpailussa. Yhteistyösuhteet kulkevat eri nimillä riippuen teollisuuden alasta ja siitä, missä kohtaa toimitusketjua ne toteutuvat, mutta periaatteessa kaikki pohjautuvat samaan ideaan kuin Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI); varastoon jakysyntään liittyvä tieto jaetaan toimitusketjun eri osapuolien kesken, jotta tuotanto, jakelu ja varastonhallinta olisi mahdollista optimoida. Vendor Managed Inventory on ideana yksinkertainen, mutta vaatii onnistuakseen paljon. Perusolettamus on, että toimittajan on kyettävä hallinnoimaan asiakkaan varastoa paremmin kuin asiakas itse. Tämä ei kuitenkaan ole mahdollista ilman riittävää yhteistyötä, oikeanlaista informaatiota tai sopivia tuoteominaisuuksia. Tämän työn tarkoitus on esitellä kriittiset menestystekijät valmistajan kannalta, kun näkyvyys todelliseen kysyntään on heikko ja kyseessäolevat tuotteet ovat ominaisuuksiltaan toimintamalliin huonosti soveltuvia. VMItoimintamallin soveltuvuus matkapuhelimia valmistavan yrityksen liiketoimintaan, sekä sen vaikutus asiakasyhteistyöhön, kannattavuuteen ja toiminnan tehostamiseen on myös tutkittu.

Uuden auton toimitusketju

Työssä keskitytään erityisesti tehdastoimituksen ja asiakasluovutuksen väliseen aikaan. Tavoite on selvittää eri päällirakenteilla varustettavien autojen varastointiaikoja. Lasketaan lisäksi varastointiajasta aiheutuvia korkokustannuksia. Tarkoitus on myös tutkia mahdollisuuksia varastointiajan vähentämiseksi. Teoriassa perehdytään muun muassa varastointiin ja taloudellisiin vaikutuksiin. Kokeellisessa osiossa toteutetaan kysely eri päällirakentaja-aikojen selvittämiseksi. Määrättyjen autojen osalta selvitetään kokonaisrahoitusajat. Työssä tuotetaan myös prosessin kuvaus uuden auton toimitusketjusta. Todetaan, että mahdollinen pidempi varastointiaika tulee huomioida katteessa kustannusten kattamiseksi. Myyntisaamisten maksuaika saattaa kaksinkertaistaa kokonaisrahoitusajan. Varastointiaikojen vähentämiseksi esitetään seurantalomaketta, maksuaikojen perustelua sekä aikataulun ennakointia käytettäessä rahoitusyhtiötä. Päällirakenteiden osalta suositellaan käytettävän eriteltyjä toimintoja.

The last days of dying stroke patients referred to a palliative care consult team in an acute hospital.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Needs of patients dying from stroke are poorly investigated. We aim to assess symptoms of these patients referred to a palliative care consult team, and to review their treatment strategies. METHODS: All charts of patients dying from stroke in a tertiary hospital, and referred consecutively to a palliative care consultant team from 2000 to 2005, were reviewed retrospectively. Symptoms, ability to communicate, treatments, circumstances and causes of death were collected. RESULTS: Forty-two patients were identified. Median NIH Stroke Scale on admission was 21. The most prevalent symptoms were dyspnoea (81%), and pain (69%). Difficulties or inability to communicate because of aphasia or altered level of consciousness were present in 93% of patients. Pharmacological respiratory treatments consisted of anti-muscarinic drugs (52%), and opioids (33%). Pain was mainly treated by opioids (69%). During the last 48 h of life, 81% of patients were free of pain and 48% of respiratory distress. The main causes of death were neurological complications in 38% of patients, multiple medical complications in 36%, and specific medical causes in 26%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients dying from stroke and referred to a palliative care consult team have multiple symptoms, mainly dyspnoea and pain. Studies are warranted to develop specific symptoms assessment tools in non-verbal stroke patients, to accurately assess patients' needs, and to measure effectiveness of palliative treatments.

Validation of the Postnatal Perceived Stress Inventory in a French-speaking population of primiparous women

Objective To develop a Postnatal Perceived Stress Inventory (PNPSI) and assess its psychometric properties. Design Cross-sectional quantitative study. Setting One nurse-managed labor and delivery unit in a university hospital in a major metropolitan area. Participants One hundred seventy-nine (179) primiparous French speaking women who gave birth at term. Methods The PNPSI was validated at 6 weeks postpartum. Its predictive validity for depression and anxiety was assessed at the same time. Results The exploratory analysis revealed a 19-item structure divided into six factors. This inventory has good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .815). The predictive validity shows that the PNPSI significantly predicts depression and anxiety at 6 weeks postpartum, and that certain factors are particularly prominent. Conclusion The PNPSI's psychometric properties make it a useful tool for future research to evaluate interventions for perceived stress during the postnatal period. Its predictive power for depression indicates that it is also a promising tool for clinical settings.

Transfusion sanguine : en toute sécurité d'approvisionnement [Blood transfusion - safety of the inventory].

Over the years, transfusion medicine has been faced to many different problems, notably those related to transmission of pathogens. Major progresses have been accomplished in terms of security. However, nowadays, the discipline is confronted to the day-to-day variability and availability of blood products. More and more donors are excluded from blood donation due to various reasons, and the donor selection criteria have increased over the years, influencing the number of donors able to give blood. This paradox represents one of the constraints that transfusion medicine should resolve in the future. This paper presents some aspects either common or different between France and Switzerland.

An 8-Item Short Form of the Inventory of Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA) Among Young Swiss Men.

Emerging adulthood is a period of life transition, in which youths are no longer adolescents but have not yet reached full adulthood. Measuring emerging adulthood is crucial because of its association with psychopathology and risky behaviors such as substance use. Unfortunately, the only validated scale for such measurement has a long format (Inventory of Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood [IDEA]-31 items). This study aimed to test whether a shorter form yields satisfactory results without substantial loss of information among a sample of young Swiss men. Data from the longitudinal Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors were used (N = 5,049). IDEA, adulthood markers (e.g., parenthood or financial independence), and risk factors (i.e., substance use and mental health issues) were assessed. The results showed that an 8-item, short-form scale (IDEA-8) with four factors (experimentation, negativity, identity exploration, and feeling in between) returned satisfactory results, including good psychometric properties, high convergence with the initial scale, and strong empirical validity. This study was a step toward downsizing a measure of emerging adulthood. Indeed, this 8-item short form is a good alternative to the 31-item long form and could be more convenient for surveys with constraints on questionnaire length. Moreover, it should help health care practitioners in identifying at-risk populations to prevent and treat risky behaviors.

Characterization of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) fruits from outstanding mexican selections

Fruits of five regional selections of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) were characterized to identify those with international marketing quality to promote their propagation in Mexico, improvement and conservation in germoplasm bank. The fruits were harvested in June, July, and August 2008 and, after each harvest, were assessed for shape (length/diameter), firmness, fruit weight, number of fruits per kilogram, weight and percentage of pericarp, seed and aril, total soluble solids, total sugars, vitamin C content, pH, and titratable acidity. In addition, a sensorial evaluation was carried out with 31 panelists who graded each selection for color, sweetness, and acidity. Fruits of five selections were ovoid, and with the following characteristics: firmness values from 43.7 to 51.0 N, fruit weight ranged from 22.4 to 34.7 g, registering from 28.9 to 45.0 fruits per kg; pericarp weight from 10.5 to 17.3 g (45.9 to 49.9% of the total fruit weight); total seed weight from 2.2 to 2.5 g (7.0 to 10.0%); average arils weight from 8.9 to 13.1 g (37.5 to 41.4%). The fruits had high contents of total soluble solids (17.8 to 20.4 ºBrix), total sugars (211.95 to 242.70 mg/100g in the edible portion), vitamin C (37.9 to 69.1 mg/100 g), pH 5.0, and titratable acidity of 0.20 to 0.28%. The fruits from the RT-01 and RT-05 selections had better attributes in fruit weight, total soluble solids and titratable acidity and were better accepted by the panelists. Harvest date significantly affects rambutan fruit quality; at the middle and end of the season harvested fruits had better qualitative characteristics for the marketing.

On-Line Analytical Processing of Inventory Turnover

Operatiivisen tiedon tuottaminen loppukäyttäjille analyyttistä tarkastelua silmällä pitäen aiheuttaa ongelmia useille yrityksille. Diplomityö pyrkii ratkaisemaan ko. ongelman Teleste Oyj:ssä. Työ on jaettu kolmeen pääkappaleeseen. Kappale 2 selkiyttää On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP)- käsitteen. Kappale 3 esittelee muutamia OLAP-tuotteiden valmistajia ja heidän arkkitehtuurejaan sekä tyypillisten sovellusalueiden lisäksi huomioon otettavia asioita OLAP käyttöönoton yhteydessä. Kappale 4, tuo esille varsinaisen ratkaisun. Teknisellä arkkitehtuurilla on merkittävä asema ratkaisun rakenteen kannalta. Tässä on sovellettu Microsoft:n tietovarasto kehysrakennetta. Kappaleen 4 edetessä, tapahtumakäsittelytieto muutetaan informaatioksi ja edelleen loppukäyttäjien tiedoksi. Loppukäyttäjät varustetaan tehokkaalla ja tosiaikaisella analysointityökalulla moniulotteisessa ympäristössä. Vaikka kiertonopeus otetaan työssä sovellusesimerkiksi, työ ei pyri löytämään optimaalista tasoa Telesten varastoille. Siitä huolimatta eräitä parannusehdotuksia mainitaan.

Psychometric properties and dimensional structure of the Spanish version of the Coping Responses Inventory - Adult Form

One of the goals of psychological assessment focuses on the adaptation of its instruments to different populations. The objective of this study is to establish the psychometric properties and dimensional structure of the Spanish version of the Coping Responses Inventory- Adult Form (CRI-Adult, Moos, 1993). The following criteria were analyzed: a) descriptive statistics; b) internal consistency reliability (Cronbach"s alpha, and intercorrelations between scales); c) test-retest reliability (4-week interval); d) dimensionality of CRI-Adult (exploratory factor analysis); e) construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis); f) convergent criterion validity (correlations between CRI-Adult and Coping Strategies Indicator, CSI, Amirkhan, 1990), and g) predictive criterion validity (correlations between CRI-Adult, and SCL-90-R, Derogatis, 1983). The results, obtained with 800 adults from Barcelona and surrounding area (334 men and 466 women, aged between 18 to 76 years) indicate that the Spanish version of CRIAdult has satisfactory psychometric properties that allow using this test with guarantee.