Improving Safety for Slow Moving Vehicles on Iowa's High-Speed Rural Roadways, TR-572, 2009

Among the variety of road users and vehicle types that travel on U.S. public roadways, slow moving vehicles (SMVs) present unique safety and operations issues. SMVs include vehicles that do not maintain a constant speed of 25 mph, such as large farm equipment, construction vehicles, or horse-drawn buggies. Though the number of crashes involving SMVs is relatively small, SMV crashes tend to be severe. Additionally, SMVs can be encountered regularly on non-Interstate/non-expressway public roadways, but motorists may not be accustomed to these vehicles. This project was designed to improve transportation safety for SMVs on Iowa’s public roadway system. This report includes a literature review that shows various SMV statistics and laws across the United States, a crash study based on three years of Iowa SMV crash data, and recommendations from the SMV community.

Optimization of particle bombardment parameters for the genetic transformation of Brazilian maize inbred lines

The objective of this work was to develop a genetic transformation system for tropical maize genotypes via particle bombardment of immature zygotic embryos. Particle bombardment was carried out using a genetic construct with bar and uidA genes under control of CaMV35S promoter. The best conditions to transform maize tropical inbred lines L3 and L1345 were obtained when immature embryos were cultivated, prior to the bombardment, in higher osmolarity during 4 hours and bombarded at an acceleration helium gas pressure of 1,100 psi, two shots per plate, and a microcarrier flying distance of 6.6 cm. Transformation frequencies obtained using these conditions ranged from 0.9 to 2.31%. Integration of foreign genes into the genome of maize plants was confirmed by Southern blot analysis as well as bar and uidA gene expressions. The maize genetic transformation protocol developed in this work will possibly improve the efficiency to produce new transgenic tropical maize lines expressing desirable agronomic characteristics.

Where and how family members spend time at home? A quantitative analysis of the observational tracking on the everyday lives of Italian families

This paper examines a dataset that derives from an observational tracking, in order to analyze where and how middle-class working families spend time at home. We use an ethnographic approach to study the everyday lives of Italian dual-income middle-class families, with the aim to analyze quantitatively the use of home spaces and the types of activities of family members on weekday afternoons and evenings. The different analyses (multiple correspondence analysis, agglomerative hierarchical cluster, discriminant analysis) show how particular spaces and activities in these spaces are dominated by certain family members. We suggest a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies as useful tools to explore in detail the everyday lives of families, and to understand how family members use the domestic spaces. In particular, we consider relevant the use of quantitative analyses to examine ethnographic data, especially in connection with the methodological reflexivity among researchers

Moving to the development of an HIA methodology : the effects of air pollution in Ticino, Switzerland

This chapter describes the profile of the HIA, provides insight into the process and gives an example of how political decisions may be made on behalf of a concerned population through an HIA approach. [Introduction p. 284]

Cross-frequency coupling in EEG revealed by adaptive oscillation tracking.

Introduction: Neuronal oscillations have been the focus of increasing interest in the neuroscientific community, in part because they have been considered as a possible integrating mechanism through which internal states can influence stimulus processing in a top-down way (Engel et al., 2001). Moreover, increasing evidence indicates that oscillations in different frequency bands interact with one other through coupling mechanisms (Jensen and Colgin, 2007). The existence and the importance of these cross-frequency couplings during various tasks have been verified by recent studies (Canolty et al., 2006; Lakatos et al., 2007). In this study, we measure the strength and directionality of two types of couplings - phase-amplitude couplings and phase-phase couplings - between various bands in EEG data recorded during an illusory contour experiment that were identified using a recently-proposed adaptive frequency tracking algorithm (Van Zaen et al., 2010). Methods: The data used in this study have been taken from a previously published study examining the spatiotemporal mechanisms of illusory contour processing (Murray et al., 2002). The EEG in the present study were from a subset of nine subjects. Each stimulus was composed of 'pac-man' inducers presented in two orientations: IC, when an illusory contour was present, and NC, when no contour could be detected. The signals recorded by the electrodes P2, P4, P6, PO4 and PO6 were averaged, and filtered into the following bands: 4-8Hz, 8-12Hz, 15-25Hz, 35-45Hz, 45-55Hz, 55-65Hz and 65-75Hz. An adaptive frequency tracking algorithm (Van Zaen et al., 2010) was then applied in each band in order to extract the main oscillation and estimate its frequency. This additional step ensures that clean phase information is obtained when taking the Hilbert transform. The frequency estimated by the tracker was averaged over sliding windows and then used to compare the two conditions. Two types of cross-frequency couplings were considered: phase-amplitude couplings and phase-phase couplings. Both types were measured with the phase locking value (PLV, Lachaux et al., 1999) over sliding windows. The phase-amplitude couplings were computed with the phase of the low frequency oscillation and the phase of the amplitude of the high frequency one. Different coupling coefficients were used when measuring phase-phase couplings in order to estimate different m:n synchronizations (4:3, 3:2, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, 7:1, 8:1 and 9:1) and to take into account the frequency differences across bands. Moreover, the direction of coupling was estimated with a directionality index (Bahraminasab et al., 2008). Finally, the two conditions IC and NC were compared with ANOVAs with 'subject' as a random effect and 'condition' as a fixed effect. Before computing the statistical tests, the PLV values were transformed into approximately normal variables (Penny et al., 2008). Results: When comparing the mean estimated frequency across conditions, a significant difference was found only in the 4-8Hz band, such that the frequency within this band was significantly higher for IC than NC stimuli starting at ~250ms post-stimulus onset (Fig. 1; solid line shows IC and dashed line NC). Significant differences in phase-amplitude couplings were obtained only when the 4-8 Hz band was taken as the low frequency band. Moreover, in all significant situations, the coupling strength is higher for the NC than IC condition. An example of significant difference between conditions is shown in Fig. 2 for the phase-amplitude coupling between the 4-8Hz and 55-65Hz bands (p-value in top panel and mean PLV values in the bottom panel). A decrease in coupling strength was observed shortly after stimulus onset for both conditions and was greater for the condition IC. This phenomenon was observed with all other frequency bands. The results obtained for the phase-phase couplings were more complex. As for the phase-amplitude couplings, all significant differences were obtained when the 4-8Hz band was considered as the low frequency band. The stimulus condition exhibiting the higher coupling strength depended on the ratio of the coupling coefficients. When this ratio was small, the IC condition exhibited the higher phase-phase coupling strength. When this ratio was large, the NC condition exhibited the higher coupling strength. Fig. 3 shows the phase-phase couplings between the 4-8Hz and 35-45Hz bands for the coupling coefficient 6:1, and the coupling strength was significantly higher for the IC than NC condition. By contrast, for the coupling coefficient 9:1 the NC condition gave the higher coupling strength (Fig. 4). Control analyses verified that it is not a consequence of the frequency difference between the two conditions in the 4-8Hz band. The directionality measures indicated a transfer of information from the low frequency components towards the high frequency ones. Conclusions: Adaptive tracking is a feasible method for EEG analyses, revealing information both about stimulus-related differences and coupling patterns across frequencies. Theta oscillations play a central role in illusory shape processing and more generally in visual processing. The presence vs. absence of illusory shapes was paralleled by faster theta oscillations. Phase-amplitude couplings were decreased more for IC than NC and might be due to a resetting mechanism. The complex patterns in phase-phase coupling between theta and beta/gamma suggest that the contribution of these oscillations to visual binding and stimulus processing are not as straightforward as conventionally held. Causality analyses further suggest that theta oscillations drive beta/gamma oscillations (see also Schroeder and Lakatos, 2009). The present findings highlight the need for applying more sophisticated signal analyses in order to establish a fuller understanding of the functional role of neural oscillations.

Probabilistic evidential assessment of gunshot residue particle evidence (Part I): likelihood ratio calculation and case pre-assessment using Bayesian networks

Well developed experimental procedures currently exist for retrieving and analyzing particle evidence from hands of individuals suspected of being associated with the discharge of a firearm. Although analytical approaches (e.g. automated Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDS) microanalysis) allow the determination of the presence of elements typically found in gunshot residue (GSR) particles, such analyses provide no information about a given particle's actual source. Possible origins for which scientists may need to account for are a primary exposure to the discharge of a firearm or a secondary transfer due to a contaminated environment. In order to approach such sources of uncertainty in the context of evidential assessment, this paper studies the construction and practical implementation of graphical probability models (i.e. Bayesian networks). These can assist forensic scientists in making the issue tractable within a probabilistic perspective. The proposed models focus on likelihood ratio calculations at various levels of detail as well as case pre-assessment.

Minimal requirements for parameters to be used for the development of predictive models for microbial source tracking. The example of the pair somatic coliphages and phages infecting Bacteroides

Several methods and approaches for measuring parameters to determine fecal sources of pollution in water have been developed in recent years. No single microbial or chemical parameter has proved sufficient to determine the source of fecal pollution. Combinations of parameters involving at least one discriminating indicator and one universal fecal indicator offer the most promising solutions for qualitative and quantitative analyses. The universal (nondiscriminating) fecal indicator provides quantitative information regarding the fecal load. The discriminating indicator contributes to the identification of a specific source. The relative values of the parameters derived from both kinds of indicators could provide information regarding the contribution to the total fecal load from each origin. It is also essential that both parameters characteristically persist in the environment for similar periods. Numerical analysis, such as inductive learning methods, could be used to select the most suitable and the lowest number of parameters to develop predictive models. These combinations of parameters provide information on factors affecting the models, such as dilution, specific types of animal source, persistence of microbial tracers, and complex mixtures from different sources. The combined use of the enumeration of somatic coliphages and the enumeration of Bacteroides-phages using different host specific strains (one from humans and another from pigs), both selected using the suggested approach, provides a feasible model for quantitative and qualitative analyses of fecal source identification.

Low-cost MR-compatible moving heart phantom.

For the development and evaluation of cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequences and methodologies, the availability of a periodically moving phantom to model respiratory and cardiac motion would be of substantial benefit. Given the specific physical boundary conditions in an MR environment, the choice of materials and power source of such phantoms is heavily restricted. Sophisticated commercial solutions are available; however, they are often relatively costly and user-specific modifications may not easily be implemented. We therefore sought to construct a low-cost MR-compatible motion phantom that could be easily reproduced and had design flexibility. A commercially available K'NEX construction set (Hyper Space Training Tower, K'NEX Industries, Inc., Hatfield, PA) was used to construct a periodically moving phantom head. The phantom head performs a translation with a superimposed rotation, driven by a motor over a 2-m rigid rod. To synchronize the MR data acquisition with phantom motion (without introducing radiofrequency-related image artifacts), a fiberoptic control unit generates periodic trigger pulses synchronized to the phantom motion. Total material costs of the phantom are US$ < 200.00, and a total of 80 man-hours were required to design and construct the original phantom. With schematics of the present solution, the phantom reproduction may be achieved in approximately 15 man-hours. The presented MR-compatible periodically moving phantom can easily be reproduced, and user-specific modifications may be implemented. Such an approach allows a detailed investigation of motion-related phenomena in MR images.

Forecasting the Earth"s radiation belts and modeling solar energetic particle events: Recent results from SPACECAST

High-energy charged particles in the van Allen radiation belts and in solar energetic particle events can damage satellites on orbit leading to malfunctions and loss of satellite service. Here we describe some recent results from the SPACECAST project on modelling and forecasting the radiation belts, and modelling solar energetic particle events. We describe the SPACECAST forecasting system that uses physical models that include wave-particle interactions to forecast the electron radiation belts up to 3 h ahead. We show that the forecasts were able to reproduce the >2 MeV electron flux at GOES 13 during the moderate storm of 7-8 October 2012, and the period following a fast solar wind stream on 25-26 October 2012 to within a factor of 5 or so. At lower energies of 10- a few 100 keV we show that the electron flux at geostationary orbit depends sensitively on the high-energy tail of the source distribution near 10 RE on the nightside of the Earth, and that the source is best represented by a kappa distribution. We present a new model of whistler mode chorus determined from multiple satellite measurements which shows that the effects of wave-particle interactions beyond geostationary orbit are likely to be very significant. We also present radial diffusion coefficients calculated from satellite data at geostationary orbit which vary with Kp by over four orders of magnitude. We describe a new automated method to determine the position at the shock that is magnetically connected to the Earth for modelling solar energetic particle events and which takes into account entropy, and predict the form of the mean free path in the foreshock, and particle injection efficiency at the shock from analytical theory which can be tested in simulations.

Forecasting the Earth"s radiation belts and modeling solar energetic particle events: Recent results from SPACECAST

High-energy charged particles in the van Allen radiation belts and in solar energetic particle events can damage satellites on orbit leading to malfunctions and loss of satellite service. Here we describe some recent results from the SPACECAST project on modelling and forecasting the radiation belts, and modelling solar energetic particle events. We describe the SPACECAST forecasting system that uses physical models that include wave-particle interactions to forecast the electron radiation belts up to 3 h ahead. We show that the forecasts were able to reproduce the >2 MeV electron flux at GOES 13 during the moderate storm of 7-8 October 2012, and the period following a fast solar wind stream on 25-26 October 2012 to within a factor of 5 or so. At lower energies of 10- a few 100 keV we show that the electron flux at geostationary orbit depends sensitively on the high-energy tail of the source distribution near 10 RE on the nightside of the Earth, and that the source is best represented by a kappa distribution. We present a new model of whistler mode chorus determined from multiple satellite measurements which shows that the effects of wave-particle interactions beyond geostationary orbit are likely to be very significant. We also present radial diffusion coefficients calculated from satellite data at geostationary orbit which vary with Kp by over four orders of magnitude. We describe a new automated method to determine the position at the shock that is magnetically connected to the Earth for modelling solar energetic particle events and which takes into account entropy, and predict the form of the mean free path in the foreshock, and particle injection efficiency at the shock from analytical theory which can be tested in simulations.

Extracellular microvesicles from astrocytes contain functional glutamate transporters: regulation by protein kinase C and cell activation.

Glutamate transport through astrocytic excitatory amino-acid transporters (EAAT)-1 and EAAT-2 is paramount for neural homeostasis. EAAT-1 has been reported in secreted extracellular microvesicles (eMV, such as exosomes) and because the protein kinase C (PKC) family controls the sub-cellular distribution of EAATs, we have explored whether PKCs drive EAATs into eMV. Using rat primary astrocytes, confocal immunofluorescence and ultracentrifugation on sucrose gradient we here report that PKC activation by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) reorganizes EAAT-1 distribution and reduces functional [(3)H]-aspartate reuptake. Western-blots show that EAAT-1 is present in eMV from astrocyte conditioned medium, together with NaK ATPase and glutamine synthetase all being further increased after PMA treatment. However, nanoparticle tracking analysis reveals that PKC activation did not change particle concentration. Functional analysis indicates that eMV have the capacity to reuptake [(3)H]-aspartate. In vivo, we demonstrate that spinal astrocytic reaction induced by peripheral nerve lesion (spared nerve injury, SNI) is associated with a phosphorylation of PKC δ together with a shift of EAAT distribution ipsilaterally. Ex vivo, spinal explants from SNI rats release eMV with an increased content of NaK ATPase, EAAT-1 and EAAT-2. These data indicate PKC and cell activation as important regulators of EAAT-1 incorporation in eMV, and raise the possibility that microvesicular EAAT-1 may exert extracellular functions. Beyond a putative role in neuropathic pain, this phenomenon may be important for understanding neural homeostasis and a wide range of neurological diseases associated with astrocytic reaction as well as non-neurological diseases linked to eMV release.

Investigation of classical epidemiological links between patients harbouring identical, non-predominant meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus genotypes and lessons for epidemiological tracking.

According to molecular epidemiology theory, two isolates belong to the same chain of transmission if they are similar according to a highly discriminatory molecular typing method. This has been demonstrated in outbreaks, but is rarely studied in endemic situations. Person-to-person transmission cannot be established when isolates of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) belong to endemically predominant genotypes. By contrast, isolates of infrequent genotypes might be more suitable for epidemiological tracking. The objective of the present study was to determine, in newly identified patients harbouring non-predominant MRSA genotypes, whether putative epidemiological links inferred from molecular typing could replace classical epidemiology in the context of a regional surveillance programme. MRSA genotypes were defined using double-locus sequence typing (DLST) combining clfB and spa genes. A total of 1,268 non-repetitive MRSA isolates recovered between 2005 and 2006 in Western Switzerland were typed: 897 isolates (71%) belonged to four predominant genotypes, 231 (18%) to 55 non-predominant genotypes, and 140 (11%) were unique. Obvious epidemiological links were found in only 106/231 (46%) patients carrying isolates with non-predominant genotypes suggesting that molecular surveillance identified twice as many clusters as those that may have been suspected with classical epidemiological links. However, not all of these molecular clusters represented person-to-person transmission. Thus, molecular typing cannot replace classical epidemiology but is complementary. A prospective surveillance of MRSA genotypes could help to target epidemiological tracking in order to recognise new risk factors in hospital and community settings, or emergence of new epidemic clones.

Standards and service offshoring in India: Moving beyond industry and institutional specificities

Résumé Cet article examine le rôle joué par les normes internationales techniques dans la mondialisation des activités de service. Différentes approches d'économie considèrent que les spécificités des activités de services sont un frein à leur délocalisation, à leur industrialisation et à leur normalisation. A l'opposé de ces approches centrées sur les spécificités des activités de services, les approches d'économie politique internationale mettent en avant l'existence de configurations conflictuelles de pouvoir à l'oeuvre dans l'internationalisation des activités de services et ce, au-delà des limites sectorielles et nationales. Cet article examine le cas du secteur des centres d'appels et, plus généralement, celui de la sous-traitance des services aux entreprises (BPO) en Inde. Nos résultats suggèrent que les normes techniques sont importantes dans le secteur étudié, alors même que ces types de services sont conventionnellement identifiés comme étant peu susceptibles d'être soumis à des normes. Une perspective d'économie politique sur la normalisation des activités de service souligne comment la problématique du pouvoir investit la normalisation technique d'une dimension plus progressive à travers les thématiques du "travailleur", du "consommateur", ou de "l'environnement". Abstract This paper explores the role of international standards in the much-debated globalisation of the service economy. Various strands of economic analyses consider that core attributes of services affect their ability to be reliably delocalised, industrialised, and standardised. In contrast, international political economy approaches draw attention to power configurations supporting conflicting use of standards across industries and nations. The paper examines the case of the rising Indian service industry in customer centres and business process outsourcing to probe these opposing views. Our findings suggest that standards matter in types of services that conventional economic analyses identify as unlikely to be standardised, and that the standards used in the Indian BPO industry are widely accepted. Despite little conflict in actual definitions of market requirements, an international political economy perspective on service standardisation highlights the importance of potential power issues related to workers', consumers', and environmental concerns likely to be included in more progressive forms of standardisation.

Real-time MR imaging of myocardial regional function using strain-encoding (SENC) with tissue through-plane motion tracking.

PURPOSE: To implement real-time myocardial strain-encoding (SENC) imaging in combination with tracking the tissue displacement in the through-plane direction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SENC imaging was combined with the slice-following technique by implementing three-dimensional (3D) selective excitation. Certain adjustments were implemented to reduce scan time to one heartbeat. A total of 10 volunteers and five pigs were scanned on a 3T MRI scanner. Spatial modulation of magnetization (SPAMM)-tagged images were acquired on planes orthogonal to the SENC planes for comparison. Myocardial infarction (MI) was induced in two pigs and the resulting SENC images were compared to standard delayed-enhancement (DE) images. RESULTS: The strain values computed from SENC imaging with slice-following showed significant difference from those acquired without slice-following, especially during systole (P < 0.01). The strain curves computed from the SENC images with and without slice-following were similar to those computed from the orthogonal SPAMM images, with and without, respectively, tracking the tag line displacement in the strain direction. The resulting SENC images showed good agreement with the DE images in identifying MI in infarcted pigs. CONCLUSION: Correction of through-plane motion in real-time cardiac functional imaging is feasible using slice-following. The strain measurements are more accurate than conventional SENC measurements in humans and animals, as validated with conventional MRI tagging.

Vessel centerline tracking and boundary sgementation in coronary MRA with minimal manual interaction.

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) provides a noninvasive means to detect the presence, location and severity of atherosclerosis throughout the vascular system. In such studies, and especially those in the coronary arteries, the vessel luminal area is typically measured at multiple cross-sectional locations along the course of the artery. The advent of fast volumetric imaging techniques covering proximal to mid segments of coronary arteries necessitates automatic analysis tools requiring minimal manual interactions to robustly measure cross-sectional area along the three-dimensional track of the arteries in under-sampled and non-isotropic datasets. In this work, we present a modular approach based on level set methods to track the vessel centerline, segment the vessel boundaries, and measure transversal area using two user-selected endpoints in each coronary of interest. Arterial area and vessel length are measured using our method and compared to the standard Soap-Bubble reformatting and analysis tool in in-vivo non-contrast enhanced coronary MRA images.