Practical automated activity recognition using standard smartphones

This paper describes a simple application for mobile devices which automatically recognizes different physical activity. This application could be used to log exercise sessions for the purpose of aiding weight management or improving sporting performance. © 2012 IEEE.

Modelling 3D camera movement for vibration characterisation and multiple object identification with application to lighting assessment

Utilising cameras as a means to survey the surrounding environment is becoming increasingly popular in a number of different research areas and applications. Central to using camera sensors as input to a vision system, is the need to be able to manipulate and process the information captured in these images. One such application, is the use of cameras to monitor the quality of airport landing lighting at aerodromes where a camera is placed inside an aircraft and used to record images of the lighting pattern during the landing phase of a flight. The images are processed to determine a performance metric. This requires the development of custom software for the localisation and identification of luminaires within the image data. However, because of the necessity to keep airport operations functioning as efficiently as possible, it is difficult to collect enough image data to develop, test and validate any developed software. In this paper, we present a technique to model a virtual landing lighting pattern. A mathematical model is postulated which represents the glide path of the aircraft including random deviations from the expected path. A morphological method has been developed to localise and track the luminaires under different operating conditions. © 2011 IEEE.

Possible interactions between environmental factors in determining species optima

Questions: 1. Indicator values, such as those of Ellenberg, for different environmental factors are seen as independent. We tested for the presence of interactions between environmental factors ( soil moisture and reaction) to see if this assumption is simplistic. 2. How close are Ellenberg indicator values (IVs) related to the observed optima of species response curves in an area peripheral to those where they have been previously employed and 3. Can the inclusion of bryophytes add to the utility of IVs?

Location: South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK.

Methods: Two grids (ca. 2000 m x 2000 m) were sampled at 50-m intervals across the transition from machair to upland communities covering an orthogonal gradient of both soil pH ( reaction) and soil moisture content. Percentage cover data for vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens were recorded, along with pH and moisture content of the underlying sand/soil/peat. Reaction optima, derived from species response curves calculated using HOF models, were compared between wet and dry sites, and moisture optima between acidic and basic samples. Optima for the whole data set were compared to Ellenberg IVs to assess their performance in this area, with and without the inclusion of bryophytes.

Results: A number of species showed substantially different pH optima at high and low soil moisture contents (18% of those tested) and different soil moisture optima at high and low pH (49%). For a number of species the IVs were poor predictors of their actual distribution across the sampled area. Bryophytes were poor at explaining local variation in the environmental factors and also their inclusion with vascular plants negatively affected the strength of relationships.

Conclusions: A substantial number of species showed an interaction between soil moisture and reaction in determining their optima on the two respective gradients. It should be borne in mind that IVs such as Ellenberg's may not be independent of one another.

Are richness patterns of common and rare species equally well explained by environmental variables?

We investigated relationships between richness patterns of rare and common grassland species and environmental factors, focussing on comparing the degree to which the richness patterns of rare and common species are determined by simple environmental variables. Using data collected in the Machair grassland of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, we fitted spatial regression models using a suite of grazing, soil physicochemical and microtopographic covariates, to nested sub-assemblages of vascular and non-vascular species ranked according to rarity. As expected, we found that common species drive richness patterns, but rare vascular species had significantly stronger affinity for high richness areas. After correcting for the prevalence of individual species distributions, we found differences between common and rare species in 1) the amount of variation explained: richness patterns of common species were better summarised by simple environmental variables, 2) the associations of environmental variables with richness showed systematic trends between common and rare species with coefficient sign reversal for several factors, and 3) richness associations with rare environments: richness patterns of rare vascular species significantly matched rare environments but those of non-vascular species did not. Richness patterns of rare species, at least in this system, may be intrinsically less predictable than those of common species.

Drusen prevalence and pigmentary changes in Caucasians aged 18-54 years

Aims and Purpose The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and characteristics of drusen and pigmentary changes in a middle-aged population.

Methods Retinal images from 500 individuals aged 18–54 years were included. The source of participants was two UK optometry practices. Retinal images were graded using the Wisconsin Age-Related
Maculopathy Grading System. However, owing to the relatively young age of the population studied, a new category of drusen of smaller size (o31.5mm) was introduced.

Results Drusen were identi?ed within the central macular grid in 91.48% of all gradable eyes and in 444 subjects. Drusen sized o31.5mm were present in 89.7% of eyes, drusen sized 431.5mm and o63mm were present in 45.9% of all eyes and drusen 463mm and o125mm were present in only 1.7% of eyes. No eye had drusen larger or equal to 125mm. Very few eyes (1.2%) showed pigmentary changes within the grid. Drusen load increased with increasing age, P o0.001.

Conclusions The frequency of drusen in a younger Caucasian population aged 18–54 years is high, with 91.48% of all gradable eyes having drusen. The most frequent drusen subtype was hard distinct drusen o31.5mm. No druse greater or equal in size to 125mm was seen. Pigmentary changes are rare. Eye(2012) 26, 1357–1362; doi:10.1038/eye.2012.165; published online 17 August 2012

Promoting a Sense of Place: An International Study of Architecture Centres

This paper details an international research project which examined over 50 architecture centres in 23 countries including four case study subjects:
•Kent Architecture Centre, England
•Chicago Architecture Foundation
•Museum of Finnish Architecture
•Netherlands Architecture Institute
The paper analyzes the project's main findings including issues of definition, reasons for foundation, cultural policy impact and the main goals of architecture centres. It summarizes recommendations for centres as they attempt to reach their aims.

Improvements Relating to Water Treatment

A process for the treatment of water comprising at least the steps of : (a) providing the water in laminar flow; and (b) providing bubblefree aeration to the water. The present invention introduces aerobic treatment into wastewater settlement without any hindrance to the settlement process. The present invention is useable for any settlement step or stage, without limitation, the commonest being primary settlement or final settling.

Stereoselective disposition of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine during pregnancy and breast-feeding

To compare the disposition of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine enantiomers in the mother, foetus and infant.

Cooperativity of imprinted genes inactivated by acquired chromosome 20q deletions

Large regions of recurrent genomic loss are common in cancers; however, with a few well-characterized exceptions, how they contribute to tumor pathogenesis remains largely obscure. Here we identified primate-restricted imprinting of a gene cluster on chromosome 20 in the region commonly deleted in chronic myeloid malignancies. We showed that a single heterozygous 20q deletion consistently resulted in the complete loss of expression of the imprinted genes L3MBTL1 and SGK2, indicative of a pathogenetic role for loss of the active paternally inherited locus. Concomitant loss of both L3MBTL1 and SGK2 dysregulated erythropoiesis and megakaryopoiesis, 2 lineages commonly affected in chronic myeloid malignancies, with distinct consequences in each lineage. We demonstrated that L3MBTL1 and SGK2 collaborated in the transcriptional regulation of MYC by influencing different aspects of chromatin structure. L3MBTL1 is known to regulate nucleosomal compaction, and we here showed that SGK2 inactivated BRG1, a key ATP-dependent helicase within the SWI/SNF complex that regulates nucleosomal positioning. These results demonstrate a link between an imprinted gene cluster and malignancy, reveal a new pathogenetic mechanism associated with acquired regions of genomic loss, and underline the complex molecular and cellular consequences of "simple" cancer-associated chromosome deletions.