Citizen Sensing within a Real Time Passenger Information System

Postprint

GetThere: A Rural Passenger Information System Utilising Linked Data & Citizen Sensing

Postprint

Intellect Sensing of Neural Network that Trained to Classify Complex Signals

An experimental comparison of information features used by neural network is performed. The sensing method was used. Suboptimal classifier agreeable to the gaussian model of the training data was used as a probe. Neural nets with architectures of perceptron and feedforward net with one hidden layer were used. The experiments were carried out with spatial ultrasonic data, which are used for car’s passenger safety system neural controller learning. In this paper we show that a neural network doesn’t fully make use of gaussian components, which are first two moment coefficients of probability distribution. On the contrary, the network can find more complicated regularities inside data vectors and thus shows better results than suboptimal classifier. The parallel connection of suboptimal classifier improves work of modular neural network whereas its connection to the network input improves the specialization effect during training.

Remote sensing the vertical profile of cloud droplet effective radius, thermodynamic phase, and temperature

Cloud-aerosol interaction is a key issue in the climate system, affecting the water cycle, the weather, and the total energy balance including the spatial and temporal distribution of latent heat release. Information on the vertical distribution of cloud droplet microphysics and thermodynamic phase as a function of temperature or height, can be correlated with details of the aerosol field to provide insight on how these particles are affecting cloud properties and their consequences to cloud lifetime, precipitation, water cycle, and general energy balance. Unfortunately, today's experimental methods still lack the observational tools that can characterize the true evolution of the cloud microphysical, spatial and temporal structure in the cloud droplet scale, and then link these characteristics to environmental factors and properties of the cloud condensation nuclei. Here we propose and demonstrate a new experimental approach (the cloud scanner instrument) that provides the microphysical information missed in current experiments and remote sensing options. Cloud scanner measurements can be performed from aircraft, ground, or satellite by scanning the side of the clouds from the base to the top, providing us with the unique opportunity of obtaining snapshots of the cloud droplet microphysical and thermodynamic states as a function of height and brightness temperature in clouds at several development stages. The brightness temperature profile of the cloud side can be directly associated with the thermodynamic phase of the droplets to provide information on the glaciation temperature as a function of different ambient conditions, aerosol concentration, and type. An aircraft prototype of the cloud scanner was built and flew in a field campaign in Brazil. The CLAIM-3D (3-Dimensional Cloud Aerosol Interaction Mission) satellite concept proposed here combines several techniques to simultaneously measure the vertical profile of cloud microphysics, thermodynamic phase, brightness temperature, and aerosol amount and type in the neighborhood of the clouds. The wide wavelength range, and the use of multi-angle polarization measurements proposed for this mission allow us to estimate the availability and characteristics of aerosol particles acting as cloud condensation nuclei, and their effects on the cloud microphysical structure. These results can provide unprecedented details on the response of cloud droplet microphysics to natural and anthropogenic aerosols in the size scale where the interaction really happens.

Energy dissipation in depth-sensing indentation as a characteristic of the nanoscratch behavior of coatings

Wear behavior of coatings has usually been described in terms of mechanical properties such as hardness (H) and effective elastic modulus (E*). Alternatively, an energy approach appears as a promising analysis taking into account the influence of those properties. In a nanoindentation test, the dissipated energy depends not only on the hardness and elastic modulus, but also on the elastic recovery (W(e)). This work aims to establish a relation between plastic deformation energy (E(p)) during depth-sensing indentation method and the grooving resistance of coatings in nanoscratch tests. An energy dissipation coefficient (K(d)) was defined, calculated as the ratio of the plastic to the total deformation energy (E(p)/E(t)), which represents the energy dissipation of materials. Reactive depositions using titanium as the target and nitrogen and methane as reactive gases were obtained by triode magnetron sputtering, in order to assess wear and nanoindentation data. A topographical, chemical and microstructural characterization has been conducted using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), wave dispersion spectroscopy (WDS), scanning electron (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. Nanoscratch results showed that the groove depth was well correlated to the energy dissipation coefficient of the coatings. On the other hand, a reduction in the coefficient was found when the elastic recovery was increased. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

KDP/PEDOT: PSS mixture as a new alternative in the fabrication of pressure sensing devices

In this work we studied the mixture of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), a commercial polymer, with monobasic potassium phosphate (KDP), a piezoelectric salt, as a possible novel material in the fabrication of a low cost, easy-to-make,flexible pressure sensing device. The mixture between KDP and PEDOT: PSS was painted in a flexible polyester substrate and dried. Afterwards, I x V curves were carried out. The samples containing KDP presented higher values of current in smaller voltages than the PEDOT: PSS without KDP. This can mean a change in the chain arrays. Other results showed that the material responds to directly applied pressure to the sample that can be useful to sensors fabrication. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In silico analysis of candidate genes involved in light sensing and signal transduction pathways in soybean

Several aspects of photoperception and light signal transduction have been elucidated by studies with model plants. However, the information available for economically important crops, such as Fabaceae species, is scarce. In order to incorporate the existing genomic tools into a strategy to advance soybean research, we have investigated publicly available expressed sequence tag ( EST) sequence databases in order to identify Glycine max sequences related to genes involved in light-regulated developmental control in model plants. Approximately 38,000 sequences from open-access databases were investigated, and all bona fide and putative photoreceptor gene families were found in soybean sequence databases. We have identified G. max orthologs for several families of transcriptional regulators and cytoplasmic proteins mediating photoreceptor-induced responses, although some important Arabidopsis phytochrome-signaling components are absent. Moreover, soybean and Arabidopsis gene-family homologs appear to have undergone a distinct expansion process in some cases. We propose a working model of light perception, signal transduction and response-eliciting in G. max, based on the identified key components from Arabidopsis. These results demonstrate the power of comparative genomics between model systems and crop species to elucidate several aspects of plant physiology and metabolism.

Quorum sensing detected by atomic force microscopy imaging of corrals surrounding multicellular arrangement of bacteria

Connectivity of the glycocalyx covering of small communities of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans bacteria deposited on hydrophilic mica plates was imaged by atomic force microscopy. When part of the coverage was removed by water rinsing, an insoluble structure formed by corrals surrounding each individual bacterium was observed. A collective ring structure with clustered bacteria (>= 3) was observed, which indicates that the bacteria perceived the neighborhood in order to grow a protective structure that results in smaller production of exopolysaccharides material. The most surprising aspect of these collective corral structures was that they occur at a low bacterial cell density. The deposited layers were also analyzed by confocal Raman microscopy and shown to contain polysaccharides, protein, and glucoronic acid.

Phosphatidylinositol phospholipase C mediates carbon sensing and vegetative nuclear duplication rates in Aspergillus nidulans

In this work, we disrupted one of three putative phosphatidylinositol phospholipase C genes of Aspergillus nidulans and studied its effect on carbon source sensing linked to vegetative mitotic nuclear division. We showed that glucose does not affect nuclear division rates during early vegetative conidial germination (6-7 h) in either the wild type or the plcA-deficient mutant. Only after 8 h of cultivation on glucose did the mutant strain present some decrease in nuclear duplication. However, decreased nuclear division rates were observed in the wild type when cultivated in media amended with polypectate, whereas our plcA-deficient mutant did not show slow nuclear duplication rates when grown on this carbon source, even though it requires induction and secretion of multiple pectinolytic enzymes to be metabolized. Thus, plcA appears to be directly linked to high-molecular-weight carbon source sensing.

Attenuation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence by quorum sensing inhibitors

Traditional treatment of infectious diseases is based on compounds that kill or inhibit growth of bacteria. A major concern with this approach is the frequent development of resistance to antibiotics. The discovery of communication systems (quorum sensing systems) regulating bacterial virulence has afforded a novel opportunity to control infectious bacteria without interfering with growth. Compounds that can override communication signals have been found in the marine environment. Using Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 as an example of an opportunistic human pathogen, we show that a synthetic derivate of natural furanone compounds can act as a potent antagonist of bacterial quorum sensing. We employed GeneChip((R)) microarray technology to identify furanone target genes and to map the quorum sensing regulon. The transcriptome analysis showed that the furanone drug specifically targeted quorum sensing systems and inhibited virulence factor expression. Application of the drug to P.aeruginosa biofilms increased bacterial susceptibility to tobramycin and SDS. In a mouse pulmonary infection model, the drug inhibited quorum sensing of the infecting bacteria and promoted their clearance by the mouse immune response.

Pressure-Frequency Sensing Subxiphoid Access System for Use in Percutaneous Cardiac Electrophysiology: Prototype Design and Pilot Study Results

We have designed, built, and tested an early prototype of a novel subxiphoid access system intended to facilitate epicardial electrophysiology, but with possible applications elsewhere in the body. The present version of the system consists of a commercially available insertion needle, a miniature pressure sensor and interconnect tubing, read-out electronics to monitor the pressures measured during the access procedure, and a host computer with user-interface software. The nominal resolution of the system is <0.1 mmHg, and it has deviations from linearity of <1%. During a pilot series of human clinical studies with this system, as well as in an auxiliary study done with an independent method, we observed that the pericardial space contained pressure-frequency components related to both the heart rate and respiratory rate, while the thorax contained components related only to the respiratory rate, a previously unobserved finding that could facilitate access to the pericardial space. We present and discuss the design principles, details of construction, and performance characteristics of this system.

Vitamin D Receptor and Calcium-Sensing Receptor Gene Polymorphisms in Hypercalciuric Stone-Forming Patients

Background/Aim: Some studies have identified an association of kidney stone formation with vitamin D receptor (VDR) or calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) polymorphisms. We aimed to evaluate the association between these polymorphisms with urinary calcium excretion (uCa) in calcium-stone-forming patients. Methods: VDR polymorphism, detected by BsmI digestion, and 3 CaSR polymorphisms (G/T at codon 986, G/A at codon 990 and C/G at codon 1011), detected by direct sequencing, were evaluated in 100 hypercalciuric (HCa) and 101 normocalciuric (NCa) calcium-stone-forming patients. Results: The total allelic frequency of VDR polymorphism was: 16% BB, 49% Bb and 35% bb. The prevalence of bb genotype was significantly higher in the HCa when compared to the NCa group (43 vs. 27%). With respect to CaSR polymorphisms, 986S, 990G and 1011E variant alleles were detected, respectively, in 5, 4 and 3% of the whole sample and 5 CaSR haplotypes were identified: 94% ARQ (wildtype), 3% SRQ, 1.5% AGQ, 1.0% ARE and 0.5% AGE. No statistical differences have been observed between NCa and HCa with respect to these CaSR haplotypes. Conclusions: The present study suggested that bb homozygous for VDR polymorphism was overrepresented in hypercalciuric stone formers. Urinary calcium excretion was not associated with CaSR polymorphism in the present sample. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel

Transcription of the Hsp30, Hsp70, and Hsp90 heat shock protein genes is modulated by the PalA protein in response to acid pH-sensing in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans

Heat shock proteins are molecular chaperones linked to a myriad of physiological functions in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In this study, we show that the Aspergillus nidulans hsp30 (ANID_03555.1), hsp70 (ANID_05129.1), and hsp90 (ANID_08269.1) genes are preferentially expressed in an acidic milieu, whose expression is dependent on the palA (+) background under optimal temperature for fungal growth. Heat shock induction of these three hsp genes showed different patterns in response to extracellular pH changes in the palA(+) background. However, their accumulation upon heating for 2 h was almost unaffected by ambient pH changes in the palA (-) background. The PalA protein is a member of a conserved signaling cascade that is involved in the pH-mediated regulation of gene expression. Moreover, we identified several genes whose expression at pH 5.0 is also dependent on the palA (+) background. These results reveal novel aspects of the heat- and pH-sensing networks of A. nidulans.