Performance evaluation recommendations and manuals of nuclear power plants outdoor significant civil structures earthquake resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-06-01

Performance evaluation recommendations and manuals of nuclear power plants outdoor significant civil structures earthquake resistance have been updated in June 2005 by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers. Based on experimental and analytical considerations on the recommendations of May 2002, analytical seismic models of soils for underground structures, effects of vertical motions on time-history dynamic analysis and shear fracture of reinforced concretes by cyclic loadings have been evaluated and incorporated in new recommendations. (T. Tanaka)

Test methods for on site measurement of resistivity of concrete. A RILEM TC-154 Technical Recommendation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Polder, R.B.

2000-01-01

This paper describes methods to assess concrete resistivity on site for various purposes related to corrosion and protection of reinforcement. It is based on a first draft of a RILEM Technical Recommendation. The electrical resistivity of concrete can be related to the two processes involved in

I Hate Chicken Breast: A Tale of Resisting Stories and Disembodied Knowledge Construction

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Claudio

2012-01-01

In this performance autoethnography, the author explores the simultaneity of telling and resisting stories of lived experience. In the process, the author constructs the notion of "resisting stories" as autoethnographic narratives that both resist and demand telling in the process of making themselves public. In the process the author engages in a…

Fire resistance in American heavy timber construction history and preservation

CERN Document Server

Heitz, Jesse

2016-01-01

This volume presents a history of heavy timber construction (HTC) in the United States, chronicling nearly two centuries of building history, from inception to a detailed evaluation of one of the best surviving examples of the type, with an emphasis on fire resistance. The book does not limit itself in scope to serving only as a common history. Rather, it provides critical analysis of HTC in terms of construction methods, design, technical specifications, and historical performance under fire conditions. As such, this book provides readers with a truly comprehensive understanding and exploration of heavy timber construction in the United States and its performance under fire conditions.

Construction and performance of a prototype multigap resistive plate chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, S. H.; Hong, B.; Hong, S. J.

2002-01-01

We present the design, construction, and performance of a prototype multigap resistive plate chamber made of glass plates. A time resolution of 580 ps with a detection efficiency above 95 % was achieved at the working high-voltage plateau with cosmic ray muons

Performance evaluation recommendations of nuclear power plants outdoor significant civil structures earthquake resistance. Technical documentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-06-01

The Japan Society of Civil Engineers has updated performance evaluation recommendations of nuclear power plants outdoor significant civil structures earthquake resistance in June 2005. Experimental and analytical considerations on the seismic effects evaluation criteria, such as analytical seismic models of soils for underground structures, effects of vertical motions on time-history dynamic analysis and shear fracture of reinforced concretes by cyclic loadings, were shown in this document and incorporated in new recommendations. (T. Tanaka)

Fire-resistant materials for aircraft passenger seat construction

Science.gov (United States)

Fewell, L. L.; Tesoro, G. C.; Moussa, A.; Kourtides, D. A.

1979-01-01

The thermal response characteristics of fabric and fabric-foam assemblies are described. The various aspects of the ignition behavior of contemporary aircraft passenger seat upholstery fabric materials relative to fabric materials made from thermally stable polymers are evaluated. The role of the polymeric foam backing on the thermal response of the fabric-foam assembly is also ascertained. The optimum utilization of improved fire-resistant fabric and foam materials in the construction of aircraft passenger seats is suggested.

Using a constructive pavement texture index for skid resistance screening

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chia-Pei Chou

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Skid resistance measurement is one of the major measurements used to assess road safety. Typical devices used for measuring skid resistance include single point checking type and continuous measurements type. However, conducting periodic full roadway network skid resistance survey can be a relatively time consuming and difficult task because of the limited water carrying capacity used by all kinds of devices, including the continuous types. On the contrary, measurement of pavement surface texture can be conducted easily and continuously by most profilers. This research investigates the relation between pavement skid resistance and surface texture. The focus is on the development of a texture index that can serve as a screening indicator to filter out the high-risk pavement sections for further skid resistance measurement. Two measuring devices, GripTester (GT and National Taiwan University laser profiler (NTU Profiler, were used to collect data on pavement skid resistance and texture in a network of 555 sections, respectively. The pavement texture index of the mean difference of elevation (MDE is calculated at a 1 mm profile interval, which is a very promising indicator to represent pavement skid resistance. Through a sensitivity study, the MDE threshold of 0.15 mm is observed to provide a relatively reasonable screening function that filters out 29.01% of the entire surveyed network for further skid resistance inspection. It averted more than 70% skid resistance measurement capacity of the entire network. The accuracy of correct judgment by the selected threshold is about 80%, only 3.78% of roadway sections considered for further inspection of the recommended list are not included. Keywords: Skid resistance, Pavement texture, Macrotexture, Laser profiler, GripTester

[Adherence to international recommendations in the fight against antimicrobial resistance - Substantial difference between outpatient consumption in Spain and Denmark].

Science.gov (United States)

Malo, Sara; Rabanaque, María José; Bjerrum, Lars

2016-02-01

Increasing antibiotic resistance represents a major public health threat that jeopardises the future treatment of bacterial infections. This study aims to describe the adherence to recommendations proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) Advisory Group on Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (AGISAR), in Spain and Denmark, and to analyse the relation between the outpatient use of Critically Important Antimicrobials (CIA) and the bacterial resistance rates to these agents. The Antimicrobial consumption interactive database (ESAC-Net) and Antimicrobial resistance interactive database (EARS-Net) provided data on outpatient use (2010-2013) of CIA (fluoroquinolones, macrolides, and 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins) and the percentages of isolates of the main pathogens causing serious infections, resistant to these agents. The use of cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones, as well as the percentage of bacteria resistant, is higher in Spain than in Denmark. Although consumption of macrolides in both countries is similar, the proportion of Streptococcus pneumoniae resistant to macrolides is significantly higher in Spain. The high outpatient consumption of CIA agents in Spain deviates substantially from the WHO recommendations. Moreover, it has the effect of elevated rates of antimicrobial resistance, that are lower in Denmark.

Development, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of the resistance training skills battery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lubans, David R; Smith, Jordan J; Harries, Simon K; Barnett, Lisa M; Faigenbaum, Avery D

2014-05-01

The aim of this study was to describe the development and assess test-retest reliability and construct validity of the Resistance Training Skills Battery (RTSB) for adolescents. The RTSB provides an assessment of resistance training skill competency and includes 6 exercises (i.e., body weight squat, push-up, lunge, suspended row, standing overhead press, and front support with chest touches). Scoring for each skill is based on the number of performance criteria successfully demonstrated. An overall resistance training skill quotient (RTSQ) is created by adding participants' scores for the 6 skills. Participants (44 boys and 19 girls, mean age = 14.5 ± 1.2 years) completed the RTSB on 2 occasions separated by 7 days. Participants also completed the following fitness tests, which were used to create a muscular fitness score (MFS): handgrip strength, timed push-up, and standing long jump tests. Intraclass correlation (ICC), paired samples t-tests, and typical error were used to assess test-retest reliability. To assess construct validity, gender and RTSQ were entered into a regression model predicting MFS. The rank order repeatability of the RTSQ was high (ICC = 0.88). The model explained 39% of the variance in MFS (p ≤ 0.001) and RTSQ (r = 0.40, p ≤ 0.001) was a significant predictor. This study has demonstrated the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the RTSB in a sample of adolescents. The RTSB can reliably rank participants in regards to their resistance training competency and has the necessary sensitivity to detect small changes in resistance training skill proficiency.

HUMAN RESISTANCE TO THE USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andi Andi

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The process of implementing information technology (IT often fails to bring the intended result because the human dimension is not given adequate consideration. Yet despite some evidence of failure, little has been written on the nature of human performance, compared to abundant resources about technical and procedural aspects, as it applies to the ideals of the IT philosophy. To combat people’s deficiencies, this paper focuses mainly on the question why people resist IT. It explores sources of human resistance to the use of IT. A survey is the conducted to personnel working for construction companies to examine the resistance sources. The result reveals personal money, habit, and threat to information security as most dominant sources for such resistance, instead of fear of employment instability as many previous researches have discussed. The paper discusses the resistances and suggests possible solutions to deal with them.

Practical recommendations for radium-223 treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du, Yong; Carrio, Ignasi; De Vincentis, Giuseppe; Fanti, Stefano; Ilhan, Harun; Mommsen, Caroline; Nitzsche, Egbert; Sundram, Francis; Vogel, Wouter; Oyen, Wim; Lewington, Val

2017-01-01

Radium Ra 223 dichloride (radium-223, Xofigo registered) is the first targeted alpha therapy for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer and symptomatic bone metastases. Radium-223 provides a new treatment option for this setting, but also necessitates a new treatment management approach. We provide straightforward and practical recommendations for European nuclear medicine centres to optimize radium-223 service provision. An independent research consultancy agency observed radium-223 procedures and conducted interviews with all key staff members involved in radium-223 treatment delivery in 11 nuclear medicine centres across six countries (Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the UK) experienced in administering radium-223. The findings were collated and discussed at a meeting of experts from these centres, during which key consensus recommendations were defined. The recommendations cover centre organization and preparation; patient referral; radium-223 ordering, preparation and disposal; radium-223 treatment delivery/administration; and patient experience. Guidance includes structured coordination and communication within centres and multidisciplinary teams, focusing on sharing best practice to provide high-quality, patient-centred care throughout the treatment pathway. These expert recommendations are intended to complement existing management guidelines. Sharing best practice and experience will help nuclear medicine centres to optimize radium-223 service provision and improve patient care. (orig.)

Practical recommendations for radium-223 treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Du, Yong [The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT, London (United Kingdom); Carrio, Ignasi [Hospital Sant Pau, Barcelona (Spain); De Vincentis, Giuseppe [Policlinico Umberto I University Hospital Rome, Rome (Italy); Fanti, Stefano [University Hospital Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Ilhan, Harun [Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital, Munich (Germany); Mommsen, Caroline [Praxis fuer diagnostische und therapeutische Nuklearmedizin Berlin, Berlin (Germany); Nitzsche, Egbert [Canton Hospital Aarau, Aarau (Switzerland); Sundram, Francis [University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton (United Kingdom); Vogel, Wouter [The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Oyen, Wim [The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT, London (United Kingdom); The Institute of Cancer Research, London (United Kingdom); Lewington, Val [Guy' s and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London (United Kingdom)

2017-09-15

Radium Ra 223 dichloride (radium-223, Xofigo registered) is the first targeted alpha therapy for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer and symptomatic bone metastases. Radium-223 provides a new treatment option for this setting, but also necessitates a new treatment management approach. We provide straightforward and practical recommendations for European nuclear medicine centres to optimize radium-223 service provision. An independent research consultancy agency observed radium-223 procedures and conducted interviews with all key staff members involved in radium-223 treatment delivery in 11 nuclear medicine centres across six countries (Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the UK) experienced in administering radium-223. The findings were collated and discussed at a meeting of experts from these centres, during which key consensus recommendations were defined. The recommendations cover centre organization and preparation; patient referral; radium-223 ordering, preparation and disposal; radium-223 treatment delivery/administration; and patient experience. Guidance includes structured coordination and communication within centres and multidisciplinary teams, focusing on sharing best practice to provide high-quality, patient-centred care throughout the treatment pathway. These expert recommendations are intended to complement existing management guidelines. Sharing best practice and experience will help nuclear medicine centres to optimize radium-223 service provision and improve patient care. (orig.)

Development of apparatus and procedures for evaluating radon-resistant construction materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pugh, T.D.; Greenfield, M.B.; MacKenzie, J.; Meijer, R.J. de

1992-01-01

Laboratory facilities and apparatus have been constructed to measure radon exhalation from, and radon permeability through, various construction materials. This phase of the project has focused on development of test apparatus and evaluation of instrumentation. Results indicate significant spatial variability in the radon permeability of polyethylene, even when all test samples were selected from the same roll of material, and when no visible differentiation could be made regarding sample quality. Implications for code enforcement are described, and recommendations are offered for refinement of equipment and the measurement process, prioritization of future materials testing, and specific building code provisions, based on our results

Radon reduction and radon-resistant construction demonstrations in New York state. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-02-01

A survey of radon levels in New York State homes indicates that approximately 4.4 percent of the homes have long-term living area radon concentrations above the U.S. EPA guideline of four pCi/l. The project addressed the effectiveness of techniques to reduce the radon level in existing homes and to prevent the occurrence of high radon concentrations in new homes. The goal of the project was to demonstrate the effectiveness of radon reduction techniques in homes containing indoor radon concentrations of more than the current EPA guidelines of four pCi/l. At the same time, radon-resistant construction techniques were demonstrated in homes under construction to provide guidelines for houses being built in areas with a danger of high radon levels. The project demonstrated new radon mitigation techniques in homes containing indoor radon concentrations exceeding four pCi/l; assessed the value of previously installed radon reduction procedures, and demonstrated new radon-resistant construction methods

Sparse Jacobian construction for mapped grid visco-resistive magnetohydrodynamics

KAUST Repository

Reynolds, Daniel R.

2012-01-01

We apply the automatic differentiation tool OpenAD toward constructing a preconditioner for fully implicit simulations of mapped grid visco-resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), used in modeling tokamak fusion devices. Our simulation framework employs a fully implicit formulation in time, and a mapped finite volume spatial discretization. We solve this model using inexact Newton-Krylov methods. Of critical importance in these iterative solvers is the development of an effective preconditioner, which typically requires knowledge of the Jacobian of the nonlinear residual function. However, due to significant nonlinearity within our PDE system, our mapped spatial discretization, and stencil adaptivity at physical boundaries, analytical derivation of these Jacobian entries is highly nontrivial. This paper therefore focuses on Jacobian construction using automatic differentiation. In particular, we discuss applying OpenAD to the case of a spatially-adaptive stencil patch that automatically handles differences between the domain interior and boundary, and configuring AD for reduced stencil approximations to the Jacobian. We investigate both scalar and vector tangent mode differentiation, along with simple finite difference approaches, to compare the resulting accuracy and efficiency of Jacobian construction in this application. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.

Thermal resistance and conductivity of recycled construction and demolition waste (RCDW concrete blocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan Julio Apolonio Callejas

Full Text Available Abstract In Brazil, studies to reuse construction and demolition waste are a special issue because a large amount of this material has been delivered to the public landfills and in illegal places. Some researchers have suggested reusing this material in building elements, such as bricks or blocks. It is possible to find a lot of researches in physical/mechanical characterization, while little effort has been made to characterize recycled construction and demolition waste blocks (RCDW for their thermal properties. The aim of this work was to characterize the RCDW thermal resistance and conductivity in order to provide subsidies for a building's thermal performance analysis. The hot-box method was adapted, together with measuring techniques with a heat-flow meter to determine the RCDW thermal properties. The results indicated that the RCDW block overall thermal resistance and thermal conductivity in the solid region was within the intervals of 0.33≤RT≤0.41m2KW-1 and 0.60≤l≤0.78Wm-1K-1, respectively. The lower resistance and conductivity values are justified by the presence of aggregate with a lower density and lower thermal conductivity than the natural aggregate.

A new aspects for project of subsequent thermal resistance extension at old-timer timbering constructions of wood

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zdeňka Havířová

2006-01-01

Full Text Available To ensure the reliability of subsequent thermal resistance extension at old-timer timbering constructions of wood for the period of their supposed service life a more profound analysis of construction is necessary from the aspect of a global thermal/technical evaluation. Service life of these buildings is dependent on temperature and moisture conditions in layers of the building cladding where the wood framework is built in. Temperature/moisture conditions or the corresponding equilibrium moisture content (EMC of the construction show considerable effects on the functional reliability of the whole building from the viewpoint of mechanical resistance and stability, energy savings and thermal protection and hygiene, health and environment protection.

Empiric guideline-recommended weight-based vancomycin dosing and mortality in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia: a retrospective cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hall Ronald G

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background No studies have evaluated the effect of guideline-recommended weight-based dosing on in-hospital mortality of patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. Methods This was a multicenter, retrospective, cohort study of patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia receiving at least 48 hours of empiric vancomycin therapy between 01/07/2002 and 30/06/2008. We compared in-hospital mortality for patients treated empirically with weight-based, guideline-recommended vancomycin doses (at least 15 mg/kg/dose to those treated with less than 15 mg/kg/dose. We used a general linear mixed multivariable model analysis with variables identified a priori through a conceptual framework based on the literature. Results A total of 337 patients who were admitted to the three hospitals were included in the cohort. One-third of patients received vancomycin empirically at the guideline-recommended dose. Guideline-recommended dosing was not associated with in-hospital mortality in the univariable (16% vs. 13%, OR 1.26 [95%CI 0.67-2.39] or multivariable (OR 0.71, 95%CI 0.33-1.55 analysis. Independent predictors of in-hospital mortality were ICU admission, Pitt bacteremia score of 4 or greater, age 53 years or greater, and nephrotoxicity. Conclusions Empiric use of weight-based, guideline-recommended empiric vancomycin dosing was not associated with reduced mortality in this multicenter study.

Recommended HVAC standard of the Florida Radon Research Program. Final report, Mar-Sep 90

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cummings, J.B.

1992-01-01

The report contains the recommended language for the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) section of the 'Florida Code for Radon-resistant Construction and Mitigation.' It deals with elements of construction that relate to the HVAC of houses. Its primary intent is to prevent pressure differentials in houses that can increase the transport of radon into houses. Three pathways of compliance are available to meet the requirements of the HVAC portion of the standards. The first is purely prescriptive. The second is a performance and prescriptive approach. The third is a marketplace approach

Strategies to Minimize Antibiotic Resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sang Hee Lee

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Antibiotic resistance can be reduced by using antibiotics prudently based on guidelines of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs and various data such as pharmacokinetic (PK and pharmacodynamic (PD properties of antibiotics, diagnostic testing, antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST, clinical response, and effects on the microbiota, as well as by new antibiotic developments. The controlled use of antibiotics in food animals is another cornerstone among efforts to reduce antibiotic resistance. All major resistance-control strategies recommend education for patients, children (e.g., through schools and day care, the public, and relevant healthcare professionals (e.g., primary-care physicians, pharmacists, and medical students regarding unique features of bacterial infections and antibiotics, prudent antibiotic prescribing as a positive construct, and personal hygiene (e.g., handwashing. The problem of antibiotic resistance can be minimized only by concerted efforts of all members of society for ensuring the continued efficiency of antibiotics.

Citizen Action Can Help the Code Adoption Process for Radon-Resistant New Construction: Decatur, Alabama

Science.gov (United States)

Adopting a code requiring radon-resistant new construction (RRNC) in Decatur, Alabama, took months of effort by four people. Their actions demonstrate the influence that passionate residents can have on reversing a city council’s direction.

Living with earthquakes - development and usage of earthquake-resistant construction methods in European and Asian Antiquity

Science.gov (United States)

Kázmér, Miklós; Major, Balázs; Hariyadi, Agus; Pramumijoyo, Subagyo; Ditto Haryana, Yohanes

2010-05-01

Earthquakes are among the most horrible events of nature due to unexpected occurrence, for which no spiritual means are available for protection. The only way of preserving life and property is applying earthquake-resistant construction methods. Ancient Greek architects of public buildings applied steel clamps embedded in lead casing to hold together columns and masonry walls during frequent earthquakes in the Aegean region. Elastic steel provided strength, while plastic lead casing absorbed minor shifts of blocks without fracturing rigid stone. Romans invented concrete and built all sizes of buildings as a single, unflexible unit. Masonry surrounding and decorating concrete core of the wall did not bear load. Concrete resisted minor shaking, yielding only to forces higher than fracture limits. Roman building traditions survived the Dark Ages and 12th century Crusader castles erected in earthquake-prone Syria survive until today in reasonably good condition. Concrete and steel clamping persisted side-by-side in the Roman Empire. Concrete was used for cheap construction as compared to building of masonry. Applying lead-encased steel increased costs, and was avoided whenever possible. Columns of the various forums in Italian Pompeii mostly lack steel fittings despite situated in well-known earthquake-prone area. Whether frequent recurrence of earthquakes in the Naples region was known to inhabitants of Pompeii might be a matter of debate. Seemingly the shock of the AD 62 earthquake was not enough to apply well-known protective engineering methods throughout the reconstruction of the city before the AD 79 volcanic catastrophe. An independent engineering tradition developed on the island of Java (Indonesia). The mortar-less construction technique of 8-9th century Hindu masonry shrines around Yogyakarta would allow scattering of blocks during earthquakes. To prevent dilapidation an intricate mortise-and-tenon system was carved into adjacent faces of blocks. Only the

Recommendations for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Prevention in Adult ICUs: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Whittington, Melanie D; Atherly, Adam J; Curtis, Donna J; Lindrooth, Richard C; Bradley, Cathy J; Campbell, Jonathan D

2017-08-01

Patients in the ICU are at the greatest risk of contracting healthcare-associated infections like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This study calculates the cost-effectiveness of methicillin-resistant S aureus prevention strategies and recommends specific strategies based on screening test implementation. A cost-effectiveness analysis using a Markov model from the hospital perspective was conducted to determine if the implementation costs of methicillin-resistant S aureus prevention strategies are justified by associated reductions in methicillin-resistant S aureus infections and improvements in quality-adjusted life years. Univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses determined the influence of input variation on the cost-effectiveness. ICU. Hypothetical cohort of adults admitted to the ICU. Three prevention strategies were evaluated, including universal decolonization, targeted decolonization, and screening and isolation. Because prevention strategies have a screening component, the screening test in the model was varied to reflect commonly used screening test categories, including conventional culture, chromogenic agar, and polymerase chain reaction. Universal and targeted decolonization are less costly and more effective than screening and isolation. This is consistent for all screening tests. When compared with targeted decolonization, universal decolonization is cost-saving to cost-effective, with maximum cost savings occurring when a hospital uses more expensive screening tests like polymerase chain reaction. Results were robust to sensitivity analyses. As compared with screening and isolation, the current standard practice in ICUs, targeted decolonization, and universal decolonization are less costly and more effective. This supports updating the standard practice to a decolonization approach.

Use of 222Rn-resistant techniques in new home construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, J.E. Jr.; Cote, R.A.

1999-01-01

The objective of this project was to assess the status of the use of 222 Rn-resistant construction techniques in new home construction in the eight Zone 1 counties of North Carolina. Zone 1 counties have an average predicted indoor 222 Rn screening potential greater than 148 Bq m -3 (4 pCi L -1 ). To facilitate a response from builders, a brief survey form was designed and printed on the back of a self-addressed, postage-paid postcard. This survey form was mailed to 460 home builders in the Zone 1 counties. The response rate was 17%, which can be compared to the 4.9% response rate obtained in a national survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. In their survey, 62% of the responding builders reported that they had built some or many homes in 1996 using construction techniques to reduce the entry of radon into homes, but only 10% of the builders reported using these techniques for many homes. The National Association of Home Builders survey determined that, nationally, 30% of homes built in Zone 1 counties had 222 Rn venting features. There is the potential for bias in the results of their survey (as well as in the results of the National Association of Home Builders survey) since the response rates were low

Construct and Concurrent Validation of a New Resistance Intensity Scale for Exercise with Thera-Band® Elastic Bands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan C. Colado, Xavier Garcia-Masso, N. Travis Triplett, Joaquin Calatayud, Jorge Flandez, David Behm, Michael E. Rogers

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The construct and concurrent validity of the Thera-Band Perceived Exertion Scale for Resistance Exercise with elastic bands (EB was examined. Twenty subjects performed two separate sets of 15 repetitions of both frontal and lateral raise exercise over two sessions. The criterion variables were myoelectric activity and heart rate. One set was performed with an elastic band grip width that permitted 15 maximum repetitions in the selected exercise, and another set was performed with a grip width 50% more than the 15RM grip. Following the final repetition of each set, active muscle (AM and overall body (O ratings of perceived exertion (RPE were collected from the Thera-Band® resistance exercise scale and the OMNI-Resistance Exercise Scale of perceived exertion with Thera-Band® resistance bands (OMNI-RES EB. Construct validity was established by correlating the RPE from the OMNI-RES EB with the Thera-Band RPE scale using regression analysis. The results showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05 in myoelectric activity, heart rate, and RPE scores between the low- and high-intensity sets. The intraclass correlation coefficient for active muscles and overall RPE scale scores was 0.67 and 0.58, respectively. There was a positive linear relationship between the RPE from the OMNI-RES EB and the Thera-Band scale. Validity coefficients for the RPE AM were r2 = 0.87 and ranged from r2 = 0.76 to 0.85 for the RPE O. Therefore, the Thera-Band Perceived Exertion Scale for Resistance Exercise can be used for monitoring elastic band exercise intensity. This would allow the training dosage to be better controlled within and between sessions. Moreover, the construct and concurrent validity indicates that the OMNI-RES EB measures similar properties of exertion as the Thera-Band RPE scale during elastic resistance exercise.

Design and Construction of a Thermal Contact Resistance and Thermal Conductivity Measurement System

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-01

thank my Mom, Dad , Allison, Jessica, and father-in-law, Tom, for always being there to listen and encourage me. xxiv THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY...thermal conductivity is temperature measurement inaccuracies. A probe constructed of a poor thermally conductive material when inserted into a hot...interface- resistance-measurement-using-a-transient-method/ [26] H. Fukushima, L. T. Drzal, B. P. Rook and M. J. Rich , “Thermal conductivity of exfoliated

Construction of a modular arsenic resistance operon in E. coli and the production of arsenic nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew Charles Edmundson

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Arsenic is a widespread contaminant of both land and water around the world. Current methods of decontamination such as phytoremediation and chemical adsorbents can be resource and time intensive, and may not be suitable for some areas such as remote communities where cost and transportation are major issues. Bacterial decontamination, with strict controls preventing environmental release, may offer a cost-effective alternative or provide a financial incentive when used in combination with other remediation techniques. In this study we have produced E. coli strains containing arsenic resistance genes from a number of sources, overexpressing them and testing their effects on arsenic resistance. While the lab E. coli strain JM109 (the wild-type is resistant up to 20 mM sodium arsenate the strain containing our plasmid pEC20 is resistant up to 80 mM. When combined with our construct pArsRBCC arsenic-containing nanoparticles were observed at the cell surface; the elements of pEC20 and pArsRBCC were therefore combined in a modular construct, pArs, in order to evaluate the roles and synergistic effects of the components of the original plasmids in arsenic resistance and nanoparticle formation. We also investigated the use of introducing the lac operator in order to more tightly control expression from pArs. We demonstrate that our strains are able to reduce toxic forms of arsenic into stable, insoluble metallic As(0, providing one way to remove arsenate contamination, and which may also be of benefit for other heavy metals.

Statistics Anxiety Update: Refining the Construct and Recommendations for a New Research Agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Chew, Peter K H; Dillon, Denise B

2014-03-01

Appreciation of the importance of statistics literacy for citizens of a democracy has resulted in an increasing number of degree programs making statistics courses mandatory for university students. Unfortunately, empirical evidence suggests that students in nonmathematical disciplines (e.g., social sciences) regard statistics courses as the most anxiety-inducing course in their degree programs. Although a literature review exists for statistics anxiety, it was done more than a decade ago, and newer studies have since added findings for consideration. In this article, we provide a current review of the statistics anxiety literature. Specifically, related variables, definitions, and measures of statistics anxiety are reviewed with the goal of refining the statistics anxiety construct. Antecedents, effects, and interventions of statistics anxiety are also reviewed to provide recommendations for statistics instructors and for a new research agenda. © The Author(s) 2014.

The construction of the social problem of violence in brazilian football: domination and resistance

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Felipe Tavares Paes Lopes

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper, I aimed to answer the following question: how the claims-makers of the social problem of violence in Brazilian football symbolically construct the conditions of this problem, the actors involved in it and their solutions and how these symbolic constructions reinforce or, on the contrary, undermine relations of domination? Therefore, I referred to research findings that I have been developing since 2008. Besides, I considered my experiences during my participation in the public debate about violence in Brazilian football. Among other things, I concluded that some of these symbolic constructions have kept the organized group of supporters and the poor supporters under a condition of domination. At the same time, I indicated that they have motivated practices of resistance, such as the creation of representative associations of organized group of supporters.

Electrochemical construction

Science.gov (United States)

Einstein, Harry; Grimes, Patrick G.

1983-08-23

An electrochemical cell construction features a novel co-extruded plastic electrode in an interleaved construction with a novel integral separator-spacer. Also featured is a leak and impact resistant construction for preventing the spill of corrosive materials in the event of rupture.

Construction of RNA-Quantum Dot Chimera for Nanoscale Resistive Biomemory Application.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Taek; Yagati, Ajay Kumar; Pi, Fengmei; Sharma, Ashwani; Choi, Jeong-Woo; Guo, Peixuan

2015-07-28

RNA nanotechnology offers advantages to construct thermally and chemically stable nanoparticles with well-defined shape and structure. Here we report the development of an RNA-QD (quantum dot) chimera for resistive biomolecular memory application. Each QD holds two copies of the pRNA three-way junction (pRNA-3WJ) of the bacteriophage phi29 DNA packaging motor. The fixed quantity of two RNAs per QD was achieved by immobilizing the pRNA-3WJ with a Sephadex aptamer for resin binding. Two thiolated pRNA-3WJ serve as two feet of the chimera that stand on the gold plate. The RNA nanostructure served as both an insulator and a mediator to provide defined distance between the QD and gold. Immobilization of the chimera nanoparticle was confirmed with scanning tunneling microscopy. As revealed by scanning tunneling spectroscopy, the conjugated pRNA-3WJ-QD chimera exhibited an excellent electrical bistability signal for biomolecular memory function, demonstrating great potential for the development of resistive biomolecular memory and a nano-bio-inspired electronic device for information processing and computing.

Extensive Analysis of Worldwide Events Related to The Construction and Commissioning of Nuclear Power Plants: Lessons Learned and Recommendations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noel, M.; Zerger, B.; Vuorio, U.; )

2011-01-01

Lessons learnt from past experience are extensively used to improve the safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs) worldwide. Although the process of analyzing operational experience is now widespread and well developed, the need for establishment of a similar process for construction experience was highlighted by several countries embarking on construction of new NPPs and in some international forums including the Working Group on the Regulation of New Reactors (WGRNR) of the OECD-NEA. In 2008, EU Member State Safety Authorities participating to the EU Clearinghouse on Operational Experience Feedback decided to launch a topical study on events related to pre-operational stages of NPPs. The aim of this topical study is to reduce the recurrence of events related to the construction, the initial component manufacturing and the commissioning of NPPs, by identifying the main recurring and safety significant issues. For this study, 1090 IRS event reports, 857 US Licensee Event Reports (LERs) and approximately 100 WGRNR reports have been preselected based on key word searches and screened. The screening period starts from the beginning of the databases operation (in the 1980's as far as IRS and LER database are concerned) and ends in November 2009. After this initial screening, a total of 582 reports have been found applicable (247 IRS reports, 309 LERs and 26 WGRNR reports). Events considered for this study were those which have been initiated before the start of commercial operation, and detected before or even long after commercial operation. The events have been classified into 3 main categories (construction, manufacturing and commissioning), and into further sub-categories (building structures, metallic liners, electrical components, anchors, I and C, penetrations and building seals, emergency diesel generators, pipes, valves, welds, pumps, etc.) in order to facilitate the detailed analysis with the final objective to formulate both equipment specific

Development of transgenic watermelon resistant to Cucumber mosaic virus and Watermelon mosaic virus by using a single chimeric transgene construct.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ching-Yi; Ku, Hsin-Mei; Chiang, Yi-Hua; Ho, Hsiu-Yin; Yu, Tsong-Ann; Jan, Fuh-Jyh

2012-10-01

Watermelon, an important fruit crop worldwide, is prone to attack by several viruses that often results in destructive yield loss. To develop a transgenic watermelon resistant to multiple virus infection, a single chimeric transgene comprising a silencer DNA from the partial N gene of Watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV) fused to the partial coat protein (CP) gene sequences of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) and Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) was constructed and transformed into watermelon (cv. Feeling) via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Single or multiple transgene copies randomly inserted into various locations in the genome were confirmed by Southern blot analysis. Transgenic watermelon R(0) plants were individually challenged with CMV, CGMMV or WMV, or with a mixture of these three viruses for resistance evaluation. Two lines were identified to exhibit resistance to CMV, CGMMV, WMV individually, and a mixed inoculation of the three viruses. The R(1) progeny of the two resistant R(0) lines showed resistance to CMV and WMV, but not to CGMMV. Low level accumulation of transgene transcripts in resistant plants and small interfering (si) RNAs specific to CMV and WMV were readily detected in the resistant R(1) plants by northern blot analysis, indicating that the resistance was established via RNA-mediated post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). Loss of the CGMMV CP-transgene fragment in R1 progeny might be the reason for the failure to resistant CGMMV infection, as shown by the absence of a hybridization signal and no detectable siRNA specific to CGMMV in Southern and northern blot analyses. In summary, this study demonstrated that fusion of different viral CP gene fragments in transgenic watermelon contributed to multiple virus resistance via PTGS. The construct and resistant watermelon lines developed in this study could be used in a watermelon breeding program for resistance to multiple viruses.

Impact resistance of sustainable construction material using light weight oil palm shells reinforced geogrid concrete slab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muda, Z C; Usman, F; Beddu, S; Alam, M A; Mustapha, K N; Birima, A H; Sidek, L M; Rashid, M A; Malik, G; Zarroq, O S

2013-01-01

This paper investigate the performance of lightweight oil palm shells (OPS) concrete slab with geogrid reinforcement of 300mm × 300mm size with 20mm, 30mm and 40 mm thick casted with different geogrid orientation and boundary conditions subjected to low impact projectile test. A self-fabricated drop-weight impact test rig with a steel ball weight of 1.2 kg drop at 1 m height has been used in this research work. The main variables for the study is to find the relationship of the impact resistance the slab thickness, boundary conditions and geogrid reinforcement orientation. Test results indicate that the used of the geogrid reinforcement increased the impact resistance under service (first) limit crack up to 5.9 times and at ultimate limit crack up to 20.1 times against the control sample (without geogrid). A good linear relationship has been established between first and ultimate crack resistance against the slab thickness. The orientation of the geogrid has minor significant to the crack resistance of the OPS concrete slab. OPS geogrid reinforced slab has a good crack resistance properties that can be utilized as a sustainable impact resistance construction materials.

Concrete construction engineering handbook

CERN Document Server

Nawy, Edward G

2008-01-01

Provides coverage of concrete construction engineering and technology. This work features discussions focusing on: the advances in engineered concrete materials; reinforced concrete construction; specialized construction techniques; and, design recommendations for high performance.

Reducing Resistance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindell, Johanna

care may influence decisions on antibiotic use. Based on video-and audio recordings of physician-patient consultations it is investigated how treatment recommendations are presented, can be changed, are forecast and explained, and finally, how they seemingly meet resistance and how this resistance......Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health problem both nationally and internationally, and efficient strategies are needed to reduce unnecessary use. This dissertation presents four research studies, which examine how communication between general practitioners and patients in Danish primary...... is responded to.The first study in the dissertation suggests that treatment recommendations on antibiotics are often done in a way that encourages patient acceptance. In extension of this, the second study of the dissertation examines a case, where acceptance of such a recommendation is changed into a shared...

Construction and performance studies of large resistive Micromegas quadruplets

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00508881; Iengo, Paolo; Bianco, Michele; Sidiropoulou, Ourania; Kuger, Fabian; Sekhniaidze, Givi; Wotschack, Jorg; Vergain, Maurice; Danielsson, Hans Olof; Degrange, Jordan; Schott, Matthias; Lin, Tai-Hua; Valderanis, Chrysostomos; Dudder, Andreas Christian

2015-01-01

In view of the use of Micromegas detectors for the upgrade of the ATLAS muon system, two detector quadruplets with an area of 0.3 m$^2$ per plane serving as prototypes for future ATLAS chambers have been constructed. They are based on the resistive-strip technology and thus spark tolerant. The detectors were built in a modular way. The quadruplets consist of two double-sided readout panels and three support (or drift) panels equipped with the micromesh and the drift electrode. The panels are bolted together such that the detector can be opened and cleaned, if required. Two of the readout planes are equipped with readout strips inclined by 1.5 degree. In this talk, we present the results of detailed performance studies based on X-Ray and cosmic ray measurements as well as measurements with 855 MeV electrons at the MAMI accelerator. In particular, results on reconstruction efficiencies, track resolution and gain homogeneity is presented.

Construction and Performance Studies of Large Resistive Micromegas Quadruplets

CERN Document Server

Farina, Edoardo Maria; The ATLAS collaboration; Kuger, Fabian; Sidiropoulou, Ourania; Iengo, Paolo; Sekhniaidze, Givi; Wotschack, Jorg; Lin, Tai-Hua; Schott, Matthias; Valderanis, Chrysostomos; Dudder, Andreas Christian

2015-01-01

In view of the use of micromegas detectors for the upgrade of the ATLAS muon system, two detector quadruplets with an area of 0.5 m2 per plane serving as prototypes for future ATLAS chambers have been constructed. They are based on the resistive-strip technology and thus spark tolerant. The detectors were built in a modular way. The quadruplets consist of two double-sided readout panels and three support (or drift) panels equipped with the micromesh and the drift electrode. The panels are bolted together such that the detector can be opened and cleaned, if required. Two of the readout planes are equipped with readout strips inclined by 1.5 degree. In this talk, we present the results of detailed performance studies based on X-Ray measurements, cosmic ray- and test-beam measurements at the MAMI accelerator that have been conducted in the past months. In particular, results on reconstruction efficiencies, track resolution and gain homogeneity will be presented.

Construction and Performance Studies of Large Resistive Micromegas Quadruplets

Science.gov (United States)

Farina, E.; Iengo, P.; Bianco, M.; Sidiropoulou, O.; Kuger, F.; Sekhniaidze, G.; Vergain, M.; Wotschack, J.; Danielsson, H.; Degrange, J.; De Oliveira, R.; Schott, M.; Lin, Tai-Hua; Valderanis, C.; Düdder, A.

2018-02-01

In view of the use of Micromegas detectors for the upgrade of the ATLAS muon system, two detector quadruplets with an area of 0.3 m2 per plane serving as prototypes for future ATLAS chambers have been constructed. They are based on the resistive-strip technology and thus spark tolerant. The detectors were built in a modular way. The quadruplets consist of two double-sided readout panels and three support (or drift) panels equipped with the micromesh and the drift electrode. The panels are bolted together such that the detector can be opened and cleaned, if required. Two of the readout planes are equipped with readout strips inclined by 1.5 degree. In this talk, we present the results of detailed performance studies based on X-Ray and cosmic ray measurements as well as measurements with 855 MeV electrons at the MAMI accelerator. In particular, results on reconstruction efficiencies, track resolution and gain homogeneity is presented.

Overall Ventilation System Flow Network Calculation for Site Recommendation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinhoff, Jeff J.

2001-01-01

The scope of this calculation is to determine ventilation system resistances, pressure drops, airflows, and operating cost estimates for the Site Recommendation (SR) design as detailed in the ''Site Recommendation Subsurface Layout'' (BSC (Bechtel SAIC Company) 2001a). The statutory limit for emplacement of waste in Yucca Mountain is 70,000 metric tons of uranium (MTU) and is considered the base case for this report. The objective is to determine the overall repository system ventilation flow network for the monitoring phase during normal operations and to provide a basis for the system description document design descriptions. Any values derived from this calculation will not be used to support construction, fabrication, or procurement. The work scope is identified in the ''Technical Work Plan for Subsurface Design Section FY01 Work Activities'' (CRWMS M and O 2001, pp. 6 and 13). In accordance with the technical work plan this calculation was prepared in accordance with AP-3.12Q, ''Calculations'' and other procedures invoked by AP-3.12Q. It also incorporates the procedure AP-SI1.Q, ''Software Management''

Does microbicide use in consumer products promote antimicrobial resistance? A critical review and recommendations for a cohesive approach to risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Maillard, Jean-Yves; Bloomfield, Sally; Coelho, Joana Rosado; Collier, Phillip; Cookson, Barry; Fanning, Séamus; Hill, Andrew; Hartemann, Philippe; McBain, Andrew J; Oggioni, Marco; Sattar, Syed; Schweizer, Herbert P; Threlfall, John

2013-10-01

The increasing use of microbicides in consumer products is raising concerns related to enhanced microbicide resistance in bacteria and potential cross resistance to antibiotics. The recently published documents on this topic from the European Commission have spawned much interest to better understand the true extent of the putative links for the benefit of the manufacturers, regulators, and consumers alike. This white paper is based on a 2-day workshop (SEAC-Unilever, Bedford, United Kingdom; June 2012) in the fields of microbicide usage and resistance. It identifies gaps in our knowledge and also makes specific recommendations for harmonization of key terms and refinement/standardization of methods for testing microbicide resistance to better assess the impact and possible links with cross resistance to antibiotics. It also calls for a better cohesion in research in this field. Such information is crucial to developing any risk assessment framework on microbicide use notably in consumer products. The article also identifies key research questions where there are inadequate data, which, if addressed, could promote improved knowledge and understanding to assess any related risks for consumer and environmental safety.

Recommendation in evolving online networks

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xiao; Zeng, An; Shang, Ming-Sheng

2016-02-01

Recommender system is an effective tool to find the most relevant information for online users. By analyzing the historical selection records of users, recommender system predicts the most likely future links in the user-item network and accordingly constructs a personalized recommendation list for each user. So far, the recommendation process is mostly investigated in static user-item networks. In this paper, we propose a model which allows us to examine the performance of the state-of-the-art recommendation algorithms in evolving networks. We find that the recommendation accuracy in general decreases with time if the evolution of the online network fully depends on the recommendation. Interestingly, some randomness in users' choice can significantly improve the long-term accuracy of the recommendation algorithm. When a hybrid recommendation algorithm is applied, we find that the optimal parameter gradually shifts towards the diversity-favoring recommendation algorithm, indicating that recommendation diversity is essential to keep a high long-term recommendation accuracy. Finally, we confirm our conclusions by studying the recommendation on networks with the real evolution data.

NVENTIONS IN THE NANOTECHNOLOGICAL AREA PROVIDE INCREASED RESISTANCE OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS TO OPERATIONAL LOAD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

VLASOV Vladimir Alexeevich

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The invention «Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes (RU 2494961» can be used in production of modifying additives for construction materials. Dispersion of carbon nanotubes contains, mass %: carbon nanotubes 1–20; surface active agent – sodium chloride of sulfonated derived naphthalene 1–20; fumed silica 5–15; water – the rest. Dispersion can additionally contain ethylene glycol as antifreeze. Dispersion is steady in storage, it is soluble in water, provides increased strength of construction materials. Invention «Building Structures Reinforcement Composition (RU 2493337» can beused in construction to reinforce concrete, brick and masonry structures. Composition contains glass or basalt roving taken in quantity 90÷100 parts by weight, soaked in polymer binder based on epoxy taken in quantity 0,001÷1,5 parts by weight. This invention provides high resistance to operational load.

Highly sensitive piezo-resistive graphite nanoplatelet-carbon nanotube hybrids/polydimethylsilicone composites with improved conductive network construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Hang; Bai, Jinbo

2015-05-13

The constructions of internal conductive network are dependent on microstructures of conductive fillers, determining various electrical performances of composites. Here, we present the advanced graphite nanoplatelet-carbon nanotube hybrids/polydimethylsilicone (GCHs/PDMS) composites with high piezo-resistive performance. GCH particles were synthesized by the catalyst chemical vapor deposition approach. The synthesized GCHs can be well dispersed in the matrix through the mechanical blending process. Due to the exfoliated GNP and aligned CNTs coupling structure, the flexible composite shows an ultralow percolation threshold (0.64 vol %) and high piezo-resistive sensitivity (gauge factor ∼ 10(3) and pressure sensitivity ∼ 0.6 kPa(-1)). Slight motions of finger can be detected and distinguished accurately using the composite film as a typical wearable sensor. These results indicate that designing the internal conductive network could be a reasonable strategy to improve the piezo-resistive performance of composites.

Construction labor productivity during nuclear power plant construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murray, W.B.

1980-01-01

There is no single satisfactory way to measure productivity in the construction industry. The industry is too varied, too specialized and too dependent upon vast numbers of interrelations between trades, contractors, designers and owners. Hence, no universally reliable indices for measuring construction productivity has been developed. There are problems that are generic to all large union-built nuclear power plants. The actions of any one owner cannot rectify the shortcomings of the construction industry. The generic problems are being identified, and many national organizations are attempting to make the construction industry more productive by recommending various changes

Construction and in vitro test of a new electrode for dentin resistance measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Steffen; Gente, Michael

2013-10-01

It is necessary to reduce the tooth substance before treating a tooth with a dental crown. The preparation often requires reduction of the dentin. This results in a dentin wound and a thinner substance over the pulp, increases the risk of inflammation, and could result in necrosis of the pulp. To give the dentist information about the amount of dentin over the pulp during preparation, the Prepometer was developed. The function of this device is based on the measurement of the electric resistance of the tooth substance. The measuring behavior of the first-generation Prepometer is characterized by smaller values of electric resistance before reaching full contact of the measuring head to the dentin surface and the actual value RT. This measuring behavior can mislead inexperienced therapists with inaccurate values that suggest thinner dentin than the reality. In this study, a new electrode based on the technology of active guard drive was constructed to overcome this issue. The results show that improvement in the measuring behavior of the new electrode could be achieved, eliminating the earlier disadvantage of the Prepometer.

Construction and characterisation of near-isogenic Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) strains resistant to Cry1Ac toxin.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Xun; Lei, Yanyuan; Yang, Yanjv; Baxter, Simon W; Li, Jianhong; Wu, Qingjun; Wang, Shaoli; Xie, Wen; Guo, Zhaojiang; Fu, Wei; Zhang, Youjun

2015-02-01

Resistance to insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins has arisen in multiple populations of the worldwide Brassica pest Plutella xylostella (L.). To help elucidate the mechanism of resistance to Bt Cry1Ac toxin in a population from Florida, two pairs of near-isogenic lines (NILs) were developed. NILs were generated using either backcross or recombinant inbred line methodologies and evaluated for near-isogenicity with inter-simple-sequence-repeat (ISSR) markers. Backcross line BC6F4 maintained a similar level of Cry1Ac resistance to parental strain DBM1Ac-R (>5000-fold) yet showed 98.24% genetic similarity to the susceptible parental strain DBM1Ac-S. Single-pair backcrosses between DBM1Ac-S and BC6F4 revealed that Cry1Ac resistance was controlled by one recessive autosomal locus. BC6F4 exhibited high levels of cross-resistance to Cry1Ab and Cry1Ah but not to Cry1Ca or Cry1Ie. Near-isogenic strains were constructed to provide a reliable biological system to investigate the mechanism of Cry1Ac resistance in P. xylostella. These data suggest that resistance to Cry1Ac, Cry1Ab and Cry1Ah is probably caused by the alteration of a common receptor not recognised by Cry1Ca or Cry1Ie. Understanding Bt toxin cross-resistance provides valuable information to consider when developing pest control strategies to delay resistance evolution. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Protein Requirements and Recommendations for Older People: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caryl Nowson

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Declines in skeletal muscle mass and strength are major contributors to increased mortality, morbidity and reduced quality of life in older people. Recommended Dietary Allowances/Intakes have failed to adequately consider the protein requirements of the elderly with respect to function. The aim of this paper was to review definitions of optimal protein status and the evidence base for optimal dietary protein. Current recommended protein intakes for older people do not account for the compensatory loss of muscle mass that occurs on lower protein intakes. Older people have lower rates of protein synthesis and whole-body proteolysis in response to an anabolic stimulus (food or resistance exercise. Recommendations for the level of adequate dietary intake of protein for older people should be informed by evidence derived from functional outcomes. Randomized controlled trials report a clear benefit of increased dietary protein on lean mass gain and leg strength, particularly when combined with resistance exercise. There is good consistent evidence (level III-2 to IV that consumption of 1.0 to 1.3 g/kg/day dietary protein combined with twice-weekly progressive resistance exercise reduces age-related muscle mass loss. Older people appear to require 1.0 to 1.3 g/kg/day dietary protein to optimize physical function, particularly whilst undertaking resistance exercise recommendations.

Novel CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive constructs reveal insights into mechanisms of resistance allele formation and drive efficiency in genetically diverse populations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jackson Champer

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A functioning gene drive system could fundamentally change our strategies for the control of vector-borne diseases by facilitating rapid dissemination of transgenes that prevent pathogen transmission or reduce vector capacity. CRISPR/Cas9 gene drive promises such a mechanism, which works by converting cells that are heterozygous for the drive construct into homozygotes, thereby enabling super-Mendelian inheritance. Although CRISPR gene drive activity has already been demonstrated, a key obstacle for current systems is their propensity to generate resistance alleles, which cannot be converted to drive alleles. In this study, we developed two CRISPR gene drive constructs based on the nanos and vasa promoters that allowed us to illuminate the different mechanisms by which resistance alleles are formed in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. We observed resistance allele formation at high rates both prior to fertilization in the germline and post-fertilization in the embryo due to maternally deposited Cas9. Assessment of drive activity in genetically diverse backgrounds further revealed substantial differences in conversion efficiency and resistance rates. Our results demonstrate that the evolution of resistance will likely impose a severe limitation to the effectiveness of current CRISPR gene drive approaches, especially when applied to diverse natural populations.

All EU hands to the EU pumps: the Science Academies of Europe (EASAC) recommend strong support of research to tackle antibacterial resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Gyssens, I C

2008-10-01

Despite many European Union (EU) conferences on fighting microbial resistance, rates of resistance in Europe continue to increase. Although research is catching up with discovery, the development of new antimicrobials is threatened by economic factors, in particular the need for a return of investment via high-volume sales. The EU should invest in independent research into the economic and business aspects of antibiotic development. Multidisciplinary input from the fields of finance, law, marketing, sociology and psychology will inform a broad agenda for change at the regulatory, academic and commercial levels and identify new options for novel anti-infective research and development, as recently recommended by the Science Academies of Europe (EASAC).

Resistance patterns, prevalence, and predictors of fluoroquinolones resistance in multidrug resistant tuberculosis patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nafees Ahmad

2016-01-01

Conclusion: The high degree of drug resistance observed, particularly to fluoroquinolones, is alarming. We recommend the adoption of more restrictive policies to control non-prescription sale of fluoroquinolones, its rational use by physicians, and training doctors in both private and public–private mix sectors to prevent further increase in fluoroquinolones resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains.

The efficacy of aerobic exercise and resistance training as transdiagnostic interventions for anxiety-related disorders and constructs: A randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

LeBouthillier, Daniel M; Asmundson, Gordon J G

2017-12-01

Evidence supports exercise as an intervention for many mental health concerns; however, randomized controlled investigations of the efficacy of different exercise modalities and predictors of change are lacking. The purposes of the current trial were to: (1) quantify the effects of aerobic exercise and resistance training on anxiety-related disorder (including anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder) status, symptoms, and constructs, (2) evaluate whether both modalities of exercise were equivalent, and (3) to determine whether exercise enjoyment and physical fitness are associated with symptom reduction. A total of 48 individuals with anxiety-related disorders were randomized to aerobic exercise, resistance training, or a waitlist. Symptoms of anxiety-related disorders, related constructs, and exercise enjoyment were assessed at pre-intervention and weekly during the 4-week intervention. Participants were further assessed 1-week and 1-month post-intervention. Both exercise modalities were efficacious in improving disorder status. As well, aerobic exercise improved general psychological distress and anxiety, while resistance training improved disorder-specific symptoms, anxiety sensitivity, distress tolerance, and intolerance of uncertainty. Physical fitness predicted reductions in general psychological distress for both types of exercise and reductions in stress for aerobic exercise. Results highlight the efficacy of different exercise modalities in uniquely addressing anxiety-related disorder symptoms and constructs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: resistance and cardiovascular training.

Science.gov (United States)

Helms, E R; Fitschen, P J; Aragon, A A; Cronin, J; Schoenfeld, B J

2015-03-01

The anabolic effect of resistance training can mitigate muscle loss during contest preparation. In reviewing relevant literature, we recommend a periodized approach be utilized. Block and undulating models show promise. Muscle groups should be trained 2 times weekly or more, although high volume training may benefit from higher frequencies to keep volume at any one session from becoming excessive. Low to high (~3-15) repetitions can be utilized but most repetitions should occur in the 6-12 range using 70-80% of 1 repetition maximum. Roughly 40-70 reps per muscle group per session should be performed, however higher volume may be appropriate for advanced bodybuilders. Traditional rest intervals of 1-3 minutes are adequate, but longer intervals can be used. Tempo should allow muscular control of the load; 1-2 s concentric and 2-3 s eccentric tempos. Training to failure should be limited when performing heavy loads on taxing exercises, and primarily relegated to single-joint exercises and higher repetitions. A core of multi-joint exercises with some single-joint exercises to address specific muscle groups as needed should be used, emphasizing full range of motion and proper form. Cardiovascular training can be used to enhance fat loss. Interference with strength training adaptations increases concomitantly with frequency and duration of cardiovascular training. Thus, the lowest frequency and duration possible while achieving sufficient fat loss should be used. Full-body modalities or cycling may reduce interference. High intensities may as well; however, require more recovery. Fasted cardiovascular training may not have benefits over fed-state and could be detrimental.

40 CFR 243.200-2 - Recommended procedures: Design.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... waste containers should be constructed of corrosion resistant metal or other material which will not.... Containers should have covers which are tight-fitting to resist the intrusion of water and vectors, and...

Internet Memes as a Field of Discursive Construction of Identity and Space of Resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lidija Marinkov Pavlović

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with Internet memes as a form of viral content that spreads via the network varying a basic concept while constructing and deconstructing different identities. If memes are understood as a discursive field in the completely new world of social media, in which different groups, their attitudes, ideologies and interests are represented more clearly and more directly than ever before through the appropriation of popular contents and images, then this form of viral content can be also viewed as a space of resistance and criticism in which identities are decentralized and ready for change.

Removal of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes from domestic sewage by constructed wetlands: Optimization of wetland substrates and hydraulic loading.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jun; Wei, Xiao-Dong; Liu, You-Sheng; Ying, Guang-Guo; Liu, Shuang-Shuang; He, Liang-Ying; Su, Hao-Chang; Hu, Li-Xin; Chen, Fan-Rong; Yang, Yong-Qiang

2016-09-15

This study aimed to assess removal potential of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in raw domestic wastewater by various mesocosm-scale horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands (CWs) planted Cyperus alternifolius L. with different design parameters. Twelve CWs with three hydraulic loading rates (HLR 10, 20 and 30cm/day) and four substrates (oyster shell, zeolite, medical stone and ceramic) were set up in order to select the best optimized wetland. The result showed that 7 target antibiotics compounds including erythromycin-H2O, lincomycin, monensin, ofloxacin, sulfamerazine, sulfamethazine and novobiocin were detected, and all selected 18 genes (three sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1, sul2 and sul3), four tetracycline resistance genes (tetG, tetM, tetO and tetX), two macrolide resistance genes (ermB and ermC), three quinolone resistance genes (qnrB, qnrD and qnrS) and four chloramphenicol resistance genes (cmlA, fexA, fexB and floR)) and two integrase genes (int1 and int2) were positively detected in the domestic wastewaters. The aqueous removal rates of the total antibiotics ranged from17.9 to 98.5%, while those for the total ARGs varied between 50.0 and 85.8% by the mesocosm-scale CWs. After considering their aqueous removal rates in combination with their mass removals, the CW with zeolite as the substrate and HLR of 20cm/day was selected as the best choice. Combined chemical and biological analyses indicate that both microbial degradation and physical sorption processes were responsible for the fate of antibiotics and ARGs in the wetlands. The findings from this study suggest constructed wetlands could be a promising technology for the removal of emerging contaminants such as antibiotics and ARGs in domestic wastewater. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use sulfoferritic cements in construction

Science.gov (United States)

Samchenko, Svetlana V.; Zorin, Dmitriy A.

2018-03-01

Currently, high-rise construction has received increasing attention around the world. In the big cities under construction is less space and one solution is the high-rise construction. However, high-rise buildings use special requirements, such as strength, thermal insulation, wind load and others. When concrete is exposed to continuous loads by wind or to mechanical loads, it undergoes abrasion. Resistance to this process depends on the characteristics of materials that the concrete and finishing seams are made of. Research on increasing impact and abrasion resistance of calcium sulfoferrite-based cement stone from the perspective of formation of cement stone structure will be instrumental in developing durable materials for application in high-rise construction.

Recent developments in corrosion-resistant metallic alloys for construction of seawater pumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glover, T.J.

1988-01-01

The location of power stations, refineries, and chemical plants on the coasts, the massive growth in desalination plants in the Middle East, and the growth of the North Sea offshore industry in the past 10 years have substantially increased the quantity of seawater being handled. Conveying this seawater from the sea to locations within the plant for cooling or desalting purposes requires many pumps, which traditionally have been constructed from cast iron, Ni-Resist, gunmetal, bronze, and stainless steel. The majority of these materials have given an adequate cost-to-life performance. The choice of materials for seawater pumps is continually growing; this article discusses the most likely choices commercially available: high-strength cupronickels; duplex stainless steels; high-alloy austenitic stainless steels; high-nickel alloys; and titanium and its alloys

Screening test recommendations for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus surveillance practices: A cost-minimization analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Whittington, Melanie D; Curtis, Donna J; Atherly, Adam J; Bradley, Cathy J; Lindrooth, Richard C; Campbell, Jonathan D

2017-07-01

To mitigate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, intensive care units (ICUs) conduct surveillance through screening patients upon admission followed by adhering to isolation precautions. Two surveillance approaches commonly implemented are universal preemptive isolation and targeted isolation of only MRSA-positive patients. Decision analysis was used to calculate the total cost of universal preemptive isolation and targeted isolation. The screening test used as part of the surveillance practice was varied to identify which screening test minimized inappropriate and total costs. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the range of total costs resulting from variation in inputs. The total cost of the universal preemptive isolation surveillance practice was minimized when a polymerase chain reaction screening test was used ($82.51 per patient). Costs were $207.60 more per patient when a conventional culture was used due to the longer turnaround time and thus higher isolation costs. The total cost of the targeted isolation surveillance practice was minimized when chromogenic agar 24-hour testing was used ($8.54 per patient). Costs were $22.41 more per patient when polymerase chain reaction was used. For ICUs that preemptively isolate all patients, the use of a polymerase chain reaction screening test is recommended because it can minimize total costs by reducing inappropriate isolation costs. For ICUs that only isolate MRSA-positive patients, the use of chromogenic agar 24-hour testing is recommended to minimize total costs. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radioactive materials in construction projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrmann, Ralf; Ohlendorf, Frank; Kaltz, Andrea Christine

2014-01-01

Till 1990 residues often of the former uranium mining were partly used as building material for road construction, terrain compensation and house construction in Saxony. These recommendations for action are addressed to applicants, planners and building constructors in the engineering and construction sector. It provides information for planning, preliminary investigations, applications, construction supervision related to radiation protection measures and documentation of construction projects where radioactive materials are expected.

Development of LRFD procedures for bridge pile foundations in Iowa - volume III : recommended resistance factors with consideration of construction control and setup.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-01

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) mandated utilizing the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) approach for all new bridges initiated in the United States after October 1, 2007. As a result, there has been a progressive move among state De...

Electrochemical construction of micro–nano spongelike structure on titanium substrate for enhancing corrosion resistance and bioactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Pinliang; Lin, Longxiang; Zhang, Fan; Dong, Xiang; Ren, Lei; Lin, Changjian

2013-01-01

Highlights: • A hierarchical micro–nano spongelike TiO 2 layer was constructed on Ti substrate. • The micro–nano TiO 2 surface presented good corrosion resistance. • Excellent biomineration ability was observed on such micro–nano TiO 2 layer. • Superior MG63 cell viability was discerned on the micro–nano structured surface. -- Abstract: Surface structures of medical implants generally play a crucial role in tissue growth and healing while implanted into a living body. The surface design and modification of implants can effectively promote its biocompatibility and integration ability. In this study, a hierarchically superhydrophilic structure on titanium surface with a nano-spongelike titania layer on the micro-roughened titanium surface was constructed through dual acid etching and electrochemical treatments. It is shown that the structure of micro/nano-spongelike TiO 2 provides not only better corrosion resistance and less oxygen vacancies, but also much higher ability of biomineralization after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 14 days. It is evident, by the cell culture for the different samples, that the micro–nano spongelike structured surface on Ti significantly promotes human osteoblast-like MG63 cell attachment and proliferation. All evaluations of electrochemical behavior and biological responses in this study indicate that the micro/nano-spongelike structure on Ti surface is of excellent chemical stability, bioactivity as well as biocompatibility for biomedical implant applications

An Agent Framework of Tourism Recommender System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jia Zhi Yang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes the development of an Agent framework for tourism recommender system. The recommender system can be featured as an online web application which is capable of generating a personalized list of preference attractions for tourists. Traditional technologies of classical recommender system application domains, such as collaborative filtering, content-based filtering and content-based filtering are effectively adopted in the framework. In the framework they are constructed as Agents that can generate recommendations respectively. Recommender Agent can generate recommender information by integrating the recommendations of Content-based Agent, collaborative filtering-based Agent and constraint-based Agent. In order to make the performance more effective, linear combination method of data fusion is applied. User interface is provided by the tourist Agent in form of webpages and mobile app.

ICRS Recommendation Document

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roos, Ewa M.; Engelhart, Luella; Ranstam, Jonas

2011-01-01

and function evaluated for validity and psychometric properties in patients with articular cartilage lesions. Results: The knee-specific instruments, titled the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form and the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis and Outcome Score, both fulfill the basic......Abstract Objective: The purpose of this article is to describe and recommend patient-reported outcome instruments for use in patients with articular cartilage lesions undergoing cartilage repair interventions. Methods: Nonsystematic literature search identifying measures addressing pain...... constructs at all levels according to the International Classification of Functioning. Conclusions: Because there is no obvious superiority of either instrument at this time, both outcome measures are recommended for use in cartilage repair. Rescaling of the Lysholm Scoring Scale has been suggested...

Effect of Co-Composting Cattle Manure with Construction and Demolition Waste on the Archaeal, Bacterial, and Fungal Microbiota, and on Antimicrobial Resistance Determinants.

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, Devin B; Hao, Xiying; Topp, Edward; Yang, Hee Eun; Alexander, Trevor W

2016-01-01

Agricultural operations generate large quantities of manure which must be eliminated in a manner that is consistent with public health guidelines. Meanwhile, construction and demolition waste makes up about 25% of total solid municipal waste. Co-composting of manure with construction and demolition waste offers a potential means to make manure safe for soil amendment and also divert construction and demolition waste from municipal landfills. Therefore, the archaeal, bacterial, and fungal microbiota of two different types of composted cattle manure and one co-composted with construction and demolition waste, were assessed over a 99-day composting period. The microbiota of the three compost mixtures did not differ, but significant changes over time and by sampling depth were observed. Bacillus and Halocella, however, were more relatively abundant in composted manure from cattle fed dried distillers' grains and solubles. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were enriched at day 0 and Firmicutes at day 99. The fungal genus Kernia was the most relatively abundant overall and was enriched at day 0. The concentration of 12 antimicrobial resistance determinants in the compost mixtures was also determined, and 10 of these determinants decreased significantly from days 0 to 99. The addition of construction and demolition waste did not affect the persistence of antimicrobial resistance genes or community structure of the compost microbiota and therefore co-composting construction and demolition waste with cattle manure offers a safe, viable way to divert this waste from landfills.

Effect of Co-Composting Cattle Manure with Construction and Demolition Waste on the Archaeal, Bacterial, and Fungal Microbiota, and on Antimicrobial Resistance Determinants

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, Devin B.; Hao, Xiying; Topp, Edward; Yang, Hee Eun; Alexander, Trevor W.

2016-01-01

Agricultural operations generate large quantities of manure which must be eliminated in a manner that is consistent with public health guidelines. Meanwhile, construction and demolition waste makes up about 25% of total solid municipal waste. Co-composting of manure with construction and demolition waste offers a potential means to make manure safe for soil amendment and also divert construction and demolition waste from municipal landfills. Therefore, the archaeal, bacterial, and fungal microbiota of two different types of composted cattle manure and one co-composted with construction and demolition waste, were assessed over a 99-day composting period. The microbiota of the three compost mixtures did not differ, but significant changes over time and by sampling depth were observed. Bacillus and Halocella, however, were more relatively abundant in composted manure from cattle fed dried distillers’ grains and solubles. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were enriched at day 0 and Firmicutes at day 99. The fungal genus Kernia was the most relatively abundant overall and was enriched at day 0. The concentration of 12 antimicrobial resistance determinants in the compost mixtures was also determined, and 10 of these determinants decreased significantly from days 0 to 99. The addition of construction and demolition waste did not affect the persistence of antimicrobial resistance genes or community structure of the compost microbiota and therefore co-composting construction and demolition waste with cattle manure offers a safe, viable way to divert this waste from landfills. PMID:27300323

27 CFR 555.209 - Construction of type 3 magazines.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... magazines. 555.209 Section 555.209 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO... Construction of type 3 magazines. A type 3 magazine is a “day-box” or other portable magazine. It must be fire-resistant, weather-resistant, and theft-resistant. A type 3 magazine is to be constructed of not less than...

Inventions in the nanotechnological area considerably increase wear- and chemical resistance of construction products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

VLASOV Vladimir Alexeevich

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The invention «Reinforced flaked element made of natural or conglomerate stone and its multilayer protective coating (RU 2520193» is referred to construction materials. Reinforced flaked element made of natural or conglomerate stone consists of: natural or conglomerate materials as the basis; multilayer coating which protects the mentioned basis from chemical substances and wearing mechanical factors influencing on this element where the multilayer coating includes at least three layers formed by one or many film-forming compositions which comprise top layer with scratch-resistant nanoparticles and encircled with polyester, melamine, phenolic, acryl or epoxy resin (or any combination of them which provides protection against scratches; damper intermediate layer made of epoxy and/or acryl resin which provides impact resistant; lower layer adjoining to the basis and containing particles of Al2O3 or silicon carbide plus acryl polymer and providing resistance to abrasive wear. Technical result is increased wear- and chemical resistance of flaked elements from natural or conglomerate materials. The invention «Fine organic suspension of carbon metal-containing nanostructures and the method to produce it (RU 2515858» is referred to the area of physical and colloid chemistry and can be used to obtain polymer compositions. Fine organic suspension of carbon metal-containing nanostructures is produced by interaction between nanostructures and polyethylenepolyamine. At first the powder of carbon metalcontaining nanostructures (which are nanoparticles of 3d-metal such as copper, cobalt, nickel stabilized in carbon nanostructures is mechanically milled, then it is mechanically ground with polyethylenepolyamine introduced portionally unless and until the content of nanostructures is less 1 g/ml. The invention results in decreased power inputs as the obtained fine organic suspension of carbon and metal-containing nanostructures is able to recover due to

Electrical resistivity measurements to predict abrasion resistance of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

WINTEC

increasing expansion of highway and other construction works and decreasing natural aggregate resources in the world, the demand for crushed stone aggregates has in- creased from day-to-day. One of the important properties of rock aggregates is abrasion resistance. The abrasion resistance of aggregates is generally ...

An incentive-based architecture for social recommendations

KAUST Repository

Bhattacharjee, Rajat; Goel, Ashish; Kollias, Konstantinos

2009-01-01

We present an incentive-based architecture for providing recommendations in a social network. We maintain a distinct reputation system for each individual and we rely on users to identify appropriate correlations and rate the items using a system-provided recommendation language. The key idea is to design an incentive structure and a ranking system such that any inaccuracy in the recommendations implies the existence of a profitable arbitrage opportunity, hence making the system resistant to malicious spam and presentation bias. We also show that, under mild assumptions, our architecture provides users with incentive to minimize the Kullback-Leibler divergence between the ratings and the actual item qualities, quickly driving the system to an equilibrium state with accurate recommendations. Copyright 2009 ACM.

Strategy Guideline. Advanced Construction Documentation Recommendations for High Performance Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lukachko, A. [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States); Gates, C. [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States); Straube, J. [Building Science Corporation, Somerville, MA (United States)

2011-12-01

As whole house energy efficiency increases, new materials and new systems require greater coordination and communication between industry stakeholders. This report presents four changes that are recommended to achieve improvements in energy efficiency, durability and health in Building America houses: create coordination drawings, improve specifications, improve detail drawings, and review drawings and prepare a Quality Control Plan.

Research on E-Commerce Platform-Based Personalized Recommendation Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhijun Zhang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aiming at data sparsity and timeliness in traditional E-commerce collaborative filtering recommendation algorithms, when constructing user-item rating matrix, this paper utilizes the feature that commodities in E-commerce system belong to different levels to fill in nonrated items by calculating RF/IRF of the commodity’s corresponding level. In the recommendation prediction stage, considering timeliness of the recommendation system, time weighted based recommendation prediction formula is adopted to design a personalized recommendation model by integrating level filling method and rating time. The experimental results on real dataset verify the feasibility and validity of the algorithm and it owns higher predicting accuracy compared with present recommendation algorithms.

Farmers' Characteristics and Adoption' of Recommended Practices ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

into cooperatives and increased agricultural extension education to enhance communication were recommended. ,. Key words: ... I Further actions by the Federal government to fully utilize the ... by constructing tube wells, wash bore, purchase.

Drug Resistance

Science.gov (United States)

... Drug-resistance testing is also recommended for all pregnant women with HIV before starting HIV medicines and also in some pregnant women already taking HIV medicines. Pregnant women will work with their health ...

Accelerating risk reduction in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal: Theory-based mass-media intervention proven to increase knowledge of, belief in, and intent to support earthquake-resistant construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanquini, A.; Thapaliya, S. M.; Wood, M. M.; Hilley, G. E.

2015-12-01

Motivating people in rapidly urbanizing areas to take protective actions against natural disasters faces the challenge that these people often do not know what actions to take, do not believe that such actions are effective, and/or believe that the disaster will not happen to them within their lifetimes. Thus, finding demonstrated ways of motivating people to take protective action likely constitutes a grand challenge for natural disaster risk reduction and resiliency, because it may be one of the largest, lowest-cost sources of potential risk reduction in these situations. We developed a theory-based documentary film (hereafter, intervention) targeted at motivating retrofits of local school buildings, and tested its effectiveness in Kathmandu, Nepal, using a matched-pair clustered randomized controlled trial. The intervention features Nepalese who have strengthened their school buildings as role models to others at schools still in need of seismic work. It was tested at 16 Kathmandu Valley schools from November 2014 through March 2015. Schools were matched into 8 pairs, then randomly assigned to see either the intervention film or an attention placebo control film on an unrelated topic. Testing was completed just five weeks before the M 7.8 Gorkha earthquake struck central Nepal. When compared to the control schools, the schools whose community members saw the retrofit intervention film increased their knowledge of specific actions to take in support of earthquake-resistant construction, belief in the feasibility of making buildings earthquake-resistant, willingness to support seismic strengthening of the local school building, and likelihood to recommend to others that they build earthquake-resistant homes, which have all been shown to be precursors to taking self-protective action. This suggests that employing a mass-media intervention featuring community members who have already taken the desired action increases factors that may accelerate adoption of risk

Roussely report: recommendations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2010-01-01

A summary of the Roussely report on how to reinforce and support French nuclear industry, has been made public. This report recommends a series of measures. The main measures are: 1) the quick achievement in the best conditions possible of the Olkiluoto plant, 2) to assure the construction of Flamanville-3 under the best conditions of cost and delay, 3) to benefit totally from the feedback experiences of the construction of Olkiluoto and Flamanville-3 for the construction of Penly-3 and of the English program of EPR, 4) to confirm EDF as a leader for French industrial bids proposing nuclear power plants, 5) to diversify the offer of reactors for international bids, 6) to set a common body of rules for all the employees working in the nuclear sector in France, 7) to support the extension of service life of power reactors up to 60 years if safety is not at stake, 8) to promote French safety regulations at an international scale, and 9) to create a university of nuclear engineering. (A.C.)

Method of constructing an improved electrochemical cell

Science.gov (United States)

Grimes, Patrick G.; Einstein, Harry

1984-10-09

An electrochemical cell construction features a novel co-extruded plastic electrode in an interleaved construction with a novel integral separator-spacer. Also featured is a leak and impact resistant construction for preventing the spill of corrosive materials in the event of rupture.

Quality improvement of steel cast-welded constructions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Аркадій Васильович Лоза

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Among the various types of metallurgical equipment there are structures which are welded compounds of a cast base and additional elements produced by casting or any other means. Such structures are called cast-welded constructions. Besides new working properties such constructions appear to be more efficient and provide better durability as compared to the similar structures produced by other industrial means. Meanwhile the advantages of the technology are not used in full. One reason is low quality of the compound products caused by lack of proper preparation of the elements to be welded and poor quality of the welds themselves. In the article the methods of quality production and the maintenance of steel cast-welded constructions have been considered. A ladle of a blast-furnace slag car is used as the subject of investigation and further testing of the mentioned above technologies. The ladle is a cast product. Under operating conditions, the ladle undergoes mechanical and thermal load, which results in deformation of its sides that deflect inside. To prevent the deflection stiffening ribs are welded onto the outer surface of the ladle. However, there may be casting defects in the base metal that could reduce the durability of the welds. It has been proved that welds on the unprepared cast base of the steel product cannot guarantee the combination’s durability and reliability. To prevent the influence of the casting defects it has been recommended to cover the base metal with one more metal layer before welding the elements on. Two-layer surfacing provides best result as the first layer serves for the weld penetration of the casting defects since this layer has a significant share of base metal therefore it is less malleable; the second layer is necessary for making the layer viscous enough. The viscous layer ensures the absence of sharp transition from the deposited metal to the base metal and increases the crack resistance of the weld. In

Multiple antibiotic resistance patterns of rhizospheric bacteria isolated from Phragmites australis growing in constructed wetland for distillery effluent treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaturvedi, Sonal; Chandra, Ram; Rai, Vibhuti

2008-01-01

Susceptibility patterns of 12 different antibiotics were investigated against rhizospheric bacteria isolated from Phragmites australis from three different zones i.e. upper (0-5 cm), middle (5-10 cm), lower (10-15 cm) in constructed wetland system with and without distillery effluent. The major pollutants of distillery effluent were phenols, sulphide, heavy metals, and higher levels of biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) etc. The antibiotic resistance properties of bacteria were correlated with the heavy metal tolerance (one of distillery pollutant). Twenty-two species from contaminated and seventeen species from non-contaminated site were tested by agar disc-diffusion method. The results revealed that more than 63% of total isolates were resistance towards one or more antibiotics tested from all the three different zones of contaminated sites. The multiple-drug resistance property was shown by total 8 isolates from effluent contaminated region out of which 3 isolates were from upper zone, 3 isolates from middle zone and 2 isolates were from lower zone. Results indicated that isolates from contaminated rhizosphere were found more resistant to antibiotics than isolates from non-contaminated rhizosphere. Further this study produces evidence suggesting that tolerance to antibiotics was acquired by isolates for the adaptation and detoxification of all the pollutants present in the effluent at contaminated site. This consequently facilitated the phytoremediation of effluent, which emerges the tolerance and increases resistance to antibiotics.

Construction of 2 intraspecific linkage maps and identification of resistance QTLs for Phytophthora capsici root-rot and foliar-blight diseases of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Ogundiwin, Ebenezer A; Berke, Terry F; Massoudi, Mark; Black, Lowell L; Huestis, Gordon; Choi, Doil; Lee, Sanghyeob; Prince, James P

2005-08-01

Two linkage maps of pepper were constructed and used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) conferring resistance to Phytophthora capsici. Inoculations were done with 7 isolates: 3 from Taiwan, 3 from California, and 1 from New Mexico. The first map was constructed from a set of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of the PSP-11 (susceptible) x PI201234 (resistant) cross; and the second map was from a set of F(2) lines of the Joe E. Parker' (susceptible) x 'Criollo de Morelos 334' (resistant) cross. The RIL map covered 1466.1 cM of the pepper genome, and it consisted of 144 markers -- 91 amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs), 34 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDs), 15 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), 1 sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR), and 3 morphological markers -- distributed over 17 linkage groups. The morphological markers mapped on this population were erect fruit habit (up), elongated fruit shape (fs(e)), and fasciculate fruit clusters (fa). The F(2) map consisted of 113 markers (51 AFLPs, 45 RAPDs, 14 SSRs, and 3 SCARs) distributed in 16 linkage groups, covering a total of 1089.2 cM of the pepper genome. Resistance to both root rot and foliar blight were evaluated in the RIL population using the 3 Taiwan isolates; the remaining isolates were used for the root-rot test only. Sixteen chromosomal regions of the RIL map contained single QTLs or clusters of resistance QTLs that had an effect on root rot and (or) foliar blight, revealing a complex set of genetics involved in resistance to P. capsici. Five QTLs were detected in the F(2) map that had an effect on resistance to root rot.

Construction of new EST-SSRs for Fusarium resistant wheat breeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Yumurtaci, Aysen; Sipahi, Hulya; Al-Abdallat, Ayed; Jighly, Abdulqader; Baum, Michael

2017-06-01

Surveying Fusarium resistance in wheat with easy applicable molecular markers such as simple sequence repeats (SSRs) is a prerequest for molecular breeding. Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) are one of the main sources for development of new SSR candidates. Therefore, 18.292 publicly available wheat ESTs were mined and genotyping of newly developed 55 EST-SSR derived primer pairs produced clear fragments in ten wheat cultivars carrying different levels of Fusarium resistance. Among the proved markers, 23 polymorphic EST-SSRs were obtained and related alleles were mostly found on B and D genome. Based on the fragment profiling and similarity analysis, a 327bp amplicon, which was a product of contig 1207 (chromosome 5BL), was detected only in Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistant cultivars (CM82036 and Sumai) and the amino acid sequences showed a similarity to pathogen related proteins. Another FHB resistance related EST-SSR, Contig 556 (chromosome 1BL) produced a 151bp fragment in Sumai and was associated to wax2-like protein. A polymorphic 204bp fragment, derived from Contig 578 (chromosome 1DL), was generated from root rot (FRR) resistant cultivars (2-49; Altay2000 and Sunco). A total of 98 alleles were displayed with an average of 1.8 alleles per locus and the polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.11 to 0.78. Dendrogram tree with two main and five sub-groups were displayed the highest genetic relationship between FRR resistant cultivars (2-49 and Altay2000), FRR sensitive cultivars (Seri82 and Scout66) and FHB resistant cultivars (CM82036 and Sumai). Thus, exploitation of these candidate EST-SSRs may help to genotype other wheat sources for Fusarium resistance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hanford Spent Nuclear Fuel Project recommended path forward

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fulton, J.C.

1994-10-01

The Spent Nuclear Fuel Project (the Project), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy-commissioned Independent Technical Assessment (ITA) team, has developed engineered alternatives for expedited removal of spent nuclear fuel, including sludge, from the K Basins at Hanford. These alternatives, along with a foreign processing alternative offered by British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL), were extensively reviewed and evaluated. Based on these evaluations, a Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) Recommended Path Forward for K Basins spent nuclear fuel has been developed and is presented in Volume I of this document. The recommendation constitutes an aggressive series of projects to construct and operate systems and facilities to safely retrieve, package, transport, process, and store K Basins fuel and sludge. The overall processing and storage scheme is based on the ITA team's proposed passivation and vault storage process. A dual purpose staging and vault storage facility provides an innovative feature which allows accelerated removal of fuel and sludge from the basins and minimizes programmatic risks beyond any of the originally proposed alternatives. The projects fit within a regulatory and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) overlay which mandates a two-phased approach to construction and operation of the needed facilities. The two-phase strategy packages and moves K Basins fuel and sludge to a newly constructed Staging and Storage Facility by the year 2000 where it is staged for processing. When an adjoining facility is constructed, the fuel is cycled through a stabilization process and returned to the Staging and Storage Facility for dry interim (40-year) storage. The estimated total expenditure for this Recommended Path Forward, including necessary new construction, operations, and deactivation of Project facilities through 2012, is approximately $1,150 million (unescalated)

A Location-Based Business Information Recommendation Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shudong Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, many researches on information (e.g., POI, ADs recommendation based on location have been done in both research and industry. In this paper, we firstly construct a region-based location graph (RLG, in which region node respectively connects with user node and business information node, and then we propose a location-based recommendation algorithm based on RLG, which can combine with user short-ranged mobility formed by daily activity and long-distance mobility formed by social network ties and sequentially can recommend local business information and long-distance business information to users. Moreover, it can combine user-based collaborative filtering with item-based collaborative filtering, and it can alleviate cold start problem which traditional recommender systems often suffer from. Empirical studies from large-scale real-world data from Yelp demonstrate that our method outperforms other methods on the aspect of recommendation accuracy.

Dietary macronutrient recommendations for optimal Dietary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Both resistance and endurance-trained athletes have a higher dietary protein requirement of between 1.2 and 1.8 g protein/kg body weight (BW)/day, with an upper limit of 2 g protein/kg BW/day. To increase the rate of protein synthesis during the recovery period, immediate ingestion of protein postexercise is recommended ...

[Construction of genetic linkage map and localization of NBS-LRR like resistance gene analogues in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis)].

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Yu; Zhao, Qian-Cheng; Sun, De-Ling; Song, Wen-Qin

2007-06-01

Nucleotide binding site (NBS) profiling, a new method was used to map resistance gene analogues (RGAs) in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis). This method allows amplification and the mapping of genetic markers anchored in the conserved NBS encoding domain of plant disease resistance genes. AFLP was also performed to construct the cauliflower intervarietal genetic map. The aim of constructing genetic map was to identify potential molecular markers linked to important agronomic traits that would be particularly useful for development and improving the species. Using 17 AFLP primer combinations and two degeneration primer/enzyme combinations, a total of 234 AFLP markers and 21 NBS markers were mapped in the F2 population derived from self-pollinating a single F1 plant of the cross AD White Flower x C-8. The markers were mapped in 9 of major linkage groups spanning 668.4 cM, with an average distance of 2.9 cM between adjacent mapped markers. The AFLP markers were well distributed throughout the linkage groups. The linkage groups contained from 12 to 47 loci each and the distance between two consecutive loci ranged from 0 to 14.9 cM. NBS markers were mapped on 8 of the 9 linkage groups of the genetic map. Most of these markers were organized in clusters. This result demonstrates the feasibility of the NBS-profiling method for generating NBS markers for resistance loci in cauliflower. The clustering of the markers mapped in this study adds to the evidence that most of them could be real RGAs.

Recommendations for constructing forest stream crossings to control soil losses

Science.gov (United States)

Pamela J. Edwards; Jingxin Wang; Joshua T. Stedman

2009-01-01

Stream water samples were collected once daily and throughout storms from a small forested watershed in north central West Virginia for approximately 8 years. The turbidities of the samples were measured to determine how water quality changed in response to the construction of three associated stream crossings. The influence of the...

An innovation resistance factor model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siti Salwa Mohd Ishak

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The process and implementation strategy of information technology in construction is generally considered through the limiting prism of theoretical contexts generated from innovation diffusion and acceptance. This research argues that more attention should be given to understanding the positive effects of resistance. The study develops a theoretical framing for the Integrated Resistance Factor Model (IRFM. The framing uses a combination of diffusion of innovation theory, technology acceptance model and social network perspective. The model is tested to identify the most significant resistance factors using Partial Least Square (PLS technique. All constructs proposed in the model are found to be significant, valid and consistent with the theoretical framework. IRFM is shown to be an effective and appropriate model of user resistance factors. The most critical factors to influence technology resistance in the online project information management system (OPIMS context are: support from leaders and peers, complexity of the technology, compatibility with key work practices; and pre-trial of the technology before it is actually deployed. The study provides a new model for further research in technology innovation specific to the construction industry.

Different recommendations for empiric first-choice antibiotic treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McQuiston Haslund, Josephine; Rosborg Dinesen, Marianne; Nielsen, Anni Brit Sternhagen

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Uncomplicated urinary tract infection (uUTI) is a common reason for antibiotic treatment in primary health care. Due to the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant uropathogens it is crucial to use the most appropriate antibiotics for first-choice empiric treatment of uUTI....... Particularly, it is important to avoid antibiotics associated with a high rate of antimicrobial resistance. This study compares national recommendations from six European countries, investigating recommendations for first-choice antibiotic therapy of uUTI. SETTING: General practice in six European countries...... at least one antibiotic associated with a low (UTI could not be explained by differences in local bacterial aetiology or by different patterns of antimicrobial resistance. Despite resistance rates exceeding 10...

Corruption and internal fraud in the Turkish construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunduz, Murat; Önder, Oytun

2013-06-01

The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding about the internal fraud and corruption problem in the Turkish construction industry. The reasons behind the internal fraud and corruption problem as well as the types of prevention methods were investigated; and as a result various recommendations were made. To this end, a risk awareness questionnaire was used to understand the behavioral patterns of the construction industry, and to clarify possible proactive and reactive measures against internal fraud and corruption. The type of fraud experienced by Turkish construction companies was also surveyed in the questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to 89 firms; and depending on the collected data, certain recommendations for construction industry professionals were provided.

Benchmark study on glyphosate-resistant cropping systems in the United States. Part 7: Effects of weed management strategy (grower practices versus academic recommendations) on the weed soil seedbank over 6 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, David J; Young, Bryan G; Owen, Micheal D K; Gage, Karla L; Matthews, Joseph L; Jordan, David L; Shaw, David R; Weller, Stephen C; Wilson, Robert G

2016-04-01

Shifts in weed species composition and richness resulting from near-exclusive reliance on herbicides in glyphosate-resistant (GR) cropping systems has necessitated the implementation of alternative weed management tactics to reduce selection pressures of herbicides. We contrasted the response of the weed soil seedbank to effects of weed management strategy, comparing grower practices with academic recommendations for best management practices (BMPs) over 6 years and across five weed hardiness zones in the US Midwest at sites subject to GR cropping systems. Total weed population density and species richness varied according to cropping system, location and prior year's crop, but less so to weed management strategy. The seedbank population density for 11 of the 14 most frequent weed species was affected by weed management strategy either alone or in an interaction with hardiness zone or year, or both. In only 29% of comparisons was weed population density lower following academic recommendations, and this depended upon prior crop and cropping system. The population density of high-risk weed species was reduced by academic recommendations, but only in two of six years and under continuous GR maize. Overall, the weed population density was decreasing in field halves subject to the BMPs in the academic recommendations relative to grower practices. The soil seedbank is slow to respond to academic recommendations to mitigate glyphosate-resistant weeds, but represents a biological legacy that growers need to keep in mind even when management practices reduce emerged field weed population densities. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Constructing a web recommender system using web usage mining and user’s profiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Mombeini

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The World Wide Web is a great source of information, which is nowadays being widely used due to the availability of useful information changing, dynamically. However, the large number of webpages often confuses many users and it is hard for them to find information on their interests. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a system capable of guiding users towards their desired choices and services. Recommender systems search among a large collection of user interests and recommend those, which are likely to be favored the most by the user. Web usage mining was designed to function on web server records, which are included in user search results. Therefore, recommender servers use the web usage mining technique to predict users’ browsing patterns and recommend those patterns in the form of a suggestion list. In this article, a recommender system based on web usage mining phases (online and offline was proposed. In the offline phase, the first step is to analyze user access records to identify user sessions. Next, user profiles are built using data from server records based on the frequency of access to pages, the time spent by the user on each page and the date of page view. Date is of importance since it is more possible for users to request new pages more than old ones and old pages are less probable to be viewed, as users mostly look for new information. Following the creation of user profiles, users are categorized in clusters using the Fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm and S(c criterion based on their similarities. In the online phase, a neural network is offered to identify the suggested model while online suggestions are generated using the suggestion module for the active user. Search engines analyze suggestion lists based on rate of user interest in pages and page rank and finally suggest appropriate pages to the active user. Experiments show that the proposed method of predicting user recent requested pages has more accuracy and

Methodology for construction compliance monitoring in the crediting of investment projects for road construction

Science.gov (United States)

Vaynshtok, Natalia

2017-10-01

The article provides the results of development of the methodology for construction compliance monitoring in the crediting of investment projects for road construction. Work scope analysis of construction audit was conducted and an algorithm of financial audit in the crediting investment projects was developed. Furthermore, the possible pitfalls and abuses of counterparties were investigated and recommendations were given allowing the bank to receive objective and independent information on the progress of the project in real time. This mechanism is useful for the bank in insurance of possible risks, targeted and rational use of credit funds.

Construction of an integrated map and location of a bruchid resistance gene in mung bean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lixia Wang

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Bruchid beetle (Callosobruchus chinensis poses a serious threat to the production and storage of mung bean (Vigna radiata. Mapping bruchid resistance (Br will provide an important basis for cloning the responsible gene(s and elucidating its functional mechanism, and will also facilitate marker-assisted selection in mung bean breeding. Here, we report the construction of the genetic linkage groups of mung bean and mapping of the Br1 locus using an RIL population derived from a cross between Berken, a bruchid-susceptible line, and ACC41, a bruchid-resistant line. A total of 560 markers were mapped onto 11 linkage groups, with 38.0% of the markers showing distorted segregation. The lengths of the linkage groups ranged from 45.2 to 117.0 cM with a total coverage of 732.9 cM and an average interval of 1.3 cM between loci. Br1 was located on LG9 between BM202 (0.7 cM and Vr2-627 (1.7 cM. Based on 270 shared SSR markers, most of the linkage groups were assigned to specific chromosomes. These results should further accelerate the genetic study of this crop.

Managing Pre-Construction and Construction Risks on Project Sites in Abuja-Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jimoh R.A.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Managing risks in construction projects has been acknowledged as a key direction process for the purposes of attaining the project goal in terms of time, cost, quality, safety, and environmental sustainability. Hence, the paper evaluated pre-construction and construction risks on active project sites in Abuja-Nigeria. This was achieved using survey method through the self-administration of 35 questionnaires to the professionals handling the 35 identified projects being undertaking at that time. Results showed that errors and omissions in design and improperly defined project scope had mean score values of 3.03 and 2.54, respectively, were the construction risks most experienced by the professionals during pre-construction. On the other hand, fluctuation in market prices and delays with mean score values of 3.14 and 2.74, respectively, were the construction risks experienced by the professionals during the construction phase of the projects. It is recommended that procurement methods such as construction management should be adopted and stakeholders should keep to their own side of the bargain to avoid unnecessary delays.

Antibiotic-Resistant Gonorrhea

Science.gov (United States)

... Search Form Controls Cancel Submit Search the CDC Gonorrhea Note: Javascript is disabled or is not supported ... on Facebook Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Antibiotic-Resistant Gonorrhea Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir Low Resolution ...

Industrial Disputes in the Construction Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L.J Perry

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The Cole Royal Commission enquiry into the building and construction (abbreviated to ‘construction’ sector recommended controversial workplace-relation reforms for that sector. The recommended changes are likely to be enshrined in legislation within the year. The Commission drew on analyses of industrial disputes that focused, in the main, on quite recent experience. This paper attempts to give a broader historical perspective on disputes in that sector by considering the pattern of disputes for the entire post-World War II period. Accordingly, data on disputes and employees during the entire period are gathered from Australian Bureau of Statistics current and archived sources. These data are classified according to sector (construction versus non-construction and analysed. It is found that the strike rate has, on average, been greater in the construction sector than in the non-construction sector. However, there have been periods during which disputes in the construction sector have been relatively low. The most recent period was during the period of the Accord (1983-96, during which the strike rate in the construction sector fell relatively strongly. The analysis of this relatively broad historical period draws attention, among other things, to the possibility that the sort of strategies employed during the Accord years – strategies of cooperation and consensus building – may provide a more effective means of bringing industrial peace to the workplace relations scene of the construction sector than policies that are relatively confrontational.

[Antibiotic resistance: recommendations from the Advisory Council for Health Research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoogkamp-Korstanje, J.A.A.

2001-01-01

The Advisory Council for Health Research (RGO) advised the Dutch Minister of Health on research into the epidemiology, prevention and research of antibiotic resistance in the Netherlands. Good antimicrobial practice, insight into antibiotic use, implementation of measures to prevent development of

Antimicrobial resistance of thermophilic Campylobacter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Engberg, J.

2001-01-01

Campylobacter has become the leading cause of zoonotic enteric infections in developed and developing countries world-wide. Antimicrobial resistance has emerged among Campylobacter mainly as a consequence of the use of antimicrobial agents in food animal production. Resistance to drugs of choice...... for the treatment of infections, macrolides and fluoroquinolones has emerged as a clinical problem and interventions to reduce this are recommended. Resistance to fluoroquinolones and macrolides is mediated by chromosomal mutations. Resistance to other relevant antimicrobial agents, mediated by acquired resistance...... genes, has not become widespread so far. However, resistance genes originating from both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species have been found, showing the potential for acquired resistance to emerge in Campylobacter....

Constructal vascularized structures

Science.gov (United States)

Cetkin, Erdal

2015-06-01

Smart features such as self-healing and selfcooling require bathing the entire volume with a coolant or/and healing agent. Bathing the entire volume is an example of point to area (or volume) flows. Point to area flows cover all the distributing and collecting kinds of flows, i.e. inhaling and exhaling, mining, river deltas, energy distribution, distribution of products on the landscape and so on. The flow resistances of a point to area flow can be decreased by changing the design with the guidance of the constructal law, which is the law of the design evolution in time. In this paper, how the flow resistances (heat, fluid and stress) can be decreased by using the constructal law is shown with examples. First, the validity of two assumptions is surveyed: using temperature independent Hess-Murray rule and using constant diameter ducts where the duct discharges fluid along its edge. Then, point to area types of flows are explained by illustrating the results of two examples: fluid networks and heating an area. Last, how the structures should be vascularized for cooling and mechanical strength is documented. This paper shows that flow resistances can be decreased by morphing the shape freely without any restrictions or generic algorithms.

Recommender engine for continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo methods

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Li; Yang, Yi-feng; Wang, Lei

2017-03-01

Recommender systems play an essential role in the modern business world. They recommend favorable items such as books, movies, and search queries to users based on their past preferences. Applying similar ideas and techniques to Monte Carlo simulations of physical systems boosts their efficiency without sacrificing accuracy. Exploiting the quantum to classical mapping inherent in the continuous-time quantum Monte Carlo methods, we construct a classical molecular gas model to reproduce the quantum distributions. We then utilize powerful molecular simulation techniques to propose efficient quantum Monte Carlo updates. The recommender engine approach provides a general way to speed up the quantum impurity solvers.

World Health Organization treatment guidelines for drug-resistant tuberculosis, 2016 update.

Science.gov (United States)

Falzon, Dennis; Schünemann, Holger J; Harausz, Elizabeth; González-Angulo, Licé; Lienhardt, Christian; Jaramillo, Ernesto; Weyer, Karin

2017-03-01

Antimicrobial resistance is a major global concern. Tuberculosis (TB) strains resistant to rifampicin and other TB medicines challenge patient survival and public health. The World Health Organization (WHO) has published treatment guidelines for drug-resistant TB since 1997 and last updated them in 2016 based on reviews of aggregated and individual patient data from published and unpublished studies. An international expert panel formulated recommendations following the GRADE approach. The new WHO guidelines recommend a standardised 9-12 months shorter treatment regimen as first choice in patients with multidrug- or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB) strains not resistant to fluoroquinolones or second-line injectable agents; resistance to these two classes of core second-line medicines is rapidly detectable with molecular diagnostics also approved by WHO in 2016. The composition of longer regimens for patients ineligible for the shorter regimen was modified. A first-ever meta-analysis of individual paediatric patient data allowed treatment recommendations for childhood MDR/RR-TB to be made. Delamanid is now also recommended in patients aged 6-17 years. Partial lung resection is a recommended option in MDR/RR-TB care. The 2016 revision highlighted the continued shortage of high-quality evidence and implementation research, and reiterated the need for clinical trials and best-practice studies to improve MDR/RR-TB patient treatment outcomes and strengthen policy. The content of this work is copyright of the authors or their employers. Design and branding are copyright ©ERS 2017.

Environmental impacts of construction materials. A report on the contribution of construction materials to greenhouse gas emissions of construction; Rakennusmateriaalien ympaeristoevaikutukset. Selvitys rakennusmateriaalien vaikutuksesta rakentamisen kasvihuonekaasupaeaestoeihin, tiivistelmaeraportti

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruuska, A.; Haekkinen, T.; Vares, S.; Korhonen, M.-R.; Myllymaa, T.

2013-05-15

As the energy performance of new construction improves and the related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions diminish the carbon footprint of construction materials becomes more important. One objective in the current government's programme is to take into account construction materials and products in the energy performance assessment of buildings. At the request of the Ministry of the Environment, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and the Finnish Environment Institute analysed, through a case study, the significance of the environmental impacts of construction materials. The aim was to develop preliminary recommendations for guiding construction. The case study calculated the overall GHG emissions from the materials used in an apartment building over its life cycle and estimated the range of emissions. In addition, the amount of construction waste was assessed, as was the effects of waste management and waste utilisation processes on GHG emissions. This report presents a summary of the results. According to this case study, GHG emissions can vary in typical multi-storey residential buildings within the range of 1 to 2.2 or 1 to 3.9 when the site foundation work also taken into account. The study shows that the construction materials and related processes contribute significantly to the GHG emissions of a building over its life cycle. In fact the level of significance is of the same order as the heating of spaces in an A-class energy performance building. The efficient recycling of materials can contribute to reductions in GHG emissions. The study showed that the estimated benefit was 9 % of the total life-cycle emissions. In the future, specific assessments of different types of waste could look at opportunities for the recycling and reuse of critical materials. Plastics and wood are especially important waste components. Future research topics include improving the use of recycled materials, collecting information on user experiences and enhancing quality

Incorporating popularity in a personalized news recommender system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nirmal Jonnalagedda

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Online news reading has become a widely popular way to read news articles from news sources around the globe. With the enormous amount of news articles available, users are easily overwhelmed by information of little interest to them. News recommender systems help users manage this flood by recommending articles based on user interests rather than presenting articles in order of their occurrence. We present our research on developing personalized news recommendation system with the help of a popular micro-blogging service, “Twitter.” News articles are ranked based on the popularity of the article identified from Twitter’s public timeline. In addition, users construct profiles based on their interests and news articles are also ranked based on their match to the user profile. By integrating these two approaches, we present a hybrid news recommendation model that recommends interesting news articles to the user based on their popularity as well as their relevance to the user profile.

Comparison of the Resistance to Bending Forces of the 4.5 LCP Plate-rod Construct and of 4.5 LCP Alone Applied to Segmental Femoral Defects in Miniature Pigs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucie Urbanová

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The study deals with the determination of mechanical properties, namely resistance to bending forces, of flexible buttress osteosynthesis using two different bone-implant constructs stabilizing experimental segmental femoral bone defects (segmental ostectomy in a miniature pig ex vivo model using 4.5 mm titanium LCP and a 3 mm intramedullary pin (“plate and rod” construct (PR-LCP, versus the 4.5 mm titanium LCP alone (A-LCP. The “plate and rod” fixation (PR-LCP of the segmental femoral defect is significantly more resistant (p in vivo experiments in the miniature pig to investigate bone defect healing after transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells in combination with biocompatible scaffolds.

Antibiotics resistance of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: A limited number of antibiotics are recommended for the therapy of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia infections due to therapy difficulties caused by its numerous mechanisms of resistance. Objectives: In this study conducted over a period of approximately 5 years we aimed to determine resistance rates of S.

Understanding Cooperative Learning in Context-aware Recommender Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, Na; Tan, Chee-Wee; Wang, Weiquan

2017-01-01

Context-Aware Recommender Systems (CARSs) are becoming commonplace. Yet, there is a paucity of studies that investigates how such systems could affect usage behavior from a user-system interaction perspective. Building on the Social Interdependence Theory (SIT), we construct a research model...... of users’ promotive interaction with CARSs, which in turn, dictates the performance of such recommender systems. Furthermore, we introduce scrutability features as design interventions that can be harnessed by developers to mitigate the impact of users’ promotive interaction on the performance of CARSs....

Current developments at Giprokoks for coke-battery construction and reconstruction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

V.I. Rudyka; Y.E. Zingerman; V.B. Kamenyuka; O.N. Surenskii; G.E. Kos' kova; V.V. Derevich; V.A. Gushchin [Giprokoks, the State Institute for the Design of Coke-Industry Enterprises, Kharkov (Ukraine)

2009-07-15

Approaches developed at Giprokoks for coke-battery construction and reconstruction are considered. Recommendations regarding furnace construction and reconstruction are made on the basis of Ukrainian and world experience.

Post-quantum security of the sponge construction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Czajkowski, J.; Groot Bruinderink, L.; Hülsing, A.T.; Schaffner, C.; Unruh, D.

2017-01-01

We investigate the post-quantum security of hash functions based on the sponge construction. A crucial property for hash functions in the post-quantum setting is the collapsing property (a strengthening of collision-resistance). We show that the sponge construction is collapsing (and in consequence

Post-quantum security of the sponge construction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Czajkowski, Jan; Groot Bruinderink, Leon; Hülsing, Andreas; Schaffner, Christian; Unruh, Dominique

2018-01-01

We investigate the post-quantum security of hash functions based on the sponge construction. A crucial property for hash functions in the post-quantum setting is the collapsing property (a strengthening of collision-resistance). We show that the sponge construction is collapsing (and in consequence

[Organizational recommendations for day surgery].

Science.gov (United States)

Bontemps, Gilles

2014-03-01

In France, the delayed development of day surgery compared to other countries led the ANAP and the HAS in 2011 to enter into a joint work program to provide some reference guide for hospitals to change their practices to outpatient. In this context, organizational guidelines and operational tools were published in May 2013. The method of construction of the recommendations resulting from an original work that combined a three-fold approach: field vision by identifying the highlights of 15 hospitals selected for their representative performance and analyzing the risks of five voluntary hospitals, mobilization organizational theories from the social sciences, using 53 professional experts. The work concluded on 16 organizational recommendations under four forms (basic principles, strategic elements, operational elements and perspectives). These recommendations are accompanied by tools and guides diagnosis and implementation, as well as productions for further reflection. These organizational recommendations confirmed the specificity of day surgery, which is not related to the act, but to the organization, management and optimization of different flows of a hospital (patient flow, professional flows, logistical, informational…). The performance of a day surgery organization is linked to its ability to control its flow and anticipation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Aggregated recommendation through random forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Heng-Ru; Min, Fan; He, Xu

2014-01-01

Aggregated recommendation refers to the process of suggesting one kind of items to a group of users. Compared to user-oriented or item-oriented approaches, it is more general and, therefore, more appropriate for cold-start recommendation. In this paper, we propose a random forest approach to create aggregated recommender systems. The approach is used to predict the rating of a group of users to a kind of items. In the preprocessing stage, we merge user, item, and rating information to construct an aggregated decision table, where rating information serves as the decision attribute. We also model the data conversion process corresponding to the new user, new item, and both new problems. In the training stage, a forest is built for the aggregated training set, where each leaf is assigned a distribution of discrete rating. In the testing stage, we present four predicting approaches to compute evaluation values based on the distribution of each tree. Experiments results on the well-known MovieLens dataset show that the aggregated approach maintains an acceptable level of accuracy.

Conditions de contrat applicables aux travaux de construction

CERN Document Server

1999-01-01

Conditions of Contract for Construction, which are recommended for building or engineering works designed by the Employer or by his representative, the Engineer. Under the usual arrangements for this type of contract, the Contractor constructs the works in accordance with a design provided by the Employer. However, the works may include some elements of Contractor-designed civil, mechanical, electrical and/or construction works.

Scientific and educational recommender systems

Science.gov (United States)

Guseva, A. I.; Kireev, V. S.; Bochkarev, P. V.; Kuznetsov, I. A.; Philippov, S. A.

2017-01-01

This article discusses the questions associated with the use of reference systems in the preparation of graduates in physical function. The objective of this research is creation of model of recommender system user from the sphere of science and education. The detailed review of current scientific and social network for scientists and the problem of constructing recommender systems in this area. The result of this study is to research user information model systems. The model is presented in two versions: the full one - in the form of a semantic network, and short - in a relational form. The relational model is the projection in the form of semantic network, taking into account the restrictions on the amount of bonds that characterize the number of information items (research results), which interact with the system user.

Construction for Nuclear Installations. Specific Safety Guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

This Safety Guide provides recommendations and guidance based on international good practices in the construction of nuclear installations, which will enable construction to proceed with high quality. It can be applied to support the development, implementation and assessment of construction methods and procedures and the identification of good practices for ensuring the quality of the construction to meet the design intent and ensure safety. It will be a useful tool for regulatory bodies, licensees and new entrant countries for nuclear power plants and other nuclear installations

Assessment of supply chain management in Nigerian construction ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper on assessment of supply Chain Management (SCM) in Effective Project ... in Imo state focused on identifying the challenges of construction supply chain ... and diverse objective were ranked highest whereas unfair risk allocation and poor ... The study recommends that construction stakeholders should embrace ...

Advanced plant design recommendations from Cook Nuclear Plant experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimmerman, W.L.

1993-01-01

A project in the American Electric Power Service Corporation to review operating and maintenance experience at Cook Nuclear Plant to identify recommendations for advanced nuclear plant design is described. Recommendations so gathered in the areas of plant fluid systems, instrument and control, testing and surveillance provisions, plant layout of equipment, provisions to enhance effective maintenance, ventilation systems, radiological protection, and construction, are presented accordingly. An example for a design review checklist for effective plant operations and maintenance is suggested

Cephalosporin resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manju Bala

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Gonorrhea, a disease of public health importance, not only leads to high incidence of acute infections and complications but also plays a major role in facilitating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV acquisition and transmission. One of the major public health needs for gonorrhea control is appropriate, effective treatment. However, treatment options for gonorrhea are diminishing as Neisseria gonorrhoeae have developed resistance to several antimicrobial drugs such as sulfonamides, penicillin, tetracyclines and quinolones. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR surveillance of N. gonorrhoeae helps establish and maintain the efficacy of standard treatment regimens. AMR surveillance should be continuous to reveal the emergence of new resistant strains, monitor the changing patterns of resistance, and be able to update treatment recommendations so as to assist in disease control. Current treatment guidelines recommend the use of single dose injectable or oral cephalosporins. The emergence and spread of cephalosporin resistant and multi drug resistant N. gonorrhoeae strains, represents a worrying trend that requires monitoring and investigation. Routine clinical laboratories need to be vigilant for the detection of such strains such that strategies for control and prevention could be reviewed and revised from time to time. It will be important to elucidate the genetic mechanisms responsible for decreased susceptibility and future resistance. There is also an urgent need for research of safe, alternative anti-gonococcal compounds that can be administered orally and have effective potency, allowing high therapeutic efficacy (greater than 95.0% cure rate.

ASSESSMENT OF CRACKING RESISTANCE OF CELLULAR CONCRETE PRODUCTS UNDER MOISTURE AND CARBONISATION DEFORMATIONS WITH STRESS RELAXATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sh. I. Apkarov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. On the basis of the experimental, theoretical and field studies, an engineering calculation method was developed for assessing the cracking resistance of external enclosing constructions made of cellular concrete, with the maximum gradient development of moisture and carbonisation forced deformations along their thickness, taking into account the relaxation of the shrinkage stresses. In this regard, the aim of the work is to provide technological measures at the manufacturing stage in order to increase the operational cracking resistance of the construction's outer surface layers by reducing the moisture and carbonation shrinkage of cellular concrete by introducing a large or fine porous aggregate in calculated amounts.Methods. A number of analytical equations were applied to establish the dependence of the shrinkage of heavy concrete of conventional hardness on the amount of aggregate introduced and its elasticity modulus, water-cement ratio and cement consumption, as well as the concrete's moisture content.Results. Knowing the volumes of the structural aggregate and the cellular concrete mass, as well as their modulus of elasticity, the shrinkage reduction factor of the cellular concrete was calculated with the addition of a lightweight porous aggregate. Subsequently, the shrinkage deformations of concrete in the surface layer of the outer enclosing construction, maximising crack resistance due to moisture exchange and carbonation influences under operating conditions, were defined, taking into account the relaxation of tensile stresses due to creep of concrete.Conclusion. Theoretical calculations, based on the recommended method of assessing the cracking resistance of cellular concrete enclosing constructions under moisture exchange and carbonisation processes, taking into account the relaxation of shrinkage stresses, showed that in order to exclude the appearance of cracks in wall panels 280 mm thick made of 700 kg/m3 gas ash

Improving the Quality of Constructive Peer Feedback

Science.gov (United States)

Waggoner Denton, Ashley

2018-01-01

This article presents some simple strategies that instructors can use to improve the quality of the feedback students provide each other during a peer review activity. Briefly, I recommend that emphasis be placed solely on the provision of constructive comments, and that in order to qualify as constructive, a comment must: (1) identify a specific…

The Application of RFID Technologies in Construction

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LIAN Meng

2009-01-01

RFID technologies have advanced greatly and deployed successfully in many industry sectors in recent years. Construction industry could benefit from the applications of RFID technologies but as yet has not found sufficient application areas. This project gives a comprehensive awareness of the RFID technologies, which focus on the investigation on the UK construction industry. The current status of RFID in construction and its potentials are specified in the analysis of questionnaires and case studies. Finally, basing on the investigations, some further tasks in developing RFID technologies are carried, including some recommendations, for the construction industry.

Standard forms of construction contracts in Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristian Bănică

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Construction industry in Romania is under pressure to modernize in order to cope with the new demands of development and convergence with EU. Contractual procedures in construction have to become an integral part in this process of modernization. The article makes an introduction to the advantages of standard forms of contract and professional contract administration in construction and presents the current state-of-the art in the use of standard construction contracts in Romania. Some practical conclusions and recommendations are presented considering the need for further contract studies.

Comprehensive review of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: screening and preventive recommendations for plastic surgeons and other surgical health care providers.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Reilly, Eamon B; Johnson, Mark D; Rohrich, Rod J

2014-11-01

Up to 2.3 million people are colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the United States, causing well-documented morbidity and mortality. Although the association of clinical outcomes with community and hospital carriage rates is increasingly defined, less is reported about asymptomatic colonization prevalence among physicians, and specifically plastic surgeons and the subsequent association with the incidence of patient surgical-site infection. A review of the literature using the PubMed and Cochrane databases analyzing provider screening, transmission, and prevalence was undertaken. In addition, a search was completed for current screening and decontamination guidelines and outcomes. The methicillin-resistant S. aureus carriage prevalence of surgical staff is 4.5 percent. No prospective data exist regarding transmission and interventions for plastic surgeons. No studies were found specifically looking at prevalence or treatment of plastic surgeons. Current recommendations by national organizations focus on patient-oriented point-of-care testing and intervention, largely ignoring the role of the health care provider. Excellent guidelines exist regarding screening, transmission prevention, and treatment both in the workplace and in the community. No current such guidelines exist for plastic surgeons. No Level I or II evidence was found regarding physician screening, treatment, or transmission. Current expert opinion, however, indicates that plastic surgeons and their staff should be vigilant for methicillin-resistant S. aureus transmission, and once a sentinel cluster of skin and soft-tissue infections is identified, systematic screening and decontamination should be considered. If positive, topical decolonization therapy should be offered. In refractory cases, oral antibiotic therapy may be required, but this should not be used as a first-line strategy.

The Role of Construct Maps in Standard Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Kane, Michael T.; Tannenbaum, Richard J.

2013-01-01

The authors observe in this commentary that construct maps can help standard-setting panels to make realistic and internally consistent recommendations for performance-level descriptions (PLDs) and cut-scores, but the benefits may not be realized if policymakers do not fully understand the rationale for the recommendations provided by the…

Academic Resistance in the University: Conceptualizing the Phenomenon

Science.gov (United States)

Korbut, A. M.

2018-01-01

This article analyzes the phenomenon and concept of "academic resistance." Several aspects are identified: resistance as an integral part of power relations in university education, the pragmatic nature of resistance, and the impossibility of constructing an overarching conception of resistance. The author concludes that researching…

Emergence of multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant and untreatable gonorrhea

Science.gov (United States)

Unemo, Magnus; Nicholas, Robert A

2013-01-01

The new superbug Neisseria gonorrhoeae has retained resistance to antimicrobials previously recommended for first-line treatment and has now demonstrated its capacity to develop resistance to the extended-spectrum cephalosporin, ceftriaxone, the last remaining option for first-line empiric treatment of gonorrhea. An era of untreatable gonorrhea may be approaching, which represents an exceedingly serious public health problem. Herein, we review the evolution, origin and spread of antimicrobial resistance and resistance determinants (with a focus on extended-spectrum cephalosporins) in N. gonorrhoeae, detail the current situation regarding verified treatment failures with extended-spectrum cephalosporins and future treatment options, and highlight essential actions to meet the large public health challenge that arises with the possible emergence of untreatable gonorrhea. Essential actions include: implementing action/response plans globally and nationally; enhancing surveillance of gonococcal antimicrobial resistance, treatment failures and antimicrobial use/misuse; and improving prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of gonorrhea. Novel treatment strategies, antimicrobials (or other compounds) and, ideally, a vaccine must be developed. PMID:23231489

A Recommendation System to Facilitate Business Process Modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Shuiguang; Wang, Dongjing; Li, Ying; Cao, Bin; Yin, Jianwei; Wu, Zhaohui; Zhou, Mengchu

2017-06-01

This paper presents a system that utilizes process recommendation technology to help design new business processes from scratch in an efficient and accurate way. The proposed system consists of two phases: 1) offline mining and 2) online recommendation. At the first phase, it mines relations among activity nodes from existing processes in repository, and then stores the extracted relations as patterns in a database. At the second phase, it compares the new process under construction with the premined patterns, and recommends proper activity nodes of the most matching patterns to help build a new process. Specifically, there are three different online recommendation strategies in this system. Experiments on both real and synthetic datasets are conducted to compare the proposed approaches with the other state-of-the-art ones, and the results show that the proposed approaches outperform them in terms of accuracy and efficiency.

Delays in nuclear power plant construction. Volume II. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mason, G.E.; Larew, R.E.; Borcherding, J.D.; Okes, S.R. Jr.; Rad, P.F.

1977-01-01

The report identifies barriers to shortening nuclear power plant construction schedules and recommends research efforts which should minimize or eliminate the identified barriers. The identified barriers include (1) Design and Construction Interfacing Problems; (2) Problems Relating to the Selection and Use of Permanent Materials and Construction Methods; (3) Construction Coordination and Communication Problems; and (4) Problems Associated with Manpower Availability and Productivity

Delays in nuclear power plant construction. Volume I. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

The report identifies barriers to shortening nuclear power plant construction schedules and recommends research efforts which should minimize or eliminate the identified barriers. The identified barriers include: (1) Design and Construction Interfacing Problems; (2) Problems Relating to the Selection and Use of Permanent Materials and Construction Methods; (3) Construction Coordination and Communication Problems; and (4) Problems Associated with Manpower Availability and Productivity

Options and recommendations for a web database of material and construction inspection.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-02-01

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has been using software developed in-house for their : materials management and construction project management needs. The primary packages under : review MISTIC (Materials Management) and ICORS (Const...

Leaching behaviour of copper slag, construction and demolition waste and crushed rock used in a full-scale road construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Lidelöw, Sofia; Mácsik, Josef; Carabante, Ivan; Kumpiene, Jurate

2017-12-15

The leaching behaviour of a road construction with fayalitic copper slag, recycled concrete and crushed rock as sub-base materials was monitored over ten years. All studied materials used in the road construction, including crushed rock, contained concentrations of several elements exceeding the guideline values recommended by the Swedish EPA for total element concentrations for waste materials used in constructions. Despite that, leaching from the road construction under field conditions in general was relatively low. The leachates from the recycled materials contained higher concentrations of several constituents than the leachates from the reference section with crushed rock. The leaching of the elements of interest (Cr, Mo, Ni, Zn) reached peak concentrations during the second and fourth (Cu) years and decreased over the observation period to levels below the Swedish recommended values. Carbonation of the concrete aggregates caused a substantial but short-term increase in the leaching of oxyanions such as chromate. The environmental risks related to element leaching are highest at the beginning of the road life. Ageing of materials or pre-treatment through leaching is needed prior to their use in construction to avoid peak concentrations. Also, the design of road constructions should be adjusted so that recycled materials are covered with low-permeability covers, which would minimize the exposure to atmospheric precipitation and weathering. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industry

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1995-01-01

.... In the construction industry, asbestos is found in installed products such as shingles, floor tiles, cement pipe and sheet, roofing felts, insulation, ceiling tiles, fire-resistant drywall, and acoustical products...

Constructing Ecological Networks Based on Habitat Quality Assessment: A Case Study of Changzhou, China

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yu; Ma, Lei; Liu, Jiaxun; Zhuang, Zhuzhou; Huang, Qiuhao; Li, Manchun

2017-01-01

Fragmentation and reduced continuity of habitat patches threaten the environment and biodiversity. Recently, ecological networks are increasingly attracting the attention of researchers as they provide fundamental frameworks for environmental protection. This study suggests a set of procedures to construct an ecological network. First, we proposed a method to construct a landscape resistance surface based on the assessment of habitat quality. Second, to analyze the effect of the resistance surface on corridor simulations, we used three methods to construct resistance surfaces: (1) the method proposed in this paper, (2) the entropy coefficient method, and (3) the expert scoring method. Then, we integrated habitat patches and resistance surfaces to identify potential corridors using graph theory. These procedures were tested in Changzhou, China. Comparing the outputs of using different resistance surfaces demonstrated that: (1) different landscape resistance surfaces contribute to how corridors are identified, but only slightly affect the assessment of the importance of habitat patches and potential corridors; (2) the resistance surface, which is constructed based on habitat quality, is more applicable to corridor simulations; and (3) the assessment of the importance of habitat patches is fundamental for ecological network optimization in the conservation of critical habitat patches and corridors. PMID:28393879

Cost and effectiveness of radon-resistant features in new school buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craig, A.B.; Leovic, K.W.; Saum, D.W.

1991-01-01

Recent concerns over elevated levels of radon in existing buildings have prompted the design and construction of a number of school buildings that either are radon resistant or incorporate features that facilitate post-construction mitigation if needed. This paper describes initial results of a study of several schools with radon-resistant features that were recently constructed in the northeastern US. These designs are generally based on experience with radon mitigation in existing houses and schools and radon-resistant new house construction. The study was limited to slab-on-grade schools, where the most common radon-resistant school design is active subslab depressurization (ASD). The additional construction costs for eight schools built with ASD ranged from $3 to $11 per square meter of slab area. The radon contractors who designed these systems have tended to overdesign the radon-reduction systems in the absence of specific written guidance to follow to lessen potential liability in the event of system failure. Design features include detailed sealing of all stab cracks, multiple exhaust stacks, and extensive subslab piping. Recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) research on radon mitigation suggests that simpler ASD systems may provide sufficient radon resistance in new large buildings at lower costs. Components of a specification for radon-resistant school construction are discussed, based on comments from radon system designers. Another school being studied was built with a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) pressurization radon control system, and considerations for this type of system are examined

Healthcare information systems: data mining methods in the creation of a clinical recommender system

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, L.; Street, W. N.; Xu, E.

2011-05-01

Recommender systems have been extensively studied to present items, such as movies, music and books that are likely of interest to the user. Researchers have indicated that integrated medical information systems are becoming an essential part of the modern healthcare systems. Such systems have evolved to an integrated enterprise-wide system. In particular, such systems are considered as a type of enterprise information systems or ERP system addressing healthcare industry sector needs. As part of efforts, nursing care plan recommender systems can provide clinical decision support, nursing education, clinical quality control, and serve as a complement to existing practice guidelines. We propose to use correlations among nursing diagnoses, outcomes and interventions to create a recommender system for constructing nursing care plans. In the current study, we used nursing diagnosis data to develop the methodology. Our system utilises a prefix-tree structure common in itemset mining to construct a ranked list of suggested care plan items based on previously-entered items. Unlike common commercial systems, our system makes sequential recommendations based on user interaction, modifying a ranked list of suggested items at each step in care plan construction. We rank items based on traditional association-rule measures such as support and confidence, as well as a novel measure that anticipates which selections might improve the quality of future rankings. Since the multi-step nature of our recommendations presents problems for traditional evaluation measures, we also present a new evaluation method based on average ranking position and use it to test the effectiveness of different recommendation strategies.

Australian health professionals' health website recommendation trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Usher, Wayne T

2011-08-01

This study was concerned with indentifying motivations and trends associated with a health website recommendation from eight of Australia's major health professions to the health consumer. Health professions included in this study are: psychiatrists, general practitioners, social workers, dietitians, chiropractors, physiotherapists, optometrists and pharmacists. An online survey (www.limesurvey.org) was developed from a common set of questions negotiated between all eight health professions. Survey questions were constructed in an attempt to identify participants' reasons for or against recommending a health website to a patient. A 5-point scale (not, slightly, neutral, moderately, strongly) to measure influence was used throughout the question set. This study indicates that Australian general practitioners (GPs) were the highest Australian health professionals to undertake a health website recommendation (86%), followed by psychiatrists (80%), with the lowest being physiotherapists (42%) and optometrists (33%). A profile of the Australian health professional who recommends a health website is identified as male, aged above 50 years, has had more than 10 years experience, works in a major city, is in private practice and has patient numbers exceeding 500 in a 12-month period (2009). Recommendations from this study include the need to develop mechanisms that identify high-quality online medical information and the development and implementation of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses which up-skill health professionals concerning the recommendation of health websites for health care delivery.

Light Dependent Resistance as a Sensor in Spectroscopy Setups Using Pulsed Light and Compared with Electret Microphones

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Acosta-Avalos

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Light-dependent resistances (LDR are cheap light sensors. A less known lightdetector is the electret microphone, whose electret membrane functions as a perfectabsorber, but only detects pulsed light. The aim of this study was to analyze the use of aLDR and an electret microphone as a light sensor in an optical spectroscopy system usingpulsed light. A photoacoustic spectroscopy setup was used, substituting the photoacousticchamber by the light sensor proposed. The absorption spectra of two different liquids wereanalyzed. The results obtained allow the recommendation of the LDR as the first choice inthe construction of cheap homemade pulsed light spectroscopy systems.

Enhancing quality of construction on nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchert, K.P.

1984-01-01

From the author's viewpoint and the viewpoint of others, the quality of construction on both nuclear projects and many other non-nuclear projects has decreased. The trend toward recent QA and QC methods of contractors doing their own inspection has not only tended to reduce the quality of construction, but also has discouraged qualified inspectors from accepting positions where this type of QA and QC is practiced. In addition, the methods have decreased the desired interaction between design engineers and construction management. The paper contains detailed recommendations on how the quality of construction can be enhanced on nuclear projects. It is also shown that construction quality must be obtained by different methods than those used to obtain manufacturing quality

Rhythms of Resistance and Existence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chaudhary, Nandita; Hviid, Pernille; Marsico, Giuseppina

2017-01-01

This book is about resistance in everyday life, illustrated through empirical contexts from different parts of the world. Resistance is a widespread phenomenon in biological, social and psychological domains of human cultural development. Yet, it is not well articulated in the academic literature...... occurrence, the focus here is on everyday resistance as an intentional process where new meaning constructions emerge in thinking, feeling, acting or simply living with others. Resistance is thus conceived as a meaning-making activity that operates at the intersection of personal and collective systems...

Trusted Service Scheduling and Optimization Strategy Design of Service Recommendation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaona Xia

2017-01-01

Full Text Available More and more Web services raise the demands of personalized service recommendation; there exist some recommendation technologies, which improve the qualities of service recommendation by using service ranking and collaborative filtering. However, privacy and security are also important issues in service scheduling process; social relationships have been the key factors of interpersonal communication; service selection based on user preferences has become an inevitable trend. Starting from user demand preferences, this paper analyzes social topology and service demand information and obtains trusted social relationships; then we construct the fusion model of service historical preferences and potential ones; according to social service recommendation demands, TSRSR algorithm has completed designing. Through experiments, TSRSR algorithm is much better than the others, which can effectively improve potential preferences’ learning. Furthermore, the research results of this paper have more significance to study the security and privacy of service recommendation.

Cost and effectiveness of radon-resistant features in new school buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craig, A.B.; Leovie, K.W.

1991-01-01

Recent concerns over elevated levels of radon in existing buildings have prompted the design and construction of a number of school buildings that either are radon resistant or incorporate features that facilitate post-construction mitigation if needed. This paper described initial results of a study of several schools with radon-resistant features that were recently constructed in the northeastern U.S. These designs are generally based on experience with radon mitigation in existing houses and schools and radon-resistant new house construction. The study was limited to slab-on-grade schools, where the most common radon-resistant school design is active subslab depressurization (ASD). The additional construction costs for eight schools built with ASD ranged from $3 to $11 per square meter of slab area. The radon contractors who designed these systems have tended to overdesign the radon-reduction systems in the absence of specific written guidance to follow to lessen potential liability in the event of system failure. Design features include detailed sealing of all slab cracks, multiple exhaust stacks, and extensive subslab piping

Arrangement and planning of developer’s activities in the course of construction megaprojects implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orlov Alexandr K.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the specific features of megaprojects. Problems related to real estate reproduction in the course of construction megaprojects implementation were analyzed. Considering the specifics of construction megaprojects, recommendations for their performance assessment were developed. Issues relating to development arrangement and planning at all management levels (strategic, tactical and operational were considered. Recommendations provided in this paper can be used for the assessment of megaproject performance and formation of KPIs for the participants of the construction process.

Evaluation of groundwater potentiality survey in south Ataqa-northwestern part of Gulf of Suez by using resistivity data and site-selection modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Sultan, Sultan Awad; Essa, Khalid Sayed Ahmed Tawfik; Khalil, Mohamed Hassan; El-Nahry, Alaa Eldin Hassan; Galal, Alaa Nayef Hasan

2017-06-01

The integration between advanced techniques for groundwater exploration is necessary to manage and protect the vital resources. Direct current (DC) resistivity geoelectrical technique, Enhanced Thematic Mapper Landsat (ETM+) images and a geographic information system (GIS) are integrated to identify the groundwater potentiality in the study area. The interpretation of the one-dimensional (1-D) inversion of the acquired resistivity data are implemented for mapping the fresh to slightly brackish water aquifer. This number of vertical electric sounding is quite enough for different geologic mapping. The depth to the top of the ground water table (obtained from the existing Water well) and subsurface lithological information are used to calibrate the results of the resistivity data inversion. This research discussed how the integration between the geoelectrical parameters and hydrological data, could be used to determine the appropriate locations of dams construction and recommend the appropriate methods for management and rehabilitation of the aquifer.

Sustainable development and construction industry in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suliman L. Kh. M.

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Sustainable construction is a way for the building and infrastructure industry to move towards achieving sustainable development, taking into account environmental, socioeconomic and cultural issues. Differing approaches and differing economic markets lead to different priorities. This paper presents the construction scenario of Malaysia and the developments in sustainable construction taking place in this country. Barriers to the implementation of sustainable construction are discussed. A list of recommendation was proposed to drive sustainable construction in this country. In conclusion, the status of sustainable construction in Malaysia is still in its infancy. The lack of awareness, training and education, ineffective procurement systems, existing public policies and regulatory frameworks are among the major barriers for sustainable construction in Malaysia. Besides the needs for capacities, technologies and tools, total and ardent commitment by all players in the construction sectors including the governments and the public atlarge are required in order to achieve sustainable construction in Malaysia.

Tag-Driven Online Novel Recommendation with Collaborative Item Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fenghuan Li

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Online novel recommendation recommends attractive novels according to the preferences and characteristics of users or novels and is increasingly touted as an indispensable service of many online stores and websites. The interests of the majority of users remain stable over a certain period. However, there are broad categories in the initial recommendation list achieved by collaborative filtering (CF. That is to say, it is very possible that there are many inappropriately recommended novels. Meanwhile, most algorithms assume that users can provide an explicit preference. However, this assumption does not always hold, especially in online novel reading. To solve these issues, a tag-driven algorithm with collaborative item modeling (TDCIM is proposed for online novel recommendation. Online novel reading is different from traditional book marketing and lacks preference rating. In addition, collaborative filtering frequently suffers from the Matthew effect, leading to ignored personalized recommendations and serious long tail problems. Therefore, item-based CF is improved by latent preference rating with a punishment mechanism based on novel popularity. Consequently, a tag-driven algorithm is constructed by means of collaborative item modeling and tag extension. Experimental results show that online novel recommendation is improved greatly by a tag-driven algorithm with collaborative item modeling.

27 CFR 555.208 - Construction of type 2 magazines.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... magazines. 555.208 Section 555.208 Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO... Construction of type 2 magazines. A type 2 magazine is a box, trailer, semitrailer, or other mobile facility. (a) Outdoor magazines—(1) General. Outdoor magazines are to be bullet-resistant, fire-resistant...

An Effective News Recommendation Method for Microblog User

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wanrong Gu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Recommending news stories to users, based on their preferences, has long been a favourite domain for recommender systems research. Traditional systems strive to satisfy their user by tracing users' reading history and choosing the proper candidate news articles to recommend. However, most of news websites hardly require any user to register before reading news. Besides, the latent relations between news and microblog, the popularity of particular news, and the news organization are not addressed or solved efficiently in previous approaches. In order to solve these issues, we propose an effective personalized news recommendation method based on microblog user profile building and sub class popularity prediction, in which we propose a news organization method using hybrid classification and clustering, implement a sub class popularity prediction method, and construct user profile according to our actual situation. We had designed several experiments compared to the state-of-the-art approaches on a real world dataset, and the experimental results demonstrate that our system significantly improves the accuracy and diversity in mass text data.

An effective news recommendation method for microblog user.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Wanrong; Dong, Shoubin; Zeng, Zhizhao; He, Jinchao

2014-01-01

Recommending news stories to users, based on their preferences, has long been a favourite domain for recommender systems research. Traditional systems strive to satisfy their user by tracing users' reading history and choosing the proper candidate news articles to recommend. However, most of news websites hardly require any user to register before reading news. Besides, the latent relations between news and microblog, the popularity of particular news, and the news organization are not addressed or solved efficiently in previous approaches. In order to solve these issues, we propose an effective personalized news recommendation method based on microblog user profile building and sub class popularity prediction, in which we propose a news organization method using hybrid classification and clustering, implement a sub class popularity prediction method, and construct user profile according to our actual situation. We had designed several experiments compared to the state-of-the-art approaches on a real world dataset, and the experimental results demonstrate that our system significantly improves the accuracy and diversity in mass text data.

Partition-based Collaborative Tensor Factorization for POI Recommendation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Wenjing Luan; Guanjun Liu; Changjun Jiang; Liang Qi

2017-01-01

The rapid development of location-based social networks (LBSNs) provides people with an opportunity of better understanding their mobility behavior which enables them to decide their next location.For example,it can help travelers to choose where to go next,or recommend salesmen the most potential places to deliver advertisements or sell products.In this paper,a method for recommending points of interest (POIs) is proposed based on a collaborative tensor factorization (CTF) technique.Firstly,a generalized objective function is constructed for collaboratively factorizing a tensor with several feature matrices.Secondly,a 3-mode tensor is used to model all users' check-in behaviors,and three feature matrices are extracted to characterize the time distribution,category distribution and POI correlation,respectively.Thirdly,each user's preference to a POI at a specific time can be estimated by using CTF.In order to further improve the recommendation accuracy,PCTF (Partitionbased CTF) is proposed to fill the missing entries of a tensor after clustering its every mode.Experiments on a real checkin database show that the proposed method can provide more accurate location recommendation.

An Effective News Recommendation Method for Microblog User

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Wanrong; Dong, Shoubin; Zeng, Zhizhao; He, Jinchao

2014-01-01

Recommending news stories to users, based on their preferences, has long been a favourite domain for recommender systems research. Traditional systems strive to satisfy their user by tracing users' reading history and choosing the proper candidate news articles to recommend. However, most of news websites hardly require any user to register before reading news. Besides, the latent relations between news and microblog, the popularity of particular news, and the news organization are not addressed or solved efficiently in previous approaches. In order to solve these issues, we propose an effective personalized news recommendation method based on microblog user profile building and sub class popularity prediction, in which we propose a news organization method using hybrid classification and clustering, implement a sub class popularity prediction method, and construct user profile according to our actual situation. We had designed several experiments compared to the state-of-the-art approaches on a real world dataset, and the experimental results demonstrate that our system significantly improves the accuracy and diversity in mass text data. PMID:24983011

Application of Electrical Resistivity Imaging and Land Surveying in the Analysis of Underground Construction Impact on the Warsaw Scarp

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaczmarek Łukasz

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the analysis of the II Underground Line construction’s impact on the Warsaw Scarp with the use of the electrical resistivity imaging (ERI, also known as the electrical resistivity tomography and further total station position measurements.The underground passes under the scarp perpendicular in the area of Dynasy Street 6, in Down-town district.The electrical resistivity imaging was performed for recognition of the geological structure and a potential land slide surface or zone.The gradient system was used during the prospection. In these analyses, the longitudinal section was 40 m long, and the depth of survey amounted to 6 m. In the case of the 200 m long transverse section, the resulted depth of survey was 30 m.The geophysical image of the longitudinal section,does not contain loosening soil zones,which could indicates lip surface.Next, total station measurements, which were tied to the archival geodetic observations’ results, were carried out. The aim of the measurements was to verify the activity of the horizontal and vertical displacements. The TBM excavation process led to summary vertical displacements up to approx. 24 mm and horizontal displacements amounting to approx. 13 mm. To sum up, the current land surveys reveals minor under ground line’ s construction impact on the scarp displacement. Nevertheless, the sensitive urban environment requires further monitoring, especially that the operation loads can result in displacement rate change.

Decision problems in management of construction projects

Science.gov (United States)

Szafranko, E.

2017-10-01

In a construction business, one must oftentimes make decisions during all stages of a building process, from planning a new construction project through its execution to the stage of using a ready structure. As a rule, the decision making process is made more complicated due to certain conditions specific for civil engineering. With such diverse decision situations, it is recommended to apply various decision making support methods. Both, literature and hands-on experience suggest several methods based on analytical and computational procedures, some less and some more complex. This article presents the methods which can be helpful in supporting decision making processes in the management of civil engineering projects. These are multi-criteria methods, such as MCE, AHP or indicator methods. Because the methods have different advantages and disadvantages, whereas decision situations have their own specific nature, a brief summary of the methods alongside some recommendations regarding their practical applications has been given at the end of the paper. The main aim of this article is to review the methods of decision support and their analysis for possible use in the construction industry.

Keyword Query Expansion Paradigm Based on Recommendation and Interpretation in Relational Databases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yingqi Wang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Due to the ambiguity and impreciseness of keyword query in relational databases, the research on keyword query expansion has attracted wide attention. Existing query expansion methods expose users’ query intention to a certain extent, but most of them cannot balance the precision and recall. To address this problem, a novel two-step query expansion approach is proposed based on query recommendation and query interpretation. First, a probabilistic recommendation algorithm is put forward by constructing a term similarity matrix and Viterbi model. Second, by using the translation algorithm of triples and construction algorithm of query subgraphs, query keywords are translated to query subgraphs with structural and semantic information. Finally, experimental results on a real-world dataset demonstrate the effectiveness and rationality of the proposed method.

Developing a semantic web model for medical differential diagnosis recommendation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Osama; Benlamri, Rachid

2014-10-01

In this paper we describe a novel model for differential diagnosis designed to make recommendations by utilizing semantic web technologies. The model is a response to a number of requirements, ranging from incorporating essential clinical diagnostic semantics to the integration of data mining for the process of identifying candidate diseases that best explain a set of clinical features. We introduce two major components, which we find essential to the construction of an integral differential diagnosis recommendation model: the evidence-based recommender component and the proximity-based recommender component. Both approaches are driven by disease diagnosis ontologies designed specifically to enable the process of generating diagnostic recommendations. These ontologies are the disease symptom ontology and the patient ontology. The evidence-based diagnosis process develops dynamic rules based on standardized clinical pathways. The proximity-based component employs data mining to provide clinicians with diagnosis predictions, as well as generates new diagnosis rules from provided training datasets. This article describes the integration between these two components along with the developed diagnosis ontologies to form a novel medical differential diagnosis recommendation model. This article also provides test cases from the implementation of the overall model, which shows quite promising diagnostic recommendation results.

Improving domestic wastewater treatment efficiency with constructed wetland microbial fuel cells: Influence of anode material and external resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Corbella, Clara; Puigagut, Jaume

2018-08-01

For the past few years, there has been an increasing interest in the operation of constructed wetlands as microbial fuel cells (CW-MFCs) for both the improvement of wastewater treatment efficiency and the production of energy. However, there is still scarce information on design and operation aspects to maximize CW-MFCs efficiency, especially for the treatment of real domestic wastewater. The aim of this study was to quantify the extent of treatment efficiency improvement carried out by membrane-less MFCs simulating a core of a shallow un-planted horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland. The influence of the external resistance (50, 220, 402, 604 and 1000Ω) and the anode material (graphite and gravel) on treatment efficiency improvement were addressed. To this purpose, 6 lab-scale membrane-less MFCs were set-up and loaded in batch mode with domestic wastewater for 13weeks. Results showed that 220Ω was the best operation condition for maximising MFCs treatment efficiency, regardless the anode material employed. Gravel-based anode MFCs operated at closed circuit showed ca. 18%, 15%, 31% and 25% lower effluent concentration than unconnected MFCs to the COD, TOC, PO 4 -3 and NH 4 + -N, respectively. Main conclusion of the present work is that constructed wetlands operated as MFCs is a promising strategy to improve domestic wastewater treatment efficiency. However, further studies at pilot scale under more realistic conditions (such as planted systems operated under continuous mode) shall be performed to confirm the findings here reported. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tomato transgenic plants expressing hairpin construct of a nematode protease gene conferred enhanced resistance to root-knot nematodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tushar Kanti Dutta

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita cause substantial yield losses in vegetables worldwide, and are difficult to manage. Continuous withdrawal of environmentally-harmful nematicides from the global market warrants the need for novel nematode management strategies. Utility of host-delivered RNAi has been demonstrated in several plants (Arabidopsis, tobacco and soybean that exhibited resistance against root-knot and cyst nematodes. Herein, a M. incognita-specific protease gene, cathepsin L cysteine proteinase (Mi-cpl-1, was targeted to generate tomato transgenic lines to evaluate the genetically modified nematode resistance. In vitro knockdown of Mi-cpl-1 gene led to the reduced attraction and penetration of M. incognita in tomato, suggesting the involvement of Mi-cpl-1 in nematode parasitism. Transgenic expression of the RNAi construct of Mi-cpl-1 gene resulted in 60-80% reduction in infection and multiplication of M. incognita in tomato. Evidence for in vitro and in vivo silencing of Mi-cpl-1 was confirmed by expression analysis using quantitative PCR. Our study demonstrates that Mi-cpl-1 plays crucial role during plant-nematode interaction and plant-mediated downregulation of this gene elicits detrimental effect on M. incognita development, reinforcing the potential of RNAi technology for management of phytonematodes in crop plants.

Compliance with Recommendations on Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing for Respiratory Tract Infections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malo, Sara; Bjerrum, Lars; Feja, Cristina

2015-01-01

Inappropriate antibiotic use in primary care, such as in Respiratory Tract Infections (RTIs), is an important cause of bacterial resistance. This study aimed at describing the current pattern of outpatient antibiotic use in acute RTIs in Spain and evaluating adherence to national recommendations......%), whereas low rates were found in acute bronchitis (50%) and non-specific upper RTIs (24%) episodes. A high prescription of broad-spectrum agents and antibiotics not recommended as first choice was observed. In accordance with Spanish guidelines, there exists a potential over-prescribing of antibiotics...

Small-Scale Smart Grid Construction and Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Surface, Nicholas James

The smart grid (SG) is a commonly used catch-phrase in the energy industry yet there is no universally accepted definition. The objectives and most useful concepts have been investigated extensively in economic, environmental and engineering research by applying statistical knowledge and established theories to develop simulations without constructing physical models. In this study, a small-scale version (SSSG) is constructed to physically represent these ideas so they can be evaluated. Results of construction show data acquisition three times more expensive than the grid itself although mainly due to the incapability to downsize 70% of data acquisition costs to small-scale. Experimentation on the fully assembled grid exposes the limitations of low cost modified sine wave power, significant enough to recommend pure sine wave investment in future SSSG iterations. Findings can be projected to full-size SG at a ratio of 1:10, based on the appliance representing average US household peak daily load. However this exposes disproportionalities in the SSSG compared with previous SG investigations and recommended changes for future iterations are established to remedy this issue. Also discussed are other ideas investigated in the literature and their suitability for SSSG incorporation. It is highly recommended to develop a user-friendly bidirectional charger to more accurately represent vehicle-to-grid (V2G) infrastructure. Smart homes, BEV swap stations and pumped hydroelectric storage can also be researched on future iterations of the SSSG.

Products based on the mixes of fly ashes and fibre sludge (fibre-ashes) for road construction; Produkter baserade paa blandningar av flygaska och fiberslam (fiberaskor) foer vaegbyggande

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lahtinen, Pentti; Maijala Aino; Macsik, Josef

2005-03-01

economically potential fibre-ash mixtures and recommendations for their further development with the help of field tests and test construction. The most noteworthy benefits of the fibre ashes as soil construction materials are their elasticity and resistance against permanent deformation. These properties make the fibre-ash materials significantly more frost resistant than the conventional materials. Also, the fibre-ashes are easier and simpler to use in the construction process than the fly ashes because the fibre-ashes are practically dust-tight materials. The results of the project will be background information for the further studies, and for the guidelines and commercialisation of e.g. road construction with fibre ashes.

24 CFR 3280.307 - Resistance to elements and use.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... and rain. Metal coverings and exposed metal structural members shall be of corrosion resistant materials or shall be protected to resist corrosion. All joints between portions of the exterior covering... Construction Requirements § 3280.307 Resistance to elements and use. (a) Exterior coverings shall be of...

Antibiotic resistance in hospitals: a ward-specific random effect model in a low antibiotic consumption environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Aldrin, Magne; Raastad, Ragnhild; Tvete, Ingunn Fride; Berild, Dag; Frigessi, Arnoldo; Leegaard, Truls; Monnet, Dominique L; Walberg, Mette; Müller, Fredrik

2013-04-15

Association between previous antibiotic use and emergence of antibiotic resistance has been reported for several microorganisms. The relationship has been extensively studied, and although the causes of antibiotic resistance are multi-factorial, clear evidence of antibiotic use as a major risk factor exists. Most studies are carried out in countries with high consumption of antibiotics and corresponding high levels of antibiotic resistance, and currently, little is known whether and at what level the associations are detectable in a low antibiotic consumption environment. We conduct an ecological, retrospective study aimed at determining the impact of antibiotic consumption on antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in three hospitals in Norway, a country with low levels of antibiotic use. We construct a sophisticated statistical model to capture such low signals. To reduce noise, we conduct our study at hospital ward level. We propose a random effect Poisson or binomial regression model, with a reparametrisation that allows us to reduce the number of parameters. Inference is likelihood based. Through scenario simulation, we study the potential effects of reduced or increased antibiotic use. Results clearly indicate that the effects of consumption on resistance are present under conditions with relatively low use of antibiotic agents. This strengthens the recommendation on prudent use of antibiotics, even when consumption is relatively low. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Overall Low Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporin Resistance but high Azithromycin Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae in 24 European Countries, 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Michelle J; Spiteri, Gianfranco; Jacobsson, Susanne; Woodford, Neil; Tripodo, Francesco; Amato-Gauci, Andrew J; Unemo, Magnus

2017-09-11

Surveillance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial susceptibility in Europe is performed through the European Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (Euro-GASP), which additionally provides data to inform the European gonorrhoea treatment guideline; currently recommending ceftriaxone 500 mg plus azithromycin 2 g as first-line therapy. We present antimicrobial susceptibility data from 24 European countries in 2015, linked to epidemiological data of patients, and compare the results to Euro-GASP data from previous years. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing by MIC gradient strips or agar dilution methodology was performed on 2134 N. gonorrhoeae isolates and interpreted using EUCAST breakpoints. Patient variables associated with resistance were established using logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs). In 2015, 1.7% of isolates were cefixime resistant compared to 2.0% in 2014. Ceftriaxone resistance was detected in only one (0.05%) isolate in 2015, compared with five (0.2%) in 2014. Azithromycin resistance was detected in 7.1% of isolates in 2015 (7.9% in 2014), and five (0.2%) isolates displayed high-level azithromycin resistance (MIC ≥ 256 mg/L) compared with one (0.05%) in 2014. Ciprofloxacin resistance remained high (49.4%, vs. 50.7% in 2014). Cefixime resistance significantly increased among heterosexual males (4.1% vs. 1.7% in 2014), which was mainly attributable to data from two countries with high cefixime resistance (~11%), however rates among men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) and females continued to decline to 0.5% and 1%, respectively. Azithromycin resistance in MSM and heterosexual males was higher (both 8.1%) than in females (4.9% vs. 2.2% in 2014). The association between azithromycin resistance and previous gonorrhoea infection, observed in 2014, continued in 2015 (OR 2.1, CI 1.2-3.5, p resistance and low overall resistance to ceftriaxone and cefixime. The low cephalosporin resistance may be attributable to the effectiveness

Walking on a user similarity network towards personalized recommendations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingxin Gan

Full Text Available Personalized recommender systems have been receiving more and more attention in addressing the serious problem of information overload accompanying the rapid evolution of the world-wide-web. Although traditional collaborative filtering approaches based on similarities between users have achieved remarkable success, it has been shown that the existence of popular objects may adversely influence the correct scoring of candidate objects, which lead to unreasonable recommendation results. Meanwhile, recent advances have demonstrated that approaches based on diffusion and random walk processes exhibit superior performance over collaborative filtering methods in both the recommendation accuracy and diversity. Building on these results, we adopt three strategies (power-law adjustment, nearest neighbor, and threshold filtration to adjust a user similarity network from user similarity scores calculated on historical data, and then propose a random walk with restart model on the constructed network to achieve personalized recommendations. We perform cross-validation experiments on two real data sets (MovieLens and Netflix and compare the performance of our method against the existing state-of-the-art methods. Results show that our method outperforms existing methods in not only recommendation accuracy and diversity, but also retrieval performance.

Walking on a user similarity network towards personalized recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Gan, Mingxin

2014-01-01

Personalized recommender systems have been receiving more and more attention in addressing the serious problem of information overload accompanying the rapid evolution of the world-wide-web. Although traditional collaborative filtering approaches based on similarities between users have achieved remarkable success, it has been shown that the existence of popular objects may adversely influence the correct scoring of candidate objects, which lead to unreasonable recommendation results. Meanwhile, recent advances have demonstrated that approaches based on diffusion and random walk processes exhibit superior performance over collaborative filtering methods in both the recommendation accuracy and diversity. Building on these results, we adopt three strategies (power-law adjustment, nearest neighbor, and threshold filtration) to adjust a user similarity network from user similarity scores calculated on historical data, and then propose a random walk with restart model on the constructed network to achieve personalized recommendations. We perform cross-validation experiments on two real data sets (MovieLens and Netflix) and compare the performance of our method against the existing state-of-the-art methods. Results show that our method outperforms existing methods in not only recommendation accuracy and diversity, but also retrieval performance.

DEVELOPMENT OF NANOTECHNOLOGIES IN CONSTRUCTION – A TASK WHICH IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS. Part 4

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

KARPOV Alexey Ivanovich

2013-08-01

Full Text Available To popularize nanoindustrial subjects in construction, to increase consumers’ confidence to nanotechnological products, the main results of Russian scientists’ research are publised as the abstracts. Within the frame «Production of modified fibrous concrete mixture, aimed at improving physical and mechanical properties through the components hardening the structure of fibrous concrete at micro- and nanolevels» it was experimentally proved that complex modifying additive containing carbon nanomodifier «Taunit» can be applied in production of steel fiber concrete and solution; compositions of steel fiber concrete with complex modifying additives and compositions of lightweight heat-resistant steel fiber concrete have been developed. Two Russian patents (№ 2361847, 2386599 for inventions have been obtained. Practical recommendations concerning application of fibrous concrete mixture with reinforcer made of fiber «Miksarm» and nanoadditives have been developed; technology for production of steel fiber concrete with the use of complex modifying additives has been offered. Within the frame «Development and optimization of façade plaster compositions with increased durability based on simple and complex binders with fine natural and artificial fillers and research of their structure» it was proved that there is potential and practicability to apply nanotechnological fillers of local origins in façade plasters affecting positively on the structure and properties of the composition; compositions of façade plasters based on simple and complex binders modified with nanotechnological mineral fillers with high properties which provide required resistance when operated (bond resistance, compressive strength, cold resistance have been developed. As a result of systematic façade plaster optimization the share of construction market products has been minimized – binder savings are from 5 to 15%, in some compositions natural filler was

The creation and selection of mutations resistant to a gene drive over multiple generations in the malaria mosquito.

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Andrew M Hammond

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Gene drives have enormous potential for the control of insect populations of medical and agricultural relevance. By preferentially biasing their own inheritance, gene drives can rapidly introduce genetic traits even if these confer a negative fitness effect on the population. We have recently developed gene drives based on CRISPR nuclease constructs that are designed to disrupt key genes essential for female fertility in the malaria mosquito. The construct copies itself and the associated genetic disruption from one homologous chromosome to another during gamete formation, a process called homing that ensures the majority of offspring inherit the drive. Such drives have the potential to cause long-lasting, sustainable population suppression, though they are also expected to impose a large selection pressure for resistance in the mosquito. One of these population suppression gene drives showed rapid invasion of a caged population over 4 generations, establishing proof of principle for this technology. In order to assess the potential for the emergence of resistance to the gene drive in this population we allowed it to run for 25 generations and monitored the frequency of the gene drive over time. Following the initial increase of the gene drive we observed a gradual decrease in its frequency that was accompanied by the spread of small, nuclease-induced mutations at the target gene that are resistant to further cleavage and restore its functionality. Such mutations showed rates of increase consistent with positive selection in the face of the gene drive. Our findings represent the first documented example of selection for resistance to a synthetic gene drive and lead to important design recommendations and considerations in order to mitigate for resistance in future gene drive applications.

Investigation of accidents within construction zones in Louisiana.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-07-01

This investigation is to analyze construction and maintenance work zone accidents by reviewing accident data to determine if deficiencies exist and recommend possible corrective measures for future traffic control applications. To accomplish this, a ...

The ICRP 2007 recommendations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Streffer, C.

2007-01-01

Protection). These documents are: - Committee 1: Low-Dose Extrapolation of Radiation-Related Cancer Risks, ICRP Publication 99(2); - Committee 1: Biological and Epidemiological Information on Health Risks Attributable to Ionising Radiation (FD-C-1); (Annex A) - Committee 2: Quantities used in Radiological Protection (FD-C-2); (Annex B) - Committee 3: Radiological Protection in Medicine; - Committee 4: Optimisation of Radiological Protection; - Committee 4: Assessing Dose to the Representative Person. Drafts have been presented on the web-site of ICRP (www.icrp.org). Many constructive comments have been made which have been evaluated and considered for possible changes. In this publication it is focussed on the chapters with data from physics and biology and only a rough overview of the later parts of the recommendations are given. (author)

The ICRP 2007 recommendations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Streffer, C. [Chairman of ICRP Committee 2, Institute of Science and Ethics, University Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen (Germany)

2007-07-01

Protection). These documents are: - Committee 1: Low-Dose Extrapolation of Radiation-Related Cancer Risks, ICRP Publication 99(2); - Committee 1: Biological and Epidemiological Information on Health Risks Attributable to Ionising Radiation (FD-C-1); (Annex A) - Committee 2: Quantities used in Radiological Protection (FD-C-2); (Annex B) - Committee 3: Radiological Protection in Medicine; - Committee 4: Optimisation of Radiological Protection; - Committee 4: Assessing Dose to the Representative Person. Drafts have been presented on the web-site of ICRP (www.icrp.org). Many constructive comments have been made which have been evaluated and considered for possible changes. In this publication it is focussed on the chapters with data from physics and biology and only a rough overview of the later parts of the recommendations are given. (author)

Experimental Studies on the Changes in Resistivity and Its Anisotropy Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Zhu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Three measuring lines were arranged on one of free planes of magnetite cuboid samples. Apparent resistivity data were acquired by MIR-2007 resistivity meter when samples were under uniaxial compression of servocontrol YAW-5000F loadingmachine in laboratory. Then we constructed the residual resistivity images using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT and plotted the diagrams of apparent resistivity anisotropy coefficient (ARAC λ∗ and the included angle α between the major axis of apparent resistivity anisotropy ellipse and the axis of load with pressure and effective depth. Our results show that with increasing pressure, resistivity and the decreased (D region and increased (I region resistivity regions have complex behaviors, but when pressure is higher than a certain value, the average resistivity decrease and the area of D region expand gradually in all time with the increase of pressure, which may be significant to the monitoring and prediction of earthquake, volcanic activities, and large-scale geologic motions. The effects of pressure on λ∗ and α are not very outstanding for dry magnetite samples.

Resistance to lambda-cyhalothrin in Spanish field populations of Ceratitis capitata and metabolic resistance mediated by P450 in a resistant strain.

Science.gov (United States)

Arouri, Rabeh; Le Goff, Gaelle; Hemden, Hiethem; Navarro-Llopis, Vicente; M'saad, Mariem; Castañera, Pedro; Feyereisen, René; Hernández-Crespo, Pedro; Ortego, Félix

2015-09-01

The withdrawal of malathion in the European Union in 2009 resulted in a large increase in lambda-cyhalothrin applications for the control of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, in Spanish citrus crops. Spanish field populations of C. capitata have developed resistance to lambda-cyhalothrin (6-14-fold), achieving LC50 values (129-287 ppm) higher than the recommended concentration for field treatments (125 ppm). These results contrast with the high susceptibility to lambda-cyhalothrin found in three Tunisian field populations. We have studied the mechanism of resistance in the laboratory-selected resistant strain W-1Kλ (205-fold resistance). Bioassays with synergists showed that resistance was almost completely suppressed by the P450 inhibitor PBO. The study of the expression of 53 P450 genes belonging to the CYP4, CYP6, CYP9 and CYP12 families in C. capitata revealed that CYP6A51 was overexpressed (13-18-fold) in the resistant strain. The W-1Kλ strain also showed high levels of cross-resistance to etofenprox (240-fold) and deltamethrin (150-fold). Field-evolved resistance to lambda-cyhalothrin has been found in C. capitata. Metabolic resistance mediated by P450 appears to be the main resistance mechanism in the resistant strain W-1Kλ. The levels of cross-resistance found may compromise the effectiveness of other pyrethroids for the control of this species. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

The construction FACE database - Codifying the NIOSH FACE reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Xiuwen Sue; Largay, Julie A; Wang, Xuanwen; Cain, Chris Trahan; Romano, Nancy

2017-09-01

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has published reports detailing the results of investigations on selected work-related fatalities through the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program since 1982. Information from construction-related FACE reports was coded into the Construction FACE Database (CFD). Use of the CFD was illustrated by analyzing major CFD variables. A total of 768 construction fatalities were included in the CFD. Information on decedents, safety training, use of PPE, and FACE recommendations were coded. Analysis shows that one in five decedents in the CFD died within the first two months on the job; 75% and 43% of reports recommended having safety training or installing protection equipment, respectively. Comprehensive research using FACE reports may improve understanding of work-related fatalities and provide much-needed information on injury prevention. The CFD allows researchers to analyze the FACE reports quantitatively and efficiently. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

Molecular monitoring of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to artemisinin in Tanzania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Genton Blaise

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs are recommended for use against uncomplicated malaria in areas of multi-drug resistant malaria, such as sub-Saharan Africa. However, their long-term usefulness in these high transmission areas remains unclear. It has been suggested that documentation of the S769N PfATPase6 mutations may indicate an emergence of artemisinin resistance of Plasmodium falciparum in the field. The present study assessed PfATPase6 mutations (S769N and A623E in 615 asymptomatic P. falciparum infections in Tanzania but no mutant genotype was detected. This observation suggests that resistance to artemisinin has not yet been selected in Tanzania, supporting the Ministry of Health's decision to adopt artemether+lumefantrine as first-line malaria treatment. The findings recommend further studies to assess PfATPase6 mutations in sentinel sites and verify their usefulness in monitoring emergency of ACT resistance.

Life cycle performances of log wood applied for soil bioengineering constructions

Science.gov (United States)

Kalny, Gerda; Strauss-Sieberth, Alexandra; Strauss, Alfred; Rauch, Hans Peter

2016-04-01

Nowadays there is a high demand on engineering solutions considering not only technical aspects but also ecological and aesthetic values. Soil bioengineering is a construction technique that uses biological components for hydraulic and civil engineering solutions. Soil bioengineering solutions are based on the application of living plants and other auxiliary materials including among others log wood. This kind of construction material supports the soil bioengineering system as long as the plants as living construction material overtake the stability function. Therefore it is important to know about the durability and the degradation process of the wooden logs to retain the integral performance of a soil bio engineering system. These aspects will be considered within the framework of the interdisciplinary research project „ELWIRA Plants, wood, steel and concrete - life cycle performances as construction materials". Therefore field investigations on soil bioengineering construction material, specifically European Larch wood logs, of different soil bioengineering structures at the river Wien have been conducted. The drilling resistance as a parameter for particular material characteristics of selected logs was measured and analysed. The drilling resistance was measured with a Rinntech Resistograph instrument at different positions of the wooden logs, all surrounded with three different backfills: Fully surrounded with air, with earth contact on one side and near the water surface in wet-dry conditions. The age of the used logs ranges from one year old up to 20 year old. Results show progress of the drilling resistance throughout the whole cross section as an indicator to assess soil bioengineering construction material. Logs surrounded by air showed a higher drilling resistance than logs with earth contact and the ones exposed to wet-dry conditions. Hence the functional capability of wooden logs were analysed and discussed in terms of different levels of degradation

Determination of withdrawal resistance of staple joints constructed with various members of upholstered furniture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

saeid Kazemi Najafi

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of joints members type (oriented strand lumber, plywood and poplar wood (Populusdeltoides, penetration deeps of staple (12 and 17mm and adhesives (with and without adhesive on face and edge withdrawal resistance of joints fabricated with staple. Experimental specimens under withdrawal load test of face and edge consisted of two principal structural members, main member and a secondary member which were joined together by one staple. The results showed that joint member, penetration deeps and adhesive significantly influence on the withdrawal resistance. Staple withdrawal resistance in the face was higher than that in the edge. Staple holding resistance increased with the increase of penetration deep and the withdrawal resistance of joints fabricated by adhesive was higher than those without adhesive. The joints made by oriented strand lumber exhibited better performance than other two members and joints made with poplar wood had higher resistance than plywood joints. The highest face (2326N and edge (1265N withdrawal resistances were obtained from joints prepared from oriented strand lumber with adhesive and17mm penetration deeps.

Construction of a high-density genetic map using specific length amplified fragment markers and identification of a quantitative trait locus for anthracnose resistance in walnut (Juglans regia L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Yufeng; Yin, Yanfei; Yang, Keqiang; Li, Jihong; Sang, Yalin; Huang, Long; Fan, Shu

2015-08-18

Walnut (Juglans regia, 2n = 32, approximately 606 Mb per 1C genome) is an economically important tree crop. Resistance to anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, is a major objective of walnut genetic improvement in China. The recently developed specific length amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) is an efficient strategy that can obtain large numbers of markers with sufficient sequence information to construct high-density genetic maps and permits detection of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for molecular breeding. SLAF-seq generated 161.64 M paired-end reads. 153,820 SLAF markers were obtained, of which 49,174 were polymorphic. 13,635 polymorphic markers were sorted into five segregation types and 2,577 markers of them were used to construct genetic linkage maps: 2,395 of these fell into 16 linkage groups (LGs) for the female map, 448 markers for the male map, and 2,577 markers for the integrated map. Taking into account the size of all LGs, the marker coverage was 2,664.36 cM for the female map, 1,305.58 cM for the male map, and 2,457.82 cM for the integrated map. The average intervals between two adjacent mapped markers were 1.11 cM, 2.91 cM and 0.95 cM for three maps, respectively. 'SNP_only' markers accounted for 89.25% of the markers on the integrated map. Mapping markers contained 5,043 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) loci, which corresponded to two SNP loci per SLAF marker. According to the integrated map, we used interval mapping (Logarithm of odds, LOD > 3.0) to detect our quantitative trait. One QTL was detected for anthracnose resistance. The interval of this QTL ranged from 165.51 cM to 176.33 cM on LG14, and ten markers in this interval that were above the threshold value were considered to be linked markers to the anthracnose resistance trait. The phenotypic variance explained by each marker ranged from 16.2 to 19.9%, and their LOD scores varied from 3.22 to 4.04. High-density genetic maps for walnut containing 16

Male Constructions and Resistance to women in the Military ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Given that a masculinised institution like the military presents an exaggerated picture of hegemonic masculinities, and particularly emphasising physical fitness as one of the multiple ways in achieving masculinity, this paper provides an overview of how men in the military construct women's role in the military.

Antiretroviral Resistance in HIV/AIDS Patients

Science.gov (United States)

Manosuthi, W.; MD

2018-03-01

The higher prevalence of HIV drug resistance was observed in areas with greater ART coverage. The HIV resistance-associated mutations occur when people have inadequate levels of antiretroviral drugs as well as inadequate potency, inadequate adherence, and preexisting resistance. The degree to drug cross-resistance is observed depends on the specific mutations and number of mutation accumulation. In the Southeast Asia region, the challenging of people with treatment failure is the availability and accessibility to subsequent new antiretroviral drugs to construct he second and salvage regimen. Genotypic resistance testing is a useful tool because it can identify the existing drug resistance-associated mutations under the selective drug pressure. Thus, understanding the basic interpretation of HIV drug resistance- associated mutation is useful in guiding clinical decisions for treatment-experienced people living with HIV.

A System for Recommending Rental Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernard Shibwabo Kasamani

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an implementation of recommender technology to online search of rental properties. In particular, the paper uses the preference-based search approach combined with a technique called example-critiquing. Rather than perform a query against the database, this approach prompts the user to express some preferences on rental properties, uses them to construct a preference model for the user, and finally generates a list of properties that best match that preferences. The system is developed as Web application using the Ruby on Rails framework

49 CFR 178.358-2 - Materials of construction and other requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Materials of construction and other requirements... Materials of construction and other requirements. (a) Phenolic foam insulation must be fire resistant and... HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAZARDOUS MATERIALS REGULATIONS...

49 CFR 178.356-2 - Materials of construction and other requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Materials of construction and other requirements... Materials of construction and other requirements. (a) Phenolic foam insulation must be fire-resistant and... HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAZARDOUS MATERIALS REGULATIONS...

Dealing with antimicrobial resistance - the Danish experience

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bager, Flemming; Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Wegener, Henrik Caspar

2000-01-01

(DANMAP), which monitors resistance among bacteria from food animals, food and humans. A programme to monitor all use of prescription medicine in food animals at the herd level is presently being implemented. Another initiative was the elaboration of a series of practical recommendations to veterinarians...... on the prudent use of antimicrobials in order to reduce the development of resistance without compromising therapeutic efficacy. Our experience with avoparcin shows that a restrictive policy on the use of antimicrobials can curb the development of resistance. However, the occurrence and persistence of specific...

Generating Private Recommendations Efficiently Using Homomorphic Encryption and Data Packing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Erkin, Zekeriya; Veugen, Thijs; Toft, Tomas

2012-01-01

Recommender systems have become an important tool for personalization of online services. Generating recommendations in online services depends on privacy-sensitive data collected from the users. Traditional data protection mechanisms focus on access control and secure transmission, which provide...... them under encryption to generate recommendations. By introducing a semitrusted third party and using data packing, we construct a highly efficient system that does not require the active participation of the user. We also present a comparison protocol, which is the first one to the best of our...... security only against malicious third parties, but not the service provider. This creates a serious privacy risk for the users. In this paper, we aim to protect the private data against the service provider while preserving the functionality of the system. We propose encrypting private data and processing...

Linking subordinate political skill to supervisor dependence and reward recommendations: a moderated mediation model.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Junqi; Johnson, Russell E; Liu, Yihao; Wang, Mo

2013-03-01

In this study, we examined the relations of subordinate political skill with supervisor's dependence on the subordinate and supervisor reward recommendation, as well as mediating (interaction frequency with supervisor) and moderating (supervisor political behavior) variables of these relations. Our theoretical model was tested using data collected from employees in a company that specialized in construction management. Analyses of multisource and lagged data from 53 construction management team supervisors and 296 subordinates indicated that subordinate political skill was positively related to supervisor reward recommendation via subordinate's interaction frequency with supervisor. Although interaction frequency with a supervisor was also positively related to the supervisor's dependence on the subordinate, the indirect effect of subordinate political skill on dependence was not significant. Further, both the relationship between subordinate political skill and interaction frequency with a supervisor and the indirect relationships between subordinate political skill and supervisor reward recommendation were stronger when supervisors exhibited more political behavior.

Advanced Construction of Compact Containment BWR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, M.; Maruyama, T.; Mori, H.; Hoshino, K.; Hijioka, Y.; Heki, H.; Nakamaru, M.; Hoshi, T.

2006-01-01

The reactor concept considered in this paper has a mid/small power output, a compact containment and a simplified BWR configuration with comprehensive safety features. Compact Containment BWR (CCR) is being developed with matured BWR technologies together with innovative systems/components, will provide attractiveness for the energy market in the world due to its flexibility in energy demands as well as in site conditions, its high potential in reducing investment risk and its safety feature facilitating public acceptance. The flexibility is achieved by CCR's mid/small power output of 400 MWe class and capability of long operating cycle (refueling intervals). The high investment potential is expected from CCR's simplification/innovation in design such as natural circulation core cooling with the bottom located short core, top mounted upper entry control rod drives (CRDs) with ring-type dryers and simplified safety system with high pressure resistible primary containment vessel (PCV) concept. The natural circulation core eliminates recirculation pumps as well as needs for maintenance of such pumps. The top mounted upper entry CRDs enable the bottom located short core in RPV. The safety feature mainly consists of large water inventory above the core without large penetration below the top of the core, passive cooling system by isolation condenser (IC), high pressure resistible PCV and in-vessel retention (IVR) capability. The large inventory increases the system response time in case of design base accidents including loss of coolant accidents. The IC suppresses PCV pressure by steam condensation without any AC power. Cooling the molten core inside the RPV if the core should be damaged by loss of core coolability could attain the IVR. CCR's specific self-standing steel high pressure resistible PCV is designed to contain minimum piping and valves inside with reactor pressure vessel (RPV), only 13 m in diameter and 24 m in height. This compact PCV makes it possible to

Fire Resistance of Concrete Constructions with Expanded Clay Aggregate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertz, Kristian Dahl

2003-01-01

The paper describes briefly a series of full-scale tests made as documentation for extending the field of application of the reduced cross section method from the structural codes to constructions based on expanded clay aggregate. As a special result the tests verify that slabs with a short ancho...

Cross-resistance, inheritance and biochemical mechanisms of imidacloprid resistance in B-biotype Bemisia tabaci.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhenyu; Yao, Mingde; Wu, Yidong

2009-11-01

The B-type Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) has become established in many regions in China, and neonicotinoids are extensively used to control this pest. Imidacloprid resistance in a laboratory-selected strain of B-type B. tabaci was characterised in order to provide the basis for recommending resistance management tactics. The NJ-Imi strain of B-type B. tabaci was selected from the NJ strain with imidacloprid for 30 generations. The NJ-Imi strain exhibited 490-fold resistance to imidacloprid, high levels of cross-resistance to three other neonicotinoids, low levels of cross-resistance to monosultap, cartap and spinosad, but no cross-resistance to abamectin and cypermethrin. Imidacloprid resistance in the NJ-Imi strain was autosomal and semi-dominant. It is shown that enhanced detoxification mediated by cytochrome-P450-dependent monooxygenases contributes to imidacloprid resistance to some extent in the NJ-Imi strain. Results from synergist bioassays and cross-resistance patterns indicated that target-site insensitivity may be involved in imidacloprid resistance in the NJ-Imi strain of B. tabaci. Although oxidative detoxification mediated by P450 monooxygenases is involved in imidacloprid resistance in the NJ-Imi strain of B-type B. tabaci, target-site modification as an additional resistance mechanism cannot be ruled out. Considering the high risk of cross-resistance, neonicotinoids should be regarded as a single group when implementing an insecticide rotation scheme in B. tabaci control. (c) 2009 Society of Chemical Industry.

Using of science technologies for mining machinery constructions' strength improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Yurchenko, E. V.; Mehtiev, A. D.; Yugai, V. V.; Bulatbayev, F. N.

2015-04-01

Recommendations for strengthening the brake construction in accident dangerous areas of fatigue destruction were developed. Computer modeling was made using the ANSYS program that helps to visualize stained condition of the construction for further practical testing of the strength and reliability improving technology of mining elevating machines' constructions, which are being in a long-term use, with a help of the strengthening elements. A way of construction strengthening, which eliminates the possibility of further fatigue destruction of the brake system elements, because of the load cycle in exploitation process.

A Hybrid Recommender System Based on User-Recommender Interaction

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Heng-Ru; Min, Fan; He, Xu; Xu, Yuan-Yuan

2015-01-01

Recommender systems are used to make recommendations about products, information, or services for users. Most existing recommender systems implicitly assume one particular type of user behavior. However, they seldom consider user-recommender interactive scenarios in real-world environments. In this paper, we propose a hybrid recommender system based on user-recommender interaction and evaluate its performance with recall and diversity metrics. First, we define the user-recommender interaction...

Towards high-performance materials for road construction

Science.gov (United States)

Gladkikh, V.; Korolev, E.; Smirnov, V.

2017-10-01

Due to constant increase of traffic, modern road construction is in need of high-performance pavement materials. The operational performance of such materials can be characterized by many properties. Nevertheless, the most important ones are resistance to rutting and resistance to dynamical loads. It was proposed earlier to use sulfur extended asphalt concrete in road construction practice. To reduce the emission of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide during the concrete mix preparation and pavement production stages, it is beneficial to make such a concrete on the base of complex sulfur modifier. In the present work the influence of the complex modifier to mechanical properties of sulfur extended asphalt concrete was examined. It was shown that sulfur extended asphalt concrete is of high mechanical properties. It was also revealed that there as an anomalous negative correlations between strain capacity, fatigue life and fracture toughness.

Economic impact of using nonmetallic materials in low to intermediate temperature geothermal well construction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1979-12-01

Four appendices are included. The first covers applications of low-temperature geothermal energy including industrial processes, agricultural and related processes, district heating and cooling, and miscellaneous. The second discusses hydrogeologic factors affecting the design and construction of low-temperature geothermal wells: water quality, withdrawal rate, water depth, water temperature, basic well designs, and hydrogeologic provinces. In the third appendix, properties of metallic and nonmetallic materials are described, including: specific gravity, mechanical strength properties, resistance to physical and biological attack, thermal properties of nonmetallics, fluid flow characteristics, corrosion resistance, scaling resistance, weathering resistance of nonmetallics, and hydrolysis resistance of nonmetallics. Finally, special considerations in the design and construction of low-temperature geothermal wells using nonmetallics materials are covered. These include; drilling methods, joining methods, methods of casing and screen installation, well cementing, and well development. (MHR)

Lime and fertilizer recommendation system for coconut trees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gustavo Nogueira Guedes Pereira Rosa

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Fertilizer recommendation to most agricultural crops is based on response curves. Such curves are constructed from field experimental data, obtained for a particular condition and may not be reliable to be applied to other regions. The aim of this study was to develop a Lime and Fertilizer Recommendation System for Coconut Crop based on the nutritional balance. The System considers the expected productivity and plant nutrient use efficiency to estimate nutrient demand, and effective rooting layer, soil nutrient availability, as well as any other nutrient input to estimate the nutrient supply. Comparing the nutrient demand with the nutrient supply the System defines the nutrient balance. If the balance for a given nutrient is negative, lime and, or, fertilization is recommended. On the other hand, if the balance is positive, no lime or fertilizer is needed. For coconut trees, the fertilization regime is divided in three stages: fertilization at the planting spot, band fertilization and fertilization at the production phase. The data set for the development of the System for coconut trees was obtained from the literature. The recommendations generated by the System were compared to those derived from recommendation tables used for coconut crop in Brazil. The main differences between the two procedures were for the P rate applied in the planting hole, which was higher in the proposed System because the tables do not pay heed to the pit volume, whereas the N and K rates were lower. The crop demand for K is very high, and the rates recommended by the System are superior to the table recommendations for the formation and initial production stage. The fertilizer recommendations by the System are higher for the phase of coconut tree growth as compared to the production phase, because greater amount of biomass is produced in the first phase.

Resistance in Cucumis sativus L. to Tetranychus urticae Koch

OpenAIRE

Ponti, de, O.M.B.

1980-01-01

Chapter 1
The role of plant breeding and particularly of host plant resistance in integrated control is discussed. Host plant resistance to insects and mites, especially to Tetranychus urticae is reviewed. A standard terminology for disease and pest resistance is recommended.

Chapter 2
The relationship between the twospotted spider mite and cucumber has been studied on plants and on leaf disks of a number of varieties with different...

IP and resistivity survey at the INEL cold test pit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frangos, W.

1997-01-01

Induced polarization (IP) is a technique for detection of diffuse occurrences of metallic material. The Idaho National Laboratory (INEL) Cold Test Pit (CTP) has been carefully constructed to simulate stored hazardous waste occurrences. IP and resistivity surveys of the CTP show a very strong IP response and a modest resistivity response associated with the simulated waste. Several false positive resistivity anomalies are noted. 2-D inversion of the data accurately determine the lateral limits of the waste zone. The depth of burial indicated is deeper than reported by the construction engineers. Limited depth extent is recognized, in distinction to results from other, resistivity-based, methods, but it also appears too deep. IP holds promise as a method for locating buried waste

Constructive fire protection of steel corrugated beams of buildings and other structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilyin Nikolay

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The research introduces a methodology of establishing indicators of fire safety of a building in relation to a guaranteed duration of steel fire-proof corrugated beams resistance in conditions of standard fire tests. Indicators of fire safety are also established in the assessment of design limits of steel fire-proof corrugated beams during design process, construction or maintenance of the building as well as in reducing economic costs when testing steel structures for fire resisting property. The suggested methodology introduces the system of actions aimed to design constructive fire protection of steel corrugated beams of buildings. Technological effect is achieved by conducting firing tests of steel construction by non-destructive methods; the evaluation of fire resistance of fire-proof elements of corrugated beams (corrugated web, upper and lower shelves is identified by the least fire-proof element of a welded I-beam. In this methodology fire resistance duration of the constituent elements of a welded I-beam with account of its fire protection ability is described with an analytic function taken as variables. These variables are intensity strength of stresses and the degree of fire protection of a compound element.

BIM for Construction Site Logistics Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Whitlock

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Emerging Building Information Modelling (BIM has been hailed as a revolutionary technology and information management process that facilitates collaboration and more efficient design and construction processes through innovative 3D modelling software, open access to information and multidisciplinary integration. The deadline of compliance to BIM level 2 on all public sector centrally procured construction projects has expired leaving many construction firms anxious to adopt BIM. Most common documented applications of BIM have been in the areas of architectural and structural design, quantity surveying, construction project management, and sustainability with very limited peer-reviewed studies on construction logistics management. The aim of this study is to investigate how BIM can be applied to construction logistics management. This study adopts a desk-top approach, with articles sources from renowned scientific databases such as ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Emerald. The study culminated in the identification of benefits and barriers of adopting BIM for construction logistics management. Given only a desk-top approach has been used, the recommendation for future study is to build on this to conduct an empirical study using both qualitative and quantitative data. This will provide an in-depth understanding of the use of BIM for construction logistics management and open opportunities for further research.

Exploring communication of resistance in cross-sector collaboration:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plotnikof, Mie

his study addresses the role of resistance in cross-sector collaboration. It explores how resistance is communicated during collaboration to better understand not just its destructive, but also constructive effects on organizing cross-sector collaboration. In so doing, the paper conceptualizes...... to the process. Thereby, the study contributes with theorizing resistance and offers analytical insights on its dynamics and effects on organizing cross-sector collaboration....

Antimicrobial resistance problems in typhoid fever

Science.gov (United States)

Saragih, R. H.; Purba, G. C. F.

2018-03-01

Typhoid fever (enteric fever) remains a burden in developing countries and a major health problem in Southern and Southeastern Asia. Salmonella typhi (S. typhi), the causative agent of typhoid fever, is a gram-negative, motile, rod-shaped, facultative anaerobe and solely a human pathogen with no animal reservoir. Infection of S. typhi can cause fever, abdominal pain and many worsenonspecific symptoms, including gastrointestinal symptoms suchas nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea. Chloramphenicol, ampicillin,and cotrimoxazole were the first-recommended antibiotics in treating typhoid fever. In the last two decades though, these three traditional drugs started to show resistance and developed multidrug resistance (MDR) S. typhi strains. In many parts of the world, the changing modes ofpresentation and the development of MDR have made typhoid fever increasingly difficult to treat.The use of first-line antimicrobials had been recommended to be fluoroquinolone as a replacement. However, this wassoonfollowedbyreportsof isolates ofS. typhi showing resistancetofluoroquinolones as well. These antimicrobial resistance problems in typhoid fever have been an alarming situation ever since and need to be taken seriously or else typhoid fever will no longer be taken care completely by administering antibiotics.

OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE RESISTANCE TO CHANGE IN A PROCESS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prediscan Mariana

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to present the research results conducted on several models of organizational change regarding the identification of the appropriate moment in which the managers interest should turn towards the reduction of the employees resistance to change. More specifically, we intend to identify when is the best moment to reduce the resistance to change, depending on the change we want to achieve. After more research of organizational change models, we have reached the following conclusions: -not all models of organizational change present reducing resistance to change as a necessary stage; -the place of this phase in the models of organizational change is not considered to be the same; -some models of organizational change recommend indirectly reducing employee resistance to change by indicating the use of some methods, techniques, processes that would lead to this result. Here we include mainly: communication, training, positive motivation of employees; -we recommended that the place of this stage should vary depending on the desired change to achieve; -in strategic changes, which are extremely important for an organization and which affect a large number of employees, we recommend that the reduction of the employee resistance to change be achieved before passing to the implementation of the plan developed to implement the change; -in imposed changes, in conditions of crisis when we have no time available to plan the change, immediately after it had been implemented it is necessary to conduct effective actions meant to ensure, even if the change has been made, the reduction of the resistance to change of the affected employees -to achieve time savings in the process of organizational change, we recommend that after having obtained a certain attachment of some employees to change, the implementation of the methods, of the techniques that would increase their commitment to continue to be developed in parallel with the implementation of the

Exploring student teachers' resistance to teacher education pedagogies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bronkhorst, L.H.; Koster, B.; Meijer, P.C.; Woldman, N.; Vermunt, J.D.

2014-01-01

Student teachers' resistance to teacher education is often understood as a lack of quality of the student teacher and/or the internship, and is expected to impede learning. In this study we suggest that resistance is interactive in nature, and can potentially have constructive outcomes. We engaged

Adherence to CDC Recommendations for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Gonorrhea - STD Surveillance Network, United States, 2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Weston, Emily J; Workowski, Kimberly; Torrone, Elizabeth; Weinstock, Hillard; Stenger, Mark R

2018-04-27

Gonorrhea, the sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is the second most common notifiable disease in the United States after chlamydia; 468,514 cases were reported to state and local health departments in 2016, an increase of 18.5% from 2015 (1). N. gonorrhoeae has progressively developed resistance to most antimicrobials used to treat the infection (2). As a result, CDC recommends two antimicrobials (250 mg of ceftriaxone [IM] plus 1 g of azithromycin [PO]) for treating uncomplicated gonorrhea to improve treatment efficacy and, potentially, to slow the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. To monitor adherence to the current CDC-recommended regimen for uncomplicated gonorrhea, CDC reviewed enhanced data collected on a random sample of reported cases of gonorrhea in seven jurisdictions participating in the STD Surveillance Network (SSuN) and estimated the proportion of patients who received the CDC-recommended regimen for uncomplicated gonorrhea, by patient characteristics and diagnosing facility type. In 2016, the majority of reported patients with gonorrhea (81%) received the recommended regimen. There were no differences in the proportion of patients receiving the recommended regimen by age or race/ethnicity; however, patients diagnosed with gonorrhea in STD (91%) or family planning/reproductive health (94%) clinics were more likely to receive this regimen than were patients diagnosed in other provider settings (80%). These data document high provider adherence to CDC gonorrhea treatment recommendations in specialty STD clinics, indicating high quality of care provided in those settings. Local and state health departments should monitor adherence with recommendations in their jurisdictions and consider implementing interventions to improve provider and patient compliance with gonorrhea treatment recommendations where indicated.

High counting rate resistive-plate chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peskov, V.; Anderson, D.F.; Kwan, S.

1993-05-01

Parallel-plate avalanche chambers (PPAC) are widely used in physics experiments because they are fast ( 5 counts/mm 2 . A resistive-plate chamber (RPC) is similar to the PPAC in construction except that one or both of the electrodes are made from high resistivity (≥10 10 Ω·cm) materials. In practice RPCs are usually used in the spark mode. Resistive electrodes are charged by sparks, locally reducing the actual electric field in the gap. The size of the charged surface is about 10 mm 2 , leaving the rest of the detector unaffected. Therefore, the rate capability of such detectors in the spark mode is considerably higher than conventional spark counters. Among the different glasses tested the best results were obtained with electron type conductive glasses, which obey Ohm's law. Most of the work with such glasses was done with high pressure parallel-plate chambers (10 atm) for time-of-flight measurements. Resistive glasses have been expensive and produced only in small quantities. Now resistive glasses are commercially available, although they are still expensive in small scale production. From the positive experience of different groups working with the resistive glasses, it was decided to review the old idea to use this glass for the RPC. This work has investigated the possibility of using the RPC at 1 atm and in the avalanche mode. This has several advantages: simplicity of construction, high rate capability, low voltage operation, and the ability to work with non-flammable gases

Clinical Management of HIV Drug Resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Cortez, Karoll J.; Maldarelli, Frank

2011-01-01

Combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-1 infection has resulted in profound reductions in viremia and is associated with marked improvements in morbidity and mortality. Therapy is not curative, however, and prolonged therapy is complicated by drug toxicity and the emergence of drug resistance. Management of clinical drug resistance requires in depth evaluation, and includes extensive history, physical examination and laboratory studies. Appropriate use of resistance testing provides valuable information useful in constructing regimens for treatment-experienced individuals with viremia during therapy. This review outlines the emergence of drug resistance in vivo, and describes clinical evaluation and therapeutic options of the individual with rebound viremia during therapy. PMID:21994737

Construction of a genome-anchored, high-density genetic map for melon (Cucumis melo L.) and identification of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis race 1 resistance QTL.

Science.gov (United States)

Branham, Sandra E; Levi, Amnon; Katawczik, Melanie; Fei, Zhangjun; Wechter, W Patrick

2018-04-01

Four QTLs and an epistatic interaction were associated with disease severity in response to inoculation with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis race 1 in a recombinant inbred line population of melon. The USDA Cucumis melo inbred line, MR-1, harbors a wealth of alleles associated with resistance to several major diseases of melon, including powdery mildew, downy mildew, Alternaria leaf blight, and Fusarium wilt. MR-1 was crossed to an Israeli cultivar, Ananas Yok'neam, which is susceptible to all of these diseases, to generate a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of 172 lines. In this study, the RIL population was genotyped to construct an ultra-dense genetic linkage map with 5663 binned SNPs anchored to the C. melo genome and exhibits the overall high quality of the assembly. The utility of the densely genotyped population was demonstrated through QTL mapping of a well-studied trait, resistance to Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis (Fom) race 1. A major QTL co-located with the previously validated resistance gene Fom-2. In addition, three minor QTLs and an epistatic interaction contributing to Fom race 1 resistance were identified. The MR-1 × AY RIL population provides a valuable resource for future QTL mapping studies and marker-assisted selection of disease resistance in melon.

Delays in nuclear power plant construction. Progress report, September 15, 1976--September 14, 1977

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mason, G.E.; Larew, R.E.

1977-01-01

This report identifies barriers to shortening nuclear power plant construction schedules and recommends research efforts that should minimize or eliminate the identified barriers. The identified barriers include: (1) design and construction interfacing problems; (2) problems relating to the selection and use of permanent materials and construction methods; (3) construction coordination and communication problems; and (4) problems associated with manpower availability and productivity;

Constructive Preference Elicitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Dragone

2018-01-01

Full Text Available When faced with large or complex decision problems, human decision makers (DM can make costly mistakes, due to inherent limitations of their memory, attention, and knowledge. Preference elicitation tools assist the decision maker in overcoming these limitations. They do so by interactively learning the DM’s preferences through appropriately chosen queries and suggesting high-quality outcomes based on the preference estimates. Most state-of-the-art techniques, however, fail in constructive settings, where the goal is to synthesize a custom or entirely novel configuration rather than choosing the best option among a given set of candidates. Many wide-spread problems are constructive in nature: customizing composite goods such as cars and computers, bundling products, recommending touristic travel plans, designing apartments, buildings, or urban layouts, etc. In these settings, the full set of outcomes is humongous and can not be explicitly enumerated, and the solution must be synthesized via constrained optimization. In this article, we describe recent approaches especially designed for constructive problems, outlining the underlying ideas and their differences as well as their limitations. In presenting them, we especially focus on novel issues that the constructive setting brings forth, such as how to deal with sparsity of the DM’s preferences, how to properly frame the interaction, and how to achieve efficient synthesis of custom instances.

Plant breeding for resistance to insect pests: Considerations about the use of induced mutations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

The Panel was intended to stimulate proposals on specific plant breeding objectives, for immediate and long term solution. Nine papers considered the host plant resistance to particular insect pests in a variety of cases. The desirability of achieving some measure of pest control via the development of disease-resistant mutants was discussed. In its conclusions, the Panel stressed the need to consider host plant resistance as one of the primary lines of defense in all pest management programmes. Consequently, resistance to insects was recommended to become an integral part of plant breeding programmes. Preference might need to be given to developing insect resistance in those crop plants for which practical control is lacking or where current methods of pest control present critical environmental hazards. The roles of the IAEA and FAO in such projects is outlined. Guidelines and recommendations on mutation breeding for resistance to insects are given in an appendix

Antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity factors in Staphylococcus ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

know which endemic strains of S. aureus in dairy cattle ... Antibiotic resistance; cattle; mastitis; MRSA; pathogenic genes ... recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute ...... fnbA, eno, hla and nuc, did not show any relation to.

Could we do better? Behavioural tracking on recommended consumer health websites.

Science.gov (United States)

Burkell, Jacquelyn; Fortier, Alexandre

2015-09-01

This study examines behavioural tracking practices on consumer health websites, contrasting tracking on sites recommended by information professionals with tracking on sites returned by Google. Two lists of consumer health websites were constructed: sites recommended by information professionals and sites returned by Google searches. Sites were divided into three groups according to source (Recommended-Only, Google-Only or both) and type (Government, Not-for-Profit or Commercial). Behavioural tracking practices on each website were documented using a protocol that detected cookies, Web beacons and Flash cookies. The presence and the number of trackers that collect personal information were contrasted across source and type of site; a second set of analyses specifically examined Advertising trackers. Recommended-Only sites show lower levels of tracking - especially tracking by advertisers - than do Google-Only sites or sites found through both sources. Government and Not-for-Profit sites have fewer trackers, particularly from advertisers, than do Commercial sites. Recommended sites, especially those from Government or Not-for-Profit organisations, present a lower privacy threat than sites returned by Google searches. Nonetheless, most recommended websites include some trackers, and half include at least one Advertising tracker. To protect patron privacy, information professionals should examine the tracking practices of the websites they recommend. © 2015 Health Libraries Group.

Information Retrieval and Graph Analysis Approaches for Book Recommendation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chahinez Benkoussas

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A combination of multiple information retrieval approaches is proposed for the purpose of book recommendation. In this paper, book recommendation is based on complex user's query. We used different theoretical retrieval models: probabilistic as InL2 (Divergence from Randomness model and language model and tested their interpolated combination. Graph analysis algorithms such as PageRank have been successful in Web environments. We consider the application of this algorithm in a new retrieval approach to related document network comprised of social links. We called Directed Graph of Documents (DGD a network constructed with documents and social information provided from each one of them. Specifically, this work tackles the problem of book recommendation in the context of INEX (Initiative for the Evaluation of XML retrieval Social Book Search track. A series of reranking experiments demonstrate that combining retrieval models yields significant improvements in terms of standard ranked retrieval metrics. These results extend the applicability of link analysis algorithms to different environments.

Information Retrieval and Graph Analysis Approaches for Book Recommendation.

Science.gov (United States)

Benkoussas, Chahinez; Bellot, Patrice

2015-01-01

A combination of multiple information retrieval approaches is proposed for the purpose of book recommendation. In this paper, book recommendation is based on complex user's query. We used different theoretical retrieval models: probabilistic as InL2 (Divergence from Randomness model) and language model and tested their interpolated combination. Graph analysis algorithms such as PageRank have been successful in Web environments. We consider the application of this algorithm in a new retrieval approach to related document network comprised of social links. We called Directed Graph of Documents (DGD) a network constructed with documents and social information provided from each one of them. Specifically, this work tackles the problem of book recommendation in the context of INEX (Initiative for the Evaluation of XML retrieval) Social Book Search track. A series of reranking experiments demonstrate that combining retrieval models yields significant improvements in terms of standard ranked retrieval metrics. These results extend the applicability of link analysis algorithms to different environments.

From resistance to relational inertia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheuer, John Damm

-network-theory as a point of departure a new concept – relational inertia – is developed. In this view change agents are theorized as translators who interacts with humans as well as non-humans (objects) in order to construct different types of socio-technical systems which are constructed to perform certain “wished...... inertia that had to be handled in order to succeed with constructing a performative socio-technical risk-management system in practice. Finally it is discussed how this view supplements the resistance to change view and other views with a focus on barriers to change....

Constructing criticality by classification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Machacek, Erika

2017-01-01

" in the bureaucratic practice of classification: Experts construct material criticality in assessments as they allot information on the materials to the parameters of the assessment framework. In so doing, they ascribe a new set of connotations to the materials, namely supply risk, and their importance to clean energy......, legitimizing a criticality discourse.Specifically, the paper introduces a typology delineating the inferences made by the experts from their produced recommendations in the classification of rare earth element criticality. The paper argues that the classification is a specific process of constructing risk....... It proposes that the expert bureaucratic practice of classification legitimizes (i) the valorisation that was made in the drafting of the assessment framework for the classification, and (ii) political operationalization when enacted that might have (non-)distributive implications for the allocation of public...

Seismic hazard maps for earthquake-resistant construction designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohkawa, Izuru

2004-01-01

Based on the idea that seismic phenomena in Japan varying in different localities are to be reflected in designing specific nuclear facilities in specific site, the present research program started to make seismic hazard maps representing geographical distribution of seismic load factors. First, recent research data on historical earthquakes and materials on active faults in Japan have been documented. Differences in character due to different localities are expressed by dynamic load in consideration of specific building properties. Next, hazard evaluation corresponding to seismic-resistance factor is given as response index (spectrum) of an adequately selected building, for example a nuclear power station, with the help of investigation results of statistical analysis. (S. Ohno)

Construction Professionals Job Performance and Characteristics: A Comparison of Indigenous and Expatriate Construction Companies in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henry Ndubuisi Onukwube

2011-06-01

Job performance is considered one of the most important constructs in human resources management because it helps to explain the value and utility that each employee adds to the organisation. The professionals in the Nigerian construction companies are not exception to the perceived low job performance rate within the industry. Extant literature points to the fact that job characteristics of employees can account for variance in their job performance rate.This study compares the job performance rate and job characteristics of construction professionals in indigenous and expatriate construction companies with a view to establish a relationship between job performance and job characteristics of construction professionals. A total of 762 questionnaires were collected and used for the study.  Eighty one (81 construction companies, 50 (62% indigenous and 31 (38% expatriate were selected using stratified random sampling technique. Data collected were analysed using mean item score, spearman rank correlation, linear regression analysis where appropriate. Findings of the study revealed that the relationship between job characteristics and job performance of construction professionals in construction companies in Nigeria is positive but low and the correlation coefficient is higher in expatriate construction companies. Based on the above finding, the study recommends that construction companies in Nigeria should endeavour and improve on their current core job dimensions (task significance, skill variety, task identity, autonomy and feedback inherent in various jobs designed within their respective organizations as this will constitute as one of the variants that will improve the job performance rate of construction professionals.

Construction and characterization of a plant transformation-competent BIBAC library of the black Sigatoka-resistant banana Musa acuminata cv. Tuu Gia (AA).

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz-Vázquez, E; Kaemmer, D; Zhang, H-B; Muth, J; Rodríguez-Mendiola, M; Arias-Castro, C; James, Andrew

2005-02-01

A plant transformation-competent binary bacterial artificial chromosome (BIBAC) library was constructed from Musa acuminata cv. Tuu Gia (AA), a black Sigatoka-resistant diploid banana. After digestion of high-molecular-weight banana DNA by HindIII, several methods of DNA size selection were tested, followed by ligation, using a vector/insert molar ratio of 4:1. The library consists of 30,700 clones stored in 80 384-well microtiter plates. The mean insert size was estimated to be 100 kb, and the frequency of inserts with internal NotI sites was 61%. The majority of insert sizes fell into the range of 100+/-20 kb, making them suitable for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Only 1% and 0.9% of the clones contain chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA, respectively. This is the first BIBAC library for banana, estimated to represent five times its haploid genome (600 Mbp). It was demonstrated by hybridization that the library contains typical members of resistance gene and defense gene families that can be used for transformation of disease susceptible banana cultivars for banana genetic improvement.

Cost Control Strategies for Zero Energy Buildings: High-Performance Design and Construction on a Budget (Brochure)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2014-09-01

There is mounting evidence that zero energy can, in many cases, be achieved within typical construction budgets. To ensure that the momentum behind zero energy buildings and other low-energy buildings will continue to grow, this guide assembles recommendations for replicating specific successes of early adopters who have met their energy goals while controlling costs. Contents include: discussion of recommended cost control strategies, which are grouped by project phase (acquisition and delivery, design, and construction) and accompanied by industry examples; recommendations for balancing key decision-making factors; and quick reference tables that can help teams apply strategies to specific projects.

Comparisons of selected frame constructions considering effects of rock bursts and earthquakes. [Poland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trojan, Z.; Lipski, Z.; Raczek, R.

1985-01-01

Methods for assessing apartment buildings with frames made of reinforced concrete or steel elements situated above coal mines in Upper Silesia are analyzed. Six buildings from 13.5 m to 37.8 m high are analyzed. Methods for design of earthquake-resistant buildings and buildings constructed in areas affected by underground coal mining are compared. Safety standards used in Israel, the FRG, the USSR, Czechoslovakia and Australia are compared to standards used in Poland for buildings in areas affected by underground mining in Upper Silesia. Loads on a building frame during a shock (caused by mining) with an energy of 10/sup 9/ J are analyzed. Force of inertia and bending moment in the building frame is calculated. Investigation results are shown in 3 tables and in a diagram. Recommendations for methods of calculating bending moment in frames of buildings affected by shocks caused by underground coal mining are made. 11 references.

High chlorpyrifos resistance in Culex pipiens mosquitoes: strong synergy between resistance genes

Science.gov (United States)

Alout, H; Labbé, P; Berthomieu, A; Makoundou, P; Fort, P; Pasteur, N; Weill, M

2016-01-01

We investigated the genetic determinism of high chlorpyrifos resistance (HCR), a phenotype first described in 1999 in Culex pipiens mosquitoes surviving chlorpyrifos doses ⩾1 mg l−1 and more recently found in field samples from Tunisia, Israel or Indian Ocean islands. Through chlorpyrifos selection, we selected several HCR strains that displayed over 10 000-fold resistance. All strains were homozygous for resistant alleles at two main loci: the ace-1 gene, with the resistant ace-1R allele expressing the insensitive G119S acetylcholinesterase, and a resistant allele of an unknown gene (named T) linked to the sex and ace-2 genes. We constructed a strain carrying only the T-resistant allele and studied its resistance characteristics. By crossing this strain with strains harboring different alleles at the ace-1 locus, we showed that the resistant ace-1R and the T alleles act in strong synergy, as they elicited a resistance 100 times higher than expected from a simple multiplicative effect. This effect was specific to chlorpyrifos and parathion and was not affected by synergists. We also examined how HCR was expressed in strains carrying other ace-1-resistant alleles, such as ace-1V or the duplicated ace-1D allele, currently spreading worldwide. We identified two major parameters that influenced the level of resistance: the number and the nature of the ace-1-resistant alleles and the number of T alleles. Our data fit a model that predicts that the T allele acts by decreasing chlorpyrifos concentration in the compartment targeted in insects. PMID:26463842

Recommendations to improve smoking cessation outcomes from people with lung conditions who smoke

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Masefield, Sarah; Powell, Pippa; Jiménez-Ruiz, Carlos

2016-01-01

 months (54%). 59% had tried cessation treatments, but, of these, 55% had not found any treatments helpful. Recommendations were: earlier intervention; discussion of the patient's smoking beliefs, behaviours and motivation; giving constructive advice; understanding addiction; informed decision...

Relationship between Performance of Quantity Surveying Students in Building Construction and Construction Measurement Courses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olatunde Nathaniel Ayinde

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Stakeholders in the educational sector over the century have devoted substantial resources in seeking ways of improving students’ academic performance, yet, the desired improved academic performance has not been achieved. By appraising the relationship between the performance of Quantity Surveying (QS students in Building Construction and Construction Measurement courses; the study identified a major curriculum drafting deficiency in the QS programmes in Nigeria which if addressed could help achieve the much needed improved students’ academic performance. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the performance of QS students in Building construction and construction Measurement Courses; and to determine whether a relationship exist in the performances of QS students in the two subject areas. Purposive sampling technique was used to select Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun State for the study. Random sampling technique was used to select 241 students who provide data for the study. Close ended questionnaire was used to collect data for the study and data was analyzed using frequency, percentile and correlation analysis. Finding indicates that 43% of the respondents on the average put up good performances in Building Construction Courses while only 19% of the respondents on the average had good grades in Construction Measurement Courses. Results also showed that a significant relationship exist between the performance of QS students in Building Construction and Construction Measurement courses as 83.3% (five out of six pair courses shows significant positive linear correlation. The study recommends that a quick curriculum re-adjustment should be initiated so as to enhance improved academic performance by QS Students especially in Construction Measurement courses.

Implications of draft ICRP recommendations: the View of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magnusson, S.; Lazo, T.

2006-01-01

Full text: The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency has taken an active interest in the work being performed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) to develop a new set of general recommendations. As several key junctures, the Nea, through the lead of its Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (C.R.P.P.H.) has performed in-depth analyses of the possible implications that draft ICRP materials, in order to inform policy makers of the regulatory and application implications that would result should draft ICRP Recommendations for a system of radiological protection be published. Comments from the Nea have constructively contributed to the ICRP development process, and it is hoped that the final ICRP recommendations in this area will be developed to best serve the needs of national and international radiation protection policy makers, regulators and implementers. Having assessed and commented on previous drafts, the C.R.P.P.H. has co-ordinated the views of all the relevant standing technical committees within the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency to provide constructive suggestions as to how the text could be usefully improved. Comments were requested from the Nea committees dealing with radioactive waste management, nuclear safety, nuclear regulatory activities, nuclear development and nuclear science. The present paper summarises the results of the C.R.P.P.H. review process related to the new ICRP recommendations. (author)

Corrosion resistance of heat exchange equipment in hydrotreating Orenburg Condensate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teslya, B.M.; Burlov, V.V.; Parputs, I.V.; Parputs, T.P.

1986-01-01

The authors study the corrosion resistance of materials of construction and select appropriate materials for the fabrication of heat exchange equipment that will be serviceable under hydrotreating conditions. This paper discusses the Orenburg condensate hydrotreating unit which has been shut down repeatedly for repair because of corrosion damage to components of heat exchangers in the reactor section: tube bundles (08Kh18N10T steel), corrugated compensators (12Kh18N10T steel), and pins of the floating heads (37Kh13N8G8MFB steel). The authors recommend that the tube bundles and the compensators in heat exchangers in the reaction section should be fabricated of 08Kh21N6M2T or 10Kh17N13M2T steel. The pins have been replaced by new pins made of 10Kh17N13 X M2T steel, increasing the service life from 6-12 months to 2 years

Design of a Construction Safety Training System using Contextual Design Methodology

OpenAIRE

Baldev, Darshan H.

2006-01-01

In the U.S., the majority of construction companies are small companies with 10 or fewer employees (BLS, 2004). The fatality rate in the construction industry is high, indicating a need for implementing safety training to a greater extent. This research addresses two main goals: to make recommendations and design a safety training system for small construction companies, and to use Contextual Design to design the training system. Contextual Design was developed by Holtzblatt (Beyer and Holtzb...

Research, Development and Application of High Performance Earthquake Resistant Precast System as Green Construction in Indonesia

OpenAIRE

Nurjaman Hari; Hariandja Binsar; Suprapto Gambiro; Faizal Lutfi; Sitepu Haerul

2017-01-01

Sustainable construction is a topic that emerges in the world construction as a response to climate change issue. Building construction stage is a stage in sustainable development. Construction concept that confirm to the concept is referred to as green construction. Precast concrete construction is a construction system that meets green construction criteria, because applies the usage of material and construction method that optimize energy consumption and minimize environment impact during ...

The impact of the Vancouver Island natural gas pipeline construction on water quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Gaoshe.

1993-04-01

A study was initiated to evaluate the impact of construction of the Vancouver Island natural gas pipeline on water quality, where the pipeline passed along or through lakes and streams. The main concern was for the potential defilement of community water supplies when construction occurred in community watersheds. When water becomes turbid from rainfall runoff passing through construction areas, disinfection processes are rendered inefficacious and at specified turbidity levels, the water becomes too risky to drink without alternative disinfection such as boiling. The weekly environmental surveillance reports generated during construction are reviewed. The material is organized to relate construction practices with weather patterns, thereby showing the resultant effects on water quality (turbidity). The effectiveness of construction measures in reducing the risk of contamination and water turbidity at intakes is assessed. Generally, water turbidity during project construction was acceptable although it sometimes reached very high levels. These high levels resulted from incidents or mistakes that were usually related to rainy days. Among the 12 types of work activity, bridge construction, drilling, and grading caused relatively slight increases in water turbidity levels, while backfilling and ditching caused the greatest increase in turbidity. Improvements in inspection and monitoring programs are recommended. A key recommendation is that construction work be stopped on rainy days. 6 refs., 4 figs., 20 tabs

The (Street) Art of Resistance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Awad, Sarah H.; Wagoner, Brady; Glaveanu, Vlad Petre

2017-01-01

This chapter focuses on the interrelation between resistance, novelty and social change We will consider resistance as both a social and individual phenomenon, a constructive process that articulates continuity and change and as an act oriented towards an imagined future of different communities....... In this account, resistance is thus a creative act having its own dynamic and, most of all, aesthetic dimension. In fact, it is one such visibly artistic form of resistance that will be considered here, the case of street art as a tool of social protest and revolution in Egypt. Street art is commonly defined...... in sharp contrast with high or fine art because of its collective nature and anonymity, its different kind of aesthetics, and most of all its disruptive, ‘anti-social’ outcomes. With the use of illustrations, we will argue here that street art is prototypical of a creative form of resistance, situated...

Application of Non-pressure Reinforced Concrete Pipes in Modern Construction and Reconstruction of Highways

Science.gov (United States)

Rakitin, B. A.; Pogorelov, S. N.; Kolmogorova, A. O.

2017-11-01

Modern highway construction technologies provide for the quality water discharge systems to increase facilities’ service life. Pipeline operating conditions require the use of durable and reliable materials and structures. The experience in using reinforced concrete pipes for these purposes shows their utilization efficiency. The present paper considers the experience in the use of non-pressure reinforced concrete pipes manufactured by the German company SCHLOSSER-PFEIFFER under the Ural region geological and climatic conditions. The authors analyzed the actual operation of underground pipelines and effective loads upon them. A detailed study of the mechanical properties of reinforced concrete pipes is necessary to improve their production technology and to enhance their serviceability. The use of software-based methods helped to develop a mathematical model and to estimate the strength and crack resistance of reinforced concrete pipes at different laying depths. The authors carried out their complex research of the strain-stress behaviour of reinforced concrete pipes and identified the most hazardous sections in the structure. The calculations performed were confirmed by the results of laboratory tests completed in the construction materials, goods, and structures test center. Based on the completed research, the authors formulated their recommendations to improve the design and technology of non-pressure reinforced concrete pipes.

Alternative Shear Panel Configurations for Light Wood Construction. Development, Seismic Performance, and Design Guidance

Science.gov (United States)

Wilcoski, James; Fischer, Chad; Allison, Tim; Malach, Kelly Jo

2002-04-01

Shear panels are used in light wood construction to resist lateral loads resulting from earthquakes or strong winds. These panels are typically made of wooden sheathing nailed to building frame members, but this standard panel design interferes with the installation of sheet insulation. A non-insulated shear panel conducts heat between the building interior and exterior wasting considerable amounts of energy. Several alternative shear panel designs were developed to avoid this insulation-mounting problem and sample panels were tested according to standard cyclic test protocols. One of the alternative designs consisted of diagonal steel straps nailed directly to the structural framing. Several others consisted of sheathing nailed to 2 x 4 framing then set into a larger 2 x 6 structural frame in such a way that no sheathing protruded beyond the edge of the 2 x 6 members. Also samples of industry-standard shear panels were constructed and tested in order to establish a performance baseline. Analytical models were developed to size test panels and predict panel behavior. A procedure was developed for establishing design capacities based on both test data and established baseline panel design capacity. The behavior of each panel configuration is documented and recommended design capacities are presented.

Electrical measurements during magnet construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sintchak, G.; Ganetis, G.; Cottingham, G.

1989-01-01

Throughout the construction phase of the cold mass for SSC magnets, electrical tests are made to determine that no faults in the coil structure have developed. These tests include ones designed to measure turn-to-turn voltage hold-off, hypot tests to ground, coil resistance, and instrumentation checks. These various tests will be described and the test parameters that are used will be covered. 4 figs

Toronto green roof construction standard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aster, D.

2007-01-01

Toronto City Council adopted a green roof strategy in February 2006. This paper reviewed the by-law governing the strategy as well as the work in progress to develop minimum standards for the design and construction of green roofs in Toronto. The strategy included a series of recommendations regarding the installation of green roofs on city buildings; a pilot grant program; using the development process to encourage green roofs; and, public education and promotion. It was noted that compared to Europe, the development of standards for green roofs in North America is in its early stages. As an emerging sustainable technology, there currently are no standards incorporated into Ontario's Building Code against which Toronto can measure the design and construction of green roofs. Therefore this paper included an analysis detailing how the recommended design requirements were able to support the City's green roof policy objectives and integrate the performance criteria for green roofs previously established and supported by Toronto City Council. The key policy objectives of the City's green roof strategy were to reduce the urban heat island effect; to address stormwater management implications in terms of quality and quantity; to improve the energy budgets of individual buildings; and, to improve air quality

Determination of ductile tearing resistance J-R curves in welded joints; Determination de courbes de resistance a la dechirure ductile dans les joints soudes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gilles, Ph.; Ould, P. [AREVA NP, Tour AREVA, 92086 Paris La Defense (France); Marie, St. [CEA Saclay, DM2S, 91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex (France)

2010-05-15

The ductile tearing resistance of steels is generally characterized in terms of resistance curves giving the increase of a resistance parameter such as the crack driving force J or a crack opening displacement as a function of the crack extension {Delta}a. Welded joints are often the weakest part of structures because of greater risk of defects, heterogeneity of the microstructure of the weld, strain concentration along mismatched interfaces. This paper recalls the transferability issues common to all integrity assessments based on tearing resistance curves and points out the difficulties of characterization specific to welds. Several recommendations are proposed for the experimental determination of tearing resistance of welded joints. (authors)

Measurement in Marketing: Current Scenario, Recommendations and Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felipe Zambaldi

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to discuss about construct measurement in Marketing by summarizing the main considerations about the subject. First, it discusses the origins of the debates about the theme since the 1970s and describes its main consolidated models (the classical Churchill’s model, the COARSE model and the formative measurement model. Then it presents current concerns about the classical approach with relevant recommendations (particularly regarding multi-item measurement, single-item measurement, rating scales and cross-cultural aspects. At the end, it presents considerations about measurement trends in Marketing with emphasis on the Item Response Theory (IRT, Bayesian estimators and Partial Least Squares (PLS. The article updates the debate on the theme and contributes to Marketing experts and researchers who demand a current view about measurement and recommendations for research development. 

Construction insolvency in Australia: reining in the beast

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeremy Coggins

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Insolvency has become endemic in the Australian construction industry. The scale of the problem has reached such proportions that both the NSW Parliament and the Senate have, in recent times, commissioned inquiries into construction insolvency. This paper aims to identify the reasons as to why the construction industry is so susceptible to insolvency, evaluate the effectiveness of any existing insolvency protection measures available to construction firms, and to identify proposed future measures to address the factors causing construction insolvency. The results of a questionnaire survey designed to discover the extent of the construction insolvency problem, as well as building contractors’ views with respect to the causes and regulation of construction insolvency, in South Australia are presented. The research found that there is an appetite amongst building contractors for the introduction of further regulation to address construction insolvency. Further, although the research found underbidding to be the biggest contributory factor towards construction insolvency, it appears to be the most difficult factor to address through regulation which explains the paucity of recommendations which directly address underbidding emanating from the Senate inquiry in 2015.

Mining and representing recommendations in actively evolving recommender systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Assent, Ira

2010-01-01

Recommender systems provide an automatic means of filtering out interesting items, usually based on past similarity of user ratings. In previous work, we have suggested a model that allows users to actively build a recommender network. Users express trust, obtain transparency, and grow (anonymous......) recommender connections. In this work, we propose mining such active systems to generate easily understandable representations of the recommender network. Users may review these representations to provide active feedback. This approach further enhances the quality of recommendations, especially as topics...... of interest change over time. Most notably, it extends the amount of control users have over the model that the recommender network builds of their interests....

ISO in the Construction and Manufacturing Companies: A Case Study from the Construction Industry of Hyderabad and Karachi, Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nafees Ahmed Memon

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Construction industry plays very important role in development of any country. The development of construction industry depends to a larger extent on quality of construction productions and projects. Quality of construction productions and projects is linked with the implementation of QMS (Quality Management System in construction organizations. ISO certification is one of the QMS which has been adopted in manufacturing and construction industry at the global level. The construction companies of developing countries have reaped many advantages from the effective implementation of ISO standards. The rate of adoption of ISO standards has remained slow in the construction sector of some developing countries like Pakistan. This paper presents the literature review of ISO in global construction industry. It highlights the advantages, disadvantages and barriers faced by construction companies in the implementation of ISO standards. This study also investigates the level of adoption of ISO standards in construction and manufacturing companies of Pakistan through a questionnaire survey. It presents the comparison of ISO standards\\\\\\' adoption in both construction and manufacturing sectors. The paper puts forward some suggestions and recommendation for the better adoption and improvement of ISO implementation in the construction sector of Pakistan. This study emphasizes that construction companies of Pakistan should learn from the benefits reaped by the construction companies of developed countries and take appropriate measures for implementing ISO standards. It also suggests that public sector clients should make it obligatory for the contractors and consultants to have ISO certification before awarding the works in order to enhance the the adoption of ISO standards in construction sector.

Impact of Construction Health & Safety Regulations on Project ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Impact of Construction Health & Safety Regulations on Project Parameters in Nigeria: Consultants and Contractors View. ... The study recommends that better attention is given to health and safety should as a project parameter and that related practice notes and guidelines should be evolved for all project stakeholders.

Biosafety assessment of probiotics used for human consumption: recommendations from the EU-PROSAFE project

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vankerckhoven, V.; Huys, G.; Vancanneyt, M.; Vael, C.; Klare, I.; Romond, M.B.; Entenza, J.M.; Moreillon, P.; Wind, R.D.; Knol, J.; Wiertz, E.; Pot, B.; Vaughan, E.E.; Kahlmeter, G.; Goossens, H.

2008-01-01

On June 26-27, 2006, 60 academic and industry scientists gathered during the PROSAFE workshop to discuss recommendations on taxonomy, antibiotic resistance, in vitro assessment of virulence and in vivo assessment of safety of probiotics used for human consumption. For identification of lactic acid

Dieticians' intentions to recommend functional foods: The mediating role of consumption frequency of functional foods

OpenAIRE

Cha, Myeong Hwa; Lee, Jiyeon; Song, Mi Jung

2010-01-01

This study explored the conceptual framework of dieticians' intentions to recommend functional food and the mediating role of consumption frequency. A web-based survey was designed using a self-administered questionnaire. A sample of Korean dieticians (N=233) responded to the questionnaire that included response efficacy, risk perception, consumption frequency, and recommendation intention for functional foods. A structural equation model was constructed to analyze the data. We found that res...

Industry Research and Recommendations for New Commercial Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hendron, B.; Leach, M.; Gregory, N.; Pless, S.; Selkowitz, S.; Matthew, P.

2014-05-01

Researchers evaluated industry needs and developed logic models to support possible future commercial new construction research and deployment efforts that could be led or supported by DOE's Commercial Building Integration program or other national initiatives. The authors believe that these recommendations support a proposed course of action from the current state of commercial building energy efficiency to a possible long-term goal of achieving significant market penetration of cost-effective NZE buildings in all building sectors and climates by 2030.

Optimization of Drilling Resistance Measurement (DRM) user-controlled variables

OpenAIRE

Tudor, Dumitrescu; Pesce, Giovanni; Ball, Richard

2017-01-01

Drilling Resistance Measurement (DRM) is recognised as an important on-site micro-invasive procedure for assessment of construction materials. This paper presents a detailed investigation of user-controlled variables and their influence on drilling resistance. The study proves that the ratio of penetration rate/rotational speed (PR/RPM) is proportional to drilling resistance. Data from Bath stone and an artificial reference stone demonstrates how different materials can be compared using thei...

Protection of Location Privacy Based on Distributed Collaborative Recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Peng; Yang, Jing; Zhang, Jian-Pei

2016-01-01

In the existing centralized location services system structure, the server is easily attracted and be the communication bottleneck. It caused the disclosure of users' location. For this, we presented a new distributed collaborative recommendation strategy that is based on the distributed system. In this strategy, each node establishes profiles of their own location information. When requests for location services appear, the user can obtain the corresponding location services according to the recommendation of the neighboring users' location information profiles. If no suitable recommended location service results are obtained, then the user can send a service request to the server according to the construction of a k-anonymous data set with a centroid position of the neighbors. In this strategy, we designed a new model of distributed collaborative recommendation location service based on the users' location information profiles and used generalization and encryption to ensure the safety of the user's location information privacy. Finally, we used the real location data set to make theoretical and experimental analysis. And the results show that the strategy proposed in this paper is capable of reducing the frequency of access to the location server, providing better location services and protecting better the user's location privacy.

Finding Your Literature Match - A Physics Literature Recommender System

Science.gov (United States)

Henneken, Edwin; Kurtz, Michael

2010-03-01

A recommender system is a filtering algorithm that helps you find the right match by offering suggestions based on your choices and information you have provided. A latent factor model is a successful approach. Here an item is characterized by a vector describing to what extent a product is described by each of N categories, and a person is characterized by an ``interest'' vector, based on explicit or implicit feedback by this user. The recommender system assigns ratings to new items and suggests items this user might be interested in. Here we present results of a recommender system designed to find recent literature of interest to people working in the field of solid state physics. Since we do not have explicit feedback, our user vector consists of (implicit) ``usage.'' Using a system of N keywords we construct normalized keyword vectors for articles based on the keywords of that article and its bibliography. The normalized ``interest'' vector is created by calculating the normalized frequency of keyword occurrence in the papers cited by the papers read.

Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli in Women with Acute Cystitis in Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Warren J McIsaac

2013-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX has been a traditional first-line antibiotic treatment for acute cystitis; however, guidelines do not recommend TMP-SMX in regions where Escherichia coli resistance exceeds 20%. While resistance is increasing, there are no recent Canadian estimates from a primary care setting to guide prescribing decisions.

GaMuSo: Graph base music recommendation in a social bookmarking service

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knijf, de J.; Liekens, A.M.L.; Gama, J.; Bradley, E.; Hollmén, J.

2011-01-01

In this work we describe a recommendation system based upon user-generated description (tags) of content. In particular, we describe an experimental system (GaMuSo) that consists of more than 140.000 user-defined tags for over 400.000 artists. From this data we constructed a bipartite graph, linking

Estimation of terrorist attack resistibility of dual-purpose cask TP-117 with DU (depleted uranium) gamma shield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alekseev, O.G.; Matveev, V.Z.; Morenko, A.I.; Il'kaev, R.I.; Shapovalov, V.I.

2004-01-01

Report is devoted to numerical research of dual-purpose unified cask (used for SFA transportation and storage) resistance to terrorist attacks. High resistance of dual-purpose unified cask has been achieved due to the unique design-technological solutions and implementation of depleted uranium in cask construction. In suggested variant of construction depleted uranium fulfils functions of shielding and constructional material. It is used both in metallic and cermet form (basing on steel and depleted uranium dioxide). Implementation of depleted uranium in cask construction allows maximal load in existing overall dimensions of the cask. At the same time: 1) all safety requirements (IAEA) are met, 2) dual-purpose cask with SFA has high resistance to terrorist attacks

Estimation of terrorist attack resistibility of dual-purpose cask TP-117 with DU (depleted uranium) gamma shield

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alekseev, O.G.; Matveev, V.Z.; Morenko, A.I.; Il' kaev, R.I.; Shapovalov, V.I. [Russian Federal Nuclear Center - All-Russian Research Inst. of Experimental Physics, Sarov (Russian Federation)

2004-07-01

Report is devoted to numerical research of dual-purpose unified cask (used for SFA transportation and storage) resistance to terrorist attacks. High resistance of dual-purpose unified cask has been achieved due to the unique design-technological solutions and implementation of depleted uranium in cask construction. In suggested variant of construction depleted uranium fulfils functions of shielding and constructional material. It is used both in metallic and cermet form (basing on steel and depleted uranium dioxide). Implementation of depleted uranium in cask construction allows maximal load in existing overall dimensions of the cask. At the same time: 1) all safety requirements (IAEA) are met, 2) dual-purpose cask with SFA has high resistance to terrorist attacks.

CONSTRUCTIVE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT SCHOOL-UNIVERSITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalya Petrovna Shatalova

2016-02-01

constructive educational environment and makes recommendations for the implementation of the model in educational process organization. The article has a scientific value, as it contains a generalization of the authors with the novelty, there are scientific findings, aimed at revealing and solving problems of organization of joint activity of all subjects of the educational process.Practical implications. General pedagogic; history of pedagogic and education.

Savannah River Site (SRS) implementation program plan for DNFSB Recommendation 90-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talukdar, B.K.; Loceff, F.

1993-01-01

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) based on its review and evaluation of the content and implementation of standards relating to design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of Defense Nuclear Facilities has made the recommendations (90-2) which when implemented would assure comparable or equivalent levels of safety to the environment, public and workers as required for the commercial nuclear facilities. DOE has accepted the DNFSB 90-2 recommendations and have directed SRS and other M ampersand Os to implement them. This report discusses implementation program which commits to developing Requirement Identification Documents (RID's) for all defense nuclear facilities in the DOE complex

Properties of thick welded joints on superheater collectors made from new generation high alloy martensitic creep-resisting steels for supercritical parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dobrzanski, Janusz; Zielinski, Adam [Institute for Ferrous Metallurgy, Gliwice (Poland); Pasternak, Jerzy [Boiler Engineering Company RAFAKO S.A., Raciborz (Poland)

2010-07-01

The continuously developing power generation sector, including boilers with supercritical parameters, requires applications of new creep-resistant steel grades for construction of boilers steam superheater components. This paper presents selected information, experience within the field of research and implementation of a new group of creep-resistant as X10CrMoVNb9-1(P91), X10CrWMoVNb9-2(P92) and X12CrCoWVNb12-2-2(VM12) grades, containing 9-12%Cr. During welding and examination process the results of mechanical properties, requested level for base material and welded joints, as well as: tensile strength, impact strength and technological properties have been evaluated. Additional destructive examinations, with evaluation of structure stability, hardness distribution, for base material and welded joints after welding, heat treatment, again process have been determined. Recommendations due to the implementation influence of operating parameters of the main boiler components are part of this paper. (orig.)

A Hybrid Approach using Collaborative filtering and Content based Filtering for Recommender System

Science.gov (United States)

Geetha, G.; Safa, M.; Fancy, C.; Saranya, D.

2018-04-01

In today’s digital world, it has become an irksome task to find the content of one's liking in an endless variety of content that are being consumed like books, videos, articles, movies, etc. On the other hand there has been an emerging growth among the digital content providers who want to engage as many users on their service as possible for the maximum time. This gave birth to the recommender system comes wherein the content providers recommend users the content according to the users’ taste and liking. In this paper we have proposed a movie recommendation system. A movie recommendation is important in our social life due to its features such as suggesting a set of movies to users based on their interest, or the popularities of the movies. In this paper we are proposing a movie recommendation system that has the ability to recommend movies to a new user as well as the other existing users. It mines movie databases to collect all the important information, such as, popularity and attractiveness, which are required for recommendation. We use content-based and collaborative filtering and also hybrid filtering, which is a combination of the results of these two techniques, to construct a system that provides more precise recommendations concerning movies.

Antibiotic prophylaxis in veterinary cancer chemotherapy: A review and recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bisson, J L; Argyle, D J; Argyle, S A

2018-06-12

Bacterial infection following cancer chemotherapy-induced neutropenia is a serious cause of morbidity and mortality in human and veterinary patients. Antimicrobial prophylaxis is controversial in the human oncology field, as any decreased incidence in bacterial infections is countered by patient adverse effects and increased antimicrobial resistance. Comprehensive guidelines exist to aid human oncologists in prescribing antimicrobial prophylaxis but similar recommendations are not available in veterinary literature. As the veterinarian's role in antimicrobial stewardship is increasingly emphasized, it is vital that veterinary oncologists implement appropriate antimicrobial use. By considering the available human and veterinary literature we present an overview of current clinical practices and are able to suggest recommendations for prophylactic antimicrobial use in veterinary cancer chemotherapy patients. © 2018 The Authors. Veterinary and Comparative Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sustainable Construction Industry Development and Green Buildings: A Case of Latvia

Science.gov (United States)

Kauskale, L.; Geipele, I.; Zeltins, N.; Vanags, J.

2018-02-01

Nowadays, more and more attention is being paid to the country's economy, construction industry and real estate market's sustainable development and to the studies related to these issues. The aim of the research is to analyse significant aspects of sustainable development of construction activities and real estate market, with particular focus on environmental aspects of construction or the role of green buildings. The research includes an integrated approach of construction industry analysis and analysis of real estate operations area. Scientific and practical solutions and recommendations will enable the industry participants to be introduced to the main sustainable aspects of construction industry development, which, in their turn, can improve the overall performance of the industry in the long term.

Cry1F resistance among lepidopteran pests: a model for improved resistance management?

Science.gov (United States)

Vélez, Ana M; Vellichirammal, Neetha Nanoth; Jurat-Fuentes, Juan Luis; Siegfried, Blair D

2016-06-01

The Cry1Fa protein from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is known for its potential to control lepidopteran pests, especially through transgenic expression in maize and cotton. The maize event TC1507 expressing the cry1Fa toxin gene became commercially available in the United States in 2003 for the management of key lepidopteran pests including the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, and the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda. A high-dose/refuge strategy has been widely adopted to delay evolution of resistance to event TC1507 and other transgenic Bt crops. Efficacy of this strategy depends on the crops expressing a high dose of the Bt toxin to targeted pests and adjacent refuges of non-Bt host plants serving as a source of abundant susceptible insects. While this strategy has proved effective in delaying O. nubilalis resistance, field-evolved resistance to event TC1507 has been reported in S. frugiperda populations in Puerto Rico, Brazil, and the southeastern United States. This paper examines available information on resistance to Cry1Fa in O. nubilalis and S. frugiperda and discusses how this information identifies opportunities to refine resistance management recommendations for Bt maize. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ERGONOMIC AND ECOLOGICALSAFETY - FACTORSNESSARY TO IMPROVETHE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE DOMESTIC CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volkov Andrey Anatol’evich

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The analysis of output and domestic used construction machinery showed that the most vulnerable link remains a problem of underreporting of ergonomics and environmental safety requirements. Compliance with ergonomic requirements enhances the performance of mechanized operations, leading to a decrease in construction costs. Increased environmental requirements reduce the negative impact on air basin. These results suggest the need to improve the structures of building machines. Made recommendations for a comprehensive solution to the problem. The measures to improve environmental safety, ergonomic design requirements of construction machinery, mechanisms of the optimal development of the domestic construction machinery, through the development and implementation of appropriate measures. Keywords: ergonomics of construction equipment, environmental safety of construction equipment

Fire resistance of prefabricated monolithic slab

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gravit Marina

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A prefabricated monolithic slab (PMS has a number of valuable advantages, they allow to significantly decrease the weight of construction keeping the necessary structural-load capacity, to speed up and cheapen work conduction, to increase the heat isolating properties of an enclosure structure [1]. In order to create a design method of prefabricated monolithic slab fire-resistance, it's necessary to perform a series of PMS testing, one of which is being described in this article. Subjected to the test is a fragment of prefabricated monolithic slab with polystyrene concrete inserts along the beams with bent metal profile 250 mm thick, with a 2.7 m span loaded with evenly spread load equal to 600 kg/m2. After 3 hour testing for fire-resistance [2] no signs of construction ultimate behavior were detected.

TQM in Construction and Manufacturing Companies of Pakistan: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nafees Ahmed Memon

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The role of construction quality and continuous improvement is vital in the development of construction industry of developing countries. Construction quality and continuous improvement is linked with the adoption of quality management systems in construction companies. This paper highlights the importance of TQM (Total Quality Management and presents the benefits of TQM gained by construction organizations in worldwide construction sector. It examines and contrasts the level of acceptance and execution of TQM in construction and manufacturing sector of Pakistan. The paper also identifies the barriers in adoption of TQM and advantages of implementing TQM in construction sector of Pakistan. In the end, the paper presents some suggestions and steps for the implementation of TQM in construction companies of Pakistan. The findings and recommendations of the study are not only beneficial for the construction sector of Pakistan but also these will be helpful to other developing countries having similar scenarios.

Quality assurance during site construction of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-01-01

This Safety Guide provides requirements and recommendations related to the establishment and implementation of a quality assurance programme for the site construction activities at nuclear power plants. These include activities such as fabricating, erecting, installing, handling, storing, cleaning, flushing, inspecting, testing, modifying, repairing, and maintaining

Nutritional Management of Insulin Resistance in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judith Wylie-Rosett

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD is an emerging global health concern. It is the most common form of chronic liver disease in Western countries, affecting both adults and children. NAFLD encompasses a broad spectrum of fatty liver disease, ranging from simple steatosis (NAFL to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, and is strongly associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. First-line therapy for NAFLD includes weight loss achieved through diet and physical activity. However, there is a lack of evidenced-based dietary recommendations. The American Diabetes Association’s (ADA recommendations that aim to reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease may also be applicable to the NAFLD population. The objectives of this review are to: (1 provide an overview of NAFLD in the context of insulin resistance, and (2 provide a rationale for applying relevant aspects of the ADA recommendations to the nutritional management of NAFLD.

National anti-tuberculosis drug resistance study in Tanzania

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chonde, T. M.; Basra, D.; Mfinanga, S. G. M.; Range, N.; Lwilla, F.; Shirima, R. P.; van Deun, A.; Zignol, M.; Cobelens, F. G.; Egwaga, S. M.; van Leth, F.

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance in a national representative sample of tuberculosis (TB) patients in Tanzania according to recommended methodology. DESIGN: Cluster survey, with 40 clusters sampled proportional to size, of notified TB patients from all

Resistance Distances in Vertex-Face Graphs

Science.gov (United States)

Shangguan, Yingmin; Chen, Haiyan

2018-01-01

The computation of two-point resistances in networks is a classical problem in electric circuit theory and graph theory. Let G be a triangulation graph with n vertices embedded on an orientable surface. Define K(G) to be the graph obtained from G by inserting a new vertex vϕ to each face ϕ of G and adding three new edges (u, vϕ), (v, vϕ) and (w, vϕ), where u, v and w are three vertices on the boundary of ϕ. In this paper, using star-triangle transformation and resistance local-sum rules, explicit relations between resistance distances in K(G) and those in G are obtained. These relations enable us to compute resistance distance between any two points of Kk(G) recursively. As explanation examples, some resistances in several networks are computed, including the modified Apollonian network and networks constructed from tetrahedron, octahedron and icosahedron, respectively.

Tomographic pseudo-inversion of resistivity profiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Luzio

1997-06-01

Full Text Available A new approach to construct vertical and/or horizontal pseudosections starting from sets of resistivity (and/or IP data is presented. In principle it consists in the division of the subsoil into a number of pixels (discretization, arranged in a 3D halfspace. The resistivity of each pixel is then obtained by a back-projection of the set of acquired experimental data, that is by arranging a set of convolutions using 3D filters. The coefficients of the filters are calculated, depending on the geometry of the electrode array used, on the basis of a mask reproducing the «influence coefficients» of all the pixels. The aim of these representations is to match the shape of the investigated structures as close as possible, so that, even if it can be considered a fast arrangement of the experimental data rather than a real inversion, it can be a useful tool in interpretation, at least as a simple preliminary sketch. This method is discussed, focussing on some critical choices regarding the construction of the filters and the use of smoothing factors; some applications on synthetic data calculated on simple models of buried resistive spheres are also presented.

Cathode readout with stripped resistive drift tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bychkov, V.N.; Kekelidze, G.D.; Novikov, E.A.; Peshekhonov, V.D.; Shafranov, M.D.; Zhiltsov, V.E.

1995-01-01

A straw tube drift chamber prototype has been constructed and tested. The straw tube material is mylar film covered with a carbon layer with a resistivity of 0.5, 30 and 70 kΩ/□. Both the anode wire and the cathode strip signals were detected to study the behaviour of the chamber in the presence of X-ray ionization. The construction and the results of the study are presented. (orig.)

Cathode readout with stripped resistive drift tubes

Science.gov (United States)

Bychkov, V. N.; Kekelidze, G. D.; Novikov, E. A.; Peshekhonov, V. D.; Shafranov, M. D.; Zhiltsov, V. E.

1995-12-01

A straw tube drift chamber prototype has been constructed and tested. The straw tube material is mylar film covered with a carbon layer with a resistivity of 0.5, 30 and 70 kΩ/□. Both the anode wire and the cathode strip signals were detected to study the behaviour of the chamber in the presence of X-ray ionization. The construction and the results of the study are presented.

Epilepsy surgery: Recommendations for India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chandra P

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The following article recommends guidelines for epilepsy surgery for India. This article reviews the indications, the various surgical options available and the outcome of surgery for drug resistant epilepsy based on current evidence. Epilepsy surgery is a well-established option for patients who have been diagnosed to have drug resistant epilepsy (DRE (on at least two appropriate, adequate anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs (either in monotherapy or in combination with continuing seizures, where the presurgical work-up has shown concordance of structural imaging (magnetic resonance imaging and electrical mapping data (electroencephalography (EEG, video EEG. There may be a requirement of functional imaging techniques in a certain number of DRE like positron emission tomography (PET, single photon emission tomography, (SPECT. Invasive monitoring should be restricted to a few when all noninvasive investigations are inconclusive, there is a dual pathology or there is a discordance of noninvasive data. The types of surgery could be curative (resective surgeries: amygdalo hippocampectomy, lesionectomy and multilobar resections; functional surgeries: hemispherotomy and palliative (multiple subpial transaction, corpus callosotomy, vagal nerve stimulation. Epilepsy surgery in indicated cases has a success range from 50 to 86% in achieving seizure freedom as compared with < 5% success rate with AEDs only in persons with DRE. Centers performing surgery should be categorized into Level I and Level II.

The correlates of preschoolers' compliance with screen recommendations exist across multiple domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinkley, Trina; Salmon, Jo; Okely, Anthony D; Crawford, David

2013-09-01

To investigate the individual, social and physical environment correlates of preschool children's compliance with Australian/Canadian and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) screen recommendations. An Ecological Model (EM) was used to identify constructs potentially associated with children's screen time. In 2008-2009, parents in Melbourne, Australia, reported their child's screen time and on a range of potential correlates. Children (n = 935; 54% boys, mean age 4.54 ± 0.70 years) were assessed as meeting or not meeting each of the screen recommendations. Logistic regression assessed bivariable and multivariable associations. In total, 15 explanatory variables, across the three domains of the EM were associated with boys' and/or girls' compliance with either Australian/Canadian or AAP recommendations. Correlates varied by sex and recommendation. Maternal television viewing time was the only consistent correlate for both boys' and girls' compliance with both recommendations. No demographic groups were identified as being less likely to comply with screen recommendations. Public health programs should take account of the sex-specific nature of correlates of preschool children's screen time. Preschool children across all demographic groups need support to engage in less screen use. Parents may benefit from education and parenting skills to minimize potentially harmful effects of excessive screen time for their child. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Problem of dynamic impacts upon NPP buildings and constructions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosterev, A.E.

1998-01-01

Activities of IAEA member-states dealing with the problems of taking into account external natural and technogenic impacts (earthquakes, cyclones, hurricanes, aircraft crushes, air shock waves) when designing NPP buildings and constructions important for nuclear and radiation safety are briefly discussed. It is concluded that development of IAEA general recommendations for taking into account specific dynamic impacts will improve noticeably safety of NPPs being in operation both in Russia and all over the World as a result of reconstruction of safety-important buildings and constructions

Characterizing the insecticide resistance of Anopheles gambiae in Mali.

Science.gov (United States)

Cisse, Moussa B M; Keita, Chitan; Dicko, Abdourhamane; Dengela, Dereje; Coleman, Jane; Lucas, Bradford; Mihigo, Jules; Sadou, Aboubacar; Belemvire, Allison; George, Kristen; Fornadel, Christen; Beach, Raymond

2015-08-22

The impact of indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticide nets (LLINs), key components of the national malaria control strategy of Mali, is threatened by vector insecticide resistance. The objective of this study was to assess the level of insecticide resistance in Anopheles gambiae sensu lato populations from Mali against four classes of insecticide recommended for IRS: organochlorines (OCs), pyrethroids (PYs), carbamates (CAs) and organophosphates (OPs). Characterization of resistance was done in 13 sites across southern Mali and assessed presence and distribution of physiological mechanisms that included target-site modifications: knockdown resistance (kdr) and altered acetycholinesterase (AChE), and/or metabolic mechanisms: elevated esterases, glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), and monooxygenases. The World Health Organization (WHO) tube test was used to determine phenotypic resistance of An. gambiae s.l. to: dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) (OC), deltamethrin (PY), lambda-cyhalothrin (PY), bendiocarb (CA), and fenitrothion (OP). Identification of sibling species and presence of the ace-1 (R) and Leu-Phe kdr, resistance-associated mutations, were determined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. Biochemical assays were conducted to detect increased activity of GSTs, oxidases and esterases. Populations tested showed high levels of resistance to DDT in all 13 sites, as well as increased resistance to deltamethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin in 12 out of 13 sites. Resistance to fenitrothion and bendiocarb was detected in 1 and 4 out of 13 sites, respectively. Anopheles coluzzii, An. gambiae sensu stricto and Anopheles arabiensis were identified with high allelic frequencies of kdr in all sites where each of the species were found (13, 12 and 10 sites, respectively). Relatively low allelic frequencies of ace-1 (R) were detected in four sites where this assessment was conducted. Evidence of elevated insecticide metabolism, based on oxidase

Compositional descriptor-based recommender system for the materials discovery

Science.gov (United States)

Seko, Atsuto; Hayashi, Hiroyuki; Tanaka, Isao

2018-06-01

Structures and properties of many inorganic compounds have been collected historically. However, it only covers a very small portion of possible inorganic crystals, which implies the presence of numerous currently unknown compounds. A powerful machine-learning strategy is mandatory to discover new inorganic compounds from all chemical combinations. Herein we propose a descriptor-based recommender-system approach to estimate the relevance of chemical compositions where crystals can be formed [i.e., chemically relevant compositions (CRCs)]. In addition to data-driven compositional similarity used in the literature, the use of compositional descriptors as a prior knowledge is helpful for the discovery of new compounds. We validate our recommender systems in two ways. First, one database is used to construct a model, while another is used for the validation. Second, we estimate the phase stability for compounds at expected CRCs using density functional theory calculations.

Formation of integrated structural units using the systematic and integrated method when implementing high-rise construction projects

Science.gov (United States)

Abramov, Ivan

2018-03-01

Development of design documentation for a future construction project gives rise to a number of issues with the main one being selection of manpower for structural units of the project's overall implementation system. Well planned and competently staffed integrated structural construction units will help achieve a high level of reliability and labor productivity and avoid negative (extraordinary) situations during the construction period eventually ensuring improved project performance. Research priorities include the development of theoretical recommendations for enhancing reliability of a structural unit staffed as an integrated construction crew. The author focuses on identification of destabilizing factors affecting formation of an integrated construction crew; assessment of these destabilizing factors; based on the developed mathematical model, highlighting the impact of these factors on the integration criterion with subsequent identification of an efficiency and reliability criterion for the structural unit in general. The purpose of this article is to develop theoretical recommendations and scientific and methodological provisions of an organizational and technological nature in order to identify a reliability criterion for a structural unit based on manpower integration and productivity criteria. With this purpose in mind, complex scientific tasks have been defined requiring special research, development of corresponding provisions and recommendations based on the system analysis findings presented herein.

Probabilistic analysis in the life cycle management of construction deficiencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zebroski, E.; Starr, C.

1985-01-01

The author discusses the urgent need for better systems and procedures for evaluating actual or suspected construction deficiencies in nuclear power plants. The following topics of interest are discussed: summary of tools available, use of plant-specific probabilistic risk assessments, general process for the rational management of construction deficiencies, rationales for the timing of required corrective actions, example of deficiency management in France, proposed screening process, deficiencies calling for corrective actions, institutional obstacles, and specific recommendations

Power relations and reciprocity: dialectics of knowledge construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ben-Ari, Adital; Enosh, Guy

2013-03-01

In this article we suggest a theoretical framework of knowledge construction by employing the concept of dialectics to power relationships between researcher and participants. Power distribution in research is perceived as dichotomous and asymmetrical in favor of the researcher, creating unequal power relations that make exploitation possible. Acknowledging such exploitation has led to a critical stance and attempts to bridge gaps through egalitarianism and empowerment of participants. Some scholars have focused on shifting expert knowledge differentials between researcher and participants throughout the research project. Others have evaluated such gaps as a source of knowledge construction. In the present work we applied a dialectical approach to understanding research relationships, suggesting reciprocity as their defining attribute, regardless of symmetry or asymmetry and as a source of knowledge construction. In this article we recommend avoiding a taken-for-granted attitude, because we see it as a direct obstacle to the construction of knowledge.

Developing Extended Strands in Girder-Cap Beam Connections for Positive Moment Resistance

Science.gov (United States)

2017-11-01

In bridges constructed with precast prestressed concrete girders, resistance to seismic effects is achieved by the interaction between the columns, the cap beam and the girders. These components must be connected to provide flexural resistance. Under...

Construction of Architectural Structures in Cultural Heritage Protection Zones

Science.gov (United States)

Zagroba, Marek; Gawryluk, Dorota

2017-10-01

The article raises issues of constructing contemporary architectural structures in cultural heritage protection zones, using the case study of a building located within the campus of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland. Questions revolving around the construction of this building arise from the need to preserve the surrounding historic heritage, and deal with landscaping, architectural and construction solutions as well as interior design. All these problems grow in importance when dealing with such unique buildings like the discussed example of a laboratory building for the Civil Engineering Department, built on a site within a conservation zone of the university campus. The specific character of the building and the specialist equipment with which it was to be furnished (a resistance testing machine, a 17-meter-long wave flume) necessitated a series of analyses. In turn, the fact that the new building was to be erected in the conservation zone meant that collaboration with the Heritage Conservation Office had to be undertaken at the stage of making the plan and continued during the construction works. The Heritage Officer’s recommendations concerning the building’s shape, divisions, dimensions, materials used, etc., created a situation where the team of designers and architects had to become engaged in the process of landscape and spatial management. The above requirements concerned the functions of the building and its siting on a land parcel that was difficult to handle, also because of the protected trees growing there. Other constraints included the small size of this site, the developed surroundings, and the pre-defined programme of functions and use of the new building. All the above circumstances made the task difficult and demanded good coordination between individual teams of engineers and architects, both at the stage of making the plan and during the construction works. Many of the heritage protection zones are spoilt with

Sustainable Construction Industry Development and Green Buildings: A Case of Latvia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kauskale L.

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, more and more attention is being paid to the country's economy, construction industry and real estate market's sustainable development and to the studies related to these issues. The aim of the research is to analyse significant aspects of sustainable development of construction activities and real estate market, with particular focus on environmental aspects of construction or the role of green buildings. The research includes an integrated approach of construction industry analysis and analysis of real estate operations area. Scientific and practical solutions and recommendations will enable the industry participants to be introduced to the main sustainable aspects of construction industry development, which, in their turn, can improve the overall performance of the industry in the long term.

A multi-label learning based kernel automatic recommendation method for support vector machine.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xueying; Song, Qinbao

2015-01-01

Choosing an appropriate kernel is very important and critical when classifying a new problem with Support Vector Machine. So far, more attention has been paid on constructing new kernels and choosing suitable parameter values for a specific kernel function, but less on kernel selection. Furthermore, most of current kernel selection methods focus on seeking a best kernel with the highest classification accuracy via cross-validation, they are time consuming and ignore the differences among the number of support vectors and the CPU time of SVM with different kernels. Considering the tradeoff between classification success ratio and CPU time, there may be multiple kernel functions performing equally well on the same classification problem. Aiming to automatically select those appropriate kernel functions for a given data set, we propose a multi-label learning based kernel recommendation method built on the data characteristics. For each data set, the meta-knowledge data base is first created by extracting the feature vector of data characteristics and identifying the corresponding applicable kernel set. Then the kernel recommendation model is constructed on the generated meta-knowledge data base with the multi-label classification method. Finally, the appropriate kernel functions are recommended to a new data set by the recommendation model according to the characteristics of the new data set. Extensive experiments over 132 UCI benchmark data sets, with five different types of data set characteristics, eleven typical kernels (Linear, Polynomial, Radial Basis Function, Sigmoidal function, Laplace, Multiquadric, Rational Quadratic, Spherical, Spline, Wave and Circular), and five multi-label classification methods demonstrate that, compared with the existing kernel selection methods and the most widely used RBF kernel function, SVM with the kernel function recommended by our proposed method achieved the highest classification performance.

New CMS detectors under construction at CERN

CERN Multimedia

Katarina Anthony

2012-01-01

While the LHC will play the starring role in the 2013/2014 Long Shutdown (LS1), the break will also be a chance for its experiments to upgrade their detectors. CMS will be expanding its current muon detection systems, fitting 72 new cathode strip chambers (CSC) and 144 new resistive plate chambers (RPC) to the endcaps of the detector. These new chambers are currently under construction in Building 904.   CMS engineers install side panels on a CSC detector in Building 904. "The original RPC and CSC detectors were constructed in bits and pieces around the world," says Armando Lanaro, CSC construction co-ordinator. "But for the construction of these additional chambers, we decided to unify the assembly and testing into a single facility at CERN. There, CMS technicians, engineers and physicists are taking raw materials and transforming them into installation-ready detectors.” This new facility can be found in Building 904. Once the assembly site for the strai...

Fire resistance of wood members with directly applied protection

Science.gov (United States)

Robert H. White

2009-01-01

Fire-resistive wood construction is achieved either by having the structural elements be part of fire-rated assemblies or by using elements of sufficient size that the elements themselves have the required fire-resistance ratings. For exposed structural wood elements, the ratings in the United States are calculated using either the T.T. Lie method or the National...

Securing recommender systems against shilling attacks using social-based clustering

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Xiangliang

2013-07-01

Recommender systems (RS) have been found supportive and practical in e-commerce and been established as useful aiding services. Despite their great adoption in the user communities, RS are still vulnerable to unscrupulous producers who try to promote their products by shilling the systems. With the advent of social networks new sources of information have been made available which can potentially render RS more resistant to attacks. In this paper we explore the information provided in the form of social links with clustering for diminishing the impact of attacks. We propose two algorithms, CluTr and WCluTr, to combine clustering with "trust" among users. We demonstrate that CluTr and WCluTr enhance the robustness of RS by experimentally evaluating them on data from a public consumer recommender system Epinions.com. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York & Science Press, China.

Materials in machine, plant, and apparatus construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blumenauer, H.; Hampe, E.; Hoehne, D.

1983-01-01

The subject is covered under the following headings: principles of materials economy and selection, designation of materials, general construction materials; materials for tools, materials for low temperatures, materials for high temperatures, materials for corrosive stress, materials with high wear resistance and friction materials, sliding and bearing materials, materials for spring load, materials for joints, and materials for nuclear reactors

Climate responsive and safe earthquake construction: a community building a school

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hari Darshan

2011-10-01

Full Text Available This article outlines environment friendly features, climate responsive features and construction features of a prototype school building constructed using green building technology. The school building has other additional features such as earthquake resistant construction, use of local materials and local technology. The construction process not only establishes community ownership, but also facilitates dissemination of the technology to the communities. Schools are effective media for raising awareness, disseminating technology and up-scaling the innovative approach. The approach is cost effective and sustainable for long-term application of green building technology. Furthermore, this paper emphasizes that such construction technology will be instrumental to build culture of safety in communities and reduce disaster risk.

TMI-2 Lessons Learned Task Force status report and short-term recommendations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-07-01

Review of the Three Mile Island accident by the TMI-2 Lessons Learned Task Force has disclosed a number of actions in the areas of design and analysis and plant operations that the Task Force recommends be required in the short term to provide substantial additional protection which is required for the public health and safety. All nuclear power plants in operation or in various stages of construction or licensing action are affected to varying degrees by the specific recommendations. The Task Force is continuing work in areas of general safety criteria, systems design requirements, nuclear power plant operations, and nuclear power plant licensing

Emergence of fluoroquinolone resistance among drug resistant tuberculosis patients at a tertiary care facility in Karachi, Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaidi, Syed Mohammad Asad; Haseeb, Abdul; Habib, Shifa Salman; Malik, Amyn; Khowaja, Saira; SaifUllah, Nausheen; Rizvi, Nadeem

2017-07-25

Pakistan is classified as one of the high multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) burden countries. A poorly regulated private sector, over-prescription of antibiotics and self-medication has led to augmented rates of drug-resistance in the country. Pakistan's first national anti-tuberculosis drug resistance survey identified high prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistance among MDR-TB patients. Further institutional evidence of fluoroquinolone drug-resistance can support re-evaluation of treatment regimens as well as invigorate efforts to control antibiotic resistance in the country. In this study, data for drug-susceptibility testing (DST) was retrospectively analyzed for a total of 133 patients receiving MDR-TB treatment at the Chest Department of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, Pakistan. Frequency analyses for resistance patterns was carried out and association of fluoroquinolone (ofloxacin) resistance with demographics and past TB treatment category were assessed. Within first-line drugs, resistance to isoniazid was detected in 97.7% of cases, followed by rifampicin (96.9%), pyrazinamide (86.4%), ethambutol (69.2%) and streptomycin (64.6%). Within second-line drugs, ofloxacin resistance was detected in 34.6% of cases. Resistance to ethionamide and amikacin was 2.3% and 1.6%, respectively. Combined resistance of oflaxacin and isoniazid was detected in 33.9% of cases. Age, gender and past TB treatment category were not significantly associated with resistance to ofloxacin. Fluoroquinolone resistance was observed in an alarmingly high proportion of MDR-TB cases. Our results suggest caution in their use for empirical management of MDR-TB cases and recommended treatment regimens for MDR-TB may require re-evaluation. Greater engagement of private providers and stringent pharmacy regulations are urgently required.

Construction of the Chamagawa bridge; Chamagawabashi no seko

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawado, A.; Okawa, M. [Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Authority, Tokyo (Japan); Yoshii, M.; Oda, I.

1997-09-30

The Chamagawa Bridge is a reinforced concrete fixed-arch bridge which is located at the northern end of Awaji Island, 1.5 km away from the Honshu-Shikoku linking large-scale Akashi Strait Bridge. This paper describes the design and construction of the bridge. Overhang construction method using cable stayed members was adopted. Against the tensile stress generated in the arch-ring under construction, reaction force was burdened with cable stayed columns, anchor blocks and ground anchors by regulating stress using cable stayed members and by resisting using PC steel rods arranging in the arch-ring. For the construction of arch-ring, a space was made for fabricating a specific large-scale movable working vehicle by the grounding support. Then, overhang construction was started. For the construction of overhang, construction of cable stayed members, regulation of stress, and tension of ground anchors were conducted with the construction of each block. The construction of linking block in the center was conducted by hanging support method after the specific large-scale movable working vehicle was taken to pieces. After the connection of arch-ring, tensile forces of cable stayed members and ground anchors were released. The bridge was completed in the down road in 1997. 1 ref., 21 figs., 6 tabs.

Classification of Recommender Expertise in the Wikipedia Recommender System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Christian D.; Pilkauskas, Povilas; Lefévre, Thomas

2011-01-01

to the quality of articles. The Wikipedia Recommender System (WRS) was developed to help users determine the credibility of articles based on feedback from other Wikipedia users. The WRS implements a collaborative filtering system with trust metrics, i.e., it provides a rating of articles which emphasizes...... an evaluation of four existing knowledge classification schemes with respect to these requirements. This evaluation helped us identify a classification scheme, which we have implemented in the current version of the Wikipedia Recommender System....... feedback from recommenders that the user has agreed with in the past. This exposes the problem that most recommenders are not equally competent in all subject areas. The first WRS prototype did not include an evaluation of the areas of expertise of recommenders, so the trust metric used in the article...

Classification of Recommender Expertise in the Wikipedia Recommender System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Christian D.; Pilkauskas, Povilas; Lefevre, Thomas

2011-01-01

to the quality of articles. The Wikipedia Recommender System (WRS) was developed to help users determine the credibility of articles based on feedback from other Wikipedia users. The WRS implements a collaborative filtering system with trust metrics, i.e., it provides a rating of articles "which emphasizes...... an evaluation of four existing knowledge classification schemes with respect to these requirements. This evaluation helped us identify a classification scheme, which we have implemented in the current version of the Wikipedia Recommender System....... feedback from recommenders that the user has agreed with in the past. This exposes the problem that most recommenders are not equally competent in all subject areas. The first WRS prototype did not include an evaluation of the areas of expertise of recommenders, so the trust metric used in the article...

Design, construction, quality checks and test results of first resistive-Micromegas read-out boards for the ATLAS experiment

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00215943; The ATLAS collaboration; Kuger, Fabian

2015-01-01

The development work carried out at CERN to push the Micromegas technology to a new frontier is now coming to an end. The construction of the first read-out boards for the upgrade of the ATLAS muon system will demonstrate in full-scale the feasibility of this ambitious project. The read-out boards, representing the heart of the detector, are manufactured in industries, making the Micromegas for ATLAS the first MPGD for a large experiment with a relevant part industrially produced. The boards are 50 cm wide and up to 220 cm long, carrying copper strips 315 μm wide with 415 μm pitch. Interconnected resistive strips, having the same pattern as the copper strips, provide spark protection. The boards are completed by the creation of cylindrical pillars 128 μm high, 280 μm in diameter and arranged in a triangular array 7 mm aside. The total number of boards to be produced for ATLAS is 2048 of 32 different types. We will review the main design parameters of the read-out boards for the ATLAS Micromegas, following...

Learning Earthquake Design and Construction 20. How do Beam ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 10; Issue 6. Learning Earthquake Design and Construction – How do Beam–Column Joints in RC Buildings Resist Earthquakes? C V R Murty. Classroom Volume 10 Issue 6 June 2005 pp 82-85 ...

Dieticians' intentions to recommend functional foods: The mediating role of consumption frequency of functional foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Myeong Hwa; Lee, Jiyeon; Song, Mi Jung

2010-02-01

This study explored the conceptual framework of dieticians' intentions to recommend functional food and the mediating role of consumption frequency. A web-based survey was designed using a self-administered questionnaire. A sample of Korean dieticians (N=233) responded to the questionnaire that included response efficacy, risk perception, consumption frequency, and recommendation intention for functional foods. A structural equation model was constructed to analyze the data. We found that response efficacy was positively related to frequency of consumption of functional foods and to recommendation intention. Consumption frequency also positively influenced recommendation intention. Risk perception had no direct influence on recommendation intention; however, the relationship was mediated completely by consumption frequency. Dieticians' consumption frequency and response efficacy were the crucial factors in recommending functional foods. Dieticians may perceive risks arising from the use of functional foods in general, but the perceived risks do not affect ratings describing dieticians' intentions to recommend them. The results also indicated that when dieticians more frequently consume functional foods, the expression of an intention to recommend functional foods may be controlled by the salience of past behaviors rather than by attitudes.

Recommendations for building and testing the next generation of gaseous detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, Bernhard

2003-01-01

This paper is the write-up of the very last talk of an interesting, exciting and exhausting workshop. It is not meant as yet another summary talk, but as the very personal view of the situation and recommendations for the future work. It attempts to give a few general hints and rules for the design, construction, development and operation of high rate gaseous detectors

The constructal law of design and evolution in nature

Science.gov (United States)

Bejan, Adrian; Lorente, Sylvie

2010-01-01

Constructal theory is the view that (i) the generation of images of design (pattern, rhythm) in nature is a phenomenon of physics and (ii) this phenomenon is covered by a principle (the constructal law): ‘for a finite-size flow system to persist in time (to live) it must evolve such that it provides greater and greater access to the currents that flow through it’. This law is about the necessity of design to occur, and about the time direction of the phenomenon: the tape of the design evolution ‘movie’ runs such that existing configurations are replaced by globally easier flowing configurations. The constructal law has two useful sides: the prediction of natural phenomena and the strategic engineering of novel architectures, based on the constructal law, i.e. not by mimicking nature. We show that the emergence of scaling laws in inanimate (geophysical) flow systems is the same phenomenon as the emergence of allometric laws in animate (biological) flow systems. Examples are lung design, animal locomotion, vegetation, river basins, turbulent flow structure, self-lubrication and natural multi-scale porous media. This article outlines the place of the constructal law as a self-standing law in physics, which covers all the ad hoc (and contradictory) statements of optimality such as minimum entropy generation, maximum entropy generation, minimum flow resistance, maximum flow resistance, minimum time, minimum weight, uniform maximum stresses and characteristic organ sizes. Nature is configured to flow and move as a conglomerate of ‘engine and brake’ designs. PMID:20368252

ANALYSIS OF FUNNELS EVALUATION MODEL BY THE “CONSTRUCTION-SOIL” SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. S. Koretskiy

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Recently in the European countries the designs of flexible pipes and pipe bridges, the bearing capacity of which is provided by passive resistance of soil, have found more applications. The paper presents an analysis of existing models for calculating flexible pipes working as a system «construction-soil». The numerical example for calculating such construction design using software package SCAD is given.

Infection control in design and construction work.

Science.gov (United States)

Collinge, William H

2015-01-01

To clarify how infection control requirements are represented, communicated, and understood in work interactions through the medical facility construction project life cycle. To assist project participants with effective infection control management by highlighting the nature of such requirements and presenting recommendations to aid practice. A 4-year study regarding client requirement representation and use on National Health Service construction projects in the United Kingdom provided empirical evidence of infection control requirement communication and understanding through design and construction work interactions. An analysis of construction project resources (e.g., infection control regulations and room data sheets) was combined with semi-structured interviews with hospital client employees and design and construction professionals to provide valuable insights into the management of infection control issues. Infection control requirements are representationally indistinct but also omnipresent through all phases of the construction project life cycle: Failure to recognize their nature, relevance, and significance can result in delays, stoppages, and redesign work. Construction project resources (e.g., regulatory guidance and room data sheets) can mask or obscure the meaning of infection control issues. A preemptive identification of issues combined with knowledge sharing activities among project stakeholders can enable infection control requirements to be properly understood and addressed. Such initiatives should also reference existing infection control regulatory guidance and advice. © The Author(s) 2015.

46 CFR 160.041-3 - Construction and workmanship.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... construction, with the body, handle, and all fittings of a corrosion-resistant material or suitably protected against corrosion. All ferrous metal employed shall be protected by hot dip galvanizing, or other equally... and joints shall be welded or brazed. Either the body or the cover shall contain a gasket of molded...

Design of Ontology-Based Sharing Mechanism for Web Services Recommendation Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hong-Ren

The number of digital learning websites is growing as a result of advances in computer technology and new techniques in web page creation. These sites contain a wide variety of information but may be a source of confusion to learners who fail to find the information they are seeking. This has led to the concept of recommendation services to help learners acquire information and learning resources that suit their requirements. Learning content like this cannot be reused by other digital learning websites. A successful recommendation service that satisfies a certain learner must cooperate with many other digital learning objects so that it can achieve the required relevance. The study proposes using the theory of knowledge construction in ontology to make the sharing and reuse of digital learning resources possible. The learning recommendation system is accompanied by the recommendation of appropriate teaching materials to help learners enhance their learning abilities. A variety of diverse learning components scattered across the Internet can be organized through an ontological process so that learners can use information by storing, sharing, and reusing it.

Artificial Neural Network-Based Three-dimensional Continuous Response Relationship Construction of 3Cr20Ni10W2 Heat-Resisting Alloy and Its Application in Finite Element Simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Le; Wang, Li-yong

2018-04-01

The application of accurate constitutive relationship in finite element simulation would significantly contribute to accurate simulation results, which plays a critical role in process design and optimization. In this investigation, the true stress-strain data of 3Cr20Ni10W2 heat-resisting alloy were obtained from a series of isothermal compression tests conducted in a wide temperature range of 1203-1403 K and strain rate range of 0.01-10 s-1 on a Gleeble 1500 testing machine. Then the constitutive relationship was modeled by an optimally constructed and well-trained back-propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN). The evaluation of the BP-ANN model revealed that it has admirable performance in characterizing and predicting the flow behaviors of 3Cr20Ni10W2 heat-resisting alloy. Meanwhile, a comparison between improved Arrhenius-type constitutive equation and BP-ANN model shows that the latter has higher accuracy. Consequently, the developed BP-ANN model was used to predict abundant stress-strain data beyond the limited experimental conditions and construct the three-dimensional continuous response relationship for temperature, strain rate, strain, and stress. Finally, the three-dimensional continuous response relationship was applied to the numerical simulation of isothermal compression tests. The results show that such constitutive relationship can significantly promote the accuracy improvement of numerical simulation for hot forming processes.

Research on test of alkali-resistant glass fibre enhanced seawater coral aggregate concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Leiyang; Wang, Xingquan

2017-12-01

It is proposed in the 13th five-year plan that reefs of the south China sea should be constructed. In the paper, an innovative thinking was proposed for the first time in order to realize local material acquisition in island construction and life dependence on sea, namely alkali-resistant glass fibre is mixed in coralaggregate concrete as reinforcing material. The glass fibre is characterized by low price, low hardness, good dispersibility and convenient construction. Reliable guarantee is provided for widely applying the material in future projects. In the paper, an orthogonal test method is firstly applied to determine the mix proportion of grade C50 coral aggregate concrete. Then, the design plan ofmix proportion of alkali-resistant glass fibre enhanced seawater coral aggregate concrete is determined. Finally, the influence law of alkali-resistant glass fibre dosageon tensile compressiveflexture strength of seawatercoralaggregate concrete is made clear.

Coke fouling monitoring by electrical resistivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bombardelli, Clovis; Mari, Livia Assis; Kalinowski, Hypolito Jose [Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana (UTFPR), Curitiba, PR (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia Eletrica e Informatica Industrial (CPGEI)

2008-07-01

An experimental method to simulate the growth of the coke fouling that occurs in the oil processing is proposed relating the thickness of the encrusted coke to its electrical resistivity. The authors suggest the use of the fouling electrical resistivity as a transducer element for determining its thickness. The sensor is basically two electrodes in an electrically isolated device where the inlay can happen in order to compose a purely resistive transducer. Such devices can be easily constructed in a simple and robust form with features capable to face the high temperatures and pressures found in relevant industrial processes. For validation, however, it is needed a relationship between the electrical resistivity and the fouling thickness, information not yet found in the literature. The present work experimentally simulates the growth of a layer of coke on an electrically insulating surface, equipped with electrodes at two extremities to measure the electrical resistivity during thermal cracking essays. The method is realized with a series of consecutive runs. The results correlate the mass of coke deposited and its electrical resistivity, and it can be used to validate the coke depositions monitoring employing the resistivity as a control parameter. (author)

Construction Cost Growth for New Department of Energy Nuclear Facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kubic, Jr., William L. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2014-05-25

Cost growth and construction delays are problems that plague many large construction projects including the construction of new Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear facilities. A study was conducted to evaluate cost growth of large DOE construction projects. The purpose of the study was to compile relevant data, consider the possible causes of cost growth, and recommend measures that could be used to avoid extreme cost growth in the future. Both large DOE and non-DOE construction projects were considered in this study. With the exception of Chemical and Metallurgical Research Building Replacement Project (CMRR) and the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF), cost growth for DOE Nuclear facilities is comparable to the growth experienced in other mega construction projects. The largest increase in estimated cost was found to occur between early cost estimates and establishing the project baseline during detailed design. Once the project baseline was established, cost growth for DOE nuclear facilities was modest compared to non-DOE mega projects.

Research of radiation-resistant microbial organisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Dongho; Lim, Sangyong; Joe, Minho; Park, Haejoon; Song, Hyunpa; Im, Seunghun; Kim, Haram; Kim, Whajung; Choi, Jinsu; Park, Jongchun

2012-01-15

Many extremophiles including radiation-resistant bacteria Deinococcus radiodurans have special characteristics such as novel enzymes and physiological active substances different from known biological materials and are being in the spotlight of biotechnology science. In this research, basic technologies for the production of new genetic resources and microbial strains by a series of studies in radiation-resistant microbial organisms were investigated and developed. Mechanisms required for radiation-resistant in Deinococcus radiodurans were partly defined by analyzing the function of dinB, pprI, recG, DRA{sub 0}279, pprM, and two-component signal transduction systems. To apply genetic resource and functional materials from Deinococcus species, omics analysis in response to cadmium, construction of macroscopic biosensor, and characterization of carotenoids and chaperon protein were performed. Additionally, potential use of D. geothermalis in monosaccharide production from non-biodegradable plant materials was evaluated. Novel radiation resistant yeasts and bacteria were isolated and identified from environmental samples to obtain microbial and genomic resources. An optimal radiation mutant breeding method was set up for efficient and rapid isolation of target microbial mutants. Furthermore, an efficient ethanol producing mutant strain with high production yield and productivity was constructed using the breeding method in collaboration with Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology. Three Deinococcal bioindicators for radiation dosage confirmation after radiation sterilization process were developed. These results provide a comprehensive information for novel functional genetic elements, enzymes, and physiological active substances production or application. Eventually, industrial microbial cell factories based on radiation resistant microbial genomes can be developed and the technologies can be diffused to bioindustry continuously by this project.

Research of radiation-resistant microbial organisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dongho; Lim, Sangyong; Joe, Minho; Park, Haejoon; Song, Hyunpa; Im, Seunghun; Kim, Haram; Kim, Whajung; Choi, Jinsu; Park, Jongchun

2012-01-01

Many extremophiles including radiation-resistant bacteria Deinococcus radiodurans have special characteristics such as novel enzymes and physiological active substances different from known biological materials and are being in the spotlight of biotechnology science. In this research, basic technologies for the production of new genetic resources and microbial strains by a series of studies in radiation-resistant microbial organisms were investigated and developed. Mechanisms required for radiation-resistant in Deinococcus radiodurans were partly defined by analyzing the function of dinB, pprI, recG, DRA 0 279, pprM, and two-component signal transduction systems. To apply genetic resource and functional materials from Deinococcus species, omics analysis in response to cadmium, construction of macroscopic biosensor, and characterization of carotenoids and chaperon protein were performed. Additionally, potential use of D. geothermalis in monosaccharide production from non-biodegradable plant materials was evaluated. Novel radiation resistant yeasts and bacteria were isolated and identified from environmental samples to obtain microbial and genomic resources. An optimal radiation mutant breeding method was set up for efficient and rapid isolation of target microbial mutants. Furthermore, an efficient ethanol producing mutant strain with high production yield and productivity was constructed using the breeding method in collaboration with Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology. Three Deinococcal bioindicators for radiation dosage confirmation after radiation sterilization process were developed. These results provide a comprehensive information for novel functional genetic elements, enzymes, and physiological active substances production or application. Eventually, industrial microbial cell factories based on radiation resistant microbial genomes can be developed and the technologies can be diffused to bioindustry continuously by this project

Autoclaved aerated concrete : shaping the evolution of residential construction in the United States.

OpenAIRE

Bukoski, Steven C.

1998-01-01

CIVINS (Civilian Institutions) Thesis document Precast Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) is a proven construction material used in Europe for over 70 years. Introduced to the United States in 1990, construction thus far is limited to commercial and custom borne applications. Premium benefits include energy efficiency and resistance to natural disaster and pests. Despite being the leading residential construction material in Europe and Japan, lumber is the leading material of choice in the ...

Processes in construction of failure management expert systems from device design information

Science.gov (United States)

Malin, Jane T.; Lance, Nick

1987-01-01

This paper analyzes the tasks and problem solving methods used by an engineer in constructing a failure management expert system from design information about the device to te diagnosed. An expert test engineer developed a trouble-shooting expert system based on device design information and experience with similar devices, rather than on specific expert knowledge gained from operating the device or troubleshooting its failures. The construction of the expert system was intensively observed and analyzed. This paper characterizes the knowledge, tasks, methods, and design decisions involved in constructing this type of expert system, and makes recommendations concerning tools for aiding and automating construction of such systems.

Construction of a Piezoresistive Neural Sensor Array

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, W. B.; Schulze, W. A.; Pilgrim, P. M.

1996-01-01

The construction of a piezoresistive - piezoelectric sensor (or actuator) array is proposed using 'neural' connectivity for signal recognition and possible actuation functions. A closer integration of the sensor and decision functions is necessary in order to achieve intrinsic identification within the sensor. A neural sensor is the next logical step in development of truly 'intelligent' arrays. This proposal will integrate 1-3 polymer piezoresistors and MLC electroceramic devices for applications involving acoustic identification. The 'intelligent' piezoresistor -piezoelectric system incorporates printed resistors, composite resistors, and a feedback for the resetting of resistances. A model of a design is proposed in order to simulate electromechanical resistor interactions. The goal of optimizing a sensor geometry for improving device reliability, training, & signal identification capabilities is the goal of this work. At present, studies predict performance of a 'smart' device with a significant control of 'effective' compliance over a narrow pressure range due to a piezoresistor percolation threshold. An interesting possibility may be to use an array of control elements to shift the threshold function in order to change the level of resistance in a neural sensor array for identification, or, actuation applications. The proposed design employs elements of: (1) conductor loaded polymers for a 'fast' RC time constant response; and (2) multilayer ceramics for actuation or sensing and shifting of resistance in the polymer. Other material possibilities also exist using magnetoresistive layered systems for shifting the resistance. It is proposed to use a neural net configuration to test and to help study the possible changes required in the materials design of these devices. Numerical design models utilize electromechanical elements, in conjunction with structural elements in order to simulate piezoresistively controlled actuators and changes in resistance of sensors

Freeze-thaw resistance of concrete with marginal air content

Science.gov (United States)

2007-05-01

Freeze-thaw resistance is a key durability factor for concrete pavements. Recommendations for the air void system parameters are normally 6 1 percent total air and a spacing factor of : < 0.20 millimeter (mm) (0.008 inch). However, it was observed...

Identifying resistance gene analogs associated with resistances to different pathogens in common bean.

Science.gov (United States)

López, Camilo E; Acosta, Iván F; Jara, Carlos; Pedraza, Fabio; Gaitán-Solís, Eliana; Gallego, Gerardo; Beebe, Steve; Tohme, Joe

2003-01-01

ABSTRACT A polymerase chain reaction approach using degenerate primers that targeted the conserved domains of cloned plant disease resistance genes (R genes) was used to isolate a set of 15 resistance gene analogs (RGAs) from common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Eight different classes of RGAs were obtained from nucleotide binding site (NBS)-based primers and seven from not previously described Toll/Interleukin-1 receptor-like (TIR)-based primers. Putative amino acid sequences of RGAs were significantly similar to R genes and contained additional conserved motifs. The NBS-type RGAs were classified in two subgroups according to the expected final residue in the kinase-2 motif. Eleven RGAs were mapped at 19 loci on eight linkage groups of the common bean genetic map constructed at Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical. Genetic linkage was shown for eight RGAs with partial resistance to anthracnose, angular leaf spot (ALS) and Bean golden yellow mosaic virus (BGYMV). RGA1 and RGA2 were associated with resistance loci to anthracnose and BGYMV and were part of two clusters of R genes previously described. A new major cluster was detected by RGA7 and explained up to 63.9% of resistance to ALS and has a putative contribution to anthracnose resistance. These results show the usefulness of RGAs as candidate genes to detect and eventually isolate numerous R genes in common bean.

Reinventing Sex: The Construction of Realistic Definitions of Sex and Gender.

Science.gov (United States)

Small, Chanley M.

1998-01-01

Presents a set of criteria for constructing a fair and realistic understanding of sex. Recognizes the impact that science can have on social policies and values and recommends that the definitions of sex and gender be carefully crafted. (DDR)

A very large multigap resistive plate chamber

CERN Document Server

Cerron-Zeballos, E; Hatzifotiadou, D; Kim, D W; Lamas-Valverde, J; Lee, S C; Platner, E D; Roberts, J; Williams, M C S; Zichichi, A

1999-01-01

We have built and tested a very large multigap resistive plate chamber (MRPC). We discuss the suitability of the multigap RPC for the construction of large area modules. We give details of the construction technique and results from a scan across the surface of the chamber. We also report on the implementation of `half-strip resolution', where we improve the spatial resolution by a factor 2 without increasing the number of read-out channels. (9 refs).

Determination of the influence of dispersion pattern of pesticide-resistant individuals on the reliability of resistance estimates using different sampling plans.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, R; Worner, S P; Chapman, R B

2012-10-01

Pesticide resistance monitoring includes resistance detection and subsequent documentation/ measurement. Resistance detection would require at least one (≥1) resistant individual(s) to be present in a sample to initiate management strategies. Resistance documentation, on the other hand, would attempt to get an estimate of the entire population (≥90%) of the resistant individuals. A computer simulation model was used to compare the efficiency of simple random and systematic sampling plans to detect resistant individuals and to document their frequencies when the resistant individuals were randomly or patchily distributed. A patchy dispersion pattern of resistant individuals influenced the sampling efficiency of systematic sampling plans while the efficiency of random sampling was independent of such patchiness. When resistant individuals were randomly distributed, sample sizes required to detect at least one resistant individual (resistance detection) with a probability of 0.95 were 300 (1%) and 50 (10% and 20%); whereas, when resistant individuals were patchily distributed, using systematic sampling, sample sizes required for such detection were 6000 (1%), 600 (10%) and 300 (20%). Sample sizes of 900 and 400 would be required to detect ≥90% of resistant individuals (resistance documentation) with a probability of 0.95 when resistant individuals were randomly dispersed and present at a frequency of 10% and 20%, respectively; whereas, when resistant individuals were patchily distributed, using systematic sampling, a sample size of 3000 and 1500, respectively, was necessary. Small sample sizes either underestimated or overestimated the resistance frequency. A simple random sampling plan is, therefore, recommended for insecticide resistance detection and subsequent documentation.

Plasma treatment of heat-resistant materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vlasov, V A; Kosmachev, P V; Skripnikova, N K; Bezukhov, K A

2015-01-01

Refractory lining of thermal generating units is exposed to chemical, thermal, and mechanical attacks. The degree of fracture of heat-resistant materials depends on the chemical medium composition, the process temperature and the material porosity. As is known, a shortterm exposure of the surface to low-temperature plasma (LTP) makes possible to create specific coatings that can improve the properties of workpieces. The aim of this work is to produce the protective coating on heat-resistant chamotte products using the LTP technique. Experiments have shown that plasma treatment of chamotte products modifies the surface, and a glass-ceramic coating enriched in mullite is formed providing the improvement of heat resistance. For increasing heat resistance of chamotte refractories, pastes comprising mixtures of Bacor, alumina oxide, and chamot were applied to their surfaces in different ratios. It is proved that the appropriate coating cannot be created if only one of heat-resistant components is used. The required coatings that can be used and recommended for practical applications are obtained only with the introduction of powder chamot. The paste composition of 50% chamot, 25% Bacor, and 25% alumina oxide exposed to plasma treatment, has demonstrated the most uniform surface fusion. (paper)

Implementing AORN recommended practices for a safe environment of care, part II.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Lynne

2014-09-01

Construction in and around a working perioperative suite is a challenge beyond merely managing traffic patterns and maintaining the sterile field. The AORN "Recommended practices for a safe environment of care, part II" provides guidance on building design; movement of patients, personnel, supplies, and equipment; environmental controls; safety and security; and control of noise and distractions. Whether the OR suite evolves through construction, reconstruction, or remodeling, a multidisciplinary team of construction experts and health care professionals should create a functional plan and communicate at every stage of the project to maintain a safe environment and achieve a well-designed outcome. Emergency preparedness, a facility-wide security plan, and minimization of noise and distractions in the OR also help enhance the safety of the perioperative environment. Copyright © 2014 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study on strength estimation of soil cement used in the embedded pile method by electrical resistivity measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Mochida, Y.; Sakurai, Y.; Indra, H.; Karimi, A. L.

2017-11-01

Problems caused by poor quality control and quality assurance of the pre-boring embedded pile construction, such as on domestic apartment house is still occurring nowadays. An adequate consideration for invisible risks inside or below the ground is important in pile foundation construction therefore the demand for advanced and reliable quality assurance is increase in the future. In this research, to understand the quality of the construction at early stage, the compressive strength of cement-soil mixture of pile construction after 28 days is estimated using electrical resistivity value of the mixture. More accurate measurement for electrical resistivity value is conducted by inserting the electrodes without using potassium chloride solution as a catalyst. The result showed that there is a certain tendency in the electric resistivity value at the early age regarding to the type of soil (sand, clay) mixed in. The most accurate estimation was achieved from the electric resistivity value at the first day and several days onwards, and from the compressive strength after 3 days.

The global threat of antimicrobial resistance: science for intervention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Roca

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In the last decade we have witnessed a dramatic increase in the proportion and absolute number of bacterial pathogens resistant to multiple antibacterial agents. Multidrug-resistant bacteria are currently considered as an emergent global disease and a major public health problem. The B-Debate meeting brought together renowned experts representing the main stakeholders (i.e. policy makers, public health authorities, regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical companies and the scientific community at large to review the global threat of antibiotic resistance and come up with a coordinated set of strategies to fight antimicrobial resistance in a multifaceted approach. We summarize the views of the B-Debate participants regarding the current situation of antimicrobial resistance in animals and the food chain, within the community and the healthcare setting as well as the role of the environment and the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, providing expert recommendations to tackle the global threat of antimicrobial resistance.

Transmission of HIV drug resistance and the predicted effect on current first-line regimens in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hofstra, L. Marije; Sauvageot, Nicolas; Albert, Jan; Alexiev, Ivailo; Garcia, Federico; Struck, Daniel; Van De Vijver, David A M C; Åsjö, Birgitta; Beshkov, Danail; Coughlan, Suzie; Descamps, Diane; Griskevicius, Algirdas; Hamouda, Osamah; Horban, Andrzej; Van Kasteren, Marjo; Kolupajeva, Tatjana; Kostrikis, Leontios G.; Liitsola, Kirsi; Linka, Marek; Mor, Orna; Nielsen, Claus; Otelea, Dan; Paraskevis, Dimitrios; Paredes, Roger; Poljak, Mario; Puchhammer-Stöckl, Elisabeth; Sönnerborg, Anders; Staneková, Danica; Stanojevic, Maja; Van Laethem, Kristel; Zazzi, Maurizio; Lepej, Snjezana Zidovec; Boucher, Charles A B; Schmit, Jean Claude; Wensing, Annemarie M J; Puchhammer-Stockl, E.; Sarcletti, M.; Schmied, B.; Geit, M.; Balluch, G.; Vandamme, A. M.; Vercauteren, J.; Derdelinckx, I.; Sasse, A.; Bogaert, M.; Ceunen, H.; De Roo, A.; De Wit, S.; Echahidi, F.; Fransen, K.; Goffard, J. C.; Goubau, P.; Goudeseune, E.; Yombi, J. C.; Lacor, P.; Liesnard, C.; Moutschen, M.; Pierard, D.; Rens, R.; Schrooten, Y.; Vaira, D.; Vandekerckhove, L. P R; Van Den Heuvel, A.; Van Der Gucht, B.; Van Ranst, M.; Van Wijngaerden, E.; Vandercam, B.; Vekemans, M.; Verhofstede, C.; Clumeck, N.; Van Laethem, K.; Beshkov, D.; Alexiev, I.; Lepej, S. Zidovec; Begovac, J.; Kostrikis, Leontios G.; Demetriades, I.; Kousiappa, I.; Demetriou, V.; Hezka, J.; Linka, M.; Maly, M.; Machala, L.; Nielsen, C.; Jørgensen, L. B.; Gerstoft, J.; Mathiesen, L.; Pedersen, C.; Nielsen, H.; Laursen, A.; Kvinesdal, B.; Liitsola, K.; Ristola, M.; Suni, J.; Sutinen, J.; Descamps, D.; Assoumou, L.; Castor, G.; Grude, M.; Flandre, P.; Storto, A.; Hamouda, O.; Kücherer, C.; Berg, T.; Braun, P.; Poggensee, G.; Däumer, M.; Eberle, J.; Heiken, H.; Kaiser, R.; Knechten, H.; Korn, K.; Müller, H.; Neifer, S.; Schmidt, B.; Walter, H.; Gunsenheimer-Bartmeyer, B.; Harrer, T.; Paraskevis, D.; Hatzakis, A.; Zavitsanou, A.; Vassilakis, A.; Lazanas, M.; Chini, M.; Lioni, A.; Sakka, V.; Kourkounti, S.; Paparizos, V.; Antoniadou, A.; Papadopoulos, A.; Poulakou, G.; Katsarolis, I.; Protopapas, K.; Chryssos, G.; Drimis, S.; Gargalianos, P.; Xylomenos, G.; Lourida, G.; Psichogiou, M.; Daikos, G. L.; Sipsas, N. V.; Kontos, A.; Gamaletsou, M. N.; Koratzanis, G.; Sambatakou, E.; Mariolis, H.; Skoutelis, A.; Papastamopoulos, V.; Georgiou, O.; Panagopoulos, P.; Maltezos, E.; Coughlan, S.; De Gascun, C.; Byrne, C.; Duffy, M.; Bergin, C.; Reidy, D.; Farrell, G.; Lambert, J.; O'Connor, E.; Rochford, A.; Low, J.; Coakely, P.; O'Dea, S.; Hall, W.; Mor, O.; Levi, I.; Chemtob, D.; Grossman, Z.; Zazzi, M.; De Luca, A.; Balotta, C.; Riva, C.; Mussini, C.; Caramma, I.; Capetti, A.; Colombo, M. C.; Rossi, C.; Prati, F.; Tramuto, F.; Vitale, F.; Ciccozzi, M.; Angarano, G.; Rezza, G.; Kolupajeva, T.; Kolupajeva, T.; Vasins, O.; Griskevicius, A.; Lipnickiene, V.; Schmit, J. C.; Struck, D.; Sauvageot, N.; Hemmer, R.; Arendt, V.; Michaux, C.; Staub, T.; Sequin-Devaux, C.; Wensing, A. M J; Boucher, C. A B; Van Kessel, A.; Van Bentum, P. H M; Brinkman, K.; Connell, B. J.; Van Der Ende, M. E.; Hoepelman, I. M.; Van Kasteren, M.; Kuipers, M.; Langebeek, N.; Richter, C.; Santegoets, R. M W J; Schrijnders-Gudde, L.; Schuurman, R.; Van De Ven, B. J M; Åsjö, B.; Kran, A. M Bakken; Ormaasen, V.; Aavitsland, P.; Horban, A.; Stanczak, J. J.; Stanczak, G. P.; Firlag-Burkacka, E.; Wiercinska-Drapalo, A.; Jablonowska, E.; Maolepsza, E.; Leszczyszyn-Pynka, M.; Szata, W.; Camacho, R.; Palma, C.; Borges, F.; Paixão, T.; Duque, V.; Araújo, F.; Otelea, D.; Paraschiv, S.; Tudor, A. M.; Cernat, R.; Chiriac, C.; Dumitrescu, F.; Prisecariu, L. J.; Stanojevic, M.; Jevtovic, Dj; Salemovic, D.; Stanekova, D.; Habekova, M.; Chabadová, Z.; Drobkova, T.; Bukovinova, P.; Shunnar, A.; Truska, P.; Poljak, M.; Lunar, M.; Babic, D.; Tomazic, J.; Vidmar, L.; Vovko, T.; Karner, P.; Garcia, F.; Paredes, R.; Monge, S.; Moreno, S.; Del Amo, J.; Asensi, V.; Sirvent, J. L.; De Mendoza, C.; Delgado, R.; Gutiérrez, F.; Berenguer, J.; Garcia-Bujalance, S.; Stella, N.; De Los Santos, I.; Blanco, J. R.; Dalmau, D.; Rivero, M.; Segura, F.; Elías, M. J Pérez; Alvarez, M.; Chueca, N.; Rodríguez-Martín, C.; Vidal, C.; Palomares, J. C.; Viciana, I.; Viciana, P.; Cordoba, J.; Aguilera, A.; Domingo, P.; Galindo, M. J.; Miralles, C.; Del Pozo, M. A.; Ribera, E.; Iribarren, J. A.; Ruiz, L.; De La Torre, J.; Vidal, F.; Clotet, B.; Albert, J.; Heidarian, A.; Aperia-Peipke, K.; Axelsson, M.; Mild, M.; Karlsson, A.; Sönnerborg, A.; Thalme, A.; Navér, L.; Bratt, G.; Karlsson, A.; Blaxhult, A.; Gisslén, M.; Svennerholm, B.; Bergbrant, I.; Björkman, P.; Säll, C.; Lindholm, A.; Kuylenstierna, N.; Montelius, R.; Azimi, F.; Johansson, B.; Carlsson, M.; Johansson, E.; Ljungberg, B.; Ekvall, H.; Strand, A.; Mäkitalo, S.; Öberg, S.; Holmblad, P.; Höfer, M.; Holmberg, H.; Josefson, P.; Ryding, U.

2016-01-01

Background. Numerous studies have shown that baseline drug resistance patterns may influence the outcome of antiretroviral therapy. Therefore, guidelines recommend drug resistance testing to guide the choice of initial regimen. In addition to optimizing individual patient management, these baseline

Antibiotic prescribing in patients with acute rhinosinusitis is not in agreement with European recommendations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Lars Christian; Friis Christensen, Sarah; Cordoba Currea, Gloria

2013-01-01

Abstract Objective. To assess the potential overprescribing in patients with acute rhinosinusitis across six countries with different antibiotic prescribing rates and different prevalence of antibiotic resistance. Design, setting and subjects. A cross-sectional study including GPs from two Nordic...... tract infections" (HAPPY AUDIT). Main outcome measures. Use of antibiotics for acute rhinosinusitis based on the recommendations in the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps 2007 (EP3OS). Results. In total, 618 participating GPs registered 33 273 patients with RTI of whom 1150 (3...... overprescribing) and 23% had symptoms recommendations (EP3OS guidelines). To prevent overprescribing, efforts should be made to implement...

Carbon footprint of construction using industrialised building system

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, P. Y.; Yahya, K.; Aminudin, E.; Zakaria, R.; Haron, Z.; Mohamad Zin, R.; Redzuan, A. A. H.

2017-11-01

Industrialised Building System (IBS) is more sustainable to the environment as compared to the conventional construction methods. However, the construction industry in Malaysia has low acceptance towards IBS due to the resistance to change and also lack of awareness towards sustainability development. Therefore, it is important to study the amount carbon footprint produced by IBS during its manufacturing and construction stage, and also the amount of carbon footprint produced by one meter square of gross floor area of IBS construction using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to ease future research through the comparison of the carbon footprint of IBS with the conventional building system. As a result, a case study on a residential type of construction in the vicinity of Johor Bahru, Malaysia was carried out to obtain the necessary data and result. From the data analysis, the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) for a residential type IBS construction based on the raw materials and resources involved to manufacture and construct IBS components is 0.127 tonnes fossil CO2Eq per meter square. Raw material that contributed to the most amount of carbon footprint is Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), followed by steel bars, autoclaved aerated blocks and diesel. The LCA data acquired will be very useful in implementing IBS in the residential type construction. As a result, the awareness towards sustainable construction using IBS can be improved.

Wood construction codes issues in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Douglas R. Rammer

2006-01-01

The current wood construction codes find their origin in the 1935 Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material published by the USDA Forest Service. Many of the current design recommendations can be traced back to statements from this book. Since this time a series of development both historical and recent has led to a multi-layered system for use of wood products in...

Health recommender systems: concepts, requirements, technical basics and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiesner, Martin; Pfeifer, Daniel

2014-03-03

During the last decades huge amounts of data have been collected in clinical databases representing patients' health states (e.g., as laboratory results, treatment plans, medical reports). Hence, digital information available for patient-oriented decision making has increased drastically but is often scattered across different sites. As as solution, personal health record systems (PHRS) are meant to centralize an individual's health data and to allow access for the owner as well as for authorized health professionals. Yet, expert-oriented language, complex interrelations of medical facts and information overload in general pose major obstacles for patients to understand their own record and to draw adequate conclusions. In this context, recommender systems may supply patients with additional laymen-friendly information helping to better comprehend their health status as represented by their record. However, such systems must be adapted to cope with the specific requirements in the health domain in order to deliver highly relevant information for patients. They are referred to as health recommender systems (HRS). In this article we give an introduction to health recommender systems and explain why they are a useful enhancement to PHR solutions. Basic concepts and scenarios are discussed and a first implementation is presented. In addition, we outline an evaluation approach for such a system, which is supported by medical experts. The construction of a test collection for case-related recommendations is described. Finally, challenges and open issues are discussed.

Health Recommender Systems: Concepts, Requirements, Technical Basics and Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Wiesner

2014-03-01

Full Text Available During the last decades huge amounts of data have been collected in clinical databases representing patients’ health states (e.g., as laboratory results, treatment plans, medical reports. Hence, digital information available for patient-oriented decision making has increased drastically but is often scattered across different sites. As as solution, personal health record systems (PHRS are meant to centralize an individual’s health data and to allow access for the owner as well as for authorized health professionals. Yet, expert-oriented language, complex interrelations of medical facts and information overload in general pose major obstacles for patients to understand their own record and to draw adequate conclusions. In this context, recommender systems may supply patients with additional laymen-friendly information helping to better comprehend their health status as represented by their record. However, such systems must be adapted to cope with the specific requirements in the health domain in order to deliver highly relevant information for patients. They are referred to as health recommender systems (HRS. In this article we give an introduction to health recommender systems and explain why they are a useful enhancement to PHR solutions. Basic concepts and scenarios are discussed and a first implementation is presented. In addition, we outline an evaluation approach for such a system, which is supported by medical experts. The construction of a test collection for case-related recommendations is described. Finally, challenges and open issues are discussed.

Field Testing of Compartmentalization Methods for Multifamily Construction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ueno, K. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States); Lstiburek, J. [Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA (United States)

2015-03-01

The 2012 IECC has an airtightness requirement of 3 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals test pressure for both single-family and multifamily construction in Climate Zones 3-8. Other programs (LEED, ASHRAE 189, ASHRAE 62.2) have similar or tighter compartmentalization requirements, driving the need for easier and more effective methods of compartmentalization in multifamily buildings. Builders and practitioners have found that fire-resistance rated wall assemblies are a major source of difficulty in air sealing/compartmentalization, particularly in townhouse construction. This problem is exacerbated when garages are “tucked in” to the units and living space is located over the garages. In this project, Building Science Corporation examined the taping of exterior sheathing details to improve air sealing results in townhouse and multifamily construction, when coupled with a better understanding of air leakage pathways. Current approaches are cumbersome, expensive, time consuming, and ineffective; these details were proposed as a more effective and efficient method. The effectiveness of these air sealing methods was tested with blower door testing, including “nulled” or “guarded” testing (adjacent units run at equal test pressure to null out inter-unit air leakage, or “pressure neutralization”). Pressure diagnostics were used to evaluate unit-to-unit connections and series leakage pathways (i.e., air leakage from exterior, into the fire-resistance rated wall assembly, and to the interior).

Alternate performance standard project: Interpreting the post-construction test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williamson, A.D.; McDonough, S.E.

1993-01-01

The paper describes the results of a project commissioned by the State of Florida, in cooperation with the US Environmental Protection Agency, as one portion of the Florida Radon Research Program (FRRP). The purpose of the FRRP is to provide technical support for a statewide Building Standard for Radon-Resistant Construction currently in the rulemaking process. In this case the information provides technical background for a post-construction radon test specified as a performance element of the code which accompanies the prescriptive alternative that does not incorporate active radon reduction systems

Presentation of the RCC-M design and construction rule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quero, J.R.

1983-03-01

Presentation of the French rules for design and construction of nuclear power plant components: stress resistance, material choice, fabrication and quality control, control methodology etc... covering equipments such as pressurized components (tanks, exchangers, pipes, pumps, valves and fittings), internal and support reactor elements and non pressurized small devices [fr

30 CFR 75.337 - Construction and repair of seals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... sealed areas. (b) Prior to sealing, the mine operator shall— (1) Remove insulated cables, batteries, and other potential electric ignition sources from the area to be sealed when constructing seals, unless it... after April 18, 2008, the seal at the lowest elevation shall have a corrosion-resistant, non-metallic...

CORR Guidelines. Preparing and Conducting Review Missions of Construction Project Readiness for Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

The construction readiness review (CORR) mission for nuclear power plant projects has been established with the aim of conducting peer reviews of construction projects related to nuclear power plants. Such a mission provides a detailed assessment of readiness for construction, construction progress, readiness for turnover, as well as recommendations for improvement. Organizations in Member States, such as nuclear utilities, owners, regulators and technical support organizations, can benefit from such reviews. A team of international experts with complementing specialities will conduct the CORR mission. The review is based on appropriate IAEA publications, such as IAEA Safety Standards Series Guides and IAEA Nuclear Energy Series publications, as well as on internationally recognized project and construction management guides. Mission findings are summarized in a mission report, which includes a list of recommendations, suggestions and identified good practices. The review is not intended to be a regulatory inspection or an audit against international codes and standards. Rather, it is a peer review aimed at improving implementation processes and procedures through an exchange of technical experiences and practices at the working level. The mission is applicable at any stage of a nuclear power plant construction project, although two specific phases are targeted: (1) start of construction mission (Phase 1 mission) and (2) an in-progress mission (Phase 2 mission). Missions are initiated when official requests are submitted by Member States through the appropriate IAEA channels

Cathode Readout with Stripped Resistive Drift Tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bychkov, V.N.; Kekelidze, G.D.; Novikov, E.A.; Peshekhonov, V.D.; Shafranov, M.D.; Zhil'tsov, V.E.

1994-01-01

A straw tube drift chamber prototype has been constructed and tested. The straw tube material is mylar film covered with carbon layer of resistivity 0.5, 30 and 70 k Ohm/sq. The gas mixture used was Ar/CH 4 . Both the anode wire and cathode signals were detected in order to study the behaviour of the chamber in the presence of X-ray ionization. The construction and the results of the study are presented. 7 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab

Construction of solid waste form test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Hyun Whee; Lee, Kang Moo; Koo, Jun Mo; Jung, In Ha; Lee, Jong Ryeul; Kim, Sung Whan; Bae, Sang Min; Cho, Kang Whon; Sung, Suk Jong

1989-02-01

The Solid Waste Form Test Facility (SWFTF) is now construction at DAEDUCK in Korea. In SWFTF, the characteristics of solidified waste products as radiological homogeneity, mechanical and thermal property, water resistance and lechability will be tested and evaluated to meet conditions for long-term storage or final disposal of wastes. The construction of solid waste form test facility has been started with finishing its design of a building and equipments in Sep. 1984, and now building construction is completed. Radioactive gas treatment system, extinguishers, cooling and heating system for the facility, electrical equipments, Master/Slave manipulator, power manipulator, lead glass and C.C.T.V. has also been installed. SWFTF will be established in the beginning of 1990's. At this report, radiation shielding door, nondestructive test of the wall, instrumentation system for the utility supply system and cell lighting system are described. (Author)

Cultural differences between construction professionals in Denmark and United Kingdom

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hancock, M.R.

/Building Surveyors in relation to the Services Procurement Directive of the European Union. It is recommended that further studies be undertaken in order to develop a cultural profiling model and methods for the building sector to help identify areas of potential conflicts. The report is aimed at construction......This report presents the results of an investigation into cultural differences between professional members of the construction sector of Denmark and the United Kingdom. In particular it refers to differences between Arkitekter/Architects, Civilingeniører/Civil Engineers and Bygningskonstruktører...

Selective imipenem resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa associated with diminished outer membrane permeability.

OpenAIRE

Studemeister, A E; Quinn, J P

1988-01-01

The permeability of the outer membranes of imipenem-susceptible and imipenem-resistant clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated by the liposome swelling assay. Sugars and cephaloridine penetrated rapidly, whereas imipenem penetrated poorly into liposomes constructed from porin-rich outer membrane fractions of the resistant isolates.

Services Recommendation System based on Heterogeneous Network Analysis in Cloud Computing

OpenAIRE

Junping Dong; Qingyu Xiong; Junhao Wen; Peng Li

2014-01-01

Resources are provided mainly in the form of services in cloud computing. In the distribute environment of cloud computing, how to find the needed services efficiently and accurately is the most urgent problem in cloud computing. In cloud computing, services are the intermediary of cloud platform, services are connected by lots of service providers and requesters and construct the complex heterogeneous network. The traditional recommendation systems only consider the functional and non-functi...

MANAGEMENT OF RISKS BASED ON INTERACTION BETWEEN CONSTRUCTION EXPERT AND CUSTOMER ORGANIZATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Александр Васильевич Харитонович

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The paper describes problems connected to management of risk and key characteristics of interaction of construction expert and organization-customer of expert services. We have conducted the analysis of different schemes used for management of risk, their advantages and disadvantages. In addition authors describe the main opportunities that appear in the organization as a result of the systematic engagement of an external expert at different stages of investment and construction project (getting recommendations aimed at improving of the organization adaptability to changes and risks; improving the efficiency of management of investment and construction projects etc..

Practical consensus recommendations on management of triple-negative metastatic breast cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Rangarao

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Patients with breast cancer along with metastatic estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER/PR- and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2-negative tumors are referred to as having metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC disease. Resistance to current standard therapies such as anthracyclines or taxanes limits the available options for previously treated patients with metastatic TNBC to a small number of non-cross-resistant regimens, and there is currently no preferred standard chemotherapy. Clinical experience suggests that many women with triple-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC relapse quickly. Expert oncologist discussed about new chemotherapeutic strategies and agents used in treatment of mTNBC and the expert group used data from published literature, practical experience and opinion of a large group of academic oncologists to arrive at this practical consensus recommendations for the benefit of community oncologists.

Specific character of sustainable innovative development of transport construction in self-regulation conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Gumba, Khuta; Belyaeva, Svetlana

2017-10-01

The providing of sustainable development is impossible without activating the innovative activity of backbone economical sectors, in particular of transport construction. The system of self-regulation of activities is a specific feature of the transport industry development. The authors carried out the correlation analysis of innovative activity of construction enterprises, which proved the necessity of improving the normative and technical documents. The authors proposed and calculated the index of the legislation stability in the industry. The article suggests recommendations on the activation of innovative development in construction industry basing on the results of the modeling.

The construction of knowledge service system in professional libraries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xue

2014-01-01

In this paper, the challenges for the professional libraries under the new situation are pointed out. Combined with characteristics of knowledge service, its hierarchical structure is proposed and elaborated. It also describes the practices and outcomes obtained from the construction of knowledge service system of nuclear science and technology library. Recommendations for its future work are also presented. (author)

ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT OF "GREEN" CONSTRUCTION AS A VEHICLE TO ENSURE THE ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY OF CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benuzh Andrey Aleksandrovich

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The authors demonstrate that the number of buildings in the world exceeds one billion according to the statistical data; their potential negative impact on the environment can be disastrous; moreover, the main cause of the ever-growing demand for buildings consists in the constant growth of the world population that makes the global environmental situation even more complicated. As a main conception, the authors focus on the concept of sustainable development. They consider that the core idea of this concept is that the present-day generation should do everything in their power to preserve the natural environment and its resources for the future generations. The authors mention that back in the middle of the 20th century academician V.I. Vernadsky formulated the concept of the noosphere closely linked to the notion of sustainable development. According to the authors, "green" construction can be considered as a vehicle for sustainable development of territories that accommodate construction sites. The authors define "green" construction as a comprehensive system of knowledge structured on the basis of design and construction standards. "Green" buildings demonstrate their high construction quality along with minimal costs and maximal comfort. Although a "green" technology is a new and not the simplest way of development, it has proven its incredible efficiency. The major achievement of the authors consists in the classification of principles, approaches and available technologies that can be applied or are applied in the "green" construction to ensure the environmental safety of construction activities. The authors have also selected environmental, economic and social benefits of "green" construction and provided their recommendations concerning the implementation of "green" technologies in Russia.

Using constructive alignment theory to develop nursing skills curricula.

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Sundari; Juwah, Charles

2012-01-01

Constructive alignment theory has been used to underpin the development of curricula in higher education for some time (Biggs and Tang, 2007), however, its use to inform and determine skills curricula in nursing is less well documented. This paper explores the use of constructive alignment theory within a study of undergraduate student nurses undertaking clinical skill acquisition in the final year of a BSc (Hons) Nursing course. Students were followed up as newly qualified nurses (NQN) (n = 58) to ascertain the impact of skill acquisition in this way. Comparisons were made with newly qualified nurses who did not participate in a constructively aligned curriculum. This mixed methods study reported skill identification within the immediate post-registration period and evaluated the constructively aligned curriculum as having positive benefits for NQNs in terms of confidence to practice. This was supported by preceptors' views. The study recommends two process models for nursing skills curriculum development and reports that constructive alignment is a useful theoretical framework for nurse educators. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tunable resistance coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Elam, Jeffrey W.; Mane, Anil U.

2015-08-11

A method and article of manufacture of intermixed tunable resistance composite materials containing at least one of W:Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Mo:Al.sub.2O.sub.3 or M:Al.sub.2O.sub.3 where M is a conducting compound containing either W or Mo. A conducting material and an insulating material are deposited by such methods as ALD or CVD to construct composites with intermixed materials which do not have structure or properties like their bulk counterparts.

Coupling of MIC-3 overexpression with the chromosomes 11 and 14 root-knot nematode (RKN) (Meloidogyne incognita) resistance QTLs provides insights into the regulation of the RKN resistance response in Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).

Science.gov (United States)

Wubben, Martin J; Callahan, Franklin E; Jenkins, Johnie N; Deng, Dewayne D

2016-09-01

Genetic analysis of MIC-3 transgene with RKN resistance QTLs provides insight into the resistance regulatory mechanism and provides a framework for testing additional hypotheses. Resistance to root-knot nematode (RKN) (Meloidogyne incognita) in Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is mediated by two major quantitative trait loci (QTL) located on chromosomes 11 and 14. The MIC-3 (Meloidogyne Induced Cotton3) protein accumulates specifically within the immature galls of RKN-resistant plants that possess these QTLs. Recently, we showed that MIC-3 overexpression in an RKN-susceptible cotton genotype suppressed RKN egg production but not RKN-induced root galling. In this study, the MIC-3 overexpression construct T-DNA in the single-copy transgenic line '14-7-1' was converted into a codominant molecular marker that allowed the marker assisted selection of F2:3 cotton lines, derived from a cross between 14-7-1 and M-240 RNR, having all possible combinations of the chromosomes 11 and 14 QTLs with and without the MIC-3 overexpression construct. Root-knot nematode reproduction (eggs g(-1) root) and severity of RKN-induced root galling were assessed in these lines. We discovered that the addition of MIC-3 overexpression suppressed RKN reproduction in lines lacking both resistance QTLs and in lines having only the chromosome 14 QTL, suggesting an additive effect of the MIC-3 construct with this QTL. In contrast, MIC-3 overexpression did not improve resistance in lines having the single chromosome 11 QTL or in lines having both resistance QTLs, suggesting an epistatic interaction between the chromosome 11 QTL and the MIC-3 construct. Overexpression of MIC-3 did not affect the severity of RKN-induced root galling regardless of QTL genotype. These data provide new insights into the relative order of action of the chromosomes 11 and 14 QTLs and their potential roles in regulating MIC-3 expression as part of the RKN resistance response.

Mechanism of high-temperature resistant water-base mud

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, P

1981-01-01

Based on experiments, the causes and laws governing the changes in the performance of water-base mud under high temperature are analyzed, and the requisites and mechanism of treating agents resisting high temperature are discussed. Ways and means are sought for inhibiting, delaying and making use of the effect of high temperature on the performance of mud, while new ideas and systematic views have been expressed on the preparation of treating agents and set-up of a high temperature resistant water-base mud system. High temperature dispersion and high temperature surface inactivation of clay in the mud, as well as their effect and method of utilization are reviewed. Subjects also touched upon include degradation and cross-linking of the high-temperature resistant treating agents, their use and effect. Based on the above, the preparation of a water-base and system capable of resisting 180 to 250/sup 0/C is recommended.

Design and construction of a deep slurry trench barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deming, P.W.

1997-01-01

A 24 m (80 ft) deep slurry trench surrounding a former chromium manufacturing facility on the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland was constructed in 1995 to contain groundwater and site Soils, and to reduce the volume of groundwater extracted to maintain an inward gradient. In 1992, an embankment made of crushed stone was constructed in the Patapsco River to make land for barrier construction outboard of the bulkheads, and to protect the barrier. Stability of the slurry-supported trench excavation in the embankment required construction from an elevated work platform. An extended reach backhoe was used to excavate the deep slurry trench and to clean the trench bottom. Soil-Bentonite backfill was prepared at a central mixing area and transported by truck to the perimeter barrier. A synthetic membrane was inserted partially into the backfill for connection to a multimedia cap, and for redundancy and erosion control in the tidal zone. Hydraulic testing of the aquitard contained by the barrier demonstrated excellent performance of the barrier and bottom closure. Detailed definition of subsurface conditions and the closure stratum was necessary for the design and successful construction of the barrier, and is recommended for comparable slurry trench construction projects

Non-IID Recommender Systems: A Review and Framework of Recommendation Paradigm Shifting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Longbing Cao

2016-06-01

Full Text Available While recommendation plays an increasingly critical role in our living, study, work, and entertainment, the recommendations we receive are often for irrelevant, duplicate, or uninteresting products and services. A critical reason for such bad recommendations lies in the intrinsic assumption that recommended users and items are independent and identically distributed (IID in existing theories and systems. Another phenomenon is that, while tremendous efforts have been made to model specific aspects of users or items, the overall user and item characteristics and their non-IIDness have been overlooked. In this paper, the non-IID nature and characteristics of recommendation are discussed, followed by the non-IID theoretical framework in order to build a deep and comprehensive understanding of the intrinsic nature of recommendation problems, from the perspective of both couplings and heterogeneity. This non-IID recommendation research triggers the paradigm shift from IID to non-IID recommendation research and can hopefully deliver informed, relevant, personalized, and actionable recommendations. It creates exciting new directions and fundamental solutions to address various complexities including cold-start, sparse data-based, cross-domain, group-based, and shilling attack-related issues.

Improving Indonesian Construction Consulting Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rizal Z. Tamin

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Indonesian construction consulting services are facing a complex problem in fulfilling the nation’s expectations regarding high quality infrastructure development and the construction industry’s competitiveness. A study of this problem and a formulation of solutions to improve the situation are presented in this paper. A survey was carried out in Jakarta, West Java, East Java, and North Sumatra provinces to collect data related to this problem. A focus group discussion and a workshop with all stakeholders were conducted to formulate improvement actions that need to be taken. It was revealed that the problems faced include, among others, the limited number of professional engineers compared to the number of national consultancy companies, the uneven distribution of engineers in Indonesian regions, an imperfect procurement system, and low-quality work output in general. Recommended actions include improvement of the government’s role in consulting services nurturing and facilitation, development of partnerships, and amelioration of the professional engineer and consultant certification system.

Implementation of building information modeling in Malaysian construction industry

Science.gov (United States)

Memon, Aftab Hameed; Rahman, Ismail Abdul; Harman, Nur Melly Edora

2014-10-01

This study has assessed the implementation level of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the construction industry of Malaysia. It also investigated several computer software packages facilitating BIM and challenges affecting its implementation. Data collection for this study was carried out using questionnaire survey among the construction practitioners. 95 completed forms of questionnaire received against 150 distributed questionnaire sets from consultant, contractor and client organizations were analyzed statistically. Analysis findings indicated that the level of implementation of BIM in the construction industry of Malaysia is very low. Average index method employed to assess the effectiveness of various software packages of BIM highlighted that Bentley construction, AutoCAD and ArchiCAD are three most popular and effective software packages. Major challenges to BIM implementation are it requires enhanced collaboration, add work to a designer, interoperability and needs enhanced collaboration. For improving the level of implementing BIM in Malaysian industry, it is recommended that a flexible training program of BIM for all practitioners must be created.

Impact resistance performance of green construction material using light weight oil palm shells reinforced bamboo concrete slab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muda, Z C; Usman, F; Beddu, S; Alam, M A; Thiruchelvam, S; Sidek, L M; Basri, H; Saadi, S

2013-01-01

This paper investigate the performance of lightweight oil palm shells (OPS) concrete with varied bamboo reinforcement content for the concrete slab of 300mm x 300mm size reinforced with different thickness subjected to low impact projectile test. A self-fabricated drop-weight impact test rig with a steel ball weight of 1.2 kg drop at 1 m height has been used in this research work. The main variables for the study is to find the relationship of the impact resistance against the amount of bamboo reinforcement and slab thickness. A linear relationship has been established between first and ultimate crack resistance against bamboo diameters and slab thickness by the experiment. The linear relationship has also been established between the service (first) crack and ultimate crack resistance against the bamboo reinforcement diameter for a constant spacing for various slab thickness using 0.45 OPS and 0.6 OPS bamboo reinforced concrete. The increment in bamboo diameter has more effect on the first crack resistance than the ultimate crack resistance. The linear relationship has also been established between the service (first) crack and ultimate crack resistance against the various slab thickness. Increment in slab thickness of the slab has more effect on the crack resistance as compare to the increment in the diameter of the bamboo reinforcement.

Doramectin and albendazole resistance in sheep in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borgsteede, F.H.M.; Dercksen, D.D.; Huijbers, R.

2007-01-01

A faecal egg count reduction test was conducted on a sheep farm with suspected avermectin resistance. Five groups of 10 sheep were formed. Group 1 was the untreated control group. Groups 2¿5 were treated according to weight with the recommended dose of, respectively, levamisole, doramectin,

RNAi validation of resistance genes and their interactions in the highly DDT-resistant 91-R strain of Drosophila melanogaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Gellatly, Kyle J; Yoon, Kyong Sup; Doherty, Jeffery J; Sun, Weilin; Pittendrigh, Barry R; Clark, J Marshall

2015-06-01

4,4'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) has been re-recommended by the World Health Organization for malaria mosquito control. Previous DDT use has resulted in resistance, and with continued use resistance will increase in terms of level and extent. Drosophila melanogaster is a model dipteran that has many available genetic tools, numerous studies done on insecticide resistance mechanisms, and is related to malaria mosquitoes allowing for extrapolation. The 91-R strain of D. melanogaster is highly resistant to DDT (>1500-fold), however, there is no mechanistic scheme that accounts for this level of resistance. Recently, reduced penetration, increased detoxification, and direct excretion have been identified as resistance mechanisms in the 91-R strain. Their interactions, however, remain unclear. Use of UAS-RNAi transgenic lines of D. melanogaster allowed for the targeted knockdown of genes putatively involved in DDT resistance and has validated the role of several cuticular proteins (Cyp4g1 and Lcp1), cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (Cyp6g1 and Cyp12d1), and ATP binding cassette transporters (Mdr50, Mdr65, and Mrp1) involved in DDT resistance. Further, increased sensitivity to DDT in the 91-R strain after intra-abdominal dsRNA injection for Mdr50, Mdr65, and Mrp1 was determined by a DDT contact bioassay, directly implicating these genes in DDT efflux and resistance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Monitoring antifolate resistance in intermittent preventive therapy for malaria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Venkatesan, Meera; Alifrangis, Michael; Roper, Cally

2013-01-01

Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum genes Pfdhfr and Pfdhps have rendered sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) ineffective for malaria treatment in most regions of the world. Yet, SP is efficacious as intermittent preventive therapy in pregnant women (IPTp) and infants (IPTi) and as seasonal malaria...... control in children (SMC). SP-IPTp is being widely implemented in sub-Saharan Africa. SP-IPTi is recommended where the prevalence of SP-resistant malaria parasites is low, whereas SMC is recommended for areas of intense seasonal malaria transmission. The continuing success of these interventions depends...

First case of Helicobacter pylori infection resistant to seven antibiotics in Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amin Talebi Bezmin Abadi

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection with common antibiotics is typically recommended for several digestive conditions, including peptic ulcers. However, reports of resistant H. pylori isolates are increasing, and unfortunately, these do not respond to currently available therapeutic regimens. We report the case of a 31-year-old woman with two peptic ulcers in the duodenal antrum. An H. pylori strain was isolated, and tested for antibiotic resistance using agar dilution and disk diffusion. The isolated strain was found to be resistant to all seven antibiotics that were tested. Therefore, constant monitoring for antibiotic resistance should be performed prior to initiating antibiotic therapy.

Prevalence and resistance pattern of Moraxella catarrhalis in community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaikh SBU

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Safia Bader Uddin Shaikh, Zafar Ahmed, Syed Ali Arsalan, Sana Shafiq Department of Pulmonology, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan Introduction: Moraxella catarrhalis previously considered as commensal of upper respiratory tract has gained importance as a pathogen responsible for respiratory tract infections. Its beta-lactamase-producing ability draws even more attention toward its varying patterns of resistance. Methods: This was an observational study conducted to evaluate the prevalence and resistance pattern of M. catarrhalis. Patients aged 20–80 years admitted in the Department of Chest Medicine of Liaquat National Hospital from March 2012 to December 2012 were included in the study. Respiratory samples of sputum, tracheal secretions, and bronchoalveolar lavage were included, and their cultures were followed. Results: Out of 110 respiratory samples, 22 showed positive cultures for M. catarrhalis in which 14 were males and eight were females. Ten samples out of 22 showed resistance to clarithromycin, and 13 samples out of 22 displayed resistance to erythromycin, whereas 13 showed resistance to levofloxacin. Hence, 45% of the cultures showed resistance to macrolides so far and 59% showed resistance to quinolones. Conclusion: Our study shows that in our environment, M. catarrhalis may be resistant to macrolides and quinolones; hence, these should not be recommended as an alternative treatment in community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections caused by M. catarrhalis. However, a study of larger sample size should be conducted to determine if the recommendations are required to be changed. Keywords: community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections or pneumonia, M. catarrhalis, antibiotic resistance, gram-negative diplococcic, Pakistan

Herbicide resistance and biodiversity: agronomic and environmental aspects of genetically modified herbicide-resistant plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Schütte, Gesine; Eckerstorfer, Michael; Rastelli, Valentina; Reichenbecher, Wolfram; Restrepo-Vassalli, Sara; Ruohonen-Lehto, Marja; Saucy, Anne-Gabrielle Wuest; Mertens, Martha

2017-01-01

Farmland biodiversity is an important characteristic when assessing sustainability of agricultural practices and is of major international concern. Scientific data indicate that agricultural intensification and pesticide use are among the main drivers of biodiversity loss. The analysed data and experiences do not support statements that herbicide-resistant crops provide consistently better yields than conventional crops or reduce herbicide amounts. They rather show that the adoption of herbicide-resistant crops impacts agronomy, agricultural practice, and weed management and contributes to biodiversity loss in several ways: (i) many studies show that glyphosate-based herbicides, which were commonly regarded as less harmful, are toxic to a range of aquatic organisms and adversely affect the soil and intestinal microflora and plant disease resistance; the increased use of 2,4-D or dicamba, linked to new herbicide-resistant crops, causes special concerns. (ii) The adoption of herbicide-resistant crops has reduced crop rotation and favoured weed management that is solely based on the use of herbicides. (iii) Continuous herbicide resistance cropping and the intensive use of glyphosate over the last 20 years have led to the appearance of at least 34 glyphosate-resistant weed species worldwide. Although recommended for many years, farmers did not counter resistance development in weeds by integrated weed management, but continued to rely on herbicides as sole measure. Despite occurrence of widespread resistance in weeds to other herbicides, industry rather develops transgenic crops with additional herbicide resistance genes. (iv) Agricultural management based on broad-spectrum herbicides as in herbicide-resistant crops further decreases diversity and abundance of wild plants and impacts arthropod fauna and other farmland animals. Taken together, adverse impacts of herbicide-resistant crops on biodiversity, when widely adopted, should be expected and are indeed very hard

Field Testing of Energy-Efficient Flood-Damage-Resistant Residential Envelope Systems Summary Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aglan, H.

2005-08-04

The primary purpose of the project was to identify materials and methods that will make the envelope of a house flood damage resistant. Flood damage resistant materials and systems are intended to be used to repair houses subsequent to flooding. This project was also intended to develop methods of restoring the envelopes of houses that have been flooded but are repairable and may be subject to future flooding. Then if the house floods again, damage will not be as extensive as in previous flood events and restoration costs and efforts will be minimized. The purpose of the first pair of field tests was to establish a baseline for typical current residential construction practice. The first test modules used materials and systems that were commonly found in residential envelopes throughout the U.S. The purpose of the second pair of field tests was to begin evaluating potential residential envelope materials and systems that were projected to be more flood-damage resistant and restorable than the conventional materials and systems tested in the first pair of tests. The purpose of testing the third slab-on-grade module was to attempt to dry flood proof the module (no floodwater within the structure). If the module could be sealed well enough to prevent water from entering, then this would be an effective method of making the interior materials and systems flood damage resistant. The third crawl space module was tested in the same manner as the previous modules and provided an opportunity to do flood tests of additional residential materials and systems. Another purpose of the project was to develop the methodology to collect representative, measured, reproducible (i.e. scientific) data on how various residential materials and systems respond to flooding conditions so that future recommendations for repairing flood damaged houses could be based on scientific data. An additional benefit of collecting this data is that it will be used in the development of a standard test

USE OF MIRROR PATTERN CUTTING OF NETTING MATERIALS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF LAKE BEACH SEINES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Nazarov

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Justification and calculation of a new methodological approach to the construction of a standard beach seine (502 / 302 х 3.75 with the use of the properties of mirror netting ensuring the saving of the netting material, reduction of weight, price and drag resistance. Methodology. The carp age group selectivity of the constructed seine was assessed within fish fauna monitoring based on the catch analysis of monitoring gill nets with mesh sizes of 30-130 mm according to generally accepted methods [9, 10]. Calculation of netting materials and ropes was carried out according to generally accepted methods [12-14]. Seine resistance was calculated according to N. T. Senin formula for different netting materials and the angles of the movement of different seine parts in water [2]. The gear reliability and data processing were carried out according to standard methods [11, 14, 15]. Findings. A variant of the construction of the maximum lightweight beach lake seines made of mirror pattern netting taking into account the properties of the mirror pattern netting material, reduction of weight, price and drag resistance has been proposed. The provided recalculation of the properties of a serial seine made of rhombic mesh for the mirror netting seine taking into account netting properties allowed: 1 reducing the seine drag resistance value by 1,4 times; 2 reducing the weight of netting materials by 16.3% compared to the prototype; 3 increasing the seine selectivity when fishing older age groups of carp in non-drainable ponds. Originality. We presented the method of the calculation and construction of lake beach seines made of mirror netting, analyzed the technological stages of the construction of mirror netting, determined main qualitative and technological parameters, which had effect on the conditions of the construction and reliability of such fishing gears. A new method of the use of an insert of the combined netting material cutting ensuring

AP1000 design and construction integration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winters, James W.; Clelland, Jill A.

2004-01-01

Construction costs of commercial nuclear generating plants must be reduced in order to expand the future use of nuclear energy. Two of the drivers of plant construction costs are the cost of financing during the construction duration and the substantial amount of skilled craft labor hours needed on site during construction. The application of information technology (IT) has been used to understand and reduce both of these drivers by establishing parallel construction paths using modules and integrating construction sequence review into the design process. In a program sponsored by EPRI, Westinghouse has modeled the construction of AP1000 in '4D' to show its viability, to improve its logic, to improve the plant design for constructibility and overall to reduce time and risk in the construction schedule. The design of most of AP1000 was constrained to be a duplicate of AP600 except where components required expansion for the higher power level. As a result, the construction schedule for AP1000 is as mature and as robust as that for AP600. Two areas important to the construction of AP1000 did require some design work because they could not remain the same as AP1000. First, the turbine building had to be redesigned to accommodate the larger turbine and its support systems. Again, as much of the AP600 design and philosophy as possible was retained. The building required enlargement and the basemat, foundations, steel structure and structural modules required modification. As concrete, steel, and equipment were defined by the designers, they were matched to the original AP600 turbine building schedule. This forced designers to assemble files to be consistent with building assembly activities and to think about constructibility as they defined the final design. Second, the reinforcement structure within the concrete under and supporting the containment vessel required detail design. Westinghouse was fortunate to have the constructor Obayashi of Japan recommend a detailed

Failure of Quality Control Measures To Prevent Reporting of False Resistance to Imipenem, Resulting in a Pseudo-Outbreak of Imipenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Science.gov (United States)

Carmeli, Yehuda; Eichelberger, Karen; Soja, Don; Dakos, Joanna; Venkataraman, Lata; DeGirolami, Paola; Samore, Matthew

1998-01-01

False results showing an outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with resistance to imipenem were traced to a defective lot of microdilution MIC testing panels. These panels contained two- to threefold lower concentrations of imipenem than expected and resulted in artifactual two- to fourfold increases in MICs of imipenem. The quality-control MIC results for Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 were 4 μg/ml, the highest value within the range recommended by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. We recommend that this value be considered out of the quality-control range. PMID:9466787

High levels of macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma genitalium in Queensland, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Trembizki, Ella; Buckley, Cameron; Bletchly, Cheryl; Nimmo, Graeme R; Whiley, David M

2017-10-01

The macrolide azithromycin is recommended for treatment of Mycoplasma genitalium infection; however, M. genitalium strains possessing macrolide resistance-mediating mutations (MRMMs) are increasingly being reported. Here, we used the SpeeDx ResistancePlus MG kit, which provides simultaneous detection of M. genitalium and MRMMs, to assess MRMM carriage among M. genitalium infections in Queensland, Australia. Performance characteristics of the ResistancePlus MG kit for M. genitalium detection were compared to in-house PCR. Available M. genitalium PCR-positive (n=67) and negative (n=281) samples from the years 2011 to 2017 were tested using the SpeeDx ResistancePlus MG kit. In total, 63.6 % M. genitalium-positive samples were indicated to harbour MRMMs. The ResistancePlus MG method provided sensitivity and specificity of 97 and 99.6 % respectively compared to in-house PCR for M. genitalium detection. Such high levels of macrolide-resistant M. genitalium raise further concerns over future use of azithromycin for treatment of M. genitalium infection.

Seismic resistance of WWER equipment (systematization and generalization)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaznovski, S.; Chechenov, H.

1999-01-01

Within the scope of the contract with IAEA, calculational and experimental investigations of equipment seismic resistance were carried out. Systematic seismic inspection was conducted for 21 WWER type reactors in Armenia, Bulgaria, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine. On the base of generalisation of extensive real data accumulated during inspection of equipment seismic resistance at different WWER-type NPPs the classification of seismic instability reasons and working out of generalised recommendations were carried out. It gives the possibility to specialists in many cases to expose the seismic insufficiency of equipment and to choose the suitable measures without laborious experimental investigations, tests, and calculations

Hanford spent nuclear fuel project recommended path forward, volume III: Alternatives and path forward evaluation supporting documentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fulton, J.C.

1994-10-01

Volume I of the Hanford Spent Nuclear Fuel Project - Recommended Path Forward constitutes an aggressive series of projects to construct and operate systems and facilities to safely retrieve, package, transport, process, and store K Basins fuel and sludge. Volume II provided a comparative evaluation of four Alternatives for the Path Forward and an evaluation for the Recommended Path Forward. Although Volume II contained extensive appendices, six supporting documents have been compiled in Volume III to provide additional background for Volume II

Nuclear civil construction, an essential activity dedicated to outstanding projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herve, G.

2016-01-01

The complexity of nuclear civil construction is directly linked to the safety requirements imposed on nuclear facilities: durability in terms of time, stability, containment, tightness, managing cracking and leakages, quality controls... These requirements imply specific measures for instance the concrete that is used for the containment building has a particular composition that gives it an enhanced resistance or the substantial thickness of the foundation raft implies monitoring the temperature at which the concrete is poured. The construction of the EPR at the Flamanville site is taken as an example. This construction involves 120.000 tonnes of concrete-reinforcement steels, 400.000 m"3 of concrete, 400 km of pipes and 1600 km of cables. (A.C.)

A Paradigm Shift in the Implementation of Ethics Codes in Construction Organizations in Hong Kong: Towards an Ethical Behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Christabel Man-Fong; Oladinrin, Olugbenga Timo

2018-01-30

Due to the economic globalization which is characterized with business scandals, scholars and practitioners are increasingly engaged with the implementation of codes of ethics as a regulatory mechanism for stimulating ethical behaviours within an organization. The aim of this study is to examine various organizational practices regarding the effective implementation of codes of ethics within construction contracting companies. Views on ethics management in construction organizations together with the recommendations for improvement were gleaned through 19 semi-structured interviews, involving construction practitioners from various construction companies in Hong Kong. The findings suggested some practices for effective implementation of codes of ethics in order to diffuse ethical behaviours in an organizational setting which include; introduction of effective reward schemes, arrangement of ethics training for employees, and leadership responsiveness to reported wrongdoings. Since most of the construction companies in Hong Kong have codes of ethics, emphasis is made on the practical implementation of codes within the organizations. Hence, implications were drawn from the recommended measures to guide construction companies and policy makers.

Rme1 is necessary for Mi-1-mediated resistance and acts early in the resistance pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez de Ilarduya, Oscar; Nombela, Gloria; Hwang, Chin-Feng; Williamson, Valerie M; Muñiz, Mariano; Kaloshian, Isgouhi

2004-01-01

The tomato gene Mi-1 confers resistance to root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.), potato aphid, and whitefly. Using genetic screens, we have isolated a mutant, rme1 (resistance to Meloidogyne spp.), compromised in resistance to M. javanica and potato aphid. Here, we show that the rme1 mutant is also compromised in resistance to M. incognita, M. arenaria, and whitefly. In addition, using an Agrobacterium-mediated transient assay in leaves to express constitutive gain-of-function mutant Pto(L205D), we demonstrated that the rme1 mutation is not compromised in Pto-mediated hypersensitive response. Moreover, the mutation in rme1 does not result in increased virulence of pathogenic Pseudomonas syringae or Mi-1-virulent M. incognita. Using a chimeric Mi-1 construct, Mi-DS4, which confers constitutive cell death phenotype and A. rhizogenes root transformation, we showed that the Mi-1-mediated cell death pathway is intact in this mutant. Our results indicate that Rme1 is required for Mi-1-mediated resistance and acts either at the same step in the signal transduction pathway as Mi-1 or upstream of Mi-1.

The Constructal Law of ``Designedness'' in Nature

Science.gov (United States)

Bejan, Adrian

2008-08-01

The laws of classical thermodynamics refer to systems as black boxes, without configuration. Nature is different: it has "designedness" everywhere and at all scales (pattern, configuration, rhythm). The generation of configuration is a phenomenon of all physics, and it is covered by the constructal law: for a finite-size flow system to persist in time (to live) it must evolve such that it provides easier access to its currents. The constructal law is predictive across the board, in inanimate, animate and human flow systems. Examples are the scaling laws of all river basins, the speeds and frequencies of all kinds of animal locomotion, and the zipfian distribution of hierarchical city sizes and numbers on the globe. The constructal law accounts for the numerous and often contradictory ad-hoc statements of self-optimization, e.g. minimization and maximization of entropy generation, minimization and maximization of flow resistance, minimization of time and cost, maximization of utility, and the axiom of uniform stresses in animal bones and botanical trees.

Design and construction of a DNA origami drug delivery system based on MPT64 antibody aptamer for tuberculosis treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranjbar, Reza; Hafezi-Moghadam, Mohammad Sadegh

2016-02-01

With all of the developments on infectious diseases, tuberculosis (TB) remains a cause of death among people. One of the most promising assembly techniques in nano-technology is "scaffolded DNA origami" to design and construct a nano-scale drug delivery system. Because of the global health problems of tuberculosis, the development of potent new anti-tuberculosis drug delivery system without cross-resistance with known anti-mycobacterial agents is urgently needed. The aim of this study was to design a nano-scale drug delivery system for TB treatment using the DNA origami method. In this study, we presented an experimental research on a DNA drug delivery system for treating Tuberculosis. TEM images were visualized with an FEI Tecnai T12 BioTWIN at 120 kV. The model was designed by caDNAno software and computational prediction of the 3D solution shape and its flexibility was calculated with a CanDo server. Synthesizing the product was imaged using transmission electron microscopy after negative-staining by uranyl formate. We constructed a multilayer 3D DNA nanostructure system by designing square lattice geometry with the scaffolded-DNA-origami method. With changes in the lock and key sequences, we recommend that this system be used for other infectious diseases to target the pathogenic bacteria.

Context-aware recommender system based on ontology for recommending tourist destinations at Bandung

Science.gov (United States)

Rizaldy Hafid Arigi, L.; Abdurahman Baizal, Z. K.; Herdiani, Anisa

2018-03-01

Recommender System is software that is able to provide personalized recommendation suits users’ needs. Recommender System has been widely implemented in various domains, including tourism. One approach that can be done for more personalized recommendations is the use of contextual information. This paper proposes a context aware recommender based ontology system in the tourism domain. The system is capable of recommending tourist destinations by using user preferences of the categories of tourism and contextual information such as user locations, weather around tourist destinations and close time of destination. Based on the evaluation, the system has accuracy of of 0.94 (item recommendation precision evaluated by expert) and 0.58 (implicitly from system-end user interaction). Based on the evaluation of user satisfaction, the system provides a satisfaction level of more than 0.7 (scale 0 to 1) for speed factors for providing liked recommendations (PE), informative description of recommendations (INF) and user trust (TR).

Experience of successful treatment of patients with metronidazole-resistant Trichomonas vaginalis with zinc sulfate: A case series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jung Mi Byun

2015-10-01

Conclusion: Although the exact role of zinc sulfate in metronidazole-resistant trichomoniasis is not clear, our patients experienced a therapeutic effect with zinc sulfate douche treatment. We therefore recommend zinc sulfate douche as an option for the treatment of metronidazole-resistant vaginal trichomoniasis.

Resistance screening trials on coconut varieties to Cape Saint Paul Wilt Disease in Ghana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Quaicoe Robert Nketsia

2009-03-01

Full Text Available The Cape Saint Paul Wilt Disease (CSPWD is a coconut lethal yellowing type disease (LY and is the single most serious threat to coconut cultivation in Ghana. The recommended disease management strategy is the cultivation of disease-resistant coconut varieties. More than 38 varieties have been screened for their resistance to CSPWD since 1956 and the results are reviewed in this paper. Two varieties, Sri Lanka Green Dwarf (SGD and Vanuatu Tall (VTT, have shown high resistance to the disease, and their hybrid (SGD × VTT is under observation to determine its performance. A programme to rehabilitate the CSPWD-devastated areas was started in 1999. Emerging results indicate that the MYD × VTT hybrid being used for the programme, succumbs to the disease under intense disease pressure. A redirection of the rehabilitation programme and the screening of more varieties are recommended.

Stabilization of ideal plasma resistive wall modes in cylindrical geometry: The effect of resistive layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finn, J.M.

1995-01-01

A cylindrical model with finite beta having an external resonant ideal magnetohydrodynamic instability has been constructed. This resonant mode has a mode rational surface, where the safety factor q equals m/n, within the plasma. In this model, the perturbed radial magnetic field for the ideal mode is nonzero between the mode rational surface and the wall, even though it must vanish at the mode rational surface. This property of the mode is in common with the toroidal external kink. Results are presented showing that in the parameter range for which this ideal mode is stable with a conducting wall but unstable with the wall at infinity, a resistive wall mode persists. However, in the presence of plasma resistivity in a resistive layer about the mode rational surface, this resistive wall mode can be stabilized by a plasma rotation frequency of order a nominal resistive instability growth rate. Furthermore, the stabilization occurs in a large gap in wall position or beta. It is also shown that for the ideal resonant mode, as well as resistive plasma modes and nonresonant ideal plasma modes, there is a maximum value of plasma rotation above which there is no stability gap. Discussions are presented suggesting that these properties may hold for the toroidal external kink. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

New-construction techniques and HVAC overpressurization for radon reduction in schools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saum, D.; Witter, K.A.; Craig, A.B.

1988-01-01

Construction of a school in Fairfax County, Virginia, is being carefully monitored since elevated indoor radon levels have been identified in many existing houses near the site. Soil gas radon concentrations measured prior to pouring of the slabs were also indicative of a potential radon problem should the soil gas enter the school; however, subslab radon measurements collected thus far are lower than anticipated. Radon-resistant features have been incorporated into construction of the school and include the placing of at least 100 mm of clean coarse aggregate under the slab and a plastic film barrier between the aggregate and the slab, the sealing of all expansion joints, the sealing or plugging of all utility penetrations where possible, and the painting of interior block walls. In addition, the school's heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system has been designed to operate continuously in overpressurization to help reduce pressure-driven entry of radon-containing soil gas into the building. Following completion, indoor radon levels in the school will be monitored to determine the effectiveness of these radon-resistant new-construction techniques and HVAC overpressurization in limiting radon entry into the school

Development and empirical user-centered evaluation of semantically-based query recommendation for an electronic health record search engine.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanauer, David A; Wu, Danny T Y; Yang, Lei; Mei, Qiaozhu; Murkowski-Steffy, Katherine B; Vydiswaran, V G Vinod; Zheng, Kai

2017-03-01

The utility of biomedical information retrieval environments can be severely limited when users lack expertise in constructing effective search queries. To address this issue, we developed a computer-based query recommendation algorithm that suggests semantically interchangeable terms based on an initial user-entered query. In this study, we assessed the value of this approach, which has broad applicability in biomedical information retrieval, by demonstrating its application as part of a search engine that facilitates retrieval of information from electronic health records (EHRs). The query recommendation algorithm utilizes MetaMap to identify medical concepts from search queries and indexed EHR documents. Synonym variants from UMLS are used to expand the concepts along with a synonym set curated from historical EHR search logs. The empirical study involved 33 clinicians and staff who evaluated the system through a set of simulated EHR search tasks. User acceptance was assessed using the widely used technology acceptance model. The search engine's performance was rated consistently higher with the query recommendation feature turned on vs. off. The relevance of computer-recommended search terms was also rated high, and in most cases the participants had not thought of these terms on their own. The questions on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use received overwhelmingly positive responses. A vast majority of the participants wanted the query recommendation feature to be available to assist in their day-to-day EHR search tasks. Challenges persist for users to construct effective search queries when retrieving information from biomedical documents including those from EHRs. This study demonstrates that semantically-based query recommendation is a viable solution to addressing this challenge. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Analysis of friction autofluctuations of a drilling string with exponential resistance law

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belokobyl' skiy, S.V.; Prokopov, V.K.

1981-01-01

An analysis is made of the friction autofluctuations of a drilling string with exponential resistance law. A spasmodic resistance law is obtained from it as a particular case. It is demonstrated that for definite parameters, the amplitude of autofluctuations with the exponential resistance law exceeds the scope of fluctuations with the spasmodic law. Dependences are constructed for the period of autofluctuations and movement time on the parameters. Dangerous regimes of autofluctuations are defined.

Seismic design of steel moment resisting frames-European versus American practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naqash, M.T.; Matteis, G.D.; Luca, A.D.

2012-01-01

This paper provides an overview on the design philosophy of moment resisting frames (MRF) according to the seismic provisions of Eurocode 8 and American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). A synopsis of the main recommendations of the two codes is briefly described. Then in order to examine the structural efficiency of the design principles of MRF according to the aforementioned codes, a case study is developed in which spatial and perimeter moment resisting frames of 12, 6 and 3 storeys residential building are considered. In the case of EC8, Ductility Class Medium (DCM) with behaviour factor of 4 and Ductility Class High (DCH) with behaviour factor of 6.5 for 6-storey frames are used, while only DCH is employed in the design of 12 and 3 storey frames. When dealing with AISC/American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) code, special moment resisting frame (SMF) with response modification factor of 8 is employed in the design. The outcomes from the design are illustrated in terms of frame performance, section profiles, strength-demand to capacity ratios, drift-demand to capacity ratios and structural weight, thus allowing the understanding of pros and cons of the design criteria and the capacity design rules of the two codes. The main purpose of the current paper is to compare the seismic design rules of the two codes with a parametric analysis developed by a case study in order to let the technician knows about the importance and influence of some important parameters which are given in the capacity design rules of the two codes. This study will be a benchmark for further analysis on the two codes for seismic design of steel structures. (author)

Heat Resistance of Glued Finger Joints in Spruce Wood Constructions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Sviták

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The heat resistance of glued spruce wood was evaluated for different joint types and adhesives. Bending strength, modulus of elasticity, and also fracture evaluation were investigated on glued spruce samples made by the finger-jointed principle. Finger-jointed samples were glued with polyurethane (PUR and melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF adhesives. Heat loading was realized at temperatures 60, 80, and 110 °C and compared with wood with 20 °C. A static bending test with four-point flexural test was used. Elevated temperature and adhesive type had an important influence on the bending strength. On the other hand, adhesive type had a significant influence on the modulus of elasticity, but elevated temperature had no substantial influence.

Chemical control of ticks on cattle and the resistance of these parasites to acaricides.

Science.gov (United States)

George, J E; Pound, J M; Davey, R B

2004-01-01

Toward the end of the nineteenth century a complex of problems related to ticks and tick-borne diseases of cattle created a demand for methods to control ticks and reduce losses of cattle. The discovery and use of arsenical solutions in dipping vats for treating cattle to protect them against ticks revolutionized tick and tick-borne disease control programmes. Arsenic dips for cattle were used for about 40 years before the evolution of resistance of ticks to the chemical, and the development and marketing of synthetic organic acaricides after World War II provided superior alternative products. Most of the major groups of organic pesticides are represented on the list of chemicals used to control ticks on cattle. Unfortunately, the successive evolution of resistance of ticks to acaricides in each chemical group with the concomitant reduction in the usefulness of a group of acaricides is a major reason for the diversity of acaricides. Whether a producer chooses a traditional method for treating cattle with an acaricide or uses a new method, he must recognize the benefits, limitations and potential problems with each application method and product. Simulation models and research were the basis of recommendations for tick control strategies advocating approaches that reduced reliance on acaricides. These recommendations for controlling ticks on cattle are in harmony with recommendations for reducing the rate of selection for acaricide resistance. There is a need to transfer knowledge about tick control and resistance mitigation strategies to cattle producers.

Appraisal of wheat germplasm for adult plant resistance against stripe rust

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saleem Kamran

2015-12-01

among 21 were derived from parents of CIMMYT origin. Cluster analysis was executed to determine the diversity among the wheat genotypes based on stripe rust resistance and yield parameters. All genotypes were grouped into nine clusters exhibiting a high level of diversity at a 25% linkage distance. There were 29 wheat lines resistant to stripe rust that were grouped into the first three clusters, while 4 high-yielding lines were in Cluster VIII. The susceptible check, Morocco, was separated from rest of lines and fell in the last cluster i.e. Cluster IX. Based on the results, inter-crossing immune/ resistant lines is recommended, and with high yielding lines − it is also recommended that cultivars with improved disease resistance and yield potential be developed.

Construction and Quality Assurance of Large Area Resistive Strip Micromegas for the Upgrade of the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer at LHC/CERN

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00389527; The ATLAS collaboration

2017-01-01

Large area Micromegas detectors will be employed for the first time in high-energy physics experiments. To cope with increasing background rates, associated with the steadily increasing luminosity of LHC to 10 times design luminosity, the present detector technology in the current innermost stations of the muon endcap system of the ATLAS experiment (the Small Wheel), will be replaced in 2019 by resistive strip Micromegas and small strip TGC detectors. Both technologies will provide tracking and trigger information. In the ``New Small Wheel'' the Micromegas will be arranged in eight detection layers built of trapezoidally shaped quadruplets of four different sizes covering in total about 1200\\,m$^2$ of detection plane. In order to achieve 15\\,\\% transverse momentum resolution for 1 TeV muons, a challenging mechanical precision is required in the construction of each active plane, with an alignment of the readout strips at the level of 30\\,\\textmu m along the precision coordinate and 80\\,\\textmu m perpendicular...

Measurements of the radioactivity of power plant by-products processed into construction materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marcinkowski, S.A.; Dudelewski, H.A.

1992-01-01

The subject of the recycling of residual products comprising, inter alia, fly ash and slags accuring from the combustion of black and brown coal in modern coal dust boilers in the power industry has been topical for a number of years. Numerous discussions and articles in technical periodicals and the daily press have revolved around the problem of the radioactivity of construction materials or construction elements obtained from fly ash or slags of power plant. In Poland, this was a forbidden subject until the publication in 1980 by the Warsaw institute of construction technology of standard no. 234 entitled: 'Recommendations for establishing the natural radioactivity of products processed into construction materials'. (orig.) [de

Survey of anthelmintic resistance on Danish horse farms, using 5 different methods of calculating faecal egg count reduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Craven, J.; Bjørn, H.; Henriksen, S.A.

1998-01-01

of resistance in sheep was the most sensitive procedure for detecting resistance. Using this method benzimidazole resistance was detected on 33 of 42 farms (79%) examined. Pyrantel was tested on 15 farms and FECR tests indicate resistance on 3 (30%) farms. On 2 farms on which resistance to pyrantel was detected...... resistance to benzimidazoles was also detected. On one of 16 farms examined ivermectin resistance was indicated at Day 14 but not at Day 19. On the 15 remaining farms ivermectin was effective. Due to the high prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in Danish horse herds it is recommended that tests...

System dynamic modeling on construction waste management in Shenzhen, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Tam, Vivian W Y; Li, Jingru; Cai, Hong

2014-05-01

This article examines the complexity of construction waste management in Shenzhen, Mainland China. In-depth analysis of waste generation, transportation, recycling, landfill and illegal dumping of various inherent management phases is explored. A system dynamics modeling using Stella model is developed. Effects of landfill charges and also penalties from illegal dumping are also simulated. The results show that the implementation of comprehensive policy on both landfill charges and illegal dumping can effectively control the illegal dumping behavior, and achieve comprehensive construction waste minimization. This article provides important recommendations for effective policy implementation and explores new perspectives for Shenzhen policy makers.

Estimation of construction waste generation and management in Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Kofoworola, Oyeshola Femi; Gheewala, Shabbir H

2009-02-01

This study examines construction waste generation and management in Thailand. It is estimated that between 2002 and 2005, an average of 1.1 million tons of construction waste was generated per year in Thailand. This constitutes about 7.7% of the total amount of waste disposed in both landfills and open dumpsites annually during the same period. Although construction waste constitutes a major source of waste in terms of volume and weight, its management and recycling are yet to be effectively practiced in Thailand. Recently, the management of construction waste is being given attention due to its rapidly increasing unregulated dumping in undesignated areas, and recycling is being promoted as a method of managing this waste. If effectively implemented, its potential economic and social benefits are immense. It was estimated that between 70 and 4,000 jobs would have been created between 2002 and 2005, if all construction wastes in Thailand had been recycled. Additionally it would have contributed an average savings of about 3.0 x 10(5) GJ per year in the final energy consumed by the construction sector of the nation within the same period based on the recycling scenario analyzed. The current national integrated waste management plan could enhance the effective recycling of construction and demolition waste in Thailand when enforced. It is recommended that an inventory of all construction waste generated in the country be carried out in order to assess the feasibility of large scale recycling of construction and demolition waste.

Recommendations to the NRC for soil cover systems over uranium mill tailings and low-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, R.D.; Kimbrell, A.F.

1991-02-01

The US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES) has provided recommendations to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the selection placement, compaction, testing, and acceptance of soils proposed to be placed in cover systems over uranium mill tailings and low-level radioactive wastes. The recommendations from WES are contained in three volumes of NUREG/CR-5432. Volume 1 identifies the various soil types and engineering properties that are needed to fulfill important soil cover functions. The identified soils are then ranked according to their capability to perform the low-permeability and filter and drainage functions. Volume 2 provides recommendations for conducting pertinent laboratory and field tests to ensure acceptable soil cover performance. Volume 3 covers recommendations from WES on proper field construction methods including guidance on quality control testing and inspections. Recommendations are given for sealing penetrations (e.g., observation wells) that are required to penetrate covers for environmental monitoring of disposal facility performance. 30 refs., 6 figs., 9 tabs

Insulin resistance as key factor for linking modulation of gut microbiome to health claims and dietary recommendations to tackle obesity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loman, S.; Kamp, J.W. van der

2016-01-01

Background: Current dietary and public health recommendations addressing obesity do not as yet include recommendations pertaining to the gut microbiome. As a corollary, no microbiome-related health claims made on foods have as yet been proposed. Scope: The MyNewGut project aims, amongst others, to

Freeze-thaw resistance of concrete with marginal air content : final report

Science.gov (United States)

2006-12-01

Freeze-thaw resistance is a key durability factor for concrete pavements. Recommendations for the air : void system parameters are normally: 6 1 percent total air, and spacing factor less than 0.20 : millimeters. However, it was observed that some...

Research on the technologies of cracking-resistance of mass concrete in subway station

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Yanmin; Li, Shujin; Jiang, Guoquan; Shi, Xiaoqing; Yang, Zhu; Zhu, Zhihang

2018-03-01

This paper takes the theory of multi-field coupling and the model of hydration-temperature-humidity-constraint to assess the effect of cracking-resistance on structural concrete and optimize the controlling index of crack resistance. The effect is caused by structure, material and construction, etc. The preparation technology of high cracking-resistance concrete is formed through the researching on the temperature rising and deformation over the controlling influence of new anti-cracking materials and technologies. A series of technologies on anti-cracking and waterproof in underground structural concrete of urban rail transit are formed based on the above study. The technologies include design, construction, materials and monitoring. Those technologies are used in actual engineering to improve the quality of urban rail transit and this brings significant economic and social benefits.

Construction the organizational structure of the MTE oriented on the business-processes management

OpenAIRE

Kohut, Y.

2011-01-01

The methodical recommendations for the construction the organizational structure of the MTE oriented on the business-processes management has been developed by substantiating of basic works, maintenance, sequence and orientation, and also methods and receptions of their realization.

Infection control, genetic assessment of drug resistance and drug susceptibility testing in the current management of multidrug/extensively-resistant tuberculosis (M/XDR-TB) in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bothamley, Graham H.; Lange, Christoph; Albrecht, Dirk

2017-01-01

AIM: Europe has the highest documented caseload and greatest increase in multidrug and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (M/XDR-TB) of all World Health Organization (WHO) regions. This survey examines how recommendations for M/XDR-TB management are being implemented. METHODS: TBNET is a pan...

ENABLING KNOWLEDGE FLOW: RETAINING GRADUATE WOMEN IN THE SINGAPORE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florence Yean Yng Ling

2008-12-01

Full Text Available As extensive resources are expanded in transferring knowledge from universities to undergraduates, it is important for them to enter the workforce upon graduation to enable the knowledge to flow to the industry. The aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which knowledge flow is disrupted because graduate women are not entering the Singapore construction industry to ensure its sustainable growth. This study used a structured questionnaire, with data collected from 116 construction-trained graduate women via postal survey. Results show that 58% of them chose not to enter or are considering leaving the construction industry. The disruption in knowledge flow is due to better prospects in other industries (pull factor and poor job conditions within the construction industry (push factor. To retain graduate women in the construction industry, it is recommended that employers: introduce flexible work schedule; allow graduate women to work from home; and give them the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

Fire Resistance of Large-Scale Cross-Laminated Timber Panels

Science.gov (United States)

Henek, Vladan; Venkrbec, Václav; Novotný, Miloslav

2017-12-01

Wooden structures are increasingly being used in the construction of residential buildings. A common and often published reason to avoid wooden structures is their insufficient fire resistance, which reduces bearing capacity. For this reason, composite sandwich structures began to be designed to eliminate this drawback, as well as others. Recently, however, the trend is for a return to the original, wood-only variant and a search is underway for new technical means of improving the properties of such structures. Many timber structure technologies are known, but structures made from cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels have been used very often in recent years. CLT panels, also known as X-LAM, are currently gaining popularity in Europe. In the case of CLT panels composed of several layers of boards, they can be said to offer a certain advantage in that after the surface layer of a board has burnt and the subsurface layer has dried, oxygen is not drawn to the unburned wood for further combustion and thus the burning process ceases. CLT panels do not need to be specially modified or coated with fire resistant materials, although they are usually lined with gypsum-fibre fire resistant boards due to guidelines set out in the relevant standards. This paper presents a new method for the assessment of load-bearing perimeter walls fabricated from CLT panels without the use of an inner fire-retardant lining to ensure fire resistance at the level required by European standards (i.e. those harmonized for the Czech construction industry). The calculations were verified through laboratory tests which show that better parameters can be achieved during the classification of structures from the fire resistance point of view. The aim of the article is to utilize the results of assessment and testing by an accredited laboratory in order to demonstrate the possibilities of using CLT panels for the construction of multistorey as well as multi-purpose buildings in the Czech Republic.

TRSDL: Tag-Aware Recommender System Based on Deep Learning–Intelligent Computing Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nan Liang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In recommender systems (RS, many models are designed to predict ratings of items for the target user. To improve the performance for rating prediction, some studies have introduced tags into recommender systems. Tags benefit RS considerably, however, they are also redundant and ambiguous. In this paper, we propose a hybrid deep learning model TRSDL (tag-aware recommender system based on deep learning to improve the performance of tag-aware recommender systems (TRS. First, TRSDL uses pre-trained word embeddings to represent user-defined tags, and constructs item and user profiles based on the items’ tags set and users’ tagging behaviors. Then, it utilizes deep neural networks (DNNs and recurrent neural networks (RNNs to extract the latent features of items and users, respectively. Finally, it predicts ratings from these latent features. The model not only addresses tag limitations and takes advantage of semantic tag information but also learns more advanced implicit features via deep structures. We evaluated our proposed approach and several baselines on MovieLens-20 m, and the experimental results demonstrate that TRSDL significantly outperforms all the baselines (including the state-of-the-art models BiasedMF and I-AutoRec. In addition, we also explore the impacts of network depth and type on model performance.

Proposed Modifications to Engineering Design Guidelines Related to Resistivity Measurements and Spacecraft Charging

Science.gov (United States)

Dennison, J. R.; Swaminathan, Prasanna; Jost, Randy; Brunson, Jerilyn; Green, Nelson; Frederickson, A. Robb

2005-01-01

A key parameter in modeling differential spacecraft charging is the resistivity of insulating materials. This determines how charge will accumulate and redistribute across the spacecraft, as well as the time scale for charge transport and dissipation. Existing spacecraft charging guidelines recommend use of tests and imported resistivity data from handbooks that are based principally upon ASTM methods that are more applicable to classical ground conditions and designed for problems associated with power loss through the dielectric, than for how long charge can be stored on an insulator. These data have been found to underestimate charging effects by one to four orders of magnitude for spacecraft charging applications. A review is presented of methods to measure the resistive of highly insulating materials, including the electrometer-resistance method, the electrometer-constant voltage method, the voltage rate-of-change method and the charge storage method. This is based on joint experimental studies conducted at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Utah State University to investigate the charge storage method and its relation to spacecraft charging. The different methods are found to be appropriate for different resistivity ranges and for different charging circumstances. A simple physics-based model of these methods allows separation of the polarization current and dark current components from long duration measurements of resistivity over day- to month-long time scales. Model parameters are directly related to the magnitude of charge transfer and storage and the rate of charge transport. The model largely explains the observed differences in resistivity found using the different methods and provides a framework for recommendations for the appropriate test method for spacecraft materials with different resistivities and applications. The proposed changes to the existing engineering guidelines are intended to provide design engineers more appropriate methods for

Plant-Derived Antimicrobials: Insights into Mitigation of Antimicrobial Resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shun-Kai Yang

2018-07-01

Full Text Available Antibiotic resistance had first been reported not long after the discovery of the first antibiotic and has remained a major public health issue ever since. Challenges are constantly encountered during the mitigation process of antibiotic resistance in the clinical setting; especially with the emergence of the formidable superbug, a bacteria with multiple resistance towards different antibiotics; this resulted in the term multidrug resistant (MDR bacteria. This rapid evolution of the resistance phenomenon has propelled researchers to continuously uncover new antimicrobial agents in a bid to hopefully, downplay the rate of evolution despite a drying pipeline. Recently, there has been a paradigm shift in the mining of potential antimicrobials; in the past, targets for drug discovery were from microorganisms and at current, the focus has moved onto plants, this is mainly due to the beneficial attributes that plants are able to confer over that of microorganisms. This review will briefly discuss antibiotic resistance mechanisms employed by resistant bacteria followed by a detailed expository regarding the use of secondary metabolites from plants as a potential solution to the MDR pathogen. Finally, future prospects recommending enhancements to the usage of plant secondary metabolites to directly target antibiotic resistant pathogens will be discussed.

The Model of Motivational Dynamics in Sport: Resistance to Peer Influence, Behavioral Engagement and Disaffection, Dispositional Coping, and Resilience.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholls, Adam R; Morley, David; Perry, John L

2015-01-01

The Model of Motivational Dynamics (MMD; Skinner and Pitzer, 2012) infers that peers influence behavioral engagement levels, which in turn is linked to coping and resilience. Scholars, however, are yet to test the MMD among an athletic population. The purpose of this paper was to assess an a priori model that included key constructs from the MMD, such as resistance to peer influence, behavioral engagement and disaffection, coping, and resilience among athletes. Three hundred and fifty-one athletes (male n = 173, female n = 178; M age = 16.15 years) completed a questionnaire that measured each construct. Our results provide support for the model. In particular, there were positive paths between resistance to peer influence and behavioral engagement, behavioral engagement and task-oriented coping, and task-oriented coping with resilience. There was also a positive path between resilience and resistance to peer influence, but a negative path from resistance to peer influence to behavioral disaffection. Due to the reported benefits of enhancing resistance to peer influence and behavioral engagement, researchers could devise sport specific interventions to maximize athletes' scores in these constructs.

SAFETY PERFORMANCE OF SUBCONTRACTORS IN THE PALESTINIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adnan Enshassi

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Subcontractors perform most of the construction works and their effect on industry are apparent in different activities of construction. Therefore, subcontractors need more attention from government and contractors union. The aim of this paper is to identify, evaluate, and rank factors that influence safety performance of subcontractors in the Gaza Strip (Palestine according to their relative importance. The study concluded that reported accident rates will decrease among subcontractors and their workers if new workers are trained well in the work site and they are informed about dangerous places, and if a workable safety plan is well preplanned. The results also showed that reported accident rates increased among subcontractors when using old, unsafe equipment and due to the complexity or difficulty in the construction sites features. Owners and general contractors need to stipulate strict clauses for safety in the contract for improving safety record of subcontractors. Construction workers must receive proper job related safety and health training with a safety logbook. It is recommended that the subcontractors and workers should attend continuing safety programs on regular basis as part of their perquisite to work in construction sites.

Testing compression strength of wood logs by drilling resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Kalny, Gerda; Rados, Kristijan; Rauch, Hans Peter

2017-04-01

Soil bioengineering is a construction technique using biological components for hydraulic and civil engineering solutions, based on the application of living plants and other auxiliary materials including among others log wood. Considering the reliability of the construction it is important to know about the durability and the degradation process of the wooden logs to estimate and retain the integral performance of a soil bioengineering system. An important performance indicator is the compression strength, but this parameter is not easy to examine by non-destructive methods. The Rinntech Resistograph is an instrument to measure the drilling resistance by a 3 mm wide needle in a wooden log. It is a quasi-non-destructive method as the remaining hole has no weakening effects to the wood. This is an easy procedure but result in values, hard to interpret. To assign drilling resistance values to specific compression strengths, wooden specimens were tested in an experiment and analysed with the Resistograph. Afterwards compression tests were done at the same specimens. This should allow an easier interpretation of drilling resistance curves in future. For detailed analyses specimens were investigated by means of branch inclusions, cracks and distances between annual rings. Wood specimens are tested perpendicular to the grain. First results show a correlation between drilling resistance and compression strength by using the mean drilling resistance, average width of the annual rings and the mean range of the minima and maxima values as factors for the drilling resistance. The extended limit of proportionality, the offset yield strength and the maximum strength were taken as parameters for compression strength. Further investigations at a second point in time strengthen these results.

A Distance-Adaptive Refueling Recommendation Algorithm for Self-Driving Travel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Quanli Xu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Taking the maximum vehicle driving distance, the distances from gas stations, the route length, and the number of refueling gas stations as the decision conditions, recommendation rules and an early refueling service warning mechanism for gas stations along a self-driving travel route were constructed by using the algorithm presented in this research, based on the spatial clustering characteristics of gas stations and the urgency of refueling. Meanwhile, by combining ArcEngine and Matlab capabilities, a scenario simulation system of refueling for self-driving travel was developed by using c#.net in order to validate and test the accuracy and applicability of the algorithm. A total of nine testing schemes with four simulation scenarios were designed and executed using this algorithm, and all of the simulation results were consistent with expectations. The refueling recommendation algorithm proposed in this study can automatically adapt to changes in the route length of self-driving travel, the maximum driving distance of the vehicle, and the distance from gas stations, which could provide variable refueling recommendation strategies according to differing gas station layouts along the route. Therefore, the results of this study could provide a scientific reference for the reasonable planning and timely supply of vehicle refueling during self-driving travel.

Risk Factors Influencing Construction Procurement Performance in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alhassan Dahiru

2015-08-01

Full Text Available One of the challenges facing construction procurement performance is the failure to determine the risk related factors limiting its success. These risk factors can cause a significant increase in the procurement cost leading to an increase in the overall project cost. The purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate the risk factors influencing construction procurement performance with a view to achieve the overall project performance. The objectives are to establish a relative significance index score for the most important risk factors limiting the procurement performance of the projects. A self administered questionnaire was employed to the construction industry professionals for responses. A total of 78 questionnaires were distributed to these professionals (architects, quantity surveyors, engineers, and contractors but 62 were returned and analyzed using influential index and later ranked in order of importance. Results of the analysis indicate a disparity in terms of ranking of the factors influencing construction procurement performance. Corruption related risk, conflict of interest, ineffective project technical feasibility, and lack of commitment to transparency were found to be the most significant factors limiting construction procurement performance. Communication barriers and unconfidential tender evaluation process were found to be the low weighted risk factors. The findings can serve as a supportive mechanism for risks management in public construction procurement management. Therefore, construction procurement personnel at all levels of government may find this study relevant, while improving construction procurement performance in the country. It is recommended that construction procurement system should be focused on risks related to corruption, conflict of interest, and effective technical feasibility for improving the overall project performance.

Constructal entransy dissipation minimization for 'volume-point' heat conduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Lingen; Wei Shuhuan; Sun Fengrui

2008-01-01

The 'volume to point' heat conduction problem, which can be described as to how to determine the optimal distribution of high conductivity material through the given volume such that the heat generated at every point is transferred most effectively to its boundary, has became the focus of attention in the current constructal theory literature. In general, the minimization of the maximum temperature difference in the volume is taken as the optimization objective. A new physical quantity, entransy, has been identified as a basis for optimizing heat transfer processes in terms of the analogy between heat and electrical conduction recently. Heat transfer analyses show that the entransy of an object describes its heat transfer ability, just as the electrical energy in a capacitor describes its charge transfer ability. Entransy dissipation occurs during heat transfer processes, as a measure of the heat transfer irreversibility with the dissipation related thermal resistance. By taking equivalent thermal resistance (it corresponds to the mean temperature difference), which reflects the average heat conduction effect and is defined based on entransy dissipation, as an optimization objective, the 'volume to point' constructal problem is re-analysed and re-optimized in this paper. The constructal shape of the control volume with the best average heat conduction effect is deduced. For the elemental area and the first order construct assembly, when the thermal current density in the high conductive link is linear with the length, the optimized shapes of assembly based on the minimization of entransy dissipation are the same as those based on minimization of the maximum temperature difference, and the mean temperature difference is 2/3 of the maximum temperature difference. For the second and higher order construct assemblies, the thermal current densities in the high conductive link are not linear with the length, and the optimized shapes of the assembly based on the

Coated steel rebar for enhanced concrete-steel bond strength and corrosion resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

This report summarizes the findings and recommendations on the use of enamel coating in reinforced concrete structures both for bond strength and : corrosion resistance of steel rebar. Extensive laboratory tests were conducted to characterize the pro...

Design, construction and quality control of resistive-Micromegas anode boards for the ATLAS experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Kuger, F.; Iengo, P.

2018-02-01

For the upcoming upgrade of the forward muon stations of the ATLAS detector, 1280m2 of Micromegas chambers have to be constructed. The industrialization of anode board production is an essential precondition. Design and construction methods of these boards have been optimized towards mass production. In parallel quality control procedures have been developed and established. The first set of large size Micromegas anode boards has finally been produced in industries and demonstrates the feasibility of the project on full-scale.

Allergy-related disorders in the construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Carino, Mauro; Romita, Paolo; Foti, Caterina

2013-01-01

Working conditions in the construction industry have improved in many industrialized countries, but heavy physical work with recurrent exposure to chemical agents, dust, and climatic influences still represents considerable risk for construction workers and may affect their health. The aim of this review is to analyze available data of the literature on allergy-related respiratory and skin disorders with emphasis on a preventive appraisal in order to produce statements and recommendations based on research evidence. The most common agents involved in the construction industry as a cause of occupational asthma (OA) in industrialized countries are isocyanates, wood dust, resins, glues, cobalt, and chromium. Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an immunologic cell-mediated response to a sensitizing agent and the most common sensitizing agents associated with construction workers are epoxy resins, thiurams and thiazoles, and chromates. Medical surveillance must consider individual risk factors such as differences in individual susceptibility and sensitization to agents at workplace. Once work-related disorder is confirmed, adequate fitness for work should be assessed for the worker impaired by health condition. A reliable diagnosis of an index case is a sentinel event that may reveal risks for workers with similar exposure, leading to a revised risk assessment at the workplace that should reduce the risk and prevent further cases.

Resistive toroidal-field coils for tokamak reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalnavarns, J.; Jassby, D.L.

1980-11-01

This paper analyzes the optimization of the geometry of resistive TF coils of rectangular bore for tokamak fusion test reactors and practical neutron generators. In examining the trade-offs between geometric parameters and magnetic field for reactors giving a specified neutron wall loading, either the resistive power loss or the lifetime coil cost can be minimized. Aspects of cooling, magnetic stress, and construction are addressed for several reference designs. Bending moment distributions in closed form have been derived for rectangular coils on the basis of the theory of rigid frames. Candidate methods of fabrication and of implementing demountable joints are summarized

Key Factors Affecting Construction Safety Performance in Developing Countries: Evidence from Cambodia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serdar Durdyev

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Although proper safety management in construction is of utmost importance; anecdotal evidence suggests that safety is not adequately considered in many developing countries. This paper considers the key variables affecting construction safety performance in Cambodia. Using an empirical questionnaire survey targeting local construction professionals, respondents were invited to rate the level of importance of 30 variables identified from the seminal literature. The data set was subjected to factor analysis. Correlations between the variables show that five key factors underlie the challenges facing the local industry; management and organisation, resources, site management, cosmetic and workforce. It is found that the forefront construction professionals (top management and government authorities should take more responsibilities for further improvements in safety performance on project sites. Findings and recommendations of this study may be useful to construction professional who are seeking ways to improve safety records in developing countries.

Impact of colistin sulfate treatment of broilers on the presence of resistant bacteria and resistance genes in stored or composted manure.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Devendec, Laetitia; Mourand, Gwenaelle; Bougeard, Stéphanie; Léaustic, Julien; Jouy, Eric; Keita, Alassane; Couet, William; Rousset, Nathalie; Kempf, Isabelle

2016-10-15

The application of manure may result in contamination of the environment with antimicrobials, antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, resistance genes and plasmids. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the administration of colistin and of manure management on (i) the presence of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and (ii) the prevalence of various antimicrobial resistance genes in feces and in composted or stored manure. One flock of chickens was treated with colistin at the recommended dosage and a second flock was kept as an untreated control. Samples of feces, litter and stored or composted manure from both flocks were collected for isolation and determination of the colistin-susceptibility of E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa and quantification of genes coding for resistance to different antimicrobials. The persistence of plasmids in stored or composted manure from colistin-treated broilers was also evaluated by plasmid capturing experiments. Results revealed that colistin administration to chickens had no apparent impact on the antimicrobial resistance of the dominant Enterobacteriaceae and P. aeruginosa populations in the chicken gut. Composting stimulated an apparently limited decrease in genes coding for resistance to different antimicrobial families. Importantly, it was shown that even after six weeks of composting or storage, plasmids carrying antimicrobial resistance genes could still be transferred to a recipient E. coli. In conclusion, composting is insufficient to completely eliminate the risk of spreading antimicrobial resistance through chicken manure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recommender systems

OpenAIRE

Lu L.; Medo M.; Yeung C.H.; Zhang Y.-C.; Zhang Z.-K.; Zhou T.

2012-01-01

The ongoing rapid expansion of the Internet greatly increases the necessity of effective recommender systems for filtering the abundant information. Extensive research for recommender systems is conducted by a broad range of communities including social and computer scientists, physicists, and interdisciplinary researchers. Despite substantial theoretical and practical achievements, unification and comparison of different approaches are lacking, which impedes further advances. In this article...

The Resistome: A Comprehensive Database of Escherichia coli Resistance Phenotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Winkler, James D; Halweg-Edwards, Andrea L; Erickson, Keesha E; Choudhury, Alaksh; Pines, Gur; Gill, Ryan T

2016-12-16

The microbial ability to resist stressful environmental conditions and chemical inhibitors is of great industrial and medical interest. Much of the data related to mutation-based stress resistance, however, is scattered through the academic literature, making it difficult to apply systematic analyses to this wealth of information. To address this issue, we introduce the Resistome database: a literature-curated collection of Escherichia coli genotypes-phenotypes containing over 5,000 mutants that resist hundreds of compounds and environmental conditions. We use the Resistome to understand our current state of knowledge regarding resistance and to detect potential synergy or antagonism between resistance phenotypes. Our data set represents one of the most comprehensive collections of genomic data related to resistance currently available. Future development will focus on the construction of a combined genomic-transcriptomic-proteomic framework for understanding E. coli's resistance biology. The Resistome can be downloaded at https://bitbucket.org/jdwinkler/resistome_release/overview .

Design and construction of a resistive energy dump device for bipolar superconducting magnet systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohan, M. J.

1977-05-01

When superconducting magnets quench, the resistance of the conductor material rises rapidly to its normal value. This increase in resistance can result in catastrophic heating in the magnet unless stored field energy is quickly removed from the system. Phase inversion is the normal mode of energy removal. SCR's in the power supply are phased back, the output of the supply is inverted, and magnetic field energy is directed back into the utility grid. Under certain conditions, however, the power supply may fail to invert properly, and an alternate energy removal scheme must protect the superconducting magnet system. Composed of an isolation switch, a semiconductor switching module, and a dump resistor, the resistive dump device provides a viable protection scheme. Operationally, several conditions are capable of activating the isolation switch and triggering the bipolar SCR switching module. Manual dump commands, for instance, permit the operator to dump field energy in the event of observed abnormalities. A special voltage tap quench detector senses the aforementioned abnormal power supply output inversion and also fires the dump circuit. Regardless of the nature of the trigger input, however, activation of the energy dump device diverts coil current through the dump resistor. I/sup 2/R losses over time then safely dissipate stored magnetic field energy.

Construction of an expression vector for Lactococcus lactis based on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

To construct an expression vector for Lactococcus lactis, the EmPMT fragment which contained the erythromycin resistance gene, P32 promoter, multiple cloning site (MCS) and terminator (T) was subcloned into the small cryptic plasmid pAR141. The resulting vector, designated as pAR1411, was found to be stably ...

Analysis of factors influencing safety management for metro construction in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Q Z; Ding, L Y; Zhou, C; Luo, H B

2014-07-01

With the rapid development of urbanization in China, the number and size of metro construction projects are increasing quickly. At the same time, and increasing number of accidents in metro construction make it a disturbing focus of social attention. In order to improve safety management in metro construction, an investigation of the participants' perspectives on safety factors in China metro construction has been conducted to identify the key safety factors, and their ranking consistency among the main participants, including clients, consultants, designers, contractors and supervisors. The result of factor analysis indicates that there are five key factors which influence the safety of metro construction including safety attitude, construction site safety, government supervision, market restrictions and task unpredictability. In addition, ANOVA and Spearman rank correlation coefficients were performed to test the consistency of the means rating and the ranking of safety factors. The results indicated that the main participants have significant disagreement about the importance of safety factors on more than half of the items. Suggestions and recommendations on practical countermeasures to improve metro construction safety management in China are proposed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

You might also be interested in: recommender algorithms and social imaginary, the case of YouTube

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massimo Airoldi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Recommender systems are a widespread type of online algorithm, which suggests personalised contents to “digital consumers”. By automatically creating links between items – such as Amazon products, TV series on Netflix, music artists on Spotify – recommender systems co-construct today’s social imaginary. They contribute to shape pop cultures’ “webs of meanings” and trace new symbolic connections shared by media publics. Starting from a recent literature about online algorithms’ power and diffusion, this article aims at problematizing the relationship between recommender systems and social imaginary. The case of the recommender algorithm employed by YouTube, the world’s most popular video sharing web platform, will be presented. Here, it will be interpreted as a twofold technology: on the one hand, the algorithm impacts on the users’ digital experiences; on the other hand, it represents a brand new source of real-time data about the trajectories of contemporary cultures and imaginaries.

The Stabilization of Weathered Dolerite Aggregates with Cement, Lime, and Lime Fly Ash for Pavement Construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felix N. Okonta

2014-01-01

Full Text Available An experimental program was performed on weathered dolerite specimens stabilized by adding varying percentages of cement (4, 8, 12, and 16 % and lime (6 and 12 % and a combination of lime and fly ash (6% lime + 12% Fly ash and 12% lime + 12% Fly ash % by dry weight of soil. The strength was examined under three different curing methods, namely, membrane curing (MBC, alternate moist-air curing (MAC, and water curing (WAC, by conducting unconfined compressive strength (UCS tests. Simple polynomial and linear functions (regression models were used to define the relationships between the variables investigated. Membrane curing (MBC gave results close enough to the water curing (WAC to indicate that it can be confidently used on the field during pavement construction. From the results obtained, for class B (interurban collector and major rural roads pavement construction, addition of 8% cement was recommended for road base construction with stabilized WDA. Also the addition of 12 + 12% Lime and Fly Ash was recommended for road subbase construction with stabilized WDA. Stabilized WDA against the prejudiced myths would perform satisfactorily for base and subbase construction in both heavily trafficked and low volume roads with economic quantities of cement, lime, and fly ash in South Africa.

Trust for intelligent recommendation

CERN Document Server

Bhuiyan, Touhid

2013-01-01

Recommender systems are one of the recent inventions to deal with the 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 neighbors, generated from a database made up of the preferences of past users. In the absence of these ratings, trust between the users could be used to choose the neighbor for recommendation making. Better recommendations can b

Characteristics of commercially recommending sesame mutant cultivars through induced mutations by different sources of radiation and chemical in the Republic of Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Churl Whan

2001-01-01

The sesame acreage in Korea has grown 2.5 times in the last two decades as the result of recommending sesame mutant cultivars and polyethylene mulch technique newly developed since 1978. The mutation was induced by X-ray irradiation at 200 Gy yielding a variety named 'Ahnsankkae' known for early ripeness, white color of seed coat, tolerance for diseases. 'Suwon 128' is a dwarf mutant bred through sodium azide and known for strong lodging resistance, dense and lower first capsule set and dense planting adaptability toward mechanized culture against typhoon. Seven mutant recommending cultivars of sesame are compared with respect to their qualitative and quantitative characteristics based on passport data regarding different mutagen sources of radiations and chemicals published by Committee New Recommending Cultivars on the Crops. Breeding sources are summarized: 5 out of 7 sources are through radiation (X-rays, γ-rays, and neutrons) and the rest 2 through chemicals. Their growth characteristics such as flowering date, maturing date, plant height, length-capsule bearing stem, disease and lodging resistance, oil content, and yield ability are also presented. (S. Ohno)

Women's Construction of Embodiment and the Abject Sexual Body After Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Parton, Chloe M; Ussher, Jane M; Perz, Janette

2016-03-01

Cancer and cancer treatments can cause significant changes to women's sexual well-being. We explored how women construct a sense of their bodies and sexual "selves" in the context of cancer. Sixteen women, across a range of ages (20-71 years), cancer types, and cancer stages, took part in in-depth semistructured interviews. We conducted a thematic discourse analysis, drawing on feminist poststructuralist theory, identifying "the abject body" as a dominant theme. Participants constructed abject bodies as being "beyond abnormality," "outside idealized discourses of embodied femininity," and "out of control." The women's accounts varied in management and resistance of the abject body discourse, through bodily practices of concealment, resisting discourses of feminine beauty, and repositioning the body as a site of personal transformation. The corporeality of the cancerous body can be seen to disrupt hegemonic discourses of femininity and sexuality, with implications for how women practice and make meaning of embodied sexual subjectivity. © The Author(s) 2015.

Strategies, methods and tools for managing nanorisks in construction

Science.gov (United States)

López de Ipiña, J. M.; Vaquero, C.; Boutry, D.; Damlencourt, J. F.; Neofytou, P.; Pilou, M.; Jankowska, E.; Larraza, I.; Pina, R.; Fernández, S.; Contreras, S.; Romero, A.; Calderon, M.; Swiezewsk, P.; Otkallo, K.; Pintea, A.; Salazar, C.; Oroz, T.; Hargreaves, B.; Ciobanu, R.; Tabrea, A.; Hazebrouck, B.; Salvi, O.; Stockmann-Juvala, H.; Vaananen, V.; Pui, D. H. Y.; Thompson, Drew

2015-05-01

This paper presents a general overview of the work carried out by European project SCAFFOLD (GA 280535) during its 30 months of life, with special emphasis on risk management component. The research conducted by SCAFFOLD is focused on the European construction sector and considers 5 types of nanomaterials (TiO2, SiO2, carbon nanofibres, cellulose nanofibers and nanoclays), 6 construction applications (Depollutant mortars, selfcompacting concretes, coatings, self-cleaning coatings, fire resistant panels and insulation materials) and 26 exposure scenarios, including lab, pilot and industrial scales. The document focuses on the structure, content and operation modes of the Risk Management Toolkit developed by the project to facilitate the implementation of “nano-management” in construction companies. The tool deploys and integrated approach OHSAS 18001 - ISO 31000 and is currently being validated on 5 industrial case studies.

Strategies, methods and tools for managing nanorisks in construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Ipiña, J M López; Vaquero, C; Boutry, D; Damlencourt, J F; Neofytou, P; Pilou, M; Jankowska, E; Larraza, I; Pina, R; Fernández, S; Contreras, S; Romero, A; Calderon, M; Swiezewsk, P; Otkallo, K; Pintea, A; Salazar, C; Oroz, T; Hargreaves, B; Ciobanu, R

2015-01-01

This paper presents a general overview of the work carried out by European project SCAFFOLD (GA 280535) during its 30 months of life, with special emphasis on risk management component. The research conducted by SCAFFOLD is focused on the European construction sector and considers 5 types of nanomaterials (TiO 2 , SiO 2 , carbon nanofibres, cellulose nanofibers and nanoclays), 6 construction applications (Depollutant mortars, selfcompacting concretes, coatings, self-cleaning coatings, fire resistant panels and insulation materials) and 26 exposure scenarios, including lab, pilot and industrial scales. The document focuses on the structure, content and operation modes of the Risk Management Toolkit developed by the project to facilitate the implementation of “nano-management” in construction companies. The tool deploys and integrated approach OHSAS 18001 - ISO 31000 and is currently being validated on 5 industrial case studies. (paper)

The problem of measurement model misspecification in behavioral and organizational research and some recommended solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

MacKenzie, Scott B; Podsakoff, Philip M; Jarvis, Cheryl Burke

2005-07-01

The purpose of this study was to review the distinction between formative- and reflective-indicator measurement models, articulate a set of criteria for deciding whether measures are formative or reflective, illustrate some commonly researched constructs that have formative indicators, empirically test the effects of measurement model misspecification using a Monte Carlo simulation, and recommend new scale development procedures for latent constructs with formative indicators. Results of the Monte Carlo simulation indicated that measurement model misspecification can inflate unstandardized structural parameter estimates by as much as 400% or deflate them by as much as 80% and lead to Type I or Type II errors of inference, depending on whether the exogenous or the endogenous latent construct is misspecified. Implications of this research are discussed. Copyright 2005 APA, all rights reserved.

A Sentiment-Enhanced Hybrid Recommender System for Movie Recommendation: A Big Data Analytics Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yibo Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Movie recommendation in mobile environment is critically important for mobile users. It carries out comprehensive aggregation of user’s preferences, reviews, and emotions to help them find suitable movies conveniently. However, it requires both accuracy and timeliness. In this paper, a movie recommendation framework based on a hybrid recommendation model and sentiment analysis on Spark platform is proposed to improve the accuracy and timeliness of mobile movie recommender system. In the proposed approach, we first use a hybrid recommendation method to generate a preliminary recommendation list. Then sentiment analysis is employed to optimize the list. Finally, the hybrid recommender system with sentiment analysis is implemented on Spark platform. The hybrid recommendation model with sentiment analysis outperforms the traditional models in terms of various evaluation criteria. Our proposed method makes it convenient and fast for users to obtain useful movie suggestions.

Outcomes after chemotherapy with WHO category II regimen in a population with high prevalence of drug resistant tuberculosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francine Matthys

Full Text Available Standard short course chemotherapy is recommended by the World Health Organization to control tuberculosis worldwide. However, in settings with high drug resistance, first line standard regimens are linked with high treatment failure. We evaluated treatment outcomes after standardized chemotherapy with the WHO recommended category II retreatment regimen in a prison with a high prevalence of drug resistant tuberculosis (TB. A cohort of 233 culture positive TB patients was followed through smear microscopy, culture, drug susceptibility testing and DNA fingerprinting at baseline, after 3 months and at the end of treatment. Overall 172 patients (74% became culture negative, while 43 (18% remained positive at the end of treatment. Among those 43 cases, 58% of failures were determined to be due to treatment with an inadequate drug regimen and 42% to either an initial mixed infection or re-infection while under treatment. Overall, drug resistance amplification during treatment occurred in 3.4% of the patient cohort. This study demonstrates that treatment failure is linked to initial drug resistance, that amplification of drug resistance occurs, and that mixed infection and re-infection during standard treatment contribute to treatment failure in confined settings with high prevalence of drug resistance.

Antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori in Mashhad, Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zendedel, A.; Almasi, V.; Moradimoghadam, F.; Zivarifar, H.

2013-01-01

Objective: To evaluate Helicobacter pylori resistance to amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole and tetracycline in Mashhad, Iran. Methods: The cross-sectional study was done from January to May 2008 in Mashhad, involving 185 patients who had been indicated for endoscopy and lesions had been found. Biopsy samples were assessed with histological evaluation, rapid urease test, and culture. Antibiotic resistance was assessed by the disc diffusion method. Data was analysed with SPSS 11.5 using chi-square and Fisher exact test. P values of < 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant. Results: Of the total patients, histological evaluations were positive in 124 (67%). Compared with histology, sensitivity and specificity of rapid urease test were 96.7% and 100%, respectively. In 82 (66.1%) patients with positive cultures, antibiotic resistance was found in 14 (17.1%) for clarithromycin; 53 (64.6%) for metronidazole; and 8 (9.8%) for amoxicillin. No resistance was observed for tetracycline. Moreover, 9 (64%) patients with resistance to clarithromycin had co-resistance to metronidazole. Conclusion: Metronidazole is not recommended for treatment of Helicobacter pylori as a first-line drug. Also, considering the sensitivity and specificity of rapid urease test, we suggest this method as a suitable alternative for histology. (author)

THE SIMULATION DIAGNOSTIC METHODS AND REGENERATION WAYS OF REINFORCED - CONCRETE CONSTRUCTIONS OF BRIDGES IN PROVIDING THEIR OPERATING RELIABILITY AND LONGEVITY

OpenAIRE

B. V. Savchinskiy

2010-01-01

On the basis of analysis of existing diagnostic methods and regeneration ways of reinforced-concrete constructions of bridges the recommendations on introduction of new modern technologies of renewal of reinforced-concrete constructions of bridges in providing their operating reliability and longevity are offered.

Construction and commissioning experience of evolutionary water cooled nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-04-01

, such as utilities, designers, vendors, suppliers, architect-engineers, construction contractors, plant operators and nuclear safety regulators. The objectives of this study were briefly laid out by the IAEA Department of Nuclear Energy's Technical Working Groups (TWGs) on LWRs and HWRs. These TWGs recommended to collect, analyse and make available to Member States the experience available on construction and commissioning of evolutionary water cooled reactors. IAEA invited experts from utilities and vendors involved in construction and commissioning of these types of plants to provide advice to the IAEA on the approach and details to implement the TWG's recommendations. In a consultants meeting, held in October 2002 the objectives were detailed and there were prepared a list of relevant projects and a list of topics for which information would be requested from the main actors running those projects

Construction of sputtering system and preparation of high temperature superconducting thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaynak, E.

2000-01-01

The preparation of high T c superconducting thin film is important both for the understanding of fundamental behaviours of these materials and for the investigations on the usefulness of technological applications. High quality thin films can be prepared by various kinds of techniques being used today. Among these, sputtering is the most preferred one. The primary aim of this work is the construction of a r. f. and c. magnetron sputtering system. For this goal, a magnetron sputtering system was designed and constructed having powers up to 500W (r.f.) and 1KW (d.c.) that enables to deposit thin films of various kinds of materials: metals, ceramics and magnetic materials. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistance of the films was investigated by using four-point probe method. The zero resistance and the transition with of the films were measured as 80-85 K, and 2-9 K, respectively. The A.C. susceptibility experiments were done by utilising the system that was designed and constructed. The applied field dependence of the real and imaginary components of the susceptibility that were measured between the 77-120 K temperature interval and at a fixed frequency was investigated

NCBO Ontology Recommender 2.0: an enhanced approach for biomedical ontology recommendation.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Romero, Marcos; Jonquet, Clement; O'Connor, Martin J; Graybeal, John; Pazos, Alejandro; Musen, Mark A

2017-06-07

Ontologies and controlled terminologies have become increasingly important in biomedical research. Researchers use ontologies to annotate their data with ontology terms, enabling better data integration and interoperability across disparate datasets. However, the number, variety and complexity of current biomedical ontologies make it cumbersome for researchers to determine which ones to reuse for their specific needs. To overcome this problem, in 2010 the National Center for Biomedical Ontology (NCBO) released the Ontology Recommender, which is a service that receives a biomedical text corpus or a list of keywords and suggests ontologies appropriate for referencing the indicated terms. We developed a new version of the NCBO Ontology Recommender. Called Ontology Recommender 2.0, it uses a novel recommendation approach that evaluates the relevance of an ontology to biomedical text data according to four different criteria: (1) the extent to which the ontology covers the input data; (2) the acceptance of the ontology in the biomedical community; (3) the level of detail of the ontology classes that cover the input data; and (4) the specialization of the ontology to the domain of the input data. Our evaluation shows that the enhanced recommender provides higher quality suggestions than the original approach, providing better coverage of the input data, more detailed information about their concepts, increased specialization for the domain of the input data, and greater acceptance and use in the community. In addition, it provides users with more explanatory information, along with suggestions of not only individual ontologies but also groups of ontologies to use together. It also can be customized to fit the needs of different ontology recommendation scenarios. Ontology Recommender 2.0 suggests relevant ontologies for annotating biomedical text data. It combines the strengths of its predecessor with a range of adjustments and new features that improve its reliability

Construction and characterization of the TL/TH thorium calibration pads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steele, W.D.

1987-09-01

The Technical Measurements Center (TMC) was established and was tasked with developing and/or recommending measurement methods for use in support of remedial action programs. Since one aspect of this technical support is the provision of calibration facilities for standardization of field measurements, four sets of thorium-232 enriched pads (two pads per set) were constructed for use by remedial action contractors in calibrating portable field instruments that are used to make direct, in-situ measurements of radium-226, thorium-232, and potassium-40. This report presents the design, construction, and characterization data of the eight calibration pads. 17 refs., 8 figs., 15 tabs

The construction of solid waste form test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Hun Hwee; Kim, Joon Hyung; Lee, Byung Jik; Koo, Jun Mo; Kim, Jeong Guk; Jung, In Ha

1990-03-01

The solid waste form test facility (SWFTF) to test and/or evaluate the characteristics of waste forms, such as homogeniety, mechanical properties, thermal properties, waste resistance and leachability, have been constructed, and some equipments for testing actual waste forms has been purchased; radiocative monitoring system, glove box for the manipulator repair room, and uninteruppted power supply system, et al. Classifications of radioactive wastes, basic requirements and criteria to be considered during waste management were also reviewed. Some of the described items above have been standardized for the purpose of indigenigation. Therefore, safety assurance of waste forms, as well as increase in the range of participating of domestic companies in construction of further nuclear facilities could be obtained as results through constructing this facility. In the furture this facility is going to be utilized not only for the inspection of waste forms but also for the periodic decontamination for extending the life time of some expensive radiological equipments using remote handling techniques. (author)

Safety concerns related to modular/prefabricated building construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Fard, Maryam Mirhadi; Terouhid, Seyyed Amin; Kibert, Charles J; Hakim, Hamed

2017-03-01

The US construction industry annually experiences a relatively high rate of fatalities and injuries; therefore, improving safety practices should be considered a top priority for this industry. Modular/prefabricated building construction is a construction strategy that involves manufacturing of the whole building or some of its components off-site. This research focuses on the safety performance of the modular/prefabricated building construction sector during both manufacturing and on-site processes. This safety evaluation can serve as the starting point for improving the safety performance of this sector. Research was conducted based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated accidents. The study found 125 accidents related to modular/prefabricated building construction. The details of each accident were closely examined to identify the types of injury and underlying causes. Out of 125 accidents, there were 48 fatalities (38.4%), 63 hospitalized injuries (50.4%), and 14 non-hospitalized injuries (11.2%). It was found that, the most common type of injury in modular/prefabricated construction was 'fracture', and the most common cause of accidents was 'fall'. The most frequent cause of cause (underlying and root cause) was 'unstable structure'. In this research, the accidents were also examined in terms of corresponding location, occupation, equipment as well as activities during which the accidents occurred. For improving safety records of the modular/prefabricated construction sector, this study recommends that future research be conducted on stabilizing structures during their lifting, storing, and permanent installation, securing fall protection systems during on-site assembly of components while working from heights, and developing training programmes and standards focused on modular/prefabricated construction.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections: A Comprehensive Review and a Plastic Surgeon's Approach to the Occult Sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Cedric; Rosenfield, Lorne; Silverstein, Elena; Petrou-Zeniou, Panayiota

2016-08-01

Up to 20 percent of the general population is persistently colonized with Staphylococcus aureus, and 1 to 3 percent of the population is colonized with community-acquired methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Currently, the knowledge of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage sites other than the nose, and their effect on surgical site infections in cosmetic surgery, is lacking. A comprehensive literature review using the PubMed database to analyze prevalence, anatomical carrier sites, current screening and decontamination protocols and guidelines, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus in cosmetic surgery was performed. The senior author's (L.R.) methicillin-resistant S. aureus infection experience and prevention protocols were also reviewed. Nasal swabs detect only 50.5 percent of methicillin-resistant S. aureus colonization, and broad screening has noted the presence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus in the ear canal and umbilicus. Decolonization protocols within the orthopedic and cardiothoracic surgery literature have reduced rates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus surgical-site infections. There are no decolonization guidelines for plastic surgeons. Since instituting their decolonization protocol, the authors have had no cases of methicillin-resistant S. aureus infection in nearly 1000 cosmetic surgery procedures. There are very limited, if any, Level I or II data regarding methicillin-resistant S. aureus screening and decolonization. As the sequelae of a surgical-site infection can be disastrous, expert opinions recommend that plastic surgeons vigorously address methicillin-resistant S. aureus colonization and infection. The authors have developed and recommend a simple decolonization protocol that includes treatment of the umbilicus, ear canal, and nares to limit surgical-site infection and improve surgical outcomes.

MMSW. A large-size micromegas quadruplet prototype. Design and construction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuger, Fabian; Sidiropoulou, Ourania [Julius Maximilians Universitaet, Wuerzburg (Germany); European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Bianco, Michele; Danielsson, Hans; Degrange, Jordan; Oliveira, Rui de; Farina, Eduardo; Iengo, Paolo; Perez Gomez, Francisco; Sekhniaidze, Givi; Sforza, Federico; Vergain, Maurice; Wotschack, Joerg [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Duedder, Andreas; Lin, Tai-Hua; Schott, Matthias [Johannes Gutenberg-Universitaet, Mainz (Germany)

2016-07-01

Two micromegas detector quadruplets with an area of 0.5 m{sup 2} (MMSW) have been recently constructed and tested at CERN and University of Mainz. They serve as prototypes for the planned upgrade project of the ATLAS muon system. Their design is based on the resistive-strip technology and thus renders the detectors spark tolerant. The applied 'mechanically floating' mesh design allows for large area Micromegas construction and facilitates detector cleaning before assembly. Each quadruplet comprises four detection layers with 1024 readout strips and a strip pitch of 415 μm. In two out of the four layers the strips are inclined by ± 1.5 to allow for the measurement of a second coordinate. We present the detector concept and report on the experience gained during the detector construction.

Constructing high-density genetic maps for polyploid sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) and identifying quantitative trait loci controlling brown rust resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an important economic crop for producing edible sugar and bioethanol. Brown rust had long been a major disease impacting sugarcane production world widely. Resistance resource and markers linked to the resistance are valuable tools for disease resistance improvement. An...

Toughness degradation evaluation of low alloyed steels by electrical resistivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nahm, S H; Yu, K M; Kim, S C [Korea Research Inst. of Standards and Science, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, A [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kongju Univ., Kongju, Chungnam (Korea, Republic of)

1997-09-01

Remaining life of turbine rotors with a crack can be assessed by the fracture toughness on the aged rotors at service temperature. DC potential drop measurement system was constructed in order to evaluate material toughness nondestructively. Test material was 1Cr-1Mo-0.25V steel used widely for turbine rotor material. Seven kinds of specimen with different degradation levels were prepared according to isothermal aging heat treatment at 630 deg. C. Electrical resistivity of test material was measured at room temperature. It was observed that material toughness and electrical resistivity decreased with the increase of degradation. The relationship between fracture toughness and electrical resistivity was investigated. Fracture toughness of a test material may be determined nondestructively by electrical resistivity. (author). 13 refs, 7 figs.

Recommender systems and the social web leveraging tagging data for recommender systems

CERN Document Server

Gedikli, Fatih

2013-01-01

There is an increasing demand for recommender systems due to the information overload users are facing on the Web. The goal of a recommender system is to provide personalized recommendations of products or services to users. With the advent of the Social Web, user-generated content has enriched the social dimension of the Web. As user-provided content data also tells us something about the user, one can learn the user's individual preferences from the Social Web. This opens up completely new opportunities and challenges for recommender systems research. Fatih Gedikli deals with the question of

Low cost earthquake resistant ferrocement small house

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saleem, M.A.; Ashraf, M.; Ashraf, M.

2008-01-01

The greatest humanitarian challenge faced even today after one year of Kashmir Hazara earthquake is that of providing shelter. Currently on the globe one in seven people live in a slum or refugee camp. The earthquake of October 2005 resulted in a great loss of life and property. This research work is mainly focused on developing a design of small size, low cost and earthquake resistant house. Ferrocement panels are recommended as the main structural elements with lightweight truss roofing system. Earthquake resistance is ensured by analyzing the structure on ETABS for a seismic activity of zone 4. The behavior of structure is found satisfactory under the earthquake loading. An estimate of cost is also presented which shows that it is an economical solution. (author)

Verbal and numerical consumer recommendations: switching between recommendation formats leads to preference inconsistencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Maciejovsky, Boris; Budescu, David V

2013-06-01

Many Web sites provide consumers with product recommendations, which are typically presented by a sequence of verbal reviews and numerical ratings. In three experiments, we demonstrate that when participants switch between formats (e.g., from verbal to numerical), they are more prone to preference inconsistencies than when they aggregate the recommendations within the same format (e.g., verbal). When evaluating recommendations, participants rely primarily on central-location measures (e.g., mean) and less on other distribution characteristics (e.g., variance). We explain our findings within the theoretical framework of stimulus-response compatibility and we make practical recommendations for the design of recommendation systems and Web portals.

Construction and functional analysis of Trichoderma harzianum mutants that modulate maize resistance to the pathogen Curvularia lunata.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Lili; Fu, Kehe; Yu, Chuanjin; Ma, Jia; Li, Yaqian; Chen, Jie

2014-01-01

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) was used to generate an insertional mutant library of the mycelial fungus Trichoderma harzianum. From a total of 450 mutants, six mutants that showed significant influence on maize resistance to C. lunata were analyzed in detail. Maize coated with these mutants was more susceptible to C. lunata compared with those coated with a wild-type (WT) strain. Similar to other fungal ATMT libraries, all six mutants were single copy integrations, which occurred preferentially in noncoding regions (except two mutants) and were frequently accompanied by the loss of border sequences. Two mutants (T66 and T312) that were linked to resistance were characterized further. Maize seeds coated with T66 and T312 were more susceptible to C. lunata than those treated with WT. Moreover, the mutants affected the resistance of maize to C. lunata by enhancing jasmonate-responsive gene expression. T66 and T312 induced maize resistance to C. lunata infection through a jasmonic acid-dependent pathway.

Recommender systems in knowledge-mining

Science.gov (United States)

Volna, Eva

2017-07-01

The subject of the paper is to analyse the possibilities of application of recommender systems in the field of data mining. The work focuses on three basic types of recommender systems (collaborative, content-based and hybrid). The goal of the article is to evaluate which of these three concepts of recommender systems provides forecast with the lowest error rate in the domain of recommending movies. This target is fulfilled by the practical part of the work - at first, the own recommender system was designed and created, capable of obtaining movies recommendation from the database based on the user's preferences. Next, we verified experimentally which recommender system produces more accurate results.

Mobile health apps in Sweden: what do physicians recommend?

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yiping; Koch, Sabine

2015-01-01

Currently over 50,000 mobile health apps are available worldwide. In general, they are considered as innovations potentially delivering benefits to patients. Physicians are considered as potential channels to disseminate these innovations to patients. However, physicians' behavior in this regard has not been studied. To capture physicians' attitudes towards recommending health apps to patients and to describe factors influencing physicians' behavior, taking the specifics of an early adopter country, Sweden, into account. Diffusion of Innovation theory, the Health App Maturity Model and the Six Hurdles Model were used to construct a web-based survey that was answered by 44 Swedish physicians. Survey results were followed up with 2 individual interviews. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative data analysis and recursive abstraction for qualitative data analysis. Only a small group of physicians currently recommend mobile health apps to their patients. However, most physicians have a positive attitude and perceive improvement of patients' self-management ability as main benefit of health apps. Main perceived weaknesses include the lack of evidence-based content and lack of multi-language support. Regulation of health apps under the Medical Device Directive is asked for to assure quality and patient safety. Innovators and early adopters play an important role in the diffusion of mobile health apps. Interpersonal communication is seen as the most effective way for physicians gaining information and also motivates them to recommend mobile health apps to their patients. Physicians' knowledge about certified websites to ensure quality is however low.

Recommendations for Longitudinal Post-Tensioning in Full-Depth Precast Concrete Bridge Deck Panels

OpenAIRE

Bowers, Susan Elizabeth

2007-01-01

Full-depth precast concrete panels offer an efficient alternative to traditional cast-in-place concrete for replacement or new construction of bridge decks. Research has shown that longitudinal post-tensioning helps keep the precast bridge deck in compression and avoid problems such as leaking, cracking, spalling, and subsequent rusting on the beams at the transverse panel joints. Current design recommendations suggest levels of initial compression for precast concrete decks in a very limit...