Preventative programs for respiratory disease in cow/calf operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Engelken, T J

1997-11-01

Control of respiratory disease in cow/calf operations presents many challenges. The incidence of disease in the suckling calf is not well documented and the logistics of handling range animals make control programs difficult to implement. Health programs have to be built around normal working patterns, and these patterns may not provide the best "fit" for immune management of the calf. Weaned calves undergo significant disease challenge when they enter typical marketing channels. This provides the potential for high levels of calf morbidity, mortality, medicine costs, and losses from decreased performance as they arrive at a stocker operation or feedyard. If preweaning calf health and preconditioning programs are used, they must be planned so that the producer has an opportunity to obtain a return on their investment. Options for increasing calf weight marketed, certified calf health sales, or retained ownership through the next phase of production should be evaluated carefully. Any potential increase in calf value must be weighed against program costs. This affords the veterinarian an opportunity to build on traditional disease management and prevention skills and expand their influence in overall ranch management.

Calf birth weight, gestation length, calving ease, and neonatal calf mortality in Holstein, Jersey, and crossbred cows in a pasture system.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhakal, K; Maltecca, C; Cassady, J P; Baloche, G; Williams, C M; Washburn, S P

2013-01-01

Holstein (HH), Jersey (JJ), and crosses of these breeds were mated to HH or JJ bulls to form purebreds, reciprocal crosses, backcrosses, and other crosses in a rotational mating system. The herd was located at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Data for calf birth weight (CBW), calving ease (0 for unassisted, n=1,135, and 1 for assisted, n=96), and neonatal calf mortality (0 for alive, n=1,150, and 1 for abortions recorded after mid-gestation, stillborn, and dead within 48 h, n=81) of calves (n=1,231) were recorded over 9 calving seasons from 2003 through 2011. Gestation length (GL) was calculated as the number of days from last insemination to calving. Linear mixed models for CBW and GL included fixed effects of sex, parity (first vs. later parities), twin status, and 6 genetic groups: HH, JJ, reciprocal F(1) crosses (HJ, JH), crosses >50% Holsteins (HX) and crosses >50% Jerseys (JX), where sire breed is listed first. The CBW model also included GL as a covariate. Logistic regression for calving ease and neonatal calf mortality included fixed effects of sex, parity, and genetic group. Genetic groups were replaced by linear regression using percentage of HH genes as coefficients on the above models and included as covariates to determine various genetic effects. Year and dam were included as random effects in all models. Female calves (27.57±0.54 kg), twins (26.39±1.0 kg), and calves born to first-parity cows (27.67±0.56 kg) had lower CBW than respective male calves (29.53±0.53 kg), single births (30.71±0.19 kg), or calves born to multiparous cows (29.43±0.52 kg). Differences in genetic groups were observed for CBW and GL. Increased HH percentage in the calf increased CBW (+9.3±0.57 kg for HH vs. JJ calves), and increased HH percentage in the dams increased CBW (+1.71±0.53 kg for calves from HH dams vs. JJ dams); JH calves weighed 1.33 kg more than reciprocal HJ calves. Shorter GL was observed for twin births (272.6�

Factors associated with night-time calf muscle cramps: a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawke, Fiona; Chuter, Vivienne; Burns, Joshua

2013-03-01

Although highly prevalent and painful, night-time calf muscle cramping is poorly understood, and no treatment has shown consistent efficacy or safety. One hundred sixty adults were recruited from New South Wales, Australia, including 80 who had night-time calf cramping at least once per week and 80 age- and gender-matched adults who did not. Participants were assessed using reliable tests of lower limb strength, flexibility, morphometrics, circulation, and sensation, and were questioned about health and lifestyle factors, diet, medications, exercise, symptomatology, sleeping habits, and footwear. Conditional logistic regression identified 3 factors independently associated with night-time calf muscle cramps: muscle twitching (OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.6-15.5, P = 0.01); lower limb tingling (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.6-10.3, P = 0.003); and foot dorsiflexion weakness (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.03, P = 0.002), which represented other measures of lower limb weakness in the model. Night-time calf muscle cramps were associated with markers of neurological dysfunction and potential musculoskeletal therapeutic targets. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., a Wiley company.

Recurrent painful calf swelling associated with gout.

Science.gov (United States)

Kovarsky, J; Young, M B

1978-01-01

A 30-year-old man had a recurrent painful calf swelling associated with gout that mimicked thrombophlebitis and possibly muscle tear. This painful calf swelling occurred in the absence of a subjective history of arthritis of the knee. A constellation of clinical signs was highly suggestive that gout was the cause of the painful calf swellings. Patients with similar conditions, after careful exclusion of thrombophlebitis, might be spared unnecessary and potentially dangerous anticoagulation or surgical intervention by early diagnosis of gout.

Calf Muscle Performance Deficits Remain 7 Years After an Achilles Tendon Rupture.

Science.gov (United States)

Brorsson, Annelie; Grävare Silbernagel, Karin; Olsson, Nicklas; Nilsson Helander, Katarina

2018-02-01

Optimizing calf muscle performance seems to play an important role in minimizing impairments and symptoms after an Achilles tendon rupture (ATR). The literature lacks long-term follow-up studies after ATR that describe calf muscle performance over time. The primary aim was to evaluate calf muscle performance and patient-reported outcomes at a mean of 7 years after ATR in patients included in a prospective, randomized controlled trial. A secondary aim was to evaluate whether improvement in calf muscle performance continued after the 2-year follow-up. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Sixty-six subjects (13 women, 53 men) with a mean age of 50 years (SD, 8.5 years) were evaluated at a mean of 7 years (SD, 1 year) years after their ATR. Thirty-four subjects had surgical treatment and 32 had nonsurgical treatment. Patient-reported outcomes were evaluated with Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS) and Physical Activity Scale (PAS). Calf muscle performance was evaluated with single-leg standing heel-rise test, concentric strength power heel-rise test, and single-legged hop for distance. Limb Symmetry Index (LSI = injured side/healthy side × 100) was calculated for side-to-side differences. Seven years after ATR, the injured side showed decreased values in all calf muscle performance tests ( P performance did not continue after the 2-year follow-up. Heel-rise height increased significantly ( P = .002) between the 1-year (10.8 cm) and the 7-year (11.5 cm) follow-up assessments. The median ATRS was 96 (of a possible score of 100) and the median PAS was 4 (of a possible score of 6), indicating minor patient-reported symptoms and fairly high physical activity. No significant differences were found in calf muscle performance or patient-reported outcomes between the treatment groups except for the LSI for heel-rise repetitions. Continued deficits in calf muscle endurance and strength remained 7 years after ATR. No continued improvement in calf muscle performance

Maintenance energy requirements of beef cows and relationship with cow and calf performance, metabolic hormones, and functional proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper-Prado, M J; Long, N M; Davis, M P; Wright, E C; Madden, R D; Dilwith, J W; Bailey, C L; Spicer, L J; Wettemann, R P

2014-08-01

Gestating Angus, nonlactating, spring-calving cows were used to determine variation in maintenance energy requirements (MR); to evaluate the relationship among MR and cow and calf performance, plasma concentrations of IGF-I, T4, glucose, insulin, and ruminal temperature; and to describe the LM proteome and evaluate protein abundance in cows with different MR. Cows (4 to 7 yr of age) with a BCS of 5.0 ± 0.2 and BW of 582 ± 37 kg in the second to third trimester of gestation were studied in 3 trials (trial 1, n = 23; trial 2, n = 32; trial 3, n = 38). Cows were individually fed a complete diet in amounts to meet predicted MR (Level 1 Model of NRC), and feed intake was adjusted weekly until constant BW was achieved for at least 21 d (maintenance). Cows were classified on the basis of MR as low (>0.5 SD less than mean, LMR), moderate (±0.5 SD of mean, MMR), or high (>0.5 SD more than mean, HMR) MR. Blood samples were taken at maintenance and at 2 mo postpartum in trial 2. Muscle biopsies were taken from LMR and HMR after cows consumed actual MR for 28 d (trial 2) or 21 d (trial 3). Proteins from LM were separated by 2-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and were identified, and abundance was quantified and compared. The greatest differences in MR between cows were 29%, 24%, and 25% in trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Daily MR (NEm, kcal·BW(-0.75)·d(-1)) averaged 89.2 ± 6.3, 93.0 ± 4.9, and 90.4 ± 4.6 in trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Postpartum BW and BCS, calf birth and weaning weights, postpartum luteal activity, and ruminal temperature were not influenced by MR of the cows. Concentrations of IGF-I were greater (P = 0.001) in plasma of MMR compared with LMR cows consuming predicted MR diets, and MR was negatively correlated with concentrations of IGF-I in plasma (r = -0.38; P = 0.05) at 2 mo postpartum. A total of 103 proteins were isolated from LM; 52 gene products were identified. Abundance of specific proteins in the LM was not influenced (P > 0

Tursiops truncatus calf

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1990-05-15

May 15, 1990 ... rest, changes in respiration rate appear to be strongly associated with the metabolic state of the calf. Stress ... 02-C02 respiratory control in bottlenose dolphins ..... phenomenon should be of obvious husbandry interest in.

Loci associated with adult stature also affect calf birth survival in cattle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sahana, Goutam; Höglund, Johanna; Guldbrandtsen, Bernt

2015-01-01

growth and adult stature in several species. The QTL exhibited large effects on calf size and stature in Nordic Red cattle. Two deviant haplotypes (HAP1 and HAP2) were resolved which increased calf size at birth, and affected adult body conformation. However, the haplotypes also resulted in increased...

Spatial resolution requirements for traffic-related air pollutant exposure evaluations

Science.gov (United States)

Batterman, Stuart; Chambliss, Sarah; Isakov, Vlad

2014-09-01

Vehicle emissions represent one of the most important air pollution sources in most urban areas, and elevated concentrations of pollutants found near major roads have been associated with many adverse health impacts. To understand these impacts, exposure estimates should reflect the spatial and temporal patterns observed for traffic-related air pollutants. This paper evaluates the spatial resolution and zonal systems required to estimate accurately intraurban and near-road exposures of traffic-related air pollutants. The analyses use the detailed information assembled for a large (800 km2) area centered on Detroit, Michigan, USA. Concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NOx) due to vehicle emissions were estimated using hourly traffic volumes and speeds on 9700 links representing all but minor roads in the city, the MOVES2010 emission model, the RLINE dispersion model, local meteorological data, a temporal resolution of 1 h, and spatial resolution as low as 10 m. Model estimates were joined with the corresponding shape files to estimate residential exposures for 700,000 individuals at property parcel, census block, census tract, and ZIP code levels. We evaluate joining methods, the spatial resolution needed to meet specific error criteria, and the extent of exposure misclassification. To portray traffic-related air pollutant exposure, raster or inverse distance-weighted interpolations are superior to nearest neighbor approaches, and interpolations between receptors and points of interest should not exceed about 40 m near major roads, and 100 m at larger distances. For census tracts and ZIP codes, average exposures are overestimated since few individuals live very near major roads, the range of concentrations is compressed, most exposures are misclassified, and high concentrations near roads are entirely omitted. While smaller zones improve performance considerably, even block-level data can misclassify many individuals. To estimate exposures and impacts of traffic

COMPARATIVE EFFICIENCY OF CALF STARTER AND CONVENTIONAL RATIONS IN BUFFALO SUCKLING CALVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Ahmad, M. A. Jabbar1, I. Ahmad2 , M. Rafique and I. Ahmad3

2004-10-01

Full Text Available Twenty-four buffalo calves, having similar age and initial body weight, were divided into two groups with equal number of calves of both sexes in each group to study the effect of calf starter ration on feed intake and weight gain. Calf starter and conventional dairy rations with crude protein 18% and total digestible nutrients 75–80% along with green fodder were offered ad libitum to calves of respective groups for a period of 113 days. The average daily feed intakes were 0.95 and 0.57 kg, average daily weight gains were 0.47 and 0.34 kg and feed conversion ratio averaged 2.00 and 1.70 in calf starter and conventional groups respectively. On the overall performance, calf starter group was found better than the conventional ration.

Refining Lane-Based Traffic Signal Settings to Satisfy Spatial Lane Length Requirements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanping Liu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In conventional lane-based signal optimization models, lane markings guiding road users in making turns are optimized with traffic signal settings in a unified framework to maximize the overall intersection capacity or minimize the total delay. The spatial queue requirements of road lanes should be considered to avoid overdesigns of green durations. Point queue system adopted in the conventional lane-based framework causes overflow in practice. Based on the optimization results from the original lane-based designs, a refinement is proposed to enhance the lane-based settings to ensure that spatial holding limits of the approaching traffic lanes are not exceeded. A solution heuristic is developed to modify the green start times, green durations, and cycle length by considering the vehicle queuing patterns and physical holding capacities along the approaching traffic lanes. To show the effectiveness of this traffic signal refinement, a case study of one of the busiest and most complicated intersections in Hong Kong is given for demonstration. A site survey was conducted to collect existing traffic demand patterns and existing traffic signal settings in peak periods. Results show that the proposed refinement method is effective to ensure that all vehicle queue lengths satisfy spatial lane capacity limits, including short lanes, for daily operation.

CalfScience: Extension Education at Many Levels

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Dale A.; Tellessen, Kathlyn; Sischo, William M.

2010-01-01

The issue of antimicrobial resistance in food animal agriculture was addressed by conducting clinical trials to assess alternatives to antimicrobials in dairy calf-raising and developing outreach to three different audiences. Current research was integrated into Extension programs for calf-raisers, animal science and veterinary students, and food…

Unilateral notomelia in a newborn Holstein calf.

Science.gov (United States)

Muirhead, Tammy L; Pack, LeeAnn; Radtke, Catherine L

2014-07-01

A 24-hour-old Holstein bull calf with notomelia was donated to the Atlantic Veterinary College. The extra limb was on the right side of the caudal neck adjacent to the withers. The limb was surgically removed under general anesthesia. The calf was adopted and discharged with no complications.

Traffic-days at Aalborg University 1996. Conference report 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lahrmann, H.; Hald Pedersen, L.

1996-01-01

Volume 1 (of two volumes) of the report on the conference 'Traffic days '96' held at Aalborg University (Denmark) on August 19-20, 1996, contains the papers presented at the conference under the general headings of the role of the car in the transport system of the future, traffic models, urban planning and traffic, traffic control, traffic and the urban environment, traffic and emissions, freight transport and railways. (EG)

No change in calf muscle passive stiffness after botulinum toxin injection in children with cerebral palsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Alhusaini, Adel A A; Crosbie, Jack; Shepherd, Roberta B; Dean, Catherine M; Scheinberg, Adam

2011-06-01

Stiffness and shortening of the calf muscle due to neural or mechanical factors can profoundly affect motor function. The aim of this study was to investigate non-neurally mediated calf-muscle tightness in children with cerebral palsy (CP) before and after botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) injection. Sixteen children with spastic CP (seven females, nine males; eight at Gross Motor Function Classification System level I, eight at level II; age range 4-10 y) and calf muscle spasticity were tested before and during the pharmaceutically active phase after injection of BoNT-A. Measures of passive muscle compliance and viscoelastic responses, hysteresis, and the gradient of the torque-angle curve were computed and compared before and after injection. Although there was a slight, but significant increase in ankle range of motion after BoNT-A injection and a small, significant decrease in the torque required to achieve plantigrade and 5° of dorsiflexion, no significant difference in myotendinous stiffness or hysteresis were detected after BoNT-A injection. Despite any effect on neurally mediated responses, the compliance of the calf muscle was not changed and the muscle continued to offer significant resistance to passive motion of the ankle. These findings suggest that additional treatment approaches are required to supplement the effects of BoNT-A injections when managing children with calf muscle spasticity. © The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology © 2011 Mac Keith Press.

Zinc Methionine Supplementation Impacts Gene and Protein Expression in Calf-fed Holstein Steers with Miniaml Impact on Feedlot Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Calf-fed Holstein steers were supplemented with a zinc (Zn) methionine supplement (ZnMet; ZINPRO®; Zinpro Corporation, Eden Prairie, MN) for 115±5 days prior to harvest along with zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH; Zilmax®; Merck Animal Health, Summit, NJ) for the last 20 days with a 3 day withdrawal to ...

An overview of calf diarrhea - infectious etiology, diagnosis, and intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Yong-il

2014-01-01

Calf diarrhea is a commonly reported disease in young animals, and still a major cause of productivity and economic loss to cattle producers worldwide. In the report of the 2007 National Animal Health Monitoring System for U.S. dairy, half of the deaths among unweaned calves was attributed to diarrhea. Multiple pathogens are known or postulated to cause or contribute to calf diarrhea development. Other factors including both the environment and management practices influence disease severity or outcomes. The multifactorial nature of calf diarrhea makes this disease hard to control effectively in modern cow-calf operations. The purpose of this review is to provide a better understanding of a) the ecology and pathogenesis of well-known and potential bovine enteric pathogens implicated in calf diarrhea, b) describe diagnostic tests used to detect various enteric pathogens along with their pros and cons, and c) propose improved intervention strategies for treating calf diarrhea. PMID:24378583

Cellular toxicity of calf blood extract on human corneal epithelial cells in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Young Min; Kim, Su Jin; Han, Young Sang; Lee, Jong Soo

2015-01-01

To investigate the biologic effects of the calf blood extract on corneal epithelial cells in vitro. The effects on corneal epithelial cells were evaluated after 1, 4, 12, and 24 h of exposure to various concentrations of calf blood extract (3, 5, 8 and 16%). The MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay was performed to measure levels of cellular metabolic activity. The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay was performed to determine the extent of cellular damage. Cellular morphology was examined using phase-contrast microscopy. The scratch wound assay was performed to quantify the migration of corneal epithelial cells. At the 3 and 5% concentrations of calf blood extract, MTT values were similar to those observed in the control group. However, at a concentration of 8 and 16%, cellular metabolic activity was significantly decreased after 4 h of exposure to calf blood extract. After 12 h of exposure to 8 and 16% concentrations of calf blood extract, LDH activity and cellular morphological damage to the corneal epithelial cells were significantly increased. There was no evidence of cellular migration after 12 h exposure to 5% or higher concentration of calf blood extract because of cellular toxicity. Compared with normal corneal epithelial cells, the cellular activity was decreased, and toxicity was increased after over 12 h of exposure to more than 5% concentration of calf blood extract. Further clinical studies will be necessary to determine the optimal concentration and exposure time for the topical application of eye drops containing calf blood extract.

Newborn calf welfare: a review focusing on mortality rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Uetake, Katsuji

2013-02-01

Calf mortality control is vitally important for farmers, not only to improve animal welfare, but also to increase productivity. High calf mortality rates can be related to larger numbers of calves in a herd, employee performance, severe weather, and the neonatal period covering the first 4 weeks of life. Although the basic premise of preventing newborn calf mortality is early detection and treatment of calves at risk for failure of passive transfer of immunoglobulins, calf mortality due to infectious diseases such as acute diarrhea increases in the presence of these physical and psychological stressors. This suggests that farmers should not ignore the effects of secondary environmental factors. For prevention rather than cure, the quality of the environment should be improved, which will improve not only animal welfare but also productivity. This paper presents a review of the literature on newborn calf mortality and discusses its productivity implications. © 2012 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Calf blood flow at rest evaluated by thermal measurement with tissue temperature and heat flow and 133Xe clearance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, Toshiyo; Togawa, Tatsuo; Fukuoka, Masakazu; Kawakami, Kenji.

1982-01-01

The regional blood flow in the calf was determined simultaneously by thermal measurement and by 133 Xe clearance technique. Calf blood flow (Ft) by thermal measurement was accounted for by the equation of the form Ft=(CdT*d+Ho-Mb)/rho sub(b)c su b(D) (Ta-Td), where Cd is thermal capacitance of the calf compartment, T*d is the change of calf tissue temperature, Ta is arterila blood temperature, Td is calf tissue temperature, Ho is the heat dissipation from the compartment to the environment, Mb is estimated metabolism of the calf tissue and rho sub(b)c sub(b) is the product of density and specific heat of blood. The healthy men were chosen for the experiments. Total calf blood flow was 2.53+-1.31ml/(min-100ml calf), and muscle blood flow was 2.63+-1.69ml/(min- 100ml muscle) and skin blood flow 7.19+-3.83ml/(min-100ml skin) measured by 133 Xe clearance. On the basis of the results, an estimate has been made of the proportions of the calf volume which can be ascribed to skin and muscle respectively. Estimated muscle and skin blood flow were correlated with total calf blood flow(r=0.98). (author)

The Effect of Calf Gender on Milk Production in Seasonal Calving Cows and Its Impact on Genetic Evaluations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melanie K Hess

Full Text Available Gender of the calf whose birth initiates lactation could influence whole lactation milk yield of the dam due to hormonal influences on mammary gland development, or through calf gender effects on gestation length. Fetal gender could influence late lactation yields because cows become pregnant at peak lactation. The effects of calf gender sequences in parities 1-3 were assessed by separately fitting animal models to datasets from New Zealand comprising 274 000 Holstein Friesian and 85 000 Jersey cows, decreasing to 12 000 and 4 000 cows by parity 3. The lactation initiated by the birth of a female rather than a male calf was associated with a 0.33-1.1% (p≤0.05 higher milk yield. Female calf gender had carryover effects associated with higher milk yield in second lactations for Holstein Friesians (0.24%; p = 0.01 and third lactations for Jerseys (1.1%; p = 0.01. Cows giving birth to bull calves have 2 day longer gestations, which reduces lactation length in seasonal calving herds. Adding a covariate for lactation length to the animal model eroded some of these calf gender effects, such that calving a female led to higher milk yield only for second lactation Holstein Friesians (1.6%; p = 0.002. The interval centering method generates lower estimates of whole lactation yield when Wood's lactation curves are shifted to the right by 2 days for male calves and this explained the higher yield in female calves when differences in lactation length were considered. Correlations of estimated breeding values between models including or excluding calf gender sequence were 1.00 for bulls or cows. Calf gender primarily influences milk yield through increased gestation length of male calves, and bias associated with the interval centering method used to estimate whole lactation milk yields. Including information on calf gender is unlikely to have an effect on selection response in New Zealand dairy cattle.

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF CALF MORTALITY ON DAIRY FARMS IN KUWAIT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. A. RAZZAQUE, M. BEDAIR, S. ABBAS AND T. AL-MUTAWA

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Objective of this study was to investigate the economic impact of mortality of pre-weaned calves on dairy cattle enterprise in Kuwait. Cost/benefit analysis model was applied to two different situations: in the first situation, a baseline scenario, field survey data without intervention using 1,280 newborn calves was used in first calving season. In the second situation, the intervention scenario (improved management, 665 newborn calves were used in second calving season during the following year. Calving seasons extended for 7 months from September to March. Calf performance studies were conducted from birth to weaning. Economic model was constructed on Microsoft Excel and used to evaluate the impact of calf mortality on calf enterprise. Results showed that gross margins increased from 13 to 35% as a result of implementation of intervention measures during the second calving season over baseline scenario. A significant correlation between increased veterinary expenses and an increase in revenues (r2 = 0.65, P<0.05 was observed. If the intervention measures such as colostrum feeding, nutrition and hygiene had not been implemented, the farms would have lose income from 12 to 51% of the gross revenues. Net income was influenced by costs of feeds, veterinary services and laborers. Discounted cash flow studies on a whole farm basis revealed that the impact of interventions was small (0-3%. Calf mortality could not be isolated from whole farm for assessing its impact on dairy farm economics. Economic studies demonstrated the cost/benefits of using the improved techniques of calf rearing.

A Case Study of Respiratory Disease in a Veal Calf Operation

Science.gov (United States)

Palechek, Neil P.; Schoonderwoerd, Matt; Perry, Allen W.

1987-01-01

An outbreak of respiratory disease occurred in a central Alberta veal operation, after production capacity had been increased fourfold. Mortality rate reached 24.6% despite agressive antibiotic therapy. A review of the records revealed a cyclical disease pattern in each room. Weekly cleaning of occupied calf rooms was correlated with the disease pattern. Aerosols generated by a high pressure sprayer appeared to trigger transmission of respiratory pathogens in malnourished neonatal calves. Disease occurrence decreased and profitability increased sixfold after the introduction of the following measures: 1) discontinuing the use of the high pressure washer in the occupied calf rooms, 2) feeding calves a better quality milk replacer with supplemental milk for the poorest calves, 3) sale-yard calf purchases were abandoned in favor of direct buying. PMID:17422807

Ultrasonographic findings of the various diseases presenting as calf pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sun Joo; Kim, Ok Hwa; Choo, Hye Jung; Park, Jun Ho; Park, Yeong-Mi; Jeong, Hae Woong; Lee, Sung Moon; Cho, Kil Ho; Choi, Jung-Ah; Jacobson, Jon A

2016-01-01

There are various causes of calf pain. The differential diagnoses affecting the lower leg include cystic lesions, trauma-related lesions, infection or inflammation, vascular lesions, neoplasms, and miscellaneous entities. Ultrasound (US) provide detailed anatomical information of the calf structures, and it offers the ability to confirm, other calf abnormalities, particularly when deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is ruled out. The purpose of this article is to review the causes of a painful calf presenting as DVT and incidental findings found as part of the work-up of DVT, and to provide a broad overview of US findings and clinical features of these pathologies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence of epimeletic behavior involving a Pontoporia blainvillei calf (Cetacea, Pontoporiidae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio José Tonello Júnior

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The present paper constitutes the second record of epimeletic behavior for the toninha, Pontoporia blainvillei. A toninha calf carcass was recovered at Enseada Beach, São Francisco do Sul, southern Brazil (26o13’S - 48o31’W on October 9, 2001. Its total length indicated that it was a neonate or a premature calf. The calf had many parallel scratches on it, which were freshly made and produced by adult teeth. There were scratches on the fin, flukes and flippers, and the position and size of the marks demonstrated the intention of the adult to rescue the calf. The anterior region of the body showed net marks, suggesting that the calf had been accidentally entangled. The epimeletic behavior evidenced by the tooth marks could have occurred during the entanglement and/or after its liberation, and we suggest that the causa mortis of the calf was drowning.

Effects of black bear relocation on elk calf recruitment at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Science.gov (United States)

Yarkovich, J.; Clark, J.D.; Murrow, J.L.

2011-01-01

Previous research from 2001 to 2006 on an experimentally released elk (Cervus elaphus) population at Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP or Park) indicated that calf recruitment (i.e., calves reaching 1 yr of age per adult female elk) was low (0.306, total SE = 0.090) resulting in low or negative population growth (λ = 0.996, 95% CI = 0.945–1.047). Black bear (Ursus americanus) predation was the primary calf mortality factor. From 2006 to 2008, we trapped and relocated 49 bears (30 of which were radiocollared) from the primary calving areas in the Park and radiomonitored 67 (28 M:39 F) adult elk and 42 calves to compare vital rates and population growth with the earlier study. A model with annual calf recruitment rate correlating with the number of bears relocated each year was supported (ΔAICc = 0.000; β = 0.070, 95% CI = 0.028–0.112) and a model with annual calf recruitment differing from before to during bear relocation revealed an increase to 0.544 (total SE = 0.098; β = −1.092, 95% CI = −1.180 to −0.375). Using vital rates and estimates of process standard errors observed during our study, 25-yr simulations maintained a mean positive growth rate in 100% of the stochastic trials with λ averaging 1.118 (95% CI = 1.096–1.140), an increase compared with rates before bear relocation. A life table response experiment revealed that increases in population growth were mostly (67.1%) due to changes in calf recruitment. We speculate that behavioral adaptation of the elk since release also contributed to the observed increases in recruitment and population growth. Our results suggest that managers interested in elk reintroduction within bear range should consider bear relocation as a temporary means of increasing calf recruitment.

Effects of trehalose supplementation on cell viability and oxidative stress variables in frozen-thawed bovine calf testicular tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-Gang; Wang, Yan-Hua; Han, Cong; Hu, Shan; Wang, Li-Qiang; Hu, Jian-Hong

2015-06-01

Trehalose is widely used for cryopreservation of various cells and tissues. Until now, the effect of trehalose supplementation on cell viability and antioxidant enzyme activity in frozen-thawed bovine calf testicular tissue remains unexplored. The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of varying doses of trehalose in cryomedia on cell viability and key antioxidant enzymes activities in frozen-thawed bovine calf testicular tissue. Bovine calf testicular tissue samples were collected and cryopreserved in the cryomedias containing varying doses (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25%; v/v) of trehalose, respectively. Cell viability, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, glutathione (GSH) content and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were measured and analyzed. The results showed that cell viability, T-AOC activity, SOD activity, CAT activity and GSH content of frozen-thawed bovine calf testicular tissue was decreased compared with that of fresh group (Pcell viability and antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD and CAT) among frozen-thawed groups (P0.05). In conclusion, the cryomedia added 15% trehalose reduced the oxidative stress and improved the cryoprotective effect of bovine calf testicular tissue. Further studies are required to obtain more concrete results on the determination of antioxidant capacity of trehalose in frozen-thawed bovine calf testicular tissue. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Giant atypical ossifying fibromyxoid tumour of the calf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harish, Srinivasan; Polson, Alexander; Griffiths, Meryl; Morris, Paul; Malata, Charles; Bearcroft, Philip W.P.

2006-01-01

We present a case of giant atypical ossifying fibromyxoid tumour (OFMT) of soft tissue, occurring in the calf, in a 77-year-old woman. The patient presented with a history of bleeding ulcer over a calf lump that had been present for over 4 years. Clinical presentation, radiological features and histopathologic findings are described, and the relevant literature is reviewed. (orig.)

CALF BLOOD-FLOW AND POSTURE - DOPPLER ULTRASOUND MEASUREMENTS DURING AND AFTER EXERCISE

NARCIS (Netherlands)

VANLEEUWEN, BE; BARENDSEN, GJ; LUBBERS, J; DEPATER, L

To investigate the joint effects of body posture and calf muscle pump, the calf blood flow of eight healthy volunteers was measured with pulsed Doppler equipment during and after 3 min of rhythmic exercise on a calf ergometer in the supine, sitting, and standing postures. Muscle contractions

CALFED--An experiment in science and decisionmaking

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Kimberly A.; Jacobs, Katharine L.; Luoma, Samuel N.

2003-01-01

The CALFED Bay-Delta Program faces a challenging assignment: to develop a collaborative state-federal management plan for the complex river system and involve multiple stakeholders (primarily municipal, agricultural, and environmental entities) whose interests frequently are in direct conflict. Although many resource-management issues involve multiple stakeholders and conflict is integral to their discussion, the CALFED experience is unique because of its shared state and federal roles, the magnitude and significance of stakeholder participation, and the complexity of the scientific issues involved.

Effects of phyto-oestrogens on veal calf prostate histology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groot, M.J.

2006-01-01

In veal calf production plant-based proteins are frequently included in milk replacer fed to the animals. Since soy products, which are mostly used, are known for their high levels of phyto-oestrogens, the effects of these feeds on the veal calf prostate were examined. Goal was to determine whether

Understanding the T2 traffic in CMS during Run-1

CERN Document Server

T, Wildish

2015-01-01

In the run-up to Run-1 CMS was operating its facilities according to the MONARC model, where data-transfers were strictly hierarchical in nature. Direct transfers between Tier-2 nodes was excluded, being perceived as operationally intensive and risky in an era where the network was expected to be a major source of errors. By the end of Run-1 wide-area networks were more capable and stable than originally anticipated. The original data-placement model was relaxed, and traffic was allowed between Tier-2 nodes.Tier-2 to Tier-2 traffic in 2012 already exceeded the amount of Tier-2 to Tier-1 traffic, so it clearly has the potential to become important in the future. Moreover, while Tier-2 to Tier-1 traffic is mostly upload of Monte Carlo data, the Tier-2 to Tier-2 traffic represents data moved in direct response to requests from the physics analysis community. As such, problems or delays there are more likely to have a direct impact on the user community.Tier-2 to Tier-2 traffic may also traverse parts of the WAN ...

Estimation of carcass composition using rib dissection of calf-fed Holstein steers supplemented zilpaterol hydrochloride.

Science.gov (United States)

McEvers, T J; May, N D; Reed, J A; Walter, L J; Hutcheson, J P; Lawrence, T E

2018-04-14

A serial harvest was conducted every 28 d from 254 to 534 d on feed (DOF) to quantify changes in growth and composition of calf-fed Holstein steers (n = 115, initial body weight (BW) = 449.2 ± 19.9 kg). One-half were supplemented with the β-2 adrenergic agonist zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH; 8.33 mg/kg 100% dry matter (DM) basis) during the final 20 d followed by a 3-d withdrawal prior to harvest; the remainder was fed a non-ZH control (CON) ration. Five steers were randomly selected and harvested after 226 DOF which served as a reference point for modeling purposes. Fabricated carcass soft tissue was ground, mixed, and subsampled for proximate analysis. Moreover, following the traditional method of rib dissection which includes the 9th, 10th, and 11th rib contained within the IMPS 103 primal, the relationship of carcass chemical composition to 9-10-11 rib composition was evaluated. Carcasses in this investigation had more (P carcasses and rib dissections. Using regression procedures, models were constructed to describe the relationship of rib dissection (RD) composition including separable lean (RDSL), separable fat (RDSF), separable bone (RDSB), ether extract (RDEE), protein (RDP), moisture (RDM), and ash (RDA) with carcass composition. Carcass lean (CL), carcass fat (CF), and carcass bone (CB) were correlated (P carcass, carcass ether extract (CEE), carcass protein (CP), carcass moisture (CM), and carcass ash (CA) were correlated (P ≤ 0.01) with simple r values of 0.75, 0.31, 0.66, and 0.37, respectively. Equations to predict carcass fatness from rib dissection variables and ZH supplementation status were only able to account for 50 and 56%, of the variability of CF and CEE, respectively. Overall, the relationships quantified and equations developed in this investigation do not support use of 9/10/11 rib dissection for estimation of carcass composition of calf-fed Holstein steers.

THE EFFECT OF CALF STARTER RATION FOR PRE-WEANING ONGOLE GRADE (PO CALVES ON BODY WEIGHT GAIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Winarti

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of study was to determine the effect of calf starter in the pre-weaning calves against the daily body weight gain. Twenty Ongole grade (PO calves age of 1 month divided into 4 treatment groups of feed, 5 calves for each treatment. Treatment (P1 fed with extra soybean groats; (P2 soybean groats 50% + Gliricidia 50%; (P3 soybean groats 50%+ rice bran 50%; (P4 soybean groats 50%+ rejected bread 50%. Calf starter was given at age 1 month to 3 months. Observation was carried out on calves daily weight gain. This experiment was designed in Completely Randomized Design. Data was  analyzed by analysis of variance and continued Least Significant Difference Test. Statistical analysis showed that feed of (P <0.05 significantly affected the daily weight gain of the calves. Results of the study can be concluded that calf starter with soya groats provide the best daily weight gain of pre-weaning calf.

Sport socks do not enhance calf muscle pump function but inelastic wraps do.

Science.gov (United States)

Partsch, H; Mosti, G

2014-12-01

Aim of the study was to measure the effect of elastic and inelastic compression on calf muscle pump function in healthy male athletes. This was an experimental study which included 21 healthy male athletes. The ejection fraction (EF) of the venous calf pump was measured comparing the effects of a variety of compression materials: 1) sport compression stockings; 2) light zinc paste bandages; 3) sport compression stockings with additional Velcro® wraps over the calf. The influence of sport stocking and wraps on the venous calibre at the largest calf circumference in the lying and standing position was investigated using MRI. Inelastic compression exerting a median pressure in the standing position of 37.5 mmHg (zinc paste) and 48 mmHg (loosely applied straps over a sport stocking) achieved a significant increase of EF up to 100%. Sport stockings alone with a standing pressure of 19-24 mmHg did not show a significant change of EF. MRI demonstrated some venous narrowing in the lying but not in the standing position. By wrapping inelastic straps over the stocking an emptying of the veins in the lying and a considerable narrowing in the standing position could be observed. Venous calf pump function in athletes is not influenced by elastic sport stockings, but inelastic wraps either alone or applied over sport stockings lead to a significant enhancement.

A comparison of intermittent pneumatic compression of the calf and whole leg in preventing deep venous thrombosis in urological surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Soderdahl, D W; Henderson, S R; Hansberry, K L

1997-05-01

Intermittent pneumatic compression of the calf and/or thigh effectively decreases the incidence of deep venous thrombosis and other thrombotic sequelae but clinical data comparing these modalities are currently lacking. A total of 90 patients undergoing major urological surgery was randomly assigned to receive calf length or thigh length pneumatic compression for antithrombotic prophylaxis. Duplex ultrasound of the lower extremities was performed preoperatively and twice postoperatively to evaluate for deep venous thrombosis. Health care providers in the operating room, recovery room and ward were asked to compare the compression systems, and a cost analysis was performed. A total of 47 patients wore the thigh length sequential pneumatic sleeves and 43 wore calf length uniform compression systems. A pulmonary embolus without evidence of deep venous thrombosis was detected in 1 patient (2%) using the thigh length system. A thrombus was detected in the common femoral vein by duplex ultrasonography in 1 patient (2%) with the calf length system. Nursing personnel found the calf length sleeves easier to apply and more comfortable by patient account but they were satisfied with both systems. There was a significant cost savings with the calf length pneumatic compression system. Calf and thigh length pneumatic compression systems similarly decrease the risk of deep venous thrombosis in patients undergoing urological surgery. The calf length system has the added advantage of being less expensive and easier to use.

Calf health from birth to weaning. III. housing and management of calf pneumonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorenz Ingrid

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Calfhood diseases have a major impact on the economic viability of cattle operations. A three part review series has been developed focusing on calf health from birth to weaning. In this paper, the last of the three part series, we review disease prevention and management with particular reference to pneumonia, focusing primarily on the pre-weaned calf. Pneumonia in recently weaned suckler calves is also considered, where the key risk factors are related to the time of weaning. Weaning of the suckler calf is often combined with additional stressors including a change in nutrition, environmental change, transport and painful husbandry procedures (castration, dehorning. The reduction of the cumulative effects of these multiple stressors around the time of weaning together with vaccination programmes (preconditioning can reduce subsequent morbidity and mortality in the feedlot. In most studies, calves housed individually and calves housed outdoors with shelter, are associated with decreased risk of disease. Even though it poses greater management challenges, successful group housing of calves is possible. Special emphasis should be given to equal age groups and to keeping groups stable once they are formed. The management of pneumonia in calves is reliant on a sound understanding of aetiology, relevant risk factors, and of effective approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Early signs of pneumonia include increased respiratory rate and fever, followed by depression. The single most important factor determining the success of therapy in calves with pneumonia is early onset of treatment, and subsequent adequate duration of treatment. The efficacy and economical viability of vaccination against respiratory disease in calves remains unclear.

EFFECTIVENESS OF PNF STRETCHING AND CYCLIC STRETCHING OF CALF TIGHTNESS ON COLLEGE GOING GIRLS

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Ashlesha Sirari

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Flexibility helps with injury prevention, the reduction of soreness following a workout, and a general sense of well-being. There are different stretching techniques and protocols for improvements in calf extensibility and flexibility. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of two techniques i.e. CYCLIC and PNF stretching which improves calf flexibility. This study was done to find the effectiveness of calf Cyclic and PNF stretching technique to improve calf flexibility. Methods: 30 subjects with age group 21-22 years were randomly allocated to 2 groups equally. Group 1(n=15 were given CYCLIC and group 2(n=15 were given PNF stretching technique. Plantar flexion was used to measure the calf tightness which was done before and after the treatment. Treatment was given for 7 days and on the 7th day the calf tightness was again measured. Results: The mean difference of the CYCLIC is 4.6 and mean difference of PNF is 4.7 which indicate that CYCLIC and PNF both are effective to improve calf flexibility but PNF is more effective than CYCLIC to improve calf flexibility. Conclusion: The neurophysiological basis of PNF, stating that the excitatory efficient of the neuromuscular spindle or the inhibitory afferent of the Golgi tendon organ (GTO or both are responsible for the effects. During PNF stretch and isometric contraction of stretched agonists for extended period may cause activation of its neuromuscular spindle. The increase in tension created during the isometric contraction of the pre – lengthened agonist contracts concentrically. Both the fascia & the spindle of the agonist adjust to the nearly lengthened position. These impulses travel via causing post synaptic inhibition of the motor neuron to agonist increasing the tension from the GTO. These impulses can override the impulses coming from the neuromuscular spindles arousing the muscle to reflexly resist to the change in length, thus helping in lengthening

Quantitative assessment of calf circumference in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beenakker, EAC; de Vries, Joeke; Fock, JM; van Tol, M; Brouwer, OF; Maurits, NM; van der Hoeven, JH

2002-01-01

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is clinically characterised by progressive muscle weakness and a gradual increase in the size of some affected muscles, especially calf muscles. The extent of calf enlargement is usually determined by subjective visual assessment. The purpose of this study was to

Heterosis and direct effects for Charolais-sired calf weight and growth, cow weight and weight change, and ratios of cow and calf weights and weight changes across warm season lactation in Romosinuano, Angus, and F cows in Arkansas.

Science.gov (United States)

Riley, D G; Burke, J M; Chase, C C; Coleman, S W

2016-01-01

The use of Brahman in cow-calf production offers some adaptation to the harsh characteristics of endophyte-infected tall fescue. Criollo breeds, such as the Romosinuano, may have similar adaptation. The objectives were to estimate genetic effects in Romosinuano, Angus, and crossbred cows for their weights, weights of their calves, and ratios (calf weight:cow weight and cow weight change:calf weight gain) across lactation and to assess the influence of forage on traits and estimates. Cows ( = 91) were bred to Charolais bulls after their second parity. Calves ( = 214) were born from 2006 to 2009. Cows and calves were weighed in early (April and June), mid- (July), and late lactation (August and October). Animal was a random effect in analyses of calf data; sire was random in analyses of cow records and ratios. Fixed effects investigated included calf age, calf sex, cow age-year combinations, sire breed of cow, dam breed of cow, and interactions. Subsequent analyses evaluated the effect of forage grazed: endophyte-free or endophyte-infected tall fescue. Estimates of maternal heterosis for calf weight ranged from 9.3 ± 4.3 to 15.4 ± 5.7 kg from mid-lactation through weaning ( cow) were -6.8 ± 3.0 and -8.9 ± 4.2 kg for weights recorded in April and June. Calf weights and weight gains from birth were greater ( cows grazing endophyte-free tall fescue except in mid-summer. Cow weight change from April to each time was negative for Angus cows and lower ( Cows grazing endophyte-free tall fescue were heavier ( cows had the lowest ( cow weight change:calf weight gain, indicating an energy-deficit condition. Cows grazing endophyte-free tall fescue had more negative ( cow weight, 7.9 ± 3.0 to 15.8 ± 5.0 kg for cow weight change, and 0.07 ± 0.03 to 0.27 ± 0.1 for cow weight change:calf weight gain. Direct Romosinuano effects ranged from 14.8 ± 4.2 to 49.8 ± 7.7 kg for cow weight change and 0.2 ± 0.04 to 0.51 ± 0.14 for cow weight change:calf weight gain. The adaptive

Integrating scientific knowledge into large-scale restoration programs: the CALFED Bay-Delta Program experience

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, K.A.; Short, A.

2009-01-01

Integrating science into resource management activities is a goal of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, a multi-agency effort to address water supply reliability, ecological condition, drinking water quality, and levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of northern California. Under CALFED, many different strategies were used to integrate science, including interaction between the research and management communities, public dialogues about scientific work, and peer review. This paper explores ways science was (and was not) integrated into CALFED's management actions and decision systems through three narratives describing different patterns of scientific integration and application in CALFED. Though a collaborative process and certain organizational conditions may be necessary for developing new understandings of the system of interest, we find that those factors are not sufficient for translating that knowledge into management actions and decision systems. We suggest that the application of knowledge may be facilitated or hindered by (1) differences in the objectives, approaches, and cultures of scientists operating in the research community and those operating in the management community and (2) other factors external to the collaborative process and organization.

Implementing a novel movement-based approach to inferring parturition and neonate caribou calf survival.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maegwin Bonar

Full Text Available In ungulates, parturition is correlated with a reduction in movement rate. With advances in movement-based technologies comes an opportunity to develop new techniques to assess reproduction in wild ungulates that are less invasive and reduce biases. DeMars et al. (2013, Ecology and Evolution 3:4149-4160 proposed two promising new methods (individual- and population-based; the DeMars model that use GPS inter-fix step length of adult female caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou to infer parturition and neonate survival. Our objective was to apply the DeMars model to caribou populations that may violate model assumptions for retrospective analysis of parturition and calf survival. We extended the use of the DeMars model after assigning parturition and calf mortality status by examining herd-wide distributions of parturition date, calf mortality date, and survival. We used the DeMars model to estimate parturition and calf mortality events and compared them with the known parturition and calf mortality events from collared adult females (n = 19. We also used the DeMars model to estimate parturition and calf mortality events for collared female caribou with unknown parturition and calf mortality events (n = 43 and instead derived herd-wide estimates of calf survival as well as distributions of parturition and calf mortality dates and compared them to herd-wide estimates generated from calves fitted with VHF collars (n = 134. For our data, the individual-based method was effective at predicting calf mortality, but was not effective at predicting parturition. The population-based method was more effective at predicting parturition but was not effective at predicting calf mortality. At the herd-level, the predicted distributions of parturition date from both methods differed from each other and from the distribution derived from the parturition dates of VHF-collared calves (log-ranked test: χ2 = 40.5, df = 2, p < 0.01. The predicted distributions of calf

Effects of time of weaning, supplement, and sire breed of calf during the fall grazing period on cow and calf performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Short, R E; Grings, E E; MacNeil, M D; Heitschmidt, R K; Haferkamp, M R; Adams, D C

1996-07-01

A 4-yr experiment was conducted to determine effects of protein supplementation, age at weaning, and calf sire breed on cow and calf performance during fall grazing. Each year 48 pregnant, crossbred cows nursing steer calves (mean calving date = April 8) were assigned to a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experiment replicated in three native range pastures. Treatment factors were: 1) no supplement (NS) or an individually fed supplement (S, 3 kg of a 34% protein supplement fed to cows every 3rd d); 2) calves weaned at the beginning (W, mid to late September) or at the end (NW, mid to late December) of the trial each year; or 3) calves sired by Hereford or Charolais bulls. Data were adjusted for cow size (initial hip height and initial and final weights and condition scores) by analyses of covariance using principal component coefficients as covariates. Change in cow weight and condition score were increased by S and W (P Forage intake was decreased (P intake (forage+supplement) was not affected by S but was decreased by W (P effects of treatments were observed the next spring in cow weight, condition score, and birth weight (NW decreased birth weight by 2 kg, P effects by the next fall on weaning weights or pregnancy rates. Milk yield decreased during the experimental period, and S maintained higher milk production in late lactation (P Calf ADG was increased by S and Charolais sires (P effects of feeding a 34% protein supplement to cows were to increase calf gains and improve persistency of lactation and efficiency; 2) delaying weaning decreased cow weight and condition score; 3) effects of weaning age and protein supplementation were highly dependent on forage and environmental conditions in any given year; and 4) whatever effects existed in a given year did not carry over to effects on next year's production as measured by pregnancy rates and weaning weights.

Bilateral calf chronic compartment syndrome in an elderly male: a case report.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Siau, Keith

2009-01-01

Leg pain is a common presentation to the outpatient department. Bilateral calf chronic compartment syndrome is a rare cause of bilateral calf pain. Although this condition has been well documented in young athletes, it has rarely been reported in the elderly. We present the case of a 68-year-old male bodybuilder with bilateral calf chronic compartment syndrome, describe the presentation and evaluation of the condition, and provide a review of the literature herewith.

A frozen-thawed in vitro-matured bovine oocyte derived calf with normal growth and fertility.

Science.gov (United States)

Otoi, T; Yamamoto, K; Koyama, N; Tachikawa, S; Suzuki, T

1996-08-01

The growth and fertility of a female calf obtained from a frozen-thawed bovine oocyte was assessed. The birth weight of the calf was lower than the mean birth weight of calves from in vitro fertilized embryos (IVF-controls) and calves obtained by artificial insemination (AI-controls). The growth rate of the calf up to 6 months was slower than that of the IVF-controls, but similar to that of the AI-controls. When the calf developed into a heifer (200 kg), she was inseminated with frozen semen and 280 days later delivered a male calf. The chromosoms of this cow were normal. These findings suggest that the growth and fertility of the calf derived from the frozen oocyte are normal.

Blood flow and oxygenation in peritendinous tissue and calf muscle during dynamic exercise in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boushel, Robert Christopher; Langberg, H; Green, Sara Marie Ehrenreich

2000-01-01

1. Circulation around tendons may act as a shunt for muscle during exercise. The perfusion and oxygenation of Achilles' peritendinous tissue was measured in parallel with that of calf muscle during exercise to determine (1) whether blood flow is restricted in peritendinous tissue during exercise......, and (2) whether blood flow is coupled to oxidative metabolism. 2. Seven individuals performed dynamic plantar flexion from 1 to 9 W. Radial artery and popliteal venous blood were sampled for O2, peritendinous blood flow was determined by 133Xe-washout, calf blood flow by plethysmography, cardiac output...

Traffic Management as a Service: The Traffic Flow Pattern Classification Problem

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Carlos T. Calafate

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Intelligent Transportation System (ITS technologies can be implemented to reduce both fuel consumption and the associated emission of greenhouse gases. However, such systems require intelligent and effective route planning solutions to reduce travel time and promote stable traveling speeds. To achieve such goal these systems should account for both estimated and real-time traffic congestion states, but obtaining reliable traffic congestion estimations for all the streets/avenues in a city for the different times of the day, for every day in a year, is a complex task. Modeling such a tremendous amount of data can be time-consuming and, additionally, centralized computation of optimal routes based on such time-dependencies has very high data processing requirements. In this paper we approach this problem through a heuristic to considerably reduce the modeling effort while maintaining the benefits of time-dependent traffic congestion modeling. In particular, we propose grouping streets by taking into account real traces describing the daily traffic pattern. The effectiveness of this heuristic is assessed for the city of Valencia, Spain, and the results obtained show that it is possible to reduce the required number of daily traffic flow patterns by a factor of 4210 while maintaining the essence of time-dependent modeling requirements.

Effect of mature body weight and stocking rate on cow and calf performance, cow herd efficiency, and economics in the southeastern United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, P A; Stewart, C B; Gadberry, M S; Haque, M; Biermacher, J

2016-04-01

Eight 4-ha mixed warm-season grass pastures in southwestern Arkansas (33°40'4″ N, 93°35'24″ W, and elevation 107 m) were stocked with either large mature size (571 kg [SD 55.2] BW) or small mature size (463 kg [SD 58.2] BW) spring-calving cows at 4 stocking rates (SR; 1, 1.5, 2, or 2.5 cow-calf pairs/ha) over 4 yr to test the effects of SR and mature body size on cow and calf performance and system economics. Each pasture received 112 kg/ha N as ammonium nitrate in May and was broadcast seeded to annual ryegrass ( Lam.) in mid October each fall along with 112 kg/ha N as ammonium nitrate. Data were analyzed by regression to determine the effects of cow size and SR on calf performance, cow BW change, calf gain, weaning weight per hectare, hay feeding requirements, and net returns. As SR increased, cow BW and BCS at weaning decreased ( cow stocked per hectare ( = 0.44). Calf BW at weaning in October increased ( cow BW but was not affected ( = 0.66) by SR. As cow BW increased, calf BW at weaning per 100 kg cow BW decreased ( cow BW but was not affected ( = 0.44) by SR. Neither cow BW nor SR affected ( ≥ 0.53) pregnancy percentage, which averaged 88% over the 4-yr experiment. Calf BW weaned per hectare was not affected ( = 0.75) by cow BW but linearly increased ( cow per hectare SR. Hay feeding days and cost of hay per cow increased ( ≤ 0.05) and kilograms of hay offered per cow tended ( = 0.09) to linearly increase with increasing SR, yet cow BW had no effects ( > 0.22). Although there were no effects ( ≥ 0.38) of cow BW on carrying cost or net returns, increasing SR decreased ( cow and increased net returns by $70/cow and $438/ha for each cow per hectare increase in SR. These data indicate that increasing cow size can increase weaning BW of calves but does not affect total production per hectare or profitability, even though weaning weight efficiency ratios were reduced. Increasing SR reduced cow BW and BCS at weaning and increased feeding of conserved

Prevalence of Giardia duodenalis assemblages in weaned cattle on cow-calf operations in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Santin, Monica; Dargatz, David; Fayer, Ronald

2012-02-10

To determine the prevalence of Giardia duodenalis in weaned beef calves on cow-calf operations in the United States, fecal specimens were collected from 819 calves (6-18 months of age) from 49 operations. After cleaning and concentration procedures to maximize recovery of cysts from feces, DNA was extracted from each of the 819 specimens. The presence of G. duodenalis was determined by nested PCR of a fragment of the SSU rRNA gene. All positive PCR products were subjected to sequence analysis. The overall sample level prevalence of Giardia was 33.5% with prevalence ranging from 0 to 100% among operations. The highest within herd prevalence of infected beef calves was found in one cow-calf operation from the South region (100%), followed by a cow-calf operation from the West region (90%), and three cow-calf operations from the Midwest region (87.5, 85, and 85%). Giardia was not detected in samples from 7 operations including 5 cow-calf operations from the South region, and 1 cow-calf operation each from the Midwest and West regions. Molecular analysis of the Giardia-positive samples identified assemblage E (or E-like) in 31.7% of all samples (260/819) and assemblage A in 1.2% (10/819). A mixed infection with assemblages A and E was observed in four calves from an operation in Midwest region. The potentially zoonotic assemblage A was detected in specimens from four operations in Midwest region. These findings indicate that most G. duodenalis found in weaned beef calves was assemblage E which represents no known zoonotic threat. However, the presence of assemblage A in a small number of animals poses a potential risk of infection to humans. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Raising the standards of the calf-raise test: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hébert-Losier, Kim; Newsham-West, Richard J; Schneiders, Anthony G; Sullivan, S John

2009-11-01

The calf-raise test is used by clinicians and researchers in sports medicine to assess properties of the calf muscle-tendon unit. The test generally involves repetitive concentric-eccentric muscle action of the plantar-flexors in unipedal stance and is quantified by the number of raises performed. Although the calf-raise test appears to have acceptable reliability and face validity, and is commonly used for medical assessment and rehabilitation of injuries, no universally acceptable test parameters have been published to date. A systematic review of the existing literature was conducted to investigate the consistency as well as universal acceptance of the evaluation purposes, test parameters, outcome measurements and psychometric properties of the calf-raise test. Nine electronic databases were searched during the period May 30th to September 21st 2008. Forty-nine articles met the inclusion criteria and were quality assessed. Information on study characteristics and calf-raise test parameters, as well as quantitative data, were extracted; tabulated; and statistically analysed. The average quality score of the reviewed articles was 70.4+/-12.2% (range 44-90%). Articles provided various test parameters; however, a consensus was not ascertained. Key testing parameters varied, were often unstated, and few studies reported reliability or validity values, including sensitivity and specificity. No definitive normative values could be established and the utility of the test in subjects with pathologies remained unclear. Although adapted for use in several disciplines and traditionally recommended for clinical assessment, there is no uniform description of the calf-raise test in the literature. Further investigation is recommended to ensure consistent use and interpretation of the test by researchers and clinicians.

Acidification of calf bedding reduces fly development and bacterial abundance.

Science.gov (United States)

Calvo, M S; Gerry, A C; McGarvey, J A; Armitage, T L; Mitloehner, F M

2010-03-01

Environmental stressors, such as high fly density, can affect calf well-being. Sodium bisulfate (SBS) is an acidifier that reduces the pH of flooring and bedding, creating a medium that neither bacteria nor immature flies (also known as larvae or maggots) can thrive in. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the application of SBS to a mixture of rice hull calf bedding and calf slurry (BED) to reduce house fly (Musca domestica L.) larval density and the abundance of bacteria. In experiment 1, dish pans containing 1L of BED and 3,000 house fly eggs were treated with SBS at concentrations of 0, 8.9, 17.7, and 26.5g of SBS/0.05m(2) of BED (CON, LOW, MED, and HIGH, respectively), with each SBS concentration applied to 4 individual pans (16 pans total). Reapplication of the same SBS concentrations in each pan occurred 3 times/wk throughout the 23-d trial. Larval house fly survival was significantly reduced in all pans with SBS relative to CON pans, with lowest survival rates in the MED and HIGH pans (99% and 100% reduction, respectively). The mean pH for each treatment was inversely related to the SBS concentration. In experiment 2, pans containing 1L of BED and 3,000 house fly eggs were treated with either 0g of SBS (CON), 8.9g of SBS/0.05m(2) of BED with reapplication of the acidifier 3 times/wk (SB3x), or 8.9g of SBS/0.05m(2) of BED applied only once at 48h before the end of the 8 d-trial (SB48). Larval house fly survival and bacterial concentrations were reduced (90% larval reduction and 68% bacterial reduction) in the SB3x treatment relative to the CON. Mean pH was also reduced in SB3x pans relative to CON or SB48 pans. Overall, acidification of calf BED using the acidifier SBS resulted in a reduction of bacteria and house fly larval survival. This form of fly control might be expected to reduce adult fly production and, therefore, fly-related stress in calves.

Dyskospondylitis and paravertebral abscesses in a calf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Testoni, S.

2006-01-01

A case of progressive spastic paraparesis due to a dyskospondylitis at the level of T9-T10 is described in a four-month old Holstein female calf. The calf was recumbent, but bright, alert and willing to suckle. Despite repeated attempts, the calf was not able to assume the sternal recumbency. The radiological findings were decisive for the in life diagnosis. Spinal radiography of the thoraco-lumbar region revealed lysis and collapse of T9 and T10 vertebral bodies; irregular proliferative new bone was evident. Lumbo-sacral myelography showed a narrowing and dorsal displacement of the ventral contrast column at the same spinal level, indicating a severe ventral extradural compression of the spinal cord. At the level of the thoracic cavity, a 20 x 15 cm diameter opacity extending ventrally to T8-T13 and caudo-dorsally to the heart was also evident. At gross necroscopy, two approximately 15 cm diameter encapsulated paravertebral abscesses were evident in the thoracis cavity just below the spinal column. A pure culture of Fusobacterium necrophorum was obtained from them. A saggital section of the spine showed an erosive suppurative process of T9 and T10 vertebral bodies that provoked the compression of the thoracic tract of the spinal cord [it

Mucosal disease-like syndrome in a calf persistently infected by Hobi-like pestivirus.

Science.gov (United States)

Decaro, Nicola; Lanave, Gianvito; Lucente, Maria Stella; Mari, Viviana; Varello, Katia; Losurdo, Michele; Larocca, Vittorio; Bozzetta, Elena; Cavaliere, Nicola; Martella, Vito; Buonavoglia, Canio

2014-08-01

A calf persistently infected with Hobi-like pestivirus displayed severe clinical signs and subsequently died. Gross lesions and histopathological changes were suggestive of hemorrhagic and necrotic inflammation involving several tissues. A Hobi-like pestivirus pair was isolated from the dead calf, i.e., cytopathogenic (CP) and noncytopathogenic (NCP) strains strictly related to each other and to Italian prototype isolates at the genetic level. Two biotype-specific real-time reverse transcription-PCR assays determined the time of the emergence of the CP virus as 1 month before the calf's death. This highest RNA titers were reached in lymphoid and nervous system tissues, whereas only traces of CP viral RNA were found in blood. In contrast, great NCP virus loads were present in all tissues and biological fluids. The present report provides new insights into the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of this emerging group of pestiviruses. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Estimation of normal hydration in dialysis patients using whole body and calf bioimpedance analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Fansan; Kotanko, Peter; Handelman, Garry J; Raimann, Jochen G; Liu, Li; Carter, Mary; Kuhlmann, Martin K; Seibert, Eric; Leonard, Edward F; Levin, Nathan W

2011-07-01

Prescription of an appropriate dialysis target weight (dry weight) requires accurate evaluation of the degree of hydration. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a state of normal hydration (DW(cBIS)) as defined by calf bioimpedance spectroscopy (cBIS) and conventional whole body bioimpedance spectroscopy (wBIS) could be characterized in hemodialysis (HD) patients and normal subjects (NS). wBIS and cBIS were performed in 62 NS (33 m/29 f) and 30 HD patients (16 m/14 f) pre- and post-dialysis treatments to measure extracellular resistance and fluid volume (ECV) by the whole body and calf bioimpedance methods. Normalized calf resistivity (ρ(N)(,5)) was defined as resistivity at 5 kHz divided by the body mass index. The ratio of wECV to total body water (wECV/TBW) was calculated. Measurements were made at baseline (BL) and at DW(cBIS) following the progressive reduction of post-HD weight over successive dialysis treatments until the curve of calf extracellular resistance is flattened (stabilization) and the ρ(N)(,5) was in the range of NS. Blood pressures were measured pre- and post-HD treatment. ρ(N)(,5) in males and females differed significantly in NS. In patients, ρ(N)(,5) notably increased with progressive decrease in body weight, and systolic blood pressure significantly decreased pre- and post-HD between BL and DW(cBIS) respectively. Although wECV/TBW decreased between BL and DW(cBIS), the percentage of change in wECV/TBW was significantly less than that in ρ(N)(,5) (-5.21 ± 3.2% versus 28 ± 27%, p hydration between BL and DW(cBIS).

National guidelines for traffic calming

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Schermers, G

1998-03-01

Full Text Available and provides a policy framework on traffic calming. It also describes the administrative and management procedures required to meet policy objectives in the implementation and monitoring of traffic calming in urban areas. Related legal requirements, liability...

Groundwater phosphorus in forage-based landscape with cow-calf operation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sigua, Gilbert C; Chase, Chad C

2014-02-01

Forage-based cow-calf operations may have detrimental impacts on the chemical status of groundwater and streams and consequently on the ecological and environmental status of surrounding ecosystems. Assessing and controlling phosphorus (P) inputs are, thus, considered the key to reducing eutrophication and managing ecological integrity. In this paper, we monitored and evaluated P concentrations of groundwater (GW) compared to the concentration of surface water (SW) P in forage-based landscape with managed cow-calf operations for 3 years (2007-2009). Groundwater samples were collected from three landscape locations along the slope gradient (GW1 10-30% slope, GW2 5-10% slope, and GW3 0-5% slope). Surface water samples were collected from the seepage area (SW 0% slope) located at the bottom of the landscape. Of the total P collected (averaged across year) in the landscape, 62.64% was observed from the seepage area or SW compared with 37.36% from GW (GW1 = 8.01%; GW2 = 10.92%; GW3 = 18.43%). Phosphorus in GW ranged from 0.02 to 0.20 mg L(-1) while P concentration in SW ranged from 0.25 to 0.71 mg L(-1). The 3-year average of P in GW of 0.09 mg L(-1) was lower than the recommended goal or the Florida's numeric nutrients standards (NNS) of 0.12 mg P L(-1). The 3-year average of P concentration in SW of 0.45 mg L(-1) was about fourfold higher than the Florida's NNS value. Results suggest that cow-calf operation in pasture-based landscape would contribute more P to SW than in the GW. The risk of GW contamination by P from animal agriculture production system is limited, while the solid forms of P subject to loss via soil erosion could be the major water quality risk from P.

Interactions of mean body and local skin temperatures in the modulation of human forearm and calf blood flows: a three-dimensional description.

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, Joanne N; Matsuda-Nakamura, Mayumi; Taylor, Nigel A S

2016-02-01

The inter-relationships between mean body and local skin temperatures have previously been established for controlling hand and foot blood flows. Since glabrous skin contains many arteriovenous anastomoses, it was important to repeat those experiments on non-glabrous regions using the same sample and experimental conditions. Mild hypothermia (mean body temperature 31.4 °C), normothermia (control: 36.0 °C) and moderate hyperthermia (38.3 °C) were induced and clamped (climate chamber and water-perfusion garment) in eight males. Within each condition, five localised thermal treatments (5, 15, 25, 33, 40 °C) were applied to the left forearm and right calf. Steady-state forearm and calf blood flows were measured (venous occlusion plethysmography) for each of the resulting 15 combinations of clamped mean body and local skin temperatures. Under the normothermic clamp, cutaneous blood flows averaged 4.2 mL 100 mL(-1) min(-1) (±0.28: forearm) and 5.4 mL 100 mL(-1) min(-1) (±0.27: calf). When mildly hypothermic, these segments were unresponsive to localised thermal stimuli, but tracked those changes when normothermic and moderately hyperthermic. For deep-body (oesophageal) temperature elevations, forearm blood flow increased by 5.1 mL 100 mL(-1) min(-1) °C(-1) (±0.9) relative to normothermia, while the calf was much less responsive: 3.3 mL 100 mL(-1) min(-1) °C(-1) (±1.5). Three-dimensional surfaces revealed a qualitative divergence in the control of calf blood flow, with vasoconstrictor tone apparently being released more gradually. These descriptions reinforce the importance of deep-tissue temperatures in controlling cutaneous perfusion, with this modulation being non-linear at the forearm and appearing linear for the calf.

Calf muscle involvement in Becker muscular dystrophy: when size does not matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Monforte, Mauro; Mercuri, Eugenio; Laschena, Francesco; Ricci, Enzo; Tasca, Giorgio

2014-12-15

Calf hypertrophy is a common feature in Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), and it is still debated to which extent fatty degeneration or true muscle hypertrophy account for it. We wanted to investigate the relative contribution of these two components using a simple image analysis approach and their possible correlation with disease severity. Twenty-nine BMD patients' MRI scans were analyzed. A semiquantitative visual score assessing fatty replacement of calf muscles (calf MRI score, CMS) was calculated and correlated with the cross sectional area (CSA) of lower leg posterior compartment muscles, digitally measured on acquired images. The correlation between CSA and CMS was not significant. CMS in contrast correlated with disease severity (p<0.001) while CSA did not (p=0.969). In BMD, a major contribution to calf hypertrophy is provided by real muscle hypertrophy rather than by fatty degeneration. CMS appears to be a potential surrogate marker of disease severity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association between cow reproduction and calf growth traits and ELISA scores for paratuberculosis in a multibreed herd of beef cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Elzo, M A; Rae, D O; Lanhart, S E; Hembry, F G; Wasdin, J G; Driver, J D

2009-08-01

The objective of this research was to assess the association between 4 cow reproductive and weight traits, and 2 preweaning calf traits and ELISA scores for paratuberculosis (0 = negative, 1 = suspect, 2 = weak-positive, and 3 = positive) in a multibreed herd of cows ranging from 100% Angus (A) to 100% Brahman (B). Cow data were 624 gestation lengths (GL), 358 records of time open (TO), 605 calving intervals (CI), and 1240 weight changes from November to weaning in September (WC) from 502 purebred and crossbred cows. Calf data consisted of 956 birth weights (BWT), and 923 weaning weights adjusted to 205 d of age (WW205) from 956 purebred and crossbred calves. Traits were analyzed individually using multibreed mixed models that assumed homogeneity of variances across breed groups. Covariances among random effects were assumed to be zero. Fixed effects were year, age of cow, sex of calf, year x age of cow interaction (except WC), age of cow x sex of calf interaction (only for WC), and covariates for B fraction of sire and cow, heterosis of cow and calf, and ELISA score. Random effects were sire (except for TO and CI), dam, and residual. Regression estimates of cow and calf traits on ELISA scores indicated that lower cow fertility (longer TO), lower ability of cows to maintain weight (negative WC), lower calf BWT, and lower calf WW205 were associated with higher cow ELISA scores. Further research on the effects of subclinical paratuberculosis in beef cattle at regional and national levels seems advisable considering the large potential economic cost of this disease.

Woodland caribou calf recruitment in relation to calving/post-calving landscape composition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara C. McCarthy

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Since the 1990s, Newfoundland’s woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou population has declined by an estimated 66%. Low calf recruitment has been associated to the decline, possibly triggered by increasing calf predation and/or decreasing resources. To investigate the role of landscape composition in this system, we studied the yearly (2005-2008 calving/post-calving range (CPCR of 104 satellite-collared females belonging to six herds. We mapped nine disturbance factors (e.g. roads, logging, etc, as well as vegetation cover types (e.g. coniferous, deciduous forests, etc, and determined the total area they occupied within CPCRs yearly for each herd. Using an information theoretic approach, we assessed the model that best explained variation in recruitment using these components. Based on corrected Akaike Information Criterion, the model that best explained variation in calf recruitment included total disturbance and deciduous forest area, both showing the expected negative relationship with calf recruitment. Other landscape variables among the models with ΔAICc < 2 were mixed forest, also with a suggested negative relationship, and barrens and wetlands with a significant positive trend. This study highlights the need to minimize total disturbance footprint and account for resulting changes in forest composition within CPCRs during land use planning. Expanding forestry operations and road infrastructure in critical woodland caribou habitat across Canada may additionally contribute to habitat loss via fragmentation. This in turn, may lead to range recession beyond the initial local avoidance footprint. We see the possibility of using calf recruitment models based on landscape parameters, among others, to predict the impact of new industrial developments on calf recruitment.

Connective tissue injury in calf muscle tears and return to play: MRI correlation.

Science.gov (United States)

Prakash, Ashutosh; Entwisle, Tom; Schneider, Michal; Brukner, Peter; Connell, David

2017-10-26

The aim of our study was to assess a group of patients with calf muscle tears and evaluate the integrity of the connective tissue boundaries and interfaces. Further, we propose a novel MRI grading system based on integrity of the connective tissue and assess any correlation between the grading score and time to return to play. We have also reviewed the anatomy of the calf muscles. We retrospectively evaluated 100 consecutive patients with clinical suspicion and MRI confirmation of calf muscle injury. We evaluated each calf muscle tear with MRI for the particular muscle injured, location of injury within the muscle and integrity of the connective tissue structure at the interface. The muscle tears were graded 0-3 depending on the degree of muscle and connective tissue injury. The time to return to play for each patient and each injury was found from the injury records and respective sports doctors. In 100 patients, 114 injuries were detected. Connective tissue involvement was observed in 63 out of 100 patients and failure (grade 3 injury) in 18. Mean time to return to play with grade 0 injuries was 8 days, grade 1 tears was 17 days, grade 2 tears was 25 days and grade 3 tears was 48 days (pmuscle tears. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Traffic management simulation development.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-03

Microscopic simulation can provide significant support to traffic management center (TMC) operations. However, traffic simulation applications require data that are expensive and time-consuming to collect. Data collected by TMCs can be used as a prim...

Why Do So Many Calves Die on Modern Dairy Farms and What Can We Do about Calf Welfare in the Future?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John F. Mee

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Poor bovine neonatal survival rates are an international animal welfare issue. The key modifiable risk factors associated with such loss are age at first calving in primiparae, calf breed, gender and gestation length and calving management. The primary causes of mortality in the perinatal period are calving problems, in particular dystocia, defined as both difficult and abnormal calvings. Calf loss rates are rising on modern dairy farms in many countries internationally. High calf loss rates are often not recognised at national or at farm-level; recording needs to be improved. Improving bovine neonatal survival requires re-prioritization of this issue. Stakeholders need to be made cognisant of this prioritization. Actions to effect change need to occur at both national and farm-levels. National-level actions need firstly to address raising awareness of the issue. Farm-level actions need to focus on identifiable problem farms through targeted surveillance. Application of existing knowledge to alter modifiable risk factors is the key to improving calf welfare in the future. Research also has a role to play in filling knowledge gaps in particular about the ‘unexplained stillbirth’.

Epitheliogenesis imperfecta in a crossbred Holstein calf, southwestern Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahrzad Azizi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Epitheliogenesis imperfect (EI is a rare autosomal recessive skin defect that is clinically identified with absence of cutaneous epithelium of the limbs, muzzle and nostrils as well as oral mucous membranes. This congenital newborn desease is reported mainly in domestic animals. The present study described EI in a 13 day-old, female crossbred Holstein calf. Gross examination showed epithelium agenesis of two front and hind limbs skin around the carpal and tarsal joints, and also extensive areas of the metacarpal and metatarsal regions. The calf died 5 days after antibiotic therapy and use of topical cream.

An Information-Theoretic Approach for Indirect Train Traffic Monitoring Using Building Vibration

OpenAIRE

Xu, Susu; Zhang, Lin; Zhang, Pei; Noh, Hae Young

2017-01-01

This paper introduces an indirect train traffic monitoring method to detect and infer real-time train events based on the vibration response of a nearby building. Monitoring and characterizing traffic events are important for cities to improve the efficiency of transportation systems (e.g., train passing, heavy trucks, and traffic). Most prior work falls into two categories: (1) methods that require intensive labor to manually record events or (2) systems that require deployment of dedicated ...

Evaluation of cottonseed oil-cake meal as a protein source in calf ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Unknown

were encouraged to eat the calf starter meal by placing meal into the buckets after they had finished drinking milk. Calves were weaned at 35 days of age and thereafter they received only calf starter meal ad libitum. Fresh water was freely available from day 10. The quantity of meal offered was increased on an individual ...

The impact of dystocia on dairy calf health, welfare, performance and survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrier, A C; Haskell, M J; Birch, S; Bagnall, A; Bell, D J; Dickinson, J; Macrae, A I; Dwyer, C M

2013-01-01

Up to one-third of dairy calves are born after dystocia and this is a major cause of calf mortality. This study investigated the neonatal physiology, survival, health and subsequent growth of dairy calves following dystocia and is the first longitudinal study to analyse multiple effects and to look beyond the perinatal period. A total of 455 live born Holstein calves (N: No assistance, n=360; FN: Farmer assistance but normally presented calf, n=82; FM: Farmer assistance of malpresented calf, n=13) were followed from birth to first service (heifers) or until leaving the farm (bulls). Compared to N calves, FN and FM animals had higher salivary cortisol concentrations at day 1 (PDystocia had no biologically significant impact on rectal temperature throughout the first 4 days (P>0.05). During the first 60 days, FM calves had a higher proportion of days with non-routine health treatments (Pdystocia category (P>0.05). Calves which survive dystocia experience lower passive immunity transfer, higher mortality and higher indicators of physiological stress. Such calves have poorer welfare in the neonatal period and possibly beyond. Strategies need to be implemented to improve the subsequent health and welfare of such calves and to lower the incidence of dystocia. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of coagulating enzyme types (commercial calf rennet ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effects of coagulating enzyme types (commercial calf rennet, Aspergillus niger var. awamori as recombinant chymosin and rhizomucor miehei as microbial rennet) on the chemical and sensory characteristics of white pickled cheese.

Center of Pressure Motion After Calf Vibration Is More Random in Fallers Than Non-fallers: Prospective Study of Older Individuals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wolbert van den Hoorn

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Aging is associated with changes in balance control and elderly take longer to adapt to changing sensory conditions, which may increase falls risk. Low amplitude calf muscle vibration stimulates local sensory afferents/receptors and affects sense of upright when applied in stance. It has been used to assess the extent the nervous system relies on calf muscle somatosensory information and to rapidly change/perturb part of the somatosensory information causing balance unsteadiness by addition and removal of the vibratory stimulus. This study assessed the effect of addition and removal of calf vibration on balance control (in the absence of vision in elderly individuals (>65 years, n = 99 who did (n = 41 or did not prospectively report falls (n = 58, and in a group of young individuals (18–25 years, n = 23. Participants stood barefoot and blindfolded on a force plate for 135 s. Vibrators (60 Hz, 1 mm attached bilaterally over the triceps surae muscles were activated twice for 15 s; after 15 and 75 s (45 s for recovery. Balance measures were applied in a windowed (15 s epoch manner to compare center-of-pressure (CoP motion before, during and after removal of calf vibration between groups. In each epoch, CoP motion was quantified using linear measures, and non-linear measures to assess temporal structure of CoP motion [using recurrence quantification analysis (RQA and detrended fluctuation analysis]. Mean CoP displacement during and after vibration did not differ between groups, which suggests that calf proprioception and/or weighting assigned by the nervous system to calf proprioception was similar for the young and both groups of older individuals. Overall, compared to the elderly, CoP motion of young was more predictable and persistent. Balance measures were not different between fallers and non-fallers before and during vibration. However, non-linear aspects of CoP motion of fallers and non-fallers differed after removal of vibration, when

Aspiration Thrombectomy Using a Guiding Catheter in Acute Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis: Usefulness of the Calf-Squeeze Technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jae A; Kwak, Hyo Sung; Han, Young Min; Yu, Hee Chul [Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju (Korea, Republic of)

2011-05-15

The effectiveness of the calf-squeeze technique during aspiration thrombectomy using guiding catheter in the treatment of an acute lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was evaluated by the use of imaging and the clinical follow-up of patients. A prospective analysis of ten patients (seven women, three men; median age, 56.9 years) with common iliac vein (CIV) obstruction and ipsilateral DVT was performed for this study. All patients presented with leg edema or pain and were treated with catheter-directed thrombolysis via an ipsilateral popliteal vein approach after insertion of a temporary inferior vena cava (IVC) filter. Subsequently, the patients were treated with by aspiration thrombectomy using a guiding catheter to remove the residual thrombus. The calf-squeeze technique during aspiration thrombectomy can be used to induce the proximal migration of thrombi in the popliteal, tibial, and muscular veins were used to increase venous flow. The calf-squeeze technique was employed at mean of 1.3 times (range, 1-3 times). All patients showed proximal migration of a popliteal and muscular vein thrombus during the execution of the calf-squeeze technique. Successful recanalization was achieved in all patients (100%) without any complications. On duplex ultrasonography, which was performed immediately after the aspiration thrombectomy, four patients had a residual thrombus in the soleal muscular veins. However, none of the patients had a thrombus in the popliteal and tibial veins; and, during follow-up, no DVT recurred in any patient. The use of the calf-squeeze technique during aspiration thrombectomy after catheter-directed thrombolysis can induce the proximal migration of thrombi in the popliotibial and muscular veins and is an effective method that can remove a thrombus in calf veins.

Aspiration Thrombectomy Using a Guiding Catheter in Acute Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis: Usefulness of the Calf-Squeeze Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jae A; Kwak, Hyo Sung; Han, Young Min; Yu, Hee Chul

2011-01-01

The effectiveness of the calf-squeeze technique during aspiration thrombectomy using guiding catheter in the treatment of an acute lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was evaluated by the use of imaging and the clinical follow-up of patients. A prospective analysis of ten patients (seven women, three men; median age, 56.9 years) with common iliac vein (CIV) obstruction and ipsilateral DVT was performed for this study. All patients presented with leg edema or pain and were treated with catheter-directed thrombolysis via an ipsilateral popliteal vein approach after insertion of a temporary inferior vena cava (IVC) filter. Subsequently, the patients were treated with by aspiration thrombectomy using a guiding catheter to remove the residual thrombus. The calf-squeeze technique during aspiration thrombectomy can be used to induce the proximal migration of thrombi in the popliteal, tibial, and muscular veins were used to increase venous flow. The calf-squeeze technique was employed at mean of 1.3 times (range, 1-3 times). All patients showed proximal migration of a popliteal and muscular vein thrombus during the execution of the calf-squeeze technique. Successful recanalization was achieved in all patients (100%) without any complications. On duplex ultrasonography, which was performed immediately after the aspiration thrombectomy, four patients had a residual thrombus in the soleal muscular veins. However, none of the patients had a thrombus in the popliteal and tibial veins; and, during follow-up, no DVT recurred in any patient. The use of the calf-squeeze technique during aspiration thrombectomy after catheter-directed thrombolysis can induce the proximal migration of thrombi in the popliotibial and muscular veins and is an effective method that can remove a thrombus in calf veins.

Calf enlargement associated with neurologic disease: two uncommon cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Harwood, S C; Honet, J C

1988-01-01

Muscle enlargement and hypertrophy are rare findings in neurogenic lesions. The two in combination have been reported in cases of peripheral nerve lesions, polyneuropathy, and poliomyelitis. True and pseudo muscle hypertrophy are the two possible etiologies, whereas infiltration, stretch, or exercise of the muscle are the causative factors. We report two cases of unilateral calf enlargement, one occurring after surgery for S1 radiculopathy with associated cramping, and the other after poliomyelitis.

Validity of soft-tissue thickness of calf measured using MRI for assessing unilateral lower extremity lymphoedema secondary to cervical and endometrial cancer treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Qing; Li, Yulai; Chen, Tian-Wu; Yao, Yuan; Zhao, Zizhou; Li, Yang; Xu, Jianrong; Jiang, Zhaohua; Hu, Jiani

2014-01-01

Aim: To determine whether soft-tissue thickness of the calf measured using MRI could be valid for assessing unilateral lower extremity lymphoedema (LEL) secondary to cervical and endometrial cancer treatments. Materials and methods: Seventy women with unilateral LEL and 25 without LEL after cervical or endometrial cancer treatments underwent MRI examinations of their calves. Total thickness of soft-tissue (TT), muscle thickness (MT), and subcutaneous tissue thickness (STT) of the calf, and the difference between the affected and contralateral unaffected calf regarding TT (DTT), MT (DMT), and STT (DSTT) were obtained using fat-suppressed T2-weighted imaging in the middle of the calves. The volume of the calf and difference in volume (DV) between calves were obtained by the method of water displacement. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the validity of MRI measurements by volume measurements in staging LEL. Results: There was a close correlation between volume and TT for the affected (r = 0.927) or unaffected calves (r = 0.896). STT of the affected calf, and DTT or DSTT of the calves were closely correlated with volume of the affected calf or DV of the calves (all p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed significant differences in TT, STT, volume of the affected calf, DTT, DSTT, and DV between stages except in volume of the affected calf or in DV between stage 0 and 1. For staging LEL, DSTT showed the best discrimination ability among all the parameters. Conclusions: Soft-tissue thickness of the calf measured at MRI could be valid for quantitatively staging unilateral LEL, and DSTT of the calves could be the best classifying factor. - Highlights: • The soft tissue thickness of calves on MRI could quantitatively assess secondary LEL. • Calf soft tissue thickness indicated concurrent or construct validity of calf volume. • The difference of subcutaneous tissue thickness of calves could be used to stage LEL

Manpower Requirements for Air Traffic Control and Flight Service Specialists in Indiana.

Science.gov (United States)

Purdue Univ., Lafayette, IN. Office of Manpower Studies.

As of January 1, 1968 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States Department of Transportation employed 6,963 controllers in airport towers, 7,617 controllers in Air Route Traffic Control Centers, and 4,459 flight service specialists at airport locations. Projected needs are as follows: (1) Controllers in airport towers:…

Clinical Coenurosis (Coenurus Cerebralis and Associated Pathological Findings in a Calf

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cumali Özkan*, Serkan Yildirim1 and Abdullah Kaya

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to investigate clinical and pathological findings of a clinical Coenurus cerebralis case in a 10-month-old Simmental male calf. Clinical examination of the calf revealed incoordination, irregular gait, failure to hold the head straight, leftward head tilt, and circling. The animal was diagnosed with C. cerebralis and euthanazia was recommended. The autopsy demonstrated a cyst (9x7 cm in the caudal of the left cerebral hemisphere within the cranium. The cyst caused compression over the ventral portion of the left cerebral hemisphere, while a marked perforation of 3-4 cm diameter was found on the sphenoid bone. Histopathologically, hyperemia and perivascular mononuclear cell infiltration were observed. In conclusion, we found it beneficial to present the clinical and pathological findings of this calf infected with C. cerebralis which is known to be a rare clinical entity among cattle.

Causes and correlates of calf mortality in captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khyne U Mar

Full Text Available Juvenile mortality is a key factor influencing population growth rate in density-independent, predation-free, well-managed captive populations. Currently at least a quarter of all Asian elephants live in captivity, but both the wild and captive populations are unsustainable with the present fertility and calf mortality rates. Despite the need for detailed data on calf mortality to manage effectively populations and to minimize the need for capture from the wild, very little is known of the causes and correlates of calf mortality in Asian elephants. Here we use the world's largest multigenerational demographic dataset on a semi-captive population of Asian elephants compiled from timber camps in Myanmar to investigate the survival of calves (n = 1020 to age five born to captive-born mothers (n = 391 between 1960 and 1999. Mortality risk varied significantly across different ages and was higher for males at any age. Maternal reproductive history was associated with large differences in both stillbirth and liveborn mortality risk: first-time mothers had a higher risk of calf loss as did mothers producing another calf soon (<3.7 years after a previous birth, and when giving birth at older age. Stillbirth (4% and pre-weaning mortality (25.6% were considerably lower than those reported for zoo elephants and used in published population viability analyses. A large proportion of deaths were caused by accidents and lack of maternal milk/calf weakness which both might be partly preventable by supplementary feeding of mothers and calves and work reduction of high-risk mothers. Our results on Myanmar timber elephants with an extensive keeping system provide an important comparison to compromised survivorship reported in zoo elephants. They have implications for improving captive working elephant management systems in range countries and for refining population viability analyses with realistic parameter values in order to predict future population

Automatic Traffic Advisory and Resolution Service (ATARS) Algorithms Including Resolution-Advisory-Register Logic. Volume 1. Sections 1 through 11,

Science.gov (United States)

1981-06-01

span required or allowed for each task in a single scan is outlined in Table 3-1. The executive program controls the initiation and termination of each...by-step manner throughout the ATARS process. At the same time, the executive program controls and determines when each task is ready to accept the next...AD-AI04 147 MITRE CORP MCLEAN VA METREK UI V ’ 1AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC AUVISORY AND RESOLUTION SERVICE (ATARS) ALGOR--ETC(U) JUN a R H LENTZ. W D LOVE, T L

Quantifying antimicrobial resistance at veal calf farms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bosman, A.B.; Wagenaar, J.A.; Stegeman, A.; Vernooij, H.; Mevius, D.J.

2012-01-01

This study was performed to determine a sampling strategy to quantify the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance on veal calf farms, based on the variation in antimicrobial resistance within and between calves on five farms. Faecal samples from 50 healthy calves (10 calves/farm) were collected. From

Estimation of normal hydration in dialysis patients using whole body and calf bioimpedance analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Fansan; Kotanko, Peter; Handelman, Garry J; Raimann, Jochen G; Liu, Li; Carter, Mary; Kuhlmann, Martin K; Seibert, Eric; Levin, Nathan W; Leonard, Edward F

2011-01-01

Prescription of an appropriate dialysis target weight (dry weight) requires accurate evaluation of the degree of hydration. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a state of normal hydration (DW cBIS ) as defined by calf bioimpedance spectroscopy (cBIS) and conventional whole body bioimpedance spectroscopy (wBIS) could be characterized in hemodialysis (HD) patients and normal subjects (NS). wBIS and cBIS were performed in 62 NS (33 m/29 f) and 30 HD patients (16 m/14 f) pre- and post-dialysis treatments to measure extracellular resistance and fluid volume (ECV) by the whole body and calf bioimpedance methods. Normalized calf resistivity (ρ N,5 ) was defined as resistivity at 5 kHz divided by the body mass index. The ratio of wECV to total body water (wECV/TBW) was calculated. Measurements were made at baseline (BL) and at DW cBIS following the progressive reduction of post-HD weight over successive dialysis treatments until the curve of calf extracellular resistance is flattened (stabilization) and the ρ N,5 was in the range of NS. Blood pressures were measured pre- and post-HD treatment. ρ N,5 in males and females differed significantly in NS. In patients, ρ N,5 notably increased with progressive decrease in body weight, and systolic blood pressure significantly decreased pre- and post-HD between BL and DW cBIS respectively. Although wECV/TBW decreased between BL and DW cBIS , the percentage of change in wECV/TBW was significantly less than that in ρ N,5 (−5.21 ± 3.2% versus 28 ± 27%, p < 0.001). This establishes the use of ρ N,5 as a new comparator allowing a clinician to incrementally monitor removal of extracellular fluid from patients over the course of dialysis treatments. The conventional whole body technique using wECV/TBW was less sensitive than the use of ρ N,5 to measure differences in body hydration between BL and DW cBIS

Regulation of P2Y1 receptor traffic by sorting Nexin 1 is retromer independent.

Science.gov (United States)

Nisar, Shaista; Kelly, Eamonn; Cullen, Pete J; Mundell, Stuart J

2010-04-01

The activity and traffic of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) is tightly controlled. Recent work from our laboratory has shown that P2Y(1) and P2Y(12) responsiveness is rapidly and reversibly modulated in human platelets and that the underlying mechanism requires receptor trafficking as an essential part of this process. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying P2Y receptor traffic. Sorting nexin 1 (SNX1) has been shown to regulate the endosomal sorting of cell surface receptors either to lysosomes where they are downregulated or back to the cell surface. These functions may in part be due to interactions of SNX1 with the mammalian retromer complex. In this study, we investigated the role of SNX1 in P2Y receptor trafficking. We show that P2Y(1) receptors recycle via a slow recycling pathway that is regulated by SNX1, whereas P2Y(12) receptors return to the cell surface via a rapid route that is SNX1 independent. SNX1 inhibition caused a dramatic increase in the rate of P2Y(1) receptor recycling, whereas inhibition of Vps26 and Vps35 known to be present in retromer had no effect, indicating that SNX1 regulation of P2Y(1) receptor recycling is retromer independent. In addition, inhibition of SNX4, 6 and 17 proteins did not affect P2Y(1) receptor recycling. SNX1 has also been implicated in GPCR degradation; however, we provide evidence that P2Y receptor degradation is SNX1 independent. These data describe a novel function of SNX1 in the regulation of P2Y(1) receptor recycling and suggest that SNX1 plays multiple roles in endocytic trafficking of GPCRs.

Light signals for road traffic control.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schreuder, D.A.

1981-01-01

Signals for road traffic control are a major constituent of the modern traffic scene, particularly in built-up areas. A vast amount of research has been executed in the last two decennia, resulting in a fairly generally accepted view on what the requirements for effective traffic lights are. For the

Traffic days '95 at AUC. Conference report. Vol. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lohmann-Hansen, A.

1995-01-01

Volume one of Traffic days '95 at AUC (Aalborg University, Denmark) contains 28 papers presented at the conference held on August 21 - 22, 1995, at Aalborg University in Jutland, Denmark. The papers in this volume are ranged under the general headings of: The road to sustainable transport, the evaluation of traffic and infrastructure planning - decision-making procedures, traffic and the environment in towns, railways, traffic information + signals, and environmental conditions relative to shipping

Influences of supplemental feeding on winter elk calf:cow ratios in the southern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

M. Foley, Aaron; Cross, Paul C.; Christianson, David A; Scurlock, Brandon M.; Creely, Scott

2015-01-01

Several elk herds in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are fed during winter to alleviate interactions with livestock, reduce damage to stored crops, and to manage for high elk numbers. The effects of supplemental feeding on ungulate population dynamics has rarely been examined, despite the fact that supplemental feeding is partially justified as necessary for maintaining or enhancing population growth rates. We used linear regression to assess how the presence of feedgrounds, snowpack, summer rainfall, indices of grizzly bear density and wolves per elk, elk population trend counts, brucellosis seroprevalence, and survey date were correlated with midwinter calf:cow ratios, a metric correlated with population growth, from 1983–2010 from 12 ecologically similar elk herd units (7 fed and 5 unfed) in Wyoming, USA. Our statistical approach allowed for rigorous tests of the hypotheses that supplemental feeding had positive effects on calf:cow ratios and reduced sensitivity of calf:cow ratios to bottom-up limitation relative to top-down limitation from native predators. Calf:cow ratios generally declined across all herd units over the study period and varied widely among units with feedgrounds. We found no evidence that the presence of feedgrounds had positive effects on midwinter calf:cow ratios in Wyoming. Further, fed elk showed stronger correlations with environmental factors, whereas calf:cow ratios for unfed elk showed stronger correlations with predator indices. Although we found no consistent association between winter feeding and higher calf:cow ratios, we did not assess late winter mortality and differences in human offtake between fed and unfed regions, which remain a priority for future research. 

A computerized traffic control algorithm to determine optimal traffic signal settings. Ph.D. Thesis - Toledo Univ.

Science.gov (United States)

Seldner, K.

1977-01-01

An algorithm was developed to optimally control the traffic signals at each intersection using a discrete time traffic model applicable to heavy or peak traffic. Off line optimization procedures were applied to compute the cycle splits required to minimize the lengths of the vehicle queues and delay at each intersection. The method was applied to an extensive traffic network in Toledo, Ohio. Results obtained with the derived optimal settings are compared with the control settings presently in use.

Area-wide traffic calming for preventing traffic related injuries.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunn, F; Collier, T; Frost, C; Ker, K; Roberts, I; Wentz, R

2003-01-01

of road traffic crashes resulting in injuries (fatal and non fatal). The pooled rate ratio was 0.89 (0.80, 1.00 95% CI). Nine studies reported the total number of road traffic crashes. The pooled rate ratio was 0.95 (0.81, 1.11 95% CI). Thirteen trials reported the number of pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions. The pooled rate ratio was 1.00 (0.84, 1.18). There was significant heterogeneity for the total number of crashes and deaths and injuries. The results from this review suggest that area-wide traffic calming in towns and cities may be a promising intervention for reducing the number of road traffic injuries, and deaths. However, further rigorous evaluations of this intervention are needed.

Trailer microclimate and calf welfare during fall-run transportation of beef calves in Alberta.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldhawk, C; Janzen, E; González, L A; Crowe, T; Kastelic, J; Pajor, E; Schwartzkopf-Genswein, K S

2014-11-01

Twenty-four commercial loads of beef calves (BW 300 ± 52 kg, mean ± SD) were evaluated for associations among transportation factors, in-transit microclimate, and calf welfare. Transport factors evaluated included vehicle speed, space allowance, compartment within trailer, and transit duration. Calves were transported for 7 h 44 min ± 4 h 15 min, with space allowances ranging from 0.56 to 1.17 m(2)/animal. Compartment within trailer, space allowance, and vehicle speed did not affect the difference between compartment ceiling-level and ambient temperatures during a 30-min period of steady-state microclimate. During the steady-state period, a 1°C increase in ambient temperature above the mean of 5.6°C was associated with a 0.62°C decrease in the difference between ceiling-level and ambient temperature (P ratio; P profitability and calf welfare.

Intelligent Traffic Light Based on PLC Control

Science.gov (United States)

Mei, Lin; Zhang, Lijian; Wang, Lingling

2017-11-01

The traditional traffic light system with a fixed control mode and single control function is contradicted with the current traffic section. The traditional one has been unable to meet the functional requirements of the existing flexible traffic control system. This paper research and develop an intelligent traffic light called PLC control system. It uses PLC as control core, using a sensor module for receiving real-time information of vehicles, traffic control mode for information to select the traffic lights. Of which control mode is flexible and changeable, and it also set the countdown reminder to improve the effectiveness of traffic lights, which can realize the goal of intelligent traffic diversion, intelligent traffic diversion.

Effects of supplementing methionine hydroxy analog on beef cow performance, milk production, reproduction, and preweaning calf performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Clements, A R; Ireland, F A; Freitas, T; Tucker, H; Shike, D W

2017-12-01

Mature Simmental × Angus cows (214 cows; 635 ± 7 kg) were utilized to determine the effects of late gestation and early postpartum supplementation of methionine hydroxy analog (MHA) on cow BW, BCS, milk production, milk composition, reproduction, and calf performance until weaning in a fall-calving, cool-season grazing system. Cows were stratified by BW, age, AI sire, and assigned to 1 of 12 pastures (17 or 18 cows·pasture). Pastures were randomly allotted to 1 of 2 treatments: control (0.45 kg·cow·d of wheat midd-based pellets, = 6) or supplement including MHA (0.45 kg·cow·d of wheat midd-based pellets including 10 g MHA supplied as MFP (Novus International, Inc., St. Charles, MO; = 6). Treatments were fed 23 ± 7 d prepartum through 73 ± 7 d postpartum. Cow BW was collected at postcalving (27 ± 7 d postpartum), end of supplementation (73 ± 7 d postpartum), AI, pregnancy check, and end of trial (192 and 193 ± 7 d postpartum). At 73 ± 7 d postpartum, a subset of cow-calf pairs was used in a weigh-suckle-weigh procedure to determine milk production, and milk samples were taken to determine milk composition ( = 45·treatment). Serum from blood was collected at 73 ± 7 and 83 ± 7 d postpartum to determine cow cyclicity and concentrations of 2-hydroxy4-(methylthio) butanoic acid (HMTBa) and L-Methionine. After supplementation, all cow-calf pairs were managed as a common group until weaning (193 ± 7 d of age). Cows were bred via AI at 97 ± 7 d postpartum and clean-up bulls were turned out 11 d post-AI for a 55-d breeding season. Cows fed MHA had greater ( Cow BW and BCS were not different ( ≥ 0.10) at any time points between treatments. There was no treatment effect ( ≥ 0.17) on calf birth BW, calf weaning BW (193 ± 7 d of age), or calf ADG. Calculated 24-h milk production, milk composition and component production did not differ ( ≥ 0.21). There were no differences ( ≥ 0.50) in percentage of cows cycling, AI conception rate, and overall

Semi-automated segmentation and quantification of adipose tissue in calf and thigh by MRI: a preliminary study in patients with monogenic metabolic syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Attar, Salam A; Pollex, Rebecca L; Robinson, John F; Miskie, Brooke A; Walcarius, Rhonda; Rutt, Brian K; Hegele, Robert A

2006-01-01

With the growing prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome, reliable quantitative imaging methods for adipose tissue are required. Monogenic forms of the metabolic syndrome include Dunnigan-variety familial partial lipodystrophy subtypes 2 and 3 (FPLD2 and FPLD3), which are characterized by the loss of subcutaneous fat in the extremities. Through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of FPLD patients, we have developed a method of quantifying the core FPLD anthropometric phenotype, namely adipose tissue in the mid-calf and mid-thigh regions. Four female subjects, including an FPLD2 subject (LMNA R482Q), an FPLD3 subject (PPARG F388L), and two control subjects were selected for MRI and analysis. MRI scans of subjects were performed on a 1.5T GE MR Medical system, with 17 transaxial slices comprising a 51 mm section obtained in both the mid-calf and mid-thigh regions. Using ImageJ 1.34 n software, analysis of raw MR images involved the creation of a connectedness map of the subcutaneous adipose tissue contours within the lower limb segment from a user-defined seed point. Quantification of the adipose tissue was then obtained after thresholding the connected map and counting the voxels (volumetric pixels) present within the specified region. MR images revealed significant differences in the amounts of subcutaneous adipose tissue in lower limb segments of FPLD3 and FPLD2 subjects: respectively, mid-calf, 15.5% and 0%, and mid-thigh, 25.0% and 13.3%. In comparison, old and young healthy controls had values, respectively, of mid-calf, 32.5% and 26.2%, and mid-thigh, 52.2% and 36.1%. The FPLD2 patient had significantly reduced subcutaneous adipose tissue compared to FPLD3 patient. Thus, semi-automated quantification of adipose tissue of the lower extremity can detect differences between individuals of various lipodystrophy genotypes and represents a potentially useful tool for extended quantitative phenotypic analysis of other genetic metabolic disorders

Use of mesenteric lymphangiography in a calf with chylothorax and chyloperitoneum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cruz, A.M.; Riley, C.B.; Macdonald, D.G.; Ferguson, J.G.

1995-01-01

Lymphatic abnormalities resulting in chylous effusion into a body cavity are uncommon in domestic animals. In a 6-day-old calf admitted to our hospital because of failure to suckle and abdominal distention, however, mesenteric lymphangiography revealed an obstruction of lymphatic flow. Laparoscopic examination of the abdomen was unsuccessful. Fluid accumulation was resolved in this calf by drainage. In cattle with chylothorax and concurrent chyloperitoneum in which a traumatic lesion of the thoracic duct is possible, conservative management, with drainage and supportive treatment, should be attempted prior to considering surgical intervention

A 1D pulse wave propagation model of the hemodynamics of calf muscle pump function.

Science.gov (United States)

Keijsers, J M T; Leguy, C A D; Huberts, W; Narracott, A J; Rittweger, J; van de Vosse, F N

2015-07-01

The calf muscle pump is a mechanism which increases venous return and thereby compensates for the fluid shift towards the lower body during standing. During a muscle contraction, the embedded deep veins collapse and venous return increases. In the subsequent relaxation phase, muscle perfusion increases due to increased perfusion pressure, as the proximal venous valves temporarily reduce the distal venous pressure (shielding). The superficial and deep veins are connected via perforators, which contain valves allowing flow in the superficial-to-deep direction. The aim of this study is to investigate and quantify the physiological mechanisms of the calf muscle pump, including the effect of venous valves, hydrostatic pressure, and the superficial venous system. Using a one-dimensional pulse wave propagation model, a muscle contraction is simulated by increasing the extravascular pressure in the deep venous segments. The hemodynamics are studied in three different configurations: a single artery-vein configuration with and without valves and a more detailed configuration including a superficial vein. Proximal venous valves increase effective venous return by 53% by preventing reflux. Furthermore, the proximal valves shielding function increases perfusion following contraction. Finally, the superficial system aids in maintaining the perfusion during the contraction phase and reduces the refilling time by 37%. © 2015 The Authors. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of different flooring options in outside pens of hutches on dairy calf growth

Science.gov (United States)

Growth rates of dairy calves may vary due to many different factors, including housing. The objective of this study was to determine if calf growth was affected by different flooring options in the outside penned area of a calf hutch. For this study, 33 hutches were blocked in groups of 3 by locatio...

Suppressing immature house and stable flies in outdoor calf hutches with sand, gravel, and sawdust bedding.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidtmann, E T

1991-11-01

Sand, gravel, sawdust, and pine shavings were used as bedding in outdoor calf hutches and compared with straw relative to the density of immature (maggot) house flies, Musca domestica, and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans. In 6-wk field trials, average densities of house and stable fly maggots in concrete mix sand ranged from only .3 to 1.6 and 0 to .1 maggots/L, respectively; pea size gravel bedding also strongly suppressed densities from less than .1 to .3 and less than .1 to .1 maggots/L, respectively. These densities represent reductions of 76 to greater than 99% relative to straw bedding, but both sand and gravel compacted and became soiled with calf feces, which resulted in unacceptable bedding sanitation and foul odors. Densities of house and stable fly maggots in pine shavings did not differ from those in straw bedding. Nevertheless, in sawdust bedding, maggot density was limited to averages of 1.4 to 8.3 house and 9.8 to 11.8 stable fly maggots/L; this represented reductions of 45 to 91% relative to straw. In a follow-up trial, house and stable fly maggot densities in sawdust averaged 11.3 and 43.9 maggots/L, respectively, reductions of 77 and 46%. These findings suggest that bedding calf hutches with sawdust during warm weather can be useful as an ecologically sound approach to controlling muscoid fly populations on dairy farms.

32 CFR 636.13 - Traffic accident investigation reports.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Traffic accident investigation reports. 636.13... Stewart, Georgia § 636.13 Traffic accident investigation reports. In addition to the requirements in § 634... record traffic accident investigations on DA Form 3946 (Military Police Traffic Accident Report) and DA...

Duodenal ileus caused by a calf feeding nipple in a cow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerspach Christian

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of this report was to describe duodenal obstruction caused by a rubber foreign body in a cow. Case Presentation The clinical, biochemical and ultrasonographic findings in a five-year-old Swiss Braunvieh cow with duodenal ileus caused by a calf feeding nipple are described. The main clinical signs were anorexia, ruminal tympany, decreased faecal output and abomasal reflux syndrome. Ultrasonographic examination revealed reticular hyperactivity and a dilated duodenum. A diagnosis of duodenal ileus was made and the cow underwent right-flank laparotomy, which revealed a dilation of the cranial part of the duodenum because of obstruction by a pliable foreign body. This was identified via enterotomy as a calf feeding nipple. The cow was healthy at the time of discharge four days after surgery and went on to complete a successful lactation. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first description of duodenal obstruction by a calf feeding nipple. This is an interesting case, which broadens the spectrum of the causes of duodenal ileus, which is usually caused by obstruction of the duodenum by a phytobezoar.

32 CFR 636.12 - Traffic accident investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Traffic accident investigation. 636.12 Section... ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC SUPERVISION (SPECIFIC INSTALLATIONS) Fort Stewart, Georgia § 636.12 Traffic accident investigation. In addition to the requirements in § 634.28 of...

Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Serotype SAT 3 in Long-Horned Ankole Calf, Uganda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dhikusooka, Moses Tefula; Tjørnehøj, Kirsten; Ayebazibwe, Chrisostom

2015-01-01

After a 16-year interval, foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype SAT 3 was isolated in 2013 from an apparently healthy long-horned Ankole calf that grazed close to buffalo in Uganda. The emergent virus strain is ≈20% different in nucleotide sequence (encoding VP1 [viral protein 1]) from its closest...

Diffusion tensor imaging of the human calf : Variation of inter- and intramuscle-specific diffusion parameters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schlaffke, Lara; Rehmann, Robert; Froeling, Martijn; Kley, Rudolf; Tegenthoff, Martin; Vorgerd, Matthias; Schmidt-Wilcke, Tobias

2017-01-01

Purpose: To investigate to what extent inter- and intramuscular variations of diffusion parameters of human calf muscles can be explained by age, gender, muscle location, and body mass index (BMI) in a specific age group (20-35 years). Materials and Methods: Whole calf muscles of 18 healthy

[Calf circumference and its association with gait speed in elderly participants at Peruvian Naval Medical Center].

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz Villegas, Gregory Mishell; Runzer Colmenares, Fernando

2015-01-01

To evaluate the association between calf circumference and gait speed in elderly patients 65 years or older at Geriatric day clinic at Peruvian Centro Médico Naval. Cross-sectional, retrospective study. We assessed 139 participants, 65 years or older at Peruvian Centro Médico Naval including calf circumference, gait speed and Short Physical Performance Battery. With bivariate analyses and logistic regression model we search for association between variables. The age mean was 79.37 years old (SD: 8.71). 59.71% were male, the 30.97% had a slow walking speed and the mean calf circumference was 33.42cm (SD: 5.61). After a bivariate analysis, we found a calf circumference mean of 30.35cm (SD: 3.74) in the slow speed group and, in normal gait group, a mean of 33.51cm (SD: 3.26) with significantly differences. We used logistic regression to analyze association with slow gait speed, founding statistically significant results adjusting model by disability and age. Low calf circumference is associated with slow speed walk in population over 65 years old. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Espana.

[The history of optical signals for traffic regulation].

Science.gov (United States)

Draeger, J; Harsch, V

2008-04-01

For signal transmission in traffic today, different optical, acoustic, or other physical or technical means are used for information. The different kinds of traffic (water navigation, road and rail, and, later air transport) made traffic regulation necessary early on. This regulation, from its very beginning in ancient times, began by means of optical signals; nowadays, this remains the most important method. From the very start, minimum requirements for the navigator's vision, color discrimination, dark adaptation, and even visual field were needed. For historical reasons, it was in seafaring medicine that these first developed. Besides the development of the different signals, methods for checking the requirements were soon developed. National and international requirements have been very different. Only within the last 50 years has international cooperation led to the acceptance of general standards for the different traffic modes. This article discusses the technical development of optical signals for the different kinds of traffic, from ancient times to the present, and explains the development of minimum requirements for the different visual functions.

Enhancing the Quality of Service for Real Time Traffic over Optical Burst Switching (OBS Networks with Ensuring the Fairness for Other Traffics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed A Al-Shargabi

Full Text Available Optical burst switching (OBS networks have been attracting much consideration as a promising approach to build the next generation optical Internet. A solution for enhancing the Quality of Service (QoS for high priority real time traffic over OBS with the fairness among the traffic types is absent in current OBS' QoS schemes. In this paper we present a novel Real Time Quality of Service with Fairness Ratio (RT-QoSFR scheme that can adapt the burst assembly parameters according to the traffic QoS needs in order to enhance the real time traffic QoS requirements and to ensure the fairness for other traffic. The results show that RT-QoSFR scheme is able to fulfill the real time traffic requirements (end to end delay, and loss rate ensuring the fairness for other traffics under various conditions such as the type of real time traffic and traffic load. RT-QoSFR can guarantee that the delay of the real time traffic packets does not exceed the maximum packets transfer delay value. Furthermore, it can reduce the real time traffic packets loss, at the same time guarantee the fairness for non real time traffic packets by determining the ratio of real time traffic inside the burst to be 50-60%, 30-40%, and 10-20% for high, normal, and low traffic loads respectively.

Traffic networks as information systems a viability approach

CERN Document Server

Aubin, Jean-Pierre

2017-01-01

This authored monograph covers a viability to approach to traffic management by advising to vehicles circulated on the network the velocity they should follow for satisfying global traffic conditions;. It presents an investigation of three structural innovations: The objective is to broadcast at each instant and at each position the advised celerity to vehicles, which could be read by auxiliary speedometers or used by cruise control devices. Namely, 1. Construct regulation feedback providing at each time and position advised velocities (celerities) for minimizing congestion or other requirements. 2. Taking into account traffic constraints of different type, the first one being to remain on the roads, to stop at junctions, etc. 3. Use information provided by the probe vehicles equipped with GPS to the traffic regulator; 4. Use other global traffic measures of vehicles provided by different types of sensors; These results are based on convex analysis, intertemporal optimization and viability theory as mathemati...

Patterns of stillbirth and dystocia in Ontario cow-calf herds.

Science.gov (United States)

McDermott, J J; Allen, O B; Martin, S W; Alves, D M

1992-01-01

The association between a number of individual animal and herd level factors and calving problems in beef cows and heifers were examined. Data were from the 1987 calving season for a subset of 123 herds which maintained individual-animal records, from a sample of 180 randomly selected Ontario cow-calf herds. The median herd dystocia rate was 5.8% and 24.4% of herds had no dystocias. The median herd stillbirth rate was 2.8%, and 33.3% of herds had no stillbirths. Dystocias and stillbirths were much more common in heifers than in cows. Separate statistical models of dystocia and stillbirth for cows and heifers were created. Dystocia in cows was associated with calf sex, previous calving assistance and large breed type and birth weight. Variations in 1987 cow herd dystocia rates were associated with calving season, location and density, and the herd dystocia rate in 1986. Dystocia in heifers was associated with large breed type and calf birth weight. Herd-level management practices associated with increased heifer dystocia rates included breeding heifers to calve earlier than cows and rearing heifers together with the cow herd. Stillbirths for both cows and heifers were associated with calving assistance, particularly hard assistance. Herd-level management and other factors were unassociated with stillbirths. PMID:1586893

Study on the growth promoting capacity of calf and fetal bovine serum for animal cells "in vitro" II: electrophoretic study and survey on the antiproteolytic activity of pools of calf and fetal bovine serum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edda de Rizzo

1984-04-01

Full Text Available Calf serum and fetal bovine serum present great variability as to its growth promoting efficiency (GPE. As supplement of culture media to cultivate cells of animal origin they stimulate the "in vitro" multiplication and maintain cell viability. When fourteen lots of calf sera of variable GPE had the total protein contents as well as the percentages of serum fractions determined, no significant differences that could possibly explain the variability of the GPE were observed. Evaluation of the antiproteolytic activity of nineteen lots of calf serum and eighteen serum lots of younger calves showed that the former exhibited lower antiproteolytic titers (1:40 to 1:80 than the latter (1:80 to 1:160. Twelve lots of fetal bovine serum studied in parallel, showed the highest concentration of antiproteolytic factors, with titers equal to 1:320. Sera of bovine origin, but not fetal sera, are usually heat-inactivated, what was demonstrated to be responsible for the decrease of the antiproteolytic activity of 75% of the lots tested. This could explain the inability of certain heat-inactivated sera in promoting multiplication of some cells "in vitro", as verified with primary monkey kidney cells. The results obtained in this study indicated the convenience of submiting each lot of serum to be introduced in cell culture to previous determination of its characteristics, such as growth promoting efficiency, antiproteolytic activity and also toxicity, absence of extraneous agents, etc., in order to minimize the possibility of using serum lots of questionable quality, thus preventing not only the loss of cell lines, but also undesirable and sometimes expensive delays.

Evaluation of cottonseed oil-cake meal as a protein source in calf ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jersey and Holstein calves weighed 21.4±0.5 and 35.9±1.4 kg respectively at the start of the experiment. There were no differences between calf starter meals containing CSOCM or SBOCM (p > 0.05) in respect of feed intake, growth rate or efficiency of feed conversion. Average daily gain of Jersey and Holstein heifer ...

Traffic State Estimation Using Connected Vehicles and Stationary Detectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ellen F. Grumert

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Real-time traffic state estimation is of importance for efficient traffic management. This is especially the case for traffic management systems that require fast detection of changes in the traffic conditions in order to apply an effective control measure. In this paper, we propose a method for estimating the traffic state and speed and density, by using connected vehicles combined with stationary detectors. The aim is to allow fast and accurate estimation of changes in the traffic conditions. The proposed method does only require information about the speed and the position of connected vehicles and can make use of sparsely located stationary detectors to limit the dependence on the infrastructure equipment. An evaluation of the proposed method is carried out by microscopic traffic simulation. The traffic state estimated using the proposed method is compared to the true simulated traffic state. Further, the density estimates are compared to density estimates from one detector-based method, one combined method, and one connected-vehicle-based method. The results of the study show that the proposed method is a promising alternative for estimating the traffic state in traffic management applications.

Delaying postpartum supplementation in cows consuming low-quality forage does not alter cow and calf productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Reducing the amount of supplemental feed postpartum without affecting productivity may enhance profitability of cow-calf operations. Therefore, sixteen 2-yr-old fall calving cows were used to evaluate effects of delaying postpartum supplementation on milk production, serum metabolites, cow and calf ...

On traffic modelling in GPRS networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Tatiana Kozlova; Schwefel, Hans-Peter; Prasad, Ramjee

2005-01-01

Optimal design and dimensioning of wireless data networks, such as GPRS, requires the knowledge of traffic characteristics of different data services. This paper presents an in-detail analysis of an IP-level traffic measurements taken in an operational GPRS network. The data measurements reported...... here are done at the Gi interface. The aim of this paper is to reveal some key statistics of GPRS data applications and to validate if the existing traffic models can adequately describe traffic volume and inter-arrival time distribution for different services. Additionally, we present a method of user...

Air Traffic Control Officer AFSC 13MX OSSN 2335

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1999-01-01

The Air Traffic Control Officer utilization field was surveyed to better understand the utilization of AFSC 1 3MX personnel, validate training requirements, empirically determine career progression...

CALF CIRCUMFERENCE AT BIRTH: A SCREENING METHOD FOR DETECTION OF LOW BIRTH WEIGHT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandip Kumar

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Low Birth Weight (LBW babies run a higher risk of morbidity and mortality in the perinatal period. However, in our country where almost 70-80% births take place at home and peripheral hospitals, taking accurate weight is a problem due to unavailability of weighing scale and trained personnel. Hence there is a constant search for newer methods to detect LBW babies so that early interventions can be instituted. Various authors have used different surrogate anthropometric measurements from different parts of our country. In the present study, an attempt was made to validate the feasibility of using calf circumference as a predictor of LBW babies that can be used by a trained or untrained person. Objectives: To study various anthropometric measurements including calf circumference in newborns and to correlate various measurements with birth weight. Methods: The present study was conducted in the department of Social & Preventive Medicine, MLB Medical College, Jhansi (UP for a period of one year. The study included 1100 consecutively delivered neonates in the maternity ward of MLB Medical College Hospital, Jhansi (UP. The birth weight (Wt, crown heel length (CHL, crown rump length (CRL, head circumference (HC, chest circumference (CC, mid arm circumference (MAC, thigh circumference (TC and calf circumference (CC by standard techniques. All the measurements were taken by a single person throughout the study period with in 24 hours of delivery. Standard statistical methods were adopted for determination of critical limit, sensitivity, specificity and correlation coefficient of different anthropometric measurements in relation to birth weight. Results: Analysis of data indicates that out of 1100 newborns, 55.64% were low birth weight. The percentage of newborns > 2500gm was 44.36. Overall average birth weight was 2348 ± 505gm. Out of 1100 newborns, 608 (55.27% were males and 492 (44.73% were females. Average birth weight for males was 2412

Complex Vertebral Malformation (CVM) in an Italian Holstein calf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gentile, A.; Diana, A.; Testoni, S.; Olzi, E.

2004-01-01

Complex Vertebral Malformation, a congenital and lethal genetic defect of Holstein breed, has been recently observed in different Countries all over the world. In this paper the AA describe the clinical and radiological aspects of CVM in a two day old female calf. The disease was characterized by low body weight, symmetrical arthrogryposis and partial rotation of all legs and scoliosis. Calf was alert and showed physiological appetite, but was not able to maintain the quadrupedal stance. Radiographs of the vertebral column showed multiple vertebral anomalies, including hemivertebrae, fused and misshapen vertebrae and ribs and scoliosis, that affected mainly the caudal, cervical and thoracic regions. At necropsy, besides the skeleton anomalies, complex malformation of the heart was observed, which included atrial and interventricular defects and patent ductus arteriosus. This is the first case of CVM completely documented and genetically tested in Italy [it

Phenotypic, genetic, and single nucleotide polymorphism marker associations between calf diseases and subsequent performance and disease occurrences of first-lactation German Holstein cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoud, M; Yin, T; Brügemann, K; König, S

2017-03-01

A total of 31,396 females born from 2010 to 2013 in 43 large-scale Holstein-Friesian herds were phenotyped for calf and cow disease traits using a veterinarian diagnosis key. Calf diseases were general disease status (cGDS), calf diarrhea (cDIA), and calf respiratory disease (cRD) recorded from birth to 2 mo of age. Incidences were 0.48 for cGDS, 0.28 for cRD, and 0.21 for cDIA. Cow disease trait recording focused on the early period directly after calving in first parity, including the interval from 10 d before calving to 200 d in lactation. For cows, at least one entry for the respective disease implied a score = 1 (sick); otherwise, score = 0 (healthy). Corresponding cow diseases were first-lactation general disease status (flGDS), first-lactation diarrhea (flDIA), and first-lactation respiratory disease (flRD). Additional cow disease categories included mastitis (flMAST), claw disorders (flCLAW), female fertility disorders (flFF), and metabolic disorders (flMET). A further cow trait category considered first-lactation test-day production traits from official test-days 1 and 2 after calving. The genotype data set included 41,256 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from 9,388 females with phenotypes. Linear and generalized linear mixed models with a logit link-function were applied to Gaussian and categorical cow traits, respectively, considering the calf disease as a fixed effect. Most of the calf diseases were not significantly associated with the occurrence of any cow disease. By trend, increasing risks for the occurrence of cow diseases were observed for healthy calves, indicating mechanisms of disease resistance with aging. Also by trend, occurrence of calf diseases was associated with decreasing milk, protein, and fat yields. Univariate linear and threshold animal models were used to estimate heritabilities and breeding values (EBV) for all calf and cow traits. Heritabilities for cGDS and cRD were 0.06 and 0.07 for cDIA. Genetic correlations among all

Genome-wide association for heifer reproduction and calf performance traits in beef cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Akanno, Everestus C; Plastow, Graham; Fitzsimmons, Carolyn; Miller, Stephen P; Baron, Vern; Ominski, Kimberly; Basarab, John A

2015-12-01

The aim of this study was to identify SNP markers that associate with variation in beef heifer reproduction and performance of their calves. A genome-wide association study was performed by means of the generalized quasi-likelihood score (GQLS) method using heifer genotypes from the BovineSNP50 BeadChip and estimated breeding values for pre-breeding body weight (PBW), pregnancy rate (PR), calving difficulty (CD), age at first calving (AFC), calf birth weight (BWT), calf weaning weight (WWT), and calf pre-weaning average daily gain (ADG). Data consisted of 785 replacement heifers from three Canadian research herds, namely Brandon Research Centre, Brandon, Manitoba, University of Alberta Roy Berg Kinsella Ranch, Kinsella, Alberta, and Lacombe Research Centre, Lacombe, Alberta. After applying a false discovery rate correction at a 5% significance level, a total of 4, 3, 3, 9, 6, 2, and 1 SNPs were significantly associated with PBW, PR, CD, AFC, BWT, WWT, and ADG, respectively. These SNPs were located on chromosomes 1, 5-7, 9, 13-16, 19-21, 24, 25, and 27-29. Chromosomes 1, 5, and 24 had SNPs with pleiotropic effects. New significant SNPs that impact functional traits were detected, many of which have not been previously reported. The results of this study support quantitative genetic studies related to the inheritance of these traits, and provides new knowledge regarding beef cattle quantitative trait loci effects. The identification of these SNPs provides a starting point to identify genes affecting heifer reproduction traits and performance of their calves (BWT, WWT, and ADG). They also contribute to a better understanding of the biology underlying these traits and will be potentially useful in marker- and genome-assisted selection and management.

Traffic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lichtblau, G.

2001-01-01

This chapter deals with passenger and freight traffic, public and private transportation, traffic related environmental impacts, future developments, traffic indicators, regional traffic planning, health costs due to road traffic related air pollution, noise pollution, measures and regulations for traffic control and fuels for traffic. In particular energy consumption, energy efficiency, pollutant emissions ( CO 2 , SO 2 , NO x , HC, CO, N 2 O, NH 3 and particulates) and environmental effects of the different types of traffic and different types of fuels are compared and studied. Legal regulations and measures for an effective traffic control are discussed. (a.n.)

Effects of repeated transport on Holstein calf post-transport behavior and feed intake.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams-Progar, A L; Friend, T H; Holub, G A; Krenek, A J; Garey, S M; Terrill, C L

2015-02-01

Previous studies have determined that stress causes decreases in feed intake and efficiency in livestock, but the effect of repeated transport on these parameters has not been well studied. This study determined how repeated transport affected calf post-transport behavior, feed intake, ADG, and feed conversion. Thirty-six 4-mo-old Holstein steer calves were housed in groups of 6 with each group randomly assigned to either transport or control treatments. Each calf was assigned to an individual Calan gate feeder and feed intake was recorded daily. Transport calves were transported for 6 h in their groups in a 7.3 by 2.4 m gooseneck trailer divided into 3 compartments, at an average density of 0.87 m/calf, every 7 d for 5 consecutive weeks. After return to their home pens, behavior was recorded for transported calves at 5-min intervals for 1 h. Calf ADG and feed conversion were analyzed in a mixed model ANOVA, whereas feed intake was analyzed as a repeated measure in a mixed model ANOVA. Post-transport, calves followed a pattern of drinking, eating, and then lying down. The highest (82 ± 5% calves) and lowest (0 ± 5% calves) incidences of eating behavior occurred 10 and 60 min post-transport, respectively. Control calves had a higher feed intake than transported calves overall (7.29 ± 0.22 kg for control and 6.91 ± 0.21 kg for transport; = 0.01), for the feeding posttreatment (6.78 ± 0.27 kg for control and 6.01 ± 0.28 kg for transport; = 0.007), and the day after treatment (7.83 ± 0.23 kg for control and 7.08 ± 0.15 kg for transport; = 0.02). Feed intake for the feeding post-transport for transport calves significantly decreased after the second transport but increased with each successive transport ( < 0.0001). Overall, control calves had higher ADG than transported calves (1.34 ± 0.13 kg/d for control and 1.15 ± 0.12 kg/d for transport; = 0.006). No significant difference ( = 0.12) between treatments was detected for feed conversion. These results

Performance of Angus and Brangus cow-calf pairs grazing Alicia bermudagrass and common bermudagrass-dallisgrass pastures.

Science.gov (United States)

Wyatt, W E; Gates, R N; Blouin, D C; Saxton, A M; Nelson, B D

1997-07-01

This research was designed to examine genotype x environment interactions in cow-calf growth performance of grazing animals. Angus and Brangus cow-calf pairs (minimum of six per breed) were allowed to rotationally graze (14-d intervals) treatment pastures from approximately May through early October in each of 2 yr. Treatment pastures contained relatively pure stands of Alicia bermudagrass (AP) or a mixed stand of common bermudagrass and dallisgrass (CDP). Forage allowance was equalized, using "put-and-take" cow-calf pairs, among forage and breed types at the initiation of each 14-d grazing interval. Forage samples were obtained in each paddock at the initiation of each grazing interval. Forage CP concentration was greater (P < .05; 13.5 vs 11.6%) and NDF concentration was less (P < .05; 63.8 vs 70.6%) for CDP than for AP. Daily weight loss was similar for Angus and Brangus cows, but it was greater (P < .05) for cows grazing AP than for cows grazing CDP. Calf ADG during the grazing season was 35% greater (P < .05) for CDP than for AP pastures and was 23% greater (P < .01) for Brangus than for Angus calves. Relative performance of Angus and Brangus cow-calf pairs was consistent between forages; no breed x forage interactions were observed.

Environmental Decision Analysis: Meeting the Challenges of Making Good Decisions at CALFED

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claire D Tomkins

2006-09-01

Full Text Available We present a methodology to support decision making at CALFED based on the principles of decision analysis, an analytical approach to decision making designed to handle complex decisions involving both uncertainty and multiple dimensions of value. The impetus for such an approach is a recognized need to enhance communication between scientists and management and between program elements within CALFED. In addition, the environmental decision analysis framework supports both the explicit representation of uncertainty in the decision problem and communication about risk, important elements of most environmental management decisions. The decision analysis cycle consists of four phases: 1 formulate, 2 evaluate, 3 appraise, and 4 decide. In phase one, we identify the objectives and also the alternatives, or possible actions. To facilitate inter-comparison between proposed actions, we recommend formulation of a set of common metrics for CALFED. In our pilot study, we introduced common metrics for salinity, winter-run Chinook salmon survival, and habitat health. The second phase focuses on quantifying possible impacts on the set of metrics, drawing on existing data, model runs, and expert opinions. For the evaluation phase, we employ tools such as decision trees to assess the system-wide impacts of a given action. In the final phase, tools such as expected cost-benefit analysis, value contribution diagrams, and 3-D tradeoff plots aid communication between various stakeholders, scientists, and managers. While decision analysis provides a spectrum of decision support tools, we emphasize that it does not dictate a solution but rather enhances communication about tradeoffs associated with different actions.

Road Traffic Injuries

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

WANG Zheng-guo

2005-01-01

@@ As everybody knows that automobiles have been greatly changing our life. However, everything has two sides, motor vehicles have also caused a huge number of people's deaths, injuries and property damage. Traffic crashes are perhaps the number one public health problem in developed countries [1]. In the United States, pre-retirement years of life lost in traffic crashes are more than that of the two combined leading diseases: cancer and heart disease [1]. Today road traffic crash (RTC) ranks 11th in leading cause of death and accounts for 2.1% of all deaths globally.

Traffic Flow Wide-Area Surveillance system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allgood, G.O.; Ferrell, R.K.; Kercel, S.W.; Abston, R.A.

1994-09-01

Traffic management can be thought of as a stochastic queuing process where the serving time at one of its control points is dynamically linked to the global traffic pattern, which is, in turn, dynamically linked to the control point. For this closed-loop system to be effective, the traffic management system must sense and interpret a large spatial projection of data originating from multiple sensor suites. This concept is the basis for the development of a Traffic Flow Wide-Area Surveillance (TFWAS) system. This paper presents the results of a study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory to define the operational specifications and characteristics, to determine the constraints, and to examine the state of technology of a TFWAS system in terms of traffic management and control. In doing so, the functions and attributes of a TFWAS system are mapped into an operational structure consistent with the Intelligent Vehicle Highway System (IVHS) concept and the existing highway infrastructure. This mapping includes identifying candidate sensor suites and establishing criteria, requirements, and performance measures by which these systems can be graded in their ability and practicality to meet the operational requirements of a TFWAS system. In light of this, issues such as system integration, applicable technologies, impact on traffic management and control, and public acceptance are addressed.

Traffic flow wide-area surveillance system

Science.gov (United States)

Allgood, Glenn O.; Ferrell, Regina K.; Kercel, Stephen W.; Abston, Ruth A.

1995-01-01

Traffic management can be thought of as a stochastic queuing process where the serving time at one of its control points is dynamically linked to the global traffic pattern, which is, in turn, dynamically linked to the control point. For this closed-loop system to be effective, the traffic management system must sense and interpret a large spatial projection of data originating from multiple sensor suites. This concept is the basis for the development of a traffic flow wide-area surveillance (TFWAS) system. This paper presents the results of a study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory to define the operational specifications and characteristics, to determine the constraints, and to examine the state of technology of a TFWAS system in terms of traffic management and control. In doing so, the functions and attributes of a TFWAS system are mapped into an operational structure consistent with the Intelligent Vehicle Highway System (IVHS) concept and the existing highway infrastructure. This mapping includes identifying candidate sensor suites and establishing criteria, requirements, and performance measures by which these systems can be graded in their ability and practicality to meet the operational requirements of a TFWAS system. In light of this, issues such as system integration, applicable technologies, impact on traffic management and control, and public acceptance are addressed.

Assessment of degree of hydration in dialysis patients using whole body and calf bioimpedance analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, F.; Kotanko, P.; Handelman, G. J.; Raimann, J.; Liu, L.; Carter, M.; Kuhlmann, M. K.; Siebert, E.; Leonard, E. F.; Levin, N. W.

2010-04-01

Prescription of an appropriate post hemodialysis (HD) dialysis target weight requires accurate evaluation of the degree of hydration. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a state of normal hydration as defined by calf bioimpedance spectroscopy (cBIS) could be characterized in HD and normal subjects (NS). cBIS was performed in 62 NS (33 m/29 f) and 30 HD patients (16 m /14 f) pre- and post-dialysis to measure extracellular resistance. Normalized calf resistivity at 5 kHz (ρN,5) was defined as resistivity divided by body mass index. Measurements were made at baseline (BL) and at a state of normal hydration (NH) established following the progressive reduction of post-HD weight over successive dialysis treatments until the ρN,5 was in the range of NS. Blood pressures were measured pre- and post-HD treatment. ρN,5 in males and females differed significantly in NS (20.5±1.99 vs 21.7±2.6 10-2 Ωm3/kg, p>0.05). In patients, ρN,5 notably increased and reached NH range due to progressive decrease in body weight, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) significantly decreased pre- and post-HD between BL and NBH respectively. This establishes the use of ρN,5 as a new comparator allowing the clinician to incrementally monitor the effect of removal of extracellular fluid from patients over a course of dialysis treatments.

Traffic flow characteristic and capacity in intelligent work zones.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-10-15

Intellgent transportation system (ITS) technologies are utilized to manage traffic flow and safety in : highway work zones. Traffic management plans for work zones require queuing analyses to determine : the anticipated traffic backups, but the predi...

Self-Organized Criticality and $1/f$ Noise in Traffic

OpenAIRE

Paczuski, Maya; Nagel, Kai

1996-01-01

Phantom traffic jams may emerge ``out of nowhere'' from small fluctuations rather than being triggered by large, exceptional events. We show how phantom jams arise in a model of single lane highway traffic, which mimics human driving behavior. Surprisingly, the optimal state of highest efficiency, with the largest throughput, is a critical state with traffic jams of all sizes. We demonstrate that open systems self-organize to the most efficient state. In the model we study, this critical stat...

Uji Biologis Konsumsi Pakan, Populasi Bakteri Rumen dan pH Pellet Complete Calf Starter pada Pedet Friesian Holstein Pra Sapih

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadia Maharani

2015-04-01

Full Text Available (Biological test feed intake, population rumen bacteria and ph pellet complete calf starter friesian holstein on pre weaning calf  ABSTRACT. The study aims to assess the quality of the formula Complete Calf Starter (CCS with 5% molasses instead of milk to the development of rumen microbial calf Holstein Friesian (HF pre-weaning. The material used is 20 head calf FH pre weaning age of 2 weeks. Feed intake data taken from 20 respondents consisted of 16 females and 4 calf tail male calf. Data rumen bacterial populations and pH were taken from 5 head of cattle slaughtered at the age of 2 weeks (one tail, 4 weeks (2-tailed and 6 weeks (2-tailed. The study was designed as a descriptive non-parametric. Parameters measured were rumen bacterial populations, pH and feed intake. The results showed the average consumption of dry matter (DM and CCS calf milk FH ages 2, 4, 6 weeks respectively at 506, 517, 528 grams. Rumen bacterial populations in calves aged 2, 4, and 6 weeks of 80x106, 45x106 and 19x106 kol/m. ruminal pH in calves aged 2, 4 and 6 weeks was 5.71, 5.36 and 5.55. Biological test showed that the use of complete calf starter (CCS in the form of pellets FH calves at the age of 2 weeks to stimulate the development of the rumen (feed intake, the population of bacteria and pH but not in calves aged 4 and 6 weeks. This is because the number of bacterial populations declined due to impaired absorption is impaired absorption of VFA marked low rumen pH.

Trajectory Based Traffic Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krogh, Benjamin Bjerre; Andersen, Ove; Lewis-Kelham, Edwin

2013-01-01

We present the INTRA system for interactive path-based traffic analysis. The analyses are developed in collaboration with traffic researchers and provide novel insights into conditions such as congestion, travel-time, choice of route, and traffic-flow. INTRA supports interactive point-and-click a......We present the INTRA system for interactive path-based traffic analysis. The analyses are developed in collaboration with traffic researchers and provide novel insights into conditions such as congestion, travel-time, choice of route, and traffic-flow. INTRA supports interactive point......-and-click analysis, due to a novel and efficient indexing structure. With the web-site daisy.aau.dk/its/spqdemo/we will demonstrate several analyses, using a very large real-world data set consisting of 1.9 billion GPS records (1.5 million trajectories) recorded from more than 13000 vehicles, and touching most...

Calf Augmentation and Restoration: Long-Term Results and the Review of the Reported Complications.

Science.gov (United States)

Niechajev, Igor; Krag, Christen

2017-10-01

Augmentation or reconstruction of the calves is indicated in patients with thin legs, for bodybuilders, or when there is a defect after an injury or illness. The principle of placing implants under the investing crural fascia was worked out in the 1980s. The senior author (I.N.) introduced many technical modifications and improvements for this operation, among them the new instrument, an inserter for the calf implants. Presented patient material is unique in that the more challenging reconstructive cases almost equal the numbers of the aesthetic cases. During the years 1991 through 2016, 50 patients underwent 60 calf contour corrections. Indications were aesthetic in 23 patients, six were bodybuilders, and 21 underwent lower leg reconstruction because of deformity caused by illness. According to evaluation by the surgeon, excellent-to-good results were obtained in 30 out of 37 followed patients. Patients rated their results as very good (18), good (10), acceptable (7) and bad (2). One 28-year-old professional bodybuilder sustained acute anterior compartment syndrome in one leg. Implants were removed 16 h after surgery, but he developed ischaemia in the anterior compartment leading to the necrosis of muscles. After several surgical operations, including microsurgical transfer of the innervated central caput of the quadriceps femoris muscle, he could resume his bodybuilding activities. Other complications were minor and manageable. Calf augmentation, performed properly, has evolved to be a safe, efficient and aesthetically pleasing operation. The possibility of acute compartment syndrome should be kept in mind. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Using Traffic Conflict Method in Evaluating Traffic Safety at the Reconstructed Intersection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zdravko Bukljaš

2002-05-01

Full Text Available As part of organised social system, traffic is subjected togeneral social tendency towards adequate safety and sustainabilityof relations in such a system, probabilistically marked bythe risk of danger. Inte1polation of subjective factor facilitatesthe occwTence of negative phenomena. Road traffic system ischaracterised by extremely massive participation in traffic, contributingthus to a greater possibility of negative features characteristicfor imperfect human mechanism. This is precisely thereason why this paper deals with the problem of traffic safety onthe concrete example of the intersection between the SavskaStreet and the Slavonska and LjubljanskaAvenues over the periodof time prior to constmcting the new unde1pass solution,and the period of time immediately after the construction workswere completed. The used data have been provided by the TrafficPolice Department - Lucko.

Analysis of air safety in the European system of air traffic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

О.Є. Луппо

2008-04-01

Full Text Available  Article describes air traffic safety provision requirements in the Air Traffic Management system of Europe. Consideration of air traffic variation which affecting the air traffic management operations have been reviewed.

Preservation of refrigerated calf meat pieces by ionization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassouna, M.; Besbes, M.; Ben Hassen, A.; Mahjoub, A.; Maalej, M.

1998-01-01

The influence of five 60Co gamma radiation doses in the range of 1 to 5 kGy on chemical composition and bacteriological counts of pieces of calf meat, partially vacuum - packed before treatment, was studied during storage at + 4 degree C up to 28 days. In vivo thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) using dosimeters such as lithium fluoride (LiF) was used as a very sensitive procedure to control both dose delivered to the red meat and its degree of uniformity. These two parameters are generally recommended for the quality control of food irradiation process. While ionizing radiation doses of 1 or 2 kGy were unable to increase the shelf life of treated meat, doses of 3, 4 or 5 kGy were very efficient, and adequate to prevent completely the growth of microorganisms indicating faecal contamination such as total coliforms, faecal coliforms and Enterobacteriaceae; they also kept constant the contents of total mesophilic flora and maintained radioresistant psychrotrophic microflora below the value inducing superficial putrefaction of meat (10 7 CFU cntdot g -1 ) at all storage times. Pathogenic germs producing contaminating toxins in foodstuffs such as Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and anaerobic sulfite reducing bacteria were totally absent in both control and treated meat. When pieces of meat were irradiated with doses of 3, 4 or 5 kGy, microbial alcalinization and proteolysis revealed by total volatile basic nitrogen were very low during the whole storage period. In addition, total protein did not change as a result of treatment during that period. However, superficial browning and significant variations were observed in water - holding capacity and saturated and unsaturated fatty acids contents in the free fat of treated meat. Ionizing radiation doses had no effect on weight losses and even on the variations of pH after heating of ground calf meat in double boiler at 50, 70 or 90 degree C up to 1 h. However, these modifications very sensitive to cooking temperature

Computed tomographic findings in a calf with actinomycosis: a case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamed, T.; Al-Sobayil, F.; Kurwasawa, T.; Nakade, T.; Floeck, M.

2011-01-01

In this report a case of actinomycosis in a five-month-old Holstein calf is described. The patient displayed a hard and immobile swelling in the mandible and fever. Computed tomography (CT) imaging of the skull was performed under deep sedation and revealed an asymmetrical appearance of the mandible with the presence of intra-mandibular hypodense lesions. Haematologic and serum biochemical profiles revealed leukocytosis, neutrophilia, hypoalbuminaemia and hypergammaglobulinaemia. Treatment consisted of flushing the lesion and administration of antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The calf responded to therapy and had recovered almost completely four months later. The present case indicates that CT is an effective non-invasive means of identifying mandibular lesions in cattle

Active traffic management case study: phase 1 : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-01

This study developed a systematic approach for using data from multiple sources to provide active traffic management : solutions. The feasibility of two active traffic management solutions is analyzed in this report: ramp-metering and real-time : cra...

Production of a cloned calf from a fetal fibroblast cell line

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mello M.R.B.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The present study examined the in vitro and in vivo development of bovine nuclear-transferred embryos. A bovine fetal fibroblast culture was established and used as nucleus donor. Slaughterhouse oocytes were matured in vitro for 18 h before enucleation. Enucleated oocytes were fused with fetal fibroblasts with an electric stimulus and treated with cytochalasin D and cycloheximide for 1 h followed by cycloheximide alone for 4 h. Reconstructed embryos were cultured for 7-9 days and those which developed to blastocysts were transferred to recipient cows. Of 191 enucleated oocytes, 83 (43.5% were successfully fused and 24 (28.9% developed to blastocysts. Eighteen freshly cloned blastocysts were transferred to 14 recipients, 5 (27.8% of which were pregnant on day 35 and 3 (16.7% on day 90. Of the three cows that reached the third trimester, one recipient died of hydrallantois 2 months before term, one aborted fetus was recovered at 8 months of gestation, and one delivered by cesarian section a healthy cloned calf. Today, the cloned calf is 15 months old and presents normal body development (378 kg and sexual behavior (libido and semen characteristics.

[Uterine torsion in cattle--therapy and consequences for calf and cow].

Science.gov (United States)

Erteld, E; Krohn, J; Dzhakupov, I T; Wehrend, A

2014-01-01

To summarize the available literature on the therapy of uterine torsion in cattle and the consequences for cow and calf. Analysis of the literature using electronic libraries (PubMed, Medline), German veterinary medical journals and obstetrical textbooks. The therapy includes the attempt to rotate the uterus back into its physiological position. Direct and indirect methods of retorsion are available and applied according to the case conditions. Subsequently, the extraction of the calf can be performed via vaginal delivery or caesarean section. The presence of uterine torsion always leads to dystocia. Following a successful retorsion, the time and degree of uterine torsion strongly influence the progress of the birth. The prognosis also depends on the aforementioned factors and varies between good to unsuccessful. The vitality of the calf displays great variation depending on the literature (14-90%), however, is generally greater under field than clinical conditions. Focussing on the puerperal development of the cow, all grades from mild irritations of the uterine involution to fatal complications occur. The influence on fertility depends on the progress of the birth and existing secondary complications. The risk for electrolyte disturbances is increased (approximately 50%) as is the risk of birth-associated injuries (approximately 20%). The incidence of placental retention varies widely between different authors (3-52%).

Diffusion tensor imaging of the human calf: Variation of inter- and intramuscle-specific diffusion parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlaffke, Lara; Rehmann, Robert; Froeling, Martijn; Kley, Rudolf; Tegenthoff, Martin; Vorgerd, Matthias; Schmidt-Wilcke, Tobias

2017-10-01

To investigate to what extent inter- and intramuscular variations of diffusion parameters of human calf muscles can be explained by age, gender, muscle location, and body mass index (BMI) in a specific age group (20-35 years). Whole calf muscles of 18 healthy volunteers were evaluated. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed using a 3T scanner and a 16-channel Torso XL coil. Diffusion-weighted images were acquired to perform fiber tractography and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis for each muscle of both legs. Fiber tractography was used to separate seven lower leg muscles. Associations between DTI parameters and confounds were evaluated. All muscles were additionally separated in seven identical segments along the z-axis to evaluate intramuscular differences in diffusion parameters. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were obtained for each muscle with low standard deviations (SDs) (SD FA : 0.01-0.02; SD MD : 0.07-0.14(10 -3 )). We found significant differences in FA values of the tibialis anterior muscle (AT) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles between men and women for whole muscle FA (two-sample t-tests; AT: P = 0.0014; EDL: P = 0.0004). We showed significant intramuscular differences in diffusion parameters between adjacent segments in most calf muscles (P < 0.001). Whereas muscle insertions showed higher (SD 0.03-0.06) than muscle bellies (SD 0.01-0.03), no relationships between FA or MD with age or BMI were found. Inter- and intramuscular variations in diffusion parameters of the calf were shown, which are not related to age or BMI in this age group. Differences between muscle belly and insertion should be considered when interpreting datasets not including whole muscles. 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1137-1148. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Effects of Calf Rearing Package Introduced to Smallholder Dairy Farms in Bahati Division, Nakuru District, Kenya

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lanyasunya, T.P.; Wekesa, F.W.; Sinkeet, S.N.O.; Jong, R.; Udo, H.; Mukisira, E.A.

1999-01-01

A Calf rearing package of Individual (mobile) pens , milk and fodder feeding was introduced on smallholder farms of Bahati Division, Nakuru District, Kenya. The study investigated the effects of changes in Calf rearing practices on calf performance and the responses of the production systems to the investigations. 46 farmers were selected on the basis of their willingness to participate in the study and were allocated to Control (23 and Test (23). both types of farmers were trained but only test farms received building materials and forage seeds. Socio-economic and calf performance data were collected. Calves were supplemented with sweet potato vines (SPV) + Green leaf desmodium (DES) and/or fodder shrubs (FOD) Leucaena leucocephala and Sesbania sesban. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) models and Chi-square test were applied on the data collected. The study revealed that there were variations in off-farm, livestock and crop incomes. The gross Margins (GM) were higher (P < 0.01) for the test than the Control farmers. Calves raised in Test farms Demonstrated higher (P < 0.05) growth rates than those in Control farms (370 versus 307 g/d). Female calves gained (P < 0.05) 57 g/d more than mal calves.Those with assorted farm grown legumes (SPV + FOD) performed better (375 and 417 g/d, respectively) compared to those supplemented with SPV alone or not supplemented (345 and 321 g/d, respectively). Improved calf performance in Test farms suggests that, farm grown forage legumes, could be used as a cheap alternative protein supplement by resource-poor farmers. Calf mortality rates for Control farms (33%) were higher (P < 0.05) than those for Test farms (12.5%). The study concluded that the interventions/measures taken improve the overall performance of calves on-farm

Twofold trauma of vertebral column in a calf (case report)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metzner, M.; Weiler, H.

1991-01-01

A double spinal cord trauma of an eight weeks old calf is reported, born on pasture from a heifer as a premature birth at the beginning of month 9. Observations made were rupture of intervertebral disk at the crossing of cervical to thoracic vertebrae followed by syndesmosis or synchondrosis resp., as well as a comminutet fracture of the 1st lumbar vertebra including both the adjoining vertebrae, with succeeding reactive callus formation. It is concluded that this traumatization has occurred during parturition. Motoric or sensoric disturbances were observed neither

Results of an online questionnaire to survey calf management practices on dairy cattle breeding farms in Austria and to estimate differences in disease incidences depending on farm structure and management practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Klein-Jöbstl, Daniela; Arnholdt, Tim; Sturmlechner, Franz; Iwersen, Michael; Drillich, Marc

2015-08-19

Calf disease may result in great economic losses. To implement prevention strategies it is important to gain information on management and to point out risk factors. The objective of this internet based survey was to describe calf management practices on registered dairy breeding farms in Austria and to estimate differences in calf disease incidences depending on farm structure and management practices. A total of 1287 questionnaires were finally analysed (response rate 12.2 %). Herd characteristics and regional distribution of farms indicated that this survey gives a good overview on calf management practices on registered dairy farms in Austria. The median number of cows per farm was 20 (interquartile range 13-30). Significant differences regarding farm characteristics and calf management between small and large farms (≤20 vs >20 cows) were present. Only 2.8 % of farmers tested first colostrum quality by use of a hydrometer. Storing frozen colostrum was more prevalent on large farms (80.8 vs 64.2 %). On 85.1 % of the farms, whole milk, including waste milk, was fed to the calves. Milk replacer and waste milk were more often used on large farms. In accordance with similar studies from other countries, calf diarrhoea was indicated as the most prevalent disease. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that herd size was associated with calf diarrhoea and calf respiratory tract disease, with higher risk of disease on large farms. Furthermore, feeding waste milk to the calves was associated with increasing calf diarrhoea incidence on farm. In the final model with calf respiratory tract disease as outcome, respondents from organic farms reported less often a respiratory tract disease incidence of over 10 % compared with conventional farms [odds ratio (OR) 0.40, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.21-0.75] and farmers that housed calves individually or in groups after birth significantly reported more often to have an incidence of respiratory tract

The traffic climate in China: The mediating effect of traffic safety climate between personality and dangerous driving behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Ge, Yan; Qu, Weina; Zhang, Kan; Sun, Xianghong

2018-04-01

Traffic safety climate is defined as road users' attitudes and perceptions of traffic in a specific context at a given point in time. The current study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the Traffic Climate Scale (TCS) and to explore its relation to drivers' personality and dangerous driving behavior. A sample of 413 drivers completed the Big Five Inventory (BFI), the Chinese version of the TCS, the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) and a demographic questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed to confirm a three-factor (external affective demands, internal requirements and functionality) solution of the TCS. The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of TCS were verified. More importantly, the results showed that the effect of personality on dangerous driving behavior was mediated by traffic climate. Specifically, the functionality of the TCS mediated the effect of neuroticism on negative cognitive/emotional driving and drunk driving, while openness had an indirect impact on aggressive driving, risky driving and drunk driving based on the internal requirements of the TCS. Additionally, agreeableness had a negative direct impact on four factors of the DDDI, while neuroticism had a positive direct impact on negative cognitive/emotional driving, drunk driving and risky driving. In conclusion, the Chinese version of the TCS will be useful to evaluate drivers' attitudes towards and perceptions of the requirements of traffic environment in which they participate and will also be valuable for comparing traffic cultures and environments in different countries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Melanosis maculosa in a calf].

Science.gov (United States)

Camenzind, D; Winzap, B; Hässig, M

2003-07-01

This work describes findings in a fattened calf, which were seen in a routine slaughter. The most important findings by the meat inspector were diffuse, black spots between 2 and 70 mm in diameter. This hyperpigmentation was observed on the entire carcass as well as on the outside and inside of all internal organs. Removal of the spinal cord produced black colored liquor. Subsequent microbiological examination of the meat resulted in sterile findings. The muscle pH was 5.8. On histological examination many macrophages containing melanin were found in the lung and liver. Based on these findings the diagnosis of Melanosis maculosa was made.

Migratory herds of wildebeests and zebras indirectly affect calf survival of giraffes.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Derek E; Kissui, Bernard M; Kiwango, Yustina A; Bond, Monica L

2016-12-01

In long-distance migratory systems, local fluctuations in the predator-prey ratio can exhibit extreme variability within a single year depending upon the seasonal location of migratory species. Such systems offer an opportunity to empirically investigate cyclic population density effects on short-term food web interactions by taking advantage of the large seasonal shifts in migratory prey biomass.We utilized a large-mammal predator-prey savanna food web to evaluate support for hypotheses relating to the indirect effects of "apparent competition" and "apparent mutualism" from migratory ungulate herds on survival of resident megaherbivore calves, mediated by their shared predator. African lions ( Panthera leo ) are generalist predators whose primary, preferred prey are wildebeests ( Connochaetes taurinus ) and zebras ( Equus quagga ), while lion predation on secondary prey such as giraffes ( Giraffa camelopardalis ) may change according to the relative abundance of the primary prey species.We used demographic data from five subpopulations of giraffes in the Tarangire Ecosystem of Tanzania, East Africa, to test hypotheses relating to direct predation and indirect effects of large migratory herds on calf survival of a resident megaherbivore. We examined neonatal survival via apparent reproduction of 860 adult females, and calf survival of 449 giraffe calves, during three precipitation seasons over 3 years, seeking evidence of some effect on neonate and calf survival as a consequence of the movements of large herds of migratory ungulates.We found that local lion predation pressure (lion density divided by primary prey density) was significantly negatively correlated with giraffe neonatal and calf survival probabilities. This supports the apparent mutualism hypothesis that the presence of migratory ungulates reduces lion predation on giraffe calves.Natural predation had a significant effect on giraffe calf and neonate survival, and could significantly affect giraffe

Measuring the Complexity of Self-Organizing Traffic Lights

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darío Zubillaga

2014-04-01

Full Text Available We apply measures of complexity, emergence, and self-organization to an urban traffic model for comparing a traditional traffic-light coordination method with a self-organizing method in two scenarios: cyclic boundaries and non-orientable boundaries. We show that the measures are useful to identify and characterize different dynamical phases. It becomes clear that different operation regimes are required for different traffic demands. Thus, not only is traffic a non-stationary problem, requiring controllers to adapt constantly; controllers must also change drastically the complexity of their behavior depending on the demand. Based on our measures and extending Ashby’s law of requisite variety, we can say that the self-organizing method achieves an adaptability level comparable to that of a living system.

Congenital Liver Cyst in a Neonatal Calf

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nora Nogradi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Congenital serous cysts attached to the liver capsule are usually small and multiple, but can be solitary, grow extremely large, and become symptomatic. They are considered rare incidental findings during laparotomies or necropsies and thier occurrence is well described in the human literature, with limited reports from the veterinary literature. This report describes the ante-mortem diagnosis and successful surgical removal of a large congenital liver cyst in a neonatal calf.

A knowledge-based system for controlling automobile traffic

Science.gov (United States)

Maravas, Alexander; Stengel, Robert F.

1994-01-01

Transportation network capacity variations arising from accidents, roadway maintenance activity, and special events as well as fluctuations in commuters' travel demands complicate traffic management. Artificial intelligence concepts and expert systems can be useful in framing policies for incident detection, congestion anticipation, and optimal traffic management. This paper examines the applicability of intelligent route guidance and control as decision aids for traffic management. Basic requirements for managing traffic are reviewed, concepts for studying traffic flow are introduced, and mathematical models for modeling traffic flow are examined. Measures for quantifying transportation network performance levels are chosen, and surveillance and control strategies are evaluated. It can be concluded that automated decision support holds great promise for aiding the efficient flow of automobile traffic over limited-access roadways, bridges, and tunnels.

Effect of calf sex on some productive, reproductive and health traits in Holstein cows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chegini, A.; Hossein-Zadeh, N.G.; Hosseini-Moghadam, H.

2015-01-01

Records of Holstein cows from March 1992 to April 2008 from 194 large herds and comprising from 402,716 records for productive traits to 178,344 records of somatic cell count were used to study the effect of calf sex in different parities and calving season on the subsequent productive, reproductive and health traits in Holstein cows. T-test procedure of SAS software was used to investigate the effect of calf sex and season of calving on aforementioned traits. Cows with female calves had higher milk and fat yield, persistency of milk and fat yield and longer lactation length, while cows that gave birth to male calves had shorter calving interval and longer productive life. Also, cows with female calves had higher milk yield per day of lactation in the first two parities, but there was no difference in milk yield per day of lactation for parities ≥ 3. There was no relationship among mean somatic cell count and sex of born calf. Fall calves had the highest adjusted milk yield and milk yield per day of lactation, however, winter calves had the longest lactation lengthand productive life and the highest somatic cell count. Results from this study demonstrate that it seems necessary to consider the effect of calf sex on aforementioned traits when making decision to use sexed semen or conventional semen. (Author)

Effect of calf sex on some productive, reproductive and health traits in Holstein cows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chegini, A.; Hossein-Zadeh, N.G.; Hosseini-Moghadam, H.

2015-07-01

Records of Holstein cows from March 1992 to April 2008 from 194 large herds and comprising from 402,716 records for productive traits to 178,344 records of somatic cell count were used to study the effect of calf sex in different parities and calving season on the subsequent productive, reproductive and health traits in Holstein cows. T-test procedure of SAS software was used to investigate the effect of calf sex and season of calving on aforementioned traits. Cows with female calves had higher milk and fat yield, persistency of milk and fat yield and longer lactation length, while cows that gave birth to male calves had shorter calving interval and longer productive life. Also, cows with female calves had higher milk yield per day of lactation in the first two parities, but there was no difference in milk yield per day of lactation for parities ≥ 3. There was no relationship among mean somatic cell count and sex of born calf. Fall calves had the highest adjusted milk yield and milk yield per day of lactation, however, winter calves had the longest lactation lengthand productive life and the highest somatic cell count. Results from this study demonstrate that it seems necessary to consider the effect of calf sex on aforementioned traits when making decision to use sexed semen or conventional semen. (Author)

Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration-1 Concept of Operations (ATD-1 ConOps), Version 3.0

Science.gov (United States)

Baxley, Brian T.; Johnson, William C.; Scardina, John; Shay, Richard F.

2016-01-01

This document describes the goals, benefits, technologies, and procedures of the Concept of Operations (ConOps) for the Air Traffic Management (ATM) Technology Demonstration #1 (ATD-1), and provides an update to the previous versions of the document [ref 1 and ref 2].

Learning Behavior Models for Interpreting and Predicting Traffic Situations

OpenAIRE

Gindele, Tobias

2014-01-01

In this thesis, we present Bayesian state estimation and machine learning methods for predicting traffic situations. The cognitive ability to assess situations and behaviors of traffic participants, and to anticipate possible developments is an essential requirement for several applications in the traffic domain, especially for self-driving cars. We present a method for learning behavior models from unlabeled traffic observations and develop improved learning methods for decision trees.

Road Transport Policy And Traffic Management In Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Road Transport Policy And Traffic Management In Nigeria. ... the attitude of the road driver to traffic engineering, control and management requirement. ... sources of data collection with simple percentage method of analysis and system theory ...

Heterosis and direct effects for Charolais-sired calf weight and growth, cow weight and weight change, and ratios of cow and calf weights and weight changes across warm season lactation in Romosinuano, Angus, and F1 cows in A

Science.gov (United States)

The use of Brahman in cow-calf production in the southeastern U.S. offers some adaptation to the harsh characteristics of endophyte-infected tall fescue. Other breeds, such as the Criollo breed Romosinuano, may provide similar adaptative characteristics. The objectives were to evaluate Romosinuano...

A novel approach to sonographic examination in a patient with a calf muscle tear: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Carl PC

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Rupture of the distal musculotendinous junction of the medial head of the gastrocnemius, also known as "tennis leg", can be readily examined using a soft tissue ultrasound. Loss of muscle fiber continuity and the occurrence of bloody fluid accumulation can be observed using ultrasound with the patient in the prone position; however, some cases may have normal ultrasound findings in this conventional position. We report a case of a middle-aged man with tennis leg. Ultrasound examination had normal findings during the first two attempts. During the third attempt, with the patient's calf muscles examined in an unconventional knee flexed position, sonographic findings resembling tennis leg were detected. Case presentation A 60-year-old man in good health visited our rehabilitation clinic complaining of left calf muscle pain. On suspicion of a ruptured left medial head gastrocnemius muscle, a soft tissue ultrasound examination was performed. An ultrasound examination revealed symmetrical findings of bilateral calf muscles without evidence of muscle rupture. A roentgenogram of the left lower limb did not reveal any bony lesions. An ultrasound examination one week later also revealed negative sonographic findings. However, he still complained of persistent pain in his left calf area. A different ultrasound examination approach was then performed with the patient lying in the supine position with his knee flexed at 90 degrees. The transducer was then placed pointing upwards to examine the muscles and well-defined anechoic fluid collections with areas of hypoechoic surroundings were observed. Conclusion For patients suffering from calf muscle area pain and suspicion of tennis leg, a soft tissue ultrasound is a simple tool to confirm the diagnosis. However, in the case of negative sonographic findings, we recommend trying a different positional approach to examine the calf muscles by ultrasound before the diagnosis of tennis leg can

A novel approach to sonographic examination in a patient with a calf muscle tear: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Carl Pc; Tang, Simon Ft; Hsu, Chih-Chin; Chen, Ruo Li; Hsu, Rex Ch; Wu, Chin-Wen; Chen, Max Jl

2009-06-25

Rupture of the distal musculotendinous junction of the medial head of the gastrocnemius, also known as "tennis leg", can be readily examined using a soft tissue ultrasound. Loss of muscle fiber continuity and the occurrence of bloody fluid accumulation can be observed using ultrasound with the patient in the prone position; however, some cases may have normal ultrasound findings in this conventional position. We report a case of a middle-aged man with tennis leg. Ultrasound examination had normal findings during the first two attempts. During the third attempt, with the patient's calf muscles examined in an unconventional knee flexed position, sonographic findings resembling tennis leg were detected. A 60-year-old man in good health visited our rehabilitation clinic complaining of left calf muscle pain. On suspicion of a ruptured left medial head gastrocnemius muscle, a soft tissue ultrasound examination was performed. An ultrasound examination revealed symmetrical findings of bilateral calf muscles without evidence of muscle rupture. A roentgenogram of the left lower limb did not reveal any bony lesions. An ultrasound examination one week later also revealed negative sonographic findings. However, he still complained of persistent pain in his left calf area. A different ultrasound examination approach was then performed with the patient lying in the supine position with his knee flexed at 90 degrees. The transducer was then placed pointing upwards to examine the muscles and well-defined anechoic fluid collections with areas of hypoechoic surroundings were observed. For patients suffering from calf muscle area pain and suspicion of tennis leg, a soft tissue ultrasound is a simple tool to confirm the diagnosis. However, in the case of negative sonographic findings, we recommend trying a different positional approach to examine the calf muscles by ultrasound before the diagnosis of tennis leg can be ruled out.

Is it traffic type, volume, or distance? Wheezing in infants living near truck and bus traffic.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Patrick H; LeMasters, Grace; Biagini, Jocelyn; Bernstein, David; Grinshpun, Sergey A; Shukla, Rakesh; Wilson, Kimberly; Villareal, Manuel; Burkle, Jeff; Lockey, James

2005-08-01

Previous studies of air pollution have not examined the association between exposure to varying types, distance, and amounts of traffic and wheezing in very young infants. We sought to determine the relationship between types of traffic, traffic volume, and distance and wheezing among infants less than 1 year of age. A geographic information system and a classification scheme were developed to categorize infants enrolled in the study as living near moving truck and bus traffic (highway >50 miles per hour, >1000 trucks daily, bus traffic (bus and truck traffic had a significantly increased prevalence of wheezing (adjusted odds ratio, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.15-5.42) when compared with unexposed infants. The prevalence of wheezing among nonwhite infants was at least twice that of white infants, regardless of exposure. Infants living less than 400 m from a high volume of moving traffic, however, did not have an increased prevalence of wheezing. These results suggest that the distance from and type of traffic exposures are more significant risk factors than traffic volume for wheezing in early infancy.

MRI assessment of calf injuries in Australian Football League players: findings that influence return to play

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waterworth, George; Wein, Sara; Rotstein, Andrew H.; Gorelik, Alexandra

2017-01-01

Calf muscle strains have become increasingly prevalent in recent seasons of the Australian Football League (AFL) and represent a significant cause of time lost from competition. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between MRI features of calf muscle strains and games missed and to thereby identify parameters that are of prognostic value. A retrospective analysis of MRI scans of AFL players with calf strains referred to a musculoskeletal radiology clinic over a 5-year period (2008-2012) was performed. The muscle(s) and muscle component affected, the site and size of strain, and the presence of an intramuscular tendon tear or intermuscular fluid were recorded. These data were cross-referenced with whether a player missed at least one game. Imaging features of prognostic value were thus identified. Sixty-three athletes had MRI scans for calf muscle strains. Soleus strains were more common than strains of other muscles. Players with soleus strains were more likely to miss at least one game if they had multiple muscle involvement (p = 0.017), musculotendinous junction strains (p = 0.046), and deep strains (p = 0.036). In a combined analysis of gastrocnemius and soleus strains, intramuscular tendon tears were observed in a significantly greater proportion of players who missed games (p = 0.010). Amongst AFL players with calf injuries, there is an association between missing at least one game and multiple muscle involvement, musculotendinous junction strains, deep strain location, and intramuscular tendon tears. In this setting, MRI may therefore provide prognostic information to help guide return-to-play decisions. (orig.)

MRI assessment of calf injuries in Australian Football League players: findings that influence return to play

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waterworth, George; Wein, Sara; Rotstein, Andrew H. [Victoria House Medical Imaging, Prahran, Victoria (Australia); Gorelik, Alexandra [Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Epicentre, Parkville (Australia)

2017-03-15

Calf muscle strains have become increasingly prevalent in recent seasons of the Australian Football League (AFL) and represent a significant cause of time lost from competition. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between MRI features of calf muscle strains and games missed and to thereby identify parameters that are of prognostic value. A retrospective analysis of MRI scans of AFL players with calf strains referred to a musculoskeletal radiology clinic over a 5-year period (2008-2012) was performed. The muscle(s) and muscle component affected, the site and size of strain, and the presence of an intramuscular tendon tear or intermuscular fluid were recorded. These data were cross-referenced with whether a player missed at least one game. Imaging features of prognostic value were thus identified. Sixty-three athletes had MRI scans for calf muscle strains. Soleus strains were more common than strains of other muscles. Players with soleus strains were more likely to miss at least one game if they had multiple muscle involvement (p = 0.017), musculotendinous junction strains (p = 0.046), and deep strains (p = 0.036). In a combined analysis of gastrocnemius and soleus strains, intramuscular tendon tears were observed in a significantly greater proportion of players who missed games (p = 0.010). Amongst AFL players with calf injuries, there is an association between missing at least one game and multiple muscle involvement, musculotendinous junction strains, deep strain location, and intramuscular tendon tears. In this setting, MRI may therefore provide prognostic information to help guide return-to-play decisions. (orig.)

MRI assessment of calf injuries in Australian Football League players: findings that influence return to play.

Science.gov (United States)

Waterworth, George; Wein, Sara; Gorelik, Alexandra; Rotstein, Andrew H

2017-03-01

Calf muscle strains have become increasingly prevalent in recent seasons of the Australian Football League (AFL) and represent a significant cause of time lost from competition. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between MRI features of calf muscle strains and games missed and to thereby identify parameters that are of prognostic value. A retrospective analysis of MRI scans of AFL players with calf strains referred to a musculoskeletal radiology clinic over a 5-year period (2008-2012) was performed. The muscle(s) and muscle component affected, the site and size of strain, and the presence of an intramuscular tendon tear or intermuscular fluid were recorded. These data were cross-referenced with whether a player missed at least one game. Imaging features of prognostic value were thus identified. Sixty-three athletes had MRI scans for calf muscle strains. Soleus strains were more common than strains of other muscles. Players with soleus strains were more likely to miss at least one game if they had multiple muscle involvement (p = 0.017), musculotendinous junction strains (p = 0.046), and deep strains (p = 0.036). In a combined analysis of gastrocnemius and soleus strains, intramuscular tendon tears were observed in a significantly greater proportion of players who missed games (p = 0.010). Amongst AFL players with calf injuries, there is an association between missing at least one game and multiple muscle involvement, musculotendinous junction strains, deep strain location, and intramuscular tendon tears. In this setting, MRI may therefore provide prognostic information to help guide return-to-play decisions.

Local and Systemic Changes in Pain Sensitivity After 4 Weeks of Calf Muscle Stretching in a Nonpainful Population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bartholdy, Cecilie; Zangger, Graziella; Hansen, Lisbeth

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Stretching is often used in clinical practice for a variety of purposes, including pain therapy. The possible mechanism behind the effect of stretching remains to be clarified. AIM: To investigate whether 4 weeks of unilateral stretching of the calf muscles would affect local...... and central pain sensitivity. METHOD: This study was a randomized assessor-blinded clinical study. Healthy participants (age 18 to 40) were included and randomized. Participants in the intervention group were instructed to perform 2 stretching exercises targeting the calf muscles; 3 times 30 seconds, 7 days...... a week for 4 weeks on the dominant leg. Participants in the control group were instructed not to do any stretching for 4 weeks. Pressure pain threshold (PPT) and temporal summation (TS) of pressure pain were measured on the stretched calf, the contra-lateral calf, and contra-lateral lower arm using...

Measures related to traffic planning for air pollution control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baumueller, J.; Reuter, U. [Office of Environmental Protection, Stuttgart (Germany). Dept. for Climatology

1995-12-31

The immense increase of motor traffic, in the future reinforced by the European market and the opening of boarders to the east countries, requires new efforts in traffic policy. In the city agglomerations the motor traffic is nearly collapsing. The increase of motor traffic is the reason for a considerable degradation of environment, especially by noise and air pollution. For the region of Stuttgart the problems and possibilities of counter-measures are discussed. (author)

Measures related to traffic planning for air pollution control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baumueller, J; Reuter, U [Office of Environmental Protection, Stuttgart (Germany). Dept. for Climatology

1996-12-31

The immense increase of motor traffic, in the future reinforced by the European market and the opening of boarders to the east countries, requires new efforts in traffic policy. In the city agglomerations the motor traffic is nearly collapsing. The increase of motor traffic is the reason for a considerable degradation of environment, especially by noise and air pollution. For the region of Stuttgart the problems and possibilities of counter-measures are discussed. (author)

Effect of calf age and dam breed on intake, energy expenditure, and excretion of nitrogen, phosphorus, and methane of beef cows with calves.

Science.gov (United States)

Estermann, B L; Sutter, F; Schlegel, P O; Erdin, D; Wettstein, H R; Kreuzer, M

2002-04-01

The effects of calf age and dam breeds of different milk yield potential on turnover of energy and nutrients were followed in 16 Simmental and 16 Angus beef cows with Angus-sired calves. Calf ages investigated were 1, 4, 7, and 10 mo. The forage offered for ad libitum access consisted of hay for the calves and of a constant mixture of grass silage, meadow hay, and straw (1:0.7:0.3 on a DM basis) for the cows. Calves of 10 mo of age received an additional 2.6 kg DM/d of crushed barley. The animals were kept in groups of four cows and four calves except in the respiration chambers, where only one cow (tethered) and her calf (loose) were grouped together. Indicator techniques were applied to obtain individual data on feces and urine volumes during group housing. In the Simmental cows, heavier on average by 22 kg, voluntary DMI was higher than in the Angus cows (14.0 vs 12.3 kg/d). In calves, DMI from supplementary feeds was 1.6, 3.9, and 6.3 kg/d, on average, at 4, 7, and 10 mo of age, respectively. Dam breed had no significant effect on DMI and ADG of calves and on BW changes of cows. System retention of energy, N, and P showed a curvilinear development with calf age. System energy expenditure, which linearly increased with calf age, was higher with Simmental than with Angus dams (11%), even when adjusted for metabolic BW (8%). Energy loss through methane linearly increased with NDF intake and, consequently, with calf age from 18 to 30 MJ/d (446 to 751 L/d) for cows and calves together. Similarly, fecal and urinary N excretion and fecal P excretion steadily increased with calf age. In calves, the easily volatile N percentage of manure N rapidly decreased from very high levels in young calves. The resulting changes in inclination to gaseous N loss during manure storage for 8 wk were more than compensated by alterations in N intake of the calves, resulting in an increased total system N loss with progressing lactation. Overall, the present results indicate a difference

Differential diagnosis of calf pain by ultrasonography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciano Augusto Botter

2008-03-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to evaluate the recent and numerous applications of ultrasonography in the differential diagnosis of conditions that affect the popliteal fossa and lower limbs, resulting in calf pain. Popliteal cysts and their ruptures, aneurysms, hematomas, cellulitis, abscesses, soft tissue tumors and other fluid collections are easily identified by this technique. Moreover, post-trauma and inflammatory conditions affecting muscles and tendons, muscle necrosis, deep venous thrombosis and superficial thrombophlebitis are very well demonstrated by the ultrasonographic screening.

Assessing cow-calf welfare. Part 1: Benchmarking beef cow health and behavior, handling; and management, facilities, and producer perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, G E; Hoar, B R; Tucker, C B

2016-08-01

Assessment programs are one way beef producers communicate information about animal welfare to retailers and the public. Programs that monitor cattle through the production cycle (e.g., the Global Animal Partnership) or at individual stages (e.g., slaughter; the North American Meat Institute) exist, but to date, there is no assessment program addressing welfare specifically in the cow-calf sector. The objectives of this study were to measure cow-calf health and handling welfare outcomes and gather management, facility, and producer perspective information to 1) describe current practices and 2) inform assessment design. A welfare assessment, designed using features of similar beef and dairy programs, was conducted on 30 California ranches that varied in size (mean 1,051 cows [SD 1,849], range 28 to 10,000 cows) and location within the state. Cattle health and behavior and stockperson handling were measured during a routine procedure (e.g., pregnancy checks) on breeding females ( = 3,065). Management and producer perspectives were evaluated through an interview, and facility features were recorded at the chute and water access points. Cattle health problems were rare and seen only on specific ranches (e.g., prevalence of lame cattle: mean 1.3% [SD 1.5], range 0 to 7.1%). Cattle behavior and stockperson handling varied between ranches (e.g., cattle balking: mean 22.0% [SD 21.9], range 1.6 to 78.3%; electric prod use: mean 23.5 [SD 21.5], range 0 to 73.0%). Although some management and facility characteristics were shared by most (e.g., all ranches castrated bull calves; 86% used alleyways with an anti-back gate), other aspects varied (e.g., weaning age: mean 8.2 mo [SD 1.4], range 6 to 11 mo; 43% used shade cover over chute). Most producers shared similar perspectives toward their herd health management plan, but their responses varied when asked to evaluate an animal's pain experience. In terms of assessment design, there were challenges with feasibility (e

EFFECT OF MUSCLE ENERGY TECHNIQUE ON FLEXIBILITY OF HAMSTRING AND CALF MUSCLES AND SPRINTING PERFORMANCE IN SPRINTERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Prasad Naik

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Muscle energy technique is used for restoring normal tone in hypertonic muscles, strengthening weak muscles, preparing muscle for subsequent stretching, one of the main uses of this method is to normalize joint range which may help in increase flexibility and performance in sprinters. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of muscle energy technique on flexibility of hamstrings and calf muscles and sprinting performance in sprinters. The objective of the study is to determine the muscle energy technique on hamstrings and calf muscle flexibility and sprinting performance in sprinters by using goniometer and timing of sprinting performance. Method: The study design is an experimental study in which 30 male sprinters were recruited in this study. The study sample included all male healthy sprinters, aged between 15 -30 years. All subjects received warm up, muscle energy technique and cool down exercises daily for a period of 6weeks.The outcome measures are 90°-90°popliteal angle for assessing hamstring flexibility and ROM of ankle joint for calf muscles by universal goniometer and sprinting performance time by using stopwatch. Results: Independent t-test and paired t- test are used to analyse the data. A significant difference was found between pre and post values of hamstring and calf muscle flexibility and sprinting performance after the analysis in this study. Conclusion: This study shows that there was a significant effect of MET on hamstring and calf muscle flexibility and sprinting performance.

The influence of protein free calf blood extract eye gel on dry eye after pterygium surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cai-Ni Ji

2013-07-01

Full Text Available AIM: To investigate the influence of protein free calf blood extract eye gel on dry eye after pterygium surgery. METHODS: Thirty six patients(40 eyeswith primary nasal pterygium were enrolled in this study, which were divided into study group and control group randomly, with 20 eyes in each group. All patients received pterygium excision and limbal stem cell autograft surgery and tobramicin dexamethasone eye drops after surgery. Patients of the study group received protein free calf blood extract eye gel while those of the control group received 0.1% sodium hyaluronate eye drops furthermore. Ocular surface disease index(OSDIquestionnaire, tear film break-up time(BUTand Schirmer's Ⅰ test Ⅰ(SⅠtwere carried before and 3 months after surgery to evaluate the dry eye degree of the patients. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference between the age, gender and size of the pterygium of the study and control groups preoperatively. There was no statistical difference between the OSDI(2.33±1.02 vs 2.32±0.93, BUT(8.80±2.48 vs 8.35±2.28seconds and SⅠt(4.30±2.30 vs 4.40±2.44of the two groups preoperatively. There was statistical difference between the OSDI(1.45±0.47 vs 1.81±0.60, BUT(11.20±2.07 vs 9.50±2.40seconds and SⅠt(8.35±3.13 vs 6.35±2.18of the two groups 3 months postoperatively, which was also different from that of the preoperative data correspondingly. CONCLUSION: Protein free calf blood extract eye gel could reduce the dry eye after pterygium surgery.

Occurrence of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis and Neospora caninum in Alberta cow-calf operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Pruvot, M; Kutz, S; Barkema, H W; De Buck, J; Orsel, K

2014-11-01

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and Neospora caninum (NC) are two pathogens causing important production limiting diseases in the cattle industry. Significant impacts of MAP and NC have been reported on dairy cattle herds, but little is known about the importance, risk factors and transmission patterns in western Canadian cow-calf herds. In this cross-sectional study, the prevalence of MAP and NC infection in southwest Alberta cow-calf herds was estimated, risk factors for NC were identified, and the reproductive impacts of the two pathogens were assessed. Blood and fecal samples were collected from 840 cows on 28 cow-calf operations. Individual cow and herd management information was collected by self-administered questionnaires and one-on-one interviews. Bayesian estimates of the true prevalence of MAP and NC were computed, and bivariable and multivariable statistical analysis were done to assess the association between the NC serological status and ranch management risk factors, and the clinical effects of the two pathogens. Bayesian estimates of true prevalence indicated that 20% (95% probability interval: 8-38%) of herds had at least one MAP-positive cow, with a within-herd prevalence in positive herds of 22% (8-45%). From the Bayesian posterior distributions of NC prevalence, the median herd-level prevalence was 66% (33-95%) with 10% (4-21%) cow-level prevalence in positive herds. Multivariable analysis indicated that introducing purchased animals in the herd might increase the risk of NC. The negative association of NC with proper carcass disposal and presence of horses on ranch (possibly in relation to herd monitoring and guarding activities), may suggest the importance of wild carnivores in the dynamics of this pathogen in the study area. We also observed an association between MAP and NC serological status and the number of abortions. Additional studies should be done to further examine specific risk factors for MAP and NC, assess the

Applying Required Navigation Performance Concept for Traffic Management of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Jaewoo; D'Souza, Sarah N.; Johnson, Marcus A.; Ishihara, Abraham K.; Modi, Hemil C.; Nikaido, Ben; Hasseeb, Hashmatullah

2016-01-01

In anticipation of a rapid increase in the number of civil Unmanned Aircraft System(UAS) operations, NASA is researching prototype technologies for a UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system that will investigate airspace integration requirements for enabling safe, efficient low-altitude operations. One aspect a UTM system must consider is the correlation between UAS operations (such as vehicles, operation areas and durations), UAS performance requirements, and the risk to people and property in the operational area. This paper investigates the potential application of the International Civil Aviation Organizations (ICAO) Required Navigation Performance (RNP) concept to relate operational risk with trajectory conformance requirements. The approach is to first define a method to quantify operational risk and then define the RNP level requirement as a function of the operational risk. Greater operational risk corresponds to more accurate RNP level, or smaller tolerable Total System Error (TSE). Data from 19 small UAS flights are used to develop and validate a formula that defines this relationship. An approach to assessing UAS-RNP conformance capability using vehicle modeling and wind field simulation is developed to investigate how this formula may be applied in a future UTM system. The results indicate the modeled vehicles flight path is robust to the simulated wind variation, and it can meet RNP level requirements calculated by the formula. The results also indicate how vehicle-modeling fidelity may be improved to adequately verify assessed RNP level.

GABARAP activates ULK1 and traffics from the centrosome dependent on Golgi partners WAC and GOLGA2/GM130.

Science.gov (United States)

Joachim, Justin; Tooze, Sharon A

2016-05-03

WAC and GOLGA2/GM130 are 2 Golgi proteins that affect autophagy; however, their mechanism of action was unknown. We have shown that WAC binding to GOLGA2 at the Golgi displaces GABARAP from GOLGA2 to allow the maintenance of a nonlipidated centrosomal GABARAP pool. Centrosomal GABARAP can traffic to autophagic structures during starvation. In addition GABARAP specifically promotes ULK1 activation and this is independent of GABARAP lipidation but likely requires a LIR-mediated GABARAP-ULK1 interaction.

Minimal-delay traffic grooming for WDM star networks

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hongsik; Garg, Nikhil; Choi, Hyeong-Ah

2003-10-01

All-optical networks face the challenge of reducing slower opto-electronic conversions by managing assignment of traffic streams to wavelengths in an intelligent manner, while at the same time utilizing bandwidth resources to the maximum. This challenge becomes harder in networks closer to the end users that have insufficient data to saturate single wavelengths as well as traffic streams outnumbering the usable wavelengths, resulting in traffic grooming which requires costly traffic analysis at access nodes. We study the problem of traffic grooming that reduces the need to analyze traffic, for a class of network architecture most used by Metropolitan Area Networks; the star network. The problem being NP-complete, we provide an efficient twice-optimal-bound greedy heuristic for the same, that can be used to intelligently groom traffic at the LANs to reduce latency at the access nodes. Simulation results show that our greedy heuristic achieves a near-optimal solution.

A Network Traffic Control Enhancement Approach over Bluetooth Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Son, L.T.; Schiøler, Henrik; Madsen, Ole Brun

2003-01-01

This paper analyzes network traffic control issues in Bluetooth data networks as convex optimization problem. We formulate the problem of maximizing of total network flows and minimizing the costs of flows. An adaptive distributed network traffic control scheme is proposed as an approximated solu...... as capacity limitations and flow requirements in the network. Simulation shows that the performance of Bluetooth networks could be improved by applying the adaptive distributed network traffic control scheme...... solution of the stated optimization problem that satisfies quality of service requirements and topologically induced constraints in Bluetooth networks, such as link capacity and node resource limitations. The proposed scheme is decentralized and complies with frequent changes of topology as well......This paper analyzes network traffic control issues in Bluetooth data networks as convex optimization problem. We formulate the problem of maximizing of total network flows and minimizing the costs of flows. An adaptive distributed network traffic control scheme is proposed as an approximated...

Veterinarians’ and agricultural advisors’ perception of calf health and welfare in organic dairy production in Norway

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellingsen, Kristian; Mejdell, C. M.; Hansen, B.

2012-01-01

and opinions on calf health and welfare in organic dairy farming. The response rate was 52 % for veterinarians and 54 % for advisors. In direct comparison, both groups thought that the calves’ overall health status and well-being did not differ in organic and conventional dairy farming systems. However...... of respondents considered the routine of keeping calves with their mothers and the good care of the calves by stockpersons as important welfare advantages. Among all factors related to health, welfare, morbidity and mortality, low calf mortality and adequate treatment of disease and injury received the best...... scores. Body condition and growth, as well as the use of calf health recording cards, received the worst scores. The two professions differed in their views on the most important welfare challenges for calves in an organic environment: while both groups agreed on poor feed quality, veterinarians...

Benign acute childhood myositis: an unusual cause of calf pain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panghaal, Vikash; Levin, Terry L. [Montefiore Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Bronx, NY (United States); Ortiz-Romero, Sara [Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY (United States); Lovinsky, Stephanie [Montefiore Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, Bronx, NY (United States)

2008-06-15

We present a 17-year-old boy with benign acute childhood myositis (BACM) who presented with acute onset of right calf pain, swelling, and difficulty walking. The MR findings are reviewed. MR may be useful in diagnosing BACM and in differentiating it from other causes of myositis. (orig.)

Benign acute childhood myositis: an unusual cause of calf pain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panghaal, Vikash; Levin, Terry L.; Ortiz-Romero, Sara; Lovinsky, Stephanie

2008-01-01

We present a 17-year-old boy with benign acute childhood myositis (BACM) who presented with acute onset of right calf pain, swelling, and difficulty walking. The MR findings are reviewed. MR may be useful in diagnosing BACM and in differentiating it from other causes of myositis. (orig.)

Traffic theory

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gazis, Denos C

2002-01-01

... of traffic signal settings The vehicle-actuated traffic signal 87 89 77 CHAPTER 3. TRAFFIC CONTROL 101 Objectives of Traffic Control 103 Single, Isolated Intersection 105 Synchronization Scheme...

Calf Strength Loss During Mechanical Unloading: Does It Matter?

Science.gov (United States)

English, K. L.; Mulavara, A.; Bloomberg, J.; Ploutz-Snyder, LL

2016-01-01

During the mechanical unloading of spaceflight and its ground-based analogs, muscle mass and muscle strength of the calf are difficult to preserve despite exercise countermeasures that effectively protect these parameters in the thigh. It is unclear what effects these local losses have on balance and whole body function which will be essential for successful performance of demanding tasks during future exploration missions.

Development and Evaluation of a Control System for Regional Traffic Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John L. McLin

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Traffic congestion is a worsening problem in metropolitan areas which will require integrated regional traffic control systems to improve traffic conditions. This paper presents a regional traffic control system which can detect incident conditions and provide integrated traffic management during nonrecurrent congestion events. The system combines advanced artificial intelligence techniques with a traffic performance model based on HCM equations. Preliminary evaluation of the control system using traffic microsimulation demonstrates that it has the potential to improve system conditions during traffic incidents. In addition, several enhancements were identified which will make the system more robust in a real traffic control setting. An assessment of the control system elements indicates that there are no substantial technical barriers in implementing this system in a large traffic network.

Gamma-ray decontamination of a milk substitute for calf feeding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blasco, M. I.; Roberti, A.; Horak, Celina I.; Narvaiz, Patricia; Kairiyama, Eulogia

1999-01-01

A contaminated milk substitute for calf feeding has been irradiated to reduce the content of bacteria and fungi. The results of microbiological, chemical and physico-chemical studies demonstrate that an irradiation doses of 7 kGy reduce to an acceptable level the content of contaminants without damaging the milk substitute. (author)

Air Traffic ControL : FAA Order 7110.65K

Science.gov (United States)

1997-07-17

This order prescribes air traffic control procedures and phraseology for use by : personnel providing air traffic control services. Controllers are required to : be familiar with the provisions of this order that pertain to their operational : respon...

Impact of an AI heifer calf rearing scheme on dairy stock development in the Western province of Sri Lanka.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nettisinghe, A.M.P.; Udo, H.M.J.; Steenstra, F.A.

2004-01-01

This study evaluated the impact of an AI heifer calf rearing scheme on dairy stock development, in a coconut grazing and a peri-urban smallholder dairy production system in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. The heifer rearing scheme included free advice on calf rearing, drugs, acaricides, minerals

Automated Conflict Resolution For Air Traffic Control

Science.gov (United States)

Erzberger, Heinz

2005-01-01

The ability to detect and resolve conflicts automatically is considered to be an essential requirement for the next generation air traffic control system. While systems for automated conflict detection have been used operationally by controllers for more than 20 years, automated resolution systems have so far not reached the level of maturity required for operational deployment. Analytical models and algorithms for automated resolution have been traffic conditions to demonstrate that they can handle the complete spectrum of conflict situations encountered in actual operations. The resolution algorithm described in this paper was formulated to meet the performance requirements of the Automated Airspace Concept (AAC). The AAC, which was described in a recent paper [1], is a candidate for the next generation air traffic control system. The AAC's performance objectives are to increase safety and airspace capacity and to accommodate user preferences in flight operations to the greatest extent possible. In the AAC, resolution trajectories are generated by an automation system on the ground and sent to the aircraft autonomously via data link .The algorithm generating the trajectories must take into account the performance characteristics of the aircraft, the route structure of the airway system, and be capable of resolving all types of conflicts for properly equipped aircraft without requiring supervision and approval by a controller. Furthermore, the resolution trajectories should be compatible with the clearances, vectors and flight plan amendments that controllers customarily issue to pilots in resolving conflicts. The algorithm described herein, although formulated specifically to meet the needs of the AAC, provides a generic engine for resolving conflicts. Thus, it can be incorporated into any operational concept that requires a method for automated resolution, including concepts for autonomous air to air resolution.

A rare case of monozygotic iniodymic diprosopiasis in a German Holstein calf.

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, Jim; Behn, Holger; Freick, Markus

2017-06-01

Craniofacial duplication abnormity is a rare phenomenon in buiatric practice. This report attends to a male German Holstein calf which could be classified as a diprosopic iniodymus. A fetus exhibiting a doubled face was delivered after fetotomy. To our knowledge, this is the first description of diprosopiasis with two cranial cavities as well as two separate encephala in a calf showing the potential extent of duplication. Throughout this work also the question is answered of whether this malformation in a bovine species arose from one embryo or rather, there is a dizygotic background by genotyping of tissue samples from both parts of the diprosopus. Regarding etiology, not only hereditary dispositions including among others a failed function of the signaling molecule Sonic hedgehog mediating regulation of craniofacial morphogenesis, but also incompletely separated monozygotic twins are discussed.

Fine-Tuning ADAS Algorithm Parameters for Optimizing Traffic ...

Science.gov (United States)

With the development of the Connected Vehicle technology that facilitates wirelessly communication among vehicles and road-side infrastructure, the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) can be adopted as an effective tool for accelerating traffic safety and mobility optimization at various highway facilities. To this end, the traffic management centers identify the optimal ADAS algorithm parameter set that enables the maximum improvement of the traffic safety and mobility performance, and broadcast the optimal parameter set wirelessly to individual ADAS-equipped vehicles. After adopting the optimal parameter set, the ADAS-equipped drivers become active agents in the traffic stream that work collectively and consistently to prevent traffic conflicts, lower the intensity of traffic disturbances, and suppress the development of traffic oscillations into heavy traffic jams. Successful implementation of this objective requires the analysis capability of capturing the impact of the ADAS on driving behaviors, and measuring traffic safety and mobility performance under the influence of the ADAS. To address this challenge, this research proposes a synthetic methodology that incorporates the ADAS-affected driving behavior modeling and state-of-the-art microscopic traffic flow modeling into a virtually simulated environment. Building on such an environment, the optimal ADAS algorithm parameter set is identified through an optimization programming framework to enable th

Evaluation of diversion strategies in the context of advanced traffic management systems (ATMS) for an urban traffic corridor with heterogeneous traffic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korlapati, D.R.

2007-07-01

Due to urbanization and accelerated growth in vehicular traffic, most big cities in India face problems related to traffic management resulting in severe congestion, pollution, and a high rate of accidents during peak hours. Lane blocking incidents on arterials or urban traffic corridors cause major disruption to traffic flow. Peak hour congestion with low average speeds and high accident rates are commonly associated with traffic in major cities in India. The situation is deteriorating further as creation of new facilities are almost impossible, with resource and space constraints. In such scenarios, application of advanced technologies seems to offer hope. One such application area is Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS), a component of intelligent transportation system (ITS). Due to the unique traffic characteristics prevailing in India, the application of such systems needs to first be evaluated before implementation. This paper proposed a research methodology for the evaluation of diversion strategies in the context of ATMS for an urban corridor in India. The evaluation framework combined several relevant modules related to various aspects of traffic control, surveillance and advisory. As part of this study, a simulation model and a simulation optimization model were developed. The simulation model was microscopic in nature and captured the driver behaviour and traffic characteristics realistically by modeling the complex interactions among vehicles traversing a corridor. It was concluded that the results and observations were useful indicators to gauge the potential success of diversion plans. 10 refs., 1 tab., 2 figs.

Economic Pasture-Based Cow-Calf Systems for Appalachia

OpenAIRE

Emenheiser, Joseph Carl

2014-01-01

Pasture-based beef production is well-suited for the Appalachian region of the United States. This research investigated pasture, beef cattle, and economics components within the cow-calf sector of pasture beef production, and presents implications of their interplay for the vitality of the whole system. Samples of forage DM mass and CP, ADF, NDF, and ash contents in each paddock of a rotational stocking system were collected monthly for 4 grazing seasons. Effects of month, stockpiling, hay f...

Calf Endurance and Achilles Tendon Structure in Classical Ballet Dancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zellers, Jennifer A; van Ostrand, Katrina; Silbernagel, Karin Grävare

2017-06-15

Optimal lower leg function is critical for ballet dancers to meet their occupational requirements. Achilles tendon injury is particularly detrimental to ballet dancers. While standardized measures have been validated and incorporated into clinical practice for use in people with Achilles tendon injury, normative ranges specific to the dancer population have not been described. The purpose of this pilot study was to observe the performance of pre-professional ballet students and professional ballet dancers on a well-established test battery for lower leg functional performance as well as ultra-sonographic evaluation of the structure of their Achilles tendons. The dancers in this study had significantly shorter Achilles tendons than non-dancers (p = 0.016). Dancers demonstrated significantly higher maximum heel-rise height on the heel-rise test for calf endurance (p < 0.001) but performed significantly less work than non-dancers (p = 0.014). The results of this study support the use of the heel-rise test as a tool for screening and to guide rehabilitation.

Virtual partitioning for robust resource sharing: computational techniques for heterogeneous traffic

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borst, S.C.; Mitra, D.

1998-01-01

We consider virtual partitioning (VP), which is a scheme for sharing a resource among several traffic classes in an efficient, fair, and robust manner. In the preliminary design stage, each traffic class is allocated a nominal capacity, which is based on expected offered traffic and required quality

Calf tissue liquid stowage and muscular and deep vein distension in orthostatic tests after a 90-day head down bed rest

Science.gov (United States)

Arbeille, P.A.; Kerbeci, P.; Audebert, P.; Capri, A.; Pascaud, L.

2005-08-01

The objectives were to assess the contribution of (1) the calf veins distension and(2) the tissue liquid stowage during standtest, to orthostatic intolerance "OI" after a head down bed rest (HDBR) of 90days. Method: The population consisted of a control group (Co-gr, n=9) and an exercise Fly wheel counter-measure group (CM-gr, n=9). Calf vein cross sectional area (CSA) and surrounding tissue liquid content (tissue image darkness) were assessed by echography during pre and post HDBR stand-tests. Results: From supine to standing (post HDBR), the Tibial and muscular vein CSA increased significantly in non tolerant subjects whereas in tolerant subjects the vein CSA did not change. Post HDBR the tissue image darkness (proportional to tissue liquid content) increased more from supine to standing in non tolerant than in tolerant subjects. No significant difference were found between Co and exercise CM groups. Conclusion: High calf vein CSA and tissue liquid content increase at post-HDBR stand-test were significantly correlated with occurrence of OI but not with CM.

A rare cause of calf swelling: the Morel-Lavallee lesion.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Moriarty, J M

2011-03-01

Calf swelling is a common clinical presentation with a wide and varied differential diagnosis. The Morel-Lavallee is a rare cause of subcutaneous swelling, caused by post-traumatic shearing of the hypodermis from the underlying fascia. The potential space so created fills with blood, lymph and necrotic fat giving specific findings on MR evaluation.

The effect of housing on calving behavior and calf vitality in Holstein and Jersey dairy cows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Campler, Magnus Robert Bertil; Munksgaard, Lene; Jensen, Margit Bak

2015-01-01

The present study investigated how calving behavior and calf vitality in Holstein and Jersey dairy cows were affected by housing during the final 4 wk precalving. One hundred twenty-one cows (36 primiparous and 85 multiparous) were moved either to a group pen with deep straw bedding or into frees...... that a longer period of housing on deep-bedded straw compared with freestalls with mattresses before calving may facilitate the calving process, whereas the effect on calf vitality needs further investigation....

Absolute quantification of carnosine in human calf muscle by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oezdemir, Mahir S; Reyngoudt, Harmen; Deene, Yves de; Sazak, Hakan S; Fieremans, Els; Delputte, Steven; D'Asseler, Yves; Derave, Wim; Lemahieu, Ignace; Achten, Eric

2007-01-01

Carnosine has been shown to be present in the skeletal muscle and in the brain of a variety of animals and humans. Despite the various physiological functions assigned to this metabolite, its exact role remains unclear. It has been suggested that carnosine plays a role in buffering in the intracellular physiological pH i range in skeletal muscle as a result of accepting hydrogen ions released in the development of fatigue during intensive exercise. It is thus postulated that the concentration of carnosine is an indicator for the extent of the buffering capacity. However, the determination of the concentration of this metabolite has only been performed by means of muscle biopsy, which is an invasive procedure. In this paper, we utilized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H MRS) in order to perform absolute quantification of carnosine in vivo non-invasively. The method was verified by phantom experiments and in vivo measurements in the calf muscles of athletes and untrained volunteers. The measured mean concentrations in the soleus and the gastrocnemius muscles were found to be 2.81 ± 0.57/4.8 ± 1.59 mM (mean ± SD) for athletes and 2.58 ± 0.65/3.3 ± 0.32 mM for untrained volunteers, respectively. These values are in agreement with previously reported biopsy-based results. Our results suggest that 1 H MRS can provide an alternative method for non-invasively determining carnosine concentration in human calf muscle in vivo

Traffic Flow Management Wrap-Up

Science.gov (United States)

Grabbe, Shon

2011-01-01

Traffic Flow Management involves the scheduling and routing of air traffic subject to airport and airspace capacity constraints, and the efficient use of available airspace. Significant challenges in this area include: (1) weather integration and forecasting, (2) accounting for user preferences in the Traffic Flow Management decision making process, and (3) understanding and mitigating the environmental impacts of air traffic on the environment. To address these challenges, researchers in the Traffic Flow Management area are developing modeling, simulation and optimization techniques to route and schedule air traffic flights and flows while accommodating user preferences, accounting for system uncertainties and considering the environmental impacts of aviation. This presentation will highlight some of the major challenges facing researchers in this domain, while also showcasing recent innovations designed to address these challenges.

Mitochondrial Respiration after One Session of Calf Raise Exercise in Patients with Peripheral Vascular Disease and Healthy Older Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

van Schaardenburgh, Michel; Wohlwend, Martin; Rognmo, Øivind; Mattsson, Erney J R

2016-01-01

Mitochondria are essential for energy production in the muscle cell and for this they are dependent upon a sufficient supply of oxygen by the circulation. Exercise training has shown to be a potent stimulus for physiological adaptations and mitochondria play a central role. Whether changes in mitochondrial respiration are seen after exercise in patients with a reduced circulation is unknown. The aim of the study was to evaluate the time course and whether one session of calf raise exercise stimulates mitochondrial respiration in the calf muscle of patients with peripheral vascular disease. One group of patients with peripheral vascular disease (n = 11) and one group of healthy older adults (n = 11) were included. Patients performed one session of continuous calf raises followed by 5 extra repetitions after initiation of pain. Healthy older adults performed 100 continuous calf raises. Gastrocnemius muscle biopsies were collected at baseline and 15 minutes, one hour, three hours and 24 hours after one session of calf raise exercise. A multi substrate (octanoylcarnitine, malate, adp, glutamate, succinate, FCCP, rotenone) approach was used to analyze mitochondrial respiration in permeabilized fibers. Mixed-linear model for repeated measures was used for statistical analyses. Patients with peripheral vascular disease have a lower baseline respiration supported by complex I and they increase respiration supported by complex II at one hour post-exercise. Healthy older adults increase respiration supported by electron transfer flavoprotein and complex I at one hour and 24 hours post-exercise. Our results indicate a shift towards mitochondrial respiration supported by complex II as being a pathophysiological component of peripheral vascular disease. Furthermore exercise stimulates mitochondrial respiration already after one session of calf raise exercise in patients with peripheral vascular disease and healthy older adults. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01842412.

GABARAP activates ULK1 and traffics from the centrosome dependent on Golgi partners WAC and GOLGA2/GM130

OpenAIRE

Joachim, Justin; Tooze, Sharon A.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT WAC and GOLGA2/GM130 are 2 Golgi proteins that affect autophagy; however, their mechanism of action was unknown. We have shown that WAC binding to GOLGA2 at the Golgi displaces GABARAP from GOLGA2 to allow the maintenance of a nonlipidated centrosomal GABARAP pool. Centrosomal GABARAP can traffic to autophagic structures during starvation. In addition GABARAP specifically promotes ULK1 activation and this is independent of GABARAP lipidation but likely requires a LIR-mediated GABARAP...

Weight-adjusted lean body mass and calf circumference are protective against obesity-associated insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Takamura, Toshinari; Kita, Yuki; Nakagen, Masatoshi; Sakurai, Masaru; Isobe, Yuki; Takeshita, Yumie; Kawai, Kohzo; Urabe, Takeshi; Kaneko, Shuichi

2017-07-01

To test the hypothesis that preserved muscle mass is protective against obesity-associated insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities, we analyzed the relationship of lean body mass and computed tomography-assessed sectional areas of specific skeletal muscles with insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities in a healthy cohort. A total of 195 subjects without diabetes who had completed a medical examination were included in this study. Various anthropometric indices such as circumferences of the arm, waist, hip, thigh, and calf were measured. Body composition (fat and lean body mass) was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Sectional areas of specific skeletal muscles (iliopsoas, erector spinae, gluteus, femoris, and rectus abdominis muscles) were measured using computed tomography. Fat and lean body mass were significantly correlated with metabolic abnormalities and insulin resistance indices. When adjusted by weight, relationships of fat and lean body mass with metabolic parameters were mirror images of each other. The weight-adjusted lean body mass negatively correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressures; fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, alanine aminotransferase, and triglyceride, and insulin levels; and hepatic insulin resistance indices, and positively correlated with HDL-cholesterol levels and muscle insulin sensitivity indices. Compared with weight-adjusted lean body mass, weight-adjusted sectional areas of specific skeletal muscles showed similar, but not as strong, correlations with metabolic parameters. Among anthropometric measures, the calf circumference best reflected lean body mass, and weight-adjusted calf circumference negatively correlated with metabolic abnormalities and insulin resistance indices. Weight-adjusted lean body mass and skeletal muscle area are protective against weight-associated insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities. The calf circumference reflects lean body mass and may be useful as a protective

Interaction between insulin and calf thymus DNA, and quantification of insulin and calf thymus DNA by a resonance Rayleigh scattering method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong, L.; Liu, Z.; Hu, X.; Liu, S.; Li, W.

2012-01-01

The interaction of insulin with calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) leads to a complex that displays remarkably enhanced resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS). The complex and its formation were investigated by atomic force microscopy and by absorption, fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopies. We show that the Tyr B16, Tyr B26 and Phe B24 amino acids near the active center (Phe B25) were influenced by the interaction, whereas Tyr A14, Tyr A19 and Phe B1 (which are located far away from the active center) were less influenced. The interaction provide a way in the quantitation of both ctDNA and insulin with high sensitivity. When ctDNA is used as a probe to quantify insulin, the detection limit (3σ) is 6.0 ng mL -1 . If, inversely, insulin is used as a probe to quantify ctDNA, the detection limit (3σ) is 7.2 ng mL -1 . The analysis of synthetic DNA samples and an insulin infection sample provided satisfactory results. (author)

Accurate Multisteps Traffic Flow Prediction Based on SVM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Mingheng

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Accurate traffic flow prediction is prerequisite and important for realizing intelligent traffic control and guidance, and it is also the objective requirement for intelligent traffic management. Due to the strong nonlinear, stochastic, time-varying characteristics of urban transport system, artificial intelligence methods such as support vector machine (SVM are now receiving more and more attentions in this research field. Compared with the traditional single-step prediction method, the multisteps prediction has the ability that can predict the traffic state trends over a certain period in the future. From the perspective of dynamic decision, it is far important than the current traffic condition obtained. Thus, in this paper, an accurate multi-steps traffic flow prediction model based on SVM was proposed. In which, the input vectors were comprised of actual traffic volume and four different types of input vectors were compared to verify their prediction performance with each other. Finally, the model was verified with actual data in the empirical analysis phase and the test results showed that the proposed SVM model had a good ability for traffic flow prediction and the SVM-HPT model outperformed the other three models for prediction.

Seven-legged calf: Dipygus with an extra foreleg at the pelvic region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiraga, T.; Abe, M.; Iwasa, K.; Takehana, K.; Tetsuka, M.

1989-01-01

A male Holstein-Friesian calf with seven legs was examined macroscopically and radiographically. External features included two normal forelimbs, two normal hindlimbs (lateral hindlimbs), and two abnormal hindlimbs (medial hindlimbs) which were underdeveloped. Also, a rudimentary forelimb, which was attached to the pelvic region, was observed between both the medial hindlimbs. It consisted of an underdeveloped humerus, a duplicated ulna, several carpal bones, a partially duplicated metacarpal bone and three digits with three hoofs. This leg was connected with two sets of coxae by a irregular-shaped bone considered the vestigial vertebrae and ribs. Two penises and scrotums, three kidneys and testes were also observed. This calf is the first case of dipygus associated with pygopagus parasiticus in cattle. Based on these findings, the pathogenesis of this rare anomaly was briefly discussed from an embryological point of view

A Traffic Restriction Scheme for Enhancing Carpooling

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Dong Ding

2017-01-01

Full Text Available For the purpose of alleviating traffic congestion, this paper proposes a scheme to encourage travelers to carpool by traffic restriction. By a variational inequity we describe travelers’ mode (solo driving and carpooling and route choice under user equilibrium principle in the context of fixed demand and detect the performance of a simple network with various restriction links, restriction proportions, and carpooling costs. Then the optimal traffic restriction scheme aiming at minimal total travel cost is designed through a bilevel program and applied to a Sioux Fall network example with genetic algorithm. According to various requirements, optimal restriction regions and proportions for restricted automobiles are captured. From the results it is found that traffic restriction scheme is possible to enhance carpooling and alleviate congestion. However, higher carpooling demand is not always helpful to the whole network. The topology of network, OD demand, and carpooling cost are included in the factors influencing the performance of the traffic system.

Traffic Information Unit, Traffic Information System, Vehicle Management System, Vehicle, and Method of Controlling a Vehicle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Papp, Z.; Doodeman, G.J.N.; Nelisse, M.W.; Sijs, J.; Theeuwes, J.A.C.; Driessen, B.J.F.

2010-01-01

A traffic information unit (MD1, MD2, MD3) according to the invention comprises a facility (MI) for tracking vehicle state information of individual vehicles present at a traffic infrastructure and a facility (T) for transmitting said vehicle state information to a vehicle (70B, 70E). A traffic

Possible death of a buffalo calf (Syncercus caffer due to suspected heartwater (Ehrlichia ruminantium : clinical communication

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S. Pfitzer

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Rickettsial organisms resembling Ehrlichia ruminantium (the causative organism of heartwater were demonstrated in brain smears and formalin-fixed brain sections derived from a buffalo calf that died on a private game reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The possibility that the tick-free environment of a quarantine boma may have affected the calf 's immunity, is discussed. These findings suggest that monitoring heartwater in wild ruminants and making brain smears as a routine during post mortem evaluations of wild ruminants, should be encouraged.

Real-Time Corrected Traffic Correlation Model for Traffic Flow Forecasting

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Hua-pu Lu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the problems of short-term traffic flow forecasting. The main goal is to put forward traffic correlation model and real-time correction algorithm for traffic flow forecasting. Traffic correlation model is established based on the temporal-spatial-historical correlation characteristic of traffic big data. In order to simplify the traffic correlation model, this paper presents correction coefficients optimization algorithm. Considering multistate characteristic of traffic big data, a dynamic part is added to traffic correlation model. Real-time correction algorithm based on Fuzzy Neural Network is presented to overcome the nonlinear mapping problems. A case study based on a real-world road network in Beijing, China, is implemented to test the efficiency and applicability of the proposed modeling methods.

Elemental characterization of PM1 in a heavy traffic region

Science.gov (United States)

Ambade, Balram

Eight hours samples of airborne aerosols PM1 were collected during summer (August-September) and winter (October-November) form one year 2010- 2011 in a intense traffic area of Rajnandgaon city, India. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy was employed to measure heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Ni, Pb, As). Water-soluble ions (Na+, NH4 +, K+, Ca2+, Cl-, NO3 -, and SO42-) and carbonaceous mass (elemental and organic carbon) were detected using ion chromatograph and CHN analyzer, respectively. The results indicate that the composition of PM10 on intense traffic area is highly affected by automobile emissions. Based on the chemical information, positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to identify PM sources. A total of five source types were identified, including soil dust, vehicle emissions, sea salt, industrial emissions and secondary aerosols, and their contributions were estimated using PMF. The crustal enrichment factors (EF) were calculated using Al as a reference for the trace metal species to identify the sources

14 CFR 298.61 - Reporting of traffic statistics.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Reporting of traffic statistics. 298.61... Requirements § 298.61 Reporting of traffic statistics. (a) Each commuter air carrier and small certificated air... statistics shall be compiled in terms of each flight stage as actually performed. The detail T-100 data shall...

Occurrence of hypospadias in a 2 month old male Holstein calf along with cryptorchidism and umbilical hernia

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akbar arfaei akhoole

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Hypospadias is a congenital problem reported in dogs, sheep and goats and occurrence of this anomaly in calves is rare. In fact, hypospadias is congenital absence of the urethra. In October 2015, a client attended the veterinary clinic for treatment of a 2 month old calf. Physical examination was performed following anamnesis. Vital signs including heart and respiratory rates, body temperature and peristaltic movements of the gastrointestinal system were normal. Examination of the urinary system revealed aplasia of the urethra at the perineum from beneath the rectum to the end of the penis and the calf was diagnosed with hypospadias. Physical examination also revealed the presence of an umbilical hernia with diameter of 6 cm and cryptorchidism. After diagnosis, the defect was corrected by surgical method to alleviate its side effects. Six months after surgical correction, the calf had satisfactory growth rate.

Impact of traffic noise on railway traffic safety

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Zdravko TOŠ

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Traffic noise is one of the dominant factors of ergo-assessment. The harmful impact of traffic noise on the engine driver as target group can be studied in isolation from other ergo-assessment factors only in the initial phase of research. The simultaneous action of several related factors in the system of ergo-assessment factors has cumulative effect on the perception and psychomotoric status of the railway traffic participants in the appropriate traffic situation. The initial partial research of traffic noise by a combination of several scientific methods needs to be eventually upgraded by studying the relations among several concurrent important or dominant ergo-assessment factors.

30 CFR 56.9100 - Traffic control.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Traffic control. 56.9100 Section 56.9100 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE... Dumping Traffic Safety § 56.9100 Traffic control. To provide for the safe movement of self-propelled...

Problem of Information Security Traffic on Internet

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Slavko Šarić

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Internet information traffic becomes greater and moreimportant. With increasing growth of information importancerequirement for its security becomes indispensable. Theinformation security problem especially affect large and smallcompanies whose prosperity is depending on Internet presence.This affecting the three areas of Internet commerce: credit cardtransactions, virtual private networks and digital certification.To ensure information traffic it is necessary to find a solution,in a proper way, for three major problems: frontier problem,market problem and government problem. While the eventualemergence of security standards for Internet transactions isexpected, it will not automatically result in secure Internettransactions. In future, there is a wealth of security issues thatwill continue to require attention: internal security, continuedhacking, social engineering, malicious code, reliability andperformance, skills shortages and denial of se1vice attacks.

[Kinetic study on inhibition effects of dansyl-L-phenylalanine and L-phenylalanine on calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Li-Na; Wu, Yu-Qing; Buchet, René

2009-10-01

To evaluate the inhibition effect of dansyl-L-phenylalanine on calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase (CIAP), UV-Vis spectrophotometric method was employed. It was found that dansyl-L-phenylalanine can selectively inhibit CIAP. The kinetic inhibition processes of dansyl-L-phenylalanine and L-phenylalanine were comparatively studied. The authors' finding elucidates that at the optimized alkaline pH of alkaline phosphatase (pH 10.4) and 37 degrees C, dansyl-L-phenylalanine can inhibit alkaline phosphatase activity of CIAP efficiently and specifically, similar as L-phenylalanine. Both inhibition types were uncompetitive inhibition resulting from the double reciprocal curve fitting of upsilon versus substrate concentrations, and the inhibition constants Ki of both inhibitors were determined to be 2.3 and 1.1 mmol L(-1) respectively, both of which were at millimolar level. The investigation of the inhibition effect of dansyl modified L-phenylalanine on calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase not only helped get insight into the detailed inhibition mechanism of L-phenylalanine on tissue specific alkaline phosphatase, such as in the case of intestinal alkaline phosphatase, but also provided the possibility to employ fluorescence spectroscopy by labeling the specific inhibitors of alkaline phosphatase with chromophoric groups.

Meta analysis of therapeutic effects of domestic deproteinized calf blood extract eye gel on corneal epithelial repair after laser refractive surgery

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Jian Zhang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available AIM: To systemically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of domestic deproteinized calf blood extract eye gel for corneal epithelial repair after laser refractive surgery. METHODS:We performed a comprehensive search via Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, VIP Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database, CNKI and Wan Fang Chinese periodical Database for the randomized controlled trials(RCTsat home and abroad about effects of the domestic deproteinized calf blood extract eye gel for corneal epithelial repair after laser corneal refractive surgery with retrieval time from January 2007 to December 2016. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 2 medical researchers independently screened documents, extracted data and evaluated the quality. Review Manager 5.3 software was used for Meta analysis. RESULTS: Seven RCTs involving 1 042 eyes, including 523 eyes in the treatment group and 519 eyes in the control group, were selected for this Meta-analysis. The results showed that the clinical efficacy in the treatment group was better than that in the control group(OR=1.81, 95%CI: 1.39～2.35; PWMD=-0.33, 95%CI: -0.45 to -0.21; PWMD=-1.26, 95%CI: -1.56 to -0.97; PCONCLUSION: The domestic deproteinized calf blood extract eye gel can relieve the patients' symptoms after laser refractive surgery, improve the corneal epithelial recovery and the efficiency of treatment. Due to the limited quality and quantity of the studies these conclusions should be further validated by more well-designed randomized double blind controlled trials.

Phosphorus Spectroscopy of Calf Muscles before and after Exercise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wcisło, Bożena; Cichocka, Monika; Urbanik, Andrzej

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine 31 PMRS reference spectrum and intracellular pH of calf muscles in the dominant limb of healthy, young, male volunteers before and after intense physical effort. Examinations were performed with a 1.5 T MR system. FID CSI (Free Induction Decay Chemical Shift Imaging) sequence was used with the following parameters: TR=4000 ms, FA=90°, NEX=2 and VOI (Volume Of Interest)=8×8×8 cm 3 (512 cm 3 ) involving in calf muscles. Raw data was preprocessed using SAGE (GE) software. Authors analyzed relative concentrations ratios of selected metabolites: PCr/ATP and PCr/P i . Intracellular pH and relative concentrations ratios of each metabolite (P i , PCr, α-ATP, β-ATP, γ-ATP, ATP) were also calculated relative to the sum of concentrations of all metabolites. Results were compared with a t-test. Based on statistical analysis of results significant differences (p<0.05) were demonstrated for some of the studied metabolites and for intracellular pH. Increase in PCr concentration in relation to the sum of concentrations of all metabolites and to ATP concentration was noted. However, β-ATP, α-ATP and ATP concentrations relative to the sum of concentrations of all metabolites become reduced. Decrease in pH after physical effort was demonstrated. There were no significant differences (p<0.05) in concentrations of remaining metabolites before and after exercise. Increase in PCr concentration relative to P i concentration and decrease of P i and γ-ATP concentration relative to the sum of concentrations of all metabolites were demonstrated. The 31 PMRS method enables assessment of concentrations of phosphorus-containing metabolites as well as intercellular pH before and after exercise. This method is still under examination, but it has already shown promise as a diagnostic tool for the future

Measurement of Gender Differences of Gastrocnemius Muscle and Tendon Using Sonomyography during Calf Raises: A Pilot Study

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Guang-Quan Zhou

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Skeletal muscles are essential to the gender-specific characteristics of human movements. Sonomyography, a new signal for quantifying muscle activation, is of great benefit to understand muscle function through monitoring the real-time muscle architectural changes. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate gender differences in the architectural changes of gastronomies muscle and tendon by using sonomyography during performing two-legged calf raising exercises. A motion analysis system was developed to extract sonomyography from ultrasound images together with kinematic and kinetic measurements. Tiny fascicle length changes among seven male subjects were observed at the initial part of calf raising, whereas the fascicle of seven female subjects shortened immediately. This result suggested that men would generate higher mechanical power output of plantar flexors to regulate their heavier body mass. In addition, the larger regression coefficient between the fascicle length and muscle force for the male subjects implied that higher muscle stiffness for the men was required in demand of maintaining their heavier body economically. The findings from the current study suggested that the body mass might play a factor in the gender difference in structural changes of muscle and tendon during motion. The sonomyography may provide valuable information in the understanding of the gender difference in human movements.

The importance of spatial orientation and knowledge of traffic signs for children's traffic safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Trifunović, Aleksandar; Pešić, Dalibor; Čičević, Svetlana; Antić, Boris

2017-05-01

Pre-school children, as well as children from lower grades in primary school, who although rarely, completely independently participate in traffic, represent a vulnerable population from the standpoint of traffic safety. The greatest number of children were injured or killed in road traffic crashes on their way from home to kindergarten or school. Mostly due to lack of experience, children's behavior is confusing and often reckless and hasty. Safe behavior in the traffic environment demands certain cognitive skills. Unlike adults, children have less than fully developed peripheral vision. Also, changes occur in color perception, i.e. discrimination. All this leads to the conclusion that the stage of physical and mental development of the child is very important for safe participation in traffic. So, to estimate if they are sufficiently equipped to participate safely in traffic, a sensitive test for young children that may be suitable for their level of cognitive development is required. Accordingly, road safety education should be arranged in such a way that considers the child's level of development, as has been shown to be more effective when started at younger ages. Play is the most natural and easiest way of learning because it is the lens through which children experience their world, and the world of others. Having this in mind, if we want to measure the abilities of a child, and their preparedness for safety participation in traffic, unavoidable is to use non-verbal tests. The purpose of this study is to explore primary schooler's spatial, and abilities of color perception and memorization, as well as their performances in interpreting the meaning of traffic signs. In addition, neighborhood environmental correlates (rural-urban) and possible individual differences influences on the relationship among these abilities was examined. Knowledge about these factors affecting children's safety can be applied to improve relevant intervention measures for promoting

Molecular spectroscopic and thermodynamic studies on the interaction of anti-platelet drug ticlopidine with calf thymus DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Afrin, Shumaila; Rahman, Yusra; Sarwar, Tarique; Husain, Mohammed Amir; Ali, Abad; Shamsuzzaman; Tabish, Mohammad

2017-11-01

Ticlopidine is an anti-platelet drug which belongs to the thienopyridine structural family and exerts its effect by functioning as an ADP receptor inhibitor. Ticlopidine inhibits the expression of TarO gene in S. aureus and may provide protection against MRSA. Groove binding agents are known to disrupt the transcription factor DNA complex and consequently inhibit gene expression. Understanding the mechanism of interaction of ticlopidine with DNA can prove useful in the development of a rational drug designing system. At present, there is no such study on the interaction of anti-platelet drugs with nucleic acids. A series of biophysical experiments were performed to ascertain the binding mode between ticlopidine and calf thymus DNA. UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopic experiments confirmed the formation of a complex between ticlopidine and calf thymus DNA. Moreover, the values of binding constant were found to be in the range of 103 M- 1, which is indicative of groove binding between ticlopidine and calf thymus DNA. These results were further confirmed by studying the effect of denaturation on double stranded DNA, iodide quenching, viscometric studies, thermal melting profile as well as CD spectral analysis. The thermodynamic profile of the interaction was also determined using isothermal titration calorimetric studies. The reaction was found to be endothermic and the parameters obtained were found to be consistent with those of known groove binders. In silico molecular docking studies further corroborated well with the experimental results.

Emergent traffic jams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagel, K.; Paczuski, M.

1995-01-01

We study a single-lane traffic model that is based on human driving behavior. The outflow from a traffic jam self-organizes to a critical state of maximum throughput. Small perturbations of the outflow far downstream create emergent traffic jams with a power law distribution P(t)∼t -3/2 of lifetimes t. On varying the vehicle density in a closed system, this critical state separates lamellar and jammed regimes and exhibits 1/f noise in the power spectrum. Using random walk arguments, in conjunction with a cascade equation, we develop a phenomenological theory that predicts the critical exponents for this transition and explains the self-organizing behavior. These predictions are consistent with all of our numerical results

Emergent traffic jams

Science.gov (United States)

Nagel, Kai; Paczuski, Maya

1995-04-01

We study a single-lane traffic model that is based on human driving behavior. The outflow from a traffic jam self-organizes to a critical state of maximum throughput. Small perturbations of the outflow far downstream create emergent traffic jams with a power law distribution P(t)~t-3/2 of lifetimes t. On varying the vehicle density in a closed system, this critical state separates lamellar and jammed regimes and exhibits 1/f noise in the power spectrum. Using random walk arguments, in conjunction with a cascade equation, we develop a phenomenological theory that predicts the critical exponents for this transition and explains the self-organizing behavior. These predictions are consistent with all of our numerical results.

Prevention of deep vein thrombosis after total knee arthroplasty. Coumadin versus pneumatic calf compression.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodge, W A

1991-10-01

The rate of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) without prophylaxis has been reported as high as 84%. Coumadin anticoagulation and pneumatic calf compression (PCC) boots are two current therapies that have been thought to be effective in reducing this high rate of DVT. To investigate these two methods, a nonrandomized prospective study was designed. The first group involved treating 48 consecutive knee arthroplasties with a regimen of coumadin anticoagulation. The second group involved 81 consecutive knee arthroplasties treated with sequential PCC boots. Bilateral lower extremity venography was performed between the eighth and tenth hospital postoperative days. The overall incidence of DVT in the coumadin group was 33%, with 29% having calf thrombi and 6% having thigh thrombi. The overall incidence of DVT in the boot group was 31%, with 27% having calf thrombi and 6% having thigh thrombi. In both groups, there were no treatment-related complications. Cost analysis of the administration of each type of therapy showed coumadin to be approximately 50% more expensive than PCC boots. Although coumadin and PCC boot therapy are safe and effective in reducing the incidence of DVT after TKA, there are economic factors that make the latter a more favorable option.

Visual Analysis of Air Traffic Data

Science.gov (United States)

Albrecht, George Hans; Pang, Alex

2012-01-01

In this paper, we present visual analysis tools to help study the impact of policy changes on air traffic congestion. The tools support visualization of time-varying air traffic density over an area of interest using different time granularity. We use this visual analysis platform to investigate how changing the aircraft separation volume can reduce congestion while maintaining key safety requirements. The same platform can also be used as a decision aid for processing requests for unmanned aerial vehicle operations.

An Information-Theoretic Approach for Indirect Train Traffic Monitoring Using Building Vibration

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Susu Xu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces an indirect train traffic monitoring method to detect and infer real-time train events based on the vibration response of a nearby building. Monitoring and characterizing traffic events are important for cities to improve the efficiency of transportation systems (e.g., train passing, heavy trucks, and traffic. Most prior work falls into two categories: (1 methods that require intensive labor to manually record events or (2 systems that require deployment of dedicated sensors. These approaches are difficult and costly to execute and maintain. In addition, most prior work uses dedicated sensors designed for a single purpose, resulting in deployment of multiple sensor systems. This further increases costs. Meanwhile, with the increasing demands of structural health monitoring, many vibration sensors are being deployed in commercial buildings. Traffic events create ground vibration that propagates to nearby building structures inducing noisy vibration responses. We present an information-theoretic method for train event monitoring using commonly existing vibration sensors deployed for building health monitoring. The key idea is to represent the wave propagation in a building induced by train traffic as information conveyed in noisy measurement signals. Our technique first uses wavelet analysis to detect train events. Then, by analyzing information exchange patterns of building vibration signals, we infer the category of the events (i.e., southbound or northbound train. Our algorithm is evaluated with an 11-story building where trains pass by frequently. The results show that the method can robustly achieve a train event detection accuracy of up to a 93% true positive rate and an 80% true negative rate. For direction categorization, compared with the traditional signal processing method, our information-theoretic approach reduces categorization error from 32.1 to 12.1%, which is a 2.5× improvement.

CONGENITAL NUTRITIONAL MYODEGENERATION (WHITE MUSCLE DISEASE) IN A GIRAFFE ( GIRAFFA CAMELOPARDALIS) CALF.

Science.gov (United States)

Bos, Jan H; Klip, Fokko C; Kik, Marja J L

2017-12-01

It is well known that vitamin E and selenium deficiencies in domestic ruminants can lead to white muscle disease. After a clinically normal gestation period at Ouwehand Zoo in the Netherlands, a newborn giraffe ( Giraffa camelopardalis) calf showed clinical signs of white muscle disease almost immediately after birth. The calf was rejected by the mother and was euthanized 3 days later because of deterioration of clinical signs. At necropsy, pulmonary edema and pallor of skeletal and heart muscles was noted. Histologically, there was hyaline degeneration of skeletal muscle myocytes and pulmonary edema. Blood concentrations of vitamin E were ≤ 0.7 mg/L. Based on clinical, biochemical, and gross and microscopic pathological findings, congenital nutritional myodegeneration was diagnosed. This case of neonatal white muscle disease is particularly remarkable given that the diet of the dam contained more than the recommended amount of vitamin E.

The journey from traffic offender to severe road trauma victim: destiny or preventive opportunity?

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Kwok M; Rao, Sudhakar; Burrell, Maxine; Weeramanthri, Tarun S

2015-01-01

Road trauma is a leading cause of death and injury in young people. Traffic offences are common, but their importance as a risk indicator for subsequent road trauma is unknown. This cohort study assessed whether severe road trauma could be predicted by a history of prior traffic offences. Clinical data of all adult road trauma patients admitted to the Western Australia (WA) State Trauma Centre between 1998 and 2013 were linked to traffic offences records at the WA Department of Transport. The primary outcomes were alcohol exposure prior to road trauma, severe trauma (defined by Injury Severity Score >15), and intensive care admission (ICU) or death, analyzed by logistic regression. Traffic offences directly leading to the road trauma admissions were excluded. Of the 10,330 patients included (median age 34 years-old, 78% male), 1955 (18.9%) had alcohol-exposure before road trauma, 2415 (23.4%) had severe trauma, 1360 (13.2%) required ICU admission, and 267 (2.6%) died. Prior traffic offences were recorded in 6269 (60.7%) patients. The number of prior traffic offences was significantly associated with alcohol-related road trauma (odds ratio [OR] per offence 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.05), severe trauma (OR 1.13, 95%CI 1.14-1.15), and ICU admission or death (OR 1.10, 95%CI 1.08-1.11). Drink-drinking, seat-belt, and use of handheld electronic device offences were specific offences strongly associated with road trauma leading to ICU admission or death--all in a 'dose-related' fashion. For those who recovered from road trauma after an ICU admission, there was a significant reduction in subsequent traffic offences (mean difference 1.8, 95%CI 1.5 to 2.0) and demerit points (mean difference 7.0, 95%CI 6.5 to 7.6) compared to before the trauma event. Previous traffic offences were a significant risk factor for alcohol-related road trauma and severe road trauma leading to ICU admission or death.

The journey from traffic offender to severe road trauma victim: destiny or preventive opportunity?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kwok M Ho

Full Text Available Road trauma is a leading cause of death and injury in young people. Traffic offences are common, but their importance as a risk indicator for subsequent road trauma is unknown. This cohort study assessed whether severe road trauma could be predicted by a history of prior traffic offences.Clinical data of all adult road trauma patients admitted to the Western Australia (WA State Trauma Centre between 1998 and 2013 were linked to traffic offences records at the WA Department of Transport. The primary outcomes were alcohol exposure prior to road trauma, severe trauma (defined by Injury Severity Score >15, and intensive care admission (ICU or death, analyzed by logistic regression. Traffic offences directly leading to the road trauma admissions were excluded. Of the 10,330 patients included (median age 34 years-old, 78% male, 1955 (18.9% had alcohol-exposure before road trauma, 2415 (23.4% had severe trauma, 1360 (13.2% required ICU admission, and 267 (2.6% died. Prior traffic offences were recorded in 6269 (60.7% patients. The number of prior traffic offences was significantly associated with alcohol-related road trauma (odds ratio [OR] per offence 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.05, severe trauma (OR 1.13, 95%CI 1.14-1.15, and ICU admission or death (OR 1.10, 95%CI 1.08-1.11. Drink-drinking, seat-belt, and use of handheld electronic device offences were specific offences strongly associated with road trauma leading to ICU admission or death--all in a 'dose-related' fashion. For those who recovered from road trauma after an ICU admission, there was a significant reduction in subsequent traffic offences (mean difference 1.8, 95%CI 1.5 to 2.0 and demerit points (mean difference 7.0, 95%CI 6.5 to 7.6 compared to before the trauma event.Previous traffic offences were a significant risk factor for alcohol-related road trauma and severe road trauma leading to ICU admission or death.

Increase the Safety of Road Traffic Accidents by Applying Clustering

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Kos Goran

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In terms of continual increase of number of traffic accidents and alarming trend of increasing number of traffic accidents with catastrophic consequences for human life and health, it is necessary to actively research and develop methods to combat these trends. One of the measures is the implementation of advanced information systems in existing traffic environment. Accidents clusters, as databases of traffic accidents, introduce a new dimension in traffic systems in the form of experience, providing information on current accidents and the ones that have previously occurred in a given period. This paper proposes a new approach to predictive management of traffic processes, based on the collection of data in real time and is based on accidents clusters. The modern traffic information services collects road traffic status data from a wide variety of traffic sensing systems using modern ICT technologies, creating the most accurate road traffic situation awareness achieved so far. Road traffic situation awareness enhanced by accident clusters' data can be visualized and distributed in various ways (including the forms of dynamic heat maps and on various information platforms, suiting the requirements of the end-users. Accent is placed on their significant features that are based on additional knowledge about existing traffic processes and distribution of important traffic information in order to prevent and reduce traffic accidents.

Some random models in traffic science

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hjorth, U.

1996-06-01

We give an overview of stochastic models for the following traffic phenomena. Models for traffic flow including gaps and capacities for lanes, crossings and roundabouts. Models for wanted and achieved speed distributions. Mode selection models including dispersed equilibrium models and traffic accident models. Also some statistical questions are discussed. 60 refs, 1 tab

Quantitative analysis of bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15 and growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9 gene expression in calf and adult bovine ovaries

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Hayashi Ken-go

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been reported that calf oocytes are less developmentally competent than oocytes obtained from adult cows. Bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15 and growth and differentiation factor 9 (GDF9 play critical roles in folliculogenesis, follicular development and ovulation in mammalian ovaries. In the present study, we attempted to compare the expression patterns of BMP15 and GDF9 in the cells of calf and cow ovaries to determine a relationship between the level of these genes and the low developmental competence of calf oocytes. Methods Bovine tissues were collected from 9-11 months-old calves and from 4-6 years-old cows. We characterized the gene expression of BMP15 and GDF9 in calf and adult bovine oocytes and cumulus cells using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (QPCR and in situ hybridization. Immunohistochemical analysis was also performed. Results The expression of BMP15 and GDF9 in cumulus cells of adult ovaries was significantly higher than that in calf ovaries, as revealed by QPCR. GDF9 expression in the oocytes of calf ovaries was significantly higher than in those of the adult ovaries. In contrast, BMP15 expression in the oocytes of calf and adult ovaries was not significantly different. The localization of gene expression and protein were ascertained by histochemistry. Conclusions Our result showed for the first time BMP15 and GDF9 expression in bovine cumulus cells. BMP15 and GDF9 mRNA expression in oocytes and cumulus cells was different in calves and cows.

Development and primary application of ELISA method for detecting residual calf serum protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Hua; Yu Jiankun; Hong Chao; Long Ruixiang; Zhai Yougang; Xu Qiongfang; Cui Pingfang; Ding Xuefeng; Xie Zhongping

2005-01-01

To develop a new DAS-ELISA (double antibody sandwich ELISA) kit for detecting residual calf serum protein (CSP) in vaccines, calf sera from different district were pooled and used to immunize rabbits and hens respectively. Then, the IgY from yolk and the anti-CSP IgG from rabbit were separated and purified. The purified IgY was used as the coating antibody, and purified rabbit anti-CSP IgG was labeled by HRP. The optimal concentration of IgY was 25-30 μg/mL. The coating buffer was 0.01mol/L PBS(pH7.4) containing 0.4% glutin. The optimal dilutions of HRP-IgG were from 1:2000 to 1:3000. The sensitivity of this ELISA method was higher (up to 2.5μg/mL) than that of current RPHA, the variation coefficient was about 6.3%-9.4%, and the recovery rate was 90.4%-112.8%. Furthermore, there was no cross-reaction with sera of pig, monkey and guinea pig. Twenty lots of vaccines with Al(OH) 3 or without Al(OH) 3 were tested by ELISA and RPHA respectively. The results proved that the adjuvant of Al(OH) 3 had fewer influence on ELISA than on RPHA, the variation of PRHA among different lots of vaccines was more significant than ELISA. The ELISA method is a highly sensitive and useful method to detect CSP in vaccines. (authors)

Crosslinking and photoreaction of ozone-oxidized calf-lens alpha-crystallin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujimori, E.

1982-01-01

Direct-photo-oxidation, singlet oxygen-oxidation, or photosensitized oxidation can modify lens crystallins, causing an increase in blue fluorescence and covalent crosslinking. A relationship between these changes has not been elucidated. We now report results from experiments with ozone oxidation. When calf-lens alpha-crystallin is treated with zone oxidation. When calf-lens alpha-crystallin is treated with ozone, new absorption, fluorescence, and phosphorescence, which are characteristic of the oxidized product of tryptophan (N-formylkynurenine), appear at 320, 435, and 445 nm, respectively. In addition, in this ozonization of alpha-crystallin, its polypeptides are crosslinked by nondisulfide bonds. Irradiation of ozone-treated alpha-crystallin with near-ultraviolet (365 nm) light increases crosslinking and reduces the 320 nm absorbance with a concomitant appearance of a new absorption at about 420 nm. This photoproduct exhibits an intense fluorescence around 450 nm and a weak phosphorescence at 510 nm, with excitation peaks at 400, 415, and 422 nm. These findings are essentially the same as those observed in photo-oxidized alpha-crystallin, suggesting the involvement of the same tryptophan oxidized product in the modification of the lens protein

Caribou calf deaths from intraspecific strife — a debatable diagnosis

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Frank L. Miller

1986-06-01

Full Text Available led to the deaths of several newborn barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus calves within a short period of time and on a small area. This event took place during calving in June 1958 on the calving ground of the Beverly caribou herd in the Northwest Territories. The lack of other examples of multiple deaths of newborn caribou calves from intraspecific strife and our findings on the same calving ground during a study of calf mortality in June 1981, 1982, and 1983 and a study of cow-calf behaviour in June 1981 and 1982 cause us to question the published explanation. As we rarely saw aggressive behaviour among cows and newborn calves that involved actual physical contact and none that resulted in injury or death and because we found instances of multiple killings of calves by wolves {Canis lupus we suggest that a probable alternative explanation of the 1958 findings is surplus killing by wolves. Most importantly, only direct observation of an event allows separation of a death caused by injuries due to intraspecific strife from a death caused by accidental injuries.

Ultrasonographic evaluation of the calf muscle mass and architecture in elderly patients with and without sarcopenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuyumcu, Mehmet Emin; Halil, Meltem; Kara, Özgür; Çuni, Bledjan; Çağlayan, Gökhan; Güven, Serdar; Yeşil, Yusuf; Arık, Güneş; Yavuz, Burcu Balam; Cankurtaran, Mustafa; Özçakar, Levent

2016-01-01

To sonographically assess the muscle mass and architecture of sarcopenic elderly subjects, and to explore the utility of ultrasound (US) measurements in predicting sarcopenia. One hundred elderly subjects were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Mean age value of our study population was 73.08±6.18years. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was confirmed by measuring fat-free mass index (using bioelectrical impedance analysis) and handgrip strength. Calf circumference was measured and US evaluations comprised bilateral gastrocnemius muscle (MG) thickness, fascicle length and pennate angles; subcutaneous fat and dermis thicknesses in the calf. Bilateral muscle thickness and fascicle length values were significantly lower in patients with sarcopenia (both psarcopenia (all values>76.92%). Gastrocnemius muscle thickness and fascicle length values are lower in sarcopenic elderly and these two parameters can serve as alternative measurements for predicting/quantifying sarcopenia. Calf circumference measurements alone may not be appropriate for assessing sarcopenia. Instead, US imaging can conveniently be used to evaluate different compartments of the musculoskelal system in (sarcopenic) elderly. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

TRAFFIC SIMULATION FOR MIXED TRAFFIC SYSTEMS

African Journals Online (AJOL)

EGETE

2012-05-04

May 4, 2012 ... Traffic problem is classified into single and mixed, especially in most developing countries, where motorbikes are ..... The traffic light control system presented by its location on ... multi-destination dynamic routing and real-time.

Patients' Risk of Causing Traffic Violations and Traffic Accidents while Driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Šestan, Nevenka; Dodič Fikfak, Metoda; Balantič, Zvone

2017-09-01

This study examines whether drivers suffering from epilepsy, chronic alcoholism and/or hazardous drinking, psychoactive substance abuse, other diseases of the nervous system, mental and behavioural disorders, cardiovascular diseases, severe diabetes, and severe eye diseases are at a greater risk of causing traffic accidents and traffic violations than drivers that cause accidents and violations without these diagnoses. A case control study was carried out. The cases were drivers checked by a special medical committee in the period observed suffering from the diseases listed above. Matched controls were taken from the cohort of those that caused accidents and violations during the same period observed. The descriptive statistics were followed by calculation of correlations, t-tests and χ 2 , and the odds ratio. Drivers with referrals for diseases of the nervous system are five times more likely to cause a traffic accident compared to controls (OR=5.18; 95% CI=2.59-10.34); in addition, a high risk is associated with drivers with mental and behavioural disorders (OR=3.64; 95% CI=1.91-6.94), drivers with epilepsy (OR=1.99; 95% CI=1.01-3.92), and drivers addicted to alcohol (OR=1.71; 95% CI=1.01-2.89). Drivers suffering from addiction, a disease of the nervous system, or epilepsy are more likely to cause a traffic accident, which is a contribution to the inconclusive findings of previous studies. The multiple reasons for risks of patients suffering from mental and behavioural disorders need to be further investigated. Copyright© by the National Institute of Public Health, Prague 2017

Computing Installation Parameters Of CCTV Cameras for Traffic Surveillance

OpenAIRE

Pratishtha Gupta; G. N. Purohit

2013-01-01

For properly installing CCTV cameras on any intersection point for traffic surveillance, some parametersneed to be determined in order to get maximum benefit. The height, angle of placement of the CCTVcamera is used to determine the view or the area that the camera will cover with proper resolution. Theresolution should not be too high to cover less traffic and should not be too low to cover large but hardlydistinguishable traffic.This paper concerns with computation of the required CCTV inst...

Models, methods and software tools for building complex adaptive traffic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alyushin, S.A.

2011-01-01

The paper studies the modern methods and tools to simulate the behavior of complex adaptive systems (CAS), the existing systems of traffic modeling in simulators and their characteristics; proposes requirements for assessing the suitability of the system to simulate the CAS behavior in simulators. The author has developed a model of adaptive agent representation and its functioning environment to meet certain requirements set above, and has presented methods of agents' interactions and methods of conflict resolution in simulated traffic situations. A simulation system realizing computer modeling for simulating the behavior of CAS in traffic situations has been created [ru

Annual elk calf survival in a multiple carnivore system

Science.gov (United States)

Eacker, Daniel R.; Hebblewhite, Mark; Proffitt, Kelly M.; Jimenez, Benjamin S.; Mitchell, Michael S.; Robinson, Hugh S.

2016-01-01

The realized effect of multiple carnivores on juvenile ungulate recruitment may depend on the carnivore assemblage as well as compensation from forage and winter weather severity, which may mediate juvenile vulnerability to predation in ungulates. We used a time-to-event approach to test for the effects of risk factors on annual elk (Cervus canadensis) calf survival and to estimate cause-specific mortality rates for 2 elk populations in adjacent study areas in the southern Bitterroot Valley, Montana, USA, during 2011–2014. We captured and radio-tagged 286 elk calves: 226 neonates, and 60 6-month-old calves. Summer survival probability was less variable than winter (P = 0.12) and averaged 0.55 (95% CI = 0.47–0.63), whereas winter survival varied more than summer and significantly across study years (P = 0.003) and averaged 0.73 (95% CI = 0.64–0.81). During summer, elk calf survival increased with biomass of preferred forage biomass, and was slightly lower following winters with high precipitation; exposure to mountain lion (Puma concolor) predation risk was unimportant. In contrast, during winter, we found that exposure to mountain lion predation risk influenced survival, with a weak negative effect of winter precipitation. We found no evidence that forage availability or winter weather severity mediated vulnerability to mountain lion predation risk in summer or winter (e.g., an interaction), indicating that the effect of mountain lion predation was constant regardless of spatial variation in forage or weather. Mountain lions dominated known causes of elk calf mortality in summer and winter, with estimated cause-specific mortality rates of 0.14 (95% CI = 0.09–0.20) and 0.12 (95% CI = 0.07–0.18), respectively. The effect of carnivores on juvenile ungulate recruitment varies across ecological systems depending on relative carnivore densities. Mountain lions may be the most important carnivore for ungulates, especially where grizzly

Pastures, calf production and carcass weights of reindeer calves in the Oraniemi co-operative, Finnish Lapland

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Jouko Kumpula

1992-10-01

Full Text Available The effects of climatic and density-dependent factors on calf production and carcass weights of reindeer calves were studied between the years 1965-87 in the Oraniemi co-operative, Finnish Lapland (67°50´N. The Oraniemi area is divided into five pasture regions, in which the annual home range of the reindeer varied from 300 to 600 km2. The more than trebled reindeer density over the period 1965-87 in Oraniemi had no detrimental effect on calf production (range 15-74 calves/100 females, nor on the mean carcass weight of the calves in 1974-87 (range 16.8-23.2 kg. The annual variations in calf% were explained best by snow conditions during the previous winter and spring and their effects on the nutritional status of the females. The carcass weights of the calves were greater following a warm, rainy May and lower following a warm, rainy June and July. The weather in spring affects the emergence of green vegetation, which is reflected in the condition of females and their milk production, while the weather in early and mid-supper probably affects the quantities of blood-sucking insects and their activity. Carcass weights upon slaughtering rose from September to the beginning of December but then fell quickly. The differences in reindeer densities between the five pasture regions was not reflected in the calf% over the period 1984-87, but the carcass weights of calves were lower following high densities in the pasture regions, especially in the winter pastures.

Evaluation of the Criollo breed Romosinuano as purebred and crossbred cows with Brahman and Angus in Florida. II. Maternal influence on calf traits, cow weight, and measures of maternal efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Riley, D G; Chase, C C; Coleman, S W; Olson, T A

2014-05-01

The objectives of this work were to compare the Criollo breed Romosinuano as straightbred and crossbred cows with Angus and Brahman in subtropical Florida and to estimate heterosis for size traits of their calves, their own weight, and maternal efficiency traits. Cows (n = 404) were born from 2002 to 2005. After their first exposure to bulls as young cows, crossbred cows were bred to bulls of the third breed, and straightbred cows were bred in to bulls of the other 2 breeds. Calves were spring-born from 2005 through 2011. Evaluated calf (n = 1,254) traits included birth weight and weight, ADG, BCS, and hip height at weaning. Cow weight (n = 1,389) was recorded at weaning. Maternal efficiency traits evaluated included weaning weight per 100 kg cow weight, weaning weight per calving interval, and weaning weight per cow exposed to breeding (n = 1,442). Fixed effects and their interactions were investigated included sire and dam breed of cow, sire breed of calf, cow age, year, calf gender, and weaning age as a linear covariate (calf traits at weaning). Direct and maternal additive genetic effects were random in models for calf traits; only direct additive effects were modeled for cow traits. Cows sired by Angus bulls from outside the research herd had calves that were heavier at birth and weaning and greater ADG, BCS, and hip height (P cow weight was 65 ± 8 kg for Brahman-Angus (P cow weight was 3.4 ± 0.75 kg for Romosinuano-Angus. Heterosis estimates for weaning weight/calving interval (P cow exposed were 31.6 7.7, 36.9 ± 7.4, and 59.1 ± 7.5 kg for Romosinuano-Angus, Romosinuano-Brahman, and Brahman-Angus, respectively (P cows excelled.

Traffic signal synchronization.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ding-wei; Huang, Wei-neng

2003-05-01

The benefits of traffic signal synchronization are examined within the cellular automata approach. The microsimulations of traffic flow are obtained with different settings of signal period T and time delay delta. Both numerical results and analytical approximations are presented. For undersaturated traffic, the green-light wave solutions can be realized. For saturated traffic, the correlation among the traffic signals has no effect on the throughput. For oversaturated traffic, the benefits of synchronization are manifest only when stochastic noise is suppressed.

Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration-1 Concept of Operations (ATD-1 ConOps), Version 2.0

Science.gov (United States)

Baxley, Brian T.; Johnson, William C.; Swenson, Harry N.; Robinson, John E.; Prevot, Tom; Callantine, Todd J.; Scardina, John; Greene, Michael

2013-01-01

This document is an update to the operations and procedures envisioned for NASA s Air Traffic Management (ATM) Technology Demonstration #1 (ATD-1). The ATD-1 Concept of Operations (ConOps) integrates three NASA technologies to achieve high throughput, fuel-efficient arrival operations into busy terminal airspace. They are Traffic Management Advisor with Terminal Metering (TMA-TM) for precise time-based schedules to the runway and points within the terminal area, Controller-Managed Spacing (CMS) decision support tools for terminal controllers to better manage aircraft delay using speed control, and Flight deck Interval Management (FIM) avionics and flight crew procedures to conduct airborne spacing operations. The ATD-1 concept provides de-conflicted and efficient operations of multiple arrival streams of aircraft, passing through multiple merge points, from top-of-descent (TOD) to the Final Approach Fix. These arrival streams are Optimized Profile Descents (OPDs) from en route altitude to the runway, using primarily speed control to maintain separation and schedule. The ATD-1 project is currently addressing the challenges of integrating the three technologies, and their implantation into an operational environment. The ATD-1 goals include increasing the throughput of high-density airports, reducing controller workload, increasing efficiency of arrival operations and the frequency of trajectory-based operations, and promoting aircraft ADS-B equipage.

Fatty acid-binding protein in liver and small intestine of the preruminant calf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, K.J.

1986-01-01

Cytosol obtained from differential centrifugation of homogenates from liver and small intestine mucosa was incubated with 1-[ 14 C] oleic acid or 1-[ 14 C] palmitic acid and filtered through Sephadex G-75. Elution profiles for both tissues showed radioactivity in two main peaks, the first corresponding to binding of fatty acid to high molecular weight proteins and the second to a protein fraction with a molecular weight of approximately 12,000 daltons. The low molecular weight fraction had high fatty acid-binding activity, which was greater for oleic than palmitic acid. The findings demonstrate the presence of fatty acid-binding protein in liver and intestinal mucosa of the preruminant calf

Interaction of a copper (II) complex containing an artificial sweetener (aspartame) with calf thymus DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahabadi, Nahid; Khodaei, Mohammad Mehdi; Kashanian, Soheila; Kheirdoosh, Fahimeh

2014-01-01

A copper (II) complex containing aspartame (APM) as ligand, Cu(APM)2Cl2⋅2H2O, was synthesized and characterized. In vitro binding interaction of this complex with native calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) was studied at physiological pH. The interaction was studied using different methods: spectrophotometric, spectrofluorometric, competition experiment, circular dichroism (CD) and viscosimetric techniques. Hyperchromicity was observed in UV absorption band of Cu(APM)2Cl2⋅2H2O. A strong fluorescence quenching reaction of DNA to Cu(APM)2Cl2⋅2H2O was observed and the binding constants (Kf) and corresponding numbers of binding sites (n) were calculated at different temperatures. Thermodynamic parameters, enthalpy change (ΔH) and entropy change (ΔS) were calculated to be+89.3 kJ mol(-1) and+379.3 J mol(-1) K(-1) according to Van't Hoff equation which indicated that reaction is predominantly entropically driven. Experimental results from spectroscopic methods were comparable and further supported by viscosity measurements. We suggest that Cu(APM)2Cl2⋅2H2O interacts with calf thymus DNA via a groove interaction mode with an intrinsic binding constant of 8×10+4 M(-1). Binding of this copper complex to DNA was found to be stronger compared to aspartame which was studied recently. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Air Traffic Management Technology Demostration Phase 1 (ATD) Interval Management for Near-Term Operations Validation of Acceptability (IM-NOVA) Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Kibler, Jennifer L.; Wilson, Sara R.; Hubbs, Clay E.; Smail, James W.

2015-01-01

The Interval Management for Near-term Operations Validation of Acceptability (IM-NOVA) experiment was conducted at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) in support of the NASA Airspace Systems Program's Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration-1 (ATD-1). ATD-1 is intended to showcase an integrated set of technologies that provide an efficient arrival solution for managing aircraft using Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) surveillance, navigation, procedures, and automation for both airborne and ground-based systems. The goal of the IMNOVA experiment was to assess if procedures outlined by the ATD-1 Concept of Operations were acceptable to and feasible for use by flight crews in a voice communications environment when used with a minimum set of Flight Deck-based Interval Management (FIM) equipment and a prototype crew interface. To investigate an integrated arrival solution using ground-based air traffic control tools and aircraft Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) tools, the LaRC FIM system and the Traffic Management Advisor with Terminal Metering and Controller Managed Spacing tools developed at the NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) were integrated into LaRC's Air Traffic Operations Laboratory (ATOL). Data were collected from 10 crews of current 757/767 pilots asked to fly a high-fidelity, fixed-based simulator during scenarios conducted within an airspace environment modeled on the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Terminal Radar Approach Control area. The aircraft simulator was equipped with the Airborne Spacing for Terminal Area Routes (ASTAR) algorithm and a FIM crew interface consisting of electronic flight bags and ADS-B guidance displays. Researchers used "pseudo-pilot" stations to control 24 simulated aircraft that provided multiple air traffic flows into the DFW International Airport, and recently retired DFW air traffic controllers served as confederate Center, Feeder, Final

Epidemiology of deaths due to traffic accidents in Kermanshah province (2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azam Malekifar

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The increasing trend of traffic accidents is one of the most serious problems of public health. The aim of this paper was to investigate the fatal traffic accidents in Kermanshah province. Method: All research data required were obtained from Legal Medicine Organization and analyzed by Stata-11 software. Traffic statistics available on the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization website were used to study the death rate per month and day according to traffic level on suburban highways. Results: The incidence rate of age-standardized deaths due to road traffic accidents was 26.1per 100,000 people, and the mean age of the dead was 39.98±21.60 years. The mortality rate was higher in men, those more than 40 years old, married, illiterate and self-employed. Considering the traffic rate on suburban roads, the highest death rate occurred in the warmest months of the year during the day. Furthermore, most deaths were due to collisions and the highest frequency of death was reported for the car occupants. In most cases, head injuries and head traumas were the final cause of death. A significant correlation was reported between the type of vehicle and the cause of death and how the accident occurred (P<0.05. Conclusion: The mortality rate due to traffic accidents in Kermanshah province is high. Surveillance over the suburban roads in hot seasons and male drivers is of particular importance.

Effects of partial replacement of corn grain with lactose in calf starters on ruminal fermentation and growth performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Saegusa, A; Inouchi, K; Ueno, M; Inabu, Y; Koike, S; Sugino, T; Oba, M

2017-08-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of partial replacement of dry ground corn with lactose in calf starters on dry matter intake, growth rate, ruminal pH, and volatile fatty acid profile. Sixty Holstein bull calves were raised on a high plane of nutrition program until 55 d of age. Calves were fed texturized calf starters containing 30.1% steam-flaked grains and lactose at 0 (control), 5, or 10% (n = 20 for each treatment) on a dry matter basis. All calves were fed treatment calf starters ad libitum from d 7 and kleingrass hay from d 35. Ruminal pH was measured continuously immediately after weaning (d 55-62) for 15 calves (n = 5 per treatment), and 3 wk after weaning (d 77 to 80) for the other 45 calves (n = 15 per treatment). Dry matter intake, growth performance, and ruminal pH variables were not affected by treatment. However, according to Spearman's correlation coefficient (r s ) analyses, lactose intake was positively correlated with dairy minimum ruminal pH (r s = 0.306) for the data collected from d 77 to 80. Similarly, hay intake was not affected by treatment, but positively correlated with daily mean (r s = 0.338) and maximum ruminal pH (r s = 0.408) and negatively correlated with duration pH lactose than control (35.3 vs. 40.2%) for ruminal fluid collected on d 80; however, molar ratio of butyrate was not affected by treatment. These results indicate that lactose inclusion in calf starters up to 10% of dry matter might not affect dry matter intake and growth performance of calves, but that greater lactose and hay intake might be associated with higher ruminal pH. The Authors. Published by the Federation of Animal Science Societies and Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).

Effects of exercise training on calf muscle oxygen extraction and blood flow in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Wesley B; Li, Zhe; Schenkel, Steven S; Chandra, Malavika; Busch, David R; Englund, Erin K; Schmitz, Kathryn H; Yodh, Arjun G; Floyd, Thomas F; Mohler, Emile R

2017-12-01

We employed near-infrared optical techniques, diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS), and frequency-domain near-infrared spectroscopy (FD-NIRS) to test the hypothesis that supervised exercise training increases skeletal muscle microvascular blood flow and oxygen extraction in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) who experience claudication. PAD patients ( n = 64) were randomly assigned to exercise and control groups. Patients in the exercise group received 3 mo of supervised exercise training. Calf muscle blood flow and oxygen extraction were optically monitored before, during, and after performance of a graded treadmill protocol at baseline and at 3 mo in both groups. Additionally, measurements of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) and peak walking time (PWT) to maximal claudication were made during each patient visit. Supervised exercise training was found to increase the maximal calf muscle blood flow and oxygen extraction levels during treadmill exercise by 29% (13%, 50%) and 8% (1%, 12%), respectively [ P group population were significantly higher than corresponding changes in the control group ( P training also increased PWT by 49% (18%, 101%) ( P = 0.01). However, within statistical error, the ABI, resting calf muscle blood flow and oxygen extraction, and the recovery half-time for hemoglobin\\myoglobin desaturation following cessation of maximal exercise were not altered by exercise training. The concurrent monitoring of both blood flow and oxygen extraction with the hybrid DCS/FD-NIRS instrument revealed enhanced muscle oxidative metabolism during physical activity from exercise training, which could be an underlying mechanism for the observed improvement in PWT. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We report on noninvasive optical measurements of skeletal muscle blood flow and oxygen extraction dynamics before/during/after treadmill exercise in peripheral artery disease patients who experience claudication. The measurements tracked the effects of a 3-mo supervised

Ambulance traffic accidents in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Po-Wei; Lin, Chih-Hao; Wu, Chen-Long; Fang, Pin-Hui; Lu, Chien-Hsin; Hsu, Hsiang-Chin; Chi, Chih-Hsien

2018-04-01

Ambulance traffic accidents (ATAs) are the leading cause of occupation-related fatalities among emergency medical service (EMS) personnel. We aim to use the Taiwan national surveillance system to analyze the characteristics of ATAs and to assist EMS directors in developing policies governing ambulance operations. A retrospective, cross-sectional and largely descriptive study was conducted using Taiwan national traffic accidents surveillance data from January 1, 2011 to October 31, 2016. Among the 1,627,217 traffic accidents during the study period, 715 ATAs caused 8 deaths within 24 h and 1844 injured patients. On average, there was one ATA for every 8598 ambulance runs. Compared to overall traffic accidents, ATAs were 1.7 times more likely to result in death and 1.9 times more likely to have injured patients. Among the 715 ATAs, 8 (1.1%) ATAs were fatal and 707 (98.9%) were nonfatal. All 8 fatalities were associated with motorcycles. The urban areas were significantly higher than the rural areas in the annual number of ATAs (14.2 ± 7.3 [7.0-26.7] versus 3.1 ± 1.9 [0.5-8.4], p = 0.013), the number of ATA-associated fatalities per year (0.2 ± 0.2 [0.0-0.7] versus 0.1 ± 0.1 [0.0-0.2], p = 0.022), and the annual number of injured patients (who needed urgent hospital visits) in ATAs (19.4 ± 7.3 [10.5-30.9] versus 5.2 ± 3.8 [0.9-15.3], p traffic accident reporting system should be built to provide EMS policy guidance for ATA reduction and outcome improvements. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Rac1-Rab11-FIP3 regulatory hub coordinates vesicle traffic with actin remodeling and T-cell activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouchet, Jérôme; Del Río-Iñiguez, Iratxe; Lasserre, Rémi; Agüera-Gonzalez, Sonia; Cuche, Céline; Danckaert, Anne; McCaffrey, Mary W; Di Bartolo, Vincenzo; Alcover, Andrés

2016-06-01

The immunological synapse generation and function is the result of a T-cell polarization process that depends on the orchestrated action of the actin and microtubule cytoskeleton and of intracellular vesicle traffic. However, how these events are coordinated is ill defined. Since Rab and Rho families of GTPases control intracellular vesicle traffic and cytoskeleton reorganization, respectively, we investigated their possible interplay. We show here that a significant fraction of Rac1 is associated with Rab11-positive recycling endosomes. Moreover, the Rab11 effector FIP3 controls Rac1 intracellular localization and Rac1 targeting to the immunological synapse. FIP3 regulates, in a Rac1-dependent manner, key morphological events, like T-cell spreading and synapse symmetry. Finally, Rab11-/FIP3-mediated regulation is necessary for T-cell activation leading to cytokine production. Therefore, Rac1 endosomal traffic is key to regulate T-cell activation. © 2016 The Authors.

A case of polyarteritis nodosa limited to the right calf muscles, fascia, and skin: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brett Francesca

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Limited polyarteritis nodosa is a rare benign disease that usually responds well to systemic corticosteroid treatment. We report a case limited to calf muscles, fascia, and skin treated with local corticosteroid therapy directed to the affected areas by ultrasound guidance. Case presentation A 36-year-old Caucasian woman presented with a 10-month history of progressive right calf pain and swelling, which were unresponsive to treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and physiotherapy. An examination revealed a swollen tender right calf with indurated overlying skin. Laboratory investigations showed an erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 24 mm/hour and a C-reactive protein of 15 mg/dl. Full blood count, renal profile, and creatinine kinase level were normal. A full autoantibody screen and hepatitis B and C serology results were negative. A chest X-ray was unremarkable. Magnetic resonance imaging of the right leg revealed increased signal intensity in T2-weighted images and this was suggestive of extensive inflammatory changes of the gastrocnemius muscle and, to a lesser extent, the soleus muscle. There were marked inflammatory changes throughout the gastrocnemius muscle and the subcutaneous tissue circumferentially around the right lower leg. A biopsy of affected skin, muscle, and fascia showed histopathological features consistent with polyarteritis nodosa, including small-vessel vasculitis with fibrinoid changes in the vessel wall and intense perivascular and focal mural chronic inflammatory changes. Our patient declined treatment with oral steroids. She received a course of ultrasound-guided injections of steroid (Depo-Medrone, methylprednisolone in the involved muscle area and commenced maintenance azathioprine with a good response. Conclusions Limited polyarteritis nodosa is rare and affects middle-aged individuals. In most cases, treatment with moderate- to high-dose corticosteroids gives symptomatic relief

Fate and implications of /sup 203/Pb ingestion in a dairy cow and a calf

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Potter, G D; McIntyre, D R; Vattuone, G M

1971-01-01

Experiments were performed to study the internal transport and biological availability of radioactive lead that could be produced and released in certain types of nuclear cratering events, especially lead 203 and lead 210. A lactating dairy cow was used for the metabolic experiments, and a calf was used for the tissue distribution study. Urine, feces, blood, and milk samples from the cow were analyzed for each 24 hour period. Blood plasma and representative organs and tissues were removed from the calf and analyzed. Results showed a total recovery of 94.768% of the /sup 203/Pb in the feces, urine and milk of the cow by 144 hr. Approximately 85% was recovered in the feces in the first 48 hr. The total secretion in urine during 144 hr. was 0.173%, while the total secretion in milk was 0.190. These results reveal the slow, incomplete absorption of lead from the digestive tract. In the calf the tissue distribution of the absorbed lead shows that the erythrocytes represents the largest pool of lead in respect to recovery value. The tissue data confirm the known pattern of distribution of inorganic lead in soft tissues, with the highest concentrations in the liver and kidneys.

SENTINEL-1/2 DATA FOR SHIP TRAFFIC MONITORING ON THE DANUBE RIVER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Dana Negula

2016-06-01

Full Text Available After a long period of drought, the water level of the Danube River has significantly dropped especially on the Romanian sector, in July-August 2015. Danube reached the lowest water level recorded in the last 12 years, causing the blockage of the ships in the sector located close to Zimnicea Harbour. The rising sand banks in the navigable channel congested the commercial traffic for a few days with more than 100 ships involved. The monitoring of the decreasing water level and the traffic jam was performed based on Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 free data provided by the European Space Agency and the European Commission within the Copernicus Programme. Specific processing methods (calibration, speckle filtering, geocoding, change detection, image classification, principal component analysis, etc. were applied in order to generate useful products that the responsible authorities could benefit from. The Sentinel data yielded good results for water mask extraction and ships detection. The analysis continued after the closure of the crisis situation when the water reached the nominal level again. The results indicate that Sentinel data can be successfully used for ship traffic monitoring, building the foundation of future endeavours for a durable monitoring of the Danube River.

Developing a Minimum Data Set for an Information Management System to Study Traffic Accidents in Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadi, Ali; Ahmadi, Maryam; Gharagozlu, Alireza

2016-03-01

Each year, around 1.2 million people die in the road traffic incidents. Reducing traffic accidents requires an exact understanding of the risk factors associated with traffic patterns and behaviors. Properly analyzing these factors calls for a comprehensive system for collecting and processing accident data. The aim of this study was to develop a minimum data set (MDS) for an information management system to study traffic accidents in Iran. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed in 2014. Data were collected from the traffic police, trauma centers, medical emergency centers, and via the internet. The investigated resources for this study were forms, databases, and documents retrieved from the internet. Forms and databases were identical, and one sample of each was evaluated. The related internet-sourced data were evaluated in their entirety. Data were collected using three checklists. In order to arrive at a consensus about the data elements, the decision Delphi technique was applied using questionnaires. The content validity and reliability of the questionnaires were assessed by experts' opinions and the test-retest method, respectively. An (MDS) of a traffic accident information management system was assigned to three sections: a minimum data set for traffic police with six classes, including 118 data elements; a trauma center with five data classes, including 57 data elements; and a medical emergency center, with 11 classes, including 64 data elements. Planning for the prevention of traffic accidents requires standardized data. As the foundation for crash prevention efforts, existing standard data infrastructures present policymakers and government officials with a great opportunity to strengthen and integrate existing accident information systems to better track road traffic injuries and fatalities.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli distribution and characterization in a pasture-based cow-calf production system.

Science.gov (United States)

Baltasar, Patrícia; Milton, Stewart; Swecker, William; Elvinger, François; Ponder, Monica

2014-05-01

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are commonly found in cattle gastrointestinal tracts. In this study, prevalence and distribution of E. coli virulence genes (stx1, stx2, hlyA, and eaeA) were assessed in a cow-calf pasture-based production system. Angus cows (n = 90) and their calves (n = 90) were kept in three on-farm locations, and fecal samples were collected at three consecutive times (July, August, and September 2011). After enrichment of samples, stx1, stx2, eaeA, and hlyA were amplified and detected with a multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay. Fecal samples positive for stx genes were obtained from 93.3% (84 of 90) of dams and 95.6% (86 of 90) of calves at one or more sampling times. Age class (dam or calf), spatial distribution of cattle (farm locations B, H, K), and sampling time influenced prevalence and distribution of virulence genes in the herd. From 293 stx-positive fecal samples, 744 E. coli colonies were isolated. Virulence patterns of isolates were determined through mPCR assay: stx1 was present in 41.9% (312 of 744) of the isolates, stx2 in 6.5% (48 of 744), eaeA in 4.2% (31 of 744), and hlyA in 2.4% (18 of 744). Prevalence of non-O157 STEC was high among the isolates: 33.8% (112 of 331) were STEC O121, 3.6% (12 of 331) were STEC O103, and 1.8% (6 of 331) were STEC O113. One isolate (0.3%) was identified as STEC O157. Repetitive element sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) fingerprinting was used to study genetic diversity of stx-positive E. coli isolates. Overall, rep-PCR fingerprints were highly similar, supporting the hypothesis that strains are transmitted between animals but not necessarily from a dam to its calf. Highly similar STEC isolates were obtained at each sampling time, but isolates obtained from dams were more diverse than those from calves, suggesting that strain differences in transference may exist. Understanding the transfer of E. coli from environmental and animal sources to calves may aid in developing intervention

Myo-inositol uptake by cultured calf retinal pigment epithelial cells: regulation by glucose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khatami, M.; Rockey, J.H.

1986-01-01

Confluent primary (P-1) or subcultured passage 2 or 3 (P-2, P-3) calf retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) were incubated with [ 3 H]-myo-inositol (MI, 100-200 μM) in balanced salt solution (BSS), for 5 to 60 min at 37 0 C. MI uptake into RPE (P-2, 5 days old) was saturable with K/sub m/ of 147 μM and V/sub max/ of 5.5 pmole/min/μg DNA. P-1 or P-2 incubated with 10 μM MI for 40 min accumulated MI against a concentration gradient ([MI]in/[MI]out > 20). Replacement of 150 mM NaCl in BSS by 150 mM choline-Cl reduced the uptake of MI by 87%. MI uptake was inhibited (39%) when cells were incubated in BSS in the absence of Ca Cl 2 . Transport of MI into RPE incubated in the presence of phloridzin, ouabain or 2,4-dinitrophenol (1 mM each) for 10 min was inhibited by 65, 37 and 21%, respectively. α-D-Glucose (20 mM) in the incubation media inhibited MI uptake into primary (or P-2) cultured RPE by 30 or 43% when cells were incubated for 10 or 60 min, respectively. The ability of RPE cells, grown in the presence of 50 mM glucose for 15-25 days, to concentrate MI (40 μM) was reduced up to 41%. Cultured RPE cells accumulated myo-inositol by an active transport system, sensitive to ouabain, DNP and phloridzin. High glucose in the incubation media or in the growth media inhibited the uptake of MI into calf RPE cells

Cetacean mother-calf behavior observed from a small aircraft off Southern California. Animal Behavior and Cognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mari A. Smultea

2017-02-01

Full Text Available During early developmental stages, cetacean calves are dependent on their mothers for survival. Protection of young whales engaged in behaviors that are biologically important is critical for population recovery, so that appropriate management actions can be taken to minimize human disturbance. However, the occurrence and frequency of whale nursing and calves back-riding their mothers (both considered important to calf survival have rarely been observed nor adequately quantified or defined. Therefore, it may not always be clear when disruption is occurring. We used extended behavioral observations, still photography, and video camera footage obtained during aircraft surveys in the Southern California Bight in 2008 – 2013 to characterize cetacean mother-calf interactions. Based on observations of four mother/calf pairs (two gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus, one fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus, and one blue whale, B. musculus and one killer whale presumed mother/yearling pair (Orcinus orca, we describe bouts of nursing and calves riding on the backs of their presumed mothers, including activity duration, frequency, and relative body positioning. We conclude with specific definitions useful to wildlife conservation agencies authorizing and establishing restrictions to certain human activities when they might constitute behavioral disruptions.

Queueing and traffic

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baër, Niek

2015-01-01

Traffic jams are everywhere, some are caused by constructions or accidents but a large portion occurs naturally. These "natural" traffic jams are a result of variable driving speeds combined with a high number of vehicles. To prevent these traffic jams, we must understand traffic in general, and to

Traffic Games: Modeling Freeway Traffic with Game Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Cortés-Berrueco, Luis E; Gershenson, Carlos; Stephens, Christopher R

2016-01-01

We apply game theory to a vehicular traffic model to study the effect of driver strategies on traffic flow. The resulting model inherits the realistic dynamics achieved by a two-lane traffic model and aims to incorporate phenomena caused by driver-driver interactions. To achieve this goal, a game-theoretic description of driver interaction was developed. This game-theoretic formalization allows one to model different lane-changing behaviors and to keep track of mobility performance. We simulate the evolution of cooperation, traffic flow, and mobility performance for different modeled behaviors. The analysis of these results indicates a mobility optimization process achieved by drivers' interactions.

Traffic planning for non-homogeneous traffic

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Vehicles based on similar traffic operating characteristics are grouped into ... of distances to the video monitor involved using a measuring wheel to mark ... Secondly, the observers reviewed the videotape to sample traffic entity ...... makes a strong case for including service lanes for slow moving vehicles for improving the.

Traffic noise in Hyderabad city. part I: road traffic noise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaikh, G.H.; Shaikh, Q.

2000-01-01

Traffic noise survey was conducted at 20 sites in different areas and localities in Hyderabad city and each site noise data was collected continuously from 0800 to 2000 h. The data was analyzed for L/sub A99/, L/sub A90/, L/sub A50/, L/sub 10/ and L/sub A1/, and approximate values of L/sub Aeq12h/ were evaluated for each site. The results are discussed with reference to some criteria for community annoyance and means and ways to limit high-level traffic noise are suggested. (author)

State-of-the-Art Review on Sustainable Design and Construction of Quieter Pavements—Part 1: Traffic Noise Measurement and Abatement Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MD Ohiduzzaman

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Noise pollution due to highway traffic has drawn the attention of transportation agencies worldwide. Noise pollution is an irritant to residents, especially in urban areas near roads with high traffic volume. In addition to its adverse effects on the quality of life, traffic noise can induce stress that could lead to sleep disturbance and anxiety. Traditionally, noise barrier walls have been used for highways to mitigate traffic noise. However, using barrier walls as a noise abatement measure has proven to be very expensive. In addition to the cost, noise barrier walls are not always effective because they must break the line of sight to work properly, which is not always possible in case of intersections or driveways. Therefore, researchers especially from Europe and USA have been very proactive to reduce the noise at source. A number of research studies show traffic noise can be reduced by using an alternative surface type or changing texture of the pavement while complying with other requirements of sustainability, i.e., safety, structural durability, construction and maintenance costs. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the research conducted on this subject. A review of the tire-pavement noise generation and amplification mechanism, various traffic noise measurement methods and correlation among these methods, in addition to the abatement techniques used by various agencies to reduce pavement noise, is also presented.

a note on tntensive weaner calf production fro]ii dairy cows

African Journals Online (AJOL)

creep feeding under these conditions demanded atten- tion. Naudd (1964) reported that out cf a total of 9l dairy herds investigated in the Republic of South Africa. only 3l e; of the herds suckled calves. ln 869oof the cases only one calf per cow was suckled. This differs conl- pletely from the practice in Britain where more than ...

Integrated Quality Management System in Public Urban Traffic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Husein Pašagić

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Public urban traffic (PUT requirements are based on thespecific characteristics that dictate the requirements themselves.The problems faced by all the big cities regarding public urbantransport are very similar, and they range from unacceptabilityof the very organisational structure of the system facing the populationgrowth, limitations and congestions of the traffic routesloaded by an increasing number of automobiles, to the chroniclack of economic funds for the investments that would createthe necessary conditions for positive shifts. In PUT there aremany random parameters whose statistical laws are not easy todetermine and it is often the topic of research of various profilesof scientists. There is always the satisfaction, that is, the lack ofsatisfaction by the final user of the public urban transport andall the other involved groups. The result is that the potential usersof public urban transport give up and try to find other solutionsfor their transport needs, turning in principle to individualtraffic. Consequently, the number of passenger cars on the trafficroutes increases along with all the resulting negative effects.The complex systems of public urban transport facing the increasingrequirements to improve efficiency have to be subjectedto certain changes in order to achieve physical sustainability oftraffic at all, and to satisfy the environmental requirements thatoccur as counterbalance to the pollution of the urban area.With the aim of achieving optimal conditions for the qualityof service, and by introducing acceptable traffic solutionscombined with the integrated quality management systembased on the standards ISO 9001 and ISO 14000 high-qualityshifts are made possible. The integration of these standards resultsin the rational combining of the quality management systeminto a single efficient system, reflected in achieving high-quality traffic and transport service, improved informationflow, unique documentation, positive

THE QUESTION OF DEVELOPMENT OF AUTOMATED SYSTEMS FOR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Shirin

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The current systems and methods for automated traffic management in cities are analyzed. The management in cities is analyzed. The management levels are specified. There were fermulated the general requirements, objectives and funnctions of the automated sistems for traffic management with regard to the modern transport problems as well as proposed their aditional managemrnt and infor-maton functions. A phased approach to the implementation of projects on creation of automated sys-tems of traffic management is offered.

Traffic Light Options

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Peter Løchte

This paper introduces, prices, and analyzes traffic light options. The traffic light option is an innovative structured OTC derivative developed independently by several London-based investment banks to suit the needs of Danish life and pension (L&P) companies, which must comply with the traffic...... 2006, and supervisory authorities in many other European countries have implemented similar regulation. Traffic light options are therefore likely to attract the attention of a wider audience of pension fund managers in the future. Focusing on the valuation of the traffic light option we set up a Black...... light scenarios. These stress scenarios entail drops in interest rates as well as in stock prices, and traffic light options are thus designed to pay off and preserve sufficient capital when interest rates and stock prices fall simultaneously. Sweden's FSA implemented a traffic light system in January...

Traffic Light Options

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Peter Løchte

2007-01-01

This paper introduces, prices, and analyzes traffic light options. The traffic light option is an innovative structured OTC derivative developed independently by several London-based investment banks to suit the needs of Danish life and pension (L&P) companies, which must comply with the traffic...... 2006, and supervisory authorities in many other European countries have implemented similar regulation. Traffic light options are therefore likely to attract the attention of a wider audience of pension fund managers in the future. Focusing on the valuation of the traffic light option we set up a Black...... light scenarios. These stress scenarios entail drops in interest rates as well as in stock prices, and traffic light options are thus designed to pay off and preserve sufficient capital when interest rates and stock prices fall simultaneously. Sweden's FSA implemented a traffic light system in January...

Noxious substances in the air - traffic planning measures - traffic of the future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koestenberger, H

1985-01-01

Necessary bundle of measures: Extension of public transport and restriction of individual traffic, extension and activation of large main roads (by-passes) to unload inhabited areas, building garages, creation of residential streets, pedestrian precincts and cycle paths. The best possible traffic system can only be achieved if all means of transport are used efficiently. It is the duty of traffic planners to develop an overall traffic system with the aims of benefiting the whole community. Due to wrong slowing down of traffic, the reduction of emitted quantities of noxious substances from private cars can be counteracted by general slowing down of traffic; frequent braking and restarting. The functional separation of residential areas for living, areas for working, supply, education and leisure pursuits which has been aimed at in recent decades must be slowly changed. This could reduce the traffic and mobility (mixed functions). The aims for traffic of the future are: suitability for the environment, economy, safety and capacity. In an integrated road network, the traffic must take over the correct purpose of traffic. (orig.).

Isolated tear of the tendon to the medial head of gastrocnemius presenting as a painless lump in the calf.

Science.gov (United States)

Watura, Christopher; Harries, William

2009-01-01

We report on a case of isolated tear of the medial head of gastrocnemius tendon. The patient presented with a painless lump in the right calf and denied any prior history of trauma or strain to the leg. A longitudinal split of the tendon was demonstrated at ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There were no other abnormalities and the gastrocnemius muscle was normal. There are no reports in the literature of isolated gastrocnemius tendon tear. To date the calf muscle complex injury described in this area is tearing of the medial head of gastrocnemius muscle, sometimes referred to as "tennis leg". We conclude that an isolated tear of the tendon to the medial head of gastrocnemius should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a lump or swelling in the upper medial area of the calf and we recommend ultrasound or MRI as the investigations of choice.

Frogs Call at a Higher Pitch in Traffic Noise

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirsten M. Parris

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Male frogs call to attract females for mating and to defend territories from rival males. Female frogs of some species prefer lower-pitched calls, which indicate larger, more experienced males. Acoustic interference occurs when background noise reduces the active distance or the distance over which an acoustic signal can be detected. Birds are known to call at a higher pitch or frequency in urban noise, decreasing acoustic interference from low-frequency noise. Using Bayesian linear regression, we investigated the effect of traffic noise on the pitch of advertisement calls in two species of frogs, the southern brown tree frog (Litoria ewingii and the common eastern froglet (Crinia signifera. We found evidence that L. ewingii calls at a higher pitch in traffic noise, with an average increase in dominant frequency of 4.1 Hz/dB of traffic noise, and a total effect size of 123 Hz. This frequency shift is smaller than that observed in birds, but is still large enough to be detected by conspecific frogs and confer a significant benefit to the caller. Mathematical modelling predicted a 24% increase in the active distance of a L. ewingii call in traffic noise with a frequency shift of this size. Crinia signifera may also call at a higher pitch in traffic noise, but more data are required to be confident of this effect. Because frog calls are innate rather than learned, the frequency shift demonstrated by L. ewingii may represent an evolutionary adaptation to noisy conditions. The phenomenon of frogs calling at a higher pitch in traffic noise could therefore constitute an intriguing trade-off between audibility and attractiveness to potential mates.

Heavy-traffic analysis for the GI/G/1 queue with heavy-tailed distributions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

O.J. Boxma (Onno); J.W. Cohen

1997-01-01

textabstractWe consider a $GI/G/1$ queue in which the service time distribution and/or the interarrival time distribution has a heavy tail, i.e., a tail behaviour like $t^{-nu$ with $1traffic limit theorem for the

Prevalence and Comparative Studies of Some Major Serotype of E.Coli from Cattle and Buffalo Calf Scour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vagh A.A. and Jani R.G.

Full Text Available A study was carried out to find the different serotype of E.coli isolates from the young cattle and buffalo calves affected with calf scours. Different strains of E. coli were isolated from 30 cases of calf scour from both cattle and buffalo calves each. All the isolates of E. coli were typed for ‘O’ antigen. The relationship of serotypes of E. coli to each case showed that two of the twenty six serotypes were common and appeared most virulent in both the species. [Veterinary World 2010; 3(10.000: 458-459

Air Traffic Management Technology Demostration: 1 Research and Procedural Testing of Routes

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Sara R.; Kibler, Jennifer L.; Hubbs, Clay E.; Smail, James W.

2015-01-01

NASA's Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration-1 (ATD-1) will operationally demonstrate the feasibility of efficient arrival operations combining ground-based and airborne NASA technologies. The ATD-1 integrated system consists of the Traffic Management Advisor with Terminal Metering which generates precise time-based schedules to the runway and merge points; Controller Managed Spacing decision support tools which provide controllers with speed advisories and other information needed to meet the schedule; and Flight deck-based Interval Management avionics and procedures which allow flight crews to adjust their speed to achieve precise relative spacing. Initial studies identified air-ground challenges related to the integration of these three scheduling and spacing technologies, and NASA's airborne spacing algorithm was modified to address some of these challenges. The Research and Procedural Testing of Routes human-in-the-loop experiment was then conducted to assess the performance of the new spacing algorithm. The results of this experiment indicate that the algorithm performed as designed, and the pilot participants found the airborne spacing concept, air-ground procedures, and crew interface to be acceptable. However, the researchers concluded that the data revealed issues with the frequency of speed changes and speed reversals.

Traffic Infrastructure in the Development of the Croatian Traffic System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damir Šimulčik

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The absence of a long-term traffic policy and of the policyof financing the constntction and maintenance of traffic infrastructurefacilities, represents a synthesis of numerous unresolvedrelations whose negative effects are felt in the overalleconomic and traffic development and consequently theevaluation of national potentials in the field. Adverse aspectcaused by the lack of a clear and feasible policy of financing thetraffic infrastructure facilities, is also a result of not having definedan adequate traffic policy, programme and strategiccourses of development, nor financing models that would be inaccordance with the market and economy system.This indicates that it is necessary to determine a policy forfinancing the constntction and maintenance of traffic infrastntcture,which has to be based on scientific development,team work, availability of plans and programmes to scientistsand experts, determined methodology based on marketing andeconomic logic in defining the programme and strategic tasksand assignments so as to make them feasible.In the near future, intensive preparations for investments inthe overall traffic sysiem are necessary, especially regarding thetraffic infrastntcture facilities - the pivotal points in the processof evaluating the traffic in our national tenitory. Croatia needsto define clearly its strategy in constructing and maintaining thegeneral traffic infrastructure, appointing at the same time thosewho will carry out the given tasks.

Relative strengths of the calf muscles based on MRI volume measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeng, Clifford L; Thawait, Gaurav K; Kwon, John Y; Machado, Antonio; Boyle, James W; Campbell, John; Carrino, John A

2012-05-01

In 1985, Silver et al. published a cadaver study which determined the relative order of strength of the muscles in the calf. Muscle strength, which is proportional to volume, was obtained by dissecting out the individual muscles, weighing them, and then multiplying by the specific gravity. No similar studies have been performed using {\\it in vivo} measurements of muscle volume. Ten normal subjects underwent 3-Tesla MRI's of both lower extremities using non-fat-saturated T2 SPACE sequences. The volume for each muscle was determined by tracing the muscle contour on sequential axial images and then interpolating the volume using imaging software. The results from this study differ from Silver's original article. The lateral head of the gastrocnemius was found to be stronger than the tibialis anterior muscle. The FHL and EDL muscles were both stronger than the peroneus longus. There was no significant difference in strength between the peroneus longus and brevis muscles. This revised order of muscle strengths in the calf based on in vivo MRI findings may assist surgeons in determining the optimal tendons to transfer in order to address muscle weakness and deformity.

Intelligent Testing of Traffic Light Programs: Validation in Smart Mobility Scenarios

OpenAIRE

Javier Ferrer; José García-Nieto; Enrique Alba; Francisco Chicano

2016-01-01

In smart cities, the use of intelligent automatic techniques to find efficient cycle programs of traffic lights is becoming an innovative front for traffic flow management. However, this automatic programming of traffic lights requires a validation process of the generated solutions, since they can affect the mobility (and security) of millions of citizens. In this paper, we propose a validation strategy based on genetic algorithms and feature models for the automatic generation of different ...

Urban street structure and traffic safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohan, Dinesh; Bangdiwala, Shrikant I; Villaveces, Andres

2017-09-01

This paper reports the influence of road type and junction density on road traffic fatality rates in U.S. cities. The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) files were used to obtain fatality rates for all cities for the years 2005-2010. A stratified random sample of 16 U.S. cities was taken, and cities with high and low road traffic fatality rates were compared on their road layout details (TIGER maps were used). Statistical analysis was done to determine the effect of junction density and road type on road traffic fatality rates. The analysis of road network and road traffic crash fatality rates in these randomly selected U.S. cities shows that, (a) higher number of junctions per road length was significantly associated with a lower motor- vehicle crash and pedestrian mortality rates, and, (b) increased number of kilometers of roads of any kind was associated with higher fatality rates, but an additional kilometer of main arterial road was associated with a significantly higher increase in total fatalities. When compared to non-arterial roads, the higher the ratio of highways and main arterial roads, there was an association with higher fatality rates. These results have important implications for road safety professionals. They suggest that once the road and street structure is put in place, that will influence whether a city has low or high traffic fatality rates. A city with higher proportion of wider roads and large city blocks will tend to have higher traffic fatality rates, and therefore in turn require much more efforts in police enforcement and other road safety measures. Urban planners need to know that smaller block size with relatively less wide roads will result in lower traffic fatality rates and this needs to be incorporated at the planning stage. Copyright © 2017 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison on the interaction of Al3+/nano-Al13 with calf thymus DNA /salmon sperm DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Fei; Ma, Yue; Du, Changwen; Yang, Xiaodi; Shen, Renfang

2015-11-01

The conformation change, binding mode and binding site between Al3+/nano-Al13 and calf thymus DNA/salmon sperm DNA were investigated by UV-vis absorption, FTIR spectra, Raman spectroscopy and CD spectra, as well as melting curves measurement. The UV-vis spectra and circular dichroism spectra results suggested that the phosphate group structure was changed when Al3+ interacted with DNA, while the double-helix was distorted when nano-Al13 interacted with DNA. The FTIR and Raman spectroscopy revealed that the binding sites were Al3+ … PO2, Al3+ … N7/guanine PO2 … Al13 … N7-C8/guanine with calf thymus DNA, and Al3+ … N3-O2/cytosine, Al3+ … N7-C8/guanine, PO2 … Al13 … N7-C8/guanine, PO2 … Al13 … N1/adenine with salmon sperm DNA, respectively. The electrostatic binding was existed between Al3+ and DNA, and the electrostatic binding and complexing were found between nano-Al13 and DNA.

Evaluation of skeletal muscle during calf exercise by 31P MR spectroscopy in patients on statin medications

Science.gov (United States)

Buettner, Catherine; Smithline, Howard; Ngo, Long H; Greenman, Robert L.

2012-01-01

Introduction Muscle pain is a common side effect of statin medications, however, the cause is poorly understood. Methods We characterized phosphocreatine (PCr) exercise recovery kinetics in 10 patients with hypercholesterolemia before and after a 4 week regimen of statin therapy using 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS). 31P spectra were obtained before, during, and following exercise on a calf flexion pedal ergometer. Creatine kinase (CK) serum levels were drawn before and after statin therapy. Results The mean metabolic recovery time constant in subjects increased from 28.1s (SE=6.5s) to 55.4s (SE=7.4s) following statin therapy. The unweighted mean of the pre-post recovery time difference was -27.3s (SE=12.4s); (p-value = 0.02). Pre- and post-therapy CK levels were not significantly different (p-value = 0.50). Discussion Metabolic recovery time in the calf is prolonged in patients following statin use. This suggests that statins impair mitochondrial oxidative function, and 31P –MRS is a potential study model for statin-associated myopathy. PMID:21171098

Traffic data collection and anonymous vehicle detection using wireless sensor networks : research summary.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-01

Problem: : Most Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) applications require distributed : acquisition of various traffic metrics such as traffic speed, volume, and density. : The existing measurement technologies, such as inductive loops, infrared, ...

Fore limb bilateral polydactyly and ocular dermoid in a Holstein Friesian calf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spadari, A.; Spinella, G.; Venturini, A.; Gentile, A.

2003-01-01

A clinical case of polydactyly in fore limbs of a Holstein Friesian calf was radiographically and ultrasonographically examined and thus was surgically treated by amputation of the first right digit and of the first left digit, the latter present in a vestigial form. Furthermore, a ocular dermoid cyst was removed in the same animal [it

Genetic analysis of calf and heifer losses in Danish Holstein

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fuerst-Walti, B; Sørensen, Morten Kargo

2010-01-01

Mortality in dairy cattle is not only relevant with regard to economic losses but also to animal health and welfare. Thus, the aim of this investigation was to explore the genetic background of postnatal mortality in calves and replacement heifers in different age groups until first calving...... periods, whereas their records were kept for preceding periods. After further data editing, more than 840,000 calves and heifers born in the years 1998 to 2007 were investigated. Mortality rates were 3.23, 2.66, 0.97, 1.92, and 9.36% for the defined periods P1 to P5, respectively. For the estimation...... of genetic parameters, linear and threshold sire models were applied. Effects accounted for were the random effects herd × year × season and sire as well as the fixed effects year × month, number of dam's parity (parities >5 were set to 5), calf size, and calving ease. In total, the pedigree consisted of 4...

Influence of Ni(II) and Fe(III) complexes of 1,2 dihydroxy 9,10 anthraquinone on the modification in calf thymus DNA upon gamma irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Saurabh; Mandal, Parikshit C.

2009-01-01

Ionizing radiation when allowed to fall upon cells or DNA, the radicals produced modify the base-pair region of the double strands. Radiation-induced double-strand modifications in calf thymus DNA were detected using Ni(II) and Fe(III) complexes of 1,2 dihydroxy 9,10 anthraquinone (DHA). 60 Co was used as the source for γ-radiation and ethidium bromide (EB) as the fluorescent dye for detecting double-strand modifications caused in DNA. Results show that the Fe(III)-DHA complex is more efficient in modifying the base-pair region in double-stranded DNA in comparison to DHA or the Ni(II)-DHA complex

Manual calf massage and passive ankle motion reduce the incidence of deep vein thromboembolism after total hip arthroplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Imai, Norio; Ito, Tomoyuki; Suda, Ken; Miyasaka, Dai; Endo, Naoto

2017-07-01

Venous thromboembolism is one of the general complications following total hip arthroplasty, wherein various preventive treatments have been recommended. Several studies reported that venous thromboembolism incidence after total hip arthroplasty was similar in patients who were administered prophylaxis with a conventional mechanical procedure alone, and those who were administered pharmacological anticoagulation therapy. Therefore, the optimum methods of prophylaxis are still controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether manual calf massage and passive ankle motion could lower the risk for venous thromboembolism after total hip arthroplasty. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 126 consecutive patients undergoing elective primary unilateral total hip arthroplasty wherein manual calf massage and passive ankle motion were performed after the surgery at our hospitals between January and October 2014. The 138 patients of the control group underwent total hip arthroplasty using the same surgical approach and pre- and postoperative protocols without this mechanical prophylaxis between January and December 2013. This mechanical prophylaxis was performed simultaneously 30 times during approximately 10 s; these procedures were repeated thrice immediately after total hip arthroplasty. Duplex ultrasonography was performed to observe the veins of both legs in all the patients on postoperative day 7. The incidence of deep vein thrombosis was 6.52% and 0.79% in the control and manual calf massage and passive ankle motion groups, respectively. The odds ratio for the manual calf massage and passive ankle motion groups was 8.72. Performing this mechanical prophylaxis reduced the incidence of venous thromboembolism after total hip arthroplasty. This mechanical prophylaxis is not only simple and easy, but is also safe and inexpensive. We therefore recommend that manual calf massage and passive ankle motion be performed in patients who will undergo total hip

Isolated tear of the tendon to the medial head of gastrocnemius presenting as a painless lump in the calf

OpenAIRE

Watura, Christopher; Harries, William

2009-01-01

We report on a case of isolated tear of the medial head of gastrocnemius tendon. The patient presented with a painless lump in the right calf and denied any prior history of trauma or strain to the leg. A longitudinal split of the tendon was demonstrated at ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There were no other abnormalities and the gastrocnemius muscle was normal. There are no reports in the literature of isolated gastrocnemius tendon tear. To date the calf muscle complex injur...

Traffic noise in Hyderabad city, part-II. vehicular contribution to road traffic noise

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheikh, G.H.

2001-01-01

The results of a road traffic noise survey carried out in Hyderabad city showed that the levels of traffic noise in the City are alarmingly high and much beyond the comfortable limits. There, in order to investigate the level of the noise emitted by different types of vehicles plying on the city roads and to assess their individual contribution to high level traffic noise, studies have been carried out on the measurement of noise emitted by motorcycles, buses, auto-rickshaws, and motor vehicle horns as they normally move on the city roads. The data collected has been analyzed for L/sub v99/, L/sub v90/, L/sub v50/, L/sub v10/ and L/sub v1/ and results are discussed with reference to the existing motor vehicle rules in Pakistan and motor vehicle noise emission limits set by the EEC and other developed countries. Some suggestion have also been made to limit high level traffic noise. (author)

Evaluation of diabetic peripheral arterial disease in lower limb using 3.0 T contrast-enhanced MR angiography with simultaneous calf compression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jie; Zhao Jungong; Zhu Yueqi; Li Minghua; Wang Jue; Qiao Ruihua

2011-01-01

Objective: To determine the value of 3.0 T contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CE-MRA) with simultaneous calf compression in demonstrating and diagnosing diabetic peripheral vascular disease. Methods: Sixth-one patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicating vascular disease of lower limb were enrolled in this study. The patients included 37 males and 24 females with a mean age of (70±7.65) years. The mean duration of disease was (11.6±6.0) years. The patients were randomly divided into compression group (n=31) and conventional group (n=30). CE-MRA with a 3.0 T MR unit was performed in all patients. During CE-MRA, calf compression with a cuff was simultaneously applied to patients of compression group. DSA, which was regarded as gold standard, was conducted within one week after the procedure. The quality of MRA images was separately evaluated by two radiologists, the results were compared between two groups. Results: Taking DSA findings as reference, the image quality of calf and foot in compression group was much better than that in conventional group (P 50% arterial stenosis or occlusion of leg the image in compression group was also better than that in conventional group (P<0.05). CE-MRA with simultaneous calf compression could significantly eliminate the overlapping venous shadow (P<0.05). Conclusion: The 3.0 T CE-MRA with simultaneous calf compression is a simple and practical technique, it can markedly improve the image quality as well as the diagnostic accuracy of peripheral vascular disease of lower limb in diabetic patients. (authors)

Fiber sources for complete calf starter rations.

Science.gov (United States)

Murdock, F R; Wallenius, R W

1980-11-01

Complete calf starter rations containing either 1) alfalfa hay, 2) cottonseed hulls, or 3) alfalfa-beet pulp as sources of fiber were fed to Holstein heifer calves at two locations on a limited milk program from 3 days to 12 wk of age. Rations were isonitrogenous and similar in content of crude fiber and acid detergent fiber. Although growth and development were normal on all rations, calves fed the cottonseed hull ration consumed more starter and gained more body weight than calves fed the other sources of fiber. The similarity of feed efficiencies, rumen pH, and molar ratios of volatile fatty acids between rations indicated no appreciable differences in rumen development or function. The growth response of calves fed the cottonseed hull ration appeared to be a result of better ration acceptability for which no reason was evident. Calves raised at Puyallup gained more body weight than calves at Pullman, and these gains were made more efficiently. These location effects may be related to seasonal differences and greater demands for production of body heat. Although the incidence of scours was less for calves fed alfalfa hay starter, the incidence and severity of bloat were higher for that ration.

Early Model of Traffic Sign Reminder Based on Neural Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budi Rahmani

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Recognizing the traffic signs installed on the streets is one of the requirements of driving on the road. Laxity in driving may result in traffic accident. This paper describes a real-time reminder model, by utilizing a camera that can be installed in a car to capture image of traffic signs, and is processed and later to inform the driver. The extracting feature harnessing the morphological elements (strel is used in this paper. Artificial Neural Networks is used to train the system and to produce a final decision. The result shows that the accuracy in detecting and recognizing the ten types of traffic signs in real-time is 80%.

Network Analysis of Urban Traffic with Big Bus Data

OpenAIRE

Zhao, Kai

2016-01-01

Urban traffic analysis is crucial for traffic forecasting systems, urban planning and, more recently, various mobile and network applications. In this paper, we analyse urban traffic with network and statistical methods. Our analysis is based on one big bus dataset containing 45 million bus arrival samples in Helsinki. We mainly address following questions: 1. How can we identify the areas that cause most of the traffic in the city? 2. Why there is a urban traffic? Is bus traffic a key cause ...

A wireless sensor network for urban traffic characterization and trend monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Lozano, J J; Martín-Guzmán, Miguel; Martín-Ávila, Juan; García-Cerezo, A

2015-10-15

Sustainable mobility requires a better management of the available infrastructure resources. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to obtain accurate data about road usage, in particular in urban areas. Although a variety of sensor alternates for urban traffic exist, they usually require extensive investments in the form of construction works for installation, processing means, etc. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) are an alternative to acquire urban traffic data, allowing for flexible, easy deployment. Together with the use of the appropriate sensors, like Bluetooth identification, and associate processing, WSN can provide the means to obtain in real time data like the origin-destination matrix, a key tool for trend monitoring which previously required weeks or months to be completed. This paper presents a system based on WSN designed to characterize urban traffic, particularly traffic trend monitoring through the calculation of the origin-destination matrix in real time by using Bluetooth identification. Additional sensors are also available integrated in different types of nodes. Experiments in real conditions have been performed, both for separate sensors (Bluetooth, ultrasound and laser), and for the whole system, showing the feasibility of this approach.

Transit Traffic Analysis Zone Delineating Method Based on Thiessen Polygon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuwei Wang

2014-04-01

Full Text Available A green transportation system composed of transit, busses and bicycles could be a significant in alleviating traffic congestion. However, the inaccuracy of current transit ridership forecasting methods is imposing a negative impact on the development of urban transit systems. Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ delineating is a fundamental and essential step in ridership forecasting, existing delineating method in four-step models have some problems in reflecting the travel characteristics of urban transit. This paper aims to come up with a Transit Traffic Analysis Zone delineation method as supplement of traditional TAZs in transit service analysis. The deficiencies of current TAZ delineating methods were analyzed, and the requirements of Transit Traffic Analysis Zone (TTAZ were summarized. Considering these requirements, Thiessen Polygon was introduced into TTAZ delineating. In order to validate its feasibility, Beijing was then taken as an example to delineate TTAZs, followed by a spatial analysis of office buildings within a TTAZ and transit station departure passengers. Analysis result shows that the TTAZs based on Thiessen polygon could reflect the transit travel characteristic and is of in-depth research value.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in calf muscles of patients with combined peripheral arterial disease and diabetes type 2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindegaard Pedersen, Brian; Bækgaard, Niels; Quistorff, Bjørn

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: This study elucidate the effects on muscle mitochondrial function in patients suffering from combined peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the relation to patient symptoms and treatment. METHODS: Near Infra Red Spectroscopy (NIRS) calf muscle exercise tests...... were conducted on Forty subjects, 15 (PAD), 15 (PAD+T2D) and 10 healthy age matched controls (CTRL) recruited from the vascular outpatient clinic at Gentofte County Hospital, Denmark. Calf muscle biopsies (~ 80 mg) (Gastrocnemius and Anterior tibial muscles) were sampled and mitochondrial function...... group. This was confirmed by a ~30% reduction in oxygen consumption in the muscle biopsy tests for the PAD+T2D compared to the PAD group (P

Clinical effect observation of pranoprofen combined with deproteinized calf blood extract eye drops for moderate to severe dry eye

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing-Hua Qiu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available AIM: To explore clinical effect of pranoprofen combined with deproteinized calf blood extract eye drops for moderate to severe dry eye. METHODS: A total of 84 patients(132 eyeswho received treatment at the Zhengzhou Second Hospital were selected from January 2016 to January 2017. According to random number table method they were divided into control group 42 cases(68 eyesand observation group 42 cases(64 eyes, the control group using polyvinyl alcohol eye drops with pranoprofen, observation group with pranoprofen with deproteinized extract of calf blood eye drops. Subjective and objective scores before and after treatment were recorded. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference on the four objective indicators of pretreatment FL, BUT, SⅠt, and vision between the two groups(P>0.05. Dry eye symptom scores of the two groups decreased after treatment, both with significantly different(PPPPCONCLUSION: The clinical effect of praprofen on the treatment of moderate to severe dry eye with the deproteinized calf blood extract is better.

Interstitial and arterial-venous [K+] in human calf muscle during dynamic exercise

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Green, S; Langberg, Henning; Skovgaard, D

2000-01-01

+. Calf muscle pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale. On average, [K+]I was 4.4 mmol l(-1) at rest and increased during minutes 3-5 of incremental exercise by approximately 1-7 mmol l(-1) as a positive function of power output. K+ release also increased as a function of exercise intensity......Changes in the concentration of interstitial K+ surrounding skeletal muscle fibres ([K+]I) probably play some role in the regulation of cardiovascular adjustments to muscular activity, as well as in the aetiology of muscle pain and fatigue during high-intensity exercise. However, there is very...... little information on the response of [K+]I to exercise in human skeletal muscle. Five young healthy subjects performed plantar flexion exercise for four 5 min periods at increasing power outputs ( approximately 1-6 W) with 10 min intervening recovery periods, as well as for two 5 min periods...

Movement and spatial proximity patterns of rangeland-raised Raramuri Criollo cow-calf pairs

Science.gov (United States)

The objective of this study was to compare movement patterns of nursing vs. nonnursing mature cows and to characterize cow-calf proximity patterns in two herds of Raramuri Criollo cattle. Herds grazed rangeland pastures in southern New Mexico (4355 ha) and west-central Chihuahua, Mexico (633 ha)'' A...

Economics of transitioning from a cow-calf-yearling operation to a stocker operation as a potential strategy to address brucellosis risk in northwestern Wyoming

Science.gov (United States)

An alternative enterprise for cattle ranchers that produce cows and calves is the production of stocker cattle. While stocker only operations have generally found to be less profitable than cow-calf or cow-calf-yearling operations, potential reasons for switching to stockers from having cows could i...

Scintigraphic calf perfusion symmetry after exercise and prediction of cardiovascular events: One stone to kill two birds?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tellier, Philippe; Lecouffe, Pascal; Zureik, Mahmoud

2007-01-01

Background: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is commonly associated with a high cardiovascular mortality and morbidity as a marker of plurifocal atherosclerosis. Whether exercise thallium perfusion muscular asymmetry in the legs associated with PAD has prognostic value is unknown. Such a hypothesis was evaluated in a prospective study which remains the gold standard in clinical research. Methods and results: Scintigraphic calf perfusion symmetry after exercise (SCPSE) was measured at the end of a maximal or symptom-limited treadmill exercise test in 358 patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). During the follow-up period (mean 85.3±32.8 months), 93 cardiovascular events and deaths (incident cases) occurred. Among those incident cases, the percentage of subjects with higher SCPSE values (third tertile) was 45.2%, versus 29.1% in controls (lower tertiles) (p=0.005). In stepwise multivariate analysis performed with the Cox proportional hazards model, previous CAD and SCPSE were the only significant independent predictors of prognosis. The multivariate relative risk of cardiovascular death or event in subjects with higher values of SCPSE was 1.94 (95% CI: 1.15-3.21; p<0.01). Conclusions: Scintigraphic calf perfusion asymmetry after exercise was independently associated with incident cardiovascular events in high-risk subjects. This index, which is easily and quickly calculated, could be used for evaluation of cardiovascular risk

Scintigraphic calf perfusion symmetry after exercise and prediction of cardiovascular events: One stone to kill two birds?

Science.gov (United States)

Tellier, Philippe; Lecouffe, Pascal; Zureik, Mahmoud

2007-02-01

BackgroundPeripheral arterial disease (PAD) is commonly associated with a high cardiovascular mortality and morbidity as a marker of plurifocal atherosclerosis. Whether exercise thallium perfusion muscular asymmetry in the legs associated with PAD has prognostic value is unknown. Such a hypothesis was evaluated in a prospective study which remains the gold standard in clinical research. Methods and resultsScintigraphic calf perfusion symmetry after exercise (SCPSE) was measured at the end of a maximal or symptom-limited treadmill exercise test in 358 patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). During the follow-up period (mean 85.3±32.8 months), 93 cardiovascular events and deaths (incident cases) occurred. Among those incident cases, the percentage of subjects with higher SCPSE values (third tertile) was 45.2%, versus 29.1% in controls (lower tertiles) ( p=0.005). In stepwise multivariate analysis performed with the Cox proportional hazards model, previous CAD and SCPSE were the only significant independent predictors of prognosis. The multivariate relative risk of cardiovascular death or event in subjects with higher values of SCPSE was 1.94 (95% CI: 1.15-3.21; p<0.01). ConclusionsScintigraphic calf perfusion asymmetry after exercise was independently associated with incident cardiovascular events in high-risk subjects. This index, which is easily and quickly calculated, could be used for evaluation of cardiovascular risk.

Structuring of Road Traffic Flows

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Planko Rožić

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Systemic traffic count on the Croatian road network hasbeen carried out for more than three decades in different ways.During this period a large number of automatic traffic countershave been installed, and they operate on different principles.The traffic count has been analyzed from the aspect of vehicleclassification. The count results can be only partly comparedsince they yield different structures of traffic flows. Special analysisrefers to the classification of vehicles by automatic trafficcounters.During the research, a database has been formed with physicalelements of vehicles of over five thousand vehicle types. Theresearch results prove that the vehicle length only is not sufficientfor the classification of vehicles, the way it is used in thepresent automatic traffic counts, but rather the number of axles,the wheelbase as well as the front and rear overhangs needto be considered as well. Therefore, the detector system shouldapply also the detector of axles.The results have been presented that were obtained as partof the program TEST- Technological, research, developmentproject supported by the Minist1y of Science, Education andSport.

A Brief Introduction of Air Traffic Management

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

1997-01-01

Air Traffic Management (ATM) started publication in 1995 by Air Traffic Management Bureau of CAAC. It is the first magazine about ATM field in CAAC. The chairman of Editorial Board of ATM is Mr. Bao Peide, Vice Minister of CAAC. Mr. Chen Ziye, Vice President of the 1st Research Institute of CAAC and Chen Xuhua, General Director of Air Traffic Management Bureau are vice chairmen of the editorial board, and six general directors of local air traffic management bureau and some professors and experts are members of the editorial board.

Air Traffic Management Research at NASA Ames

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Thomas J.

2012-01-01

The Aviation Systems Division at the NASA Ames Research Center conducts leading edge research in air traffic management concepts and technologies. This overview will present concepts and simulation results for research in traffic flow management, safe and efficient airport surface operations, super density terminal area operations, separation assurance and system wide modeling and simulation. A brief review of the ongoing air traffic management technology demonstration (ATD-1) will also be presented. A panel discussion, with Mr. Davis serving as a panelist, on air traffic research will follow the briefing.

Impacts of Traffic Noise and Traffic Volume on Birds of Roadside Habitats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirsten M. Parris

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Roadside habitats are important for a range of taxa including plants, insects, mammals, and birds, particularly in developed countries in which large expanses of native vegetation have been cleared for agriculture or urban development. Although roadside vegetation may provide suitable habitat for many species, resident animals can be exposed to high levels of traffic noise, visual disturbance from passing vehicles, and the risk of collision with cars and trucks. Traffic noise can reduce the distance over which acoustic signals such as song can be detected, an effect known as acoustic interference or masking. Studies from the northern hemisphere show that the singing behavior of birds changes in the presence of traffic noise. We investigated the impact of traffic noise and traffic volume on two species of birds, the Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica and the Grey Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa, at 58 roadside sites on the Mornington Peninsula, southeastern Australia. The lower singing Grey Shrike-thrush sang at a higher frequency in the presence of traffic noise, with a predicted increase in dominant frequency of 5.8 Hz/dB of traffic noise, and a total effect size of 209 Hz. In contrast, the higher singing Grey Fantail did not appear to change its song in traffic noise. The probability of detecting each species on a visit to a site declined substantially with increasing traffic noise and traffic volume, with several lines of evidence supporting a larger effect of traffic noise. Traffic noise could hamper detection of song by conspecifics, making it more difficult for birds to establish and maintain territories, attract mates and maintain pair bonds, and possibly leading to reduced breeding success in noisy roadside habitats. Closing key roads during the breeding season is a potential, but untested, management strategy to protect threatened bird species from traffic noise and collision with vehicles at the time of year when they are most

Road traffic noise and children's inattention.

Science.gov (United States)

Weyde, Kjell Vegard; Krog, Norun Hjertager; Oftedal, Bente; Magnus, Per; Øverland, Simon; Stansfeld, Stephen; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J; Vrijheid, Martine; de Castro Pascual, Montserrat; Aasvang, Gunn Marit

2017-11-21

An increasing number of children are exposed to road traffic noise levels that may lead to adverse effects on health and daily functioning. Childhood is a period of intense growth and brain maturation, and children may therefore be especially vulnerable to road traffic noise. The objective of the present study was to examine whether road traffic noise was associated with reported inattention symptoms in children, and whether this association was mediated by sleep duration. This study was based on the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Parental reports of children's inattention at age 8 were linked to modelled levels of residential road traffic noise. We investigated the association between inattention and noise exposure during pregnancy (n = 1934), noise exposure averaged over 5 years (age 3 to 8 years; n = 1384) and noise exposure at age 8 years (n = 1384), using fractional logit response models. The participants were children from Oslo, Norway. An association with inattention at age 8 years was found for road traffic noise exposure at age 8 years (coef = .0083, CI = [.0012, .0154]; 1.2% point increase in inattention score per 10 dB increase in noise level), road traffic noise exposure average for the last 5 years (coef = .0090, CI = [.0016, .0164]; 1.3% point increase/10 dB), and for pregnancy road traffic noise exposure for boys (coef = .0091, CI = [.0010, .0171]), but not girls (coef = -.0021, CI = [-.0094, .0053]). Criteria for doing mediation analyses were not fulfilled. Results indicate that road traffic noise has a negative impact on children's inattention. We found no mediation by sleep duration.

Traffic calming for the prevention of road traffic injuries: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunn, F; Collier, T; Frost, C; Ker, K; Roberts, I; Wentz, R

2003-09-01

To assess whether area-wide traffic calming schemes can reduce road crash related deaths and injuries. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Cochrane Injuries Group Specialised Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, EMBASE, Sociological Abstracts Science (and social science) citation index, National Technical Information service, Psychlit, Transport Research Information Service, International Road Research Documentation, and Transdoc, and web sites of road safety organisation were searched; experts were contacted, conference proceedings were handsearched, and relevant reference lists were checked. Randomised controlled trials, and controlled before/after studies of area-wide traffic calming schemes designed to discourage and slow down through traffic on residential roads. Data were collected on road user deaths, injuries, and traffic crashes. For each study rate ratios were calculated, the ratio of event rates before and after intervention in the traffic calmed area divided by the corresponding ratio of event rates in the control area, which were pooled to give an overall estimate using a random effects model. Sixteen controlled before/after studies met our inclusion criteria. Eight studies reported the number of road user deaths: pooled rate ratio 0.63 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14 to 2.59). Sixteen studies reported the number of injuries (fatal and non-fatal): pooled rate ratio 0.89 (95% CI 0.80 to 1.00). All studies were in high income countries. Area-wide traffic calming in towns and cities has the potential to reduce road traffic injuries. However, further rigorous evaluations of this intervention are needed, especially in low and middle income countries.

Effect of stall design on dairy calf transition to voluntary feeding on an automatic milk feeder after introduction to group housing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Tanya R; LeBlanc, Stephen J; DeVries, Trevor J; Haley, Derek B

2018-06-01

Automatic milk feeders (AMF) for young dairy calves are widely used in the dairy industry. These feeders are thought to have benefits for calf health and welfare and may reduce labor required for feeding; however, little is known about how calves adapt to feeding with AMF. The objective of this study was to observe the effects of feeding stall design on calves learning to use the AMF. The hypothesis was that solid side stalls, compared with steel bar stalls, would result in a longer latency to approach and feed from the AMF without assistance. A total of 147 Holstein calves (80 male and 67 female) were enrolled at 4 d of age, introduced to a group pen, and, at the same time, trained on an AMF. For training, calves were allowed to suck on the trainer's fingers and guided to the teat. Calves were allocated to 1 of 2 stall designs at the pen level, depending on which treatment cohort they were born into, either with steel bar stall walls (n = 46 male, 34 female calves) or with solid side stall walls (n = 34 male, 33 female calves). For 72 h after introductory training on the AMF, data from the feeders were collected and calf behavior was monitored by video. Outcomes measured included latency to first voluntary visit to the feeder and to first feeding, time spent in the feeder, amount of milk consumed over 72 h, number of retraining sessions required (retrained if linear regression models or a Poisson model for the outcome of retraining. For certain outcomes the effects of stall design interacted with difficulty of training (willingness to enter feeder and drink); for the 38% of calves that were scored as moderately difficult to train on a scale of easy, moderate, or difficult, treatment (stall design) differences were detected. These calves took 2× longer to lick or bite toward the nipple, 2× longer to first voluntarily feeding, and consumed less milk over 72 h following training when trained on the steel bar stall design. These results suggest simple features of a

CATS-based Air Traffic Controller Agents

Science.gov (United States)

Callantine, Todd J.

2002-01-01

This report describes intelligent agents that function as air traffic controllers. Each agent controls traffic in a single sector in real time; agents controlling traffic in adjoining sectors can coordinate to manage an arrival flow across a given meter fix. The purpose of this research is threefold. First, it seeks to study the design of agents for controlling complex systems. In particular, it investigates agent planning and reactive control functionality in a dynamic environment in which a variety perceptual and decision making skills play a central role. It examines how heuristic rules can be applied to model planning and decision making skills, rather than attempting to apply optimization methods. Thus, the research attempts to develop intelligent agents that provide an approximation of human air traffic controller behavior that, while not based on an explicit cognitive model, does produce task performance consistent with the way human air traffic controllers operate. Second, this research sought to extend previous research on using the Crew Activity Tracking System (CATS) as the basis for intelligent agents. The agents use a high-level model of air traffic controller activities to structure the control task. To execute an activity in the CATS model, according to the current task context, the agents reference a 'skill library' and 'control rules' that in turn execute the pattern recognition, planning, and decision-making required to perform the activity. Applying the skills enables the agents to modify their representation of the current control situation (i.e., the 'flick' or 'picture'). The updated representation supports the next activity in a cycle of action that, taken as a whole, simulates air traffic controller behavior. A third, practical motivation for this research is to use intelligent agents to support evaluation of new air traffic control (ATC) methods to support new Air Traffic Management (ATM) concepts. Current approaches that use large, human

Replacing lactose from calf milk replacers : effects on digestion and post-absorptive metabolism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gilbert, M.S.

2015-01-01

Summary PhD thesis Myrthe S. Gilbert

Replacing lactose from calf milk replacers – Effects on digestion and post-absorptive metabolism

Veal calves are fed milk replacer (MR) and solid feed. The largest part of the energy provided to veal calves

A fatal case of complicated congenital peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia in a Holstein calf

OpenAIRE

Hicks, Keltie A.; Britton, Ann P.

2013-01-01

Congenital peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia is a rare condition most commonly reported in cats and dogs. A 6-week-old Holstein heifer calf with a congenital peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia complicated by a perforated abomasal ulcer is described. The clinical signs and pathological findings are compared with those reported in other species.

Do alcohol excise taxes affect traffic accidents? Evidence from Estonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Saar, Indrek

2015-01-01

This article examines the association between alcohol excise tax rates and alcohol-related traffic accidents in Estonia. Monthly time series of traffic accidents involving drunken motor vehicle drivers from 1998 through 2013 were regressed on real average alcohol excise tax rates while controlling for changes in economic conditions and the traffic environment. Specifically, regression models with autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) errors were estimated in order to deal with serial correlation in residuals. Counterfactual models were also estimated in order to check the robustness of the results, using the level of non-alcohol-related traffic accidents as a dependent variable. A statistically significant (P traffic accidents was disclosed under alternative model specifications. For instance, the regression model with ARIMA (0, 1, 1)(0, 1, 1) errors revealed that a 1-unit increase in the tax rate is associated with a 1.6% decrease in the level of accidents per 100,000 population involving drunk motor vehicle drivers. No similar association was found in the cases of counterfactual models for non-alcohol-related traffic accidents. This article indicates that the level of alcohol-related traffic accidents in Estonia has been affected by changes in real average alcohol excise taxes during the period 1998-2013. Therefore, in addition to other measures, the use of alcohol taxation is warranted as a policy instrument in tackling alcohol-related traffic accidents.

A method for the estimation of hydration state during hemodialysis using a calf bioimpedance technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, F; Kuhlmann, M K; Kotanko, P; Seibert, E; Leonard, E F; Levin, N W

2008-06-01

Although many methods have been utilized to measure degrees of body hydration, and in particular to estimate normal hydration states (dry weight, DW) in hemodialysis (HD) patients, no accurate methods are currently available for clinical use. Biochemcial measurements are not sufficiently precise and vena cava diameter estimation is impractical. Several bioimpedance methods have been suggested to provide information to estimate clinical hydration and nutritional status, such as phase angle measurement and ratio of body fluid compartment volumes to body weight. In this study, we present a calf bioimpedance spectroscopy (cBIS) technique to monitor calf resistance and resistivity continuously during HD. Attainment of DW is defined by two criteria: (1) the primary criterion is flattening of the change in the resistance curve during dialysis so that at DW little further change is observed and (2) normalized resistivity is in the range of observation of healthy subjects. Twenty maintenance HD patients (12 M/8 F) were studied on 220 occasions. After three baseline (BL) measurements, with patients at their DW prescribed on clinical grounds (DW(Clin)), the target post-dialysis weight was gradually decreased in the course of several treatments until the two dry weight criteria outlined above were met (DW(cBIS)). Post-dialysis weight was reduced from 78.3 +/- 28 to 77.1 +/- 27 kg (p hydration status. Since no current techniques have been developed to detect DW as precisely, it is suggested as a standard to be evaluated clinically.

Modeling the heterogeneous traffic correlations in urban road systems using traffic-enhanced community detection approach

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Feng; Liu, Kang; Duan, Yingying; Cheng, Shifen; Du, Fei

2018-07-01

A better characterization of the traffic influence among urban roads is crucial for traffic control and traffic forecasting. The existence of spatial heterogeneity imposes great influence on modeling the extent and degree of road traffic correlation, which is usually neglected by the traditional distance based method. In this paper, we propose a traffic-enhanced community detection approach to spatially reveal the traffic correlation in city road networks. First, the road network is modeled as a traffic-enhanced dual graph with the closeness between two road segments determined not only by their topological connection, but also by the traffic correlation between them. Then a flow-based community detection algorithm called Infomap is utilized to identify the road segment clusters. Evaluated by Moran's I, Calinski-Harabaz Index and the traffic interpolation application, we find that compared to the distance based method and the community based method, our proposed traffic-enhanced community based method behaves better in capturing the extent of traffic relevance as both the topological structure of the road network and the traffic correlations among urban roads are considered. It can be used in more traffic-related applications, such as traffic forecasting, traffic control and guidance.

Body condition score at parturition and postpartum supplemental fat effects on cow and calf performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Lake, S L; Scholljegerdes, E J; Atkinson, R L; Nayigihugu, V; Paisley, S I; Rule, D C; Moss, G E; Robinson, T J; Hess, B W

2005-12-01

Three-year-old Angus x Gelbvieh beef cows nutritionally managed to achieve a BCS of 4 +/- 0.07 (479.3 +/- 36.3 kg of BW) or 6 +/- 0.07 (579.6 +/- 53.1 kg of BW) at parturition were used in a 2-yr experiment (n = 36/yr) to determine the effects of prepartum energy balance and postpartum lipid supplementation on cow and calf performance. Beginning 3 d postpartum, cows within each BCS were assigned randomly to be fed hay and a low-fat control supplement or supplements with either high-linoleate cracked safflower seeds or high-oleate cracked safflower seeds until d 60 of lactation. Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric, and safflower seed supplements were provided to achieve 5% of DMI as fat. Ultrasonic 12th rib fat and LM area were lower (P condition over the course of the study, whereas cows in BCS 6 lost condition. No differences (P = 0.44 to 0.71) were detected for milk yield, milk energy, milk fat percentage, or milk lactose percentage because of BCS; however, milk protein percentage was less (P = 0.03) for BCS 4 cows. First-service conception rates did not differ (P = 0.22) because of BCS at parturition, but overall pregnancy rate was greater (P = 0.02) in BCS 6 cows. No differences (P = 0.48 to 0.83) were detected in calf birth weight or ADG because of BCS at parturition. Dietary lipid supplementation did not influence (P = 0.23 to 0.96) cow BW change, BCS change, 12th rib fat, LM area, milk yield, milk energy, milk fat percentage, milk lactose percentage, first service conception, overall pregnancy rates, or calf performance. Although cows in BCS of 4 at parturition seemed capable of maintaining BCS during lactation, the overall decrease in pregnancy rate indicates cows should be managed to achieve a BCS >4 before parturition to improve reproductive success.

Traffic improvement and transportation pollution control in Xiamen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dongxing Yuan; Zilin, Wu

1996-12-31

in this paper, the urban traffic improvement and transportation control in Xiamen are highlighted. Xiamen is a port city and an economical special zone of China. As the economy grows, the transportation is developing dramatically and becoming the key for further economic development. The air quality is threatened by the rapid growth of the vehicles in the city. The most urgent task in improving urban traffic is to establish a sound traffic system. The municipal government takes great effort to improve the traffic condition, as well as to reduce green house gases and protect air environment. Some management and technical measures are carried out. Those management measures are mainly as follows: (1) systematic planning of the city arrangement and city functional division, and integrated planning of the urban roads system, (2) putting great emphasis on tail gas monitoring and management, and (3) establishing optimized utilization of motor vehicles. Those included in the main technical measures are (1) making the roads clear, (2) enlarging traffic capacity, and (3) developing the public transport. The most urgent task in improving urban traffic is to establish a sound traffic system. The city municipal government and Transportation Management Bureau plan to make a series of reforms to improve the urban traffic condition, such as building high quality road around the city, reducing the number of one way roads and replacing gasoline buses with electric buses. An optimized traffic system of Xiamen, taking public transport as the main means, is the key to meet the needs of both traffic improvement and urban transportation pollution control.

A novel solution for car traffic control based on radiometric microwave devices

Science.gov (United States)

Soldovieri, Francesco; Denisov, Alexander; Speziale, Victor

2014-05-01

The significant problem of traffic in big cities, connected with huge and building up quantity of automobile cars, demands for novel strategies, based on nonconventional solutions, in order to improve system traffic control, especially at crossroads. As well known, the usual solution is based on the time relay, which requires the installation of a fixed traffic interval (signal light switching) at a crossroad; this solution is low cost, but does not account for the actual traffic conditions. Therefore, in the recent years, attention is towards to new designs, where the monitoring of the and control of traffic is carried out by using various methods including, optical, the infrared, magnetic, radar tracking, acoustical ones. In this work, we discuss the deployment of high sensitivity radiometric systems and radiometers(sensor) in the microwave range [1, 2]. In fact, the radiometer as "sensor" can provide an always updated information about the car traffic in any weather condition and in absence or low visibility conditions. In fact, the radiometric sensor detects the cars thanks to the different behavior of the car roofs which reflect the cold sky whereas the road asphalt is visible as warm object (at around outside temperature). [1] A. G. Denisov, V. P. Gorishnyak, S. E. Kuzmin et al., "Some experiments concerning resolution of 32 sensors passive 8mm wave imaging system," in Proceedings of the International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology (ISSTT '09), Charlottesville, Va, USA, April 2009. [2] F. Soldovieri, A. Natale, V. Gorishnyak, A. Pavluchenko, A. Denisov, and L. Chen, "Radiometric Imaging for Monitoring and Surveillance Issues," International Journal of Antennas and Propagation, vol. 2013, Article ID 272561, 8 pages, 2013. doi:10.1155/2013/272561.

Male sex, height, weight, and body mass index can increase external pressure to calf region using knee-crutch-type leg holder system in lithotomy position.

Science.gov (United States)

Mizuno, Ju; Takahashi, Toru

2016-01-01

Well-leg compartment syndrome (WLCS) is one of the catastrophic complications related to prolonged surgical procedures performed in the lithotomy position, using a knee-crutch-type leg holder (KCLH) system, to support the popliteal fossae and calf regions. Obesity has been implicated as a risk factor in the lithotomy position-related WLCS during surgery. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between the external pressure (EP) applied to the calf region using a KCLH system in the lithotomy position and selected physical characteristics. Twenty-one young, healthy volunteers (21.4±0.5 years of age, eleven males and ten females) participated in this study. The KCLH system used was Knee Crutch(®). We assessed four types of EPs applied to the calf region: box pressure, peak box pressure, contact pressure, and peak contact pressure, using pressure-distribution measurement system (BIG-MAT(®)). Relationships between these four EPs to the calf regions of both lower legs and a series of physical characteristics (sex, height, weight, and body mass index [BMI]) were analyzed. All four EPs applied to the bilateral calf regions were higher in males than in females. For all subjects, significant positive correlations were observed between all four EPs and height, weight, and BMI. EP applied to the calf region is higher in males than in females when the subject is supported by a KCLH system in the lithotomy position. In addition, EP increases with the increase in height, weight, and BMI. Therefore, male sex, height, weight, and BMI may contribute to the risk of inducing WLCS.

Simulation of Road Traffic Applying Model-Driven Engineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto FERNÁNDEZ-ISABEL

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Road traffic is an important phenomenon in modern societies. The study of its different aspects in the multiple scenarios where it happens is relevant for a huge number of problems. At the same time, its scale and complexity make it hard to study. Traffic simulations can alleviate these difficulties, simplifying the scenarios to consider and controlling their variables. However, their development also presents difficulties. The main ones come from the need to integrate the way of working of researchers and developers from multiple fields. Model-Driven Engineering (MDE addresses these problems using Modelling Languages (MLs and semi-automatic transformations to organise and describe the development, from requirements to code. This paper presents a domain-specific MDE framework for simulations of road traffic. It comprises an extensible ML, support tools, and development guidelines. The ML adopts an agent-based approach, which is focused on the roles of individuals in road traffic and their decision-making. A case study shows the process to model a traffic theory with the ML, and how to specialise that specification for an existing target platform and its simulations. The results are the basis for comparison with related work.

Traffic engineering and regenerator placement in GMPLS networks with restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Yetginer, Emre; Karasan, Ezhan

2002-07-01

In this paper we study regenerator placement and traffic engineering of restorable paths in Generalized Multipro-tocol Label Switching (GMPLS) networks. Regenerators are necessary in optical networks due to transmission impairments. We study a network architecture where there are regenerators at selected nodes and we propose two heuristic algorithms for the regenerator placement problem. Performances of these algorithms in terms of required number of regenerators and computational complexity are evaluated. In this network architecture with sparse regeneration, offline computation of working and restoration paths is studied with bandwidth reservation and path rerouting as the restoration scheme. We study two approaches for selecting working and restoration paths from a set of candidate paths and formulate each method as an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) prob-lem. Traffic uncertainty model is developed in order to compare these methods based on their robustness with respect to changing traffic patterns. Traffic engineering methods are compared based on number of additional demands due to traffic uncertainty that can be carried. Regenerator placement algorithms are also evaluated from a traffic engineering point of view.

76 FR 59119 - Interim Change to the Military Freight Traffic Unified Rules Publication (MFTURP) No. 1

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-23

... Unified Rules Publication (MFTURP) No. 1 AGENCY: Department of the Army, DoD. SUMMARY: The Military... Publication and Rules Manager, Strategic Business Directorate, Business Services, 1 Soldier Way, Building...: Military Freight Traffic Unified Rules Publications (MFTURP) No. 1. Background: The MFTURP No. 1 governs...

Evaluation of skeletal muscle during calf exercise by 31-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients on statin medications.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jim S; Buettner, Catherine; Smithline, Howard; Ngo, Long H; Greenman, Robert L

2011-01-01

Muscle pain is a common side effect of statin medications, but the cause is poorly understood. We characterized phosphocreatine (PCr) exercise recovery kinetics in 10 patients with hypercholesterolemia before and after a 4-week regimen of statin therapy using 31-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31) P-MRS). (31) P spectra were obtained before, during, and after exercise on a calf flexion pedal ergometer. Creatine kinase (CK) serum levels were drawn before and after statin therapy. The mean metabolic recovery time constant in subjects increased from 28.1 s (SE = 6.5 s) to 55.4 s (SE = 7.4 s) after statin therapy. The unweighted mean of the pre/post-recovery time difference was -27.3 s (SE = 12.4 s; P = 0.02). Pre- and post-therapy CK levels were not significantly different (P = 0.50). Metabolic recovery time in the calf is prolonged in patients after statin use. This suggests that statins impair mitochondrial oxidative function, and (31) P MRS is a potential study model for statin-associated myopathy. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A fatal case of complicated congenital peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia in a Holstein calf

Science.gov (United States)

Hicks, Keltie A.; Britton, Ann P.

2013-01-01

Congenital peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia is a rare condition most commonly reported in cats and dogs. A 6-week-old Holstein heifer calf with a congenital peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia complicated by a perforated abomasal ulcer is described. The clinical signs and pathological findings are compared with those reported in other species. PMID:24155464

Environmental pollution of lead in traffic air and blood of traffic policemen in Khartoum State, Sudan.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahama, Salah M; Khider, Hiba E; Mohamed, Sitt Nour H; Abuelmaali, Sara A; Elaagip, Arwa H

2011-06-01

A cross sectional study was conducted in Khartoum State. A total of 45 males' traffic policemen were divided into two groups according to exposure to car exhaust; n=30 taken as exposed group, n=15 taken as controls, who were not exposed to car exhaust. The study was conducted to determine lead concentrations in traffic ambient air, to determine lead levels in blood of traffic policemen, and to evaluate the effect of exposure to car exhaust on traffic policemen during January 2009. The level of lead in ambient air was determined in 14 locations which were taken randomly at the intersections and entrances to the bridges using personal sampler "Cassella, U.K". The blood samples of all policemen were analyzed by atomic absorption Spectrophotometer to determine lead levels. A questionnaire was designed to assess the adverse health effects on the traffic policemen. The degree of environmental lead pollution in traffic ambient air was found to be 0.1937 +/- 0.1768 mg/m3 with range between 0.000-0.5166 mg/m3. In seven locations out of fourteen locations lead concentrations were 0.1940 and 0.5166 above the permissible level of 0.15 mg/m3 permitted internationally. Blood lead levels on traffic policemen (exposed and control groups) were found to be 2.4691 +/- 1.4065 microg/100 ml and 0.3944 +/- 1.2471 microg/100 ml respectively and there is no significant differences between the two groups where using SPSS program. A questionnaire findings were: average age mean of 35.9 +/- 7.7 years, 47.48% worked for periods of more than 20 years, 74.19% did not work before joining the traffic police, 51.6% of them recognized traffic air pollution as a problem of high level, 45.2% of them estimated it as medium, and 3.2% as low. As habits 38.71% were smokers, and for health complaints, 61.29% have various complaints of headache, fatigue, abdominal, hypertension and anemia. All these symptoms have a close relationship with lead poisoning. When we compared the results of age groups and work

14 CFR 99.9 - Radio requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Radio requirements. 99.9 Section 99.9 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIR TRAFFIC AND GENERAL OPERATING RULES SECURITY CONTROL OF AIR TRAFFIC General § 99.9 Radio requirements. (a) A...

Adaptive traffic signal control with actor-critic methods in a real-world traffic network with different traffic disruption events

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aslani, Mohammad; Mesgari, Mohammad Saadi; Wiering, Marco

2017-01-01

The transportation demand is rapidly growing in metropolises, resulting in chronic traffic con-gestions in dense downtown areas. Adaptive traffic signal control as the principle part of in-telligent transportation systems has a primary role to effectively reduce traffic congestion by making a

New photo-convertible reactions of blue-fluorescent calf α-crystallin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujimori, E.

1979-01-01

Both native blue fluorescent α-crystalline from calf lenses and UV (300 nm)-irradiated blue-fluorescent α-crystalline, when further irradiated with 365 nm-UV light, produce photo-products capable of emitting a new fluorescence at 455 nm. Illumination of the photo-products with 420 nm visible light regenerates the original fluorescence at 420-425 nm. In addition, another fluorescence at 400 nm has also been found in UV (300 nm)-irradiated blue-fluorescent α-crystallin, when exposed to 365 nm-UV light. (author)

Characterization of traffic-generated pollutants in Bucharest

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raducan, G. [University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Department of Atmospheric Physics, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania)]. E-mail: gabi_raducan@yahoo.com; Stefan, S. [University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Department of Atmospheric Physics, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania)

2009-01-15

European Union Council directive 96/62/EC on ambient air quality assessment and management requires the development of action plans for zones where the concentrations of pollutants in ambient air exceed limit values. In the urban areas the limit values are exceeded, especially due to the traffic. In this paper, we analyzed the temporal variability levels of concentration of NO{sub X}, O{sub 3} and SO{sub 2} in two street canyons. The distribution of concentrations proves that traffic is the most important source of NO{sub X}, this pollutant being emitted during running of the vehicle engines. The level of pollution within U2 street is 25% less than U1 street, even though the measured traffic within U2 street is 50% less than within U1 street. This happen because the streets geometry and locations are different. [Spanish] La directiva 96/62/EC del Consejo de la Union Europea sobre determinacion y manejo de la calidad del aire ambiental establece que deben existir planes de accion para las zonas donde la concentracion de contaminantes excede los valores limite. En las areas urbanas dichos valores limite se rebasan en especial debido al trafico. En este trabajo analizamos la variabilidad temporal de los niveles de concentracion de NO{sub X}, O{sub 3} y SO{sub 2} en dos canones urbanos. La distribucion de las concentraciones demuestra que el trafico es la fuente mas importante de NO{sub X}, contaminante que se emite por la operacion de los motores vehiculares. El nivel de contaminacion en la calle U2 es 25% menor que el de la calle U1, aun cuando el trafico cuantificado en la calle U2 es 50% menor que el de la U1. Esto se debe a que la geometria y la ubicacion de las calles es diferente.

Occupant traffic estimation through structural vibration sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Shijia; Mirshekari, Mostafa; Zhang, Pei; Noh, Hae Young

2016-04-01

The number of people passing through different indoor areas is useful in various smart structure applications, including occupancy-based building energy/space management, marketing research, security, etc. Existing approaches to estimate occupant traffic include vision-, sound-, and radio-based (mobile) sensing methods, which have placement limitations (e.g., requirement of line-of-sight, quiet environment, carrying a device all the time). Such limitations make these direct sensing approaches difficult to deploy and maintain. An indirect approach using geophones to measure floor vibration induced by footsteps can be utilized. However, the main challenge lies in distinguishing multiple simultaneous walkers by developing features that can effectively represent the number of mixed signals and characterize the selected features under different traffic conditions. This paper presents a method to monitor multiple persons. Once the vibration signals are obtained, features are extracted to describe the overlapping vibration signals induced by multiple footsteps, which are used for occupancy traffic estimation. In particular, we focus on analysis of the efficiency and limitations of the four selected key features when used for estimating various traffic conditions. We characterize these features with signals collected from controlled impulse load tests as well as from multiple people walking through a real-world sensing area. In our experiments, the system achieves the mean estimation error of +/-0.2 people for different occupant traffic conditions (from one to four) using k-nearest neighbor classifier.

Modem Communications Systems Development Guidelines in Function of Air Traffic Safety ...

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petar Obradović

2007-05-01

Full Text Available The communications requirements in air traffic control areincreasing in complexity. From the middle 90s, huge progress inairport infrastructure, especially in air traffic control systems,has been made in Bosnia and Herzegovina in damage rehabilitation,caused by war conflicts, owing, first of all, to the EuropeanUnion aid that contributed to the re-establishment of regularinternational air traffic. The current air traffic control systemhas matured in its functionality. Therefore, the phase of advancementand preparation for the technological improvementis the next logical step. However, before establishing a new communicationsstrategy, the current application trends have to beanalyzed in details according to the existing communicationsenvironment interfaces. The goal of this work is to find theguidelines of technological development that will result in moreefficiency, safety and economic benefit in the near future, butthe air traffic safety must not be compromised by economicbenefit.

From Goods to Traffic:First Steps Toward an Auction-based Traffic Signal Controller

OpenAIRE

Raphael, Jeffery; Maskell, Simon; Sklar, Elizabeth Ida

2015-01-01

Traffic congestion is a major issue that plagues many urban road networks large and small. Traffic engineers are now leaning towards Intelligent Traffic Systems as many physical changes to road networks are costly or infeasible. Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) have become a popular paradigm for intelligent solutions to traffic management problems. There are many MAS approaches to traffic management that utilise market mechanisms. In market-based approaches, drivers “pay” to use the roadways. Howeve...

Calf Compression Sleeves Change Biomechanics but Not Performance and Physiological Responses in Trail Running

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hugo A. Kerhervé

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine whether calf compression sleeves (CS affects physiological and biomechanical parameters, exercise performance, and perceived sensations of muscle fatigue, pain and soreness during prolonged (~2 h 30 min outdoor trail running.Methods: Fourteen healthy trained males took part in a randomized, cross-over study consisting in two identical 24-km trail running sessions (each including one bout of running at constant rate on moderately flat terrain, and one period of all-out running on hilly terrain wearing either degressive CS (23 ± 2 mmHg or control sleeves (CON, <4 mmHg. Running time, heart rate and muscle oxygenation of the medial gastrocnemius muscle (measured using portable near-infrared spectroscopy were monitored continuously. Muscle functional capabilities (power, stiffness were determined using 20 s of maximal hopping before and after both sessions. Running biomechanics (kinematics, vertical and leg stiffness were determined at 12 km·h−1 at the beginning, during, and at the end of both sessions. Exercise-induced Achilles tendon pain and delayed onset calf muscles soreness (DOMS were assessed using visual analog scales.Results: Muscle oxygenation increased significantly in CS compared to CON at baseline and immediately after exercise (p < 0.05, without any difference in deoxygenation kinetics during the run, and without any significant change in run times. Wearing CS was associated with (i higher aerial time and leg stiffness in running at constant rate, (ii with lower ground contact time, higher leg stiffness, and higher vertical stiffness in all-out running, and (iii with lower ground contact time in hopping. Significant DOMS were induced in both CS and CON (>6 on a 10-cm scale with no difference between conditions. However, Achilles tendon pain was significantly lower after the trial in CS than CON (p < 0.05.Discussion: Calf compression did not modify muscle oxygenation during ~2 h 30

A Two-Stage Fuzzy Logic Control Method of Traffic Signal Based on Traffic Urgency Degree

OpenAIRE

Yan Ge

2014-01-01

City intersection traffic signal control is an important method to improve the efficiency of road network and alleviate traffic congestion. This paper researches traffic signal fuzzy control method on a single intersection. A two-stage traffic signal control method based on traffic urgency degree is proposed according to two-stage fuzzy inference on single intersection. At the first stage, calculate traffic urgency degree for all red phases using traffic urgency evaluation module and select t...

Creating a systems engineering approach for the manual on uniform traffic control devices.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-01

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) provides basic principles for use of traffic : control devices (TCD). However, most TCDs are not explicitly required, and the decision to use a given : TCD in a given situation is typically made b...

UTRaLab – Urban Traffic Research Laboratory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karsten Kozempel

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The Urban Traffic Research Laboratory (UTRaLab is a research and test track for traffic detection methods and sensors. It is located at the Ernst-Ruska-Ufer, in the southeast of the city of Berlin (Germany. The UTRaLab covers 1 km of a highly-frequented urban road and is connected to a motorway. It is equipped with two gantries with distance of 850 m in between and has several outstations for data collection. The gantries contain many different traffic sensors like inductive loops, cameras, lasers or wireless sensors for traffic data acquisition. Additionally a weather station records environmental data. The UTRaLab’s main purposes are the data collection of traffic data on the one hand and testing newly developed sensors on the other hand.

An Investigation into Calf Rearing & Management Technology%犊牛饲养管理技术探讨

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张阳建

2015-01-01

Calf rearing is an important production link for diary cattle and beef cattle farm.The important points of calf rearing and management technology include;to clean the grume in respiratory away at the birth of the calves;to observe and record their daily living habits carefully and to take corresponding nursing measures;to ensure their nutrition and pay attention to hygiene,to prevent them from diarrhea positively and otherwise.To reduce the operating cost of the pasture and improve economic returns ,it is necessary to vigorously promote and apply automatic calf feeder.%犊牛饲养是奶牛或肉牛养殖场的重要生产环节. 犊牛饲养管理技术要点:犊牛出生时要清除呼吸道黏液,仔细观察记录日常生活习惯并采取相应的护理措施,保证营养、重视卫生,积极防治腹泻等疾病.为降低牧场经营成本和提高经济效益,应大力推广使用犊牛自动饲喂机.

A survey of dairy calf management practices among farms using manual and automated milk feeding systems in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Medrano-Galarza, Catalina; LeBlanc, Stephen J; DeVries, Trevor J; Jones-Bitton, Andria; Rushen, Jeffrey; Marie de Passillé, Anne; Haley, Derek B

2017-08-01

Dairy calves in North America traditionally are housed individually and fed by manual milk feeding (MMF) systems with buckets or bottles. Automated milk feeders (AMF) allow for more natural milk feeding frequencies and volumes, and calves are usually housed in groups. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the prevalence of various milk-fed calf management and feeding practices and (2) compare these practices between dairy farms using MMF and AMF systems. A national online survey was performed from January to May 2015 to quantify management practices for the care of milk-fed dairy calves in Canada. A total of 670 responses were received (6% of all dairy farms in Canada). Among respondents, 16% used AMF and 84% used MMF. Seventy percent of the farms using AMF had freestall barns compared with only 48% of those using MMF. A greater proportion of AMF farms (30%) also had automatic milking systems (AMS) compared with MMF farms (8%). Among tiestall farms, a herd size of >80 milking cows was associated with having an AMF [odds ratio (OR) = 3.8; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6-11.4]. For freestall or bedded-pack farms, a herd size of >80 milking cows (OR = 3.5; CI: 1.8-6.6), having an AMS (OR = 3.1; CI: 1.6-5.7), and use of cow brushes (OR = 3.1; CI: 1.3-6.9) were associated with having an AMF. Calves fed with AMS typically were housed in groups of 10 to 15, whereas almost 76% of the farms with MMF housed calves individually. Although both AMF and MMF farms fed similar amounts of milk in the first week of life (median = 6 L/d), the cumulative volume fed in the first 4 wk differed significantly, with a median of 231 versus 182 L for AMF and MMF, respectively. Median peak milk allowance was higher for AMF than for MMF (10 vs. 8 L/d, respectively). In summary, farms using AMF were larger, provided more milk to calves, and used more automation in general (i.e., in other areas of their operation). These data provide insights into calf-rearing practices across

In vitro study of DNA Adduct 8-OHdG Formation by using Bisphenol A in Calf Thymus DNA and 2’-Deoxyguanosine

Science.gov (United States)

Budiawan; Cahaya Dani, Intan; Bakri, Ridla; Handayani, Sri; Ratna Dewi, Evi

2018-01-01

The in vitro study of DNA Adduct 8-OHdG Formation due to BisphenolA (BPA) as xenobiotics has been conducted by using calf thymus DNA and 2’deoxyguanosine. The method of study was conducted by incubating calf thymus DNA and 2’dG with compounds trigger to radicals in the variation of pH (7.4 and 8.4), temperature (37°C and 60°C), and BPA concentrations (2 ppm and 10 ppm). To represent the work of CYP 450 enzyme in metabolic process of xenobiotics in the body and the effect of metal presence to the formation of radicals that can lead to 8-OHdG formation, we used iron(II) solution and also fenton reagent (Fe(II) and H2O2). The DNA used has 1.8 purity ratio (checked at λ260/λ280 by using Spectrophotometry UV-Vis). The results by using HPLC method showed that BPA could interact with DNA and DNA base (represent as calf thymus and 2’dG) and potentially induced 8-OHdG formation. The presence of iron(II) metal and Fenton reagent also induced the higher 8-OHdG formation. The higher of pH, temperature and concentrations also lead to 8-OHdG formation (ranger between 4 - 70 ppb).

Thigh-calf contact parameters for six high knee flexion postures: Onset, maximum angle, total force, contact area, and center of force.

Science.gov (United States)

Kingston, David C; Acker, Stacey M

2018-01-23

In high knee flexion, contact between the posterior thigh and calf is expected to decrease forces on tibiofemoral contact surfaces, therefore, thigh-calf contact needs to be thoroughly characterized to model its effect. This study measured knee angles and intersegmental contact parameters in fifty-eight young healthy participants for six common high flexion postures using motion tracking and a pressure sensor attached to the right thigh. Additionally, we introduced and assessed the reliability of a method for reducing noise in pressure sensor output. Five repetitions of two squatting, two kneeling, and two unilateral kneeling movements were completed. Interactions of posture by sex occurred for thigh-calf and heel-gluteal center of force, and thigh-calf contact area. Center of force in thigh-calf regions was farther from the knee joint center in females, compared to males, during unilateral kneeling (82 and 67 mm respectively) with an inverted relationship in the heel-gluteal region (331 and 345 mm respectively), although caution is advised when generalizing these findings from a young, relatively fit sample to a population level. Contact area was larger in females when compared to males (mean of 155.61 and 137.33 cm 2 across postures). A posture main effect was observed in contact force and sex main effects were present in onset and max angle. Males had earlier onset (121.0°) and lower max angle (147.4°) with onset and max angles having a range between movements of 8° and 3° respectively. There was a substantial total force difference of 139 N between the largest and smallest activity means. Force parameters measured in this study suggest that knee joint contact models need to incorporate activity-specific parameters when estimating loading. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An epidemiological survey on road traffic crashes in Iran: application of the two logistic regression models.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakhtiyari, Mahmood; Mehmandar, Mohammad Reza; Mirbagheri, Babak; Hariri, Gholam Reza; Delpisheh, Ali; Soori, Hamid

2014-01-01

Risk factors of human-related traffic crashes are the most important and preventable challenges for community health due to their noteworthy burden in developing countries in particular. The present study aims to investigate the role of human risk factors of road traffic crashes in Iran. Through a cross-sectional study using the COM 114 data collection forms, the police records of almost 600,000 crashes occurred in 2010 are investigated. The binary logistic regression and proportional odds regression models are used. The odds ratio for each risk factor is calculated. These models are adjusted for known confounding factors including age, sex and driving time. The traffic crash reports of 537,688 men (90.8%) and 54,480 women (9.2%) are analysed. The mean age is 34.1 ± 14 years. Not maintaining eyes on the road (53.7%) and losing control of the vehicle (21.4%) are the main causes of drivers' deaths in traffic crashes within cities. Not maintaining eyes on the road is also the most frequent human risk factor for road traffic crashes out of cities. Sudden lane excursion (OR = 9.9, 95% CI: 8.2-11.9) and seat belt non-compliance (OR = 8.7, CI: 6.7-10.1), exceeding authorised speed (OR = 17.9, CI: 12.7-25.1) and exceeding safe speed (OR = 9.7, CI: 7.2-13.2) are the most significant human risk factors for traffic crashes in Iran. The high mortality rate of 39 people for every 100,000 population emphasises on the importance of traffic crashes in Iran. Considering the important role of human risk factors in traffic crashes, struggling efforts are required to control dangerous driving behaviours such as exceeding speed, illegal overtaking and not maintaining eyes on the road.

Traffic Management Systems Performance Measurement: Final Report

OpenAIRE

Banks, James H.; Kelly, Gregory

1997-01-01

This report documents a study of performance measurement for Transportation Management Centers (TMCs). Performance measurement requirements were analyzed, data collection and management techniques were investigated, and case study traffic data system improvement plans were prepared for two Caltrans districts.

Analysis of traffic accidents in children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlekić Snežana

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Violent health damages of different origin (accidents, murders, suicides in children and youth are one of the main causes of death and disabilities in this group of population in most countries. Objective: Objective of our paper was to analyze all related factors of traffic accidents involving children and to propose adequate measures of their prevention. Method: The analysis of fatal traffic accidents of children and youth aged to 18 years on the territory of Belgrade, within the period from 1998 to 2002. Results: In relation to other forms of violent death, the traffic mortality rate in children and youth holds the leading position, accounting for 56.9% with pedestrians as the most frequent category (57.4%. The most frequent age was between 7 and 9 years (46.8% and the boys were more frequently injured than the girls. It was established that the majority of children (51.9% was either running across the street outside the pedestrian/ zebra crossings or they were carelessly running out in the street, especially in April, July, August and September. More than a half of them (55.5%, predominantly school children, were injured by the end of working week, on Thursday and Friday. Conclusion: Results of our research have shown that the traffic education of children in our region is inadequate. Due to the abovementioned, it is primarily necessary to establish long-term and permanent education of this category of population. In addition, some public investments in the City infrastructure will be required in order to reduce the risk of traffic injuries in children.

Properties of Traffic Risk Coefficient

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Tie-Qiao; Huang, Hai-Jun; Shang, Hua-Yan; Xue, Yu

2009-10-01

We use the model with the consideration of the traffic interruption probability (Physica A 387(2008)6845) to study the relationship between the traffic risk coefficient and the traffic interruption probability. The analytical and numerical results show that the traffic interruption probability will reduce the traffic risk coefficient and that the reduction is related to the density, which shows that this model can improve traffic security.

Virtual Reality Game Education to Learn Traffic Regulation

OpenAIRE

Andru Deva Lukito

2017-01-01

Abstract – Traffic accident has become number 3 of children death cause in the world according to WHO[1]. Traffic accident that involve children often caused by their own by breaking the law or regulation. Therefor education about traffic regulation and law including traffic sign and its meaning must be given to children early. Because education means process to change a person or a group attitude and behavior in order to make them mature through teaching and training [2]. One of them that ca...

Temporal Patterns of Road Traffic Injuries in Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Khorshidi, Ali; Ainy, Elaheh; Hashemi Nazari, Seyed Saeed; Soori, Hamid

2016-01-01

Background Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are the main causes of death and disability in Iran. However, very few studies about the temporal variations of RTIs have been published to date. Objectives This study was conducted to investigate the temporal pattern of RTIs in Iran in 2012. Materials and Methods All road traffic accidents (RTAs) reported to traffic police during a one-year period (March 21, 2012 through March 21, 2013) were investigated after obtaining permission from the law enforcement force of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Distributions of RTAs were obtained for season, month, week, and hour scales, and for long holidays (more than one day) and the day prior to long holidays (DPLH). The final analysis was carried out using the Poisson regression model to calculate incidence rate ratios for RTIs. All analyses were conducted using STATA 13.1 and Excel software; statistical significance was set at P accidents was 219 per 10,000 registered vehicles, or 595 per 100,000 people. About 28% of all RTAs, and more than one third of fatal RTAs, occurred during the summer months. The incidence rate for all traffic accidents on DPLH was 1.20, compared to workdays as a reference category, and it was 1.40 for fatal crashes. The rate of fatal road traffic accidents in outer cities was 3.2 times higher than in inner ones. Conclusions Our findings reveal that there are temporal variations in traffic accidents, and long holidays significantly influence accident rates. Traffic injuries have different patterns on outer/inner city roads, based on weekday and holiday status. Thus, these findings could be used to create effective initiatives aimed at traffic management. PMID:27703958

Analysis of vehicular traffic flow in the major areas of Kuala Lumpur utilizing open-traffic

Science.gov (United States)

Manogaran, Saargunawathy; Ali, Muhammad; Yusof, Kamaludin Mohamad; Suhaili, Ramdhan

2017-09-01

Vehicular traffic congestion occurs when a large number of drivers are overcrowded on the road and the traffic flow does not run smoothly. Traffic congestion causes chaos on the road and interruption to daily activities of users. Time consumed on road give lots of negative effects on productivity, social behavior, environmental and cost to economy. Congestion is worsens and leads to havoc during the emergency such as flood, accidents, road maintenance and etc., where behavior of traffic flow is always unpredictable and uncontrollable. Real-time and historical traffic data are critical inputs for most traffic flow analysis applications. Researcher attempt to predict traffic using simulations as there is no exact model of traffic flow exists due to its high complexity. Open Traffic is an open source platform available for traffic data analysis linked to Open Street Map (OSM). This research is aimed to study and understand the Open Traffic platform. The real-time traffic flow pattern in Kuala Lumpur area was successfully been extracted and analyzed using Open Traffic. It was observed that the congestion occurs on every major road in Kuala Lumpur and most of it owes to the offices and the economic and commercial centers during rush hours. At some roads the congestion occurs at night due to the tourism activities.

Risk based decision support for new air traffic operations with reduced aircraft separation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Speijker, L.J.P.

2007-01-01

With the steady increase in air traffic, the aviation system is under continuous pressure to increase aircraft handling capacity. Various new Air Traffic Management systems and flight procedures are proposed to increase airport capacity while maintaining the required level of safety. Newly proposed

Effects of starch content of calf starter on growth and rumen pH in Holstein calves during the weaning transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Laarman, A H; Sugino, T; Oba, M

2012-08-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of substituting high fiber byproducts for dry ground corn in calf starter on growth and rumen pH during the weaning transition. Holstein bull calves were raised on an intensified nursing program using milk replacer containing 26% CP and 18% fat. Calves were fed a texturized calf starter containing either dry ground corn at 18.8% of dry matter (DM; CRN), beet pulp replacing dry ground corn at 10.2% dietary DM (BP), or triticale dried distillers grains with solubles replacing dry ground corn and high-protein feedstuffs at 18.6% of dietary DM (DDGS) in the pellet; treatment calf starters differed only in the pellet portion. Starch concentrations of CRN, BP, and DDGS were 35.3, 33.4, and 31.4%, respectively. After a calf consumed 2.50 kg of starter for 3 consecutive days, a small ruminant rumen pH data logger was inserted orally and rumen pH was measured continuously for 4d. Calves were then killed and rumen fluid was sampled to determine volatile fatty acid profile. No difference was found in overall average daily gain or growth rates of hip height, withers height, and heart girth. During the weaning transition, rate of increase in calf starter intake was greater for calves fed DDGS compared with those fed CRN (87.7 vs. 77.5 g/d), but lower for calves fed BP compared with CRN (68.1 vs. 77.5 g/d). The area under pH 5.8 (470 vs. 295 min × pH/d) or pH 5.2 (72.7 vs. 16.4 min × pH/d) was greater for calves fed DDGS than those fed CRN. Rumen pH profile was not affected by BP treatment compared with CRN, but calves fed BP tended to have greater water intake than those fed CRN (6.6 vs. 5.8 L/d). Volatile fatty acid profile was not affected by treatment with the exception of molar proportion of butyrate, which tended to be lower for calves fed BP compared with those fed CRN (15.0 vs. 16.6%). Hay intake was positively correlated to mean rumen pH for calves used in this study (r=0.48). Decreasing dietary starch

Intelligent Testing of Traffic Light Programs: Validation in Smart Mobility Scenarios

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Ferrer

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In smart cities, the use of intelligent automatic techniques to find efficient cycle programs of traffic lights is becoming an innovative front for traffic flow management. However, this automatic programming of traffic lights requires a validation process of the generated solutions, since they can affect the mobility (and security of millions of citizens. In this paper, we propose a validation strategy based on genetic algorithms and feature models for the automatic generation of different traffic scenarios checking the robustness of traffic light cycle programs. We have concentrated on an extensive urban area in the city of Malaga (in Spain, in which we validate a set of candidate cycle programs generated by means of four optimization algorithms: Particle Swarm Optimization for Traffic Lights, Differential Evolution for Traffic Lights, random search, and Sumo Cycle Program Generator. We can test the cycles of traffic lights considering the different states of the city, weather, congestion, driver expertise, vehicle’s features, and so forth, but prioritizing the most relevant scenarios among a large and varied set of them. The improvement achieved in solution quality is remarkable, especially for CO2 emissions, in which we have obtained a reduction of 126.99% compared with the experts’ solutions.

Anatomical study of the nerve regeneration after selective neurectomy in the rabbit: clinical application for esthetic calf reduction

OpenAIRE

Shin, Kang-Jae; Yoo, Ja-Young; Lee, Ju-Young; Gil, Young-Chun; Kim, Jeong-Nam; Koh, Ki-Seok; Song, Wu-Chul

2015-01-01

The purposes of this study were therefore to characterize the degeneration and regeneration of nerves to the calf muscles after selective neurectomy, both macroscopically and microscopically, and to determine the incidence of such regeneration in a rabbit model. Seventy four New Zealand white rabbits were used. Selective neurectomy to the triceps surae muscles was performed, and the muscles were subsequently harvested and weighed 1-4 months postneurectomy. The gastrocnemius muscles were stain...

SNARE-mediated trafficking of α5β1 integrin is required for spreading in CHO cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skalski, Michael; Coppolino, Marc G.

2005-01-01

In this study, the role of SNARE-mediated membrane traffic in regulating integrin localization was examined and the requirement for SNARE function in cellular spreading was quantitatively assessed. Membrane traffic was inhibited with the VAMP-specific catalytic light chain from tetanus toxin (TeTx-LC), a dominant-negative form (E329Q) of N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF), and brefeldin A (BfA). Inhibition of membrane traffic with either E329Q-NSF or TeTx-LC, but not BfA, significantly inhibited spreading of CHO cells on fibronectin. Spreading was rescued in TeTx-LC-expressing cells by co-transfection with a TeTx-resistant cellubrevin/VAMP3. E329Q-NSF, a general inhibitor of SNARE function, was a more potent inhibitor of cell spreading than TeTx-LC, suggesting that tetanus toxin-insensitive SNAREs contribute to adhesion. It was found that E329Q-NSF prevented trafficking of α 5 β 1 integrins from a central Rab11-containing compartment to sites of protrusion during cell adhesion, while TeTx-LC delayed this trafficking. These results are consistent with a model of cellular adhesion that implicates SNARE function as an important component of integrin trafficking during the process of cell spreading

Traffic safety strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Sadauskas

2003-04-01

Full Text Available Fast development of the number of vehicles is closely related not only to large benefit for the public but also to certain undesirable social and economic consequences. Firstly - large numbers of injured and killed people are involved into the accidents. The target to improve traffic safety situation in Lithuania can be reached only after the detailed evaluation of transport system, environment, traffic participants, road and vehicle. Taking into consideration the accident situation in Lithuania and its causes the followings priority trends are suggested: The improvement of the coordination of road traffic safety system, the training and education of road users, the explanation of the importance of traffic safety and its propagation, the improvement of traffic conditions. Recommendations and proposals for differentiated criterion of maximum speed limit selection taking into account different factors are provided in the work.

Travelers ability to observe changes in traffic intensities and traffic light settings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vreeswijk, Jacob Dirk; Do, Michael; Middag, Wilco; Martens, Marieke Hendrikje; van Berkum, Eric C.; van Arem, Bart; ITSC,

2011-01-01

Travel choice behavior is an important determinant in traffic and subject to human imperfection and bounded rationality. In decision-making processes travelers seldom act perfectly rational. Traffic models and traffic network management measure could become more realistic and effective, if

Pace bowlers in cricket with history of lumbar stress fracture have increased risk of lower limb muscle strains, particularly calf strains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Orchard

2010-09-01

Full Text Available John Orchard1, Patrick Farhart2, Alex Kountouris3, Trefor James3, Marc Portus31School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia; 2Punjab Kings XI team, Indian Premier League, India; 3Cricket Australia, Melbourne, AustraliaObjective: To assess whether a history of lumbar stress fracture in pace bowlers in cricket is a risk factor for lower limb muscle strains.Methods: This was a prospective cohort risk factor study, conducted using injury data from contracted first class pace bowlers in Australia during seasons 1998–1999 to 2008–2009 inclusive. There were 205 pace bowlers, 33 of whom suffered a lumbar stress fracture when playing first class cricket. Risk ratios ([RR] with 95% confidence intervals[CI] were calculated to compare the seasonal incidence of various injuries between bowlers with a prior history of lumbar stress fracture and those with no history of lumbar stress fracture.Results: Risk of calf strain was strongly associated with prior lumbar stress fracture injury history (RR = 4.1; 95% CI: 2.4–7.1. Risks of both hamstring strain (RR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.03–2.1 and quadriceps strain (RR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.1–3.5 were somewhat associated with history of lumbar stress fracture. Risk of groin strain was not associated with history of lumbar stress fracture (RR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.4–1.1. Other injuries showed little association with prior lumbar stress fracture, although knee cartilage injuries were more likely in the non-stress fracture group.Conclusion: Bony hypertrophy associated with lumbar stress fracture healing may lead to subsequent lumbar nerve root impingement, making lower limb muscle strains more likely to occur. Confounders may be responsible for some of the findings. In particular, bowling speed is likely to be independently correlated with risk of lumbar stress fracture and risk of muscle strain. However, as the relationship between lumbar stress fracture history and calf strain was very strong, and that there is a

Traffic breakdown at a signal: classical theory versus the three-phase theory of city traffic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerner, Boris S; Schreckenberg, Michael; Klenov, Sergey L

2014-01-01

Physical reasons for a crucial difference between the results of a three-phase theory developed recently (Kerner 2011 Phys. Rev. E 84 045102(R); 2013 Europhys. Lett. 102 28010; 2014 Physica A 397 76) and the classical theory are explained. Microscopic characteristics of traffic passing a traffic signal during the green signal phase and their dependence on the duration of the green phase have been found. It turns out that a moving synchronized flow pattern (MSP), which occurs in under-saturated traffic at the signal, causes ‘compression’ of traffic flow: the rate of MSP discharge can be considerably larger than the saturation flow rate of the classical traffic theory of city traffic. This leads to a considerably larger rate of traffic passing the signal in comparison with the saturation flow rate. This effect together with traffic behavior at the upstream queue front explains the metastability of under-saturated traffic with respect to a random time-delayed traffic breakdown. (paper)

4K Video Traffic Prediction using Seasonal Autoregressive Modeling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. R. Marković

2017-06-01

Full Text Available From the perspective of average viewer, high definition video streams such as HD (High Definition and UHD (Ultra HD are increasing their internet presence year over year. This is not surprising, having in mind expansion of HD streaming services, such as YouTube, Netflix etc. Therefore, high definition video streams are starting to challenge network resource allocation with their bandwidth requirements and statistical characteristics. Need for analysis and modeling of this demanding video traffic has essential importance for better quality of service and experience support. In this paper we use an easy-to-apply statistical model for prediction of 4K video traffic. Namely, seasonal autoregressive modeling is applied in prediction of 4K video traffic, encoded with HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding. Analysis and modeling were performed within R programming environment using over 17.000 high definition video frames. It is shown that the proposed methodology provides good accuracy in high definition video traffic modeling.

Epidemiology o.f· Traffic Accidents

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Accidents. An analysis of some 2 100 fatal traffic accidents gave the following results: males-79%; females-21%; a ratio of 4: 1. The high proportion of males to females killed in traffic accidents may be due to the fact that (a) more males commute daily in private and commercial vehicles;. (b) more females commute daily in ...

Real time traffic models, decision support for traffic management

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wismans, Luc Johannes Josephus; de Romph, E.; Friso, K.; Zantema, K.

2014-01-01

Reliable and accurate short-term traffic state prediction can improve the performance of real-time traffic management systems significantly. Using this short-time prediction based on current measurements delivered by advanced surveillance systems will support decision-making processes on various

Real Time Traffic Models, Decision Support for Traffic Management

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wismans, L.; De Romph, E.; Friso, K.; Zantema, K.

2014-01-01

Reliable and accurate short-term traffic state prediction can improve the performance of real-time traffic management systems significantly. Using this short-time prediction based on current measurements delivered by advanced surveillance systems will support decision-making processes on various

Global collaboration on road traffic injury prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Peden, Margie

2005-06-01

Worldwide, nearly 1.2 million people are killed in road traffic crashes every year and 20 million to 50 million more are injured or disabled. These injuries account for 2.1% of global mortality and 2.6% of all disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost. Low- and middle-income countries account for about 85% of the deaths and 90% of the DALYs lost annually. Without appropriate action, by 2020, road traffic injuries are predicted to be the third leading contributor to the global burden of disease. The economic cost of road traffic crashes is enormous. Globally it is estimated that US$518 billion is spent on road traffic crashes with low- and middle-income countries accounting for US$65 billion--more than these countries receive in development assistance. But these costs are just the tip of the iceberg. For everyone killed, injured or disabled by a road traffic crash there are countless others deeply affected. Many families are driven into poverty by the expenses of prolonged medical care, loss of a family breadwinner or the added burden of caring for the disabled. There is an urgent need for global collaboration on road traffic injury prevention. Since 2000, WHO has stepped up its response to the road safety crisis by firstly developing a 5-year strategy for road traffic injury prevention and following this by dedicating World Health Day 2004 to road safety and launching the WHO/World Bank World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention at the global World Health Day event in Paris, France. This short article highlights the main messages from the World Report and the six recommendations for action on road safety at a national and international level. It goes on to briefly discuss other international achievements since World Health Day and calls for countries to take up the challenge of implementing the recommendations of the World Report.

Remark on the Causes of Traffic Accidents and Traffic Awareness: Examples of Usak Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ercan ÖZEN

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Traffic accidents cause important losses on the social and economics structure of countries. While economic losses are able to be compensated in a short time, it isn’t possible to compensate social and communal losses. This study tackles with not the economic aspect of traffic accidents but the social dimension, evaluates the causes of the traffic accidents with respect to views of individuals on traffic and aims to measure the levels of awareness of individuals about traffic. To achieve these goals, a group of 506 people were surveyed in Uşak province and the acquired data were analyzed via one-way ANOVA test in SPSS 16 program. According to the analysis results, drivers and pedestrians are considered to have significant flaws in traffic accidents. But alongside this thought, the idea that traffic accidents are caused by the road having technical and physical problems has come to the fore. This results present a valid motive for the established approach “Vision Zero” , being practised in Sweden, to be adopted in Turkey. When the level of awareness about traffic is examined, it is seen that individuals generally have got inadequate information related traffic rules and traffic authorities. Besides, the fact that individuals are inadequate in terms of courtesy and respect in traffic and that more serious efforts on traffic education is needed to be spent come out as the important findings of this study. The findings of this study can be thought as a directive tool to the policy makers.

Linguine sign in musculoskeletal imaging: calf silicone implant rupture.

Science.gov (United States)

Duryea, Dennis; Petscavage-Thomas, Jonelle; Frauenhoffer, Elizabeth E; Walker, Eric A

2015-08-01

Imaging findings of breast silicone implant rupture are well described in the literature. On MRI, the linguine sign indicates intracapsular rupture, while the presence of silicone particles outside the fibrous capsule indicates extracapsular rupture. The linguine sign is described as the thin, wavy hypodense wall of the implant within the hyperintense silicone on T2-weighted images indicative of rupture of the implant within the naturally formed fibrous capsule. Hyperintense T2 signal outside of the fibrous capsule is indicative of an extracapsular rupture with silicone granuloma formation. We present a rare case of a patient with a silicone calf implant rupture and discuss the MRI findings associated with this condition.

Atrial Fibrillation in a Diarrheic Holstein Dairy Calf

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aliasghar CHALMEH

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Cardiac auscultation of a 10-day-old diarrheic female Holstein dairy calf revealed irregularities in rhythm and absence of 4th heart sound. Electrocardiogram (ECG and blood sample were obtained before and after the treatment. Based on ECG and cardiac auscultation findings, atrial fibrillation (AF was diagnosed. Serum sodium, calcium and magnesium before treatment were significantly lower than their reference ranges and potassium was significantly higher. One day after treating this patient, serum electrolytes were reached to reference ranges and AF was changed to normal sinus rhythm. Based on resolving the AF after treating the patient and correcting the electrolyte imbalances, it can be suggested that electrolyte imbalances were the main cause of the occurrence of AF in the present case.

Examining perimeter gating control of urban traffic networkswith locally adaptive traffic signals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keyvan Ekbatani, M.; Gao, X.; Gayah, V.V.; Knoop, V.L.

2015-01-01

Traditionally, urban traffic is controlled by traffic lights. Recent findings of the Macroscopic or Network Fundamental Diagram (MFD or NFD) have led to the development of novel traffic control strategies that can be applied at a networkwide level. One pertinent example is perimeter flow control

Development and Validation of A Spectrofluorimetric Determination of Calf Thymus DNA Using a Terbium-Danofloxacin Probe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naser Soltani

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Analysis of biomolecules is required in many biomedical research areas. A spectrofluorimetric method is proposed for determination of calf thymus DNA (ctDNA based on the fluorescence enhancement of terbium-danofloxacin (Tb3+-Dano in the presence of ctDNA. Methods: A probe with maximum excitation and emission wavelengths of 347 nm and 545 nm, respectively, was developed. The enhanced fluorescence intensity of Tb3+-Dano system was proportional to the concentration of ctDNA. The effective factors and the optimum conditions for the determination of ctDNA were studied. Under the optimum conditions of [Tris buffer]= 0.01 mol L-1 (pH 7.8, [ Tb3+]= 1×10-5 mol L-1 and [Dano]= 5×10-5 mol L-1, the maximum response was achieved. The developed method was evaluated in terms of accuracy, precision and limit of detection. Results: The linear concentration range for quantification of ctDNA was 36-3289 ng mL-1 and the detection limit (S/N=3 was 8 ng mL-1. The concentration of DNA extracted from Escherichia coli as an extracted sample was also determined using the developed probe. The concentration of DNA in extracted sample was determined using UV assay and developed method, the results were satisfactory. Conclusion: The proposed method is a simple, practical and relatively interference free method to follow up the concentrations of ctDNA.

A Brief Introduction of Air Traffic Management

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

1997-01-01

Air Traffic Management(ATM)started publication in 1995 by Air Traffic Management Bureauof CAAC.It is the first magazine about ATM field in CAAC.The chairman of Editorial Board ofATM is Mr.Bao Peide,Vice Minister of CAAC.Mr.Chen Ziye,Vice President of the 1st ResearchInstitute of CAAC and Chen Xuhua,General Director of Air Traffic Management Bureau are vicechairmen of the editorial board,and six general directors of local air traffic management bureau andsome professors and experts are members of the editorial board.ATM includes more than 20 columns,which are communication,navigation,surveillance,air trafficmanagement,special articles(policy,planning and management of implementation of CNS/ATM

Traffic management simulation development : summary.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Increasingly, Florida traffic is monitored electronically by components of the Intelligent Traffic System (ITS), which send data to regional traffic management centers and assist management of traffic flows and incident response using software called...

Anatomy, death, and preservation of a woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) calf, Yamal Peninsula, northwest Siberia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fisher, Daniel C.; Tikhonov, Alexei N.; Kosintsev, Pavel A.; Rountrey, Adam N.; Buigues, Bernard; van der Plicht, Johannes

2012-01-01

A well-preserved woolly mammoth calf found in northwest Siberia offers unique opportunities to investigate mammoth anatomy, behavior, life history and taphonomy. Analysis of the fluvial setting where the specimen was found suggests it was derived from eroding bluffs during ice-out flooding in June

Tissue culture media supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum contains a castrate level of testosterone.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sedelaar, J.P.M.; Isaacs, J.T.

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Human prostate cancer cells are routinely maintained in media supplemented with 10% Fetal Calf Serum (FCS) to provide androgen. In the present study, total and free testosterone levels in 10%FCS supplemented tissue culture media were determined and compared to levels in intact and

Air traffic security act unconstitutional

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heller, W.

2006-01-01

In the interest of more effective protective measures against terrorist attacks, the German federal parliament inter alia added a clause to the Air Traffic Security Act (Sec. 14, Para. 3, Air Traffic Security Act) empowering the armed forces to shoot down aircraft to be used as a weapon against human lives. In Germany, this defense possibility has been discussed also in connection with deliberate crashes of hijacked aircraft on nuclear power plants. The 1 st Division of the German Federal Constitutional Court, in its decision of February 15, 2006, ruled that Sec. 14, Para. 3, Air Traffic Security Act was incompatible with the Basic Law and thus was null and void (file No. 1 BvR 357/05) for two reasons: - There was no legislative authority on the part of the federal government. - The provision was incompatible with the basic right of life and the guarantee of human dignity as enshrined in the Basic Law. (orig.)

Multiple [3H]-nemonapride binding sites in calf brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Helmeste, D M; Tang, S W; Li, M; Fang, H

1997-07-01

[3H]-Nemonapride has been the ligand of choice to label D4 dopamine receptors. Its specificity was questioned when it was discovered that sigma (sigma) sites were also labeled by [3H]-nemonapride. To further characterize the binding of [3H]-nemonapride, three areas of calf brain (striatum, frontal cortex and cerebellum) were examined. In all three areas, [3H]-nemonapride labeled multiple sites. Dopaminergic and sigma sites were the most prominent. The sigma binding profile was sigma-1 like with a Ki binding profile as follows (in order of decreasing potency): haloperidol, PPAP, pentazocine, DTG, U-50488, R(+)-3-PPP. Experiments using sulpiride and pentazocine to block striatal dopaminergic and sigma sites, respectively, revealed additional, not previously characterized binding sites for [3H]-nemonapride. One component which was present in striatum but not in frontal cortex or cerebellum, had affinity for some neuroleptics and WB-4101, but not for typical serotonergic agents. Thus, [3H]-nemonapride has no selectivity for dopamine receptors unless stringent experimental conditions are met.

Passive performance monitoring and traffic characteristics on the SLAC internet border

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Logg, C.; Cottrell, L.

2001-01-01

Understanding how the Internet is used by HEP is critical to optimizing the performance of the inter-lab computing environment. Typically use requirements have been defined by discussions between collaborators. However, later analysis of the actual traffic has show this is often misunderstood and actual use is significantly different to that predicted. Passive monitoring of the real traffic provides insight into the true communications requirements and the performance of a large number of inter-communicating nodes. It may be useful in identifying performance problems that are due to factors other than Internet congestion, especially when compared to other methods such as active monitoring where traffic is generated specifically to measure its performance. Controlled active monitoring between dedicated servers often gives an indication of what can be achieved on a network. Passive monitoring of the real traffic gives a picture of the true performance. The authors will discuss the method and results of collecting and analyzing flows of data obtained from the SLAC Internet border. The insights this has brought to understanding the network will be reviewed and the benefit it can bring to engineering networks will be discussed

[Distribution of and changes in Danish traffic deaths].

Science.gov (United States)

Bjerre, Johannes; Kirkebjerg, Peer Gregersen; Larsen, Lars Binderup

2006-05-01

Traffic accidents were the primary cause of death for Danes aged 15 to 24 years in 1999; per million inhabitants, that figure was 62% higher than in Great Britain. Reduction to the level in Great Britain would have reduced the number killed in traffic accidents in Denmark in 2002 from 465 to 289. The data used are from StatBank Denmark, the Danish Road Directorate and the Danish Transport Research Institute. The number of traffic deaths per billion kilometers driven was 57% higher in 1994 than in 2001. Those aged 65 and over had the largest decrease, with 67% fewer traffic deaths. Per billion kilometers driven, rural roads had around twice the number of traffic deaths as city streets and motorways. The geographic distribution showed few traffic deaths in the capital, Copenhagen, while the rest of the country had up to twice the number per 100,000 inhabitants from 1997 to 2002. Car drivers were well protected by seat belts, while people who were walking or on a motorcycle had high casualty rates per billion kilometers driven. 29% of the traffic deaths in Denmark in 2002 were registered as alcohol-related, while only 1% of drivers overall were influenced by alcohol. Men had twice the risk of traffic death compared with women per kilometer driven. Men were convicted in 93% of cases involving illegal blood alcohol level and 84% of cases involving other traffic offences. The greatest potential for reduction of traffic deaths seems to be traffic behaviour; females' behaviour, with rare drunk driving and few convictions for traffic offences, seems rational. If all drivers adhered to women's traffic behaviour, the number of road deaths in 1999 could have been reduced by 169, equivalent to 30%.

Classification and Analysis of Computer Network Traffic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bujlow, Tomasz

2014-01-01

various classification modes (decision trees, rulesets, boosting, softening thresholds) regarding the classification accuracy and the time required to create the classifier. We showed how to use our VBS tool to obtain per-flow, per-application, and per-content statistics of traffic in computer networks...

High-level traffic-violation detection for embedded traffic analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vijverberg, J.A.; de Koning, A.H.M.; Han, Jungong; de With, P.H.N.; Cornelissen, D.

2007-01-01

This paper presents the design of a robust and real-time traffic-violation detection system for cameras on intersections. We use background segmentation and a novel road-model to obtain the candidate traffic participants. A region-based tracking system, equipped with static occlusion-reasoning,

Electrically induced muscle cramps induce hypertrophy of calf muscles in healthy adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Behringer, M; Moser, M; Montag, J; McCourt, M; Tenner, D; Mester, J

2015-06-01

Skeletal muscles usually cramp at short lengths, where the tension that can be exerted by muscle fibers is low. Since high tension is an important anabolic stimulus, it is questionable if cramps can induce hypertrophy and strength gains. In the present study we investigated if electrically induced cramps (EIMCs) can elicit these adaptations. 15 healthy male adults were randomly assigned to an intervention (IG; n=10) and a control group (CG; n=5). The cramp protocol (CP) applied twice a week to one leg of the IG, consisted of 3x6 EIMCs, of 5 s each. Calf muscles of the opposite leg were stimulated equally, but were hindered from cramping by fixating the ankle at 0° plantar flexion (nCP). After six weeks, the cross sectional area of the triceps surae was similarly increased in both the CP (+9.0±3.4%) and the nCP (+6.8±3.7%). By contrast, force of maximal voluntary contractions, measured at 0° and 30° plantar flexion, increased significantly only in nCP (0°: +8.5±8.8%; 30°: 11.7±13.7%). The present data indicate that muscle cramps can induce hypertrophy in calf muscles, though lacking high tension as an important anabolic stimulus.

Taking Over Control From Highly Automated Vehicles in Complex Traffic Situations: The Role of Traffic Density.

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, Christian; Körber, Moritz; Lechner, David; Bengler, Klaus

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of traffic density and verbal tasks on takeover performance in highly automated driving. In highly automated vehicles, the driver has to occasionally take over vehicle control when approaching system limits. To ensure safety, the ability of the driver to regain control of the driving task under various driving situations and different driver states needs to be quantified. Seventy-two participants experienced takeover situations requiring an evasive maneuver on a three-lane highway with varying traffic density (zero, 10, and 20 vehicles per kilometer). In a between-subjects design, half of the participants were engaged in a verbal 20-Questions Task, representing speaking on the phone while driving in a highly automated vehicle. The presence of traffic in takeover situations led to longer takeover times and worse takeover quality in the form of shorter time to collision and more collisions. The 20-Questions Task did not influence takeover time but seemed to have minor effects on the takeover quality. For the design and evaluation of human-machine interaction in takeover situations of highly automated vehicles, the traffic state seems to play a major role, compared to the driver state, manipulated by the 20-Questions Task. The present results can be used by developers of highly automated systems to appropriately design human-machine interfaces and to assess the driver's time budget for regaining control. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

An Electronic Commerce Strategy for MTMC’s Guaranteed Traffic Program

Science.gov (United States)

1992-10-01

AD-A264 299 SELECTE October 1992 S MAY1 4 1993U C An Electronic Commerce Strategy for MTMC’s Guaranteed Traffic Program MT901R I N1. Augustine...NUMBERS An Electronic Commerce Strategy for MTMC’s Guaranteed Traffic Program C MDA903-85-C -0139 M DA903-90-C-0006 PE 0902198D 6. AUTHOR(S) M...239-1L 299-01 LMI Executive Summary AN ELECTRONIC COMMERCE STRATEGY FOR MTMC’S GUARANTEED TRAFFIC PROGRAM In 1979, the Military Traffic Management

Monitor Network Traffic with Packet Capture (pcap) on an Android Device

Science.gov (United States)

2015-09-01

administrative privileges . Under the current design Android development requirement, an Android Graphical User Interface (GUI) application cannot directly...build an Android application to monitor network traffic using open source packet capture (pcap) libraries. 15. SUBJECT TERMS ELIDe, Android , pcap 16...Building Application with Native Codes 5 8.1 Calling Native Codes Using JNI 5 8.2 Calling Native Codes from an Android Application 8 9. Retrieve Live

Ankle-foot orthoses that restrict dorsiflexion improve walking in polio survivors with calf muscle weakness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ploeger, Hilde E.; Bus, Sicco A.; Brehm, Merel-Anne; Nollet, Frans

2014-01-01

In polio survivors with calf muscle weakness, dorsiflexion-restricting ankle-foot orthoses (DR-AFOs) aim to improve gait in order to reduce walking-related problems such as instability or increased energy cost. However, evidence on the efficacy of DR-AFOs in polio survivors is lacking. We

A novel downlink scheduling strategy for traffic communication system based on TD-LTE technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ting; Zhao, Xiangmo; Gao, Tao; Zhang, Licheng

2016-01-01

There are many existing classical scheduling algorithms which can obtain better system throughput and user equality, however, they are not designed for traffic transportation environment, which cannot consider whether the transmission performance of various information flows could meet comprehensive requirements of traffic safety and delay tolerance. This paper proposes a novel downlink scheduling strategy for traffic communication system based on TD-LTE technology, which can perform two classification mappings for various information flows in the eNodeB: firstly, associate every information flow packet with traffic safety importance weight according to its relevance to the traffic safety; secondly, associate every traffic information flow with service type importance weight according to its quality of service (QoS) requirements. Once the connection is established, at every scheduling moment, scheduler would decide the scheduling order of all buffers' head of line packets periodically according to the instant value of scheduling importance weight function, which calculated by the proposed algorithm. From different scenario simulations, it can be verified that the proposed algorithm can provide superior differentiated transmission service and reliable QoS guarantee to information flows with different traffic safety levels and service types, which is more suitable for traffic transportation environment compared with the existing popularity PF algorithm. With the limited wireless resource, information flow closed related to traffic safety will always obtain priority scheduling right timely, which can help the passengers' journey more safe. Moreover, the proposed algorithm cannot only obtain good flow throughput and user fairness which are almost equal to those of the PF algorithm without significant differences, but also provide better realtime transmission guarantee to realtime information flow.

Right-­turn traffic volume adjustment in traffic signal warrant analysis : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-06

This report was based on the research project, Right-Turn Traffic Volume Adjustment in Traffic Signal Warrants, sponsored by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) and SOLARIS. Right-turn traffic does not affect intersection performance in th...

Skin perfusion pressure on the legs measured as the external pressure required for skin reddening after blanching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holstein, P; Nielsen, P.E.; Lund, P

1980-01-01

-187) compared to 80.8 mmHg (range 18-158) (P > 0.1). A normal material was obtained from twenty-four subjects measured on the thigh, calf and ankle; the average gradients between the auscultatory brachial mean blood pressure and the BTEP were: thigh 10.7 mmHg (SD 12.7); calf 4.0 mmHg (SD 12.1); ankle 5.1 mm...

Calf health from birth to weaning. II. Management of diarrhoea in pre-weaned calves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorenz Ingrid

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Calfhood diseases have a major impact on the economic viability of cattle operations. The second of this three part review series considers the management of diarrhoeic diseases in pre-weaned calves. In neonatal calf diarrhoea, oral rehydration therapy is the single most important therapeutic measure to be carried out by the farmer and is usually successful if instigated immediately after diarrhoea has developed. Continued feeding of milk or milk replacer to diarrhoeic calves is important, to prevent malnourishment and weight loss in affected calves. Indiscriminative antibiotic treatment of uncomplicated diarrhoea is discouraged, whereas systemically ill calves can benefit from systemic antibiotic treatment for the prevention of septicaemia or concurrent diseases. Ancillary treatments and specific preventive measures are discussed. Eimeriosis has a high economic impact on the farming industries due to direct cost of treatment and calf losses, but especially due to decreased performance of clinically as well as sub-clinically affected animals. Emphasis lies on prophylactic or metaphylactic treatment, since the degree of damage to the intestinal mucosa once diarrhoea has developed, makes therapeutic intervention unrewarding.

SOME EMPIRICAL RELATIONS BETWEEN TRAVEL SPEED, TRAFFIC VOLUME AND TRAFFIC COMPOSITION IN URBAN ARTERIALS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eleni I. VLAHOGIANNI, Ph.D.

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of traffic mix (the percentage of cars, trucks, buses and so on are of particular interest in the speed-volume relationship in urban signalized arterials under various geometric and control characteristics. The paper presents some empirical observations on the relation between travel speed, traffic volume and traffic composition in urban signalized arterials. A methodology based on emerging self-organizing structures of neural networks to identify regions in the speed-volume relationship with respect to traffic composition and Bayesian networks to evaluate the effect of different types of motorized vehicles on prevailing traffic conditions is proposed. Results based on data from a large urban network indicate that the variability in traffic conditions can be described by eight regions in speed-volume relationship with respect to traffic composition. Further evaluation of the effect of motorized vehicles in each region separately indicates that the effect of traffic composition decreases with the onset of congestion. Moreover, taxis and motorcycles are the primary affecting parameter of the form of the speed-volume relationship in urban arterials.

Regulation of VEGF signaling by membrane traffic.

Science.gov (United States)

Horowitz, Arie; Seerapu, Himabindu Reddy

2012-09-01

Recent findings have drawn attention to the role of membrane traffic in the signaling of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The significance of this development stems from the pivotal function of VEGF in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. The outline of the regulation of VEGF receptor (VEGFR) signaling by membrane traffic is similar to that of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a prototype of the intertwining between membrane traffic and signaling. There are, however, unique features in VEGFR signaling that are conferred in part by the involvement of the co-receptor neuropilin (Nrp). Nrp1 and VEGFR2 are integrated into membrane traffic through the adaptor protein synectin, which recruits myosin VI, a molecular motor that drives inward trafficking [17,21,64]. The recent detection of only mild vascular defects in a knockin mouse model that expresses Nrp1 lacking a cytoplasmic domain [104], questions the co-receptor's role in VEGF signaling and membrane traffic. The regulation of endocytosis by ephrin-B2 is another feature unique to VEGR2/3 [18,19], but it awaits a mechanistic explanation. Current models do not fully explain how membrane traffic bridges between VEGFR and the downstream effectors that produce its functional outcome, such as cell migration. VEGF-A appears to accomplish this task in part by recruiting endocytic vesicles carrying RhoA to internalized active VEGFR2 [58]. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Influence of traffic restriction on road and construction fugitive dust].

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Gang; Li, Gang; Qin, Jian-Ping; Fan, Shou-Bin; Huang, Yu-Hu; Nie, Lei

2009-05-15

By monitoring the road and construction dust fall continuously during the "Good Luck Beijing" sport events, the reduction of road and construction dust fall caused by traffic restriction was studied. The contribution rate of road and construction dust to particulate matter of Beijing atmosphere environment, and the emission ratio of it to total local PM10 emission were analyzed. The results show that the traffic restriction reduces road and construction dust fall significantly. The dust fall average value of ring roads was 0.27 g x (m2 x d)(-1) in the "traffic restriction" period, and the values were 0.81 and 0.59 g x (m2 x d)(-1) 1 month and 7 days before. The dust fall average value of major arterial and minor arterial was 0.21 g x (m2 x d)(-1) in the "traffic restriction" period, and the values were 0.54 and 0.58 g x (m2 x d)(-1) 1 month and 7 days before. The roads emission reduced 60%-70% compared with before traffic restriction. The dust fall average values of civil architecture and utility architecture were 0.61 and 1.06 g x (m2 x d)(-1) in the "traffic restriction" period, and the values were 1.15 and 1.55 g x (m2 x d)(-1) 20 days before. The construction dust reduced 30%-47% compared with 20 days before traffic restriction. Road and construction dust emission are the main source of atmosphere particulate matter in Beijing, and its contribution to ambient PM10 concentration is 21%-36%. PM10 emitted from roads and constructions account for 42%-72% and 30%-51% of local emission while the local PM10 account for 50% and 70% of the total emission.

The impact of traffic sign deficit on road traffic accidents in Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ezeibe, Christian; Ilo, Chukwudi; Oguonu, Chika; Ali, Alphonsus; Abada, Ifeanyi; Ezeibe, Ezinwanne; Oguonu, Chukwunonso; Abada, Felicia; Izueke, Edwin; Agbo, Humphrey

2018-04-04

This study assesses the impact of traffic sign deficit on road traffic accidents in Nigeria. The participants were 720 commercial vehicle drivers. While simple random sampling was used to select 6 out of 137 federal highways, stratified random sampling was used to select six categories of commercial vehicle drivers. The study used qual-dominant mixed methods approach comprising key informant interviews; group interviews; field observation; policy appraisal and secondary literature on traffic signs. Result shows that the failure of government to provide and maintain traffic signs in order to guide road users through the numerous accident black spots on the highways is the major cause of road accidents in Nigeria. The study argues that provision and maintenance of traffic signs present opportunity to promoting safety on the highways and achieving the sustainable development goals.

Health effects of traffic noise

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ising, H; Dienel, D; Guenther, T; Markert, B

1980-11-01

In 57 test persons having worked 1 day under traffic noise (Leq = 85 dB(A) and 1 day without noise (Leq < 50 dB(A)), blood pressure and pulse frequency were measured at 1 h intervals and total urine was collected during working hours. Additionally, blood was sampled at the end of each working day. Psychological parameters were assessed by means of questionnaires. Statistically significant reactions to noise were found in the following fields: 1. Ergonomics: decrease of working quality; 2. Psychology: increase of psychical tension; 3. Blood circulation: increase of blood pressure and pulse frequency; 4. Biochemistry: increase of epinephrine, cAMP, urine and serum Mg, protein, cholesterol plus decrease of erythrocyte Na, and renin. Hypothetical mechanisms of the action of traffic noise are discussed.

The Use of Adaptive Traffic Signal Systems Based on Floating Car Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vittorio Astarita

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a simple concept which has not been, up to now, thoroughly explored in scientific research: the use of information coming from the network of Internet connected mobile devices (on vehicles to regulate traffic light systems. Three large-scale changes are going to shape the future of transportation and could lead to the regulation of traffic signal system based on floating car data (FCD: (i the implementation of Internet connected cars with global navigation satellite (GNSS system receivers and the autonomous car revolution; (ii the spreading of mobile cooperative Web 2.0 and the extension to connected vehicles; (iii an increasing need for sustainability of transportation in terms of energy efficiency, traffic safety, and environmental issues. Up to now, the concept of floating car data (FCD has only been extensively used to obtain traffic information and estimate traffic parameters. Traffic lights regulation based on FCD technology has not been fully researched since the implementation requires new ideas and algorithms. This paper intends to provide a seminal insight into the important issue of adaptive traffic light based on FCD by presenting ideas that can be useful to researchers and engineers in the long-term task of developing new algorithms and systems that may revolutionize the way traffic lights are regulated.

Supplementation of organic and inorganic selenium to late gestation and early lactation beef cows effect on cow and preweaning calf performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Muegge, C R; Brennan, K M; Schoonmaker, J P

2016-08-01

Angus × Simmental cows ( = 48; BW = 595 ± 17.4 kg, BCS = 5.26 ± 0.05, and age = 2.3 ± 0.07 yr), pregnant with male fetuses, were used to determine the effect of Se source during the last 80 d of gestation and first 108 d of lactation on cow and calf performance. At 203 d in gestation, cows were blocked by BW, breed composition, age, and calf sire and randomly allotted to organic Se, inorganic Se, or no Se treatments. Diets contained corn silage, corn stover, haylage, dried distillers' grains with solubles, and minerals and were formulated to contain 10.4% CP and 0.90 Mcal/kg NEg during gestation and 12.1% CP and 1.01 Mcal/kg NEg during lactation. Diets were fed daily as a total mixed ration and none, 3 mg/d Se as sodium selenite, or 3 mg/d Se as Sel-Plex were top-dressed daily. At 68 d postpartum (DPP), milk production was calculated using the weigh-suckle-weigh procedure and a milk sample was collected to determine composition. At 108 DPP, cow-calf pairs were commingled until weaning at 210 DPP. Cow BW and BCS ( ≥ 0.56) did not differ between treatments at any time point during the study. Milk production, milk fat, and total solids ( ≥ 0.38) did not differ among treatments. Milk protein tended to increase in cows fed inorganic Se compared with cows fed organic Se ( = 0.07) and milk lactose tended to be greatest in cows fed organic Se ( = 0.10). Conception to AI and overall pregnancy rates did not differ between treatments ( ≥ 0.39). Calf weights and ADG did not differ through 108 DPP ( ≥ 0.77) or for the preweaning period ( ≥ 0.33). Plasma Se concentration was adequate for all cows and did not differ among treatments for cows ( ≥ 0.37) or calves ( ≥ 0.90). Liver Se concentrations in cows fed inorganic or organic Se were greater than in control cows ( < 0.01). Longissimus muscles biopsies taken from progeny at 108 DPP also did not differ between treatments ( = 0.45). In conclusion, dietary Se source did not affect cow performance, milk production

A method for the estimation of hydration state during hemodialysis using a calf bioimpedance technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, F; Kuhlmann, M K; Kotanko, P; Seibert, E; Levin, N W; Leonard, E F

2008-01-01

Although many methods have been utilized to measure degrees of body hydration, and in particular to estimate normal hydration states (dry weight, DW) in hemodialysis (HD) patients, no accurate methods are currently available for clinical use. Biochemcial measurements are not sufficiently precise and vena cava diameter estimation is impractical. Several bioimpedance methods have been suggested to provide information to estimate clinical hydration and nutritional status, such as phase angle measurement and ratio of body fluid compartment volumes to body weight. In this study, we present a calf bioimpedance spectroscopy (cBIS) technique to monitor calf resistance and resistivity continuously during HD. Attainment of DW is defined by two criteria: (1) the primary criterion is flattening of the change in the resistance curve during dialysis so that at DW little further change is observed and (2) normalized resistivity is in the range of observation of healthy subjects. Twenty maintenance HD patients (12 M/8 F) were studied on 220 occasions. After three baseline (BL) measurements, with patients at their DW prescribed on clinical grounds (DW Clin ), the target post-dialysis weight was gradually decreased in the course of several treatments until the two dry weight criteria outlined above were met (DW cBIS ). Post-dialysis weight was reduced from 78.3 ± 28 to 77.1 ± 27 kg (p −2 Ω m 3 kg −1 (p cBIS was 0.3 ± 0.2%. The results indicate that cBIS utilizing a dynamic technique continuously during dialysis is an accurate and precise approach to specific end points for the estimation of body hydration status. Since no current techniques have been developed to detect DW as precisely, it is suggested as a standard to be evaluated clinically

What Can Wireless Cellular Technologies Do about the Upcoming Smart Metering Traffic?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jimmy Jessen; Madueño, Germán Corrales; Pratas, Nuno

2015-01-01

of distributed energy resources increases, the household power will become more variable and thus unpredictable from the viewpoint of the Distribution System Operator (DSO). It is therefore expected, in the near future, to have an increased number of Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS) devices with Phasor...... Measurement Unit (PMU)-like capabilities in the distribution grid, thus allowing the utilities to monitor the low voltage grid quality while providing information required for tighter grid control. From a communication standpoint, the traffic profile will change drastically towards higher data volumes...... and higher rates per device. In this paper, we characterize the current traffic generated by smart electricity meters and supplement it with the potential traffic requirements brought by introducing enhanced Smart Meters, i.e., meters with PMU-like capabilities. Our study shows how GSM/GPRS and LTE cellular...

The economic cost of traffic congestion in Florida.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-01

Traffic congestion in the U.S. is bad and getting worse, and it is expensive. Appropriate solutions to this problem require appropriate information. A comprehensive and accurate analysis of congestion costs is a critical tool for planning and impleme...

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 1995 customer satisfaction survey

Science.gov (United States)

1996-05-01

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a national Customer Satisfaction Survey in response to the requirements of the National Performance Review and Executive Order 12862. An independent research organization, Schulman,...

Web traffic and firm performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farooq, Omar; Aguenaou, Samir

2013-01-01

Does the traffic generated by websites of firms signal anything to stock market participants? Does higher web-traffic translate into availability of more information and therefore lower agency problems? And if answers to above questions are in affirmative, does higher web-traffic traffic translate...... into better firm performance? This paper aims to answer these questions by documenting a positive relationship between the extent of web-traffic and firm performance in the MENA region during the 2010. We argue that higher web-traffic lowers the agency problems in firms by disseminating more information...... to stock market participants. Consequently, lower agency problems translate into better performance. Furthermore, we also show that agency reducing role of web-traffic is more pronounced in regimes where information environment is already bad. For example, our results show stronger impact of web...

Review: Exogenous butyrate: implications for the functional development of ruminal epithelium and calf performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Niwińska, B; Hanczakowska, E; Arciszewski, M B; Klebaniuk, R

2017-09-01

The importance of the use of exogenous butyrate in calves' diets is due to its role as a factor stimulating the functional development of ruminal epithelium and improving calf performance during the transition from preruminant to ruminant status. Our review will first present results related to effects of the administration of butyrate in calves' diets on the development of ruminal epithelium toward a more effective absorption and metabolism of fermentation products from the rumen. The introduction of sodium butyrate at a level of about 0.3% of diet dry matter is accompanied by an increase to 35% in butyrate concentration in the rumen of 33-day-old calves. Mutual reliance between an enhanced ruminal concentration of butyrate and the activities of transcription factors, genes and proteins involved in cell proliferation, ketogenesis and the maintenance of cell pH homeostasis in the ruminal epithelial cells has been clearly confirmed in many experiments. Second, the review presents results related to the effects of the introduction of butyrate salts in the diet on calf performance. Of 11 studies a positive effect was found in six; five of these were obtained from the calves that started receiving butyrate supplement at a level of about 0.3% diet dry matter from the age of 3 to 5 days. Results indicate that when a supplement is given to calves soon after birth the functional development of ruminal epithelium in cooperation with the endocrine and digestion systems is transferred into improving the efficiency of rearing. There have been no studies on the effects of greater amounts of butyrate salts in milk replacer; butyrate constitutes about 1.2% of the whole cow's milk dry matter. In older calves, when butyrate administration is provided as a component of a starter concentrate at the increasing inclusion rate from 0.3% to 3.0%, the practical effect in calf performance relates to the risk of depression of rumen pH below 5.5 and accompanying disruption of the

Research on the Method of Traffic Organization and Optimization Based on Dynamic Traffic Flow Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shu-bin Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The modern transportation system is becoming sluggish by traffic jams, so much so that it can harm the economic and society in our country. One of the reasons is the surging vehicles day by day. Another reason is the shortage of the traffic supply seriously. But the most important reason is that the traffic organization and optimization hardly met the conditions of modern transport development. In this paper, the practical method of the traffic organization and optimization used in regional area is explored by the dynamic traffic network analysis method. Firstly, the operational states of the regional traffic network are obtained by simulation method based on the self-developed traffic simulation software DynaCHINA, in which the improved traffic flow simulation model was proposed in order to be more suitable for actual domestic urban transport situation. Then the appropriated optimization model and algorithm were proposed according to different optimized content and organization goals, and the traffic simulation processes more suitable to regional optimization were designed exactly. Finally, a regional network in Tai’an city was selected as an example. The simulation results show that the proposed method is effective and feasible. It can provide strong scientific and technological support for the traffic management department.

Linguine sign in musculoskeletal imaging: calf silicone implant rupture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duryea, Dennis; Petscavage-Thomas, Jonelle; Frauenhoffer, Elizabeth E.; Walker, Eric A.

2015-01-01

Imaging findings of breast silicone implant rupture are well described in the literature. On MRI, the linguine sign indicates intracapsular rupture, while the presence of silicone particles outside the fibrous capsule indicates extracapsular rupture. The linguine sign is described as the thin, wavy hypodense wall of the implant within the hyperintense silicone on T2-weighted images indicative of rupture of the implant within the naturally formed fibrous capsule. Hyperintense T2 signal outside of the fibrous capsule is indicative of an extracapsular rupture with silicone granuloma formation. We present a rare case of a patient with a silicone calf implant rupture and discuss the MRI findings associated with this condition. (orig.)

Linguine sign in musculoskeletal imaging: calf silicone implant rupture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Duryea, Dennis; Petscavage-Thomas, Jonelle [Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Department of Radiology, H066, 500 University Drive, P.O. Box 850, Hershey, PA (United States); Frauenhoffer, Elizabeth E. [Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Department of Pathology, 500 University Drive, P.O. Box 850, Hershey, PA (United States); Walker, Eric A. [Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Department of Radiology, H066, 500 University Drive, P.O. Box 850, Hershey, PA (United States); Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Bethesda, MD, 20814 (United States)

2015-08-15

Imaging findings of breast silicone implant rupture are well described in the literature. On MRI, the linguine sign indicates intracapsular rupture, while the presence of silicone particles outside the fibrous capsule indicates extracapsular rupture. The linguine sign is described as the thin, wavy hypodense wall of the implant within the hyperintense silicone on T2-weighted images indicative of rupture of the implant within the naturally formed fibrous capsule. Hyperintense T2 signal outside of the fibrous capsule is indicative of an extracapsular rupture with silicone granuloma formation. We present a rare case of a patient with a silicone calf implant rupture and discuss the MRI findings associated with this condition. (orig.)

Use of a clinical sepsis score for predicting bacteremia in neonatal dairy calves on a calf rearing farm.

OpenAIRE

Fecteau, G; Paré, J; Van Metre, D C; Smith, B P; Holmberg, C A; Guterbock, W; Jang, S

1997-01-01

In human, equine, and bovine neonates, early diagnosis of bacteremia remains a challenge for the internist. The objective of this study was to develop a predictive model for risk of bacteremia, based on a clinical evaluation system called the clinical sepsis score. Blood from 90 ill calves, 1- to 14-days-old from a calf-raising farm in the San Joaquin Valley of California was cultured. The calves were also scored according to a clinical score for hydration status, fecal appearance, general at...

Atrial fibrillation, CHA2DS2-VASc score, antithrombotics and risk of traffic accidents: A population-based cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Hui-Chin; Chien, Wu-Chien; Chung, Chi-Hsiang; Lee, Wen-Lieng; Wang, Kuo-Yang; Wu, Tsu-Juey; Liu, Chia-Ning; Liu, Tsun-Jui

2015-10-15

Traffic accidents account for a substantial proportion of premature disabilities and deaths. Whether atrial fibrillation (AF) provokes while antithrombotics prevent from such events remains un-investigated. All patients ≥40years with newly diagnosed AF in 2005 were scrutinized from the "Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005" (1 million beneficiaries) of Taiwan's National Health Insurance Institute as the AF group. Four-fold number of age-, gender-, and comorbidity-matched patients but without AF served as the Non-AF controls. Patients were followed till occurrence of hospitalization-requiring traffic injury, death, withdrawal from insurance, or the end of 2010. Cumulative incidence of traffic accidents was compared between groups, and predictors and preventive role of antithrombotics for these accidents were identified by Cox regression analysis. Within a mean follow-up of 4.3years, traffic injury occurred significantly more often in patients with AF (N=1724) than those without it (N=6896) (5.4 vs. 4.9 per 1000 person-years, log-rank p=0.012, HR 1.110, 95% CI 1.013-1.572). Cox models identified age ≧65years, hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke, liver cirrhosis and CHADS2VASC score≧1 as risk factors for traffic injury in AF patients, whereas oral anticoagulants (HR 0.576, 95% CI 0.285-0.791, p=0.002) used in patients with CHADS2VASC score ≧1 but not antiplatelet therapy (p=0.197) as negative predictors. Patients with AF are more vulnerable to traffic accidents especially when with higher CHADS2VASC scores and other comorbidities. This tendency to traffic accidents, however, could be ameliorated by oral anticoagulation in specialized cases but not by antiplatelet therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Virtual Reality Game Education to Learn Traffic Regulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andru Deva Lukito

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract – Traffic accident has become number 3 of children death cause in the world according to WHO[1]. Traffic accident that involve children often caused by their own by breaking the law or regulation. Therefor education about traffic regulation and law including traffic sign and its meaning must be given to children early. Because education means process to change a person or a group attitude and behavior in order to make them mature through teaching and training [2]. One of them that can be used is digital media.  One of interactive digital media is digital game, various form of digital game start from 2D, 2.5D, 3D with many point of view and new technology. VR (Virtual Reality as new digital media where alternate reality exist to test various theory without any real consequences, according to Greenbaum “Virtual Reality is an alternate world filled with computer-generated images that respond to human movements. These simulated environments are usually visited with the aid of an expensive data suit which features stereophonic video goggles and fiber-optic data gloves”[3]. Greenbaum statement before were make VR suitable to test traffic law and regulation and educate kid to obey the traffic sign and regulation without real consequences from real world. This Journal contain the result of using virtual reality as traffic regulation education media. Education material that arranged consisting traffic sign that appear on the road and safety riding gear. Keywords – Virtual Reality, Traffic sign, Road traffic, children, education

Venous pump of the calf: a study of venous and muscular pressures.

Science.gov (United States)

Alimi, Y S; Barthelemy, P; Juhan, C

1994-11-01

Little data are available concerning the relation between the muscular pumping mechanism and the variation of superficial and deep venous pressure during normal action of the calf pump; therefore we undertook this study to determine the pressure values in three compartments of the calf and in the deep and the superficial venous system and to establish correlation between muscular and venous pressure. Nine healthy young women with a mean age of 23 years (range 19 to 28 years) were examined. In the same calf, a muscular catheter was placed in the deep posterior compartment (DPC), in the superficial posterior compartment (SPC), and in the anterior tibial compartment (ATC), and a vascular catheter was placed in the popliteal vein and in the greater saphenous vein (GSV). The five lines of pressure were simultaneously recorded in the following situations: at rest, during Valsalva maneuver, foot flexion, and foot extension. The situation was studied with the patient in the following positions: decubitus, sitting, standing, and squatting. A final continuous recording was carried out after the patient had been walking for 5 minutes. Mean values with standard errors of muscular and venous pressure were established in each situation. At rest and during Valsalva maneuver, the muscular pressures did not vary, whereas venous pressures increased significantly when the patient was sitting and standing. On the other hand, squatting was associated with a rise in the muscular and vein pressures. Foot flexion entailed a significant increase in the ATC pressure and a rise in the GSV pressure, whereas foot extension caused the DPC pressure to rise without venous pressure modifications. Walking was associated with an alternating increase in the DPC, SPC, GSV and popliteal vein pressures when the foot was compressed to floor followed by a significant decrease when the foot pressure was released. The variations in the deep and superficial venous pressures when the patient is sitting and

The Development of the Multi-Center Traffic Management Advisor (MCTMA): Traffic Flow Management Research in a Multi-Facility Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Katharine K.; Davis, Thomas J.; Levin, Kerry M.; Rowe, Dennis W.

2001-01-01

The Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) is a decision-support tool for traffic managers and air traffic controllers that provides traffic flow visualization and other flow management tools. TMA creates an efficiently sequenced and safely spaced schedule for arrival traffic that meets but does not exceed specified airspace system constraints. TMA is being deployed at selected facilities throughout the National Airspace System in the US as part of the FAA's Free Flight Phase 1 program. TMA development and testing, and its current deployment, focuses on managing the arrival capacity for single major airports within single terminal areas and single en route centers. The next phase of development for this technology is the expansion of the TMA capability to complex facilities in which a terminal area or airport is fed by multiple en route centers, thus creating a multicenter TMA functionality. The focus of the multi-center TMA (McTMA) development is on the busy facilities in the Northeast comdor of the US. This paper describes the planning and development of McTMA and the challenges associated with adapting a successful traffic flow management tool for a very complex airspace.

Truck Drivers' Experiences and Perspectives Regarding Factors Influencing Traffic Accidents: A Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Karimi Moonaghi, Hossein; Ranjbar, Hossein; Heydari, Abbas; Scurlock-Evans, Laura

2015-08-01

Traffic accidents are a major public health problem, leading to death and disability. Although pertinent studies have been conducted, little data are available in Iran. This study explored the experiences of truck drivers and their perspectives regarding factors contributing to traffic accidents. Eighteen truck drivers, purposively sampled, participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. A main theme, lack of ability to control stress, emerged as a factor influencing the incidence of traffic accidents. This main theme was found to have three subthemes: poor organization of the job, lack of workplace facilities and proper equipment, and unsupportive environment. Although several factors were found to contribute to traffic accidents, their effects were not independent, and all were considered significant. Identifying factors that contribute to traffic accidents requires a systematic and holistic approach. Findings could be used by the transportation industry and community health centers to prevent traffic accidents. © 2015 The Author(s).

Congestion transition in air traffic networks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernardo Monechi

Full Text Available Air Transportation represents a very interesting example of a complex techno-social system whose importance has considerably grown in time and whose management requires a careful understanding of the subtle interplay between technological infrastructure and human behavior. Despite the competition with other transportation systems, a growth of air traffic is still foreseen in Europe for the next years. The increase of traffic load could bring the current Air Traffic Network above its capacity limits so that safety standards and performances might not be guaranteed anymore. Lacking the possibility of a direct investigation of this scenario, we resort to computer simulations in order to quantify the disruptive potential of an increase in traffic load. To this end we model the Air Transportation system as a complex dynamical network of flights controlled by humans who have to solve potentially dangerous conflicts by redirecting aircraft trajectories. The model is driven and validated through historical data of flight schedules in a European national airspace. While correctly reproducing actual statistics of the Air Transportation system, e.g., the distribution of delays, the model allows for theoretical predictions. Upon an increase of the traffic load injected in the system, the model predicts a transition from a phase in which all conflicts can be successfully resolved, to a phase in which many conflicts cannot be resolved anymore. We highlight how the current flight density of the Air Transportation system is well below the transition, provided that controllers make use of a special re-routing procedure. While the congestion transition displays a universal scaling behavior, its threshold depends on the conflict solving strategy adopted. Finally, the generality of the modeling scheme introduced makes it a flexible general tool to simulate and control Air Transportation systems in realistic and synthetic scenarios.

Congestion transition in air traffic networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Monechi, Bernardo; Servedio, Vito D P; Loreto, Vittorio

2015-01-01

Air Transportation represents a very interesting example of a complex techno-social system whose importance has considerably grown in time and whose management requires a careful understanding of the subtle interplay between technological infrastructure and human behavior. Despite the competition with other transportation systems, a growth of air traffic is still foreseen in Europe for the next years. The increase of traffic load could bring the current Air Traffic Network above its capacity limits so that safety standards and performances might not be guaranteed anymore. Lacking the possibility of a direct investigation of this scenario, we resort to computer simulations in order to quantify the disruptive potential of an increase in traffic load. To this end we model the Air Transportation system as a complex dynamical network of flights controlled by humans who have to solve potentially dangerous conflicts by redirecting aircraft trajectories. The model is driven and validated through historical data of flight schedules in a European national airspace. While correctly reproducing actual statistics of the Air Transportation system, e.g., the distribution of delays, the model allows for theoretical predictions. Upon an increase of the traffic load injected in the system, the model predicts a transition from a phase in which all conflicts can be successfully resolved, to a phase in which many conflicts cannot be resolved anymore. We highlight how the current flight density of the Air Transportation system is well below the transition, provided that controllers make use of a special re-routing procedure. While the congestion transition displays a universal scaling behavior, its threshold depends on the conflict solving strategy adopted. Finally, the generality of the modeling scheme introduced makes it a flexible general tool to simulate and control Air Transportation systems in realistic and synthetic scenarios.

Using spatial context to support prospective memory in simulated air traffic control.

Science.gov (United States)

Loft, Shayne; Finnerty, Dannielle; Remington, Roger W

2011-12-01

The aim was to examine whether prospective memory error and response costs to ongoing tasks in an air traffic control simulation could be reduced by providing spatial context. Prospective memory refers to remembering to perform an intended action at an appropriate point in the future. Failures of prospective memory can occur in air traffic control. For this study, three conditions of participants performed an air traffic control task that required them to accept and hand off aircraft and to prevent conflicts. The prospective memory task required participants to remember to press an alternative key rather than the routine key when accepting target aircraft. A red line separated the display into upper and lower regions. Participants in the context condition were told that the prospective memory instruction would apply only to aircraft approaching from one region (upper or lower). Those in the standard condition were not provided this information. In the control condition, participants did not have to perform the prospective memory task. In the context condition, participants made fewer prospective memory errors than did those in the standard condition and made faster acceptance decisions for aircraft approaching from irrelevant compared with relevant regions. Costs to hand-off decision time were also reduced in the context condition. Spatial context provided no benefit to conflict detection. Participants could partially localize their allocation of attentional resources to the prospective memory task to relevant display regions. The findings are potentially applicable to air traffic control, whereby regularities in airspace structure and standard traffic flows allow controllers to anticipate the location of specific air traffic events.

[Traffic deaths and traffic injuries: also an economic problem for society].

Science.gov (United States)

Martinoli, S

1993-02-09

Based on an epidemiological observation on traffic accidents in the Swiss canton of Ticino, 1985, the following statement is possible: In Switzerland, 900 people die every year as a result of traffic casualties. Many victims of these accidents will be disabled for life. Direct and indirect costs of traffic injuries reach 3 billion Swiss francs a year. Only a small amount (6%) is devoted to medical treatment. The biggest part is due as compensation for lost income, disability allocations and loss of productivity. Among the avoidable fatalities those caused by traffic accidents have a very undesirable effect, because they involve mainly the young. More efforts should be undertaken to lower the mortality on the road, because it changes the Swiss population pyramid in a significant manner.

Visualization of Traffic Accidents

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jie; Shen, Yuzhong; Khattak, Asad

2010-01-01

Traffic accidents have tremendous impact on society. Annually approximately 6.4 million vehicle accidents are reported by police in the US and nearly half of them result in catastrophic injuries. Visualizations of traffic accidents using geographic information systems (GIS) greatly facilitate handling and analysis of traffic accidents in many aspects. Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), Inc. is the world leader in GIS research and development. ArcGIS, a software package developed by ESRI, has the capabilities to display events associated with a road network, such as accident locations, and pavement quality. But when event locations related to a road network are processed, the existing algorithm used by ArcGIS does not utilize all the information related to the routes of the road network and produces erroneous visualization results of event locations. This software bug causes serious problems for applications in which accurate location information is critical for emergency responses, such as traffic accidents. This paper aims to address this problem and proposes an improved method that utilizes all relevant information of traffic accidents, namely, route number, direction, and mile post, and extracts correct event locations for accurate traffic accident visualization and analysis. The proposed method generates a new shape file for traffic accidents and displays them on top of the existing road network in ArcGIS. Visualization of traffic accidents along Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel is included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration : 1997 customer satisfaction survey

Science.gov (United States)

1998-03-13

In 1995, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted its first Customer Satisfaction Survey in response to the requirements of the National Performance Review and Executive Order 12862. An independent research organization, S...

The Stability of Multi-modal Traffic Network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Linghui; Sun Huijun; Zhu Chengjuan; Jia Bin; Wu Jianjun

2013-01-01

There is an explicit and implicit assumption in multimodal traffic equilibrium models, that is, if the equilibrium exists, then it will also occur. The assumption is very idealized; in fact, it may be shown that the quite contrary could happen, because in multimodal traffic network, especially in mixed traffic conditions the interaction among traffic modes is asymmetric and the asymmetric interaction may result in the instability of traffic system. In this paper, to study the stability of multimodal traffic system, we respectively present the travel cost function in mixed traffic conditions and in traffic network with dedicated bus lanes. Based on a day-to-day dynamical model, we study the evolution of daily route choice of travelers in multimodal traffic network using 10000 random initial values for different cases. From the results of simulation, it can be concluded that the asymmetric interaction between the cars and buses in mixed traffic conditions can lead the traffic system to instability when traffic demand is larger. We also study the effect of travelers' perception error on the stability of multimodal traffic network. Although the larger perception error can alleviate the effect of interaction between cars and buses and improve the stability of traffic system in mixed traffic conditions, the traffic system also become instable when the traffic demand is larger than a number. For all cases simulated in this study, with the same parameters, traffic system with dedicated bus lane has better stability for traffic demand than that in mixed traffic conditions. We also find that the network with dedicated bus lane has higher portion of travelers by bus than it of mixed traffic network. So it can be concluded that building dedicated bus lane can improve the stability of traffic system and attract more travelers to choose bus reducing the traffic congestion. (general)

Specification and Verification of Distributed Embedded Systems: A Traffic Intersection Product Family

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Meseguer

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Distributed embedded systems (DESs are no longer the exception; they are the rule in many application areas such as avionics, the automotive industry, traffic systems, sensor networks, and medical devices. Formal DES specification and verification is challenging due to state space explosion and the need to support real-time features. This paper reports on an extensive industry-based case study involving a DES product family for a pedestrian and car 4-way traffic intersection in which autonomous devices communicate by asynchronous message passing without a centralized controller. All the safety requirements and a liveness requirement informally specified in the requirements document have been formally verified using Real-Time Maude and its model checking features.

Has the great recession and its aftermath reduced traffic fatalities?

Science.gov (United States)

Noland, Robert B; Zhou, Yuhan

2017-01-01

An analysis of state-level data from 1984 to 2014 provides evidence on the relationship between economic recessions and US traffic fatalities. While there are large reductions associated with decreases in household median income, other policy variables tend to have additional and in some cases, larger effects. An increase in the inequality of the income distribution, measured by the Gini index, has reduced traffic fatalities. Graduated licensing policies, cell phone laws, and motorcycle helmet requirements are all associated with reductions in fatalities. Other factors include a proxy for medical technology, and access to emergency medical services (based on the percent of vehicle miles traveled in rural areas); reductions in the latter accounted for a substantial reduction in fatalities and is likely another indicator of reduced economic activity. Changes in the road network, mainly increases in the percent of collector roads has increased fatalities. Population growth is associated with increased traffic fatalities and changes in age cohorts has a small negative effect. Overall, results suggest that there has been a beneficial impact on traffic fatalities from reduced economic activity, but various policies adopted by the states have also reduced traffic fatalities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fragmented network subsystem with traffic filtering for microkernel environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Urievna Budkina

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The TCP/IP stack in a microkernel operating system executed in a user space, which requires the development of a distributed network infrastructure within a single software environment. Its functions are the organization of interaction between the components of the stack with different processes, as well as the organization of filtering mechanisms and routing of internal network traffic. Use of architectural approaches applicable in monolithic-modular systems is impossible, because the network stack is not a shareable component of the system. As a consequence, the microkernel environment requires development of special network subsystem. In this work we provide overview of major conceptions of network architectures in microkernel environments. Also, we provide own architecture which supports filtering of internal network traffic. We evaluate the architecture by development of high-performance "key-value" store.

Right-\\0xADturn traffic volume adjustment in traffic signal warrant analysis : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-06

This report was based on the research project, Right-Turn Traffic Volume Adjustment in : Traffic Signal Warrants, sponsored by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) : and SOLARIS. Right-turn traffic does not affect intersection performance i...

Lymphoma and broncho-pneumonia in a calf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lallemand, M.; Francoz, D.; Latouche, J.S.

2005-01-01

A one and a half month old Holstein calf was presented with a chronic respiratory condition. Clinical examination revealed cachexia and lymphadenopathy and wheezes and crepitations on auscultation. Blood cell count indicated a non-regenerative microcytic anaemia and marked lymphopenia. Broncho-pneumonia due to Mycoplasma bovis was diagnosed after radiography and cytobacteriology of transtracheal lavage. A large cell lymphoma was suspected after finding a high proportion of large lymphocytes in a lymph node puncture aspirate. Serology for bovine leukosis was negative. A diagnosis of juvenile lymphoma associated with M. bovis broncho-pneumonia was established. The diagnosis was confirmed on post-mortem. Juvenile lymphoma is rare. Affected animals are aged between two and six months and systematically present generalised lymphadenopathy. This disease is always fatal. When an animal is presented with generalised lymphadenopathy, this condition should be eliminated by lymph node puncture of a moderately hypertrophied lymph node before other tests are performed [it

A heavy-traffic theorem for the GI/G/1 queue with a Pareto-type service time distribution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.W. Cohen

1997-01-01

textabstractFor the $GI/G/1$-queueing model with traffic load $a<1$, service time distribution $B(t)$ and interarrival time distribution $A(t)$ holds, whenever for $t rightarrow infty$: $$ quad 1-B(t) sim frac{c{(t/ beta)^nu + {rm O ( {rm e^{-delta t ), quad c>0, quad 1< nu < 2, quad delta >

Effects of late gestation distillers grains supplementation on fall-calving beef cow performance and steer calf growth and carcass characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, T B; Schroeder, A R; Ireland, F A; Faulkner, D B; Shike, D W

2015-10-01

Fall-calving, mature Angus and Simmental × Angus cows ( = 251 total) and their progeny were used to evaluate the effects of late gestation dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) supplementation on cow performance and progeny growth and carcass characteristics. Cows were blocked by breed and allotted to 12 tall fescue pastures (6.8 ha average). Pastures were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: cows were offered 2.1 kg DM DDGS·cow·d (SUP; CP = 23%, fat = 7%; = 6 pastures) or were not offered a supplement (CON; = 6 pastures) 69 ± 9 d before expected calving date. Cows remained on treatments until calving. Once weekly, cows that had calved were removed from treatment pastures and were moved to new tall fescue pastures (21.6 ha average) where cows from both treatments were comingled without further supplementation. Cows ( = 74) were removed from study for calving more than 30 d after expected calving date, calf loss and injury, or euthanasia. Cow BW and BCS were recorded at the beginning of the supplementation period, after calving, and at breeding. Calf BW was taken at birth and early weaning (82 ± 14 d of age). After weaning, 71 steer progeny (representative of dam breed and treatment pastures) were transitioned to a common feedlot diet with individual feed intake monitored using the GrowSafe feeding system. Steers were slaughtered at 47 ± 4 d after a minimum 12th rib fat thickness (back fat) estimation of 0.6 cm, with cattle being shipped in 3 groups. Forage availability was not different between treatments ( = 0.69). Cows offered SUP gained more BW and BCS ( ≤ 0.02) during the supplementation period. There were no differences ( ≥ 0.12) in calving date, calf birth or weaning BW, or preweaning ADG. Cow BW at breeding was not different ( = 0.19); however, BCS at breeding was greater ( milk production, AI conception, or overall pregnancy rate were detected. For steer progeny, initial feedlot BW, final BW, and days on feed were not different ( ≥ 0

Performance of an Automated System for Control of Traffic in Terminal Airspace

Science.gov (United States)

Nikoleris, Tasos; Erzberger, Heinz; Paielli, Russell A.; Chu, Yung-Cheng

2016-01-01

This paper examines the performance of a system that performs automated conflict resolution and arrival scheduling for aircraft in the terminal airspace around major airports. Such a system has the potential to perform separation assurance and arrival sequencing tasks that are currently handled manually by human controllers. The performance of the system is tested against several simulated traffic scenarios that are characterized by the rate at which air traffic is metered into the terminal airspace. For each traffic scenario, the levels of performance that are examined include: number of conflicts predicted to occur, types of resolution maneuver used to resolve predicted conflicts, and the amount of delay for all flights. The simulation results indicate that the percentage of arrivals that required a maneuver that changes the flight's horizontal route ranged between 11% and 15% in all traffic scenarios. That finding has certain implications if this automated system were to be implemented simply as a decision support tool. It is also found that arrival delay due to purely wake vortex separation requirements on final approach constituted only between 29% and 35% of total arrival delay, while the remaining major portion of it is mainly due to delay back propagation effects.

Traffic Flow Visualization and Control

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Larson, Robert

1999-01-01

.... Air Force Research Laboratory. It is a video-camera-based, wide-area, traffic surveillance and detection system that provides real-time traffic information to traffic management center operators...

Allegheny County Traffic Counts

Data.gov (United States)

Allegheny County / City of Pittsburgh / Western PA Regional Data Center — Traffic sensors at over 1,200 locations in Allegheny County collect vehicle counts for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Data included in the Health...

Colostrum and milk protein rankings and ratios of importance to neonatal calf health using a proteomics approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nissen, Asger; Andersen, Pia Haubro; Bendixen, Emøke

2017-01-01

Administration of colostrum to the newborn calf before gut closure is pivotal to its health, because of the transfer of passive immunity. Traditionally, passive immunity has been attributed to the transfer of immunoglobulins although it is increasingly clear that multiple other factors contribute......, including innate immune proteins, developmental factors, immunomodulatory factors, and the presence of cellular immunity. The objective of this study was to produce a comprehensive comparison of the bovine colostrum proteome and the milk proteome by applying 2-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass...... spectrometry. Further, the objectives were to rank proteins mutually and generate protein ratios from the spectral counts of the 2 proteomes and ELISA to gain insight into which proteins could be of most relevance to neonatal calf health. To obtain an in-depth picture of the bovine colostrum and milk proteome...

Direct Determination of Molecular Weight Distribution of Calf-Thymus DNAs and Study of Their Fragmentation under Ultrasonic and Low-Energy IR Irradiations. A Charge Detection Mass Spectrometry Investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Halim, Mohammad A; Bertorelle, Franck; Doussineau, Tristan; Antoine, Rodolphe

2018-06-09

Calf-thymus (CT-DNA) is widely used as binding agent. The commercial samples are known to be "highly polymerized DNA" samples. CT-DNA is known to be fragile in particular upon ultrasonic wave irradiation. Degradation products might have dramatic consequence on its bio-sensing activity, and an accurate determination of the molecular weight distribution and stability of commercial samples is highly demanded. We investigated the sensitivity of charge detection mass spectrometry (CDMS), a single-molecule MS method, both with single-pass and ion trap CDMS ("Benner" trap) modes to the determination of the composition and stability (under multiphoton IR irradiation) of calf-thymus DNAs. We also investigated the changes of molecular weight distributions in the course of sonication by irradiating ultrasonic wave to CT-DNA. We report for the first time, the direct molecular weight (MW) distribution of DNA sodium salt from calf-thymus revealing two populations at high (~10 MDa) and low (~3 MDa) molecular weights. We evidence a transition between the high-MW to the low-MW distribution, confirming that the low-MW distribution results from degradation of CT-DNA. Finally, we report also IRMPD experiments carried out on trapped single-stranded linear DNAs from calf-thymus allowing to extract their activation energy for unimolecular dissociation. We show that single-pass CDMS is a direct, efficient and accurate MS-based approach to determine the composition of calf-thymus DNAs. Furthermore, ion trap CDMS allows us to evaluate the stability (both under multiphoton IR irradiation and in the course of sonication by irradiating ultrasonic wave) of calf-thymus DNAs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Sonification of network traffic flow for monitoring and situational awareness

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

Maintaining situational awareness of what is happening within a computer network is challenging, not only because the behaviour happens within machines, but also because data traffic speeds and volumes are beyond human ability to process. Visualisation techniques are widely used to present information about network traffic dynamics. Although they provide operators with an overall view and specific information about particular traffic or attacks on the network, they often still fail to represent the events in an understandable way. Also, because they require visual attention they are not well suited to continuous monitoring scenarios in which network administrators must carry out other tasks. Here we present SoNSTAR (Sonification of Networks for SiTuational AwaReness), a real-time sonification system for monitoring computer networks to support network administrators’ situational awareness. SoNSTAR provides an auditory representation of all the TCP/IP traffic within a network based on the different traffic flows between between network hosts. A user study showed that SoNSTAR raises situational awareness levels by enabling operators to understand network behaviour and with the benefit of lower workload demands (as measured by the NASA TLX method) than visual techniques. SoNSTAR identifies network traffic features by inspecting the status flags of TCP/IP packet headers. Combinations of these features define particular traffic events which are mapped to recorded sounds to generate a soundscape that represents the real-time status of the network traffic environment. The sequence, timing, and loudness of the different sounds allow the network to be monitored and anomalous behaviour to be detected without the need to continuously watch a monitor screen. PMID:29672543

Sonification of network traffic flow for monitoring and situational awareness.

Science.gov (United States)

Debashi, Mohamed; Vickers, Paul

2018-01-01

Maintaining situational awareness of what is happening within a computer network is challenging, not only because the behaviour happens within machines, but also because data traffic speeds and volumes are beyond human ability to process. Visualisation techniques are widely used to present information about network traffic dynamics. Although they provide operators with an overall view and specific information about particular traffic or attacks on the network, they often still fail to represent the events in an understandable way. Also, because they require visual attention they are not well suited to continuous monitoring scenarios in which network administrators must carry out other tasks. Here we present SoNSTAR (Sonification of Networks for SiTuational AwaReness), a real-time sonification system for monitoring computer networks to support network administrators' situational awareness. SoNSTAR provides an auditory representation of all the TCP/IP traffic within a network based on the different traffic flows between between network hosts. A user study showed that SoNSTAR raises situational awareness levels by enabling operators to understand network behaviour and with the benefit of lower workload demands (as measured by the NASA TLX method) than visual techniques. SoNSTAR identifies network traffic features by inspecting the status flags of TCP/IP packet headers. Combinations of these features define particular traffic events which are mapped to recorded sounds to generate a soundscape that represents the real-time status of the network traffic environment. The sequence, timing, and loudness of the different sounds allow the network to be monitored and anomalous behaviour to be detected without the need to continuously watch a monitor screen.

Intelligent Traffic Information System a Real-Time Traffic Information System on the Shiraz Bypass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sodagaran Amir

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Real-time traffic information system is an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS that allows commuters to make their traveling plan better. In this regard, an intelligent and real-time traffic information system was developed based on the video detection and an image processing algorithm was applied to measure traffic-flow according to the average speed of vehicles. Then, traffic status of each pass way is broadcasted to the electronic boards installed on all decision making entrance / exit. Different levels of congestion related to the routes ahead are shown on the boards with different colors in order to assist commuters. This system was implemented on the Shiraz Dry River’s bypasses which account as vital routes to moderate traffic of city center. Experimental results are promising due to the proximity of determined traffic status by the system compared to the detection done by traffic experts. Average speed improvement is another result of using this system. This intelligent system developed and implemented in Shiraz city for the first time in Iran.s.

Impact of confinement housing on study end-points in the calf model of cryptosporidiosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Graef, Geneva; Hurst, Natalie J; Kidder, Lance; Sy, Tracy L; Goodman, Laura B; Preston, Whitney D; Arnold, Samuel L M; Zambriski, Jennifer A

2018-04-01

Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death in children confinement housing, and Interval Collection (IC), which permits use of box stalls. CFC mimics human challenge model methodology but it is unknown if confinement housing impacts study end-points and if data gathered via this method is suitable for generalization to human populations. Using a modified crossover study design we compared CFC and IC and evaluated the impact of housing on study end-points. At birth, calves were randomly assigned to confinement (n = 14) or box stall housing (n = 9), or were challenged with 5 x 107 C. parvum oocysts, and followed for 10 days. Study end-points included fecal oocyst shedding, severity of diarrhea, degree of dehydration, and plasma cortisol. Calves in confinement had no significant differences in mean log oocysts enumerated per gram of fecal dry matter between CFC and IC samples (P = 0.6), nor were there diurnal variations in oocyst shedding (P = 0.1). Confinement housed calves shed significantly more oocysts (P = 0.05), had higher plasma cortisol (P = 0.001), and required more supportive care (P = 0.0009) than calves in box stalls. Housing method confounds study end-points in the calf model of cryptosporidiosis. Due to increased stress data collected from calves in confinement housing may not accurately estimate the efficacy of chemotherapeutics targeting C. parvum.

Stormwater Management: Calculation of Traffic Area Runoff Loads and Traffic Related Emissions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maximilian Huber

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Metals such as antimony, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc can be highly relevant pollutants in stormwater runoff from traffic areas because of their occurrence, toxicity, and non-degradability. Long-term measurements of their concentrations, the corresponding water volumes, the catchment areas, and the traffic volumes can be used to calculate specific emission loads and annual runoff loads that are necessary for mass balances. In the literature, the annual runoff loads are often specified by a distinct catchment area (e.g., g/ha. These loads were summarized and discussed in this paper for all seven metals and three types of traffic areas (highways, parking lots, and roads; 45 sites. For example, the calculated median annual runoff loads of all sites are 355 g/ha for copper, 110 g/ha for lead (only data of the 21st century, and 1960 g/ha for zinc. In addition, historical trends, annual variations, and site-specific factors were evaluated for the runoff loads. For Germany, mass balances of traffic related emissions and annual heavy metal runoff loads from highways and total traffic areas were calculated. The influences on the mass fluxes of the heavy metal emissions and the runoff pollution were discussed. However, a statistical analysis of the annual traffic related metal fluxes, in particular for different traffic area categories and land uses, is currently not possible because of a lack of monitoring data.

Synchronized flow in oversaturated city traffic.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerner, Boris S; Klenov, Sergey L; Hermanns, Gerhard; Hemmerle, Peter; Rehborn, Hubert; Schreckenberg, Michael

2013-11-01

Based on numerical simulations with a stochastic three-phase traffic flow model, we reveal that moving queues (moving jams) in oversaturated city traffic dissolve at some distance upstream of the traffic signal while transforming into synchronized flow. It is found that, as in highway traffic [Kerner, Phys. Rev. E 85, 036110 (2012)], such a jam-absorption effect in city traffic is explained by a strong driver's speed adaptation: Time headways (space gaps) between vehicles increase upstream of a moving queue (moving jam), resulting in moving queue dissolution. It turns out that at given traffic signal parameters, the stronger the speed adaptation effect, the shorter the mean distance between the signal location and the road location at which moving queues dissolve fully and oversaturated traffic consists of synchronized flow only. A comparison of the synchronized flow in city traffic found in this Brief Report with synchronized flow in highway traffic is made.

Stereo-based Collision Avoidance System for Urban Traffic

Science.gov (United States)

Moriya, Takashi; Ishikawa, Naoto; Sasaki, Kazuyuki; Nakajima, Masato

2002-11-01

Numerous car accidents occur on urban road. However, researches done so far on driving assistance are subjecting highways whose environment is relatively simple and easy to handle, and new approach for urban settings is required. Our purpose is to extend its support to the following conditions in city traffic: the presence of obstacles such as pedestrians and telephone poles; the lane mark is not always drawn on a road; drivers may lack the sense of awareness of the lane mark. We propose a collision avoidance system, which can be applied to both highways and urban traffic environment. In our system, stereo cameras are set in front of a vehicle and the captured images are processed through a computer. We create a Projected Disparity Map (PDM) from stereo image pair, which is a disparity histogram taken along ordinate direction of obtained disparity image. When there is an obstacle in front, we can detect it by finding a peak appeared in the PDM. With a speed meter and a steering sensor, the stop distance and the radius of curvature of the self-vehicle are calculated, in order to set the observation-required area, which does not depend on lane marks, within a PDM. A danger level will be computed from the distance and the relative speed to the closest approaching object detected within the observation-required area. The method has been tested in urban traffic scenes and has shown to be effective for judging dangerous situation, and gives proper alarm to a driver.

Crooked Calf Syndrome: Managing Lupines on Rangelands of the Channel Scablands of East-Central Washington State

Science.gov (United States)

“Crooked calf syndrome”, the contracture-type skeletal defects and cleft palate caused by velvet lupine (Lupinus leucophyllus) on the channel Scablands of east-central Washington State are the same as those defects induced by Conium maculatum (poison-hemlock) and Nicotiana spp. (wild tobacco) in rum...

Clinical utility of calf front hoof circumference and maternal intrapelvic area in predicting dystocia in 103 late gestation Holstein-Friesian heifers and cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiew, Mark W H; Megahed, Ameer A; Townsend, Jonathan R; Singleton, Wayne L; Constable, Peter D

2016-02-01

The objective of this study was to determine the clinical utility of measuring calf front hoof circumference, maternal intrapelvic area, and selected morphometric values in predicting dystocia in dairy cattle. An observational study using a convenience sample of 103 late-gestation Holstein-Friesian heifers and cows was performed. Intrapelvic height and width of the dam were measured using a pelvimeter, and the intrapelvic area was calculated. Calf front hoof circumference and birth weight were also measured. Data were analyzed using Spearman's correlation coefficient (rs), Mann-Whitney U test, and binary or ordered logistic regression; P dystocia (calving difficulty score = 4 or 5), with sensitivity = 0.50 and specificity = 0.93 at the optimal cutpoint for the ratio (>0.068 cm/cm(2)). Determining the ratio of calf front hoof circumference to maternal intrapelvic area has clinical utility in predicting the calving difficulty score in Holstein-Friesian cattle. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developing a stochastic traffic volume prediction model for public-private partnership projects

Science.gov (United States)

Phong, Nguyen Thanh; Likhitruangsilp, Veerasak; Onishi, Masamitsu

2017-11-01

Transportation projects require an enormous amount of capital investment resulting from their tremendous size, complexity, and risk. Due to the limitation of public finances, the private sector is invited to participate in transportation project development. The private sector can entirely or partially invest in transportation projects in the form of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme, which has been an attractive option for several developing countries, including Vietnam. There are many factors affecting the success of PPP projects. The accurate prediction of traffic volume is considered one of the key success factors of PPP transportation projects. However, only few research works investigated how to predict traffic volume over a long period of time. Moreover, conventional traffic volume forecasting methods are usually based on deterministic models which predict a single value of traffic volume but do not consider risk and uncertainty. This knowledge gap makes it difficult for concessionaires to estimate PPP transportation project revenues accurately. The objective of this paper is to develop a probabilistic traffic volume prediction model. First, traffic volumes were estimated following the Geometric Brownian Motion (GBM) process. Monte Carlo technique is then applied to simulate different scenarios. The results show that this stochastic approach can systematically analyze variations in the traffic volume and yield more reliable estimates for PPP projects.

A rapid appraisal of traffic policemen about auditory effects of traffic noise pollution from Ambala city

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abhishek Singh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Context: Traffic policemen are at an increased risk of suffering from hazards of noise pollution because they are engaged in controlling traffic noise, particularly at heavy traffic junctions. The effect is more in this subgroup because they are continuously exposed to it. Aim: The present study was aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitude and practices of traffic policemen regarding auditory effects of traffic noise pollution in Ambala city. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional workplace survey. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive study was carried out in different traffic zones of Ambala city during April-June 2013. The study population consisted of 100 traffic policemen working in different traffic intersections of Ambala city. Statistical Analysis Used: Structured interview schedule was used to collect the data. SPSS version 17.0 was used for analysis. Interpretation of data was performed using percentages and proportions. Results: Majority (75% of the study subjects were exposed to traffic noise pollution for more than 5 years. Of the total subjects, 5% of respondents reported below-average hearing on self-assessment of hearing ability. Seventeen percent of the study population accepted that while hearing over phone they do miss some conversation. Most (98% of the traffic police did not use any personal protective equipment (PPEs like earplugs/earmuffs, and the non-availability of these PPEs (90% is the common reason for the hearing loss. Conclusions: The study concludes that traffic policemen are not much aware regarding impending auditory effects of traffic noise pollution. Duty rotation, duty scheduling and other forms of preventive modalities for exposure limitation are suggested.

Atmospheric BTEX-concentrations in an area with intensive street traffic

Science.gov (United States)

Buczynska, Anna Jolanta; Krata, Agnieszka; Stranger, Marianne; Locateli Godoi, Ana Flavia; Kontozova-Deutsch, Velichka; Bencs, László; Naveau, Inge; Roekens, Edward; Van Grieken, René