THE EVALUATION OF MEASURING STREAM CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY USING UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM-BASED STRUCTURE-FROM-MOTION PHOTOGRAMMETRY

As part of a collaborative project at a stream segment reach on Proctor Creek in Atlanta, GA, UAV-based SfM photogrammetry was tested as a method for collecting fluvial topographic data relative to traditional USGS total station surveying methods. According to the USGS method, 11 transects were surveyed, and imagery was collected via a UAV to create a SfM DEM. The resulting DEM was incomplete but showed promise for the SfM method. Two additional stream segments were chosen in the Atlanta area, the first along SFPC in DHCL and the second along NFPC near Buford Hwy. For each site 11 transects were surveyed along with submerged GCPs so that the SfM DEMs could be compared to the surveyed data. The BW and BD values were collected from the TS transects and the DEM transects and compared according to the percent difference between the two. For SFPC, the average percent difference values for BW and BD were, respectively, 15.9 and 26.0 with standard deviations of 15.7 and 18.0. For NFPC, the BW and BD average percent difference values were 6.8 and 7.5 with standard deviations of 3.9 and 5.9. The GCPs were also compared for each site using linear regressions. There was no strong correlation for SFPC (R2 = 0.31 and p-value \u3e 0.05), but there was a strong relationship indicated for NFPC (R2 = 0.78 and p-value \u3c 0.05). While the results of this study are variable, the results do indicate promise for future work on this emerging method

The implications of different IgG subclasses on graft rejection in sensitized individuals

The presence of memory B cells may contribute to graft damage. In fact, pre-transplant B cell sensitization in the absence of circulating antibody represents a risk factor, since grafts transplanted into recipients with historical positive but current negative direct crossmatch do less well than patients with no evidence of B cell sensitisation. This definition of ‘negative’ is based on conventional complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) assays and, more recently, on flow cytometry. In this study, I have analysed the significance of antibodies undetectable by these conventional techniques but found to be present using the more sensitive novel Luminex technology which has now become available to detect class I and class II HLA-specific antibodies present in pre-transplant patients’ sera at the time of transplantation. Even in the absence of low level antibodies, there may still be undetected B cell sensitization. An ELISpot assay has previously been developed to quantitate B cell responses. In this study, I have developed the ELISpot assay in an attempt to determine B cell allosensitization. This project aims were: 1. To evaluate the relationship between renal transplant outcome and the presence of low grade HLA-specific IgG-antibodies pre-transplant, both non-donor-specific as well as donor-specific antibodies detected using Luminex technology. 2. To develop ELISpot assays that detect the potential responses of the various cells of the B cell compartment, reflecting naive allo-reactivity as well as that which has been induced by historical sensitisation events. 3. To detect the presence of post-transplant HLA-specific IgG antibodies (both donorspecific and non-donor specific) in tolerant drug-free patient and determine their significance in defining the state of tolerance. Summary of the results: 1. Luminex technology is a more sensitive technique than flow cytometry and CDC in detecting low-level donor-HLA-specific antibodies which were present in pre-transplant patients’ sera at the time of transplantation and is associated with a higher incidence of rejection episodes. 2. IgM- and IgG-detecting ELISpot assays were developed to determine the frequency of antibody-secreting cells. I have begun to apply these methods to determine the humoral reactivity against alloantigen in sensitised patients. 3. Tolerant drug-free patients had no detectable donor-specific antibodies (DSA). In the non-tolerant patients, DSA-positive patients had worse graft function than DSAnegative patients

The Effect of Maximum Coarse Aggregate Size on the Compressive Strength of Concrete Produced in Ghana

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of different sizes of machine crushed gneisses used in Ghana for concrete production on the compressive strength of concrete. Coarse aggregate samples of maximum sizes of 10mm, 14mm and 20mm were used to produce concrete at constant water/cement ratio of 0.63. In all the experiments, the concreting procedures and materials were kept constant whiles the maximum coarse aggregate sizes were varied. A total of 36 concrete cubes were crushed at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days to determine their compressive strengths.The results show that the smallest coarse aggregate size gave the highest compressive strength and lowest slump at constant water/cement ratio.  A regression analysis also shows that the relationship between the maximum coarse aggregate size and the compressive strength follows a polynomial with R2= 1; indicating that the model is reliable. The optimum maximum coarse aggregate size for the best compressive strength of 28 day concrete was therefore found to be 8mm for the water/cement ratio of 0.63. The analysis further shows that as heterogeneity increases the compressive strength of concrete reduces. Keywords: Gneiss, compressive strength, aggregate sizes, slump, heterogeneity.

Smart grid technologies and the development of a decision making framework for market entry

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division; in conjunction with the Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 80-85).This thesis explores business opportunities in the "smart grid" environment for the Power Electronics Global Product Group (PE GPG) of ABB, Ltd. The goal of this thesis is three-fold: 1) Provide a detailed definition of the smart grid landscape. 2) Create a framework for decision makers in the face of uncertainty, providing a view of both current initiatives and growth opportunities. 3) Use this framework to identify areas where the PE GPG can have the greatest market success in terms of revenue and profit; and perform a high-level analysis of those key opportunities, including a preliminary market, technical, and financial assessment. Working with key stakeholders across the unit and corporate level, the smart grid was defined, with a technologies map created, and key opportunities identified. With the opportunity set defined, a framework was developed to aid senior management in finding the best opportunities in the smart grid market. By subsequently applying this framework, two segments were identified as the most promising: plug-in electric vehicle charging and battery energy storage. While straightforward to identify opportunities in this manner, this process really highlighted the need for a comprehensive framework for decision makers, as well as the importance of such tools in identifying promising new projects, allocating resources efficiently, and communicating the strategic vision throughout the organization on an ongoing basis.by Calman Lankton.S.M.M.B.A

Elastic instability of relatively thick circular cylindrical shells subjected to hydrostatic pressure

http://www.archive.org/details/elasticinstabili00ballU.S. Navy (U.S.N.) authors

Immune response modifiers in the treatment of asthma: A PRACTALL document of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

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Attenuation of half sulfur mustard gas-induced acute lung injury in rats

Airway instillation into rats of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES), the half molecule of sulfur mustard compound, results in acute lung injury, as measured by the leak of plasma albumin into the lung. Morphologically, early changes in the lung include alveolar hemorrhage and fibrin deposition and the influx of neutrophils. Following lung contact with CEES, progressive accumulation of collagen occurred in the lung, followed by parenchymal collapse. The co-instillation with CEES of liposomes containing pegylated (PEG)-catalase (CAT), PEG-superoxide dismutase (SOD), or the combination, greatly attenuated the development of lung injury. Likewise, the co-instillation of liposomes containing the reducing agents, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), glutathione (GSH), or resveratrol (RES), significantly reduced acute lung injury. The combination of complement depletion and airway instillation of liposomes containing anti-oxidant compounds maximally attenuated CEES-induced lung injury by nearly 80%. Delayed airway instillation of anti-oxidant-containing liposomes (containing NAC or GSH, or the combination) significantly diminished lung injury even when instillation was delayed as long as 1 h after lung exposure to CEES. These data indicate that CEES-induced injury of rat lungs can be substantially diminished by the presence of reducing agents or anti-oxidant enzymes delivered via liposomes. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49522/1/1115_ftp.pd

Primary Immune Deficiency: Patients’ Preferences for Replacement Immunoglobulin Therapy

Purpose Immunoglobulin (Ig) replacement therapy is an important life-saving treatment modality for patients with primary antibody immune deficiency disorders (PAD). IVIG and SCIg are suitable alternatives to treat patients with PAD but vary in key ways. Existing evidence on patient preferences for Ig treatments given the complexities associated with IVIG and SCIg treatment is limited and fails to account for variations in preferences across patients. For this reason, we sought to evaluate PAD patient preferences for features of IVIG and SCIg across different patient characteristics. Materials and Methods 119 PAD patients completed a discrete-choice experiment (DCE) survey. The DCE asked respondents to make choices between carefully constructed treatment alternatives described in terms of generic treatment features. Choices from the DCE were analyzed to determine the relative influence of attribute changes on treatment preferences. We used subgroup analysis to evaluate systematic variations in preferences by patients’ age, gender, time since diagnosis, and treatment experience. Results Patients were primarily concerned about the duration of treatment side effects, but preferences were heterogeneous. This was particularly true around administration features. Time since diagnosis was associated with an increase in patients’ concerns with the number of needles required per infusion. Also, patients appear to prefer the kind of therapy they are currently using which could be the result of properly aligned patient preferences or evidence of patient adaptive behavior. Conclusions Heterogeneity in preferences for Ig replacement treatments suggests that a formal shared decision making process could have an important role in improving patient care