SeeBridge information delivery manual (IDM) for next generation bridge inspection

Innovative solutions for rapid and intelligent survey and assessment methods are required in maintenance, repair, retrofit and rebuild of enormous numbers of bridges in service throughout the world. Motivated by this need, a next-generation integrated bridge inspection system named SeeBridge is proposed. To frame the system, an Information Delivery Manual (IDM) was compiled to specify the technical components, activities and information exchanges in the SeeBridge process. The IDM supports development of the system by rigorously defining the information and data repositories that structure bridge engineers' knowledge. The SeeBridge process is mapped, parts of the data repositories are presented and the future use of the IDM is discussed

How resilient are waterways of the Asian Himalayas? Finding adaptive measures for future sustainability

OnlinePublThe high-mountain system, a storehouse of major waterways that supportimportant ecosystem services to about 1.5 billion people in the Himalaya, isfacing unprecedented challenges due to climate change during the 21st cen-tury. Intensified floods, accelerating glacial retreat, rapid permafrost degrada-tion, and prolonged droughts are altering the natural hydrological balancesand generating unpredictable spatial and temporal distributions of water avail-ability. Anthropogenic activities are adding further pressure onto Himalayanwaterways. The fundamental question of waterway management in this regionis therefore how this hydro-meteorological transformation, caused by climatechange and anthropogenic perturbations, can be tackled to find avenues forsustainability. This requires a framework that can diagnose threats at a rangeof spatial and temporal scales and provide recommendations for strong adap-tive measures for sustainable future waterways. This focus paper assesses thecurrent literature base to bring together our understanding of how recent cli-matic changes have threatened waterways in the Asian Himalayas, how societyhas been responding to rapidly changing waterway conditions, and what adap-tive options are available for the region. The study finds that Himalayan water-ways are crucial in protecting nature and society. The implementation ofintegrated waterways management measures, the rapid advancement of waterway infrastructure technologies, and the improved governance of water-ways are more critical than ever.Giri R. Kattel, Amelie Paszkowski, Yadu Pokhrel, Wenyan Wu, Dongfeng Li, Mukund P. Ra

Sizing for the apparel industry using statistical analysis - a Brazilian case study

The study of the body measurements of Brazilian women used the Kinect Body Imaging system for 3D body scanning. The result of the study aims to meet the needs of the apparel industry for accurate measurements. Data was statistically treated using the IBM SPSS 23 system, with 95% confidence (P 0,58) and from the Hip-to-Height Ratio - HHR (bottom portion): Small (HHR 0,68).This work is financed by FEDER funds through the Competitive Factors Operational Program (COMPETE) POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007136 and by national funds through FCT-Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UID/CTM/000264.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Low pressure CO2 hydrogenation to methanol over gold nanoparticles activated on a CeOx/TiO2 Interface

Capture and recycling of CO2 into valuable chemicals such as alcohols could help mitigate its emissions into the atmosphere. Due to its inert nature, the activation of CO2 is a critical step in improving the overall reaction kinetics during its chemical conversion. Although pure gold is an inert noble metal and cannot catalyze hydrogenation reactions, it can be activated when deposited as nanoparticles on the appropriate oxide support. In this combined experimental and theoretical study, it is shown that an electronic polarization at the metal-oxide interface of Au nanoparticles anchored and stabilized on a CeOx/TiO2 substrate generates active centers for CO2 adsorption and its low pressure hydrogenation, leading to a higher selectivity toward methanol. This study illustrates the importance of localized electronic properties and structure in catalysis for achieving higher alcohol selectivity from CO2 hydrogenation.U.S. Department of Energy DE-AC02- 98CH10886, DE-AC02-05CH11231Brookhaven National Laboratory DE-SC001270

A Global Collaboration to Develop and Pilot Test a Mobile Application to Improve Cancer Pain Management in Nepal

INTRODUCTION: Quality palliative care, which prioritizes comfort and symptom control, can reduce global suffering from non-communicable diseases, such as cancer. To address this need, the Nepalese Association of Palliative Care (NAPCare) created pain management guidelines (PMG) to support healthcare providers in assessing and treating serious pain. The NAPCare PMG are grounded in World Health Organization best practices but adapted for the cultural and resource context of Nepal. Wider adoption of the NAPCare PMG has been limited due to distribution of the guidelines as paper booklets. METHODS: Building on a long-standing partnership between clinicians and researchers in the US and Nepal, the NAPCare PMG mobile application (“app”) was collaboratively designed. Healthcare providers in Nepal were recruited to pilot test the app using patient case studies. Then, participants completed a Qualtrics survey to evaluate the app which included the System Usability Scale (SUS) and selected items from the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Descriptive and summary statistics were calculated and compared across institutions and roles. Regression analyses to explore relationships (α = 0.05) between selected demographic variables and SUS and MARS scores were also conducted. RESULTS: Ninety eight healthcare providers (n = 98) pilot tested the NAPCare PMG app. Overall, across institutions and roles, the app received an SUS score of 76.0 (a score > 68 is considered above average) and a MARS score of 4.10 (on a scale of 1 = poor, 5 = excellent). 89.8% (n = 88) “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the app will help them better manage cancer pain. Age, years of experience, and training in palliative care were significant in predicting SUS scores (p-values, 0.0124, 0.0371, and 0.0189, respectively); institution was significant in predicting MARS scores (p = 0.0030). CONCLUSION: The NAPCare PMG mobile app was well-received, and participants rated it highly on both the SUS and MARS. Regression analyses suggest end-user variables important to consider in designing and evaluating mobile apps in lower resourced settings. Our app design and pilot testing process illustrate the benefits of cross global collaborations to build research capacity and generate knowledge within the local context

Noninvasive genetic population survey of snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in Kangchenjunga conservation area, Shey Phoksundo National Park and surrounding buffer zones of Nepal

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The endangered snow leopard is found throughout major mountain ranges of Central Asia, including the remote Himalayas. However, because of their elusive behavior, sparse distribution, and poor access to their habitat, there is a lack of reliable information on their population status and demography, particularly in Nepal. Therefore, we utilized noninvasive genetic techniques to conduct a preliminary snow leopard survey in two protected areas of Nepal.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 71 putative snow leopard scats were collected and analyzed from two different areas; Shey Phoksundo National Park (SPNP) in the west and Kangchanjunga Conservation Area (KCA) in the east. Nineteen (27%) scats were genetically identified as snow leopards, and 10 (53%) of these were successfully genotyped at 6 microsatellite loci. Two samples showed identical genotype profiles indicating a total of 9 individual snow leopards. Four individual snow leopards were identified in SPNP (1 male and 3 females) and five (2 males and 3 females) in KCA.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We were able to confirm the occurrence of snow leopards in both study areas and determine the minimum number present. This information can be used to design more in-depth population surveys that will enable estimation of snow leopard population abundance at these sites.</p

A review of innovation strategies and processes to improve access to AT: Looking ahead to open innovation ecosystems.

It is essential to understand the strategies and processes which are deployed currently across the Assistive Technology (AT) space toward measuring innovation. The main aim of this paper is to identify functional innovation strategies and processes which are being or can be deployed in the AT space to increase access to AT globally. We conducted a scoping review of innovation strategies and processes in peer-reviewed literature databases and complemented this by identifying case studies demonstrating innovation strategies. The review includes WHO world region, publication year, AT type and a sector analysis against the Systems-Market for Assistive and Related Technologies Framework. We analyzed the case studies and interviews using thematic analysis. We included 91 papers out of 3,127 after review along with 72 case studies. Our results showed that product innovations were more prevalent than provision or supply innovations across papers and case studies. Case studies yielded two themes: open innovation (OI); radical and disruptive innovation. Financial instruments which encourage OI are needed and we recommend pursuing OI for AT innovation. Embedding AT within larger societal missions will be key to success governments and investors need to understand what AT is and their translational socioeconomic value