2,245 research outputs found
Use of the Knowledge-Based System LOG-IDEAH to Assess Failure Modes of Masonry Buildings, Damaged by L'Aquila Earthquake in 2009
This article, first, discusses the decision-making process, typically used by trained
engineers to assess failure modes of masonry buildings, and then, presents the
rule-based model, required to build a knowledge-based system for post-earthquake
damage assessment. The acquisition of the engineering knowledge and implementation
of the rule-based model lead to the developments of the knowledge-based system
LOG-IDEAH (Logic trees for Identification of Damage due to Earthquakes for Architectural
Heritage), a web-based tool, which assesses failure modes of masonry buildings
by interpreting both crack pattern and damage severity, recorded on site by visual
inspection. Assuming that failure modes detected by trained engineers for a sample
of buildings are the correct ones, these are used to validate the predictions made by
LOG-IDEAH. Prediction robustness of the proposed system is carried out by computing
Precision and Recall measures for failure modes, predicted for a set of buildings selected
in the city center of L’Aquila (Italy), damaged by an earthquake in 2009. To provide an
independent meaning of verification for LOG-IDEAH, random generations of outputs are
created to obtain baselines of failure modes for the same case study. For the baseline
output to be compatible and consistent with the observations on site, failure modes are
randomly generated with the same probability of occurrence as observed for the building
samples inspected in the city center of L’Aquila. The comparison between Precision and
Recall measures, calculated on the output, provided by LOG-IDEAH and predicted by
random generations, underlines that the proposed knowledge-based system has a high
ability to predict failure modes of masonry buildings, and has the potential to support
surveyors in post-earthquake assessments
LOG-IDEAH: LOGic trees for identification of damage due to earthquakes for architectural heritage.
In the framework of PERPETUATE, LOG-IDEAH: “LOGic trees for Identification of Damage due to Earthquakes for Architectural Heritage” has been developed as a post-earthquake assessment tool for the evaluation of the global seismic performance of architectural assets (AAs). LOG-IDEAH is an expert system which interprets the seismic damage collected on site by relying on the knowledge of engineers and architects in seismic vulnerability assessment. The present expert system has been set up on logic trees, implemented in answer set programming to encode the recognition process that surveyors proceed to investigate the causes of damage and to evaluate the failures occurring on an AA. LOG-IDEAH, available at (http://perpetuate.cs.bath.ac.uk/), allows sketching AAs, recording the state of damage, uploading GPS referenced images and comparing collapse mechanisms observed on site with collapse mechanisms identified by the system. The seismic damage, which is the minimum data required by LOG-IDEAH, is collected at the level of both structural elements and artistic assets (local level) and interpreted at the level of the AA (global level). The answer set programming applied for the construction of the machine-processable representation, once the input data has been recorded into the web-interface, provides all possible failure modes and related possibilities of occurrence by taking into consideration the reliability level of the collected data. Its capability has been validated by applying LOG-IDEAH to the historic centre of L’Aquila of the 2009 earthquake by pointing out that answer set programming is a valid alternative approach to the existing methods developed to identify the seismic performance of masonry AAs
In vivo imaging of cellular proliferation in colorectal cancer using positron emission tomography
Background and aims: Positron emission tomography (PET) using 18F labelled 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18FDG) is an established imaging tool, although the recent development of a biologically stable thymidine analogue [18F] 3'-deoxy-3-fluorothymidine (18FLT) has allowed PET to image cellular proliferation by utilising the salvage pathway of DNA synthesis. In this study, we have compared uptake of 18FLT and 18FDG with MIB-1 immunohistochemistry to evaluate the role of PET in quantifying in vivo cellular proliferation in colorectal cancer (CRC).
Patients and methods: Patients with resectable, primary, or recurrent CRC were prospectively studied. Thirteen lesions from 10 patients (five males, five females), median age 68 years (range 54–87), were evaluated. Patients underwent 18FDG and 18FLT PET scanning. Tracer uptake within lesions was quantified using standardised uptake values (SUVs). Histopathological examination and MIB-1 immunohistochemistry were performed on all lesions, and proliferation quantified by calculating a labelling index (% of MIB-1 positively stained nuclei within 1500 tumour cells).
Results: Histology confirmed adenocarcinoma in 12 of 13 lesions; the remaining lesion was reactive. All eight extrahepatic lesions were visualised using both 18FLT and 18FDG. Three of the five resected liver metastases were also avid for 18FLT and showed high proliferation, while the remaining two lesions which demonstrated no uptake of 18FLT had correspondingly very low proliferation. There was a statistically significant positive correlation (r =0.8, p<0.01) between SUVs of the tumours visualised with 18FLT and the corresponding MIB-1 labelling indices. No such correlation was demonstrated with 18FDG avid lesions (r =0.4).
Conclusions: 18FLT PET correlates with cellular proliferation markers in both primary and metastatic CRC. This technique could provide a mechanism for in vivo grading of malignancy and early prediction of response to adjuvant chemotherapy
LAMINAR FORCED CONVECTION IN HORIZONTAL CHANNEL WITH HEAT GENERATION PLATES COOLED BY WATER
This paper describes the study of the behavior of two-dimensional and parallel horizontal flat plates with uniform internal heat generation subjected to laminar forced convection of water. The governing equations are solved numerically using the finite volume technique with Power-Law interpolating scheme and the SIMPLE algorithm. After the simulations the temperature and velocity fields were obtained for various plates spacing and fluid inlet velocities, as well as the Nusselt number values
Recommended from our members
Profiting from enabling technologies?
How to profit from innovation has been an important question for both innovation scholars and practitioners over the years. It is certainly a relevant question for all types of technological innovation, including emerging ones. Teece's (1986) profiting from innovation (PFI) framework sets forth a theory of the relevant contingencies. However, Teece's framework focuses on technologies with applications in specific domains. We focus on the question of how to profit from enabling technologies: technologies that are applicable across multiple domains. We argue that capturing value in such circumstances is fundamentally different from profiting from less-enabling technologies and raises new issues with respect to the relevant business models and public policies. This paper's contribution is threefold. It formally revises and extends the original PFI framework to include the case of enabling technologies; it provides empirical evidence to support the distinction between profiting from enabling as compared to profiting from narrower "discrete" technologies; and it generates perspectives on the appropriate business models for these technologies and discusses related public-policy implications, in light of the fact that the share of the benefits the innovator can capture is likely to be even smaller for enabling than for discrete technologies
Loss of expression of ATM is associated with worse prognosis in colorectal cancer and loss of Ku70 expression is associated with CIN
Repair of double strand DNA breaks (DSBs) is pivotal in maintaining normal
cell division and disruption of this system has been shown to be a key factor in
carcinogenesis. Loss of expression of the DSB repair proteins have previously been
shown to be associated with poorer survival in colorectal cancer. We wished to
ascertain the relationship of altered expression of the DSB repair proteins Îł-H2AX
(gamma-H2AX), ATM and Ku70 with biological and clinico-pathological features
of colorectal cancer. 908 tumours from the VICTOR clinical trial of stage II/III
colorectal cancer were analysed for expression of Îł-H2AX, ATM and Ku70 using
immunohistochemistry. Expression levels were correlated with CIN and with diseasefree
survival, correcting for microsatellite instability, BRAF/KRAS mutation status,
Dukes stage, chemo/radiotherapy, age, gender and tumour location. Down-regulated
Ku70 expression was associated with chromosomal instability (p=0.029) in colorectal
cancer. Reduced ATM expression was an independent marker of poor disease-free
survival (HR=1.67, 95% CI 1.11-2.50, p=0.015). For Ku70, further studies are
required to investigate the potential relationship of non-homologous end joining with
chromosomal instability. Loss of ATM expression might serve as a biomarker of poor
prognosis in colorectal cancer
Microgrid Demonstration Platform: Modbus TCP/IP Connection for Real-Time Monitoring of a Wind Turbine
Several countries promote wind energy despite their high installation cost, since over time these investments can become profitable. It is important that energy entrepreneurs have up-to-date information of operation parameters, to identify places where excessive energy consumption occurs. For energy management, it is necessary to have an overview of the whole system, such that reporting and further result analysis can be made. With monitoring and control systems, it is possible to enable an improved management of resources, especially in terms of balance between generation and consumption. In this work, it is proposed a graphical interface to monitor and control a wind turbine, in a simulation environment running four operation scenarios.The present work was done and funded in the scope of the following projects: H2020 DREAM-GO Project (Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 641794); EUREKA - ITEA2 Project SEAS with project number 12004; NETEFFICITY Project (P2020 - 18015); and UID/EEA/00760/2013 funded by FEDER Funds through COMPETE program and by National Funds through FCT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Protein disulfide isomerase activity is essential for viability and extracellular matrix formation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is a multifunctional protein required for many aspects of protein folding and transit through the endoplasmic reticulum. A conserved
family of three PDIs have been functionally analysed using genetic mutants of the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. PDI-1 and PDI-3 are individually nonessential,
whereas PDI-2 is required for normal post-embryonic development. In combination, all three genes are synergistically essential for embryonic development
in this nematode. Mutations in pdi-2 result in severe body morphology defects, uncoordinated movement, adult sterility, abnormal molting and aberrant collagen
deposition. Many of these phenotypes are consistent with a role in collagen biogenesis and extracellular matrix formation. PDI-2 is required for the normal function of prolyl 4-hydroxylase, a key collagen-modifying enzyme. Site-directed mutagenesis indicates that the independent catalytic activity of PDI-2 may also perform an essential
developmental function. PDI-2 therefore performs two critical roles during morphogenesis. The role of PDI-2 in collagen biogenesis can be partially restored following complementation of the mutant with human PDI
- …