Improving the visibility of bicycle infrastructure

The visual characteristics of road infrastructure play a major role in a substantial number of single-bicycle crashes. The focus of this research was on finding the most common situations that result in a poorly visible bicycle infrastructure, and investigating how to improve these conditions for vulnerable cyclist populations, specifically the visually impaired and the older cyclist. Three studies were performed, a questionnaire study amongst visually impaired cyclists, focus group discussions with older cyclists, and an experiment on a closed track where participants’ vision, in particular their contrast sensitivity, was impaired. The results from the questionnaire study and the focus group discussions revealed that bollards, kerbs, and cycle path markings/shoulders are the most critical visual elements in the road infrastructure. In addition, cycling performance and cyclists’ feelings of safety worsened in conditions where the visibility of obstacles and the road’s course were the poorest. Visibility can be enhanced by placing red-white bollards, painting kerbs white, by enhancing clearness of the road’s shoulder, or by applying high contrast road markings on the side of the cycle path/road

Bestrijding van Fusarium in wintertarwe

Bestrijding van Fusarium is een complexe aangelegenheid. Het voorkomen van aantasting door Fusarium (en de vorming van het mycotoxine DON) moet een samenspel zijn van maatregelen. Te denken valt aan: ruime vruchtwisseling, een kerende grondbewerking, teelt van resistente rassen en een fungicide bespuiting tijdens de bloei. Fungiciden zijn beperkt werkzaam tegen deze schimmels; ook als ze op het juiste tijdstip worden gespoten. Echter, een bespuiting met fungicide is niet altijd nodig/zinvol, daar de belangrijkste factor voor aantasting het weer is. Is de periode vóór en tijdens de bloei niet gunstig dan zal de aantasting door Fusarium niet groot zijn. Het voorspellen van deze omstandigheden is lastig. Hierbij kunnen beslissingsondersteunde systemen zeer behulpzaam zijn. In dit project is op basis van (internationale) literatuur en proefgegevens een opzet gemaakt voor een beslissingondersteunend systeem voor Fusarium in wintertarwe en getest in veldproeven en in praktijkpercelen

Mobile phone use while cycling:Incidence and effects on behaviour and safety

The effects of mobile phone use on cycling behaviour were studied. In study 1, the prevalence of mobile phone use while cycling was assessed. In Groningen 2.2% of cyclists were observed talking on their phone and 0.6% were text messaging or entering a phone number. In study 2, accident-involved cyclists responded to a questionnaire. Only 0.5% stated that they were using their phone at the time of the accident. In study 3, participants used a phone while cycling. The content of the conversation was manipulated and participants also had to enter a text message. Data were compared with just cycling and cycling while listening to music. Telephoning coincided with reduced speed, reduced peripheral vision performance and increased risk and mental effort ratings. Text messaging had the largest negative impact on cycling performance. Higher mental workload and lower speed may account for the relatively low number of people calling involved in accidents. Statement of Relevance: Although perhaps mainly restricted to flat countries with a large proportion of cyclists, mobile phone use while cycling has increased and may be a threat to traffic safety, similar to phone use while driving a car. In this study, the extent of the problem was assessed by observing the proportion of cyclists using mobile phones, sending questionnaires to accident-involved cyclists and an experimental study was conducted on the effects of mobile phone use while cycling

Detection of Phosphorus and Nitrogen Deficiencies in Corn Using Spectral Radiance Measurements

Applications of remote sensing in crop production are becoming increasingly popular due in part to an increased concern with pollution of surface and ground waters due to over-fertilization of agricultural lands and the need to compensate for spatial variability in a field. Past research in this area has focused primarily on N stress in crops. Other stresses and the interactions have not been fully evaluated. A field experiment was conducted to determine wavelengths and/or combinations of wavelengths that are indicative of P and N deficiency and also the interaction between these in corn (Zea mays L.). The field experiment was a randomized complete block design with four replications using a factorial arrangement of treatments in an irrigated continuous corn system. The treatment included four N rates (0, 67, 134, and 269 kg N ha-1) and four P rates (0, 22, 45, and 67 kg P ha-1). Spectral radiance measurements were taken at various growth stages in increments from 350 to 1000 nm and correlated with plant N and P concentration, plant biomass, grain N and P concentration, and grain yield. Reflectance in the near-infrared (NIR) and blue regions was found to predict early season P stress between growth stages V6 and V8. Late season detection of P stress was not achieved. Plant N concentration was best predicted using reflectance in the red and green regions of the spectrum, while grain yield was estimated using reflectance in the NIR region, with the particular wavelengths of importance changing with growth stage

A double dissociation between anterior and posterior superior temporal gyrus for processing audiovisual speech demonstrated by electrocorticography

Human speech can be comprehended using only auditory information from the talker's voice. However, comprehension is improved if the talker's face is visible, especially if the auditory information is degraded as occurs in noisy environments or with hearing loss. We explored the neural substrates of audiovisual speech perception using electrocorticography, direct recording of neural activity using electrodes implanted on the cortical surface. We observed a double dissociation in the responses to audiovisual speech with clear and noisy auditory component within the superior temporal gyrus (STG), a region long known to be important for speech perception. Anterior STG showed greater neural activity to audiovisual speech with clear auditory component, whereas posterior STG showed similar or greater neural activity to audiovisual speech in which the speech was replaced with speech-like noise. A distinct border between the two response patterns was observed, demarcated by a landmark corresponding to the posterior margin of Heschl's gyrus. To further investigate the computational roles of both regions, we considered Bayesian models of multisensory integration, which predict that combining the independent sources of information available from different modalities should reduce variability in the neural responses. We tested this prediction by measuring the variability of the neural responses to single audiovisual words. Posterior STG showed smaller variability than anterior STG during presentation of audiovisual speech with noisy auditory component. Taken together, these results suggest that posterior STG but not anterior STG is important for multisensory integration of noisy auditory and visual speech

Ambulatory human motion tracking by fusion of inertial and magnetic sensing with adaptive actuation

Over the last years, inertial sensing has proven to be a suitable ambulatory alternative to traditional human motion tracking based on optical position measurement systems, which are generally restricted to a laboratory environment. Besides many advantages, a major drawback is the inherent drift caused by integration of acceleration and angular velocity to obtain position and orientation. In addition, inertial sensing cannot be used to estimate relative positions and orientations of sensors with respect to each other. In order to overcome these drawbacks, this study presents an Extended Kalman Filter for fusion of inertial and magnetic sensing that is used to estimate relative positions and orientations. In between magnetic updates, change of position and orientation are estimated using inertial sensors. The system decides to perform a magnetic update only if the estimated uncertainty associated with the relative position and orientation exceeds a predefined threshold. The filter is able to provide a stable and accurate estimation of relative position and orientation for several types of movements, as indicated by the average rms error being 0.033 m for the position and 3.6 degrees for the orientation

Intriguing Heteroleptic ZnII^{II} bis(dipyrrinato) Emitters in the Far-Red Region With Large Pseudo-Stokes Shift for Bioimaging

Novel heteroleptic ZnII bis(dipyrrinato) complexes were prepared as intriguing emitters. With our tailor-made design, we achieved far-red emissive complexes with a photoluminescence quantum yield up to 45% in dimethylsulfoxide and 70% in toluene. This means that heteroleptic Zn$^{II}$ bis(dipyrrinato) complexes retain very intense emission also in polar solvents, in contrast to their homoleptic counterparts, which we prepared for comparing the photophysical properties. It is evident from the absorption and excitation spectra that heteroleptic complexes present the characteristic features of both ligands: the plain dipyrrin (L$_{p}$) and the π-extended dipyrrin (L$_{π}$). On the contrary, the emission comes exclusively from the π-extended dipyrrin L$_{π}$, suggesting an interligand nonradiative transition that causes a large pseudo-Stokes shift (up to 4,600 cm$_{-1}$). The large pseudo-Stokes shifts and the emissive spectral region of these novel heteroleptic Zn$^{II}$ bis(dipyrrinato) complexes are of great interest for bioimaging applications. Thus, their high biocompatibiliy with four different cell lines make them appealing as new fluorophores for cell imaging

G93-1171 Using a Chlorophyll Meter to Improve N Management

This NebGuide describes how to use a chlorophyll meter as a tool to improve nitrogen management by detecting nitrogen deficiency and determining the need for additional N fertilizer. Fertilizer nitrogen (N) is increasingly recognized as the source of nitrate contamination in much of Nebraska\u27s groundwater. Improving the efficiency of fertilizer N use reduces the amount of N that can potentially contaminate water resources. Effective management of fertilizer N is a major challenge for grain crop producers. Many factors that affect its efficiency are beyond a producer\u27s control. Weather, equipment limitations and breakdowns, and availability of labor and fertilizer during critical periods can lead to inadequate N supply to the crop. Fertilizer N is relatively inexpensive, and deficiencies can result in substantial yield reductions. Producers are inclined to manage fertilizer N to minimize the risk of deficiency, which can lead to excessive fertilizer applications. Although they understand fertilizer applied at excessive rates costs money and may lead to contamination of the environment, producers also want assurance that applying less fertilizer N will not reduce crop yields