Background lighting clutters: How do they affect visual saliency of urban objects?

The current study aims to create some general guidance for designers to better understand the impact of background lighting in their design and as a result minimize its effect on the visual saliency of urban objects. There are few studies about how lighting clutters can affect and decrease the visual saliency of illuminated urban objects at night. Lack of information in this area has resulted in increasing luminance to be recognized as one of the main tools to enhance the saliency of urban objects at night. To address this matter a study was performed to investigate the effect of proximity of lighting clutters on visual saliency of urban objects. A forced choice pair comparison method was employed, in which two test images of an urban object in different conditions of luminance contrast and proximity of light patterns were compared. Test participants reported in which image the target appeared more salient. Results show there is a progressive increase in saliency value by increasing the gap between the target and the background lighting when the luminance contrast of the target is three or higher. However, the critical area around the object with the highest effect lies between 0.5° and 1° visual angle. Removing light patterns beyond that point creates negligible effect. The findings of this study could inform development of future models of visual recognition in the road environment, models which can address the important effects of environmental context in addition to photometric variables (luminance and contrast) that are the only factors considered in traditional models of ‘Visibility Level.

Does pedestrian useful visual field change at night?

This paper reports an investigation into the shape and size of the useful visual field over which pedestrian visual gaze tends to fall during day and night and discusses the factors affecting useful visual field and the function of peripheral vision. A previous study by authors explored what people look at at night in the streets employing an eye tracking methodology. This study is secondary analysis of the data captured by the previous study. The study shows that street lighting affects and reduces useful visual field of pedestrians and provides guidelines to more effective distribution of light at night based on the optimum pedestrian useful field of view. Our finding emphasises the importance of illuminance on vertical surfaces and hence the for it to be considered when designing light for our streets

A Contribution Toward a Global Monograph of \u3ci\u3eGyroporus\u3c/i\u3e: Taxonomy, Phylogeny, Biogeography

Gyroporus (Sclerodermatineae, Boletales, Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota, Fungi) is a genus of ectomycorrhizal mushroom-forming fungi distributed throughout the world in suitable habitats. Previous attempts to untangle the diversity of this genus proved difficult due to the presence of semi-cryptic species and equivocal results from phylogenetic analysis of ribosomal RNA markers. To overcome these obstacles, a combined taxonomic and phylogenetic (emphasizing protein-coding genes) approach is used here to delimit species and elucidate geographic and evolutionary patterns of Gyroporus. Careful study of relevant literature and herbarium specimens was augmented by field work in North America, Australia, and East Asia for observation and collection of fresh material. For phylogenetic analyses, the mitochondrial gene atp6 and the nuclear gene rpb2 were utilized. The nuclear gene tef1 was also utilized for select exemplars. Several distinct clades are inferred, most notably a clade corresponding to Gyroporus castaneus as a speciose northern hemisphere group (the castaneus clade), a clade unifying Gyroporus cyanescens and similar entities (the cyanescens clade), and a clade unifying Gyroporus longicystidiatus and a New World sister species (the longicystidiatus clade). Also highly notable is the recovery of a sister relationship between the cyanescens and longicystidiatus clades. Abundant sister relationships between Eurasian and North American (including Central American) Gyropori are apparent and suggestive of boreotropical biogeographic scenarios; the Australian Gyropori display various biogeographic affinities. Eighteen new Gyroporus taxa are outlined and several biogeographic hypotheses are discussed. This study provides key groundwork for future efforts on this well-known but poorly-understood group of fungi

Mycorrhizal colonization of Hypericum perforatum L. (Hypericaceae) on adjacent serpentine and granite outcrops on the Deer Isles, Maine, USA

Given the paucity of literature on plant-fungal interactions on serpentine soils and limited investigation of serpentine geoecology in eastern North America, we examined mycorrhizal colonization of Hypericum perforatum from adjacent serpentine and granite outcrops on the Deer Isles, ME to determine whether plants were differentially colonized based on substrate. We coincided our sampling with three phenologic stages of H. perforatum (preflowering, flowering, postflowering) to determine possible differences in colonization based on plant phenology. The levels of mycorrhizal colonization in H. perforatum were not significantly different between serpentine and granite sites, while levels of colonization in postflowering plants were significantly higher than in those at preflowering and flowering stages

An Australian case study in identifying perceived barriers to innovation and technology transfer among drilling assets in CSG infrastructures

The drilling industry supply chain consists of global procurement, contract management, transport, storage, control measures and information flow. Factors that restrict the supply chain in the Australian drilling industry include internal (company-related and micro-economical) and external (geopolitical and macro-economical) drivers or barriers. Through this research, a number of perceived barriers to innovation and technology transfer within the Australian drilling industry’s supply chain network were identified. The causes of these barriers include internal forces, external forces and natural causes. The research has explored how and to what extent these barriers influence the Australian drilling industry. The initial studies of the literature review indicated research gaps about the key barriers in Australian drilling. The first question was, Is Australia utilising the latest oil and gas technologies? This hypothesis was developed through the researcher’s observation during ten years of oil and gas industry experience, that Australian drilling is not utilising the latest technologies. The results of the initial research were taken to local and international industry professionals for evaluation of the findings. The discrepancy in answers indicated a blind spot in the gathered data and statistics. Afterwards, interviewing over eighty participants globally illustrated that Australia is neither utilising nor innovating the latest technologies. In order to address the barriers, the researcher has utilised supply chain models to evaluate the level of local and international collaboration between the different levels of the Australian drilling sector. Therefore, the next hypothesis on the lack of collaboration on the local and international level, in Australian drilling, was shaped. Evaluating the local collaboration has raised another hypothesis the government does not provide sufficient support to allow the industry to innovate. The concept of innovation and technology transfer can be confused with invention or the technology itself. The literature review considers both invention and innovation for research purposes. Although the analysis of innovation and technology transfer can provide exceptional benefits to the industry and firms by providing solutions to have a more efficient industry, the analysis does not deliver an in-depth view of the causes, effects and exact benefits of innovation in the industry. This research was conducted through a case study approach using a chain of detailed qualitative data, data analysis and interviews to address the barriers to innovation in the drilling industry in Australia. Essentially, the research intends to deliver a deeper understanding of what exactly is happening, why it is happening, and to address the elements affecting innovation and technology transfer in the Australian oil and gas industry. It has also been identified that although this research area is undertaken by private research institutions and R&D departments, only a small portion of the findings are being shared with the public. This is why the current literature lacks an in-depth understanding of the concept of innovation and technology transfer and motives for innovation in on-shore drilling assets. Consequently, the main research questions were designed and developed as below: To what extent does the Australian on-shore drilling industry utilise the latest technological innovations? What are the key influencing factors for innovation and technology transfer within the Australian on-shore drilling industry in terms of the supply chain and its operating environment? How do the key influencing factors create barriers to innovation and technology transfer? To what extent do the barriers influence innovation and technology transfer? The current research aims to explore the innovation and technology transfer experience within the Australian oil and gas industry, specifically the on-shore drilling industry. The research initially focuses on gaining a deeper understanding of the supply chain and its drivers and then it flows into the supply chain of oil and gas. The research has identified a number of barriers to technology transfer, which have been shown to be the main influencing factors on technology transfer and innovation. The research provides a number of significant findings and a holistic overview of the supply chain of Australian drilling in different levels. The multilevel analysis identifies the gaps, which have been developed into a number of hypotheses on the current barriers to innovation and technology transfer. The result of this research should help to identify and rectify barriers to have a more innovative drilling industry in Australia. By comparison of the Australian oil and gas industry with more innovative nations’ oil and gas industries, possibilities for advancing the Australian drilling industry are suggested. The ultimate goal is to have an Australian drilling industry that is an exporter of the most advanced drilling technology to the global energy industry. Further research should aim at developing this qualitative research to compare the Australian oil and gas industry and companies with other advanced oil and gas nations and firms. In addition, an in-depth comparative analysis can be done across the five top-performing countries in terms of innovation in order to identify the gaps and compare the Australian industry and the role of the government in dictating policies for the top performers

The effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of dried Ficus carica on spatial learning and memory in mice

زمینه و هدف: انجیر (Ficus carica) دارای اثرات گوناگون درمانی است. در مطالعات قبلی مشخص شده است که این میوه ملین بوده و در درمان بیماری های متعددی از جمله بواسیر، نقرس و صرع نافع می باشد. به علت وجود مقادیر زیاد فسفر در انجیر، به نظر می رسد که این میوه در پرورش هوش و حافظه موثر باشد. لذا این مطالعه به منظور بررسی اثرات احتمالی عصاره هیدروالکلی انجیر بر یادگیـــری و حافظه فضایی در موش های سوری انجام شد. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی- آزمایشگاهی، 32 سر موش سوری به صورت تصادفی به چهار گروه تقسیم شدند. گروه های کنترل، نرمال سالین و سه گروه آزمایشگاهی دیگر به ترتیب دوزهای 100، 200 و 400 میلی گرم در کیلوگرم عصاره هیدروالکلی انجیر را بصورت داخل صفاقی (ip) دریافت کردند. عصاره از طریق خیساندن پودر انجیر خشک شده در الکل 80 تهیه شد. تزریق سالین یا عصاره برای مدت هفت روز (یک بار در هر روز) انجام می شد و بلافاصله پس از آن، دوره یادگیری با استفاده از ماز آبی موریس شروع می شد که 5 روز طول می کشید. در صورت ایجاد یادگیری، آزمایش پروب (Probe trial) برای تست حافظه فضایی کوتاه مدت و بلند مدت در روزهای بعدی انجام می شد. در پایان داده ها با استفاده از آزمون ANOVA و آزمون های تعقیبی (LSD) Fisher least significantو توکی مورد تجزیه و تحلیل آماری قرار گرفت. یافته ها: آزمایشات نشان داد که عصاره انجیر تاثیر معنی داری در روند یادگیری فضایی در مدل ماز آبی موریس ندارد. ارزیابی حافظه کوتاه مدت در روزهای 6 و 8 تفاوت معنی داری بین گروه های دریافت کننده سالین و عصاره انجیر نشان نداد، ولی در روز 10 کاهش معنی داری در حافظه کوتاه مدت در گروه های دریافت کننده عصاره انجیر در مقایسه با گروه سالین مشاهده شد (05/0

Drug Utilization Evaluation of Vancomycin in Pediatric Department

Background: Increasing reports of Vancomycin resistance have raised concerns about effectiveness of this drug. One of the most important factors of resistance emergence is no adherence of physician to principles of antibiotic therapy. This study is a drug utilization evaluation (DUE) of Vancomycin in pediatric ward to assess appropriateness of drug regimens and to find possible problems in clinical practices that may necessitate reconciliation to improve Vancomycin use.Materials and Methods: This prospective study was done for 1year from October 2014 to September 2015 at Khalij Fars General Hospital in Bandar Abbas. Data including patients’ demographics, paraclinic, diagnosis, vancomycin dose, and treatment duration were collected. The concordance of practice with standard guidelines (CDC, ASHP, and IDSA) and principles of antibiotic therapy was assessed. Results were analyzed by SPSS 20.Results: 102 medical records were reviewed in this study. Pneumonia (60=59%) and sepsis (22=21.5%) were the most common diagnosis. Sampling was done in 6% of patients with 2% antibiogram. Vancomycin was administered appropriately in 56.9% percent of patients with no sex difference (PV= 0.55) but age with significant difference (PV= 0.017). Over use was in a great proportion of patients (36cases=35%) as unnecessary, improper combination and broad spectrum regimen.Conclusion: Vancomycin was overused irrationally in a great proportion of patients. There was no serum level monitoring. Microbial resistance, serum trough level monitoring programs and continuous medical education for physicians can be effective in rational use of antibiotic

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Toxoplasma gondii Infection among Pregnant Women in Hormozgan Province, South of Iran

Background: Toxoplasmosis can cause miscarriage or complications in the fetus. Diagnosis and treatment of this disease by anti-parasitic drugs especially in early pregnancy can help to prevent fetal infection and its complications. This study aimed to determine T. gondii infection in pregnant women, evaluate risk factors in the transmission of the disease and congenital toxoplasmosis. Methods: Overall, 360 sera of pregnant women from 5 cities in the Hormozgan Province in southern Iran with different climate were evaluated from 2015-2016 for T. gondii infection by using ELISA method and positive cases of IgM and IgG were tested again using Avidity IgG ELISA. All cases were evaluated according to climate, acute and chronic of toxoplasmosis, number of pregnancy and abortion, epidemiological factors and food habits. Results: Among 360 specimens T. gondii IgG + IgM antibodies were found positive in 0. 8% subjects and also 27% of samples had IgG seropositivity. A significant relationship was observed between age, sampling place, consumption of raw and half cooked meat, history of contact with cats, abortion history, number of children, and parity with IgG positive. In Avidity IgG ELISA test, 13 people with low avidity, 3 people with borderline avidity were reported. Conclusion: 72. 2% of the population had no antibody against the disease that this could be a warning to the people and requires education of preventive and prenatal care and routine screening of women at childbearing age