Roundabout accident prediction model: random-parameter negative binomial approach

Roundabouts have been used widely on all road classes in the United Kingdom because they are considered safer than other types of intersections in general. The objective of this study was to examine geometric and traffic characteristics and their influences on the number of accidents. Data from each of 70 roundabouts (with 284 approaches) included all recorded vehicle accidents as well as geometric and traffic characteristics for the entire roundabout, within circulatory lanes, and at roundabout approaches. Resulting estimates were compared with those from random-parameter and fixed-parameter negative binomial count data models. The random-parameter results provided better goodness of fit than the fixed-parameter results, and more variables were found to be significant. Significant variables that influenced the number of accidents were total approach traffic, truck percentage, entry width, inscribed circle diameter, number of lanes, and presence of traffic signals

A 1-D modelling of streaming potential dependence on water content during drainage experiment in sand

The understanding of electrokinetics for unsaturated conditions is crucial for numerous of geophysical data interpretation. Nevertheless, the behaviour of the streaming potential coefficient C as a function of the water saturation Sw is still discussed. We propose here to model both the Richards' equation for hydrodynamics and the Poisson's equation for electrical potential for unsaturated conditions using 1-D finite element method. The equations are first presented and the numerical scheme is then detailed for the Poisson's equation. Then, computed streaming potentials (SPs) are compared to recently published SP measurements carried out during drainage experiment in a sand column. We show that the apparent measurement of DV / DP for the dipoles can provide the SP coefficient in these conditions. Two tests have been performed using existing models for the SP coefficient and a third one using a new relation. The results show that existing models of unsaturated SP coefficients C(Sw) provide poor results in terms of SP magnitude and behaviour. We demonstrate that the unsaturated SP coefficient can be until one order of magnitude larger than Csat, its value at saturation. We finally prove that the SP coefficient follows a non-monotonous behaviour with respect to water saturation. Key words: Electrical properties; Electromagnetic theory; Hydrogeophysics; Hydrology; Permeability and porosity; electrokinetic; streaming potential; self-potential; water content; water saturation; unsaturated condition; finite element modelin

In Utero Diagnosis of Niemann-Pick Type C in the Absence of Family History

Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease is a recessive disorder that results in unesterified cholesterol accumulating in the lysosomal and late endosomal system. It is caused by mutations in NPC1 or NPC2 genes and leads to systemic and neurodegenerative symptoms. Few cases of prenatal presentation of NPC have been reported and only two cases in the absence of previous family history, indicating the diagnosis is particularly difficult in such a situation. We report a prenatal diagnosis of NPC in a couple without family history. An ultrasound screening at 22 weeks of gestation (WG) detected fetal ascites and hepatomegaly, which were still present at 25, 27, and 29 WG, and a splenomegaly progressively appeared. No placentomegaly or other signs of hydrops fetalis were observed. The diagnostic of NPC was prenatally confirmed by a filipin test and NPC1 sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay which revealed a maternal missense mutation (c.2608T>C; p.Ser870Pro) and a paternal deletion of exons 5 to 25. This additional prenatal case of NPC suggests that even in the absence of family history, fetal ascites associated with splenomegaly but no hydrops should nonetheless arouse suspicion concerning this disease as a possible diagnosis

Experimental and theoretical investigation of the performance of an air to water multi-pass heat pipe-based heat exchanger

Innovate UK- Erva Mate Dryin

Biodiversity, Species Protection, and Animal Welfare Under International Law

The chapter explores the influence of the concept of animal welfare on international biodiversity law. A close examination of the recent evolution of this branch of international law shows that animal welfare has an ambivalent place in biodiversity-related agreements. Indeed, while welfare is only a faint consideration in the development of international regimes dealing with biodiversity as a whole, the concept has become an essential element for agreements dealing with the conservation of specific endangered species. Despite its role in these agreements, the place of animal welfare in international biodiversity law highlights that this corpus of rules is currently insufficient to be an effective tool for the protection of wildlife welfare. The last section of this study suggests that the adoption of international rules aiming at ensuring the protection of wild animals’ welfare could serve the double purpose of strengthening the conservation purpose of biodiversity regimes while also filling the welfare gap of international biodiversity law

Overexpression of Partner of Numb Induces Asymmetric Distribution of the PI4P 5-Kinase Skittles in Mitotic Sensory Organ Precursor Cells in Drosophila

Unequal segregation of cell fate determinants at mitosis is a conserved mechanism whereby cell fate diversity can be generated during development. In Drosophila, each sensory organ precursor cell (SOP) divides asymmetrically to produce an anterior pIIb and a posterior pIIa cell. The Par6-aPKC complex localizes at the posterior pole of dividing SOPs and directs the actin-dependent localization of the cell fate determinants Numb, Partner of Numb (Pon) and Neuralized at the opposite pole. The plasma membrane lipid phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate (PIP2) regulates the plasma membrane localization and activity of various proteins, including several actin regulators, thereby modulating actin-based processes. Here, we have examined the distribution of PIP2 and of the PIP2-producing kinase Skittles (Sktl) in mitotic SOPs. Our analysis indicates that both Sktl and PIP2 reporters are uniformly distributed in mitotic SOPs. In the course of this study, we have observed that overexpression of full-length Pon or its localization domain (LD) fused to the Red Fluorescent Protein (RFP::PonLD) results in asymmetric distribution of Sktl and PIP2 reporters in dividing SOPs. Our observation that Pon overexpression alters polar protein distribution is relevant because RFP::PonLD is often used as a polarity marker in dividing progenitors

Identification of a novel Drosophila gene, beltless, using injectable embryonic and adult RNA interference (RNAi)

BACKGROUND: RNA interference (RNAi) is a process triggered by a double-stranded RNA that leads to targeted down-regulation/silencing of gene expression and can be used for functional genomics; i.e. loss-of-function studies. Here we report on the use of RNAi in the identification of a developmentally important novel Drosophila (fruit fly) gene (corresponding to a putative gene CG5652/GM06434), that we named beltless based on an embryonic loss-of-function phenotype. RESULTS: Beltless mRNA is expressed in all developmental stages except in 0–6 h embryos. In situ RT-PCR localized beltless mRNA in the ventral cord and brain of late stage embryos and in the nervous system, ovaries, and the accessory glands of adult flies. RNAi was induced by injection of short (22 bp) beltless double-stranded RNAs into embryos or into adult flies. Embryonic RNAi altered cuticular phenotypes ranging from partially-formed to missing denticle belts (thus beltless) of the abdominal segments A2–A4. Embryonic beltless RNAi was lethal. Adult RNAi resulted in the shrinkage of the ovaries by half and reduced the number of eggs laid. We also examined Df(1)RK4 flies in which deletion removes 16 genes, including beltless. In some embryos, we observed cuticular abnormalities similar to our findings with beltless RNAi. After differentiating Df(1)RK4 embryos into those with visible denticle belts and those missing denticle belts, we assayed the presence of beltless mRNA; no beltless mRNA was detectable in embryos with missing denticle belts. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified a developmentally important novel Drosophila gene, beltless, which has been characterized in loss-of-function studies using RNA interference. The putative beltless protein shares homologies with the C. elegans nose resistant to fluoxetine (NRF) NRF-6 gene, as well as with several uncharacterized C. elegans and Drosophila melanogaster genes, some with prominent acyltransferase domains. Future studies should elucidate the role and mechanism of action of beltless during Drosophila development and in adults, including in the adult nervous system