Effect of spatio-temporal granularity on demand prediction for deep learning models

Advances in machine learning technology and the availability of big data from GPS systems have led to the development of effective methods for modelling transportation demand and forecasting the future. Most previous research concentrated on demand prediction using a variety of machine learning and deep learning models that took into account spatial and temporal relationships. This paper investigates the impact of spaces and time granularity for a Spatio-temporal demand modelling framework. Using taxi demand data from New York City, our study compares the prediction performance of deep learning models such as Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Convolution Neural Networks (CNN) and Temporal-Guided Networks (TGNet), modelled with a grid-based tessellation strategy. The findings of this study could assist researchers in better understanding how the granularity of space and time helps deep learning models perform better for demand forecasting problems

EFFECT OF ALENDRONATE ON THE HEALING TIME OF DISTAL RADIAL FRACTURES TREATED CONSERVATIVELY: AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

  Objective: Although fragility fractures of the distal radius are common, osteoporosis treatment requires exploration as attempts to improve postfracture investigations have been only partially successful. Bisphosphonates may help minimize the risk of secondary fractures but being a potent antiresorptive agent; it raises concerns about adverse effects on the healing process. This observational study examines the effect of bisphosphonate (alendronate) on healing of acute fractures of distal radius through 66 patients aged >45 years admitted to two tertiary care hospitals in Mangalore from May 2014 to September 2016.Methods: The methodology consists of purposive sampling from two groups: Control having 33 patients not on alendronate therapy and cases comprising 33 who are on alendronate as part of prophylaxis for osteoporosis before fracture occurrence, with outpatient reviews at 2-week intervals starting from the 6th till fracture union seen. At each visit, plain radiographs of the involved wrist were taken to yield time to cortical bridging, with range of active movement of the affected wrist taken using a goniometer. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 17.0 for t values, p values and correlations and results were presented in the form of graphs and tables.Results: No significant differences were observed in the groups (as per p values) w.r.t. gender (0.804), age (0.835), time to healing (1.000), dorsiflexion (0.956), palmar flexion (0.670), ulnar deviation (0.441), radial deviation (1.000), supination (0.132), or pronation (0.302). Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score did not differ by >95% between the groups over the analysis period.Conclusion: It was observed that alendronate administration in distal radius fractures did not appear to delay fracture healing times radiologically or clinically

STUDY ON KAP OF OCULAR COMPLICATIONS DUE TO DIABETES AMONG TYPE II DIABETICS VISITING A TERTIARY TEACHING HOSPITAL

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem worldwide. Diabetic patients are at risk of developing blindness from diabetic retinopathy. While occurrence of diabetic retinopathy cannot be prevented, its complications can be minimized. This requires awareness of the sight-threatening potential of diabetes and the need for regular eye examinations. Aim: To study the knowledge of ocular complications of diabetes, among type II diabetics visiting a tertiary level hospital. Settings and Design: This was a prospective study in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Methods and Material: This was a questionnaire based study on 350 type II diabetics. All patients were interviewed by the same investigator. Statistical analysis used: The data was analysed using chi square test. Results: With increase in the duration of illness, the awareness about diabetic retinopathy is more. Even though the awareness of the disease increased with increasing duration of the disease, 51.4% of the diabetics did not know how diabetes can affect the eye, 49.7% of diabetics did not know if diabetic retinopathy can be treated and 67.4% had not heard of any treatment modality for diabetic retinopathy. This shows that lack of knowledge about the disease was significant. Conclusions: Prevention of non-communicable disease through increased awareness needs to be the thrust of the effort in resource poor contexts, where the treatment can be prohibitively costly. These measures would help to bring about more awareness and understanding about the disease among the patients and therefore prevent sight-threatening complications by timely intervention and management

Enhancing sustainability of construction projects through waste minimization

Construction activity is a critical indicator of development. As developmental activities in emerging countries are increasing, the construction industry is being viewed with increased interest as an area which needs sustainable practices. The construction industry uses 55% of the wood cut for non-fuel uses and 40 % of the world’s energy and a large proportion of the material manufactured can be traced to buildings and their construction. To make construction sustainable, all of its stages from conception to deconstruction need to be considered with the viewpoint of waste minimization. This paper looks at the execution stage of a construction project and seeks to identify the sources of waste generation at the planning and execution stage. A detailed field study and subsequent root cause analysis of the execution planning process has been done to identify the factors that lead to erratic and variable execution performance and thus create waste in the form of inventory and rework. An attempt has been made to study, categorize and quantify waste related to MEP works on building sites which typically account for about 40% of the project construction cost. The studies have incorporated expert views, interviews with on-site personnel, study of documents and actual field sampling. Based on the observations, multiple solution concepts has been proposed. The proposed solutions aim at reducing the generation of waste through better execution planning and control

Identifying and Addressing Critical Issues in the Indian Construction Industry: Perspectives of Large Building Construction Clients

The Indian construction industry faces increasing challenges amidst serious performance shortfalls. Confronting similar issues in past decades, other countries such as the UK, USA, and Singapore commissioned high-powered studies and set up industry development bodies to address their own priorities. Initiatives in other countries are briefly reviewed before outlining the launch of the “Construction Industry Improvement Initiative India” (Ci3 India) that aims to address our own challenges. This paper focuses on identifying and launching a platform to address the current and imminent critical issues in the Indian Construction Industry. Nineteen critical issues were identifed, verifed, and validated through four focus group sessions at two Regional Roundtables with 54 high calibre large building construction clients, academicians, and other invited experts. The identifed issues were consolidated to 10 Action Items. Seven Action Teams were then mobilized to work on the 10 Action Items. Having consolidated a base consensus of clients on the way forward, it was also proposed to develop a “Construction Clients’ Charter” that will set out basic principles, protocols, and targeted good practices by lead clients, who by voluntarily agreeing and implementing these together, could catalyse signifcant industry improvement

Water Quality and Performance Assessment of Porous Asphalt Mix Modified Using Charcoal Powder

Porous pavements are used to allow infiltration of water for increasing ground water storage. Bio char (Charcoal) is a low cost adsorbent used for the removal of heavy metals and other contaminants. This project examines the possibility of using bio char in porous asphalt mixes and efficiency of the asphalt layer modified with charcoal in removing contaminants from typical storm water. Bio char is added by partial replacement of fine aggregates of size less than 2.36 mm. Preliminary Marshall tests indicated that bio char content of about 1to 2 % is not seriously affecting the properties of porous asphalt mix. Marshall test without charcoal has given the optimum binder content as 5 %. Therefore for the study, samples for Marshall tests were prepared keeping the optimum binder content as 5 % and varying the charcoal content as 1, 1.5 & 2 %. From the drain down, air void, flow and stability requirement it was seen that 1.5 % of charcoal is the optimum. Subsequently for the water quality analysis of water infiltrating through the porous asphalt layer samples are prepared using 1.5 % charcoal. Typical storm water is prepared by adding nitrate & chromium to deionized water. Water quality analysis revealed that charcoal modified asphalt layer can remove 97.2 % nitrate, 56 % of chromium from the storm water, and improve the quality of ground water

Observation of the Rare Decay of the η Meson to Four Muons

A search for the rare η→μ+μ−μ+μ− double-Dalitz decay is performed using a sample of proton-proton collisions, collected by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC with high-rate muon triggers during 2017 and 2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101  fb−1. A signal having a statistical significance well in excess of 5 standard deviations is observed. Using the η→μ+μ− decay as normalization, the branching fraction B(η→μ+μ−μ+μ−)=[5.0±0.8(stat)±0.7(syst)±0.7(B2μ)]×10−9 is measured, where the last term is the uncertainty in the normalization channel branching fraction. This work achieves an improved precision of over 5 orders of magnitude compared to previous results, leading to the first measurement of this branching fraction, which is found to agree with theoretical predictions

Search for new physics in multijet events with at least one photon and large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV

A search for new physics in final states consisting of at least one photon, multiple jets, and large missing transverse momentum is presented, using proton-proton collision events at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb−1, recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC from 2016 to 2018. The events are divided into mutually exclusive bins characterized by the missing transverse momentum, the number of jets, the number of b-tagged jets, and jets consistent with the presence of hadronically decaying W, Z, or Higgs bosons. The observed data are found to be consistent with the prediction from standard model processes. The results are interpreted in the context of simplified models of pair production of supersymmetric particles via strong and electroweak interactions. Depending on the details of the signal models, gluinos and squarks of masses up to 2.35 and 1.43 TeV, respectively, and electroweakinos of masses up to 1.23 TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level

First measurement of the top quark pair production cross section in proton-proton collisions at s \sqrt{s} = 13.6 TeV

The first measurement of the top quark pair (tt¯) production cross section in proton-proton collisions at s√ = 13.6 TeV is presented. Data recorded with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC in Summer 2022, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.21 fb−1, are analyzed. Events are selected with one or two charged leptons (electrons or muons) and additional jets. A maximum likelihood fit is performed in event categories defined by the number and flavors of the leptons, the number of jets, and the number of jets identified as originating from b quarks. An inclusive tt¯ production cross section of 881 ± 23 (stat + syst) ± 20 (lumi) pb is measured, in agreement with the standard model prediction of 924+32−40 pb