3,761 research outputs found
Smart Bike Sharing System to make the City even Smarter
These last years with the growing population in the smart city demands an
efficient transportation sharing (bike sharing) system for developing the smart
city. The Bike sharing as we know is affordable, easily accessible and reliable
mode of transportation. But an efficient bike sharing capable of not only
sharing bike also provides information regarding the availability of bike per
station, route business, time/day-wise bike schedule. The embedded sensors are
able to opportunistically communicate through wireless communication with
stations when available, providing real-time data about tours/minutes, speed,
effort, rhythm, etc. We have been based on our study analysis data to predict
regarding the bike's available at stations, bike schedule, a location of the
nearest hub where a bike is available etc., reduce the user time and effort
Nanoscale roughness and morphology affect the IsoElectric Point of titania surfaces
We report on the systematic investigation of the role of surface nanoscale
roughness and morphology on the charging behaviour of nanostructured titania
(TiO2) surfaces in aqueous solutions. IsoElectric Points (IEPs) of surfaces
have been characterized by direct measurement of the electrostatic double layer
interactions between titania surfaces and the micrometer-sized spherical silica
probe of an atomic force microscope in NaCl aqueous electrolyte. The use of a
colloidal probe provides well-defined interaction geometry and allows
effectively probing the overall effect of nanoscale morphology. By using
supersonic cluster beam deposition to fabricate nanostructured titania films,
we achieved a quantitative control over the surface morphological parameters.
We performed a systematical exploration of the electrical double layer
properties in different interaction regimes characterized by different ratios
of characteristic nanometric lengths of the system: the surface rms roughness
Rq, the correlation length {\xi} and the Debye length {\lambda}D. We observed a
remarkable reduction by several pH units of IEP on rough nanostructured
surfaces, with respect to flat crystalline rutile TiO2. In order to explain the
observed behavior of IEP, we consider the roughness-induced self-overlap of the
electrical double layers as a potential source of deviation from the trend
expected for flat surfaces.Comment: 63 pages, including 7 figures and Supporting Informatio
EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS AND STRESS MANAGEMENT ON NEUROCARDIOVASCULAR AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES
There has been a higher prevalence of developing anxiety due to frequent episodes of stress among adults in recent years. Chronic anxiety can contribute to the prevalence of elevated blood pressure and hypertension. High anxiety and stress also contribute to overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system which can be quantified by increased muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA). Sympathetic overactivation can lead to vasoconstriction and loss of arterial elasticity. Anxiety, MSNA, blood pressure, and arterial stiffness are all interconnected, thus studying these relationships is crucial to understand the underlying mechanisms for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Non-pharmacological and mind-body treatments such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and stress management education (SME) have gained popularity in the management of anxiety and CVD risk.
In Study 1, 19 volunteers (18-45 years) were randomized into 8-week MBSR or SME, where we monitored changes in anxiety, decentering, and arterial stiffness. There was a tendency for state anxiety to be reduced after MBSR (p=0.06), but carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) did not change from pre to post in either condition. Study 2 enrolled 27 volunteer participants (25±1 years) to determine how muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) reactivity influence post mental stress aortic augmentation index (AIx). The mental stress task significantly increased HR (Δ15±2 beats/minute), MAP (Δ14±1 mmHg), and perceived stress (Δ1.9±0.1 a.u.), while MSNA (Δ -13 to +20 bursts/min) was not significantly increased. The change in MAP during mental stress was a significant predictor (ꞵ=0.47; p=0.03) of the change in AIx (post-stress vs. baseline). Changes in MSNA and perceived stress were not predictors of mental stress-related changes in AIx. Study 3 examined how 8-week MBSR, or SME influenced anxiety and decentering in 36 volunteer participants. Nineteen participants completed the 8-week study prior to concerns over COVID-19 (no pandemic group = NPG), while 17 participants were affected by the stay-at-home order due to the pandemic (pandemic group = PG). Anxiety and decentering were measured before and after the 8-weeks of MBSR and SME. Trait anxiety was reduced in NPG/PG and MBSR/SME (pp\u3c0.03).
The results of these studies agree with previous studies that indicate how MBSR can help to reduce anxiety. However, MBSR does not appear to decrease arterial stiffness (cfPWV). Aim 2 challenges the concept that acute stress-induced changes in aortic augmentation index are directly linked to changes in MSNA. The changes in AIx were linked to changes in MAP, but not MSNA. Aim 3 provides indications of how MBSR and SME can reduce trait anxiety and improve the ability to decenter during a global health crisis like COVID-19
Ontology-based Classification and Analysis of non- emergency Smart-city Events
Several challenges are faced by citizens of urban centers while dealing with
day-to-day events, and the absence of a centralised reporting mechanism makes
event-reporting and redressal a daunting task. With the push on information
technology to adapt to the needs of smart-cities and integrate urban civic
services, the use of Open311 architecture presents an interesting solution. In
this paper, we present a novel approach that uses an existing Open311 ontology
to classify and report non-emergency city-events, as well as to guide the
citizen to the points of redressal. The use of linked open data and the
semantic model serves to provide contextual meaning and make vast amounts of
content hyper-connected and easily-searchable. Such a one-size-fits-all model
also ensures reusability and effective visualisation and analysis of data
across several cities. By integrating urban services across various civic
bodies, the proposed approach provides a single endpoint to the citizen, which
is imperative for smooth functioning of smart cities
Evidence of Songbird Intoxication From Rozol Application at a Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Colony
Concerns about avian poisonings from anticoagulant rodenticides have traditionally focused on secondary poisoning of raptors exposed by feeding on contaminated mammalian prey. However, ground foraging songbirds can be directly poisoned from operational applications of the anticoagulant rodenticide RozolH (0.005% chlorophacinone, active ingredient) applied as a grain bait, at black-tailed prairie dog Cynomys ludovicianus colonies. A dead western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta recovered from the study prairie dog colony displayed hemorrhaging in brain and pectoral muscle tissue, and it contained chlorophacinone residue concentrations of 0.59 and 0.49 mg/g (wet weight) in the liver and intestinal contents, respectively. Chlorophacinone residues from two Rozol-colored songbird droppings found at the study colony were 0.09 and 0.46 mg/g (wet weight). The timing of the meadowlark mortality and the occurrence of discolored droppings show that songbird exposure and poisoning can occur weeks after a Rozol application
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