ANALYSIS OF GRIP FORCE DURING GOLF PUTTING AT DIFFERENT DISTANCES - PILOT STUDY

The purpose of this study was to explore the grip force performance at different distances during putting stroke. Four golfers (2 professionals and 2 novices) as accurately as possible executed a putt to reach 1, 2 and 3 m target distance, respectively. Putting motions were recorded by JVC video and grip pressure measurement sensor placed on two hands, allowing the force output of all regions of the hands to be measured. The grip force trace among 1 to 3 m distance was repeatable across putting strokes for each golfer but between golfers was inconsistent. Dominant forces appear to arise primarily from the left hand. In this study, the grip force and force distribution were preliminarily discovered during putting stroke at different distances. This research has suggested a potentially important influence of grip force on the golf putting performance in long distance

Bridge scour evaluation based on ambient vibration

The vulnerability of bridges to hazards such as earthquakes, wind and floods necessitates special structural characteristics. To guarantee the stability of bridge structures, the precise evaluation of the scour depth of bridge foundation has recently become an important issue, as most of the unexpected damage to or collapse of bridges has been attributed to hydraulic issues. In this paper, a vibration-based bridge health monitoring system that utilizes only the response of superstructure to rapidly evaluate the embedded depth of a bridge column is proposed. To clarify the complex fluid-solid coupling phenomenon, the effects of embedded depth and water level were first verified through a series of static experiments. A confined finite element model simulated by soil spring effects was then established to illustrate the relationship between the fundamental frequency and the embedded depth. Using the proposed algorithm, the health of the bridge is able to be inferred by processing the ambient vibration response of the superstructure. To implement the proposed algorithm, a SHM prototype system monitoring environmental factors such as temperature, water level, and inclination was developed to support on-line processing. The performance of the proposed system was verified by a series of dynamic bridge scour experiments conducted in a laboratory flume and compared with readings from a water-proof camera. The results showed that using the proposed vibration-based bridge health monitoring system, the embedded depth of bridge column during complex scour processes is able to be reliably calculated

NOVA, a Noncommutative-ring Based Unbalanced Oil and Vinegar Signature Scheme with Key-randomness Alignment

In this paper, we propose a noncommutative-ring based unbalanced oil and vinegar signature scheme with key-randomness alignment: NOVA (Noncommutative Oil and Vinegar with Alignment). Instead of fields or even commutative rings, we show that noncommutative rings can be used for algebraic cryptosystems. At the same or better level of security requirement, NOVA has a much smaller public key than UOV (Unbalanced Oil and Vinegar), which makes NOVA practical in most situations. We use Magma to actually implement and give a detailed security analysis against known major attacks

A Simple Noncommutative UOV Scheme

In this paper, we propose a simple noncommutative-ring based UOV signature scheme with key-randomness alignment: Simple NOVA, which can be viewed as a simplified version of NOVA[48]. We simplify the design of NOVA by skipping the perturbation trick used in NOVA, thus shortens the key generation process and accelerates the signing and verification. Together with a little modification accordingly, this alternative version of NOVA is also secure and may be more suitable for practical uses. We also use Magma to actually implement and give a detailed security analysis against known major attacks

Molecular population genetics and gene expression analysis of duplicated CBF genes of Arabidopsis thaliana

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>CBF/DREB </it>duplicate genes are widely distributed in higher plants and encode transcriptional factors, or CBFs, which bind a DNA regulatory element and impart responsiveness to low temperatures and dehydration.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We explored patterns of genetic variations of <it>CBF1, -2</it>, and -<it>3 </it>from 34 accessions of <it>Arabidopsis thaliana</it>. Molecular population genetic analyses of these genes indicated that <it>CBF2 </it>has much reduced nucleotide diversity in the transcriptional unit and promoter, suggesting that <it>CBF2 </it>has been subjected to a recent adaptive sweep, which agrees with reports of a regulatory protein of <it>CBF2</it>. Investigating the ratios of K_a/K_sbetween all paired <it>CBF </it>paralogus genes, high conservation of the AP2 domain was observed, and the major divergence of proteins was the result of relaxation in two regions within the transcriptional activation domain which was under positive selection after <it>CBF </it>duplication. With respect to the level of <it>CBF </it>gene expression, several mutated nucleotides in the promoters of <it>CBF3 </it>and <it>-1 </it>of specific ecotypes might be responsible for its consistently low expression.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We concluded from our data that important evolutionary changes in <it>CBF1, -2</it>, and -<it>3 </it>may have primarily occurred at the level of gene regulation as well as in protein function.</p

Damage Detection of Structures Identified with Deterministic-Stochastic Models Using Seismic Data

A deterministic-stochastic subspace identification method is adopted and experimentally verified in this study to identify the equivalent single-input-multiple-output system parameters of the discrete-time state equation. The method of damage locating vector (DLV) is then considered for damage detection. A series of shaking table tests using a five-storey steel frame has been conducted. Both single and multiple damage conditions at various locations have been considered. In the system identification analysis, either full or partial observation conditions have been taken into account. It has been shown that the damaged stories can be identified from global responses of the structure to earthquakes if sufficiently observed. In addition to detecting damage(s) with respect to the intact structure, identification of new or extended damages of the as-damaged counterpart has also been studied. This study gives further insights into the scheme in terms of effectiveness, robustness, and limitation for damage localization of frame systems

Food Supplement 20070721-GX May Increase CD34+ Stem Cells and Telomerase Activity

Few rejuvenation and antiaging markers are used to evaluate food supplements. We measured three markers in peripheral blood to evaluate the antiaging effects of a food supplement containing placental extract. Samples were evaluated for CD34+ cells, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), and telomerase activity, which are all markers related to aging. To control the quality of this food supplement, five active components were monitored. In total, we examined 44 individuals who took the food supplement from 1.2 months to 23 months; the average number of CD34+ cells was almost 6-fold higher in the experimental group compared with the control group. Food supplement intake did not change serum IGF1 levels significantly. Finally, the average telomerase activity was 30% higher in the subjects taking this food supplement. In summary, our results suggest that the placental extract in the food supplement might contribute to rejuvenation and antiaging

Experimental study on seismic vibration control of stockers in wafer and LCD panel fabs

Automated stocker system is widely used in semiconductor and liquid crystal display (LCD) industries for handling and storage of valuable wafers or glass panels. Massive front opening unified pods (foups) containing wafers, or cassettes storing glass panels, are placed in shelf stockers during manufacturing. Although several preventative measures have been taken, during the past earthquakes, substantial financial loss from the industries were reported, and one of the main causes was attributed to collision of the foups or cassettes and shake off from the shelfs. This paper proposes a methodology of incorporating viscous fluid dampers into the stokers to mitigate their seismic response. Unlike conventionally been done in buildings where dampers are placed between adjacent stories, it is proposed to install dampers in between the ceiling and top of the stocker. Such configuration utilizes the large velocity at the stocker top under vibration, resulting in smaller damper size, and enables a leverage mechanism that requires smaller damper force to resist the stocker’s vibration. Both shake table tests and simulation of a full-scale stocker under realistic earthquakes have been conducted. Results indicate that both displacement and acceleration responses of the stocker can be significantly reduced, and dynamic response of the stocker under seismic excitations can be well predicted

Effectiveness of influenza vaccination in patients with end-stage renal disease receiving hemodialysis: a population-based study.

BackgroundLittle is known on the effectiveness of influenza vaccine in ESRD patients. This study compared the incidence of hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) between cohorts with and without influenza vaccination.MethodsWe used the insurance claims data from 1998 to 2009 in Taiwan to determine the incidence of these events within one year after influenza vaccination in the vaccine (N = 831) and the non-vaccine (N = 3187) cohorts. The vaccine cohort to the non-vaccine cohort incidence rate ratio and hazard ratio (HR) of morbidities and mortality were measured.ResultsThe age-specific analysis showed that the elderly in the vaccine cohort had lower hospitalization rate (100.8 vs. 133.9 per 100 person-years), contributing to an overall HR of 0.81 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-0.90). The vaccine cohort also had an adjusted HR of 0.85 [95% CI 0.75-0.96] for heart disease. The corresponding incidence of pneumonia and influenza was 22.4 versus 17.2 per 100 person-years, but with an adjusted HR of 0.80 (95% CI 0.64-1.02). The vaccine cohort had lowered risks than the non-vaccine cohort for intensive care unit (ICU) admission (adjusted HR 0.20, 95% CI 0.12-0.33) and mortality (adjusted HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.41-0.60). The time-dependent Cox model revealed an overall adjusted HR for mortality of 0.30 (95% CI 0.26-0.35) after counting vaccination for multi-years.ConclusionsESRD patients with HD receiving the influenza vaccination could have reduced risks of pneumonia/influenza and other morbidities, ICU stay, hospitalization and death, particularly for the elderly