Calibration and validation of a shared space model: case study

Shared space is an innovative streetscape design that seeks minimum separation between vehicle traffic and pedestrians. Urban design is moving toward space sharing as a means of increasing the community texture of street surroundings. Its unique features aim to balance priorities and allow cars and pedestrians to coexist harmoniously without the need to dictate behavior. There is, however, a need for a simulation tool to model future shared space schemes and to help judge whether they might represent suitable alternatives to traditional street layouts. This paper builds on the authors’ previously published work in which a shared space microscopic mixed traffic model based on the social force model (SFM) was presented, calibrated, and evaluated with data from the shared space link typology of New Road in Brighton, United Kingdom. Here, the goal is to explore the transferability of the authors’ model to a similar shared space typology and investigate the effect of flow and ratio of traffic modes. Data recorded from the shared space scheme of Exhibition Road, London, were collected and analyzed. The flow and speed of cars and segregation between pedestrians and cars are greater on Exhibition Road than on New Road. The rule-based SFM for shared space modeling is calibrated and validated with the real data. On the basis of the results, it can be concluded that shared space schemes are context dependent and that factors such as the infrastructural design of the environment and the flow and speed of pedestrians and vehicles affect the willingness to share space

College Enquiry Chatbot Using A.L.I.C.E

Innbsp thisnbsp paper,nbsp anbsp proposalnbsp isnbsp carriednbsp onnbsp tonbsp explainnbsp thenbsp designnbsp ofnbsp anbsp chatnbsp bot specifically tailored as an application which is going to help new students to solvenbsp allnbsp thenbsp problemsnbsp theynbsp facenbsp andnbsp thenbsp questionsnbsp whichnbsp arisesnbsp innbsp their mind during and after the admission . In particular, the proposal investigates the implementation of ALICE chat bot system as an application named as college enquiry chat bot. A keywords-based human-computer dialog system makes it possible that the user could chat with the computer using a natural language, i.e. in English

PENGARUH MODEL PEMBELAJARAN COMPETENCY BASED TRAINING TERHADAP HASIL BELAJAR PEMBUATAN PROTOTYPE PRODUK BARANG/JASA INSTALASI MOTOR LISTRIK PADA SISWA KELAS X1 TITL SMK NEGERI 2 KUPANG

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui: (1) Apakah ada pengaruh model pembelajaranCompetency Based Training terhadap hasil belajar pembuatan prototype produk barang/jasa instalasi motorlistrik pada siswa X1 TITL SMK Negeri 2 Kupang .(2) Sejauh manakah pengaruh model pembeajaranCompetency Based Training terhadap hasil belajar pembuatan prototype produk barang/jasa instalasi motorlistrik pada siswa X1 TITL SMK Negeri 2 Kupang. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian inieksperimen, desain rencangan penelitian yaitu Quasi-Experimental Design. Hasil penelitian menunjukkanbahwa model pembelajaran competency based training berpengaruh sebesar 40,0% dan > (4,762> 2,032) dan P value < α sebesar (0,000 < 0,05), maka dapat disimpulkan bahwa ada pengaruh secarasignifikan antara model pembelajaran competency based training terhadap hasil belajar siswa. Untuk variabelmodel pembelajaran direct learning berpengaruh sebesar 34,6 % dengan nilai > (4,244 > 2,032 ) P value < α sebesar (0,000 < 0,05) maka dapat disimpulkan bahwa ada pengaruh secara signifikan antaramodel pembelajaran direct learning terhadap hasil belajar. Untuk mengetahui sejauh manakah pengaruhmodel pembelajaran competency based training terhadap hasil belajar siswa dapat dilihat dari hasilperhitungan yang telah dilakukan menunjukkan bahwa selisih antara kedua model pembelajaran dalammeningkatkan hasil belajar peserta didik sebesar 5,4%. Sehingga dari hasil pengujian Independent Sample TTest maka diperoleh = 5,053 dan didapatkan nilai = 1.994 dengan df = 70, karena Nilai >(3,362 > 1,994) dengan nilai Signifikansi (2-tailed) sebesar 0,00 < 0,05 maka terdapat perbedaan yangsignifikan antara model pembelajaran competency based training dan model pembelajaran direct learningterhadap hasil belajar siswa

Variations of some blood parameters in rabbit reared under different environmental conditions

High environmental temperature induces physiological stress in rabbits leading to production losses, also because of their quite poor thermoregulation ability. Some consequences of heat stress affect digestive system functions, with impaired appetite, growth and feed conversion, but also with increased disease incidence. These effects can also reflect on the levels of some blood metabolites. Relatively few experimental works are available on the effects of high environmental temperature on the rabbit metabolic profile reared in commercial farms. The aim of this study was to study, in separate experiments, the effects of "fresh" spring and of "hot" summer temperatures on rabbits performance with particular attention to the behaviour of some metabolic parameters and of some aspects of the functionality of the digestive system

Application of FT-IR spectroscopy to analyze casein in cow milk

AbstractInfrared spectrometry is, at present, the most frequently applied methodology for the composition analysis of milk and dairy products. The determination of fat, protein and lactose has been described during recent decades. The introduction of Fourier Transform Infra-red (FT-IR) technology in combination with the application of multi-dimensional procedures (i.e. principal component regression, partial least squares) has improved this methodology, opening new perspectives for the simultaneous and routinely determination of many new parameters such as casein, urea, specific sugars, etc.. The aim of our study was to develop on MilkoScanTM FT 120 (Foss Electric, Hillerod, Denmark) a calibration curve for the analysis of casein in cow milk and to execute a preliminary validation. The calibration curve was developed on 89 individual milk samples collected from 4 dairy herds in the Grana-Padano cheese district. In order to obtain a higher variability of milk protein content and composition, in each herd m..

Hylotrupes bajulus (L.) (Col., Cerambycidae): nutrition and attacked material

Hylotrupes bajulus, attacks softwood utilising the cellulose contained in wood walls as food. The fibre is digested in variable percentages, depending on the type of analysis, 20 to 48% and, according to some authors, without the assistance of intestinal symbiotic microorganisms. Furthermore, there is published work referring to Hylotrupes, concluding that "starch” … “plays no role in the nutrition of the larvae". Nevertheless, considering that attacks of this species decrease with wood seasoning increasing and having been demonstrated, and that “lignin degradation products of spruce wood do not influence larvae development”, it is possible to suppose that cell walls alone are not sufficient to feed this wood boring species. Furthermore, Hylotrupes larvae have chisel shaped mandibles, similar to those of powder post beetle larvae that feed on starch and need to pulverise the wood to access the cellular content. Preliminary research suggests an utilization of wood fibre as well as of starch by larvae of H. bajulus. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to test the degree of digestion of wood fibre from different sources (sapwood or heartwood) and the possible role of symbiotic microorganisms. Larvae of H. bajulus were grown on synthetic diets made of purified wood fibre and/or starch as main components supplied with mineral and vitamin. Substrates and frass were analysed for fibre fractions, starch and acid insoluble ash, the latter used as an indigestible marker. Larvae purified DNA was analysed by means of metagenomics approaches carried out by direct retrieval and analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences free of cultural bias in order to discover the bacterial diversity from larva alimentary channel alone. Larvae of H. bajulus seem be able to digest either fibre or starch, and a role for symbiotic bacteria is supposed. Keywords: Cellulose, Starch, Frass, Mouth apparatus, Mandibl

Selenium-containing enzymes in mammals: chemical perspectives

The chemical and biochemical route to the synthesis of the 21st amino acid in living systems, selenocysteine, is described. The incorporation of this rare amino acid residue into proteins is described with emphasis on the role of monoselenophosphate as selenium source. The role of selenocysteine moiety in natural mammalian enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), iodothyronine deiodinase (ID) and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) is highlighted and the effect of other amino acid residues located in close proximity to selenocysteine is described. It is evident from various studies that two amino acid residues, tryptophan and glutamine, appear in identical positions in all known members of the GPx family. According to the three-dimensional structure established for bovine GPx, these residues could constitute a catalytic triad in which the selenol group of the selenocysteine is both stabilized and activated by hydrogen bonding with the imino group of the tryptophan (Trp) residue and with the amido group of the glutamine (Gln) residue. The ID enzymes, on the other hand, do not possess any Trp or Gln residues in close proximity to selenium, but contain several histidine residues, which may play important roles in the catalysis. The TrxR enzymes also possess some basic histidines, but the most important amino acid residues are the cysteines which constitute the internal cofactor systems along with the catalytically active selenocysteine. The catalytic activity and substrate specificity of all three selenoenzymes are described. The reactivity of selenocysteine residues in selenoenzymes towards metal-based drugs such as goldthioglucose is also described

Oral clonidine: an effective adjuvant in functional endoscopic sinus surgery

Background: A comparative study to evaluate the efficacy of intravenous Dexmedetomidine as a hypotensive agent in comparison to oral Clonidine in Endoscopic Nasal Surgery or Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS).Methods: Forty patients ASA I or II scheduled for Endoscopic Nasal Surgery were equally randomly assigned to receive either dexmedetomidine 1μg/Kg over 10 min before induction of anesthesia followed by 0.5μg/Kg/h infusion during maintenance (Group D), or oral Clonidine (Group C) 2µg/kg with minimal water 1 hour prior starting of surgery. Rescue bolus doses of Propofol (10mg/dose) were given to maintain mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) between (50-70mmHg). General anesthesia was maintained with Isoflurane 1%-2%. The surgical field was assessed using Average Category Scale. Hemodynamic variables (MAP and HR) were recorded at 10 minutes interval.Results: Both group C and group D reached the desired MAP (50-70mmHg) with no intergroup differences in HR but a statistically significant lower MAP was noticed in group C. The quality of the surgical field in the range of MAP (50-70mmHg) were 2-3 as per average category Scale with significantly lower score in Group C. Mean intraoperative propofol consumption was significantly higher in group D than C group.Conclusions: Both Dexmedetomidine or oral clonidine with isoflurane are safe agents for controlled hypotension, but oral clonidine provides lower MAP and better surgical field. Compared with Dexmedetomidine, oral clonidine offers the advantage of less consumption of propofol

Genetic and environmental influences on in vitro digestibility of alfalfa

To study the relationships between in vitro NDF or true dry matter digestibility (NDFD and IVTDMD) and forage fibre content, 95 alfalfa samples from 5 cultivars grown in 3 different locations and from different cuts were analysed for fibre fractions and evaluated for NDFD and IVTDMD. NDFD was mainly influenced by order of cut and age of the fields. The multifoliate cultivar controlled did not appear to differ for fibre composition and NDFD from the other ones. Fibre fractions contents explained a large part of the difference in NDFD and IVTDMD, and no significant differences in this relationships appeared for first-cut vs. aftermath forage. The best predictive equation of NDFD from fibre factions was: NDFD = 73.61 -0.62 * NDF (% DM) – 56.33 * ADL/NDF (R2=0.39). Variations in fibre content and quality do not completely explain differences in NDFD suggesting the interference of other factors that are worth to be better studied