A Methodology for the Identification of Helicopter Mathematical Models From Flight Data Based on the Frequency Domain

There is considerable need for the application of system identification techniques to helicopters. These include their use in the validation and improvement of existing theoretical flight-mechanics models, and for development flight testing. In both cases, estimates of stability and control parameters are sought. Most applications of system identification techniques to helicopters have involved time-domain methods which use reduced-order mathematical models representing six-degrees-of-freedom rigid-body motion. In this document, an identification methodology which uses the frequency-domain to obtain estimates of the stability and control parameters is advocated

EELS at very high energy losses

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) has been investigated in the range from 2 to >10 keV using an optimized optical coupling of the microscope to the spectrometer to improve the high loss performance in EELS. It is found that excellent quality data can now be acquired up until about 5 keV, suitable for both energy loss near edge structure (ELNES) studies of oxidation and local chemistry, and potentially useful for extended energy loss fine structure (EXELFS) studies of local atomic ordering. Examples studied included oxidation in Zr, Mo and Sn, and the ELNES and EXELFS of the Ti-K edge. It is also shown that good quality electron energy-loss spectroscopy can even be performed for losses above 9.2 keV, the energy loss at which the collection angle becomes ‘infinite’, and this is demonstrated using the tungsten L3 edge at about 10.2 keV

Food Superstores, Food Deserts and Traffic Generation in the UK: A Semi-Parametric Regression Approach

This study contributes another route towards explaining and tackling ‘food desert’ effects. It features the estimation of a (semi-parametric) trip attraction model for food superstores in the UK using a composite dataset. The data comprises information from the UK Census of Population, the NOMIS (National Online Manpower Information System) archive and traffic and site-specific data from the TRICS (Trip Rate Information Computer System) databases. The results indicate that traffic to a given food superstore, ceteris paribus, increases with household car ownership, store parking provision, site size (floor space), and distance to the nearest competitor. Furthermore, increases in public transport provision are shown to be associated with increasing car trips. This latter effect is discussed in the light of planning policy for development control purposes and a role linked to the reinforcement of ‘food deserts’. The results also reveal activity-specific household economies of scope and scale. It is suggested how these may also further perpetuate unsustainable development and ‘food desert’ characteristics.Traffic Generation, Food Superstores, Food Deserts, Activity Based Travel, Sustainable Development, Modelling

Developing clinical guidelines: a challenge to current methods.

Current methods for producing clinical guidelines are cumbersome and not always reliable. Could a more streamlined approach improve coverage and make decisions more transparent

Prognostic Value of Computed Tomography : Measured Parameters of Body Composition in Primary Operable Gastrointestinal Cancers

Professor Graeme Murray, Department of Pathology, University of Aberdeen provided us access to the colorectal cancer pathology databases from which the colorectal component of the research was based. Conflict of interest There are no conflicts of interest.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Using the personal taxation regime to encourage modal shift : an international review

Correctly pricing transport behavior to take account of the ‘external’ costs such as congestion, emissions and congestion imposed on society by excessive car use has long been a tenet of effective Transportation Demand Management. But while policy makers have striven to increase public transport subsidies, raise petrol taxes, and introduce road user charging schemes to change the price of car travel, the wider influences of the personal tax regime has had relatively little attention. This paper is a review of reforms to the personal tax regime to favor more environmentally benign forms of travel and, in particular, to encourage employers to take part in TDM-type programs. The results reported are based on work undertaken for the UK Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, and the Inland Revenue. In addition to reporting the British situation, it also outlines how this same process has been approached in the United States, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Norway, and at how successful they have been thus far with respect to TDM objectives. It then draws conclusions as to which direction policy makers could aim for the future

Myeloid conditioning with c-kit-targeted CAR-T cells enables donor stem cell engraftment

We report a novel approach to bone marrow (BM) conditioning using c-kit-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T (c-kit CAR-T) cells in mice. Previous reports using anti-c-kit or anti-CD45 antibody linked to a toxin such as saporin have been promising. We developed a distinctly different approach using c-kit CAR-T cells. Initial studies demonstrated in vitro killing of hematopoietic stem cells by c-kit CAR-T cells but poor expansion in vivo and poor migration of CAR-T cells into BM. Pre-treatment of recipient mice with low-dose cyclophosphamide (125 mg/kg) together with CXCR4 transduction in the CAR-T cells enhanced trafficking to and expansion in BM (\u3c1%-13.1%). This resulted in significant depletion of the BM c-ki

Collegiate Athletes’ Perceptions of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment

Introduction. Many published studies have examined the effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), but none has evaluated its role in treating collegiate athletes. The authors examined collegiate athletes’ perception of OMT. Methods. A cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of 592 collegiate athletes was conducted from two universities in the midwestern United States during August-September 2019. The athletes completed a 12-item survey during pre-participation physical evaluations at their respective institutions. Main outcome measures included pain, need for pain medication, stress and anxiety associated with injuries, and overall satisfaction with the OMT in recovery and return to sports. Fisher’s exact test was used to evaluate association between the variables. Results. The participation rate was 80.6% (477/592). Slightly fewer than 7% (31/477) of the athletes were familiar with OMT. Eighteen of the 31 athletes (58.1%) had received osteopathic manipulation as part of a treatment plan for injury. Of these athletes, 94.4% (17/18) reported a decreased need for pain medication and 83.3% (15/18) had reduced stress and anxiety related to their injury. One in three of them expressed interest in receiving osteopathic manipulation as a treatment option for an injury. The athletes reported general satisfaction with OMT in their recovery and return to sports. Conclusion. The findings demonstrated the interest and benefits of OMT among collegiate athletes. This evidence supported previous findings about perceived efficacy of OMT in treating patients regardless of injury and diagnosis. Future studies need to establish causal relationship among OMT, stress and anxiety, pain, and use of pain medications

The EVIDENCE project: Origins, review findings and prospects for enhanced urban transport appraisal and evaluation in the future

The EVIDENCE project1 sets out to provide objective, robust information to support local and European policy initiatives seeking a substantial change in the flow of funding towards sustainable urban transport investments. In particular it has focussed on EU funding for transport in cities delivered through the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) process – a European program crucial to helping newer member states deliver sustainable mobility in their cities. Whilst delivering more sustainable urban mobility is a policy objective of the EU, many of those involved in such endeavours report that they are in need of more information about the range of interventions and packages of interventions available to them. In particular they need to know more about the economic benefits of sustainable urban mobility choices, as local politicians and other stakeholders see an important role for mobility in supporting their local economies, and hitherto the ‘received wisdom’ has often asserted that it is primarily car and lorry-oriented transport investment that delivers the prosperity they seek.In response to the need to address such perceptions, EVIDENCE has looked for and assessed existing evidence for economic benefits arising from sustainable mobility implementations arising from twenty-two different categories of measures typically found in SUMPs (see Table 1 below). Most of the twenty-two include multiple, related interventions and reflect the types of demonstration initiative delivered through Europe urban mobility programmes, such as CIVITAS. However, the sources drawn upon in collating the evidence are much wider than those arising from European projects. Literature searching by the research team drew upon academic journals and books, and reports from government and other agencies across the globe. For this reason, the potentially-relevant body of evidence would cover thousands of documents. Clearly, a single, small research team working for a year could not review every item in detail. However, a selection process (see Shergold & Parkhurst, 2016) sought to ensure that the sources which were both important in terms of their evidence and complied with internationally-accepted standards of robust evaluation methodology were included. In practice, this process resulted in a larger body of core sources in respect of some measures than others. Indeed, a sufficient quantity of relevant, high quality evidence was not found in every case