Automating mode detection for travel behaviour analysis by using global positioning systemsenabled mobile phones and neural networks

Travel surveys collect trip data such as origin, destination, mode, duration, distance and purpose of trips, as well as socioeconomic and demographic data for analysis. Transportation planners, policymakers, state departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organisations, industry professionals and academic researchers use survey data to better understand the current demand and performance of the transportation infrastructure, and to plan in preparation for future growth. Next-generation travel surveys will utilise global positioning systems (GPS) to collect trip data with minimal input from survey participants. Owing to their ubiquity, GPS-enabled mobile phones are developing into a promising survey tool. TRAC-IT is a mobile phone application that collects real-time GPS data and requires minimal input from the user for data such as trip purpose, mode and vehicle occupancy. To ease survey burden on participants and enable real-time, modespecific location-based services, new techniques must be explored to derive more information directly from GPS data. As part of travel survey collection, TRAC-IT is able to passively determine trip mode using GPSenabled mobile phones and neural networks. The mode detection technique presented in this article can be optimised using a critical point, pre-processing algorithm to reduce the size of required GPS datasets obtained from GPS-enabled mobile phones, thus reducing data collection costs while conserving precious mobile phone resources such as battery life.     

Intra-pituitary regulation of gonadotrophs in male rodents and primates

Paracrine and autocrine regulation is well established in many organs including the gonads, but the notion of communication among pituitary cells is a relatively new concept. The FSH-beta and GnRH-receptor genes are up-regulated by pituitary activin and down-regulated by pituitary follistatin, and circulating inhibin disrupts this local regulation by functioning as an endogenous competitor of the activin receptor. Activin and follistatin production by folliculostellate cells may play a central role in these responses. alpha-Subunit expression is maintained at high levels in the absence of GnRH through unknown mechanisms. There is evidence that the intra-pituitary regulation of FSH-beta and GnRH-receptor gene expression may activate pubertal maturation in male rats. Finally, there are marked differences in follistatin expression and its regulation by GnRH and androgens in male primates and rats that appear to explain species differences in the differential secretion of FSH and LH, although the physiological significance of these differences is not yet known.     

Scintillation light produced by low-energy beams of highly-charged ions

Measurements have been performed of scintillation light intensities emitted from various inorganic scintillators irradiated with low-energy beams of highly-charged ions from an electron beam ion source (EBIS) and an electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS). Beams of xenon ions Xe^q+ with various charge states between q = 2 and q = 18 have been used at energies between 5 and 17.5 keV per charge generated by the ECRIS. The intensity of the beam was typically varied between 1 and 100 nA. Beams of highly charged residual gas ions have been produced by the EBIS at 4.5 keV per charge and with low intensities down to 100 pA. The scintillator materials used are flat screens of P46 YAG and P43 phosphor. In all cases, scintillation light emitted from the screen surface was detected by a CCD camera. The scintillation light intensity has been found to depend linearly on the kinetic ion energy per time deposited into the scintillator, while up to q = 18 no significant contribution from the ions’ potential energy was found. We discuss the results on the background of a possible use as beam diagnostics, e.g. for the new HITRAP facility at GSI, Germany.     

An interactive framework for personalized computer-assisted neurorehabilitation.

This paper presents the implementation of a framework for computer-assisted neurorehabilitation that intends to address the need for more personalized healthcare technologies. This framework called UniTherapy is applied to home neurorehabilitation for individuals with stroke-induced disability. It supports interactive upper limb assessment and therapy that makes use of mass-marketed force-reflecting joysticks and wheels, as well as some customized therapeutic devices. A novel service-oriented technical infrastructure is presented, which includes a rich menu of performance assessment capabilities and support features that include telerehabilitation links, protocol design, and data analysis tools. Results are presented that demonstrate its potential as a sensor-based assessment tool. User feedback is summarized.     

Construction experiences with SSC collider dipole magnets atFermilab

Full length and short model SSC (Superconducting Super Collider) 50 mm bore dipoles are being built and tested at Fermilab. The mechanical design of these magnets has been determined from experience with the construction of previous superconducting magnets. Construction experience includes coil fabrication, ground insulation, instrumentation, collaring, and yoke assembly. Fabrication techniques are explained, and construction problems and their solutions are reviewed. The relationship of short to long model construction is discussed     

Experimental equalization of polarization dispersion

A demonstration of the equalization of polarization dispersion in a direct-detection lightwave system is described. Polarization-maintaining fiber was used to generate first-order polarization dispersion, and equalization was achieved by a manually adjustable, analog tapped delay line that equalized the baseband electrical signal at the receiver. At a 1.1 Gb/s rate, a two-tap equalizer reduced the intersymbol interference due to polarization dispersion by more than 20 dB, eliminating a 3-dB eye-closure penalty. The error rate was reduced from 10^-6 to below 10^-9     

Influence of cortisol and dexamethasone on estrous behavior of estradiol-treated ovariectomized cows and heifers

Two experiments were conducted with estradiol-treated ovariectomized cows and heifers to determine if cortisol and dexamethasone inhibit estrous behavior. In Experiment 1, eight ovariectomized Holstein cows were subjected to weekly hormonal treatments in a replicated 4 X 4 Latin square. Treatments consisted of 500 micrograms estradiol benzoate and either 0, 40, 80, or 160 mg cortisol. During the 48 h after hormonal injection, 2-h periods of observation were alternated with 2-h periods of no observation. During each observation period, cows were observed continuously for 14 behavioral interactions that increase in frequency at estrus. Percentage of cows exhibiting estrus, interval from injection of hormones to the onset of estrus, duration of estrus, and total numbers of each behavioral interaction were similar for all treatments. In Experiment 2, 10 ovariectomized Holstein heifers were subjected to weekly hormonal treatments in a replicated 5 X 5 Latin square. Treatments consisted of 500 micrograms estradiol benzoate and either 4 mg dexamethasone, 0, 50, 100, or 200 mg cortisol. The estradiol benzoate plus dexamethasone treatment tended to lower the percentage of cattle exhibiting estrus. Interval from injection to onset of estrus, duration of estrus, and total numbers of each behavioral interaction were similar for all treatments. These data indicate that cortisol given with estradiol did not inhibit estrus in ovariectomized cows and heifers, whereas dexamethasone tended to inhibit induced estrus.     

Mania and low self-esteem.

Tested the theory that although bipolar patients do not report low self-esteem, they do possess a cognitive schema of low self-esteem. 16 remitted bipolars (mean age 47.4 yrs), 16 remitted depressives (mean age 42.1 yrs), and 16 normals (mean age 43.4 yrs) completed a self-report battery consisting of the Self-Report Inventory, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and a measure of self-deception. Ss also completed a task designed to assess whether self-esteem influenced inferences about the causes of imagined events. Results show that remitted bipolars scored the same as normals and higher than remitted depressives on self-esteem, and they scored higher than the other groups on both social desirability and self-deception. Remitted bipolars' inferences about the causes of failures resembled those of a depressive, suggesting the presence of a low self-worth schema. Data are consistent with the view that bipolar patients have negative feelings of self that are not revealed on usual self-report inventories. Because remitted depressives showed a depressive attributional style on the inference task, issues concerning the mood dependence of depressive cognitions are discussed. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)