211 research outputs found
Evaluation of Post-license Advanced Driver Training in Italy
No full textAbstractPost-license advanced driver training addresses different categories of road users such as: novice drivers, professional drivers, company employers and recidivists. These training courses can be carried out on-track or on the road. On-track courses allow participants to gain knowledge on driving physics and experience limits in a safe road environment. On-road courses are more focused on hazard perception and situation awareness.Although extensive research has been done in this field, knowledge of the effects of these courses on road accident risk remains unclear. Previous evaluation of on-track courses did not always show a positive effect on crash rate. For example, post-license training focused on mastery of driving skills can lead to an increase of accident risk, especially on young males.However, research identified several factors that may enhance the effectiveness of driving training. In Europe a new framework for driver education and training has been proposed based on a safe driver hierarchical model (the GADGET model) and the development of a strategy for continuous learning.According to this framework, an evaluation study of on-track post-license advanced driver training has been undertaken in Italy with the main goal of assessing the safety effects of these courses and identifying training aspects to be improved. Besides crash rate, the study aims at assessing also driver behavior, knowledge of risks, self-evaluation and training quality.This paper presents the results of the possible effects of advanced driver training on driving behavior, considering in particular the number and type of violations. For each driver, data on age, gender and driving violations history were extracted from the platform and the national violations database.Three cases were addressed through a before-after analysis with control group. Case 1 considers all drivers who attended an ADT course. Case 2 aimed at understanding the effects of the courses on a specific target group: the traffic violators. Case 3 is similar to Case 2, however the control group was selected in a way that drivers characteristics and the violation rate was similar to the violation rate of the treatment group in the before period.The significance of the differences highlighted was assessed through appropriate statistical tests (i.e. paired t-test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test).The study showed in general a higher propensity to commit traffic violations after attending an ADT course. These results are in contrast to what expected and show the necessity to diversify the training classes according to the different needs of participants
A methodology to assess pedestrian crossing safety
No full textPurpose: The safety level of a pedestrian crossing is affected by infrastructure characteristics and vehicular and pedestrian traffic level. This paper presents a methodology that allows assessing the safety level of a pedestrian crossing, regulated or not by traffic light, in an urban area according to the features of the crossing. Methods: A hierarchical structure representing factors influencing crossing safety has been developed and the relative contributions of each factor were calculated using AHP method. A composite index for crossing safety and specific indexes for main aspects included in the assessment have been developed. Results: Main assessment aspects are: Spatial and Temporal Design, Day-time and Night-time Visibility and Accessibility. Night-time Visibility resulted to have the higher weight (about 41%). Conclusion: Developed indexes allow ranking of pedestrian crossings and assigning intervention priorities, highlighting the aspects which are to be enhanced. The methodology has been used for the evaluation of 215 pedestrian crossings in 17 European cities for the Pedestrian Crossing Assessment Project co-financed by FIA Foundation. © 2010 The Author(s)
Strategies to enhance long-term competitiveness in the telecommunications industry : lessons for NTT
No full textThesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2014.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 73-75).In the telecommunications industry, the market is highly global as well as competitive in this era of Internet and data communications. Telecommunications carriers compete with not only other telecommunications carriers providing broadband access and mobile communication but also network application and service providers, which are significant threats for telecommunications carriers. It is difficult for telecommunications carriers to control the market for two significant reasons. Firstly, due to the maturity of technology as well as customers, network services have become commoditized. Secondly, telecommunications network services are vulnerable to over-the-top services based on the Internet. This study aims to investigate how large telecommunications carriers can continue to be competitive in such an environment. This paper focuses on three kinds of strategic options that enable large high-tech companies to continue to make profits; internal R&D, growth and diversification, and M&A. In the second chapter the author focuses on IBM and Cisco, which are good examples of how large companies have evolved over time, combining these three strategies. Then, the use of the three strategies by major telecommunications carriers is investigated. Finally, in the fourth chapter, the author analyzes the future competitiveness of the NTT Group, the major telecommunications carrier in Japan, using these strategies within the next decade.by Shingo Kawai.S.M. in Engineering and Managemen
Accumulation of Tropoelastin by a Short-term Ascorbic Acid Treatment in the Culture Medium of Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells in vitro.
No full textWidespread imiquimod-induced psoriasis like eruption: case report and analysis of mast cell infiltration.
No full textPsoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease that affects over 60 million adults and children worldwide.1 Many genetically innovative and easy-to-use models have been generated to study psoriasiform skin inflammation in mice. Topical application of imiquimod, the agent with immune response modifying activity, is widely used for psoriasis research. A Previous study demonstrated that mast cells (MCs) increase in imiquimod-induced psoriasis in mice.2 Topical application of imiquimod is used to treat actinic keratosis and condyloma acuminatum. Several cases of psoriasis-like eruptions caused by topical imiquimod have been reported. These eruptions are distinct from psoriasis. Moreover, psoriasis-like eruptions observed in areas other than the topical imiquimod site.3 Herein, we report a case of psoriasis like eruptions after topical imiquimod treatment. In previous studies, upregulation in the number and activation of MCs has been found in imiquimod-induced psoriasis in mice. 2 Mast cell infiltration has been found in patients with psoriasis.2 However, mast cell infiltration and the number of MCs in imiquimod-induced psoriasis in humans is unclear. We investigated the number of MCs in our case for a better understanding the mechanism of imiquimod-induced psoriasis like eruption.Tatsuya Katsumi, Ryota Hayashi, Shingo Takei, Manon Okamura, Yuka Tsutsui, Osamu Ansai, Akito Hasegawa, Yu Matsui, Tatsuya Takenouchi, Riichiro Abe, Widespread imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like eruption: case report and analysis of mast cell infiltration, Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, Volume 50, Issue 6, June 2025, Pages 1221–1224, https://doi.org/10.1093/ced/llae527This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Clinical and Experimental Dermatology following peer review.
The version of record, Tatsuya Katsumi, Ryota Hayashi, Shingo Takei, Manon Okamura, Yuka Tsutsui, Osamu Ansai, Akito Hasegawa, Yu Matsui, Tatsuya Takenouchi, Riichiro Abe, “Widespread imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like eruption: case report and analysis of mast cell infiltration,” Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, Volume 50, Issue 6, June 2025, Pages 1221–1224, is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/ced/llae527
<i>Natronolimnohabitans</i>
No full textNa.tro.no.lim.no.ha’bi.tans. Arabic n. natrun or natron, soda, sodium carbonate; Gr. fem. n. limne, lake; L. masc. n. habitans, an inhabitant; N.L. masc. n. Natronolimnohabitans, an organism living in soda lakes.The genus Natronolimnohabitans represents a currently monospecies alkaliphilic haloarchaeon inhabiting hypersaline soda lakes. Initially, the type species was placed in the genus Natronolimnobius mainly based on the phylogenetic relatedness inferred from the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities. However, later on, it was reclassified to the current genus, Natronolimnohabitans, based on the results of more advanced phylogenomic analyses. Cells are rod-shaped and nonmotile. Gram-stain-negative, and red-pigmented. Obligate aerobic, and oxidase- and catalase-positive. Extremely halophilic with a growth Na+ range between 2.5 and 4.5M (optimum at 3.5 M). Cells lyse in less than 0.5M NaCl. Obligately alkaliphilic with a growth pH range between 7.5 to 10.0 (optimum at 9.5). Mesophilic or thermotolerant (optimal growth at 45∘C). Chemoorgano-trophic, utilizing mostly organic acids as carbon and energy source. The major polar lipids are diphytanyl (C20:C20) and phytanyl-sesterterpanyl (C20:C25) diether derivatives of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidylglycero-phosphate methyl ester (PGP-Me). The major respiratory quinones are MK-8 and MK-8(H2). Isolates have been obtained from soda lakes. DNA G+C content (mol%): 63.1 (HPLC), 64.3 (genome). Type species: Sorokin et al. 2020VP (basonym: Natronolimnobius innermongolicus Itoh et al. 2005, VL105).Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work publicBT/Environmental Biotechnolog
Bose–Einstein condensation in the Rindler space
No full textAbstractBased on the Unruh effect, we calculate the critical acceleration of the Bose–Einstein condensation in a free complex scalar field at finite density in the Rindler space. Our model corresponds to an ideal gas performing constantly accelerating motion in a Minkowski space–time at zero-temperature, where the gas is composed of the complex scalar particles and it can be thought to be in a thermal-bath with the Unruh temperature. In the accelerating frame, the model will be in the Bose–Einstein condensation state at low acceleration; on the other hand, there will be no condensation at high acceleration by the thermal excitation brought into by the Unruh effect. Our critical acceleration is the one at which the Bose–Einstein condensation begins to appear in the accelerating frame when we decrease the acceleration gradually. To carry out the calculation, we assume that the critical acceleration is much larger than the mass of the particle
Management of Road Infrastructure Safety
No full textAbstractRoad Infrastructure Safety Management (RISM) refers to a set of procedures that support a road authority in decision making related to the improvement of safety on a road network. Some of these procedures can be applied to existing infrastructure, thus enabling a reactive approach; and other procedures are used in early stages of a project's life-cycle allowing a proactive approach. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the most well-known procedures and present a series of recommendations for successful road infrastructure safety management. The work described in the paper was completed by the IRTAD sub-working group on Road Infrastructure Safety Management and presented in detail in the respective Report.The methodology followed on this purpose included the description of the most consolidated RISM procedures, the analysis of the use of RISM procedures worldwide and the identification of possible weaknesses and barriers to their implementation, the provision of good practice examples and the contribution to the scientific assessment of procedures.Specifically, the following RISM procedures were considered: Road Safety Impact Assessment (RIA), Efficiency Assessment Tools (EAT), Road Safety Audit (RSA), Network Operation (NO), Road Infrastructure Safety Performance Indicators (SPI), Network Safety Ranking (NSR), Road Assessment Programs (RAP), Road Safety Inspection (RSI), High Risk Sites (HRS) and In-depth Investigation. Each procedure was described along with tools and data needed for its implementation as well as relevant common practices worldwide. A synthesis summarizing the key information for each procedure was also drafted.Based on a survey on 23 IRTAD member countries from worldwide, the lack of resources or tools is the most commonly stated reason for not applying a RISM procedure. This has been frequently found mainly in European countries. Another common reason is the absence of recommendations/guidelines, especially for SPI, RAP, RSI and RSA. This highlights the importance of the presence of some legislation regulating the application of the procedures. Lack of data was found important mainly for SPI, HRS and EAT.Good practices of road infrastructure safety management have been explored in order to find solutions to the issues highlighted by the survey and provide examples about how these issues have been overcome in some countries. Specifically, issues related to data, legal framework, funding, knowledge, tools and dealing with more RISM procedures were addressed.Finally, nine key messages and six recommendations for better Road Infrastructure Safety Management were developed based on the conclusions made
Accumulation of Elafin in Actinic Elastosis of Sun-Damaged Skin: Elafin Binds to Elastin and Prevents Elastolytic Degradation
No full textElafin has a primary structure with two functional domains; a transglutaminase substrate domain at the N-terminus and a protease inhibitor domain at the C-terminus. Elafin expression has so far been reported only for epithelial tissues. Accumulation of elafin was immunohistochemically detected in the actinic elastosis of sun-damaged skin. Exposure of normal skin to UVA induced elafin expression that colocalized with elastic fibers. Incubation of synthetic transglutaminase substrate domain of elafin and elastin molecules in the presence of tissue transglutaminase in vitro resulted in the formation of a higher molecular complex on SDS-PAGE. Elafin expression was not detected in normal cultured skin fibroblasts, but was induced by UVA irradiation at both messengerRNA and protein levels. When radiolabeled insoluble elastin was incubated with recombinant full-length elafin and tissue transglutaminase, insoluble elastin became more resistant to neutrophil elastase digestion. These results indicate that (1) dermal fibroblasts potentially express elafin on UV irradiation, (2) UV-mediated elafin interacts with elastin, and (3) the elafin–elastin complex protects elastic fibers from elastolytic degradation, leading to the accumulation of elastic fibers in the actinic elastosis of sun-damaged skin. The transglutaminase substrate moiety of elafin plays an important role in anchoring elafin at its proper sites of action during UV-induced aging processes
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