Risk in Transport Investments

We discuss how the standard Cost-Benefit Analysis should be modified in order to take risk (and uncertainty) into account. We propose different approaches used in finance (Value at Risk, Conditional Value at Risk, Downside Risk Measures, and Efficiency Ratio) as useful tools to model the impact of risk in project evaluation. After introducing the concepts, we show how they could be used in CBA and provide some simple examples to illustrate how such concepts can be applied to evaluate the desirability of a new project infrastructure.     

Topology optimization of free vibrating continuum structures based on the element free Galerkin method

In this paper, the topology optimization design of the free vibrating continuum structures is formulated based on the element free Galerkin (EFG) method. Considering the relative density of nodes as design variable, and the maximization of the fundamental eigenvalue as an objective function, the mathematical formulation of the topology optimization model is developed using the solid isotropic microstructures with penalization (SIMP) interpolation scheme. The topology optimization problem is solved by the optimality criteria method. Finally, the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed method are illustrated with several 2D examples that are widely used in the topology optimization design.     

The influence of different centralised pre-packaging systems on the shelf-life of fresh pork

The influence of different centralised pre-packaging systems (PVC, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), 25% CO(2) and 75% O(2), vacuum skin packaging (VSP) and the mother bag concept, 100% CO(2)) on the shelf-life (0, 7, 14 and 21 days at 0°C) of fresh pork was determined using microbiological, colour, odour and acceptability characteristics. All the packaging treatments were equally efficient for the first 4 days of retail display. In the extended shelf-life study (7, 14 and 21 days) the mother bag centralised packaging system gave the most promising shelf-life results (21 days) and was also judged superior in terms of odour. Modified atmosphere packaging (14 days) and VSP (7 days) may be considered as other possible options.     

Operator stress and monitoring practices

This study attempted to identify the major sources of work-related stress among telephone operators, with special emphasis on computer monitoring and telephone surveillance. A cross-sectional random sample of over 700 telephone operators participated in a questionnaire survey (response rate = 88%). The survey included items designed to measure perceived stress, management practices, specific job stressors and monitoring preferences. Call-time pressure items were most strongly linked to job stress by operators, with 70% reporting that difficulty in serving a customer well and still keeping call-time down contributed to their feelings of stress to a large or very large extent. About 55% of operators reported that telephone monitoring contributed to their feelings of job stress. If given the opportunity, 44% of operators stated they would prefer not to be monitored by telephone at all, while 23% stated they would prefer some monitoring; 33% had no preference. The setting of inappropriate individual-call-time objectives, which may be consistently unachievable for some operators and which create conflict between management demands for quantity and quality and also between workers values concerning quality and productivity demands, appears to be the most stress-inducing aspect of the job. In terms of telephone surveillance, the issues of timeliness and specificity of feedback appear to be less important than call-time pressure.     

Deciding bisimilarity is<Emphasis Type="Italic">P</Emphasis>-complete

In finite labelled transition systems the problems of deciding strong bisimilarity, observation equivalence and observation congruence areP-complete under many—oneNC-reducibility. As a consequence, algorithms for automated analysis of finite state systems based on bisimulation seem to be inherently sequential in the following sense: the design of anNC algorithm to solve any of these problems will require an algorithmic breakthrough, which is exceedingly hard to achieve.     

基于样本熵与时频分析的手部抓握运动意图预测

针对上肢外骨骼控制信号产生与外部设备响应存在时间滞后导致脑机接口(BCI)系统实时性差的问题,采集被试手部自主抓握前运动相关皮质电位(MRCP) ,提出基于非线性复杂度特征样本熵 (SampEn)与线性幅值特征融合算法的手部运动意图预测方法. 从时频、神经复杂度分析不同大脑状态之间存在的差异,通过特征融合实现对手部抓握运动意图的预测. 基于特征融合意图离线预测准确率最高可达88.46%,可以在人体手部自主运动发生时刻?1 400 ms实现对手部运动预测. 与平静时期手部静止状态相比,被试产生手部抓握运动意图时脑电信号的功率谱与复杂度均产生明显变化,为基于手部运动意图预测提前驱动机器人实现人机协同提供控制策略.     

激光辐照下反射镜热变形特性分析

激光致反射镜热变形引起光束质量下降是强激光系统优化设计的关注热点.为了在不同反射膜和不同基底的多种材质组合中筛选出热变形最小的情况,对反射镜热变形特性开展了理论分析,讨论了激光参数的影响.首先模拟了不同反射镜的温升和热变形,发现温升和热变形的最大位置始终位于被激光辐照镜面上;然后筛选出热变形最小的镜体组合是镀Ag膜的硅基底反射镜,并且随着入射激光波长的增大,反射镜温升变小,热变形量也减小;激光功率越小,反射镜的温升越低,热变形量越小;激光光斑半径越大,最大热变形量越小.研究结果可以为反射镜的优化设计,以及反射镜的激光损伤等方面提供理论参考.     

不同处理方法对马银花扦插生根特性的影响研究

[目的]选择不同基质和不同浓度的生根剂进行处理,研究不同浓度梯度下生根剂及不同基质对植物生根特性的影响.[方法]以马银花为对象,采用200、400和1000 mg/L浓度梯度的IBA分别进行浸泡和速蘸,并使用河沙:纯黄土=1:2、河沙:纯黄土:泥炭土=2:2:1和纯黄土三种基质进行扦插生根.[结果]不同生长基质和生长调节剂浓度梯度对马银花扦插生根有显著差异.马银花扦插最佳组合为采用400mg/LIBA浓度浸泡8h和采用河沙:纯黄土:泥炭土(2:2:1)为扦插基质,其生根率为49.21％.平均不定根数量最高为9.3条,平均根长为4.67 cm,最长不定根为5.38 cm,生根指数为21.59 cm.[结论]本文研究结果为马银花扩繁技术提供了新的科学依据,对马银花保护和繁育都具有重要的指导意义.     

Therapeutic Potential for Regulation of the Nuclear Factor Kappa-B Transcription Factor p65 to Prevent Cellular Senescence and Activation of Pro-Inflammatory in Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Mesenchymal stem cells have an important potential in the treatment of age-related diseases. In the last years, small extracellular vesicles derived from these stem cells have been proposed as cell-free therapies. Cellular senescence and proinflammatory activation are involved in the loss of therapeutic capacity and in the phenomenon called inflamm-aging. The regulators of these two biological processes in mesenchymal stem cells are not well-known. In this study, we found that p65 is activated during cellular senescence and inflammatory activation in human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell. To demonstrate the central role of p65 in these two processes, we used small-molecular inhibitors of p65, such as JSH-23, MG-132 and curcumin. We found that the inhibition of p65 prevents the cellular senescence phenotype in human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Besides, p65 inhibition produced the inactivation of proinflammatory molecules as components of a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) (interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 (IL-6 and IL-8)). Additionally, we found that the inhibition of p65 prevents the transmission of paracrine senescence between mesenchymal stem cells and the proinflammatory message through small extracellular vesicles. Our work highlights the important role of p65 and its inhibition to restore the loss of functionality of small extracellular vesicles from senescent mesenchymal stem cells and their inflamm-aging signature.