A fuzzy multicriteria evaluation system for the assessment of tunnels vis-à-vis surface roads: the WPMA case—part II

The Fuzzy Multicriteria Evaluation System (FUMES) is applied on a real evaluation problem such as the Western Peripheral Motorway of Athens (WPMA). The lack of a formal development model of the study area suggested an evaluation strategy, which is characterized by the high uncertainty of the evaluation environment. This has resulted in using judgments when quantitative information on the performance of the tunnel or the surface road was not available. It also resulted in employing a relatively large number of alternative scenarios to deal with the different policy goals. The attempted impact analysis generated crisp and fuzzy scores for each competing alternative. The different scenarios under which the various alternatives were evaluated are of two types: socio-economic and policy scenarios. Subsequently, the criteria weights were computed using the Fuzzy Hierarchical Analysis and the different CBA and MCA methods were applied. Finally, the output of the evaluation determined that the surface road is the most ‘stable’ solution for all the ‘extrovert’ development scenarios, while the tunnel is more preferable for all the ‘introvert’ development scenarios.     

Developing a pragmatic evaluation of ICTs for older adults with cognitive impairment at scale: the IN LIFE experience

Implementing information and communications technology (ICT) at scale requires evaluation processes to capture the impact on users as well as the infrastructure into which it is being introduced. For older adults living with cognitive impairment, this requires evaluation that can accommodate different levels of cognitive impairment, alongside input from family and formal caregivers, plus stakeholder organisations. The European Horizon 2020 project INdependent LIving support Functions for the Elderly (IN LIFE) set out to integrate 17 technologies into a single digital platform for older people living with cognitive impairment plus their families, care providers and stakeholders. The IN LIFE evaluation took place across six national pilot sites to examine a number of variables including impact on the users, user acceptance of the individual services and the overall platform, plus the economic case for the IN LIFE platform. The results confirmed the interest and need among older adults, family caregivers, formal caregivers and stakeholders, for information and communications technology (ICT). Relative to the baseline, quality of life improved and cognition stabilised; however, there was an overall reluctance to pay for the platform. The findings provide insights into existing barriers and challenges for adoption of ICT for older people living with cognitive impairment.

     

Thirty one-year durability of a Starr-Edwards aortic prosthesis

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic diagnosis of short segments of Barrett's epithelium (SSBE)' is difficult and its meaning in terms of the presence of specialised columnar epithelium (SCE) has not been prospectively evaluated. AIMS: To evaluate the prevalence of SCE in patients with an endoscopic diagnosis of SSBE and in individuals with normal appearing oesophagogastric junctions, and to compare the clinical characteristics of these two groups. PATIENTS: Thirty one patients with an endoscopic diagnosis of short Barrett's oesophagus, less than 3 cm in length (group A), and 44 consecutive patients with normal appearing oesophagogastric junctions (group B). METHODS: Multiple biopsies were performed in suspicious epithelium and at the oesophagogastric junction in groups A and B, respectively. RESULTS: Age and sex distribution were similar in both groups. Reflux symptoms were more frequent in group A (p < 0.001), as were endoscopic and histological signs of oesophagitis (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). SCE was found in 61.3% of group A patients compared with 25% in group B (p < 0.002), with men predominating in group A while women were more frequent in group B (p = 0.02). The differences in reflux symptoms and endoscopic/histological oesophagitis remained significant. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that endoscopic diagnosis of SSBE is associated with a high prevalence of SCE, significantly higher than that found in normal appearing oesophagogastric junctions. Differences between patients with SCE in the two groups suggest they may represent two different entities.     

DRIVABILITY: a new concept for modelling driving performance

Various types of driver models have been proposed in the literature, such as taxonomic, functional, and motivational. Recently, the promising Michon model was extended, leading to the widely used GADGET matrix. Nevertheless, the correlation of such models to actual road accidents and their causes has so far been weak. In addition, the use of those models for predicting driver behavioural adaptation has not proven feasible. This paper introduces a new concept for modelling driver's performance, that of DRIVABILITY. DRIVABILITY is defined as a combination of permanent and temporary factors that affect a driver's performance. Furthermore, this paper proposes a DRIVABILITY index and a methodology to measure it, in order to move from over-simplistic, hierarchical modelling to a multi-dimensional sphere. The usability of the newly proposed concept is shown through its application in three different example cases, including a system monitoring driver hypovigilance, a system for driver basic training, and an elderly driver's assessment scheme.     

Beyond Microcystins: Cyanobacterial Extracts Induce Cytoskeletal Alterations in Rice Root Cells

Microcystins (MCs) are cyanobacterial toxins and potent inhibitors of protein phosphatases 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A), which are involved in plant cytoskeleton (microtubules and F-actin) organization. Therefore, studies on the toxicity of cyanobacterial products on plant cells have so far been focused on MCs. In this study, we investigated the effects of extracts from 16 (4 MC-producing and 12 non-MC-producing) cyanobacterial strains from several habitats, on various enzymes (PP1, trypsin, elastase), on the plant cytoskeleton and H₂O₂ levels in Oryza sativa (rice) root cells. Seedling roots were treated for various time periods (1, 12, and 24 h) with aqueous cyanobacterial extracts and underwent either immunostaining for α-tubulin or staining of F-actin with fluorescent phalloidin. 2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) staining was performed for H₂O₂ imaging. The enzyme assays confirmed the bioactivity of the extracts of not only MC-rich (MC+), but also MC-devoid (MC−) extracts, which induced major time-dependent alterations on both components of the plant cytoskeleton. These findings suggest that a broad spectrum of bioactive cyanobacterial compounds, apart from MCs or other known cyanotoxins (such as cylindrospermopsin), can affect plants by disrupting the cytoskeleton.     

Release mechanisms of semipolar solutes from poly(dimethylsiloxane) elastomers: Effect of a hydrophilic additive

The release profiles of three xanthine derivatives from matrices of pure poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), and the effect of incorporating 10% w/w polyethylene glycol (PEG)?3000 in the matrix are presented. Theobromine (TBR), theophylline (TPL), and caffeine (CAF), although structurally very similar, are characterized by different physicochemical properties. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy measurements indicate different physical interactions with the polymeric matrices. The observed rates of release from pure PDMS matrices loaded at 0.065 g/g with each one of the drugs increase in the order TBR < TPL < CAF. The same order holds for the corresponding permeabilities derived from the release kinetic data. The slopes of the release curves versus the square root of time were linearly correlated to the square root of calculated solubilities in the polymer, as expected by the Higuchi equation for diffusive transport of solutes of the same diffusivity. The incorporation of 10% w/w PEG in the PDMS matrix accelerates the release rate of each drug, because of the concurrent water uptake induced by the hydrophilic additive. The extent of the corresponding permeability enhancement for theophylline was close to that predicted by the Maxwell equation for a composite two‐phase system, consisting of a PDMS continuous phase characterized by a much lower permeability than that of the fully swollen PEG dispersed phase. The corresponding enhancement of permeability was higher for TBR and lower for CAF. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40782.