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Vehicular traffic is endlessly increasing everywhere in the world and can cause terrible traffic congestion at intersections. Most of the traffic lights today feature a fixed green light sequence, therefore the green light sequence is determined without taking the presence of the emergency vehicles into account. Therefore, emergency vehicles such as ambulances, police cars, fire engines, etc. stuck in a traffic jam and delayed in reaching their destination can lead to loss of property and valuable lives. This paper presents an approach to schedule emergency vehicles in traffic. The approach combines the measurement of the distance between the emergency vehicle and an intersection using visual sensing methods, vehicle counting and time sensitive alert transmission within the sensor network. The distance between the emergency vehicle and the intersection is calculated for comparison using Euclidean distance, Manhattan distance and Canberra distance techniques. The experimental results have shown that the Euclidean distance outperforms other distance measurement techniques. Along with visual sensing techniques to collect emergency vehicle information, it is very important to have a Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol to deliver the emergency vehicle information to the Traffic Management Center (TMC) with less delay. Then only the emergency vehicle is quickly served and can reach the destination in time. In this paper, we have also investigated the MAC layer in WSNs to prioritize the emergency vehicle data and to reduce the transmission delay for emergency messages. We have modified the medium access procedure used in standard IEEE 802.11p with PE-MAC protocol, which is a new back off selection and contention window adjustment scheme to achieve low broadcast delay for emergency messages. A VANET model for the UTMS is developed and simulated in NS-2. The performance of the standard IEEE 802.11p and the proposed PE-MAC is analysed in detail. The NS-2 simulation results have shown that the PE-MAC outperforms the IEEE 802.11p in terms of average end-to-end delay, throughput and energy consumption. The performance evaluation results have proven that the proposed PE-MAC prioritizes the emergency vehicle data and delivers the emergency messages to the TMC with less delay compared to the IEEE 802.11p. The transmission delay of the proposed PE-MAC is also compared with the standard IEEE 802.15.4, and Enhanced Back-off Selection scheme for IEEE 802.15.4 protocol [EBSS, an existing protocol to ensure fast transmission of the detected events on the road towards the TMC] and the comparative results have proven the effectiveness of the PE-MAC over them. Furthermore, this research work will provide an insight into the design of an intelligent urban traffic management system for the effective management of emergency vehicles and will help to save lives and property.

The objective of this narrative review is to study the impact of pregnancy and childbirth on pelvic floor function as assessed by objective measurement techniques with quantitative data carried out during pregnancy and after childbirth. A literature search in MEDLINE and relevant and up-to-date journals from 1960 until April 2017 was performed for articles dealing with the impact of pregnancy and childbirth on pelvic floor function as assessed by objective measurement methods. Only studies describing objective measurement techniques. i.e., urodynamics, ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) system, and neurophysiologic tests carried out throughout pregnancy and after childbirth are included. Relevant studies presenting objective quantitative data are analyzed and briefly summarized. The number of studies meeting selection criteria was relatively few. Pregnancy, especially first pregnancy, is associated bladder neck lowering, increased bladder neck mobility, pelvic organ descent, decreased levator ani strength, and decreased urethral resistance. These changes are accentuated after vaginal delivery. Data on the impact of obstetrical and neonatal variables are transient and seem of less importance. Cesarean delivery is not completely protective. In most women, pelvic floor muscle function recovers in the year after delivery. Objective measurement techniques during pregnancy may allow identification of women susceptible to pelvic floor dysfunction later in life and offer the opportunity for counseling and preventive treatment strategies.

The present paper outlines characteristics of thoron and its progeny in the indoor environment. Since the half-life of thoron (220Rn) is very short (55.6 s), its behavior is quite different from the isotope radon (222Rn, half-life 3.8 days) in the environment. Analyses of radon and lung cancer risk have revealed a clearly positive relationship in epidemiological studies among miners and residents. However, there is no epidemiological evidence for thoron exposure causing lung cancer risk. In contrast to this, a dosimetric approach has been approved in the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 137, from which new dose conversion factors for radon and thoron progenies can be obtained. They are given as 16.8 and 107 nSv (Bq m−3 h)−1, respectively. It implies that even a small quantity of thoron progeny will induce higher radiation exposure compared to radon. Thus, an interest in thoron exposure is increasing among the relevant scientific communities. As measurement technologies for thoron and its progeny have been developed, they are now readily available. This paper reviews measurement technologies, activity levels, dosimetry and resulting doses. Although thoron has been underestimated in the past, recent findings have revealed that reassessment of risks due to radon exposure may need to take the presence of thoron and its progeny into account.

This paper presents a novel technique for the mass flow rate determination of particulate solids called the “Sliding Mass Technique”. The mass flow rate is a measure of the mass of a substance that passes through a given cross-sectional area per unit time. Its calculation requires simultaneous detection of the concentration and velocity of the Material Under Test. A novel measurement technique is designed for determining the concentration of the mass flow without the necessity for density evaluation. The mass flow rate is determined by fusing the established concentration results with velocity results obtained from “Microwave Spatial Filtering Velocimetry”. A new metamaterial-based mass flow sensor for particulate solids was designed, realized and measured in an industrial environment. A Software-Defined Radio (Ettus Research™’s USRP B210) was utilized as a sensor electronic system for DAQ purposes. A MATLAB app was developed to operate the SDR. Measurements were carried out on-site using a state-of-the-art wood pellet heating system with wood pellets with different moisture contents. The measurement results were found to be in very good agreement with the expected results, which strengthens the feasibility of this newly proposed measurement technique.

We report here on the radiocarbon performance on the AARAMS HVE 1MV Tandetron. 14C analysis is carried out in charge state 2+. We have avoided Li interference by appropriate settings of the high-energy electrostatic analyzer and the 30° second high-energy magnet. The 14C machine background is determined using unprocessed graphite, which yielded 58,650±2032 14C yr determined as the average and standard deviation of four measurements. International standards, which are used to monitor the long-term performance of the 14C measurements, agree with the reported consensus values.

In this paper, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array)-based digital architecture for the measurement of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) oscillating frequency of transient responses, i.e., in QCM-D (QCM and Dissipation) applications, is presented. The measurement system is conceived for operations in liquid, with short QCM transient responses due to the large mechanical load. The proposed solution allows for avoiding the complex processing systems typically required by the QCM-D techniques and grants frequency resolutions better than 1 ppm. The core of the architecture is a reciprocal digital frequency meter, combined with the preprocessing of the QCM signal through mixing operations, such as a step-down of the input frequency and reducing the measurement error. The measurement error is further reduced through averaging. Different strategies are proposed to implement the proposed measurement solution, comprising an all-digital circuit and mixed analog/digital ones. The performance of the proposed architectures is theoretically derived, compared, and analyzed by means of experimental data obtained considering 10 MHz QCMs and 200 μs long transient responses. A frequency resolution of about 240 ppb, which corresponds to a Sauerbrey mass resolution of 8 ng/cm2, is obtained for the all-digital solution, whereas for the mixed solution the resolution halves to 120 ppb, with a measurement time of about one second over 100 repetitions.

We have developed a system for simultaneous measurement of the electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient for thermoelectric samples in the temperature region of 300 K to 1000 K. The system features flexibility in sample dimensions and easy sample exchange. To verify the accuracy of the setup we have referenced our system against the NIST standard reference material 3451 and other setups and can show good agreement. The developed system has been used in the search for a possible high-temperature Seebeck standard material. FeSi 2 emerges as a possible candidate, as this material combines properties typical of thermoelectric materials with large-scale fabrication, good spatial homogeneity, and thermal stability up to 1000 K.

This brief review will discuss the current knowledge on the origin and evolution of the nitrogen atmospheres of the icy bodies in the solar system, particularly of Titan, Triton and Pluto. An important tool to analyse and understand the origin and evolution of these atmospheres can be found in the different isotopic signatures of their atmospheric constituents. The 14 N/ 15 N ratio of the N 2 -dominated atmospheres of these bodies serve as a footprint of the building blocks from which Titan, Triton and Pluto originated and of the diverse fractionation processes that shaped these atmospheres over their entire evolution. Together with other measured isotopic and elemental ratios such as 12 C/ 13 C or 36 Ar/N 2 these atmospheres can give important insights into the history of the icy bodies in the solar system, the diverse processes that affect their N 2 -dominated atmospheres, and the therewith connected solar activity evolution. Titan’s gaseous envelope most likely originated from ammonia ices with possible contributions from refractory organics. Its isotopic signatures can yet be seen in the – compared to Earth – comparatively heavy 14 N/ 15 N ratio of 167.7, even though this value slightly evolved over its history due to atmospheric escape and photodissociation of N 2 . The origin and evolution of Pluto’s and Triton’s tenuous nitrogen atmospheres remain unclear, even though it might be likely that their atmospheres originated from the protosolar nebula or from comets. An in-situ space mission to Triton such as the recently proposed Trident mission, and/or to the ice giants would be a crucial cornerstone for a better understanding of the origin and evolution of the icy bodies in the outer solar system and their atmospheres in general. Due to the importance of the isotopic measurements for understanding the origin and evolution of the icy bodies in the solar system, this review will also give a brief discussion on the diverse isotope measurement techniques with a focus on nitrogen.

Purpose The majority of methods for measuring glenoid bone loss in shoulder instability use the best-fit circle following the inferior glenoid rim. However, there is no precise method on how to draw this circle, particularly in case of a missing rim segment. Defining the radius is a source of substantial error. It was hypothesized that there is a relationship between the best-fit inferior circle (inner circle), defined by Sugaya, and the circle tangent to the supra- and infra-glenoid tubercles (outer circle), defined by Itoi, thus allowing a more consistent appreciation of the paleo-glenoid. Methods Ninety-five normal dry scapulae were examined. The specimens were digitally photographed obtaining perpendicular images of the glenoid cavity. Using HOROS® imaging software, a best-fit inferior circle (inner circle) and a second circle fitting the most inferior and superior points of the glenoid (outer circle) were drawn by two investigators. The diameters and areas of the circles were recorded. Two-way random-effects intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to measure intra- and inter-observer agreement. A Bayesian measurement-error regression model was used to determine the relationship between outer and inner circle measurements. Results The mean glenoid height was 35.1 mm and the glenoid width 25.6 mm. The mean diameter of the outer circle was 35.7 ± 4.2 mm and the mean diameter of the inner circle was 26.8 ± 3.2 mm. ICC showed excellent inter- and intra-observer agreement for both the outer circle diameter (ICC ≥ 0.95) and inner circle diameter (ICC ≥ 0.93). The two diameters demonstrated a very strong significant Pearson correlation (0.92, p  < 0.001) and the regression showed excellent model fit R 2  = 0.87. The areas of the two circles were also highly and significantly correlated ( r  = 0.94; p  < 0.001). The ratio of inner circle to outer diameters was 0.74. Conclusion There is a strong correlation between the inner and outer glenoid circle diameters. This study sets the base for the use the combined outer and inner circle and its ratio to better appreciate the paleo-glenoid morphology and thus obtain a more reliable bone loss estimation. Application of this method aids in a more reliable estimation bone loss with potential benefit in surgical decision-making.

Inducing a temperature difference across a conductor causes the generation of an internal electric field owing to the diffusion of carriers from the hotter side to the colder side. This is known as the thermoelectric effect whose origin is the simultaneous transfer of thermal energy and electric charge by the carriers when phonon effects are negligible. In this study, the thermoelectric transport properties were investigated using conventional bulk graphite pencil lead and pencil traces formed by drawing on the alumina plate with the same pencil lead. Two different thermoelectric power measurement techniques—steady-state DC and slowly varying AC—were employed in a single-device setup to systematically examine this phenomenon, demonstrating consistent results. We believe that the thorough verification of thermoelectric power using the two techniques is virtually unique and may provide additional insight into the measurement of elusive thermal transport phenomena emerging from delicate changes in the density of states near the Fermi level in the physics of correlated electrons.