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Assessing the condition of roads is crucial to the maintenance and rehabilitation process as a country's progress is closely linked to its transport infrastructure. Therefore, it is essential to have well-maintained roads and to be able to control and monitor them properly. Technological advancements have transformed the way pavement inspections are carried out. This study presents an innovative approach that combines stereo cameras and a GPS module for efficient and accurate data collection. This integration of low-cost technologies provides a detailed three-dimensional view of pavements, complemented by accurate geospatial information. The experimental results showed that the 3D images of pavement damage had a relative volume measurement error of 0.80 %. Unlike traditional systems such as LIDAR and ground-penetrating radar, which involve more expensive technologies, the proposed method offers a cost-effective solution. This methodology not only simplifies the inspection process but also improves the planning and execution of road maintenance and repair activities. Its low cost makes it a viable option for various projects and applications in road infrastructure.

Abstract Background Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) is an economically and ecologically important fish species in the family Nototheniidae. Juveniles occupy progressively deeper waters as they mature and grow, and adults have been caught as deep as 2500 m, living on or in just above the southern shelves and slopes around the sub-Antarctic islands of the Southern Ocean. As apex predators, they are a key part of the food web, feeding on a variety of prey, including krill, squid, and other fish. Despite its importance, genomic sequence data, which could be used for more accurate dating of the divergence between Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish, or establish whether it shares adaptations to temperature with fish living in more polar or equatorial climes, has so far been limited. Results A high-quality D. eleginoides genome was generated using a combination of Illumina, PacBio and Omni-C sequencing technologies. To aid the genome annotation, the transcriptome derived from a variety of toothfish tissues was also generated using both short and long read sequencing methods. The final genome assembly was 797.8 Mb with a N50 scaffold length of 3.5 Mb. Approximately 31.7% of the genome consisted of repetitive elements. A total of 35,543 putative protein-coding regions were identified, of which 50% have been functionally annotated. Transcriptomics analysis showed that approximately 64% of the predicted genes (22,617 genes) were found to be expressed in the tissues sampled. Comparative genomics analysis revealed that the anti-freeze glycoprotein (AFGP) locus of D. eleginoides does not contain any AFGP proteins compared to the same locus in the Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni). This is in agreement with previously published results looking at hybridization signals and confirms that Patagonian toothfish do not possess AFGP coding sequences in their genome. Conclusions We have assembled and annotated the Patagonian toothfish genome, which will provide a valuable genetic resource for ecological and evolutionary studies on this and other closely related species.

This study evaluates the dynamic performance of a reference footbridge under human–structure interaction (HSI) effects using real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS). The footbridge, designed with precise multi-axial dynamic sensitivity, is tested under pedestrian gait velocities of 1.20, 1.50, and 1.80 m·s−1. The RTHS framework involves an analytical continuous model of the footbridge as a numerical substructure and real human gait loads as the experimental substructure. The results reveal significant dynamic coupling between pedestrian-induced loads and the responses of the structure. Lateral vibrations exhibit a fundamental frequency of approximately 1.0 Hz, whereas vertical vibrations peaked near 2.0 Hz. Dynamic synchronization, particularly at higher gait velocities, amplified the structural vibrations, with lateral loading increasing by up to 300% in the middle span. Vertical loads show substantial amplification and attenuation depending on gait velocity and footbridge location. Lateral accelerations display a dispersion of approximately 15.0%, whereas vertical accelerations showed higher variability, with dispersions reaching up to 20%. The RTHS technique demonstrates high fidelity and accuracy, with global errors below 2.95% and delays of less than 2.10 ms across all evaluated directions. These results emphasize the critical importance of accounting for HSI effects in the design of pedestrian footbridges because human-induced vibrations can significantly impact structural serviceability and user comfort. This study offers important insights into optimizing footbridge design to mitigate the risks of excessive vibrations and ensure both safety and functionality under typical pedestrian loads.

Pedestrian bridges, which are essential in urban and rural infrastructures, are vulnerable to vibrations induced by pedestrian traffic owing to their low mass, stiffness, and damping. This paper presents a novel predictive model of Human-Structure Interaction (HSI) that integrates a three-dimensional biomechanical model of the human body, and a pedestrian bridge represented as a simply supported Euler-Bernoulli beam. Using inverse dynamics, the human model accurately captures three-dimensional gait and its interaction with structural vibrations. The results show that this approach provides precise estimates of human gait kinematics and kinetics, as well as the bridge response under pedestrian loads. The incorporation of a three-dimensional human gait model reflects the changes induced by bridge vibrations, providing a robust tool for evaluating and improving the effect of structural vibrations on the properties and gait patterns.

Abstract Objectives To investigate the risk and prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations of Queensland. Materials and methods Retrospective analysis of data from the Queensland Cancer Registry (QCR) between the years 1982–2018. Main outcome measures were age at diagnosis and cumulative survival to compare the risk and prognosis of oral SCC between the populations. Results 9424 patients with self-declared ethnicity were identified with oral SCC from the QCR, with a male to female ratio of 2.56:1. Of these patients, 9132 were non-Indigenous (96.9%) and 292 Indigenous (3.1%). Indigenous people were significantly younger at diagnosis (mean (SD) age 54.3 (10.1) years), compared to 62.0 (12.1) years in non-Indigenous people. Mean survival in the full cohort was 4.3 years (SD: 5.6), with Indigenous people presenting a significant shorter mean survival of 2.0 years (SD: 3.5) when compared with 4.4 years (SD: 5.7) in non-Indigenous people (p

Introduction A central component in the introduction of a novel surgical procedure or technique is an evaluation of its cost efficiency when compared with a benchmark standard of care. Accurate assessment of costs is thus essential in ensuring appropriate allocation of resources within a healthcare system. The treatment of kidney failure requires a significant volume of resources, and vascular access provision is the main modifiable cost. The costs of providing this service are obscured by generic NHS reference costs, which lack adequate granularity to allow meaningful comparisons between treatments. The aim of this systematic review will be to assess the reporting of procedural costs in all published economic analyses of vascular access surgery and perform a comparison of the reported procedural costs involved in arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and arteriovenous graft (AVG) creation. This will provide an estimate as to the accuracy of the NHS reference costs in this field.Methods and analysis The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines will be followed. A systematic search will be performed of the MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases to identify full-text economic analyses of vascular access for haemodialysis in which the procedural cost of AVF or AVG creation is reported. Publications in English from 1 January 2000 to 30 August 2023, will be eligible for inclusion. Studies will be selected by title and abstract review, followed by a full-text review using inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies not reporting the procedural costs of surgery will be excluded. Data collected will pertain to procedural costs of AVF and AVG creation. Costs will be adjusted to a common currency using a gross domestic product (GDP) deflator index and conversion rates based on purchasing power parities for GDP. Comparison with NHS reference costs will indicate their reliability for use in future economic analyses in this field.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for this systematic review. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.PROSPERO registration number CRD42023458779.

Abstract Oral cancer may arise from oral leukoplakia and oral lichenoid mucositis (oral lichen planus and oral lichenoid lesions) subtypes of oral potentially malignant disorders. As not all patients will develop oral cancer in their lifetime, the availability of malignant transformation predictive platforms would assist in the individualized treatment planning and formulation of optimal follow-up regimens for these patients. Therefore, this study aims to compare and select optimal machine learning (ML)-based models for stratifying the malignant transformation status of patients with oral leukoplakia and oral lichenoid mucositis. One thousand one hundred and eighty-seven patients with oral leukoplakia and oral lichenoid mucositis treated at three tertiary health institutions in Hong Kong, Newcastle UK, and Lagos Nigeria were included in the study. Demographic, clinical, pathological, and treatment-based factors obtained at diagnosis and during follow-up were used to populate and compare forty-six machine learning-based models. These were implemented as a set of twenty-six predictors for centers with substantial data quantity and fifteen predictors for centers with insufficient data. Two best models were selected according to the number of variables. We found that the optimal ML-based risk models with twenty-six and fifteen predictors achieved an accuracy of 97% and 94% respectively following model testing. Upon external validation, both models achieved a sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score of 1, 0.88, and 0.67 on consecutive patients treated after the construction of the models. Furthermore, the 15-predictor ML model for centers with reduced data achieved a higher sensitivity for identifying oral leukoplakia and oral lichenoid mucositis patients that developed malignancies in other treatment settings compared to the binary oral epithelial dysplasia system for risk stratification (0.96 vs 0.82). These findings suggest that machine learning-based models could be useful potentially to stratify patients with oral leukoplakia and oral lichenoid mucositis according to their risk of malignant transformation in different settings.

The introduction of resistant and lightweight materials in the construction industry has led to civil structures being vulnerable to excessive vibrations, particularly in footbridges exposed to human-induced gait loads. This interaction, known as Human–Structure Interaction (HSI), involves a complex interplay between structural vibrations and gait loads. Despite extensive research on HSI, the simultaneous effects of lateral structural vibrations with fundamental frequencies close to human gait frequency (around 1.0 Hz) and wide amplitudes (over 30.0 mm) remain inadequately understood, posing a contemporary structural challenge highlighted by incidents in iconic bridges like the Millennium Bridge in London, Solferino Bridge in Paris, and Premier Bridge in Cali, Colombia. This paper focuses on the experimental exploration of Structure-to-Human Interaction (S2HI) effects using the Human–Structure Interaction Multi-Axial Test Framework (HSI-MTF). The framework enables the simultaneous measurement of vertical and lateral loads induced by human gait on surfaces with diverse frequency ranges and wide-amplitude lateral harmonic motions. The study involved seven test subjects, evaluating gait loads on rigid and harmonic lateral surfaces with displacements ranging from 5.0 to 50.0 mm and frequency content from 0.70 to 1.30 Hz. A low-cost vision-based motion capture system with smartphones analyzed the support (Tsu) and swing (Tsw) periods of human gait. Results indicated substantial differences in Tsu and Tsw on lateral harmonic protocols, reaching up to 96.53% and 58.15%, respectively, compared to rigid surfaces. Normalized lateral loads (LL) relative to the subject’s weight (W0) exhibited a linear growth proportional to lateral excitation frequency, with increased proportionality constants linked to higher vibration amplitudes. Linear regressions yielded an average R2 of 0.815. Regarding normalized vertical load (LV) with respect to W0, a consistent behavior was observed for amplitudes up to 30.0 mm, beyond which a linear increase, directly proportional to frequency, resulted in a 28.3% increment compared to rigid surfaces. Correlation analyses using Pearson linear coefficients determined relationships between structural surface vibration and pedestrian lateral motion, providing valuable insights into Structure-to-Human Interaction dynamics.

Introduction Decisions regarding the optimal vascular access for haemodialysis patients are becoming increasingly complex, and the provision of vascular access is open to variations in systems of care as well as surgical experience and practice. Two main surgical options are recognised: arteriovenous fistula and arteriovenous graft (AVG). All recommendations regarding AVG are based on a limited number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). It is essential that when considering an RCT of a surgical procedure, an appropriate definition of quality assurance (QA) is made for both the new approach and the comparator, otherwise replication of results or implementation into clinical practice may differ from published results. The aim of this systematic review will be to assess the methodological quality of RCT involving AVG, and the QA measures implemented in delivering interventions in these trials.Methods and analysis The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines will be followed. A systematic search will be performed of the MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases to identify relevant literature. Studies will be selected by title and abstract review, followed by a full-text review using inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data collected will pertain to generic measures of QA, credentialing of investigators, procedural standardisation and performance monitoring. Trial methodology will be compared against a standardised template developed by a multinational, multispecialty review body with experience in vascular access. A narrative approach will be taken to synthesise and report data.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required as it is a protocol for a systematic review. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations, with the ultimate aim of providing recommendations for future RCT of AVG design.

Objectives. Bayesian mapping is an effective spatiotemporal approach to identify high-risk geographic areas for diseases and has not been used to identify oral cancer hotspots in Australia previously. This retrospective disease mapping study was undertaken to identify the oral cancer trends and patterns within the Queensland state in Australia. Methods. This study included data obtained from Queensland state Cancer Registry from 1982 to 2018. Domains mapped included the oral cancer incidence and mortality in Queensland (QLD). Local government areas (LGAs) and suburbs were utilized as geographical units for the estimation using Bayesian mapping approach. Results. Of the 78 LGAs, 21 showed high-oral cancer incidence as measured using higher median smoothed incidence risk (SIR), above the state average. Specifically, nine LGAs within predominantly rural areas had SIR above 100% of the state average. Of these, only one LGA (Mount Isa City) had a median smoothed SIR and 95% CI of 2.61 (2.14–3.15) which was constantly above 100% of the state average. Furthermore, mortality risk estimated using smoothed mortality risk (SMR), were significantly higher than the state average in 31 LGAs. Seventeen LGAs had a median SMR above 100% of the state average while three LGAs had the highest overall, 3- and 5-year mortality risks. Considering the 95% credible interval which is indicative of the uncertainty around the estimates, three LGAs had the highest overall mortality risks—Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire (3.80 (2.16–6.39)), Cook Shire (3.37 (2.21–5.06)), and Mount Isa City (3.04 (2.40–3.80)). Conclusion. Bayesian disease mapping approach identified multiple incidence and mortality hotspots within regional areas of the Queensland. Findings from our study can aid in designing targeted public health screening and interventions for primary prevention of oral cancer in regional and remote communities.

BackgroundThe impact and utility of machine learning (ML)-based prediction tools for cancer outcomes including assistive diagnosis, risk stratification, and adjunctive decision-making have been largely described and realized in the high income and upper-middle-income countries. However, statistical projections have estimated higher cancer incidence and mortality risks in low and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs). Therefore, this review aimed to evaluate the utilization, model construction methods, and degree of implementation of ML-based models for cancer outcomes in LLMICs.MethodsPubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched and articles describing the use of ML-based models for cancer among local populations in LLMICs between 2002 and 2022 were included. A total of 140 articles from 22,516 citations that met the eligibility criteria were included in this study.ResultsML-based models from LLMICs were often based on traditional ML algorithms than deep or deep hybrid learning. We found that the construction of ML-based models was skewed to particular LLMICs such as India, Iran, Pakistan, and Egypt with a paucity of applications in sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, models for breast, head and neck, and brain cancer outcomes were frequently explored. Many models were deemed suboptimal according to the Prediction model Risk of Bias Assessment tool (PROBAST) due to sample size constraints and technical flaws in ML modeling even though their performance accuracy ranged from 0.65 to 1.00. While the development and internal validation were described for all models included (n=137), only 4.4% (6/137) have been validated in independent cohorts and 0.7% (1/137) have been assessed for clinical impact and efficacy.ConclusionOverall, the application of ML for modeling cancer outcomes in LLMICs is increasing. However, model development is largely unsatisfactory. We recommend model retraining using larger sample sizes, intensified external validation practices, and increased impact assessment studies using randomized controlled trial designsSystematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=308345, identifier CRD42022308345.

Climate change related global warming is likely to continue, despite all mitigation measures taken by humans, due to the lag effect of long-term anthropogenic activities. Warming of the atmosphere can impact worldwide cattle production directly by compromising health, welfare and productivity, and indirectly by reducing the quality and quantity of animal feed. Under warm thermal conditions, cattle adjust their physiological and behavioural responses as an integral part of thermoregulation to maintain internal body temperature within a safe range. However, a greater intensity and duration of heat exposure can exceed thermoregulatory capacity leading to an increase in internal body temperature beyond the normal limit that ultimately evokes different animal responses to heat. In cattle, response to heat stress can be visually observed as elevated respiration rate or panting, but continuous visual monitoring is labour intensive, time consuming and subjective. Therefore, different weather-based indices have been developed such as the temperature humidity index (THI) and heat load index (HLI) which are commonly used weather-based indices for monitoring cattle heat stress at commercial level. However, the thermal comfort level of cattle based on weather-based indices has limited use at a microclimatic and individual animal level. Varying sensor-based approaches have shown promise to shift the focus of heat stress management to the individual level. Monitoring individual animal response and mitigation strategies for isolated heat-susceptible cattle could save on heat management costs whilst improving animal welfare and productivity. Here we review the technologies that enable automatic, continuous, and real-time cattle heat stress monitoring and mitigation under commercial conditions. Future platforms for autonomous monitoring and mitigation of heat stress in cattle are likely to be based on minimally-invasive smart technologies either singly, or in an integrated system, enabling real-time solutions to animal responses under various production systems and environmental conditions.

Introduction− In this paper, the Real-time Hybrid Simula-tion (RTHS) of a Non-linear Tuned Mass Damper (NTMD) is described, and compares the results with those obtained from conventional experimental tests of a shear, single-storey struc-ture with the NTMD.Objective− The objetive of this article is to evaluate the ef-fectiveness of an RTHS in estimating the performance of an NTMD. Methodology− The methodology consisted of the following three stages: main structure identification, NTMD design, and experimental evaluation of the structure-NTMD system. For the third stage, RTHS and vibrating table tests were used. Results− The results of the vibrating table tests showed that the NTMD reduced 77% and 63% of the peak accelerations and RMS of the main structure, with respect to the structure without control. The values of these reductions obtained with RTHS were 73% and 63%, respectively. The precision indices of the transfer system corresponded to a generalized amplitude of 1.01 and a delay of 2 ms. Conclusions− The NTMD, with a mass ratio of 10%, achieved reductions of more than 60% of the structural response. RTHS and the vibrating table test demonstrated that the NTMD-structure system had only one peak in frequency response. The noise in the RTHS feedback increased the degree of damping of the controlled structure. Finally, the experimental results demonstrated how RTHS is a technique that effectively predicts the RMS acceleration of the structure-NTMD system and can slightly overestimate its peak acceleration

Failures of civil structures, such as bridges, due to natural events or anthropic loads can generate significant social and economic impacts. As an alternative for the identification of damage in these structures, dynamic structural health monitoring has been proposed. This paper presents the experimental evaluation of three damage identification techniques on a full-scale footbridge. One of the evaluated techniques is based on damage localization vectors; a second technique is based on changes in the curvature of the modal shapes, while the third technique uses a numerical model and artificial neural networks for locating the damaged section. Five scenarios of controlled damage were induced in the footbridge. Output-only ambient vibration tests were performed at each damage state and the results of the identification techniques were analyzed. The three implemented techniques showed promising results for the numerical simulations, and two of these techniques produced satisfactory results in the experimental evaluation.

The use of information and telecommunication technologies (ICT) for the development of educational tools such as virtual laboratories has become a valuable teaching support practice in different areas of professional training. Current applications range from virtualization practices in fundamental sciences, to virtual experimentation on specific engineering topics. This paper describes the development of the Virtual Earthquake Engineering Lab (SISMILAB). This lab includes different applications with the objective of becoming an aid in the process of understanding and applying fundamental concepts related to the field of earthquake engineering. The aim of the lab is to strengthen the academic and research experiences of students both inside and outside the classroom. Students have readily used SISMILAB and given positive feedback regarding its effectiveness in conveying concepts and aiding in the visualization and interpretation of results. Finally, the paper discusses the impact of the virtual laboratory based on metrics obtained from questionnaires regarding student and faculty satisfaction.

Feed accounts for the greatest proportion of egg production costs and there is substantial variation in feed to egg conversion ratio (FCR) efficiency between individual hens. Despite this understanding, there is a paucity of information regarding layer hen feeding behaviour, diet selection and its impact on feed efficiency. It was hypothesised that variation in feed to egg conversion efficiency between hens may be influenced by feeding behaviour. For this experiment, two 35-bird groups of ISA Brown layers were selected from 450 individually caged hens at 25-30 weeks of age for either low FCR < 1.8 ± 0.02 (high feed efficiency (HFE) or high FCR > 2.1 ± 0.02 (low feed efficiency (LFE)). For each of these 70 hens, intake of an ad-libitum mash diet at 2-minute time intervals, 24 h a day, for 7 days was determined alongside behavioural assessment and estimation of the selection of components of the mash. The group selected for HFE had a lower feed intake, similar egg mass and associated lower FCR when compared with the LFE group. Whilst feed intake patterns were similar between HFE and LFE hens, there was a distinct intake pattern for all layer hens with intake rate increasing from 0300 to 1700 h with a sharp decline to 2200 h. High feed efficiency hens selected a diet with 25% more ash and 4% less gross energy than LFE hens. The LFE hens also spent more time eating with more walking events, but less time spent resting, drinking, preening and cage pecking events as compared with HFE hens. In summary, there was no contrasting diurnal pattern of feed consumption behaviour between the groups ranked on feed efficiency, however high feed efficiency hens consumed less feed and selected a diet with greater ash content and lower gross energy as compared with LFE hens. Our work is now focused on individual hen diet selection from mash diets with an aim of formulating precision, targeted diets for greater feed efficiency.

Los avances tecnológicos de las últimas décadas han tendido al desarrollo de materiales más livianos y resistentes con el fin de optimizar costos y rendimientos en la construcción de losas. Estos avances han permitido el diseño y construcción de sistemas de piso más esbeltos y ligeros cuyas frecuencias naturales son cercanas al rango de frecuencias de excitación producidas por las personas en movimiento. Está demostrado que los humanos pueden provocar cambios en las propiedades dinámicas de las losas, y las vibraciones pueden producir sensación de inseguridad en las personas. Esta investigación presenta los resultados de la caracterización experimental del efecto de Interacción Humano-Estructura (IHE) en tres sistemas de entrepisos de común uso en el sector de la construcción colombiana. La metodología empleada consistió en la determinación de la respuesta mediante registros experimentales en las plataformas sometidas a diferentes actividades antrópicas. Al final del artículo se hace una recomendación para tener en cuenta los efectos de IHE en las losas en futuras normas de diseño.

La utilización de materiales ligeros y resistentes ha permitido la construcción de sistemas de entrepisos que satisfacen condiciones ideales espaciales y geométricas para albergar grandes cantidades de personas. A pesar que estas características de peso y resistencia representan una disminución de costos en la construcción, estos entrepisos tienden a ser más susceptibles a presentar problemas de vibraciones, especialmente cuando la excitación puede ser clasificada como actividad rítmica. En este artículo se presenta la caracterización de cargas producidas por personas realizando actividades de baile, a partir de mediciones en una plataforma experimental de escala real. Se identifican los factores de impacto y coeficientes de Fourier que representan la carga debida a personas que bailan, a la que es sometida la estructura. Los resultados de la presente investigación fueron obtenidos dentro de un proyecto de investigación financiado por Colciencias y la Universidad del Valle contrato .382-2009.

En la actualidad, el incremento de la resistencia en nuevos materiales y las mayores luces entre apoyos hacen que los puentes peatonales sean más susceptibles a problemas de vibraciones excesivas. Infortunadamente las provisiones de las normas colombianas son limitadas para el diseño o rehabilitación de estas estructuras. En este artículo se presenta una clasificación de los puentes peatonales en Santiago de Cali que permite comparar efectos de la Interacción Humano-Estructura, aceleraciones máximas y frecuencias naturales, con los criterios de vibraciones para diseño especificados en las principales normas. Aunque en los 19 puentes estudiados no se superaron los límites de aceleraciones establecidas por las normas por una persona al caminar, 16 de los puentes presentaron vibraciones que generaron incomodidad en los peatones. En consecuencia, se recomienda que futuras normas colombianas establezcan valores límites de aceleraciones y frecuencias naturales en función del desempeño según niveles de comodidad y seguridad percibida por los peatones.

En este artículo se presentan los resultados de una investigación que tuvo como propósito modelar con elementos finitos el comportamiento a cargas laterales de los muros livianos compuestos de un entramado típico de acero para diferentes materiales de revestimiento. Se inició con la recopilación de información de ensayos de caracterización en los elementos del muro y las conexiones entre estos, a partir de esta información y la investigación realizada por [1] se construyó un modelo de elementos finitos que considera el comportamiento no lineal de las conexiones entre los elementos. Este modelo fue ajustado con la información de los ensayos ante carga lateral realizados en probetas a escala real para cinco configuraciones de revestimiento. En este proceso se encontraron grandes diferencias entre los parámetros del modelo ajustado y los iniciales que son atribuidas a la interacción entre los componentes del muro liviano. La validación del modelo se realizó prediciendo los resultados experimentales de una nueva configuración en la cual se combinan varios materiales, obteniendo un error del 6.9%. Este resultado indica una buena capacidad de predicción del modelo para otras posibles configuraciones de revestimiento.

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains a lethal and deforming disease, with a significant mortality and a rising incidence in younger and female patients. It is thus imperative to identify potential risk factors for OSCC and oral PMDs and to design an accurate data collection tool to try to identify patients at high risk of OSCC development. 14 factors consistently found to be associated with the pathogenesis of OSCC and oral PMDs. Eight of themwere identified as high risk (including tobacco, alcohol, betel quid, marijuana, genetic factors, age, diet and immunodeficiency) and 6 low risk (such as oral health, socioeconomic status, HPV, candida infection, alcoholic mouth wash and diabetes) were stratified according to severity of risk, associated carcinogenicity and clinicopathological effects, using evidence obtained from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This review provides understanding of the significance of various risk factors in oral carcinogenesis to help to stratify patients, especially those with potentially malignant disorders, into high and low risk groups. Key words: Oral cancer, oral potentially malignant disorders and risk factor.

Los estudiantes de ingeniería en los cursos de dinámica estructural frecuentemente encuentran dificultades en la interpretación y comprensión de conceptos matemáticos y en su integración con aplicaciones reales. Para contribuir a la solución de este problema, en la Universidad del Valle fueron utilizadas las tecnologías de información y comunicación (TIC) para desarrollar una aplicación educativa basada en un ambiente gratuito. La aplicación integra simulaciones, animaciones, formulaciones matemáticas e interacción para apoyar a los estudiantes en su proceso de aprendizaje. Una evaluación inicial realizada por estudiantes de pregrado y posgrado proporcionó resultados satisfactorios con respecto a la efectividad de la aplicación.

La agrupación de personas en escenarios públicos puede producir vibraciones que generan incomodidad y, en algunas ocasiones, daños a la estructura. Entre las estructuras más vulnerables a esta excitación se encuentran las tribunas de los estadios de fútbol. Por este motivo se diseñó y construyó una tribuna con parámetros dinámicos similares a la tribuna sur del Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero de Cali-Colombia, para representar a escala natural el efecto de las barras bravas al saltar coordinadamente sobre la gradería. En el trabajo descrito en este artículo se utilizó un actuador electromagnético con 13,2 kg de masa móvil y una estrategia de control activo para disminuir las vibraciones producidas por la interacción Humano/Estructura. La estructura junto con el controlador fueron modelados, identificados y validados experimentalmente. El desempeño del sistema de control se verificó en simulación y su estabilidad y robustez se comprobaron con ensayos experimentales con personas con una masa total hasta 232 kg. En los ensayos experimentales el sistema de control disminuyó la respuesta hasta en un 50% de los valores sin control.

La instrumentación y el monitoreo de vibraciones en estructuras civiles ha ganado importancia en las últimas décadas debido a potenciales aplicaciones en identificación modal y monitoreo de salud estructural. La identificación de las propiedades dinámicas de las estructuras permite que sus modelos numéricos sean ajustados mientras que el monitoreo de salud estructural permite la identificación y caracterización del daño en las estructuras con el objetivo de realizar intervenciones anticipadas de bajo costo. Los acelerómetros son los instrumentos más empleados en estructuras civiles porque pueden ser adheridos directamente a la estructura sin requerir un marco independiente de referencia. En casos en los que se requieren los valores de desplazamiento, estos son frecuentemente estimados de manera indirecta mediante la doble integración numérica de las aceleraciones medidas. Sin embargo, estos métodos numéricos usualmente introducen errores considerables en los resultados. Este artículo presenta el desarrollo, la validación y la implementación en escala real de un novedoso sistema para la medición directa de desplazamientos de estructuras civiles. El sistema consiste en punteros láser de bajo costo que se adhieren a la estructura, una pantalla y una cámara de vídeo, y algoritmos para el procesamiento de imágenes que operan en un computador. La validación del sistema se realizó mediante una serie de pruebas de laboratorio y el análisis comparativo de los resultados usando instrumentos de referencia. El sistema se implementó en un puente peatonal en Cali, Colombia, y los desplazamientos obtenidos con el sistema láser fueron comparados con los estimados con mediciones de aceleración. Los resultados muestran que el sistema propuesto es una alternativa precisa y de bajo costo para aplicaciones de instrumentación en estructuras civiles.

The aim of this study was to conduct a series of paper-based exercises in order to assess the negative (adverse) welfare impacts, if any, of common interventions on domestic horses across a broad range of different contexts of equine care and training. An international panel (with professional expertise in psychology, equitation science, veterinary science, education, welfare, equestrian coaching, advocacy, and community engagement; n = 16) met over a four-day period to define and assess these interventions, using an adaptation of the domain-based assessment model. The interventions were considered within 14 contexts: C1 Weaning; C2 Diet; C3 Housing; C4 Foundation training; C5 Ill-health and veterinary interventions (chiefly medical); C6 Ill-health and veterinary interventions (chiefly surgical); C7 Elective procedures; C8 Care procedures; C9 Restraint for management procedures; C10 Road transport; C11 Activity—competition; C12 Activity—work; C13 Activity—breeding females; and C14 Activity—breeding males. Scores on a 1–10 scale for Domain 5 (the mental domain) gathered during the workshop were compared with overall impact scores on a 1–10 scale assigned by the same panellists individually before the workshop. The most severe (median and interquartile range, IQR) impacts within each context were identified during the workshop as: C1 abrupt, individual weaning (10 IQR 1); C2 feeding 100% low-energy concentrate (8 IQR 2.5); C3 indoor tie stalls with no social contact (9 IQR 1.5); C4 both (i) dropping horse with ropes (9 IQR 0.5) and forced flexion (9 IQR 0.5); C5 long-term curative medical treatments (8 IQR 3); C6 major deep intracavity surgery (8.5 IQR 1); C7 castration without veterinary supervision (10 IQR 1); C8 both (i) tongue ties (8 IQR 2.5) and (ii) restrictive nosebands (8 IQR 2.5); C9 ear twitch (8 IQR 1); C10 both (i) individual transport (7.00 IQR 1.5) and group transport with unfamiliar companions (7 IQR 1.5); C11 both (i) jumps racing (8 IQR 2.5) and Western performance (8 IQR 1.5); C12 carriage and haulage work (6 IQR 1.5); C13 wet nurse during transition between foals (7.5 IQR 3.75); and C14 teaser horse (7 IQR 8). Associations between pre-workshop and workshop scores were high, but some rankings changed after workshop participation, particularly relating to breeding practices. Domain 1 had the weakest association with Domain 5. The current article discusses the use of the domain-based model in equine welfare assessment, and offers a series of assumptions within each context that future users of the same approach may make when assessing animal welfare under the categories reported here. It also discusses some limitations in the framework that was used to apply the model.

The use of pain relief during castration and dehorning of calves on commercial beef operations can be limited by constraints associated with the delivery of analgesic agents. As topical anaesthetic (TA) and buccal meloxicam (MEL) are now available in Australia, offering practical analgesic treatments for concurrent castration and dehorning of beef calves, a study was conducted to determine their efficacy in providing pain relief when applied separately or in combination. Weaner calves were randomly allocated to; (1) no castration and dehorning/positive control (CONP); (2) castration and dehorning/negative control (CONN); (3) castration and dehorning with buccal meloxicam (BM); (4) castration and dehorning with topical anaesthetic (TA); and (5) castration and dehorning with buccal meloxicam and topical anaesthetic (BMTA). Weight gain, paddock utilisation, lying activity and individual behaviours following treatment were measured. CONP and BMTA calves had significantly greater weight gain than CONN calves (p < 0.001). CONN calves spent less time lying compared to BMTA calves on all days (p < 0.001). All dehorned and castrated calves spent more time walking (p = 0.024) and less time eating (p < 0.001) compared to CONP calves. There was a trend for CONP calves to spend the most time standing and CONN calves to spend the least time standing (p = 0.059). There were also trends for the frequency of head turns to be lowest in CONP and BMTA calves (p = 0.098) and tail flicks to be highest in CONN and BM calves (p = 0.061). The findings of this study suggest that TA and MEL can potentially improve welfare and production of calves following surgical castration and amputation dehorning.

Las cimentaciones profundas son usadas con el fin de brindar estabilidad a una variedad de estructuras tales como puentes, presas y edificaciones en condiciones donde las cimentaciones superficiales no la proporcionan. En consecuencia, ha surgido la necesidad de evaluar la calidad de este tipo de cimentaciones y descartar cualquier anomalía generada durante su proceso constructivo, motivo por el cual se han implementado los ensayos no destructivos, entre ellos la prueba de integridad de pilotes (PIT) que debido a sus bondades como lo son su rapidez y economía sumada a sus resultados, ha despertado el interés de los investigadores y constructores del medio. En el presente artículo se presentan aspectos generales de la prueba PIT y los resultados de su aplicación en once pilotes en una construcción cerca a la ciudad de Palmira, Colombia. Estos resultados fueron verificados mediante la excavación en dos pilotes en los que la PIT manifestó alguna anomalía, con lo cual se demostró la confiabilidad del método en la determinación de fallas en los elementos estructurales.

This paper presents the results of analysing the human-structure interaction effect of the Olympic Stadium in Cali, Colombia. Acceleration in the southern and western grandstands due to ambient vibration, free vibration and forced vibration tests were measured during football matches and musical performances. The data was processed using the power spectrum and time-fre- quency distribution, thus characterising the crowd motion for each of these events. A laboratory setup consisting of a rigid single stand was tested for characterising the jumping and damping effect of a person with regard to their posture. The loads obtained from such characterisation were incorporated into a finite element model of the southern and western grandstands to calculate the structures’ structural response. A coupling effect was observed between the loads caused by the crowd and the corresponding structural response. An increase of up to 200% in the damping of the human-structure system was observed when the structure was fully occupied by a crowd. Colombian national building code provisions for the dynamic loading of structures due to crowds are discussed

El método del elemento finito es utilizado en todo el mundo como herramienta para analizar el comportamiento dinámico de sistemas estructurales. Sin embargo, se sabe que las predicciones efectuadas con el uso de modelos construidos empleando dicho método difieren de los resultados experimentales obtenidos a partir de ensayos de vibración en estructuras existentes. El área conocida en lengua inglesa como Model Updating, o Ajuste de Modelos, como se denomina en este documento, surgió como respuesta a dicha problemáticay apunta a efectuar correcciones paramétricas en los modelos de elementos finitos con el fin de lograr que las propiedades dinámicas analíticas se asemejen a sus contrapartes experimentales. El avance de esta disciplina durante los últimos veinte años ha sido vertiginoso; sin embargo, en el medio latinoamericano, y en particular en el colombiano, existe una difusión pobre de dicha temática. Este artículo presenta una revisión del estado del arte a la fecha de su publicación. Se espera que el presente trabajo motive la investigación en el campo del Ajuste de Modelos en centros diferentes a aquellos donde se ha concentrado hasta ahora el desarrollo de esta área y que a su vez provea información suficiente para que el sector industrial latinoamericano incluya dicha tecnología en sus prácticas.

Las vibraciones excesivas o prolongadas en estructuras civiles, pueden producir molestias en los usuarios y daños en elementos estructurales y no estructurales. Estas vibraciones están determinadas por los parámetros dinámicos (masa, rigidez y amortiguamiento), y es modificando estas características estructurales como se minimiza la respuesta de la edificación. La disminución de la respuesta estructural es el objetivo en el diseño sismo resistente, garantizando una adecuada resistencia, rigidez y ductilidad. En los últimos años se han propuesto alternativas para disminuir la vulnerabilidad estructural, entre ellas los sistemas de control activo, pasivo, híbrido y semiactivo; implementados en estructuras flexibles (rascacielos y puentes colgantes) en Japón y Estados Unidos. Este artículo incluye un breve resumen histórico del desarrollo de estos sistemas de control estructural y presenta el estado del arte y estado de la práctica de esta tecnología. Además, se describen las limitaciones y ventajas de los sistemas en el contexto del diseño y rehabilitación sismo resistente de estructuras.

VetCompass Australia is veterinary medical records-based research coordinated with the global VetCompass endeavor to maximize its quality and effectiveness for Australian companion animals (cats, dogs, and horses). Bringing together all seven Australian veterinary schools, it is the first nationwide surveillance system collating clinical records on companion-animal diseases and treatments. VetCompass data service collects and aggregates real-time, clinical records for researchers to interrogate, delivering sustainable and cost-effective access to data from hundreds of veterinary practitioners nationwide. Analysis of these clinical records will reveal geographical and temporal trends in the prevalence of inherited and acquired diseases, identify frequently prescribed treatments, revolutionize clinical auditing, help the veterinary profession to rank research priorities, and assure evidence-based companion-animal curricula in veterinary schools. VetCompass Australia will progress in three phases: (1) roll-out of the VetCompass platform to harvest Australian veterinary clinical record data; (2) development and enrichment of the coding (data-presentation) platform; and (3) creation of a world-first, real-time surveillance interface with natural language processing (NLP) technology. The first of these three phases is described in the current article. Advances in the collection and sharing of records from numerous practices will enable veterinary professionals to deliver a vastly improved level of care for companion animals that will improve their quality of life.

This article presents the results of an investigation aimed at generating finite element models (FEM) for studying lateral load behavior of lightweight walls composed of a typical steel framing and different coating materials. Initially, the elements and connections were characterized with standard tests, based on this information and research by [1] finite element models were built that included the nonlinear behavior of the connections between elements. This model was updated for different coating materials using experimental results of lateral loads test conduced on full-scale prototypes for five different coating configurations. However large differences were found when compared the model updating parameters with initial parameters on the FEM model. These differences are attributed to the dissimilar materials working together as a composite rather than as individually. The model was validated with a configuration combining coating materials producing results with a 6.9% difference with respect to experimental data. This indicates an acceptable predictability of the model for other coating materials.

Instrumentation and vibration monitoring of civil structures has gained importance during the last decades due to potential applications in modal identification and structural health monitoring. The identification of dynamic properties of structures allows numerical models to be updated whereas structural health monitoring allows damage in structures to be both identified and characterized with the goal of anticipated lower-cost interventions. Accelerometers are the most common instruments used in civil structures due to the fact they can be attached directly to the structure without the need of an independent fixed frame of reference. In cases where values of displacements are desired, they are often estimated indirectly through double numerical integration of the measured accelerations. However these numerical methods commonly introduce considerable errors in the results. This paper presents the development, validation and real-scale implementation of a novel system for direct displacement measurements of civil structures. The system consists of low-cost laser pointers that are attached to the structure, a screen and video camera and image processing algorithms that run on a laptop PC. The validation of the system was carried out with a series of laboratory tests and the comparative analysis of results using reference instruments. The system was implemented on a pedestrian bridge in Cali, Colombia, and the displacements obtained with the laser system are compared with those estimated from accelerations measurements. The results show that the proposed system is a precise low-cost alternative for instrumentation applications in civil engineering.

The occupancy of structures by crowds often causes vibrations that in turn generate discomfort and, in some occasions, can cause damage to the structure. Football stadia are one type of structures that are especially vulnerable to such excitation and more so when they are used for other events such as concerts. As an experimental platform for investigating human-structure interaction, a grandstand was designed and built with dynamic parameters similar to the south grandstand of the Olympic Football Stadium in Cali Colombia. In the work described in this paper, an electro-magnetic actuator with a 13.2 kg active mass was used with an active control scheme to reduce human-induced vibrations in the grandstand. The structure and controller were modeled, identified and then validated experimentally. Performance of the control system was analyzed through simulations and then verified experimentally as a group of people, with a total mass of up to 232 kg, jumped on the grandstand. The control system reduced the structural response of the grandstand up to 50% of that without the control system.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) require large sample sizes to obtain adequate statistical power, but it may be possible to increase the power by incorporating complementary data. In this study we investigated the feasibility of automatically retrieving information from the medical literature and leveraging this information in GWAS.We developed a method that searches through PubMed abstracts for pre-assigned keywords and key concepts, and uses this information to assign prior probabilities of association for each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with the phenotype of interest--the Adjusting Association Priors with Text (AdAPT) method. Association results from a GWAS can subsequently be ranked in the context of these priors using the Bayes False Discovery Probability (BFDP) framework. We initially tested AdAPT by comparing rankings of known susceptibility alleles in a previous lung cancer GWAS, and subsequently applied it in a two-phase GWAS of oral cancer.Known lung cancer susceptibility SNPs were consistently ranked higher by AdAPT BFDPs than by p-values. In the oral cancer GWAS, we sought to replicate the top five SNPs as ranked by AdAPT BFDPs, of which rs991316, located in the ADH gene region of 4q23, displayed a statistically significant association with oral cancer risk in the replication phase (per-rare-allele log additive p-value [p(trend)] = 2.5×10(-3)). The combined OR for having one additional rare allele was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.76-0.90), and this association was independent of previously identified susceptibility SNPs that are associated with overall UADT cancer in this gene region. We also investigated if rs991316 was associated with other cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT), but no additional association signal was found.This study highlights the potential utility of systematically incorporating prior knowledge from the medical literature in genome-wide analyses using the AdAPT methodology. AdAPT is available online (url: http://services.gate.ac.uk/lld/gwas/service/config).