bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hidrogel como substituto da irrigação complementar em viveiro telado de mudas de cafeeiro
Authors: Marques Patricia Angélica Alves , Cripa Marcos Antônio de Melo , Martinez Eduardo Henrique
Published: November 2012

O cafeeiro, em sua fase inicial de mudas, requer um adequado suprimento de água, pois o estresse hídrico pode causar reduções no crescimento e subsequentemente na produção em campo. A hipótese deste trabalho foi que o uso do hidrogel como substituto da irrigação de mudas de café cv. 'Iapar 59' proporciona mudas de qualidade igual ou superior àquelas irrigadas. O experimento foi conduzido em viveiro telado (50% sombrite) em Presidente Prudente - SP - de fevereiro a outubro de 2008. Utilizou-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos (sem polímero e irrigado diariamente; 0,0; 1,0; 2,0 e 3,0g por saco de polietileno sem irrigação) e 20 repetições. Realizaram-se seis avaliações periódicas: número de folhas (NF), matéria seca da parte aérea (MSPA) e raízes (MSR); comprimento da parte aérea (CPA) e raízes (CR) e MSPA/MSR. Para as condições do ensaio, o uso do hidrogel na dose de 2g por saco de polietileno proporcionou mudas de mesma qualidade que aquelas irrigadas. A relação MSPA/MSR foi superior para o tratamento irrigado.
Caracterização de farinhas de tapioca produzidas no estado do Pará
Authors: Silva Priscilla Andrade , Cunha Roberto Lisboa , Lopes Alessandra Santos , Pena Rosinelson da Silva
Published: November 2012

A farinha de tapioca é um alimento produzido artesanalmente a partir da fécula de mandioca (Manihot esculenta Crantz), amplamente consumida na Região Amazônica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar duas farinhas de tapioca produzidas no estado do Pará: uma no Baixo Amazonas e outra na Zona Bragantina. As duas farinhas apresentaram perfis granulométricos distintos e diferença significativa (P 0,05) para a maioria dos parâmetros físico-químicos e tecnológicos analisados. A farinha de tapioca proveniente do Baixo Amazonas apresentou maior umidade (10,7%), em função da maior capacidade de adsorver água, devido a sua maior área específica (menor granulometria). A microscopia óptica com luz polarizada, juntamente com as características dos dois produtos indicou a inexistência de um processo padrão utilizado na produção da farinha de tapioca.
Fibras de aço em blocos de concreto: estudo para utilização em ambiente marítimo
Authors: Migliorini A.V. , Guimarães A.T.C. , Ozório B.P.M.
Published: November 2012

Este projeto tem como propósito de estudo a possibilidade do uso de fibra para os blocos de contenção às ondas marinhas, de modo a influenciar na sua resistência e durabilidade. Levando em consideração o sucesso da utilização da fibra de aço em esgotos sanitários - um ambiente altamente corrosivo - seu uso tornou-se o mais indicado para o ambiente marítimo em questão. Tendo ciência que o concreto pode ser atacado até mesmo sem estar em contato com a água do mar - o ar deste ambiente, por si só, possui sais nocivos à pasta de cimento - foi feito um estudo baseado em um ensaio de durabilidade com blocos (contendo cloreto na massa e sem adição do mesmo) expostos às intempéries e, dentro da mesma análise, ensaio de "molhagem e secagem" utilizando solução de NaCl- para ativar na penetração dos íons cloretos, de modo a verificar a condição da fibra de aço e suas resistências por dois anos de idade.
Phylogeny of Nearctic Pandemis (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), with Focus on Species Boundaries in the P. limitata Group
Authors: Dombroskie Jason J , Sperling Felix A H
Published: November 2012

Despite their status as economically important pests on apple, species boundaries in the four native Nearctic species of Pandemis Hübner have remained uncertain for a century. We use a total evidence approach to test their genomic integrity using DNA (cytochrome oxidase I and ITS2), morphological (greyness of various wing areas), and geographic evidence. No single source of characters is sufficient, but combined evidence successfully separates the four species. We also examine the generic boundaries of Pandemis, using all Nearctic species, most western Palaearctic species, and a species of Archepandemis. DNA data place Archepandemis within Pandemis indicating that its members have lost the secondary sexual characters found in other Pandemis species.
Population Structure and Genetic Diversity of the Boll Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) onGossypiumin North America
Authors: Kuester Adam P , Jones Robert W , Sappington Thomas W , Kim Kyung Seok , Barr Norman B , Roehrdanz Richard L , Senechal Patti , Nason John D
Published: November 2012

Although the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a devastating pest in the United States and Mexico, its population structure and genetic diversity in Mexico on wild and cultivated cotton hosts (genus Gossypium) is poorly understood. Past studies using morphology, host use, and distribution records suggest that A.grandis grandis comprises three forms with host-associated characteristics: the southeastern form (from domesticated Gossypium hirsutum L., southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico), the thurberia form (from Gossypium thurberi Todaro, Arizona and northwestern Mexico), and the Mexican form (from multiple Gossypium species and other malvaceous plant genera in the remainder of Mexico and Central America). However, the phylogenetic relationships, host preferences, and distributions of these forms are not completely understood. An alternative hypothesis of an eastern and western form of the boll weevil is suggested by the suspected phylogeographic range expansion from an ancestral distribution in the tropics northward along both Mexican coasts, culminating in the maximally contrasting phenotypes observed in the northeastern and northwestern arms of the current distribution. In this study, we sequenced one mitochondrial and four nuclear genes to gain insight into the evolutionary relationships among the putative forms and their distributions on wild and domesticated cotton hosts. Using models of evolution, we compared the three-form to the two-form classification and to two alternative classifications that incorporate geography and host use traits. The genetic data at most loci provide stronger support for the two-form than the three-form hypothesis, with an eastern and western group separated by the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range. They do not support separate taxonomic status for boll weevils developing on G.thurberi.
Influence of prey dispersion on territory and group size of African lions: a test of the resource dispersion hypothesis
Authors: Valeix Marion , Loveridge Andrew J. , Macdonald David W.
Published: November 2012

Empirical tests of the resource dispersion hypothesis (RDH), a theory to explain group living based on resource heterogeneity, have been complicated by the fact that resource patch dispersion and richness have proved difficult to define and measure in natural systems. Here, we studied the ecology of African lions Panthera leo in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, where waterholes are prey hotspots, and where dispersion of water sources and abundance of prey at these water sources are quantifiable. We combined a 10‐year data set from GPS‐collared lions for which information of group composition was available concurrently with data for herbivore abundance at waterholes. The distance between two neighboring waterholes was a strong determinant of lion home range size, which provides strong support for the RDH prediction that territory size increases as resource patches are more dispersed in the landscape. The mean number of herbivore herds using a waterhole, a good proxy of patch richness, determined the maximum lion group biomass an area can support. This finding suggests that patch richness sets a maximum ceiling on lion group size. This study demonstrates that landscape ecology is a major driver of ranging behavior and suggests that aspects of resource dispersion limit group sizes.
A global database of shrub encroachment effects on ecosystem structure and functioning
Authors: Eldridge David J. , Maestre Fernando T. , Maltez-Mouro Sara , Bowker Matthew A.
Published: November 2012

The encroachment of woody plants into grasslands, and the conversion of savannas and open woodlands into shrublands, has been widely reported during the past decade. Encroachment has generated considerable interest among ecologists worldwide, but there have been few quantitative syntheses of the effects of encroachment on ecosystem processes across large areas of the globe. Here we summarize the results of observations of the effects of encroachment by woody plants on 111 ecosystem response variables using data obtained from 1722 encroached–unencroached pairs, reported in 160 studies from North and South America, Africa, Europe, Australia, and Asia. We used an extensive review of the literature, including both published and unpublished data, to summarize available data on the effects of a change from open woodland or grassland to shrubland or closed woodland, on richness of plant and animal taxa, soil chemistry, and the status of the soil surface. Our database is restricted to arid, semi‐arid, and dry sub‐humid environments (drylands) receiving average annual rainfall between 850 and 200 mm. An analysis of the impacts of shrub encroachment on ecosystem structure and function has already been reported using a large subset of these data. This updated data set can provide an opportunity to test further hypotheses about the effects of encroachment on plant and animal communities and on soil processes related to ecosystem functioning.
Tumor Targeting with RGD Peptide Ligands-Design of New Molecular Conjugates for Imaging and Therapy of Cancers
Authors: Garanger Elisabeth , Boturyn Didier , Dumy Pascal
Published: November 2012

Development of molecular devices endowed with tumor-targeting functions and carrying cytotoxic components should enable the specific delivery of chemotherapeutics to malignant tissues, thus increasing their local efficacy while limiting their peripheral toxicity. Such molecular vectors can pave the way for the development of new classes of therapeutics, fighting against protagonists of neoplastic development. In line with this concept, peptide ligands containing the Arginine-Glycine-Aspartate (RGD) triad, which display a strong affinity and selectivity to the αVβ3 integrin, have been developed to target the tumor-associated cells expressing the αVβ3 receptors. Among the validated ligands, the leader compound is the cyclic pentapeptide c[-RGDf(NMe)V-] (Cilengitide) developed by kessler et al. (J. Med. Chem., 1999, 42, 3033-3040). This compound has entered phase II clinical trials as an anti-angiogenic agent. Further studies have been directed to develop molecular conjugates of the parent c[-RGDfK-] with conventional chemotherapeutics or with labels for non-invasive imaging technologies. More recently, multimeric RGD containing compounds have been exploited to improve the targeting potential as well as cell-membrane breaching, through receptor-mediated endocytosis. The latter have been constructed on various scaffolds (polylysines or polyglutamates, liposomes, nanoparticles...). Our group has developed a chemical system combining all these properties where multivalent RGD targeting functions are associated with functional molecules through a cyclopeptide template. The latter represents a relevant non-viral vector for tumor targeting, imaging and therapy. This review describes the considerations for the design of the diverse RGD ligands developed so far and reports an overview of the main applications of these structures in cancer research.
PARP Inhibitor Development for Systemic Cancer Targeting
Authors: Zaremba Tomasz , Curtin Nicola Jane
Published: November 2012

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is a DNA-binding enzyme that is activated by DNA breaks, converting them into an intracellular signal via poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of nuclear proteins. Negatively charged polymers of ADP-ribose (PAR) attached to PARP-1 itself and histones lead to chromatin relaxation, facilitating the access of base excision/single strand break repair proteins and activating these repair enzymes. PARP inhibitors have been developed to investigate the role of PARP-1 in cell biology and to overcome DNA repair-mediated resistance of cancer cells to cytotoxic therapy. Since the early benzamide inhibitors of the 1980s PARP inhibitors, developed through structure-activity relationships and crystal structure-based drug design, that are 1,000x more potent have been identified. These novel PARP inhibitors have been shown to enhance the antitumour activity of temozolomide (a DNA-methylating agent), topoisomerase poisons and ionising radiation in advanced pre-clinical studies and are now under clinical evaluation. PARP inhibitors can also selectively kill cells and tumours with homozygous defects in the hereditary breast cancer genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2.
Radiosensitizing Potential of Epigenetic Anticancer Drugs
Authors: De Schutter Harlinde , Nuyts Sandra
Published: November 2012

Over the last few decades, epigenetic tumor changes characterized by promoter hypermethylation and histone modifications have become a topic of intense research. Of particular interest is the potential reversibility of these processes that has led to the development of epigenetic anticancer drugs such as demethylating agents and histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDAC-I). Besides single agent clinical activity in both hematological and solid malignancies, combinations of both types of epigenetic drugs with classic chemotherapeutics have shown promising results. In addition, as demethylating agents and HDAC-I act synergistically to reverse gene silencing, treatment schedules combining both epigenetic strategies could theoretically enhance tumor response. This assumption has been validated in vitro and in vivo for several hematological and solid cancer types, and awaits further clinical investigation. Nowadays, the majority of patients with cancer are treated with radiotherapy. To optimize the results obtained with this treatment modality, efforts are being put in strategies enhancing tumor response selectively in favor of normal tissue response. The combination of epigenetic drugs with radiotherapy is particularly valuable since a drug- and dose-dependent radiosensitizing potential of several classes of HDAC-I has been proven in vitro and in vivo. The molecular mechanisms underlying this radiosensitization have not been fully clarified yet. In general, higher concentrations of HDAC-I are believed to exert cell cycle redistribution, induction of apoptosis, and downregulation of surviving signals. The radiosensitizing effect of lower, non-toxic doses of HDAC-I has been attributed to, at least in part, acetylation- induced changes leading to altered double strand break (DSB) formation and repair. Although promising so far, further research is needed before HDAC-I administered alone or in combination with demethylating agents will be implemented in the clinic to act as radiosensitizers.
Targeting the SUMO E2 Conjugating Enzyme Ubc9 Interaction for Anti-Cancer Drug Design
Authors: Duan Xinyuan , Trent John O. , Ye Hong
Published: November 2012

Sumoylation has been implicated in a variety of cancers, suggesting that sumoylation manipulation could be one approach for regulating tumorgenesis. Ubc9 exerts a central function for the sumoylation pathway, interacting with almost all the partners required for sumoylation. The high-resolution structure available for Ubc9 as well as the recent determination of more interacting partner complex structures makes rational drug design that target Ubc9 possible. Structure-based virtual drug screening has been used increasingly as the first step of drug design to select potential lead templates. This review analyzes all the interfaces between Ubc9 and its binding partners while also highlighting the possible targeting sites on Ubc9 best suited for virtual screening and drug design.
2-Methoxyestradiol as a Potential Cytostatic Drug in Gliomas?
Authors: Kirches E. , Warich-Kirches M.
Published: November 2012

Gliomas of astrocytic origin show only a limited chemotherapy response. Chemoresistance is most pronounced in glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and most malignant glioma, with median survival times not much longer than one year. Failure of chemotherapy partly relies on protective mechanisms against the commonly used DNA alkylating agents, but also on the constitutive activation of the pro-survival PI3K-Akt pathway in glioma cells, which inhibits apoptosis. Therefore, new drugs with an alternative mechanism, independent of DNA alkylation, are required. The microtubule targeting drug 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) efficiently induces mitotic arrest, apoptosis, but also autophagic cell death in glioma cells in vitro. Moreover, it may be able to inhibit vascularization of the highly vascular gliobastomas, because the drug influences blood vessel sprouting via a HIF-1-dependent mechanism. Although high doses of i.p. injected 2-ME were recently shown to be effective in an orthothopic rat glioma model, clinical phase I/II trials revealed low oral bioavailability. One of the most exciting future perspectives will be the currently ongoing development of improved 2-ME analogs. Compounds, sulphamoylated at positions 3 and 17, combine sufficient toxicity against tumor cells with resistance against metabolic degradation and sufficient plasma levels in experimental animals. They were found to be superior in some animal models of tumor growth and vascularization, following oral application.
Marine Macrolides, a Promising Source of Antitumor Compounds
Authors: Napolitano Jose G. , Daranas Antonio H. , Norte Manuel , Fernandez Jose J.
Published: November 2012

Marine organisms have attracted scientific community as a rich source of natural products with unusual structural features and remarkable biological activities. Marine macrolides are a prominent class of natural products characterized by a highly oxygenated polyene backbone containing a macrocyclic lactone as a conformational constraint. Many marine macrolides possess outstanding cell growth antiproliferative properties, making them valuable molecular probes for the investigation of biochemical pathways and promising lead compounds for the development of new antitumor chemotherapeutic agents. In the present review we intend to focus on marine macrolides with potent cytotoxic activity that could be exploited in cancer research and therapy, along with those macrolides currently in clinical trials and/or preclinical development.
Molecular Modeling Applied to Anti-Cancer Drug Development
Authors: Rosales-Hernandez M. C. , Bermudez-Lugo J. , Garcia Jazmin , Trujillo-Ferrara J. , Correa-Basurto J.
Published: November 2012

In the past, anti-cancer drugs were identified and developed without focusing on a particular macromolecular target. Currently, the fields of molecular biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics and pharmacology, among other disciplines, have grown considerably in their ability to identify biological targets. These disciplines are now searching for specific targets to treat cancer. These targets exist in different cellular compartments (membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus) as proteins, glycoproteins, nucleic acids, etc. Computational tools have recently been used to explore such targets and to corroborate previously obtained experimental data. These methods have also been used to design new drugs with the aim of decreasing illness and the economic resources needed to discover drug candidates. Some of these computational methods include quantum mechanics (ab initio and density functional theories) and molecular mechanics (docking, molecular dynamics, and protein folding). Docking and molecular dynamics are the most commonly used computational tools for elucidating cancer targets. Using these tools, one can identify the recognition processes between ligands and targets at the atomic level. In addition, one can identify the affinity and conformational changes of these molecular complexes. In conclusion, we propose that the use of such tools is necessary in order to identify new anti-cancer drugs.
Can the Status of the Breast and Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility Gene 1 Product (BRCA1) Predict Response to Taxane-Based Cancer Therapy?
Authors: DeLigio J. Thomas , Velkova Aneliya , Zorio Diego A.R. , Monteiro Alvaro N.A.
Published: November 2012

Taxanes (paclitaxel and docetaxel) are currently used to treat ovarian, breast, lung, and head and neck cancers. Despite its clinical success taxane-based treatment could be significantly improved by identifying those patients whose tumors are more likely to present a clinical response. In this mini-review we discuss the accumulating evidence indicating that the breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene product BRCA1 mediates cellular response to taxanes. We review data from in vitro, animal, and clinical studies, and discuss them in context of response to therapy. We argue that levels of BRCA1 in tumors may provide a predictive marker for the response to treatment with taxanes. In addition, the study of the role of BRCA1 in the mechanism of action of taxanes might reveal alternative approaches to avoid resistance.
The Intermediate Enzymes of Isoprenoid Metabolism as Anticancer Targets
Authors: Wiemer Andrew J. , Hohl Raymond J. , Wiemer David F.
Published: November 2012

Inhibitors of isoprenoid biosynthesis are widely used to treat human disease including statins and nitrogenous bisphosphonates. Due to the importance of core human isoprenoid biosynthesis for diverse cellular processes related to cancer cell growth and metastasis, inhibition of this pathway may produce beneficial anticancer consequences. For example, ras oncogenes are well known; ras proteins are overexpressed in many human cancers, and these proteins must be isoprenylated to function. The rho proteins are important for regulating cell motility, and also must be isoprenylated. This has drawn significant attention to inhibitors of protein prenyl transferases. In addition to the reactions that are targeted in current clinical applications, there are other enzymes that have not been studied as extensively. Inhibition of these enzymes, from mevalonate kinase to geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase, could be attractive as a single agent therapy or in combination with current agents for treatment of cancers in which isoprenylated proteins have been implicated. While detailed in vivo data for many of these putative targets is lacking, there have been several breakthroughs in recent years that could facilitate further studies. In particular, compounds that specifically inhibit some of the downstream isoprenoid biosynthesis enzymes have been developed and their effects in cancer models are emerging. This review will discuss current knowledge of these lesser known isoprenoid pathway enzymes, identify trends in the development of their small molecule inhibitors, and describe the applications and effects of these compounds in cancer models.
High-Altitude Hunter-Gatherer Residential Occupations in Wyoming's Wind River Range
Authors: Morgan Christopher , Losey Ashley , Adams Richard
Published: November 2012

High Rise Village is a hunter-gatherer residential site containing at least 52 house features at a mean elevation of 3200 m in Wyoming's Wind River Range. Fifteen radiocarbon dates place site occupation(s) between 4500 and 150 cal BP. Though the 4500 cal BP dates likely result from an old wood problem, dates between 2800 and 150 BP appear more sound, particularly those between 1500 and 500 cal BP. Comparison with other high-altitude residential site radiocarbon dates shows a trend of earlier high-altitude residential occupations to the east of the Great Basin. This has important implications regarding Great Basin-Rocky Mountain culture histories, in particular by calling into question both the Numic Spread hypothesis and the relationship of the site to Rocky Mountain-High Plains hunter-gatherer residential patterns. More importantly, these data emphasize the roles medieval climate and regional population densities may have played in conditioning late Holocene high-altitude hunter-gatherer lifeways across western North America.
Settlement and Subsistence at a Middle Woodland Camp in Eastern New York
Authors: Rieth Christina B.
Published: November 2012

Archaeological excavations at the Schoharie Creek II site in Schoharie County, New York were conducted by the New York State Museum's Cultural Resource Survey Program as part of a federally funded bridge replacement project. Stratified deposits produced artifacts dating to the Middle Woodland Period (circa A.D. 100-A.D. 900). The data derived during this excavation provide insights into the settlement and land use practices of these prehistoric populations, and their interaction with other groups in eastern New York. This information is important to understanding the prehistory of the Schoharie Valley and eastern New York.
Medical Inpatients' Adherence to Outpatient Psychiatric Aftercare: A Prospective Study of Patients Evaluated by an Inpatient Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Service
Authors: Ehrenreich Mark J. , Robinson Charles T. , Glovinsky David B. , Dixon Lisa B. , Medoff Deborah R. , Himelhoch Seth S.
Published: November 2012

Objective:

This study sought to determine whether patients on psychiatric medication evaluated by inpatient consultation psychiatrists followed up with psychiatric aftercare and continued psychiatric medication 8 weeks post-discharge. Barriers to care and their effect on aftercare follow-up were assessed.

Method:

This was a prospective study of a consecutive sample of adults who received a psychiatric consultation and were prescribed psychotropic medication during hospitalization on the general medical or surgical inpatient units at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Baseline information was collected from 36 patients who received an inpatient psychiatric consultation and were: (1) prescribed psychiatric medications; and (2) discharged to home. Follow-up data was collected from 21 (58.3%) of these patients 8 weeks post-discharge.

Results:

Of 36 patients who provided baseline data, 93% recognized they had a psychiatric disorder, 90% recognized the importance of taking psychiatric medication, and 80% recognized the importance of psychiatric aftercare. Aftercare recommendations were included in only 33% of patient discharge instructions. Of 21 patients providing follow-up data, 57% reported receiving psychiatric aftercare. Patients who did not receive psychiatric aftercare were significantly more likely to be at risk for poor literacy (88.9% vs. 33.3% Fisher's exact test = 0.024) and were less often given psychiatric aftercare instructions at discharge (22% vs. 42%).

Conclusions:

Poor communication of aftercare instructions as well as poor literacy may be associated with lack of psychiatric aftercare. Consultation psychiatrists should assess literacy and insure aftercare information is provided to patients.
Factors Associated with Low Bone Density among Women with Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Hsiao Mei-Chun , Liu Chia-Yih , Wang Chao-Jan
Published: November 2012

Objective:

Previous studies have suggested that depression might be associated with low bone mineral density (BMD) in women with depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the BMD of women with major depressive disorder and correlated factors.

Method:

This prospective cross-sectional study explored the association between bone density and major depressive disorder in women. One hundred women diagnosed with major depressive disorder were enrolled. The diagnoses were made by board-certificated psychiatrists using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered. The bone density of the hip was measured with dual X-ray densitometry (DEXA) using a Hologic Delphi QDR-2000 densitometer.

Results:

We found age, family history of osteoporosis, consumption of coffee, and consumption of tea to be associated with low BMD in single-variate analysis. Depression was also related to BMD, in that the worse the depression, the lower the BMD. Multi-variate analysis by linear regression revealed an equation of BMD = 0.91 − 0.004 × (severity of depression) + 0.07 × (tea consumption) − 0.06 × (family history of osteoporosis) − 0.04 × age.

Conclusion:

These results suggest that depression is associated with lower BMD, and the associated factors should be considered in depressive women. The findings of this research may be useful for improving the care of women with major depressive disorder in terms of developing appropriate and effective care plans.
Impact of Japanese Professional Baseball Fans' Satisfaction on Sports Participation Behavior
Authors: Yen Chun-Chang , Ho Li-Hsing , Hsueh Yao-Shun , Su Wei-San , Chang Chia-Ming
Published: November 2012

We investigated the impact of professional baseball fans' satisfaction on sporting event participation behavior. The use of service experience as a moderator allows for the understanding of changes in the relationship between satisfaction and sporting event participation, thus providing
a basis of reference for professional baseball management in the Asia region. In this study we distributed questionnaires to 417 Japanese professional baseball fans and used structural equation modeling to perform model analysis. The results of this study establish that experience with service
content directly impacts fan satisfaction and sporting event participation. However, satisfaction did not exhibit a significant direct impact on sporting event participation behavior. Service experience was, therefore, a moderator.
How Workplace Accounting Experience and Gender Affect Ethical Judgment
Authors: Lv Wei , Huang Yunhui
Published: November 2012

We investigated how individuals' ethical intentions and moral judgments were influenced by the discipline that they were studying or practicing and by their gender. Results showed that, compared with men, women consistently viewed questionable actions as less ethical and expressed a
lower likelihood that they would perform these actions. Accounting students had higher ethical intentions and stricter moral standards than either students in other disciplines or accounting practitioners. Furthermore, there were no gender differences in moral judgments among accounting practitioners.
The Influence of Decision-Making Styles on Early Adolescents' Life Satisfaction
Authors: Cenkseven-Önder Fulya
Published: November 2012

In this study, I examined decision-making styles and satisfaction in different life domains in early adolescence, and the influence of gender difference in relation to making decisions. The Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (Huebner, 1994) and the Adolescent Decision-making
Scale (Mann, Harmoni, & Power, 1989) were completed by 918 early adolescents (432 girls, 486 boys) who were students at a school in a city in southern Turkey. Some gender differences regarding satisfaction with various life domains and decision-making styles were noted. It was found that,
with the exception of the panic style, decision-making styles are predictors of life satisfaction. The results are discussed in relation to previous research. Finally, study limitations and possible directions for further research are outlined.
Dynamic Growth Models of Academic Achievement and Self-Esteem in South Korean Adolescents
Authors: Lee Julie
Published: November 2012

In this study I examined the developmental trajectories over time of relationships between academic achievement and self-esteem in South Korean adolescents. The participants were 3,449 adolescents (1,725 boys, 1,724 girls) who were annually assessed from grade 8 (Mage
= 13.78, SD = 0.42 at wave 1) in 2003 to grade 12 in 2007. Latent growth models were quadratic for trajectories of change in academic achievement from grade 8 to grade 12 and linear for self-esteem. Higher initial levels of academic achievement predicted accelerated rates of change
in self-esteem over time. Additionally, the slope of academic achievement was positively related to the growth rate of self-esteem. The findings are discussed in a cultural context.
Use of a Civil Discourse Web site for Ethics Training
Authors: Root Kustritz Margaret V. , Copes Larry
Published: November 2012

Ethics training was provided to first-year veterinary students using two different teaching structures in two consecutive years. In one year (group I), students worked through ethics cases individually or in groups using a prescribed format. In the other year (group II), students worked through the same set of cases independently but were required to critique postings from other students before posting their own responses using a civil discourse Web site (Odysseys2sense). After completion of the course, students in both years completed a survey in which they assessed their achievement of learning objectives and satisfaction with the course. Students in group II were less satisfied with the interactive training technique but were better able to demonstrate achievement of some learning objectives.
Mega-Melodrama! Vertical and Horizontal Suspensions of the “Classical”
Authors: Williams Linda
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT:

“Mega-melodrama!” describes blockbuster action films that occupy more and different kinds of space than previous films and serial television programs that occupy more and different time than previous episodic television. This article defines melodrama anew and attempts to disabuse scholars of a habit of thought in film studies that consistently aligns melodrama – whether action blockbusters or more emotionally resonant “women’s films” – with stylistic or emotional excess and thus, implicitly or explicitly, opposes it to a “classical” norm. For what we habitually call the classical is even more protean than the supposed excess of melodrama. Indeed, the very norms of melodrama are what we often mistake for the classical.
Heuristic Scheme for Heterogeneous Vehicle Routing Problem on Trees Based on Generalized Assignment and Bin-Packing Upper Bounds
Authors: Kumar Roshan , Unnikrishnan Avinash , Waller S. Travis
Published: November 2012

The vehicle routing problem (VRP) is a classical problem in logistics that aims to design minimum-cost delivery routes from a centralized depot. A special case of the VRP arises in situations in which the network has a tree structure (TVRP). Such tree networks arise when the cost of road construction and maintenance is much more than the routing cost or when the transportation network consists of a main highway (e.g., Interstate system) and the customer locations are located off the highway. A heuristic for a constrained case of TVRP in which the vehicle fleet is capacitated and heterogeneous is proposed. The heuristic first determines the customers that will be served by each vehicle by use of bin-packing and Lagrangian-based generalized assignment algorithms. The individual vehicle routes are then determined by use of a depth-first search method. A procedure for further refinement of the heuristic solution quality is also described. The heuristic algorithm was implemented on two real-world networks and on randomly generated networks that varied in size from 20 to 120 nodes. The heuristic solution was found to be between 2% and 10% for almost all of the 200 instances tested and took a fraction of the time taken to find the optimal solution.
Welfare Effects of Congestion Pricing and Transit Services in Multiclass Multimodal Networks
Authors: Liu Yang , Nie Yu (Marco)
Published: November 2012

This paper analyzes the welfare effects of congestion pricing with the use of a general bimodal network with heterogeneous users. Transit service is modeled as a cheaper (because of its lower operating cost) and undesirable (because of the relatively long travel time) alternative to the highway network and is added to an origin–destination pair as an exclusive link. The analysis characterizes the critical users—those who suffer the greatest loss from pricing—as those who experience the least change in travel time after pricing. Accordingly, the paper shows that critical users could be rich, poor, or middle class, depending on their origin and destination. This finding highlights the spatial heterogeneity of distributional effects. Furthermore, numerical experiments indicate that (a) those with a low value of time tend to benefit more from greater coverage of transit services than those with intermediate values of time; (b) in the presence of poor transit coverage, users with access to transit may share a disproportionally greater burden for the congestion relief generated by an optimum toll for the system; and (c) the optimum toll for the system generally leads to a welfare gap between the rich and the poor larger than those of toll schemes that have proportionally lower magnitudes and achieve smaller efficiency improvements.
Stochastic Model for Estimation of Time-Varying Arterial Travel Time and Its Variability with Only Link Detector Data
Authors: Lu Yang , Chang Gang-Len
Published: November 2012

Despite the considerable progress on estimation of arterial travel time that traffic researchers have made in recent years, many issues remain. This paper presents a stochastic model that integrates the classic queue model and probability theories in order to investigate the estimation of the time-varying arterial travel time and its variability. Such information would be valuable to motorists so that they could best select their daily departure time and routes while contending with recurrent or nonrecurrent congestion. The proposed model, which uses only link detector data, has promising properties on the basis of an extensive evaluation with field data from the Eastern Shore of Maryland and will serve as the core module for ongoing development of a real-time arterial travel time prediction system.
Algorithm for Intermodal Optimal Multidestination Tour with Dynamic Travel Times
Authors: Nassir Neema , Khani Alireza , Hickman Mark , Noh Hyunsoo
Published: November 2012

This paper presents an efficient algorithm that finds the intermodal optimal tour (origin to origin) in a time-dependent transportation network while the algorithm implicitly solves the park-and-ride facility choice problem with the inherent park-and-ride constraints for a traveler with a sequence of destinations to visit. To solve the problem, a network expansion technique that captures the constraints of park-and-ride behavior in the model and that transforms the park-and-ride choice problem into a dynamic network flow problem is introduced. An efficient iterative labeling algorithm that finds the optimal intermodal tour to serve the sequence of activities is also introduced. Multisource shortest-path runs are used in the iterative labeling algorithm to find the optimal tour with several intermediate destinations in an efficient manner. The performance of the algorithm is compared with the performance of existing approaches, and improvement is indicated. The solution method proposed benefits from the advantages of Dijkstra's shortest-path algorithm, which is made possible by (a) a nontrivial transformation of the original problem into a dynamic network flow problem and (b) an innovative use of a multisource shortest path in the context of origin–destination choice. The solution algorithm integrates time-dependent auto and transit shortest-path algorithms to find the optimal tour. The algorithm is implemented, coded, and tested on a real network, and the results are promising.
Distance-Based Dynamic Pricing Strategy for Managed Toll Lanes
Authors: Yang Li , Saigal Romesh , Zhou Hao
Published: November 2012

Congestion in highway networks inflicts economic and emotional stress on drivers and a considerable cost to society. To mitigate some of these effects, managed toll lanes are being designed and built in the United States. These managed toll lanes guarantee to drivers that they will be able to travel at free-flow speed during peak hours when the general lanes are congested. The strategy used to price tolls on managed toll lanes has become an important issue; however, few studies have focused on dynamic optimal pricing strategies. This paper formulates the pricing problem on the basis of a stochastic macroscopic traffic flow model and investigates the methodology used to find a pricing strategy to maximize the total expected revenue. A simulation-based numerical algorithm that obtains the optimal prices efficiently in real time is proposed. The methodology is also applicable and readily adjusted for other objective purposes of administrators, such as maximization of total throughput. The general pricing model developed in this paper is not limited to one specific underlying traffic flow model and is readily adapted to other macroscopic traffic models, such as the classical Lighthill–Whitham–Richards model.
Finding Minimum-Cost Dynamic Routing Policies in Stochastic-State Networks with Link Failures
Authors: Fajardo David , Waller S. Travis
Published: November 2012

The focus of this research is to develop minimum-cost dynamic routing policies that can identify connecting paths between nodes in a stochastic-state network. In this context, the stochastic element of the network is the network structure, that is, the set of links that exist under each realization of the network state. It is assumed that information about the true network state can be gathered only endogenously through the routing decisions themselves. As such, the objective becomes finding a dynamic policy that accounts for information gathered en route that minimizes the cost of detection of a viable path between a given origin and destination. An exact solution method, based on a Markovian decision process, is presented, and then a heuristic based on an aggregating function of the network is developed.
Dynamic Traveling Salesman Problem in Stochastic-State Network Setting for Search-and-Rescue Application
Authors: Fajardo David , Waller S. Travis
Published: November 2012

The problem presented in this paper was motivated by the need for a solution to be used in a search-and-rescue application and is formulated as a dynamic traveling salesman problem in a stochastic-state network setting. This problem formulation features a full-recourse decision framework and stochastic demands that are revealed only through direct observation. This problem is defined in a stochastic-state network setting, which allows the modeling of implicitly correlated demand stochasticity. The problem is then formulated as a Markovian decision process, and, finally, a heuristic solution is provided. The heuristic solution is based on a two-stage stochastic program with recourse solved on a set of aggregated networks generated by the use of an aggregating function. Subsets of the feasible solutions obtained at each stage are fixed, and the heuristic is used iteratively to further refine the routing policy.
Update Strategies for Restricted Master Problems for User Equilibrium Traffic Assignment Problem
Authors: Kumar Amit , Peeta Srinivas , Nie Yu (Marco)
Published: November 2012

This paper aims to investigate how the trade-offs involved in the construction and solution of restrictive master problems for the user equilibrium traffic assignment problem may affect the overall convergence performance of the solution algorithms. Three strategies used to update user equilibrium path sets in path-based algorithms are examined: an origin–destination (O-D)-based strategy that updates the path set for each single O-D pair just before path flows are updated, an origin-based strategy that updates path sets for all O-D pairs associated with the same origin at once, and a simultaneous strategy that updates the path sets for all O-D pairs together. Three recently developed path-based algorithms to update the path sets by using three strategies are implemented for solution of the restrictive master problems. The implementation strategies are tested on medium to large real networks, and their relative performance characteristics are compared. The results show that the construction and update of the restrictive master problems by the different strategies have significant impacts on convergence as well as solution noise. The computational time for convergence under the simultaneous and origin-based strategies is significantly less than that under the O-D-based strategy. In addition, the solution obtained by adoption of the simultaneous strategy exhibits less noise than the other two strategies. These results provide important theoretical and practical insights into solution algorithms for the traffic assignment problem.
Consumer Perceptions and Use of Driving Distance of Electric Vehicles
Authors: Woodjack Justin , Garas Dahlia , Lentz Andy , Turrentine Thomas , Tal Gil , Nicholas Michael
Published: November 2012

Popular media and even researchers commonly assume that ownership of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) provides consumers less performance and mobility than consumers expect. A common claim is that consumers have constant worry about the range of their BEVs, often termed “range anxiety.” BMW converted 450 Mini Coopers to all-electric drive (named the Mini E) and leased them to fleets and 235 private households in the Los Angeles, California, and New York–New Jersey regions from spring 2009 to spring 2010. Through the course of the 1-year lease, University of California, Davis (UCD), researchers conducted multiple online surveys and in-person interviews and administered weeklong driving diaries. This paper explores the reactions of Mini E drivers to the driving distance of the Mini E through the framework of a lifestyle learning process. Over time, Mini E drivers learned how the 104-mi range of the Mini E fit into their lifestyles. Drivers adapted and explored with their Mini E through activities such as altering driving behavior (such as speed and trip routes), optimizing charging opportunities, planning trips, and educating themselves on distances to destinations with the help of online and mobile mapping tools. In the course of the UCD Mini E consumer study, researchers found evidence suggesting that the driving range was not a major concern for these early adopters. Even with no public charging available to their vehicle, 100% of survey respondents stated that BEVs were suitable for daily use. The results of this study will be of interest to policy makers and practitioners interested in expanding the BEV market.
Impacts of Charging Choices for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles in 2030 Scenario
Authors: Elgowainy Amgad , Zhou Yan , Vyas Anant D. , Mahalik Matthew , Santini Danilo , Wang Michael
Published: November 2012

This study systematically examined the potential impacts of recharging scenarios for multiple plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the western United States—in particular, the service area of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)—in 2030. The goal of the study was twofold: to examine the impact of scenarios for market penetration and charging of PHEVs on the electric utilities and transmission grid and to estimate the potential reductions in petroleum use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributable to PHEV miles traveled on primarily grid electricity. Three charging scenarios for PHEVS were examined: (a) begin recharging upon arrival at home at the end of the last daily trip, (b) complete recharging of batteries just before the start of the first daily trip, and (c) any additional charging opportunity during the daytime. The three charging scenarios produced distinct hourly electric load profiles, with the opportunity-charging scenario resulting in a significant increase in load during the daytime. However, when the utility dispatch simulations were run for these charging scenarios in the WECC area, they all exhibited similar marginal-generation mixes (dominated by the natural gas combined-cycle technology) to satisfy the PHEV load, and GHG emissions were within 2% of each other. A well-to-wheel analysis revealed that the marginal-generation mixes produced 40% to 45% lower GHG emissions by PHEVs than did conventional gasoline internal combustion engine vehicles.