bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimation of Energy Use by Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Authors: Lin Zhenhong , Dong Jing , Liu Changzheng , Greene David
Published: November 2012

The fuel and electricity consumptions of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are sensitive to the variation of daily vehicle miles traveled (DVMT). Although some researchers have assumed that DVMT follows a gamma distribution, such an assumption has yet to be validated. On the basis of continuous travel data from the Global Positioning System for 382 vehicles, each tracked for at least 183 days, the authors of this study validated the gamma assumption in the context of PHEV energy analysis. Small prediction errors caused by the gamma assumption were found in PHEV fuel use, electricity use, and energy cost. Validating the reliability of the gamma distribution paves the way for its application in energy use analysis of PHEVs in the real world. The gamma distribution can be easily specified with few pieces of driver information and is relatively easy for mathematical manipulation. Validation with real world travel data enables confident use of the gamma distribution in a variety of applications, such as the development of vehicle consumer choice models, the quantification of range anxiety for battery electric vehicles, the investigation of the role of charging infrastructure, and the construction of online calculators that provide personal estimates of PHEV energy use.
Prospects for Energy Usage and Carbon Dioxide that Affect European Transportation Sector
Authors: Grácio Milton , Finet Constance , Desaeger Muriel , Da Silva Fernando Neto , Coelho Margarida
Published: November 2012

The objective of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and the European Union's (EU's) fossil energy dependence are two factors that require political and industrial decision makers to set priorities for energy and environmental strategies. Despite the achieved efficiency in modern vehicles, increasing patterns of private car usage, together with a high dependence on oil, place transportation as the most resilient sector in this period of environmental and energy consciousness. The aim of this research was to disaggregate the existing European transportation energy data and use them to build a model of the current situation. With the model, several scenarios evaluated the well-to-wheel energy and carbon dioxide (CO2) impacts that resulted from improvements in energy efficiency, uptake of biofuels, and electric mobility, as well as a modal shift into collective modes. Analysis of the European study of the Joint Research Centre Biofuel Programme and each member state's national strategy [National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs)], published in 2010, allowed characterization of the transportation energy situation by 2020 (consumption, efficiency, and new energy). The analysis of mobility surveys from major member states permitted characterization of urban areas within the passenger mobility sector, and the results were integrated into the developed model. The expected improvements in energy efficiency through the Biofuel Programme and the planned increase in biofuel blends and electrified vehicles through the NREAPs combined with an increase in passenger mobility by 2020 resulted in the following 2020 predictions: a 16% reduction in tank-to-wheel and a 12% reduction in well-to-wheel CO2 emissions in the EU's passenger mobility sector compared with 2007 levels.
Second Life for Plug-In Vehicle Batteries
Authors: Williams Brett
Published: November 2012

This research analyzes the potential reduction in battery lease payments for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in California that incorporate the value from postvehicle, stationary provision of grid services. PEV batteries repurposed into distributed electrical storage appliances (DESAs) might provide valuable services to electricity customers, utilities, and regional grid operators alike, with improved grid operation, deferred costly upgrades, and support for the penetration and profitability of intermittent renewable energy. This research advances methods for analyzing combined vehicular and postvehicular value and uses new and increasingly sophisticated inputs, including specific PEV characterizations and value for 19 grid applications. The results showed positive but sometimes modest potential benefits. Bounding scenarios all showed reductions in battery lease payments. For the Chevy Volt–based example, which exhibited a 22% reduction in the base case, the bounding scenarios ranged from 1% to 32%. Monte Carlo analysis indicated that the point estimates that were developed might need downward adjustment to account for uncertainty, a situation that would possibly negate second-life benefit. The analysis indicated that if valuable regulation revenues were hotly contested and provided limited impetus to DESA commercialization, value from multiple applications would be necessary to support profitability. This possibility makes the artful combination of services a critical uncertainty. One previously identified combination of multiapplications related to servicing local air-conditioning loads was examined as the base case and was found to be attractive. Another important uncertainty is the cost of power-conditioning requirements, which must also be optimized or reduced with specific combined-load profiles, for example, through coupling DESAs with local photovoltaics.
Achieving Goals of San Francisco, California, for Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Transportation Sector
Authors: Brisson Elizabeth M. , Sall Elizabeth , Ang-Olson Jeffrey
Published: November 2012

Although several studies analyze strategies for reducing transportation's contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, few do so at the local level, particularly for a city such as San Francisco, California, that is already a leader in climate-friendly transportation. This study examined nine GHG-reducing strategies within the San Francisco context, where local ordinance establishes a goal to reduce the city's GHGs 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. Strategies that were analyzed included infrastructure improvements, expansion of demand management policies including pricing, and accelerated penetration of electric vehicle technology. The study used a combination of travel demand model and sketch-planning methods to estimate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of strategies in reducing GHGs and their cumulative ability to achieve San Francisco's goal. The analysis results showed roadway pricing and electric vehicle strategies to have had the largest potential to reduce GHGs, although these two strategies differed significantly in cost-effectiveness. The results also showed that strategies involving share costs between public sector, private sector, and individuals had great promise in delivering reductions. Although investments in transit alone may not produce large GHG reductions, they are necessary to accommodate the mode shift of other strategies and can be paired strategically with pricing strategies. According to analysis results, San Francisco's policy goals appeared unachievable, even with ambitious assumptions about funding and policy change. These findings point to the need for policy change at a higher scale and for unprecedented changes in individual behavior to achieve GHG goals.
Transit Policies and Potential Carbon Dioxide Emission Impacts
Authors: Wang Zhigao , Wang Jiangyan , He Dongquan
Published: November 2012

Promoting transit has been a national strategic policy as part of the effort to relieve traffic congestion in China. However, such promotion also offers a great potential benefit in carbon dioxide (CO2) abatement, to which insufficient attention has been paid. For the effects of transit priority policies on CO2 emissions to be understood, an evaluation and a sensitivity analysis were conducted. The relationship between public transit and CO2 emissions with respect to four contributing factors is discussed. The effectiveness of transit priority policies implemented in recent years was analyzed, and its correlation to CO2 emissions was identified. The magnitude of transit CO2 emissions from 2000 to 2008 was estimated. On the basis of varied assumptions, six scenarios were designed to analyze the sensitivity and the range of possible CO2 abatement potentials of different policies. Finally, some recommendations for future policies from the perspective of reducing CO2 are presented.
Trends in Transport Activity, Energy Use, and Carbon Footprint in Mexico City, Mexico
Authors: Stokenberga Aiga , Schipper Lee
Published: November 2012

The transport sector is an increasing contributor to Mexico's carbon footprint. Related to this trend are several other externalities such as congestion and increasing energy supply costs. In this paper the authors examined and cross-verified the publicly available transport activity, energy use, and emissions data to identify trends specifically at the Mexico City level. The results revealed a significant rise in several of these variables over time, yet the rise was accompanied by encouraging trends in fuel economy and mass transit ridership. With the most recent origin–destination survey data for Mexico City, the authors developed scenarios of future emissions that were based on several other scenarios of the modal share of mass transport versus private transport and of transport activity levels that could likely be reached given the observed past trend. These scenarios showed that, at current fuel economy levels, if transport activity were to rise by 50%, a mass transit ridership share of at least 70% would be required to keep the current Mexico City passenger transport emissions at 2007 levels. If the activity rise were accompanied by a shift to greater private vehicle use, however, passenger transport emissions could as much as double. The paper provides several recommendations to address the factors most contributing to rising transport emissions: a need for further measures to promote a shift toward nonmotorized and mass transport and an improved data collection system for monitoring the progress of transport activity, energy use, and emissions over time. Complementary policies to fuel economy standards will also be needed to reinforce the slight turnaround in Mexico City toward modes of high capacity and lower energy intensity.
Acceleration Performance Trends and Evolving Relationship between Power, Weight, and Acceleration in U.S. Light-Duty Vehicles
Authors: MacKenzie Don , Heywood John
Published: November 2012

The acceleration performance of light-duty vehicles has implications for the energy usage of those vehicles, for their attractiveness to consumers, and for the way in which these vehicles are driven. Despite this importance, many investigators rely on correlations from the 1970s for estimating performance. This paper presents a set of linear regression models for estimating acceleration times from 0 to 48, 0 to 97, and 72 to 105 km/h (0 to 30, 0 to 60, and 45 to 65 mph) on the basis of the engine power, vehicle weight, body style, and basic powertrain characteristics of more than 1,000 vehicles tested by Consumer Reports magazine between 1975 and 2010. The paper includes estimates of fixed effects for each year that capture technological improvements not directly observed in the data set and make the models appropriate for estimating performance of vehicles from many different model years. Results indicate that contemporary vehicles are better able to transform engine power into acceleration performance than were vehicles in the past with acceleration times 20% to 30% faster than comparable vehicles in the 1970s. Most of this improvement appears to have occurred before 1990, and the estimated effect is larger for 0 to 48 km/h acceleration than for higher-speed acceleration. One of the reported models was applied to historic sales and specification data for U.S. vehicles. The results indicate that new vehicles in the United States today average 8.8 s from 0 to 97 km/h, 0.9 s (10%) faster than previously thought. The trends in 0 to 97 km/h acceleration times are consistent with exponential decay toward an asymptote, and today's vehicles are within one second of the estimated asymptotic acceleration time.
Proposed Vehicle Fuel Economy Standards in the United States for 2017 to 2025
Authors: Karplus Valerie J. , Paltsev Sergey
Published: November 2012

Increases in the U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for light-duty vehicles for the 2017 to 2025 model years are currently under consideration. This analysis used an economywide model with detail in the passenger vehicle fleet to evaluate the impacts of economic, energy use, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with year-on-year increases in new targets for vehicle fuel economy of 3%, 4%, 5%, and 6%, which corresponded to the initially proposed rates of increase for the 2017 to 2025 CAFE rulemaking. The results revealed that, across the range of targets proposed, the average welfare cost of a policy constraint increased nonlinearly with target stringency because the proposed policy targets would require increasingly costly changes to vehicles in the near term. Further, the results showed that the impacts on the economy and GHG emissions of combining a fuel tax with fuel economy standards could be positive or negative, as those impacts would depend on underlying technology costs. Finally, the results suggested that over the period from 2015 to 2030, a 5% CAFE policy could reduce gasoline use by about 25 billion gal/year, reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 190 million metric tons per year, and cost $25 billion per year (net present value in 2004 dollars), relative to a no-policy baseline.
Comparison of Fuel Efficiency Standards for Light- and Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks
Authors: Khan A. Siddiq , Langer Therese
Published: November 2012

This paper compares federal fuel efficiency targets for heavy-duty pickup trucks (8,500 lb or more) of the 2014 to 2018 model years that were adopted in August 2011 with targets for large light-duty pickup trucks (less than 8,500 lb). The findings showed that for light-duty–heavy-duty pairs with similar specifications, the fuel efficiency targets for light-duty trucks by 2018 would be 53% to 64% higher than would the targets for their heavy-duty counterparts. Differences in curb weight and payload explained less than half of the difference in fuel efficiency requirements for the two classes of trucks. The paper compares the efficiency technologies applied in setting the standards and discusses consumer and market implications.
Traffic at Intermodal Logistic Hubs
Authors: Ehrler Verena , Wolfermann Axel
Published: November 2012

Intermodal logistic hubs attract significant amounts of different types of traffic. Trucks deliver and pick up goods, containers are moved, service and heavy vehicles pass through, and sometimes public roads cross the site. The organic growth of these facilities and the multitude of involved parties frequently result in inefficient and insufficient traffic infrastructure, unnecessary negative environmental impacts, and high costs for stakeholders. For the optimization of infrastructure and the operation of these hubs, many factors need to be known, but often are not. These factors include the requirements of the stakeholders, service times at facilities, origins and destinations of vehicles, and routes and speeds of vehicles. This paper scrutinizes the issues, with the port of Hamburg, Germany, as an example. The focus is the methodology used to analyze the traffic on this intermodal logistic hub, which covers an area of 43 km2. More than 120,000 vehicles enter and leave the hub every day. Expert and street side interviews, vehicle tracking, and screen-line traffic counts were combined to answer questions on bottlenecks, emission black spots, and viability of electric vehicles. This combination of traditional and modern survey techniques provides a wealth of information, which allows for improved processes and procedures that lead to increased turnover of goods within the given infrastructure and fewer negative impacts. The paper is particularly relevant to intermodal logistic hubs in Europe, which often have organically grown structures, unlike U.S. hubs, which have more restrictive access.
Driving the Train
Authors: Alstadt Brian , Coughlin Jeff
Published: November 2012

Patterns of freight movement result from economic exchange. That is, buying and selling activities along complex global supply chains drive infrastructure-level demand. Yet commodity forecasting techniques used in freight plans and port studies frequently ignore these broad drivers. The fundamental thesis of this paper is that the macro level—the global macroeconomic perspective—is increasingly important to making reasonable freight projections at the micro level—the infrastructure level. This paper therefore has two goals. First, it briefly reviews the state of the practice in freight forecasting and ultimately concludes that the macro level is noticeably absent in most forecasting methods and reviewed studies. Second, the paper presents a method of generating county-level commodity forecasts that embody macro drivers and trends. Specifically, the approach ties together three critical pieces of information: (a) a county-based social accounting structure representing detailed factors of economic supply and demand; (b) a set of domestic macroeconomic forecasts providing future industry-by-industry production trends that recognizes spatial growth patterns, changing technology, relative industry growth, and broad forces affecting final demand; and (c) a forecast of U.S. international trade, recognizing differential economic growth of trading partners as well as pressures from international competition and currency fluctuations. The result of this methodology is county-level trade forecasts (in dollars) that are analytically (not statistically) tied to macroeconomic growth trends. These forecasts can be used alone for sketch or policy-level analysis, or they can be combined with meso- and micro-level information and models for comprehensive freight forecasting at the infrastructure level. The method presented is being implemented in the Transportation Economic Development Impact System, a web-based analysis system used in planning major transportation investments in the United States and Canada.
Assessing Impacts of Freeway Truck Traffic on Residential Property Values
Authors: Li Wei , Saphores Jean-Daniel
Published: November 2012

This study investigates the impact of freeway traffic (especially truck traffic) on 4,715 single-family houses located in the busy transportation corridor that links the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to downtown Los Angeles, California. These houses are located at least 200 m from the nearest arterial road; this distance was selected to filter out the effects of arterial road traffic. To minimize the risk of omitted variable bias and to deal with spatial autocorrelation, researchers estimated a fine-grained fixed effects model. A 1% increase in total traffic would reduce by only $24 the value of a $420,000 house located within 100 m of a freeway. By contrast, a 1% increase in truck traffic would decrease the value of a $420,000 house located between 100 and 400 m from the nearest freeway by $2,000 to $2,750. These results are important for policy makers and for homeowners because of the expanding role of trucking in the economy.
Truck Diversion Routing Using Geographic Information Systems
Authors: Kersh Erin , Dobbins James P. , Abkowitz Mark D.
Published: November 2012

The objective of this paper is to develop an analytical model to identify key Interstate segments at which trucks are frequently diverted because of a disruption in service and to determine an appropriate alternate route under such circumstances. Through the use of a risk-based approach, segments of the Tennessee Interstate system were selected according to histories of serious incidents, incidents with diversions, and high truck volumes. In the selection of a preferred diversion route, the shortest alternate path may not be feasible for truck use because of varying size and performance characteristics. To address this consideration, a geographic information system (GIS) was used; in the GIS, restrictions and costs were applied to candidate diversion routes to either eliminate or penalize routes undergoing evaluation. The alternate route assessment methodology illustrates the need for improvements in nationwide truck freight networks as well as the ability for GIS tools to address complex routing problems. Most alternate routes studied as part of this project were affected by these restrictions. Use of this methodology can lead to reduced congestion and increased reliability in travel time for trucks and other vehicular traffic.
Aluminum Foam-Lined Suppressive Shields for Safe Transport of Explosives
Authors: Elshafey Mohamed M. , Braimah Abass , Abd El Halim Abd O. , Contestabile Ettore
Published: November 2012

The manufacture, transportation, and storage of explosives in Canada and around the world pose serious challenges to explosives regulators and inspectors tasked with ensuring the safety of nearby populations. Explosives are routinely transported through, and manufacturing and storage facilities are often located close to, populated areas and traffic routes. This proximity increases the risk of severe casualties and infrastructure damage if there is an accidental or deliberate explosion. Even though an explosion is unlikely, the consequences can be severe. Several accidents that have involved explosives are discussed in the literature. These accidents highlight the devastation likely to result from an explosion and underscore the importance of finding cost-effective solutions to mitigate the effects on the population and infrastructure. This paper presents a research program designed to investigate the effectiveness of suppressive shield containers in reducing the blast pressure outside the container and eliminating fragment hazards from an explosion. Several types of suppressive shield panels, including panels lined with aluminum foam, were tested in a blast chamber. The results show reduced peak blast pressure outside the container by as much as 60% and in the incident impulse by about 58%. When the suppressive shield was lined with aluminum foam, a further reduction in peak incident pressure (up to 80%) was achieved.
Asphodel and the Spectral Places
Authors: Phillips John W. P.
Published: November 2012

Nothing survives deconstruction unless we accept that survival in some sense attaches to the ghostly or etiolated figures (the marks and traces) of things, by which deconstruction proceeds. If the ghostly figure survives then it may be because it is undeconstructible. Yet the spectral figure would no doubt remain insignificant if it was not for the force it brings to bear on more central and familiar categories of philosophical and literary discourse. These categories, like style, friendship, justice and hospitality, tend to occupy those spectral spaces that mark the structural difference between philosophy (conceptual, abstract, universal) and literature (figurative, concrete, singular). Yet nothing defines such spaces so well as the trace and its paradoxical structure. And nothing describes the structure of the trace so well as that of the signature. This paper identifies the movement of the trace as occupying and to a great extent defining the difference between philosophy and literature. The example, in this case, is the appearance of asphodels in Homer's Odyssey, according to which the fields where ghosts live are thick with the so-called grave-flower. But the asphodel on closer examination breaks down into mere traces of itself in a series of insoluble philological problems. The larger implications have to do with death, the signature of the writer, the relation between philosophy and literature and their respective modes of survival. There is no philosophy (no truth, no good, no chance) without its attachment to the etiolated figure, the trace of itself. The paper proposes readings of Blanchot, Derrida, Hegel and Plato, in addition to a focus on the main philological problem in Homer and its implications for a tradition of literary allusion, as a way of establishing the consistency of the paradoxical structure of the signature.
De Man and the Neo Cons: Where Ghosts Live
Authors: McQuillan Martin
Published: November 2012

Drawing together an assemblage of historical and textual reference, this article examines the curious connections between Paul de Man and Leo Strauss. It does not suggest an intellectual affinity between the two men (on the contrary). However, it notes the proximity of both around the question of dialogism in relation to de Man's reading of Rousseau.
To Learn to Live with Spectral Justice: Derrida–Levinas
Authors: Wijaya Elizabeth
Published: November 2012

Early on in Specters of Marx, the first sentence in Exordium reads: ‘Someone, you or me, comes forward and says: I would like to learn to live finally’. In the last paragraph of the last chapter, Derrida gives the injunction: ‘If he loves justice at least, the “scholar” of the future, the “intellectual” of tomorrow should learn it and from the ghost’. The ghost is the gift Derrida leaves us, yet, what can ghosts teach us about justice and how may we (dare we) learn from them?

Derrida invokes Levinas's name for the only time in Specters of Marx, with the line ‘The relation to others – that is to say, justice, writes Levinas’. From ‘Violence and Metaphysics’ to ‘At This Very Moment in This Work Here I Am’, the spectral relation between Derrida and Levinas already performs spectral justice. How do we say ‘J'accepte’ to spectral justice – justice that we cannot rightly possess? The figure and logic of the ghost serve not merely rhetorical purposes but, in its non-presence and presence, the ghost becomes the trace of the justice that we can neither own nor disown, but need to learn to live with, even if, in politics and in life, the fear of ghosts remains.
Statistical Information: A Bayesian Perspective
Authors: Stern Rafael B. , Pereira Carlos A. de B.
Published: November 2012

We explore the meaning of information about quantities of interest. Our approach is divided in two scenarios: the analysis of observations and the planning of an experiment. First, we review the Sufficiency, Conditionality and Likelihood principles and how they relate to trivial experiments. Next, we review Blackwell Sufficiency and show that sampling without replacement is Blackwell Sufficient for sampling with replacement. Finally, we unify the two scenarios presenting an extension of the relationship between Blackwell Equivalence and the Likelihood Principle.
Changes on the Caco-2 Secretome through Differentiation Analyzed by 2-D Differential In-Gel Electrophoresis (DIGE)
Authors: García-Lorenzo Andrés , Rodríguez-Piñeiro Ana , Rodríguez-Berrocal Francisco , Cadena María , Martínez-Zorzano Vicenta
Published: November 2012

Colorectal cancer is still a major health burden worldwide, and its diagnosis has not improved in recent years due to a lack of appropriate diagnostic serum markers. Aiming to find new diagnostic proteins, we applied the proteomic DIGE technology to analyze changes in the secretome before/after differentiation of the colon adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cell line, an accepted in vitro model to study colorectal tumorigenesis. When the secretomes from undifferentiated (tumor-like) and differentiated cells (resembling healthy enterocytes) were compared, we found 96 spots differentially expressed. After MS/MS analysis, 22 spots corresponding to 15 different proteins were identified. Principal component analysis demonstrated these 22 spots could serve as a discriminatory panel between the tumor-like and normal-like cells. Among the identified proteins, the translationally-controlled tumor protein (TCTP), the transforming growth factor-beta-induced protein ig-h3 (TGFβIp), and the Niemann-Pick disease type C2 protein (NPC2) are interesting candidates for future studies focused on their utility as serum biomarkers of colorectal cancer.
Effects of Taraxacum officinale on Fatigue and Immunological Parameters in Mice
Authors: Lee Bo-Ra , Lee Jong-Hyun , An Hyo-Jin
Published: November 2012

In Korean herbal medicine dandelion (Taraxacum officinale, TO) has been used to improve energy levels and health. However, the effects of TO in experimental models remain unclear. We examined the anti-fatigue and immune-enhancing effects of TO in mice by performing a forced swimming test (FST) and in vitro by using peritoneal macrophages, respectively. After daily oral administration of TO, blood biochemical parameters related to fatigue were measured after the FST. FST immobility time was significantly decreased in the TO-treated group (100 mg/kg) on the tenth day. TO (10 and 100 mg/kg) treatment significantly increased glucose levels, acting as an energy source. The level of lactic dehydrogenase, which is an accurate indicator of muscle damage, tended to decline after TO administration (10 and 100 mg/kg). When TO (100 mg/kg) was orally administered to mice, blood urea nitrogen levels decreased significantly. We also examined the effect of TO on the production of cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) in mouse peritoneal macrophages. When TO was used in combination with recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN-γ), a noticeable cooperative induction of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-12p70, and IL-10 production was observed. Furthermore, in peritoneal macrophages, rIFN-γ plus TO treatment significantly increased the production of NO through inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induction. Taken together, these results suggest that TO improves fatigue-related indicators and immunological parameters in mice.
Synthesis, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of a New Phloridzin Derivative for Dermo-Cosmetic Applications
Authors: Baldisserotto Anna , Malisardi Gemma , Scalambra Emanuela , Andreotti Elisa , Romagnoli Carlo , Vicentini Chiara , Manfredini Stefano , Vertuani Silvia
Published: November 2012

The phenolic compound phloridzin (phloretin 2′-O-glucoside, variously named phlorizin, phlorrhizin, phlorhizin or phlorizoside) is a prominent member of the chemical class of dihydrochalcones, which are phenylpropanoids. Phloridzin is specifically found in apple and apple juice and known for its biological properties. In particular we were attracted by potential dermo-cosmetic applications. Here we report the synthesis, stability studies and antimicrobial activity of compound F2, a new semi-synthetic derivative of phloridzin. The new derivative was also included in finished formulations to evaluate its stability with a view to a potential topical use. Stability studies were performed by HPLC; PCL assay and ORAC tests were used to determine the antioxidant activity. F2 presented an antioxidant activity very close to that of the parent phloridzin, but, unlike the latter, was more stable in formulations. To further explore potential health claims, antifungal activity of phloridzin and its derivative F2 were determined; the results, however, were rather low; the highest value was 31,6% of inhibition reached by F2 on Microsporum canis at the highest dose.
Evaluation of the Mechanism of the Gold Cluster Growth during Heating of the Composite Gold-Polytetrafluoroethylene Thin Film
Authors: Grytsenko Konstantin , Lozovski Valeri , Strilchuk Galyna , Schrader Sigurd
Published: November 2012

Nanocomposite films consisting of gold inclusions in the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) matrix were obtained by thermal vacuum deposition. Annealing of the obtained films with different temperatures was used to measure varying of film morphologies. The dependence of optical properties of the films on their morphology was studied. It was established that absorption and profile of the nanocomposite film obtained by thermal vacuum deposition can be changed with annealing owing to the fact that different annealing temperatures lead to different average particle sizes. A method to calculate the optical properties of nanocomposite thin films with inclusions of different sizes was proposed. Thus, comparison of experimental optical spectra with the spectra obtained during the simulation enables estimating average sizes of inclusions. The calculations give the possibility of understanding morphological changes in the structures.
Globalization and Religion: The Case of Malacca and the Work of Robert Morrison
Authors: Ng Peter
Published: November 2012

Religion has long been a significant factor in the process of globalization. In this article, the author attempts to explore and review religious factors involved in the history of Malacca (Melaka) and in the missionary work of Robert Morrison in the early 19th century. Malacca has long been a meeting place for various religions in their respective processes of globalization. Robert Morrison was the first Protestant Missionary to come to the Chinese Mainland. He arrived in 1807. However, after 10 years of working in Canton and Macau, he made a proposal for setting up a mission school in Malacca, hence the Anglo-Chinese College of 1818. It was found that, indeed, Morrison had learned much from his experiences in China and in Malacca, especially in paying due respect to Chinese culture.
A Secure Communication Suite for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks
Authors: Dini Gianluca , Lo Duca Angelica
Published: November 2012

In this paper we describe a security suite for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks comprising both fixed and mobile nodes. The security suite is composed of a secure routing protocol and a set of cryptographic primitives aimed at protecting the confidentiality and the integrity of underwater communication while taking into account the unique characteristics and constraints of the acoustic channel. By means of experiments and simulations based on real data, we show that the suite is suitable for an underwater networking environment as it introduces limited, and sometimes negligible, communication and power consumption overhead.
Dynamic Tire Pressure Sensor for Measuring Ground Vibration
Authors: Wang Qi , McDaniel James , Wang Ming
Published: November 2012

This work presents a convenient and non-contact acoustic sensing approach for measuring ground vibration. This approach, which uses an instantaneous dynamic tire pressure sensor (DTPS), possesses the capability to replace the accelerometer or directional microphone currently being used for inspecting pavement conditions. By measuring dynamic pressure changes inside the tire, ground vibration can be amplified and isolated from environmental noise. In this work, verifications of the DTPS concept of sensing inside the tire have been carried out. In addition, comparisons between a DTPS, ground-mounted accelerometer, and directional microphone are made. A data analysis algorithm has been developed and optimized to reconstruct ground acceleration from DTPS data. Numerical and experimental studies of this DTPS reveal a strong potential for measuring ground vibration caused by a moving vehicle. A calibration of transfer function between dynamic tire pressure change and ground acceleration may be needed for different tire system or for more accurate application.
A Review of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and the Possible Role of Botulinum Toxin in the Treatment of This Syndrome
Authors: Foley Jacqueline Mary , Finlayson Heather , Travlos Andrew
Published: November 2012

The objective of this paper is to discuss the classification, diagnosis, pathophysiology and management of Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a complex entity that is characterized by different neurovascular signs and symptoms involving the upper limb. TOS is defined as upper extremity symptoms due to compression of the neurovascular bundle in the area of the neck just above the first rib. Compression is thought to occur at one or more of the three anatomical compartments: the interscalene triangle, the costoclavicular space and the retropectoralis minor spaces. The clinical presentation can include both neurogenic and vascular symptoms. TOS can be difficult to diagnose because there is no standardized objective test that can be used and the clinician must rely on history and several positive findings on physical exam. The medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve conduction may be a sensitive way to detect pathology in the lower trunks of the brachial plexus which is promising for future research. Treatment options continue to be conservative and surgical. However, for those who have failed physical therapy there is research to suggest that botulinum toxin may help with symptom relief. However, given that there has been conflicting evidence, further research is required using randomized controlled trials.
The Role of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-Coronavirus Accessory Proteins in Virus Pathogenesis
Authors: McBride Ruth , Fielding Burtram
Published: November 2012

A respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus, termed the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), was first reported in China in late 2002. The subsequent efficient human-to-human transmission of this virus eventually affected more than 30 countries worldwide, resulting in a mortality rate of ~10% of infected individuals. The spread of the virus was ultimately controlled by isolation of infected individuals and there has been no infections reported since April 2004. However, the natural reservoir of the virus was never identified and it is not known if this virus will re-emerge and, therefore, research on this virus continues. The SARS-CoV genome is about 30 kb in length and is predicted to contain 14 functional open reading frames (ORFs). The genome encodes for proteins that are homologous to known coronavirus proteins, such as the replicase proteins (ORFs 1a and 1b) and the four major structural proteins: nucleocapsid (N), spike (S), membrane (M) and envelope (E). SARS-CoV also encodes for eight unique proteins, called accessory proteins, with no known homologues. This review will summarize the current knowledge on SARS-CoV accessory proteins and will include: (i) expression and processing; (ii) the effects on cellular processes; and (iii) functional studies.
A Simple Scheme for Modeling Irrigation Water Requirements at the Regional Scale Applied to an Alpine River Catchment
Authors: Smith Pascalle C. , Calanca Pierluigi , Fuhrer Jürg
Published: November 2012

This paper presents a simple approach for estimating the spatial and temporal variability of seasonal net irrigation water requirement (IWR) at the catchment scale, based on gridded land use, soil and daily weather data at 500 × 500 m resolution. In this approach, IWR is expressed as a bounded, linear function of the atmospheric water budget, whereby the latter is defined as the difference between seasonal precipitation and reference evapotranspiration. To account for the effects of soil and crop properties on the soil water balance, the coefficients of the linear relation are expressed as a function of the soil water holding capacity and the so-called crop coefficient. The 12 parameters defining the relation were estimated with good coefficients of determination from a systematic analysis of simulations performed at daily time step with a FAO-type point-scale model for five climatically contrasted sites around the River Rhone and for combinations of six crop and ten soil types. The simple scheme was found to reproduce well results obtained with the daily model at six additional verification sites. We applied the simple scheme to the assessment of irrigation requirements in the whole Swiss Rhone catchment. The results suggest seasonal requirements of 32 × 106 m3 per year on average over 1981–2009, half of which at altitudes above 1500 m. They also disclose a positive trend in the intensity of extreme events over the study period, with an estimated total IWR of 55 × 106 m3 in 2009, and indicate a 45% increase in water demand of grasslands during the 2003 European heat wave in the driest area of the studied catchment. In view of its simplicity, the approach can be extended to other applications, including assessments of the impacts of climate and land-use change.
Influence of plant size on the ecophysiology of the epiphytic fern Asplenium auritum (Aspleniaceae) from Costa Rica
Authors: Testo Weston L. , Watkins James E.
Published: November 2012

• Premise of the study: A central goal of plant ecophysiological studies is to generate patterns of physiological behavior that are applicable to a species, which can be complicated when plant size is considered. Studies indicate that plant size can influence numerous ecophysiological parameters, especially in vascular epiphytes. The few studies that have included ferns in their analyses suggest that plant size is less important in ferns than angiosperms. This study investigates this apparent disparity by examining the relationship between plant size and an array of ecophysiological parameters in the epiphytic fern Asplenium auritum, especially the role of plant size in determining responses to water stress.

• Methods: Plants were classified according to size and measured for a variety of functional traits, including maximum photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, water‐use efficiency, stomatal density, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll a/b ratio, specific leaf area, whole plant drying rates, and desiccation tolerance. Results for all traits were compared across size classes to determine size‐related differences.

• Key results: Plant size significantly influenced most traits examined, most notably photosynthetic rate, stomatal density, stomatal conductance, whole plant drying rates, and recovery from desiccation. We report the first evidence of size‐mediated shifts in desiccation tolerance in plants: small individuals tolerated water loss, whereas larger individuals avoided desiccation.

• Conclusions: Our findings indicate that size‐mediated ecophysiological shifts are more important than previously thought in ferns, particularly in regard to water relations. Desiccation tolerance may allow young fern sporophytes to establish in stressful environments and is subsequently lost in older individuals.
Prescribing Gabapentin off Label: Perspectives from Psychiatry, Pain and Neurology Specialists
Authors: Fukada Christine , Kohler Jillian Clare , Boon Heather , Austin Zubin , Krahn Murray
Published: November 2012

Objective:

The objective of the study was to explore the experiences of physicians prescribing gabapentin off label.

Methods:

We used a case study approach to explore the experiences of physicians prescribing gabapentin for off-label indications. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 physicians (psychiatry, pain and neurology specialists) in the Greater Toronto Area. Data were collected to the point of saturation of key themes and analyzed using interpretive content analysis.

Key findings:

Key informants appeared to rely primarily on informal information from colleagues and meetings, putting into question the accuracy of their information about the potential off-label uses of gabapentin. Our findings suggest the need for more evidence-based information on off-label drug use.

Conclusion:

There is a need for greater understanding of off-label prescribing practices as an important step toward improving rational prescribing and ultimately toward improving patient safety and health outcomes.
La participation politique des jeunes allemands depuis la réunification
Authors: Gaiser Wolfgang , de Rijke Johann
Published: November 2012

Résumé La Jugendsurvey, enquête longitudinale menée par le Deutsches Jugendinstitut (DJI), permet de mieux connaître l’évolution du rapport des jeunes Allemands à la politique et aux institutions. Son exploitation conduit à relativiser et nuancer le discours sur leur désintérêt pour la politique et l’engagement. Si on observe en effet une baisse de la participation des jeunes aux activités de certaines structures traditionnelles, leur aspiration fondamentale à s’engager reste manifeste, même si le plus souvent cela ne se produit qu’au cours d’activités ponctuelles.
La mobilité des jeunes réunionnais
Authors: Labache Lucette
Published: November 2012

Résumé L’île de la Réunion offre peu de perspectives d’insertion professionnelle aux jeunes, avec un taux de chômage de près de 40 %. Dès le début des années 1960, la migration instituée par l’État s’est présentée comme une mesure permettant de répondre aux besoins de main-d’œuvre de la métropole, de contrôler la croissance démographique dans l’île et de maîtriser les revendications d’autonomie. Depuis plus d’une vingtaine d’années, c’est une culture de la mobilité que les décideurs locaux tentent d’instaurer mais des mouvements de résistance montrent que les jeunes sont de plus en plus réticents à s’installer sur le territoire métropolitain ou dans d’autres pays d’Europe.
Le VSI : un volontaire à part ?
Authors: Bosselut Clémence
Published: November 2012

Résumé Le volontaire de solidarité internationale, une fois qu’il est sur le terrain, se définit en opposition avec des « figures repoussoirs » qui lui permettent de se valoriser et de donner du sens à sa présence sur place. Les « expatriés » occupent une place importante dans l’imaginaire et les discours des individus. Toutefois, les relations que les volontaires entretiennent avec eux ne sont pas dénuées d’ambiguïtés : ces contre-modèles font naître des sentiments contradictoires de rejet et de fascination, voire de mépris et de jalousie.
Vers un enseignement supérieur européen concurrentiel ?
Authors: Ballatore Magali
Published: November 2012

Résumé Le programme Erasmus est considéré comme l’une des réussites les plus notables de la politique sociale européenne. Les échanges d’étudiants en Europe faciliteraient la convergence des systèmes et la reconnaissance mutuelle des diplômes européens. À partir d’une enquête comparative par étude de cas dans trois pays européens, cet article analyse l’orientation des flux de la mobilité étudiante institutionnalisée et ses liens avec les nouveaux mouvements migratoires des jeunes diplômés en Europe. Il décrit ainsi les prémices de la construction d’un espace européen de l’enseignement supérieur, concurrentiel.
Expériences de mobilité étudiante et construction de soi
Authors: Pleyers Geoffrey , Guillaume Jean-François
Published: November 2012

Résumé À partir d’entretiens menés auprès d’étudiants effectuant ou ayant réalisé des séjours à l’étranger, cet article se penche sur l’importance de ces expériences dans la construction de soi de ces jeunes adultes. Après en avoir proposé une typologie, il développe certains aspects des échanges culturels au cœur de ces expériences. La mobilité étudiante y est envisagée comme une modalité particulièrement intéressante de réponse à la double exigence de l’épreuve de la jeunesse : se construire à travers des expériences à l’étranger tout en restant inséré dans un parcours scolaire et en développant des compétences qui faciliteront l’intégration dans le monde professionnel.
La dépression est la réaction à la perte d'une illusion
Authors: Nasio Juan David
Published: November 2012

Résumé Après avoir rappelé les principaux symptômes de l’état dépressif, l’auteur met en lumière les mécanismes inconscients à l’origine de la dépression. C’est alors qu’il aborde le phénomène de la perte, et en particulier de la perte d’une illusion, comme étant l’événement majeur déclenchant une dépression.
De la perte au renoncement : une thérapeutique de l'alcoolisme
Authors: Déroche Stéphane
Published: November 2012

Résumé Pour les alcooliques, renoncer durablement à l’alcool leur impose de changer totalement la relation psychologique qu’ils ont au produit. La formule « de la perte au renoncement » nous enseigne sur cette transition cruciale où il s’agit de ne plus envisager l’arrêt de la boisson uniquement comme une perte, une amputation, mais finalement, du fait d’une prise de décision, concevoir l’alcool seulement comme un reste dont il n’y a plus lieu de s’enquérir. Dès lors, le malade d’alcool y aura renoncé tout comme le nourrisson qui a définitivement renoncé au sein maternel.