bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simulation of Impact of Strategy Development Frameworks on Performance of Transportation Infrastructure
Authors: Dunn Travis P. , Sussman Joseph
Published: January 2012

Decision-making processes for investment in transportation infrastructure and, ultimately, the investment decisions themselves are central to the performance of transportation systems. Perhaps equally important for performance is the governance framework within which decisions are made. However, because of the complexity of the relationships between frameworks and performance, the evaluation of frameworks is challenging. This paper decomposes some elements of governance of transportation infrastructure into strategy development frameworks and through an agent-based simulation model provides a deeper understanding of the relationships between strategy development frameworks and system performance. A strategy development framework for transportation can be characterized by the infrastructure ownership structures, cross-modal and cross-sectoral linkages, revenue sources, decision-making processes for resource allocation, and the geographic scales of the organizations responsible for making infrastructure investments. With the dimensions of a strategy development framework as inputs, agents in a simulation framework make investments in an infrastructure network over time. This study used the national intercity roadway network of Portugal as the context. The results demonstrated the value of using simulation models of complex transportation systems to inform the decisions not only of planners but also of stakeholders who designed strategy development frameworks, for example, by predicting the relative performance of state ownership versus concession arrangements, tolling versus general taxation, and centralized versus decentralized control of investment decisions. Such a tool was viewed as particularly important given the ongoing reorganization of the Portuguese transportation sector, including an increasing reliance on concession agreements, highway tolls, and subnational government participation.
Running Time Prediction for Signalized Urban Streets
Authors: Bonneson James A. , Pratt Michael P. , Vandehey Mark A.
Published: January 2012

The development of a procedure for predicting the average running time along an urban street segment is described. Running time is shown to be a function of free-flow speed, running speed, residual lost time at the upstream intersection, and the volume of vehicles turning from the traffic stream. The procedure includes models for estimating free-flow speed, running speed, and residual lost time. These models were calibrated with field data from many sites collectively located in several states. The model for estimating free-flow speed includes variables for speed limit, median type, access point density, curb presence, and number of lanes. An increase in access point density was found to correspond to a reduction in free-flow speed. The model for estimating running speed includes a variable for flow rate. The effect of flow rate on speed is similar to that found on highways, such that speed decreases with an increase in flow rate, especially at high flow rates. The procedure is recommended for inclusion in the chapter on urban streets segments in the 2010 edition of the Highway Capacity Manual.
Impact of Inclement Weather on Left-Turn Gap Acceptance Behavior of Drivers
Authors: Zohdy Ismail , Rakha Hesham A. , Alfelor Roemer , Yang C. Y. David , Krechmer Daniel
Published: January 2012

This paper describes an empirical study conducted to quantify the impact of a number of variables on left-turn gap acceptance behavior of drivers at signalized intersections. The variables include the gap duration, the travel time needed to cross the intersection, and the corresponding weather condition. The gap acceptance data set used in the study included 11,114 observations (1,176 accepted gaps and 9,938 rejected gaps) for a permitted left-turn maneuver at a signalized intersection; the data were gathered over 6 months. The data set was divided into six weather categories for different combinations of precipitation and roadway surface conditions. Logistic regression models were calibrated to the data and compared to identify the best model for capturing gap acceptance behavior of drivers. The models reveal that drivers are more conservative during snow than rain. Drivers require larger gaps for wet surface conditions than for snowy and icy surface conditions, and drivers require the smallest gaps for dry roadway conditions. In addition, the models show that drivers require larger gaps as the distance required to traverse the offered gap increases. The study also shows how inclement weather and the number of opposing lanes affect permitted left-turn saturation flow rates. It is anticipated that these findings will be used to develop weather-specific traffic signal timings that account for changes in traffic stream saturation flow rates and also used for intelligent assistance systems for drivers.
Effect of Driver Cell Phone Use on Queue Discharge Patterns at Signalized Intersections
Authors: Brumfield Ryan M. , Pulugurtha Srinivas S.
Published: January 2012

Queue discharge patterns and driver cell phone use were monitored and analyzed at four intersections in Charlotte, North Carolina. Of the more than 3,700 drivers observed, about 13.3% were talking on a cell phone and approximately 1.8% were texting while driving. The saturation headways and start-up lost times of queues containing cell phone users were compared with queues lacking the presence of cell phone users. Results show that although text messaging has a clear negative effect on discharge patterns, talking on a cell phone has an insignificant effect. Secondary analyses imply that drivers talking on a cell phone have a stabilizing effect because they likely perform worse than attentive drivers but much better than those engaged in a visually demanding distraction. Findings also show that the performance of drivers talking on a cell phone is fairly consistent, whereas the performance of nonusers is inconsistent because of myriad other distractions with widely varying effects on driver abilities. The performance of texting drivers was found to be the most variable, perhaps because of the sporadic, often intense visual demands associated with texting while driving.
Automobile-Oriented or Complete Street?
Authors: Elias Aaron
Published: January 2012

In recent years, the transportation profession has started shifting away from considering only the automobile mode of travel when designing urban streets. The new emphasis is on designs that accommodate all users and make what was once an automobile-oriented street into a complete street. Recognizing this growing trend, NCHRP funded a project to develop a multimodal level of service (LOS) methodology for inclusion in the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM). This new chapter in the HCM will make it possible to easily compare various designs to determine the one that provides the greatest LOS to all users. But what exactly are the most important criteria for designing a complete street? This research seeks to answer part of this question by exploring various cross-section layouts and how they affect the LOS scores of two of the four modes (bicycle and pedestrian) in the new methodology. Four right-of-way (ROW) widths were selected to provide a broad spectrum of possible ROWs from a small collector to a large arterial. Within each of these four widths, an automobile-oriented design is compared with a complete street design. The relationship between each of the bicycle and pedestrian LOS scores is then explored, along with the impact the complete street design has on the automobile throughput.
Modeling Delay during Heavy Traffic for Signalized Intersections with Short Left-Turn Bays
Authors: Yin Kai , Zhang Yunlong , Wang Bruce X.
Published: January 2012

This paper develops theoretical delay models for protected left-turn operations at a pretimed signalized intersection during heavy traffic. When the through traffic demand is heavy, residual queues from the previous cycle may occur and elevate the probability of blockage to the left-turn bay, leading to increased delay for left turns. A probabilistic left-turn delay model based on the queuing diagram is proposed for a leading left-turn operation; the influence of residual queues and blockage by the through traffic are taken into account. When the left-turn demand becomes heavy, the left turns may spill back to block the through traffic, resulting in through traffic delays. Through traffic delay is modeled probabilistically on the basis of the analysis of left-turn bay spillback for a lagging protected left-turn operation. The left-turn delay models are validated through carefully designed simulation studies using VISSIM and the results are compared with those from the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) delay model, which does not consider blockage or spillback situations. The proposed delay models can be used to replace the uniform delay term in the HCM model for high-demand situations when the left-turn operation is affected by spillback and blockage.
Control Delay Calculation at Diverging Diamond Interchanges
Authors: Xu Hao , Liu Hongchao , Tian Zong , Zhang Weihua
Published: January 2012

Diverging diamond interchange (DDI) is a form of diamond interchange attracting growing interest from traffic engineers and researchers. Conventional control delay calculation models are not effective when applied to DDI because of the possible internal queue spillback. This paper describes a method to calculate control delay at DDI using a new analytical model. The model was first developed for control delay calculations of external movements at conventional diamond interchanges. Through the addition of a function to calculate delay of internal movements, the model was successfully used at a DDI to calculate control delay of both internal movements and external movements. Simulation studies are also conducted to validate the new model. This study can be used either as a stand-alone delay calculation model or as a supplement to existing simulation methods. The model also shows promise for use in other signalized interchange configurations with two or more adjacent intersections.
Macroscopic Fundamental Diagrams for Freeway Networks: Theory and Observation
Authors: Cassidy Michael J. , Jang Kitae , Daganzo Carlos F.
Published: January 2012

Macroscopic fundamental diagrams (MFDs), which relate the total time spent to the total distance traveled, are explored for freeway networks. It is proposed that these macrolevel relations should be observed if the data come from periods when all lanes on all links throughout the network are in either the congested or the uncongested regime. The theory pertains to freeway networks of any size, even when they are inhomogeneously congested and the data are variable in time. Analysis of vehicle trajectories from two freeway stretches of modest physical length supports this theory. Study further reveals that MFDs can be estimated with data from ordinary loop detectors, provided that every link in the network has at least one detector station and that the data are filtered to meet (approximately) the single-regime requirement. Detector data then confirm that well-defined MFDs exist for other freeway stretches and that the relations are reproducible across days. The results demonstrate that the stringent single-regime condition necessary to observe a freeway MFD does arise at times, even if only on shorter-length freeway stretches. The results also explain why previous efforts to observe freeway MFDs without filtering the data have been unsuccessful. Finally, the results suggest that policies to spread congestion evenly over a freeway network can be useful in maximizing the rate that trips are served.
General Newell Model and Related Second-Order Expressions
Authors: Wang Hao , Wang Wei , Chen Jun
Published: January 2012

A general Newell model that considers the anticipation behaviors of drivers is presented. The model contains a new parameter called the anticipation factor. Three types of car-following models are derived from the general Newell model as second-order expressions. Two types of derived models are consistent with the full velocity difference model. All three types of derived models can be transformed to the optimal velocity model when the anticipation factor equals zero. It is found that the speed difference term in the full velocity difference model reflects the anticipation behaviors of drivers. The vehicle trajectory data of the Dutch A2 motorway are used to calibrate the models. The results of model calibrations are the basis for investigation of the distributions of the time lag and the anticipation factor among the driver population. The parameters of the three proposed models present good correlations between each other. A numerical simulation is conducted to explore the properties of the proposed models when applied in the adaptive cruise control system. Both the proposed Type I model (the full velocity difference model) and the proposed Type III model present good performance in controlling vehicles moving along the optimal trajectory, especially when the anticipation factors of the models are set to one.
Will the 2010 'Code Pastoral' Help Herders in Central Niger? Land Rights and Land Use Strategies in the Grasslands of Abalak and Dakoro Departments
Authors: Oxby Clare
Published: January 2012

Based on a visit to Niger's pastoral zone at the height of the 2010 drought crisis and shortly after the 'Code Pastoral' legislation had been agreed by the interim government, this article compares land use trends in two Tuareg-led administrative communes. The code has been found to be too late and too weak to bring much support to full-time mobile pastoralists, whose livelihoods are increasingly under threat from demographic pressures and the loss of grazing land. Mobility of people and herds persists, not only in relation to herding but also complementary crop farming and the migratory search for paid labour; at the same time sedentarization is also occurring, not only among impoverished herders but even among the administrative elite. Indeed certain herders' leaders are encouraging it as a way of consolidating herders' land rights. This policy, however, entails further loss of grazing land, further squeezing of the only sustainable livelihood in these semi-arid areas, and renders more likely the recurrence of drought-related crisis and the necessity for exceptional mobility and out migration.
Recruitment of Glycosyl Hydrolase Proteins in a Cone Snail Venomous Arsenal: Further Insights into Biomolecular Features of Conus Venoms
Authors: Violette Aude , Leonardi Adrijana , Piquemal David , Terrat Yves , Biass Daniel , Dutertre Sébastien , Noguier Florian , Ducancel Frédéric , Stöcklin Reto , Križaj Igor , Favreau Philippe
Published: January 2012

Cone snail venoms are considered an untapped reservoir of extremely diverse peptides, named conopeptides, displaying a wide array of pharmacological activities. We report here for the first time, the presence of high molecular weight compounds that participate in the envenomation cocktail used by these marine snails. Using a combination of proteomic and transcriptomic approaches, we identified glycosyl hydrolase proteins, of the hyaluronidase type (Hyal), from the dissected and injectable venoms (“injectable venom” stands for the venom variety obtained by milking of the snails. This is in contrast to the “dissected venom”, which was obtained from dissected snails by extraction of the venom glands) of a fish-hunting cone snail, Conus consors (Pionoconus clade). The major Hyal isoform, Conohyal-Cn1, is expressed as a mixture of numerous glycosylated proteins in the 50 kDa molecular mass range, as observed in 2D gel and mass spectrometry analyses. Further proteomic analysis and venom duct mRNA sequencing allowed full sequence determination. Additionally, unambiguous segment location of at least three glycosylation sites could be determined, with glycans corresponding to multiple hexose (Hex) and N-acetylhexosamine (HexNAc) moieties. With respect to other known Hyals, Conohyal-Cn1 clearly belongs to the hydrolase-type of Hyals, with strictly conserved consensus catalytic donor and positioning residues. Potent biological activity of the native Conohyals could be confirmed in degrading hyaluronic acid. A similar Hyal sequence was also found in the venom duct transcriptome of C. adamsonii (Textilia clade), implying a possible widespread recruitment of this enzyme family in fish-hunting cone snail venoms. These results provide the first detailed Hyal sequence characterized from a cone snail venom, and to a larger extent in the Mollusca phylum, thus extending our knowledge on this protein family and its evolutionary selection in marine snail venoms.
Enhancing the Reliability of Head Nodes in Underwater Sensor Networks
Authors: Min Hong , Cho Yookun , Heo Junyoung
Published: January 2012

Underwater environments are quite different from terrestrial environments in terms of the communication media and operating conditions associated with those environments. In underwater sensor networks, the probability of node failure is high because sensor nodes are deployed in harsher environments than ground-based networks. The sensor nodes are surrounded by salt water and moved around by waves and currents. Many studies have focused on underwater communication environments in an effort to improve the data transmission throughput. In this paper, we present a checkpointing scheme for the head nodes to quickly recover from a head node failure. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme enhances the reliability of the networks and makes them more efficient in terms of energy consumption and the recovery latency compared to the previous scheme without checkpointing.
Lire et écrire avec Jean-Pierre Richard
Authors: Mathieu Jean-Claude
Published: January 2012

Résumé Présentation de ce numéro en hommage à Jean-Pierre Richard. On rappelle l’extrême importance de cette œuvre critique, pénétrante, vaste, allant des classiques des xix e et xx e siècles aux romanciers contemporains, qui a restitué à la lecture des œuvres la « chair du monde », l’assise sensorielle, d’où part un projet d’être, un désir de se découvrir et de se construire par l’écriture. La parole a été laissée à des romanciers contemporains, qu’il avait d’abord lus : portrait en miroir de leur lecteur.
Paysage sensible
Authors: Barbéris Dominique
Published: January 2012

Résumé Glissant des paysages textuels au paysage réel de la rue où elle fut voisine de Jean-Pierre Richard, Dominique Barbéris cherche à cerner la part à la fois littéraire et sensible de sa relation avec le critique et l’écrivain.
Relation heureuse
Authors: Michon Pierre
Published: January 2012

Résumé Pierre Michon a choisi de rendre hommage à Jean-Pierre Richard en empruntant le détour de l’autobiographie, peut-être de l’autofiction. L’écrivain raconte sa première rencontre avec le grand critique, sa confrontation avec le commentaire de ses propres textes. S’attachant plus précisément à l’article qu’a écrit Jean-Pierre Richard à propos de son Rimbaud le fils , Michon essaie de rendre compte des allers et retours, des amicaux saluts que s’adressent, au fil des siècles, la création et l’exégèse, dans une sorte de danse du sens où l’écrivain et le critique sont en relation heureuse . La scène se passe au jardin du Luxembourg.
Choix langagiers sur la radio Mosaïque FM. Dispositifs d'invisibilité et de normalisation sociales
Authors: Achour Kallel Myriam
Published: January 2012

L’émergence des radios privées a considérablement changé le paysage médiatique en Tunisie, pays qui a longtemps disposé de radios publiques. La radio Mosaïque FM a été la première et, malgré un début de prolifération d’autres radios privées, reste en tête des audiences. À travers une approche d’anthropologie du langage, j’expose dans cet article mes observations de terrain en montrant comment à une ligne éditoriale linguistique, prônant un style décontracté, vient s’opposer une autre ligne éditoriale, implicite et non consensuelle, mettant sous caution cette décontraction en limitant et recadrant l’utilisation d’autres variantes régionales que le tunisois. Je termine en montrant comment ces pratiques amènent finalement à rendre invisibles sociolinguistiquement des acteurs et, dans le même temps, à rendre normale ou anormale l’utilisation de certaines variantes au dépens d’autres.
Portrait d’un policier de la brigade anti-criminalité dans une « cité ghetto » française
Authors: Boucher Manuel
Published: January 2012

Face à l’intensité des violences lors des émeutes urbaines de l’automne 2005, pour prévenir et réprimer d’éventuels nouveaux désordres, l’État a décidé de renforcer la présence des forces de l’ordre en capacité de se confronter à la « jeunesse turbulente » des quartiers populaires. Des interactions frictionnelles, des rapports paroxystiques et complexes vont alors se développer entre des jeunes « figures de désordres » et des acteurs institués et émergents d’encadrement des classes populaires, en particulier des policiers chargés de pacifier les cités périphériques ghettoïsées. Dans ce contexte, à partir d’une enquête ethnographique dans une cité ségréguée, cet article dresse le portrait sociologique d’un policier de la brigade anti-criminalité (BAC) de nuit. À partir de la description de son travail quotidien, de ses épreuves et de ses modes d’action, de sa relation à la violence, notamment des émeutes urbaines ainsi que des rapports d’hostilité qu’il entretient avec une partie de la population, ce texte montre que l’expérience sociale des policiers en confrontation avec des « jeunes turbulents » est ambivalente puisqu’ils sont à la fois « traqueurs » et « victimes ».
The Importance of Adjuvant Formulation in the Development of a Tuberculosis Vaccine
Authors: Baldwin Susan L. , Bertholet Sylvie , Reese Valerie A. , Ching Lance K. , Reed Steven G. , Coler Rhea N.
Published: January 2012

An effective protein-based vaccine for tuberculosis will require a safe and effective adjuvant. There are few adjuvants in approved human vaccines, including alum and the oil-in-water–based emulsions MF59 (Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics), AS03 and AS04 (GlaxoSmithKline Biologics), AF03 (Sanofi), and liposomes (Crucell). When used with pure, defined proteins, both alum and emulsion adjuvants are effective at inducing primarily humoral responses. One of the newest adjuvants in approved products is AS04, which combines monophosphoryl lipid A, a TLR-4 agonist, with alum. In this study, we compared two adjuvants: a stable oil-in-water emulsion (SE) and a stable oil-in-water emulsion incorporating glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant, a synthetic TLR-4 agonist (GLA-SE), each together with a recombinant protein, ID93. Both the emulsion SE and GLA-SE adjuvants induce potent cellular responses in combination with ID93 in mice. ID93/SE induced Th2-biased immune responses, whereas ID93/GLA-SE induced multifunctional CD4+ Th1 cell responses (IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2). The ID93/GLA-SE vaccine candidate induced significant protection in mice and guinea pigs, whereas no protection was observed with ID93/SE, as assessed by reductions in bacterial burden, survival, and pathology. These results highlight the importance of properly formulating subunit vaccines with effective adjuvants for use against tuberculosis.
You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover or a Tumor by Its Expression Profile
Authors: Sorscher Steven M. , Thomas Theodore
Published: January 2012

Expression profiling has shown great promise in matching cancers of unknown primary to likely primary tumors of origin based on patterns of mRNA expression. However, it remains uncertain as to whether even well matched tumors will demonstrate the clinical features, such as rate of progression, of their matched counterparts. In this case report, we note that based on histology, immunohistochemistry and expression profile this patient’s poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumor would have been expected to grow very rapidly on no therapy. Instead, this cancer was very indolent, with only very little radiographic progression over several years. We believe this report represents a remarkable case of a tumor where features, including expression profile, would not at all have accurately predicted the clinical course seen. While some series have suggested that matching by expression profiling predicts outcome, this case shows a dramatically different result.
Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic Casculitis Associated with Levofloxacin Therapy
Authors: Blyth Dana , Markelz Elizabeth , Okulicz Jason
Published: January 2012

Many cases of cutaneous vasculitis are druginduced with histology revealing leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV). We present a case of levofloxacin- associated LCV successfully treated with prednisone and cessation of the offending drug. Although case reports describe a link between LCV and older fluoroquinolones, such as ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin, recent reports have implicated the newer fluoroquinolone levofloxacin. Recognition of fluoroquinoloneinduced cutaneous vasculitis is important as continuation or re-exposure of the offending agent may have life-threatening consequences.
Early Fusion of Low Level Features for Emotion Mining
Authors: Dzogang Fabon , Lesot Marie-Jeanne , Rifqi Maria , Bouchon-Meunier Bernadette
Published: January 2012

We study the discrimination of emotions annotated in free texts at the sentence level: a sentence can either be associated with no emotion (neutral) or multiple labels of emotion. The proposed system relies on three characteristics. We implement an early fusion of grams of increasing orders transposing an approach successfully employed in the related task of opinion mining. We apply a filtering process that consists in extracting frequent n-grams and making use of the Shannon's entropy measure to respectively maintain dictionaries at balanced sizes and keep emotion specific features. Finally the overall system is implemented as a 2-step decision process: a first classifier discriminates between neutral and emotion bearing sentences, then one classifier per emotion is applied on emotion bearing sentences. The final decision is given by the classifier holding the maximum confidence. Results obtained on the testing set are promising.
Uncertainties of parameterized near-surface downward longwave and clear-sky direct radiation
Authors: Gubler S. , Gruber S. , Purves R. S.
Published: January 2012

Abstract. As many environmental models rely on simulating the energy balance at the Earth's surface based on parameterized radiative fluxes, knowledge of the inherent uncertainties is important. In this study we evaluate one parameterization of clear-sky incoming shortwave radiation (SDR) and diverse parameterizations of clear-sky and all-sky incoming longwave radiation (LDR). In a first step, the clear-sky global SDR is estimated based measured input variables and mean parameter values for hourly time steps during the year 1996 to 2008, and validated using the high quality measurements of seven Alpine Surface Radiation Budget (ASRB) stations in Switzerland covering different elevations. Then, twelve clear-sky LDR parameterizations are fitted to the ASRB measurements. One of the best performing LDR parameterizations is chosen to estimate the all-sky LDR based on cloud transmissivity. Cloud transmissivity is estimated using measured and modeled global SDR during daytime. For the night, the performance of several interpolation methods is evaluated. Input variable and parameter uncertainties are assigned to estimate the total output uncertainty of the mentioned models, resulting in a mean relative uncertainty of 10% for the clear-sky direct, 15% for diffuse and 2.5% for global SDR, and 2.5% for the fitted all-sky LDR. Further, a function representing the uncertainty in dependence of the radiation is assigned for each model. Validation of the model outputs shows that direct SDR is underestimated (the mean error (ME) is around −33 W m−2), while diffuse radiation is overestimated (ME around 19 W m−2). The root mean squared error (RMSE) scatters around 60 W m−2 for direct, and 40 W m−2 for diffuse SDR. The best behaviour is found, due to the compensating effects of direct and diffuse SDR, for global SDR with MEs around −13 W m−2 and RMSEs around 40 W m−2. The ME of the fitted all-sky LDR is around ±10 W m−2, and the RMSE goes up to 40 W m−2. This is obtained by linearly interpolating the average of the cloud transmissivity of the four hours of the preceeding afternoon and the following morning.
Black carbon from ships: a review of the effects of ship speed, fuel quality and exhaust gas scrubbing
Authors: Lack D. A. , Corbett J. J.
Published: January 2012

Abstract. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has moved to address the health and climate impact of the emissions from the combustion of low-quality residual fuels within the commercial shipping industry. Fuel sulfur content (FS) limits and an efficiency design index for future ships are examples of such IMO actions. The impacts of black carbon (BC) emissions from shipping are now under review by the IMO, with a particular focus on the potential impacts of future Arctic shipping. Recognizing that associating impacts with BC emissions requires both ambient and onboard observations, we provide recommendations for the measurement of BC. We also evaluate current insights regarding the effect of ship speed (engine load), fuel quality and exhaust gas scrubbing on BC emissions from ships. Observations demonstrate that BC emission factors (EFBC) increases 3 to 6 times at very low engine loads (<25% compared to EFBC at 85–100% load); absolute BC emissions (per nautical mile of travel) also increase up to 100% depending on engine load, even with reduced load fuel savings. If fleets were required to operate at lower maximum engine loads, presumably associated with reduced speeds, then engines could be re-tuned, which would reduce BC emissions. Ships operating in the Arctic are likely running at highly variable engine loads (25–100%) depending on ice conditions and ice breaking requirements. The ships operating at low load may be emitting up to 50% more BC than they would at their rated load. Such variable load conditions make it difficult to assess the likely emissions rate of BC. Current fuel sulfur regulations have the effect of reducing EFBC by an average of 30% and potentially up to 80% regardless of engine load; a removal rate similar to that of scrubbers. Uncertainties among current observations demonstrate there is a need for more information on (a) the impact of fuel quality on EFBC using robust measurement methods and (b) the efficacy of scrubbers for the removal of particulate matter by size and composition.
The consumption of lawful and illicit drugs for the professionals of the health area
Authors: Silva Valdete Lourenço , Botti Nadja Lappann
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTObjective: to examine the relationship between health professionals and the consumption of licit and illicit drugs to determine physical or psychological dependence. Method: literature search was undertaken to document analysis of secondary sources. The database used were books and journals. Results: we identified alarming rates of consumption, as the prevalence of drug use by health professionals at tertiary level, with emphasis on legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco. Being the professional wear and easy access to legal drugs as a factor in the collaborative process of addiction and the difficulty in recognizing them as patients. Conclusion: we recommend the creation and implementation of policies and programs of promotion, protection, prevention and rehabilitation of drug use, licit or not, as a strategy of quality of life for health professionals. Descriptors: health professional; drugs; disorders related to substance useRESUMOObjetivo: analisar a relação entre profissionais de saúde e o consumo de drogas lícitas e ilícitas que determinem dependência física ou psíquica. Método: pesquisa bibliográfica realizada com análise documental de fontes secundárias. A base de dados utilizada foram livros e periódicos científicos. Resultados: identificaram-se taxas preocupantes de consumo, como a prevalência do uso de drogas por parte de profissionais de saúde de nível superior, com ênfase em drogas legais como álcool e tabaco. Sendo o desgaste profissional e o fácil acesso a drogas lícitas como fator colaborativo no processo de dependência e a dificuldade dos mesmos em reconhecerem-se como pacientes. Conclusão: recomenda-se a criação e implementação de políticas e programas de promoção, proteção, prevenção e reabilitação do uso de drogas, lícitas ou não, como estratégia de qualidade de vida para os profissionais de saúde. Descritores: profissional de saúde; drogas ilícitas; transtornos relacionados ao uso de substânciasRESUMENObjetivo: examinar la relación entre profesionales de la salud y el consumo de drogas lícitas e ilícitas para determinar dependencia física o psicológica. Método: búsqueda en la literatura se llevó a cabo para documentar el análisis de fuentes secundarias. La base de datos utilizados fueron los libros y revistas. Resultados: se identificaron tasas alarmantes de consumo, la prevalencia del consumo de drogas por los profesionales de la salud en el nivel terciario, con énfasis en las drogas legales como el alcohol y el tabaco. Siendo el desgaste profesional y fácil acceso a drogas legales como un factor en el proceso de colaboración de la adicción y la dificultad en el reconocimiento de ellos como pacientes. Conclusión: Recomendamos la creación e implementación de políticas y programas de promoción, protección, prevención y rehabilitación del consumo de drogas, legales o no, como una estrategia de calidad de vida para los profesionales de la salud. Descriptores: profesional de la salud; las drogas; los trastornos relacionados con el consumo de sustâncias.
High-Grade Prostate Cancer: Favorable Results in the Modern Era Regardless of Initial Treatment
Authors: Ramahi Emma H. , Swanson Gregory P. , Jackson Matthew W. , Du Fei , Basler Joseph W.
Published: January 2012

Purpose. We performed a retrospective study to determine the outcome of a modern cohort of patients with high-grade (Gleason score ≥ 8) prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy, or hormone therapy. Methods. We identified 404 patients in the South Texas Veteran’s Healthcare System Tumor Registry diagnosed with high grade prostate cancer between 1998 and 2008. Mean follow-up was years. End points were biochemical failure-free survival, overall survival, metastasis-free survival, and cancer-specific survival. Results. 5-year overall survival for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy was 88.9%, 76.3%, and 58.9%, respectively. 5-year metastasis-free survival for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy was 96.8%, 96.6%, and 88.4%, respectively, and 5-year cancer-specific survival was 97.2%, 100%, and 89.9%, respectively. Patients with a Gleason score of 10 and pretreatment prostate-specific antigen > 20 ng/mL had decreased 5-year biochemical failure-free and cancer-specific survival. Patients with a pretreatment prostate-specific antigen > 20 ng/mL had decreased 5-year overall survival. Discussion. Even for patients with high-grade disease, the outcome is not as dire in the modern era regardless of primary treatment modality chosen. While there is room for improvement, we should not have a nihilistic impression of how these patients will respond to treatment.
Resistance Index of Penicillin-Resistant Bacteria to Various Physicochemical Agents
Authors: Kazemi M. , Kasra Kermanshahi R. , Heshmat Dehkordi E. , Payami F. , Behjati M.
Published: January 2012

Widespread use of various antimicrobial agents resulted in the emergence of bacterial resistance. Mechanisms like direct efflux, formation, and sequestration of metals and drugs in complexes and antiporter pumps are some examples. This investigation aims to investigate the resistance pattern of penicillin-resistant bacterial strains to some physicochemical agents. Sensitivity/resistance pattern of common bacterial strains to antimicrobial agents were evaluated by disk diffusion assay. Broth and agar dilution method were used for determination of minimum inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration. The impact of UV ray on the bacterial growth under laminar flow hood was measured using photonmeter. Our data demonstrates that the most prevalent metal resistance was against arsenate (95.92%), followed by cadmium (52.04%) and mercury (36.73%). There was significant difference between cetrimide resistances among studied microbial strains especially for P. aeruginosa (). High rate of pathogen resistance to various antibacterial agents in our study supports previously published data. This great rate of bacterial resistance is attributed to the emergence of defense mechanisms developed in pathogens. The higher general bacterial resistance rate among Staphylococcus strains rather than E. coli and P. aeruginosa strains draws attention towards focusing on designing newer therapeutic compounds for Staphylococcus strains.
Female Slave vs Female Slave: ָאָמה and i n t h e H B ִש ְפ ָח ה
Authors: Bridge Edward J
Published: January 2012

The Hebrew Bible has two terms to designate female slaves: ָמהָא and ָחה ְפ ִׁש .A matter that is frequently revisited is whether there is a distinction between these terms. It is clear that ָמה ָאand ָחה ְפ ִׁשare used as synonyms. This is shown by the use of both terms to designate female slaves in gen- eral (e.g., ָמה ָאin Nah ]2:8[7and Lev ;25:44and ָחה ְפ ִׁשin 1Sam 8:16 and Deut ,)28:68and the interchanging of the terms for Hagar in Gen 16:2–5 ָחה( ְפ ִׁש )and 21:10–13 ָמה( ָא )and for Bilhah and Zilpah in 31:33 ָמה( ָא )and ,33:1 6 ָחה( ְפ ִׁש .)A clear synonymous use of the two terms is found in Gen :30:3–4 Then she [Rachel] said, “See! My female slave ִתי[ ָמ ֲא ]Bilhah! Go in to her so she may bear children on my knees and I also may have children through her.” So she gave to him Bilhah her female slave ָתּה[ ָח ְפ ִׁש ]as a wife; and Jacob went into her. (Gen 30:3–4)F1 1
Modeling Spray Droplet Size in Order to Environmental Protection
Authors: Peyman Leila , Abdollahpor Shamsollah , Mahmoud Asghar , Moghaddam Mohammad , Ranabonab Behzad
Published: January 2012

Million liters of annual toxic solutions are used to combat pests and plant diseases and weeds in farms. Drift is one of the most critical problems which chemical applicators have to deal with. Wind drift would be highly controlled if the droplet size could be kept almost constant in stable atmospheric conditions.The most important factor in spraying is droplet size which is influenced by several factors including; spraying pressure, nozzle orifice diameter, the chemical viscosity and wind speed in the region. In this study factors affecting particle size have been studied using statistical methods. Nozzle orifice diameter and spraying pressure were considered as independent variables and particle size was chosen as the dependent variable. Analysis of variance showed that the effect of pressure and nozzle diameter and their interactive effect on particle volume mean diameter (VMD) were statistically significant at the 1% level. In order to compare the results estimated from regression equations and observed particle diameter chi-square test was used. Based on this test, the difference was not significant.
Performance in the Production of Organic, Biofertilized and Conventional Guava in Zitacuaro´s Region, Michoacan, Mexico
Authors: Navarro Chavez Jose Cesar Lenin , Zamora Torres America Ivonne
Published: January 2012

The organic market is growing at a steady pace of 20 percent annually; this farming method can bring several advantages to the consumers and also to the farmers. Among other things organic farming does not have to rely on access to external inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides because the farmers make use of their own resources. This not only represents a friendlier environment to the farmer or the land but also can be cheaper. The aim of this study is to find out the yield differential between three productions systems (organic, biofertilized and conventional) of guava crops in Zitacuaro, Michoacan, Mexico.
 The results indicated that the most profitable crop in terms of production costs and profits on Zitacuaro´s region is the biofertilized crop that takes up the sustainable practices combined with conventional practices in a lesser proportion. While organic and conventional crops shows a slide difference between them.
Effective at the Margins: Outmigration and Economic Development in Rural North Carolina
Authors: Jolley Jason , Nousaine Aaron , Huang Carolyn
Published: January 2012

This paper describes the economic and social challenges faced by Enfield, a small town in rural northeastern North Carolina, and the efforts by the Center for Competitive Economies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to assist the community in a strategic economic development plan to address these challenges. In particular, the paper outlines the challenges and tensions between place-based versus people-based economic development approaches and how these tensions are generalizeable to other rural small towns. Lastly, the paper concludes that even the most effective economic development strategies may only impact the community marginally given the larger confluence of events in the broader region, such as general population loss due to outmigration, declining traditional industries, and stagnant regional economies.
The Value of Debts and Credits
Authors: Akyuz Didem
Published: January 2012

Promote discussions on integers in real life by using positive and negative numbers in the context of net worth.
To Infinity … and Beyond!
Authors: Larson Jeffrey M. , Jacobson Michael S. , Ouden Katherine M. Den , Basile Carole G.
Published: January 2012

Students expand their perspective when they consider counting with large numbers.
The Write Stuff: Producing a How-To Book
Authors: Mallia Julie A. , Pawloski Don , Daisey Peggy
Published: January 2012

Help students articulate their mathematical learning through writing.
The Multistep Tunneling Analogue of Conductivity Mismatch in Organic Spin Valves
Authors: Tran T. Lan Anh , Le T. Quyen , Sanderink Johnny G. M. , van der Wiel Wilfred G. , de Jong Michel P.
Published: January 2012

Carbon‐based, molecular semiconductors offer several attractive attributes for spintronics, such as exceptionally weak spin‐orbit coupling and compatibility with bottom‐up nanofabrication. In spite of the promising properties of organic spin valves, however, the physical mechanisms governing spin‐polarized conduction remain poorly understood. An experimental study of C60‐based spin valves is presented and their behavior is modeled with spin‐polarized tunneling via multiple intermediate states with a Gaussian energy distribution. It is shown that, analogous to conductivity mismatch in the diffusive regime, the magnetoresistance decreases with the number of intermediate tunnel steps, regardless of the value of the spin lifetime. This mechanism has been largely overlooked in previous studies of organic spin valves. In addition, using measurements of the temperature and bias dependence of the magnetoresistance, inhomogeneous magnetostatic fields resulting from interfacial roughness are identified as a source for spin relaxation and dephasing. These findings constitute a comprehensive understanding of the processes underlying spin‐polarized transport in these structures and shed new light on previous studies of organic spin valves.
New oral anticoagulants: A view from the laboratory
Authors: Weitz Jeffrey I.
Published: January 2012

The new oral anticoagulants are rapidly replacing warfarin for several indications. In contrast to warfarin, which lowers the functional levels of all of the vitamin K‐dependent clotting factors, the new agents target either factor Xa or thrombin. With targeted inhibition of coagulation, the new oral anticoagulants have pharmacological, biochemical, and clinical features distinct from those of warfarin. Focusing on laboratory perspectives, this article compares and contrasts the pharmacological and biochemical properties of thenew oral anticoagulants with those of warfarin and uses this information to speculate on the underlying mechanisms responsible for the clinical features that differentiate the new agents from warfarin. Am. J. Hematol. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Clinical, histopathologic, and genetic features of pediatric primary myelofibrosis—An entity different from adults
Authors: DeLario Melissa R. , Sheehan Andrea M. , Ataya Ramona , Bertuch Alison A. , Vega Carlos , Webb C. Renee , Lopez‐Terrada Dolores , Venkateswaran Lakshmi
Published: January 2012

Primary myelofibrosis is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by cytopenias, leukoerythroblastosis, extramedullary hematopoiesis, hepatosplenomegaly and bone marrow fibrosis. Primary myelofibrosis is a rare disorder in adults; children are even less commonly affected by this entity, with the largest pediatric case series reporting on three patients. Most literature suggests spontaneous resolution of myelofibrosis without long term complications in the majority of affected children. We describe the clinical, pathologic, and molecular characteristics and outcomes of nineteen children with primary myelofibrosis treated in our center from 1984 to 2011. Most patients had cytopenia significant enough to require supportive therapy. No child developed malignant transformation and only five of the 19 children (26%) had spontaneous resolution of disease. Sequence analyses for JAK2V617F and MPLW515L mutations were performed on bone marrow samples from 17 and six patients, respectively, and the results were negative. In conclusion, analysis of this large series of pediatric patients with primary myelofibrosis demonstrates distinct clinical, hematologic, bone marrow, and molecular features from adult patients.Am. J. Hematol. 87:461–464, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Enhancing Protein Backbone Binding—A Fruitful Concept for Combating Drug‐Resistant HIV
Authors: Ghosh Arun K. , Anderson David D. , Weber Irene T. , Mitsuya Hiroaki
Published: January 2012

The evolution of drug resistance is one of the most fundamental problems in medicine. In HIV/AIDS, the rapid emergence of drug‐resistant HIV‐1 variants is a major obstacle to current treatments. HIV‐1 protease inhibitors are essential components of present antiretroviral therapies. However, with these protease inhibitors, resistance occurs through viral mutations that alter inhibitor binding, resulting in a loss of efficacy. This loss of potency has raised serious questions with regard to effective long‐term antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS. In this context, our research has focused on designing inhibitors that form extensive hydrogen‐bonding interactions with the enzyme’s backbone in the active site. In doing so, we limit the protease’s ability to acquire drug resistance as the geometry of the catalytic site must be conserved to maintain functionality. In this Review, we examine the underlying principles of enzyme structure that support our backbone‐binding concept as an effective means to combat drug resistance and highlight their application in our recent work on antiviral HIV‐1 protease inhibitors.