bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
San Francisco to Silicon Valley, California, Instant Ridesharing with Transfer Hub
Authors: Raney Steve
Published: October 2010

A concept of operations is provided for an innovative instant ridesharing service to exploit the large San Francisco (SF) Bay Area major employer commuter flow from SF to Silicon Valley in California. Although the concept of filling empty seats in cars seems obvious, 15 previous dynamic or instant ridesharing pilot programs have failed to develop critical mass. The proposed service differs from past attempts because (a) it targets a large commuter flow vector rather than a two-dimensional area and results in a higher probability of ride matches; (b) it uses a midcommute transfer hub to further increase ride matching probabilities; (c) it offers a viable business model that provides $40 per day per commuter cost savings to Silicon Valley employers; (d) it uses psychological persuasion principles to obtain higher participant commitment; (e) it uses daily financial incentives to motivate participants; and (f) through extensive participant training, it emphasizes immediate high system utilization on the first day of operation.
Mitigating Excessive Idling of Transit Buses
Authors: Ziring Emily , Sriraj P. S.
Published: October 2010

In recent years much media attention has been paid to research developments related to three types of diesel vehicles: school buses, long-haul trucks, and transit buses. Transit bus emissions studies often gain attention because the public wants to know whether transit agencies are spending public dollars efficiently and with concern for public health. The public health and environmental effects of transit bus idling and strategies to mitigate idling practices need to be understood. Most transit bus idling is considered nondiscretionary and occurs while a bus is stuck in traffic or making a stop along its route. However, in some scenarios transit buses idle unnecessarily. Although many solutions exist to limit idling, these solutions have not garnered much interest from transit agencies, researchers, or lawmakers. This paper will review the causes and effects of transit bus idling and examine the potential costs and benefits of using idling reduction technologies and policies on the bus fleet of a large metropolitan transit agency in the Midwest to limit fuel consumption and emissions. The paper is organized as follows: Economic, environmental, and health effects of diesel emissions are discussed in the introductory section, as is current anti-idling public policy. The research methodology is described, and causes of excessive bus idling at the Chicago Transit Authority in Illinois are discussed, as are potential solutions. Idling reduction technologies are examined to determine which provides the greatest economic and environmental benefit for the lowest cost. The paper concludes with specific recommendations for the Chicago Transit Authority.
Transportation Policy, Poverty, and Sustainability
Authors: Wachs Martin
Published: October 2010

Mobility and increased access to transportation are two of the most important global forces for the alleviation of poverty. This is especially true in rapidly developing areas of the world, exemplified by China and India. It is also true in the United States, where huge gaps in mobility between rich and poor remain. Growing concern over the need to address global sustainability focuses attention on the rise in greenhouse gas levels, which is increasingly associated with increases in mobility. It is often suggested that improved mobility must be sacrificed to achieve sustainability. This paper examines the trade-offs between the need for mobility to foster economic development and the need to reduce the production of greenhouse gases to achieve global sustainability. The attainment of sustainable mobility requires increased global access to goods, services, education, and economic opportunity, alongside reductions in the production of greenhouse gases. The attainment of one cannot be an excuse for forgoing the other. Transportation technology and policy must address the twin goals of improving mobility while decreasing the levels of production of greenhouse gases.
Alternative Transportation Financing Strategies
Authors: Rosenbloom Sandra
Published: October 2010

This paper presents the major findings from a study conducted for AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) on the implications of various transportation financing strategies for older and retired people. The study found that almost all current and proposed financing mechanisms are or would be regressive and that many would have a limited relationship to the costs that users impose on the system or the benefits that travelers receive from the system. The most important study finding is that there are more substantial equity concerns for older and retired people when less traditional definitions of equity are applied. The study concludes that to offset inequities in the current system or a potential system of financing, particularly in how those funds are spent to deliver transportation services, it is crucial that all levels of government structure and deliver transportation services that respond to the specific needs of older and retired people.
How Does Ignoring Worker Class Affect Measuring the Jobs–Housing Balance?
Authors: Horner Mark W.
Published: October 2010

The theoretical minimum commute is a well-studied measure of the jobs–housing balance that summarizes the relative proximity of workers to workplaces for a given urban region. It is often used in a comparative context to determine changes in aggregate spatial structure and transport behavior over time and space. In the literature, a basic question remains: What are the measurement impacts of assuming worker inter-changeability and therefore ignoring socioeconomic status in computing theoretical minimum commutes? This paper presents an exploratory spatial data analysis of this disaggregation issue. A modeling framework that synthesizes disaggregate socioeconomic data for a metropolitan area is designed. These synthesized data are then analyzed to gain a sense of the error potential in the theoretical minimum commute calculation when worker class is ignored. The results show that ignoring worker class can substantially affect estimates of the jobs–housing balance.
Transfer of Innovative Policies between Cities to Promote Sustainability
Authors: Marsden Greg , Frick Karen Trapenberg , May Anthony D. , Deakin Elizabeth
Published: October 2010

This paper describes how cities approach the challenging task of identifying, considering, and adopting innovative transport policies. Drawing on political science literature, the paper begins by establishing a framework for analyzing the process of policy transfer and policy learning. Cities were selected on the basis of their reputation for having adopted innovative policies. Data were collected from project reports and in-depth interviews with 40 professionals comprising planners, consultants, and operators in 11 cities across North America and northern Europe. This paper presents the findings from three key innovations: congestion charging, compact growth and transport planning, and carsharing. Each of these innovations was implemented at several sites, and there was evidence of learning across the sites studied. The case studies present a discussion of each policy alongside indications of its positive and negative impacts and then examine how the different cities approached the task of learning about how to introduce it and the issues that they faced. The paper identifies conditions that appear to support effective learning: reliance on strong networks of personal and professional contacts, drawing lessons from multiple sites, and financial and institutional support to facilitate the uptake of risky or technologically immature innovations.
Impact of Foreign Aid on Local Institutional Systems
Authors: Kato Hironori , Diaz Crispin Emmanuel D. , Onga Marie
Published: October 2010

This paper examines the institutional spillover effect observed in a port development project funded by foreign aid by using the Batangas Port Development Project in the Philippines as a case study. The project's purposes, processes, and results were examined by reviewing the literature and interviewing local actors. Next, the focus was on the key single event—demolition—to identify the institutional impact. In the project planning process, the local executing agency experienced difficulty in finding suitable relocation sites for affected residents. Together with some nongovernmental organizations, local residents started to oppose the project. The donor requested that the executing agency find a peaceful solution in negotiations with opposition groups. Although the executing agency made great efforts—including the introduction of an interagency committee—to build a consensus with the local opposition groups, the group finally demolished residential structures without notifying the donor to make way for the port development. The behaviors of the donor and recipient were examined in detail to understand the reasons why the demolition happened as it did.
Volume change of Jakobshavn Isbræ, West Greenland: 1985–1997–2007
Authors: Motyka Roman J. , Fahnestock Mark , Truffer Martin
Published: October 2010

Following three decades of relative stability, Jakobshavn Isbræ, West Greenland, underwent dramatic thinning, retreat and speed-up starting in 1998. To assess the amount of ice loss, we analyzed 1985 aerial photos and derived a 40 m grid digital elevation model (DEM). We also obtained a 2007 40 m grid SPOT DEM covering the same region. Comparison of the two DEMs over an area of ∼4000 km2 revealed a total ice loss of 160 ± 4 km3, with 107 ± 0.2 km3 in grounded regions (0.27 mm eustatic sea-level rise) and 53 ± 4 km3 from the disintegration of the floating tongue. Comparison of the DEMs with 1997 NASA Airborne Topographic Mapper data indicates that this ice loss essentially occurred after 1997, with +0.7 ± 5.6 km3 between 1985 and 1997 and −160 ± 7 km3 between 1997 and 2007. The latter is equivalent to an average specific mass balance of −3.7 ± 0.2 m a−1 over the study area. Previously reported thickening of the main glacier during the early 1990s was accompanied by similar-magnitude thinning outside the areas of fast flow, indicating that the land-based ice continued reacting to longer-term climate forcing.
Passive Consensus and Active Commitment in the Sciences
Authors: Bouvier Alban
Published: October 2010

Gilbert (2000) examined the issue of collective intentionality in science. Her paper consisted of a conceptual analysis of the negative role of collective belief, consensus, and joint commitment in science, with a brief discussion of a case study investigated by Thagard (1998a, 1998b). I argue that Gilbert's concepts have to be refined to be empirically more relevant. Specifically, I distinguish between different kinds of joint commitments. I base my analysis on a close examination of Thagard's example, the discovery ofHelicobacter pylori, and two other historical cases involving the Copenhagen school of quantum mechanics and the Austrian school of economics. I also argue that it is difficult to fulfill the condition of common knowledge, even in Gilbert's weak sense. I conclude by raising serious doubts about the very possibility of a certain type of joint commitment, which I refer to as an implicit joint commitment.
Evidence and Justification in Groups with Conflicting Background Beliefs
Authors: Staley Kent W.
Published: October 2010

Some prominent accounts of scientific evidence treat evidence as an unrelativized concept. But whether belief in a hypothesis is justified seems relative to the epistemic situation of the believer. The issue becomes yet more complicated in the context of group epistemic agents, for then one confronts the problem of relativizing to an epistemic situation that may include conflicting beliefs. As a step toward resolution of these difficulties, an ideal of justification is here proposed that incorporates both an unrelativized evidence requirement and the requirement of the security of the evidence on which a conclusion from data is based. The latter requirement incorporates the consideration of epistemic modal statements.
Maritime Law and Practice in Late Medieval Aberdeen
Authors: Frankot Edda
Published: October 2010

This article examines maritime law and its use in legal practice in late medieval Aberdeen. It is argued that, although several copies of a Scottish translation of the ‘Rôles d'Oléron’, a French sea law, were available in Scotland, written law collections were rarely used in court proceedings. Rather, judgments were ‘concluded’ or ‘found’ based on common sense. Some of these judgments did, nonetheless, correspond to regulations laid down in the ‘Rôles d'Oléron’, or to verdicts from legal practice recorded elsewhere in northern Europe. Although no common tradition of maritime law and practice existed in northern Europe, Aberdeen practice appears to have been significantly different from that of other northern European towns, suggesting that Aberdeen may have been part of a separate north-western European tradition instead.
The Prosecution of Sexual Crimes in Early Eighteenth-Century Scotland
Authors: Levack Brian P.
Published: October 2010

A session of the north circuit held at Perth on 20 May 1709 marked a turning point in the prosecution of sexual crimes in Scotland and a significant change in the administration of Scottish criminal justice. By pardoning more than 300 men and women charged with fornication and adultery, the court brought about the de facto decriminalisation of those crimes in the Scottish secular courts. An incest trial held before the court the same day revealed difficulties in the prosecution of this crime and challenged prevailing male and clerical attitudes towards rape. The proceedings of the court also demonstrated the growing reluctance of Scottish advocates to appeal to biblical authority in criminal prosecutions. The legal developments at Perth were made possible by a bill of indemnity passed by the British parliament in 1708, the abolition of the Scottish privy council in the same year, and the establishment of a comprehensive circuit court system in Scotland.
Performance Analysis of a Double-effect Adsorption Refrigeration Cycle with a Silica Gel/Water Working Pair
Authors: Marlinda Marlinda , Uyun Aep Saepul , Miyazaki Takahiko , Ueda Yuki , Akisawa Atsushi
Published: October 2010

A numerical investigation of the double-effect adsorption refrigeration cycle is examined in this manuscript. The proposed cycle is based on the cascading adsorption cycle, where condensation heat that is produced in the top cycle is utilized as the driving heat source for the bottom cycle. The results show that the double-effect cycle produces a higher coefficient of performance (COP) as compared to that of the conventional single-stage cycle for driving temperatures between 100 °C and 150 °C in which the average cycle chilled water temperature is fixed at 9 °C. Moreover, the COP of the double-effect cycle is more than twice that of the single-stage cycle when the temperature reaches 130 °C. It is also observed that the adsorbent mass ratio of the high temperature cycle (HTC) to the low temperature cycle (LTC) affects the performance of the double-effect adsorption refrigeration cycle.
Dinosaurs in Thai Culture and Tourism
Authors: Cohen Erik
Published: October 2010

Dinosaurs are extinct, but enjoy a great popularity in contemporary popular culture, as fierce monsters or amiable “dinos.” Various dinosaur sites around the world are popular tourist attractions. While tourists' engagement with living animals has attracted growing attention
in tourism studies, “dinosaur tourism” has been little investigated. The article points out the peculiarities of tourist engagement with an extinct species, particularly with regard to the (objective) authenticity of various dinosaur attractions. In a case study of the emergence
and development of dinosaur tourism in Thailand, the penetration of the dinosaur culture into the country, the discovery of dinosaur fossils, and the establishment of different types of dinosaur attractions, specifically excavation sites, museums, and theme parks, are discussed. The article
focuses on the most popular type of attractions, the dinosaur museums, in which “authentic reproductions” of dinosaurs are exhibited. The museums have been at first established by the national authorities in the vicinity of major dinosaur finds in the Northeast of the country,
in an effort to develop tourism to the region. The provinces harboring the principal dinosaur finds, and the Northeast (Isan) region as a whole, were branded Thailand's “Land of Dinosaurs.” The museums became popular with domestic visitors, but failed to attract significant numbers
of foreign ones, owing to their relative remoteness and isolation. A recent trend is noted to establish new, more centrally located dinosaur museums, away from the dinosaur excavations, but closer to major population concentrations.
The Commodification of Culture in Jeolla Province, Korea: The Frame of Cultural Tourism
Authors: Shin Youngsun
Published: October 2010

Cultural tourism constitutes an alterative strategy of sustainable local development for improving quality of life. The main objective of this type of tourism is to transform the regions, which are characterized by cultural resources, into ideal places for vacation, residence, or business.
This article aims to identify the commodification of culture in Jeonnam, which is the result of the development of cultural tourism in Jeolla Province. Furthermore, this article reveals the cultural commodification from the perspectives of the tourists, the community, and the regional government
and also discusses the efforts to restore the culture and the future cultural tourism in Jeolla Province.
Zero‐sum allocational strategies determine the allometry of specific leaf area
Authors: Price Charles A. , Weitz Joshua S.
Published: October 2010

• Premise of the study: Specific leaf area (SLA) is a critical component of the leaf economics spectrum, and many functional leaf traits have been empirically demonstrated to covary with SLA. However, a complete understanding of how change in leaf size influences SLA has not yet emerged.

• Methods: To help develop a more complete understanding of the determinants of variability in SLA, we present a covariation model of leaf allometry that predicts a zero‐sum interdependence of leaf thickness, density, and surface area on leaf mass. We test the model's predictions on measurements of 900 leaves from 44 angiosperm species.

• Key results: We observe that “diminishing returns,” the negative allometry (slope < 1) of surface area versus mass, does not hold universally across species. Rather, the scaling of SLA is linked to the relative allocation to thickness and density. Specifically, diminishing returns are observed when leaves grow thicker, more than their density decreases, with increasing mass. Finally, we confirm model predictions that the allometric dependence of area, thickness, and density on mass can be well approximated by a zero‐sum allocational process.

• Conclusions: Our work adds to the growing body of evidence that allometric covariation is a hallmark of the scaling behavior of complex plant and leaf traits. Moreover, because our model makes predictions based on allocational constraints, it provides a foundation to understand how deviations from zero‐sum tradeoffs in allocation to leaf thickness, density, or area determine the allometry of SLA and, ultimately, underlie adaptive strategies within and across plant species.
Expanding the gelation properties of valine-based 3,5-diaminobenzoate organogelators with N-alkylurea functionalities
Authors: Chow Hak-Fun , Cheng Chin-Ho
Published: October 2010

A new family of valine-containing 3,5-diaminobenzoate derivatives 2 with N-alkylurea moieties attached to the valine moieties was prepared. By appending these two new N-alkylurea chains to the molecular structure, their organogelating properties were extended from only aromatic solvents, to a wide range of other types of solvents such as alicyclic hydrocarbons, alcohols and polar solvents such as DMSO and DMF. It was also found that a longer N-alkylurea chain conferred improved gelation power and higher thermal stability as compared to those of the shorter ones.
NON CONVENTIONAL SURFACE FUNCTIONALIZATION OF POROUS POLY-ε-CAPROLACTONE SCAFFOLDS USING BIOACTIVE MOLECULARLY IMPRINTED NANOSPHERES
Authors: Silvestri Davide , Cristallini Caterina , Domenichini Marco , Gagliardi Mariacristina , Giusti Paolo
Published: October 2010

Polymeric scaffolds, in the form of porous membranes, modified to favour cell adhesion and proliferation on their surface, were prepared using an innovative technique of functionalization, based on molecularly imprinting technology.

A series of membranes based on poly-ε-caprolactone were obtained through phase inversion using different solvents and non-solvents. Diffusion tests showed that prepared membranes exhibited a good permeability towards important nutrients such as folic acid and glucose. The ability of membranes, modified with imprinted nanoparticles, to facilitate cell adhesion and proliferation was evaluated by cell culture method using murine fibroblast cell line. SEM analysis at 72 h after seeding revealed an improved cell distribution on the surface of the membranes functionalized by deposition of molecularly imprinted nanoparticles.
COHERENT MEG/EEG SOURCE LOCALIZATION IN TRANSFORMED DATA SPACE
Authors: Zhang Junpeng , Dalal Sarang S. , Nagarajan Srikantan S. , Yao Dezhong
Published: October 2010

In some cases, different brain regions give rise to strongly-coherent electrical neural activities. For example, pure tone evoked activations of the bilateral auditory cortices exhibit strong coherence. Conventional 2nd order statistics-based spatio-temporal algorithms, such as MUSIC (MUltiple SIgnal Classification) and beamforming encounter difficulties in localizing such activities. In this paper, we proposed a novel solution for this case. The key idea is to map the measurement data into a new data space through a transformation prior to the localization. The orthogonal complement of the lead field matrix for the region to be suppressed is generated as the transformation matrix. Using a priori knowledge or another independent imaging method, such as sLORETA (standard LOw REsolution brain electromagnetic TomogrAphy), the coherent source regions can be primarily identified. And then, in the transformed data space a conventional spatio-temporal method, such as MUSIC, can be used to accomplish the localization of the remaining coherent sources. Repeatedly applying the method will achieve localization of all the coherent sources. The algorithm was validated by simulation experiments as well as by the reconstructions of real bilateral auditory cortical coherent activities.
SEQUENCE-BASED PREDICTION OF PROTEIN B-FACTORS WITH DUAL SUPERVIZED LEARNING MODELS
Authors: Liu Yu-Cheng , Hwang Shien-Ching , Huang Yu-Feng , Lin Win-Li , Oyang Yen-Jen , Huang Chien-Kang
Published: October 2010

The B-factor, which is also known as temperature factor or Debby–Waller factor, is an important structural flexibility index of the ground-state protein conformation. In particular, the B-factors associated with a segment of residues, reflect the local flexibility of the corresponding protein tertiary substructure. Recent studies have shown that, for certain families of proteins, there exists a high-degree of correlation between the B-factors and the protein functional sites, including antigenic regions, enzyme active sites, and nucleotide binding sites. This paper presents a sequence–based predictor of B-factors with a dual-model approach.

 The design of the dual-model approach has been aimed at exploiting the bi-modal distribution of B-factors in order to achieve higher prediction accuracy. In this paper, the prediction accuracy is measured by Pearson correlation coefficient. Experimental results show that the dual-model predictor proposed in this article is capable of delivering superior correlation coefficient in comparison with two predictors reported in two latest papers.

 Though experimental results show that the dual-model proposed in this paper really works more effectively than the conventional approach, it is of interest to continue investigating more advanced designs since there exists a strong correlation between B-factors and protein functional sites. In this respect, identifying additional physiochemical properties that are related to structural flexibility deserves a high-degree of attention.
Critical Role of IL-25 in Nematode Infection-Induced Alterations in Intestinal Function
Authors: Zhao Aiping , Urban Joseph F. , Sun Rex , Stiltz Jennifer , Morimoto Motoko , Notari Luigi , Madden Kathleen B. , Yang Zhonghan , Grinchuk Viktoriya , Ramalingam Thirumalai R. , Wynn Thomas A. , Shea-Donohue Terez
Published: October 2010

IL-25 (IL-17E) is a member of the IL-17 cytokine family. IL-25–deficient mice exhibit impaired Th2 immunity against nematode infection, implicating IL-25 as a key component in mucosal immunity. The sources of IL-25 and mechanisms responsible for the induction of Th2 immunity by IL-25 in the gastrointestinal tract remain poorly understood. There is also little information on the regulation of IL-25 during inflammation or its role in gut function. In the current study, we investigated the regulation of IL-25 during Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection and the contribution of IL-25 to the infection-induced alterations in intestinal function. We found that epithelial cells, but not immune cells, are the major source of IL-25 in the small intestine. N. brasiliensis infection-induced upregulation of IL-25 depends upon IL-13 activation of STAT6. IL-25−/− mice had diminished intestinal smooth muscle and epithelial responses to N. brasiliensis infection that were associated with an impaired Th2 protective immunity. Exogenous IL-25 induced characteristic changes similar to those after nematode infection but was unable to restore the impaired host immunity against N. brasiliensis infection in IL-13−/− mice. These data show that IL-25 plays a critical role in nematode infection-induced alterations in intestinal function that are important for host protective immunity, and IL-13 is the major downstream Th2 cytokine responsible for the IL-25 effects.
Diesel Exhaust Particle-Treated Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells Upregulate Jagged-1 and OX40 Ligand in Myeloid Dendritic Cells via Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin
Authors: Bleck Bertram , Tse Doris B. , Gordon Terry , Ahsan Mohammad R. , Reibman Joan
Published: October 2010

Ambient particulate matter, including diesel exhaust particles (DEP), promotes the development of allergic disorders. DEP increase oxidative stress and influence human bronchial epithelial cell (HBEC)–dendritic cell interactions via cytokines, including thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). Upregulation of TSLP results in Th2 responses. Using primary culture HBEC and human myeloid dendritic cell (mDC) cocultures, we show in this study that DEP upregulation of Th2 responses occurred via HBEC-dependent mechanisms that resulted from oxidative stress. Moreover, DEP-treated HBEC and ambient particulate matter-treated HBEC upregulated OX40 ligand (OX40L) and the Notch ligand Jagged-1 mRNA and expression on mDC. Upregulation of OX40L as well as Jagged-1 on mDC required HBEC and did not occur in the presence of N-acetylcysteine. Furthermore, OX40L and Jagged-1 upregulation was inhibited when HBEC expression of TSLP was silenced. Thus, DEP treatment of HBEC targeted two distinct pathways in mDC that were downstream of TSLP expression. Upregulation of OX40L and Jagged-1 by mDC resulted in mDC-driven Th2 responses. These studies expand our understanding of the mechanism by which ambient pollutants alter mucosal immunity and promote disorders such as asthma.
Behavioral Impact of the Regulation of the Brain 2-Oxoglutarate Dehydrogenase Complex by Synthetic Phosphonate Analog of 2-Oxoglutarate: Implications into the Role of the Complex in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Trofimova L. , Lovat M. , Groznaya A. , Efimova E. , Dunaeva T. , Maslova M. , Graf A. , Bunik V.
Published: October 2010

Decreased activity of the mitochondrial 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (OGDHC) in brain accompanies neurodegenerative diseases. To reveal molecular mechanisms of this association, we treated rats with a specific inhibitor of OGDHC, succinyl phosphonate, or exposed them to hypoxic stress. In males treated with succinyl phosphonate and in pregnancy-sensitized females experiencing acute hypobaric hypoxia, we revealed upregulation of brain OGDHC (within 24 hours), with the activity increase presumably representing the compensatory response of brain to the OGDHC inhibition. This up-regulation of brain OGDHC was accompanied by an increase in exploratory activity and a decrease in anxiety of the experimental animals. Remarkably, the hypoxia-induced elevation of brain OGDHC and most of the associated behavioral changes were abrogated by succinyl phosphonate. The antagonistic action of hypoxia and succinyl phosphonate demonstrates potential therapeutic significance of the OGDHC regulation by the phosphonate analogs of 2-oxoglutarate.
Clinical Evaluation of Patients with Spinal Cord Infarction in Mashhad, Iran
Authors: Ghandehari Kavian , Gerami Sarabi Mohammad Reza , Maarufi Parham
Published: October 2010

Background. Spinal Cord Infarction (SCI) is a rare and disabling disease. This hospital-based study was conducted for clinical evaluation of SCI patients in east of Iran.Methods. Consecutive SCI patients admitted in Ghaem hospital,Mashhad during 2006–2010 were enrolled in a prospective clinical study. Diagnosis of SCI was made by neurologists and radiologists. Demographic features, clinical syndrome, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) findings were recorded. All of the patients underwent a standard battery of diagnostic investigations. All of the patients suspected to SCI had MRI of spinal cord at the symptomatic level of cord with a 0.5 Tesla generation, Philips NT Intra, Netherland equipment. An equal number of patients with Brain Infarction (BI) were randomly selected from our stroke registry data bank. Etiology and degree of disability were compared between these groups of patients.Results. Fourteen SCI patients (9 females, 5 males) with mean age38.8±SD: 19.9 years were evaluated. Miscellaneous causes consisted 50% of etiologies in patients with SCI. Uncertain etiology, atherosclerosis, and cardioembolisms consisted 35.7%, 7.1%, and 7.1% of SCI causes, respectively. Distribution of etiologies was significantly different between SCI and BI patients,X2=12.94,df=3,P=.003. Difference in mean disability score at acute phase of stroke was not significant between two studied groups,z=1.54,P=.057. Difference in mean changes of disability score at 90 days postevent was significant in two groups of patients,z=2.65,P=.019.Conclusion. SCI is a rare disease with poor recovery. Distribution of etiologies of SCI patients is quite different than of BI patients.
Obesity, Chronic Disease, and Economic Growth: A Case for “Big Picture” Prevention
Authors: Egger Garry
Published: October 2010

The discovery of a form of chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation (“metaflammation”) linked with obesity, but also associated with several lifestyle-related behaviours not necessarily causing obesity, suggests a re-consideration of obesity as a direct cause of chronic disease and a search for the main drivers—or cause of causes. Factors contributing to this are considered here within an environmental context, leading to the conclusion that humans have an immune reaction to aspects of the modern techno-industrial environment, to which they have not fully adapted. It is suggested that economic growth—beyond a point—leads to increases in chronic diseases and climate change and that obesity is a signal of these problems. This is supported by data from Sweden over 200 years, as well as “natural” experiments in disrupted economies like Cuba and Nauru, which have shown a positive health effect with economic downturns. The effect is reflected both in human health and environmental problems such as climate change, thus pointing to the need for greater cross-disciplinary communication and a concept shift in thinking on prevention if economic growth is to continue to benefit human health and well-being.
Anti-A and Anti-B Haemolysins amongst Group “O” Voluntary Blood Donors in Northeastern Nigeria
Authors: Kagu M. B. , Ahmed Sagir G. , Mohammed Aisha A. , Moshood Waheed K. , Malah Mohammed B. , Kehinde Jimoh M.
Published: October 2010

Background and Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and haemolytic significance of alpha- and beta-haemolysins in our voluntary group “O” donor population.Methods. This was a prospective study carried out at North-East Zonal Centre, the National Blood Transfusion Service, Maiduguri, Nigeria from April 2007 to April 2009. One thousand nine hundred and twenty nine voluntary group “O” blood donors (1609 males and 320 females, median age 26 years±7.6 SD) were screened for alpha- (anti-A) and beta- (anti-B) haemolysins using the standard tube technique at 37 degrees C for 1 hour. All samples showing haemolysis were titrated for anti-A and anti-B haemolysins.Results. The overall prevalence of haemolysins in group O donors was 55.4%. Prevalence of alpha- and beta-haemolysins only was 10.3% and 12.6%, respectively, while that of donors having both alpha- and beta-haemolysins in their sera was 32.5%. Visual titre of 8 was seen in 0.4% of lytic alpha-haemolysin and 0.2% of lytic beta-haemolysin whereas donors with both alpha- and beta-haemolysins had a titre of 1.8%. Lytic titre of 16 and 32 was very low in our donor population.Conclusion. This study has shown that although the prevalence of haemolysins is high in our voluntary group “O” donor population, the strength of the lytic antibodies is low. Therefore, despite the labour intensiveness of our haemolysis titration technique and the frequent transfusion of group O blood to certain recipients of blood group A, B, and AB in our environments, there is the need to routinely screen our donors for haemolysins in order to identify those posing the greatest risk to recipients. Further studies to determine episodes of clinically significant haemolysis in recipients of blood group O may be necessary.
Should Histologic Grade Be Incorporated into the TNM Classification System for Small (T1, T2) Node-Negative Breast Adenocarcinomas?
Authors: Purdom Mathew , Cibull Michael L. , Stratton Terry D. , Samayoa Luis M. , Romond Edward H. , Mcgrath Patrick C. , Karabakhtsian Rouzan G.
Published: October 2010

Prognosis of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) strongly correlates with tumor grade as determined by Nottingham combined histologic grade. While reporting grade as low grade/favorable (G1), intermediate grade/moderately favorable (G2), and high grade/unfavorable (G3) is recommended by American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system, existing TNM (Primary Tumor/Regional Lymph Nodes/Distant Metastasis) classification does not directly incorporate these data. For large tumors (T3, T4), significance of histologic grade may be clinically moot as those are nearly always candidates for adjuvant therapy. However, for small (T1, T2) node-negative (N0) tumors, grade may be clinically relevant in influencing treatment decisions, but data on outcomes are sparse and controversial. This retrospective study analyzes clinical outcome in patients with small N0 IDC on the basis of tumor grade. Our results suggest that the grade does not impact clinical outcome in T1N0 tumors. In T2N0 tumors, however, it might be prognostically significant and relevant in influencing decisions regarding the need for additional adjuvant therapy and optimal management.
Memory-Reduction Method for Pricing American-Style Options under Exponential Lévy Processes
Authors: Chan Raymond H. , Wu Tao
Published: October 2010

This paper concerns the Monte Carlo method in pricing American-style options under the general class of exponential Lévy models. Traditionally, one must store all the intermediate asset prices so that they can be used for the backward pricing in the least squares algorithm. Therefore the storage requirement grows like , where m is the number of time steps and n is the number of simulated paths. In this paper, we propose a simulation method where the storage requirement is only . The total computational cost is less than twice that of the traditional method. For machines with limited memory, one can now enlarge m and n to improve the accuracy in pricing the options. In numerical experiments, we illustrate the efficiency and accuracy of our method by pricing American options where the log-prices of the underlying assets follow typical Lévy processes such as Brownian motion, lognormal jump-diffusion process, and variance gamma process.
Modified Verlet Method Involving Second-Order Mid-Point Rule Applied to Balls Falling in One-Dimensional Potentials
Authors: Yasuda Hidenori
Published: October 2010

A modified Verlet method which involves a kind of mid-point rule is constructed and applied to the one-dimensional motion of elastic balls of finite size, falling under constant gravity in space and then under the chemical potential in the interface region of phase separation within a two-liquid film. When applied to the simulation of two balls falling under constant gravity in space, the new method is found to be computationally superior to the usual Verlet method and to Runge–Kutta methods, as it allows a larger time step for comparable accuracy. The main purpose of this paper is to develop an efficient numerical method to simulate balls in the interface region of phase separation within the two-liquid film, where the ball motion is coupled with two-phase flow. The two-phase flow in the film is described via shallow water equations, using an invariant finite difference scheme that accurately resolves the interface region. A larger time step in computing the ball motion, more comparable with the time step in computing the two-phase flow, is a significant advantage. The computational efficiency of the new method in the coupled problem is demonstrated for the case of four elastic balls in the two-liquid film.
A Comparative Method for Analysing Toponome Image Stacks
Authors: Barysenka Andrei , Dress Andreas W. M. , Schubert Walter
Published: October 2010

We present a technique to find threshold values that allows the user to separate signal from noise in fluorescence grey-level images. It can be classified as a purely comparative method based upon the amount of “Mutual Information” between two or more florescence images, and we apply it to stacks of such images produced using the newly-developed MELK technology. Our results are compared to results obtained by another research group using a quite different (completely independent and more technology-based) approach; and also to results obtained using Otsu's Thresholding Method, yet another completely distinct approach invented to separate foreground and background in a grey-level image, based on minimising “intra-class variance” [9,10]. The remarkably good agreement found suggests that our proposed comparative information based method not only accounts for the biological mechanisms governing cellular protein networks very well, but also (and probably much more importantly) shows that cells actually organise the spatial structure of their protein networks in a highly non-random fashion as might be expected – and thereby try to optimise their “mutual information content”, and thus most probably their efficiency.
The Underwater Vision Profiler 5: An advanced instrument for high spatial resolution studies of particle size spectra and zooplankton
Authors: Picheral Marc , Guidi Lionel , Stemmann Lars , Karl David M. , Iddaoud Ghizlaine , Gorsky Gabriel
Published: October 2010

The Underwater Vision Profiler (UVP) was developed to quantify the vertical distribution of macroscopic particles and zooplankton > 100 mm in size. The smaller size limit is fixed by optical resolution, whereas the larger size limit is determined by the volume of water illuminated per image. The new fifth generation instrument (UVP5) is compact (30 kg in air) and operates either as a stand‐alone instrument with an independent power supply for use on a mooring or free‐drifting array, or as a component of a Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD)‐rosette package. Images are recorded at a frequency up to 6 Hz. If the UVP5 is interfaced with a CTD, these images are acquired and analyzed in real time. Images are recorded every 20 cm at the 1 m s−1 lowering speed. The current maximum deployment depth is 3000 m. The recorded volume per image is 1.02 L, and the conversion equation from pixel area to size in mm2 is Sm=0.003Sp1.3348 where Sp is the surface of the particle in pixels and Sm the surface in mm2. Comparisons between the earlier UVP versions and UVP5 indicate that images ranging in size from 105 µm to 2.66 mm are identical so historical and contemporary data sets can be compared.
Tracer Additions for Spiraling Curve Characterization (TASCC): Quantifying stream nutrient uptake kinetics from ambient to saturation
Authors: Covino Timothy P. , McGlynn Brian L. , McNamara Rebecca A.
Published: October 2010

Stream nutrient tracer additions and nutrient spiraling metrics are frequently used to quantify lotic ecosystem behavior. Of particular concern is the influence nutrient concentration exerts on nutrient retention and export. However, characterizing spiraling response curves across a range of concentrations has remained challenging, in part due to the large effort required to develop these curves using traditional (e.g., plateau or steadystate) approaches. Here we outline and demonstrate a new approach to quantify nutrient uptake kinetics from ambient to saturation using Tracer Additions for Spiraling Curve Characterization (TASCC). This approach provides a rapid and relatively easy technique for quantifying ambient‐spiraling parameters, nutrient uptake kinetics and kinetic model parameterization, and assessment of stream proximity to saturation. We compare the results from TASCC to traditional breakthrough curve integrated and plateau approaches. We highlight the advantages of the TASCC approach for characterizing continuous spiraling response curves from ambient to saturation with a single tracer addition experiment, and its applicability to larger rivers where achieving plateau conditions (i.e., steady‐state) is impractical.
Analysis of glycine betaine and choline in seawater particulates by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry
Authors: Airs Ruth L , Archer Steven D
Published: October 2010

A liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method has been applied to the analysis of the osmolyte glycine betaine and its biosynthetic precursor choline from marine particulates containing natural assemblages of marine plankton. The limits of detection (5.3 and 4.6 pg injected on column, for glycine betaine and choline, respectively), far exceeded that obtained by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet (UV) detection (47 ng injected on column) used previously to quantify glycine betaine in microalgal cultures and marine coastal particulates. The increased sensitivity of detection obtained using an electrospray ionization (ESI) LC/MS approach vastly reduces the sampling volume required to detect glycine betaine and choline in seawater particulates, enabling studies in less productive waters. In addition, the LC/MS mobile phase composition is compatible with commonly used glycine betaine extraction solvents, which simplifies and shortens the extraction process. The LC/MS method also avoids reliance on the nonspecific UV absorbance at 195 nm for osmolyte detection, characteristic of commonly used high performance liquid chromatography methods, resulting in increased confidence in peak identification.
Hyperspectral portable beam transmissometer for the ultraviolet‐visible spectrum
Authors: Sabbah Shai , Fraser James M. , Boss Emmanuel S. , Blum Itamar , Hawryshyn Craig W.
Published: October 2010

The spectral beam attenuation coefficient is an important optical property of natural water used to quantify light propagation and visibility in the aquatic media, and to study the concentration of the water constituents. Although beam attenuation in the ultraviolet spectral range may be particularly informative, to date, no transmissometer capable of measuring the beam attenuation in the ultraviolet is commercially available. The portable hyperspectral beam transmissometer developed in our lab is capable of measuring across a broad spectral range (300–750 nm) at 2 nm spectral resolution. The transmissometer exhibits a small acceptance angle (0.55 to 0.59° across the spectrum), a well collimated spectral light beam, and precision of ±0.012 m−1. The attenuation of diverse water samples measured with our transmissometer was found to be significantly similar to that measured with a commercially available transmissometer. Moreover, the attenuation of filtered samples, measured with our transmissometer, was significantly similar to their absorption, measured with a bench‐top spectrometer. Testing the transmissometer in the field, the transmission of water samples collected in Lake Malawi, Africa, was measured on site. The magnitude and spectral shape of attenuation were in general agreement with previous reports. All assessment stages confirm the performance, accuracy, and applicability of our transmissometer. The extended spectral range and high spectral resolution of our portable transmissometer make it an excellent tool for studying the characteristics and distribution of dissolved and particulate matter in aquatic media and exploring the constraints imposed on the visibility and visual communication of aquatic organisms known to have ultraviolet photosensitivity.
Uma outra face dos metadados: informações para a gestão da preservação digital
Authors: Sayão Luís Fernando
Published: October 2010

O conceito tradicional de metadado pode ser ampliado para abrigar um conjunto de informações que apóiem as atividades de gestão da preservação de materiais digitais. Esse tipo de metadados, chamados de metadados de preservação, tem como função instruir e documentar os processos de preservação digital de longo prazo, garantindo que os conteúdos digitais possam ser acessados e interpretados no futuro. Nos últimos anos foram desenvolvidos inúmeros esquemas e infraestruturas de metadados voltados para a preservação digital, que tiveram como maior desafio antecipar que informações são realmente necessárias para suportar um processo específico de preservação.  A iniciativa mais importante e mais abrangente nesse campo é o dicionário de dados PREMIS cujo desenvolvimento teve como base a infraestrutura conceitual definida pela norma OAIS. A idéia básica deste trabalho é revisar os principais conceitos, padrões e tecnologias envolvidos no desenvolvimento de esquemas de metadados de preservação.