bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vampire Apocalypse: A Biocultural Critique of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend
Authors: Clasen Mathias
Published: October 2010

The vampire apocalypse is a fairly unlikely event, but it makes for great storytelling. Richard Matheson's 1954 I Am Legend is a milestone in modern Gothic literature; it tells the bleak story of Robert Neville, sole survivor of a vampire plague. I employ the concepts of evolved human nature, cultural ecology, and authorial identity as my main analytical tools for understanding the appeal, the power, and the significance of Matheson's classic novel, which is basically an extrapolation on peculiar yet common anxieties and a meditation on what happens when basic adaptive needs are frustrated.
Scraping Down the Past: Memory and Amnesia in W. G. Sebald's Anti-Narrative
Authors: Behrendt Kathy
Published: October 2010

Vanguard anti-narrativist Galen Strawson declares personal memory unimportant for self-constitution. But what if lapses of personal memory are sustained by a morally reprehensible amnesia about historical events, as is described in the work of W.G. Sebald? The importance of memory cannot be downplayed in such cases. For Sebald's characters, recovery of historical and personal memory results in self-dissolution rather than self-understanding . In the end, Sebald shows how memory can be significant, even imperative, within a deeply anti-narrativist outlook on the self, memory, and history.
Sartre's Still-Life Portraits
Authors: Rorty Ámelie
Published: October 2010

Jean-Paul Sartre's surprising biographies of Tintoretto, Calder, Giacometti, Baudelaire, Gide, Camus, and Genet mirror his own autobiography, The Words . The structures of these still-life portraits express Sartre's primary philosophical preoccupations: bad faith and the flight from time, radical freedom and the sense of one's own emptiness, and embodiment and identification with the look of the Other. Although these biographies are told as narratives of choice and creativity, the formative agents in these lives are Time and Chance.
Truth and Personal Agreement in Archaic Greek Poetry: The Homeric Hymn to Hermes
Authors: Heiden Bruce
Published: October 2010

Did archaic Greek poets think that speech should be factually informative? Studies in the "history of thought" suggest that archaic culture offered no developed alternative to the opposition of truth to falsehood judged in relationship to fact. But the mythic poems display more interest in person-to-person agreement than eye-to-object fidelity. This is seen in the numerous stories where partnerships are negotiated and symbolized through tokens whose impersonal value is flagrantly disregarded. In the Hymn to Hermes , facetious non-truths establish intimacy and cooperation among those who understand them.
Socrates as Nietzsche's Decadent in Twilight of the Idols
Authors: Evans Daw-Nay
Published: October 2010

Twilight of the Idols is one of the few places in Nietzsche's works where he offers a sustained analysis of both Socratic philosophy and the psychological characteristics of the historical figure known as Socrates. Even so, Nietzsche is notorious for engaging in what appears to be philosophically meaningless personal attacks against many of his predecessors. To demonstrate the poverty of this line of thinking, I will show how Nietzsche's hostility toward Socrates in "The Problem of Socrates" conceals a logically sound argument that explains why Socrates' decadence is a symptom of his overvaluation of reason.
Could I Have Been a Woman?: Meditations on a Controversial Benediction
Authors: Lerner Berel Dov
Published: October 2010

As a Jewish man, I am expected by tradition to thank God each morning for not having made me a woman. I argue that in order to sincerely offer such thanks, I must believe that I could have been born female. While Saul Kripke seems to deny that possibility, a Kripkean who accepted Talmudic notions of embryology would not be so troubled. The danger of possession by a female spirit and the misfortune of coming into existence add further twists to the plot.
Love, Beauty, and Yeats's "Anne Gregory"
Authors: Bicknell Jeanette
Published: October 2010

The speaker of W.B. Yeats's poem, "For Anne Gregory" tells Anne that she is doomed to be loved, not for herself alone, but for her yellow hair. Anne finds this prospect so unappealing that she threatens to dye her hair. Why should Anne be dismayed, and what is it to love someone for herself "alone"? These questions take us to the heart of some crucial philosophical problems of romantic love. Rationality has a place here, but not the place it is usually given. We need to assess the rationality of the beloved, as well as of the lover.
Janglican: National Literatures in the Age of Globalization
Authors: Hassan Ihab
Published: October 2010

Does globalization render the idea of a national literature obsolete? In Finnegans Wake, Joyce refers to a certain idiom as "janglish." Thus does the essay employ the neologism "Janglican" to examine the situation in contemporary American letters, including its future in the digital age. The once distinctive ethos of literature in the nineteenth century has mutated, under various geopolitical pressures, into a more diverse language and spirit. But ancient tensions between the concrete and the universal aspects of the mind remain.
A Modest Disposal: Loving the Critical Bathwater After the Baby Has Been Discarded
Authors: Martin Thomas L.
Published: October 2010

One professor of literature renounces his fight to discriminate wrong from right readings. He succumbs to pressures from theorists and practitioners in the profession at large and enters a world of unimagined intellectual freedom. After all, to suggest that some readings might be wrong is not only to engage in intellectual discrimination, but to enter into complicity with a number of imperious gestures that carry dire political consequences. Coming to terms with his newfound freedom to embrace all interpretations of texts as equally valid, he outlines for those who follow thirteen rules that guide hermeneutical practice in our postmodern age.
Juan O'Gorman, Daniel Cosío Villegas, and the Mexican Historical Profession: An Interview with Josefina Zoraida Vázquez
Authors: Beezley William H.
Published: October 2010

Professor Josefina Zoraida Vázquez has made an indelible imprint on the discipline of the history of Mexico. Her publications have provided an analysis of the Mexican experience through such diverse themes as the U.S. invasion (1846-1848), the evolution of national education programs, and the struggles to establish federalism and republicanism in the first decades of independence. She has written official textbooks used by all Mexican school children, appeared on numerous television programs, taught dozens of doctoral students, and assisted many scholars in both Mexico and the United States. She has been an active member of the historical profession; she organized the Congress of Mexican Historians from Mexico, the United States, and Canada in Patzcuaro in 1977 and served as the President of the same organization in Monterrey in 2003.
Bennett's George III on the small screen: An inquiry into televisual adaptations of the past
Authors: Lippert Julia
Published: October 2010

This article aims to initiate a discussion about the extent to which adaptation studies could help analyse and make transparent the intricate processes involved in today's history making. In order to do so, it presents, as a case study, an analysis of a televisual history programme, which relied heavily on a stage play for its biographical portrayal of a king. Television is chosen as the point of departure because, on the one hand, it is one of the most important mediums involved in conveying the past to the public, and on the other, it has been neglected by scholars of historiography and film to a considerable extent.
Moisture Damage in Vented Air Space of Exterior Walls of Wooden Houses
Authors: Umeno Tetsuya , Hokoi Shuichi
Published: October 2010

Most of the exterior walls of wooden houses in Japan have a vented air layer between the exterior cladding and the insulation. This vented air layer is designed to dehumidify the exterior walls by discharging humidity to the outside and allowing outdoor air to enter, thereby decreasing the risk of condensation on the exterior wall during winter. It is assumed that the source of this moisture is the indoor air, and that the outdoor air is drier. However, the outdoor air is often highly humid during the rainy season and may become a source of moisture. The vented air layer also allows rain water to drain away. Any rain water penetrating through the exterior cladding is drained away through the vented air layer. However, rain can also enter the vented air space through the air inlets. Since it takes a certain amount of time for all the rain water to drain away, water may accumulate in the vented air layer and produce high humidity in the exterior wall. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of an exterior wall with a vented air layer, its hygrothermal characteristics should be investigated, taking the effect of rain water into consideration. This paper describes a case of moisture damage where stain appeared on the outer surface of the plywood wall in a wooden residential building. Experiments were carried out in climate chambers to clarify the conditions that are causing stain. Hygrothermal conditions in the vented air layer were simulated using heat, air, and moisture model, and the causes of staining were investigated.
Elements to Improve Galling Resistance Test Results Using the ASTM G98 Method
Authors: Hummel Scott R.
Published: October 2010

The ASTM G98 Standard Test Method for Galling Resistance of Materials describes a relatively easy and quick method to screen materials for galling resistance. It has been used for several decades by material producers to report the galling resistance of their various grades of material. Design engineers subsequently use the data to make informed decisions regarding material selection. One of the most attractive features of the method is the small number of replicates that need to be run to estimate galling resistance. In the minimal case, only two replicates need to be tested. In recent years, however, research has been conducted that exposed several issues with the ASTM G98 method that can lead to reduced accuracy in results. These issues have included stress concentrations in the contact region, inconsistent oxidation layer formation on specimens, and small sampling sets leading to statistically insignificant results, among other issues. In this paper, several problematic issues are described and discussed. Suggestions are given to improve the repeatability of test results while still conforming to the standardized test method.
Measuring body image: Psychometric properties and construct validity of the Hungarian version of Body Attitude Test
Authors: Czeglédi Edit , Urbán Róbert , Csizmadia Péter
Published: October 2010

A Testi Attitűdök Tesztje (BAT) hazánkban is széles körben alkalmazott mérőeszköz, tudomásunk szerint azonban mindeddig nem történt meg a kérdőív magyar változatának nagyobb mintán végzett, széles körű pszichometriai elemzése. Vizsgálatunk ezt tűzte ki célul. Keresztmetszeti, kérdőíves kutatásunk résztvevői normális súlyú egyetemi hallgatónők, valamint egy munkahelyi életmód-változtató program női résztvevői voltak. Az adatgyűjtés során az alábbi mérőeszközöket használtuk: Testi Attitűdök Tesztje, Emberalakrajzok Tesztje, Rosenberg Önértékelési skála, Vonásszorongás skála. A konfirmatív faktorelemzés eredményei szerint a BAT belső struktúrája elfogadhatóan illeszkedik a vizsgált mintákon aProbst, Vandereyckenés munkatársai (1995) által evészavarban szenvedő nőkön azonosított faktorstruktúrához. A mérőeszköz megbízhatóságának mutatói (belső megbízhatóság, teszt-reteszt reliabilitás) kiválónak bizonyultak. A kérdőív konstruktum validitása is alátámasztást nyert. A kritérium validitást alátámasztják a testtömeg-indexszel és a saját alak méretének szubjektív megítélésével való pozitív korrelációk. A konvergens validitást pedig alátámasztja, hogy a kérdőív és alskálái egyaránt pozitív irányú kapcsolatot mutatnak a testképpel való elégedetlenség egy további mutatójával (nevezetesen az alakra vonatkozó én-énideál diszkrepanciával), valamint a vonásszorongással. A kedvezőtlen testi attitűdök és élmények emellett negatív irányú kapcsolatot mutatnak az önértékeléssel.
Hungarian adaptation of Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire Revised 21-item
Authors: Czeglédi Edit , Urbán Róbert
Published: October 2010

A vizsgálat során magyar nyelvre adaptáltuk a 21 tételes Háromfaktoros Evési Kérdőívet (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire Revised 21-item; TFEQ-R21). Fő célkitűzésünk a kérdőív eredeti faktorstruktúrájának alátámasztása és pszichometriai elemzése volt. Célul tűztük ki továbbá az evési magatartás egyes determinánsainak vizsgálatát. Keresztmetszeti, kérdőíves kutatásunkban az ELTE PPK hallgatónői (n=262; átlagéletkor 21,7 év, szórás: 2,78; testtömeg-index (BMI) átlaga 20,8 kg/m2, szórás: 2,93) vettek részt. Az alábbi mérőeszközöket alkalmaztuk: a TFEQ-R21 magyar nyelvű változata, Vonásszorongás skála, Testi Attitűdök Tesztje. Az elemzés konfirmatív faktoranalízissel (CFA; MIMIC) és többjellemzős-többtételes elemzéssel történt. A CFA alátámasztotta a TFEQ-R21 eredeti faktoriális struktúráját. Skálák: kontrollálatlan evés, kognitív korlátozás, érzelmi evés. A skálák belső konzisztenciája (Cronbach α: 0,82–0,93) és kéthetes intervallumban vizsgált teszt-reteszt reliabilitása (rs: 0,79–0,91) kiváló. A többjellemzős-többtételes elemzés eredményei alátámasztják a tételek konvergens és diszkrimináns validitását. Az evési magatartás potenciális determinánsainak vizsgálata (MIMIC modell) azt az eredményt hozta, hogy a három táplálkozási viselkedés közül csak az érzelmi evés mutat szignifikáns, pozitív irányú kapcsolatot a tápláltsági állapottal. A testképpel való elégedetlenség szignifikáns magyarázó változója az étrendi korlátozásra való törekvésnek; a vonásszorongás pedig a kontrollálatlan evés és az érzelmi evés előrejelzője.
A system analysis approach to Kinetic School Drawings (KSD)
Authors: Vass Zoltán
Published: October 2010

A tanulmány a kinetikus iskolarajz (Kinetic School Drawings, KSD) értelmezését mutatja be a rendszerszemléletű konfigurációelemzés (SSCA) módszerével. A bevezetőben kifejezéspszichológiai szemléleti keretet vázol fel, amelyben a rajzot a kifejező viselkedés részének tekinti, elhelyezi a tesztet a rajzvizsgálatok rendszerében és röviden kitér a teszt előzményeire. A tesztfelvétel módszere után részletesen ismerteti a kinetikus iskolarajzok rendszerszemléletű konfigurációelemzési módszerét. Célja, hogy olyan értelmezési módszert adjon a gyakorló pszichológusok kezébe, amely szótárszerű jelentésadás nélkül vezet el a kinetikus iskolarajz megértéséhez és olyan összefüggések hálózatát eredményezi, amelyek mindig egyedi módon szólnak a gyermekről. A tanulmány befejező része a kinetikus iskolarajzokkal végzett, hazai kutatási eredményekről ad összefoglalót.
Exercise addiction: A rare but severe psychological dysfunction
Authors: Rendi Mária , Szabó Attila , Bárdos György
Published: October 2010

Szakirodalmi áttekintésünk egy olyan pszichológiai rendellenességet tárgyal, amelyben a kompulzív és obszesszív jellegű, túlzott mennyiségű testedzés valamilyen stressz vagy más pszichológiai probléma tüneteként jelentkezik. Ezt a ritka, de súlyos diszfunkciót testedzésfüggőségnek nevezzük. Ennek a deviáns edzési magatartásnak az okát a behaviorista elmélet a pozitív és negatív megerősítés alapján próbálja magyarázni, határvonalat húzva az egészséges és a beteges sportolás, illetve testedzés között. Az elemzés során egy fiziológiai és egy pszichológiai modellt mutatunk be. Áttekintjük a viselkedési függőségekben megjelenő alapvetőnek tekinthető közös tüneteket, a rendellenesség definiálásához alkalmazott vizsgálati módszerünk ezt a célt szolgálta. Egyúttal fel kell hívnunk a figyelmet arra is, hogy a testedzésfüggőség esetében az elterjedt kérdőíves módszer korlátokkal bír, a pontos diagnózis érdekében a jelenség mögött álló pszichológiai indítékot az erre képzett szakembereknek kell tovább vizsgálni.
Obstructive sleep apnea: clinical importance and General Practitioner’s role in the treatment and care
Authors: Torzsa Péter , Kalabay László , Ádám Ágnes , Novák Márta , Mucsi István
Published: October 2010

Egyre több adat támasztja alá, hogy az obstruktív alvási apnoe a szív-ér rendszeri betegségek, elsősorban a hypertonia, a myocardialis infarctus és a stroke kockázati tényezője. Szintén nem elhanyagolható jelentőségűek a következményes hypersomnia okozta baleseti kockázatok, valamint a kórkép neuropszichiátriai szövődményei (kognitív hanyatlás, depressziós tünetek, teljesítménycsökkenés, memóriazavarok, koncentrációs nehézségek, életminőség-csökkenés stb.). Az obstruktív alvási apnoénak számos társadalmi és gazdasági következménye is van. A családorvosnak fontos szerepe van a kórkép kiszűrésében, felismerésében. A hatékony szűrés révén jobban megelőzhetők a súlyos, irreverzíbilis szövődmények, jelentősen javítható a betegek életminősége. A betegek kivizsgálását, kezelését, gondozását a családorvosnak az alvásközpont szakorvosával együttműködve kell végeznie. Orv. Hetil., 2010,
42,
1725–1733.
Rheological and electrical properties of modified bitumen
Authors: Rodgers W. J. , Gunay B. , Woodside A.
Published: October 2010

A pavement heating system was investigated as an alternative to chemical application on highway pavements. As a result, surface course asphalt mixes needed to be modified to develop improved electrical properties. The bituminous binder was outlined as that part of asphalt mixes that could be modified with filler-characterised additives. These additives included carbon black, pulverised fuel ash and iron powder. Samples were prepared and subjected to electrical tests in order to obtain the optimal additive content. The materials were subjected to rheological and electrical performance tests. Pulverised fuel ash had limited influence on the inherent electrical properties, although higher levels of substitution performed better than unmodified bitumen. The carbon black and iron powder were found to improve the capacitive and resistive properties of bitumen. Carbon black was found, however, to give the best predictability for in-service use for asphalt mixes with varying filler-to-bitumen ratios
Empirical evidence for taxi customer-search model
Authors: Sirisoma R. M. N. T. , Wong S. C. , Lam W. H. K. , Wang D. , Yang H. , Zhang P.
Published: October 2010

A mutinomial logit model of urban taxi services has been developed for the study of the operational characteristics of the taxi industry, in which it is hypothesised that the customer-searching behaviour of vacant taxis follows a multinomial logit choice model. Although the model is commonly used, little empirical evidence exists to validate the choice mechanism and determine the set of important factors that affect the choice. In the present study, a stated preference survey of 400 taxi drivers was conducted to analyse the customer-searching behaviour of vacant taxis. The results explain how the considered parameters of waiting time, journey time, travel distance and toll affect the driver behaviour when searching for customers. In addition, market segmentation analysis was carried out to study the effects of driver demographics and operational characteristics on the searching behaviour. The parameters that were considered in this section of the study were the age of the driver, taxi ownership, driver experience and marital status.
Development of an intelligent pavement analysis toolbox
Authors: Gopalakrishnan K. , Khaitan S. K.
Published: October 2010

An intelligent pavement analysis toolbox was developed for backcalculating the mechanical properties of flexible pavements from non-destructive test data through an adaptive, multi-hybrid, integrated non-linear systems approach. The problem involves searching for the optimal combination of pavement layer stiffness solutions in an unsmooth, multi-modal, complex search space which makes it amenable to the application of differential evolution, a stochastic parallel direct search evolution strategy optimisation method. This innovative approach takes advantage of the combined efficiency and accuracy achieved by integrating advanced pavement numerical modelling schemes such as finite-element methods, computational intelligence-based surrogate mapping techniques such as artificial neural networks, and heuristics-based global optimisation strategies such as differential evolution, and yet provides a user-friendly automated pavement evaluation toolbox for the highway engineer to use on a real-time basis for accurate infrastructure evaluation. The main aim of the present study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using such an integrated modular systems approach to the complex non-linear parameter identification problem in pavement engineering.
Time to equilibrium scour at vertical-wall bridge abutments
Authors: Cardoso A. H. , Fael C. M. S.
Published: October 2010

The main objective of this study was the definition of a predictor of time to equilibrium on the basis of experimental evidence. The study used the results of an important number of long-lasting experiments, run under clear-water flow conditions for large abutment lengths. These experiments have already been reported by the present authors in recently published papers. It is concluded that time to equilibrium scour at thin vertical-wall abutments, protruding at right angles from the side wall of fully developed, uniform flows in wide rectangular channels on flat bed of uniform non-ripple forming sand depends mostly on the relative abutment length. It can also be concluded that time to equilibrium may be rather large in the field.
Ski jump design
Authors: Savic L. , Kuzmanovic V. , Milovanovic B.
Published: October 2010

This paper is concerned with ski jump design for overflow dams and chute spillways. Despite the vast scope of literature on this subject, research in this field is still needed. Three important issues are addressed: take-off angle, length of the jet trajectory and choking flow. The aim is to summarise existing experience, present new formulae for convenient design and propose directions for future research.
Effects of Irradiation Intensity and pH on Nutrients Release and Solids Destruction of Waste Activated Sludge Using the Microwave‐Enhanced Advanced Oxidation Process
Authors: Chan W.I. , Liao P.H. , Lo K.V.
Published: October 2010

Using the microwave‐enhanced advanced oxidation process (MW/H2O2‐AOP), the pH and irradiation intensity on waste activated sludge samples were investigated to provide insight to the athermal effects on nutrients release, solids destruction, particle size distribution and dewaterability, and to demonstrate their interrelationships. Carbonaceous matters and nutrients released into solution depended on the irradiation intensity and time. Higher irradiation levels tended to be more effective in the solubilization of nutrients and had more pronounced effects in the dewaterability of sludge. In terms of particle size distribution, detectable particles increased in size for treatments in acidic conditions, while the dewaterability of treated sludge was improved. In treatments under neutral and alkaline conditions, the particle size range increased, with more small particles formed, thereby significantly deteriorating the dewaterability of sludge treated in alkaline conditions. The best results for the solubilization of nutrients were in alkaline conditions with high irradiation power, but dewaterability of the sludge was compromised. Sludge treatment with the MW/H2O2‐AOP in acidic conditions with high irradiation power yielded the best dewaterable sludge and significant nutrient solubilization; therefore, it is the recommended treatment condition for activated sludge.
Developing Nonpoint‐Source Suspended Solids Control Strategies Using Multimedia Watershed Management Modeling
Authors: Lai Y.C. , Kao C.M. , Surampalli R.Y. , Lin C.E. , Wu C.Y.
Published: October 2010

Kaoping River Basin is the largest and most intensively used river basin in Taiwan. In this study, 14 types of land‐use patterns in the basin are classified with the aid of the Erdas Imagine process (Erdas, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia) and ArcView geographic information system (GIS) (ESRI, Redlands, California). Results from GIS identification and field verification indicate that orchard gardens, rice paddies, and sugarcane fields dominate the farmland areas in the basin. Investigation results indicate that nonpoint‐source (NPS) pollution has significant contributions to the suspended solids load to the Kaoping River during the wet season. The average suspended solids concentrations increased from below 64 mg/L in dry seasons to more than 1700 mg/L in wet seasons. The Integrated Watershed Management Model (Systech Engineering, Inc., San Ramon, California) was applied to simulate the water quality and evaluate the NPS suspended solids load to the river. Modeling results show that forestation and land‐use management are feasible best management practices for NPS suspended solids reduction.
Occurrence of Selected Pharmaceuticals and Caffeine in Sewage Treatment Plants and Receiving Rivers in Beijing, China
Authors: Zhou Haidong , Wu Chunying , Huang Xia , Gao Mijun , Wen Xianghua , Tsuno Hiroshi , Tanaka Hiroaki
Published: October 2010

The occurrence of nine different types of pharmaceuticals and caffeine were analyzed in various units of three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and their receiving rivers in Beijing, China. Analyte concentrations were determined using ultra performance liquid chromatograph‐tandem quadruple mass spectrometers (UPLC‐MS/MS) and multiple‐reaction monitoring. The studied pharmaceuticals and caffeine were found in all the WWTPs and receiving rivers. Their concentrations in the WWTP influents varied from 38 ng/L of sulpiride to 89.5 µg/L of caffeine, and those in the effluents ranged from 27 ng/L of sulpiride to 2.7 µg/L of erythromycin. Typically, the biological treatment appeared more effective in the removal of pharmaceuticals and caffeine than primary treatment in a WWTP. For an individual compound, the overall removal efficiency varied from one WWTP to the next. Mean values ranged from no removal of carbamazepine to 99.8% removal of caffeine. Most of the compounds in the receiving rivers were present at similar or higher concentrations compared to those in the WWTP effluents. The data set for this study does not include variations in concentrations along receiving waters because there were other point and nonpoint sources discharging to these rivers. The preliminary aquatic environmental risk assessment showed that carbamazepine, erythromycin, and trimethoprim is a potential chronic environmental risk in water bodies in Beijing, China, and is worth further investigation.
Study on Mechanisms and Effect of Surfactant‐Enhanced Air Sparging
Authors: Wei Zheng , Yong‐sheng Zhao , Chuan‐yu Qin , Bing Wang , Zhi‐hui Qu
Published: October 2010

In an attempt to enhance the effectiveness of air sparging, two sets of experiments were designed to investigate the mechanisms and effect of surfactant‐enhanced air sparging (SEAS). The first set was performed at different surface tensions and with different kinds of surfactants (sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate and Tween‐80 [Uniqema Americas LLC, Wilmington, Delaware]), which were added into the contaminated aquifer of different media (particle distribution size = 0.25 to 0.5 mm and 5 to 10 mm). The results indicated that the air saturation in the aquifer increased rapidly at an early stage, then the increase of air saturation slowed down with the increase of airflow rate. The air saturation of medium sand increased with the decrease in water surface tension, and maximum air saturation was achieved at a surface tension of approximately 5 × 10−2 N/m (50 dyn/cm), which was considered to be the optimum surface tension for air sparging enhancement in the medium sand aquifer. The increase of air saturation in gravel was the result of the increase of foamability and foam stability. The second group of experiments is about the removal of chlorobenzene from the medium sand aquifer. The experiments indicated that chlorobenzene removal by SEAS was more complete and efficient than that of conventional air sparging technology. However, the increase of removal rate and the decrease of lingering concentration by SEAS was not significant, with a further decrease in the surface tension when the surface tension dropped to 5.04 × 10−2 N/m (50.4 dyn/cm).
A Comparative Study of Ag(I) Adsorption on Raw and Modified Spent Grain: Kinetic and Thermodynamic Aspects
Authors: Li Qingzhu , Chai Liyuan , Yang Zhihui , Wang Qingwei , Wang Yunyan
Published: October 2010

The capability of modified spent grain (MSG) to adsorb silver (I) [Ag(I)] from aqueous solution was investigated and compared with raw spent grain (RSG) regarding their adsorption isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics. The monolayer adsorption capacity was 30.28 mg/g for RSG and 158.23 mg/g for MSG according to the Langmuir isotherm. The Ag(I) adsorption on MSG was approximately 4 times higher than that on RSG. The pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model provided the best description of Ag(I) adsorption on the two adsorbents. The calculated activation energy (Ea) implies that the adsorption of Ag(I) on RSG is a physical adsorption and on MSG is of a chemical nature. Thermodynamic results suggest that the adsorption of Ag(I) is an exothermic process for RSG and an endothermic process for MSG, whereas both adsorption processes are spontaneous in nature.
Orchis anatolica Root Ingestion Improves Sexual Motivation and Performance in Male Rats
Authors: Allouh Mohammed Zohair , Khouri Nabil A , Daradka Haytham M , Kaddumi Ezidin G
Published: October 2010

Orchis anatolica Boiss. is a plant species that grows in the Mediterranean region and assumed to have an aphrodisiac property. This study investigates the effects of ingestion of dried O. anatolica root on the sexual behavior and weights of reproductive organs in adult male rats. Sexually active male rats were divided into two groups (control and experimental). O. anatolica root powder was orally administered to the experimental group in a daily dose of 1g/kg for thirty days. The sexual behavior was then monitored and compared between O. anatolica treated rats and control rats. Weights of reproductive organs and testosterone serum levels were, also, measured for both treated and control rats. O. anatolica root ingestion significantly reduced the mount, intromission, and ejaculation latencies. Also, a significant increase in the copulatory efficacy was reported. Weights of reproductive organs and testosterone serum levels were significantly increased in O. anatolica treated rats compared to controls. The present study concludes that continuous ingestion of O. anatolica root over a period of thirty days can improve the sexual motivation and performance in adult male rats. This effect can be ascribed to increased testosterone level.
India's Increasing Skill Premium: Role of Demand and Supply
Authors: Azam Mehtabul
Published: October 2010

Using micro data for India from 1983 to 2005, this paper finds that the tertiary (college)-secondary (high school) wage premium has been increasing in India over the past decade and that this increase differs across age groups. The increase in wage premiums has been driven mostly by younger age groups while older age groups have not experienced any significant increase. Using a demand and supply model with imperfect substitution across age groups (developed in Card and Lemieux, 2001), this paper demonstrates that workers are not perfect substitutes across age groups. The paper finds that the increase in the wage premium has come mostly from demand shifts in favor of workers with a tertiary education. More importantly, the growth rate of demand for tertiary educated workers relative to secondary educated workers was fairly stable in the 1980s and the 1990s. However, the relative supply played an important role not only in determining the extent of increase in wage premium, but also its timing. The increase in relative supply of tertiary workers during 1983-1993 negated the demand shift; as a result, the wage premium did not increase much. But during 1993-1999, the growth rate of the relative supply of tertiary workers decelerated, while relative supply became virtually stagnant during 1999-2004. Both these periods saw an increase in the wage premium as the countervailing supply shift was weak.
An Experimental Analysis of the Demand for Payday Loans
Authors: Wilson Bart J , Findlay David W. , Meehan James W. , Wellford Charissa , Schurter Karl
Published: October 2010

The payday loan industry is one of the fastest growing segments of the consumer financial services market in the United States. We design an environment similar to the one that payday loan customers face and then conduct a laboratory experiment to examine what effect, if any, the existence of payday loans has on individuals abilities to manage and to survive financial setbacks. Our primary objective is to examine whether access to payday loans improves or worsens the likelihood of financial survival in our experiment. We also test the degree to which peoples use of payday loans affects their ability to survive financially. We find that payday loans help the subjects to absorb expenditure shocks and therefore survive financially. However, subjects whose demand for payday loans exceeds a certain threshold level are at a greater risk than a corresponding subject in the treatment in which payday loans do not exist.
Do Abnormally High Audit Fees Impair Audit Quality?
Authors: Choi Jong-Hag , Kim Jeong-Bon , Zang Yoonseok
Published: October 2010

SUMMARY: This study examines whether and how audit quality proxied by the magnitude of absolute discretionary accruals is associated with abnormal audit fees, that is, the difference between actual audit fee and the expected, normal level of audit fee. The results of various regressions reveal that the association between the two is asymmetric, depending on the sign of the abnormal audit fee. For observations with negative abnormal audit fees, there is no significant association between audit quality and abnormal audit fee. In contrast, abnormal audit fees are negatively associated with audit quality for observations with positive abnormal audit fees. Our findings suggest that auditors’ incentives to deter biased financial reporting differ systematically, depending on whether their clients pay more than or less than the normal level of audit fee. Our results are robust to a variety of sensitivity checks.
Emerging CAE technologies and their role in Future Ambient Intelligence Environments
Authors: Noor Ahmed
Published: October 2010

Dramatic improvements are on the horizon in Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) and various simulation technologies. The improvements are due, in part, to the developments in a number of leading-edge technologies and their synergistic combinations/convergence. The technologies include ubiquitous, cloud, and petascale computing; ultra high-bandwidth networks, pervasive wireless communication; knowledge based engineering; networked immersive virtual environments and virtual worlds; novel human-computer interfaces; and powerful game engines and facilities. This paper describes the frontiers and emerging simulation technologies, and their role in the future virtual product creation and learning/training environments. The environments will be ambient intelligence environments, incorporating a synergistic combination of novel agent-supported visual simulations (with cognitive learning and understanding abilities); immersive 3D virtual world facilities; development chain management systems and facilities (incorporating a synergistic combination of intelligent engineering and management tools); nontraditional methods; intelligent, multimodal and human-like interfaces; and mobile wireless devices. The Virtual product creation environment will significantly enhance the productivity and will stimulate creativity and innovation in future global virtual collaborative enterprises. The facilities in the learning/training environment will provide timely, engaging, personalized/collaborative and tailored visual learning.
Genetic Programming to Investigate Design Parameters Contributing to Crash Occurrence on Urban Arterials
Authors: Das Abhishek , Abdel-Aty Mohamed , Pande Anurag
Published: October 2010

Nonlinear models were developed to estimate crash frequency on urban arterials with partial access control. These multilane arterials consist of midblock segments joined by signalized and unsignalized intersections (or access points). Crashes included in the analysis are of three major types: rear-end, angle, and head-on. Each crash type is further sorted into mutually exclusive categories on the basis of the roadway element responsible for the crashes: midblock segment, signalized intersection, and access point. Genetic programming (GP) is adopted for predicting crash frequency. GP, which is primarily based on genetic algorithms, uses the concept of evolution to develop models through the processes of crossover and mutation. The GP modeling approach gives independence for model development without restrictions on distribution of data. The models developed were compared to the basic negative binomial models. Morning and afternoon peak periods are observed to have fewer occurrences of rear-end crashes at all roadway elements. Higher traffic volume results in an increased number of angle crashes. Instances of angle crashes have increased at signalized intersections, even at lower maximum posted speeds. A higher average truck factor increases the instances of head-on crashes on midblock segments and at signalized intersections.
Validation of U.S. Road Assessment Program Star Rating Protocol: Application to Safety Management of U.S. Roads
Authors: Harwood Douglas W. , Bauer Karin M. , Gilmore David K. , Souleyrette Reginald , Hans Zachary N.
Published: October 2010

The U.S. Road Assessment Program, in cooperation with road assessment programs in other countries, has developed a protocol to assign ratings to roads on the basis of the presence or absence of key design features related to safety. This protocol rates roads by assigning them one to five stars according to approximately 20 key roadway safety features. A recently developed web-based software tool uses the roadway inventory data on which the star ratings are based to identify cost-effective safety improvement programs for the road networks covered by the ratings. The research results are presented to validate the relationship between the star ratings and crash rates for selected roadways. The research developed star ratings for approximately 3,000 mi of rural and urban roadways of various types in Iowa and Washington State and compared the star ratings with crash rates for the same roads. Relationships between star ratings and crash rates were found for two-lane undivided highways, four-lane undivided highways, and four-lane divided nonfreeways. No clear relationships could be demonstrated for freeways because the design characteristics of freeways are very uniform.
Proposed Safety Index Based on Risk-Taking Behavior of Drivers
Authors: Santiago-Chaparro Kelvin R. , Qin Xiao , Noyce David A.
Published: October 2010

A new safety indicator takes into consideration the risk-taking behavior of drivers as well as the prevailing traffic conditions at an intersection. The indicator is based on the idea that an intersection at which drivers are willing to take a higher risk is not as safe as one at which drivers are not willing to take high risks. Driver risk-taking behavior is modeled as a function of a driver's reaction to a possible collision scenario. Binary logistic regression was used to understand how the probability of a driver reacting to a possible collision scenario changes as a function of the variables defining the scenario. The data collection and safety index definition are presented from the perspective of permissive left turns; however, the concept of risk taking is universal; thus it is a feasible alternative for other maneuver types if appropriate data are obtained. Use of a safety index based on risk taking helps solve the engineer's dilemma of which of two intersections that have no crash history, or that have equal crash history, should be the target of a safety improvement program. The methodology presented can remove the subjective judgment that often takes place in such a scenario and provides the engineer with an objective alternative.
Comparison of Application of Product of Baseline Models and Accident-Modification Factors and Models with Covariates: Predicted Mean Values and Variance
Authors: Lord Dominique , Kuo Pei-Fen , Geedipally Srinivas Reddy
Published: October 2010

Research was done to compare the application of full models (or models with several covariates) and baseline models, estimated by using data meeting specific nominal conditions combined with accident-modification factors (AMFs) for predicting motor vehicle crashes. The analysis focuses on the predicted values and associated inferences for both types of models. In the past few years, researchers have questioned the approach of multiplying baseline models with AMFs. For comparison, full and baseline models are estimated by using data collected on rural four-lane highways in Texas. AMFs describing the safety effects related to lane and shoulder width as well as the number of horizontal curves per mile are extracted from previous work. Two scenarios describing AMF values and their associated uncertainty are evaluated. The results of the study show that the product of baseline models and AMFs produces a much larger variance, hence a wider 95% predicted confidence interval, than the variance calculated using the full models. This is consistent for the two scenarios evaluated and for all levels of uncertainty associated with the AMFs. The study concludes that the full model should be used instead of the product of the baseline model and AMFs when the study objective includes variance as part of the decision-making process.
Analysis of Stacking Priority Rules to Improve Drayage Operations Using Existing and Emerging Technologies
Authors: Huynh Nathan , Zumerchik John
Published: October 2010

Of the many emerging technologies being developed to expedite the flow of cargo through intermodal facilities, automated transfer management systems (ATMSs) have the potential to improve trucks' in-terminal dwell times significantly while the trucks are performing outbound or inbound moves. This paper presents a framework for integrating existing technologies (e.g., intelligent transportation systems, e-business systems) and emerging technologies (e.g., ATMSs) and using this framework to shorten the time for a drayage truck to pick up an import container. Shortening this time is of critical importance in reducing engine idling time and stop-and-go lugging time. Reduced truck idling translates directly into reduced diesel emissions, including emission of fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and greenhouse gases. This paper specifically investigates the effect of priority rules for stacking containers into the ATMS to improve port drayage operations. The analysis of priority rules is made on the basis of a computer simulation model developed for this study, and the analysis of emissions reduction is based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay DrayFLEET model. The obtained results confirm the hypothesis that the earliest arrival time priority rule yields better drayage performance than the closest appointment time priority rule.
Scheduling of Inbound and Outbound Trucks at Cross-Docks
Authors: Zhang Ti , Saharidis Georgios K. D. , Theofanis Sotirios , Boile Maria
Published: October 2010

A model is developed for both time and space scheduling of inbound and outbound trucks at a cross-dock facility under various objectives. Three different objectives in optimizing cross-dock operations are presented, and the justification for the use of these objectives is given. A linear mixed integer formulation of the problem is presented, and a restriction–approximation approach is developed and applied to determine the truck scheduling at a sample cross-dock facility. This paper also analyzes the behavior of each of the objectives and provides a comprehensive analysis of the results. Pareto and post-Pareto analyses of the multiobjective problem are presented.
Impact of Truck Arrival Information on System Efficiency at Container Terminals
Authors: Zhao Wenjuan , Goodchild Anne V.
Published: October 2010

This paper quantifies the benefits to drayage trucks and container terminals from a data-sharing strategy designed to improve operations at the drayage truck–container terminal interface. This paper proposes a simple rule for using truck information to reduce container rehandling work and suggests a method for evaluating yard crane productivity and truck transaction time. Various scenarios with different levels of information quality are considered to explore how information quality affects system efficiency (i.e., truck wait time and yard crane productivity). Different block configurations and truck arrival rates are also investigated to evaluate the effectiveness of truck information under various system configurations. The research demonstrates that a small amount of truck information can significantly improve crane productivity and reduce truck delay, especially for those terminals operating near capacity or using intensive container stacking, and that complete truck arrival sequence information is not necessary for system improvement.
Air Pollution Impacts of Shifting Freight from Truck to Rail at California's San Pedro Bay Ports
Authors: You Soyoung (Iris) , Lee Gunwoo , Ritchie Stephen G. , Saphores Jean-Daniel , Sangkapichai Mana , Ayala Roberto
Published: October 2010

Escalating concerns about air quality in southern California have led authorities at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, also known as the San Pedro Bay Ports (SPBP), to adopt a number of measures designed to mitigate emissions. One way to do this is to shift some of the containers currently transported by drayage trucks to trains. This alternative is attractive because it would decrease congestion and air pollution on the area's main freeways (I-710 and I-110) and the arterials that serve the SPBP. In addition, it would increase road safety along the busy Alameda freight corridor between the SPBP and downtown Los Angeles. One drawback would be an increase in pollutant emissions from train operations in the Alameda corridor; however, trains tend to pollute less than trucks per ton-mile, and new federal regulations are tightening the emissions standards for diesel locomotives. The goal of this paper is to quantify the net impact of such a modal shift on the emission of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), the two air pollutants of most concern in the SPBP area. This analysis relies on microscopic simulation to capture emissions resulting from stop-and-go traffic on the freeways serving the SPBP. It was found that emissions of both NOx and particles less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) can be significantly reduced by switching from drayage trucks to trains. This finding suggests that a modal shift should be encouraged, especially if there is unused train capacity and if the shift does not conflict with the shippers' interests.