bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
False Positive Values of Biomarkers of Prenatal Screening on Chromosomopathy as Indicators of a Risky Pregnancy
Authors: Durković Jasmina , Anđelić Luka , Mandić Bojana , Lazar Denis
Published: February 2011

False Positive Values of Biomarkers of Prenatal Screening on Chromosomopathy as Indicators of a Risky Pregnancy

Genetic screening on chromosomopathy has been performed on 2000 pregnant women in their first trimester of pregnancy by determining Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A and free-beta HCG biomarkers in maternal serum. After obtaining a normal fetal karyotype, the pathological values of the biomarkers have been correlated with other pregnancy disorders, and the possible causes of the positive genetic screening have been tested. 340 false positive biomarkers (17%) have been detected. The increased free-beta HCG (48.24%) had a significant influence. A significant correlation (p > 0.01) between the increased free-beta HCG and bleeding during pregnancy has been established. Complications occurred in 78.52% pregnancies with pathological biomarkers, MISSed in 13.82%, miscarriages in 10.88%, induced pregnancy terminations caused by fetal anomalies in 8.82% and births with disturbed fetal vitality in 45%. The research results have shown a significant correlation (p > 0.01) between the increased value of the free-beta HCG biomarkers and fetal hypoxia. The false positive genetic screening, caused by the increased free-beta HCG, can indicate placental dysfunction and fetal vitality disruption.
Bone Metabolism Markers in Sportswomen with Menstrual Cycle Dysfunctions
Authors: Ponorac Nenad , Rašeta Nela , Radovanović Dragan , Matavulj Amela , Popadić-Gaćeša Jelena
Published: February 2011

Bone Metabolism Markers in Sportswomen with Menstrual Cycle Dysfunctions

It is a well known fact that sportswomen with irregular menstrual cycle are exposed to the risk of diminished bone mineral density, and consequentially osteoporosis may appear. Monitoring of the levels of biochemical markers of bone metabolism enables understanding of the dynamic changes during the bone remodeling process. The objectives of the conducted research were to determine the prevalence of menstrual dysfunctions in a sports-women sample and a control group, and also to determine the levels of bone metabolism markers in groups of women with menstrual dysfunctions. The women (n=117) were separated into two groups, the experimental group (S) (n=84) comprised of three subgroups of sports women (34 women who play ball game sports, 27 athletes and 23 sport dancers) and the control group (C) (n=34). To establish the menstrual profile and dysfunction of the menstrual cycle, we used a very detailed questionnaire. The level of mid-fragment osteocalcin (N-MID osteocalcin) as a marker of bone formation was deter mined, as well as β-Cross Laps (β-CTx-bone resorption marker) via the electro luminescent immunochemistry method on an Elecsys 1010 automated machine. Primary amenorrhea was found in 7 (8.33%) and oligomenorrhea in 11 (13.09%) sportswomen, which was statistically a much higher incidence (p<0.05) than in the control group (0/34). Values of bone metabolism markers showed a statistically significant difference in the level of the bone resorption marker β-CrossLaps between the groups of amenorrheic and oligomenorrheic sportswomen in comparison to the eumenorrheic women, both sportswomen and those in the control group. Accelerated resorption was accompanied with accelerated bone formation. Menstrual dysfunctions were statistically more present in the sports-women group than in the control group and were accompanied with accelerated bone metabolism from the point of view of the increase of bone metabolism markers level.
Species composition and abundance of the oribatid fauna (Acari, Oribatida) at two lakes in the Fløyen area, Bergen, Norway
Authors: Seniczak Anna , Solhøy Torstein , Seniczak Stanisław , De La Riva-Caballero Arguitxu
Published: February 2011

Species composition and abundance of the oribatid fauna (Acari, Oribatida) at two lakes in the Fløyen area, Bergen, Norway

Oribatid communities from the edges of two lakes in the Fløyen area, Bergen, Norway, were compared in June 2005. The lower lake, Blåmansvannet (412 m a.s.l.), is surrounded by spruce forest, while the ‘Higher Lake’ (513 m a.s.l.), is above the tree line. Both lakes have a low pH and their edges are dominated by Sphagnum mosses. The abundance of total mites, as well as of Oribatida, were almost 2-fold higher at the ‘Higher Lake’ (51 510 and 51 160 ind./m2, respectively), while species diversity was lower than at Blåmansvannet. On the shore of Blåmansvannet, the eudominant (20% < D ≤ 40%) species was Trimalaconothrus maior, while Liochthonius peduncularis, Limnozetes ciliatus, and Nanhermannia cf. coronata were dominant (10%< D ≤ 20%). At ‘Higher Lake’, the eudominant species was Limnozetes ciliatus, which reached a 4-fold higher abundance (15 930 ind./m2) than at Blåmansvannet, and dominant species were Liochthonius alpestris, Nanhermannia cf. coronata, and Platynothrus punctatus. At both lakes, juveniles made up about 30% of all oribatids. Four species are new to Norway: Ceratoppia sexpilosa, Liochthonius alpestris, Liochthonius peduncularis, and Trhypochthoniellus longisetus.
Oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) of various habitats in southern Andalusia (Spain)
Authors: Seniczak Stanisław , Seniczak Anna
Published: February 2011

Oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) of various habitats in southern Andalusia (Spain)

Oribatid mites were investigated in some habitats (litter under cypress, pine and larch trees, and patches of grasses, mosses and lichens) in southern Andalusia (Spain) in August 2005. The studied communities of oribatid mites were rather poor in terms of abundance and species diversity. The density of mites in cypress litter from the mountains (Granada, Ronda) was distinctly higher than in the coastal area (Benalmádena), which was probably caused by climatic conditions. The Oribatida achieved the highest density in grassy patches in Granada, but most species occurred in cypress litter from Ronda. Among oribatid species, Oribatula frisiae reached the highest density; also O. tibialis and Haplochthonius simplex were relatively abundant. Some species of Oribatida were rich in juveniles, but the age structure of species greatly depended on the kind of litter.
Protozoan impact on bacterial biofilm formation
Authors: Rychert Krzysztof , Neu Thomas
Published: February 2011

Protozoan impact on bacterial biofilm formation

Confocal laser scanning microscopy in combination with digital image analysis was used to assess the impact of protozoa on bacterial colonisation of surfaces. Bacterial biofilms were developed from activated sludge in microscope flow cells and were exposed to the grazing pressure of protozoa. The protozoan community from healthy activated sludge and a culture of flagellate Bodo saltans were used as grazers. Experiments comprised 48-h incubations in 3 treatment variants: bacteria with protozoa, bacteria with protozoa added after some time and bacteria without protozoa. When necessary, the elimination of protozoa from the inoculum was carried out with cycloheximide and NiSO4. Experiments demonstrated that protozoa from healthy activated sludge initially disturbed the biofilm development but later they could stimulate its growth. Similar results could be established in the experiment with Bodo saltans (inoculum: 1000 cells/ml), however differences were not statistically significant. The finding that protozoa support biofilm development during specific stages may be relevant for biofilm studies with mixed environmental biofilm communities.
Microorganisms in the oribatid mite Hermannia gibba (C. L. Koch, 1839) (Acari: Oribatida: Hermanniidae)
Authors: Liana Marcin , Witaliński Wojciech
Published: February 2011

Microorganisms in the oribatid mite Hermannia gibba (C. L. Koch, 1839) (Acari: Oribatida: Hermanniidae)

Symbiotic microorganisms associated with arthropods are known to play a significant role in the life of their hosts. Most commonly, the symbionts improve their host's food digestion and modify their meiosis/reproduction. The usual mode of parent-to-offspring transmission of the symbionts is transovarial transmission (vertical) via oocytes. Using transmission electron microscopy, we found extracellular yeast-like and bacteroid microorganisms in food boli, as well as intracellular symbiotic bacteria within cells of the digestive tract and in reproductive cells in both sexes of the oribatid mite Hermannia gibba. In the digestive tract, the scarce bacteria were lying individually within midgut cells. The bacteria observed in developing oocytes were numerous and formed large aggregates close to the nuclear envelope and clusters of mitochondria. In spermatocytes we found a few single bacteria located at the cell periphery. The bacteria in the digestive cells may assist in digestion of plant food, whereas the meiotic drive function of the gonad-invading microbes is uncertain. The studied mite species is biparental and its sex ratio is not biased.
The Correlates of Tracking Policy
Authors: Kelly Sean , Price Heather
Published: February 2011

In this analysis, the authors explore the relationship between the social context of high schools and school-to-school variation in tracking policies. The authors consider three explanations for the implementation of highly elaborated tracking systems: opportunity hoarding, status competition, and a technical-functional explanation. Building on the research methodology developed by Kelly, they conducted a content analysis of curriculum guides in a sample of 128 high schools to identify school tracking policies. They find that compositional variables related to technical-functional concerns, and to a lesser extent, status competition, are associated with highly elaborated school tracking policies.
Processing Memory in 300 TAPES and relay
Authors: Hansen Pil
Published: February 2011

Public Recordings' projects relay and 300 TAPES engage memory in intriguing ways that become no less interesting when examined from a cognitive perspective. At the surface level, dancers and actors work through a process of recycling either the performance of movements danced in the past (relay) or the telling of autobiographical stories of the kind one might circulate among friends (300 TAPES). When looking deeper and listening longer, a more complex treatment of memory begins to layer in. It includes the investment of the performer's sense of self and questions of how memory is used and changed in a creation process. Through this treatment, Hansen becomes curious about the performers' responses to archival recordings and situations of isolated repetition in the projects that, in part, render dysfunctional the otherwise ongoing biological process of memory adaptation.
100 Steps: Working on Memory
Authors: Webber Evan
Published: February 2011

Questioning an attitude towards what is remembered can help to develop practice in surprising ways. During the process of creating the text for his new work, an adaptation of Sophocles' Philoctetes, Evan Webber undertook an evaluation of his own relationship to his biographical, “true” subject matter. Why did he think it important to represent what happened in the way that he remembered it? Some of his research—Socrates via Kierkegaard, Joseph Jacotot via Jacques Rancière—led him to draw a connection between his attitude towards the factual and the in-egalitarian structure of theatre itself. He outlines some of the benefits, both practical and imaginary, of this questioning.
Me Talking to Myself in the Future: An Interview with Marie Brassard
Authors: Halferty J. Paul
Published: February 2011

In this interview, Brassard reflects on memory as both a dramaturgical device and a re-occurring theme in her work. She suggests that imaginative approaches to memory inform her conceptions of identity, fiction, reality, and time, and that these ideas in turn become particular dramatugical conventions, as well as artistic propositions, within her theatre.
A Hopeful Present
Authors: Nolan Yvette
Published: February 2011

In this essay Nolan proposes that “the modern Native play is, in fact, a simulacrum of the modern memory play, but without excuses.” Through an exploration of a range of Aboriginal drama – her own and that of others - Nolan demonstrates how the act of remembering in theatre can be a means of both reanimating the past and moving forward into the future.
How Does a Forgetful Woman Dance?
Authors: Robinson Aimée Dawn
Published: February 2011

In this reflective essay, the author discusses the impetus, mechanics, and concepts behind her solo, improvised dance series, Mother drift dances to songs in her head (2003 –). The mechanical/visceral processes of the series and its relationship to memory and malfunction are linked to Nietzsche's writing on “active forgetting.” Examining the relationship between the dance series and forgetfulness, Robinson poses questions about the possibilities for political resistance through repeated and non-complete acts of physical forgetting.
Memory's Borderlands: Onelight Theatre's Return Ticket: Halifax-Abadan-Halifax
Authors: Barker Roberta
Published: February 2011

“Memory's Borderlands” explores the work of Halifax's Onelight Theatre Company, focusing particularly on their Return Ticket: Halifax-Abadan-Halifax, which premiered at the Neptune Theatre Studio in November 2009. Part of Onelight's ongoing Civilian Project, this innovative production is a deeply personal reflection on the experiences of Onelight's Artistic Director Shahin Sayadi and Managing Director Maggie Stewart. Centering on Sayadi's 2008 voyage to his native city of Abadan, Iran, it mixes live stage action with sophisticated digital media in order to reflect upon themes of family, time, and place within the context of war, loss, and diaspora. Foregrounding the gaps between individual and collective memories and their representations onstage, it also underlines the crucial role of such representations in building a more equitable and intercultural Canadian theatre.
A Trip to Bohemia: The Paranoid Confesses
Authors: Gilbert Sky
Published: February 2011

Confessing the deliberate autobiographical contamination of his works, and arguing the case of minority cultures in need of sharing their experiences, Sky Gilbert criticizes derogatory attitudes in literary criticism towards work based on personal memory.
Peterborough In Memoriam
Authors: Brask P.K.
Published: February 2011

This essay focuses on two plays by Donn Short, The Winter Garden, first performed in Vancouver in 1993, and Full Frontal Diva, given its first full production in London, UK in 2004. The plays are analyzed as memory plays, as defined by Attilio Favorini, “in which the phenomenon of memory is a distinct and central idea of the drama's attention […].” The specific interest of the essay, however, is to show how dramatic character is created through the suggestion of memory.
And in the Future I Don't Remember What Happened Yet: A Back and Forth on the Experience of Memory in relay
Authors: Forté Marie Claire , Zimmer Jacob
Published: February 2011

A dialogue between performer Marie Claire Forté and dramaturge Jacob Zimmer about modes of memory in Ame Henderson/Public Recordings' relay. Starting from the beginning of the development process and ending up at the performance and touring of the work, they discuss the act of dancers remembering past works on stage and in rehearsal. The focus is on the experience of doing (from Forté's perspective) and of watching (from Zimmer's). Issues of distance, ownership, and the dancer's body as archive emerge from the task of embodying previous works. The role of memory is also important as a touchstone for “futuring”—a system developed in relay for approaching present unison by trying to be together in the future. The role of confidence in the act and performance of memory and the effects of repetition and location on memories are also discussed.
Edna's Archive: Performing Absence in a Troubled Home of Memory
Authors: Houston Andrew
Published: February 2011

In 2005 the personal papers and photos of Edna Bear were found beside a dumpster in Toronto. This archive was inside a banker's box: a neat arrangement of photo albums, slides, letters, souvenirs and other objects that trace a life begun in Kitchener, Ontario. In 2009, Edna's archive was returned to Kitchener, where a group of artists attempted to animate its contents in an interdisciplinary performance. A disused utility building that once housed a bank in the city's downtown core was chosen for the performance, and suddenly pressing questions about value emerged – the value of the absent woman, of Kitchener's troubled downtown core, and of the memories contained in the archive. This article is an examination of how various strategies of animation used in performance expose and question a woman's identity in the context of a specific place. Between the found and the fabricated of environmental staging, between Edna Bear's archive and her hometown of Kitchener, past and present, there is a play of memory and absence.
Views and Reviews
Authors: Alvarez Natalie
Published: February 2011

Introduction to Views and Reviews, by Natalie Alvarez

Realism/Terrorism:The Walworth Farce, by Kim Solga

Remembering Beckett, interviewed by Matthew Hays

Violence, Memory, and America, by Alex McLean

Place Remembers, by Kendra Fanconi with contributions from Eric Rhys Miller

Stanislavsky as Catalyst, by Grahame Renyk

Directors and Voice Work: An Attempt to Bridge the Gap, by David Ley
Effect of Wide-Based Single Tires on Fuel Efficiency of Class 8 Combination Trucks
Authors: Franzese Oscar , (Bill)Knee Helmut E. , Slezak Lee
Published: February 2011

In 2007 and 2008, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in collaboration with several industry partners, collected real-world performance and situational data for long-haul operations of Class 8 trucks from a fleet engaged in normal freight operations. Such data and information are useful to support Class 8 modeling of combination truck performance and technology evaluation efforts for energy efficiency and to provide a means of accounting for real-world driving performance within combination truck research and analyses. Some general statistics, including distribution of idling times during long-haul trucking operations, are presented. However, the main focus is on the analysis of some of the extensive real-world information collected in this project, specifically on the assessment of the effect that different types of tires [i.e., dual tires versus new generation wide-based single tires (NGWBSTs)] have on the fuel efficiency of Class 8 trucks. The tire effect is also evaluated as a function of the vehicle load level. In all cases analyzed, the statistical tests strongly suggest that fuel efficiencies achieved when all NGWBSTs or combinations of duals and NGWBSTs are used are higher than in the case of a truck equipped with all dual tires. The results show that the fuel efficiency improvement increases as the number of NGWBSTs on the truck increases, with observed improvements of around 6% when either the tractor or the trailer was equipped with NGWBSTs and more than 9% when both were mounted with these types of tires.
Miles per Gallon Illusions and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Distortions
Authors: Rowan Dana , Karner Alex , Niemeier Deb
Published: February 2011

Correctly interpreting the fuel consumption implications of improvements in vehicle fuel economy is important for the optimal selection of policies to achieve greenhouse gas reductions and energy independence. The findings of two surveys of transportation professionals are reported. It was found that transportation professionals—those individuals charged with the design and implementation of transportation policy—correctly interpreted fuel savings of vehicle replacement policies more often when fuel economy was presented in gallons per 100 mi than when it was presented in miles per gallon. By means of a discrete choice model, it was shown that transportation experts were more likely to calculate fuel savings with a linear approach when given fuel economy in miles per gallon. One important implication of this finding can be seen in how the standard fuel economy metrics have resulted in distorted incentives in U.S. corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. It was found that CAFE standards did not directly motivate fuel savings in determining penalties, credit transfers between model years, and maximum allowable adjustments for both flex-fueled vehicles and credit transfers for different vehicle classes. The most notable result is an overemphasis on incentives for improvements in fuel economy to passenger vehicles and an under-emphasis on improvements for light trucks. These effects are distinct from well-known distortions associated with setting different standards for each vehicle class. Further, they might have been avoided had standards been written for gallons per mile. These findings point to the importance of understanding how people process information to improve policies targeting fuel savings.
Societal Life-Cycle Buy-Down Cost of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles
Authors: Sun Yongling , Ogden Joan M. , Delucchi Mark A.
Published: February 2011

Societal life-cycle cost is employed for evaluating hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) as compared with conventional gasoline vehicles. This metric includes consumer direct economic costs over the vehicle lifetime and external costs resulting from air pollution, noise, oil use, and greenhouse gas emissions over the full fuel cycle and vehicle lifetime. Noncost social transfers such as taxes and fees and producer surplus associated with fuel and the vehicle are also considered. Two different accounting stances are explored for estimating producer surplus for fuels: U.S. and global perspectives. Three different scenarios developed by the U.S. Department of Energy for hydrogen and FCV market penetration from 2010 to 2025 are analyzed. FCV costs are estimated by using a learning curve model characterized by three factors for key fuel cell stack components and auxiliary subsystems. The delivered hydrogen fuel cost is from the University of California, Davis, SSCHISM hydrogen supply pathway model. External costs are estimated by using the advanced vehicle cost and energy use model and the life-cycle emissions model (LEM). Upstream air pollution damage cost is estimated with the LEM and a simple normalized dispersion term method. The results show that FCVs become competitive with gasoline vehicles as their production volume increases, although the cost difference between these two vehicle types is initially very large. The cumulative investments needed to bring hydrogen FCVs down to societal life-cycle cost parity with gasoline vehicles (the buy-down cost) would be on the order of U.S.$10 billion, which depends on future gasoline prices and valuation of externalities.
Estimating the Impact of Electric Vehicle Charging on Electricity Costs Given Electricity-Sector Carbon Cap
Authors: Dowds Jonathan , Hines Paul , Farmer Chris , Watts Richard
Published: February 2011

A model estimates the short-run effect of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) charging on electricity costs, given a cap on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that covers only the electricity sector. In the short run, cap-and-trade systems that cover the electricity sector increase the marginal cost of electricity production. The magnitude of the increase in cost depends on several factors, including the stringency of the cap in relation to the demand for electricity. The use of PHEVs, which also has the potential to decrease net greenhouse gas emissions, would increase demand for electricity and thus would increase the upward pressure on marginal costs. The model described examines this effect for the New England electricity market, which as of January 2009 operates under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap-and-trade system for CO2. The model uses linear optimization to dispatch power plants to minimize fuel costs given inelastic electric demand and constraints on nitrogen oxide and CO2 emissions. The model is used to estimate costs for three fleet penetration levels (1%, 5%, and 10%) and three charging scenarios (evening charging, nighttime charging, and twice-a-day charging). The results indicate that PHEV charging demand increases the marginal cost of CO2 emissions as well as the average and marginal fuel costs for electricity generation. At all penetration levels the cost increases were minimized in the nighttime-charging scenario.
Economic Assessment of Electric-Drive Vehicle Operation in California and Other U.S. Regions
Authors: Lidicker Jeffrey R. , Lipman Timothy E. , Shaheen Susan A.
Published: February 2011

This study examines the relative economics of electric vehicle operation in the context of current electricity rates in specific utility service territories. Fourteen utility territories offering electric vehicle (EV) rates were examined, with a focus on California but including other regions of the United States. The consumer costs of EV charging were examined in comparison with gasoline price data, geographic location, and three highly variable gasoline price periods: July 2008, January 2009, and July 2009. In a switch from a conventional 23 mpg (10.2-L/100 km) vehicle to a 300 Wh/mi electric vehicle driven 10,000 mi (16,100 km) per year, the study finds that savings in fuel costs range from approximately U.S.$100 to U.S.$1,800 annually, with considerable geographic variation and with higher-end values mostly in summer 2008, when gasoline prices were relatively high. Charging off-peak instead of during peak periods saves an average of only a few hundred U.S. dollars per year, rendering the incentive to charge off-peak a relatively small one except perhaps during some summer months when the peak prices are especially high. Gasoline price variances have a larger effect, and switching from a low-fuel-economy conventional vehicle to the reference EV (compared with a switch from an already efficient vehicle) presents the highest savings level. The West and Midwest are generally the most favorable regions for EV economics when EV charging rates and gasoline prices are considered together.
Strategy for Overcoming Cost Hurdles of Plug-In–Hybrid Battery in California
Authors: Williams Brett D. , Lipman Timothy E.
Published: February 2011

Advances in electric drive technology, including lithium ion batteries as well as the development of strong policy drivers such as California's Global Warming Solutions Act, now contribute to a more promising market environment for the widespread introduction of plug-in vehicles in California. Nevertheless, battery costs remain high. This study explores a strategy for overcoming the significant hurdle to electric transportation fuel use presented by high battery costs. It describes offsetting plug-in-vehicle battery costs with value derived from post-vehicle stationary use of hybrid batteries and quantifies the possible effect the net present value that several of these benefits might have on battery lease payments. With a focus on blended-mode plug-in hybrids with minimized battery size, even the subset of values explored (regulation, peak power, arbitrage, and some carbon reduction credit) promises to lower battery lease payments while simultaneously allowing vehicle upgrades and profitable repurposing of vehicle batteries for stationary use as grid support, electrical storage and generation devices. Such stationary, post-vehicle battery-to-grid devices could not only provide valuable services needed by existing statewide grid-support markets but could also provide customer side benefits, improve utility operation, help defer costly grid upgrades, and potentially support the profitability and penetration of intermittent renewable energy.
Compressed Air Vehicles
Authors: Papson Andrew , Creutzig Felix , Schipper Lee
Published: February 2011

In the face of the climate crisis, petroleum dependence, and volatile gasoline prices, it is imperative to explore possible opportunities in unconventional alternative-fuel vehicles. One such option is the compressed air vehicle (CAV), or air car, powered by a pneumatic motor and onboard high-pressure gas tank. Although proponents claim that CAVs offer environmental and economic benefits over conventional vehicles, the technology has until recently not been subject to a rigorous analysis. This study characterizes the potential performance of CAVs in terms of fuel economy, driving range, carbon footprint, and fuel costs and examines their viability as a transportation option as compared with gasoline and electric vehicles. Subjects of analysis include energy density of compressed air, thermodynamic losses of expansion, CAV efficiency on a pump-to-wheels and well-to-wheels basis, and comparisons with gasoline and electric vehicles. Results show that although the CAV is a bold, unconventional solution for today's transportation challenges, it is ultimately not workable, and compares poorly with gasoline and electric vehicles in all environmental and economic metrics. Further, applications of the CAV are severely constrained because of its limited driving range. The results from this study, including the analysis of energy density and expansion losses, may be used to identify future opportunities for CAV applications. The pump-to-wheels and well-to-wheels methodology contained here establishes a framework for evaluating future CAV designs.
Recharging Behavior of Households' Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Authors: Davies Jamie , Kurani Kenneth S.
Published: February 2011

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which run on both electricity from the grid and gasoline, are touted as providing some of the societal and environmental benefits of electric vehicles for a large portion of motorists' daily travel while also acting as a transitional technology toward fully electric vehicles. To test analysts' assumptions about how PHEV users will recharge their vehicles, the observed recharging behaviors of 40 households that participated in a PHEV demonstration in Northern California are reported. The recharging behavior across all households' last week of their 4-week PHEV trial period is summarized with regard to the time of day, frequency of plugging in, and electricity demand to recharge the vehicles. Although the means of the frequency distribution of plug-in events among demonstration households are similar to prior recharging assumptions made by analysts, the distributions are not symmetrical about the mean and there exists a large variation in both the average number of times households plugged in per day and the average energy per plug-in event. Further, there is no strong correspondence between the number of daily plug-in events and total daily electricity demand. The range of behaviors reported here supports the contention that the success of PHEVs in meeting energy and emission goals relies as much (or more) on PHEV users' recharging and driving behavior as on PHEV designs.
Implications of Bioeconomy-Based Fuel Production for Transportation Infrastructure in Iowa
Authors: Boeckenstedt Randy , Gkritza Konstantina , Souleyrette Reginald R. , Nambisan Shashi
Published: February 2011

The bioeconomy-based energy production strategy utilizes outputs of the bioeconomy (i.e., farm products) to produce fuel. This strategy is aimed at reduction of dependence on nonrenewable sources of energy. On the basis of the abundance of agricultural outputs, replacing imported energy with biomass is a logical choice for Iowa. It will not only help address its domestic energy needs but also reduce the rising costs of maintaining access to distant markets and supply lines. The move to bioeconomy-based fuel sources has several consequences for transport infrastructure, particularly the local road systems, because of the role that these roads play in the production and distribution of fuels. Further, changing the fuel sources from a petroleum basis to a bioeconomy basis will change the magnitude of truck shipments required to transport raw materials and fuels. A simple approach to estimate these changes in truck shipments is provided, and their impacts on Iowa's secondary road system are discussed.
Cost-Effectiveness Assessment of Low-Carbon Vehicle and Fuel Technologies
Authors: Lutsey Nicholas
Published: February 2011

Governments around the world are implementing programs to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector. The targeted GHG emission reductions will require major transformations in the areas of vehicles and fuel; however, little effort has been made to systematically compare the costs of efficiency and alternative fuel options under consistent assumptions. This study analyzes the cost-effectiveness—or cost per tonne (metric ton) of GHG emission reduction—of near-term technology options for vehicle efficiency, biofuel usage, battery electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells for GHG reduction in the light-duty vehicle sector within the 2020 time frame. The costs and GHG impacts of emerging technologies are evaluated to develop a marginal GHG abatement cost curve for a technology deployment scenario that complies with the adopted vehicle regulation and low-carbon fuel standard in California. The findings indicate large variation in estimates for cost per tonne across technologies and high uncertainty because of the price of petroleum.
Abating Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Cash-for-Clunker Programs
Authors: Morrison Geoffrey M. , Allan Alexander , Carpenter Rachel
Published: February 2011

Policy makers use incentive-based vehicle scrappage or cash-for-clunker programs to pursue a range of social and economic goals such as decreasing vehicular emissions, preventing vehicle abandonment, lowering consumer spending on gasoline, and stimulating new vehicle sales. However, there are no programs aimed solely at greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction. This study discusses design considerations for such a program. Past and present programs are evaluated to show how regulatory elements in vehicle scrappage programs can be adjusted to maximize GHG savings. It is shown how fuel economy–based eligibility requirements are preferable to age-based requirements and how financial incentives can be properly aligned to balance program cost and participation rate. Finally, a program framework is presented; at a minimum, it ensures that a cash-for-clunker program offsets GHG emissions attributable to vehicle manufacturing and end-of-life disposal with use-phase emission reductions.
Vermont Integrated Land Use and Transportation Carbon Estimator
Authors: Mika Anna M. , Jenkins Jennifer C. , Hathaway Kevin , Lawe Stephen , Hershey David
Published: February 2011

Land conversion to developed use is associated with changes in land-based fluxes of carbon (C). Changes in vehicular transportation to and from the new development may also result in additional emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. National Land Cover Database (NLCD) and regional C sequestration rates from published literature were used to create a software tool, the Vermont Integrated Land-use and Transportation Carbon Estimator (VILTCE), meant for use with widely used commercial geographic information systems software (ESRI ArcGIS using .NET). The tool is intended for metropolitan planning organizations and regional planners to calculate the spatial C sequestration and emissions from the combined land use and transportation sectors for their region of interest under current and future development scenarios. For illustration, the VILTCE was applied to Chittenden County, Vermont, as a case study. Under current conditions, the county's soils and biomass for all land types are estimated to sequester approximately 23,500 and 184,000 Mg C per year, respectively. The transportation sector results in approximately 217,800 Mg C (797,900 Mg CO2) emitted per year. Overall, Chittenden County is a C source (net release of C), emitting 37,700 Mg CO2 annually, even without taking electricity and heating into account, which would add even more anthropogenically caused emissions. The gap between C emitted and stored could increase with additional development.
Climate Change and Urban Transportation in Latin America
Authors: McAndrews Carolyn , Deakin Elizabeth , Schipper Lee
Published: February 2011

Urban transportation investments present an opportunity to mitigate climate change while supporting effective, clean, safe, and equitable transportation. This study reports on the response of a set of urban transportation investments in Latin America to climate change. A sample of recent transportation projects funded by an international bank was analyzed to learn what kinds of infrastructure, plans, and policies were being pursued and to assess whether projects developed specifically to address climate change differed from other projects. Loans and grants supported a mix of infrastructure for transit, bicycles, and pedestrians, as well as institutional strengthening. Although only a few projects explicitly addressed climate change mitigation, their impacts on mode choice and urban development almost surely have had positive effects compared with what would have happened without them. In some cases, however, funding for road construction at the urban fringe may induce outward urban expansion and greater automobile use. Specifically analyzing the carbon consequences of all projects as well as their combined effects in the overall system would provide better ability to track and take credit for carbon mitigation and also could flag potential problem areas.
Carbon Dioxide Benefits of Using Collection–Delivery Points for Failed Home Deliveries in the United Kingdom
Authors: Edwards Julia , McKinnon Alan , Cherrett Tom , McLeod Fraser , Song Liying
Published: February 2011

Unlike much of the previous research on this topic, which assesses the economic consequences of failed deliveries to the home, this study examines the issue of failed delivery from a carbon-auditing perspective. It considers the potential environmental savings from the use of alternative forms of collection and delivery over traditional delivery methods for failed home deliveries. With a spreadsheet carbon audit model, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for a failed delivery are calculated on the basis of a typical van home delivery round of 120 drops and 50-mi (80-km) distance. Three first-time delivery failure rates (10%, 30%, and 50%) are assessed. The additional CO2 from a second delivery attempt increases the emissions per drop by 9% to 75% (depending on the delivery failure rate). The vast majority (85% to 95%) of emissions emanating from a traditional failed delivery arise not from the repeat van delivery but from the personal travel associated with the customer's collecting a missed redelivery from the carrier's local depot. A range of collection–delivery points (CDPs) (supermarkets, post offices, railway stations) were all found to reduce the environmental impact of this personal travel. Post offices (currently operating a CDP system through the U.K. Royal Mail's Local Collect service) yielded the greatest savings, creating just 13% of the CO2 produced by a traditional collection by car from a local depot. Overall, the research suggests that the use of CDPs offers a convenient and more environmentally friendly alternative to redelivery and customer collection from a local parcel depot.
Analyzing Impact of Intermodal Facilities on Design and Management of Biofuel Supply Chain
Authors: EkşioğLu Sandra D. , Li Song , Zhang Shu , Sokhansanj Shahabaddine , Petrolia Daniel
Published: February 2011

The impact of an intermodal facility on location and transportation decisions for biofuel production plants is analyzed. Location decisions affect the management of the inbound and outbound logistics of a plant. This supply chain design and management problem is modeled as a mixed integer program. Input data for this model are location of intermodal facilities and available transportation modes, cost and cargo capacity for each transportation mode, geographical distribution of biomass feedstock and production yields, and biomass processing and inventory costs. Outputs from this model are the number, location, and capacity of biofuel production plants. For each plant, the transportation mode used, timing of shipments, shipment size, inventory size, and production schedule that minimize the delivery cost of biofuel are determined. The model proposed in this research can be used as a decision-making tool for investors in the biofuels industry since it estimates the real cost of the business. The state of Mississippi is considered as the testing grounds for the model.
Field Evaluation of Carbon Dioxide Emissions at High Speeds
Authors: Farzaneh Mohamadreza , Schneider William H. , Zietsman Josias
Published: February 2011

This study has two main objectives. First, the impact of vehicle cruise speed on its carbon dioxide (CO2) emission rates at speeds up to 95 mph is evaluated with field data gathered under real-world driving conditions. Second, the cycle-based CO2 emission rates for a broad range of average cycle speeds are investigated. A portable emission measurement system unit was used to measure tailpipe emissions of three light-duty gasoline vehicles and three Class 2b diesel vehicles. The vehicles were tested on a speed track 9 mi high in Pecos, Texas, while the driver followed predeveloped drive patterns. The drive patterns were used to ensure good coverage of various steady-state and transitional operational modes of the vehicles. The results show that the CO2 emissions of gasoline vehicles follow a sharply increasing pattern between 40 mph and 70 mph. At speeds higher than 70 mph, the vehicle's fuel economy tends to decrease at a small rate or to stay flat. The Class 2b diesel vehicles, in contrast, show a monotonically increasing trend for speeds higher than 40 mph. The second-by-second emission data were used to develop a series of instantaneous emission models capable of providing accurate emissions at each speed and acceleration rate. The models were applied to a series of representative drive cycles to provide distance-based average CO2 emission rates. The results indicate that the gasoline vehicles have a minimal CO2 emission interval between 55 and 65 mph. Diesel vehicles, however, seem to reach their minimum CO2 production at 55 mph and the trend increases on both sides of this optimal speed.
Improved Vehicle-Specific Power Bins for Light-Duty Vehicles in Estimation of Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Beijing
Authors: Xu Yaofang , Yu Lei , Song Guohua
Published: February 2011

With increasingly wide recognition and acceptance of vehicle-specific power (VSP) as a viable variable in modeling vehicle emissions, the method for defining VSP bins is becoming critical. The primary objective of this study is to develop emission-specific VSP bins for estimating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for light-duty vehicles by using the real-world data collected in Beijing. The proposed method is developed by considering both emission characteristics and emission contributions of each bin. In this method, speed is chosen as the secondary parameter in defining bins because it has a higher impact on the CO2 emission rate than the engine stress for each VSP bin. With the proposed method, 24 VSP bins are eventually defined on the basis of the emission data collected in Beijing. In the proposed VSP bins, the data under VSP < 0 are grouped into one single bin because of their similar CO2 emission rates and comparable total emission contributions to other bins. Data at VSP = 0 are defined as an independent bin for characteristics that this single VSP point carries, such as its high VSP frequency, high total CO2 emission contributions, and significant lower emission rate than that of adjacent bins. On the basis of the validation of the proposed method, it is found that the use of an independent bin for VSP = 0 improves the accuracy of CO2 emission estimates and that the use of a single bin for VSP < 0, which simplifies the computational procedure, will not increase the error in the estimation of CO2 emissions.
Genetic Algorithm–Based Approach to Develop Driving Schedules to Evaluate Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Light-Duty Vehicles
Authors: Yu Lei , Zhang Xiao , Qiao Fengxiang , Qi Yi
Published: February 2011

A city-specific driving schedule is developed for evaluating greenhouse gas emissions [specifically carbon dioxide (CO2)] from light-duty vehicles by using the data collected by a portable emission measurement system and a Global Positioning System device. A genetic algorithm is used to find the optimum driving schedules composed of a combination of microtrips selected from a pool of microtrips. Four types of assessment measures—Type I, driving activity; Type II, driving operating mode distribution; Type III, fuel consumption rate; and Type IV, the product of Types II and III—are adopted in developing the driving schedules. With the MOVES emission modeling approach, the developed driving schedules are used to predict CO2 emissions, which are then compared with and evaluated by the real-world CO2 emissions. Performance evaluation results show that the driving schedules developed by the driving operating mode distribution measure can result in more accurate CO2 emission estimates.
Simulation-Based Optimization of Maximum Green Setting under Retrospective Approximation Framework
Authors: Li Pengfei , Abbas Montasir M. , Pasupathy Raghu , Head Larry
Published: February 2011

Most traffic signal systems work under highly dynamic traffic conditions, and they can be studied adequately only through simulation. As a result, how to optimize traffic signal system parameters in a stochastic framework has become increasingly important. Retrospective approximation (RA) represents the latest theoretical development in stochastic simulation. Under the RA framework, the solution to a simulation-based optimization problem can be approached with a sequence of approximate optimization problems. Each of these problems has a specific sample size and is solved to a specific error tolerance. This research applied the RA concept to the optimal design of the maximum green setting of the multidetector green extension system. It also designed a variant of the Markov monotonic search algorithm that can accommodate the requirements of the RA framework, namely, the inheritable Markov monotonic search algorithm, and implemented the RA-based optimization engine within VISSIM. The results show that the optimized maximum green can considerably increase composite performance (reducing delay and increasing safety) compared with traditional designs. The optimization methodology presented in this paper can easily be expanded to other signal parameters.
Operational Evaluation of Wireless Magnetometer Vehicle Detectors at Signalized Intersection
Authors: Day Christopher M. , Premachandra Hiromal , Brennan Thomas M. , Sturdevant James R. , Bullock Darcy M.
Published: February 2011

Compact wireless magnetometers offer attractive vehicle detection ability at signalized intersections because their installation requires minimal pavement cutting and the detectors are less likely than saw-cut inductive loops to malfunction because of pavement failure. A study was done at an instrumented intersection to evaluate the performance of wireless magnetometers at operating signalized intersections. A test bed was constructed with colocated inductive loop and wireless magnetometer detection zones. A 5-day analysis period was conducted for each of two left-turn pockets at an actuated, coordinated signalized intersection. Discrepancies between the detection and nondetection states were quantified with highresolution log data of traffic events, and 240 h of data collection that was ground-truthed by visual inspection of video recordings of the detection zones. Behavior of detector state changes was also characterized. Wireless magnetometers were found to perform similarly to loops in relation to missed calls and had a slightly higher tendency to generate false detection calls. Detection state changes in the wireless magnetometers had typical (85th percentile) reporting latencies of 0.2 s or less for activation and 0.5 s or less for state termination. The paper concludes by recommending 8-ft spacing of the sensors adjacent to the stop bar to minimize missed calls.