bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Intraocular Pressure Reduction on Retrobulbar Hemodynamic Parameters in Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma
Authors: Marjanovic Ivan , Milic Natasa , Martinez Antonio 
Published: May 2011

Purpose To assess the retrobulbar hemodynamic parameters in the ophthalmic artery (OA), central retinal artery (CRA), and short posterior ciliary arteries (PCA) after decreasing elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) by using color Doppler imaging. Methods A total of 46 eyes from 46 patients with OAG, with elevated IOP, were consecutively included in this prospective study. Peak-systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, and Pourcelot resistivity index were assessed in the OA, CRA, and PCA. The IOP was measured with Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT) and the dynamic contour tonometer (DCT), 3 times respectively. Ocular pulse amplitude (OPA) appeared during the DCT measurement. Results After decreasing the elevated IOP, measured with both GAT and DCT, the retrobulbar parameters showed no differences as compared with baseline measurements. After Bonferroni correction (p≤0.0042, alpha/12), statistical significance appeared in retrobulbar hemodynamics only in DCT (29.3±6.4 vs 15.5±4.2 mmHg), GAT (33.0±8.3 vs 15.8±7.0 mmHg), and OPA measurements (4.1±1.3 vs 2.7±1.4 mmHg), in comparison to baseline. There was no correlation between the changes in IOP measured with either DCT or GAT and the changes in the retrobulbar hemodynamic parameters (p>0.05 for all). Conclusions The results of our study suggested a lack of correlation between the changes in IOP, measured with either DCT or GAT, and the changes in the retrobulbar hemodynamic parameters. The results of our study might suggest that the blood flow disturbances found in glaucoma patients are independent of the IOP.
Corneal Clarity Restoration after Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty with Edematous Corneal Graft
Authors: Kymionis George D. , Kontadakis Georgios A. 
Published: May 2011

Purpose. To report a case of a patient who underwent Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) with implantation of a precut edematous corneal graft, and restored corneal clarity 3 months postoperatively. Methods. Case report. Results. A 54-year-old woman underwent DSAEK due to Fuchs endothelial dystrophy. An edematous appearance of the donor graft was unveiled upon graft preparation but the surgeon decided not to abort the procedure. The severity of graft opacity was not unveiled until implantation. During the first 2 postoperative months recipient cornea and graft continued to appear edematous. After the first 3 postoperative months the patient's cornea had restored its clarity with corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) of 20/63. No residual graft edema was observed while 9 months postoperatively CDVA was improved to 20/32. Conclusions. Corneal clarity in a post-DSAEK patient with implantation of edematous graft could be restored after the first 3 postoperative months.
ESTIMATING THE COSTS FOR JAPAN’S JPDR PROJECT
Authors: Yanagihara Satoshi , Tanaka Mitsugu 
Published: May 2011

There has been an international flavor of cooperation in the commercial development of nuclear power. This cooperation is most strongly established with the development of strategies for decommissioning. Many countries are beginning this phase at about the same time; Japan, Canada, Germany, and the United States all are involved in dismantlement projects. This chapter, along with the next four chapters, addresses various aspects of the methodological approaches being developed to estimate decommissioning costs. Each country has adopted a different strategy for reactor decommissioning, taking its political and technical situations into consideration. Japan also has its own strategy of reactor decommissioning, reflecting the geographic and economic positions peculiar to Japan. The Japan Power Demonstration Reactor (JPDR) decommissioning program is in the process of establishing a decommissioning data base and a cost estimation methodology, as well as developing new technology for reactor decommissioning. Various information about the JPDR dismantling has been accumulated in the decommissioning data base, which will be used for: (1) planning future decommissioning of commercial nuclear power reactors; (2) verifying the developed code system for management of reactor decommissioning; and (3) managing the ongoing JPDR dismantling. The computer code system developed in this program is expected to contribute to studying cost estimation and the optimization of decommissioning plans for commercial nuclear power reactors.
Imperfect Price-Reversibility of U.S. Gasoline Demand: Asymmetric Responses to Price Increases and Declines
Authors: Gately Dermot 
Published: May 2011

This paper describes a framework for analyzing the imperfect price-reversibility (“hysteresis”) of oil demand. The oil demand reductions following the oil price increases of the 1970s will not be completely reversed by the price cuts of the 1980s, nor is it necessarily true that these partial demand reversals themselves will be reversed exactly by future price increases. We decompose price into three monotonic series: price increases to maximum historic levels, price cuts, and price recoveries (increases below historic highs). We would expect that the response to price cuts would be no greater than to price recoveries, which in turn would be no greater than for increases in maximum historic price. For evidence of imperfect price-reversibility, we test econometrically the following U.S. data: vehicle miles per driver, the fuel efficiency of the automobile fleet, and gasoline demand per driver. In each case, our econometric results allow us to reject the hypothesis of perfect price-reversibility. The data show smaller response to price cuts than to price increases. This has dramatic implications for projections of gasoline and oil demand, especially under low-price assumptions.
Cuba’s Transition to Market-Based Energy Prices
Authors: Pérez-López Jorge F. 
Published: May 2011

Since 1960 the Soviet Union has been, for all practical purposes, Cuba’s exclusive supplier of energy products. For certain time periods, Soviet sales of oil and oil products to Cuba were made at concessional prices; prior to 1991, they were priced using transferable rubles and were essentially bartered for Cuban goods, especially sugar. Effective January 1, 1991, the Soviet Union shifted to world market prices and convertible currency payments for all traded commodities, including energy products. The shift to market prices and convertible currencies in Cuban-Soviet energy trade has already brought—or is likely to bring—a number of adjustments in four areas: 1) the trade balance; 2) the ability to reexport oil and oil products; 3) energy consumption patterns;. 4) and the structure of energy supplies.
Price and Cost Impacts of Utility DSM Programs
Authors: Hirst Eric 
Published: May 2011

More U.S. utilities are running more and larger demand-side management (DSM) programs. Assessing the cost-effectiveness of these programs raises difficult questions for utilities and their regulators. In particular, should these programs aim to minimize the total cost of providing electric-energy services or should they minimize the price of electricity? Most of the debates about the appropriate economic tests to use in assessing utility programs do not address the magnitude of the impacts. As a result, questions remain about the relationships among utility DSM programs and acquisition of supply resources and the effects of these choices on electricity prices and costs. This study offers quantitative estimates on the tradeoffs between total costs and electricity prices. A dynamic model is used to assess the effects of energy-efficiency programs on utility revenues, total resource costs, electricity prices, and electricity consumption for the period 1990 to 2010. These DSM programs are assessed under alternative scenarios for three utilities: a “base” that is typical of U.S. utilities; a “surplus” utility that has excess capacity, few planned retirements, and slow growth in fossil-fuel prices and incomes; and a “deficit” utility that has little excess capacity, many planned retirements, and rapid growth in fossil-fuel prices and incomes. Model results show that DSM programs generally reduce electricity costs and increase electricity prices. However, the percentage reduction in costs is usually greater than the percentage increase in prices. On the other hand, most of the cost benefits of DSM programs can be obtained without raising electricity prices.
Reserve Prices and Mineral Resource Theory
Authors: Adelman M.A. , Watkins G.C. 
Published: May 2011

SURVIVOR’S NOTE. Gordon Campbell Watkins was my friend for forty years. He freed me, as the Scots poet says, from many a blunder and foolish notion. We joined forces twenty years ago, when the basic data on hydrocarbon scarcity were starting to disappear. (Adelman and Watkins, 1996). A revised updated version was given in 2002 at an IAEE session in Prague. The last paper of our last effort follows, delayed by his death and my ailments. We are indebted to the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research at MIT for continuing aid. Without Therese Henderson and Jeanette Ehrman, the work could not have been completed. Errors in this final revision are mine alone. M. A. Adelman
Modeling Energy Use and Technological Change for Policy Makers: Campbell Watkins’ Contribution as a Researcher-Practitioner
Authors: Jaccard Mark 
Published: May 2011

As an energy-economics modeler, who collaborated with academics while also consulting to government and industry, Campbell Watkins was especially interested in the empirical relationship between energy inputs and economic output. His skills were perfectly suited to this pressing research issue, which first emerged in the mid-1970s as the “energy-capital substitution” controversy. As his publication record shows, he worked with leading researchers in the development and econometric testing of dynamic specifications of this relationship. But he conducted this work always with a concern for how the research might be useful for immediate policy decisions. Today, the key policy question is the extent to which humanity can reduce its energy-related greenhouse gas emissions at reasonable cost. A new generation of “hybrid, top-down/bottom-up” models attempts to address the objectives Campbell listed in his widely circulated 1992 book chapter, particularly his point that technological change should not be treated as completely exogenous, but at least in part as a very long-run response to price changes and policies. But while current energy models are increasingly constructed to incorporate this feedback effect - notably those models used for simulating climate policies - the empirical estimation of their key parameters is still in its infancy. As Campbell noted in his characteristic dry humor, the scope for research remains “undiminished.” More hard-nosed researcher-practitioners like Campbell would certainly help.
Managing a Portfolio of Real Options: Sequential Exploration of Dependent Prospects
Authors: Smith James L. , Thompson Rex 
Published: May 2011

We consider the impact of sequential investment and active management on the value of a portfolio of real options. The options are assumed to be interdependent, in that exercise of any one is assumed to produce, in addition to some intrinsic value based on an underlying asset, further information regarding the values of other options based on related assets. We couch the problem in terms of oil exploration, where a discrete number of related geological prospects are available for drilling, and management’s objective is to maximize the expected value of the combined exploration campaign. Management’s task is complex because the expected value of the investment sequence depends on the order in which options are exercised. A basic conclusion is that, although dependence increases the variance of potential outcomes, it also increases the expected value of the embedded portfolio of options and magnifies the value of optimal management. Stochastic dynamic programming techniques may be used to establish the optimal sequence of investment. Given plausible restrictions on the information structure, however, we demonstrate that the optimal dynamic program can be identified and implemented by policies that are relatively simple to execute. In other words, we provide sufficient conditions for the optimality of intuitive decision rules, like “biggest first,” “most likely first,” or “greatest intrinsic value first.” We also develop exact analytic expressions for the implied value of the portfolio, which permits the value of active management to be assessed directly.
European Natural Gas Markets: Resource Constraints and Market Power
Authors: Zwart Gijsbert T.J. 
Published: May 2011

The European natural gas market is characterized by declining indigenous resources, particularly in the UK and the Netherlands, and a growing dependence on a small number of large exporters who, as a consequence, see their market power increasing. In this paper we analyze long-run scenarios for the European natural gas markets in a model, NATGAS, that explicitly includes both factors, resource constraints and producers’ market power. Finite resources lead to interdependencies of current production decisions and future opportunities. These decisions in turn depend on the potential for large producers to set market prices above marginal costs. We analyze the impact of conditions on the global LNG market on market shares of pipeline gas suppliers, as well as on the speed of depletion of indigenous European resources. We focus on how shadow prices of resource constraints affect substitution patterns in the various scenarios.
Resource Nationalism - Limits to Foreign Direct Investment
Authors: Kretzschmar Gavin L. , Kirchner Axel , Sharifzyanova Liliya 
Published: May 2011

Despite a global trend toward the privatization of state assets, host governments are consolidating ownership over strategically important domestic oil and gas resources, effectively limiting corporate foreign direct investment. These findings are supported by an analysis of global reserve acquisitions for the period 2000-2006, a period which saw listed national oil companies (NOCs) acquire over 82% of their reserves domestically, compared to only 25% for commercial operators. We also perform a regression analysis and find that political risk and reserve size are strongly related to state ownership retention, while the degree of state control is positively related to OPEC membership. Foreign direct investment is shown to be increasingly constrained to assets in low-risk developed countries or marginal oilfield assets.
Assessment of C02 Reductions and Economic Impacts Considering Energy-Saving Investments
Authors: Masui Toshihiko , Hanaoka Tatsuya , Hikita Saeko , Kainuma Mikiko 
Published: May 2011

Using a global dynamic optimization model that includes a notion of endogenous energy-saving investments, economic impacts and energy-system changes are assessed under several policy cases where CO2 concentration is stabilized at the 450, 500, and 550 ppm levels by the year 2100. The effect of increased investments in energy-saving technologies on energy efficiency is derived exogenously from results of the AIM/Enduse model applied to Japan, then endogenized in the global dynamic optimization model. We find that with diffusion of energy-saving technologies, GDP loss during the 21st century falls from 2.5% to 2.1% in the 450 ppm case. The impact is small for the 550 ppm case, however, because a shift to low-carbon-intensive energies such as gas and renewable energies does not occur to a significant extent under this target.
High‐Throughput Assays for Assessing Mitochondrial Dysfunction Caused by Compounds that Impair mtDNA‐Encoded Protein Levels in Eukaryotic Cells
Authors: Nadanaciva Sashi , Murray James , Wilson Casey , Gebhard David F. , Will Yvonne 
Published: May 2011

AbstractCompounds that impair the synthesis of either mitochondrial DNA (mtNDA) or mtDNA‐encoded proteins reduce the levels of 13 proteins essential for oxidative phosphorylation, leading to a decrease in mitochondrial ATP production. Toxicity caused by these compounds is seldom identified in 24 to 72 hr cytotoxicity assays due to the low turnover rates of both mtDNA and mtDNA‐encoded proteins. Here, we describe three high‐throughput screening assays that detect compounds that affect mtDNA‐encoded protein levels. All three assays measure the levels of two proteins, one a mtDNA‐encoded protein synthesized on mitochondrial ribosomes and the other, a nuclear DNA‐encoded protein synthesized on cytosolic ribosomes. The first assay measures the levels of these two proteins by quantitative image analysis and requires a high‐content imaging system. The second assay is an in‐cell immunoassay that utilizes infrared dyes for detection of the two proteins and, thus, requires a LI‐COR Odyssey system. The third assay is an in‐cell immunoassay that utilizes colorimetric detection of the two proteins and requires an absorbance microplate reader. Curr. Protoc. Toxicol. 48:3.11.1‐3.11.17. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Aldehyde Reduction by Cytochrome P450
Authors: Amunom Immaculate , Srivastava Sanjay , Prough Russell A. 
Published: May 2011

AbstractThis protocol describes the procedure for measuring the relative rates of metabolism of the α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes 9‐anthracene aldehyde (9‐AA) and 4‐hydroxy‐trans‐2‐nonenal (4‐HNE). More specifically, these assays measure the aldehyde reduction reactions of cytochrome P450s (CYPs). They can be performed using liver microsomal or other tissue fractions, spherosome preparations of recombinant CYPs, or recombinant CYPs from other sources. The method for reduction of 9‐AA (a model α,β‐unsaturated aldehyde) by CYPs was adapted from an assay for 9‐anthracene oxidation published by Marini et al. (2003). For reduction of the endogenous aldehyde 4‐HNE, the substrate was incubated with CYP in the presence of oxygen and NADPH, and the metabolites were separated by HPLC, using an adaptation of the method by Srivastava et al. (2010). For both 9‐AA and 4‐HNE, the first step involves incubation of the substrate with the CYP in an appropriate medium. This is followed by quantification of metabolites through by spectrofluorometry (9‐AA) or HPLC coupled with a radiometric assay (4‐HNE). Metabolite identification can be achieved by HPLC GC/MS analysis. Inhibitors of cytochrome P450 can be utilized to show the role of the hemoprotein or other enzymes in these reduction reactions. The reduction of CYPs is not inhibited by either anaerobiosis or inclusion of CO in the gaseous phase of the reaction mixture. These characteristics are similar to those reported for some cytochrome P450−catalyzed azo reduction reactions. Curr. Protoc. Toxicol. 48:4.37.1‐4.37.15. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Delay and Age Effects on Identification Accuracy and Confidence: An Investigation Using a Video Identification Parade
Authors: Clifford Brian R. , Havard Catriona , Memon Amina , Gabbert Fiona 
Published: May 2011

SummaryA total of 236 children (7–8‐year‐olds and 13–14‐year‐olds) attempted identification from either target‐present (TP) or target‐absent (TA) video parades, after either two days or two weeks, following exposure to a live target. It was found that with TP line‐ups, the most frequent response was a correct identification, but in the TA condition, the most frequent response was a false identification. Under both TP and TA conditions, the 3‐way interaction of delay, age and response was significant. Further analysis revealed that delay was the major contributor of variance, causing an increase in errors for both age groups in TP delayed line‐ups but only for the younger age group in TA delayed line‐ups. Confidence varied as a function of type of identification response made, with the highest confidence being given to a correct identification in a TP line‐up. However, response confidence entered into a number of interactions involving both delay and age. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Physical Modeling of Inclusion Approach to the Steel–Slag Interface with Focus on Hydrodynamic Interactions
Authors: Ferchichi Yassine , Duval Hervé 
Published: May 2011

AbstractA physical model is developed in order to understand the behavior of non‐metallic inclusions near the steel–slag interface during the vacuum ladle treatment of liquid steel. A flat liquid/liquid interface is created using glycerol as the heavy phase and silicone oil as the light phase. Spherical polymer particles are introduced into the glycerol and filmed while they rise up towards the interface. The density and the diameter of the particles as well as the viscosity of the silicone oil are varied. The particle velocity is measured as a function of the distance to the interface and the hydrodynamic correction factor of the Stokes steady drag is deduced. Results are compared with the available theoretical models, in particular, for non‐deformable no‐slip and free‐slip interfaces. Then, the dependence of the hydrodynamic correction factor on the density difference ratio, the capillary number, and the viscosity ratio is examined.
The impact of the World Trade Center attack on FDNY firefighter retirement, disabilities, and pension benefits
Authors: Niles J.K. , Webber M.P. , Gustave J. , Zeig‐Owens R. , Lee R. , Glass L. , Weiden M.D. , Kelly K.J. , Prezant D.J. 
Published: May 2011

AbstractBackgroundOur goal was to examine the effect of the World Trade Center (WTC) attack and subsequent New York City Fire Department (FDNY) rescue/recovery activities on firefighter retirements. We also analyzed the financial impact associated with the increased number and proportion of service‐connected “accidental” disability retirements on the FDNY pension system.MethodsA total of 7,763 firefighters retired between 9/11/1994 and 9/10/2008. We compared the total number of retirements and the number and proportion of accidental disability retirements 7 years before and 7 years after the WTC attack. We categorized WTC‐related accidental disability retirements by medical cause and worked with the New York City Office of the Actuary to approximate the financial impact by cause.ResultsIn the 7 years before 9/11 there were 3,261 retirements, 48% (1,571) of which were accidental disability retirements. In the 7 years after 9/11, there were 4,502 retirements, 66% (2,970) were accidental disability retirements, of which 47% (1,402) were associated with WTC‐related injuries or illnesses. After 9/11, the increase in accidental disability retirements was, for the most part, due to respiratory‐related illnesses. Additional increases were attributed to psychological‐related illnesses and musculoskeletal injuries incurred at the WTC site. Pension benefits associated with WTC‐related accidental disability retirements have produced an increased financial burden of over $826 million on the FDNY pension system.ConclusionsThe WTC attacks affected the health of the FDNY workforce resulting in more post‐9/11 retirements than expected, and a larger proportion of these retirees with accidental disability pensions. Am. J. Ind. Med. 54:672–680, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.