An interval-based regret-analysis method for identifying long-term municipal solid waste management policy under uncertainty

In this study, an interval-based regret-analysis (IBRA) model is developed for supporting long-term planning of municipal solid waste (MSW) management activities in the City of Changchun, the capital of Jilin Province, China. The developed IBRA model incorporates approaches of interval-parameter programming (IPP) and minimax-regret (MMR) analysis within an integer programming framework, such that uncertainties expressed as both interval values and random variables can be reflected. The IBRA can account for economic consequences under all possible scenarios associated with different system costs and risk levels without making assumptions on probabilistic distributions for random variables. A regret matrix with interval elements is generated based on a matrix of interval system costs, such that desired decision alternatives can be identified according to the interval minimax regret (IMMR) criterion. The results indicate that reasonable solutions have been generated. They can help decision makers identify the desired alternatives regarding long-term MSW management with a compromise between minimized system cost and minimized system-failure risk.

Search for supersymmetry in pp collisions at √7 TeV in events with two photons and missing transverse energy

A search for supersymmetry in the context of general gauge-mediated breaking with the lightest neutralino as the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle and the gravitino as the lightest is presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 36 pb(-1) recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The search is performed by using events containing two or more isolated photons, at least one hadronic jet, and significant missing transverse energy. No excess of events at high missing transverse energy is observed. Upper limits on the signal cross section for general gauge-mediated supersymmetry between 0.3 and 1.1 pb at the 95% confidence level are determined for a range of squark, gluino, and neutralino masses, excluding supersymmetry parameter space that was inaccessible to previous experiments.

Study of Z Boson Production in PbPb Collisions at √S(NN)=2.76 TeV

A search for Z bosons in the μ(+)μ(-) decay channel has been performed in PbPb collisions at √S(NN)=2.76  TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC, in a 7.2 μb(-1) data sample. The number of opposite-sign muon pairs observed in the 60-120 GeV/c(2) invariant mass range is 39, corresponding to a yield per unit of rapidity (y) and per minimum bias event of [33.8±5.5(stat)±4.4(syst)]×10(-8), in the |y|<2.0 range. Rapidity, transverse momentum, and centrality dependencies are also measured. The results agree with next-to-leading order QCD calculations, scaled by the number of incoherent nucleon-nucleon collisions.

Evidence of circulation of an epidemic strain of Francisella tularensis in France by multispacer typing

Multispacer typing (MST) was used to type ten Francisella tularensis strains detected in French patients. Incorporating 79 Swedish F. tularensis strains, phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that although tularemia appears as a sporadic disease in France, it is caused by an epidemic cluster of strains.

Directional diffusivity changes in the optic nerve and optic radiation in optic neuritis

OBJECTIVE

Optic neuritis (ON) is defined as an inflammation of the optic nerve and provides a useful model for studying the effects of inflammatory demyelination of white matter. The aim of this study was to assess the diffusion changes in both the optic nerve and optic radiation in patients with acute and chronic ON using diffusion tensor (DT) MRI.

METHODS

33 patients with idiopathic demyelinating optic neuritis (IDON) and 33 gender- and age-matched healthy controls were examined with DT-MRI and with T(1) and T(2) weighted MRI.

RESULTS

Compared with controls, both first-episode and recurrent patients with IDON in the acute stage showed significantly increased radial diffusivity (λ(⊥)) and decreased mean fractional anisotropy (FA) in the affected nerves. Reduced FA, increased λ(⊥), mean diffusivity (MD) and axial diffusivity (λ(∥)) were determined in patients with subacute IDON. We found no significant difference in the directional diffusivity of optic radiation in patients whose disease had lasted less than 1 year compared with healthy controls. However, significant changes in the FA and λ(⊥) of the optic radiation were detected in patients with disease duration of more than 1 year.

CONCLUSION

These results show the great potential and capacity of DT-MRI measures as useful biomarkers and indicators for the evaluation of myelin injury in the visual pathway.

Measurement of dijet angular distributions and search for quark compositeness in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV

Dijet angular distributions are measured over a wide range of dijet invariant masses in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV, at the CERN LHC. The event sample, recorded with the CMS detector, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 36 pb⁻¹. The data are found to be in good agreement with the predictions of perturbative QCD, and yield no evidence of quark compositeness. With a modified frequentist approach, a lower limit on the contact interaction scale for left-handed quarks of Λ⁺ = 5.6 TeV (Λ⁻ = 6.7 TeV) for destructive (constructive) interference is obtained at the 95% confidence level.

Search for pair production of second-generation scalar leptoquarks in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV

A search for pair production of second-generation scalar leptoquarks in the final state with two muons and two jets is performed using proton-proton collision data at √s = 7 TeV collected by the CMS detector at the LHC. The data sample used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb⁻¹. The number of observed events is in good agreement with the predictions from the standard model processes. An upper limit is set on the second-generation leptoquark cross section times β² as a function of the leptoquark mass, and leptoquarks with masses below 394 GeV are excluded at a 95% confidence level for β = 1, where β is the leptoquark branching fraction into a muon and a quark. These limits are the most stringent to date.

Search for pair production of first-generation scalar leptoquarks in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV

A search for pair production of first-generation scalar leptoquarks is performed in the final state containing two electrons and two jets using proton-proton collision data at √s = 7 TeV. The data sample used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 33 pb⁻¹ collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The number of observed events is in good agreement with the predictions for the standard model background processes, and an upper limit is set on the leptoquark pair production cross section times β² as a function of the leptoquark mass, where β is the branching fraction of the leptoquark decay to an electron and a quark. A 95% confidence level lower limit is set on the mass of a first-generation scalar leptoquark at 384 GeV for β = 1, which is the most stringent direct limit to date.

Thermodynamic analysis on wetting behavior of hierarchical structured superhydrophobic surfaces

Superhydrophobicity of biological surfaces has recently been studied intensively with the aim to design artificial surfaces. It has been revealed that nearly all of the superhydrophobic surfaces consist of the intrinsic hierarchical structures. However, the role of such structures has not been completely understood. In this study, different scales of hierarchical structures have been thermodynamically analyzed using a 2-D model. In particular, the free energy (FE) and free energy barrier (FEB) for the composite wetting states are calculated, and the effects of relative pillar height (h(r)) and relative pillar width (a(r)) on contact angle (CA) and contact angle hysteresis (CAH) have been investigated in detail. The results show that if the geometrical parameter ratio is the same (e.g., a:b:h = 2:2:1), the equilibrium CA for the composite of the three-, dual-, and single- scale roughness structures is 159.8°, 151.1°, and 138.6°, respectively. Furthermore, the nano- to microstructures of such surfaces can split a large FEB into many small ones and hence can decrease FEB; in particular, a hierarchical geometrical structure can lead to a hierarchical "FEB structure" (e.g., for a dual-scale roughness geometrical structure, there is also a dual-scale FEB structure). This is especially important for a droplet to overcome the large FEBs to reach a stable superhydrophobic state, which can lead to an improved self-cleaning property. Moreover, for extremely small droplets, the secondary or third structure (i.e., submicrostructure or nanostructure) can play a dominant role in resisting the droplets into troughs, so that a composite state can be always thermodynamically favorable for such a hierarchical structured system.

Effects of risedronate on bone marrow adipocytes in postmenopausal women

SUMMARY

Aminobisphosphonates promote osteoblastogenesis while inhibiting adipogenesis in vitro. Their effect on adipogenesis in vivo remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that risedronate prevents marrow fat infiltration in postmenopausal women after 3 years of treatment.

INTRODUCTION

Age-related bone loss is associated with high levels of adipogenesis within the bone marrow at the expense of osteoblast population. Bisphosphonates stimulate osteoblastogenesis while inhibiting adipogenesis in vitro. In the present study, we tested whether the effect of bisphosphonates on marrow adipogenesis in vitro is also seen in vivo.

METHODS

We analyzed transiliac bone biopsies from a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial that evaluated the effects of risedronate treatment 5 mg/day on vertebral and non-vertebral fractures in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Paired bone biopsies were obtained from a subset of patients at baseline and after treatment with placebo or risedronate for 3 years (n = 14 per group). Biopsies were stained with toluidine blue and hematoxylin/eosin. Adipocyte volume/tissue volume (AV/TV), mean adipocyte number (AD(#)), and mean adipocyte diameter (AD(diam)) were quantified. Finally, expression levels of the adipogenesis transcription factor peroxisome proliferator activator gamma 2 (PPARγ2) within the bone marrow were quantified using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

In the placebo group, AV/TV, AD(#), and AD(diam) significantly increased after 3 years (~15%, p < 0.01). In contrast, AD(diam) remained unchanged and AV/TV and AD(#) were significantly reduced (~20%) in the risedronate group at 3 years (p < 0.01). These changes were associated with a significant reduction in PPARγ2 expression in the bone marrow of risedronate-treated women.

CONCLUSIONS

Risedronate reduces bone marrow fat in postmenopausal women. These findings are the first demonstration of an effect of bisphosphonates on marrow fat in humans in vivo. By regulating the amount of fat within the bone marrow, this effect may contribute to the beneficial effect of bisphosphonates on bone mass.

Preparation, morphology and coagulation characteristics of a new polyferric chloride coagulant prepared using pyrite cinders

Pyrite cinders are the main industrial waste generated from the process of sulphuric acid production using pyrite ores. The pyrite cinders may have utilization value in preparing a new polyferric chloride (PFC) coagulant. In order to attain this objective, a preparation method for PFC products from pyrite cinders was studied by a Taguchi orthogonal array experiment. On the basis of the successful preparation, the morphologies and coagulation characteristics of three PFC products, with different basicities, were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and examined by jar tests, respectively. The results showed that the molar ratio of NaOH to Fe should be in a range between 0.75:1 and 1:1, the molar ratio of stabilizer NaH2PO4 to Fe should be in a range between 0.12:1 and 0.15:1, the curing time should be 2 h, the curing temperature can be 60 degrees C and the molar ratio of NaHCO3 to Fe can be determined according to the basicity required in order to get the optimal stability of PFC products and the best flocculation efficiency. Although the degree of aggregation of the PFC products became larger with the increase in the basicity, the coagulation efficiency could be only improved with an increase in the basicity within a certain range. When the basicity exceeded a certain value, the coagulation efficiency started to decrease. In this study, PFC2 (B = 11.16%) had better coagulation characteristics than either PFCl (B = 6.08%), PFC2 (B = 11.16%), PFC3 (B = 15.92%) or polyaluminium chloride (PAC).

Exploiting Structure in Weighted Model Counting Approaches to Probabilistic Inference

Previous studies have demonstrated that encoding a Bayesian network into a SAT formula and then performing weighted model counting using a backtracking search algorithm can be an effective method for exact inference. In this paper, we present techniques for improving this approach for Bayesian networks with noisy-OR and noisy-MAX relations---two relations that are widely used in practice as they can dramatically reduce the number of probabilities one needs to specify. In particular, we present two SAT encodings for noisy-OR and two encodings for noisy-MAX that exploit the structure or semantics of the relations to improve both time and space efficiency, and we prove the correctness of the encodings. We experimentally evaluated our techniques on large-scale real and randomly generated Bayesian networks. On these benchmarks, our techniques gave speedups of up to two orders of magnitude over the best previous approaches for networks with noisy-OR/MAX relations and scaled up to larger networks. As well, our techniques extend the weighted model counting approach for exact inference to networks that were previously intractable for the approach.

Bayes estimators for phylogenetic reconstruction

Tree reconstruction methods are often judged by their accuracy, measured by how close they get to the true tree. Yet, most reconstruction methods like maximum likelihood (ML) do not explicitly maximize this accuracy. To address this problem, we propose a Bayesian solution. Given tree samples, we propose finding the tree estimate that is closest on average to the samples. This "median" tree is known as the Bayes estimator (BE). The BE literally maximizes posterior expected accuracy, measured in terms of closeness (distance) to the true tree. We discuss a unified framework of BE trees, focusing especially on tree distances that are expressible as squared euclidean distances. Notable examples include Robinson-Foulds (RF) distance, quartet distance, and squared path difference. Using both simulated and real data, we show that BEs can be estimated in practice by hill-climbing. In our simulation, we find that BEs tend to be closer to the true tree, compared with ML and neighbor joining. In particular, the BE under squared path difference tends to perform well in terms of both path difference and RF distances.

Repeated but not single isoflurane exposure improved the spatial memory of young adult mice

BACKGROUND

Exposure to general anesthesia damages the spatial memory of aged rodents, but its role in the young adult has not been well investigated. This study was conducted to determine the effects of single and repeated isoflurane exposure on spatial memory in young adult mice.

METHODS

The experimental design comprised three series of experiments. In the first series, animals (2 months old) were randomly exposed to 1.4% isoflurane for 2 or 6 h or vehicle gas for 6 h (n=15 in each group). The Morris water maze (MWM) test was performed at 48 h after anesthetic exposure to evaluate spatial memory. In the second part, animals were randomly exposed to 1.4% isoflurane (isoflurane group, n=15) or vehicle gas only (control group, n=15) for 2 h/day on 5 consecutive days. Forty-eight hours later, the MWM was performed. In the third part, animals were randomized into an isoflurane group (n=15) and a control group (n=15) as in the second part of the experiment. Two weeks later, the MWM was performed.

RESULTS

The mean escape latency time and the mean pathway length measured at 48 h after repeated isoflurane exposure decreased significantly compared with the control. However, there was no difference between the two groups when tested at 2 weeks after repeated isoflurane exposure. A single exposure to isoflurane lasting 2 or 6 h had no effect on the performance of mice in the MWM as compared with the control.

CONCLUSION

Repeated but not single isoflurane exposure temporarily improved the spatial memory of young adult mice.

Dijet azimuthal decorrelations in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

Measurements of dijet azimuthal decorrelations in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV using the CMS detector at the CERN LHC are presented. The analysis is based on an inclusive dijet event sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.9 pb⁻¹. The results are compared to predictions from perturbative QCD calculations and various Monte Carlo event generators. The dijet azimuthal distributions are found to be sensitive to initial-state gluon radiation.

Facile Deposition Processes for Semiconducting Molecular Solids

Films of end-substituted dihexyl-α-sexithiophene and –quinquethiophene were cast from solutions in aromatic solvents onto SiO2 and polyimide dielectrics at moderately elevated temperatures and reduced pressure. X-ray diffraction showed perpendicular orientation for most samples, while electron and optical microscopy revealed considerable variations in grain sizes, spacings, and uniformity depending on deposition conditions. For favorable morphologies, thin film transistor (TFT) mobilities were as high as those typically obtained from vacuum-deposited films, in the range of 0.01-0.2 cm2/Vs, with on/off ratios >1000 in accumulation mode.

Measurement of the B(+) production cross section in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7 TeV

Measurements of the total and differential cross sections dσ/dp(T)(B) and dσ/dy(B) for B(+) mesons produced in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7  TeV are presented. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5.8  pb(-1) collected by the CMS experiment operating at the LHC. The exclusive decay B(+)→J/ψK(+), with J/ψ→μ(+)μ(-), is used to detect B(+) mesons and to measure the production cross section as a function of p(T)(B) and y(B). The total cross section for p(T)(B)>5  GeV and |y(B)|<2.4 is measured to be 28.1±2.4±2.0±3.1  μb, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the last is from the luminosity measurement.