Market-based pricing of wholesale electric services

Federal and state energy regulators are considering ways to coordinate their activities to improve the quality of regulation. This review and interpretation of recent developments in the area of market-based pricing is a useful starting point for this exploration.     

Attentional versus motor inhibition in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Faulty inhibition is theorized to be a central feature in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it remains unclear whether inhibitory impairments encompass both motoric and attentional domains. Further, characterization of inhibitory deficits in adults with ADHD is needed. We experimentally assessed adults who met diagnostic criteria for ADHD and a subgroup who had partially remitted. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) subtype effects were also examined. Motoric inhibition was assessed with the antisaccade task, and attentional inhibition was assessed with the attentional blink (AB) task. Antisaccade results replicated prior findings of extended latencies and increased anticipatory saccades in ADHD. Errors, however, appeared to be epiphenomenal to ADHD as they were absent when symptoms had partially remitted. Anticipatory saccades appeared as potential core problems that remained even when symptoms had improved. Differential response patterns were found for predominantly inattentive and combined subtypes, with the latter showing increasing anticipatory movements with increasing fixation time. In the AB task, ADHD groups committed more errors but showed no convincing evidence of an abnormal blink. These results demonstrate clear effects on motoric inhibition but not attentional inhibition in adults with ADHD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hydraulic Performance Curves for Highway Culverts

This paper presents a versatile two-parameter model describing the hydraulic performance of highway culverts operating under inlet control for both unsubmerged and submerged conditions. Applications show that the model can accurately represent the Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) performance curves (which use four parameters) for a range of culvert types and materials. Laboratory data from an investigation of the hydraulic performance of single- and multiple-barrel low-headwater box culverts are also used, and the resulting model predicts a smaller culvert size as compared with the FHwA equations for a given design discharge. Design recommendations are presented for low-headwater box culverts.     

Radiorecovery Activity of Dicopper(II) Tetrakis(3,5-Diiso propylsalicylate) Includes Recovery of Radiation-Induced Loss of Body Mass and Impaired Mouse Locomotion

Dicopper(II) tetrakis(3,5-diisopropylsalicylate), [Cu(II)(2)(3,5-DIPS)(4)], is effective in increasing survival of lethally irradiated mice when it is administered after irradiation. The possibility that this radiorecovery activity might also facilitate recovery from radiation-induced impaired increase in body mass and locomotion was examined. Cu(II)(2)(3,5-DIPS)(4) was used to treat LD 50/30 gamma irradiated female C57BL/6 mice after irradiation. A dose of 0, 5, 10, or 20 mumol Cu(II)(2) (3, 5-DIPS)(4) /kilogram of body mass was administered subcutaneously 3 hrs after LD 50/30 irradiation and change in body mass and locomotor activity measured daily throughout the 30 day post-irradiation period. Treatment with 5, 10, or 20 mumol Cu(II)(2) (3,5-DIPS)(4) /kg of body mass increased survival, which was statistically significant for the 10 mumol /kg of body mass-treated group compared to the vehicle-treated group (P<0.05), significantly (P<0.05) increased recovery of locomotion from days 13 to 15 post-irradiation onward for all treated groups compared to vehicle-treated mice, and increased recovery of body mass gain from day 14 onward for the 20 mumol /kg of body mass-treated group (P<0.001) and day 21, although not statistically significant, for the 10 mumol /kg of body mass-treated group. There were no statistically significant differences between the increase in survival, recovered increase in body mass, and recovered increase in locomotion for mice treated with 10 mumol or 20 mumol Cu(II)(2)(3,5-DIPS)(4) /kg on day 30 post-irradiation. It is concluded that Cu(II)(2)(3,5-DIPS)(4) in addition to increasing survival of irradiated mice increases the rate of recovery of radiation-induced decrease in body mass and locomotion.     

Interfacial reactions of Sn-Ag-Cu solders modified by minor Zn alloying addition

The near-ternary eutectic Sn-Ag-Cu alloys have been identified as leading Pb-free solder candidates to replace Pb-bearing solders in microelectronic applications. However, recent investigations on the processing behavior and solder joints reliability assessment have revealed several potential reliability risk factors associated with the alloy system. The formation of large Ag₃Sn plates in Sn-Ag-Cu joints, especially when solidified in a relatively slow cooling rate, is one issue of concern. The implications of large Ag₃Sn plates on solder joint performance and several methods to control them have been discussed in previous studies. The minor Zn addition was found to be effective in reducing the amount of undercooling required for tin solidification and thereby to suppress the formation of large Ag₃Sn plates. The Zn addition also caused the changes in the bulk microstructure as well as the interfacial reaction. In this paper, an in-depth characterization of the interfacial reaction of Zn-added Sn-Ag-Cu solders on Cu and Au/Ni(P) surface finishes is reported. The effects of a Zn addition on modification of the interfacial IMCs and their growth kinetics are also discussed.     

Hypotension following acute hypovolaemia depends on the caudal midline medulla

Acute hypovolaemia evokes abrupt, life-threatening hypotension and bradycardia. Hypotension can be evoked also by excitation of the caudal midline medulla (CMM). This study investigated the possible contribution of the CMM depressor area to hypotension evoked by acute hypovolaemia. Inactivation of the CMM, with either lignocaine or cobalt chloride did not alter resting arterial pressure. However lignocaine injections blocked the fall in arterial pressure, and cobalt chloride injections delayed the onset and significantly attenuated the size of hypovolaemic-evoked hypotension. These findings suggest that the CMM is a key region triggering hypotension after blood loss, and that the brain areas mediating cardiovascular response to challenges such as acute hypovolaemia are not the same areas that regulate resting arterial pressure.     

Impaired alloantigen-mediated T cell apoptosis and failure to induce long-term allograft survival in IL-2-deficient mice

We examined whether IL-2 regulates alloimmune responses by studying allograft survival in wild-type (IL-2+/+) and IL-2 gene-knockout (IL-2-/-) mice. The acute rejection of vascularized, cardiac allografts and the generation of allospecific CTLs were not impaired in the absence of IL-2. In contrast, blocking the B7-CD28 T cell costimulation pathway with CTLA4Ig induced long-term allograft survival (> 100 days) in IL-2+/+ recipients but failed to do so in IL-2-/- mice or in wild-type mice that had been treated with IL-2-neutralizing Ab around the time of transplantation. Allografts rejected by IL-2-/- recipients exhibited extensive mononuclear cell infiltrates despite CTLA4Ig administration. In vivo allostimulation in the absence of IL-2 led to exaggerated T lymphocyte proliferation and impaired apoptosis of activated T cells in untreated and CTLA4Ig-treated mice. These findings indicate that endogenous IL-2 is required for the induction of long-term allograft survival, and that IL-2 regulates alloimmune responses by preparing activated T lymphocytes for alloantigen-induced apoptosis.