RAPID MOLECULAR DETECTION OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT S. AUREUS IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Staphylococcus aureus is found in the nose andon the skin of a variety of healthy individuals,andis an opportunistpathogen in patients with loweredhost resistance.The isoxazolylpenicillin (e.g.me-thicillin,cloxacillin,flucloxacillin) have been themainstay of treatment for infection over2 5years.But emergence of antibiotic resistance(MRSA) is aproblem in hospitals due to transmission of epi-demic MRSA strains with antibiotic resistance.Ac-quisition of MRSA continues to be of major con-cern…     

A simplified methodology for evaluating alternative tanker configurations

Current MARPOL regulations for hypothetical oil ouflow and tank size limitations apply a deterministic approach which does not properly account for varying wing tank and double-bottom dimensions. Important considerations such as the influence of hydrostatic balance and tidal changes on the stranded vessel are not addressed in these regulations. This paper presents a more rational approach for evaluating oil outflow for double-hull and mid-deck tankers. This proposed methodology, while easy to apply, allows for the optimization of tankage configurations, and provides an effective means for indexing the environmental performance of tankers.     

Perceptions of new electronic media for business communication

A model of communications media choice in business organizations is formulated based upon the results of exploratory interviews and the consumer choice literature. Choice is modelled as a function of organizational characteristics, individual characteristics, communication activity characteristics, communication initiator-recipient relationships and perceptions and feelings about available media. Hypotheses concerning media perceptions are developed from the exploratory interviews and tested using survey results from two firms in the Chicago region. The methodology developed in this research provides a useful approach to exploring preferences for and choices of communication media. As a paradigm for future research, it can be used to extend our understanding of communications media usage.     

The role of VMT reduction in meeting climate change policy goals

This article evaluates the case for vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction as a core policy goal for reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs), concluding the economic impacts and social consequences would be too severe given the modest potential environmental benefits. Attempts to reduce VMT typically rely on very blunt policy instruments, such as increasing urban densities, and run the risk of reducing mobility, reducing access to jobs, and narrowing the range of housing choice. VMT reduction, in fact, is an inherently blunt policy instrument because it relies almost exclusively on changing human behavior and settlement patterns to increase transit use and reduce automobile travel rather than directly target GHGs. It also uses long-term strategies with highly uncertain effects on GHGs based on current research. Not surprisingly, VMT reduction strategies often rank among the most costly and least efficient options. In contrast, less intrusive policy approaches such as improved fuel efficiency and traffic signal optimization are more likely to directly reduce GHGs than behavioral approaches such as increasing urban densities to promote higher public transit usage. As a general principle, policymakers should begin addressing policy concerns using the least intrusive and costly approaches first. Climate change policy should focus on directly targeting greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., through a carbon tax) rather than using the blunt instrument of VMT reduction to preserve the economic and social benefits of mobility in modern, service-based economies. Targeted responses are also more cost effective, implying that the social welfare costs of climate change policy will be smaller than using broad-brushed approaches that directly attempt to influence living patterns and travel behavior.     

道德与海员职业--论海员培训中的伦理学教育以及道德决定的策略

引言在对海员的职业培训中 ,有关如何作出符合伦理道德的决定的培训也应当包括其中。当我们在对他们进行传统的如轮机、航海、人员管理以及通讯等培训时 ,不要忘记 ,教给他们有关道德和道德思维的基础知识同样重要。在这个竞争激烈、全球一体的商业世界中 ,我们必须承认这样一句格言 :成功的商人必为有德者。所以 ,对海员的培训 ,既应当教给他们有关伦理道德的历史 ,还应进行具体的案例学习 ,更重要的是 ,应通过有关范例的讨论和学习 ,使他们掌握进行道德决定的模式和方法 ,并指明解决问题的方向。对此 ,位于缅因州的国际道德研究院的Ｒｕｓ…     

Exploring the links between personal networks, time use, and the spatial distribution of social contacts

Although the study of the role of the social context in travel behavior and activity patterns has recently gained attention, the empirical evidence supporting the relationship between social networks and the temporal and spatial characteristics of social activities is still limited. With this motivation, this paper studies the link between “longer term” (social networks) and “shorter term” (social activities) social decisions, by exploring the intertwined relationship between the individuals’ personal networks attributes, and the spatiotemporal characteristics of their daily social activities. The paper contributes to the literature by adding two key aspects to the study of the role of social networks on travel behavior: the social networks’ structure, and the spatiality of all individuals participating on the social activities. Based on data which link people’s personal networks and time use, and using a structural equation modeling approach, the paper studies the influence of individual and interactional attributes on the duration, distance, and number of people involved in social daily activities. The results show that aspects such as tie social closeness, gender and age similarity, and network density, help to understand social activity duration and distance, complementing traditional socio-demographic aspects such as income, occupation, and accessibility to services. In this way, socio-demographic attributes are not enough to explain the spatiotemporal dimension of daily activities which makes necessary to include variables related to the social context to explain with a higher level of accuracy both the duration and distance traveled to the activity.     

CBTC转换战略的实施

引进各种新信号技术系统是复杂而有风险的。美国运输技术中心公司（TTCI）认为逐步转换能使进程顺利并最大限度地提高可靠性。     

TransNIEMO: economic impact analysis using a model of consistent inter-regional economic and network equilibria

We describe a model that integrates a multiregional input–output (I–O) model of the USA (for 50 States and the District of Columbia) with the national highway network. Inter-state commodity shipments are placed on a congestible highway network. Simulations of major choke-point disruptions redirect traffic which increases the costs of some shipments. Increased costs show up in higher prices which help to determine a new I–O equilibrium. We find economic and network equilibria that are consistent. The simulations show only moderate economic impacts. We ascribe this to the resilience of the highway network. The model provides State-level detail on who bears the costs of the disruptions.     

Spatial and Temporal Variability in Shipping Traffic Off San Francisco,California

Shipping traffic poses a worldwide threat to many large whale species. Spatially explicit risk assessments are increasingly being used as a tool to minimize ship-strike risk. These assessments often use static representations of shipping patterns. We used Automatic Identification System data to quantify variability in cargo shipping traffic entering and exiting San Francisco Bay, which contains some of the busiest ports in the United States, at three temporal resolutions: (1) before and after implementation of the California Air Resources Board's Ocean-Going Vessels Fuel Rule, (2) among seasons, and (3) day versus night. We used the nonparametric Mood's Median test to compare median daily distance traveled because the data were not normally distributed and the variance was not homogeneous. Our analyses show that shipping traffic off San Francisco is dynamic at both interannual and daily temporal resolutions, but that traffic was fairly consistent among the seasons considered. Our analyses emphasize the importance of economic and regulatory drivers on interannual shipping traffic patterns. Shipping traffic is expected to continue to change off the U.S. West Coast and to increase globally. These changes in shipping traffic could have implications for the risk of ships striking whales and should be included in risk assessments.     

Modeling traveler mode choice behavior of a new high-speed rail corridor in China

This study examines mode choice behavior for intercity business and personal/recreational trips. It uses multinomial logit and nested logit methods to analyze revealed preference data provided by travelers along the Yong-Tai-Wen multimodal corridor in Zhejiang, China. Income levels are found to be positively correlated with mode share increases for high-speed rail (HSR), expressway-based bus, and auto modes, while travel time and trip costs are negatively correlated with modal shift. Longer distance trips trigger modal shifts to HSR services but prevent modal shift to expressway-based auto use due to escalation of fuel cost and toll charges. Travelers are less elastic in their travel time and cost for trips by nonexpressway-based auto use modes. The magnitude of elasticity for travel time is higher than trip costs for business trips and lower for personal/recreational trips. The study provides some policy suggestions for transportation planners and decision-makers.