2012 Census of California Water Transit Services ,MTI Report 12-02

The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics conducts a nationwide census of ferry boat operators for the U.S. Department of Transportation and the collected information is used for statistical purposes. The Caltrans Division of Local Assistance has been asked by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to gather data regarding ferry operations under MAP-21, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. MAP-21 includes a new formula program for ferry boats and ferry terminal facilities eligible under 23 USC 129(c) which authorizes federal participation in toll roads, bridges, tunnels, and ferries. FHWA has asked that Caltrans assure the ferry boat data is current for MAP-21. The Mineta Transportation Institute was contacted by Caltrans to conduct this research. The research team compiled a spreadsheet and accompanying maps that include ferry boats, routes, and operators along with a number of related characteristics including ownership (public or private), daily trip counts, regulation of fares, terminal locations (street address and coordinates), boarding statistics, and route segment lengths. The spreadsheet contains fields that will allow it to be linked in a Geographic Information System to Caltrans Earth software for further analysis. Additionally, where relevant, the report includes a brief description of expansion plans for certain ferry service providers

A sub-sector approach to cost-benefit analysis : small-scale sisal processing in Tanzania

The paper proposes a way to adapt the standard cost-benefit analysis (CBA) technique to make it more suitable for analysing the feasibility of projects in new sub-sectors, when project success hinges on simultaneous investments in complementary activities to be undertaken by different private investors. New elements in the method include an estimation of expected profitability for a prospective new sub-sector as a whole, and an assessment of the sub-sector’s technological capacity environment. The method could be used as a tool for project planners to gain insight into the likely feasibility of stimulating initiatives aimed at promoting viable private sector investment in new economic areas. It should also help them to direct their resources to those key areas within new sub-sectors where central intervention and central co-ordination is most needed to overcome critical constraints to innovation to private investors. The method is illustrated with an example of a small-scale sisal processing project in Tanzania

Breaking The Exclusionary Boundary Between User Experience And Access: Steps Toward Making UX Inclusive Of Users With Disabilities

This research paper points out that we as Designers have failed to come up with a model of UX that would proximate a satisfying user experience for users with disabilities. It underscores the gaps in designer knowledge about disabled bodies. The research paper also draws the attention of the designer community to the limited understanding we presently possess of the disabled people\u27s notions of, and expectations from, satisfying user experiences. It proposes a multi-step process for shifting the focus of design activity from a medical model of accessibility design that retrofits normative designs to the needs of users with disabilities to developing an accessible user experience model (AUX) of design that counts these users as design collaborators, possessors of special knowledge about disabled bodies, and untapped sources of innovative designs that might offer additional design features for all users

Patient-derived glioblastoma cultures as a tool for small-molecule drug discovery

There is a compelling need for new therapeutic strategies for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Preclinical target and therapeutic discovery for GBMs is primarily conducted using cell lines grown in serum-containing media, such as U-87 MG, which do not reflect the gene expression profiles of tumors found in GBM patients. To address this lack of representative models, we sought to develop a panel of patient-derived GBM models and characterize their genomic features, using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and growth characteristics, both when grown as neurospheres in culture, and grown orthotopically as xenografts in mice. When we compared these with commonly used GBM cell lines in the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), we found these patient-derived models to have greater diversity in gene expression and to better correspond to GBMs directly sequenced from patient tumor samples. We also evaluated the potential of these models for targeted therapy, by using the genomic characterization to identify small molecules that inhibit the growth of distinct subsets of GBMs, paving the way for precision medicines for GBM

Habitat filtering and inferred dispersal ability condition across-scale species turnover and rarity in Macaronesian island spider assemblages

Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Biogeography published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Aim: Habitat diversity has been linked to the diversity and structure of island communities, however, little is known about patterns and processes within habitats. Here we aim to determine the contributions of habitat type and inferred dispersal frequency to the differences in taxonomic structure between assemblages in the same island habitat. Location: The Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cabo Verde). Taxon: Spiders (Araneae). Methods: We established forest and dry habitat sites (each with five plots) on two islands per archipelago. We collected spiders using standardised sampling protocols. We tested the differences in beta diversity separately for each habitat and for each inferred category of ballooning (an aerial dispersal strategy) frequency across geographic scales through nested non-parametric permutational multivariate analyses of variance. We then tested whether ballooning and habitat influenced heterogeneity in species composition (dispersion in beta diversity) in the two habitat types. We analysed the effects of habitat and ballooning on species abundance distribution (SAD) and rarity by fitting Gambin models and evaluating the contribution of ballooning categories to SAD. Results: Communities of the same archipelago and habitat were taxonomically more similar, and beta diversity increased with geographic scale, being greater in dry habitats. There was greater species replacement among assemblages in dry habitats than in forests, with greater differences for rare ballooners. There were no differences in SAD between habitats although dry habitat sites seemed to harbour more species with low abundances (rare species) than forests. Main conclusions: Habitat type does not only condition the differences between spider assemblages of the same habitat but also the scale at which they occur. These differences may be determined by the heterogeneity in the physical structure of each habitat as well as how much this structure facilitates aerial dispersal (ballooning), and should be considered in theories/hypotheses on island community assembly as well as in conservation strategies.Peer reviewe

Community structure of woody plants on islands along a bioclimatic gradient

Peer reviewe

Ensembl 2014

Ensembl (http://www.ensembl.org) creates tools and data resources to facilitate genomic analysis in chordate species with an emphasis on human, major vertebrate model organisms and farm animals. Over the past year we have increased the number of species that we support to 77 and expanded our genome browser with a new scrollable overview and improved variation and phenotype views. We also report updates to our core datasets and improvements to our gene homology relationships from the addition of new species. Our REST service has been extended with additional support for comparative genomics and ontology information. Finally, we provide updated information about our methods for data access and resources for user training

2D Black Phosphorus: from Preparation to Applications for Electrochemical Energy Storage

Black phosphorus (BP) is rediscovered as a 2D layered material. Since its first isolation in 2014, 2D BP has triggered tremendous interest in the fields of condensed matter physics, chemistry, and materials science. Given its unique puckered monolayer geometry, 2D BP displays many unprecedented properties and is being explored for use in numerous applications. The flexibility, large surface area, and good electric conductivity of 2D BP make it a promising electrode material for electrochemical energy storage devices (EESDs). Here, the experimental and theoretical progress of 2D BP is presented on the basis of its preparation methods. The structural and physiochemical properties, air instability, passivation, and EESD applications of 2D BP are discussed systemically. Specifically, the latest research findings on utilizing 2D BP in EESDs, such as lithium‐ion batteries, supercapacitors, and emerging technologies (lithium–sulfur batteries, magnesium‐ion batteries, and sodium‐ion batteries), are summarized. On the basis of the current progress, a few personal perspectives on the existing challenges and future research directions in this developing field are provided