Automated Transfer Management Systems and the Intermodal Performance of North American Freight Distribution

For capacity, energy and environmental reasons, intermodal transportation is widely regarded as the preferable option for inland freight distribution. But because of the relatively high embedded costs, intermodal rail is currently only an attractive option for containerized goods carried over long distances. Transfers that in theory should entail only a few operations at a terminal in reality require multiple operations. This paper argues that by incorporating new terminal designs and an automated transfer management system (ATMS) at terminals and distribution centers, the resulting efficiency advances and productivity gains could significantly improve the economics for both long and short haul intermodal movements, including port shuttle trains. This system not only could significantly lower fixed costs and make intermodal more price competitive, but improve time and reliability to make intermodal more service competitive as well

Electrical coupling of neuro-ommatidial photoreceptor cells in the blowfly

A new method of microstimulation of the blowfly eye using corneal neutralization was applied to the 6 peripheral photoreceptor cells (R1-R6) connected to one neuro-ommatidium (and thus looking into the same direction), whilst the receptor potential of a dark-adapted photoreceptor cell was recorded by means of an intracellular microelectrode. Stimulation of the photoreceptor cells not impaled elicited responses in the recorded cell of about 20% of the response elicited when stimulating the recorded cell. This is probably caused by gap junctions recently found between the axon terminals of these cells. Stimulation of all 6 cells together yielded responses that were larger and longer than those obtained with stimulation of just the recorded cell, and intensity-response curves that deviated more strongly from linearity. Evidence is presented that the resistance of the axon terminal of the photoreceptor cells quickly drops in response to a light flash, depending on the light intensity. Incorporating the cable properties of the cell body and the axon, the resistance of the gap junctions, and the (adapting) terminal resistance, a theoretical model is presented that explains the measurements well. Finally, it is argued that the gap junctions between the photoreceptor cells may effectively uncouple the synaptic responses of the cells by counteracting the influence of field potentials.

The aa-theorem and the Asymptotics of 4D Quantum Field Theory

We study the possible IR and UV asymptotics of 4D Lorentz invariant unitary quantum field theory. Our main tool is a generalization of the Komargodski-Schwimmer proof for the $a$-theorem. We use this to rule out a large class of renormalization group flows that do not asymptote to conformal field theories in the UV and IR. We show that if the IR (UV) asymptotics is described by perturbation theory, all beta functions must vanish faster than $(1/|\ln\mu|)^{1/2}$ as $\mu \to 0$ ($\mu \to \infty$). This implies that the only possible asymptotics within perturbation theory is conformal field theory. In particular, it rules out perturbative theories with scale but not conformal invariance, which are equivalent to theories with renormalization group pseudocycles. Our arguments hold even for theories with gravitational anomalies. We also give a non-perturbative argument that excludes theories with scale but not conformal invariance. This argument holds for theories in which the stress-energy tensor is sufficiently nontrivial in a technical sense that we make precise.Comment: 41 pages, 2 figures. v2: Arguments clarified, some side comments corrected, connection to previous work by Jack and Osborn described, conclusions unaffecte

Glucose concentrations of less than 3.0 mmol/l (54 mg/dl) should be reported in clinical trials: a joint position statement of the American Diabetes Association and the Europian Association for the Study of Diabetes

International Hypoglycaemia Study Group (IHSG); Novo Nordisk awarded to Six Degrees Academy (SDA) of Toronto, ON, CanadaSCI(E)ARTICLE13-66

Vacuum stability of asymptotically safe

We study the phase diagram and the stability of the ground state for certain four-dimensional gauge-Yukawa theories whose high-energy behaviour is controlled by an interacting fixed point. We also provide analytical and numerical results for running couplings, their crossover scales, the separatrix, and the Coleman-Weinberg effective potential. Classical and quantum stability of the vacuum is established