bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ATP Synthase and the Actions of Inhibitors Utilized To Study Its Roles in Human Health, Disease, and Other Scientific Areas
Authors: Hong Sangjin , Pedersen Peter L.
Published: December 2008

ATP synthase, a double-motor enzyme, plays various roles in the cell, participating not only in ATP synthesis but in ATP hydrolysis-dependent processes and in the regulation of a proton gradient across some membrane-dependent systems. Recent studies of ATP synthase as a potential molecular target for the treatment of some human diseases have displayed promising results, and this enzyme is now emerging as an attractive molecular target for the development of new therapies for a variety of diseases. Significantly, ATP synthase, because of its complex structure, is inhibited by a number of different inhibitors and provides diverse possibilities in the development of new ATP synthase-directed agents. In this review, we classify over 250 natural and synthetic inhibitors of ATP synthase reported to date and present their inhibitory sites and their known or proposed modes of action. The rich source of ATP synthase inhibitors and their known or purported sites of action presented in this review should provide valuable insights into their applications as potential scaffolds for new therapeutics for human and animal diseases as well as for the discovery of new pesticides and herbicides to help protect the world's food supply. Finally, as ATP synthase is now known to consist of two unique nanomotors involved in making ATP from ADP and Pi, the information provided in this review may greatly assist those investigators entering the emerging field of nanotechnology.
RecBCD Enzyme and the Repair of Double-Stranded DNA Breaks
Authors: Dillingham Mark S. , Kowalczykowski Stephen C.
Published: December 2008

The RecBCD enzyme ofEscherichia coliis a helicase-nuclease that initiates the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks by homologous recombination. It also degrades linear double-stranded DNA, protecting the bacteria from phages and extraneous chromosomal DNA. The RecBCD enzyme is, however, regulated by acis-acting DNA sequence known as Chi (crossover hotspot instigator) that activates its recombination-promoting functions. Interaction with Chi causes an attenuation of the RecBCD enzyme's vigorous nuclease activity, switches the polarity of the attenuated nuclease activity to the 5′ strand, changes the operation of its motor subunits, and instructs the enzyme to begin loading the RecA protein onto the resultant Chi-containing single-stranded DNA. This enzyme is a prototypical example of a molecular machine: the protein architecture incorporates several autonomous functional domains that interact with each other to produce a complex, sequence-regulated, DNA-processing machine. In this review, we discuss the biochemical mechanism of the RecBCD enzyme with particular emphasis on new developments relating to the enzyme's structure and DNA translocation mechanism.
Small Toxic Proteins and the Antisense RNAs That Repress Them
Authors: Fozo Elizabeth M. , Hemm Matthew R. , Storz Gisela
Published: December 2008

There has been a great expansion in the number of small regulatory RNAs identified in bacteria. Some of these small RNAs repress the synthesis of potentially toxic proteins. Generally the toxin proteins are hydrophobic and less than 60 amino acids in length, and the corresponding antitoxin small RNA genes are antisense to the toxin genes or share long stretches of complementarity with the target mRNAs. Given their short length, only a limited number of these type I toxin-antitoxin loci have been identified, but it is predicted that many remain to be found. Already their characterization has given insights into regulation by small RNAs, has suggested functions for the small toxic proteins at the cell membrane, and has led to practical applications for some of the type I toxin-antitoxin loci.
Volatile organic compounds in runners near a roadway: increased blood levels after short-duration exercise
Authors: Blair C , Walls J , Davies N W , Jacobson G A
Published: December 2008

Objective

To determine if non-elite athletes undertaking short duration running exercise adjacent to a busy roadway experience increased blood levels of common pollutant volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX)).

Design and setting

The study was observational in design. Participants (nine males/one female non-elite athletes) ran for 20 min, near a busy roadway along a 100 m defined course at their own pace. Blood levels of BTEX were determined both pre- and post-exercise by SPME-GC-MS. Environmental BTEX levels were determined by passive adsorption samplers.

Results

Subjects completed a mean (range) distance of 4.4 (3.4 to 5.2) km over 20 min (4.5 (3.8 to 5.9) min/km pace), with a mean (SD) exercise intensity of 93 (2.3)% HRmax, and mean (SD) ventilation significantly elevated compared with resting levels (86.2 (2.3) vs 8.7 (0.9) l/min; p<0.001). The mean (SD) environmental levels (time weighted average) were determined as 53.1 (4.2), 428 (83), and 80.0 (3.7) μg/m3for toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes, respectively, while benzene was below the detectable limit due to the short exposure period. Significant increases in blood BTEX levels were observed in runners between pre- and postexercise for toluene (mean increase of 1.4 ng/ml; p=0.002), ethylbenzene (0.7 ng/ml; p=0.0003),m/p-xylene (2.0 ng/ml; p=0.004) ando-xylene (1.1 ng/ml; p=0.002), but no change was observed for benzene.

Conclusions

Blood BTEX levels are increased during high-intensity exercise such as running undertaken in areas with BTEX pollution, even with a short duration of exercise. This may have health implications for runners who regularly exercise near roadways.
Coding sports injury surveillance data: has version 10 of the Orchard Sports Injury Classification System improved the classification of sports medicine diagnoses?
Authors: Hammond L E , Lilley J , Ribbans W J
Published: December 2008

Objectives:

To compare versions 8 and 10 of the Orchard Sports Injury Classification System (OSICS) to determine whether the revised version of OSICS has improved its use in a sports medicine setting, and to assess the inter-rater reliability of OSICS-10.

Methods:

Injury surveillance data, gathered over a 2 year period in professional football, cricket and rugby union to produce 335 diagnoses, were coded with both OSICS-8 and OSICS-10. Code–diagnosis agreement was assessed for OSICS-8 in terms of whether a diagnosis was codeable or noncodeable, and for OSICS-10 by evaluating the highest available OSICS-10 tier of coding. Eight clinicians coded a list of 20 diagnoses, comprising a range of pathologies to all gross anatomical regions, which were compared to assess inter-rater reliability.

Results:

All diagnoses could be assigned an appropriate code with OSICS-10, compared with 87% of diagnoses that could be assigned an OSICS-8 code. Contusions comprised almost half of OSICS-8 noncodeable diagnoses. OSICS-10 tier 2 codes accounted for 20% of diagnoses coded with the updated system. Of these 20%, almost half contained a more detailed diagnosis that did not have an available OSICS-10 tier 3 or 4 code. Inter-rater reliability increased with decreasing diagnostic detail, with an overall level shown to be moderate (k = 0.56).

Conclusions:

OSICS-10 is a more encompassing system than OSICS-8 to use in classifying sports medicine diagnoses, and has a moderate level of inter-rater reliability. Further minor revision may be required to address lack of detail in some strain, effusion and contusion codes.
Effects of Environmental Variables on Growth Rates and Physiological Characteristics of Lake Superior Phytoplankton
Authors: Nalewajko C. , Voltolina D.
Published: December 2008

Phytoplankton taxonomic composition and biovolume, assimilation numbers [Formula: see text], phosphorus kinetics, as well as some physical and chemical variables were measured on 37 occasions during six cruises on Lake Superior during May 1980 – October 1981. A larger number of significant differences were detected between thermally stratified and isothermal stations than between inshore and offshore, or among seasons. Phytoplankton from isothermal waters was characterized by lower assimilation numbers and biovolume, showed symptoms of adaptation to a lower light regime and was less phosphorus deficient than populations from thermally stratified waters. The lower growth rates and the outcome of stepwise multiple regression analyses suggest that phytoplankton growth during isothermal mixing is limited primarily by light.
Experimental Study of the Impacts of Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) on Pond Community Structure
Authors: Hambright K. David , Trebatoski Robert J. , Drenner Ray W. , Kettle Dean
Published: December 2008

We examined community impacts of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in a summer experimental pond study of factorial design with four treatment combinations (fishless, bluegill, largemouth bass, and bluegill with largemouth bass). Ceriodaphnia reticulata, Daphnia pulicaria, Chaoborus sp., Volvox sp., anisopteran and zygopteran nymphs, and dissolved oxygen levels were suppressed in the presence of bluegill. Diaptomus sp., Conochiloides sp., Cyclotellas sp., Navicula sp., Oocystis sp., Anabaena sp., Ceratium sp., algal fluorescence, turbidity, 5- to 12.7-μm particles, and total phosphorus and total nitrogen were enhanced in the presence of bluegill. Daphnia pulicaria was enhanced and Cyclotella sp. and Oocystis sp. were suppressed in the presence of largemouth bass. Although the effects of the two fish were not independent, as indicated by significant bluegill × largemouth bass interactions for some plankton taxa, we found little evidence of bluegill impacts being reversed by largemouth bass. While total bluegill biomass was reduced and bluegill biomass distributions were shifted toward larger individuals, bluegill remained abundant in the presence of largemouth bass.
Seasonal Inorganic Carbon and Nitrogen Transport by Phytoplankton in an Arctic Lake
Authors: Whalen S. C. , Alexander V.
Published: December 2008

Euphotic zone profiles of dissolved inorganic carbon [Formula: see text] and nitrogen [Formula: see text] transport were taken from Toolik Lake, Alaska, at approximately 10-d intervals through 100-d growing seasons in 1980 and 1981. Rates of DIC transport ranged from <0.2 to 7.8 μmol∙L−1∙d−1, with the maximum always at 0–1 m. Nitrate and ammonium transport rates ranged from <0.1 to 3 and 0.4 to 8 nmol∙L−1∙d−1, with the vertical pattern variable. For the 1980 and 1981 investigative periods, DIC transport was 622 and 504 mmol∙m−2(7.5 and 6.0 g C∙m−2), making Toolik one of the most oligotrophic lakes on record. DIN transport for the respective years was 34 and 41 mmol∙m−2, giving molar C/N transport ratios of 18 and 12. For both years,[Formula: see text] was <20% of total DIN transport. Half-saturation constants for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] transport were similar, averaging [Formula: see text] 0.11 ± 0.08 and 0.15 ± 0.13 μmol∙L−1. During the ice-free period, mean turnover times were also comparable at 6.3 ± 8.2 [Formula: see text] and 2.6 ± 1.2 d [Formula: see text], while relative preference indices for both nutrients were often near 1.0, indicating transport equitable with availability. The total data show a population well adapted to utilize consistently low ambient concentrations of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] (0.05–0.20 μmol∙L−1) in the ice-free season, but incapable of exploiting elevated (2–3 μmol∙L−1) under-ice levels of [Formula: see text].
Dynamics of Discovery and Exploitation: The Case of the Scotian Shelf Groundfish Fisheries
Authors: Allen P. M. , McGlade J. M.
Published: December 2008

The bases and shortcomings of the current models used in fisheries management are briefly examined. An alternative set of models in part based on the Volterra–Lotka equations are developed which incorporate recent advances in our understanding of the evolution of complex systems. Simulations based on a dynamic model of a Nova Scotia fishery reveal that human responses amplify rapid random fluctuations in recruitment and excite strong Volterra–Lotka type oscillations in a system that would normally repose in a stable stationary state. A dynamic, multispecies, muitifleet spatial model calibrated to the Nova Scotian groundfish fisheries is presented and used to explore the concepts of "discovery" and "exploitation." Two types of fishermen are identified, "stochasts" and "cartesians," characterized respectively as hunters, or high risk takers, and followers, or low risk takers. Significant results include the importance of calibration in providing models of relevance to the real world; the "out of phase" relationship between abundance and the ease with which fishermen locate a highly sought species and its converse; the importance of information exchange in defining the attractivity of a particular fishing zone to different fleets and the ability of the model to take into account coded information, misinformation, spying and lying; and the fact that models based on global principles, such as "optimal efficiency" or "maximum profit," are clearly of dubious relevance to the real world.
Phosphorus Release Processes in Nearshore Southern Lake Michigan
Authors: Quigley Michael A. , Robbins John A.
Published: December 2008

We determined soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) release rates from intact, medium-fine sand cores obtained from an 11-m-deep sampling site in nearshore Lake Michigan during July–October 1980. Mean SRP release ranged from 0.17 ± 0.03 (SE) to 0.57 ± 0.04 mg PO4-P∙m−2∙d−1. Pore water analysis indicated that, despite high dissolved oxygen concentrations in the uppermost 6 cm of sediment, SRP concentrations increased rapidly with depth throughout this zone. Moreover, a Fickian diffusion equation based on the SRP pore water gradient and physical sediment features predicted a release rate (1.12 mg PO4-P∙m−1∙d−1) that was 2–7 times higher than release rates measured from intact cores. Results suggest that nearshore sediments provide a ready pathway for the return of SRP to overlying water, and this process warrants inclusion in future conceptual models of Lake Michigan's phosphorus cycle.
Delayed Metamorphosis with Reduced Larval Growth in aCoral Reef Fish (Thalassoma bifasciatum)
Authors: Victor Benjamin C.
Published: December 2008

Analyses of daily otolith increment sequences in the bluehead wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum, from the San Blas Islands of Panama indicated that (1) the duration of the planktonic larval period of this species ranges from 38 to 78 d, (2) those larvae with extended larval durations reach settlement size at the same age as average individuals but then remain planktonic for several more weeks, and (3) the estimated larval growth rate during this period of delayed metamorphosis (0.08 mm∙d−1) is distinctly lower than both the estimated growth rate before attaining settlement size (0.26 mm∙d−1) as well as the growth rate of juveniles after settlement (0.31 mm∙d−1). The ability to delay metamorphosis, the first documented for a vertebrate, may be an adaptation for maximizing the return of planktonic larvae to coastal waters.
Influence of pH, Aluminum, and Organic Matter on Stream Invertebrates
Authors: Burton Thomas M. , Allan Jon W.
Published: December 2008

The interactive effects of low pH, aluminum, and organic matter on five species of invertebrates collected from low-alkalinity (160–300 μeq/L) Michigan streams were measured using five 28-d experiments during 1982 and 1983. Such interactive effects had not been tested previously for these species. Each experiment consisted of a control channel (pH 7.0), a pH modified (4.0 or 5.0), and pH plus Al (250 or 500 μg Al/L) modified channel. Three experiments were conducted using natural stream water (dissolved organic carbon of 42–47 mg C/L), while two were conducted using simulated stream water with no dissolved organic carbon added. The invertebrates included Asellus intermedius Forbes, Pycnopsyche guttifer (Walker), Lepidostoma liba (Ross), Nemoura sp., and Physella heterostropha (Say). Survival of all species was significantly decreased at pH 4 compared with controls but not at pH 5 except for Asellus (15–20% mortality). Adding 500 μg Al/L caused significant additional mortality under some conditions for all species except Physella. Removal of organic matter from the water caused complete mortality at pH 4 for Nemoura and Asellus when 500 μg Al/L was added and decreased survival for Pycnopsyche to less than 20%. Addition of citrate as an organic ligand reduced susceptibility to Al in the low-organic streamwater treatment.
Postsmolt Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) in the Labrador Sea
Authors: Reddin D. G. , Short P. B.
Published: December 2008

In order to learn more about the existence, abundance, and distribution of postsmolt Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the Labrador Sea, exploratory fishing was done with surface-set gill nets in early autumn of 1987 and 1988. In total, there were 468 salmon of various sea ages captured, of which 207 were postsmolts. The high catch rates compared with catch rates from Greenland suggest that the population of postsmolts in the Labrador Sea may be large. Postsmolts from rivers in Maine to Labrador were caught in the Labrador Sea, as indicated by Carlin tags and river age distribution from scale reading. The highest catch rates of postsmolts occurred in the Labrador Sea between 56° and 58°N latitude.
A New Model of Particle Retention and Branchial Sieve Adjustment in Filter-Feeding Bream (Abramis brama, Cyprinidae)
Authors: Hoogenboezem Wim , Boogaart Jos G. M. van den , Sibbing Ferdinand A. , Lammens Eddy H. R. R. , Terlouw Arie , Osse Jan W. M.
Published: December 2008

A new model for filter feeding in bream (Abramis brama, Cyprinidae) is presented based on the three dimensional architecture of the branchial sieve. Transverse ridges on the upper surface of the gill arches form a system of channels in which food particles appear to be retained. These ridges are formed by a fleshy interconnection between the middle part of the gill arch and the bony parts of its gill rakers. Muscles attached to the rakers, present only on the lateral edge of the gill arch, indicate movability of the lateral bony raker element. If the fish is foraging on particles smaller than the channel diameter, movement of these gill rakers probably adjusts the sieve by reducing the channel diameter of the opposite channel. Selectivity of bream depends on available size classes of zooplanktons and changes in selectivity are attributed to adjustment of the branchial sieve. The channel model has been tested with feeding experiments and X-ray cinematography. The reconstructed paths of marked food particles show that particles follow the hypothesized path. Particle retention occurred mainly at the expected medial site of the arches. Our study strongly supports the channel model of particle retention.
Detection of Intraspecific.DNA Sequence Variation in the Mitochondrial CytochromebGene of Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) by the Polymerase Chain Reaction
Authors: Carr Steven M. , Marshall H. Dawn
Published: December 2008

We determined the DNA sequence of a portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene for 55 Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from Norway and from 10 locations within the Northern Cod complex and adjacent stocks off Newfoundland. DNA was prepared for sequencing by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Eleven variable nucleotide positions within a 298 base region defined 12 genotypes. Genotype proportions differed significantly between Newfoundland and Norwegian populations: the majority genotype among Newfoundland populations was present in a minority of Norwegian cod. Newfoundland cod showed less genotypic diversity than those from the eastern Atlantic: nine genotypes were found among all 10 Newfoundland populations, as compared with seven genotypes within the single Norwegian population. An exception was an overwintering, inshore Newfoundland population that showed four genotypes among five fish. As in other vertebrates, third position synonymous transitions predominate over other types of nucleotide changes. However, two amino acid replacement substitutions occur among cod, and the ratio of purine transitions to pyrimidine transitions is significantly higher than in other species. The existence of DNA sequence polymorphism permits the various hypotheses of the distribution and differentiation of Newfoundland cod stocks to be tested, and points to the utility of PCR technology in fishery genetics.
Life History Changes in Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) Induced by Thermal Elevation
Authors: Meffe Gary K.
Published: December 2008

Much light can be shed on life history evolution through study of responses of organisms to chronic exposure to a novel or perturbed environment. To determine the influence of 28 yr of temporally unpredictable thermal elevation on their life history patterns, I sampled eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) from a thermally elevated (outflow from a nuclear reactor) and an ambient (farm pond) habitat in South Carolina every month for 2 yr. Fish from the artificially heated environment reproduced all year, had higher reproductive investments (higher clutch sizes and reproductive biomass), and smaller offspring than did fish from the ambient environment, which ceased reproduction from October through March, typical for natural populations of the region. Likely environmental factors responsible for these differences include unpredictable food resources, higher mortality from thermal death, and higher predation by fishes and birds in the heated waters. The extent to which these life history alterations are the result of adaptive genetic changes versus phenotypically plastic responses remains to be tested.
Biomass Size Spectrum of the Lake Michigan Pelagic Food Web
Authors: Sprules W. Gary , Brandt S. B. , Stewart D. J. , Munawar M. , Jin E. H. , Love J.
Published: December 2008

Biomass size spectra for the complete Lake Michigan pelagic food web from picoplankton to salmonids were constructed for nine sampling transects around the lake in May and in September 1987. Size spectra were typical for freshwaters, having distinct peaks corresponding to major size groups. Biomass concentration of algae, zooplankton, and planktivores conformed to particle-size model predictions, but piscivore biomass was lower than predicted because these species are stocked. Mean annual total pelagic biomass was 72.3 g∙m−2 compared with a predicted range of 78.8–85.3 g∙m−2. Potential production of piscivores, Mysis, and Pontoporeia was in agreement with model predictions. No estimates of zooplankton or planktivore production were available, but we calculated that these could be 72.1–91.6 and 2.5–4.1 g∙m−2∙yr−1, respectively. Our analyses suggest that piscivore production is constrained by food web structure. Bloater, which comprise 72% of planktivore biomass, make up less than 20% of salmon diets. We estimate that piscivore production could be double the current value of 0.27 g∙m−2∙yr−1 if the forage fish community changed to include species more available to salmon.
Variance in Zooplankton Samples: Evaluation of a Predictive Model
Authors: Pace Michael L. , Findlay Stuart E. G. , Lints David
Published: December 2008

We derived mean-variance relationships for zooplankton samples taken in the Hudson River and a series of Quebec lakes. Hudson River and Quebec lakes data were used to test a published model by comparing observed with predicted variance. In addition, we examined patterns of mean-variance relations (1) at higher levels of taxonomic organization, (2) between riverine and open water systems, and (3) between taxa common to the Hudson River and Quebec lakes data sets. There was an excellent correspondence between observed variance for the Hudson River and Quebec lakes data sets and the variance predicted using the model. Mean-variance relationships for higher taxa (cladocerans, copepods, rotifers) were similar to the general models. Zooplankton variance in the Hudson River was comparable with patterns observed in lentic systems contrary to our initial hypothesis that riverine zooplankton, because of rapid turbulent mixing, would have lower variance. Mean-variance relationships for taxa common to the Hudson River and Quebec lakes were comparable in three of six cases, but for the remaining three cases, regression intercepts were marginally different (P = 0.03–0.05) between systems. We conclude that zooplankton mean-variance relationships are highly consistent and predictable for a variety of aquatic systems and levels of taxonomic organization.
ON THE UNIQUENESS OF D = 11 INTERACTIONS AMONG A GRAVITON, A MASSLESS GRAVITINO AND A THREE-FORM I: PAULI–FIERZ AND THREE-FORM
Authors: CIOROIANU EUGEN-MIHĂIŢĂ , DIACONU EUGEN , SĂRARU SILVIU CONSTANTIN
Published: December 2008

Cross-couplings between a massless spin-two field (described in the free limit by the Pauli–Fierz action) and an Abelian three-form gauge field in D = 11 are investigated in the framework of the deformation theory based on local BRST cohomology. These consistent interactions are obtained on the grounds of smoothness in the coupling constant, locality, Lorentz covariance, Poincaré invariance, and the presence of at most two derivatives in the interacting Lagrangian. Our results confirm the uniqueness of the 11-dimensional interactions between a graviton and a three-form prescribed by general relativity.
ON THE PROBLEM OF RADIATION FRICTION BEYOND FOUR AND SIX DIMENSIONS
Authors: MIRONOV A. , MOROZOV A.
Published: December 2008

We count the number of independent structures which can arise in expressions for radiation friction force in different even space–time dimensions and demonstrate that their number is too big at d ≥ 8 to allow determination of this force from the transversality condition alone, as was done by B. Kosyakov in 6d. This implies that in general one cannot bypass a tedious calculation involving explicit regularization and evaluation of emerging counterterms. However, simple Kosyakov's method works nicely in any dimension for the special case of circular motion with constant angular velocity.
ISOSPIN EFFECT AND ISOSCALING PHENOMENON IN PROJECTILE FRAGMENTATION
Authors: MA C. W. , FU Y. , FANG D. Q. , MA Y. G. , CAI X. Z. , TIAN W. D. , WANG K. , ZHONG C.
Published: December 2008

We have studied the isospin effect and isoscaling behavior in projectile fragmentation using a modified statistical abrasion-ablation (SAA) model. The relationship between neutron skin thickness (δnp) and neutron abrasion cross section (σ nabr ) has also been investigated. We find the normalized peak differences and reduced isoscaling parameters decrease with (Z proj - Z)/Z proj or the excitation energy per nucleon and have no significant dependence on the size of the reaction systems. The excitation energy dependence of the symmetry energy coefficients are tentatively extracted from α and β. Assuming Fermi-type density distributions for proton and neutron and introducing a parameter to adjust the diffuseness of the neutron density distribution for neutron-rich nucleus, δnp and σ nabr for neutron-rich nucleus were found to have a linear correlation. It is suggested that σ nabr could be used as an observable to extract the neutron skin thickness for neutron-rich nucleus.
DYNAMICAL AND SEQUENTIAL DECAY EFFECTS ON ISOSCALING AND DENSITY DEPENDENCE OF THE SYMMETRY ENERGY
Authors: TIAN W. D. , MA Y. G. , CAI X. Z. , FANG D. Q. , GUO W. , MA C. W. , LIU G. H. , SHEN W. Q. , SHI Y. , WANG H. W. , WANG K. , YAN T. Z.
Published: December 2008

Isoscaling properties of the primary and final products are studied via isospin dependent quantum molecular dynamics (IQMD) model and the followed sequential decay model GEMINI, respectively. Both primary and final products isoscaling parameter α keeps no significant change for light fragments, but increases with the mass for intermediate and heavy products. The dynamical effect on isoscaling is reflected on the α decreasing a little with the evolution time of the system, and opposite trend for the heavy products. The secondary decay effect on isoscaling is reflected on the increasing of the α value for the final products which experienced secondary decay process. Furthermore the density dependence of the symmetry energy has also been explored for the primary and secondary products, the symmetry energy coefficient can be expressed by the form of C sym (ρ) ~ C0(ρ/ρ0)γ, C0 and γ extracted from the primary products are consistent with the input parameters, but C0 and γ extracted from the final products deviate the input values. In the paper we also suggest that it might be more reasonable to describe the density dependence of the symmetry energy coefficient by the C sym (ρ/ρ0) ≈ C1(ρ/ρ0)γ soft + C2(ρ/ρ0)γstiff with γ soft ≤ 1, γstiff ≥ 1 and C1, C2 constant parameters.
HYPERON DENSITY DEPENDENCE OF HYPERON-NUCLEON INTERACTIONS IN NEUTRON STARS
Authors: DANG L. , YUE P. , LI L. , NING P. Z.
Published: December 2008

The hyperon density dependence (YDD) of hyperon-nucleon interactions are studied in the relativistic mean field (RMF) model and their influences on the properties of neutron stars are studied. The extended RMF considered the interior quarks coordinates of hyperon and bring a hyperon density dependent factor, f(ρY), to the meson-hyperon coupling vertexes. The hyperon density dependence of YN interaction affect the properties of neutron stars only after the corresponding hyperon appears. Then, the influences of the density dependence factors are almost ignored at low densities, which are clear at high densities. The compositions and properties of neutron stars are studied with and without the YDD of YN interactions for the different Σ--nucleus effective potentials, (30, 0, -30)MeV. The calculated results indicated that the YDD of YN interaction soften the equation of state of neutron stars at high densities.
EFFECTS OF HYPERON MIXING ON NEUTRON STAR PROPERTIES
Authors: TAKATSUKA TATSUYUKI
Published: December 2008

From a serious inconsistency between theory and observations for the mass of hyperon-mixed neutron stars (NSs), it is stressed that some "extra repulsion" is missing in hypernuclear systems and three-body force repulsion is tested for the cases with phenomenological Illinoi's type, 2π-exchange via Δ-excitation type(2πΔ) and string-junction quark model(SJM). It is remarked that the "extra repulsion" should have a nature to act universally, i.e., independent of baryon species. The SJM three-body repulsion can meet the condition because of flavor-independence and {2πΔ+ SJM } scheme is shown to be a promising candidate for the "extra repulsion". Occurence of Λ and Σ- superfluidities are shown also by a realistic approach, which importantly supports the idea of nonstandard fast "hyperon cooling" scenario to explain colder class NSs. However, less attractive ΛΛ interaction suggested by the "NAGARA event" [Formula: see text] leads to the disappearance of Λ superfluidity and the breaking down of the scenario. In this connection, the revival of "Λ superfluidity" due to ΛΣ- pairing instead of ΛΛ one is discussed in a new scheme of "bubble shell" hypothesis where the matching of two different Fermi surfaces is forced.
NON-UNIFORM STRUCTURE OF MATTER AND THE EQUATION OF STATE
Authors: MARUYAMA TOSHIKI , CHIBA SATOSHI , TATSUMI TOSHITAKA
Published: December 2008

We investigate the non-uniform structures and the equation of state (EOS) of nuclear matter in the context of the first-order phase transitions (FOPT) such as liquid-gas phase transition, kaon condensation, and hadron-quark phase transition. During FOPT the mixed phases appear, where matter exhibits non-uniform structures called "Pasta" structures due to the balance of the Coulomb repulsion and the surface tension between two phases. We treat these effects self-consistently, properly taking into account of the Poisson equation and the Gibbs conditions. Consequently, they make the EOS of the mixed phase closer to that of Maxwell construction due to the Debye screening. This is a general feature of the mixed phase consisting of many species of charged particles.
NEUTRINO EMISSION IN INHOMOGENEOUS PION CONDENSED QUARK MATTER
Authors: HUANG XUGUANG , WANG QUN , ZHUANG PENGFEI
Published: December 2008

It is believed that quark matter can exist in neutron star interior if the baryon density is high enough. When there is a large isospin density, quark matter could be in a pion condensed phase. We compute neutrino emission from direct Urca processes in such a phase, particularly in the inhomogeneous Larkin-Ovchinnikov-Fulde-Ferrell (LOFF) states. The neutrino emissivity and specific heat are obtained, from which the cooling rate is estimated.
ISOSPIN AND MOMENTUM DEPENDENCE OF LIQUID-GAS PHASE TRANSITION IN HOT ASYMMETRIC NUCLEAR MATTER
Authors: XU JUN , CHEN LIE-WEN , LI BAO-AN , MA HONG-RU
Published: December 2008

The liquid-gas phase transition in hot neutron-rich nuclear matter is investigated within a self-consistent thermal model using different interactions with or without isospin and/or momentum dependence. The boundary of the phase-coexistence region is shown to be sensitive to the density dependence of the nuclear symmetry energy as well as the isospin and momentum dependence of the nuclear interaction.
THE ISOTOPIC AND NUCLEAR ORIENTATION EFFECTS ON THE PRODUCTION OF SUPER-HEAVY ELEMENTS
Authors: ZHAO E. G. , WANG N. , FENG Z. Q. , LI J. Q. , ZHOU S. G. , SCHEID W.
Published: December 2008

Based on a modified di-nuclear system model in which the nucleon transfer is coupled with the dissipation of energy and angular momentum, the isotopic dependence and the orientation (between the target and the projectile) effects on the evaporation residue cross section for synthesizing super-heavy nuclei are investigated. The calculated results indicate that the cross sections shows an odd-even effect and does not change much with increasing neutron number of the target. The influences of deformation and relative orientation of the projectile and target are also discussed. Our results show that the waist to waist orientation is in favor of the formation of super-heavy compound nuclei.
FURTHER CALCULATIONS ON GROUND-STATE PROPERTIES OF ODD-Z SUPERHEAVY NUCLEI
Authors: REN ZHONGZHOU , CHEN DINGHAN , CHEN YUQING , XU CHANG
Published: December 2008

We have investigated the ground-state properties of odd-Z superheavy isotopes with even neutron numbers in previous article (Phys. Rev. C67 064302 (2003)). In this work we extend the previous researches to the ground-state properties of odd-Z isotopic chains with odd neutron numbers. This covers the isotopic chains with Z = 109 - 115 which are current interests of experiments. The ground state properties of these odd-Z superheavy nuclei have been systematically calculated by deformed relativistic mean-field model (RMF) with two sets of force parameters TMA and NL-Z2. The theoretical results from the RMF model are compared with those from the Skyrme-Hartree-Fock model (SHF). The binding energies of two models are in good agreement with each other, but the quadrupole deformations show model dependence in some mass regions. The alpha decay energies from the two theoretical models are also compared with recent experimental data, which include three alpha decay chains of superheavy elements 115 and 113. The reasonable agreement shows the validity of the self-consistent mean-field models for superheavy mass region.
SHELL EFFECT IN SYNTHESIS OF SUPERHEAVY NUCLEI
Authors: DU SAI-SAI , BIAN BAO-AN , ZHANG FENG-SHOU
Published: December 2008

The improved isospin dependent quantum molecular dynamics model which includes the shell correction and switch function method is employed to study the synthesis of superheavy nuclei. The shell effect on a fusion process is investigated for 32 S +208 Pb system. For heavy reaction systems 48 Ca +154 Sm and 32 S +208 Pb , the theoretical calculations of fusion cross section are in agreement with the experimental data. The nucleus-nucleus interaction potential is also calculated, and compared with the proximity potential as well.
INVESTIGATION OF SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF A PNEUMATIC FINGER TOURNIQUET
Authors: Cheema Mubashir H. , Ali Syed N. , Chukwulobelu Rosemary , Peart Francis C.
Published: December 2008

Finger tourniquets are widely used in hand surgery. However, they do not provide an estimate of the amount of pressure exerted and can potentially be left in situ with grave consequences. We assessed the pneumatic finger tourniquet in 57 adult patients in operations under local anaesthesia distal to the proximal interphalangeal joint. The average tourniquet time was 12 minutes. The tourniquet maintained its pressure for the length of the operation in 96.5% of cases. This airtight flat tubing is made of synthetic polymer, designed and manufactured by Barloworld Scientific Ltd (Staffordshire, UK). The tourniquet was easy to use and easily located after the operation. No complications were reported. This study supports the use of a pneumatic tourniquet in finger injuries requiring use of a finger tourniquet.
SUBBAND VARIANCE COMPUTATION OF HOMOSCEDASTIC ADDITIVE NOISE IN DISCRETE DYADIC WAVELET TRANSFORM
Authors: MENCATTINI ARIANNA , SALMERI MARCELLO , CASELLI FEDERICA , SCIUNZI BERARDINO , LOJACONO ROBERTO
Published: December 2008

The paper deals with noise power variation that occurs when Discrete Dyadic Wavelet Transform (DDWT) is applied to signals affected by Wide Sense Stationary (WSS) additive white noise owing to the use of a non orthonormal expansion. An exact relationship between the noise variance in the original signal and the noise variance in the wavelet coefficients at a generic level is derived. This relationship is crucial in the application of wavelet thresholding for signal denoising to properly select the threshold in each subband.
DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF MATCHED WAVELETS WITH MAXIMUM CODING GAIN AND MINIMUM APPROXIMATION ERROR CRITERIA FOR R PEAK DETECTION IN ECG
Authors: BADIEZADEGAN SHIRIN , SOLTANIAN-ZADEH HAMID
Published: December 2008

Recently, several wavelet-based algorithms have been proposed for feature extraction in non-stationary signals such as ECG. These methods, however, have mainly used general purpose (unmatched) wavelet bases such as Daubechies and Quadratic Spline. In this paper, five new matched wavelet bases, with minimum approximation error and maximum coding gain criteria, are designed and applied to ECG signal analysis. To study the effect of using different wavelet bases for this application, two different wavelet-based R peak detection algorithms are implemented: (1) a conventional wavelet-based method; and (2) a modified wavelet-based R peak detection algorithm. Both algorithms are evaluated using the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia database. Experimental results show lower computational complexity (up to 76%) of the proposed R peak detection method compared to the conventional method. They also show considerable decrease in the number of failed detections (up to 55%) for both the conventional and the proposed algorithms when using matched wavelets instead of Quadratic Spline wavelet which, according to the literature, has generated the best detection results among all conventional wavelet bases studied previously for ECG signal analysis.
Single image tree modeling
Authors: Tan Ping , Fang Tian , Xiao Jianxiong , Zhao Peng , Quan Long
Published: December 2008

In this paper, we introduce a simple sketching method to generate a realistic 3D tree model from a single image. The user draws at least two strokes in the tree image: the first crown stroke around the tree crown to mark up the leaf region, the second branch stroke from the tree root to mark up the main trunk, and possibly few other branch strokes for refinement. The method automatically generates a 3D tree model including branches and leaves. Branches are synthesized by a growth engine from a small library of elementary subtrees that are pre-defined or built on the fly from the recovered visible branches. The visible branches are automatically traced from the drawn branch strokes according to image statistics on the strokes. Leaves are generated from the region bounded by the first crown stroke to complete the tree. We demonstrate our method on a variety of examples.
Space-time surface reconstruction using incompressible flow
Authors: Sharf Andrei , Alcantara Dan A. , Lewiner Thomas , Greif Chen , Sheffer Alla , Amenta Nina , Cohen-Or Daniel
Published: December 2008

We introduce a volumetric space-time technique for the reconstruction of moving and deforming objects from point data. The output of our method is a four-dimensional space-time solid, made up of spatial slices, each of which is a three-dimensional solid bounded by a watertight manifold. The motion of the object is described as an incompressible flow of material through time. We optimize the flow so that the distance material moves from one time frame to the next is bounded, the density of material remains constant, and the object remains compact. This formulation overcomes deficiencies in the acquired data, such as persistent occlusions, errors, and missing frames. We demonstrate the performance of our flow-based technique by reconstructing coherent sequences of watertight models from incomplete scanner data.
Non-homogeneous resizing of complex models
Authors: Kraevoy Vladislav , Sheffer Alla , Shamir Ariel , Cohen-Or Daniel
Published: December 2008

Resizing of 3D models can be very useful when creating new models or placing models inside different scenes. However, uniform scaling is limited in its applicability while straightforward non-uniform scaling can destroy features and lead to serious visual artifacts. Our goal is to define a method that protects model features and structures during resizing. We observe that typically, during scaling some parts of the models are more vulnerable than others, undergoing undesirable deformation. We automatically detect vulnerable regions and carry this information to a protective grid defined around the object, defining a vulnerability map. The 3D model is then resized by a space-deformation technique which scales the grid non-homogeneously while respecting this map. Using space-deformation allows processing of common models of man-made objects that consist of multiple components and contain non-manifold structures. We show that our technique resizes models while suppressing undesirable distortion, creating models that preserve the structure and features of the original ones.
Interaction patches for multi-character animation
Authors: Shum Hubert P. H. , Komura Taku , Shiraishi Masashi , Yamazaki Shuntaro
Published: December 2008

We propose a data-driven approach to automatically generate a scene where tens to hundreds of characters densely interact with each other. During off-line processing, the close interactions between characters are precomputed by expanding a game tree, and these are stored as data structures called
interaction patches.
Then, during run-time, the system spatio-temporally concatenates the interaction patches to create scenes where a large number of characters closely interact with one another. Using our method, it is possible to automatically or interactively produce animations of crowds interacting with each other in a stylized way. The method can be used for a variety of applications including TV programs, advertisements and movies.
Optimized scale-and-stretch for image resizing
Authors: Wang Yu-Shuen , Tai Chiew-Lan , Sorkine Olga , Lee Tong-Yee
Published: December 2008

We present a "scale-and-stretch" warping method that allows resizing images into arbitrary aspect ratios while preserving visually prominent features. The method operates by iteratively computing optimal local scaling factors for each local region and updating a warped image that matches these scaling factors as closely as possible. The amount of deformation of the image content is guided by a significance map that characterizes the visual attractiveness of each pixel; this significance map is computed automatically using a novel combination of gradient and salience-based measures. Our technique allows diverting the distortion due to resizing to image regions with homogeneous content, such that the impact on perceptually important features is minimized. Unlike previous approaches, our method distributes the distortion in all spatial directions, even when the resizing operation is only applied horizontally or vertically, thus fully utilizing the available homogeneous regions to absorb the distortion. We develop an efficient formulation for the nonlinear optimization involved in the warping function computation, allowing interactive image resizing.
Accelerometer-based user interfaces for the control of a physically simulated character
Authors: Shiratori Takaaki , Hodgins Jessica K.
Published: December 2008

In late 2006, Nintendo released a new game controller, the Wiimote, which included a three-axis accelerometer. Since then, a large variety of novel applications for these controllers have been developed by both independent and commercial developers. We add to this growing library with three performance interfaces that allow the user to control the motion of a dynamically simulated, animated character through the motion of his or her arms, wrists, or legs. For comparison, we also implement a traditional joystick/button interface. We assess these interfaces by having users test them on a set of tracks containing turns and pits. Two of the interfaces (legs and wrists) were judged to be more immersive and were better liked than the joystick/button interface by our subjects. All three of the Wiimote interfaces provided better control than the joystick interface based on an analysis of the failures seen during the user study.
Progressive photon mapping
Authors: Hachisuka Toshiya , Ogaki Shinji , Jensen Henrik Wann
Published: December 2008

This paper introduces a simple and robust progressive global illumination algorithm based on photon mapping. Progressive photon mapping is a multi-pass algorithm where the first pass is ray tracing followed by any number of photon tracing passes. Each photon tracing pass results in an increasingly accurate global illumination solution that can be visualized in order to provide progressive feedback. Progressive photon mapping uses a new radiance estimate that converges to the correct radiance value as more photons are used. It is not necessary to store the full photon map, and unlike standard photon mapping it possible to compute a global illumination solution with any desired accuracy using a limited amount of memory. Compared with existing Monte Carlo ray tracing methods progressive photon mapping provides an efficient and robust alternative in the presence of complex light transport such as caustics and in particular reflections of caustics.
Real-time Reyes-style adaptive surface subdivision
Authors: Patney Anjul , Owens John D.
Published: December 2008

We present a GPU based implementation of Reyes-style adaptive surface subdivision, known in Reyes terminology as the Bound/Split and Dice stages. The performance of this task is important for the Reyes pipeline to map efficiently to graphics hardware, but its recursive nature and irregular and unbounded memory requirements present a challenge to an efficient implementation. Our solution begins by characterizing Reyes subdivision as a work queue with irregular computation, targeted to a massively parallel GPU. We propose efficient solutions to these general problems by casting our solution in terms of the fundamental primitives of prefix-sum and reduction, often encountered in parallel and GPGPU environments.

Our results indicate that real-time Reyes subdivision can indeed be obtained on today's GPUs. We are able to subdivide a complex model to subpixel accuracy within 15 ms. Our measured performance is several times better than that of Pixar's RenderMan. Our implementation scales well with the input size and depth of subdivision. We also address concerns of memory size and bandwidth, and analyze the feasibility of conventional ideas on screen-space buckets.