bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and risk factors for work related asthma in young adults
Authors: Caldeira R D , Bettiol H , Barbieri M A , Terra-Filho J , Garcia C A , Vianna E O
Published: May 2006

Objectives:To investigate the prevalence and predictors of work related asthma in young adults from the general population.

Methods:A total of 1922 subjects randomly selected from a birth cohort 1978/79 in Brazil, aged 23–25 years, completed a respiratory symptoms questionnaire based on the European Community Respiratory Health Survey, and underwent spirometry, bronchial challenge test with methacholine, and skin prick test. For subjects presenting with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, workplace exposure and its relationship with symptoms were assessed by a specific questionnaire and individualised job description to define cases of work related asthma.

Results:The prevalence of work related asthma was 4.2% (81 cases): 1.5% (29 cases) were classified as aggravated asthma and 2.7% (52 cases) as occupational asthma. Work related asthma was associated with atopy and education. Lower educational level (1–8 years of schooling) was associated with work related asthma (odds ratio 7.06, 95% CI 3.25 to 15.33). There was no association between work related asthma and smoking, gender, or symptoms of rhinitis.

Conclusion:The prevalence of work related asthma was high (4.2%), and was associated with low schooling, probably because of low socioeconomic level. The disease may therefore be a consequence of poverty.
Noise exposure and children’s blood pressure and heart rate: the RANCH project
Authors: van Kempen E , Van Kamp I , Fischer P , Davies H , Houthuijs D , Stellato R , Clark C , Stansfeld S
Published: May 2006

Background:Conclusions that can be drawn from earlier studies on noise and children’s blood pressure are limited due to inconsistent results, methodological problems, and the focus on school noise exposure.

Objectives:To investigate the effects of aircraft and road traffic noise exposure on children’s blood pressure and heart rate.

Methods:Participants were 1283 children (age 9–11 years) attending 62 primary schools around two European airports. Data were pooled and analysed using multilevel modelling. Adjustments were made for a range of socioeconomic and lifestyle factors.

Results:After pooling the data, aircraft noise exposure at school was related to a statistically non-significant increase in blood pressure and heart rate. Aircraft noise exposure at home was related to a statistically significant increase in blood pressure. Aircraft noise exposure during the night at home was positively and significantly associated with blood pressure. The findings differed between the Dutch and British samples. Negative associations were found between road traffic noise exposure and blood pressure, which cannot be explained.

Conclusion:On the basis of this study and previous scientific literature, no unequivocal conclusions can be drawn about the relationship between community noise and children’s blood pressure.
The impact on relative risk estimates of inconsistencies between ICD-9 and ICD-10
Authors: Richardson D B
Published: May 2006

Background:The 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) represents a major change in the ICD system. This paper investigates the impact on relative risk estimates of inconsistencies in outcome classification between ICD-9 and ICD-10, including scenarios in which occupational exposure levels are correlated with year of death (and therefore with the ICD revision in effect at death). The setting of interest is a cohort mortality study in which follow up spans the periods during which ICD-9 and ICD-10 were in effect. The relative risk estimate obtained when death certificates are coded to the ICD revision in effect at time of death is compared to the relative risk estimate that would be obtained if all death certificates were coded to a consistent ICD revision (that is, ICD-10). The ratio of these relative risks is referred to as the coefficient of bias.

Methods:Simple equations relate the coefficient of bias to the sensitivity and specificity of the classification of decedents into categories of cause of death via ICD-9 (treating classifications based upon ICD-10 as the standard). Bridge coded mortality data for 2 296 922 decedents (that is, death certificates coded to ICD-9 and ICD-10) are used to derive estimates of sensitivity and specificity by category of cause of death. Numerical examples illustrate the application of these equations.

Results:Estimates of the sensitivity of classification of decedents into categories of death defined by ICD-9 ranged from 0.26–1.00. Specificity was above 0.98 for all categories of cause of death. Numerical examples illustrate that inconsistencies in outcome classification between ICD-9 and ICD-10 may have substantial impact on relative risk estimates if there is a strong relation between exposure status and the proportion of deaths coded to a given ICD revision.

Conclusions:For analyses of mortality outcomes that exhibit poor comparability between ICD-9 and -10, it may be prudent to recode cause of death information to a standard ICD revision in order to avoid bias that can occur when exposures are correlated with the proportion of deaths coded to a given ICD revision.
Cost-effectiveness of pharmacotherapies for nicotine dependence in primary care settings: a multinational comparison
Authors: Cornuz J , Gilbert A , Pinget C , McDonald P , Slama K , Salto E , Paccaud F
Published: May 2006

Objective:To estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of the first-line pharmacotherapies (nicotine gum, patch, spray, inhaler, and bupropion) for smoking cessation across six Western countries—Canada, France, Spain, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Design and study population:A Markov-chain cohort model to simulate two cohorts of smokers: (1) a reference cohort given brief cessation counselling by a general practitioner (GP); (2) a treatment cohort given counselling plus pharmacotherapy. Effectiveness expressed as odds ratios for quitting associated with pharmacotherapies. Costs based on the additional physician time required and retail prices of the medications.

Interventions:Addition of each first-line pharmacotherapy to GP cessation counselling.

Main outcome measures:Cost per life-year saved associated with pharmacotherapies.

Results:The cost per life-year saved for counselling only ranged from US$190 in Spain to $773 in the UK for men, and from $288 in Spain to $1168 in the UK for women. The incremental cost per life-year saved for gum ranged from $2230 for men in Spain to $7643 for women in the US; for patch from $1758 for men in Spain to $5131 for women in the UK; for spray from $1935 for men in Spain to $7969 for women in the US; for inhaler from $3480 for men in Switzerland to $8700 for women in France; and for bupropion from $792 for men in Canada to $2922 for women in the US. In sensitivity analysis, changes in discount rate, treatment effectiveness, and natural quit rate had the strongest influences on cost-effectiveness.

Conclusions:The cost-effectiveness of the pharmacotherapies varied significantly across the six study countries, however, in each case, the results would be considered favourable as compared to other common preventive pharmacotherapies.
Smokeless tobacco use 1992–2002: trends and measurement in the Current Population Survey-Tobacco Use Supplements
Authors: Mumford E A , Levy D T , Gitchell J G , Blackman K O
Published: May 2006

Background:As smoking prevalence declines in the United States, it is important to understand if smokeless tobacco (SLT) use is also changing and if so, among what groups.

Methods:We examine the prevalence of SLT use and smoking, 1992–2002, using the Current Population Survey-Tobacco Use Supplements (CPS-TUS), which used US nationally representative samples based on stratified clusters of households.

Results:Consistent with declines in smoking, the prevalence of current SLT use declined over the period 1992–2002 for males and females ages 18 and older. The overall separate declines in SLT use and in smoking are mirrored by a decline in concurrent use of SLT and cigarettes. SLT use is becoming more associated with white males, but use is declining faster among the youngest males.

Conclusions:The findings indicate that relative reductions in smoking prevalence are exceeded by relative reductions in SLT use, with sizeable reductions in concurrent use. These results suggest that the stricter cigarette policies of recent years may not only reduce cigarette use, but also the use of alternative tobacco products. In light of potential policy implications of SLT use as a potential reduced exposure product (PREP), current survey methods require more careful measurement of SLT use in terms of initiation, duration, quantity, and cessation.
Adolescent smoking behaviour and cigarette brand preference in Japan
Authors: Osaki Y , Tanihata T , Ohida T , Minowa M , Wada K , Suzuki K , Kaetsu A , Okamoto M , Kishimoto T
Published: May 2006

Objectives:As part of efforts to develop a smoking control strategy for Japanese adolescents, the results of two nationwide surveys on adolescent smoking behaviour were compared.

Design:Descriptive study on smoking behaviour among high school students was conducted. Self-reporting anonymous questionnaires were administered to 115 814 students in 1996 and 106 297 in 2000 through randomly sampled junior and senior high schools throughout Japan.

Main outcome measures:Smoking prevalence, proportion of smokers by usual sources of cigarettes, national estimated cigarettes consumed by minors, share of cigarette brands smoked by high school students.

Results:The experiment rate among junior high school boys decreased in 2000 compared with that in 1996, whereas current and daily smoking rates did not. Although prevalence among Japanese girls was much lower than that among boys, prevalence among girls increased in 2000. The main source of cigarettes among high school smokers was vending machines. The proportion of smokers who usually purchased cigarettes from vending machines increased in 2000, in spite of the 1998 introduction of restrictions on night-time operations. Japanese adolescents were more likely than adults to smoke American cigarette brands, and the adolescent market share of American brands has increased rapidly, especially for menthol brands.

Conclusions:This survey revealed the seriousness of the problem of smoking behaviour among Japanese high school students, and suggested that this behaviour may be influenced by social environmental factors, including the marketing strategies of the tobacco industry. Action should be taken to reduce the prevalence and impact of pro-tobacco marketing messages and to abolish cigarette vending machines.
The fraction of ischaemic heart disease and stroke attributable to smoking in the WHO Western Pacific and South-East Asian regions
Authors: Martiniuk A L C , Lee C M Y , Lam T H , Huxley R , Suh I , Jamrozik K , Gu D F , Woodward M
Published: May 2006

Background:Tobacco will soon be the biggest cause of death worldwide, with the greatest burden being borne by low and middle-income countries where 8/10 smokers now live.

Objective:This study aimed to quantify the direct burden of smoking for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) by calculating the population attributable fractions (PAF) for fatal ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke (haemorrhagic and ischaemic) for all 38 countries in the World Health Organization Western Pacific and South East Asian regions.

Design and subjects:Sex-specific prevalence of smoking was obtained from existing data. Estimates of the hazard ratio (HR) for IHD and stroke with smoking as an independent risk factor were obtained from the ∼600 000 adult subjects in the Asia Pacific Cohort Studies Collaboration (APCSC). HR estimates and prevalence were then used to calculate sex-specific PAF for IHD and stroke by country.

Results:The prevalence of smoking in the 33 countries, for which relevant data could be obtained, ranged from 28–82% in males and from 1–65% in females. The fraction of IHD attributable to smoking ranged from 13–33% in males and from <1–28% in females. The percentage of haemorrhagic stroke attributable to smoking ranged from 4–12% in males and from <1–9% in females. Corresponding figures for ischaemic stroke were 11–27% in males and <1–22% in females.

Conclusions:Up to 30% of some cardiovascular fatalities can be attributed to smoking. This is likely an underestimate of the current burden of smoking on CVD, given that the smoking epidemic has developed further since many of the studies were conducted.
Brand differences of free-base nicotine delivery in cigarette smoke: the view of the tobacco industry documents
Authors: Ferris Wayne G , Connolly G N , Henningfield J E
Published: May 2006

The recent availability of internal tobacco industry documents provides significant insight into industry knowledge and manipulation of tobacco smoke delivery. One critical area of research is the role of smoke chemistry in determining the absorption and effects of smoke constituents, especially harm producing or pharmacologically active compounds. Independent scientific research has suggested that the nicotine dosing characteristics, hence the addiction potential of cigarettes, may be determined in part by the amount of free-base nicotine in cigarette smoke and its effects on the location, route, and speed of absorption in the body and on the sensory perception effects of the inhaled smoke. Tobacco industry documents describe the use of a number of methods internally for measuring free-base nicotine delivery. These include the common use of cigarette “smoke pH” as a means to estimate the fraction of free-base nicotine in the particulate matter (PM) in cigarette smoke, as well as efforts to measure free-base nicotine directly. Although these methods do not provide accurateabsolutemeasures of free-base nicotine in smoke, consistencies observed in the findings across the various manufacturers indicate: (1) realrelativedifferences in the acid/base chemistry of the smoke from different brands of cigarettes; (2) a connection between differences in free-base levels and brand-dependent differences in sensory perception and smoke “impact”; and (3) levels of free-base nicotine that are greater than have typically been publicly discussed by the industry. Furthermore, the results of these methods are generally consistent with those of a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which directly measured the free-base fraction of nicotine across a range of cigarette types. Consideration of the likely fundamental importance of free-base nicotine levels in cigarette smoke, together with the efforts discussed in the tobacco industry documents to measure such levels, indicates that the public health community would benefit from additional research to assess directly the delivery of free-base nicotine in cigarette smoke across brands. This may be especially useful for those products (“light”, “ultralight”, “reduced carcinogen”, etc) that have been promoted, either explicitly or implicitly, as “harm reducing”.
Every document and picture tells a story: using internal corporate document reviews, semiotics, and content analysis to assess tobacco advertising
Authors: Anderson S J , Dewhirst T , Ling P M
Published: May 2006

In this article we present communication theory as a conceptual framework for conducting documents research on tobacco advertising strategies, and we discuss two methods for analysing advertisements: semiotics and content analysis. We provide concrete examples of how we have used tobacco industry documents archives and tobacco advertisement collections iteratively in our research to yield a synergistic analysis of these two complementary data sources. Tobacco promotion researchers should consider adopting these theoretical and methodological approaches.
Philip Morris’s Project Sunrise: weakening tobacco control by working with it: Table 1
Authors: McDaniel P A , Smith E A , Malone R E
Published: May 2006

Objective:To analyse the implications of Philip Morris USA’s (PM’s) overtures toward tobacco control and other public health organisations, 1995–2006.

Data sources:Internal PM documents made available through multi-state US attorneys general lawsuits and other cases, and newspaper sources.

Methods:Documents were retrieved from several industry documents websites and analysed using a case study approach.

Results:PM’s Project Sunrise, initiated in 1995 and proposed to continue through 2006, was a long-term plan to address tobacco industry delegitimisation and ensure the social acceptability of smoking and of the company itself. Project Sunrise laid out an explicit divide-and-conquer strategy against the tobacco control movement, proposing the establishment of relationships with PM-identified “moderate” tobacco control individuals and organisations and the marginalisation of others. PM planned to use “carefully orchestrated efforts” to exploit existing differences of opinion within tobacco control, weakening its opponents by working with them. PM also planned to thwart tobacco industry delegitimisation by repositioning itself as “responsible”. We present evidence that these plans were implemented.

Conclusion:Sunrise exposes differences within the tobacco control movement that should be further discussed. The goal should not be consensus, but a better understanding of tensions within the movement. As the successes of the last 25 years embolden advocates to think beyond passage of the next clean indoor air policy or funding of the next cessation programme, movement philosophical differences may become more important. If tobacco control advocates are not ready to address them, Project Sunrise suggests that Philip Morris is ready to exploit them.
Eliminating child labour in Malawi: a British American Tobacco corporate responsibility project to sidestep tobacco labour exploitation
Authors: Otañez M G , Muggli M E , Hurt R D , Glantz S A
Published: May 2006

Objectives:To examine British American Tobacco and other tobacco industry support of the Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco Growing Foundation.

Design:Analyses of internal tobacco industry documents and ethnographic data.

Results:British American Tobacco co-founded the Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco Growing Foundation (ECLT) in October 2000 and launched its pilot project in Malawi. ECLT’s initial projects were budgeted at US$2.3 million over four years. Labour unions and leaf dealers, through ECLT funds, have undertook modest efforts such as building schools, planting trees, and constructing shallow wells to address the use of child labour in tobacco farming. In stark contrast, the tobacco companies receive nearly US$40 million over four years in economic benefit through the use of unpaid child labour in Malawi during the same time. BAT’s efforts to combat child labour in Malawi through ECLT was developed to support the company’s “corporate social responsibility agenda” rather than accepting responsibility for taking meaningful steps to eradicate child labour in the Malawi tobacco sector.

Conclusion:In Malawi, transnational tobacco companies are using child labour projects to enhance corporate reputations and distract public attention from how they profit from low wages and cheap tobacco.
The Tobacco Control Scale: a new scale to measure country activity
Authors: Joossens L , Raw M
Published: May 2006

Objectives:To quantify the implementation of tobacco control policies at country level using a new Tobacco Control Scale and to report initial results using the scale.

Method:A questionnaire sent to correspondents in 30 European countries, using a scoring system designed with the help of a panel of international tobacco control experts.

Results:The 30 countries are ranked by their total score on the scale out of a maximum possible score of 100. Only four countries (Ireland, United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland) scored 70 or more, with an eight point gap (most differences in scores are small) to the fifth country, Malta, on 62. Only 13 countries scored above 50, 11 of them from the European Union (EU), and the second largest points gap occurs between Denmark on 45 and Portugal on 39, splitting the table into three groups: 70 and above, 45 to 62, 39 and below. Ireland had the highest overall score, 74 out of 100, and Luxembourg was bottom with 26 points. However even Ireland, much praised for their ban on smoking in public places, did not increase tobacco taxes in 2005, for the first time since 1995.

Conclusions:Although the Tobacco Control Scale has limitations, this is the first time such a scale has been developed and applied to so many countries. We hope it will be useful in encouraging countries to strengthen currently weak areas of their tobacco control policy.
Why the tobacco industry fears point of sale display bans: Figure 1
Authors: Harper T
Published: May 2006

Banning the display of tobacco products represents a major step in tobacco control and will help to reduce tobacco sales
Maximum yields might improve public health—if filter vents were banned: a lesson from the history of vented filters
Authors: Kozlowski L T , O’Connor R J , Giovino G A , Whetzel C A , Pauly J , Cummings K M
Published: May 2006

Filter ventilation is the dominant design feature of the modern cigarette that determines yields of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide on smoking machine tests. The commercial use of filter ventilation was precipitated by the 1964 United States Surgeon-General’s report, further advanced by the adoption of an official Federal Trade Commission test in 1967, and still further advanced by the inclusion of a gas phase (carbon monoxide) measure in 1979. The first vented-filter brand on the market in the United States (Carlton) in 1964 and the second major vented-filter brand (True) in 1966 illustrate this. Ultimately, filter ventilation became a virtually required way to make very low tar cigarettes (less than 10 mg or, even more so, less than 5 mg tar). The key to the lower tar cigarette was not, in effect, the advanced selective filtration design characteristics or sophisticated tobacco selection or processing as envisioned by experts (although these techniques were and are used); the key to the very much lower tar cigarette was simply punching holes in the filter. We propose that the banning of filter vents, coupled with low maximum standard tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yields, would contribute to making cigarettes much less palatable and foster smoking cessation or the use of clearly less hazardous nicotine delivery systems. It may be necessary to link low maximum yields with the banning of filter ventilation to achieve public health benefit from such maxima.
MODELLING TRAFFIC FLOW AT MULTI-LANE URBAN ROUNDABOUTS
Authors: WANG RUILI , RUSKIN H. J.
Published: May 2006

This paper proposes Multi-stream Minimum Acceptable Space (MMAS) Cellular Automata (CA) models to study unsignalised multi-lane (two- or three-lane) urban roundabouts. Through detailed space considerations, using Cellular Automata (CA) and the Multi-stream Minimum Acceptable Space method, heterogeneity and inconsistency of driver behavior and interactions in cross traffic at entrances of roundabouts are simulated by incorporation of four different categories of driver behavior (i.e., conservative, moderate, urgent and radical), together with reassignment of categories with given probabilities at each time step. The method is able to reproduce many features of urban traffic, for which gap-acceptance models are not robust. Multi-lane roundabout models, in particular for two-lane roundabouts, are developed with different vehicle lane-allocation patterns. Various properties of multi-lane roundabout operations have been explored including throughput, turning rates, critical arrival rates and congestion. The operations of two- and three-lane roundabouts are compared in terms of throughputs. Vehicle movements in this paper relate to left-side driving, such as found in Ireland, New Zealand and the UK. However, results are generally applicable to the countries where the give-way rule is applied.
SIMULATION OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL OSCILLATING FLOW USING THE LATTICE BOLTZMANN METHOD
Authors: WANG Y. , HE Y. L. , TANG G. H. , TAO W. Q.
Published: May 2006

A numerical study is presented for forced convection of an incompressible oscillating flow in a two-dimensional channel at constant wall temperature using the lattice Boltzmann method. The oscillatory motion of the fluid in the channel is driven by a periodic pressure gradient. The model adopted in this study is the coupled lattice Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook model. Pressure boundary condition is used in the inlet and outlet boundaries, and extrapolation scheme is used in the solid boundaries. The dependence of the flow and heat transfer characteristics on different Womersley numbers and the amplitudes of the pressure gradient are presented. Results are consistent with those from previous numerical simulations and theoretical analyses.
THERMAL CURVED BOUNDARY TREATMENT FOR THE THERMAL LATTICE BOLTZMANN EQUATION
Authors: HUANG HAIBO , LEE T. S. , SHU C.
Published: May 2006

In this paper, a recent curved non-slip wall boundary treatment for isothermal Lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE) [Z. Guo, C. Zheng and B. Shi, Phys. Fluids14(6) (2002)] is extended to handle the thermal curved wall boundary for a double-population thermal lattice Boltzmann equation (TLBE). The unknown distribution population at a wall node which is necessary to fulfill streaming step is decomposed into its equilibrium and non-equilibrium parts. The equilibrium part is evaluated according to Dirichlet and Neumann boundary constraints, and the non-equilibrium part is obtained using a first-order extrapolation from fluid lattices. To validate the thermal boundary condition treatment, we carry out numerical simulations of Couette flow between two circular cylinders, the natural convection in a square cavity, and the natural convection in a concentric annulus between an outer square cylinder and an inner circular cylinder. The results agree very well with analytical solution or available data in the literature. Our numerical results also demonstrate that the TLBE together with the present boundary scheme is of second-order accuracy.
MODEL ODOR-ORIENTED PREDATORS AND PREY
Authors: HE MINGFENG , LI PU , NI CHANGQUAN
Published: May 2006

The model of predators and prey, in which the predator judges the direction of prey's movement on the basis of the density of prey's odor will be researched in this article. The predator' s sensitivity to prey's odor is defined, so that can be simulated by Monte Carlo in L × L. It suggests the relationship between system stability and each value of Predator's sensitivity. We get three system states for different value of α (predator's sensitivity): the grass only, prey and the grass, three species in coexistence, with predators, prey and grass. But the probability of each system state is different. Their corresponding distribution will be given in this article.
SIMULATING A TEST ENVIRONMENT FOR VEHICLE DYNAMICS MODELS
Authors: VAN RENSBURG T. JANSE , VAN WYK M. A. , STEEB W.-H.
Published: May 2006

A driving simulator gives a driver the impression that he is driving a real vehicle. This is done by simulating a realistic terrain and background scenario, as well as the windows, mirrors, sound, motion and vehicle dynamics of a real vehicle. A vehicle dynamics model uses the driver input such as accelerator, brake and steering position as well as terrain input to determine the position, orientation and velocity of the vehicle. Proper testing is necessary to ensure that the vehicle dynamics model represents the dynamics of a real vehicle. This implies more than only verifying standard vehicle dynamics equations. Integration and other numerical methods used may also influence the end result. Detail about the vehicle dynamics model used is not always available when developed by another institution. This article describes a "black box" testing method for verification of the vehicle dynamics model. This testing scenario has not yet been discussed within the literature.
PHASE VOCODER TECHNOLOGY FOR THE SIMULATION OF ENGINE SOUND
Authors: VAN RENSBURG T. JANSE , VAN WYK M. A. , POTGIETER A. T. , STEEB W.-H.
Published: May 2006

For a driving simulator which should be an exact replica of a certain vehicle, an accurate sound model is of extreme importance. The most games select between three or more prerecorded engine sounds, depending on the engine speed. Other methods use linear interpolation between engine sounds for a more accurate approximation, but this is still not ideal. By using vocoders, a technique used for the manipulation of voice, a much higher level of accuracy and realism can be obtained. This article proposes the use of vocoders for the modeling of engine sound for driving simulation and computer driving games.
MODELLING OF POLYCOMB-DEPENDENT CHROMOSOMAL INTERACTIONS INVOLVED IN DROSOPHILA GENE SILENCING
Authors: RITTER SILKE , ODENHEIMER JENS , HEERMANN DIETER W. , BANTIGNIES FREDERIC , GRIMAUD CHARLOTTE , CAVALLI GIACOMO
Published: May 2006

The conditions of the chromosomes inside the nucleus in the Rabl configuration have been modelled as self-avoiding polymer chains under restraining conditions. To ensure that the chromosomes remain stretched out and lined up, we fixed their end points to two opposing walls. The numbers of segments N, the distances d1 and d2 between the fixpoints, and the wall-to-wall distance z (as measured in segment lengths) determine an approximate value for the Kuhn segment length kl. We have simulated the movement of the chromosomes using molecular dynamics to obtain the expected distance distribution between the genetic loci in the absence of further attractive or repulsive forces. A comparison to biological experiments on Drosophila Melanogaster yields information on the parameters for our model. With the correct parameters it is possible to draw conclusions on the strength and range of the attraction that leads to pairing.
VARIATIONAL CALCULATIONS OF CHARGED EXCITONS IN GaAs QUANTUM-WELL WIRES
Authors: LIU JIAN-JUN , SUN YAN-XIU
Published: May 2006

The binding energy of positively and negatively charged excitons in GaAs quantum-well wires is calculated variationally as a function of the wire width by using a two-parameter wave function and a one-dimensional equivalent model. There is no artificial parameter added in our calculation. It is found that the binding energies are closely correlated to the sizes of the wire, and also that their magnitudes are greater than those in the two-dimensional quantum wells compared. In addition, we also calculate the average interparticle distance and the distribution of the wave function of exciton centre-of-mass as functions of the wires width. The results are discussed in detail.
MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS OF ELECTRON TRANSPORT IN WURTZITE PHASE GaN MESFET INCLUDING TRAPPING EFFECT
Authors: ARABSHAHI H.
Published: May 2006

Trapping of hot electron behavior by trap centers located in the buffer layer of a wurtzite phase GaN MESFET has been simulated using an ensemble Monte Carlo simulation. The simulated results show that trap centers are responsible for current collapse in GaN MESFET at low temperatures. These electrical traps degrade the performance of the device at low temperatures. On the other hand, at high temperatures, the electrical performances are improved due to electron emission from the trap centers. The simulated device geometries and doping are matched to the nominal parameters described for the experimental structures as closely as possible, and the predicted drain current and other electrical characteristics for the simulated device including the trapping center effects show much closer agreement with the available experimental data than without trap center effects.
THERMALLY STIMULATED DEPOLARIZATION CURRENTS IN A NEW CHOLESTERIC LIQUID CRYSTAL
Authors: ROSU CONSTANTIN , IACOBESCU GABRIELA , MOTOC CORNELIA , TOPALA CARMEN
Published: May 2006

The phase transitions in cholesteryl-beta-chloropropionate were studied by using thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) methods. Optical transmission studies were performed over the whole temperature range. From the experimental data, useful information with reference to the conduction mechanism was obtained. The TSDC spectra displayed a peak at the solid-cholesteric phase transition temperature. Using the plots obtained when different depolarization fields were applied, the activation energies and the relaxation time were determined.
LOW DIMENSIONAL NON-CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC METALLIC NANOSTRUCTURES: HRTEM SIMULATION, MODELS AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
Authors: RODRÍGUEZ-LÓPEZ J. L. , MONTEJANO-CARRIZALES J. M. , JOSÉ-YACAMÁN M.
Published: May 2006

Modern nanoparticle research in the field of small metallic systems has confirmed that many nanoparticles take on some Platonic and Archimedean solids related shapes. A Platonic solid looks the same from any vertex, and intuitively they appear as good candidates for atomic equilibrium shapes. A very clear example is the icosahedral ( Ih) particle that only shows {111} faces that contribute to produce a more rounded structure. Indeed, many studies report the Ihas the most stable particle at the size range r≤20 Å for noble gases and for some metals. In this review, we report on the structure and shape of mono- and bimetallic nanoparticles in the wide size range from 1–300 nm. First, we present AuPd nanoparticles in the 1–2 nm size range that show dodecahedral atomic growth packing, one of the Platonic solid shapes that have not been identified before in this small size range for metallic particles. Next, with particles in the size range of 2–5 nm, we present an energetic surface reconstruction phenomenon observed also on bimetallic nanoparticle systems of AuPd and AuCu , similar to a re-solidification effect observed during cooling process in lead clusters. These binary alloy nanoparticles show the fivefold edges truncated, resulting in {100} faces on decahedral structures, an effect largely envisioned and reported theoretically, with no experimental evidence in the literature before. Next nanostructure we review is a monometallic system in the size range of ≈5 nm that we termed the decmon. We present here some detailed geometrical analysis and experimental evidence that supports our models. Finally, in the size range of 100–300 nm, we present icosahedrally derived star gold nanocrystals which resembles the great stellated dodechaedron, which is a Kepler–Poisont solid. We conclude then that the shape or morphology of some mono- and bimetallic particles evolves with size following the sequence from atoms to the Platonic solids, and with a slightly greater particle's size, they tend to adopt Archimedean related shapes. If the particle's size is still greater, they tend to adopt shapes beyond the Archimedean (Kepler–Poisont) solids, reaching at the very end the bulk structure of solids. We demonstrate both experimentally and by means of computational simulations for each case that this structural atomic growth sequence is followed in such mono- and bimetallic nanoparticles.
ANALYZING INFANT CRIES USING A COMMITTEE OF NEURAL NETWORKS IN ORDER TO DETECT HYPOXIA RELATED DISORDER
Authors: POEL MANNES , EKKEL TACO
Published: May 2006

Based on the hypothesis that the sound of the infant cry contains information on the infant's health status, research has been done on how to improve classification of neonate crying sounds into categories called 'normal' and 'abnormal' - the latter referring to some hypoxia-related disorder. Research in this field is hindered by lack of test cases and limited understanding of feature relevance. The research described here combines various ways of dealing with the small data set problem. First, feature pre-selection is done using sequential backwards elimination of possible combinations where the performance of the set of features is tested by a Probabilistic Neural Network which has the advantage of fast learning. Using these features a neural network committee, consisting of Radial Basis Function Neural Networks, was trained on the data, using bootstrapping. This construction yields a multi-classifier system with an overall classification performance of 85% on the so-called "All Cry Units" (ACU) data set, an increase of 34% with respect to the a priori probability of 51%.

Several leave-1-out experiments for Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Neural Networks (NN) have been conducted in order to compare the performance of the multi-classifier system.
FEATURE EXTRACTION AND CLASSIFICATION OF FETAL HEART RATE USING WAVELET ANALYSIS AND SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINES
Authors: GEORGOULAS GEORGE , STYLIOS CHRYSOSTOMOS , GROUMPOS PETER
Published: May 2006

Since the fetus is not available for direct observations, only indirect information can guide the obstetrician in charge. Electronic Fetal Monitoring (EFM) is widely used for assessing fetal well being. EFM involves detection of the Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) signal and the Uterine Activity (UA) signal. The most serious fetal incident is the hypoxic injury leading to cerebral palsy or even death, which is a condition that must be predicted and avoided. This research work proposes a new integrated method for feature extraction and classification of the FHR signal able to associate FHR with umbilical artery pH values at delivery. The proposed method introduces the use of the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) to extract time-scale dependent features of the FHR signal and the use of Support Vector Machines (SVMs) for the categorization. The proposed methodology is tested on a data set of intrapartum recordings were the FHR categories are associated with umbilical artery pH values, This proposed approach achieved high overall classification performance proving its merits.
A NOVEL APPROACH OF TABLE DETECTION AND ANALYSIS FOR SEMANTIC ANNOTATION
Authors: CHEN ENHONG , WANG SHU , SHEU PHILLIP C.-Y.
Published: May 2006

Semantic web mining is getting more attention in intelligent web applications. Many web sites, especially those dynamically generate HTML pages to display the results of user queries, present information in the form of lists or tables. It is very useful to extract concept instances from these tables for many web applications such as intelligent agent systems for on-line product recommendations. This paper describes a technique for extracting data from tables in two steps, namely table detection and table analysis. The table detection step identifies the existence of a table and extracts its contents, and the table analysis step discovers the semantic meanings embedded in the table and associates them with the concepts described in the domain ontology that are used for semantic annotation on these tables. Our algorithm has been tested based on real-life web documents and the experimental results are encouraging.
PRESENTATIONS OF THE INVERSE BRAID MONOID
Authors: GILBERT N. D.
Published: May 2006

The inverse braid monoid [Formula: see text] consists of n-string braids from which some subset of the strings has been deleted. Such partial braids may be composed by concatenation followed by the deletion of any incomplete strings, and this operation gives [Formula: see text] the structure of an inverse monoid. We derive presentations of [Formula: see text] by first using a groupoid presentation, and then deriving equivalent inverse monoid presentations. In particular, we offer a new derivation of the presentation for [Formula: see text] that has been given by Easdown and Lavers.
ALGORITHM FOR FINDING BOUNDARY LINK SEIFERT MATRICES
Authors: FRIEDL STEFAN
Published: May 2006

We explain an algorithm for finding a boundary link Seifert matrix for a given multivariable Alexander polynomial. The algorithm depends on several choices and therefore makes it possible to find non-equivalent Seifert matrices for a given Alexander polynomial.
TWO TYPES OF AMPHICHIRAL LINKS
Authors: KIDWELL MARK E.
Published: May 2006

A two-component link with nonzero even linking number cannot be equivalent to its mirror image by an orientation preserving map that sends each component to its own mirror image.
AN EASY AND FAST ALGORITHM FOR OBTAINING MINIMAL DISCRETE KNOTS
Authors: BRIBIESCA ERNESTO
Published: May 2006

An easy and fast algorithm for obtaining minimal discrete knots is presented. A minimal discrete knot is the digitalized representation of a knot, which is composed of the minimum number of constant orthogonal straight-line segments and is represented by the knot-number notation. The proposed algorithm for obtaining minimal discrete knots tries to reduce the number of straight-line segments of a given discrete knot preserving its shape. This algorithm is based on two fundamental transformations: U and L.

In order to prove the efficiency and rapidity of the algorithm, a great variety of examples of discrete knots are presented: complete families of discrete knots at different orders; random discrete knots; examples of non-trivial and unsolved discrete knots.
INTERSECTIONS OF CURVES ON SURFACES WITH DISK FAMILIES IN HANDLEBODIES
Authors: ZABLOW JOEL
Published: May 2006

For a surface F bounding a handlebody H, we look at simple closed curves on F which intersect every disk in the handlebody, at least n times (called n-closed curves). We give a finite criterion for a curve to be n-closed. Using this, we derive a sufficiency condition for a Heegaard splitting to be strongly irreducible. We then look at further intersection properties of curves with disk families in H. In particular, we look at the effects of Dehn twists on n-closed curves, and using a finite fixed disk collection [Formula: see text] as a coordinate system, give heuristics and a counting formula for measuring the number of intersections of the resulting curves, with disks in H. In a certain instance, this yields a partial "grading" on the Dehn twist quandle with respect to the degree of n-closedness.
A SIMPLE BUT EFFICIENT PRECONDITIONING FOR CONJUGATE GRADIENT POISSON SOLVER USING HAAR WAVELET
Authors: TANAKA NOBUATSU
Published: May 2006

This paper describes a wavelet-based preconditioning technique for conjugate gradient method for linear systems derived from the Poisson equation. The linear systems solved with a conventional iterative matrix solver resulted in a marked increase in computing time with respect to an increase in grid points. Use of our wavelet-based technique leads to a matrix with a bounded condition number so that computing time is reduced significantly. In this study, one of the simplest wavelets, the Haar wavelet, is used for the purpose of developing a simple but efficient preconditioning algorithm. Simple wavelets having low data communication property such as the Haar wavelet are expected to be suitable for the purpose of improving computing performance. In this study, we also pay attention to the basic characteristics of the Haar-wavelet-based preconditioning method for a Poisson equation solver.
WAVELET-BASED INVESTIGATION OF THE HIGH REYNOLDS NUMBER BLUFF BODY WAKE TOPOLOGY
Authors: DOBRE ADRIAN , HANGAN HORIA
Published: May 2006

The high Reynolds number wake topology of a square prism is experimentally investigated using wavelet analysis. It is shown that a systematic application of one-dimensional continuous wavelet techniques, including a relatively new wavelet pattern recognition technique can reveal important three-dimensional features of the flow, assessing the validity of previously proposed wake topological models. Present results suggest that the high Reynolds number turbulent wakes are topologically similar, but not identical, to their laminar counterparts.
"MULTIRESOLUTIONAL-PROPER ORTHOGONAL" HYBRID ANALYSIS ON TURBULENT STRUCTURES IN OPEN-CHANNEL COMPLEX GEOMETRY FLOWS
Authors: MIYAMOTO HITOSHI , KANDA TOHRU
Published: May 2006

We propose a hybrid expansion that consists of a multiresolution approximation (MRA) and a proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) to analyze turbulent flow structures in open-channel flows with complex geometries. The open-channel cavity flows are examined here and their velocity vectors are measured by using particle image velocimetry (PIV). In the first step of the hybrid expansion, the velocity time-series are classified into three distinct components using the MRA, i.e. pseudo-mean velocity, organized turbulence in a mixing shear layer, and incoherent turbulence. In the next step, these velocity components are decomposed by applying the POD. The principal components of the pseudo-mean velocity and the organized turbulence disclose the predominant flow characteristics, such as spatial structures of recirculating flows in the cavity and organized turbulent motions along the mixing shear layer, hysteretic behavior in modal time-series, and so forth. The results strongly support that the present hybrid analysis is effective for detecting spatiotemporal hierarchical structures in turbulent flows with complex geometries.
WAVELET ADAPTIVE MULTIRESOLUTION REPRESENTATION: APPLICATIONS TO VISCOUS MULTISCALE FLOW SIMULATIONS
Authors: RASTIGEJEV YEVGENII A. , PAOLUCCI SAMUEL
Published: May 2006

We present a new wavelet-based adaptive multiresolution representation (WAMR) algorithm for the numerical solution of multiscale evolution problems. Key features of the algorithm are fast procedures for grid rearrangement, computation of derivatives, as well as the ability to minimize the degrees-of-freedom for a prescribed solution accuracy. To demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the algorithm, we use it to solve the two-dimensional benchmark problem of incompressible fluid-flow in a lid-driven cavity at large Reynolds numbers. The numerical experiments demonstrate the great ability of the algorithm to adapt to different scales at different locations and at different times so as to produce accurate solutions at low computational cost. Specifically, we show that solutions of comparable accuracy as the benchmarks are obtained with more than an order of magnitude reduction in degrees-of-freedom.
MODAL-WAVELET TRANSFORM AS A SMART VISUALIZATION TOOL
Authors: ENDO HISASHI , HAYANO SEIJI , SAITO YOSHIFURU , MARINOVA ILIANA , HORII KIYOSHI
Published: May 2006

A method of information processings based on the classical field theory is outlined to derive the modal-wavelet transform (MWT) as a wavelet-like orthonormal transform. The theoretical background and application of MWT are described. The bases of MWT are derived from modal analysis of the potential field equations. Namely, a principal idea of MWT is that a numerical data set is regarded as a set of the field potentials or source densities. A modal matrix, constituting characteristic vectors, derived from the discretized field equations enables us to carry out an orthonormal transform inasmuch as the same way as those of conventional discrete wavelets. MWT is based on this data modeling to provide multiresolution analysis in an efficient manner. Three-dimensional MWT demonstrates a classification of a weather satellite infrared animation into background and cloud-moving frame images.