Point in solid test for free-form solids defined with triangular Bézier patches

A new algorithm to study the fundamental point in solid test for free-form solids is presented. The test is performed efficiently and robustly because it does not use trigonometric functions and it makes it unnecessary to deal with complex special cases. The algorithm is based on considering the solid as composed of original tetrahedra and free-form cells, and it computes the test in two stages: evaluation of the point inclusion in these simple elements and merging of the results in a simple sum. The solid boundary is defined as a set of low-degree triangular Bézier patches.     

Mercury speciation and microbial transformations in mine wastes, stream sediments, and surface waters at the Almadén Mining District, Spain

Speciation of Hg and conversion to methyl-Hg were evaluated in mine wastes, sediments, and water collected from the Almadén District, Spain, the world's largest Hg producing region. Our data for methyl-Hg, a neurotoxin hazardous to humans, are the first reported for sediment and water from the Almadén area. Concentrations of Hg and methyl-Hg in mine waste, sediment, and water from Almadén are among the highestfound at Hg mines worldwide. Mine wastes from Almadén contain highly elevated Hg concentrations, ranging from 160 to 34,000 microg/g, and methyl-Hg varies from <0.20 to 3100 ng/g. Isotopic tracer methods indicate that mine wastes at one site (Almadenejos) exhibit unusually high rates of Hg-methylation, which correspond with mine wastes containing the highest methyl-Hg concentrations. Streamwater collected near the Almadén mine is also contaminated, containing Hg as high as 13,000 ng/L and methyl-Hg as high as 30 ng/L; corresponding stream sediments contain Hg concentrations as high as 2300 microg/g and methyl-Hg concentrations as high as 82 ng/g. Several streamwaters contain Hg concentrations in excess of the 1000 ng/L World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water standard. Methyl-Hg formation and degradation was rapid in mines wastes and stream sediments demonstrating the dynamic nature of Hg cycling. These data indicate substantial downstream transport of Hg from the Almadén mine and significant conversion to methyl-Hg in the surface environment.     

Habitual fish intake is associated with decreased LDL susceptibility to ex vivo oxidation

A sample of 101 free-living individuals eating their habitual diets had fish consumptions ranging from less than one serving per week to over five servings per week. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between the amounts of EPA (20:5), DHA (22:6), and total n-3 PUFA ingested with the diet and their amounts in serum and in the phospholipid and cholesterol ester fractions of isolated LDL. No statistically significant correlations were observed between the intake and the serum or LDL amounts of any other FA [total n-6 PUFA, linoleic acid (18:2), arachidonic acid (20:4), monounsaturated FA, or saturated FA)]. The increase in serum n-3 PUFA did not affect the Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity of serum (1.18 ±0.17 mmol/l). When isolated LDI were subjected to Cu²⁺-induced ex vivo oxidation, a statistically significant but negative correlation was found between intake of n-3 PUFA and the rate of appearance of conjugated dienes as well as with the total amount of conjugated dienes. In contrast, intake of n-6 PUFA showed a significant and positive correlation with these two oxidation parameters. The observed results suggest that 22:6 but not 20:5 could have a possible protective effect, whereas perhaps 20:4 and 18:2 could have a prooxidant effect. EPIC Group of Spain: A. Agudo, Instituto Catalán de Oncología, Barcelona; P. Amiano, Dpto. de Sanidad del Gobierno Vasco, San Sebastián; A. Barcos, Dpto. de Salud de Navarra, Pamplona; A. Barricarte, Dpto. de Salud de Navarra, Pamplona; J.M. Begiristain, Dpto. de Sanidad del Gobierno Vasco, San Sebastián; M.D. Chirlaque, Consejeria de Sanidad y Política Social, Murcia; M. Dorronsoro, Dpto. de Sanidad del Gobierno Vasco, San Sebastián; C. Lasheras, Consejeria de Sanidad y Servicios Sociales, Asturias; C. Martínez, Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública, Granada; C. Navarro, Consejeria de Sanidad y Política Social, Murcia; G. Pera, Institut de Recerca Epidemiologica i Clinica, Mataró; J.R. Quirós, Consejeria de Sanidad y Servicios Sociales, Asturias; M. Rodríguez, Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública, Granada; M.J. Tormo, Consejeria de Sanidad y Política Social, Murcia; and C.A. González, Instituto Catalán de Oncología, Barcelona.     

Preliminary studies on the influence of boron on the foliar biomass and quality of tobacco leaves subjected to $\hbox{NO}_3^-$ fertilisation

The aim of the present work was to determine the influence of different B dosages on foliar biomass and quality in tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L var Tennesse 86). Tobacco plants were grown under controlled conditions and submitted to regular fertilisation with macro‐ and micronutrients. The B was applied to the nutrient solution in the form of H₃BO₃ at 5 µM (B1), 10 µM (B2) and 20 µM (B3). The results indicated that under the experimental conditions of this work the increased application of B favoured the growth and development of the leaves, this leading to improved biomass production in tobacco leaves. The increase in foliar biomass in treatment B3 is due largely to the stimulation of assimilation. However, this situation has negative consequences for tobacco quality, given that the B3 treatment augmented the concentration as well as the foliar concentration of nicotine, both effects being harmful for human consumption. Finally, a close and directly proportional relationship was found in our experiment between the parameters foliar biomass production, total N concentration, chlorophyll concentration and decline in quality. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Reliability properties of systems with exchangeable components and exponential conditional distributions

We study basic properties for bivariate systems with exchangeable components and exponential conditional distributions which represent bi-component biological or engineering systems with structural dependency. This is equivalent to suppose that we have similar components with the bivariate exponential conditional joint distribution defined by Arnold and Strauss (1988). Specifically, we study the reliability functions, the moments, some aging measures, ordering and classification properties for series and parallel systems. Supported by Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología under grant BFM2003-02947     

Professional psychology and the doctrines of sin and grace: Christian leaders' perspectives.

What is a professional psychologist to do when a client brings up the concept of sin? To some, sin may seem like a stifling religious relic that has no place in contemporary psychology. But viewing sin from within the Christian faith, and in tandem with the doctrine of grace, can help psychologists understand why sin is such an important concept for many of their Christian clients. Psychologists' misunderstanding of sin and grace may contribute to relatively low rates of referral from Christian leaders to clinical psychologists, and may sometimes hinder therapeutic progress. Two methods of data collection, involving a total of 171 respondents, were used to discern what Christian leaders wish psychologists understood regarding the doctrine of sin. Respondents emphasized the nature and consequences of sin, grace, and the importance of psychologists understanding sin and grace. Implications for professional psychologists are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

High Throughput Parallel-Pipeline 2-D DCT/IDCT Processor Chip

This paper presents a 2-D DCT/IDCT processor chip for high data rate image processing and video coding. It uses a fully pipelined row–column decomposition method based on two 1-D DCT processors and a transpose buffer based on D-type flip-flops with a double serial input/output data-flow. The proposed architecture allows the main processing elements and arithmetic units to operate in parallel at half the frequency of the data input rate. The main characteristics are: high throughput, parallel processing, reduced internal storage, and maximum efficiency in computational elements. The processor has been implemented using standard cell design methodology in 0.35 μm CMOS technology. It measures 6.25 mm² (the core is 3 mm²) and contains a total of 11.7 k gates. The maximum frequency is 300 MHz with a latency of 172 cycles for 2-D DCT and 178 cycles for 2-D IDCT. The computing time of a block is close to 580 ns. It has been designed to meets the demands of IEEE Std. 1,180–1,990 used in different video codecs. The good performance in the computing speed and hardware cost indicate that this processor is suitable for HDTV applications. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (TIC2000-1289).

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Mutual effects of porosity and reactivity in char oxidation

The motivation for this review is the need to understand the interdependence of porous structure and reactivity of highly porous carbonaceous materials during oxidation. These materials can be oxidized in three regimes: regime I, kinetically controlled conditions; regime II, partial diffusion-controlled conditions; regime III, diffusion controlled conditions. Since the emphasis here is on the porous structure and its influence on reactivity, conditions where transport processes are dominant were not included for they mask the view of interest. Therefore, the review discusses only physicochemical processes occurring during oxidation of highly porous chars in regime I. Furthermore, reactivity is influenced by many factors, such as catalysis, volatile matter, and water content. To avoid the effect of these factors, highly porous synthetic chars with nothing but elemental carbon and residual hydrogen and oxygen was chosen. Mainly, we discuss a commercial product known as Spherocarb which consists of spherical particles with specific surface area of about 1000 m² g⁻¹ and porosity of about 0.6. These particles are well defined and reproducible in their properties. They serve well as model materials for various synthetic chars, coal chars, and other carbonaceous materials. The review presents in a systematic manner macroscopic properties and processes that shed light on different aspects of porosity and reactivity. These are presented both from experimental observation as well as modeling view. An attempt was made to present a porous structure model that can reconstruct all available experimental data on these particles during oxidation. In the review the following processes and properties are discussed: shrinkage, fragmentation, and porosity. All are directly connected to porous structure and reactivity.     

Evaluation of 12 models to estimate hourly diffuse irradiation on inclined surfaces

This study evaluates the performance of 12 models to estimate hourly diffuse solar irradiation on inclined surfaces from those measured on horizontal surfaces. Total solar irradiation incident on a tilted surface consists of three components including: beam, diffuse and reflected from the ground. On a semi-hourly basis, the beam component can be calculated by the ratio of the incidence angle to the solar zenith angle. The reflected component has a small effect on calculations and may be calculated with an isotropic model. In contrast, models for estimating the diffuse component show major differences, which justify the validation study that this paper discusses. Twelve models were tested against recorded south- and west-facing slope irradiances at Karaj (35°55^′N; 50°56^′E), Iran. The following models were included: Badescu [Ba], Tian et al. [Ti], Perez et al. [P9], Reindl et al. [Re], Koronakis [Kr], Perez et al. [P8], Skartveit and Olseth [SO], Steven and Unsworth [SU], Hay [Ha], Klucher [Kl], Temps and Coulson [TC], and Liu and Jordan [LJ].The relative root mean square error (RMSE), for the south-facing surface ranges from 10.16% to 54.89% for the SO and TC models, respectively. For the west-facing surface, RMSE ranges from 30.71% for the P9 model to 63.53% for the TC model. Statistical indices show that all models produce large errors for the west-facing surface. Statistical indices for the south-facing surface show reasonably good agreement with measured data.     

Predictive autonomic transmission for low-cost low-margin metro optical networks

Photonic Network Communications - Low-cost low-margin implementation plays an essential role in upgrading optical metro networks required for future 5G ecosystem. In this regard, low-resolution...