Study of phase equilibria in the Al - Pd - Re system

Scanning and transmission electron microscopy have been combined with x-ray diffraction to examine the phase equilibria in the Al - Pd - Re system at 1000°C for compositions from 50 to 100 at.% Al, and the corresponding isothermal section has been constructed. The binary monoclinic Al₃ Re phase has been observed for the first time. It is confirmed that there is a stable icosahedral phase in this system. The boundaries to its homogeneity region have been determined and the phase equilibria in which it participates.     

Potency comparison of peptidomimetic inhibitors against HIV-1 and HIV-2 proteinases: design of equipotent lead compounds

The results of investigation of haptoglobin (Hp) types in 596 donor blood samples in some towns of Ukraine (Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, Odessa, Kiev, Uzhgorod, Zhitomir) are presented. Three normal Hp types (Hp1-1, Hp2-1 and Hp2-2) have been found. The reliable interpopulation differences in the Hp types frequency were not found. On the whole the Hp types frequency in the type Hp1-1 comprised 12.7%. In the type Hp2-1-48.1% and in the type Hp2-2-36.5%. The frequency of the gene Hp1 is 0.38. The frequency of the Hp types and of the gene Hpl in Ukraine is similar to that in population of Eastern Europe and European Part of Russia.     

Line balancing in a just-in-time production environment: balancing multiple U-lines

The introduction of multiple, independent production lines has helped many firms to increase their production flexibility, provide for redundancy when equipment breaks down, reduce idle time and labor costs, and achieve many other benefits. This paper introduces and formalizes the multiple U-line balancing problem. Optimal solution methodologies are provided for Type I (minimize the number of stations for a given cycle time), Type II (minimize the cycle time for a given number of stations), and cost-minimization line-balancing problems. A branch-and-bound algorithm is also developed for the situation in which equipment requirements are dependent on the line configuration and the task assignment to stations. Computational results indicate that the greatest benefit of exploiting multiple lines occurs for smaller cycle-time problems that require higher output.     

A sorter-based architecture for a parallel implementation of communication intensive algorithms

This paper deals with the parallel execution of algorithms with global and/or irregular data dependencies on a regularly and locally connected processor array. The associated communication problems are solved by the use of a two-dimensional sorting algorithm. The proposed architecture, which is based on a two-dimensional sorting network, offers a high degree of flexibility and allows an efficient mapping of many irregularly structured algorithms. In this architecture a one-dimensional processor array performs all required control and arithmetic operations, whereas the sorter solves complex data transfer problems. The storage capability of the sorting network is also used as memory for data elements. The algorithms for sparse matrix computations, fast Fourier transformation and for the convex hull problem, which are mapped onto this architecture, as well as the simulation of a shared-memory computer show that the utilization of the most complex components, the processors, is O(1).     

An empirical InSAR-optical fusion approach to mapping vegetation canopy height

Exploiting synergies afforded by a host of recently available national-scale data sets derived from interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and passive optical remote sensing, this paper describes the development of a novel empirical approach for the provision of regional- to continental-scale estimates of vegetation canopy height. Supported by data from the 2000 Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), the National Elevation Dataset (NED), the LANDFIRE project, and the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2001, this paper describes a data fusion and modeling strategy for developing the first-ever high-resolution map of canopy height for the conterminous U.S. The approach was tested as part of a prototype study spanning some 62,000 km² in central Utah (NLCD mapping zone 16). A mapping strategy based on object-oriented image analysis and tree-based regression techniques is employed. Empirical model development is driven by a database of height metrics obtained from an extensive field plot network administered by the USDA Forest Service-Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. Based on data from 508 FIA field plots, an average absolute height error of 2.1 m (r = 0.88) was achieved for the prototype mapping zone.     

Recruitment strategies in the women's health trial: feasibility study in minority populations. WHT:FSMP Investigators Group. Women's Health Trial:Feasibility Study in Minority Populations

The Women's Health Trial:Feasibility Study in Minority Populations (WHT:FSMP) examined the feasibility of recruiting postmenopausal women from a broad range of racial and socioeconomic backgrounds into a primary prevention trial requiring marked reductions in dietary fat. Postmenopausal women aged 50-79 yr who had no history of cardiovascular disease or cancer and who consumed 36% or more total energy from fat qualified to participate. We randomized the women into dietary intervention (60%) or control (40%) groups; we aimed to randomize 750 women in 18 months in each of the three clinical centers. All centers achieved goals for randomization based on ethnicity, and two centers exceeded overall recruitment goals. The greatest source of randomized participants was mass mailing, followed by items in the media, referrals, and community outreach. Recruitment yields were generally similar for the ethnic groups but lower for less-educated participants. The experience of WHT:FSMP indicates that postmenopausal women from the African-American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white communities can be recruited into dietary intervention studies for the prevention of disease.