Spatial and seasonal behaviour of organotin compounds in protected subtropical estuarine ecosystems in Okinawa,Japan

The spatial and temporal behaviours of the organotin compounds (OTCs) (butyl- and phenyltin) were investigated in the Manko and Okukubi protected estuarine ecosystems on Okinawa Island, Japan from February to October 2006. Butyltin compounds (BTCs) were frequently detected in all seasons, while phenyltin (PhTs) were found in winter and early spring. In Manko estuary, the total mean concentrations of BTCs and PhTs were 22.78?±?30.85, (mean?±?SD, n?=?53) and 0.08?±?0.27?ng(Sn)?L^?1, respectively. In Okukubi estuary, BTCs and PhTs were 12.58?±?23.96 and 0.47?±?1.67 (n?=?55) ng(Sn)?L^?1, respectively. The Manko sediments can be classified as lightly contaminated, while the Okukubi sediments were uncontaminated with tributyltin (TBT). The mean levels of TBT shown in Manko estuary exceeded the threshold level and represent an ecotoxicological risk to sensitive aquatic life. Generally, the present study reports the occurrence and continuous input of OTCs in the protected estuaries, even 16 years after legal restriction of TBT usage in coastal waters was implemented by the Japanese Environmental Authorities.     

Wess-Zumino current and the structure of the decay tau- -->K- pi- K+ nu tau

We present the first study of the vector (Wess-Zumino) current in tau(-)-->K-pi-K+nu(tau) decay using data collected with the CLEO III detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring. We determine the quantitative contributions to the decay width from the vector and axial vector currents. Within the framework of a model by Kühn and Mirkes, we identify the quantitative contributions to the total decay rate from the intermediate states omegapi, rho(')pi, and K*K.     

Overall dynamic constitutive relations of layered elastic composites

A method for the homogenization of a layered elastic composite is presented. It allows direct, consistent, and accurate evaluation of the averaged overall frequency-dependent dynamic material constitutive relations without the need for a point-wise solution of the field equations. When the spatial variation of the field variables is restricted by Bloch-form (Floquet-form) periodicity, then these relations together with the overall conservation and kinematical equations accurately yield the displacement or stress mode-shapes and, necessarily, the dispersion relations. The method can also give the point-wise solution of the elastodynamic field equations (to any desired degree of accuracy), which, however, is not required for the calculation of the average overall properties. The resulting overall dynamic constitutive relations are general and need not be restricted by the Bloch-form periodicity.The formulation is based on micromechanical modeling of a representative unit cell of the composite. For waves in periodic layered composites, the overall effective mass-density and compliance (stiffness) are always real-valued whether or not the corresponding unit cell (representative volume element used as a unit cell) is geometrically and/or materially symmetric. The average strain and linear momentum are coupled and the coupling constitutive parameters are always each others' complex conjugates. We separate the overall constitutive relations, which depend only on the composition and structure of the unit cell, from the overall field equations which hold for any elastic composite; i.e., we use only the local field equations and material properties to deduce the overall constitutive relations. Finally, we present solved numerical examples to further clarify the structure of the averaged constitutive relations and to bring out the correspondence of the current method with recently published results.     

Experimental characterization and micromechanical modeling of superelastic response of a porous NiTi shape-memory alloy

Porous shape-memory alloys are usually brittle due to the presence of various nickel-titanium intermetallic compounds that are produced in the course of most commonly used synthesizing techniques. We consider here a porous NiTi shape-memory alloy (SMA), synthesized by spark-plasma sintering, that is ductile and displays full shape-memory effects over the entire appropriate range of strains. The porosity however is only 12% but the basic synthesizing technique has potential for producing shape-memory alloys with greater porosity that still are expected to display superelasticity and shape-memory effects. The current material has been characterized experimentally using quasi-static and dynamic tests at various initial temperatures, mostly within the superelastic strain range, but also into the plastic deformation regime of the stress-induced martensite phase. To obtain a relatively constant strain rate in the high strain-rate tests, a novel pulse-shaping technique is introduced. The results of the quasi-static experiments are compared with the predictions by a model that can be used to calculate the stress-strain response of porous NiTi shape-memory alloys during the austenite-to-martensite and reverse phase transformations in uniaxial quasi-static loading and unloading at constant temperatures. In the austenite-to-martensite transformation, the porous shape-memory alloy is modeled as a three-phase composite with the parent phase (austenite) as the matrix and the product phase (martensite) and the voids as the embedded inclusions, reversing the roles of austenite and martensite during the reverse transformation from fully martensite to fully austenite phase. The criterion of the stress-induced martensitic transformation and its reversal is based on equilibrium thermodynamics, balancing the thermodynamic driving force for the phase transformation, associated with the reduction of Gibbs’ free energy, with the resistive force corresponding to the required energy to create new interface surfaces and to overcome the energy barriers posed by various microstructural obstacles. The change in Gibbs’ free energy that produces the driving thermodynamic force for phase transformation is assumed to be due to the reduction of mechanical potential energy corresponding to the applied stress, and the reduction of the chemical energy corresponding to the imposed temperature. The energy required to overcome the resistance imposed by various nano- and subnano-scale defects and like barriers, is modeled empirically, involving three constitutive constants that are then fixed based on the experimental data. Reasonably good correlation is obtained between the experimental and model predictions.     

Absolute branching fraction measurements of exclusive D+ semileptonic decays

Using data collected at the psi(3770) resonance with the CLEO-c detector at the Cornell e+e- storage ring, we present improved measurements of the absolute branching fractions of D+decays to K0e+ve, pi0e+ve, K*0e+ve, and p0e+ve, and the first observation and absolute branching fraction measurement of D+ --> omega e+ve. We also report the most precise tests to date of isospin invariance in semileptonic D0 and D+ decays.     

芫花花蕾中的两个新二萜

瑞香烷型二萜类化合物具有良好的抗肿瘤生理活性.为了进一步研究该类抗肿瘤活性成分,对富含瑞香烷型二萜的芫花花蕾进行化学成分研究,从中分离得到一个巴豆烷型二萜1和两个瑞香烷型二萜原酸酯2和3.应用多种波谱学方法（1H NMR,13C NMR,HSQC,HMBC,NOESY,ESI-MS,HR-ESI-MS等）,确定了3个化...     

Hemodynamic analysis of intracranial aneurysms using phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging and computational fluid dynamics

Additional hemodynamic parameters are highly desirable in the clinical management of intracranial aneurysm rupture as static medical images cannot demonstrate the blood flow within aneurysms. There are two ways of obtaining the hemodynamic information—by phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging(PCMRI) and computational fluid dynamics(CFD). In this paper, we compared PCMRI and CFD in the analysis of a stable patient's specific aneurysm.The results showed that PCMRI and CFD are in good agreement with each other. An additional CFD study of two stable and two ruptured aneurysms revealed that ruptured aneurysms have a higher statistical average blood velocity,wall shear stress, and oscillatory shear index(OSI) within the aneurysm sac compared to those of stable aneurysms.Furthermore, for ruptured aneurysms, the OSI divides the positive and negative wall shear stress divergence at the aneurysm sac.