Long-wavelength Ultraviolet A1 and Visible Light Photoprotection: A Multimodality Assessment of Dose and Response

Human skin is exposed to visible light (VL; 400–700 nm) and long-wavelength ultraviolet A1 (UVA1) radiation (370–400 nm) after the application of organic broad-spectrum sunscreens. The biologic effects of these wavelengths have been demonstrated; however, a dose–response has not been investigated. Ten subjects with Fitzpatrick skin phototype IV-VI were enrolled. Subjects were irradiated with 2 light sources (80–480 J cm⁻²): one comprising VL with less than 0.5% UVA1 (VL+UVA1) and the other pure VL. Skin responses were evaluated for 2 weeks using clinical and spectroscopic assessments. 4-mm punch biopsies were obtained from nonirradiated skin and sites irradiated with 480 J cm⁻² of VL+UVA1 and pure VL 24 h after irradiation. Clinical and spectroscopic assessments demonstrated a robust response at VL+UVA1 sites compared with pure VL. Histology findings demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the marker of inflammation (P < 0.05) and proliferation (P < 0.05) at the irradiated sites compared with nonirradiated control. Threshold doses of VL+UVA1 resulting in biologic responses were calculated. Results indicate that approximately 2 h of sun exposure, which equates to VL+UVA1 dose (~400 J cm⁻²), is capable of inducing inflammation, immediate erythema and delayed tanning. These findings reinforce the need of photoprotection beyond the UV range.     

T1Effects in Sequential Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast Experiments

Residual effects of an initial bolus of gadolinium contrast agent have been previously demonstrated in sequential dynamic susceptibility contrast MR experiments. While these residual effects quickly reach a saturation steady state, their etiology is uncertain, and they can lead to spurious estimates of hemodynamic parameters in activation experiments. The possible influence ofT₁effects is now investigated with experiments in whichT₁weighting is varied as well as with serial regionalT₁measurements. Little evidence for significant residualT₁effects is found, suggesting instead that susceptibility effects underlie these observations. An initial saturation dose of contrast agent minimizes this effect.     

Phase shift moiré studies of processing-induced residual strains in Nickel 200 spot welds

Processing-induced residual strains in solid cylinders of Nickel 200 were investigated using phase shifting moiré interferometry. Two different experimental approaches were used to study the strains produced during Tungsten-inert gas spot welding. A comparison of results for a ‘hot/fast’ and a ‘cool/slow’ weld demonstrate the capabilities of the general approach. Both experimental methods revealed distinct differences in the residual displacement and strain fields between the two types of welds.     

Developing models of decision making

Studies that focus on the decision making process can be classified in (at least) two ways: by psychological content and by contextual content. The first describes the degree to which the analysis focuses on the mental processes associated with decision making and the second deals with the degree to which the analysis is dependent upon the study's context. Several studies are examined in terms of where they fall in this two-dimensional taxonomy. Two analyses of maritime command and control conducted by the authors are examined more fully within this taxonomy. Both are context full, but are at opposite ends of the psychological content spectrum. These categorizations are useful in focusing future research aimed at developing models of decision making.     

One-pot synthesis of polysubstituted indoles from aliphatic nitro compounds under mild conditions

Polysubstituted indoles can be prepared directly from functionalized nitroalkanes under very mildly acidic conditions in a simple, one-pot, two-stage procedure.     

Synthesis of high-purity α- and β-PbO and possible applications to synthesis and processing of other lead oxide materials

Litharge, the red tetragonal form of lead oxide α-PbO and massicot, the yellow orthorhombic form β-PbO, are synthesized from lead(II) salts in aqueous media at elevated temperatures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the size, morphology, and crystallographic structural forms of the products. The role of impurities in the experimental synthesis of the materials and microstructural variations in the final products are described. The implications of these observations regarding the synthesis of different conducting lead oxides and other related materials are discussed. PACS 71.20.Ps; 72.80.Jc; 74.62.Bf; 74.62.Dh; 75.50.Tt     

Hopf monads

We introduce and study Hopf monads on autonomous categories (i.e., monoidal categories with duals). Hopf monads generalize Hopf algebras to a non-braided (and non-linear) setting. In particular, any monoidal adjunction between autonomous categories gives rise to a Hopf monad. We extend many fundamental results of the theory of Hopf algebras (such as the decomposition of Hopf modules, the existence of integrals, Maschke's criterium of semisimplicity, etc.) to Hopf monads. We also introduce and study quasitriangular and ribbon Hopf monads (again defined in a non-braided setting).     

The G/M/1 queue revisited

The G/M/1 queue is one of the classical models of queueing theory. The goal of this paper is two-fold: (a) To introduce new derivations of some well-known results, and (b) to present some new results for the G/M/1 queue and its variants. In particular, we pay attention to the G/M/1 queue with a set-up time at the start of each busy period, and the G/M/1 queue with exceptional first service. Dedicated to Arie Hordijk on his 65th birthday, in friendship and admiration.     

The unsatisfiability threshold revisited

The problem of determining the unsatisfiability threshold for random 3-SAT formulas consists in determining the clause to variable ratio that marks the experimentally observed abrupt change from almost surely satisfiable formulas to almost surely unsatisfiable. Up to now, there have been rigorously established increasingly better lower and upper bounds to the actual threshold value. In this paper, we consider the problem of bounding the threshold value from above using methods that, we believe, are of interest on their own right. More specifically, we show how the method of local maximum satisfying truth assignments can be combined with results for the occupancy problem in schemes of random allocation of balls into bins in order to achieve an upper bound for the unsatisfiability threshold less than 4.571. In order to obtain this value, we establish a bound on the q-binomial coefficients (a generalization of the binomial coefficients). No such bound was previously known, despite the extensive literature on q-binomial coefficients. Finally, to prove our result we had to establish certain relations among the conditional probabilities of an event in various probabilistic models for random formulas. It turned out that these relations were considerably harder to prove than the corresponding ones for unconditional probabilities, which were previously known.