Algebraic Bethe ansatz for integrable extended Hubbard models arising from supersymmetric group solutions

Integrable extended Hubbard models arising from symmetric group solutions are examined in the framework of the graded quantum inverse scattering method. The Bethe ansatz equations for all these models are derived by using the algebraic Bethe ansatz method.

Ecological distribution of mosquito larvae of the Anopheles punctulatus group on Niolam (Lihir) Island, Papua New Guinea

We surveyed the larval habitats of member,, of the Anopheles punctulatus group of mosquitoes on Niolam (Lihir) Island. Papua New Guinea. Identification of this group was undertaken by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the amplified internal transcribed spacer unit 2 of rDNA. because morphologic separation of member species is unreliable. The most widespread malaria vector species and their most common larval habitats identified to aid source-reduction programs for malaria control. The most ubiquitous species was An. punctulatus, followed by An. farauti no. 2. then An. farauti s.s. Anopheles punctulatus has increased relative to An.farauti s.l. since the start of development projects on Lihir Island. The most common larval habitats were shallow temporary pools with clay substrate and with plants or floatage. These habitats. mostly encountered alongside poorly drained roads, may be increased by development projects.

A multidimensional approach to the group cohesion-group performance relationship

This study (a) examined the multidimensionality of both group cohesion and group performance, (b) investigated the relationship between group-level task and social cohesion and group effectiveness, and (c) examined the longitudinal changes in cohesion and performance and the direction of effect between cohesion and performance. First, the authors hypothesized that both task and social cohesion would predict positively all dimensions of group performance. Second, that a stronger relationship would be observed between task cohesion and task effectiveness and between social cohesion and system viability. Third, that all dimensions of cohesion and performance would increase over time. Finally, that cohesion would be both the antecedent and the consequence of performance but that the performance-cohesion relationship would be stronger than the cohesion-performance relationship. Results supported the hypothesized one-to-one relationship between specific dimensions of group cohesion and group performance. Task cohesion was the sole predictor of self-rated performance at both Time 1 and Time 2, whereas social cohesion was the only predictor of system viability at Time 1 and the stronger predictor at Time 2. Social cohesion at Time 2 predicted performance on group task. However, no longitudinal changes were found in cohesion or performance. Finally, group cohesion was found to be the antecedent, but not the consequence, of group performance.

A novel group of allenic hydrocarbons from five Australian (Melolonthine) beetles

Allenic hydrocarbons, previously unknown as a molecular class from insects, are represented by CH3(CH2)(n)-CH=. =CH-(CH2)(7)CH3 (n = 11-15, 17, 19) in several Australian melolonthine scarab beetles and with demonstrated (R)-chirality when n = 11 and 13.

Life on the ocean wave: Testing some intergroup hypotheses in a naturalistic setting

A survey (N= 352) was conducted among British passengers of a cross-channel ferry. The survey aimed to test hypotheses drawn from Realistic Group Conflict, Social Identity and Contact theories using mainly a correlational design. However, an intervention by members of the outgroup (French fishermen blockading a port) also allowed a quasi-experimental test of the effects of a direct experience of intergroup conflict. Results supported the hypotheses since conflict and national identification were associated with more negative and with less positive attitudes toward the outgroup, while contact had the reverse effects. In addition, the salience of group membership in the contact relationship weakly moderated the effect of contact.

Analysis of flexural waves excited by rectangular contact type transducers

In this paper, an attempt was made to investigate a fundamental problem related to the flexural waves excited by rectangular transducers. Due to the disadvantages of the Green's function approach for solving this problem, a direct and effective method is proposed using a multiple integral transform method and contour integration technique. The explicit frequency domain solutions obtained from this newly developed method are convenient for understanding transducer behavior and theoretical optimization and experimental calibration of rectangular transducers. The time domain solutions can then be easily obtained by using the fast Fourier transform technique. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of acousto-ultrasonic characteristics for contact-type transducers coupled to composite laminated plates

The acousto-ultrasonic (AU) input-output characteristics for contact-type transmitting and receiving transducers coupled to composite laminated plates are considered in this paper. Combining a multiple integral transform method, an ordinary discrete layer theory for the laminates and some simplifying assumptions for the electro-mechanical transduction behaviour of the transducers, an analytical solution is developed which can deal with all the wave processes involved in the AU measurement system, i.e, wave generation, wave propagation and wave reception. The spectral response of the normal contact pressure sensed by the receiving transducer due to an arbitrary input pulse excited by the transmitting transducer is obtained. To validate the new analytical-numerical spectral technique in the low-frequency regime, the results are compared with Mindlin plate theory solutions. Based on the analytical results, numerical calculations are carried out to investigate the influence of various external parameters such as frequency content of the input pulse, transmitter/receiver spacing and transducer aperture on the output of the measurement system. The results show that the presented analytical-numerical procedure is an effective tool for understanding the input-output characteristics of the AU technique for laminated plates. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Standardizing assessment of adverse effects in rheumatology clinical trials. Status of OMERACT Toxicity Working Group March 2000: Towards a common understanding of comparative toxicity/safety profiles for antirheumatic therapies

This paper describes the background and current status of an OMERACT facilitated effort to improve the consistency of adverse event reporting in rheumatology clinical trials, The overall goal is the development of an adverse event assessment tool that would provide a basis for use of common terminology and improve the consistency of reporting severity of side effects within rheumatology clinical trials and during postmarketing surveillance. The resulting Rheumatology Common Toxicity Criteria Index encompassed the following organ systems: allergic/immunologic, cardiac, ENT, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, neuropsychiatric, ophthalmologic, pulmonary and skin/integument. Before this tool is widely accepted, its validity, consistency, and feasibility need to be assessed in clinical trials.

Continuous quantum measurement of two coupled quantum dots using a point contact: A quantum trajectory approach

We obtain the finite-temperature unconditional master equation of the density matrix for two coupled quantum dots (CQD's) when one dot is subjected to a measurement of its electron occupation number using a point contact (PC). To determine how the CQD system state depends on the actual current through the PC device, we use the so-called quantum trajectory method to derive the zero-temperature conditional master equation. We first treat the electron tunneling through the PC barrier as a classical stochastic point process (a quantum-jump model). Then we show explicitly that our results can be extended to the quantum-diffusive limit when the average electron tunneling rate is very large compared to the extra change of the tunneling rate due to the presence of the electron in the dot closer to the PC. We find that in both quantum-jump and quantum-diffusive cases, the conditional dynamics of the CQD system can be described by the stochastic Schrodinger equations for its conditioned state vector if and only if the information carried away from the CQD system by the PC reservoirs can be recovered by the perfect detection of the measurements.

Relationships between non-occupational cadmium exposure and expression of nine cytochrome P450 forms in human liver and kidney cortex samples

This study was undertaken to assess associations between age, gender, cigarette smoke and non-workplace cadmium exposure, and liver pathology and inter-individual variation in cytochrome P450 (CYP) expression in human tissues. Autopsy specimens of twenty-eight Queensland residents whose ages ranged from 3 to 89 years were analyzed for the presence of nine CYP protein isoforms by immunoblotting. All subjects were Caucasians and their liver cadmium contents ranged from 0.11 to 3.95 kg/g wet weight, while their kidney cadmium contents were in the range of 2 to 63 mug/g wet weight. CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2D6, CYP3A4, and CYP3A5 were detected in liver but not in kidney, and CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 were not found in liver or kidney. Lowered liver CYP2C8/19 protein contents were found to be associated with liver pathology. Importantly, we show elevated levels of CYP2C9 protein to be associated with cadmium accumulation in liver. No mechanism that explains this association is apparent, but there are two possibilities that require further study. One is that variation in CYP2C9 protein levels may be, in part, attributed to an individual's non-workplace exposure to cadmium, or an individual's CYP2C9 genotype may be a risk factor for cadmium accumulation. A positive correlation was found between liver CYP3A4 protein and subject age. Levels of liver CYPIA2 protein, but not other CYP forms, were increased in people more exposed to cigarette smoke, but there was no association between CYPIA2 protein and cadmium. CYP2A6 protein was found in all liver samples and CYP2A6 gene typing indicated the absence of CYP2A6 null allele (CYP2A6(D)) in this sample group, confirming very low prevalence of homozygous CYP2A6(D) in Caucasians. CYP2A6 gene types W/W, WIC, and CIC were not associated with variations in liver microsomal CYP2A6 protein. CYP2D6 protein was absent in all twenty-five kidney samples tested but was detectable in liver samples of all but two subjects, indicating the prevalence of the CYP2D6 null allele (CYP2D6(D)) in this sample group to be about 7%, typical of Caucasian populations. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

A for stage III and IV squamous carcinoma of the head and neck: a Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group Study

Purpose: The aims of this randomized controlled trial were to determine whether there were differences in the disease-free survival (DFS) and toxicity between conventional radiotherapy (CRT) and a continuous 3 week accelerated radiotherapy regimen (ART) in stage III and IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx and hypopharynx. Patients and methods: Patients from 14 centres throughout Australia and New Zealand were randomly assigned to either CRT, using a single 2 Gy/day to a dose of 70 Gy in 35 fractions in 49 days or to ART, using 1.8 Gy twice a day to a dose of 59.4 Gy in 33 fractions in 24 days. Treatment allocation was stratified for site and stage. The accrual began in 1991 and the trial was closed in 1998 when the target of 350 patients was reached. Results: The median potential follow-up time was 53 months (range, 14-101). The DFS at 5 years was 41% (95% CI, 33-50%) for ART and 35% (95% CI, 27-43%) for CRT (P = 0.323) and the hazard ratio was 0.87 in favour of ART (95% CI, 0.66-1.15). The 5-year disease-specific survival rates were 40% for CRT and 46% for ART (P = 0.398) and the loco-regional control was 47% for CRT vs. 52% for ART (P = 0.300). The respective hazard ratios were 0.88 (95% CI, 0.65-1.2) and 0.85 (0.62-1.16), favouring the accelerated arm. In the ART arm, confluent mucositis was more severe (94 vs. 71%; P < 0.001) and peaked about 3 weeks earlier than in the CRT arm, but healing appeared complete in all cases. There were statistically significant reductions in the probability of grade 2 or greater late soft tissue effects over time in the ART arm (P < 0.05), except for the mucous membrane where late effects were similar in both arms. Conclusions: Differences in DFS, disease-specific survival and loco-regional control have not been demonstrated. ART resulted in more acute mucosal toxicity, but this did not result in greater prolongation of the treatment time compared with the CRT arm. There were less late effects in the ART arm, with the exception of late mucosal effects. This trial has confirmed that tumour cell repopulation occurs during conventionally fractionated radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. However, it has also provided additional evidence that overall improvements in the therapeutic ratio using accelerated fractionation strategies are seriously constrained by the need to limit total doses to levels that do not exceed acute mucosal tolerance. The accelerated schedule tested has been shown in this trial to be an acceptable alternative to conventionally fractionated irradiation to 70 Gy. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.