Search

This paper presents an integrated decision-support framework that helps public agencies identify high-crash locations and develop cost-effective safety improvement projects. State-of-the-art safety concepts, such as safety performance functions, empirical Bayesian method, and potential for safety improvements, are incorporated to identify hazardous highway locations. Cost-effective safety projects are prioritized based on life-cycle safety benefit evaluation and optimal resource allocation models. An efficient solution algorithm to the optimization model is also proposed. The models are implemented in an internet-based, geographic information system (GIS) software tool that builds on state-of-the-art information technologies, graphical interfaces, and customized GIS algorithms such as spatial analysis with buffering operations.

The energy consumption of residential sectors is given a sizable portion in total energy consumption. So, improvement of building performance can be as a part of principal energy strategy. For this reason, an evaluation tool for estimation of energy consumption was developed and supportive policies were considered in this study. In particular, energy saving technology were examined to practice the green home project, among them 7 items were selected as a factor for estimating energy consumption. In addition, to the simulation study on energy consumption, heating load, hot water demand and electric consumption was also studied with actual measured value. Further more, several supportive policies were discussed to encourage green home project in Korea.

【The interaction patterns between shock wave and boundary layer in a rocket nozzle are mainly classified into two categories, FSS(Free Shock Separation) and RSS(Restricted Shock Separation), both of which are associated with the thrust characteristics as well as side loads of the engine. According to the previous investigations, strong side loads of the engine are produced during the period of transition from FSS to RSS or vice versa. The present work aims at investigating the unsteady behavior of the separation shock waves in a two-dimensional supersonic nozzle, using experimental method and CFD. Schlieren optical method was employed to visualize the time-mean and time-dependent shock motions in the nozzle. The unsteady, compressible N-S equations with SST K- $\omega$ turbulence closure were solved using a fully implicit finite volume scheme. The results obtained show the separation shock motions during the transition of the interaction pattern.】

A numerical investigation of transient side-loads in an axisymmetric over-expanded thrust optimized contour nozzle is presented. These nozzles experience side-loads during start-up and shut-down operations, because of the flow separation at nozzle walls. Two types of flow separations such as FSS and RSS shock structure occur. A two-dimension numerical simulation has been carried out over an axisymmetric TOC nozzle to validate present results and investigate oscillatory flow characteristics for start-up processes. Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes equations are numerically solved using a fully implicit finite volume scheme. Governing equations are solved by coupled implicit scheme. Reynolds Stress turbulence model is selected. Present computed pressure at the nozzle wall closely matched with experiment data. A hysteresis phenomenon has been observed between these two shock structures. The transition from FSS to RSS pattern during start-up process has shown maximum nozzle wall pressure. Nozzle wall pressure and shear stress values have shown fluctuations during the FSS to RSS transition. The oscillatory pressure has been observed on the nozzle wall for high pressure ratio. Present results have shown that magnitude of the nozzle wall pressure variation is high for the oscillatory phenomenon.

Supersonic microjets acquire considerable research interest from a fundamental fluid dynamics perspective, in part because the combination of highly compressible flow at low-to-moderate Reynolds number is not very common, and in part due to the complex nature of the flow itself. In addition, microjets have a great variety engineering applications such as micro-propulsion, MEMS(Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems) components, microjet actuators and fine particle deposition and removal. Numerical simulations have been carried out at moderate nozzle pressure ratios and for different nozzle exit diameters to investigate and to understand in-depth of aerodynamic characteristics of supersonic microjets.

In this paper, we propose predictive temperature-aware dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) using the performance counters that are already embedded in commercial microprocessors. By using the performance counters and simple regression analysis, we can predict the localized temperature and efficiently scale the voltage/frequency. When localized thermal problems that were not detected by thermal sensors are found after layout (or fabrication), the thermal problems can be avoided by the proposed software solution without delaying time-to-market. The evaluation results show that in a Linux-based laptop with the Intel Core2 Duo processor, DVFS using the performance counters performs comparable to DVFS using the thermal sensor.

Homopolymer of vinylidene fluoride and its copolymers containing hexafluoropropylene (HFP) were prepared from free radical solution polymerizations and spin-coated on the glass slides to fabricate thin film with a thickness of ∼ 1 μm. It was found that the surface morphology of fluorinated thin films was strongly dependent on the crystallinity of polymers. In addition, the surface morphology was the most important factor to determine the optical transmittance of glass coated with the fluoropolymer thin film. As decreasing the crystallinity of the polymer by introducing HFP with a bulky CF3 moiety, the surface of thin film became flattened and the transmittance of visible light was increased by reducing scattering. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009

A new generation of tools is needed to allow researchers and practicing engineers the ability to leverage investments in new methodologies and software infrastructure while enabling customization to local conditions. MAEviz represents such a next generation of seismic risk assessment software, based on the Mid-America Earthquake (MAE) Center research in Consequence-based Risk Management (CRM) and is designed to be extended, customized, and evolved to meet the needs of specific organizations and regions. MAEviz helps bridge the gap between researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers by integrating the latest research findings and most accurate data, using state-of-the-art methodologies, in an extensible software platform.

MAEviz is a broadly extensible, open source platform for earthquake hazard risk management. MAEviz is a model cyberenvironment that provides practical capabilities for researchers through decision-makers to model earthquake events, develop risk reduction strategies, and implement mitigation plans to minimize the impact of earthquake disasters while also providing a pathway for researchers to quickly add new algorithms and data to assure that decisions are based on state-of-the-art engineering understanding. While MAEviz is capable of interacting with remote data and computational sources, it is also fully capable of running analyses locally so research scientists and decision-makers can generate information when a catastrophic event occurs and provide first-responders result information. This article describes MAEviz's overall layered architecture, its foundation in the widely used Eclipse Rich Client Platform (RCP), and use of open-source middleware and geographic information system (GIS) components. MAE...

The reconstruction strategy chosen to repair damaged transportation network infrastructure after an unscheduled event is important in returning the disrupted economy to the status preceding the event. Furthermore, the strategy determines how fast the national economy will recover. Previous research has shown how damage to the transportation network has significant direct and indirect impacts on the national economy. The optimal sequence or priority for reconstruction of damaged links must be developed to restore the economy quickly. Common issues from the previous research on finding the optimal reconstruction strategy are (a) lack of consideration of the national economic impact, (b) lack of integration of the traffic flow and commodity flow models, and (c) lack of consideration of the spatiotemporal characteristics of the economy. To overcome these issues, this paper suggests a spatiotemporal model for finding the optimal reconstruction strategy after an unscheduled event based on an earlier model. The paper discusses the framework for finding the optimal reconstruction strategy by using the spatiotemporal analysis model for a posteriori unscheduled event (STAM-2).

This study evaluated anesthesia quality, degree of analgesia and cardiorespiratory parameters after intramuscular (IM) injection of a combination of butorphanol (0.1 mg/kg), medetomidine (10 µg/kg) and alfaxalone (1.5 mg/kg) in ten healthy adult Beagle dogs. Rectal temperature (T), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (fR), arterial pressure, arterial blood gases and M-mode echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) indices were measured before drug administration and every 10 min thereafter until extubation. Mean duration of anesthesia, recovery and analgesia were 89 ± 17, 6 ± 1 and 80 ± 12 min. HR, fR, partial pressure of arterial CO2 and O2, arterial pressure, and LV contractility were significantly altered during anesthesia. IM administration of the drug combination provided acceptable anesthesia, but produced substantial cardiorespiratory suppression.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the structural performance of multilayer gas foil bearings (GFBs). Three test GFBs and a dummy rotor with a diameter of 28 mm were manufactured for application to a series of structural tests. The test bearings were designed with an identical axial length of 22.5 mm, a radial clearance of 0.170 mm, and a mechanical preload of 0.050 mm at a 50% offset within the (machined) lobe bearing housings. All the bearings had multilayer (doublelayer) thin foils supported by an elastic bump strip layer, i.e., a configuration with a top foil, shim foil, and bump strip layer. Note that the shim foil is installed between the top foil and bump strip layer to enhance the dry-friction damping effect. The first bearing (Type A) had a single top foil, single shim foil, and single bump strip layer. All had an arc length of 360°. The second version (Type B) had a single top foil with an arc length of 360°, three shim foils with an arc length of 120°, and three bump strip layers with an arc length of 120°. The third version (Type C) had three top foils, three shim foils, and three bump strip layers. All had an arc length of 120°. The top foil is spot-welded to a key that is inserted into an axial key slot in the bearing housing. The shim foil and bump strip layer are inserted into an axial foil slot in the bearing housing. A series of static load-deflection tests were conducted on the test GFBs floating on the fixed, non-rotating test rotor. The measured results for the bearing deflection and structural stiffness were found to be in very good agreement with the model predictions for a GFB with a mechanical preload. In general, the test results were found to exhibit a similar radial sway space (or assembly radial clearance) and structural stiffness for all three test GFBs. Small local hysteresis loops appeared as the magnitudes of the load increased, thus determining the local structural stiffness and structural loss factor versus the displacement. The local stiffness was found to increase while the loss factor decreased as the magnitude of the displacement increased. The estimated structural loss factor can be as large as 0.9 within the radial sway space under low-load conditions.Copyright © 2015 by ASME

CNS (Car Navigation System) provides traffic information with an intention to offer safe and comfortable driving experience. However, because too much information is presented into a single screen it often becomes information-crowded. This paper analyzed four commercial CNS products to collect information elements and conducted user studies such as focused groups, surveys and interviews to determine what information is needed for each position of the seat; the driver and the passenger seat. The result showed that there is clear difference in information priority between driver and the person on passenger seat. Based on such finding, this paper proposes using split-view based CNS. Split-view CNS contributes to enhance user satisfaction of driving experience by providing different information to needed for a driver and a passenger.

This paper presents the measured rotordynamic performance and model predictions of a 200 kW oil-free micro gas turbine simulator (MGTS). The MGTS has a single spool configuration, and a gas generator rotor (GTR) and an electric motor rotor (EMR) connected by a diaphragm coupling and supported on gas foil journal bearings (GFJBs). A couple of double acting gas foil thrust bearings (GFTB) are used inside the gas turbine. The MGTS is a full-size replica of a 200 kW micro gas turbine, with the exception of the impeller blades of the compressor and turbine. The design of the diaphragm coupling determines the first and second bending critical speeds of the MGTS. A speed-up test was conducted up to 40 krpm to evaluate the rotordynamic stability of the rotor-bearing system. The test results showed that the synchronous motion had several peaks, which were due to the rigid modes of the rotor-bearing system. The highest peak occurred at ~10 krpm and was produced by the second bending mode of the coupling. The results for 40 krpm revealed the occurrence of small amplitude synchronous motions. The predicted critical speeds of the rotor-bearing system and synchronous rotor motions were in good agreement with test data.

This study aims to examine what factors park users value in urban parks and to find ways to elevate user satisfaction for the creation and usage of an urban park. To achieve this, the study relied on two methods: the descriptive method of researching publications and related scholastic writings, and the empirical study method including a survey of present condition and interviews with users. The result shows that the 'sense of nature' is more important than 'functional facilities' in urban natural parks and 'management part like safety and cleanliness of park' is more important than 'utilizing facilities' in urban neighborhood parts. Generally, the importance rating of urban parks visitors felt in them were higher than the satisfaction rating, in terms of living surroundings. Factor analysis resulted in six factors in a natural park and in eight factors in a neighborhood park. Regression analysis in a natural and a neighborhood park showed a positively correlated factor: benefits sought, suggesting that people recognize the importance of urban parks through the benefits they gain in them and the satisfaction they find in urban parks depends on utilizing facilities. Therefore, in urban natural parks, people will find greater satisfaction through pursuit of the benefits they are seeking; improvements to park facilities should address the benefits that park users are seeking.

Starting from Jan. 1, 2006, pursuant to Article 28 of the Natural Environment Conversation Act for development acts with natural Landscape as a subject, the Consultation System on the Effects of Natural Landscape has been put into force in order to, in advance, analyze and predict the effects of natural Landscape according to the implementation of various development plans and development projects and also minimize adverse effects by preparing plans to reduce the effects. The consultation on the effects of natural Landscape is based on the objective and scientific approaches of data with Landscape to minimizing the effects of natural Landscape by developments with the preservation, restoration, outlook and harmonization as basic principles, and looking into the review of natural Landscape damage and harmonization of the site to be developed. For more objectively analyzing the visual effects of natural Landscape according to development acts, the purpose of this study is to provide basic materials of continued Landscape management plans in the planning stage of development plans and after the completion of developments by analyzing the sensitivity of Landscape and deriving areas, whose Landscape will be damaged, mainly focusing on the area of visibility using GIS.

The ballistic range has long been employed in a variety of engineering fields such as high-velocity impact engineering, projectile aerodynamics, creation of new materials, etc, since it can create an extremely high-pressure state in very short time. Of many different types of ballistic ranges developed to date, two-stage light gas gun is being employed most extensively. In the present study, a theoretical work has been made to develop a new type of ballistic range which can easily simulate a flying projectile. The present ballistic range consists of high-pressure tube, piston, pump tube, shock tube and launch tube. The effect of adding a shock tube in between the pump tube and launch tube is investigated. This improvement is identified as the reduction in pressures in the high pressure tube and pump tube while maintaining the projectile velocity. Equations of motions of piston and projectile are solved using Runge-Kutta methods. Dependence of projectile velocity on various design factors such as high pressure tube pressure, piston mass, projectile mass, area ratio of pump tube to launch tube and type of driver gas in the pump tube are also analyzed. Effect of various gas combinations is also investigated. Calculations show that projectile velocities of the order 8 km/sec could be achieved with the present ballistic range.

A new approach is proposed for relaxing the computational complexity of the user equilibrium discrete network design problem (UE-DNDP), under deterministic traffic conditions, with a solution search procedure based on the selectorecombinative genetic algorithm (SGA). The SGA uses only selection and recombination operators rather than mutation. The UE-DNDP approach proposed in this study has a bilevel structure: the upper-level problem relates to the strategy of the network design authority, and the lower-level problem deals with network user behaviors. To solve the upper-level problem, the SGA is first used to create feasible network design solutions to the UE-DNDP by accounting for a budget constraint. Then the design authority selects the best network design strategy with minimum total system travel time (TSTT). Extensive experimental design and testing on GA operators and parameters are conducted to select the useful GA operators and parameters. For the lower-level problem, the best K-value concept is introduced to reduce the computational effort by allowing only a few best K-design solutions with best fitness values among the feasible network design solutions to the UE network evaluation model. The study uses statistical analysis to validate whether the proposed SGA-based UE-DNDP model is working well. The results of numerical analysis have shown that the proposed solution search procedure could significantly improve computational efficiency without loss of solution quality in terms of TSTT.

Single- and 13-week repeated-dose toxicities of Geranti Bio-Ge Yeast, organic germanium fortified yeasts, were investigated in rats. Both sexes of Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered once at a dose of 2,000 mg/kg in single-dose toxicity or daily for 13 weeks at doses of 500, 1,000 or 2,000 mg/kg in repeated-dose toxicity tests. In single-dose toxicity test to determine dose levels in repeated-dose toxicity study, the body weight gain was suppressed at 2,000 mg/kg, although no death, clinical signs and pathological findings related to the treatment were observed. In repeated-dose toxicity test, there were no clinical signs in animals administered up to 2,000 mg/kg, except one rat died due to a gavage error. In addition, no significant changes in feed consumption and body weight gain were obtained during the treatment period, in spite of week-to-week fluctuation of water consumption. There were no considerable changes in ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, hematology and serum biochemistry, except a significant decrease in albumin/globulin ratio in males treated with 1,000 mg/kg. In contrast, a significant increase in relative heart weight was observed in both male and female rats treated with a high dose (2,000 mg/kg) of Geranti Bio-Ge Yeast. In microscopic examination, mild lesions were found sporadically in both control and treatment groups in a dose-independent manner. In spite of some alterations in water consumption, serum biochemistry and organ weights, such effects were not considered to include toxicopathological significance, based on the lack of dose-dependency, consistent time-course and gender relationship. Taken together, it is suggested that no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of Geranti Bio-Ge Yeast is considered to be over 2,000 mg/kg in rats, and that long-term oral intake in humans might not exert adverse effects.

This paper analyzes the economic impact of an earthquake on transportation network that contains more detail for the Midwest states. Two aspects of cost are considered in the paper: final demand loss and transport cost increase. The 1812 New Madrid earthquake is used to develop a scenario for the analysis. The modeling system includes a transportation network loss function, a final demand loss function, and an integrated commodity flow model. After running the earthquake scenario, the analysis identifies the most significant link on the network in an economic sense as well as the link with the greatest physical disruption. The results reveal that the links with greater physical disruption are not always the ones exhibiting the greater economic damage. The resulting outputs can provide information to perform a cost-benefit analysis as well as to support a decision-making process on the optimal retrofit priority of bridges and links on the transportation network.

The paper presents the rotordynamic performance measurements and model predictions of a rotor supported on three-pad gas foil journal bearings (GFJBs) with various mechanical preloads. The rotor with its length of 240 mm, diameter of 40 mm, and weight of 19.6 N is supported on two GFJBs and one pair of gas foil thrust bearings (GFTBs), being a permanent magnet rotor of a high speed electric motor. Each bearing pad consisting of a top foil and a bump strip layer is installed on a lobed bearing housing surface over the arc length of 120 deg along the circumference. Test three-pad GFJBs have four different mechanical preloads, i.e., 0 μm, 50 μm, 70 μm, 100 μm with a common radial nominal clearance of 150 μm. A series of speed-up tests are conducted up to 93 krpm to evaluate the effects of increasing mechanical preloads on the rotordynamic performance. Two sets of orthogonally positioned displacement sensors record the rotor horizontal and vertical motions at the thrust collar and the other end. Test results show that the filtered synchronous amplitudes change little, but the onset speed of sub-synchronous motions (OSS) increases dramatically for the increasing mechanical preloads. In addition, test bearings with the 100 μm preload show a higher OSS in load-on-pad (LOP) condition than that in load-between-pads (LBP) condition. A comparison to test results for a one-pad GFJB with a single top foil and bump strip layer reveals that three-pad GFJB has superior rotordynamic performance to the one-pad one. Finally, the test data benchmark against linear rotordynamic predictions to validate a rotor-GFJB model. In general, predicted natural frequencies of the rotor-bearing system and synchronous rotor motions agree well with test data. However, stability analyses underestimate OSSs recorded during the experimental tests.Copyright © 2014 by ASME

The paper presents the rotordynamic performance measurements and model predictions of a rotor supported on three-pad gas foil journal bearings (GFJBs) with various mechanical preloads. The rotor with its length of 240 mm, diameter of 40 mm, and weight of 19.6 N is supported on two GFJBs and one pair of gas foil thrust bearings (GFTBs), being a permanent magnet rotor of a high speed electric motor. Each bearing pad consisting of a top foil and a bump strip layer is installed on a lobed bearing housing surface over the arc length of 120 deg along the circumference. Test three-pad GFJBs have four different mechanical preloads, i.e., 0 μm, 50 μm, 70 μm, 100 μm with a common radial nominal clearance of 150 μm. A series of speed-up tests are conducted up to 93 krpm to evaluate the effects of increasing mechanical preloads on the rotordynamic performance. Two sets of orthogonally positioned displacement sensors record the rotor horizontal and vertical motions at the thrust collar and the other end. Test results show that the filtered synchronous amplitudes change little, but the onset speed of sub-synchronous motions (OSS) increases dramatically for the increasing mechanical preloads. In addition, test bearings with the 100 μm preload show a higher OSS in load-on-pad (LOP) condition than that in load-between-pads (LBP) condition. A comparison to test results for a one-pad GFJB with a single top foil and bump strip layer reveals that three-pad GFJB has superior rotordynamic performance to the one-pad one. Finally, the test data benchmark against linear rotordynamic predictions to validate a rotor-GFJB model. In general, predicted natural frequencies of the rotor-bearing system and synchronous rotor motions agree well with test data. However, stability analyses underestimate OSSs recorded during the experimental tests.

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, endospore-forming, moderately halophilic rod, designated strain R1T, was isolated from rice husks and subjected to a taxonomic study using a polyphasic approach. Strain R1T produced spherical or ellipsoidal endospores at a subterminal position in swollen sporangia, and was catalase- and oxidase-positive. The isolate grew optimally at 37 °C and pH 6.0–7.0, and could grow in the presence of up to 9 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain R1T belongs to the genus Bacillus . The closest relatives of strain R1T were Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis NCIB 3610T, Bacillus aquimaris TF-12T, and Bacillus marisflavi TF-11T, with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 96.0 %, 98.4 %, and 98.7 %, respectively. DNA–DNA relatedness values between the isolate and the reference strains were ≤42±3 %. The predominant menaquinones were MK-5 (50 %) and MK-7 (50 %). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylethanolamine. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 (48.6 %) and anteiso-C15 : 0 (20.6 %), and the cell-wall diamino acid was meso-diaminopimelic acid. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses and chemotaxonomic and phenotypic characteristics, it is concluded that strain R1T represents a novel species of the genus Bacillus , for which we propose the name Bacillus oryzaecorticis sp. nov. The type strain is R1T ( = KACC 17217T = KCCM 90231T = JCM 19602T).

This paper presents a method to construct a stable rational doubly coprime factorization (DCF) of a transfer matrix, proper or improper, from a given polynomial DCF. Wiener-Hopf factor polynomials are used to rationalize the polynomial DCF matrices. It is shown that the suggested construction procedure results in the stable rational DCF description that includes the normalized matrix fractional description (MFD) and inner coprime MFD as special cases.

Effects of design variables on the performance of a centrifugal blower have been analyzed based on the three-dimensional flow analysis. Two design parameters defined the shape of a volute casing are introduced to enhance a blower performance. To analyze three-dimensional flow field in the centrifugal blower, general analysis code, CFX, is employed in the present work. SST turbulence model is employed to estimate the eddy viscosity. Boundary condition at the interference plane between rotational and stationary domains is applied by a stage method. Unstructured grids are used to represent a composite grid system including blade, casing and inlet guide. In the present study, throughout the shape optimization of the centrifugal blower at the design flow condition, the blower efficiency and pressure are successfully increased by 0.5 and 1.6 percent compared to reference one. It is found that the casing height of design variables is more sensitive on the object function of efficiency compared to that of the casing width. And secondary flow due to velocity gradient and low velocity region increase pressure loss, leading to make low efficiency. Detailed flow field inside a centrifugal blower is also analyzed and compared.

Integrating total quality management (TQM) concepts into the systems development process results in efficient, flexible, quality software that is developed and delivered on time. This article explains how to introduce TQM concepts into the development process using CASE tools.

This essay investigates the effect of education on different lifestyle variables using NLSY79 panels for 1992, 1994, and 1998. The lifestyle variables are smoking, drinking, marijuana use, and cocaine use. The analysis addresses the joint determination of lifestyle variables within the framework of the Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) model. Unobserved heterogeneity is controlled by the robust fixed-effects model extended to SUR model. It is found that educational attainment has no significant effect on the lifestyle choices of individuals.

In regulation of the developmental process, the balance between cellular proliferation and cell death is critical. Placental development tightly controls this mechanism, and increased apoptosis of placental trophoblasts can cause a variety of gynecological diseases. Members of the immortalization-upregulated protein (IMUP) family are nuclear proteins implicated in SV40-mediated immortalization and cellular proliferation; however, the mechanisms by which their expression is regulated in placental development are still unknown. We compared IMUP-2 expression in normal and pre-eclamptic placental tissues and evaluated the function of IMUP-2 in HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells under hypoxic conditions. IMUP-2 was expressed in syncytiotrophoblasts and syncytial knots of the placental villi. IMUP-2 expression was significantly higher in preterm pre-eclampsia patients than in patients who went to term (P < 0.001); however, we observed no differences in IMUP-2 expression between normal term patients with and without pre-eclampsia. Hypoxic conditions increased apoptosis of HTR8/SVneo trophoblast cells and induced IMUP-2 expression. Also, apoptosis of HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells was increased after IMUP-2 gene transfection. These results suggest that IMUP-2 expression is specifically elevated in preterm pre-eclampsia and under hypoxic conditions, and that IMUP-2 induces apoptosis of the trophoblast. Therefore, IMUP-2 might have functional involvement in placental development and gynecological diseases such as pre-eclampsia.

MAEviz is an open-source project that helps reduce the time from discovery gap that exists between researchers, practitioners, and decision makers by integrating the latest research findings, most accurate data, and new methodologies into a single software product. MAEviz was developed as a platform to perform seismic risk assessment based on the Mid-America Earthquake (MAE) Center research in the consequence-based risk management (CRM) framework. The CRM paradigm provides a philosophical and practical framework for the assessment of the dynamic inter-disciplinary relationship between causes, effects, and effect mitigation for major events and disaster management. MAEviz provides the medium where "what if models and risk reduction strategies can be evaluated by both researchers and decision makers in an effort to avoid a catastrophic impact on society in the event of an earthquake.

As scientific work becomes more complex, contextual information is critical to enable its use. We have developed the concept of Knowledge Spaces that manage such information and scope the space of data, metadata, and algorithms relevant to the work of a Virtual Organization. This enables scientists to produce and manage descriptive metadata, process description, data provenance, as well as VO-specific quality assertions, vocabulary mappings, inferences, computation, approximations, and security policies. We have developed middleware and cooperating applications that demonstrate the potential of Knowledge Spaces in the production and dissemination of scientific data.

In this paper, we propose a Java accelerator named Javelin (Java enhanced language interpreter) based on a hardware translation method. To overcome performance hurdles in translation based accelerators, we assign registers in the host processor for frequently accessed pointers, entries of the stack, local variables, and intermediate values during bytecode execution. We propose an operand exchange unit (OPEXU) for maximizing compatibility and a stack management unit (SMU) with a smart exception handler for minimizing the overhead by stack exceptions. Javelin increases hardware cost less than 9,000 gates including a 256-byte SRAM and does not decrease the clock frequency of host processor. In our experiments, Javelin provides approximately 24.3 times better performance than that of the pure software VM in terms of execution time and it also reduces the memory traffic during Java processing about 81.9%. Consequently, Javelin provides an energy efficient solution for Java processing.

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare tumor of the liver. It usually arises from many other organs including uterus, gastrointestinal tract, retroperitoneum, and soft tissues. Primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma progresses very slowly and is not associated with chronic liver disease. When the tumor is detected early enough to be treated by operation, the prognosis is favorable. While several cases of primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma have been reported in Korea, there was no case associated with acute bleeding. We report a 80-year old male patient with huge primary hepatic leiomyosarcoma, who presented with acute bleeding and IVC obstruction. The patient was treated by embolization and IVC stenting.

We have proposed a highly efficient power amplifier (PA) for the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter using gallium nitride (GaN) HEMT. The class AB, B, C and F mode PAs have been implemented with EUDYNA's 10 watts GaN HEMT and compared the bias modulation performances in order to investigate the optimum PA structure. The proposed class F mode PA has been biased at class C and adopted a new output matching topology that improves the overall transmitter efficiency. For the WiMAX OFDM signal, the calculated overall drain efficiencies of the optimized EER amplifier, which are based on the measuremed bias dependent efficiencies, are about 73 % at an average power of 31 dBm at 2.14 GHz. The proposed highly efficient bias modulation PA for the EER transmitter provides a superior overall efficiency than that of any conventional switching or saturation mode PAs.

The damages and losses caused by unscheduled events such as earthquakes, floods, and other major natural disasters have sudden and significant impacts on the economies of regions where these events occur. The impacts of damage on production facilities and lifelines (e.g. utility lines and transportation networks) may spread across several regions via importexport relationships and have serious economic impacts on even distant regions far from the location of the event.

We have extended the classical Doherty amplifier to support CDMA base station power amplifiers that require high efficiency and good linearity. At first, we have estimated three transistors, Motorola's MRF21085, MRF5S21090 and MRF5P21180 LDMOS's, to confirm the suitability for Doherty operation. Since the MRF21085 transistor is not suitable, we have excluded it. Two 2.14GHz high power Doherty amplifiers are implemented using two MRF5S21090 and a MRF5P21180, respectively, and are optimized at 40W for high efficiency and good linearity using IS95A 8FA CDMA signal. The performances of the Doherty amplifiers are compared with a conventional balanced class AB amplifier using two MRF5S21090. At 40W average output power, the MRF5S21090 and MRF5P21180 Doherty amplifiers deliver the efficiencies of 34.8% and 40.0%, which represent 11.2% and 16.4% enhancements, respectively, compared to the conventional amplifier. The linearities of all the amplifiers are adjusted to about -31dBc.