The Lazarus Project. II. Spacelike extraction with the quasi-Kinnersley tetrad

The Lazarus project was designed to make the most of limited 3D binary black-hole simulations, through the identification of perturbations at late times, and subsequent evolution of the Weyl scalar $\Psi_4$ via the Teukolsky formulation. Here we report on new developments, employing the concept of the ``quasi-Kinnersley'' (transverse) frame, valid in the full nonlinear regime, to analyze late-time numerical spacetimes that should differ only slightly from Kerr. This allows us to extract the essential information about the background Kerr solution, and through this, to identify the radiation present. We explicitly test this procedure with full numerical evolutions of Bowen-York data for single spinning black holes, head-on and orbiting black holes near the ISCO regime. These techniques can be compared with previous Lazarus results, providing a measure of the numerical-tetrad errors intrinsic to the method, and give as a by-product a more robust wave extraction method for numerical relativity.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures. Journal version with text changes, revised figures. [Note updated version of original Lazarus paper (gr-qc/0104063)

Residual activity of diclosulam applied to soybean on cotton crop in succession.

The application of alternative herbicides to replace glyphosate can affect the succession cropping due to the persistence in the soil. The aim of this work was to evaluate the residual activity of diclosulam applied to a pre-emergence soybean crop on a cotton plant grown in succession. The present study used a randomized complete block design with five replicates and seven doses of diclosulam (0, 2.19, 4.38, 8.75, 17.5, 35 and 70 g a.i. ha-1). The cotton was sown 112 days after application of the herbicide, with accumulated rainfall of 637 mm during the soybean cycle. Variables related to photosynthetic characteristics, phytointoxication, growth, components of production and productivity were evaluated in both crops. Diclosulam did not affect the soybean cultivar M7739 IPRO. The residual activity of diclosulam (35 g ha-1) on cotton caused phytointoxication at a rate of 5% at 14, 20 and 27 days after sowing (DAS). However, the components of production, productivity and the cotton fiber quality were not affected up to 70 g ha-1 of diclosulam

Residual activity of Sulfentrazone applied to soybean on cotton crop in succession.

Weed resistance to glyphosate in agricultural production systems has led to the need of applying herbicides with different mechanisms of action. However, the persistence of these herbicides in the soil can harm the subsequent crop. This study aimed to assess the effect of the residual activity of the herbicide sulfentrazone applied in pre-emergence of soybean on cotton in succession. The experimental design was a randomized block design with five replications, with seven doses of sulfentrazone (0, 37.5, 75, 150, 300, 600, and 1,200 g ha-1). Cotton was sown at 112 days after herbicide application (DAA), with an accumulated precipitation of 637 mm during soybean cycle. Variables related to photosynthetic characteristics, phytointoxication, establishment, development, production components, and yield were assessed in both crops. The residual activity of sulfentrazone did not significantly interfere with the assessed variables in soybean but caused significant losses to cotton, which the recommended dosage (600 g ha-1) of the herbicide reduced cotton yield by 30%.Título em português: Atividade Residual de Sulfentrazone Aplicado na Cultura da Soja sobre o Algodoeiro em Sucessão

Changes in energy content of lunchtime purchases from fast food restaurants after introduction of calorie labelling: cross sectional customer surveys

Objective To assess the impact of fast food restaurants adding calorie labelling to menu items on the energy content of individual purchases

Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of High LDL Cholesterol in New York City, 2004

IntroductionLow-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is a major contributor to coronary heart disease and the primary target of cholesterol-lowering therapy. Substantial disparities in cholesterol control exist nationally, but it is unclear how these patterns vary locally.MethodsWe estimated the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of high LDL cholesterol using data from a unique local survey of New York City's diverse population. The New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2004 was administered to a probability sample of New York City adults. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004 was used for comparison. High LDL cholesterol and coronary heart disease risk were defined using National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) guidelines.ResultsMean LDL cholesterol levels in New York City and nationally were similar. In New York City, 28% of adults had high LDL cholesterol, 71% of whom were aware of their condition. Most aware adults reported modifying their diet or activity level (88%), 64% took medication, and 44% had their condition under control. More aware adults in the low ATP III risk group than those in higher risk groups had controlled LDL cholesterol (71% vs 33%-42%); more whites than blacks and Hispanics had controlled LDL cholesterol (53% vs 31% and 32%, respectively).ConclusionHigh prevalence of high LDL cholesterol and inadequate treatment and control contribute to preventable illness and death, especially among those at highest risk. Population approaches - such as making the food environment more heart-healthy - and aggressive clinical management of cholesterol levels are needed

Summary of the workshop on methodologies for environmental public health tracking of air pollution effects

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established the Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) program to support state and local projects that characterize the impact of the environment on health. The projects involve compiling, linking, analyzing, and disseminating environmental and health surveillance information, thereby engaging stakeholders and guiding actions to improve public health. One of the EPHT objectives is to track the public health impact of ambient air pollution with analyses that are timely and relevant to state and local stakeholders. To address methodological issues relevant to this objective, in January 2008, government officials and researchers from the USA, Canada, and Europe gathered in Baltimore, Maryland for a 2-day workshop. Using commissioned papers and presentations on key methodological issues as well as examples of previous air pollution impact assessments, work group discussions produced a set of consensus recommendations for the EPHT program. These recommendations noted the need for data that will encourage local stakeholders to support continued progress in air pollution control. The limitations of using only local data for analyses were also noted. To improve local estimates of air pollution health impacts, methods were recommended that “borrow strength” from other evidence. An incremental approach to implementing such methods was recommended. The importance and difficulty of communicating uncertainties in local health impact assessments was emphasized, as was the need for coordination among different agencies conducting health impact assessments