Metric and topo-geometric properties of urban street networks: some convergences, divergences, and new results

The theory of cities, which has grown out of the use of space syntax techniques in urban studies, proposes a curious mathematical duality: that urban space is locally metric but globally topo-geometric. Evidence for local metricity comes from such generic phenomena as grid intensification to reduce mean trip lengths in live centres, the fall of movement from attractors with metric distance, and the commonly observed decay of shopping with metric distance from an intersection. Evidence for global topo-geometry come from the fact that we need to utilise both the geometry and connectedness of the larger scale space network to arrive at configurational measures which optimally approximate movement patterns in the urban network. It might be conjectured that there is some threshold above which human being use some geometrical and topological representation of the urban grid rather than the sense of bodily distance to making movement decisions, but this is unknown. The discarding of metric properties in the large scale urban grid has, however, been controversial. Here we cast a new light on this duality. We show first some phenomena in which metric and topo-geometric measures of urban space converge and diverge, and in doing so clarify the relation between the metric and topo-geometric properties of urban spatial networks. We then show how metric measures can be used to create a new urban phenomenon: the partitioning of the background network of urban space into a network of semi-discrete patches by applying metric universal distance measures at different metric radii, suggesting a natural spatial area-isation of the city at all scales. On this basis we suggest a key clarification of the generic structure of cities: that metric universal distance captures exactly the formally and functionally local patchwork properties of the network, most notably the spatial differentiation of areas, while the top-geometric measures identifying the structure which overcomes locality and links the urban patchwork into a whole at different scales

Metric and topo-geometric properties of urban street networks: some convergences, divergences and new results

The theory of cities, which has grown out of the use of space syntax techniques in urban studies, proposes a curious mathematical duality: that urban space is locally metric but globally topo-geometric. Evidence for local metricity comes from such generic phenomena as grid intensification to reduce mean trip lengths in live centres, the fall of movement from attractors with metric distance, and the commonly observed decay of shopping with metric distance from an intersection. Evidence for global topo-geometry come from the fact that we need to utilise both the geometry and connectedness of the larger scale space network to arrive at configurational measures which optimally approximate movement patterns in the urban network. It might be conjectured that there is some threshold above which human being use some geometrical and topological representation of the urban grid rather than the sense of bodily distance to making movement decisions, but this is unknown. The discarding of metric properties in the large scale urban grid has, however, been controversial. Here we cast a new light on this duality. We show first some phenomena in which metric and topo-geometric measures of urban space converge and diverge, and in doing so clarify the relation between the metric and topo-geometric properties of urban spatial networks. We then show how metric measures can be used to create a new urban phenomenon: the partitioning of the background network of urban space into a network of semi-discrete patches by applying metric universal distance measures at different metric radii, suggesting a natural spatial area-isation of the city at all scales. On this basis we suggest a key clarification of the generic structure of cities: that metric universal distance captures exactly the formally and functionally local patchwork properties of the network, most notably the spatial differentiation of areas, while the top-geometric measures identifying the structure which overcomes locality and links the urban patchwork into a whole at different scales

Epitaxial Growth of an n-type Ferromagnetic Semiconductor CdCr2Se4 on GaAs(001) and GaP(001)

We report the epitaxial growth of CdCr2Se4, an n-type ferromagnetic semiconductor, on both GaAs and GaP(001) substrates, and describe the structural, magnetic and electronic properties. Magnetometry data confirm ferromagnetic order with a Curie temperature of 130 K, as in the bulk material. The magnetization exhibits hysteretic behavior with significant remanence, and an in-plane easy axis with a coercive field of ~125 Oe. Temperature dependent transport data show that the films are semiconducting in character and n-type as grown, with room temperature carrier concentrations of n ~ 1 x 10^18 cm-3.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Regularization, Renormalization and Range: The Nucleon-Nucleon Interaction from Effective Field Theory

Regularization and renormalization is discussed in the context of low-energy effective field theory treatments of two or more heavy particles (such as nucleons). It is desirable to regulate the contact interactions from the outset by treating them as having a finite range. The low energy physical observables should be insensitive to this range provided that the range is of a similar or greater scale than that of the interaction. Alternative schemes, such as dimensional regularization, lead to paradoxical conclusions such as the impossibility of repulsive interactions for truly low energy effective theories where all of the exchange particles are integrated out. This difficulty arises because a nonrelativistic field theory with repulsive contact interactions is trivial in the sense that the $S$ matrix is unity and the renormalized coupling constant zero. Possible consequences of low energy attraction are also discussed. It is argued that in the case of large or small scattering lengths, the region of validity of effective field theory expansion is much larger if the contact interactions are given a finite range from the beginning.Comment: 7 page

Applicability valuation for evaluation of surface deflection in automotive outer panels

Upon unloading in a forming process there is elastic recovery, which is the release of the elastic strains and the redistribution of the residual stresses through the thickness direction, thus producing surface deflection. It causes changes in shape and dimensions that can create major problem in the external appearance of outer panels. Thus surface deflection prediction is an important issue in sheet metal forming industry. Many factors could affect surface deflection in the process, such as material variations in mechanical properties, sheet thickness, tool geometry, processing parameters and lubricant condition. The shape and dimension problem in press forming is defined as a trouble mainly caused by the elastic recovery of materials during the forming. The use of high strength steel sheets in the manufacturing of automobile outer panels has increased in the automotive industry over the years because of its lightweight and fuel-efficient improvement. But one of the major concerns of stamping is surface deflection in the formed outer panels. Hence, to be cost effective, accurate prediction must be made of its formability. The automotive industry places rigi

Enhancement of perfluorooctanoate and perfluorooctanesulfonate activity at acoustic cavitation bubble interfaces

Acoustic cavitation driven by ultrasonic irradiation decomposes and mineralizes the recalcitrant perfluorinated surfactants perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA). Pyrolytic cleavage of the ionic headgroup is the rate-determining step. In this study, we examine the sonochemical adsorption of PFOX, where X = S for PFOS and A for PFOA, by determining kinetic order and absolute rates over an initial PFOX concentration range of 20 nM to 200 μM. Sonochemical PFOX kinetics transition from pseudo-first-order at low initial concentrations, [PFOX]_i 40 μM, as the bubble interface sites are saturated. At PFOX concentrations below 100 μM, concentration-dependent rates were modeled with Langmuir−Hinshelwood (LH) kinetics. Empirically determined rate maximums, V_(Max)^(−PFOA) = 2230 ± 560 nM min^−1 and V_(Max)^(−PFOS) = 230 ± 60 nM min^−1, were used in the LH model, and sonochemical surface activities were estimated to be K_(Sono)^(PFOS) = 120000 M^−1 and K_(Sono)^(PFOA) = 28500 M^−1, 60 and 80 times greater than equilibrium surface activities, K_(Eq)^(PFOS) and K_(Eq)^(PFOA). These results suggest enhanced sonochemical degradation rates for PFOX when the bubble interface is undersaturated. The present results are compared to previously reported sonochemical kinetics of nonvolatile surfactants

Beneficial effects of childhood selective dorsal rhizotomy in adulthood

Background: Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) has been used to treat children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) for over three decades. However, little is known about the outcomes of childhood SDR in adults.  Objectives: 1) To study the effects of childhood SDR on the quality of life and ambulatory function in adult life. 2) To determine late side effects of SDR in adults.   Methods: Adults (> 17.9 years) who underwent SDR in childhood (2 - 17.9 years) between 1987 and 2013 were surveyed in 2015. Patients completed a survey, including questions on demographic information, quality of life, health, surgical outcomes, motor function, manual ability, pain, braces/orthotics, post-SDR treatment, living situation, education level, work status, and side effects of SDR.  Results: In our study population of 294 patients (18.0 - 37.4 years), patients received SDR during the ages of 2.0 - 17.9 years and were followed up 2.2 to 28.3 years after surgery. Eighty-four percent had spastic diplegia, 12% had spastic quadriplegia, and 4% had spastic triplegia. The majority (88%) of patients reported improved post-SDR quality of life and 1% considered the surgery detrimental. Most (83%) would recommend the procedure to others and 3% would not. However, patients who would not recommend SDR to others ambulated with a walker or were not ambulatory at all prior to SDR. The majority (83%) of patients improved (30%) or remained stable (53%) in ambulation. Twenty-nine percent of patients reported pain, mostly in the back and lower limbs, with a mean pain level of 4.4 ± 2.4 on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Decreased sensation in small areas of the lower limbs was reported by 8% of patients, though this did not affect daily life. Scoliosis was diagnosed in 28%, with 40% of these patients pursuing treatment. Whether scoliosis was related to SDR is not clear, though scoliosis is known to occur in patients with CP and also in the general population. Only 4% of patients underwent spinal fusion.  Orthopedic surgeries were pursued by 59% of patients. The most common orthopedic surgeries were hamstring lengthenings (31%), Achilles tendon lengthenings (18%), adductor lengthenings (16%), and derotational osteotomies (16%). Twenty-four percent of all patients later underwent hip surgery and 8% had surgeries on their knees.  Conclusion: Results of this study indicate that the beneficial effects of childhood SDR extend to adulthood quality of life and ambulatory function without late side effects of surgery

Chiral Perturbation Theory and the pp -> pp pi0 Reaction Near Threshold

A chiral-perturbative consideration of the near-threshold pp -> pp pi0 reaction indicates that the pion-rescattering term has a substantial energy and momentum dependence. The existing calculations that incorporate this dependence give pion rescattering contributions significantly larger than those of the conventional treatment, and this enhanced rescattering term interferes destructively with the one-body impulse term, leading to theoretical cross sections that are much smaller than the observed values. However, since the existing calculations are based on coordinate-space representation, they involve a number of simplifying assumptions about the energy-momentum flow in the rescattering diagram, even though the delicate interplay between the one-body and two-body terms makes it desirable to avoid these kinematical assumptions. We carry out here a momentum-space calculation that retains the energy-momentum dependence of the vertices as predicted by chiral perturbation theory. Our improved treatment increases the rescattering amplitude by a factor of 3 over the value obtained in the r-space calculations. The pp -> pp pi0 transition amplitude, which is now dominated by the rescattering term, leads to the cross section much larger than what was reported in the approximate r-space calculations. Thus, the extremely small cross sections obtained in the previous chiral perturbative treatments of this reaction should be considered as an accidental consequence of the approximations employed rather than a general feature.Comment: 25 pages,REVTEX, 5 ps figure