Abstract. Simultaneous Common Program Two experiments by the EISCAT UHF radar at Tromsø and the EISCAT Svalbard radar at Longyearbyen from 00:00 to 15:00 UT on 22 September 1998 and 9 March 1999 have been utilized to investigate distributions of the ion and neutral temperatures in the E-region between 105 and 115 km. During the experiments, soft particle precipitations in the dayside cusp were observed over the Svalbard radar site by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F11 satellite. It is found that the dayside electric field in the regions of the lowlatitude boundary of the polar cap and the cusp was greater and more variable than that in the auroral region. The ion temperature, parallel to the geomagnetic field at Longyearbyen, was higher than that at Tromsø during the daytime from 06:00 to 12:00 UT. The steady-state ion energy equation has been applied to derive neutral temperature under the assumption of no significant heat transport and viscous heating. The estimated neutral temperature at Longyearbyen was also higher than that at Tromsø. The ion and neutral energy budget was discussed in terms of the ion frictional heating and the Joule heating. The results indicate two possibilities: either the neutral temperature was high in the low latitude boundary of the polar cap and the cusp, or the heat transport by the polar cap neutral winds toward the dayside sector was significant.

PurposeTo determine whether the cycle regimens that are used for endometrial preparation are associated with the birthweight (BW) after assisted reproductive technology (ART) using frozen‐thawed embryo transfer (FET).MethodsThe BW of singletons who were born by ART using FET was compared retrospectively, according to whether a FET was conducted in a hormone replacement therapy cycle (HRT, n = 403) or an ovulatory cycle (OVL, n = 117). The BW after timed intercourse (NAT, n = 162) also was investigated.ResultsThere were no significant differences in the age of the mothers, percentage of primiparas, gestational periods, Body Mass Index, and sex ratio between the HRT and OVL cycles. The average BW from HRT was significantly greater than that of OVL. The BW from HRT was also greater, compared with NAT, while statistical significance was not achieved between OVL and NAT. The putative factors affecting the BW, such as ovarian stimulation protocols, endometrial thickness, and the stage and quality of embryos, could not explain the difference in the BW between the HRT and OVL cycles.ConclusionAn increased BW from ART using FET seems to be ascribable to conditions of the endometrium, but not cryopreservation procedures per se, which might provide a mechanistic framework for understanding heavier neonates who are born by FET.

[1] Turbulent and electromagnetic energy dissipation rates in the altitude range of $98-116 km have been estimated using data obtained from the European Incoherent Scatter Svalbard radar (ESR) observations on 22 September 1998 and 12 March 1999. Solar and geomagnetic activities were moderate and quiet during the observational periods, respectively. The horizontal neutral wind fields derived from the ESR observations show strong vertical shears and temporal variations. The Richardson numbers for the wind fields sometimes show values less than 0.25. The turbulent energy dissipation rates estimated from the wind shears have wavy structures depending on the shear distributions and decrease with height rapidly from $110 km. The turbulent energy dissipation rates also have maxima, which sometimes exceed 1 W/kg, in the region $102-108 km. The electromagnetic energy dissipation rates are strongly controlled by the neutral wind in the region below $110 km, while the Pedersen conductivity affects the energy dissipation above $110 km. On average, the two energy dissipation rates change their relative importance at $109 km on 22 September 1998 and at $112 km on 12 March 1999, depending on the wind shear, the electric field, and the Pedersen conductivity. When the electromagnetic energy fluxes are small, the contribution of the neutral wind to the electromagnetic and turbulent energy dissipation becomes large and the region, where turbulent energy dissipation is dominant, also expands upward. The magnitude and the dissipation height of the energy poured from the upper and lower regions seem to be strongly dependent on the neutral wind particularly below $110 km. The variations of the two energy dissipation rates may have significant effects on energetics in the polar lower thermosphere.

Abstract. From simultaneous observations of the European incoherent scatter Svalbard radar (ESR) and the Cooperative UK Twin Located Auroral Sounding System (CUTLASS)Finland radar on 9 March 1999, we have derived the height distributions of the thermospheric heating rate at the F region height in association with electromagnetic energy inputs into the dayside polar cap/cusp region. The ESR and CUT-LASS radar observations provide the ionospheric parameters with fine time-resolutions of a few minutes. Although the geomagnetic activity was rather moderate (Kp=3 + ∼4), the electric field obtained from the ESR data sometimes shows values exceeding 40 mV/m. The estimated passive energy deposition rates are also larger than 150 W/kg in the upper thermosphere over the ESR site during the period of the enhanced electric field. In addition, enhancements of the Pedersen conductivity also contribute to heating the upper thermosphere, while there is only a small contribution for thermospheric heating from the direct particle heating due to soft particle precipitation in the dayside polar cap/cusp region. In the same period, the CUTLASS observations of the ion drift show the signature of poleward moving pulsed ionospheric flows with a recurrence rate of about 10-20 min. The estimated electromagnetic energy deposition rate shows the existence of the strong heat source in the dayside polar cap/cusp region of the upper thermosphere in association with the dayside magnetospheric phenomena of reconnections and flux transfer events.

Twenty-nine small (less than 5 cm) hepatocellular carcinomas in 18 patients were examined by radionuclide imaging (RN), ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), hepatic angiography, and serum alpha 1-fetoprotein (AFP) assay. Sensitivity was 39% with RN, 50% with US, 56% with CT, and 94% with angiography, including infusion hepatic angiography (IHA). Lesions larger than 3 cm could be detected by all of these methods; those between 2 and 3 cm were generally shown by US and CT but not RN. IHA was essential for diagnosis of lesions less than 2 cm, which were otherwise difficult or impossible to detect except with angiography. As a screening method, AFP was best, followed by US and CT. The authors recommend using AFP and US to minimize expense and radiation exposure. In questionable cases, IHA should be performed.