Urban climate experimental results from the Comprehensive Outdoor Scale Model (COSMO) were used to estimate roughness lengths for momentum and heat. Two different physical scale models were used to investigate the scale dependence of the roughness lengths; the large scale model included an aligned array of 1.5-m concrete cubes, and the small scale model had a geometrically similar array of 0.15-m concrete cubes. Only turbulent data from the unstable boundary layers were considered. The roughness length for momentum relative to the obstacle height was dependent on wind direction, but the scale dependence was not evident. Estimated values agreed well with a conventional morphometric relationship. The logarithm of the roughness length for heat relative to the obstacle height depended on the scale but was insensitive to wind direction. COSMO data were used successfully to regress a theoretical relationship between B Ϫ1 , the logarithmic ratio of roughness length for momentum to heat, and Re*, the roughness Reynolds number. Values of B Ϫ1 associated with Re* for three different urban sites from previous field experiments were intercompared. A surprising finding was that, even though surface geometry differed from site to site, the regressed function agreed with data from the three urban sites as well as with the COSMO data. Field data showed that B Ϫ1 values decreased as the areal fraction of vegetation increased. The observed dependency of the bulk transfer coefficient on atmospheric stability in the COSMO data could be reproduced using the regressed function of Re* and B Ϫ1 , together with a Monin-Obukhov similarity framework.

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs), synthetic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-g ligands, have a central role in insulin sensitization and adipogenesis. It has been reported that TZDs exert protective effects in both diabetic and nondiabetic models of renal disease, although the exact mechanism is not well understood. In particular, only a few studies have reported the renoprotective effects of TZDs in nondiabetic models of tubulointerstitial fibrosis and inflammation. Therefore, we investigated the anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects of the TZD troglitazone in the mouse model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). C57BL/6J mice underwent UUO and were studied after 3 and 7 days. Animals were divided into three groups and received control vehicle, troglitazone (150 mg/kg per day) or troglitazone (300 mg/kg per day) by gavage. Kidneys were harvested for morphological, mRNA and protein analysis. Reversetranscriptase-PCR was used to assess the expression of transforming growth factor-b1 (TGF-b1) and the TGF-b1 type I receptor (TGFbR-I). Protein expression was assessed by western blotting (TGFbR-I) and immunostaining (TGFbR-I, a-smooth muscle actin (a-SMA), type I collagen (collagen I), F4/80, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)). The expression of a-SMA, collagen I, and F4/80 was decreased in mice treated with troglitazone compared with the control group. The numbers of PCNA-positive interstitial cells were decreased in mice treated with troglitazone. TGF-b1 mRNA and TGFbR-I mRNA and protein expression were decreased in the group treated with troglitazone compared with the control group. The beneficial effects of troglitazone treatment were also dose dependent. PPAR-g agonist significantly reduced TGF-b and attenuated renal interstitial fibrosis and inflammation in the model of UUO.

A simple urban energy balance model for mesoscale simulations (SUMM) was tested using results from an outdoor scale-model experiment. The model geometry is assumed to be an infinitely extended regular array of uniform buildings, each of which is composed of six faces (roof, floor, and four vertical walls). The SUMM explicitly considers the three dimensionality of surface geometry and theoretically predicts the energy balance at each face without time-consuming iterations. The SUMM was compared with outdoor scale-model experiments. The simulated energy balance and surface temperatures agree well with the values measured on a reduced-scale hardware model corresponding to the numerical model geometry.

The 5-V lithium insertion materials of Li͓Ni 1/2 Mn 3/2 ͔O 4 having different primary particle sizes were prepared by the two-step solid-state reaction at several temperatures and characterized by Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The primary particle size of Li͓Ni 1/2 Mn 3/2 ͔O 4 depends on the heating temperature. High temperature synthesis gives highly crystallized Li͓Ni 1/2 Mn 3/2 ͔O 4 having large particle sizes with smooth ͕111͖ facets of octahedra characteristic of spinel. The steady-state polarization measurements were carried out by applying the sinusoidal voltage of peak amplitude of 1 V at 0.1 Hz to the cell consisting of Li͓Ni 1/2 Mn 3/2 ͔O 4 and Li͓Li 1/3 Ti 5/3 ͔O 4 . The well-developed primary particles prepared at 1000°C were superior to the small primary particles prepared at temperatures lower than that value in terms of polarization together with cycling stability.

We propose a simple theoretical radiation scheme for regular building arrays. The essential difference of the present radiation scheme from the previous ones is the explicit consideration of the three-dimensional features of the surface geometry. The model is assumed to be an infinitely extended regular array of uniform buildings, each building composed of six faces (roof, floor, and four vertical walls). Without using time-consuming iterations or statistical approaches, we calculated the view factors of the faces, the complicated sunlit-shadow distributions, and the resulting canopy albedo for any time and location. The model was evaluated by comparing to outdoor experiments in a wide range of seasons and surface geometries. The simulated canopy albedos agreed well with measured values, and the accuracy is a significant improvement over two-dimensional-based model outputs.