Adsorption and inhibition of CuO nanoparticles on Arabidopsis thaliana root

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Lina

2018-02-01

CuO NPs, the size ranging from 20 to 80 nm were used to detect the adsorption and inhibition on the Arabidopsis thaliana roots. In this study, CuO NPs were adsorbed and agglomerated on the surface of root top after exposed for 7 days. With the increasing of CuO NPs concentrations, CuO NPs also adsorbed on the meristernatic zone. The growth of Arabidopsis thaliana lateral roots were also inhibited by CuO NPs exposure. The Inhibition were concentration dependent. The number of root top were 246, 188 and 123 per Arabidopsis thaliana, respectively. The number of root tops after CuO NPs exposure were significantly decreased compared with control groups. This results suggested the phytotoxicity of CuO NPs on Arabidopsis thaliana roots.

Seasonal evolution of the Arctic marginal ice zone and its power-law obeying floe size distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, J.; Stern, H. L., III; Schweiger, A. J. B.; Steele, M.; Hwang, P. B.

2017-12-01

A thickness, floe size, and enthalpy distribution (TFED) sea ice model, implemented numerically into the Pan-arctic Ice-Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System (PIOMAS), is used to investigate the seasonal evolution of the Arctic marginal ice zone (MIZ) and its floe size distribution. The TFED sea ice model, by coupling the Zhang et al. [2015] sea ice floe size distribution (FSD) theory with the Thorndike et al. [1975] ice thickness distribution (ITD) theory, simulates 12-category FSD and ITD explicitly and jointly. A range of ice thickness and floe size observations were used for model calibration and validation. The model creates FSDs that generally obey a power law or upper truncated power law, as observed by satellites and aerial surveys. In this study, we will examine the role of ice fragmentation and lateral melting in altering FSDs in the Arctic MIZ. We will also investigate how changes in FSD impact the seasonal evolution of the MIZ by modifying the thermodynamic processes.

Measurement of an electron-beam size with a beam profile monitor using Fresnel zone plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iida, K.; Nakamura, N.; Sakai, H.; Shinoe, K.; Takaki, H.; Fujisawa, M.; Hayano, H.; Nomura, M.; Kamiya, Y.; Koseki, T.; Amemiya, Y.; Aoki, N.; Nakayama, K.

2003-01-01

We present a non-destructive and real-time beam profile monitor using Fresnel zone plates (FZPs) and the measurement of an electron-beam size with this monitor in the KEK-Accelerator Test Facility (ATF) damping ring. The monitor system has the structure of a long-distance X-ray microscope, where two FZPs constitute an X-ray imaging optics. The synchrotron radiation from the electron beam at the bending magnet is monochromatized by a crystal monochromator and the transverse electron beam image is twenty times magnified by the two FZPs and detected on an X-ray CCD camera. The expected spatial resolution for the selected photon energy of 3.235 keV is sufficiently high to measure the horizontal and vertical beam sizes of the ATF damping ring. With the beam profile monitor, we succeeded in obtaining a clear electron-beam image and measuring the extremely small beam size less than 10 μm. The measured magnification of the X-ray imaging optics in the monitor system was in good agreement with the design value

Peliminary examination of herbal extracts on the inhibition of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: The activity was quantitatively assessed on the basis of the inhibition zone, and their activity index was also calculated along with the MIC method. Results: All the plants demonstrated antimicrobial activity against H. pylori with zone of inhibition diameters ranging from 0 - 30 mm and minimum inhibitory ...

Bacterial self-defense antibiotics release from organic-inorganic hybrid multilayer films for long-term anti-adhesion and biofilm inhibition properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Qingwen; Li, Xi; Jin, Yingying; Sun, Lin; Ding, Xiaoxu; Liang, Lin; Wang, Lei; Nan, Kaihui; Ji, Jian; Chen, Hao; Wang, Bailiang

2017-12-14

Implant-associated bacterial infections pose serious medical and financial issues due to the colonization and proliferation of pathogens on the surface of the implant. The as-prepared traditional antibacterial surfaces can neither resist bacterial adhesion nor inhibit the development of biofilm over the long term. Herein, novel (montmorillonite/poly-l-lysine-gentamicin sulfate) 8 ((MMT/PLL-GS) 8 ) organic-inorganic hybrid multilayer films were developed to combine enzymatic degradation PLL for on-demand self-defense antibiotics release. Small molecule GS was loaded into the multilayer films during self-assembly and the multilayer films showed pH-dependent and linear growth behavior. The chymotrypsin- (CMS) and bacterial infections-responsive film degradation led to the peeling of the films and GS release. Enzyme-responsive GS release exhibited CMS concentration dependence as measured by the size of the inhibition zone and SEM images. Notably, the obtained antibacterial films showed highly efficient bactericidal activity which killed more than 99.9% of S. aureus in 12 h. Even after 3 d of incubation in S. aureus, E. coli or S. epidermidis solutions, the multilayer films exhibited inhibition zones of more than 1.5 mm in size. Both in vitro and in vivo antibacterial tests indicated good cell compatibility, and anti-inflammatory, and long-term bacterial anti-adhesion and biofilm inhibition properties.

Observation of radioactive aerosol particle sizes in 30-km zone of the ChNPP in 1986-1987 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skitovich, V.I.; Budyka, A.K.; Ogorodnikov, B.I.

1989-01-01

Investigation into disperse composition of radioactive aerosols was conducted in the ChNPP spaces, over ruins of 4 block, on job site and separate points of the 30-km zone by multilayer filters from ultrathin fibers. In probes taken from the job site radioactive isotopes were grouped on the particles with more than 2,5 μcm diameter. Particle sizes in the room were less than near terrestrial layer of atmosphere on job site. It is shown that the aerosol sizes containing alpha active nuclides are idential with gamma radiating isotopes of refractory elements. 4 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs

Randomized clinical trial of mast cell inhibition in patients with a medium-sized abdominal aortic aneurysm

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sillesen, H; Eldrup, N; Hultgren, R

2015-01-01

the growth of medium-sized AAAs. In preclinical and clinical trials, pemirolast has been shown to inhibit antigen-induced allergic reactions. METHODS: Inclusion criteria for the trial were patients with an AAA of 39-49 mm in diameter on ultrasound imaging. Among exclusion criteria were previous aortic....... There was no statistically significant difference in growth between patients receiving placebo and those in the three dose groups of pemirolast. Similarly, there were no differences in adverse events. CONCLUSION: Treatment with pemirolast did not retard the growth of medium-sized AAAs. REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01354184...

Immunoassay of poliovirus antigens by single-radial-diffusion: development and characteristics of a sensitive autoradiographic zone size enhancement (ZE) technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schild, G.C.; Wood, J.M.; Minor, P.D.; Dandawate, C.N.; Magrath, D.I.

1980-01-01

The reactions of polioviruses in single-radial-immunodiffusion (SRD) tests were investigated with a view to developing accurate and sensitive antigen assay systems. In direct SRD tests, the reactions were type-specific for polioviruses of types 1, 2 and 3 but the tests were of low sensitivity, being applicable only to the assay of virus concentrates. A novel autoradiographic zone size enhancement (ZE) test was developed which increased the sensitivity of the SRD assay 40-to 100-fold. The ZE test was dependent upon the ability of unlabelled poliovirus to co-migrate with the radioactive marker virus and so enhance the zone size detected autoradiographically. The areas of the autoradiographic zones were directly proportional to the concentration of unlabelled antigen. The ZE test was capable of detecting poliovirus D antigens in amounts corresponding to 10sup(3.3) to 10sup(4.3) TCID 50 of infectious virus. Studies with poliovirus type 3 strains indicated that the ZE test was narrowly strain-specific for the D-antigen of poliovirus type 3 strains when homologous type 3 D-antigen was used as radioactive marker, but broadly cross-reactive for the D-antigen of type 3 viruses when heterologous poliovirus type 3 D-antigen was used as marker. (author)

Clarification on shear transformation zone size and its correlation with plasticity for Zr-based bulk metallic glass in different structural states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Z.Q.; Huang, L. [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Material, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Huang, P., E-mail: huangping@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Material, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Xu, K.W. [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Material, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Wang, F., E-mail: wangfei@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Lu, T.J. [State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); MOE Key Laboratory for Multifunctional Materials and Structures Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

2016-11-20

To clarify the real size of shear transformation zone (STZ) and its correlation with the plasticity of metallic glass, STZ sizes of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass (BMG) in three different structural states (as-cast, annealed and confining annealed) were examined using both rate-change and statistical methods upon nanoindentation. STZ sizes (less than 24 atoms) obtained by the statistical method approached the real STZ size of very few atoms, and showed no correlation with BMG plasticity. In sharp contrast, STZ sizes (hundreds of atoms) obtained by the rate-change method not only were much larger than the real STZ size but also exhibited a positive correlation with BMG plasticity. These discrepancies were discussed in terms of the structural evolution of BMGs upon nanoindentation.

The Cora Lake Shear Zone: Strain Localization in an Ultramylonitic, Deep Crustal Shear Zone, Athabasca Granulite Terrain, Western Churchill Province, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Regan, S.; Williams, M. L.; Mahan, K. H.; Orlandini, O. F.; Jercinovic, M. J.; Leslie, S. R.; Holland, M.

2012-12-01

Ultramylonitic shear zones typically involve intense strain localization, and when developed over large regions can introduce considerable heterogeneity into the crust. The Cora Lake shear zone (CLsz) displays several 10's to 100's of meters-wide zones of ultramylonite distributed throughout its full 3-5 km mylonitized width. Detailed mapping, petrography, thermobarometry, and in-situ monazite geochronology suggest that it formed during the waning phases of granulite grade metamorphism and deformation, within one of North America's largest exposures of polydeformed lower continental crust. Anastomosing zones of ultramylonite contain recrystallized grain-sizes approaching the micron scale and might appear to suggest lower temperature mylonitization. However, feldspar and even clinopyroxene are dynamically recrystallized, and quantitative thermobarometry of syn-deformational assemblages indicate high P and T conditions ranging from 0.9 -10.6 GPa and 775-850 °C. Even at these high T's, dynamic recovery and recrystallization were extremely limited. Rocks with low modal quartz have extremely small equilibrium volumes. This is likely the result of inefficient diffusion, which is further supported by the unannealed nature of the crystals. Local carbonate veins suggests that H2O poor, CO2 rich conditions may have aided in the preservation of fine grain sizes, and may have inhibited dynamic recovery and recrystallization. The Cora Lake shear zone is interpreted to have been relatively strong and to have hardened during progressive deformation. Garnet is commonly fractured perpendicular to host rock fabric, and statically replaced by both biotite and muscovite. Pseudotachylite, with the same sense of shear, occurs in several ultramylonitized mafic granulites. Thus, cataclasis and frictional melt are interpreted to have been produced in the lower continental crust, not during later reactivation. We suggest that strengthening of rheologically stiffer lithologies led to

Modeling the Effects of Duration and Size of the Control Zones on the Consequences of a Hypothetical African Swine Fever Epidemic in Denmark

Science.gov (United States)

Halasa, Tariq; Bøtner, Anette; Mortensen, Sten; Christensen, Hanne; Wulff, Sisse Birk; Boklund, Anette

2018-01-01

African swine fever (ASF) is a notifiable infectious disease. The disease is endemic in certain regions in Eastern Europe constituting a risk of ASF spread toward Western Europe. Therefore, as part of contingency planning, it is important to continuously explore strategies that can effectively control an epidemic of ASF. A previously published and well documented simulation model for ASF virus spread between herds was used to examine the epidemiologic and economic impacts of the duration and size of the control zones around affected herds. In the current study, scenarios were run, where the duration of the protection and surveillance zones were reduced from 50 and 45 days to 35 and 25 days or to 35 and 25 days, respectively. These scenarios were run with or without enlargement of the surveillance zone around detected herds from 10 to 15 km. The scenarios were also run with only clinical or clinical and serological surveillance of herds within the zones. Sensitivity analysis was conducted on influential input parameters in the model. The model predicts that reducing the duration of the protection and surveillance zones has no impact on the epidemiological consequences of the epidemics, while it may result in a substantial reduction in the total economic losses. In addition, the model predicts that increasing the size of the surveillance zone from 10 to 15 km may reduce both the epidemic duration and the total economic losses, in case of large epidemics. The ranking of the control strategies by the total costs of the epidemics was not influenced by changes of input parameters in the sensitivity analyses. PMID:29616228

Surf Zone Sediment Size Variation, Morphodynamics, and Hydrodynamics During Sea/Land Breeze and El-Norte Storm in Sisal, Yucatan, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Alrushaid, T.; Figlus, J.; Torres-Freyermuth, A.; Puleo, J. A.; Dellapenna, T. M.

2016-02-01

Coastlines around the world are under ever-increasing pressure due to population trends, commerce, and geophysical processes like tropical storms and erosion. This multi-institutional field campaign was conducted to improve our understanding of complex nearshore processes under varying forcing conditions on a microtidal, sandy beach located in Sisal, Yucatan from 3/27 to 4/12/2014. Hydrodynamics, morphodynamics, and textural variability were investigated during: (1) a cold front event (referred to as El-Norte); (2) land breeze (LB); and (3) sea breeze (SB). The instrumentation layout included three surf/swash zone cross-shore transects where water elevation, suspended sediment concentration, bed load, and current velocities were measured, as well as several offshore ADCP for hydrodynamic measurements. TKE, τb, ɛ and were estimated using the data obtained from surf zone ADV. In addition, Hs and Tsin the surf zone were computed using measurements from ADV pressure sensors, while a separate pressure transducer was used to obtain water free-surface elevation within the swash zone. During SB cycles the study area experienced wind velocities reaching up to 12ms-1, and 15ms-1 during El-Norte. Elevated wind stress during El-Norte resulted in Hs of 1.5m and 0.6m in water depths of 10m and 0.4m, respectively. Surface sediment grab samples during SB/LB cycles showed that the swash zone had a moderately well sorted distribution with a mean grain size of 0.5mm, while poor sorting and a mean grain size of 0.7mm were found during El-Norte. Additionally, measured bathymetry data showed evidence for offshore sandbar migration during strong offshore currents (0.4ms-1) during El-Norte, while onshore sandbar migration was evident during SB/LB periods (0.3ms-1 and 0.1ms-1, respectively). This study highlights how different weather forcing conditions affect hydrodynamics, morphodynamics, and textural variability on a sandy beach. Aside from furthering our knowledge on these complex

46 CFR 76.23-5 - Zoning.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... deck, large common areas may be zoned in accordance with table 76.23-5(b). All such zones within one common area shall be of approximately the same size. Zones of this type shall overlap in such a manner that the end sprinkler heads of both adjoining zones will cover the identical area. Table 76.23-5(b...

The effect of the melt thermal gradient on the size of the constitutionally supercooled zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prasad, A; StJohn, D; Yuan, L; Lee, P D; Easton, M

2016-01-01

Recent verification of the analytical Interdependence model by a numerical solidification model (µMatIC) confirmed the critical role of constitutional supercooling (CS) in achieving sufficient undercooling to trigger successful nucleation events. The location of the maximum amount of CS (ΔT CSmax ) is some distance from the interface of the previously growing grain and this distance contributes to the final as-cast grain size. The effect of the thermal gradient, G, on the size of the CS zone (CSZ) was neglected in that work. However, G is expected to affect the size of the CSZ (i.e. the length of the CSZ, x’ CSZ , and the location of ΔTCSmax, x’ CSmax ). This investigation assesses the effect of G on x’csz and x' CSmax . A range of G values is introduced into both the analytical and the numerical models to obtain a correlation between the value of G and the dimensions of the CSZ. The result of a test case from the analytical model shows that x’ CSmax initially decreases rapidly and then decreases gradually approaching zero at very high values of G. Independent of the analytical model, the results from the numerical model replicate the trend obtained from the analytical model. (paper)

How Well Does Fracture Set Characterization Reduce Uncertainty in Capture Zone Size for Wells Situated in Sedimentary Bedrock Aquifers?

Science.gov (United States)

West, A. C.; Novakowski, K. S.

2005-12-01

beyond a threshold concentration within the specified time. Aquifers are simulated by drawing the random spacings and apertures from specified distributions. Predictions are made of capture zone size assuming various degrees of knowledge of these distributions, with the parameters of the horizontal fractures being estimated using simulated hydraulic tests and a maximum likelihood estimator. The uncertainty is evaluated by calculating the variance in the capture zone size estimated in multiple realizations. The results show that despite good strategies to estimate the parameters of the horizontal fractures the uncertainty in capture zone size is enormous, mostly due to the lack of available information on vertical fractures. Also, at realistic distances (less than ten kilometers) and using realistic transmissivity distributions for the horizontal fractures the uptake of solute from fractures into matrix cannot be relied upon to protect the production well from contamination.

Instrumentation for coastal zone management

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Joseph, A.

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Management of coastal zone vegetation

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Untawale, A.G.

stream_size 14 stream_content_type text/plain stream_name Trg_Course_Coast_Zone_Manage_1993_22.pdf.txt stream_source_info Trg_Course_Coast_Zone_Manage_1993_22.pdf.txt Content-Encoding ISO-8859-1 Content-Type text/plain; charset...

Individual tree size inequality enhances aboveground biomass in homegarden agroforestry systems in the dry zone of Sri Lanka.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Arshad; Mattsson, Eskil

2017-01-01

Individual tree size variation, which is generally quantified by variances in tree diameter at breast height (DBH) and height in isolation or conjunction, plays a central role in ecosystem functioning in both controlled and natural environments, including forests. However, none of the studies have been conducted in homegarden agroforestry systems. In this study, aboveground biomass, stand quality, cation exchange capacity (CEC), DBH variation, and species diversity were determined across 45 homegardens in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. We employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to test for the direct and indirect effects of stand quality and CEC, via tree size inequality and species diversity, on aboveground biomass. The SEM accounted for 26, 8, and 1% of the variation in aboveground biomass, species diversity and DBH variation, respectively. DBH variation had the strongest positive direct effect on aboveground biomass (β=0.49), followed by the non-significant direct effect of species diversity (β=0.17), stand quality (β=0.17) and CEC (β=-0.05). There were non-significant direct effects of CEC and stand quality on DBH variation and species diversity. Stand quality and CEC had also non-significant indirect effects, via DBH variation and species diversity, on aboveground biomass. Our study revealed that aboveground biomass substantially increased with individual tree size variation only, which supports the niche complementarity mechanism. However, aboveground biomass was not considerably increased with species diversity, stand quality and soil fertility, which might be attributable to the adaptation of certain productive species to the local site conditions. Stand structure shaped by few productive species or independent of species diversity is a main determinant for the variation in aboveground biomass in the studied homegardens. Maintaining stand structure through management practices could be an effective approach for enhancing aboveground biomass in these dry

Kepler Mission: A Mission to Find Earth-size Planets in the Habitable Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Borucki, W. J.

2003-01-01

The Kepler Mission is a Discovery-class mission designed to continuously monitor the brightness of 100,000 solar-like stars to detect the transits of Earth-size and larger planets. It is a wide field of view photometer Schmidt-type telescope with an array of 42 CCDs. It has a 0.95 m aperture and 1.4 m primary and is designed to attain a photometric precision of 2 parts in 10(exp 5) for 12th magnitude solar-like stars for a 6 hr transit duration. It will continuously observe 100,000 main-sequence stars from 9th to 14th magnitude in the Cygnus constellation for a period of four years with a cadence of 4/hour. An additional 250 stars can be monitored at a cadence of l/minute to do astro-seismology of stars brighter than 11.5 mv. The photometer is scheduled to be launched into heliocentric orbit in 2007. When combined with ground-based spectrometric observations of these stars, the positions of the planets relative to the habitable zone can be found. The spectra of the stars are also used to determine the relationships between the characteristics of terrestrial planets and the characteristics of the stars they orbit. In particular, the association of planet size and occurrence frequency with stellar mass and metallicity will be investigated. Based on the results of the current Doppler-velocity discoveries, over a thousand giant planets will also be found. Information on the albedos and densities of those giants showing transits will be obtained. At the end of the four year mission, hundreds of Earth-size planets should be discovered in and near the HZ of their stars if such planets are common. A null result would imply that terrestrial planets in the HZ are very rare and that life might also be quite rare.

Modeling the Effects of Duration and Size of the Control Zones on the Consequences of a Hypothetical African Swine Fever Epidemic in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halasa, Tariq; Bøtner, Anette; Mortensen, Sten

2018-01-01

control an epidemic of ASF. A previously published and well documented simulation model for ASF virus spread between herds was used to examine the epidemiologic and economic impacts of the duration and size of the control zones around affected herds. In the current study, scenarios were run, where......African swine fever (ASF) is a notifiable infectious disease. The disease is endemic in certain regions in Eastern Europe constituting a risk of ASF spread toward Western Europe. Therefore, as part of contingency planning, it is important to continuously explore strategies that can effectively...... or clinical and serological surveillance of herds within the zones. Sensitivity analysis was conducted on influential input parameters in the model. The model predicts that reducing the duration of the protection and surveillance zones has no impact on the epidemiological consequences of the epidemics, while...

Effect of grain size on amplitude-dependent internal friction in polycrystalline copper. Do takessho no naibu masatsu no shinpuku izon sei ni oyobosu kessho ryukei no eikyo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goto, H.; Nishino, Y.; Asano, S. (Nagoya Inst. of Technology, Nagoya (Japan))

1991-08-20

In this research, amplitude-dependency of internal friction was measured on various polycrystalline copper of varying grain size. Furthermore, the measurement data of amplitude-dependency of internal friction were analyzed from the phenomenological standpoint and microplastic strain was calculated as a function of stress. The obtained correlation between microplastic strain and stress corresponded to the stress-strain curve obtainable from normal tensile tests. Hence, comparing with the Hall-Petch relation, the relationship between flow stress and grain size in the microplastiic zone was discussed. The obtained results are summarized as follows: When grains were refined, amplitude dependency of internal friction was inhibited. As a result of the analysis of the data obtained, it was found that the flow stress in the microplastic zone increased following refining of grains. This agreed qualitatively with the macro deformation obtained from normal tensile tests. The grain size dependency of flow stress in the microplastic zone did not follow the normal Hall-Pitch relation, but the plastic strain increased, the dependency moved towards it. 16 refs., 4 figs.

Exclusion of mRNPs and ribosomal particles from a thin zone beneath the nuclear envelope revealed upon inhibition of transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kylberg, Karin; Bjoerk, Petra; Fomproix, Nathalie; Ivarsson, Birgitta; Wieslander, Lars; Daneholt, Bertil

2010-01-01

We have studied the nucleocytoplasmic transport of a specific messenger RNP (mRNP) particle, named Balbiani ring (BR) granule, and ribosomal RNP (rRNP) particles in the salivary glands of the dipteran Chironomus tentans. The passage of the RNPs through the nuclear pore complex (NPC) was inhibited with the nucleoporin-binding wheat germ agglutinin, and the effects were examined by electron microscopy. BR mRNPs bound to the nuclear basket increased in number, while BR mRNPs translocating through the central channel decreased, suggesting that the initiation of translocation proper had been inhibited. The rRNPs accumulated heavily in nucleoplasm, while no or very few rRNPs were recorded within nuclear baskets. Thus, the transport of rRNPs had been blocked prior to the entry into the baskets. Remarkably, the rRNPs had been excluded both from baskets and the space in between the baskets. We propose that normally basket fibrils move freely and repel RNPs from the exclusion zone unless the particles have affinity for and bind to nucleoporins within the baskets.

Experimental Evaluation of User Influence on Test Zone Size in Multi-probe Anechoic Chamber Setups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fan, Wei; Kyösti, Pekka; Ji, Yilin

2017-01-01

, an extensive measurement campaign was carried out in the paper. Two realistic LTE mockups were designed and their performance were evaluated under standard spatial channel models with and without the presence of user phantom. The measurement results have shown that the nearby user phantom can significantly...... affect the MIMO performance. However, its impact on the test zone size of the MPAC system is negligible, since emulation accuracy in terms of received power, branch power ratio (BPR), antenna correlation and measured throughput under the target and the emulated channels is not affected by the presence...... of user phantom. Moreover, results measured with the synthetic MPAC method generally match those obtained with the reference two-stage method. These findings are valuable inputs for the ongoing MIMO OTA harmonization work in the standardization....

Calcium-dependent depletion zones in the cortical microtubule array coincide with sites of, but do not regulate, wall ingrowth papillae deposition in epidermal transfer cells

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hui-ming; Talbot, Mark J.; McCurdy, David W.; Patrick, John W.; Offler, Christina E.

2015-01-01

Trans-differentiation to a transfer-cell morphology is characterized by the localized deposition of wall ingrowth papillae that protrude into the cytosol. Whether the cortical microtubule array directs wall ingrowth papillae formation was investigated using a Vicia faba cotyledon culture system in which their adaxial epidermal cells were spontaneously induced to trans-differentiate to transfer cells. During deposition of wall ingrowth papillae, the aligned cortical microtubule arrays in precursor epidermal cells were reorganized into a randomized array characterized by circular depletion zones. Concurrence of the temporal appearance, spatial pattern, and size of depletion zones and wall ingrowth papillae was consistent with each papilla occupying a depletion zone. Surprisingly, microtubules appeared not to regulate construction of wall ingrowth papillae, as neither depolymerization nor stabilization of cortical microtubules changed their deposition pattern or morphology. Moreover, the size and spatial pattern of depletion zones was unaltered when the formation of wall ingrowth papillae was blocked by inhibiting cellulose biosynthesis. In contrast, the depletion zones were absent when the cytosolic calcium plumes, responsible for directing wall ingrowth papillae formation, were blocked or dissipated. Thus, we conclude that the depletion zones within the cortical microtubule array result from localized depolymerization of microtubules initiated by elevated cytosolic Ca2+ levels at loci where wall ingrowth papillae are deposited. The physiological significance of the depletion zones as a mechanism to accommodate the construction of wall ingrowth papillae without compromising maintenance of the plasma membrane–microtubule inter-relationship is discussed. PMID:26136268

Remote sensing applications for coastal zone management

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Rao, L.V.G.

stream_size 4 stream_content_type text/plain stream_name Trg_Course_Coast_Zone_Manage_1993_5.pdf.txt stream_source_info Trg_Course_Coast_Zone_Manage_1993_5.pdf.txt Content-Encoding ISO-8859-1 Content-Type text/plain; charset...

Differences in quantitative assessment of myocardial scar and gray zone by LGE-CMR imaging using established gray zone protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Mesubi, Olurotimi; Ego-Osuala, Kelechi; Jeudy, Jean; Purtilo, James; Synowski, Stephen; Abutaleb, Ameer; Niekoop, Michelle; Abdulghani, Mohammed; Asoglu, Ramazan; See, Vincent; Saliaris, Anastasios; Shorofsky, Stephen; Dickfeld, Timm

2015-02-01

Late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) imaging is the gold standard for myocardial scar evaluation. Heterogeneous areas of scar ('gray zone'), may serve as arrhythmogenic substrate. Various gray zone protocols have been correlated to clinical outcomes and ventricular tachycardia channels. This study assessed the quantitative differences in gray zone and scar core sizes as defined by previously validated signal intensity (SI) threshold algorithms. High quality LGE-CMR images performed in 41 cardiomyopathy patients [ischemic (33) or non-ischemic (8)] were analyzed using previously validated SI threshold methods [Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM), n-standard deviation (NSD) and modified-FWHM]. Myocardial scar was defined as scar core and gray zone using SI thresholds based on these methods. Scar core, gray zone and total scar sizes were then computed and compared among these models. The median gray zone mass was 2-3 times larger with FWHM (15 g, IQR: 8-26 g) compared to NSD or modified-FWHM (5 g, IQR: 3-9 g; and 8 g. IQR: 6-12 g respectively, p zone extent (percentage of total scar that was gray zone) also varied significantly among the three methods, 51 % (IQR: 42-61 %), 17 % (IQR: 11-21 %) versus 38 % (IQR: 33-43 %) for FWHM, NSD and modified-FWHM respectively (p zone and scar core. Infarct core and total myocardial scar mass also differ using these methods. Further evaluation of the most accurate quantification method is needed.

Zone-size nonuniformity of 18F-FDG PET regional textural features predicts survival in patients with oropharyngeal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Nai-Ming; Fang, Yu-Hua Dean; Lee, Li-yu; Chang, Joseph Tung-Chieh; Tsan, Din-Li; Ng, Shu-Hang; Wang, Hung-Ming; Liao, Chun-Ta; Yang, Lan-Yan; Hsu, Ching-Han; Yen, Tzu-Chen

2015-03-01

The question as to whether the regional textural features extracted from PET images predict prognosis in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) remains open. In this study, we investigated the prognostic impact of regional heterogeneity in patients with T3/T4 OPSCC. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 88 patients with T3 or T4 OPSCC who had completed primary therapy. Progression-free survival (PFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were the main outcome measures. In an exploratory analysis, a standardized uptake value of 2.5 (SUV 2.5) was taken as the cut-off value for the detection of tumour boundaries. A fixed threshold at 42 % of the maximum SUV (SUVmax 42 %) and an adaptive threshold method were then used for validation. Regional textural features were extracted from pretreatment (18)F-FDG PET/CT images using the grey-level run length encoding method and grey-level size zone matrix. The prognostic significance of PET textural features was examined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Cox regression analysis. Zone-size nonuniformity (ZSNU) was identified as an independent predictor of PFS and DSS. Its prognostic impact was confirmed using both the SUVmax 42 % and the adaptive threshold segmentation methods. Based on (1) total lesion glycolysis, (2) uniformity (a local scale texture parameter), and (3) ZSNU, we devised a prognostic stratification system that allowed the identification of four distinct risk groups. The model combining the three prognostic parameters showed a higher predictive value than each variable alone. ZSNU is an independent predictor of outcome in patients with advanced T-stage OPSCC, and may improve their prognostic stratification.

Periodic Viscous Shear Heating Instability in Fine-Grained Shear Zones: Possible Mechanism for Intermediate Depth Earthquakes and Slow Earthquakes?

Science.gov (United States)

Kelemen, P. B.; Hirth, G.

2004-12-01

Localized ductile shear zones with widths of cm to m are observed in exposures of Earth's shallow mantle (e.g., Kelemen & Dick JGR 95; Vissers et al. Tectonophys 95) and dredged from oceanic fracture zones (e.g., Jaroslow et al. Tectonophys 96). These are mylonitic (grain size 10 to 100 microns) and record mineral cooling temperatures from 1100 to 600 C. Pseudotachylites in a mantle shear zone show that shear heating temperatures can exceed the mantle solidus (e.g., Obata & Karato Tectonophys 95). Simple shear, recrystallization, and grain boundary sliding all decrease the spacing between pyroxenes, so olivine grain growth at lower stress is inhibited; thus, once formed, these shear zones do not "heal" on geological time scales. Reasoning that grain-size sensitive creep will be localized within these shear zones, rather than host rocks (grain size 1 to 10 mm), and inspired by the work of Whitehead & Gans (GJRAS 74), we thought these might undergo repeated shear heating instabilities. In this view, as elastic stress increases, the shear zone weakens via shear heating; rapid deformation of the weak shear zone releases most stored elastic stress; lower stress and strain rate coupled with diffusion of heat into host rocks leads to cooling and strengthening, after which the cycle repeats. We constructed a simple numerical model incorporating olivine flow laws for dislocation creep, diffusion creep, grain boundary sliding, and low T plasticity. We assumed that viscous deformation remains localized in shear zones, surrounded by host rocks undergoing elastic deformation. We fixed the velocity along one side of an elastic half space, and calculated stress due to elastic strain. This stress drives viscous deformation in a shear zone of specified width. Shear heating and thermal diffusion control temperature evolution in the shear zone and host rocks. A maximum of 1400 C (where substantial melting of peridotite would occur) is imposed. Grain size evolves during dislocation

Influence of aggregate size, water cement ratio and age on the microstructure of the interfacial transition zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elsharief, Amir; Cohen, Menashi D.; Olek, Jan

2003-01-01

This paper presents the results of an investigation on the effect of water-cement ratio (w/c), aggregate size, and age on the microstructure of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between normal weight aggregate and the bulk cement paste. Backscattered electron images (BSE) obtained by scanning electron microscope were used to characterize the ITZ microstructure. The results suggest that the w/c plays an important role in controlling the microstructure of the ITZ and its thickness. Reducing w/c from 0.55 to 0.40 resulted in an ITZ with characteristics that are not distinguishable from those of the bulk paste as demonstrated by BSE images. Aggregate size appears to have an important influence on the ITZ characteristics. Reducing the aggregate size tends to reduce the ITZ porosity. The evolution of the ITZ microstructure relative to that of the bulk paste appears to depend on the initial content of the unhydrated cement grains (UH). The results suggest that the presence of a relatively low amount of UH in the ITZ at early age may cause the porosity of the ITZ, relative to that of the bulk paste, to increase with time. The presence of relatively large amount of UH in the ITZ at early ages may cause its porosity, relative to that of the bulk paste, to decrease with time

Calcium-dependent depletion zones in the cortical microtubule array coincide with sites of, but do not regulate, wall ingrowth papillae deposition in epidermal transfer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hui-ming; Talbot, Mark J; McCurdy, David W; Patrick, John W; Offler, Christina E

2015-09-01

Trans-differentiation to a transfer-cell morphology is characterized by the localized deposition of wall ingrowth papillae that protrude into the cytosol. Whether the cortical microtubule array directs wall ingrowth papillae formation was investigated using a Vicia faba cotyledon culture system in which their adaxial epidermal cells were spontaneously induced to trans-differentiate to transfer cells. During deposition of wall ingrowth papillae, the aligned cortical microtubule arrays in precursor epidermal cells were reorganized into a randomized array characterized by circular depletion zones. Concurrence of the temporal appearance, spatial pattern, and size of depletion zones and wall ingrowth papillae was consistent with each papilla occupying a depletion zone. Surprisingly, microtubules appeared not to regulate construction of wall ingrowth papillae, as neither depolymerization nor stabilization of cortical microtubules changed their deposition pattern or morphology. Moreover, the size and spatial pattern of depletion zones was unaltered when the formation of wall ingrowth papillae was blocked by inhibiting cellulose biosynthesis. In contrast, the depletion zones were absent when the cytosolic calcium plumes, responsible for directing wall ingrowth papillae formation, were blocked or dissipated. Thus, we conclude that the depletion zones within the cortical microtubule array result from localized depolymerization of microtubules initiated by elevated cytosolic Ca(2+) levels at loci where wall ingrowth papillae are deposited. The physiological significance of the depletion zones as a mechanism to accommodate the construction of wall ingrowth papillae without compromising maintenance of the plasma membrane-microtubule inter-relationship is discussed. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Organizational-level interventions in small and medium-sized enterprises: Enabling and inhibiting factors in the PoWRS program

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ipsen, Christine; Gish, Liv; Poulsen, Signe

2015-01-01

Work-related stress in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is an increasing problem. However, knowledge regarding organizational-level interventions in SMEs is limited, and SMEs often lack professional facilitator resources to assist in change processes. An intervention program developed...... for large corporations, the PoWRS (Prevention of Work-Related Stress) program, has been modified to fit the conditions in SMEs, i.e., appointing employees as in-house facilitators. The aim of this paper is to examine the enablers and inhibiting factors of the PoWRS program when applied in four Danish SMEs....... Three out of four of the case companies succeeded in implementing the program. The enablers and inhibiting factors related to three themes: persons and roles, program components, and organizational context. Findings show that the primary enabling factors were the in-house employee facilitators...

An evaluation on the effect of reversed plastic zone on the fatigue crack opening behavior under 2-D plane stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Hyeon Chang

2005-01-01

The relationship between fatigue crack opening behavior and the reversed plastic zone sizes is studied. An elastic-plastic Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is performed to examine the opening behavior of fatigue crack, where the contact elements are used in the mesh of the crack tip area. The smaller element size than reversed plastic zone size is used for evaluating the distribution of reversed plastic zone. In the author's previous results the FEA could predict the crack opening level, which crack tip elements were in proportion to the theoretical reversed plastic zone size. It is found that the calculated reversed plastic zone size is related to the theoretical reversed plastic zone size and crack opening level. The calculated reversed plastic zone sizes are almost equal to the reversed plastic zone considering crack opening level obtained by experimental results. It can be possible to predict the crack opening level from the reversed plastic zone size calculated by finite element method. We find that the experimental crack opening levels correspond with the opening values of contact nodes on the calculated reversed plastic zone of finite element simulation

Structure and properties of melt-spun high acrylonitrile copolymer fibers via continuous zone-drawing and zone-annealing processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Zongquan; Zhang Anqiu; Percec, Simona; Jin Shi; Jing, Alexander J.; Ge, Jason J.; Cheng, Stephen Z.D.

2003-01-01

Continuous zone-drawing and zone-annealing processes have been utilized to probe improvements in mechanical performance of melt-spun high acrylonitrile copolymer fibers (AMLON TM ). The as-spun fibers were zone-drawn at different ratios in a narrow temperature range of 100-105 deg. C and then zone-annealed. As a result of these processes, the fibers show substantial increases in tensile strength and tensile modulus (about three times) and significant improvements in elongation-at-break (about two times) after zone annealing. The thermal transition behavior, dimensional stability and dynamic relaxation properties of the as-spun, zone-drawn and zone-annealed fibers have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry, thermal mechanical and dynamic mechanical experiments. Their mechanical and thermal property changes after the zone-drawing and zone-annealing processes can be associated with the microscopic structural evolution including crystallinity, crystal orientation and apparent crystallite size detected by wide angle X-ray diffraction experiments

EIA modelling for coastal zone management. Part 2

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Babu, M.T.; Vethamony, P.

stream_size 15 stream_content_type text/plain stream_name Summer_Sch_EIA_Manage_Coast_Zone_2001_95.pdf.txt stream_source_info Summer_Sch_EIA_Manage_Coast_Zone_2001_95.pdf.txt Content-Encoding ISO-8859-1 Content-Type text...

Atmospheric reconnaissance of the habitable-zone Earth-sized planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1

Science.gov (United States)

de Wit, Julien; Wakeford, Hannah R.; Lewis, Nikole K.; Delrez, Laetitia; Gillon, Michaël; Selsis, Frank; Leconte, Jérémy; Demory, Brice-Olivier; Bolmont, Emeline; Bourrier, Vincent; Burgasser, Adam J.; Grimm, Simon; Jehin, Emmanuël; Lederer, Susan M.; Owen, James E.; Stamenković, Vlada; Triaud, Amaury H. M. J.

2018-03-01

Seven temperate Earth-sized exoplanets readily amenable for atmospheric studies transit the nearby ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 (refs 1,2). Their atmospheric regime is unknown and could range from extended primordial hydrogen-dominated to depleted atmospheres3-6. Hydrogen in particular is a powerful greenhouse gas that may prevent the habitability of inner planets while enabling the habitability of outer ones6-8. An atmosphere largely dominated by hydrogen, if cloud-free, should yield prominent spectroscopic signatures in the near-infrared detectable during transits. Observations of the innermost planets have ruled out such signatures9. However, the outermost planets are more likely to have sustained such a Neptune-like atmosphere10, 11. Here, we report observations for the four planets within or near the system's habitable zone, the circumstellar region where liquid water could exist on a planetary surface12-14. These planets do not exhibit prominent spectroscopic signatures at near-infrared wavelengths either, which rules out cloud-free hydrogen-dominated atmospheres for TRAPPIST-1 d, e and f, with significance of 8σ, 6σ and 4σ, respectively. Such an atmosphere is instead not excluded for planet g. As high-altitude clouds and hazes are not expected in hydrogen-dominated atmospheres around planets with such insolation15, 16, these observations further support their terrestrial and potentially habitable nature.

An investigation of the damaged zone created by perforating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pucknell, J.K.; Behrmann, L.A.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on underbalance perforation flow experiments performed on reservoir and outcrop sandstones to investigate the perforation damaged zone. Cores from several different formations were perforated under reservoir conditions. After perforating, the cores were examined using CAT scans (Computer Aided tomography), thin sections and mercury porosimetry. In conjunction with these measurements, permeabilities in the damaged zone were measured using a minipermeameter and radial flow permeameter or were estimated from pore size distribution. The density and porosity of the damaged zone (at least for saturated rocks) is essentially the same as that in the undamaged rock. The damaged zone is not compacted, contrary to suggestions made in earlier work. However, the creation of this zone involves the destruction of large pores. The volume lost from these pores is replaced by microfractures created when rock grains are fractured by penetration of the shaped charge jet. This reduction in the average pore size causes a reduction in the permeability with the damaged zone. Although direct measurement of this permeability was made difficult by naturally occurring permeability variations, unambiguous measurements were obtained

Zone-size nonuniformity of {sup 18}F-FDG PET regional textural features predicts survival in patients with oropharyngeal cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, Nai-Ming [Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, Departments of Nuclear Medicine, Taiyuan (China); Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Keelung (China); National Tsing Hua University, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Hsinchu (China); Fang, Yu-Hua Dean [Chang Gung University, Department of Electrical Engineering, Taiyuan (China); Lee, Li-yu [Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan (China); Chang, Joseph Tung-Chieh; Tsan, Din-Li [Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan (China); Ng, Shu-Hang [Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan (China); Wang, Hung-Ming [Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan (China); Liao, Chun-Ta [Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan (China); Yang, Lan-Yan [Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Biostatistics Unit, Clinical Trial Center, Taoyuan (China); Hsu, Ching-Han [National Tsing Hua University, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Hsinchu (China); Yen, Tzu-Chen [Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, Departments of Nuclear Medicine, Taiyuan (China); Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei (China)

2014-10-23

The question as to whether the regional textural features extracted from PET images predict prognosis in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) remains open. In this study, we investigated the prognostic impact of regional heterogeneity in patients with T3/T4 OPSCC. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 88 patients with T3 or T4 OPSCC who had completed primary therapy. Progression-free survival (PFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were the main outcome measures. In an exploratory analysis, a standardized uptake value of 2.5 (SUV 2.5) was taken as the cut-off value for the detection of tumour boundaries. A fixed threshold at 42 % of the maximum SUV (SUV{sub max} 42 %) and an adaptive threshold method were then used for validation. Regional textural features were extracted from pretreatment {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT images using the grey-level run length encoding method and grey-level size zone matrix. The prognostic significance of PET textural features was examined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Cox regression analysis. Zone-size nonuniformity (ZSNU) was identified as an independent predictor of PFS and DSS. Its prognostic impact was confirmed using both the SUV{sub max} 42 % and the adaptive threshold segmentation methods. Based on (1) total lesion glycolysis, (2) uniformity (a local scale texture parameter), and (3) ZSNU, we devised a prognostic stratification system that allowed the identification of four distinct risk groups. The model combining the three prognostic parameters showed a higher predictive value than each variable alone. ZSNU is an independent predictor of outcome in patients with advanced T-stage OPSCC, and may improve their prognostic stratification. (orig.)

Urban agglomerations and transformations of medium-sized towns in Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Runge Anna

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This analysis investigates medium-sized towns in Poland, i.e. those with a population between 20–100 thousand, located up to 100 km away from the main city of the agglomeration. The aim of this article is to compare the level of socio-economic development of Polish towns depending on their location in relation to the main city in the largest agglomerations in 1998 and 2013. Three zones of distance from the main city of each agglomeration have been taken into consideration: a. the inner zone, reaching up to 25 km from the main city; b. the outer zone located at a distance of 25 to 50 km from the main city, and c. the peripheral zone, located at a distance of 50 to 100 km from the main city and including the medium-size towns located outside the agglomeration system. This analysis of the distribution of medium-sized towns and their level of socio-economic development has shown various levels of changes which depend on the distance from the main city of the agglomeration. In 1998, the highest level of development of the medium-sized towns was recorded in towns outside of these agglomeration systems, i.e. those located most remotely from the main city (peripheral zone. Most of the medium-sized towns are situated at a distance of 50–100 km from Warszawa, Kraków, Łódź, Lublin, Gdańsk and have developed their own local, or even regional labour markets and some of them have even provided administrative functions in the past as voivodeship capitals. Only in the Poznań agglomeration, the level of development of medium-sized towns was higher in the immediate surroundings of the main city (25 km. The medium-sized towns in all zones of the distance from the main city in the Wrocław agglomeration represented a similar level of development. By 2013, the level of development of the medium-sized towns in the peripheral zone in all investigated settlement systems had decreased, with a significant improvement in the level of development of the towns in

Transforming growth factor β-induced superficial zone protein accumulation in the surface zone of articular cartilage is dependent on the cytoskeleton.

Science.gov (United States)

McNary, Sean M; Athanasiou, Kyriacos A; Reddi, A Hari

2014-03-01

The phenotype of articular chondrocytes is dependent on the cytoskeleton, specifically the actin microfilament architecture. Articular chondrocytes in monolayer culture undergo dedifferentiation and assume a fibroblastic phenotype. This process can be reversed by altering the actin cytoskeleton by treatment with cytochalasin. Whereas dedifferentiation has been studied on chondrocytes isolated from the whole cartilage, the effects of cytoskeletal alteration on specific zones of cells such as superficial zone chondrocytes are not known. Chondrocytes from the superficial zone secrete superficial zone protein (SZP), a lubricating proteoglycan that reduces the coefficient of friction of articular cartilage. A better understanding of this phenomenon may be useful in elucidating chondrocyte dedifferentiation in monolayer and accumulation of the cartilage lubricant SZP, with an eye toward tissue engineering functional articular cartilage. In this investigation, the effects of cytoskeletal modulation on the ability of superficial zone chondrocytes to secrete SZP were examined. Primary superficial zone chondrocytes were cultured in monolayer and treated with a combination of cytoskeleton modifying reagents and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) 1, a critical regulator of SZP production. Whereas cytochalasin D maintains the articular chondrocyte phenotype, the hallmark of the superficial zone chondrocyte, SZP, was inhibited in the presence of TGFβ1. A decrease in TGFβ1-induced SZP accumulation was also observed when the microtubule cytoskeleton was modified using paclitaxel. These effects of actin and microtubule alteration were confirmed through the application of jasplakinolide and colchicine, respectively. As Rho GTPases regulate actin organization and microtubule polymerization, we hypothesized that the cytoskeleton is critical for TGFβ-induced SZP accumulation. TGFβ-mediated SZP accumulation was inhibited by small molecule inhibitors ML141 (Cdc42), NSC23766 (Rac1

Antitumor and antimicrobial activities and inhibition of in-vitro lipid ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The antitumor activity was measured in DLA cell line induced mice. Inhibition of in vitro lipid peroxidation activity of the D. nobile in both liver homogenate and RBC ghosts was also carried out. The aqueous extracts of stem and flower of D. nobile showed better zone of bacterial inhibition than that of ethanol and chloroform

Unc-51 controls active zone density and protein composition by downregulating ERK signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Wairkar, Yogesh P; Toda, Hirofumi; Mochizuki, Hiroaki; Furukubo-Tokunaga, Katsuo; Tomoda, Toshifumi; Diantonio, Aaron

2009-01-14

Efficient synaptic transmission requires the apposition of neurotransmitter release sites opposite clusters of postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptors. Transmitter is released at active zones, which are composed of a large complex of proteins necessary for synaptic development and function. Many active zone proteins have been identified, but little is known of the mechanisms that ensure that each active zone receives the proper complement of proteins. Here we use a genetic analysis in Drosophila to demonstrate that the serine threonine kinase Unc-51 acts in the presynaptic motoneuron to regulate the localization of the active zone protein Bruchpilot opposite to glutamate receptors at each synapse. In the absence of Unc-51, many glutamate receptor clusters are unapposed to Bruchpilot, and ultrastructural analysis demonstrates that fewer active zones contain dense body T-bars. In addition to the presence of these aberrant synapses, there is also a decrease in the density of all synapses. This decrease in synaptic density and abnormal active zone composition is associated with impaired evoked transmitter release. Mechanistically, Unc-51 inhibits the activity of the MAP kinase ERK to promote synaptic development. In the unc-51 mutant, increased ERK activity leads to the decrease in synaptic density and the absence of Bruchpilot from many synapses. Hence, activated ERK negatively regulates synapse formation, resulting in either the absence of active zones or the formation of active zones without their proper complement of proteins. The Unc-51-dependent inhibition of ERK activity provides a potential mechanism for synapse-specific control of active zone protein composition and release probability.

Inhibition of ordinary and diffusive convection in the water condensation zone of the ice giants and implications for their thermal evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Friedson, A. James; Gonzales, Erica J.

2017-11-01

We explore the conditions under which ordinary and double-diffusive thermal convection may be inhibited by water condensation in the hydrogen atmospheres of the ice giants and examine the consequences. The saturation of vapor in the condensation layer induces a vertical gradient in the mean molecular weight that stabilizes the layer against convective instability when the abundance of vapor exceeds a critical value. In this instance, the layer temperature gradient can become superadiabatic and heat must be transported vertically by another mechanism. On Uranus and Neptune, water is inferred to be sufficiently abundant for inhibition of ordinary convection to take place in their respective condensation zones. We find that suppression of double-diffusive convection is sensitive to the ratio of the sedimentation time scale of the condensates to the buoyancy period in the condensation layer. In the limit of rapid sedimentation, the layer is found to be stable to diffusive convection. In the opposite limit, diffusive convection can occur. However, if the fluid remains saturated, then layered convection is generally suppressed and the motion is restricted in form to weak, homogeneous, oscillatory turbulence. This form of diffusive convection is a relatively inefficient mechanism for transporting heat, characterized by low Nusselt numbers. When both ordinary and layered convection are suppressed, the condensation zone acts effectively as a thermal insulator, with the heat flux transported across it only slightly greater than the small value that can be supported by radiative diffusion. This may allow a large superadiabatic temperature gradient to develop in the layer over time. Once the layer has formed, however, it is vulnerable to persistent erosion by entrainment of fluid into the overlying convective envelope of the cooling planet, potentially leading to its collapse. We discuss the implications of our results for thermal evolution models of the ice giants, for

Drought impact on wood formation and antioxidant protection of Scots pine cambial zone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. E. Sudachkova

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The effect of drought on the 8-9-year-old seedlings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L. was simulated in the field by isolating trees from precipitation. The biochemical changes typical of water stress wеre compared with the structural changes of the annual rings of wood. The samples of the current and last year needles, cambium and adjoining layers of xylem and phloem of stems and roots were analyzed. In the needles, the content of chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids were determined. The contents of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde (MDA, the activity of enzymes, realizing antioxidant protection: superoxide dismutase (SOD, peroxidase, glutathione reductase and content of sugars and starch were determined in tissues of xylem, phloem and cambium. It was shown that drought reduces the weight of the needles, the chlorophyll content and the width of the annual wood rings. In moderate drought in the cambial zone oxidative stress was developed and also protection system against free radicals was activated, which resulted in a high SOD activity and the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide due to the activity of peroxidase reduction. As a result, the division processes in cambial zone and cells extension growth were inhibited and the width of annual wood rings decreased due to reduction in the number and size of tracheids. It was found that decrease in growth was not due to deficit of carbohydrates for the process xylogenesis. Water deficit increases the concentration of low molecular weight carbohydrates in the tissues, which, due to the inhibition of division and extension cambial derivatives are only partially used for thickening tracheid cell walls. As a result, abnormal tracheides with reduced size of cells and lumens and thickened cell walls were formed. Abundance of soluble carbohydrates was deposited as a reserve pool in the root phloem in the form of starch. The stock function of root phloem was increased under water deficit conditions.

Antimicrobial susceptibility and distribution of inhibition zone diameters of bovine mastitis pathogens in Flanders, Belgium.

Science.gov (United States)

Supré, K; Lommelen, K; De Meulemeester, L

2014-07-16

In dairy farms, antimicrobial drugs are frequently used for treatment of (sub)clinical mastitis. Determining the antimicrobial susceptibility of mastitis pathogens is needed to come to a correct use of antimicrobials. Strains of Staphylococcus aureus (n=768), Streptococcus uberis (n=939), Streptococcus dysgalactiae (n=444), Escherichia coli (n=563), and Klebsiella species (n=59) originating from routine milk samples from (sub)clinical mastitis were subjected to the disk diffusion method. Disks contained representatives of frequently used antibiotics in dairy. A limited number of clinical breakpoints were available through CLSI, and showed that susceptibility of Staph. aureus, E. coli, and Klebsiella was moderate to high. For streptococcal species however, a large variation between the tested species and the different antimicrobials was observed. In a next step, wild type populations were described based on epidemiological cut off values (EUCAST). Because of the limited number of official cut off values, the data were observed as a mastitis subpopulation and self-generated cut off values were created and a putative wild type population was suggested. The need for accurate clinical breakpoints for veterinary pathogens is high. Despite the lack of these breakpoints, however, a population study can be performed based on the distribution of inhibition zone diameters on the condition that a large number of strains is tested. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vaginal lactobacilli inhibiting growth of Gardnerella vaginalis, Mobiluncus and other bacterial species cultured from vaginal content of women with bacterial vaginosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Skarin, A; Sylwan, J

1986-12-01

On a solid agar medium the growth-inhibitory effect of 9 Lactobacillus strains cultured from vaginal content was tested on bacteria cultured from vaginal content of women with bacterial vaginosis: Mobiluncus, Gardnerella vaginalis, Bacteroides and anaerobic cocci. Inhibition zones were observed in the growth of all of the strains isolated from women with bacterial vaginosis around all lactobacilli. The inhibitory effect of the lactobacilli was further tested on various anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic species, both type strains and fresh extragenitally cultured strains. Four Bacteroides fragilis strains as well as 2 out of 4 Staphylococcus aureus strains were clearly inhibited by the lactobacilli. The inhibition zones were generally wider at pH 5.5 than at 6.0. For all inhibited strains, (the S. aureus excepted) a low pH on the agar around the lactobacilli correlated to wider growth-inhibition zones.

Neurogenic radial glia in the outer subventricular zone of human neocortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, David V; Lui, Jan H; Parker, Philip R L; Kriegstein, Arnold R

2010-03-25

Neurons in the developing rodent cortex are generated from radial glial cells that function as neural stem cells. These epithelial cells line the cerebral ventricles and generate intermediate progenitor cells that migrate into the subventricular zone (SVZ) and proliferate to increase neuronal number. The developing human SVZ has a massively expanded outer region (OSVZ) thought to contribute to cortical size and complexity. However, OSVZ progenitor cell types and their contribution to neurogenesis are not well understood. Here we show that large numbers of radial glia-like cells and intermediate progenitor cells populate the human OSVZ. We find that OSVZ radial glia-like cells have a long basal process but, surprisingly, are non-epithelial as they lack contact with the ventricular surface. Using real-time imaging and clonal analysis, we demonstrate that these cells can undergo proliferative divisions and self-renewing asymmetric divisions to generate neuronal progenitor cells that can proliferate further. We also show that inhibition of Notch signalling in OSVZ progenitor cells induces their neuronal differentiation. The establishment of non-ventricular radial glia-like cells may have been a critical evolutionary advance underlying increased cortical size and complexity in the human brain.

Growth of large size lithium niobate single crystals of high quality by tilting-mirror-type floating zone method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarker, Abdur Razzaque, E-mail: razzaque_ru2000@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, University of Rajshahi (Bangladesh)

2016-05-15

Large size high quality LiNbO{sub 3} single crystals were grown successfully by tilting-mirror-type floating zone (TMFZ) technique. The grown crystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction, etch pits density measurement, Impedance analysis, Vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and UV-Visible spectrometry. The effect of mirror tilting during growth on the structural, electrical, optical properties and defect density of the LiNbO{sub 3} crystals were investigated. It was found that the defect density in the crystals reduced for tilting the mirror in the TMFZ method. The chemical analysis revealed that the grown crystals were of high quality with uniform composition. The single crystals grown by TMFZ method contains no low-angle grain boundaries, indicating that they can be used for high efficiency optoelectronic devices. (author)

Areas of research and manpower development for coastal zone management

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Sumitra-Vijayaraghavan

stream_size 6 stream_content_type text/plain stream_name Trg_Course_Coastal_Zone_Mgmt_1993_74.pdf.txt stream_source_info Trg_Course_Coastal_Zone_Mgmt_1993_74.pdf.txt Content-Encoding ISO-8859-1 Content-Type text/plain; charset...

Shear zone nucleation and deformation transient: effect of heterogeneities and loading conditions in experimentally deformed calcite

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, L. F. G.; Rybacki, E.; Dresen, G. H.; Kilian, R.

2015-12-01

In the Earth's middle to lower crust, strain is frequently localized along ductile shear zones, which commonly nucleate at structural and material heterogeneities. To investigate shear zone nucleation and development due to heterogeneities, we performed constant strain-rate (CSR) and constant stress (CS) simple shear (torsion) deformation experiments on Carrara marble samples containing weak (limestone) inclusions. The experiments were conducted in a Paterson-type gas deformation apparatus at 900 °C temperature and 400 MPa confining pressure and maximum bulk shear strains of 3. Peak shear stress was about 20 MPa for all the samples, followed by smooth weakening and steady state behavior. The strain is predominantly localized in the host marble within the process zone in front of the inclusion, defined by a zone of intense grain size reduction due to dynamic recrystallization. In CS tests a narrow shear zone developed in front of the inclusion, whereas in CSR experiments the deformation is more heterogeneously distributed, up to g=3.. In the later, secondary foliations oblique to the process zone and alternating thin, high-strain layers are common. In samples deformed at the same shear strain (g=1), the average recrystallized grain size in the process zone is similar for CS and CSR conditions. Crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) measurements shows that different grain sizes have slightly different CPO patterns. CPO strength varies for different grain sizes, with a CPO strength peak between 40-50 μm, decreasing progressively within smaller grain size, but with secondary peaks for different coarse-grained sizes. Our observations suggest that the initial formation and transient deformation of shear zones is strongly affected by loading conditions.

Gibberellin Is Involved in Inhibition of Cucumber Growth and Nitrogen Uptake at Suboptimal Root-Zone Temperatures.

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Longqiang Bai

Full Text Available Suboptimal temperature stress often causes heavy yield losses of vegetables by suppressing plant growth during winter and early spring. Gibberellin acid (GA has been reported to be involved in plant growth and acquisition of mineral nutrients. However, no studies have evaluated the role of GA in the regulation of growth and nutrient acquisition by vegetables under conditions of suboptimal temperatures in greenhouse. Here, we investigated the roles of GA in the regulation of growth and nitrate acquisition of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. plants under conditions of short-term suboptimal root-zone temperatures (Tr. Exposure of cucumber seedlings to a Tr of 16°C led to a significant reduction in root growth, and this inhibitory effect was reversed by exogenous application of GA. Expression patterns of several genes encoding key enzymes in GA metabolism were altered by suboptimal Tr treatment, and endogenous GA concentrations in cucumber roots were significantly reduced by exposure of cucumber plants to 16°C Tr, suggesting that inhibition of root growth by suboptimal Tr may result from disruption of endogenous GA homeostasis. To further explore the mechanism underlying the GA-dependent cucumber growth under suboptimal Tr, we studied the effect of suboptimal Tr and GA on nitrate uptake, and found that exposure of cucumber seedlings to 16°C Tr led to a significant reduction in nitrate uptake rate, and exogenous application GA can alleviate the down-regulation by up regulating the expression of genes associated with nitrate uptake. Finally, we demonstrated that N accumulation in cucumber seedlings under suboptimal Tr conditions was improved by exogenous application of GA due probably to both enhanced root growth and nitrate absorption activity. These results indicate that a reduction in endogenous GA concentrations in roots due to down-regulation of GA biosynthesis at transcriptional level may be a key event to underpin the suboptimal Tr

Theory of flotation of small and medium-size particles

Science.gov (United States)

Derjaguin, B. V.; Dukhin, S. S.

1993-08-01

The paper describes a theory of flotation of small and medium-size particles less than 50μ in radius) when their precipitation on a bubble surface depends more on surface forces than on inertia forces, and deformation of the bubble due to collisions with the particles may be neglected. The approach of the mineral particle to the bubble surface is regarded as taking place in three stages corresponding to movement of the particles through zones 1, 2 and 3. Zone 3 is a liquid wetting layer of such thickness that a positive or negative disjoining pressure arises in this intervening layer between the particle and the bubble. By zone 2 is meant the diffusional boundary layer of the bubble. In zone 1, which comprises the entire liquid outside zone 2, there are no surface forces. Precipitation of the particles is calculated by considering the forces acting in zones 1, 2 and 3. The particles move through zone 1 under the action of gravity and inertia. Analysis of the movement of the particles under the action of these forces gives the critical particle size, below which contact with the bubble surface is impossible, if the surface forces acting in zones 2 and 3 be neglected. The forces acting in zone 2 are ‘diffusio-phoretic’ forces due to the concentration gradient in the diffusional boundary layer. The concentration and electric field intensity distribution in zone 2 is calculated, taking into account ion diffusion to the deformed bubble surface. An examination is made of the ‘equilibrium’ surface forces acting in zone 3 independent of whether the bubble is at rest or in motion. These forces, which determine the behaviour of the thin wetting intervening layer between the bubble and the mineral particle and the height of the force barrier against its rupture, may be represented as results of the disjoining pressure forces acting on various parts of the film. The main components of the disjoining pressure are van der Waals forces, forces of an iono

Selection of proteolytic bacteria with ability to inhibit Vibrio harveyi during white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei cultivation

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Suntinanalert, P.

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Five isolates of bacteria with high proteolytic activity, isolated from water samples of intensive shrimp ponds in southern Thailand, were selected to test for the ability to control the shrimp pathogen Vibrioharveyi. 70 μl of each culture broth were investigated for their ability to inhibit V. harveyi using an agar well diffusion test but only one isolate W3 gave a reasonable sized inhibition zone of 21.62 mm. This zone wassimilar to that of oxolinic acid (2 μg and sulfamethoxazole (25 μg. The W3 isolate was identified as Pseudomonas sp. Shrimp cultivation in aquaria was conducted to investigate the inhibition of V. harveyi bythe isolate W3. The experiment consisted of a treatment of the shrimp culture with an inoculum of the isolate W3 and V. harveyi (biocontrol set, a positive control set (only inoculation of V. harveyi and a negativecontrol set as without inoculation. No mortality was found in the negative control. Shrimp mortality in the biocontrol set (33% was lower than that in the positive control set (40%; however, it showed no significantdifference (p>0.05. The average numbers of V. harveyi over 12 days of the biocontrol set were lower than those in the positive control set by about 1 log cycle although the numbers were not significantly different(p>0.05. The shrimp growth rate at day 32 of cultivation was in order of the biocontrol treatment (10.17% > the negative control treatment (9.44% > the positive control set (9.28%, but no significant difference (p>0.05 was observed among treatments.

Reductive dechlorination of trichloroethene DNAPL source zones: source zone architecture versus electron donor availability

Science.gov (United States)

Krol, M.; Kokkinaki, A.; Sleep, B.

2014-12-01

The persistence of dense-non-aqueous-phase liquids (DNAPLs) in the subsurface has led practitioners and regulatory agencies to turn towards low-maintenance, low-cost remediation methods. Biological degradation has been suggested as a possible solution, based on the well-proven ability of certain microbial species to break down dissolved chlorinated ethenes under favorable conditions. However, the biodegradation of pure phase chlorinated ethenes is subject to additional constraints: the continuous release of electron acceptor at a rate governed by mass transfer kinetics, and the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of DNAPL source zones which leads to spatially and temporally variable availability of the reactants for reductive dechlorination. In this work, we investigate the relationship between various DNAPL source zone characteristics and reaction kinetics using COMPSIM, a multiphase groundwater model that considers non-equilibrium mass transfer and Monod-type kinetics for reductive dechlorination. Numerical simulations are performed for simple, homogeneous trichloroethene DNAPL source zones to demonstrate the effect of single source zone characteristics, as well as for larger, more realistic heterogeneous source zones. It is shown that source zone size, and mass transfer kinetics may have a decisive effect on the predicted bio-enhancement. Finally, we evaluate the performance of DNAPL bioremediation for realistic, thermodynamically constrained, concentrations of electron donor. Our results indicate that the latter may be the most important limitation for the success of DNAPL bioremediation, leading to reduced bio-enhancement and, in many cases, comparable performance with water flooding.

Cracklike defects detection and sizing from co-occurrence matrices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moysan, J.; Benoist, P.; Magnin, I.

1991-01-01

The inspection of austenitic welds used in nuclear field with ultrasounds poses problems in interpretation: strong grain noise makes difficult the detection of the crack top and the crack bottom. Since corresponding echoes enable the defect sizing, defect sizing also becomes difficult. The formation of 2D images (BSCAN), and their processing enable an increase in the effectiveness of testing. We present a segmentation method, based on co-occurrence matrix, which separates defects zones and noise zones. Examples of segmentation improvement applied to artificial defects are presented

Cancerous epithelial cell lines shed extracellular vesicles with a bimodal size distribution that is sensitive to glutamine inhibition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santana, Steven Michael; Kirby, Brian J; Antonyak, Marc A; Cerione, Richard A

2014-01-01

Extracellular shed vesicles (ESVs) facilitate a unique mode of cell–cell communication wherein vesicle uptake can induce a change in the recipient cell's state. Despite the intensity of ESV research, currently reported data represent the bulk characterization of concentrated vesicle samples with little attention paid to heterogeneity. ESV populations likely represent diversity in mechanisms of formation, cargo and size. To better understand ESV subpopulations and the signaling cascades implicated in their formation, we characterize ESV size distributions to identify subpopulations in normal and cancerous epithelial cells. We have discovered that cancer cells exhibit bimodal ESV distributions, one small-diameter and another large-diameter population, suggesting that two mechanisms may govern ESV formation, an exosome population and a cancer-specific microvesicle population. Altered glutamine metabolism in cancer is thought to fuel cancer growth but may also support metastatic niche formation through microvesicle production. We describe the role of a glutaminase inhibitor, compound 968, in ESV production. We have discovered that inhibiting glutamine metabolism significantly impairs large-diameter microvesicle production in cancer cells. (paper)

Antibacterial activity of oregano and sage plant extracts against decarboxylase-positive enterococci isolated from rabbit meat

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Ľubica Chrastinová

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The effect of plant extracts (sage, oregano against decarboxylase-positive enterococci from rabbit back limb meat  was reported in this study. Oregano plant extract inhibited the growth of all 34 tested enterococci (the inhibitory zones: 12 to 45 mm. The growth of the majority of strains  (n=23 was inhibited by oregano plant extract (the high size inhibitory zones (higher than 25 mm. The growth of 11 strains  was inhibited by oregano extract reaching medium size inhibitory zones (10 to 25mm. The most sensitive strain to oregano extract was E. faecium M7bA (45 mm. Sage extract was less active against tested enterococci (n=16  reaching lower inhibitory zones (up to 10 mm. doi:10.5219/239 Normal 0 21 false false false SK X-NONE X-NONE

Reheat cracking in 1/2 CrMoV steel. Heat affected zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batte, A.D.; Miller, R.C.; Murphy, M.C.

1976-01-01

Low alloy creep resisting steels are inherently susceptible to cracking during stress relief heat treatment (reheat cracking) though few welds give rise to problems in manufacture or service. Mechanical tests on simulated affected zone structures in CrMoV forgings have shown that cracking occurs when the high temperature ductility is inadequate to accommodate the residual welding strain. Differences in susceptibility result from differences in heat affected zone grain size if the purity level is sufficiently high; reheat cracking may then be avoided by ensuring complete grain refinement during welding. The susceptibility of a lower purity forging was insensitive to grain size; heat affected zone refinement is unlikely to eliminate cracking in such steel. (orig.) [de

Temperature and Particle Size Dependence of Sodium Bicarbonate Inhibition of Methane/Air Flames.

Science.gov (United States)

1982-11-03

with thermal theories dating back to those of Mallard and Le Chatelier . They proposed that it was a propagation of heat back * ~ ~ -7 7 - 777* - . 41...inhibiting effects * can be separated in principle , the action of a given inhibiting agent does not have to fall exclusively in the realm of one or an- other

Formation conditions of uranium minerals in oxidation zone of uranium deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Youzhu

2005-01-01

The paper concerns about the summary and classification of hydrothermal uranium deposit with oxidation zone. Based on the summary of observation results of forty uranium deposits located in CIS and Bulgaria which are of different sizes and industrial-genetic types, analysis on available published information concerning oxidation and uranium mineral enrichment in supergenic zone, oxidation zone classification of hydrothermal uranium had been put forward according to the general system of the exogenetic uranium concentration. (authors)

Climate controls how ecosystems size the root zone storage capacity at catchment scale

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gao, H.; Hrachowitz, M.; Schymanski, S.J.; Fenicia, F.F.; Sriwongsitanon, N.; Savenije, H.H.G.

2014-01-01

The root zone moisture storage capacity (SR) of terrestrial ecosystems is a buffer providing vegetation continuous access to water and a critical factor controlling land-atmospheric moisture exchange, hydrological response, and biogeochemical processes. However, it is impossible to observe directly

Spermidine Suppresses Age-Associated Memory Impairment by Preventing Adverse Increase of Presynaptic Active Zone Size and Release.

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Varun K Gupta

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Memories are assumed to be formed by sets of synapses changing their structural or functional performance. The efficacy of forming new memories declines with advancing age, but the synaptic changes underlying age-induced memory impairment remain poorly understood. Recently, we found spermidine feeding to specifically suppress age-dependent impairments in forming olfactory memories, providing a mean to search for synaptic changes involved in age-dependent memory impairment. Here, we show that a specific synaptic compartment, the presynaptic active zone (AZ, increases the size of its ultrastructural elaboration and releases significantly more synaptic vesicles with advancing age. These age-induced AZ changes, however, were fully suppressed by spermidine feeding. A genetically enforced enlargement of AZ scaffolds (four gene-copies of BRP impaired memory formation in young animals. Thus, in the Drosophila nervous system, aging AZs seem to steer towards the upper limit of their operational range, limiting synaptic plasticity and contributing to impairment of memory formation. Spermidine feeding suppresses age-dependent memory impairment by counteracting these age-dependent changes directly at the synapse.

Lower bounds on the periodic Hamming correlations of frequency hopping sequences with low hit zone

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2006-01-01

In this paper, several periodic Hamming correlation lower bounds for frequency hopping sequences with low hit zone, with respect to the size p of the frequency slot set, the sequence length L, the family size M, low hit zone LH ( or no hit zone NH ), the maximum periodic Hamming autocorrelation sidelobe Ha and the maximum periodic Hamming crosscorrelation Hc, are established. It is shown that the new bounds include the known Lempel-Greenberger bounds, T.S. Seay bounds and Peng-Fan bounds for the conventional frequency hopping sequences as special cases.

Relating rheology to geometry in large-scale natural shear zones

Science.gov (United States)

Platt, John

2016-04-01

The geometry and width of the ductile roots of plate boundary scale faults are very poorly understood. Some field and geophysical data suggests widths of tens of km in the lower crust, possibly more in the upper mantle. Other observations suggest they are much narrower. Dip slip shear zones may flatten out and merge into zones of subhorizontal lower crustal or asthenospheric flow. The width of a ductile shear zone is simply related to relative velocity and strain rate. Strain rate is related to stress through the constitutive relationship. Can we constrain the stress, and do we understand the rheology of materials in ductile shear zones? A lot depends on how shear zones are initiated. If they are localized by pre-existing structures, width and/or rheology may be inherited, and we have too many variables. If shear zones are localized primarily by shear heating, initial shear stress has to be very high (> 1 GPa) to overcome conductive heat loss, and very large feedbacks (both positive and negative) make the system highly unstable. Microstructural weakening requires a minimum level of stress to cause deformation and damage in surrounding rock, thereby buffering the stress. Microstructural weakening leads to grain-size sensitive creep, for which we have constitutive laws, but these are complicated by phase mixing in polyphase materials, by viscous anisotropy, by hydration, and by changes in mineral assemblage. Here are some questions that need to be addressed. (1) If grain-size reduction by dynamic recrystallization results in a switch to grain-size sensitive creep (GSSC) in a stress-buffered shear zone, does dynamic recrystallization stop? Does grain growth set in? If grain-size is still controlled by dislocation processes, then the effective stress exponent for GSSC is 4-5, even though the dominant mechanism may be diffusion and/or grain-boundary sliding (GBS). (2) Is phase mixing in ultramylonites primarily a result of GBS + neighbour switching, creep cavitation and

Pseudomonas aeruginosa inhibits the growth of Cryptococcus species.

Science.gov (United States)

Rella, Antonella; Yang, Mo Wei; Gruber, Jordon; Montagna, Maria Teresa; Luberto, Chiara; Zhang, Yong-Mei; Del Poeta, Maurizio

2012-06-01

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous and opportunistic bacterium that inhibits the growth of different microorganisms, including Gram-positive bacteria and fungi such as Candida spp. and Aspergillus fumigatus. In this study, we investigated the interaction between P. aeruginosa and Cryptococcus spp. We found that P. aeruginosa PA14 and, to a lesser extent, PAO1 significantly inhibited the growth of Cryptococcus spp. The inhibition of growth was observed on solid medium by the visualization of a zone of inhibition of yeast growth and in liquid culture by viable cell counting. Interestingly, such inhibition was only observed when P. aeruginosa and Cryptococcus were co-cultured. Minimal inhibition was observed when cell-cell contact was prevented using a separation membrane, suggesting that cell contact is required for inhibition. Using mutant strains of Pseudomonas quinoline signaling, we showed that P. aeruginosa inhibited the growth of Cryptococcus spp. by producing antifungal molecules pyocyanin, a redox-active phenazine, and 2-heptyl-3,4-dihydroxyquinoline (PQS), an extracellular quorum-sensing signal. Because both P. aeruginosa and Cryptococcus neoformans are commonly found in lung infections of immunocompromised patients, this study may have important implication for the interaction of these microbes in both an ecological and a clinical point of view.

Far-zone contributions of airborne gravity anomalies' upward/downward continuation

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Boyang Zhou

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Airborne gravimetry has become a vital technique in local gravity field approximation, and upward/downward continuation of gravity data is a key process of airborne gravimetry. In these procedures, the integral domain is divided into two parts, namely the near-zone and the far-zone. The far-zone contributions are approximated by the truncation coefficients and a global geo-potential model, and their values are controlled by several issues. This paper investigates the effects of flight height, the size of near-zone cap, and Remove-Compute-Restore (RCR technique upon far-zone contributions. Results show that at mountainous area the far-zone contributions can be ignored when EIGEN-6C of 360 degree is removed from the gravity data, together with a near-zone cap of 1° and a flight height less than 10 km, while at flat area EIGEN-6C of 180 degree is feasible.

Irradiation damage 'displacement zone'; Dommages sous irradiation zone de deplacements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Genthon, J P [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1969-07-01

It is well known that a charged particle (ion, primary atom, etc...) moving in a solid slows down and can cause a cascade of displacements of the atoms in the solid. A study is made here of the extent to which the cascade is made up, or not, of independent collisions, as a function of the energy of the initial charged particle. When the distance between the collisions is small, these latter are no longer independent; the cascade, which then has to be considered as a whole, perturbs and locates, in the irradiated solid , a zone which has been named a 'displacement zone'. It is shown that the proportion of displacement zones increases with increasing atom size (high atomic number Z), with decreasing atomic distance D in the substance considered and with decreasing energy of the ion undergoing the slowing down process (although always remaining above a few hundred eV). The proportions obtained are higher than those corresponding to the calculations of J. A. Brinkman [3]. An interatomic potential required for this work has also been determined. (author) [French] On sait qu'une particule chargee (ions, atomes primaires, etc...) en mouvement dans un solide se ralentit, avec eventuellement deplacement en cascade d'atomes du solide. On etudie ici dans quelle proportion, en fonction de l'energie de la particule chargee initiale, la cascade est constituee, ou non, de 'chocs independants'. Lorsque la distance entre chocs est petite, ceux-ci ne sont plus independants; la cascade, qui doit alors etre consideree dans son ensemble, perturbe et definit dans le solide irradie, une zone qu'on a appele zone de deplacements. On montre que la proportion de zones de deplacements est d'autant plus grande que les atomes sont gros (nombre atomique Z grand), que la distance interatomique D est petite dans le corps considere, et que l'energie de l'ion en ralentissement est petite (tout en restant superieure a quelques centaines d'eV). Les proportions obtenues sont superieures a celles qui

CANDIDATE PLANETS IN THE HABITABLE ZONES OF KEPLER STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaidos, Eric

2013-01-01

A key goal of the Kepler mission is the discovery of Earth-size transiting planets in ''habitable zones'' where stellar irradiance maintains a temperate climate on an Earth-like planet. Robust estimates of planet radius and irradiance require accurate stellar parameters, but most Kepler systems are faint, making spectroscopy difficult and prioritization of targets desirable. The parameters of 2035 host stars were estimated by Bayesian analysis and the probabilities p HZ that 2738 candidate or confirmed planets orbit in the habitable zone were calculated. Dartmouth Stellar Evolution Program models were compared to photometry from the Kepler Input Catalog, priors for stellar mass, age, metallicity and distance, and planet transit duration. The analysis yielded probability density functions for calculating confidence intervals of planet radius and stellar irradiance, as well as p HZ . Sixty-two planets have p HZ > 0.5 and a most probable stellar irradiance within habitable zone limits. Fourteen of these have radii less than twice the Earth; the objects most resembling Earth in terms of radius and irradiance are KOIs 2626.01 and 3010.01, which orbit late K/M-type dwarf stars. The fraction of Kepler dwarf stars with Earth-size planets in the habitable zone (η ⊕ ) is 0.46, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.31-0.64. Parallaxes from the Gaia mission will reduce uncertainties by more than a factor of five and permit definitive assignments of transiting planets to the habitable zones of Kepler stars.

Revisiting the physical characterisitics of the subduction interplate seismogenic zones

Science.gov (United States)

Heuret, Arnauld; Lallemand, Serge; Funiciello, Francesca; Piromallo, Claudia

2010-05-01

extent of the seismogenic zone, and it fits with vs and with the subducting plate thermal state; 4- mega-events occurrence determines the level of seismic energy released along the subduction interface, whatever  is; 5- to some extent, the potential size of earthquakes fits with vs and with the seismogenic zone geometry, but second order controlling parameters are more difficult to detect; 6- the plate coupling, measured through Upper Plate Strain, is one possible second order parameter: mega-events are preferentially associated to neutral subductions, i.e. moderate compressive stresses along the plate interface; high plate coupling (compressive UPS) is thought to inhibit mega-events genesis by enhancing the locking of the plate interface and preventing the rupture to extend laterally. This research was supported as part of the Eurohorcs/ESF — European Young Investigators Awards Scheme (resp. F.F.), by funds from the National Research Council of Italy and other National Funding Agencies participating in the 3rd Memorandum of Understanding, as well as from the EC Sixth Framework Programme.

FIGHT ZONE WITH POINTS OF THE SHOTOKAN KARATE FEMALE COMPETITION

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Nelson Kautzner Marques Junior

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study was to determine the fight zone with point during the female kumite of competition. This study used a quantitative research for identify the fight zone with point (ippon or waza-ari or not during the female kumite of competition. Were selected on the Internet several championship of kumite of the JKA and of the ITKF. The study detected a high probability of point in the zone 7 and in the zone 2. The study determined that the most points at the corner occurred when the karateka practiced the attack in fight zone. Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA verified significant difference between the fight zone with points, H (10 = 29,49, p = 0,001. The Mann Whitney U test detected significant difference between the zone 5 with waza-ari versus all the zone. The greatest number of points in the fight zone was in agreement with the size of the fight zone. The central zone or zone 5 has 6x6 m, during the female kumite occurred more points, total of 68 waza-aris and 5 ippons. The study on the fight zone with points of the female kumite permits that the karateka has knowledge about the combat zones and guides the karateka before, during and after the female kumite. However, more studies should be done to confirm these findings.

Microstructural investigations on carbonate fault core rocks in active extensional fault zones from the central Apennines (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Cortinovis, Silvia; Balsamo, Fabrizio; Storti, Fabrizio

2017-04-01

The study of the microstructural and petrophysical evolution of cataclasites and gouges has a fundamental impact on both hydraulic and frictional properties of fault zones. In the last decades, growing attention has been payed to the characterization of carbonate fault core rocks due to the nucleation and propagation of coseismic ruptures in carbonate successions (e.g., Umbria-Marche 1997, L'Aquila 2009, Amatrice 2016 earthquakes in Central Apennines, Italy). Among several physical parameters, grain size and shape in fault core rocks are expected to control the way of sliding along the slip surfaces in active fault zones, thus influencing the propagation of coseismic ruptures during earthquakes. Nevertheless, the role of grain size and shape distribution evolution in controlling the weakening or strengthening behavior in seismogenic fault zones is still not fully understood also because a comprehensive database from natural fault cores is still missing. In this contribution, we present a preliminary study of seismogenic extensional fault zones in Central Apennines by combining detailed filed mapping with grain size and microstructural analysis of fault core rocks. Field mapping was aimed to describe the structural architecture of fault systems and the along-strike fault rock distribution and fracturing variations. In the laboratory we used a Malvern Mastersizer 3000 granulometer to obtain a precise grain size characterization of loose fault rocks combined with sieving for coarser size classes. In addition, we employed image analysis on thin sections to quantify the grain shape and size in cemented fault core rocks. The studied fault zones consist of an up to 5-10 m-thick fault core where most of slip is accommodated, surrounded by a tens-of-meters wide fractured damage zone. Fault core rocks consist of (1) loose to partially cemented breccias characterized by different grain size (from several cm up to mm) and variable grain shape (from very angular to sub

Experimental demonstration of producing high resolution zone plates by spatial-frequency multiplication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, W.B.; Howells, M.R.

1987-01-01

In an earlier publication, the possibility of producing high resolution zone plates for x-ray applications by spatial-frequency multiplication was analyzed theoretically. The theory predicted that for a daughter zone plate generated from the interference of mth and nth diffraction orders of a parent zone plate, its primary focal spot size and focal length are one (m + n)th of their counterparts of the parent zone plate, respectively. It was also shown that a zone plate with the outermost zone width of as small as 13.8 nm might be produced by this technique. In this paper, we report an experiment which we carried out with laser light (λ = 4166A) for demonstrating this technique. In addition, an outlook for producing high resolution zone plates for x-ray application is briefly discussed

Fledgling survival increases with development time and adult survival across north and south temperate zones

Science.gov (United States)

Lloyd, Penn; Martin, Thomas E.

2016-01-01

Slow life histories are characterized by high adult survival and few offspring, which are thought to allow increased investment per offspring to increase juvenile survival. Consistent with this pattern, south temperate zone birds are commonly longer-lived and have fewer young than north temperate zone species. However, comparative analyses of juvenile survival, including during the first few weeks of the post-fledging period when most juvenile mortality occurs, are largely lacking. We combined our measurements of fledgling survival for eight passerines in South Africa with estimates from published studies of 57 north and south temperate zone songbird species to test three predictions: (1) fledgling survival increases with length of development time in the nest; (2) fledgling survival increases with adult survival and reduced brood size controlled for development time; and (3) south temperate zone species, with their higher adult survival and smaller brood sizes, exhibit higher fledgling survival than north temperate zone species controlled for development time. We found that fledgling survival was higher among south temperate zone species and generally increased with development time and adult survival within and between latitudinal regions. Clutch size did not explain additional variation, but was confounded with adult survival. Given the importance of age-specific mortality to life history evolution, understanding the causes of these geographical patterns of mortality is important.

Burrowing inhibition by fine textured beach fill: Implications for recovery of beach ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Viola, Sloane M.; Hubbard, David M.; Dugan, Jenifer E.; Schooler, Nicholas K.

2014-10-01

Beach nourishment is often considered the most environmentally sound method of maintaining eroding shorelines. However, the ecological consequences are poorly understood. Fill activities cause intense disturbance and high mortality and have the potential to alter the diversity, abundance, and distribution of intertidal macroinvertebrates for months to years. Ecological recovery following fill activities depends on successful recolonization and recruitment of the entire sandy intertidal community. The use of incompatible sediments as fill material can strongly affect ecosystem recovery. We hypothesized that burrowing inhibition of intertidal animals by incompatible fine fill sediments contributes to ecological impacts and limits recovery in beach ecosystems. We experimentally investigated the influence of intertidal zone and burrowing mode on responses of beach invertebrates to altered sediment texture (28-38% fines), and ultimately the potential for colonization and recovery of beaches disturbed by beach filling. Using experimental trials in fill material and natural beach sand, we found that the mismatched fine fill sediments significantly inhibited burrowing of characteristic species from all intertidal zones, including sand crabs, clams, polychaetes, isopods, and talitrid amphipods. Burrowing performance of all five species we tested was consistently reduced in the fill material and burrowing was completely inhibited for several species. The threshold for burrowing inhibition by fine sediment content in middle and lower beach macroinvertebrates varied by species, with highest sensitivity for the polychaete (4% fines, below the USA regulatory limit of 10% fines), followed by sand crabs and clams (20% fines). These results suggest broader investigation of thresholds for burrowing inhibition in fine fill material is needed for beach animals. Burrowing inhibition caused by mismatched fill sediments exposes beach macroinvertebrates to stresses, which could depress

The effect of particle size on the heat affected zone during laser cladding of Ni-Cr-Si-B alloy on C45 carbon steel

Science.gov (United States)

Tanigawa, Daichi; Abe, Nobuyuki; Tsukamoto, Masahiro; Hayashi, Yoshihiko; Yamazaki, Hiroyuki; Tatsumi, Yoshihiro; Yoneyama, Mikio

2018-02-01

Laser cladding is one of the most useful surface coating methods for improving the wear and corrosion resistance of material surfaces. Although the heat input associated with laser cladding is small, a heat affected zone (HAZ) is still generated within the substrate because this is a thermal process. In order to reduce the area of the HAZ, the heat input must therefore be reduced. In the present study, we examined the effects of the powdered raw material particle size on the heat input and the extent of the HAZ during powder bed laser cladding. Ni-Cr-Si-B alloy layers were produced on C45 carbon steel substrates in conjunction with alloy powders having average particle sizes of 30, 40 and 55 μm, while measuring the HAZ area by optical microscopy. The heat input required for layer formation was found to decrease as smaller particles were used, such that the HAZ area was also reduced.

Quantifying the Variation in Shear Zone Character with Depth: a Case Study from the Simplon Shear Zone, Central Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Cawood, T. K.; Platt, J. P.

2017-12-01

A widely-accepted model for the rheology of crustal-scale shear zones states that they comprise distributed strain at depth, in wide, high-temperature shear zones, which narrow to more localized, high-strain zones at lower temperature and shallower crustal levels. We test and quantify this model by investigating how the width, stress, temperature and deformation mechanisms change with depth in the Simplon Shear Zone (SSZ). The SSZ marks a major tectonic boundary in the central Alps, where normal-sense motion and rapid exhumation of the footwall have preserved evidence of older, deeper deformation in rocks progressively further into the currently-exposed footwall. As such, microstructures further from the brittle fault (which represents the most localized, most recently-active part of the SSZ) represent earlier, higher- temperature deformation from deeper crustal levels, while rocks closer to the fault have been overprinted by successively later, cooler deformation at shallower depths. This study uses field mapping and microstructural studies to identify zones representing deformation at various crustal levels, and characterize each in terms of zone width (representing width of the shear zone at that time and depth) and dominant deformation mechanism. In addition, quartz- (by Electron Backscatter Diffraction, EBSD) and feldspar grain size (measured optically) piezometry are used to calculate the flow stress for each zone, while the Ti-in-quartz thermometer (TitaniQ) is used to calculate the corresponding temperature of deformation. We document the presence of a broad zone in which quartz is recrystallized by the Grain Boundary Migration (GBM) mechanism and feldspar by Subgrain Rotation (SGR), which represents the broad, deep zone of deformation occurring at relatively high temperatures and low stresses. In map view, this transitions to successively narrower zones, respectively characterized by quartz SGR and feldspar Bulge Nucleation (BLG); quartz BLG and brittle

Determination of degradation rates of organic substances in the unsaturated soil zone depending on the grain size fractions of various soil types

Science.gov (United States)

Fichtner, Thomas; Stefan, Catalin; Goersmeyer, Nora

2015-04-01

Rate and extent of the biological degradation of organic substances during transport through the unsaturated soil zone is decisively influenced by the chemical and physical properties of the pollutants such as water solubility, toxicity and molecular structure. Furthermore microbial degradation processes are also influenced by soil-specific properties. An important parameter is the soil grain size distribution on which the pore volume and the pore size depends. Changes lead to changes in air and water circulation as well as preferred flow paths. Transport capacity of water inclusive nutrients is lower in existing bad-drainable fine pores in soils with small grain size fractions than in well-drainable coarse pores in a soil with bigger grain size fractions. Because fine pores are saturated with water for a longer time than the coarse pores and oxygen diffusion in water is ten thousand times slower than in air, oxygen is replenished much slower in soils with small grain size fractions. As a result life and growth conditions of the microorganisms are negatively affected. This leads to less biological activity, restricted degradation/mineralization of pollutants or altered microbial processes. The aim of conducted laboratory column experiments was to study the correlation between the grain size fractions respectively pore sizes, the oxygen content and the biodegradation rate of infiltrated organic substances. Therefore two columns (active + sterile control) were filled with different grain size fractions (0,063-0,125 mm, 0,2-0,63 mm and 1-2 mm) of soils. The sterile soil was inoculated with a defined amount of a special bacteria culture (sphingobium yanoikuae). A solution with organic substances glucose, oxalic acid, sinaphylic alcohol and nutrients was infiltrated from the top in intervals. The degradation of organic substances was controlled by the measurement of dissolved organic carbon in the in- and outflow of the column. The control of different pore volumes

Prediction of fracture toughness based on experiments with sub-size specimens in the brittle and ductile regimes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahler, Michael, E-mail: Michael.Mahler@kit.edu; Aktaa, Jarir

2016-04-15

For determination of fracture toughness in the brittle regime or ductile fracture in the upper shelf region, special standard specifications are in use e.g. ASTM E399 or ASTM E1820. Due to the rigorous size requirements for specimen testing, it is necessary to use big specimens. To circumvent this problem an approach based on finite element (FE) simulations using the cohesive zone model (CZM) is used. The parameters of the cohesive zone model have been determined using sub-size specimens. With the identified parameters, simulations of standard-size specimens have been performed to successfully predict fracture toughness of standard-size specimens in the brittle and ductile regimes. The objective is to establish small size testing technology for the determination of fracture toughness. - Highlights: • Prediction of fracture toughness on standard-size specimens. • Valid fracture toughness based on sub-size specimens. • Triaxiality dependent cohesive zone model. • Approach works independent on fracture appearance (brittle, ductile).

Improvement of viewing-zone angle and image quality of digital holograms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nomura, Takanori, E-mail: nom@sys.wakayama-u.ac.j [Faculty of Systems Enigneering, Wakayama Univesity, 930 Sakaedani, Wakayama, 640-8510 (Japan)

2010-02-01

The method to improve of a viewing-zone angle and an image quality of a digital hologram is presented. A number of digital holograms of a central object are recorded from the position on the circumference. The holograms are used for a hologram synthesis to improve the image quality from whole viewing-zone angle. The synthesis is achieved by a correlation between a hologram and numerically propagated holograms. The large-sized synthesized digital hologram has a wide viewing-zone angle and less speckles. Some experimental results are shown to confirm the proposed method.

Grain growth kinetics of ringwoodite and majorite garnet mixtures and implications for the rheology of the transition zone

Science.gov (United States)

Ezad, I.; Dobson, D. P.; Brodholt, J. P.; Thomson, A.; Hunt, S.

2017-12-01

The grain size of the transition zone is a poorly known but important geophysical parameter. Among others, the grain size may control the rheology, seismic attenuation and radiative thermal conductivity of the mantle. However, the grain size of the transition zone minerals ringwoodite (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 and majorite garnet MgSiO3 under appropriate zone conditions is currently unknown and there are very few experiments with which to constrain it. In order to determine the grain size of the transition zone, the grain growth kinetics must be determined for a range of mantle compositions. We have, therefore, experimentally determined the grain growth kinetics of the lowermost transition zone minerals through multi anvil experiments at University College London (UCL). This is achieved through a comprehensive set of time series experiments at pressures of 21 GPa and temperatures relevant to the transition zone. We have also determined the effect of varying water content, oxygen fugacity, iron content and aluminium content also discussed by Dobson and Mariani., (2014). Our initial grain growth experiments conducted at 1200°C and 1400°C at 18 GPa show extremely slow grain growth kinetics; time series experiments extended to 105.8 seconds are unable to produce grains larger than 100 nm. This suggests that fine-grained material at the base of the transition zone will persist on geological timescales. Such small grains size suggests that diffusion creep might be the dominant deformation mechanism in this region. Reference: Dobson, D.P., Mariani, E., 2014. The kinetics of the reaction of majorite plus ferropericlase to ringwoodite: Implications for mantle upwellings crossing the 660 km discontinuity. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 408, 110-118. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2014.10.009

Sub-100 nm hard X-ray microbeam generation with Fresnel zone plate optics

CERN Document Server

Takano, H; Takeuchi, A

2003-01-01

A hard X-ray focusing test of a Fresnel zone plate has been performed with a synchrotron radiation source at the undulator beamline 20XU of SPring-8. Fresnel zone plate with a radius of 150 mu m, and an outermost zone width of 100 nm was used for the X-ray focusing device. The 248-m-long beamline provides fully coherent illumination for the focusing device. The focused beam evaluated by the knife-edge-scan method and scanning microscope test using test charts. Nearly diffraction- limited focusing with a size of 120 nm was achieved for the first-order diffraction at 10 keV X-ray. Evaluation for the third order diffraction was also performed at 8 keV X-ray, and a focal size of 50 m has been obtained. (author)

Urban field classification by "local climate zones" in a medium-sized Central European city: the case of Olomouc (Czech Republic)

Science.gov (United States)

Lehnert, Michal; Geletič, Jan; Husák, Jan; Vysoudil, Miroslav

2015-11-01

The stations of the Metropolitan Station Network in Olomouc (Czech Republic) were assigned to local climatic zones, and the temperature characteristics of the stations were compared. The classification of local climatic zones represents an up-to-date concept for the unification of the characterization of the neighborhoods of climate research sites. This study is one of the first to provide a classification of existing stations within local climate zones. Using a combination of GIS-based analyses and field research, the values of geometric and surface cover properties were calculated, and the stations were subsequently classified into the local climate zones. It turned out that the classification of local climatic zones can be efficiently used for representative documentation of the neighborhood of the climate stations. To achieve a full standardization of the description of the neighborhood of a station, the classification procedures, including the methods used for the processing of spatial data and methods used for the indication of specific local characteristics, must be also standardized. Although the main patterns of temperature differences between the stations with a compact rise, those with an open rise and the stations with no rise or sparsely built areas were evident; the air temperature also showed considerable differences within particular zones. These differences were largely caused by various geometric layout of development and by unstandardized placement of the stations. For the direct comparison of temperatures between zones, particularly those stations which have been placed in such a way that they are as representative as possible for the zone in question should be used in further research.

Dynamics of growth zone patterning in the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Auman, Tzach; Vreede, Barbara M I; Weiss, Aryeh; Hester, Susan D; Williams, Terri A; Nagy, Lisa M; Chipman, Ariel D

2017-05-15

We describe the dynamic process of abdominal segment generation in the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus We present detailed morphological measurements of the growing germband throughout segmentation. Our data are complemented by cell division profiles and expression patterns of key genes, including invected and even-skipped as markers for different stages of segment formation. We describe morphological and mechanistic changes in the growth zone and in nascent segments during the generation of individual segments and throughout segmentation, and examine the relative contribution of newly formed versus existing tissue to segment formation. Although abdominal segment addition is primarily generated through the rearrangement of a pool of undifferentiated cells, there is nonetheless proliferation in the posterior. By correlating proliferation with gene expression in the growth zone, we propose a model for growth zone dynamics during segmentation in which the growth zone is functionally subdivided into two distinct regions: a posterior region devoted to a slow rate of growth among undifferentiated cells, and an anterior region in which segmental differentiation is initiated and proliferation inhibited. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Active zones of mammalian neuromuscular junctions: formation, density, and aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishimune, Hiroshi

2012-12-01

Presynaptic active zones are synaptic vesicle release sites that play essential roles in the function and pathology of mammalian neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). The molecular mechanisms of active zone organization use presynaptic voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs) in NMJs as scaffolding proteins. VDCCs interact extracellularly with the muscle-derived synapse organizer, laminin β2 and interact intracellularly with active zone-specific proteins, such as Bassoon, CAST/Erc2/ELKS2alpha, ELKS, Piccolo, and RIMs. These molecular mechanisms are supported by studies in P/Q- and N-type VDCCs double-knockout mice, and they are consistent with the pathological conditions of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome and Pierson syndrome, which are caused by autoantibodies against VDCCs or by a laminin β2 mutation. During normal postnatal maturation, NMJs maintain the density of active zones, while NMJs triple their size. However, active zones become impaired during aging. Propitiously, muscle exercise ameliorates the active zone impairment in aged NMJs, which suggests the potential for therapeutic strategies. © 2012 New York Academy of Sciences.

A library of prompt detonation reaction zone data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souers, P. C., LLNL

1998-06-01

Tables are given listing literature data that allows calculation of sonic reaction zones at or near steady-state for promptly detonating explosive cylinders. The data covers homogeneous, heterogeneous, composite, inorganic and binary explosives and allows comparison across the entire explosive field. Table 1 lists detonation front curvatures. Table 2 lists Size Effect data, i.e. the change of detonation velocity with cylinder radius. Table 3 lists failure radii and detonation velocities. Table 4 lists explosive compositions. A total of 51 references dating back into the 1950`s are given. Calculated reaction zones, radii of curvature and growth rate coefficients are listed.

Pyroelectric properties of finite size ferroelectric thin films with structural transition zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Jing; Lue Tianquan; Sun Punan; Xie Wenguang; Cao Wenwu

2009-01-01

A Fermi-type Green's function is used to study pyroelectric properties of the thin film with finite sizes in three dimensions based on a modified transverse Ising model. The results demonstrate that a decrease in the lateral size of the film has a disadvantageous influence on the pyroelectric coefficient of the thin film.

Presynaptic Active Zone Density during Development and Synaptic Plasticity.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Gwenaëlle L; Chen, Jie; Nishimune, Hiroshi

2012-01-01

Neural circuits transmit information through synapses, and the efficiency of synaptic transmission is closely related to the density of presynaptic active zones, where synaptic vesicles are released. The goal of this review is to highlight recent insights into the molecular mechanisms that control the number of active zones per presynaptic terminal (active zone density) during developmental and stimulus-dependent changes in synaptic efficacy. At the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), the active zone density is preserved across species, remains constant during development, and is the same between synapses with different activities. However, the NMJ active zones are not always stable, as exemplified by the change in active zone density during acute experimental manipulation or as a result of aging. Therefore, a mechanism must exist to maintain its density. In the central nervous system (CNS), active zones have restricted maximal size, exist in multiple numbers in larger presynaptic terminals, and maintain a constant density during development. These findings suggest that active zone density in the CNS is also controlled. However, in contrast to the NMJ, active zone density in the CNS can also be increased, as observed in hippocampal synapses in response to synaptic plasticity. Although the numbers of known active zone proteins and protein interactions have increased, less is known about the mechanism that controls the number or spacing of active zones. The following molecules are known to control active zone density and will be discussed herein: extracellular matrix laminins and voltage-dependent calcium channels, amyloid precursor proteins, the small GTPase Rab3, an endocytosis mechanism including synaptojanin, cytoskeleton protein spectrins and β-adducin, and a presynaptic web including spectrins. The molecular mechanisms that organize the active zone density are just beginning to be elucidated.

A new multi-zone model for porosity distribution in Al–Si alloy castings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tiedje, Niels Skat; Taylor, John A.; Easton, Mark A.

2013-01-01

A new multi-zone model is proposed that explains how porosity forms in various regions of a casting under different conditions and leads to distinct zonal differences in pore shape, size and distribution. This model was developed by considering the effect of cooling rate on solidification......) a central zone where the thermal gradient is low and equiaxed dendritic grains and eutectic cells grow at the centre of the casting and larger, rounded pores tend to form. The paper discusses how Si content, modification type and cooling conditions influence the location and size (i.e. depth) of each...

Energetic constraints, size gradients, and size limits in benthic marine invertebrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebens, Kenneth P

2002-08-01

Populations of marine benthic organisms occupy habitats with a range of physical and biological characteristics. In the intertidal zone, energetic costs increase with temperature and aerial exposure, and prey intake increases with immersion time, generating size gradients with small individuals often found at upper limits of distribution. Wave action can have similar effects, limiting feeding time or success, although certain species benefit from wave dislodgment of their prey; this also results in gradients of size and morphology. The difference between energy intake and metabolic (and/or behavioral) costs can be used to determine an energetic optimal size for individuals in such populations. Comparisons of the energetic optimal size to the maximum predicted size based on mechanical constraints, and the ensuing mortality schedule, provides a mechanism to study and explain organism size gradients in intertidal and subtidal habitats. For species where the energetic optimal size is well below the maximum size that could persist under a certain set of wave/flow conditions, it is probable that energetic constraints dominate. When the opposite is true, populations of small individuals can dominate habitats with strong dislodgment or damage probability. When the maximum size of individuals is far below either energetic optima or mechanical limits, other sources of mortality (e.g., predation) may favor energy allocation to early reproduction rather than to continued growth. Predictions based on optimal size models have been tested for a variety of intertidal and subtidal invertebrates including sea anemones, corals, and octocorals. This paper provides a review of the optimal size concept, and employs a combination of the optimal energetic size model and life history modeling approach to explore energy allocation to growth or reproduction as the optimal size is approached.

Morphine Reduces Myocardial Infarct Size via Heat Shock Protein 90 in Rodents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bryce A. Small

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Opioids reduce injury from myocardial ischemia-reperfusion in humans. In experimental models, this mechanism involves GSK3β inhibition. HSP90 regulates mitochondrial protein import, with GSK3β inhibition increasing HSP90 mitochondrial content. Therefore, we determined whether morphine-induced cardioprotection is mediated by HSP90 and if the protective effect is downstream of GSK3β inhibition. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 8–10 weeks, were subjected to an in vivo myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury protocol involving 30 minutes of ischemia followed by 2 hours of reperfusion. Hemodynamics were continually monitored and myocardial infarct size determined. Rats received morphine (0.3 mg/kg, the GSK3β inhibitor, SB216763 (0.6 mg/kg, or saline, 10 minutes prior to ischemia. Some rats received selective HSP90 inhibitors, radicicol (0.3 mg/kg, or deoxyspergualin (DSG, 0.6 mg/kg alone or 5 minutes prior to morphine or SB216763. Morphine reduced myocardial infarct size when compared to control (42 ± 2% versus 60 ± 1%. This protection was abolished by prior treatment of radicicol or DSG (59 ± 1%, 56 ± 2%. GSK3β inhibition also reduced myocardial infarct size (41 ± 2% with HSP90 inhibition by radicicol or DSG partially inhibiting SB216763-induced infarct size reduction (54 ± 3%, 47 ± 1%, resp.. These data suggest that opioid-induced cardioprotection is mediated by HSP90. Part of this protection afforded by HSP90 is downstream of GSK3β, potentially via the HSP-TOM mitochondrial import pathway.

76 FR 75450 - Safety Zone; Container Crane Relocation, Cooper and Wando Rivers, Charleston, SC

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-02

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Container Crane Relocation, Cooper and Wando Rivers, Charleston, SC AGENCY: Coast... moving safety zone around a barge transporting two container cranes on the Cooper and Wando Rivers during... barge will transit the Cooper and Wando Rivers. Because of the size of the two container cranes and the...

Seed origin and size of ponderosa pine planting stock grown at several California nurseries

Science.gov (United States)

Frank J. Baron; Gilbert H. Schubert

1963-01-01

Ponderosa pine planting stock (1-0 and 2-0) grown from five different seed collection zones in the California pine region differed noticeably in size. On the west side of the Sierra Nevada, seeds from zones above 4,000 feet yielded smaller seedlings than those from lower zones, but larger seedlings than those from east-side sources. Average dimensions (seedling weight...

Soil Gas Dynamics and Microbial Activity in the Unsaturated Zone of a Regulated River

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, H.; Ferencz, S. B.; Cardenas, M. B.; Neilson, B. T.; Bennett, P. C.

2017-12-01

Over 60% of the world's rivers are dammed, and are therefore regulated. In some river systems, river regulation is the dominant factor governing fluid exchange and soil gas dynamics in the hyporheic region and overlying unsaturated zone of the river banks. Where this is the case, it is important to understand the effects that an artificially-induced change in river stage can have on the chemical, plant, and microbial components of the unsaturated zone. Daily releases from an upstream dam cause rapid stage fluctuations in the Lower Colorado River east of Austin, Texas. For this study, we utilized an array of water and gas wells along a transect perpendicular to the river to investigate the biogeochemical process occurring in this mixing zone. The gas wells were installed at several depths up to 1.5 meters, and facilitated the continuous monitoring of soil gases as the pulse percolated through the river bank. Water samples collected from the screened wells penetrated to depths below the water table and were analyzed for nutrients, carbon, and major ions. Additionally, two soil cores were taken at different distances from the river and analyzed for soil moisture and grain size. These cores were also analyzed for microbial activity using the total heterotroph count method and the acetylene inhibition technique, a sensitive method of measuring denitrifying activity. The results provide a detailed picture of soil gas flux and biogeochemical processes in the bank environment in a regulated river. Findings indicate that a river pulse that causes a meter-scale change in river stage causes small, centimeter-scale pulses in the water table. We propose that these conditions create an area of elevated microbial respiration at the base of the unsaturated zone that appears to be decoupled from normal diurnal fluctuations. Along the transect, CO2 concentrations increased with increasing depth down to the water table. CO2 concentrations were highest in the time following a pulse

An investigation on technical bases of emergency plan zone determination of Qinshan Nuclear Power Base

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duan Xuyi

2000-01-01

According to the general principal and the basic method of determination of emergency zone and safety criteria and in the light of the environmental and accidental release characteristic of Qinshan Nuclear Power Base, the expectation dose of assumed accident of each plant was compared and analyzed. In consideration of the impact factor of the size of emergency plan zone and referring to the information of emergency plan zone determination of other country in the world, the suggestions of determination method of emergency plan zone are proposed

Zone separator for multiple zone vessels

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, John B.

1983-02-01

A solids-gas contact vessel, having two vertically disposed distinct reaction zones, includes a dynamic seal passing solids from an upper to a lower zone and maintaining a gas seal against the transfer of the separate treating gases from one zone to the other, and including a stream of sealing fluid at the seal.

Microbial eukaryote diversity in the marine oxygen minimum zone off northern Chile

Science.gov (United States)

Parris, Darren J.; Ganesh, Sangita; Edgcomb, Virginia P.; DeLong, Edward F.; Stewart, Frank J.

2014-01-01

Molecular surveys are revealing diverse eukaryotic assemblages in oxygen-limited ocean waters. These communities may play pivotal ecological roles through autotrophy, feeding, and a wide range of symbiotic associations with prokaryotes. We used 18S rRNA gene sequencing to provide the first snapshot of pelagic microeukaryotic community structure in two cellular size fractions (0.2–1.6 μm, >1.6 μm) from seven depths through the anoxic oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) off northern Chile. Sequencing of >154,000 amplicons revealed contrasting patterns of phylogenetic diversity across size fractions and depths. Protist and total eukaryote diversity in the >1.6 μm fraction peaked at the chlorophyll maximum in the upper photic zone before declining by ~50% in the OMZ. In contrast, diversity in the 0.2–1.6 μm fraction, though also elevated in the upper photic zone, increased four-fold from the lower oxycline to a maximum at the anoxic OMZ core. Dinoflagellates of the Dinophyceae and endosymbiotic Syndiniales clades dominated the protist assemblage at all depths (~40–70% of sequences). Other protist groups varied with depth, with the anoxic zone community of the larger size fraction enriched in euglenozoan flagellates and acantharean radiolarians (up to 18 and 40% of all sequences, respectively). The OMZ 0.2–1.6 μm fraction was dominated (11–99%) by Syndiniales, which exhibited depth-specific variation in composition and total richness despite uniform oxygen conditions. Metazoan sequences, though confined primarily to the 1.6 μm fraction above the OMZ, were also detected within the anoxic zone where groups such as copepods increased in abundance relative to the oxycline and upper OMZ. These data, compared to those from other low-oxygen sites, reveal variation in OMZ microeukaryote composition, helping to identify clades with potential adaptations to oxygen-depletion. PMID:25389417

Body size structure, biometric relationships and density of Chiton albolineatus (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) on the intertidal rocky zone of three islands of Mazatlan Bay, SE of the Gulf of California

OpenAIRE

Flores-Campaña, Luis Miguel; Arzola-González, Juan Francisco; de León-Herrera, Ramón

2012-01-01

Populations of the polyplacophoran mollusk Chiton albolineatus were studied at 6 sites with different wave exposure of the rocky shores of 3 islands of Mazatlan Bay (southeastern side of the Gulf of California). This chiton species is endemic to the Mexican Pacific coast. Chitons were sampled on wave-exposed and wave-protected sites in the intertidal zone of these islands from January to December 2008 to determine its demographic patterns based on density and body size. Length (L), breadth (B...

In vitro antibacterial, alpha-amylase inhibition potential of three nudibranchs extracts from South East coast of India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giji Sadhasivam

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Objective: To study the antibacterial and antiamylase properties of methanol and acetone extracts of nudibranchs including Bursatella leachii (B. leachii, Kalinga ornata (K. ornata, Aplysia sp. Methods: Crude methanol and acetone extracts of sea slugs were tested for inhibition of fish bacterial pathogens' growth through disc diffusion method. The activity was measured based on the formation of inhibition zone around the disc impregnated with crude extracts. The α-amylase inhibitory effect was also measured calorimetrically. The chemical fingerprinting of the extract was recorded with HPTLC and GC-MS. Results: The solvent extracts of all the three sea slugs showed antibacterial property. The maximum zone of inhibition (>15-20 mm was recorded for methanol and acetone extracts of K. ornata. The methanol extract of Aplysia sp. exhibited 93% inhibition against α-amylase, following by B. leachii (methanol 70.6% and K. ornata (methanol 49.03% inhibition respectively. The acetone extracts didn' t show any notable inhibition. The presence of free amino acids like lysine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, arginine etc., terpenoids and pigents were confirmed through HPTLC analysis. The presence of siloxanes and propanoic acid were also revealed through GC-MS. Conclusions: This study suggests that further scrutinisation of the B. leachii, K. ornata and Aplysia sp. will pave the way for development of antibacterial and α-amylase inhibitory agent for therapeutic application.

Defining context-specific scenarios to design vegetated buffer zones that limit pesticide transfer via surface runoff.

Science.gov (United States)

Carluer, N; Lauvernet, C; Noll, D; Munoz-Carpena, R

2017-01-01

When used in addition to environmentally friendly cultural practices, buffer zones can limit the water transfer of pollutants, in particular pesticides, towards water resources. The choice of the buffer zones' type and positioning, considering water pathways and flow components, is crucial. When this choice has been performed, buffer zones dimensions must still be optimized, according to the environment characteristics, which strongly influence their effectiveness. This article presents a method and its associated tools, including VFSMOD model, which aim at optimizing vegetative buffer zones (VFS) sizes, by simulating their transfer mitigation effectiveness. A first application of this methodology is illustrated on a small agricultural watershed in Brittany. A second application, based on the simulation of a large number of scenarios, leads to the elaboration of nomograms. They allow optimizing VFS size in a simpler way from the user's point of view. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Parapapillary atrophy: histological gamma zone and delta zone.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jost B Jonas

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: To examine histomorphometrically the parapapillary region in human eyes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The histomorphometric study included 65 human globes (axial length:21-37 mm. On anterior-posterior histological sections, we measured the distance Bruch's membrane end (BME-optic nerve margin ("Gamma zone", BME-retinal pigment epithelium (RPE ("Beta zone", BME-beginning of non-occluded choriocapillaris, and BME-beginning of photoreceptor layer. "Delta zone" was defined as part of gamma zone in which blood vessels of at least 50 µm diameter were not present over a length of >300 µm. Beta zone (mean length:0.35±0.52 mm was significantly (P = 0.01 larger in the glaucoma group than in the non-glaucomatous group. It was not significantly (P = 0.28 associated with axial length. Beta zone was significantly (P = 0.004 larger than the region with occluded choriocapillaris. Gamma zone (mean length:0.63±1.25 mm was associated with axial length (P50 µm diameter within gamma zone was present only in highly axially elongated globes and was not related with glaucoma. Beta zone (Bruch's membrane without RPE was correlated with glaucoma but not with globe elongation. Since the region with occluded choriocapillaris was smaller than beta zone, complete loss of RPE may have occurred before complete choriocapillaris closure.

QELBY®-Induced Enhancement of Exclusion Zone Buildup and Seed Germination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abha Sharma

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A hydrophilic powder, QELBY, from the feldspar family of clay minerals was investigated for its ability to form structured or exclusion-zone (EZ water. We demonstrated microsphere-free zones around different fractions of the QELBY powder or its hydrated pellet. Averaging approximately 100 μm, these zones grew to a size similar to that formed in the vicinity of the Nafion standard. In the case of silica (control, only occasional microsphere-free zones of about 70 μm were found. Further, studies to investigate QELBY’s energizing effect on germination and early sapling growth in brown chickpea seeds showed at least a 2-3-fold increase in root length and/or formation of shoots. This was seen in seeds bathed in QELBY supernatants or surrounded by QELBY powder outside the vials containing the seeds. This indirect effect was observed whether the QELBY was dry or hydrated.

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones derived from gridded bathymetry of Swains Island,Territory of American Samoa, USA

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from gridded (40 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard R/V AHI and NOAA ship Hi'ialakai. BPI Zones was created using the Benthic...

Rapid Grain Size Reduction in the Upper Mantle at a Plate Boundary

Science.gov (United States)

Kidder, S. B.; Scott, J.; Prior, D. J.; Lubicich, E. J.

2017-12-01

A few spinel peridotite xenoliths found near the Alpine Fault, New Zealand, exhibit a mylonitic texture and, locally, an extremely fine 30 micron grain size. The harzburgite xenoliths were emplaced in a 200 km-long elongate dike zone interpreted as a gigantic tension fracture or Reidel shear associated with Alpine Fault initiation 25 Ma. The presence of thin ( 1 mm) ultramylonite zones with px-ol phase mixing and fine grain sizes, minimal crustal-scale strain associated with the dike swarm, and the absence of mylonites at four of the five xenolith localities associated with the dike swarm indicate that upper mantle deformation was highly localized. Strings of small, recrystallized grains (planes in 3D) are found in the interiors of olivine porphyroclasts. In some cases, bands 1-2 grains thick are traced from the edges of olivine grains and terminate in their interiors. Thicker zones of recrystallized grains are also observed crossing olivine porphyroclasts without apparent offset of the unrecrystallized remnants of the porphyroclasts. We suggest a brittle-plastic origin for these features since the traditional recrystallization mechanisms associated with dislocation creep require much more strain than occurred within these porphyroclasts. Analogous microstructures in quartz and feldspar in mid-crust deformation zones are attributed to brittle-plastic processes. We hypothesize that such fine-grained zones were the precursors of the observed, higher-strain ultramylonite zones. Given the size of the new grains preserved in the porphyroclasts ( 100 micron) and a moho temperature > 650°C, grain growth calculations indicate that the observed brittle-plastic deformation occurred <10,000 yrs. prior to eruption. It is likely then that either brittle-plastic deformation was coeval with the ductile shearing occurring in the ultramylonite bands, or possibly, if deformation can be separated into brittle-plastic (early) and ductile (later) phases, that the entire localization

Seismic cycle feedbacks in a mid-crustal shear zone

Science.gov (United States)

Melosh, Benjamin L.; Rowe, Christie D.; Gerbi, Christopher; Smit, Louis; Macey, Paul

2018-07-01

Mid-crustal fault rheology is controlled by alternating brittle and plastic deformation mechanisms, which cause feedback cycles that influence earthquake behavior. Detailed mapping and microstructural observations in the Pofadder Shear Zone (Namibia and South Africa) reveal a lithologically heterogeneous shear zone core with quartz-rich mylonites and ultramylonites, plastically overprinted pseudotachylyte and active shear folds. We present evidence for a positive feedback cycle in which coseismic grain size reduction facilitates active shear folding by enhancing competency contrasts and promoting crystal plastic flow. Shear folding strengthens a portion of a shear zone by limb rotation, focusing deformation and promoting plastic flow or brittle slip in resulting areas of localized high stress. Using quartz paleopiezometry, we estimate strain and slip rates consistent with other studies of exhumed shear zones and modern plate boundary faults, helping establish the Pofadder Shear Zone as an ancient analogue to modern, continental-scale, strike-slip faults. This feedback cycle influences seismicity patterns at the scale of study (10s of meters) and possibly larger scales as well, and contributes to bulk strengthening of the brittle-plastic transition on modern plate boundary faults.

Abscisic Acid accumulates at positive turgor potential in excised soybean seedling growing zones.

Science.gov (United States)

Creelman, R A; Mullet, J E

1991-04-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) accumulated in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Williams) hypocotyl elongating regions when seedlings were transferred to low water potential vermiculite (Psi = -0.3 megapascals) even though positive turgor is retained in this tissue. Accumulation of ABA in growing zones could occur from de novo biosynthesis within this tissue or transport from adjacent nongrowing zones. Both growing and nongrowing hypocotyl and root tissues accumulated significant levels of ABA when excised and dehydrated to reduce turgor. Surprisingly, excised growing zones (which experienced no water loss) also accumulated ABA when incubated in darkness for 4 hours at 100% relative humidity and 29 degrees C. Induction of ABA accumulation in the excised elongating region of the hypocotyl was not caused by disruption of root pressure or wounding. While excision of hypocotyl elongating regions induced ABA accumulation, no change in either extensin or p33 mRNA levels was observed. Accumulation of extensin or p33 mRNA required more severe wounding. This suggests that ABA is not involved in the response of these genes in wounded tissue and that wound signals are not causing ABA accumulation in excised tissue. Accumulation of ABA in excised elongating regions was correlated with growth inhibition and a decline in turgor to the yield threshold (Psi;(p) = 0.37 megapascals; R Matyssek, S Maruyama, JS Boyer [1988] Plant Physiol 86: 1163-1167). Inhibiting hypocotyl growth by transferring seedlings to lower temperatures or light did not cause ABA accumulation. We conclude that induction of ABA accumulation in growing zones is more sensitive to changes in turgor than the induction which occurs in mature tissues.

Saturated Zone Colloid Transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

H. S. Viswanathan

2004-01-01

This scientific analysis provides retardation factors for colloids transporting in the saturated zone (SZ) and the unsaturated zone (UZ). These retardation factors represent the reversible chemical and physical filtration of colloids in the SZ. The value of the colloid retardation factor, R col is dependent on several factors, such as colloid size, colloid type, and geochemical conditions (e.g., pH, Eh, and ionic strength). These factors are folded into the distributions of R col that have been developed from field and experimental data collected under varying geochemical conditions with different colloid types and sizes. Attachment rate constants, k att , and detachment rate constants, k det , of colloids to the fracture surface have been measured for the fractured volcanics, and separate R col uncertainty distributions have been developed for attachment and detachment to clastic material and mineral grains in the alluvium. Radionuclides such as plutonium and americium sorb mostly (90 to 99 percent) irreversibly to colloids (BSC 2004 [DIRS 170025], Section 6.3.3.2). The colloid retardation factors developed in this analysis are needed to simulate the transport of radionuclides that are irreversibly sorbed onto colloids; this transport is discussed in the model report ''Site-Scale Saturated Zone Transport'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 170036]). Although it is not exclusive to any particular radionuclide release scenario, this scientific analysis especially addresses those scenarios pertaining to evidence from waste-degradation experiments, which indicate that plutonium and americium may be irreversibly attached to colloids for the time scales of interest. A section of this report will also discuss the validity of using microspheres as analogs to colloids in some of the lab and field experiments used to obtain the colloid retardation factors. In addition, a small fraction of colloids travels with the groundwater without any significant retardation. Radionuclides irreversibly

Lymph node detection in IASLC-defined zones on PET/CT images

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Yihua; Udupa, Jayaram K.; Odhner, Dewey; Tong, Yubing; Torigian, Drew A.

2016-03-01

Lymph node detection is challenging due to the low contrast between lymph nodes as well as surrounding soft tissues and the variation in nodal size and shape. In this paper, we propose several novel ideas which are combined into a system to operate on positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (PET/CT) images to detect abnormal thoracic nodes. First, our previous Automatic Anatomy Recognition (AAR) approach is modified where lymph node zones predominantly following International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) specifications are modeled as objects arranged in a hierarchy along with key anatomic anchor objects. This fuzzy anatomy model built from diagnostic CT images is then deployed on PET/CT images for automatically recognizing the zones. A novel globular filter (g-filter) to detect blob-like objects over a specified range of sizes is designed to detect the most likely locations and sizes of diseased nodes. Abnormal nodes within each automatically localized zone are subsequently detected via combined use of different items of information at various scales: lymph node zone model poses found at recognition indicating the geographic layout at the global level of node clusters, g-filter response which hones in on and carefully selects node-like globular objects at the node level, and CT and PET gray value but within only the most plausible nodal regions for node presence at the voxel level. The models are built from 25 diagnostic CT scans and refined for an object hierarchy based on a separate set of 20 diagnostic CT scans. Node detection is tested on an additional set of 20 PET/CT scans. Our preliminary results indicate node detection sensitivity and specificity at around 90% and 85%, respectively.

Determinants of Transitional Zone Area and Porosity of the Proximal Femur Quantified In Vivo in Postmenopausal Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Shigdel, Rajesh; Osima, Marit; Lukic, Marko; Ahmed, Luai A; Joakimsen, Ragnar M; Eriksen, Erik F; Bjørnerem, Åshild

2016-04-01

Bone architecture as well as size and shape is important for bone strength and risk of fracture. Most bone loss is cortical and occurs by trabecularization of the inner part of the cortex. We therefore wanted to identify determinants of the bone architecture, especially the area and porosity of the transitional zone, an inner cortical region with a large surface/matrix volume available for intracortical remodeling. In 211 postmenopausal women aged 54 to 94 years with nonvertebral fractures and 232 controls from the Tromsø Study, Norway, we quantified femoral subtrochanteric architecture in CT images using StrAx1.0 software, and serum levels of bone turnover markers (BTM, procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide and C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen). Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were used to quantify associations of age, weight, height, and bone size with bone architecture and BTM, and odds ratio (OR) for fracture. Increasing age, height, and larger total cross-sectional area (TCSA) were associated with larger transitional zone CSA and transitional zone CSA/TCSA (standardized coefficients [STB] = 0.11 to 0.80, p ≤ 0.05). Increasing weight was associated with larger TCSA, but smaller transitional zone CSA/TCSA and thicker cortices (STB = 0.15 to 0.22, p zone (STB = 0.12 to 0.46, p zone CSA/TCSA, and higher porosity of each of the cortical compartments (p zone CSA and higher porosity than controls (p zone, OR for fracture was 1.71 (95% CI, 1.37 to 2.14) and 1.51 (95% CI, 1.23 to 1.85), respectively. Cortical bone architecture is determined mainly by bone size as built during growth and is modified by lifestyle factors throughout life through bone turnover. Fracture cases exhibited larger transitional zone area and porosity, highlighting the importance of cortical bone architecture for fracture propensity. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Heat affected zone and fatigue crack propagation behavior of high performance steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Sung Won; Kang, Dong Hwan; Kim, Tae Won; Lee, Jong Kwan

2009-01-01

The effect of heat affected zone in high performance steel on fatigue crack propagation behavior, which is related to the subsequent microstructure, was investigated. A modified Paris-Erdogan equation was presented for the analysis of fatigue crack propagation behavior corresponding to the heat affected zone conditions. Fatigue crack propagation tests under 0.3 stress ratio and 0.1 load frequency were conducted for both finegrained and coarse-grained heat affected zones, respectively. As shown in the results, much higher crack growth rate occurred in a relatively larger mean grain size material under the same stress intensity range of fatigue crack propagation process for the material.

Mechanisms of inhibition of DNA replication by ultraviolet light in normal human and xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaufmann, W.K.; Cleaver, J.E.

1981-01-01

The inhibition of DNA replication in ultraviolet-irradiated human fibroblasts was characterized by quantitative analysis of radiation-induced alterations in the steady-state distribution of sizes of pulse-labeled, nascent DNA. Low, noncytotoxic fluences rapidly produced an inhibition of DNA synthesis in half-replicon-size replication intermediates. With time, the inhibition produced by low fluences spread progressively to include multi-replicon-size intermediates. The results indicate that ultraviolet radiation inhibits the initiation of DNA synthesis in replicons. Higher cytotoxic fluences inhibited DNA synthesis in operating replicons. Xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts with deficiencies in DNA excision repair exhibited an inhibition of replicon initiation after low radiation fluences, indicating the effect was not solely dependent upon operation of the nucleotidyl excision repair pathway. Owing to their inability to remove pyrimidine dimers ahead of DNA growing points, the repair-deficient cells also were more sensitive than normal cells to the ultraviolet-induced inhibition of chain elongation. Xeroderma pigmentosum cells belonging to the variant class were even more sensitive to inhibition of chain elongation despite their ability to remove pyrimidine dimers. The analysis suggested that normal and repair-deficient human fibroblasts either are able to rapidly bypass certain dimers or these dimers are not recognized by the chain elongation machinery. (author)

Normal-zone detectors for the MFTF-B coils. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, E.W.; Shimer, D.W.

1983-01-01

In order to protect a set of inductively coupled superconducting magnets, it is necessary to locate and measure normal zone voltages that are small compared with the mutual and self-induced voltages. The method described in this report uses two sets of voltage measurements to locate and measure one or more normal zones in any number of coupled coils. One set of voltages is the outputs of bridges that balance out the self-induced voltages. The other set of voltages can be the voltages across the coils, although alternatives are possible. The two sets of equations form a single combined set of equations. Each normal zone location or combination of normal zones has a set of these combined equations associated with it. It is demonstrated that the normal zone can be located and the correct set chosen, allowing determination of the size of the normal zone. Only a few operations take place in a working detector: multiplication of a constant, addition, and simple decision-making. In many cases the detector for each coil, although weakly linked to the other detectors, can be considered to be independent. An example of the detector design is given for four coils with realistic parameters. The effect on accuracy of changes in the system parameters is discussed

Lipoplex size is a major determinant of in vitro lipofection efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, P C; Hui, S W

1999-04-01

The inhibition effect of serum on the transfection efficiency of cationic liposome-DNA complexes (lipoplexes) is a major obstacle to the application of this gene delivery vector both in vitro and in vivo. The size of the lipoplexes, as they are presented to targeted cells, is found to be the major determinant of their effectiveness in transfection. The transfection efficiency and the cell association and uptake of lipoplexes with CHO cells was found to increase with increasing lipoplex size. The influence on the transfection efficiency of lipoplexes by their cationic lipid:DNA ratios, types of liposomes, incubation time in polyanion containing media, and time of serum addition, are mediated mainly through size. Lipoplexes at a 2:1 charge ratio grow in size in media containing polyanions. The size growth may be arrested by adding serum to the incubation media. By using large lipoplexes, especially those made from multilamellar vesicles, the serum inhibition effect may be overcome.

Impact of manakin motion on particle transport in the breathing zone

Science.gov (United States)

The current experimental investigation is focused on particle measurements using Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) in the breathing zone of a seated, breathing, thermal manikin under stationary and rotational conditions. Particle size, concentration, flux, and velocity data were co...

Effect of fuel particles' size variations on multiplication factor in pebble-bed nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snoj, L.; Ravnik, M.

2005-01-01

The pebble-bed reactor (Pbr) spherical fuel element consists of two radial zones: the inner zone, in which the fissile material in form of the so-called TRISO particles is uniformly dispersed in graphite matrix and the outer zone, a shell of pure graphite. A TRISO particle is composed of a fissile kernel (UO 2 ) and several layers of carbon composites. The effect of TRISO particles' size variations and distance between them on PBR multiplication factor is studied using MCNP code. Fuel element is modelled in approximation of a cubical unit cell with periodic boundary condition. The multiplication factor of the fuel element depends on the size of the TRISO particles due to resonance self-shielding effect and on the inter-particle distance due to inter-kernel shadowing. (author)

Welding metallurgy of SA508 Cl II heat affected zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alberry, P.J.; Lambert, J.A.

1982-01-01

A weld thermal simulation technique has been used to investigate the metallurgical response of SA508 class II material during welding. Dynamic Ac 1 and Ac 3 data, grain growth kinetics and continuous cooling transformation diagrams have been measured. The heat affected zone structure, grain size and precipitate distribution are described in terms of the weld thermal cycle experienced and compared with a weld heat affected zone. The as-welded hardness and tempering response of a range of possible heat affected zone structures has been established. The tempering effects of various weld thermal cycles are calculated from isothermal tempering data. The likely tempering effects during welding are estimated and compared with the tempering of actual welds during welding and in subsequent conventional post weld heat treatment. 16 figures, 6 tables

Normal zone detectors for a large number of inductively coupled coils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, E.W.; Shimer, D.W.

1983-01-01

In order to protect a set of inductively coupled superconducting magnets, it is necessary to locate and measure normal zone voltages that are small compared with the mutual and self-induced voltages. The method described in this paper uses two sets of voltage measurements to locate and measure one or more normal zones in any number of coupled coils. One set of voltages is the outputs of bridges that balance out the self-induced voltages. The other set of voltages can be the voltages across the coils, although alternatives are possible. The two sets of equations form a single combined set of equations. Each normal zone location or combination of normal zones has a set of these combined equations associated with it. It is demonstrated that the normal zone can be located and the correct set chosen, allowing determination of the size of the normal zone. Only a few operations take place in a working detector: multiplication of a constant, addition, and simple decision-making. In many cases the detector for each coil, although weakly linked to the other detectors, can be considered to be independent

Source characteristics of moderate size events using empirical Green funclions: an application to some Guerrero (Mexico subduction zone earthquakes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. K. Singh

1994-06-01

Full Text Available The records of an aftershock (M ~ 4 of a moderate size event (M = 5.9 which occurred along the subduction zone of Guerrero (Mexico, are used as empirical Green functions (EGF to determine the source characteristics of the mainshock and of its smaller size (M = 5.5 foreshock. The data consist of accelerograms recorded by the Guerrero Accelerograph Array, a high dynamic range strong motion array. The three events appear to be located close to each other at distances much smaller than the source to receiver distances. The fault mechanism of the mainshock is computed by non-linear inversion of P polarity readings and S wave polarizations determined at two near source stations. The foreshock and aftershock fault mechanisms are similar to that of the mainshock as inferred from long period data and shear wave polarization analysis. The maximum likelihood solution is well constrained, indicating a typical shallow dipping thrust fault mechanism, with the P-axis approximately oriented in a SSW direction. The source time functions (STFs of the mainshock and foreshock events are determined using a new method of deconvolution of the EGF records at three strong motion sites. In this method the STF of the large event is approximated by a superposition of pseudo triangular pulses whose parameters are determined by a non-linear inversion in frequency domain. The source time function of the mainshock shows the presence of two separate pulses, which can be related to multiple rupture episodes. The relative location of mainshock sub-events is done by using plots of isochrones computed from measurementes of the time delay between pulses on the STF records at each station. The first sub-event is located no more than 2.5-3 km away from the other along the fault strike. The STF retrieved from foreshock records shows single pulse waveforms. The computed STFs are used to estimate seismic moments, source radii and stress release of the events assuming a circular fault

Neural Sequence Generation Using Spatiotemporal Patterns of Inhibition.

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Jonathan Cannon

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Stereotyped sequences of neural activity are thought to underlie reproducible behaviors and cognitive processes ranging from memory recall to arm movement. One of the most prominent theoretical models of neural sequence generation is the synfire chain, in which pulses of synchronized spiking activity propagate robustly along a chain of cells connected by highly redundant feedforward excitation. But recent experimental observations in the avian song production pathway during song generation have shown excitatory activity interacting strongly with the firing patterns of inhibitory neurons, suggesting a process of sequence generation more complex than feedforward excitation. Here we propose a model of sequence generation inspired by these observations in which a pulse travels along a spatially recurrent excitatory chain, passing repeatedly through zones of local feedback inhibition. In this model, synchrony and robust timing are maintained not through redundant excitatory connections, but rather through the interaction between the pulse and the spatiotemporal pattern of inhibition that it creates as it circulates the network. These results suggest that spatially and temporally structured inhibition may play a key role in sequence generation.

Neural Sequence Generation Using Spatiotemporal Patterns of Inhibition.

Science.gov (United States)

Cannon, Jonathan; Kopell, Nancy; Gardner, Timothy; Markowitz, Jeffrey

2015-11-01

Stereotyped sequences of neural activity are thought to underlie reproducible behaviors and cognitive processes ranging from memory recall to arm movement. One of the most prominent theoretical models of neural sequence generation is the synfire chain, in which pulses of synchronized spiking activity propagate robustly along a chain of cells connected by highly redundant feedforward excitation. But recent experimental observations in the avian song production pathway during song generation have shown excitatory activity interacting strongly with the firing patterns of inhibitory neurons, suggesting a process of sequence generation more complex than feedforward excitation. Here we propose a model of sequence generation inspired by these observations in which a pulse travels along a spatially recurrent excitatory chain, passing repeatedly through zones of local feedback inhibition. In this model, synchrony and robust timing are maintained not through redundant excitatory connections, but rather through the interaction between the pulse and the spatiotemporal pattern of inhibition that it creates as it circulates the network. These results suggest that spatially and temporally structured inhibition may play a key role in sequence generation.

Investigating the influence of DNAPL spill characteristics on source zone architecture and mass removal in pool-dominated source zones

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, K. A.; Abriola, L.; Chen, M.; Ramsburg, A.; Pennell, K. D.; Christ, J.

2009-12-01

Multiphase, compositional simulators were employed to investigate the spill characteristics and subsurface properties that lead to pool-dominated, dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source zone architectures. DNAPL pools commonly form at textural interfaces where low permeability lenses restrict the vertical migration of DNAPL, allowing for DNAPL to accumulate, reaching high saturation. Significant pooling has been observed in bench-scale experiments and field settings. However, commonly employed numerical simulations rarely predict the pooling suspected in the field. Given the importance of pooling on the efficacy of mass recovery and the down-gradient contaminant signal, it is important to understand the predominant factors affecting the creation of pool-dominated source zones and their subsequent mass discharge. In this work, contaminant properties, spill characteristics and subsurface permeability were varied to investigate the factors contributing to the development of a pool-dominated source zone. DNAPL infiltration and entrapment simulations were conducted in two- and three-dimensional domains using the University of Texas Chemical Compositional (UTCHEM) simulator. A modified version of MT3DMS was then used to simulate DNAPL dissolution and mass discharge. Numerical mesh size was varied to investigate the importance of numerical model parameters on simulations results. The temporal evolution of commonly employed source zone architecture metrics, such as the maximum DNAPL saturation, first and second spatial moments, and fraction of DNAPL mass located in pools, was monitored to determine how the source zone architecture evolved with time. Mass discharge was monitored to identify the link between source zone architecture and down-gradient contaminant flux. Contaminant characteristics and the presence of extensive low permeability lenses appeared to have the most influence on the development of a pool-dominated source zone. The link between DNAPL mass

Abscisic Acid Accumulates at Positive Turgor Potential in Excised Soybean Seedling Growing Zones 1

Science.gov (United States)

Creelman, Robert A.; Mullet, John E.

1991-01-01

Abscisic acid (ABA) accumulated in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Williams) hypocotyl elongating regions when seedlings were transferred to low water potential vermiculite (Ψ = −0.3 megapascals) even though positive turgor is retained in this tissue. Accumulation of ABA in growing zones could occur from de novo biosynthesis within this tissue or transport from adjacent nongrowing zones. Both growing and nongrowing hypocotyl and root tissues accumulated significant levels of ABA when excised and dehydrated to reduce turgor. Surprisingly, excised growing zones (which experienced no water loss) also accumulated ABA when incubated in darkness for 4 hours at 100% relative humidity and 29°C. Induction of ABA accumulation in the excised elongating region of the hypocotyl was not caused by disruption of root pressure or wounding. While excision of hypocotyl elongating regions induced ABA accumulation, no change in either extensin or p33 mRNA levels was observed. Accumulation of extensin or p33 mRNA required more severe wounding. This suggests that ABA is not involved in the response of these genes in wounded tissue and that wound signals are not causing ABA accumulation in excised tissue. Accumulation of ABA in excised elongating regions was correlated with growth inhibition and a decline in turgor to the yield threshold (Ψ;p = 0.37 megapascals; R Matyssek, S Maruyama, JS Boyer [1988] Plant Physiol 86: 1163-1167). Inhibiting hypocotyl growth by transferring seedlings to lower temperatures or light did not cause ABA accumulation. We conclude that induction of ABA accumulation in growing zones is more sensitive to changes in turgor than the induction which occurs in mature tissues. Images Figure 2 PMID:16668113

Inhibition of fish bacteria pathogen in tilapia using a concoction three of Borneo plant extracts

Science.gov (United States)

Hardi, EH; Saptiani, G.; Kusuma, IW; Suwinarti, W.; Sudaryono, A.

2018-04-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the antibacterial activity of concoction Solanum ferox, Boesenbergia pandurata and Zingimber zerumbetextract (SF, BP, and ZZ) to inhibit pathogenic bacteria in tilapia with the each concentrations 600 ppm BP, 900 ppm SF and 200 ppm ZZ. Antibacterial activity was measured by testing the concoction of three plants extract against single isolate Aeromonas hydrophila and Pseudomonas sp. and combined both bacteria (105 colony-forming units per milliliter). In this research, oxytetracycline was used as a control. Clear zone inhibition was observed at 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours after incubation at 30 °C. The results showed that the different concoction of BP: SF: ZZ have inhibitory zones against both single and joint isolate bacteria. The ratio of3:3:4 and 1:8:1 had higher antibacterial activity towards Pseudomonas sp. and 1:1:3 ratios both inhibit joint bacteria. The ZI% higher of concoction extracts against A.hydrophila is 1:1:8; 1:3:1; 3:4:3. The ZI% concoction extracts against Pseudomonas sp. ware 3:3:4 and 1:8:1 ratio. While the two bacteria combined, just 1:1:3 ratio had higher Z%. The conclusion is that a concoction of SF:BP:ZZ is effective to inhibit the growth of A.hydrophila and Pseudomonas sp., even its antibacterial ability is similar to the effectiveness of antibiotic oxytetracycline.

Radiation protection zoning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

Radiation being not visible, the zoning of an area containing radioactive sources is important in terms of safety. Concerning radiation protection, 2 work zones are defined by regulations: the monitored zone and the controlled zone. The ministerial order of 15 may 2006 settles the frontier between the 2 zones in terms of radiation dose rates, the rules for access and the safety standards in both zones. Radioprotection rules and the name of the person responsible for radiation protection must be displayed. The frontier between the 2 zones must be materialized and marked with adequate equipment (specific danger signs and tapes). Both zones are submitted to selective entrance, the access for the controlled zone is limited because of the radiation risk and of the necessity of confining radioactive contamination while the limitation of the access to the monitored zone is due to radiation risk only. (A.C.)

Attention has memory: priming for the size of the attentional focus.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuggetta, Giorgio; Lanfranchi, Silvia; Campana, Gianluca

2009-01-01

Repeating the same target's features or spatial position, as well as repeating the same context (e.g. distractor sets) in visual search leads to a decrease of reaction times. This modulation can occur on a trial by trial basis (the previous trial primes the following one), but can also occur across multiple trials (i.e. performance in the current trial can benefit from features, position or context seen several trials earlier), and includes inhibition of different features, position or contexts besides facilitation of the same ones. Here we asked whether a similar implicit memory mechanism exists for the size of the attentional focus. By manipulating the size of the attentional focus with the repetition of search arrays with the same vs. different size, we found both facilitation for the same array size and inhibition for a different array size, as well as a progressive improvement in performance with increasing the number of repetition of search arrays with the same size. These results show that implicit memory for the size of the attentional focus can guide visual search even in the absence of feature or position priming, or distractor's contextual effects.

Adherence inhibition of Streptococcus mutans on dental enamel surface using silver nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Espinosa-Cristóbal, L.F.; Martínez-Castañón, G.A.; Téllez-Déctor, E.J.

2013-01-01

The aim of this ex vivo study was to evaluate the adherence capacity of Streptococcus mutans after being exposed to three different sizes of silver nanoparticles on healthy human dental enamel. Three different sizes of silver nanoparticles (9.3, 21.3 and 98 nm) were prepared, characterized and an adherence testing was performed to evaluate their anti-adherence activity on a reference strain of S. mutans on healthy dental enamel surfaces. Colony-Forming Unit count was made for adherence test and light microscopy, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to compare qualitative characteristics of S. mutans. 9.3 nm and 21.3 nm groups did not show differences between them but statistical differences were found when 9.3 nm and 21.3 nm groups were compared with 98 nm and negative control groups (p < 0.05). Microscopy analysis shows a better inhibition of S. mutans adherence in 9.3 nm and 21.3 nm groups than the 98 nm group when compared with control group. Silver nanoparticles showed an adherence inhibition on S. mutans and the anti-adherence capacity was better when silver nanoparticles were smaller. Highlights: ► We examined how SNP can affect cellular adhesion from S. mutans. ► Several techniques were applied to analyzed S. mutans biofilm on enamel. ► All SNP sizes had an adhesion inhibition of S. mutans. ► Smaller SNP showed a better adhesion inhibition than larger SNP. ► Inhibition effect of SNP could be related with adhesion inhibition from S. mutans

Adherence inhibition of Streptococcus mutans on dental enamel surface using silver nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Espinosa-Cristóbal, L.F. [Doctorado Institucional en Ingeniería y Ciencia de Materiales, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Salvador Nava S/N, Zona Universitaria, C.P. 78290 San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. (Mexico); Maestría en Ciencias Odontológicas en el Área de Odontología Integral Avanzada, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Salvador Nava S/N, Zona Universitaria, C.P. 78290 San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. (Mexico); Martínez-Castañón, G.A., E-mail: mtzcastanon@fciencias.uaslp.mx [Doctorado Institucional en Ingeniería y Ciencia de Materiales, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Salvador Nava S/N, Zona Universitaria, C.P. 78290 San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. (Mexico); Maestría en Ciencias Odontológicas en el Área de Odontología Integral Avanzada, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Av. Salvador Nava S/N, Zona Universitaria, C.P. 78290 San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. (Mexico); Téllez-Déctor, E.J. [Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad Veracruzana campus Río Blanco, Mariano Abasolo S/N. Col. Centro. Río Blanco, Veracruz (Mexico); and others

2013-05-01

The aim of this ex vivo study was to evaluate the adherence capacity of Streptococcus mutans after being exposed to three different sizes of silver nanoparticles on healthy human dental enamel. Three different sizes of silver nanoparticles (9.3, 21.3 and 98 nm) were prepared, characterized and an adherence testing was performed to evaluate their anti-adherence activity on a reference strain of S. mutans on healthy dental enamel surfaces. Colony-Forming Unit count was made for adherence test and light microscopy, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to compare qualitative characteristics of S. mutans. 9.3 nm and 21.3 nm groups did not show differences between them but statistical differences were found when 9.3 nm and 21.3 nm groups were compared with 98 nm and negative control groups (p < 0.05). Microscopy analysis shows a better inhibition of S. mutans adherence in 9.3 nm and 21.3 nm groups than the 98 nm group when compared with control group. Silver nanoparticles showed an adherence inhibition on S. mutans and the anti-adherence capacity was better when silver nanoparticles were smaller. Highlights: ► We examined how SNP can affect cellular adhesion from S. mutans. ► Several techniques were applied to analyzed S. mutans biofilm on enamel. ► All SNP sizes had an adhesion inhibition of S. mutans. ► Smaller SNP showed a better adhesion inhibition than larger SNP. ► Inhibition effect of SNP could be related with adhesion inhibition from S. mutans.

Modeling and optimization of wet sizing process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thai Ba Cau; Vu Thanh Quang and Nguyen Ba Tien

2004-01-01

Mathematical simulation on basis of Stock law has been done for wet sizing process on cylinder equipment of laboratory and semi-industrial scale. The model consists of mathematical equations describing relations between variables, such as: - Resident time distribution function of emulsion particles in the separating zone of the equipment depending on flow-rate, height, diameter and structure of the equipment. - Size-distribution function in the fine and coarse parts depending on resident time distribution function of emulsion particles, characteristics of the material being processed, such as specific density, shapes, and characteristics of the environment of classification, such as specific density, viscosity. - Experimental model was developed on data collected from an experimental cylindrical equipment with diameter x height of sedimentation chamber equal to 50 x 40 cm for an emulsion of zirconium silicate in water. - Using this experimental model allows to determine optimal flow-rate in order to obtain product with desired grain size in term of average size or size distribution function. (author)

Taxes and free economic zones: Russian practice and China experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. E. Shibanov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Special economic zone – the tool of regional policy of the state used in regions where increase of an economic and social level of development is required, and questions of application of tax benefits and preferences in the territory of a special economic zone acquire special relevance. The purpose of this article is research of the questions concerning the mode of the taxation of special economic zones. In Russia still there is no consensus about the sizes and the special economic zone types, the mechanism of their activity and approach to management. Development of uniform methodology is necessary for the Russian legislation for effective creation of activity of special economic zones taking into account features of a territorial arrangement. This methodology can be developed on the basis of positive experience of functioning of free economic zones of the different countries of the world. In the real work with the help of economic and statistical methods data on development and results of activity of a special economic zone in the territory of the Russian Federation and the China are collected and considered. As an example of successful functioning of the Russian special economic zone the special economic zone "Alabuga" is considered, as an example of functioning in the territory of the China special economic zone Shenzhen and joint industrial park of China and Singapore in the city of Suzhou are considered. The analysis of experience of the China has allowed to draw conclusions on efficiency of development of certain territories of the China through introduction of special economic zones. This fact substantially depends on efficiency of mechanisms of creation and development of economic educations, a possibility of self-government and financial independence in these territories, attraction of the foreign investment capital. There aren't enough these mechanisms in functioning of the Russian special economic zones where concept special

The characteristics of Chinese orthographic neighborhood size effect for developing readers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Zhao

Full Text Available Orthographic neighborhood size (N size effect in Chinese character naming has been studied in adults. In the present study, we aimed to explore the developmental characteristics of Chinese N size effect. One hundred and seventeen students (40 from the 3(rd grade with mean age of 9 years; 40 from the 5(th grade with mean age of 11 years; 37 from the 7(th grade with mean age of 13 years were recruited in the study. A naming task of Chinese characters was adopted to elucidate N-size- effect development. Reaction times and error rates were recorded. Results showed that children in the 3(rd grade named characters from large neighborhoods faster than named those from small neighborhoods, revealing a facilitatory N size effect; the 5(th graders showed null N size effect; while the 7(th graders showed an inhibitory N size effect, with longer reaction times for the characters from large neighborhoods than for those from small neighborhoods. The change from facilitation to inhibition of neighborhood size effect across grades suggested the transition from broadly tuned to finely tuned lexical representation in reading development, and the possible inhibition from higher frequency neighbors for higher graders.

Development of a dilatant damage zone along a thrust relay in a low-porosity quartz arenite

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Jennie E.; Dunne, William M.; Onasch, Charles M.

2006-05-01

A damage zone along a backthrust fault system in well-cemented quartz arenite in the Alleghanian foreland thrust system consists of a network of NW-dipping thrusts that are linked by multiple higher-order faults and bound a zone of intense extensional fractures and breccias. The damage zone developed at an extensional step-over between two independent, laterally propagating backthrusts. The zone is unusual because it preserves porous brittle fabrics despite formation at >5 km depth. The presence of pervasive, late-stage fault-normal joints in a fault-bounded horse in the northwestern damage zone indicates formation between two near-frictionless faults. This decrease in frictional resistance was likely a result of increased fluid pressure. In addition to physical effects, chemical effects of fluid also influenced damage zone development. Quartz cements, fluid inclusion data, and Fourier Transform Infrared analysis indicate that both aqueous and methane-rich fluids were present within the damage zone at different times. The backthrust network likely acted as a fluid conduit system, bringing methane-rich fluids up from the underlying unit and displacing resident aqueous fluids. The presence of methane not only enhanced the effects of fluid pressure, which facilitated brittle fracturing, but inhibited formation of later-stage quartz cements, thereby preserving open fractures and porous breccias.

Injection of colloidal size particles of Fe0 in porous media with shearthinning fluids as a method to emplace a permeable reactive zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cantrell, K.J.; Kaplan, D.I.; Gilmore, T.J.

1997-01-01

Previous work has demonstrated the feasibility of injecting suspensions of micron-size zero-valent (FeO) particles into porous media as a method to emplace a permeable reactive zone. Further studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of several shearthinning fluids on enhancing the injectability of micron-size FeO particles into porous media. In contrast to Newtonian fluids, whose viscosities are constant with shear rate, certain non-Newtonian fluids are shearthinning, that is, the viscosity of these fluids decreases with increasing shear rate. The primary benefit of using these fluids for this application is that they increase the viscosity of the aqueous phase without adversely decreasing the hydraulic conductivity. A suspension formulated with a shearthinning fluid will maintain a relatively high viscosity in solution near the FeO particles (where the shear stress is low) relative to locations near the surfaces of the porous media, where the shear stress is high. The increased viscosity decreases the rate of gravitational settling of the dense FeO colloids (7.6 9/cm3) while maintaining a relatively high hydraulic conductivity that permits pumping the colloid suspensions into porous media at greater flowrates and distances. Aqueous solutions of three polymers at different concentrations were investigated. It was determined that, the use of shear thinning fluids greatly increases the injectability of the colloidal FeO suspensions in porous media

Width of the Surface Rupture Zone for Thrust Earthquakes and Implications for Earthquake Fault Zoning: Chi-Chi 1999 and Wenchuan 2008 Earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Boncio, P.; Caldarella, M.

2016-12-01

We analyze the zones of coseismic surface faulting along thrust faults, whit the aim of defining the most appropriate criteria for zoning the Surface Fault Rupture Hazard (SFRH) along thrust faults. Normal and strike-slip faults were deeply studied in the past, while thrust faults were not studied with comparable attention. We analyze the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan (Mw 7.6) and 2008 Wenchuan, China (Mw 7.9) earthquakes. Several different types of coseismic fault scarps characterize the two earthquakes, depending on the topography, fault geometry and near-surface materials. For both the earthquakes, we collected from the literature, or measured in GIS-georeferenced published maps, data about the Width of the coseismic Rupture Zone (WRZ). The frequency distribution of WRZ compared to the trace of the main fault shows that the surface ruptures occur mainly on and near the main fault. Ruptures located away from the main fault occur mainly in the hanging wall. Where structural complexities are present (e.g., sharp bends, step-overs), WRZ is wider then for simple fault traces. We also fitted the distribution of the WRZ dataset with probability density functions, in order to define a criterion to remove outliers (e.g., by selecting 90% or 95% probability) and define the zone where the probability of SFRH is the highest. This might help in sizing the zones of SFRH during seismic microzonation (SM) mapping. In order to shape zones of SFRH, a very detailed earthquake geologic study of the fault is necessary. In the absence of such a very detailed study, during basic (First level) SM mapping, a width of 350-400 m seems to be recommended (95% of probability). If the fault is carefully mapped (higher level SM), one must consider that the highest SFRH is concentrated in a narrow zone, 50 m-wide, that should be considered as a "fault-avoidance (or setback) zone". These fault zones should be asymmetric. The ratio of footwall to hanging wall (FW:HW) calculated here ranges from 1:5 to 1:3.

Saturated Zone Colloid Transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

H. S. Viswanathan

2004-10-07

This scientific analysis provides retardation factors for colloids transporting in the saturated zone (SZ) and the unsaturated zone (UZ). These retardation factors represent the reversible chemical and physical filtration of colloids in the SZ. The value of the colloid retardation factor, R{sub col} is dependent on several factors, such as colloid size, colloid type, and geochemical conditions (e.g., pH, Eh, and ionic strength). These factors are folded into the distributions of R{sub col} that have been developed from field and experimental data collected under varying geochemical conditions with different colloid types and sizes. Attachment rate constants, k{sub att}, and detachment rate constants, k{sub det}, of colloids to the fracture surface have been measured for the fractured volcanics, and separate R{sub col} uncertainty distributions have been developed for attachment and detachment to clastic material and mineral grains in the alluvium. Radionuclides such as plutonium and americium sorb mostly (90 to 99 percent) irreversibly to colloids (BSC 2004 [DIRS 170025], Section 6.3.3.2). The colloid retardation factors developed in this analysis are needed to simulate the transport of radionuclides that are irreversibly sorbed onto colloids; this transport is discussed in the model report ''Site-Scale Saturated Zone Transport'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 170036]). Although it is not exclusive to any particular radionuclide release scenario, this scientific analysis especially addresses those scenarios pertaining to evidence from waste-degradation experiments, which indicate that plutonium and americium may be irreversibly attached to colloids for the time scales of interest. A section of this report will also discuss the validity of using microspheres as analogs to colloids in some of the lab and field experiments used to obtain the colloid retardation factors. In addition, a small fraction of colloids travels with the groundwater without any significant

Fuel conditioning facility zone-to-zone transfer administrative controls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pope, C. L.

2000-01-01

The administrative controls associated with transferring containers from one criticality hazard control zone to another in the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) Fuel Conditioning Facility (FCF) are described. FCF, located at the ANL-West site near Idaho Falls, Idaho, is used to remotely process spent sodium bonded metallic fuel for disposition. The process involves nearly forty widely varying material forms and types, over fifty specific use container types, and over thirty distinct zones where work activities occur. During 1999, over five thousand transfers from one zone to another were conducted. Limits are placed on mass, material form and type, and container types for each zone. Ml material and containers are tracked using the Mass Tracking System (MTG). The MTG uses an Oracle database and numerous applications to manage the database. The database stores information specific to the process, including material composition and mass, container identification number and mass, transfer history, and the operators involved in each transfer. The process is controlled using written procedures which specify the zone, containers, and material involved in a task. Transferring a container from one zone to another is called a zone-to-zone transfer (ZZT). ZZTs consist of four distinct phases, select, request, identify, and completion

Normal zone detectors for a large number of inductively coupled coils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, E.W.; Shimer, D.W.

1983-01-01

In order to protect a set of inductively coupled superconducting magnets, it is necessary to locate and measure normal zone voltages that are small compared with the mutual and self-induced voltages. The method described in this report uses two sets of voltage measurements to locate and measure one or more normal zones in any number of coupled coils. One set of voltages is the outputs of bridges that balance out the self-induced voltages The other set of voltages can be the voltages across the coils, although alternatives are possible. The two sets of equations form a single combined set of equations. Each normal zone location or combination of normal zones has a set of these combined equations associated with it. It is demonstrated that the normal zone can be located and the correct set chosen, allowing determination of the size of the normal zone. Only a few operations take plae in a working detector: multiplication of a constant, addition, and simple decision-making. In many cases the detector for each coil, although weakly linked to the other detectors, can be considered to be independent. An example of the detector design is given for four coils with realistic parameters. The effect on accuracy of changes in the system parameters is discussed

Molecular differences in transition zone and peripheral zone prostate tumors

Science.gov (United States)

Sinnott, Jennifer A.; Rider, Jennifer R.; Carlsson, Jessica; Gerke, Travis; Tyekucheva, Svitlana; Penney, Kathryn L.; Sesso, Howard D.; Loda, Massimo; Fall, Katja; Stampfer, Meir J.; Mucci, Lorelei A.; Pawitan, Yudi; Andersson, Sven-Olof; Andrén, Ove

2015-01-01

Prostate tumors arise primarily in the peripheral zone (PZ) of the prostate, but 20–30% arise in the transition zone (TZ). Zone of origin may have prognostic value or reflect distinct molecular subtypes; however, it can be difficult to determine in practice. Using whole-genome gene expression, we built a signature of zone using normal tissue from five individuals and found that it successfully classified nine tumors of known zone. Hypothesizing that this signature captures tumor zone of origin, we assessed its relationship with clinical factors among 369 tumors of unknown zone from radical prostatectomies (RPs) and found that tumors that molecularly resembled TZ tumors showed lower mortality (P = 0.09) that was explained by lower Gleason scores (P = 0.009). We further applied the signature to an earlier study of 88 RP and 333 transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) tumor samples, also of unknown zone, with gene expression on ~6000 genes. We had observed previously substantial expression differences between RP and TURP specimens, and hypothesized that this might be because RPs capture primarily PZ tumors, whereas TURPs capture more TZ tumors. Our signature distinguished these two groups, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 87% (P zones. Zone of origin may be important to consider in prostate tumor biomarker research. PMID:25870172

Dimensionless model to determine spontaneous combustion danger zone in the longwall gob

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

ZHANG Xin-hai; DENG Jun; WEN Hu

2011-01-01

According to spontaneous combustion propensity,the longwall gob is divided into three zones,including heat dissipation zone,self-heating zone and the choking zone.Only in the self-heating zone can temperature of coal rise due to oxidation.Studying the distribution of the “Three Zones” in gob is important for predicting and preventing spontaneous combustion in coalmine.In normal mining operations,temperature of coal is roughly constant.The process of mass transfer in the gob is considered to be steady.Based on mass conservation,gas species conservation,darcy' s law,Ficks law of diffusion and coal oxidation 1-grade reaction rule,governing equation for air leakage intensity and species concentration are deduced.With critical value of coal spontaneous combustion and the size of longwall workface as basic dimension,a dimensionless steady coupled model of air flow diffusion and chemical reaction in loose coal of Fully Mechanized Top-Coal Caving Mining Workface (FMTCCMW) is setup.By solving the model numerically,regulation of three zones' distribution and spontaneous combustion in the gob can be obtained.The results can be easily popularized to prediction of spontaneous combustion in other coalmines' longwall gob.

Exploring the sensitivity of the zone of inhibition test for leachable biocides from paper and board food contact materials, and improvements thereof.

Science.gov (United States)

Castle, L; Kelly, J; Jickells, S M; Johns, S M; Mountfort, K A

2012-01-01

The zone of inhibition method to test the release of biocides from paper and board food contact materials was evaluated. The method tests the paper by placing a small specimen directly onto culture plates of Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus niger. The principle is that any extractable biocide will diffuse from the paper into the surrounding nutrient medium and so inhibit growth of the microorganism in the vicinity. The test was found to have insufficient sensitivity for assuring food safety, where detection limits for migration at or below the mg l(-1) (parts per million) level are needed. Also, the test does not mimic the actual or foreseeable conditions of use since most paper/board materials are not intended for direct contact with an aqueous medium for up to 3 days at 30°C (B. subtilis) or 25°C (A. niger), which are the incubation conditions used. The sensitivity of the test was increased approximately 100-fold by preparing a concentrated extract of the paper to be tested and applying this extract to the assay via a blank paper carrier. This was done using methanol as a good solvent for most biocides, as a proof of principle. Other solvents or food simulants could be used to mimic the conditions of use intended for the particular paper/board samples under examination, e.g. contact with dry, fatty, aqueous or acidic foods, hot or cold. Twenty-four plain (unconverted) paper and board samples and 100 food packaging samples were evaluated using the modified procedure. The results revealed that the method has been developed to the stage where background cytotoxic action of normal paper constituents gives a weak response. Unlike the original method, therefore, the modified method with its improved sensitivity and the facility to link with the intended food contact conditions may be considered a suitable bioassay screening test to complement chemical analysis of paper/board for composition and migration.

Microstructure characterization of the stir zone of submerged friction stir processed aluminum alloy 2219

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Xiuli; Liu, Huijie; Lippold, John C.

2013-01-01

Aluminum alloy 2219-T6 was friction stir processed using a novel submerged processing technique to facilitate cooling. Processing was conducted at a constant tool traverse speed of 200 mm/min and spindle rotation speeds in the range from 600 to 800 rpm. The microstructural characteristics of the base metal and processed zone, including grain structure and precipitation behavior, were studied using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Microhardness maps were constructed on polished cross sections of as-processed samples. The effect of tool rotation speed on the microstructure and hardness of the stir zone was investigated. The average grain size of the stir zone was much smaller than that of the base metal, but the hardness was also lower due to the formation of equilibrium θ precipitates from the base metal θ′ precipitates. Stir zone hardness was found to decrease with increasing rotation speed (heat input). The effect of processing conditions on strength (hardness) was rationalized based on the competition between grain refinement strengthening and softening due to precipitate overaging. - Highlights: • SZ grain size (∼ 1 μm) is reduced by over one order of magnitude relative to the BM. • Hardness in the SZ is lower than that of the precipitation strengthened BM. • Metastable θ′ in the base metal transforms to equilibrium θ in the stir zone. • Softening in the SZ results from a decrease of precipitation strengthening

Microstructure characterization of the stir zone of submerged friction stir processed aluminum alloy 2219

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Xiuli, E-mail: feng.97@osu.edu [Welding Engineering Program, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43221 (United States); State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Liu, Huijie, E-mail: liuhj@hit.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Lippold, John C., E-mail: lippold.1@osu.edu [Welding Engineering Program, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43221 (United States)

2013-08-15

Aluminum alloy 2219-T6 was friction stir processed using a novel submerged processing technique to facilitate cooling. Processing was conducted at a constant tool traverse speed of 200 mm/min and spindle rotation speeds in the range from 600 to 800 rpm. The microstructural characteristics of the base metal and processed zone, including grain structure and precipitation behavior, were studied using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Microhardness maps were constructed on polished cross sections of as-processed samples. The effect of tool rotation speed on the microstructure and hardness of the stir zone was investigated. The average grain size of the stir zone was much smaller than that of the base metal, but the hardness was also lower due to the formation of equilibrium θ precipitates from the base metal θ′ precipitates. Stir zone hardness was found to decrease with increasing rotation speed (heat input). The effect of processing conditions on strength (hardness) was rationalized based on the competition between grain refinement strengthening and softening due to precipitate overaging. - Highlights: • SZ grain size (∼ 1 μm) is reduced by over one order of magnitude relative to the BM. • Hardness in the SZ is lower than that of the precipitation strengthened BM. • Metastable θ′ in the base metal transforms to equilibrium θ in the stir zone. • Softening in the SZ results from a decrease of precipitation strengthening.

Kepler: NASA's First Mission Capable of Finding Earth-Size Planets

Science.gov (United States)

Borucki, William J.

2009-01-01

Kepler, a NASA Discovery mission, is a spaceborne telescope designed to search a nearby region of our galaxy for Earth-size planets orbiting in the habitable zone of stars like our sun. The habitable zone is that region around a start where the temperature permits water to be liquid on the surface of a planet. Liquid water is considered essential forth existence of life. Mission Phases: Six mission phases have been defined to describe the different periods of activity during Kepler's mission. These are: launch; commissioning; early science operations, science operations: and decommissioning

Quorum Sensing Inhibition by Asparagopsis taxiformis, a Marine Macro Alga: Separation of the Compound that Interrupts Bacterial Communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Hartmann

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The majority of the marine algal species, though completing their life cycle in seawater, are rarely susceptible to fouling, making them an important source of quorum sensing (QS inhibitory substances. The separation and characterization of QS inhibitors are crucial for any potential application. Thirty marine macroalgae were tested for QS inhibition activity by using Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 as the reporter strain, and among them, Asparagopsis taxiformis showed antibacterial, as well as antiquorum, sensing activities. Cinnamaldehyde (75 mM and methanol were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. The antiquorum sensing activity of A. taxiformis was further confirmed using the sensor strain, Serratia liquefaciens MG44, having green fluorescent protein (gfp. Methanolic extract of the alga was fractionated by solid phase extraction (SPE, and each fraction was tested for QS inhibition. Two types of activities were observed—zone of clearance (antibacterial activity and zone of inhibition with or without finger-like projections (QS inhibition. Out of five SPE cartridges, Bond Elut PH showed clear separation of these two fractions. The Ion Cyclotron Resonance Fourier Transformation Mass Spectrometer (ICR-FT/MS analysis of the fractions further supported the bioassay results. The presence of strong QS inhibitory compound in A. taxiformis indicates its potential use in antifouling preparations.

A study of a zone approach to IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards: The low-enriched-uranium zone of a light-water-reactor fuel cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fishbone, L.G.; Higinbotham, W.A.

1986-06-01

At present the IAEA designs its safeguards approach with regard to each type of nuclear facility so that the safeguards activities and effort are essentially the same for a given type and size of nuclear facility wherever it may be located. Conclusions regarding a state are derived by combining the conclusions regarding the effectiveness of safeguards for the individual facilities within a state. In this study it was convenient to define three zones in a state with a closed light-water-reactor nuclear fuel cycle. Each zone contains those facilities or parts thereof which use or process nuclear materials of the same safeguards significance: low-enriched uranium, radioactive spent fuel, or recovered plutonium. The possibility that each zone might be treated as an extended material balance area for safeguards purposes is under investigation. The approach includes defining the relevant features of the facilities in the three zones and listing the safeguards activities which are now practiced. This study has focussed on the fresh-fuel zone, the several facilities of which use or process low-enriched uranium. At one extreme, flows and inventories would be verified at each material balance area. At the other extreme, the flows into and out of the zone and the inventory of the whole zone would be verified. There are a number of possible safeguards approaches which fall between the two extremes. The intention is to develop a rational approach which will make it possible to compare the technical effectiveness and the inspection effort for the facility-oriented approach, for the approach involving the zone as a material balance area, and for some reasonable intermediate safeguards approaches.

A study of a zone approach to IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] safeguards: The low-enriched-uranium zone of a light-water-reactor fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fishbone, L.G.; Higinbotham, W.A.

1986-06-01

At present the IAEA designs its safeguards approach with regard to each type of nuclear facility so that the safeguards activities and effort are essentially the same for a given type and size of nuclear facility wherever it may be located. Conclusions regarding a state are derived by combining the conclusions regarding the effectiveness of safeguards for the individual facilities within a state. In this study it was convenient to define three zones in a state with a closed light-water-reactor nuclear fuel cycle. Each zone contains those facilities or parts thereof which use or process nuclear materials of the same safeguards significance: low-enriched uranium, radioactive spent fuel, or recovered plutonium. The possibility that each zone might be treated as an extended material balance area for safeguards purposes is under investigation. The approach includes defining the relevant features of the facilities in the three zones and listing the safeguards activities which are now practiced. This study has focussed on the fresh-fuel zone, the several facilities of which use or process low-enriched uranium. At one extreme, flows and inventories would be verified at each material balance area. At the other extreme, the flows into and out of the zone and the inventory of the whole zone would be verified. There are a number of possible safeguards approaches which fall between the two extremes. The intention is to develop a rational approach which will make it possible to compare the technical effectiveness and the inspection effort for the facility-oriented approach, for the approach involving the zone as a material balance area, and for some reasonable intermediate safeguards approaches

Effect of temperature on the plastic zone in near-threshold fatigue crack propagation in Nb-H alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, C.C.; Polvanich, N.; Salama, K.

1987-01-01

The effect of temperature on the formation of plastic zone in near-threshold fatigue crack propagation is investigated in niobium-hydrogen alloys. The study was made with the ultimate goal of determining the role of hydrogen related to test temperatures on the embrittlement and fracture processes of niobium. Fatigue tests were performed at the two temperatures 220 and 350 K on a hydrogen-free specimen as well as specimens containing hydrogen in solid solution and in the form of hydride. Microhardness was measured on the fatigued specimens in order to determine the plastic zone size at positions where the crack propagation was in the near-threshold region. The results show that at both temperatures, the plastic zone size in hydrogen-free niobium decreases as the amount of hydrogen is increased until it reaches a minimum value and then increases as the amount of hydrogen is further increased. The hydrogen concentrations at the minimum plastic zone are found to be approximately equal to those where the maximum embrittlement occurs for each temperature

WorkZoneQ user guide for two-lane freeway work zones.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-01

WorkZoneQ was developed in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to implement the results of the previous study, : Queue and Users Costs in Highway Work Zones. This report contains the WorkZoneQ user guide. WorkZoneQ : consists of eight Excel ...

Hypoxia inhibits hypertrophic differentiation and endochondral ossification in explanted tibiae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeroen C H Leijten

Full Text Available Hypertrophic differentiation of growth plate chondrocytes induces angiogenesis which alleviates hypoxia normally present in cartilage. In the current study, we aim to determine whether alleviation of hypoxia is merely a downstream effect of hypertrophic differentiation as previously described or whether alleviation of hypoxia and consequent changes in oxygen tension mediated signaling events also plays an active role in regulating the hypertrophic differentiation process itself.Fetal mouse tibiae (E17.5 explants were cultured up to 21 days under normoxic or hypoxic conditions (21% and 2.5% oxygen respectively. Tibiae were analyzed on growth kinetics, histology, gene expression and protein secretion.The oxygen level had a strong influence on the development of explanted fetal tibiae. Compared to hypoxia, normoxia increased the length of the tibiae, length of the hypertrophic zone, calcification of the cartilage and mRNA levels of hypertrophic differentiation-related genes e.g. MMP9, MMP13, RUNX2, COL10A1 and ALPL. Compared to normoxia, hypoxia increased the size of the cartilaginous epiphysis, length of the resting zone, calcification of the bone and mRNA levels of hyaline cartilage-related genes e.g. ACAN, COL2A1 and SOX9. Additionally, hypoxia enhanced the mRNA and protein expression of the secreted articular cartilage markers GREM1, FRZB and DKK1, which are able to inhibit hypertrophic differentiation.Collectively our data suggests that oxygen levels play an active role in the regulation of hypertrophic differentiation of hyaline chondrocytes. Normoxia stimulates hypertrophic differentiation evidenced by the expression of hypertrophic differentiation related genes. In contrast, hypoxia suppresses hypertrophic differentiation of chondrocytes, which might be at least partially explained by the induction of GREM1, FRZB and DKK1 expression.

ZoneLib

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jessen, Jan Jacob; Schiøler, Henrik

2006-01-01

We present a dynamic model for climate in a livestock building divided into a number of zones, and a corresponding modular Simulink library (ZoneLib). While most literature in this area consider air flow as a control parameter we show how to model climate dynamics using actual control signals...... development of ZoneLib....

An early geikiid dicynodont from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone (late Permian of South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian F. Kammerer

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Based on specimens previously identified as Tropidostoma, a new taxon of dicynodont (Bulbasaurus phylloxyron gen. et sp. nov. from the Karoo Basin of South Africa is described. Bulbasaurus is a medium-sized dicynodont (maximum dorsal skull length 16.0 cm restricted to the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone (early Lopingian of the Beaufort Group. Bulbasaurus can be distinguished from Tropidostoma by an array of characters including the presence of a tall, sharp premaxillary ridge, large, rugose, nearly-confluent nasal bosses, a nasofrontal ridge, massive tusks, robust pterygoids, prominently twisted subtemporal bar, and absence of a distinct postfrontal. Inclusion of Bulbasaurus in a phylogenetic analysis of anomodont therapsids recovers it as a member of Geikiidae, a clade of otherwise later Permian dicynodonts such as Aulacephalodon and Pelanomodon. Bulbasaurus exhibits many of the characters typical of adult Aulacephalodon, but at substantially smaller skull size (these characters are absent in comparably-sized Aulacephalodon juveniles, suggesting that the evolution of typical geikiid morphology preceded gigantism in the clade. Bulbasaurus is the earliest known geikiid and the only member of the group known from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone; discovery of this taxon shortens a perplexing ghost lineage and indicates that abundant clades from the later Permian of South Africa (e.g., Geikiidae, Dicynodontoidea may have originated as rare components of earlier Karoo assemblage zones.

Method and apparatus for sizing nuclear fuel rod cladding tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koehler, L.

1976-01-01

Nuclear fuel rod cladding tubes are sized internally to diameters precisely fitting nuclear fuel pellets with which the tubes are charged by externally applying hydraulic pressure to short lengths of each tube. The pressure is applied while the tube is stationary. The tube is then moved to bring a new length within the hydraulic pressure zone. The volume of the hydraulic liquid used and the pressure applied to this liquid is such that the liquid is compressed slightly so that the length being sized yields, the expansion of the liquid then completing the sizing. The lengths being sized step-by-step are internally supported by either the fuel pellets or a mandrel having the same diameter as the pellets

Improved microbial growth inhibition activity of bio-surfactant induced Ag–TiO{sub 2} core shell nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nithyadevi, D. [Department of Nanoscience and Technology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641 046 (India); Kumar, P. Suresh [Thin Film and Nanomaterials Laboratory, Department of Physics, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641 046 (India); Mangalaraj, D., E-mail: dmraj800@yahoo.com [Department of Nanoscience and Technology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641 046 (India); Ponpandian, N.; Viswanathan, C. [Department of Nanoscience and Technology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641 046 (India); Meena, P. [Department of Physics, PSGR Krishnammal college for women, Coimbatore 641 004 (India)

2015-02-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrolysis process and Ag nanoparticles were prepared by using hydrazine reduction method. • Ag–TiO{sub 2} core shell nanoparticles were synthesized by reverse micelle method. • Coatings of TiO{sub 2} shell leads to decrease the usage of silver particles and also it reduces the release of silver ions from the matrix. • Optimum ratio of TiO{sub 2} particles: Ag atoms are needed for better antibacterial activity. • Sodium alginate (Bio-copolymer) induced core shell nanoparticles results 100% cell growth inhibition toward Staphylococcus aureus. - Abstract: Surfactant induced silver–titanium dioxide core shell nanoparticles within the size range of 10–50 nm were applied in the antibacterial agent to inhibit the growth of bacterial cells. The single crystalline silver was located in the core part of the composite powder and the titanium dioxide components were uniformly distributed in the shell part. HRTEM and XRD results indicated that silver was completely covered by titanium dioxide and its crystal structure was not affected after being coated by titanium dioxide. The effect of silver–titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the inhibition of bacterial cell growth was studied by means of disk diffusion method. The inhibition zone results reveal that sodium alginate induced silver–titanium dioxide nanoparticles exhibit 100% more antibacterial activity than that with cetyltrimethylbromide or without surfactant. UV–vis spectroscopic analysis showed a large concentration of silver was rapidly released into phosphate buffer solution (PBS) within a period of 1 day, with a much smaller concentration being released after this 1-day period. It was concluded that sodium alginate induced silver–titanium dioxide core shell nanoparticles could enhance long term cell growth inhibition in comparison with cetyltrimethylbromide or without surfactant. The surfactant mediated core shell

Nanoparticles of noble metals in the supergene zone

Science.gov (United States)

Zhmodik, S. M.; Kalinin, Yu. A.; Roslyakov, N. A.; Mironov, A. G.; Mikhlin, Yu. L.; Belyanin, D. K.; Nemirovskaya, N. A.; Spiridonov, A. M.; Nesterenko, G. V.; Airiyants, E. V.; Moroz, T. N.; Bul'bak, T. A.

2012-04-01

Formation of noble metal nanoparticles is related to various geological processes in the supergene zone. Dispersed mineral phases appear during weathering of rocks with active participation of microorganisms, formation of soil, in aqueous medium and atmosphere. Invisible gold and other noble metals are incorporated into oxides, hydroxides, and sulfides, as well as in dispersed organic and inorganic carbonic matter. Sulfide minerals that occur in bedrocks and ores unaltered by exogenic processes and in cementation zone are among the main concentrators of noble metal nanoparticles. The ability of gold particles to disaggregate is well-known and creates problems in technological and analytical practice. When Au and PGE nanoparticles and clusters occur, these problems are augmented because of their unusual reactions and physicochemical properties. The studied gold, magnetite, titanomagnetite and pyrite microspherules from cementation zone and clay minerals of laterites in Republic of Guinea widen the knowledge of their abundance and inferred formation conditions, in particular, in the contemporary supergene zone. Morphology and composition of micrometer-sized Au mineral spherules were studied with SEM and laser microprobe. The newly formed segregations of secondary gold on the surface of its residual grains were also an object of investigation. The character of such overgrowths is the most indicative for nanoparticles. The newly formed Au particles provide evidence for redistribution of ultradispersed gold during weathering. There are serious prerequisites to state that microorganisms substantially control unusual nano-sized microspherical morphology of gold particles in the supergene zone. This is supported by experiments indicating active absorption of gold by microorganisms and direct evidence for participation of Ralstonia metallidurans bacteria in the formation of peculiar corroded bacteriomorphic surface of gold grains. In addition, the areas enriched in carbon

Effects of niobium additions on the structure, depth, and austenite grain size of the case of carburized 0.07% C steels

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, M. A.; Bepari, M. M. A.

1996-10-01

Carbon (0.07%) steel samples containing about 0.04% Nb singly and in combination with nitrogen were carburized in a natural Titas gas atmosphere at a temperature of 1223 K (950 °C) and a pressure of about 0.10 MPa for 1/2 to 4 h, followed by slow cooling in the furnace. Their microstructures were studied by optical microscopy. The austenite grain size of the case and the case depths were determined on baseline samples of low-carbon steels and also on niobium and (Nb + N) microalloyed steel samples. It was found that, when compared to the baseline steel, niobium alone or in combination with nitrogen decreased the thickness of cementite network near the surface of the carburized case of the steels. However, niobium in combination with nitrogen was more effective than niobium in reducing the thickness of cementite network. Niobium with or without nitrogen inhibited the formation of Widmanstätten cementite plates at grain boundaries and within the grains near the surface in the hypereutectoid zone of the case. It was also revealed that, when compared to the baseline steel, niobium decreased the case depth of the carburized steels, but that niobium with nitrogen is more effective than niobium alone in reducing the case depth. Niobium as niobium carbide (NbC) and niobium in the presence of nitrogen as niobium carbonitride, [Nb(C,N)] particles refined the austenite grain size of the carburized case, but Nb(C,N) was more effective than NbC in inhibiting austenite grain growth.

Growth inhibition of fouling bacteria and diatoms by extract of terrestrial plant, Derris scandens (Dicotyledonae:Leguminocae)

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Sawant, S.S.; Sonak, S.; Garg

between 200 to 300 mu g.ml sup(-1), whereas, the bacterial inhibition zone around the disc containing about 600-800 mu g of extract ranged between 1-5 mm. The results suggest that the crude extract of the plant is nontoxic and possesses both antibacterial...

Rural poultry production in two agro-ecological zones of Uganda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Illango, J.; Etoori, A.; Olupot, H.; Mabonga, J.

2002-01-01

A baseline study on rural poultry production, management and health was conducted in six selected villages in an agro-pastoral and montane zone of Uganda during the wet and dry season. In the 114 rural households visited, the farmers were interviewed by using a questionnaire. Poultry flocks were examined and samples were collected for laboratory investigations. A free-range management system with mixed poultry species was practiced by farmers in both zones. The major poultry flock parameters in the agro-pastoral and montane zone were, respectively, mean flock size of 22 (with a range of 3-65) and 17.5 (with a range of 6-60); mean hen:cock ratio of 2.6 to 1 and 4.8 to 1; mean egg production per hen per year of 8.8 and 11.5; mean hatchability of 70.8% and 85.7%; mean chick mortality of 39.6% and 28.6%. The flock ownership was single, mixed or shared among family households. Women were more involved in most of the activities regarding poultry management, although in both zones a division of labour existed within the household. Men predominantly made the decisions on sale, consumption and treatment of poultry. The most important health problems in the flocks in both zones in the two seasons were coughing, diarrhoea, fowl pox and internal parasites. It was concluded that the major constraints affecting rural poultry production in the two zones were diseases especially Newcastle disease and parasites, inadequate housing and poor feed supplementation especially in the dry season. Women had important responsibilities in rural poultry production in the two zones. The findings form the basis for an assessment of the effects of interventions on rural poultry production in the two zones. (author)

Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Districts - MDC_EnterpriseZone

Data.gov (United States)

NSGIC Local Govt | GIS Inventory — Polygon feature class of Miami Dade County Enterprise Zones. Enterprise Zones are special areas in the county where certain incentives from the State are available...

Mass-velocity and size-velocity distributions of ejecta cloud from shock-loaded tin surface using atomistic simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durand, O.; Soulard, L. [CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon (France)

2015-04-28

The mass (volume and areal densities) versus velocity as well as the size versus velocity distributions of a shock-induced cloud of particles are investigated using large scale molecular dynamics simulations. A generic three-dimensional tin crystal with a sinusoidal free surface roughness (single wavelength) is set in contact with vacuum and shock-loaded so that it melts directly on shock. At the reflection of the shock wave onto the perturbations of the free surface, two-dimensional sheets/jets of liquid metal are ejected. The simulations show that the distributions may be described by an analytical model based on the propagation of a fragmentation zone, from the tip of the sheets to the free surface, in which the kinetic energy of the atoms decreases as this zone comes closer to the free surface on late times. As this kinetic energy drives (i) the (self-similar) expansion of the zone once it has broken away from the sheet and (ii) the average size of the particles which result from fragmentation in the zone, the ejected mass and the average size of the particles progressively increase in the cloud as fragmentation occurs closer to the free surface. Though relative to nanometric scales, our model may help in the analysis of experimental profiles.

Variation in village chicken production systems among agro-ecological zones of Zimbabwe.

Science.gov (United States)

Muchadeyi, F C; Wollny, C B A; Eding, H; Weigend, S; Makuza, S M; Simianer, H

2007-08-01

The degree to which village chickens are integrated in the smallholder farming systems differs depending on the socio-economic, cultural and biological factors within each system. The objective of this study was to characterise the village chicken farming systems and identify possible threats to, and opportunities for, local chickens in the agro-ecological zones of Zimbabwe. A pre-tested questionnaire was administered to households randomly selected from five districts, Risitu (n=97), Hurungwe (n=56), Gutu (n=77), Gokwe-South (n=104) and Beitbridge (n=37) in eco-zones I-V, respectively. Age of head of household averaged 47 years (SD = 14.3). Land holdings per household averaged 4.82 ha (SD = 3.6). Overall, 17.7 percent of the households ranked livestock as the major source of income compared to 70.8 percent who ranked crops as the main contributor. Chicken flock size averaged 16.7 (SD = 12.4), and the highest flock sizes were observed in eco-zones I and IV. Households owning cattle, goats and other livestock assigned less important ranks to chickens. Chickens were usedmainly for the provision of meat and eggs whilst the use of chicken feathers and investment were uncommon practises. Results indicate that more support is necessary for village chickens in the non-cropping regions of the country.

Geometric Structure of 3D Spinal Curves: Plane Regions and Connecting Zones

Science.gov (United States)

Berthonnaud, E.; Hilmi, R.; Dimnet, J.

2012-01-01

This paper presents a new study of the geometric structure of 3D spinal curves. The spine is considered as an heterogeneous beam, compound of vertebrae and intervertebral discs. The spine is modeled as a deformable wire along which vertebrae are beads rotating about the wire. 3D spinal curves are compound of plane regions connected together by zones of transition. The 3D spinal curve is uniquely flexed along the plane regions. The angular offsets between adjacent regions are concentrated at level of the middle zones of transition, so illustrating the heterogeneity of the spinal geometric structure. The plane regions along the 3D spinal curve must satisfy two criteria: (i) a criterion of minimum distance between the curve and the regional plane and (ii) a criterion controlling that the curve is continuously plane at the level of the region. The geometric structure of each 3D spinal curve is characterized by the sizes and orientations of regional planes, by the parameters representing flexed regions and by the sizes and functions of zones of transition. Spinal curves of asymptomatic subjects show three plane regions corresponding to spinal curvatures: lumbar, thoracic and cervical curvatures. In some scoliotic spines, four plane regions may be detected. PMID:25031873

Normal zone detectors for a large number of inductively coupled coils. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, E.W.; Shimer, D.W.

1983-01-01

In order to protect a set of inductively coupled superconducting magnets, it is necessary to locate and measure normal zone voltages that are small compared with the mutual and self-induced voltages. The method described in this paper uses two sets of voltage measurements to locate and measure one or more normal zones in any number of coupled coils. One set of voltages is the outputs of bridges that balance out the self-induced voltages. The other set of voltages can be the voltages across the coils, although alternatives are possible. The two sets of equations form a single combined set of equations. Each normal zone location or combination of normal zones has a set of these combined equations associated with it. It is demonstrated that the normal zone can be located and the correct set chosen, allowing determination of the size of the normal zone. Only a few operations take place in a working detector: multiplication of a constant, addition, and simple decision-making. In many cases the detector for each coil, although weakly linked to the other detectors, can be considered to be independent. The effect on accuracy of changes in the system parameters is discussed

Autonomous bed-sediment imaging-systems for revealing temporal variability of grain size

Science.gov (United States)

Buscombe, Daniel; Rubin, David M.; Lacy, Jessica R.; Storlazzi, Curt D.; Hatcher, Gerald; Chezar, Henry; Wyland, Robert; Sherwood, Christopher R.

2014-01-01

We describe a remotely operated video microscope system, designed to provide high-resolution images of seabed sediments. Two versions were developed, which differ in how they raise the camera from the seabed. The first used hydraulics and the second used the energy associated with wave orbital motion. Images were analyzed using automated frequency-domain methods, which following a rigorous partially supervised quality control procedure, yielded estimates to within 20% of the true size as determined by on-screen manual measurements of grains. Long-term grain-size variability at a sandy inner shelf site offshore of Santa Cruz, California, USA, was investigated using the hydraulic system. Eighteen months of high frequency (min to h), high-resolution (μm) images were collected, and grain size distributions compiled. The data constitutes the longest known high-frequency record of seabed-grain size at this sample frequency, at any location. Short-term grain-size variability of sand in an energetic surf zone at Praa Sands, Cornwall, UK was investigated using the ‘wave-powered’ system. The data are the first high-frequency record of grain size at a single location of a highly mobile and evolving bed in a natural surf zone. Using this technology, it is now possible to measure bed-sediment-grain size at a time-scale comparable with flow conditions. Results suggest models of sediment transport at sandy, wave-dominated, nearshore locations should allow for substantial changes in grain-size distribution over time-scales as short as a few hours.

Control of penetration zone GMAW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Віталій Петрович Iванов

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Thermal properties of the base metal, shielding medium and the nature of the electrode metal transfer to a great extent determine the penetration area formation in gas-arc welding. It is not always possible to take into account the influence of these factors on penetration front forming within the existing models. The aim of the work was to research the penetration area forming in gas-arc welding. The research of the penetration area forming in gas-arc welding of CrNi austenitic steels was made. The parameters of the regime as well as the kind of the gaseous medium influence on the formation of the penetration zone were studied. The article shows a linear proportional relationship between the electrode feed rate and the size of the base metal plate. The penetration area formation mode for welding in argon and carbon dioxide have been worked out. Diameter, feed rate and the speed of the electrode movement have been chosen as the main input parameters. Multiple regression analysis method was used to make up the modes. The relations of the third order that make it possible to take into account the electrode metal transfer and thermal properties change of the materials to be welded were used. These relationships show quite good agreement with the experimental measurements in the calculation of the fusion zone shape with consumable electrode in argon and carbon dioxide. It was determined that the shape of the melting front curve can be shown as a generalized function in which the front motion parameters depend on feed rate and the diameter of the electrode. Penetration zone growth time is determined by the welding speed and is calculated as a discrete function of the distance from the electrode with the spacing along the movement coordinate. The influence of the mode parameters on the formation of the fusion zone has been investigated and the ways to manage and stabilize the weld pool formation have been identified. The modes can be used to develop

Genesis of hydrothermal alterations using stable isotope geochemistry in Takestan area (Tarom zone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Batool Taghipou

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Hydrothermal alteration processes are extensively took place on volcanic and pyroclstics of Takestan area. Existence of abundant, deep fracturing and subvolcanic intrusions are enhanced extend hydrothermal alteration zones. The following alteration zones are determined: propylitic, argillic, advanced argillic and sillicic. There are outcropped and widespread in different size and limit. Formation of siliceous sinter, silicified tuffs with preserved primary sedimentary layering including pure mineralized alunite patches are most outstanding. Quartz, sussoritic plagioclase, chlorite, sericite and alunite are main mineral constituents in the volcanics. On the basis of geochemical data volcanic rocks are rhyolite, dacite, andesite, andesitic-basalt and basalt in composition. Acid-sulfate zone is the type of alteration in Tarom area and alunite is an index mineral of this zone. Results of 18O, D and 34S stable isotope geochemistry on altered minerals (muscovite, kaolinite and alunite, revealed that alteration fluids are magmatic in origin.

Slip Zone versus Damage Zone Micromechanics, Arima-Takasuki Tectonic Line, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

White, J. C.; Lin, A.

2017-12-01

The Arima-Takasuki Tectonic Line (ATTL) of southern Honshu, Japan is defined by historically active faults and multiple splays producing M7 earthquakes. The damage zone of the ATTL comprises a broad zone of crushed, comminuted and pulverized granite/rhyolite1,2containing cm-scale slip zones and highly comminuted injection veins. In this presentation, prior work on the ATTL fault rocks is extending to include microstructural characterization by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) from recent trenching of the primary slip zone, as well as secondary slip zones. This is necessary to adequately characterize the extremely fine-grained material (typically less than 1mm) in both damage and core zones. Damage zone material exhibits generally random textures3 whereas slip zones are macroscopically foliated, and compositionally layered, notwithstanding a fairly homogeneous protolith. The latter reflects fluid-rock interaction during both coseismic and interseismic periods. The slip zones are microstructurally heterogeneous at all scales, comprising not only cataclasites and phyllosilicate (clay)-rich gouge zones, but Fe/Mn pellets or clasts that are contained within gouge. These structures appear to have rolled and would suggest rapid recrystallization and/or growth. A central question related to earthquake recurrence along existing faults is the nature of the gouge. In both near-surface exposures and ongoing drilling at depth, "plastic" or "viscous" gouge zones comprise ultra-fine-grained clay-siliciclastic particles that would not necessarily respond in a simple frictional manner. Depending on whether the plastic nature of these slip zones develops during or after slip, subsequent focusing of slip within them could be complicated. 1 Mitchell, T.A., Ben-Zion, Y., Shimamoto, T., 2011. Ear. Planet. Sci. Lett. 308, 284-297. 2 Lin, A., Yamashita, K, Tanaka, M. J., 2013. Struc. Geol. 48, 3-13. 3 White, J.C., Lin, A. 2016. Proc. AGU Fall Mtg., T42-02 San Francisco.

Influence of environment and mitochondrial heritage on the ecological characteristics of fish in a hybrid zone.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolas Stolzenberg

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Ecological characteristics (growth, morphology, reproduction arise from the interaction between environmental factors and genetics. Genetic analysis of individuals' life history traits might be used to improve our understanding of mechanisms that form and maintain a hybrid zone.A fish hybrid zone was used to characterize the process of natural selection. Data were collected during two reproductive periods (2001 and 2002 and 1117 individuals (nase, Chondrostama nasus nasus, sofie C. toxostoma toxostoma and hybrids were sampled. Reproductive dates of the two parental species overlapped at sympatric sites. The nase had an earlier reproductive period than the sofie; males had longer reproductive periods for both species. Hybridisation between female nase and male sofie was the most likely. Hybrids had a reproductive period similar to the inherited parental mitochondrial type. Growth and reproductive information from different environments has been synthesised following a bayesian approach of the von Bertalanffy model. Hybrid life history traits appear to link with maternal heritage. Hybrid size from the age of two and size at first maturity appeared to be closer to the size of the maternal origin species (nase or sofie. Median growth rates for hybrids were similar and intermediate between those of the parental species. We observed variable life history traits for hybrids and pure forms in the different parts of the hybrid zone. Geometrical analysis of the hybrid fish shape gave evidence of two main morphologies with a link to maternal heritage.Selective mating seemed to be the underlying process which, with mitochondrial heritage, could explain the evolution of the studied hybrid zone. More generally, we showed the importance of studies on hybrid zones and specifically the study of individuals' ecological characteristics, to improve our understanding of speciation.

Influence of environment and mitochondrial heritage on the ecological characteristics of fish in a hybrid zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Stolzenberg, Nicolas; Nguyen The, Bénédicte; Salducci, Marie Dominique; Cavalli, Laurent

2009-06-18

Ecological characteristics (growth, morphology, reproduction) arise from the interaction between environmental factors and genetics. Genetic analysis of individuals' life history traits might be used to improve our understanding of mechanisms that form and maintain a hybrid zone. A fish hybrid zone was used to characterize the process of natural selection. Data were collected during two reproductive periods (2001 and 2002) and 1117 individuals (nase, Chondrostama nasus nasus, sofie C. toxostoma toxostoma and hybrids) were sampled. Reproductive dates of the two parental species overlapped at sympatric sites. The nase had an earlier reproductive period than the sofie; males had longer reproductive periods for both species. Hybridisation between female nase and male sofie was the most likely. Hybrids had a reproductive period similar to the inherited parental mitochondrial type. Growth and reproductive information from different environments has been synthesised following a bayesian approach of the von Bertalanffy model. Hybrid life history traits appear to link with maternal heritage. Hybrid size from the age of two and size at first maturity appeared to be closer to the size of the maternal origin species (nase or sofie). Median growth rates for hybrids were similar and intermediate between those of the parental species. We observed variable life history traits for hybrids and pure forms in the different parts of the hybrid zone. Geometrical analysis of the hybrid fish shape gave evidence of two main morphologies with a link to maternal heritage. Selective mating seemed to be the underlying process which, with mitochondrial heritage, could explain the evolution of the studied hybrid zone. More generally, we showed the importance of studies on hybrid zones and specifically the study of individuals' ecological characteristics, to improve our understanding of speciation.

Evaluation of Ohio work zone speed zones process.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-06-01

This report describes the methodology and results of analyses performed to determine the effectiveness of Ohio Department of Transportation processes for establishing work zone speed zones. Researchers observed motorists speed choice upstream of a...

Grain size distributions and their effects on auto-acoustic compaction

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, S.; Brodsky, E. E.

2013-12-01

A variety of geophysical and geomorphological processes depend on the response of granular mixtures to shear stress. For example, if shear sliding in a fault zone causes gouge to compact or dilate, this has implications on our understanding of earthquake nucleation and propagation. The behavior of granular flows has previously been found to be strongly dependent on shear rate. At relatively slow shear velocities, a granular flow will support stresses elastically through force chains in what is recognized as the 'quasi-static' regime. At relatively high shear velocities, it will support stresses by transferring momentum in higher velocity grain collisions in the 'grain-inertial' regime, which results in dilation of the flow. Recent experiments conducted using a commercial torsional rheometer found that at intermediate shear velocities, force chain collapse in angular sand samples produced sound waves capable of vibrating the shear zone enough to cause compaction. To expand on the characterization of this newly identified rheological regime, the 'auto-acoustic' regime, we used the same experimental set up to observe how volumetric and acoustic response to shear stress changes with grain size mean and range. Stepped velocity ramp experiments were conducted first on five separate grain size bins, and then on various mixtures of these grain sizes. As expected, larger grain sizes entered the mass-dependent grain-inertial regime at lower shear velocities than smaller grain sizes. Interestingly, smaller grain sizes exhibited more pronounced compaction at slower velocities resulting from the auto-acoustic regime, and the largest grain sizes showed no compaction, implying a grain size threshold for auto-acoustic compaction. In mixtures of different grain size bins, the response of the flow to intermediate shear velocities was consistent with the response of the smallest grain size bin included in the mixture, while the response of the flow to high shear velocities was most

Field ion microscopy study of depleted zones in tungsten after proton irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farnum, D.J.; Sommer, W.F.; Inal, O.T.; Yu, J.

1986-01-01

Depleted zones in tungsten, that resulted from medium-energy proton irradiations, were studied using the Field Ion Microscope (FIM). The shapes and sizes of depleted zones is an important aspect of basic radiation damage. These data can be compared to models that have been suggested as well as aid development of new models. These depleted volumes are of interest not only for an understanding of basic radiation effects, but also because they affect material properties and can act as nucleation sites for voids or gas bubbles. Depleted zones were produced in annealed tungsten wires by irradiation with 600 to 800 MeV protons at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility. The defects observed in the irradiated samples included vacancies, depleted zones, grain boundaries, and dislocations. Single vacancies were the most commonly observed defect. Of the samples ''imaged,'' over 50 depleted zones were found within the area of high resolution in the area between the prominent [112] poles in a [110] oriented sample. The number of layers photographed in each sample was dependent upon the initial shape of the tip and ranged from 60 to 200 [110] sequential layers

Bathymetric Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 20 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Baker Island, Pacific Remote Island Areas, Central Pacific.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from gridded (20 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard R/V AHI and NOAA ship Hi'ialakai. BPI Zones was created using the Benthic...

Bathymetric Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 20 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Johnston Island, Pacific Remote Island Areas, Central Pacific.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from gridded (20 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard R/V AHI and NOAA ship Hi'ialakai. BPI Zones was created using the Benthic...

Bathymetric Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 40 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Howland Island, Pacific Remote Island Areas, Central Pacific.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from gridded (40 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard R/V AHI and NOAA ship Hi'ialakai. BPI Zones was created using the Benthic...

Clutch size declines with elevation in tropical birds

Science.gov (United States)

Boyce, A.J.; Freeman, Benjamin G.; Mitchell, Adam E.; Martin, Thomas E.

2015-01-01

Clutch size commonly decreases with increasing elevation among temperate-zone and subtropical songbird species. Tropical songbirds typically lay small clutches, thus the ability to evolve even smaller clutch sizes at higher elevations is unclear and untested. We conducted a comparative phylogenetic analysis using data gathered from the literature to test whether clutch size varied with elevation among forest passerines from three tropical biogeographic regions—the Venezuelan Andes and adjacent lowlands, Malaysian Borneo, and New Guinea. We found a significant negative effect of elevation on variation in clutch size among species. We found the same pattern using field data sampled across elevational gradients in Venezuela and Malaysian Borneo. Field data were not available for New Guinea. Both sets of results demonstrate that tropical montane species across disparate biogeographic realms lay smaller clutches than closely related low-elevation species. The environmental sources of selection underlying this pattern remain uncertain and merit further investigation.

METER-SIZED MOONLET POPULATION IN SATURN'S C RING AND CASSINI DIVISION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baillié, Kévin; Colwell, Joshua E.; Esposito, Larry W.; Lewis, Mark C.

2013-01-01

Stellar occultations observed by the Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph reveal the presence of transparent holes a few meters to a few tens of meters in radial extent in otherwise optically thick regions of the C ring and the Cassini Division. We attribute the holes to gravitational disturbances generated by a population of ∼10 m boulders in the rings that is intermediate in size between the background ring particle size distribution and the previously observed ∼100 m propeller moonlets in the A ring. The size distribution of these boulders is described by a shallower power-law than the one that describes the ring particle size distribution. The number and size distribution of these boulders could be explained by limited accretion processes deep within Saturn's Roche zone.

In vitro developmental toxicity test detects inhibition of stem cell differentiation by silica nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Margriet V.D.Z.; Annema, Wijtske; Salvati, Anna; Lesniak, Anna; Elsaesser, Andreas; Barnes, Clifford; McKerr, George; Howard, C. Vyvyan; Lynch, Iseult; Dawson, Kenneth A.; Piersma, Aldert H.; Jong, Wim H. de

2009-01-01

While research into the potential toxic properties of nanomaterials is now increasing, the area of developmental toxicity has remained relatively uninvestigated. The embryonic stem cell test is an in vitro screening assay used to investigate the embryotoxic potential of chemicals by determining their ability to inhibit differentiation of embryonic stem cells into spontaneously contracting cardiomyocytes. Four well characterized silica nanoparticles of various sizes were used to investigate whether nanomaterials are capable of inhibition of differentiation in the embryonic stem cell test. Nanoparticle size distributions and dispersion characteristics were determined before and during incubation in the stem cell culture medium by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering. Mouse embryonic stem cells were exposed to silica nanoparticles at concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 μg/ml. The embryonic stem cell test detected a concentration dependent inhibition of differentiation of stem cells into contracting cardiomyocytes by two silica nanoparticles of primary size 10 (TEM 11) and 30 (TEM 34) nm while two other particles of primary size 80 (TEM 34) and 400 (TEM 248) nm had no effect up to the highest concentration tested. Inhibition of differentiation of stem cells occurred below cytotoxic concentrations, indicating a specific effect of the particles on the differentiation of the embryonic stem cells. The impaired differentiation of stem cells by such widely used particles warrants further investigation into the potential of these nanoparticles to migrate into the uterus, placenta and embryo and their possible effects on embryogenesis.

Microscale cavitation as a mechanism for nucleating earthquakes at the base of the seismogenic zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Verberne, Berend A; Chen, Jianye; Niemeijer, André R; de Bresser, Johannes H P; Pennock, Gillian M; Drury, Martyn R; Spiers, Christopher J

2017-11-21

Major earthquakes frequently nucleate near the base of the seismogenic zone, close to the brittle-ductile transition. Fault zone rupture at greater depths is inhibited by ductile flow of rock. However, the microphysical mechanisms responsible for the transition from ductile flow to seismogenic brittle/frictional behaviour at shallower depths remain unclear. Here we show that the flow-to-friction transition in experimentally simulated calcite faults is characterized by a transition from dislocation and diffusion creep to dilatant deformation, involving incompletely accommodated grain boundary sliding. With increasing shear rate or decreasing temperature, dislocation and diffusion creep become too slow to accommodate the imposed shear strain rate, leading to intergranular cavitation, weakening, strain localization, and a switch from stable flow to runaway fault rupture. The observed shear instability, triggered by the onset of microscale cavitation, provides a key mechanism for bringing about the brittle-ductile transition and for nucleating earthquakes at the base of the seismogenic zone.

Designing Zoning of Remote Sensing Drones for Urban Applications: a Review

Science.gov (United States)

Norzailawati, M. N.; Alias, A.; Akma, R. S.

2016-06-01

This paper discusses on-going research related to zoning regulation for the remote sensing drone in the urban applications. Timestamped maps are presented here follow a citation-based approach, where significant information is retrieved from the scientific literature. The emergence of drones in domestic air raises lots understandable issues on privacy, security and uncontrolled pervasive surveillance that require a careful and alternative solution. The effective solution is to adopt a privacy and property rights approach that create a drone zoning and clear drone legislatures. In providing a differential trend to other reviews, this paper is not limited to drones zoning and regulations, but also, discuss on trend remote sensing drones specification in designing a drone zones. Remote sensing drone will specific according to their features and performances; size and endurance, maximum airspeed and altitude level and particular references are made to the drones range. The implementation of laws zoning could lie with the urban planners whereby, a zoning for drone could become a new tactic used to specify areas, where drones could be used, will provide remedies for the harm that arise from drones, and act as a different against irresponsible behaviour. Finally, underlines the need for next regulations on guidelines and standards which can be used as a guidance for urban decision makers to control the drones' operating, thus ensuring a quality and sustainability of resilience cities simultaneously encouraging the revolution of technology.

The importance of plot size and the number of sampling seasons on capturing macrofungal species richness.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Huili; Ostermann, Anne; Karunarathna, Samantha C; Xu, Jianchu; Hyde, Kevin D; Mortimer, Peter E

2018-07-01

The species-area relationship is an important factor in the study of species diversity, conservation biology, and landscape ecology. A deeper understanding of this relationship is necessary, in order to provide recommendations on how to improve the quality of data collection on macrofungal diversity in different land use systems in future studies, a systematic assessment of methodological parameters, in particular optimal plot sizes. The species-area relationship of macrofungi in tropical and temperate climatic zones and four different land use systems were investigated by determining the macrofungal species richness in plot sizes ranging from 100 m 2 to 10 000 m 2 over two sampling seasons. We found that the effect of plot size on recorded species richness significantly differed between land use systems with the exception of monoculture systems. For both climate zones, land use system needs to be considered when determining optimal plot size. Using an optimal plot size was more important than temporal replication (over two sampling seasons) in accurately recording species richness. Copyright © 2018 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Vibration during Friction Stir Welding on Corrosion Behavior, Mechanical Properties, and Machining Characteristics of Stir Zone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sajad Fouladi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Different methods have been applied to refine various characteristics of the zone (or nugget obtained by friction stir welding (FSW. In the current research, joining components are vibrated normal to the weld line during FSW to refine the zone microstructure. This process is described as friction stir vibration welding (FSVW. The effect of FSVW on mechanical properties, corrosion behavior, and machining characteristics of the zone are investigated. Al5052 alloy specimens are welded using FSW and FSVW processes and their different characteristics are compared and discussed. The results show that the strength and ductility of the welded parts increase when the vibration is applied. The outcomes also show that corrosion resistance of the nugget for FSV-welded specimens is lower than FS welded samples, and machining force of the former specimens is higher than the latter ones. These are related to smaller grain size in the zone of FSV-welded specimens compared to FS welded parts. Smaller grain size leads to a greater volume fraction of grain boundaries and, correspondingly, higher strength and hardness, as well as lower corrosion resistance.

Lean premixed reacting flows with swirl and wall-separation zones in a contracting chamber

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuxin; Rusak, Zvi; Wang, Shixiao

2017-11-01

Low Mach number lean premixed reacting swirling flows with wall-separation zones in a contracting circular finite-length open chamber are studied. Assuming a complete reaction with high activation energy and chemical equilibrium behind the reaction zone, a nonlinear partial differential equation is derived for the solution of the flow stream function behind the reaction zone in terms of the inlet total enthalpy for a reacting flow, specific entropy and the circulation functions. Bifurcation diagrams of steady flows are described as the inlet swirl level is increased at fixed chamber contraction and reaction heat release. The approach is applied to an inlet solid-body rotation flow with constant profiles of the axial velocity, temperature and mixture reactant mass fraction. The computed results provide predictions of the critical inlet swirl levels for the first appearance of wall-separation states and for the size of the separation zone as a function of the inlet swirl ratio, Mach number, chamber contraction and heat release of the reaction. The methodology developed in this paper provides a theoretical feasibility for the development of the technology of swirl-assisted combustion where the reaction zone is supported and stabilized by a wall-separation zone.

Mushy Zone Properties and Castability of Aluminium Foundry Alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dahle, A.K.

1996-01-01

The growing application and market share of aluminium castings demand better understanding of the mechanisms of defect formation during casting. Although casting is a cost-effective production route, inadequate reproducibility and quality of the cast structure often restrict the utilization of castings. This doctoral thesis aims to (1) determine how the solidification conditions affect the rheological behaviour in the partially solidified state, (2) to measure how alterations in solidification variables influence castability, and (3) to investigate the relationship between mushy zone rheology and castability. The development of mechanical strength in the mushy zone was measured as a function of chemical composition. Measurements of the dendrite coherency point provided accurate determination of the point where the dendrite network is established. The strength measurements confirm that the dendrites are largely independent and free-floating before dendrite coherency. The point and rate of strength development in the subsequently established interdendritic network strongly depend on the size and morphology of the dendrites and fraction solid. The castability investigation was limited to evaluations of fluidity and feeding. Fluidity measurements showed a complex effect of increased grain refinement. Alterations of the concentration and type of main alloying element gave a direct relationship between mushy zone rheology and fluidity. The range of the operating feeding mechanisms during solidification is directly related to the rheological properties of the mushy zone. 251 refs., 77 refs., 25 tabs.

Investigating the Variability in Cumulus Cloud Number as a Function of Subdomain Size and Organization using large-domain LES

Science.gov (United States)

Neggers, R.

2017-12-01

Recent advances in supercomputing have introduced a "grey zone" in the representation of cumulus convection in general circulation models, in which this process is partially resolved. Cumulus parameterizations need to be made scale-aware and scale-adaptive to be able to conceptually and practically deal with this situation. A potential way forward are schemes formulated in terms of discretized Cloud Size Densities, or CSDs. Advantages include i) the introduction of scale-awareness at the foundation of the scheme, and ii) the possibility to apply size-filtering of parameterized convective transport and clouds. The CSD is a new variable that requires closure; this concerns its shape, its range, but also variability in cloud number that can appear due to i) subsampling effects and ii) organization in a cloud field. The goal of this study is to gain insight by means of sub-domain analyses of various large-domain LES realizations of cumulus cloud populations. For a series of three-dimensional snapshots, each with a different degree of organization, the cloud size distribution is calculated in all subdomains, for a range of subdomain sizes. The standard deviation of the number of clouds of a certain size is found to decrease with the subdomain size, following a powerlaw scaling corresponding to an inverse-linear dependence. Cloud number variability also increases with cloud size; this reflects that subsampling affects the largest clouds first, due to their typically larger neighbor spacing. Rewriting this dependence in terms of two dimensionless groups, by dividing by cloud number and cloud size respectively, yields a data collapse. Organization in the cloud field is found to act on top of this primary dependence, by enhancing the cloud number variability at the smaller sizes. This behavior reflects that small clouds start to "live" on top of larger structures such as cold pools, favoring or inhibiting their formation (as illustrated by the attached figure of cloud mask

Fault zone hydrogeology

Science.gov (United States)

Bense, V. F.; Gleeson, T.; Loveless, S. E.; Bour, O.; Scibek, J.

2013-12-01

Deformation along faults in the shallow crust (research effort of structural geologists and hydrogeologists. However, we find that these disciplines often use different methods with little interaction between them. In this review, we document the current multi-disciplinary understanding of fault zone hydrogeology. We discuss surface- and subsurface observations from diverse rock types from unlithified and lithified clastic sediments through to carbonate, crystalline, and volcanic rocks. For each rock type, we evaluate geological deformation mechanisms, hydrogeologic observations and conceptual models of fault zone hydrogeology. Outcrop observations indicate that fault zones commonly have a permeability structure suggesting they should act as complex conduit-barrier systems in which along-fault flow is encouraged and across-fault flow is impeded. Hydrogeological observations of fault zones reported in the literature show a broad qualitative agreement with outcrop-based conceptual models of fault zone hydrogeology. Nevertheless, the specific impact of a particular fault permeability structure on fault zone hydrogeology can only be assessed when the hydrogeological context of the fault zone is considered and not from outcrop observations alone. To gain a more integrated, comprehensive understanding of fault zone hydrogeology, we foresee numerous synergistic opportunities and challenges for the discipline of structural geology and hydrogeology to co-evolve and address remaining challenges by co-locating study areas, sharing approaches and fusing data, developing conceptual models from hydrogeologic data, numerical modeling, and training interdisciplinary scientists.

Indentation size effects in single crystal copper as revealed by synchrotron x-ray microdiffraction

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, G.; Budiman, A. S.; Nix, W. D.; Tamura, N.; Patel, J. R.

2008-08-01

For a Cu single crystal, we find that indentation hardness increases with decreasing indentation depth, a phenomenon widely observed before and called the indentation size effect (ISE). To understand the underlying mechanism, we measure the lattice rotations in indentations of different sizes using white beam x-ray microdiffraction (μXRD); the indentation-induced lattice rotations are directly measured by the streaking of x-ray Laue spots associated with the indentations. The magnitude of the lattice rotations is found to be independent of indentation size, which is consistent with the basic tenets of the ISE model. Using the μXRD data together with an ISE model, we can estimate the effective radius of the indentation plastic zone, and the estimate is consistent with the value predicted by a finite element analysis. Using these results, an estimate of the average dislocation densities within the plastic zones has been made; the findings are consistent with the ISE arising from a dependence of the dislocation density on the depth of indentation.

Zone approaches to international safeguards of a nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fishbone, L.G.; Higinbotham, W.A.

1986-01-01

At present the IAEA designs its safeguards approach with regard to each type of nuclear facility so that the safeguards activities and effort are essentially the same for a given type and size of nuclear facility wherever it may be located. Conclusions regarding a state are derived by combining the results of safeguards verifications for the individual facilities within it. We have examined safeguards approaches for a state nuclear fuel cycle that take into account the existence of all of the nuclear facilities in the state. We have focussed on the fresh-fuel zone of an advanced nuclear fuel cycle, the several facilities of which use or process low-enriched uranium. At one extreme, flows and inventories would be verified at each material balance area. At the other extreme, the flows into and out of the zone and the inventory of the whole zone would be verified. The intention is to develop an approach which will make it possible to compare the technical effectiveness and the inspection effort for the facility-oriented approach, for the zone approach and for some reasonable intermediate safeguards approaches. Technical effectiveness, in these cases, means an estimate of the assurance that all nuclear material has been accounted for

Long-term hydrocephalus alters the cytoarchitecture of the adult subventricular zone

Science.gov (United States)

Campos-Ordoñez, Tania; Herranz-Pérez, Vicente; Chaichana, Kaisorn L.; Rincon-Torroella, Jordina; Rigamonti, Daniele; García-Verdugo, Jose M.; Quiñones-Hinojosa, Alfredo; Gonzalez-Perez, Oscar

2014-01-01

Hydrocephalus can develop secondarily to a disturbance in production, flow and/or absorption of cerebrospinal fluid. Experimental models of hydrocephalus, especially subacute and chronic hydrocephalus, are few and limited, and the effects of hydrocephalus on the subventricular zone are unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of long-term obstructive hydrocephalus on the subventricular zone, which is the neurogenic niche lining the lateral ventricles. We developed a new method to induce hydrocephalus by obstructing the aqueduct of Sylvius in the mouse brain, thus simulating aqueductal stenosis in humans. In 120-day-old rodents (n = 18 per group), the degree of ventricular dilatation and cellular composition of the subventricular zone were studied by immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. In adult patients (age > 18 years), the sizes of the subventricular zone, corpus callosum, and internal capsule were analyzed by magnetic resonance images obtained from patients with and without aqueductal stenosis (n=25 per group). Mice with 60-day hydrocephalus had a reduced number of Ki67+ and doublecortin+ cells on immunofluorescence, as well as decreased number of neural progenitors and neuroblasts in the subventricular zone on electron microscopy analysis as compared to non-hydrocephalic mice. Remarkably, a number of extracellular matrix structures (fractones) contacting the ventricular lumen and blood vessels were also observed around the subventricular zone in mice with hydrocephalus. In humans, the widths of the subventricular zone, corpus callosum, and internal capsule in patients with aqueductal stenosis were significantly smaller than age and gender-matched patients without aqueductal stenosis. In summary, supratentorial hydrocephalus reduces the proliferation rate of neural progenitors and modifies the cytoarchitecture and extracellular matrix compounds of the subventricular zone. In humans, this similar process reduces the

antibacterial properties of mangifera indica on staphylococcus aureus.

African Journals Online (AJOL)

boaz

Antibacterial activity of Mangifera indica stem bark extracts was determined using disk ... In disk diffusion method, inhibition zone sizes were used to determine the ...... There is need for lead compounds ... pharmaceutical and cosmetics.

Study on the Size Effects of H-Shaped Fusion Zone of Fiber Laser Welded AZ31 Joint

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guang-Feng Lu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available There are two kinds of typical cross-section profiles for the fusion zone (FZ of a laser welded thin section joint, i.e., a V-shaped cross-section and an H-shaped cross-section. Previous researches indicated that tensile strength of the V-shaped joint was lower than that of the H-shaped one due to the greater heterogeneity of strain distribution on the V-shaped joint during tensile process. In this work, impacts of the aspect ratio of FZ on the mechanical properties of laser welded thin section joints with an H-shaped cross-section profile were investigated. Welding conditions corresponding to two typical H-shaped joints (i.e., Wnarrower with a narrower FZ, and Wwider with a wider FZ were decided through a laser welding orthogonal experimental plan. Then, the microstructure and properties of both joints were examined and compared. The results show that the tensile strength of joint Wnarrower and joint Wwider was about 72% and 80.9% that of the base metal, respectively. Both joints fractured in the FZ during tensile processes. The low-cycle fatigue life of the base metal, the joint Wnarrower and the joint Wwider were 3377.5 cycles, 2825 cycles and 3155.3 cycles, respectively. By using high-speed imaging, it was found that the fatigue crack of joint Wnarrower initiated and propagated inside the fusion zone, while the fatigue crack of the joint Wwider initiated at the edge of the base metal and propagated for a distance within the base metal before entering into the fusion zone. This work promoted our understanding about the influence of the weld bead shape on the properties of laser welded thin section joints.

Baseline mapping study of the Steed Pond aquifer and vadose zone beneath A/M Area, Savannah River Site, Aiken, South Carolina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, D.G. Jr.

2000-01-01

This report presents the second phase of a baseline mapping project conducted for the Environmental Restoration Department (ERD) at Savannah River Site. The purpose of this second phase is to map the structure and distribution of mud (clay and silt-sized sediment) within the vadose zone beneath A/M Area. The results presented in this report will assist future characterization and remediation activities in the vadose zone and upper aquifer zones in A/M Area

ROCK MASS DAMAGED ZONE CAUSED BY BLASTING DURING TUNNEL EXCAVATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hrvoje Antičević

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Design of underground spaces, including tunnels, and repositories for radioactive waste include the application of the same or similar technologies. Tunnel excavation by blasting inevitably results in the damage in the rock mass around the excavation profile. The damage in the rock mass immediately next to the tunnel profile emerges as the expanding of the existing cracks and the appearance of new cracks, i.e. as the change of the physical and-mechanical properties of the rock mass. Concerning the design of deep geological repositories, requirements in terms of damaged rock are the same or more rigorous than for the design of tunnel. The aforementioned research is directed towards determining the depth of damage zone caused by blasting. The depth of the damage zone is determined by measuring the changes of physical and-mechanical properties of the rock mass around the tunnel excavation profile. By this research the drilling and blasting parameters were correlated with the depth and size of the damage zone (the paper is published in Croatian.

Effect of nano-TiO{sub 2} particles size on the corrosion resistance of alkyd coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deyab, M.A., E-mail: hamadadeiab@yahoo.com; Keera, S.T.

2014-08-01

The coating system containing various sizes (∼10, 50, 100, 150 nm) of nano-TiO{sub 2} were prepared and investigated for corrosion protection of carbon steel in 1.0 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} using polarization, EIS and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. It was found that nano-TiO{sub 2} particles improved the corrosion resistance of alkyd coatings. The corrosion resistance occurs via physical adhesion on the metal surface. O{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O permeability of coating decreased with decrease in the nano-TiO{sub 2} size. The inhibition efficiency was found to increase with decreasing the size of nano-TiO{sub 2} and with decreasing the temperature. - Highlights: • Nano-TiO{sub 2} coating were prepared and used for corrosion protection of C-steel. • Nano-TiO{sub 2} particles in coating are effective to improve the corrosion resistance. • Nano-TiO{sub 2} coating inhibit both anodic and cathodic reactions. • Corrosion inhibition efficiency increases with decrease in the size of nano-TiO{sub 2}. • O{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O permeability of coating decreased with decrease in the nano-TiO{sub 2} size.

The Public Safety Zones around Small and Medium Airports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Di Mascio

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Proper planning around airports safeguards the surrounding territory from risks of air accidents. Many countries have defined Public Safety Zones (PSZs beyond the runway thresholds as a result of targeted risk assessment methods. Therefore, national aviation Authorities could limit building construction and industrial development in order to contain the risk for dwellers to be involved in aircraft accidents. The number of people who live, work or congregate in these areas should be limited. The procedure to set Public Safety Zones is based on advanced technical analyses for major infrastructures. For smaller airports, simplified schemes are used, but, sometimes, they are not as effective when considering the actual safety conditions. This article aims to identify the shape and size of the Public Safety Zones for small and medium one-runway airports. The influence of the volume and mix of traffic on the PSZ geometry has been evaluated using the program named SARA (Sapienza Airport Risk Analysis; the results are correlated with the current Risk Plans generally adopted in Italy. According to the air traffic, the Risk Plans are characterized by a dynamic definition and fit the results obtained from risk assessment.

Effect of hydroxyapatite particle size, morphology and crystallinity on proliferation of colon cancer HCT116 cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dey, Sangeeta; Das, Mitun, E-mail: mitun@cgcri.res.in; Balla, Vamsi Krishna

2014-06-01

The aim of the present work is to chemically and physically characterize the synthesized Hydroxyapatite (HAp) micro and nanoparticles and to explore the inhibitory effect of nano-HAps on the in vitro growth of human colon cancerous cells HCT116. HAp powder was synthesized using three different routes to achieve micro and nanosized powders, with different morphologies and crystallinity. The synthesized powders were characterized using X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. The results showed that the average crystallite size of HAp powder varies from 11 nm to 177 nm and respective crystallinity of powder found to be in the range of 0.12 and 0.92. The effect of these physico-chemical properties of HAp powders on human colon cancer HCT116 cells inhibition was determined in vitro. It was found that decreasing the HAp powder crystallite size between 11 nm and 22 nm significantly increases the HCT116 cell inhibition. Our results demonstrate that apart from HAp powder size their crystallinity and morphology also play an important role in cellular inhibition of human colon cancer cells. - Highlights: • Chemically synthesized hydroxyapatite micro and nano-particles with different morphologies and crystallinity. • In vitro cell–material interaction showed that hydroxyapatite nano-particles inhibit colon cancer cells. • Human colon cancer cell inhibition also depends on crystallinity and morphology of HAp powder.

Evaluation by contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the lateral border zone in reperfused myocardial infarction in a cat model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Ae Kyung; Choi, Sang Il; Kim, Dong Hun; Park, Sung Bin; Lee, Seoung Soo; Choi, Seong Hoon; Lim, Tae Hwan

2000-01-01

To identify and evaluate the lateral border zone by comparing the size and distribution of the abnormal signal area demonstrated by MR imaging with the infarct area revealed by pathological examination in a reperfused myocardial infarction cat model. In eight cats, the left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded for 90 minutes, and this was followed by 90 minutes of reperfusion. ECG-triggered breath-hold turbo spin-echo T2-weighted MR images were initially obtained along the short axis of the heart before the administration of contrast media. After the injection of Gadomer-17 and Gadophrin-2, contrastenhanced T1-weighted MR images were obtained for three hours. The size of the abnormal signal area seen on each image was compared with that of the infarct area after TTC staining. To assess ultrastructural changes in the myocardium at the infarct area, lateral border zone and normal myocardium, electron microscopic examination was performed. The high signal area seen on T2-weighted images and the enhanced area seen on Gadomer-17-enhanced T1WI were larger than the enhanced area on Gadophrin-2-enhanced T1WI and the infarct area revealed by TTC staining; the difference was expressed as a percentage of the size of the total left ventricle mass (T2= 39.2 %; Gadomer-17 =37.25 % vs Gadophrin-2 = 29.6 %; TTC staining = 28.2 %; p < 0.05). The ultrastructural changes seen at the lateral border zone were compatible with reversible myocardial damage. In a reperfused myocardial infarction cat model, the presence and size of the lateral border zone can be determined by means of Gadomer-17- and Gadophrin-2-enhanced MR imaging

33 CFR 165.169 - Safety and Security Zones: New York Marine Inspection Zone and Captain of the Port Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Safety and Security Zones: New... Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) PORTS AND WATERWAYS SAFETY... Areas First Coast Guard District § 165.169 Safety and Security Zones: New York Marine Inspection Zone...

33 CFR 165.814 - Security Zones; Captain of the Port Houston-Galveston Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Port Houston-Galveston Zone. 165.814 Section 165.814 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... § 165.814 Security Zones; Captain of the Port Houston-Galveston Zone. (a) Location. The following areas are designated as security zones: (1) Houston, Texas. The Houston Ship Channel and all associated...

Human Papillomavirus type 16 E6 and E 7 proteins alter NF-kB in cultured cervical epithelial cells and inhibition of NF-kB promotes cell growth and immortalization

Science.gov (United States)

Vandermark, Erik R.; Deluca, Krysta A.; Gardner, Courtney R.; Marker, Daniel F.; Schreiner, Cynthia N.; Strickland, David A.; Wilton, Katelynn M.; Mondal, Sumona; Woodworth, Craig D.

2012-01-01

The NF-kB family of transcription factors regulates important biological functions including cell growth, survival and the immune response. We found that Human Papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) E7 and E6/E7 proteins inhibited basal and TNF-alpha-inducible NF-kB activity in human epithelial cells cultured from the cervical transformation zone, the anatomic region where most cervical cancers develop. In contrast, HPV-16 E6 regulated NF-kB in a cell type- and cell growth-dependent manner. NF-kB influenced immortalization of cervical cells by HPV16. Inhibition of NF-kB by an IkB alpha repressor mutant increased colony formation and immortalization by HPV-16. In contrast, activation of NF-kB by constitutive expression of p65 inhibited proliferation and immortalization. Our results suggest that inhibition of NF-kB by HPV-16 E6/E7 contributes to immortalization of cells from the cervical transformation zone. PMID:22284893

77 FR 65621 - Security Zone; Cruise Ships, Santa Barbara Harbor, Santa Barbara, CA

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-30

... able to locate the cruise ships visually, due to the small geographic size and depth restrictions of... entities because vessel traffic can pass safely around the zones. If you think that your business... significant economic impact on it, please submit a comment (see ADDRESSES) explaining why you think it...

Width of surface rupture zone for thrust earthquakes: implications for earthquake fault zoning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Boncio

2018-01-01

remove outliers (e.g. 90 % probability of the cumulative distribution function and define the zone where the likelihood of having surface ruptures is the highest. This might help in sizing the zones of SFRH during seismic microzonation (SM mapping. In order to shape zones of SFRH, a very detailed earthquake geologic study of the fault is necessary (the highest level of SM, i.e. Level 3 SM according to Italian guidelines. In the absence of such a very detailed study (basic SM, i.e. Level 1 SM of Italian guidelines a width of  ∼  840 m (90 % probability from "simple thrust" database of distributed ruptures, excluding B-M, F-S and Sy fault ruptures is suggested to be sufficiently precautionary. For more detailed SM, where the fault is carefully mapped, one must consider that the highest SFRH is concentrated in a narrow zone,  ∼ 60 m in width, that should be considered as a fault avoidance zone (more than one-third of the distributed ruptures are expected to occur within this zone. The fault rupture hazard zones should be asymmetric compared to the trace of the principal fault. The average footwall to hanging wall ratio (FW  :  HW is close to 1  :  2 in all analysed cases. These criteria are applicable to "simple thrust" faults, without considering possible B-M or F-S fault ruptures due to large-scale folding, and without considering sympathetic slip on distant faults. Areas potentially susceptible to B-M or F-S fault ruptures should have their own zones of fault rupture hazard that can be defined by detailed knowledge of the structural setting of the area (shape, wavelength, tightness and lithology of the thrust-related large-scale folds and by geomorphic evidence of past secondary faulting. Distant active faults, potentially susceptible to sympathetic triggering, should be zoned as separate principal faults. The entire database of distributed ruptures (including B-M, F-S and Sy fault ruptures can be useful in poorly known areas

Metasomatic Reaction Zones as Monitors of Trace Element Transfer at the Slab-Mantle Interface: the Case of the Hochwart Peridotite (Ulten Zone, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Marocchi, M.; Hermann, J.; Bargossi, G. M.; Mair, V.; Morten, L.

2006-12-01

Ultramafic blocks belonging to the Hochwart peridotite outcrop (Ulten Zone, Italian Alps) preserve a series of metasomatic mineral zones generated by infiltration of Si-rich hydrous fluids which occurred at the gneiss- peridotite interface. The age of the high pressure metamorphism for the Hochwart complex has been constrained at 330 Ma (Tumiati et al., 2003, EPSL, 210, 509-526). The country rocks are stromatic gneisses consisting mainly of quartz, K-feldspar, garnet, kyanite, biotite and muscovite. The ultramafic body consists of strongly serpentinized metaperidotites which are exposed as a hectometre-size lens along a steep gully, associated to monomineralic zones that developed at the contact between the peridotite body and the garnet gneiss country rocks. The composition of the metasomatic zones has been investigated in detail and records an order of metasomatic zoning formed by phlogopite-rich to tremolite-anthophyllite-rich rocks going from the host gneiss towards the peridotite. In some cases, the ultramafics fade into the gneisses developing serpentine and talc which has replaced, presumably at lower temperatures, the serpentine matrix and occurs in association with chlorite. Phlogopite aggregates (phlogopitite) with accessory minerals (quartz + zircon + apatite) and metabasic pods (phlogopite and hornblende) also occur. Black tourmaline (schorl-dravite solid solution) has been found for the first time in the contact near the phlogopite zone, suggesting an external addition of elements (boron and fluorine) to the system at high temperature. The formation of the metasomatic zones composed exclusively of hydrous phases must have involved extensive H2O-metasomatism as already documented for the Ulten peridotites. The source for these fluids can be a system of trondhjemitic-pegmatitic dikes cutting the peridotite that would have channelled aqueous fluids into the ultramafic rocks. Whole-rock geochemistry and trace element (LA ICP-MS) composition of hydrous

The Experience in Creating Protected Zones Around Nests of Birds of Prey and Black Stork in Ukraine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanislav G. Viter

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This article concludes a brief information about the project for the creation of protected zones around nests of the raptors and black storks in different national parks in the framework of a project supported by the Rufford Foundation in 2017. There are references to the legislative acts that made possible this work. Proposals on the size of protected zones around nests of different raptors species have been are given.

Disassembly of Faceted Macrosteps in the Step Droplet Zone in Non-Equilibrium Steady State

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noriko Akutsu

2017-02-01

Full Text Available A Wulff figure—the polar graph of the surface tension of a crystal—with a discontinuity was calculated by applying the density matrix renormalization group method to the p-RSOS model, a restricted solid-on-solid model with a point-contact-type step–step attraction. In the step droplet zone in this model, the surface tension is discontinuous around the (111 surface and continuous around the (001 surface. The vicinal surface of 4H-SiC crystal in a Si–Cr–C solution is thought to be in the step droplet zone. The dependence of the vicinal surface growth rate and the macrostep size 〈 n 〉 on the driving force Δ μ for a typical state in the step droplet zone in non-equilibrium steady state was calculated using the Monte Carlo method. In contrast to the known step bunching phenomenon, the size of the macrostep was found to decrease with increasing driving force. The detachment of elementary steps from a macrostep was investigated, and it was found that 〈 n 〉 satisfies a scaling function. Moreover, kinetic roughening was observed for | Δ μ | > Δ μ R , where Δ μ R is the crossover driving force above which the macrostep disappears.

Thermal Stability of Zone Melting p-Type (Bi, Sb)2Te3 Ingots and Comparison with the Corresponding Powder Metallurgy Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Chengpeng; Fan, Xi'an; Hu, Jie; Feng, Bo; Xiang, Qiusheng; Li, Guangqiang; Li, Yawei; He, Zhu

2018-04-01

During the past few decades, Bi2Te3-based alloys have been investigated extensively because of their promising application in the area of low temperature waste heat thermoelectric power generation. However, their thermal stability must be evaluated to explore the appropriate service temperature. In this work, the thermal stability of zone melting p-type (Bi, Sb)2Te3-based ingots was investigated under different annealing treatment conditions. The effect of service temperature on the thermoelectric properties and hardness of the samples was also discussed in detail. The results showed that the grain size, density, dimension size and mass remained nearly unchanged when the service temperature was below 523 K, which suggested that the geometry size of zone melting p-type (Bi, Sb)2Te3-based materials was stable below 523 K. The power factor and Vickers hardness of the ingots also changed little and maintained good thermal stability. Unfortunately, the thermal conductivity increased with increasing annealing temperature, which resulted in an obvious decrease of the zT value. In addition, the thermal stabilities of the zone melting p-type (Bi, Sb)2Te3-based materials and the corresponding powder metallurgy samples were also compared. All evidence implied that the thermal stabilities of the zone-melted (ZMed) p-type (Bi, Sb)2Te3 ingots in terms of crystal structure, geometry size, power factor (PF) and hardness were better than those of the corresponding powder metallurgy samples. However, their thermal stabilities in terms of zT values were similar under different annealing temperatures.

The Sorong Fault Zone, Indonesia: Mapping a Fault Zone Offshore

Science.gov (United States)

Melia, S.; Hall, R.

2017-12-01

The Sorong Fault Zone is a left-lateral strike-slip fault zone in eastern Indonesia, extending westwards from the Bird's Head peninsula of West Papua towards Sulawesi. It is the result of interactions between the Pacific, Caroline, Philippine Sea, and Australian Plates and much of it is offshore. Previous research on the fault zone has been limited by the low resolution of available data offshore, leading to debates over the extent, location, and timing of movements, and the tectonic evolution of eastern Indonesia. Different studies have shown it north of the Sula Islands, truncated south of Halmahera, continuing to Sulawesi, or splaying into a horsetail fan of smaller faults. Recently acquired high resolution multibeam bathymetry of the seafloor (with a resolution of 15-25 meters), and 2D seismic lines, provide the opportunity to trace the fault offshore. The position of different strands can be identified. On land, SRTM topography shows that in the northern Bird's Head the fault zone is characterised by closely spaced E-W trending faults. NW of the Bird's Head offshore there is a fold and thrust belt which terminates some strands. To the west of the Bird's Head offshore the fault zone diverges into multiple strands trending ENE-WSW. Regions of Riedel shearing are evident west of the Bird's Head, indicating sinistral strike-slip motion. Further west, the ENE-WSW trending faults turn to an E-W trend and there are at least three fault zones situated immediately south of Halmahera, north of the Sula Islands, and between the islands of Sanana and Mangole where the fault system terminates in horsetail strands. South of the Sula islands some former normal faults at the continent-ocean boundary with the North Banda Sea are being reactivated as strike-slip faults. The fault zone does not currently reach Sulawesi. The new fault map differs from previous interpretations concerning the location, age and significance of different parts of the Sorong Fault Zone. Kinematic

A two-dimensional time domain near zone to far zone transformation

Science.gov (United States)

Luebbers, Raymond J.; Ryan, Deirdre; Beggs, John H.; Kunz, Karl S.

1991-01-01

In a previous paper, a time domain transformation useful for extrapolating 3-D near zone finite difference time domain (FDTD) results to the far zone was presented. In this paper, the corresponding 2-D transform is outlined. While the 3-D transformation produced a physically observable far zone time domain field, this is not convenient to do directly in 2-D, since a convolution would be required. However, a representative 2-D far zone time domain result can be obtained directly. This result can then be transformed to the frequency domain using a Fast Fourier Transform, corrected with a simple multiplicative factor, and used, for example, to calculate the complex wideband scattering width of a target. If an actual time domain far zone result is required it can be obtained by inverse Fourier transform of the final frequency domain result.

Root zone effects on tracer migration in arid zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tyler, S.W.; Walker, G.R.

1994-01-01

The study of groundwater recharge and soil water movement in arid regions has received increased attention in the search for safe disposal sites for hazardous wastes. In passing through the upper 1 to 2 m of most soil profiles, tracers indicative of recharge such as Cl, 2 H, 18 O, Br, 3 H, and 56 Cl are subjected to a wide range of processes not encountered deeper in the profile. This transition zone, where water enters as precipitation and leaves as recharge, is often ignored when environmental tracers are used to estimate deep soil water flux and recharge, yet its effect may be profound. In this work, we reexamine the processes of root extraction and its effect on the velocity and distribution of tracers. Examples are presented for idealized conditions, which show clearly the relation between the root zone processes and the deep drainage or recharge. The results indicate that, when recharge is small and root zone processes are not accounted for, tracer techniques can significantly overestimate recharge until the tracer has moved well below the root zone. By incorporating simple models of root zone processes, a clearer understanding of tracer distributions and a more accurate estimate of recharge can then be made. 11 refs., 9 figs

Detection and Sizing of Fatigue Cracks in Steel Welds with Advanced Eddy Current Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Todorov, E. I.; Mohr, W. C.; Lozev, M. G.

2008-02-01

Butt-welded specimens were fatigued to produce cracks in the weld heat-affected zone. Advanced eddy current (AEC) techniques were used to detect and size the cracks through a coating. AEC results were compared with magnetic particle and phased-array ultrasonic techniques. Validation through destructive crack measurements was also conducted. Factors such as geometry, surface treatment, and crack tightness interfered with depth sizing. AEC inspection techniques have the potential of providing more accurate and complete sizing flaw data for manufacturing and in-service inspections.

Of floating-zone uranium; Sur l'uranium de zone flottante

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clottes, G [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1965-01-01

The floating zone method has been chosen in order to purify uranium. The various parameters occurring in this purification technique, have been studied theoretically and technologically. The speed that proves to be the most efficient is 0,7 cm/h, the direction can only upwards, and the fusion must take place under pressure of 10{sup -7} Torr or so. Besides such problems concerning purification, the study of the floating zone stability led us to define a field touching the size and diameter of uranium drops, which, on the one hand coincides with Heywang's conditions and, on the other hand, is compatible with a fusion in the core of the bar. Such field shows that the floating zone can easily apply to bars whose diameter is included between 5 and 10 mm, and that it cannot work out when the diameter exceeds 21 mm. The apparatus, consisting in a means of heating by electronic bombardment under ultra-vacuum is conditioned by the various parameters that have been studied. As the analysis results were insufficient, the uranium thus dealt with has been characterized by metallurgic and physical tests: micrographic tests, measures of microhardness, measures of electric resistivity at a low temperature, have shown a definite purification at the bar-head; these results have been confirmed by the lowering at 270 C of the temperature of recrystallization together with the definite tendency of the refined metal to polygonize. The measures of electric resistivity constitute an easy and quantitative way of figuring out the metal purity. The influence of an impurity on the electric resistivity of uranium has been studied by U-Au alloys with a weak concentration of gold. The two important following points are brought out be these experiences: 1 - the measure of electric resistivity should be worked out on anneal bars in {gamma} phase and cooled. 2 - Gold has a very strong influence on uranium; the value 500 {mu}{omega}cm per cent of gold enabled us to give a total concentration of 20

75 FR 50700 - Quarterly Listings; Safety Zones, Security Zones, Special Local Regulations, and Drawbridge...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-17

...] Quarterly Listings; Safety Zones, Security Zones, Special Local Regulations, and Drawbridge Operation... notice lists temporary safety zones, security zones, special local regulations, and drawbridge operation... responsive to the safety and security needs within their jurisdiction; therefore, District Commanders and...

Radiant zone heated particulate filter

Science.gov (United States)

Gonze, Eugene V [Pinckney, MI

2011-12-27

A system includes a particulate matter (PM) filter including an upstream end for receiving exhaust gas and a downstream end. A radiant zoned heater includes N zones, where N is an integer greater than one, wherein each of the N zones includes M sub-zones, where M is an integer greater than or equal to one. A control module selectively activates at least a selected one of the N zones to initiate regeneration in downstream portions of the PM filter from the one of the N zones, restricts exhaust gas flow in a portion of the PM filter that corresponds to the selected one of the N zones, and deactivates non-selected ones of the N zones.

Using UAS Hyperspatial RGB Imagery for Identifying Beach Zones along the South Texas Coast

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lihong Su

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Shoreline information is fundamental for understanding coastal dynamics and for implementing environmental policy. The analysis of shoreline variability usually uses a group of shoreline indicators visibly discernible in coastal imagery, such as the seaward vegetation line, wet beach/dry beach line, and instantaneous water line. These indicators partition a beach into four zones: vegetated land, dry sand or debris, wet sand, and water. Unmanned aircraft system (UAS remote sensing that can acquire imagery with sub-decimeter pixel size provides opportunities to map these four beach zones. This paper attempts to delineate four beach zones based on UAS hyperspatial RGB (Red, Green, and Blue imagery, namely imagery of sub-decimeter pixel size, and feature textures. Besides the RGB images, this paper also uses USGS (the United States Geological Survey Munsell HSV (Hue, Saturation, and Value and CIELUV (the CIE 1976 (L*, u*, v* color space images transformed from an RGB image. The four beach zones are identified based on the Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM and Local Binary Pattern (LBP textures. Experiments were conducted with South Padre Island photos acquired by a Nikon D80 camera mounted on the US-16 UAS during March 2014. The results show that USGS Munsell hue can separate land and water reliably. GLCM and LBP textures can slightly improve classification accuracies by both unsupervised and supervised classification techniques. The experiments also indicate that we could reach acceptable results on different photos while using training data from another photo for site-specific UAS remote sensing. The findings imply that parallel processing of classification is feasible.

Towards stacked zone plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werner, S; Rehbein, S; Guttman, P; Heim, S; Schneider, G

2009-01-01

Fresnel zone plates are the key optical elements for soft and hard x-ray microscopy. For short exposure times and minimum radiation load of the specimen the diffraction efficiency of the zone plate objectives has to be maximized. As the efficiency strongly depends on the height of the diffracting zone structures the achievable aspect ratio of the nanostructures determines these limits. To reach aspect ratios ≥ 20:1 for high efficient optics we propose to superimpose zone plates on top of each other. With this multiplication approach the final aspect ratio is only limited by the number of stacked zone plate layers. For the stack process several nanostructuring process steps have to be developed and/or improved. Our results show for the first time two layers of zone plates stacked on top of each other.

76 FR 70342 - Quarterly Listings; Safety Zones, Security Zones, Special Local Regulations, Drawbridge Operation...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-14

...] Quarterly Listings; Safety Zones, Security Zones, Special Local Regulations, Drawbridge Operation... published in the Federal Register. This notice lists temporary safety zones, security zones, special local... Commanders and Captains of the Port (COTP) must be immediately responsive to the safety and security needs...

Quench pressure, thermal expulsion, and normal zone propagation in internally cooled superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dresner, L.

1988-01-01

When a nonrecovering normal zone appears in an internally cooled superconductor, the pressure in the conductor rises, helium is expelled from its ends, and the normal zone grows in size. This paper presents a model of these processes that allows calculation of the pressure, the expulsion velocity, and the propagation velocity with simple formulas. The model is intended to apply to conductors such as the cable-in-conduit conductor of the Westinghouse LCT (WH-LCT) coil, the helium volumes of which have very large length-to-diameter ratios (3 /times/ 10 5 ). The predictions of the model agree with the rather limited data available from propagation experiments carried out on the WH-LCT coil. 3 refs., 1 fig

76 FR 48751 - Security Zones; Captain of the Port Lake Michigan Zone

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-09

... Jardine Water Filtration Plant security zone would encompass all U.S. navigable waters of Lake Michigan... areas near shore to Chicago's water filtration plants; the security zones have been designed to allow.... 165.910 Security Zones; Captain of the Port Lake Michigan. (a) * * * (1) Jardine Water Filtration...

Site-to-site genetic correlations and their implications on breeding zone size and optimum number of progeny test sites for Coastal Douglas-fir.

Science.gov (United States)

G.R. Johnson

1997-01-01

Type B genetic correlations were used to examine the relation among geographic differences between sites and their site-to-site genetic (Type B) correlations. Examination of six local breeding zones in Oregon indicated that breeding zones were, for the most part, not too large because few environmental variables were correlated with Type B genetic correlations. The...

The extent of the perihemorrhagic perfusion zone correlates with hematoma volume in patients with lobar intracerebral hemorrhage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beseoglu, Kerim; Etminan, Nima; Steiger, Hans-Jakob; Haenggi, Daniel; Turowski, Bernd

2014-01-01

Existing data on perfusion imaging assumes the perihemorrhagic zone (PHZ) in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) to be size steady. This study investigates the size of the perihemorrhagic zone (PHZ) in patients with lobar ICH in relation to hematoma volume during the course of treatment using perfusion CT (PCT). The present analysis is based on a previously reported cohort of 20 patients undergoing surgical evacuation for lobar SICH, with pre- and early postoperative PCT scanning. Time to peak of the residue function (T max ) was measured based on the 360 cortical banding method and singular value decomposition. The size of PHZ was determined before and after treatment and correlated with hematoma volume. Preoperative mean hematoma volume constituted 63.0 ml (interquartile ranges (IQR) 39.7-99.4 ml), which correlated significantly (r = 0.563, p = 0.010) with mean PHZ size (5.67 cm, IQR 5.44-8.17 cm). Following a surgical hematoma evacuation, mean hematoma volume was reduced to 2.5 ml IQR 0.0-9.5 ml, which also resulted in a significant reduction of PHZ size to 0.45 cm(IQR 0.0-1.36 cm; p < 0.001). There was no association between postoperative hematoma volume and size of the PHZ. Our findings illustrate that the extent of the PHZ cannot be generally assumed to be constant in size and that this differs significantly following hematoma reduction in patients with space occupying lobar SICH. (orig.)

The extent of the perihemorrhagic perfusion zone correlates with hematoma volume in patients with lobar intracerebral hemorrhage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beseoglu, Kerim; Etminan, Nima; Steiger, Hans-Jakob; Haenggi, Daniel [Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf, Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Faculty, Duesseldorf (Germany); Turowski, Bernd [Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, Duesseldorf (Germany)

2014-07-15

Existing data on perfusion imaging assumes the perihemorrhagic zone (PHZ) in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) to be size steady. This study investigates the size of the perihemorrhagic zone (PHZ) in patients with lobar ICH in relation to hematoma volume during the course of treatment using perfusion CT (PCT). The present analysis is based on a previously reported cohort of 20 patients undergoing surgical evacuation for lobar SICH, with pre- and early postoperative PCT scanning. Time to peak of the residue function (T{sub max}) was measured based on the 360 cortical banding method and singular value decomposition. The size of PHZ was determined before and after treatment and correlated with hematoma volume. Preoperative mean hematoma volume constituted 63.0 ml (interquartile ranges (IQR) 39.7-99.4 ml), which correlated significantly (r = 0.563, p = 0.010) with mean PHZ size (5.67 cm, IQR 5.44-8.17 cm). Following a surgical hematoma evacuation, mean hematoma volume was reduced to 2.5 ml IQR 0.0-9.5 ml, which also resulted in a significant reduction of PHZ size to 0.45 cm(IQR 0.0-1.36 cm; p < 0.001). There was no association between postoperative hematoma volume and size of the PHZ. Our findings illustrate that the extent of the PHZ cannot be generally assumed to be constant in size and that this differs significantly following hematoma reduction in patients with space occupying lobar SICH. (orig.)

Chemically and size-resolved particulate matter dry deposition on stone and surrogate surfaces inside and outside the low emission zone of Milan: application of a newly developed "Deposition Box".

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrero, Luca; Casati, Marco; Nobili, Lara; D'Angelo, Luca; Rovelli, Grazia; Sangiorgi, Giorgia; Rizzi, Cristiana; Perrone, Maria Grazia; Sansonetti, Antonio; Conti, Claudia; Bolzacchini, Ezio; Bernardi, Elena; Vassura, Ivano

2018-04-01

The collection of atmospheric particles on not-filtering substrates via dry deposition, and the subsequent study of the particle-induced material decay, is trivial due to the high number of variables simultaneously acting on the investigated surface. This work reports seasonally resolved data of chemical composition and size distribution of particulate matter deposed on stone and surrogate surfaces obtained using a new method, especially developed at this purpose. A "Deposition Box" was designed allowing the particulate matter dry deposition to occur selectively removing, at the same time, variables that can mask the effect of airborne particles on material decay. A pitched roof avoided rainfall and wind variability; a standardised gentle air exchange rate ensured a continuous "sampling" of ambient air leaving unchanged the sampled particle size distribution and, at the same time, leaving quite calm condition inside the box, allowing the deposition to occur. Thus, the "Deposition Box" represents an affordable tool that can be used complementary to traditional exposure systems. With this system, several exposure campaigns, involving investigated stone materials (ISMs) (Carrara Marble, Botticino limestone, Noto calcarenite and Granite) and surrogate (Quartz, PTFE, and Aluminium) substrates, have been performed in two different sites placed in Milan (Italy) inside and outside the low emission zone. Deposition rates (30-90 μg cm -2  month -1 ) showed significant differences between sites and seasons, becoming less evident considering long-period exposures due to a positive feedback on the deposition induced by the deposited particles. Similarly, different stone substrates influenced the deposition rates too. The collected deposits have been observed with optical and scanning electron microscopes and analysed by ion chromatography. Ion deposition rates were similar in the two sites during winter, whereas it was greater outside the low emission zone during summer and

Distribution and size of the mojarra Diapterus rhombeus (Cuvier (Actinopterygii, Gerreidae in a Southeastern Brazilian bay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcus Rodrigues da Costa

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Diapterus rhombeus is one of the most abundant fish species in the Sepetiba bay, which is a 520 km² semi-closed coastal area in Southeastern Brazil. The size and distribution of this species have been described in order to assess the use of the area as a rearing ground in both spatial and temporal (seasonal dimensions. A fish sampling program was conducted monthly by using an otter trawl between October 1998 and September 1999, in three bay zones (outer, middle and inner, defined according to depth and salinity gradient. Highly significant differences were found for CPUEs (number and biomass among seasons and zones. Size ranged from 50 to 230 mm TL, and three size-groups were defined according to a maturation scale (n = 1435: 1 - immature ( 100 mm TL. Immature and L50 individuals were more abundant (number and biomass during Autumn in the inner zone, while adults (L100 predominated during Summer in the outer zone. Evidences of movements of young-of-the-year (50-90 mm TL individuals from the inner to the outer zone were detected as they reach larger sizes (180 mm TL in the second year of life. Condition (k was higher in larger sized individuals in the outer zone during Spring, when they are apt to start the reproductive process. Two cohorts were detected according to modal progression: the first (smaller size showing faster growth than the second, evidencing a slower growth rate as they reach larger size. Distinct size classes occupying different bay zones suggest that the age-groups optimize their coexistence by partitioning the available resources, avoiding intra-specific competition.Diapterus rhombeus é uma das espécies de peixes mais abundantes na Baia de Sepetiba, ambiente costeiro de 520 km² de área semifechada no sudoeste do Brasil. O tamanho e distribuição dos indivíduos desta espécie foram descritos com o objetivo de determinar o uso das áreas de criação numa dimensão espacial e temporal (sazonal. Um programa de amostragem

The difference of inhibitory zone between Katuk (Sauropus androgynous L. Merr. leaf infusion and Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L. petals towards oral Candida albicans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kadek Seruni Kusumanegara

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Katuk (Sauropus androgynus L. Merr. leaf and roselle (Hibiscussabdariffa L. are part of plants that have antifungal activity against Candida albicans. The purpose of this study was to examine the inhibitory zone of katuk leaf’s infusion compared to roselle petals towards the growth of oral Candida albicans. Methods: The research methods was experimental laboratory. Each of katuk leaf and roselle’s infusion were respectively made in four concentration, i.e 5%, 10%, 20% and 40%. The positive control was 2% ketoconazole, while negative control was sterile aquadest. Results: The result of the study showed that the mean of inhibitory zones of katuk leaf  5%, was 17,90±0,8 mm, katuk leaf of 10% was  19,67±1,78 mm, katuk leaf of 20% was 19,67±1,78 mm, and katuk leaf of 40% was 22,93±1,00 mm, meanwhile the mean of inhibitions zones of  roselle petals infusion of 5% shows its mean of 18,53±0,67 mm, roselle  petals of 10% was 22,40±1,28 mm, roselle petals of 20% was 26,20±0,87 mm, and roselle petals of  40%  was 29,47±2,87 mm. Conclusion: It can be  concluded that the mean of inhibitions zones  of katuk leaf’s infusion was smaller than roselle petals toward the growth of oral Candida albicans.

Excavation damage zone tracer experiment in the floor of the room 415 test tunnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frost, L.H.; Everitt, R.A.

1997-03-01

A 3.5-m-diameter test tunnel was constructed on the 420 Level of AECL's Underground Research Laboratory using a mechanical excavation technique. The orientation of the tunnel was chosen to maximize the stress ratio in the plane perpendicular to the tunnel axis in order to promote and study stress-induced excavation damage. The resulting excavation damage zone (EDZ) is characterized by a distinct breakout notch in both the floor and roof of the tunnel. In the floor of the tunnel, the main flow pathway within the EDZ is within a zone of intense grain-size fracturing (process zone) located at the tip of the breakout notch; virtually no flow occurs outside this region. A tracer experiment was performed within the EDZ in the floor of the tunnel to characterize the solute transport properties (permeability, transport porosity and dispersivity) within the process zone, as well as to develop and demonstrate methods for determining the transport properties within EDZs of underground tunnels. The experiment was performed as a constant head test by continuously injecting a constant concentration of iodide tracer into a region of the process zone, and by monitoring tracer breakthrough from the zone at a distance 1.5 m away. An equivalent-porous-media approach was taken in analysing fluid flow and solute transport through the process zone. Based on mass flux calculations, the hydraulic conductivity and transport porosity of the process zone are estimated to be 7.4 x 10 -7 m/s and 2.7 % respectively. Based on an analytic solution that represents tracer transport within the process zone as one-dimensional advective diffusive transport in a finite homogeneous porous medium, the longitudinal dispersivity and transport porosity of the zone are estimated to be 0.60 m and 3.3 % respectively. The transport porosity values estimated by both the mass flux and analytic calculations compare quite well. (author)

Effects of chlorpyrifos on soil carboxylesterase activity at an aggregate-size scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez-Hernandez, Juan C; Sandoval, Marco

2017-08-01

The impact of pesticides on extracellular enzyme activity has been mostly studied on the bulk soil scale, and our understanding of the impact on an aggregate-size scale remains limited. Because microbial processes, and their extracellular enzyme production, are dependent on the size of soil aggregates, we hypothesized that the effect of pesticides on enzyme activities is aggregate-size specific. We performed three experiments using an Andisol to test the interaction between carboxylesterase (CbE) activity and the organophosphorus (OP) chlorpyrifos. First, we compared esterase activity among aggregates of different size spiked with chlorpyrifos (10mgkg -1 wet soil). Next, we examined the inhibition of CbE activity by chlorpyrifos and its metabolite chlorpyrifos-oxon in vitro to explore the aggregate size-dependent affinity of the pesticides for the active site of the enzyme. Lastly, we assessed the capability of CbEs to alleviate chlorpyrifos toxicity upon soil microorganisms. Our principal findings were: 1) CbE activity was significantly inhibited (30-67% of controls) in the microaggregates (1.0mm) compared with the corresponding controls (i.e., pesticide-free aggregates), 2) chlorpyrifos-oxon was a more potent CbE inhibitor than chlorpyrifos; however, no significant differences in the CbE inhibition were found between micro- and macroaggregates, and 3) dose-response relationships between CbE activity and chlorpyrifos concentrations revealed the capability of the enzyme to bind chlorpyrifos-oxon, which was dependent on the time of exposure. This chemical interaction resulted in a safeguarding mechanism against chlorpyrifos-oxon toxicity on soil microbial activity, as evidenced by the unchanged activity of dehydrogenase and related extracellular enzymes in the pesticide-treated aggregates. Taken together, these results suggest that environmental risk assessments of OP-polluted soils should consider the fractionation of soil in aggregates of different size to measure

Layout Determining Features, their Influence Zones and Respect Distances at the Olkiluoto Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pere, T.; Ahokas, H.; Vaittinen, T.; Wikstroem, L.

2012-12-01

Fault zones located at the site of an underground nuclear waste repository may pose a risk to the repository by acting as potential hosts for earthquakes during the present day or future stress fields and having the possibility to induce secondary displacements on nearby large fractures, which may damage the nuclear waste canisters, if being intersected by such fractures. The fault zones may additionally provide possible flow routes, important for the transport of radionuclides and the chemical stability of the repository. It is therefore important to identify such structures, defined as layout determining features (LDF), and to assess their influence on the surrounding host rock and to determine respect volumes to the structures, which are avoided in the layout planning in order to mitigate the possible harmful effects to the repository. Fault zones with a trace length of 3 km or more are considered as layout determining features as these can potentially host an earthquake of a magnitude of 5.5 or more and may thus induce secondary displacements larger than 5 cm on nearby fractures, which is held as the current canister damage threshold premise. Fault zones with a size less than 3 km are considered unlikely candidates to induce secondary displacements of 5 cm or larger. In addition to the earthquake potential, hydrogeological zones with high T -value (geometrical mean T ≤ 10 -6 m 2 /s) and large dimensions (at least several hundred metres) are also defined as layout determining features. For each layout determining feature an influence zone is defined, depicting a volume around a fault zone or a hydrogeological zone with increased fracture density and permeability, often also called as damage zones in the scientific literature. Influence zones are therefore considered as mechanically weak and/or transmissive parts of the host rock, which may cause harmful effects to the performance of the repository if intersecting deposition tunnels or deposition holes. In

76 FR 44803 - Quarterly Listings; Safety Zones, Security Zones, Special Local Regulations, Drawbridge Operation...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-27

... USCG-2009-1081 New Orleans, LA Safety Zone (Part 165)..... 12/23/2009 USCG-2009-1084 Rio Vista, CA...-1096 Port Portland Zone......... Safety Zone (Part 165)..... 7/3/2010 USCG-2009-0040 La Push, WA Safety...-0950 Madisonville, LA Safety Zone (Part 165)..... 12/31/2009 USCG-2009-0951 Lower Mississippi River...

Wildfire effects on vadose zone hydrology in forested boreal peatland microforms

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Dan K.; Waddington, James M.

2013-04-01

SummaryPeatland vulnerability to wildfire disturbance has been shown to vary as a function of hummock and hollow microforms and vadose zone hydrology, with low-lying hollow microforms most susceptible to deep combustion of peat. To better understand how this microform induced pattern of burning alters vadose water storage, pore-water pressure, and water table relationships, we examined a paired burned and unburned peatland in the boreal plain region of north central Alberta. Water table response to rain events increased significantly after wildfire, resulting in a more variable unsaturated zone thickness that was more responsive to smaller rain events. Water storage losses in the vadose zone occurred primarily at depths greater than 15 cm. Large peat surface water loss occurred in hummock microforms in the early spring due to the presence of unsaturated frozen peat at depth, likely a result of a vapour gradient from the unfrozen peat into the frozen peat underneath. During this period, the loss of water storage in the vadose zone satisfied up to 25% of daily evaporative demand, compared to only 3-5% during ice-free periods. A similar but less severe drying was observed late in summer, with burned hummocks the most vulnerable with high pore-water pressures. The enhanced surface drying observed is a precursor to high pore-water pressure conditions that inhibit Sphagnum regeneration. Our observations point to a paradox where the hummocks, being most resistant to combustion, are themselves most prone to high pore-water pressures following wildfire. The harsher hummock environment may contribute to the observed delay in post-fire Sphagnum regeneration in hummocks compared to hollows.

Comparing a novel automatic 3D method for LGE-CMR quantification of scar size with established methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Woie, Leik; Måløy, Frode; Eftestøl, Trygve; Engan, Kjersti; Edvardsen, Thor; Kvaløy, Jan Terje; Ørn, Stein

2014-02-01

Current methods for the estimation of infarct size by late-enhanced cardiac magnetic imaging are based upon 2D analysis that first determines the size of the infarction in each slice, and thereafter adds the infarct sizes from each slice to generate a volume. We present a novel, automatic 3D method that estimates infarct size by a simultaneous analysis of all pixels from all slices. In a population of 54 patients with ischemic scars, the infarct size estimated by the automatic 3D method was compared with four established 2D methods. The new 3D method defined scar as the sum of all pixels with signal intensity (SI) ≥35 % of max SI from the complete myocardium, border zone: SI 35-50 % of max SI and core as SI ≥50 % of max SI. The 3D method yielded smaller infarct size (-2.8 ± 2.3 %) and core size (-3.0 ± 1.7 %) than the 2D method most similar to ours. There was no difference in the size of the border zone (0.2 ± 1.4 %). The 3D method demonstrated stronger correlations between scar size and left ventricular (LV) remodelling parameters (LV ejection fraction: r = -0.71, p 3D automatic method is without the need for manual demarcation of the scar; it is less time-consuming and has a stronger correlation with remodelling parameters compared with existing methods.

Should fat in the radiofrequency ablation zone of hepatocellular adenomas raise suspicion for residual tumour?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, Andreu F.; Kajal, Dilkash; Pereira, Andre; Atri, Mostafa

2017-01-01

To assess the significance of fat in the radiofrequency ablation (RFA) zone of hepatocellular adenomas (HCA), and its association with tumoral fat and hepatic steatosis. The radiological archive was searched for patients with ablated HCAs and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging between January 2008 and June 2014. Age, sex, risk factors and duration of clinical and imaging follow-up were recorded. Pre-RFA imaging was assessed for tumour size, intra-tumoral fat and steatosis. Post-RFA imaging was reviewed for size, enhancement and intra-ablational fat. Intra-ablational fat was classified as peripheral, central or mixed; the association of these distributions with steatosis and tumoral fat was assessed using Fisher's exact test. Sixteen patients with 26 ablated HCAs were included. Fat was present in 23/26 (88 %) ablation zones. Only 1/26 (4 %) showed serial enlargement and enhancement suggestive of residual disease; the enhancing area did not contain fat. All remaining ablations showed involution and/or diminishing fat content without suspicious enhancement (mean follow-up, 27 months; range, 2-84 months). The peripheral and mixed/central patterns of intra-ablational fat were associated with steatosis (P = 0.0005) and tumoral fat (P = 0.0003), respectively. Fat in the ablation zone of HCAs is a common finding which, in isolation, does not indicate residual tumour. (orig.)

RADIATION ACCESS ZONE AND VENTILATION CONFINEMENT ZONE CRITERIA FOR THE MGR SURFACE FACILITIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D. A. Padula

2000-01-01

The objectives of this technical report are to: (1) Establish the criteria for Radiation Access Zone (RAZ) designation. (2) Establish the criteria for the Ventilation Confinement Zone (VCZ) designation. The scope will be to formulate the RAZ and VCZ zoning designation for the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) surface facilities and to apply the zoning designations to the current Waste Handling Building (WHB), Waste Treatment Building (WTB), and Carrier Preparation Building (CPB) configurations

Estimating the mechanical properties of the brittle deformation zones at Olkiluoto

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudson, J.A.; Cosgrove, J.W.; Johansson, E.

2008-09-01

In rock mechanics modelling to support repository design and safety assessment for the Olkiluoto site, it is necessary to obtain the relevant rock mechanics parameters, these being an essential pre-requisite for the modelling. The parameters include the rock stress state, the properties of the intact rock and the rock mass, and the properties of the brittle deformation zones which represent major discontinuities in the rock mass continuum. However, because of the size and irregularity of the brittle deformation zones, it is not easy to estimate their mechanical properties, i.e. their deformation and strength properties. Following Section 1 explaining the motivation for the work and the objective of the Report, in Sections 2 and 3, the types of fractures and brittle deformation zones that can be encountered are described with an indication of the mechanisms that lead to complex structures. The geology at Olkiluoto is then summarized in Section 4 within the context of this Report. The practical aspects of encountering the brittle deformation zones in outcrops, drillholes and excavations are described in Sections 5 and 6 with illustrative examples of drillhole core intersections in Section 7. The various theoretical, numerical and practical methods for estimating the mechanical properties of the brittle deformation zones are described in Section 8, together with a Table summarizing each method's advantages, disadvantages and utility in estimating the mechanical properties of the zones. We emphasise that the optimal approach to estimating the mechanical properties of the brittle deformation zones cannot be determined without a good knowledge, not only of each estimation method's capabilities and idiosyncrasies, but also of the structural geology background and the specific nature of the brittle deformation zones being characterized. Finally, in Section 9, a Table is presented outlining each method's applicability to the Olkiluoto site. A flowchart is included to

Suggested PAZ Size of Pressurized Light Water Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Sang Hyun; Jeong, Seung Young [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-10-15

In this study, preliminary calculation results to suggest PAZ size are presented. PSA methodology and RASCAL code were used to calculate PAZ size. Suggested radius of PAZ from the preliminary calculation results is between 0.8 and 4.8 km. These results were calculated with simple assumptions and only considered technical aspect, such as fission product release characteristics and radioactive material dispersion in environment. The actual boundaries of PAZ need to be defined by site specific information, such as local landmarks and population distribution. The results in this study can be used as base information to stakeholders and decision makers who are response in arrangement of emergency preparedness. The goals of the protective actions during nuclear accident are to prevent the occurrence of severe deterministic effects and keep the dose below the level at which protective actions and other response actions are justified to reduce the risk of stochastic effects. To meet these goals, off-site emergency zones for taking urgent protective action have to be identified in advance, i.e. during emergency preparedness phase. Especially Precautionary Action Zone (PAZ) is defined by the international requirement as the area within which arrangements should be made to implement precautionary urgent protective actions before or shortly after a major release with the aim of preventing or reducing the occurrence of severe deterministic effect. However, PAZ is not introduced in domestic emergency preparedness system.

Oxygen sensitivity of anammox and coupled N-cycle processes in oxygen minimum zones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kalvelage, Tim; Jensen, Marlene Mark; Contreras, Sergio

2011-01-01

Nutrient measurements indicate that 30–50% of the total nitrogen (N) loss in the ocean occurs in oxygen minimum zones (OMZs). This pelagic N-removal takes place within only ,0.1% of the ocean volume, hence moderate variations in the extent of OMZs due to global warming may have a large impact...... at non-detectable concentrations of O2, while anaerobic NO3 2 reduction was fully active up to at least 25 mmol L21 O2. Hence, aerobic and anaerobic N-cycle pathways in OMZs can co-occur over a larger range of O2 concentrations than previously assumed. The zone where N-loss can occur is primarily...... controlled by the O2-sensitivity of anammox itself, and not by any effects of O2 on the tightly coupled pathways of aerobic NH3 oxidation and NO3 2 reduction. With anammox bacteria in the marine environment being active at O2 levels ,20 times higher than those known to inhibit their cultured counterparts...

Importance and role of grain size in free surface cracking prediction of heavy forgings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Zhenhua [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Forging & Stamping Technology and Science, Yanshan University, Ministry of Education of China, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Sun, Shuhua; Wang, Bo [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Shi, Zhongping [Key Laboratory of Advanced Forging & Stamping Technology and Science, Yanshan University, Ministry of Education of China, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China); Fu, Wantang, E-mail: wtfu@ysu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004 (China)

2015-02-11

The importance and role of grain size in predicting surface cracking of heavy forgings were investigated. 18Mn18Cr0.5N steel specimens with four different grain sizes were tensioned between 900 and 1100 °C at a strain rate of 0.1 s{sup −1}. The nucleation sites and crack morphology were analyzed through electron backscatter diffraction analysis, and the fracture morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy. The nucleation sites were independent of the grain size, and cracks primarily formed at grain boundaries and triple junctions between grains with high Taylor factors. Grains with lower Taylor factors inhibited crack propagation. Strain was found to mainly concentrate near the grain boundaries; thus, a material with a larger grain size cracks more easily because there are fewer grain boundaries. Fine grains can be easily rotated to a lower Taylor factor to further inhibit cracking. The fracture morphology transformed from a brittle to ductile type with a lowering of grain size. At lower temperature, small dimples on the fracture surfaces of specimens with smaller grain sizes were left by single parent grains and the dimple edge was the grain edge. At higher temperature, dimples formed through void coalescence and the dimple edge was the tearing edge. Finally, the relationship between the reduction in area, grain size, and deformation temperature was obtained.

Chemical zoning and homogenization of olivines in ordinary chondrites and implications for thermal histories of chondrules

Science.gov (United States)

Miyamoto, Masamichi; Mckay, David S.; Mckay, Gordon A.; Duke, Michael B.

1986-01-01

The extent and degree of homogenization of chemical zoning of olivines in type 3 ordinary chondrites is studied in order to obtain some constraints on cooling histories of chondrites. Based on Mg-Fe and CaO zoning, olivines in type 3 chondrites are classified into four types. A single chondrule usually contains olivines with the same type of zoning. Microporphyritic olivines show all four zoning types. Barred olivines usually show almost homogenized chemical zoning. The cooling rates or burial depths needed to homogenize the chemical zoning are calculated by solving the diffusion equation, using the zoning profiles as an initial condition. Mg-Fe zoning of olivine may be altered during initial cooling, whereas CaO zoning is hardly changed. Barred olivines may be homogenized during initial cooling because their size is relatively small. To simulated microporphyritic olivine chondrules, cooling from just below the liquidus at moderately high rates is preferable to cooling from above the liquidus at low rates. For postaccumulation metamorphism of type 3 chondrites to keep Mg-Fe zoning unaltered, the maximum metamorphic temperature must be less than about 400 C if cooling rates based on Fe-Ni data are assumed. Calculated cooling rates for both Fa and CaO homogenization are consistent with those by Fe-Ni data for type 4 chondrites. A hot ejecta blanket several tens of meters thick on the surface of a parent body is sufficient to homogenize Mg-Fe zoning if the temperature of the blanket is 600-700 C. Burial depths for petrologic types of ordinary chondrites in a parent body heated by Al-26 are broadly consistent with those previously proposed.

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 5 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Brooks Banks, Hawaii, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (5 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard NOAA...

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 20 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Brooks Banks, Hawaii, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (20 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard NOAA...

Effect of propolis in gastric disorders: inhibition studies on the growth of Helicobacter pylori and production of its urease.

Science.gov (United States)

Baltas, Nimet; Karaoglu, Sengul Alpay; Tarakci, Cemre; Kolayli, Sevgi

2016-01-01

There is considerable interest in alternative approaches to inhibit Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and thus treat many stomach diseases. Propolis is a pharmaceutical mixture containing many natural bioactive substances. The aim of this study was to use propolis samples to treat H. pylori. The anti-H. pylori and anti-urease activities of 15 different ethanolic propolis extracts (EPEs) were tested. The total phenolic contents and total flavonoid contents of the EPE were also measured. The agar-well diffusion assay was carried out on H. pylori strain J99 and the inhibition zones were measured and compared with standards. All propolis extracts showed high inhibition of H. pylori J99, with inhibition diameters ranging from 31.0 to 47.0 mm. Helicobacter pylori urease inhibitory activity was measured using the phenol-hypochlorite assay; all EPEs showed significant inhibition against the enzyme, with inhibition concentrations (IC 50 ; mg/mL) ranging from 0.260 to 1.525 mg/mL. The degree of inhibition was related to the phenolic content of the EPE. In conclusion, propolis extract was found to be a good inhibitor that can be used in H. pylori treatment to improve human health.

A compartmentalized solute transport model for redox zones in contaminated aquifers: 1. Theory and development

Science.gov (United States)

Abrams , Robert H.; Loague, Keith

2000-01-01

This paper, the first of two parts [see Abrams and Loague, this issue], takes the compartmentalized approach for the geochemical evolution of redox zones presented by Abrams et al. [1998] and embeds it within a solute transport framework. In this paper the compartmentalized approach is generalized to facilitate the description of its incorporation into a solute transport simulator. An equivalent formulation is developed which removes any discontinuities that may occur when switching compartments. Rate‐limited redox reactions are modeled with a modified Monod relationship that allows either the organic substrate or the electron acceptor to be the rate‐limiting reactant. Thermodynamic constraints are used to inhibit lower‐energy redox reactions from occurring under infeasible geochemical conditions without imposing equilibrium on the lower‐energy reactions. The procedure used allows any redox reaction to be simulated as being kinetically limited or thermodynamically limited, depending on local geochemical conditions. Empirical reaction inhibition methods are not needed. The sequential iteration approach (SIA), a technique which allows the number of solute transport equations to be reduced, is adopted to solve the coupled geochemical/solute transport problem. When the compartmentalized approach is embedded within the SIA, with the total analytical concentration of each component as the dependent variable in the transport equation, it is possible to reduce the number of transport equations even further than with the unmodified SIA. A one‐dimensional, coupled geochemical/solute transport simulation is presented in which redox zones evolve dynamically in time and space. The compartmentalized solute transport (COMPTRAN) model described in this paper enables the development of redox zones to be simulated under both kinetic and thermodynamic constraints. The modular design of COMPTRAN facilitates the use of many different, preexisting solute transport and

Optimization of binary breeder reactor V - Binary breeder reactors with two and four zones and a conventional LMFBR - (Pu/U) of two zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias, A.F.; Ishiguro, Y.

1986-04-01

Comparative analyses of a commercial-size Pu/U-fueled liquid metal fast breeder reactor and two binary breeder reactors with different numbers of enrichment zones have been done. Principal parameters of comparison are safety and breeding characteristics and reactivity losses during an operational cycle. The comparison shows that in a binary breeder reactor, good breeding characteristics in both cycles, Pu/U and U/Th, in addition to a possibility of an efficient utilization of thorium, and superior inherent safety than current LMFBRs can be achieved. (Author) [pt

Selective Inhibition and Naming Performance in Semantic Blocking, Picture-Word Interference, and Color-Word Stroop Tasks

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Zeshu; Roelofs, Ardi; Martin, Randi C.; Meyer, Antje S.

2015-01-01

In 2 studies, we examined whether explicit distractors are necessary and sufficient to evoke selective inhibition in 3 naming tasks: the semantic blocking, picture-word interference, and color-word Stroop task. Delta plots were used to quantify the size of the interference effects as a function of reaction time (RT). Selective inhibition was…

33 CFR 165.1315 - Safety Zones: Fireworks displays in the Captain of the Port Portland Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Safety Zones: Fireworks displays... Coast Guard District § 165.1315 Safety Zones: Fireworks displays in the Captain of the Port Portland Zone. (a) Safety zones. The following areas are designated safety zones: (1) Cinco de Mayo Fireworks...

Capture Zone Distributions and Island Morphologies in Organic Epitaxy and Graphene Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Pimpinelli, Alberto; Einstein, T. L.

2013-03-01

Stating that island nucleation is an essential step in the formation of an epitaxial or supported layer may appear trivially obvious. However, less trivial is the observation that the size of the critical nucleus plays a crucial role in that it determines both the island density (and therefore the size of domains) and the evolution of the island morphology. In this talk we will describe recent developments in the analysis of capture zone distributions (CZD) specifically tailored for application to organic materials. We will also describe specific features of organic and graphene island morphologies, and discuss how they are related to the nucleation process and to the size of the critical nucleus. Work at UMD supported by NSF-MRSEC, Grant DMR 05-20471 and NSF CHE 07-49949

A modified hydrodynamic model for routing unsteady flow in a river having piedmont zone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patowary Sudarshan

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Existence of piedmont zone in a river bed is a critical parameter from among numerous variations of topographical, geological and geographical conditions that can significantly influence the river flow scenario. Downstream flow situation assessed by routing of upstream hydrograph may yield higher flow depth if existence of such high infiltration zone is ignored and therefore it is a matter of concern for water resources planning and flood management. This work proposes a novel modified hydrodynamic model that has the potential to accurately determine the flow scenario in presence of piedmont zone. The model has been developed using unsteady free surface flow equations, coupled with Green-Ampt infiltration equation as governing equation. For solution of the governing equations Beam and Warming implicit finite difference scheme has been used. The proposed model was first validated from the field data of Trout Creek River showing excellent agreement. The validated model was then applied to a hypothetical river reach commensurate with the size of major tributaries of Brahmaputra Basin of India. Results indicated a 10% and 14% difference in the maximum value of discharge and depth hydrograph in presence and absence of piedmont zone respectively. Overall this model was successfully used to accurately predict the effect of piedmont zone on the unsteady flow in a river.

Intrinsic Mechanisms of Ductile-brittle Transition for F460 Steel Welding Coarse Grained Heat Affected Zones with Different Heat Inputs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LI Jing

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Coarse grain heat affected zone (HAZ of F460 steel was simulated by a Gleeble 3800 thermo-mechanical simulator. The microstructure, critical event of the HAZ formed at various heat inputs (E were characterized and determined by optical microscopy (OM and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM, and cleavage fracture stress σf was also calculated by ABAQUS software. Based on above systematic analysis, the intrinsic mechanism of ductile-brittle transition for F460 steel heat affected zones with different heat inputs were revealed. The results indicate that:with the improvement of heat input, the microstructures in sequence are a minority of lath martensite and massive fine lath bainite, more lath bainite with less granular bainite, more granular bainite with less lath bainite, bulky of granular bainite; and the maximum size of the original austenite grain and bainite packet becomes bigger with the improvement of heat input. The size of bainite packet is critical event of the cleavage fracture for coarse grain heat affected zone specimens with various heat inputs by comparing the relationships among residual crack length, original austenite grain size and bainite packet size. With the decreasing of the bainitic packet, the ductile to brittle transition temperature decreases. In addition, cleavage fracture stress σf is also calculated by ABAQUS software, σf gradually decreases with the increase of the heat input, which can explain the intrinsic mechanism of ductile to brittle transition temperature Tk with the change of the heat input.

Level of Inhibition in Trained Secondary School Teachers: Evidence from Pakistan

Science.gov (United States)

Rafiq, Fauzia; Sharjeel, Yousuf

2014-01-01

The study found that the inhibition amongst trained secondary school teachers in using learned teaching methodologies is caused due to the lack of content knowledge, insufficient support from the administration, scarce continuous professional development opportunities, unsupportive environment, large class size, inefficiency to integrate…

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 5 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Kure Atoll, Hawaii, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (5 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard R/V...

Marine Geophysical Characterization of the Chain Fracture Zone in the Equatorial Atlantic

Science.gov (United States)

Harmon, N.; Rychert, C.; Agius, M. R.; Tharimena, S.; Kendall, J. M.

2017-12-01

The Chain Fracture zone is part of a larger system of fracture zones along the Mid Atlantic Ridge that is thought to be one of the original zones of weakness during the break up of Pangea. It is over 300 km long and produces earthquakes as large as Mw 6.9 on segments of the active fault zone. Here we present the results of two marine geophysical mapping campaigns over the active part of the Chain Fracture zone as part of the PI-LAB (Passive Imaging of the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary) experiment. We collected swath bathymetry, backscatter imagery, gravity and total field magnetic anomaly. We mapped the fault scarps within the transform fault system using the 50 m resolution swath and backscatter imagery. In addition, a 30-40 mGal residual Mantle Bouguer Anomaly determined from gravity analysis suggests the crust is by up to 1.4-2.0 km beneath the Chain relative to the adjacent ridge segments. However, in the eastern 75 km of the active transform we find evidence for thicker crust. The active fault system cuts through the region of thicker crust and there is a cluster of MW > 6 earthquakes in this region. There is a cluster of similar sized earthquakes on the western end where thinner crust is inferred. This suggests that variations in melt production and crustal thickness at the mid ocean ridge systems may have only a minor effect on the seismicity and longevity of the transform fault system.

Sensitivity of Amoxicillin-Resistant Helicobacter pylori to Other Penicillins

Science.gov (United States)

Dore, Maria P.; Graham, David Y.; Sepulveda, Antonia R.; Realdi, Giuseppe; Osato, Michael S.

1999-01-01

The sensitivities to penicillins and to a penicillin and β-lactamase inhibitor combination agent were determined for Helicobacter pylori strains that were sensitive, moderately resistant, or highly resistant to amoxicillin. All strains were resistant to nafcillin and oxacillin. Moderately resistant strains showed an intermediate zone of inhibition to ticarcillin, mezlocillin, piperacillin, and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. High-level resistance was associated with the smallest zone size for all penicillins tested. PMID:10390249

Thermal transport in phononic crystals: The role of zone folding effect

Science.gov (United States)

Dechaumphai, Edward; Chen, Renkun

2012-04-01

Recent experiments [Yu et al., Nature Nanotech 5, 718 (2010); Tang et al., Nano Lett. 10, 4279 (2010); Hopkins etal., Nano Lett. 11, 107(2011)] on silicon based nanoscale phononic crystals demonstrated substantially reduced thermal conductivity compared to bulk Si, which cannot be explained by incoherent phonon boundary scattering within the Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE). In this paper, partial coherent treatment of phonons, where phonons are regarded as either wave or particles depending on their frequencies, was considered. Phonons with mean free path smaller than the characteristic size of phononic crystals are treated as particles and the transport in this regime is modeled by BTE with phonon boundary scattering taken into account. On the other hand, phonons with mean free path longer than the characteristic size are treated as waves. In this regime, phonon dispersion relations are computed using the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method and are found to be modified due to the zone folding effect. The new phonon spectra are then used to compute phonon group velocity and density of states for thermal conductivity modeling. Our partial coherent model agrees well with the recent experimental results on in-plane thermal conductivity of phononic crystals. Our study highlights the importance of zone folding effect on thermal transport in phononic crystals.

Standardization and awtomatic plotting of zones of interest in processing scintigrams of a head and neck

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, Yu.N.; Prikhod'ko, A.G.; Chelyshev, M.M.

1982-01-01

A method for determining quantitative indeces of the level of accumulation and localization of lesion centers in scintigrams of head and neck by means of automatic plotting of standardized zones of interest, using the PDP-11/34 computer, is suggested. A supposition that for anatomic regions of head and neck, which are of interest for an investigator, relatively constant forms and inconsiderable variability of sizes are characteristic lies in the basis of the method suggested. Under such conditions the task of standardization and automatic plotting of zones of interest is reduced to determination of anatomic region boundaries relatively reference points selected. On the basis of analysis of archives data 26 zones of interest have been selected. Names of the zones and their abbreviations are presented. A conclusion is made that the suggested method of scintigram processing permits to increase the accuracy of localization determination of pathological centers. At that, the objectivity of diagnostic solution increases and reproducibility and comparability of different investigation results are ensured

77 FR 30245 - Safety Zones; Annual Fireworks Events in the Captain of the Port Detroit Zone

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-22

...'' N, 082-51'-18.70'' W (NAD 83). This proposed zone would be enforced one evening during the last week...-AA00 Safety Zones; Annual Fireworks Events in the Captain of the Port Detroit Zone AGENCY: Coast Guard... by adding three permanent safety zones within the Captain of the Port Detroit Zone. This action is...

Zone approaches to international safeguards of a nuclear fuel cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fishbone, L.G.; Higinbotham, W.A.

1986-01-01

At present the IAEA designs its safeguards approach with regard to each type of nuclear facility so that the safeguards activities and effort are essentially the same for a given type and size of nuclear facility wherever it may be located. Conclusions regarding a State are derived by combining the results of safeguards verifications for the individual facilities within it. The authors have examined safeguards approaches for a State nuclear fuel cycle that take into account the existence of all of the nuclear facilities in the State. They have focused on the fresh-fuel zone of an advanced nuclear fuel cycle, the several facilities of which use or process low-enriched uranium. The intention is to develop an approach which will make it possible to compare the technical effectiveness and the inspection effort for the facility-oriented approach, for the zone approach and for some reasonable intermediate safeguards approaches

Towards graphite-free hot zone for directional solidification of silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Dropka, Natasha; Buchovska, Iryna; Herrmann-Geppert, Iris; Klimm, Detlef; Kiessling, Frank M.; Degenhardt, Ulrich

2018-06-01

The reduction of SiC, Si3N4 and transition metals impurities in directionally solidified Si ingots poses one of the crucial challenges in the solar cells production. Particularly strong contamination comes from the graphite parts in the hot zone. Therefore, we selected three massive ceramic materials to replace graphite, developed the novel design of the crucible support and cover and compared the crystals grown in them with ingots from the standard graphite design. The experiments were performed for phosphorus n-doped silicon of G0 size. The ingots were compared with respect to O- and C-content, metal impurities, resistivity and lifetime. The superior performance of TiC relative to other ceramics was observed, particularly due to the lower concentration of substitutional carbon in Si ingot (up to 2.6 times) and the higher minority carrier lifetime of (up to 4.4 times) with narrow red zones.

Size of Specially Protected Forest Sites for Raptors: What Size of These Sites Should be for Protect the Raptor’s Breeding Territories?

OpenAIRE

Igor V. Karyakin; Elvira G. Nikolenko; Sergey V. Bakka

2018-01-01

The article analyzes the influence of various types of felling on the occupation of breeding territories by different species of raptors mainly in the Altai Territory forests. Responses of birds of prey to the disturbance factor are also analyzed. Flight initiation distance is determined for each species. A review of international and Russian experience of buffer zones and specially protected forest areas (SPFA) around nests of raptors was made. On this basis, the article presents the sizes o...

[Characteristics of soil organic carbon and enzyme activities in soil aggregates under different vegetation zones on the Loess Plateau].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xin; Ma, Rui-ping; An, Shao-shan; Zeng, Quan-chao; Li, Ya-yun

2015-08-01

In order to explore the distribution characteristics of organic carbon of different forms and the active enzymes in soil aggregates with different particle sizes, soil samples were chosen from forest zone, forest-grass zone and grass zone in the Yanhe watershed of Loess Plateau to study the content of organic carbon, easily oxidized carbon, and humus carbon, and the activities of cellulase, β-D-glucosidase, sucrose, urease and peroxidase, as well as the relations between the soil aggregates carbon and its components with the active soil enzymes were also analyzed. It was showed that the content of organic carbon and its components were in order of forest zone > grass zone > forest-grass zone, and the contents of three forms of organic carbon were the highest in the diameter group of 0.25-2 mm. The content of organic carbon and its components, as well as the activities of soil enzymes were higher in the soil layer of 0-10 cm than those in the 10-20 cm soil layer of different vegetation zones. The activities of cellulase, β-D-glucosidase, sucrose and urease were in order of forest zone > grass zone > forest-grass zone. The peroxidase activity was in order of forest zone > forest-grass zone > grass zone. The activities of various soil enzymes increased with the decreasing soil particle diameter in the three vegetation zones. The activities of cellulose, peroxidase, sucrose and urease had significant positive correlations with the contents of various forms of organic carbon in the soil aggregates.

Inhibition of DNA repair in ultraviolet-irradiated human cells by hydroxyurea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francis, A.A.; Carrier, W.L.; Smith, D.P.; Regan, J.D.; Blevins, R.D.

1979-01-01

The effect on DNA repair in ultraviolet-irradiated human skin fibroblasts by hydroxyurea has been examined in this study using three independent methods for measuring DNA repair: the 5-bromodeoxyuridine photolysis assay which measures DNA repair replication, chromatographic measurement of thymine-containing dimers, and measurement of specific ultraviolet-endonuclease-sensitive sites in irradiated DNA. Little effect on hydroxyurea was observed at the concentration of 2mM, which is often used to inhibit semiconservative DNA synthesis; however, 10 mM hydroxyurea resulted in marked inhibition (65-70%) of excision repair. This inhibition was accompanied by a possible doubling in the size of the repaired region. The accumulation of large numbers of single-strand breaks following ultraviolet irradiation and hydroxyurea incubation seen by other investigators was not observed with the normal skin fibroblasts used in this study. A comparison of hydroxyurea effects on the different DNA repair assays indicates inhibition of one step in DNA repair also results in varying degrees of inhibition of other steps as well. (Auth.)

Inhibition of DNA repair in ultraviolet-irradiated human cells by hydroxyurea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Francis, A.A. (Oak Ridge National Lab., TN); Blevins, R.D.; Carrier, W.L.; Smith, D.P.; Regan, J.D.

1979-01-01

The effect on DNA repair in ultraviolet-irradiated human skin fibroblasts by hydroxyurea has been examined in this study using three independent methods for measuring DNA repair: the 5-bromodeoxyuridine photolysis assay which measures DNA repair replication, chromatographic measurement of thymine-containing dimers, and measurement of specific ultraviolet-endonuclease-sensitive sites in irradiated DNA. Little effect of hydroxyurea was observed at the concentration of 2 mM, which is often used to inhibit semiconservative DNA synthesis; however, 10 mM hydroxyurea resulted in marked inhibition (65 to 70%) of excision repair. This inhibition was accompanied by a possible doubling in the size of the repaired region. The accumulation of large numbers of single-strand breaks following ultraviolet irradiation and hydroxyurea incubation seen by other investigators was not observed with the normal skin fibroblasts used in this study. A comparison of hydroxyurea effects on the different DNA repair assays indicates inhibition of one step in DNA repair also results in varying degrees of inhibition of other steps as well.

Niche expansion, body size, and survival in Galápagos marine iguanas.

Science.gov (United States)

Wikelski, M; Wrege, Peter H

2000-07-01

Foraging theory predicts that dietary niche breadth should expand as resource availability decreases. However, Galápagos marine iguanas often die during algae shortages (El Niños) although land plants abound where they rest and reproduce. On Seymour Norte island, a subpopulation of iguanas exhibited unique foraging behavior: they consistently included the succulent beach plant B. maritima in their diet. We investigated the consequences of land-plant feeding for body size and survival. Batis-eaters supplemented their algae diet both before and after intertidal zone foraging, and more Batis was eaten during tides unfavorable for intertidal zone foraging (dawn and dusk). Larger, energy-constrained iguanas fed more on land than did smaller animals. Compared to intertidal zone algae, Batis was 39% lower in caloric content (1.6 vs. 2.6 kcal g -1 dry mass), 56% lower in protein (8.3 vs. 18.9% dry mass) and 57% lower in nitrogen (1.3 vs. 3.0% dry mass). In spite of its lower nutrient value, iguanas that supplemented their diet with this plant were able to attain nearly twice the body size of other iguanas on the island. Age estimates indicate that many Batis-eaters survived repeated El Niño episodes during which animals of their relative size-class experienced high mortality on other islands. The larger animals were, however, completely dependent upon this supplementary source of food to maintain condition, and all perished in the 1997-1998 El Niño when high tides inundated and killed Batis on Seymour Norte Island. We hypothesize that Batis feeding developed as a local foraging tradition, and that dietary conservatism and strong foraging site fidelity explain why the inclusion of land plants in the diet has been observed in only a single population. Ultimately, a unique algae-adapted hindgut morphology and physiology may limit a switch from marine to terrestrial diet.

Automatic Extraction and Size Distribution of Landslides in Kurdistan Region, NE Iraq

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arsalan A. Othman

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This study aims to assess the localization and size distribution of landslides using automatic remote sensing techniques in (semi- arid, non-vegetated, mountainous environments. The study area is located in the Kurdistan region (NE Iraq, within the Zagros orogenic belt, which is characterized by the High Folded Zone (HFZ, the Imbricated Zone and the Zagros Suture Zone (ZSZ. The available reference inventory includes 3,190 landslides mapped from sixty QuickBird scenes using manual delineation. The landslide types involve rock falls, translational slides and slumps, which occurred in different lithological units. Two hundred and ninety of these landslides lie within the ZSZ, representing a cumulated surface of 32 km2. The HFZ implicates 2,900 landslides with an overall coverage of about 26 km2. We first analyzed cumulative landslide number-size distributions using the inventory map. We then proposed a very simple and robust algorithm for automatic landslide extraction using specific band ratios selected upon the spectral signatures of bare surfaces as well as posteriori slope and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI thresholds. The index is based on the contrast between landslides and their background, whereas the landslides have high reflections in the green and red bands. We applied the slope threshold map to remove low slope areas, which have high reflectance in red and green bands. The algorithm was able to detect ~96% of the recent landslides known from the reference inventory on a test site. The cumulative landslide number-size distribution of automatically extracted landslide is very similar to the one based on visual mapping. The automatic extraction is therefore adapted for the quantitative analysis of landslides and thus can contribute to the assessment of hazards in similar regions.

33 CFR 165.503 - Security Zone; Captain of the Port Hampton Roads Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Port Hampton Roads Zone. 165.503 Section 165.503 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... § 165.503 Security Zone; Captain of the Port Hampton Roads Zone. (a) Definitions. As used in this... been authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP), Hampton Roads, Virginia to act on his or her behalf...

Formulating a coastal zone health metric for landuse impact management in urban coastal zones.

Science.gov (United States)

Anilkumar, P P; Varghese, Koshy; Ganesh, L S

2010-11-01

The need for ICZM arises often due to inadequate or inappropriate landuse planning practices and policies, especially in urban coastal zones which are more complex due to the larger number of components, their critical dimensions, attributes and interactions. A survey of literature shows that there is no holistic metric for assessing the impacts of landuse planning on the health of a coastal zone. Thus there is a need to define such a metric. The proposed metric, CHI (Coastal zone Health Indicator), developed on the basis of coastal system sustainability, attempts to gauge the health status of any coastal zone. It is formulated and modeled through an expert survey and pertains to the characteristic components of coastal zones, their critical dimensions, and relevant attributes. The proposed metric is applied to two urban coastal zones and validated. It can be used for more coast friendly and sustainable landuse planning/masterplan preparation and thereby for the better management of landuse impacts on coastal zones. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

P2X7 receptor inhibition increases CNTF in the subventricular zone, but not neurogenesis or neuroprotection after stroke in adult mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Seong Su; Keasey, Matthew Phillip; Hagg, Theo

2013-10-01

Increasing endogenous ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) expression with a pharmacological agent might be beneficial after stroke as CNTF both promotes neurogenesis and, separately, is neuroprotective. P2X7 purinergic receptor inhibition is neuroprotective in rats and increases CNTF release in rat CMT1A Schwann cells. We, first, investigated the role of P2X7 in regulating CNTF and neurogenesis in adult mouse subventricular zone (SVZ). CNTF expression was increased by daily intravenous injections of the P2X7 antagonist Brilliant Blue G (BBG) in naïve C57BL/6 or Balb/c mice over 3 days. Despite the ∼40-60 % increase or decrease in CNTF with BBG or the agonist BzATP, respectively, the number of proliferated BrdU+SVZ nuclei did not change. BBG failed to increase FGF2, which is involved in CNTF-regulated neurogenesis, but induced IL-6, LIF, and EGF, which are known to reduce SVZ proliferation. Injections of IL-6 next to the SVZ induced CNTF and FGF2, but not proliferation, suggesting that IL-6 counteracts their neurogenesis-inducing effects. Following ischemic injury of the striatum by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), a 3-day BBG treatment increased CNTF in the medial penumbra containing the SVZ. BBG also induced CNTF and LIF, which are known to be protective following stroke, in the whole striatum after MCAO, but not GDNF or BDNF. However, BBG treatment did not reduce the lesion area or apoptosis in the penumbra. Even so, this study shows that P2X7 can be targeted with systemic drug treatments to differentially regulate neurotrophic factors in the brain following stroke.

Computation of complexity measures of morphologically significant zones decomposed from binary fractal sets via multiscale convexity analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Sin Liang; Koo, Voon Chet; Daya Sagar, B.S.

2009-01-01

Multiscale convexity analysis of certain fractal binary objects-like 8-segment Koch quadric, Koch triadic, and random Koch quadric and triadic islands-is performed via (i) morphologic openings with respect to recursively changing the size of a template, and (ii) construction of convex hulls through half-plane closings. Based on scale vs convexity measure relationship, transition levels between the morphologic regimes are determined as crossover scales. These crossover scales are taken as the basis to segment binary fractal objects into various morphologically prominent zones. Each segmented zone is characterized through normalized morphologic complexity measures. Despite the fact that there is no notably significant relationship between the zone-wise complexity measures and fractal dimensions computed by conventional box counting method, fractal objects-whether they are generated deterministically or by introducing randomness-possess morphologically significant sub-zones with varied degrees of spatial complexities. Classification of realistic fractal sets and/or fields according to sub-zones possessing varied degrees of spatial complexities provides insight to explore links with the physical processes involved in the formation of fractal-like phenomena.

Habitable zone limits for dry planets.

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, Yutaka; Abe-Ouchi, Ayako; Sleep, Norman H; Zahnle, Kevin J

2011-06-01

Most discussion of habitable planets has focused on Earth-like planets with globally abundant liquid water. For an "aqua planet" like Earth, the surface freezes if far from its sun, and the water vapor greenhouse effect runs away if too close. Here we show that "land planets" (desert worlds with limited surface water) have wider habitable zones than aqua planets. For planets at the inner edge of the habitable zone, a land planet has two advantages over an aqua planet: (i) the tropics can emit longwave radiation at rates above the traditional runaway limit because the air is unsaturated and (ii) the dry air creates a dry stratosphere that limits hydrogen escape. At the outer limits of the habitable zone, the land planet better resists global freezing because there is less water for clouds, snow, and ice. Here we describe a series of numerical experiments using a simple three-dimensional global climate model for Earth-sized planets. Other things (CO(2), rotation rate, surface pressure) unchanged, we found that liquid water remains stable at the poles of a low-obliquity land planet until net insolation exceeds 415 W/m(2) (170% that of modern Earth), compared to 330 W/m(2) (135%) for the aqua planet. At the outer limits, we found that a low-obliquity land planet freezes at 77%, while the aqua planet freezes at 90%. High-obliquity land and aqua planets freeze at 58% and 72%, respectively, with the poles offering the last refuge. We show that it is possible that, as the Sun brightens, an aqua planet like Earth can lose most of its hydrogen and become a land planet without first passing through a sterilizing runaway greenhouse. It is possible that Venus was a habitable land planet as recently as 1 billion years ago.

The inhibition of marine nitrification by ocean disposal of carbon dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huesmann, M.H.; Skillman, A.D.; Crecelius, E.A.

2002-01-01

In an attempt to reduce the threat of global warming, it has been proposed that the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations be reduced by the ocean disposal of CO 2 from the flue gases of fossil fuel-fired power plants. The release of large amounts of CO 2 into mid or deep ocean waters will result in large plumes of acidified seawater with pH values ranging from 6 to 8. In an effort to determine whether these CO 2 -induced pH changes have any effect on marine nitrification processes, surficial (euphotic zone) and deep (aphotic zone) seawater samples were sparged with CO 2 for varying time durations to achieve a specified pH reduction, and the rate of microbial ammonia oxidation was measured spectrophotometrically as a function of pH using an inhibitor technique. For both seawater samples taken from either the euphotic or aphotic zone, the nitrification rates dropped drastically with decreasing pH. Relative to nitrification rates in the original seawater at pH 8, nitrification rates were reduced by ca. 50% at pH 7 and more than 90% at pH 6.5. Nitrification was essentially completely inhibited at pH 6. These findings suggest that the disposal of CO 2 into mid or deep oceans will most likely result in a drastic reduction of ammonia oxidation rates within the pH plume and the concomitant accumulation of ammonia instead of nitrate. It is unlikely that ammonia will reach the high concentration levels at which marine aquatic organisms are known to be negatively affected. However, if the ammonia-rich seawater from inside the pH plume is upwelled into the euphotic zone, it is likely that changes in phytoplankton abundance and community structure will occur. Finally, the large-scale inhibition of nitrification and the subsequent reduction of nitrite and nitrate concentrations could also result in a decrease of denitrification rates which, in turn, could lead to the buildup of nitrogen and unpredictable eutrophication phenomena. Clearly, more research on the

77 FR 6007 - Quarterly Listings; Safety Zones, Security Zones, Special Local Regulations, Drawbridge Operation...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-07

...] Quarterly Listings; Safety Zones, Security Zones, Special Local Regulations, Drawbridge Operation... they could be published in the Federal Register. This notice lists temporary safety zones, security... the safety and security needs within their jurisdiction; therefore, District Commanders and COTPs have...

Antibacterial Effect of Granati fructus Cortex Extract on Streptococcus mutans In Vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cut R. Alfath

2013-07-01

Full Text Available 72 1024x768 The rind of pomegranate fruit (Granati fructus cortex composed of antibacterial compounds such as alkaloid, flavonoid and tannin. Objective: To evaluate the bacterial effect of Granati fructus cortex extract against Streptococcus mutans. Methods: The study was laboratory experimental. The inhibition test was performed by agar diffusion method on MHA medium. Results: It showed the bacterial property of Granati fructus cortex on various concentration. The highest extract concentration of 30% extract has the largest of inhibition zones (15.4mm. The results showed a difference in the size of inhibition zones related to different extract concentrations. Conclusion: This study confirmed the antibacterial effect of Granati fructus cortex on the growth of Streptococcus mutans.DOI: 10.14693/jdi.v20i1.126

Dredging of blue mussels ( Mytilus edulis L.) in a Danish sound: stock sizes and fishery-effects on mussel population dynamic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dolmer, Per; Kristensen, Per Sand; Hoffmann, Erik

1999-01-01

In April 1993, 1994 and 1995 the abundance of blue mussels, Mytilus edulis L., was estimated in Limfjorden, Denmark. The stocks were assessed by using a down-scaled model of a commercial mussel dredge which efficiency was analysed by comparing its samples with others collected by diver. The mean...... dredge efficiency was 17%. The fishing area in Limfjorden (700 km(2)) is divided into 22 fishery zones and mussel stock size was calculated for each zone. From April 1993 to April 1994 the total stock size declined from 771 000 to 616 000 t. In the same period, the exploitation rate in the fishery was 14...

78 FR 26508 - Safety Zone; Fireworks Event in Captain of the Port New York Zone

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-07

... Harbor located in approximate Safety Zone, 33 CFR 165.160(3.8). position 40[deg]51'58'' N, 073[deg]39'34... Zone; Fireworks Event in Captain of the Port New York Zone AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of enforcement of regulation. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard will enforce safety zones in the Captain of the Port New...

The distinguishing characteristics of interlayer oxidation zone and burial ancient ground oxidation zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Zhanshi; Zhou Wenbin

1998-01-01

The author discusses the main characteristics of interlayer oxidation zones and the burial ancient ground oxidation zones of Uranium deposit No. 512 in Xinjiang Uigur municipality. The epigenetic genesis, depending on some aquifer, the tongue-like in section, having the zonation along dip direction and having certain mineral assemblage are the typical features for interlayer oxidation zones

Stochastic cellular automata model of neurosphere growth: Roles of proliferative potential, contact inhibition, cell death, and phagocytosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sipahi, Rifat; Zupanc, Günther K H

2018-05-14

Neural stem and progenitor cells isolated from the central nervous system form, under specific culture conditions, clonal cell clusters known as neurospheres. The neurosphere assay has proven to be a powerful in vitro system to study the behavior of such cells and the development of their progeny. However, the theory of neurosphere growth has remained poorly understood. To overcome this limitation, we have, in the present paper, developed a cellular automata model, with which we examined the effects of proliferative potential, contact inhibition, cell death, and clearance of dead cells on growth rate, final size, and composition of neurospheres. Simulations based on this model indicated that the proliferative potential of the founder cell and its progenitors has a major influence on neurosphere size. On the other hand, contact inhibition of proliferation limits the final size, and reduces the growth rate, of neurospheres. The effect of this inhibition is particularly dramatic when a stem cell becomes encapsulated by differentiated or other non-proliferating cells, thereby suppressing any further mitotic division - despite the existing proliferative potential of the stem cell. Conversely, clearance of dead cells through phagocytosis is predicted to accelerate growth by reducing contact inhibition. A surprising prediction derived from our model is that cell death, while resulting in a decrease in growth rate and final size of neurospheres, increases the degree of differentiation of neurosphere cells. It is likely that the cellular automata model developed as part of the present investigation is applicable to the study of tissue growth in a wide range of systems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Zoning Districts - Volusia County HUB Zones

Data.gov (United States)

NSGIC Local Govt | GIS Inventory — Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zones in Volusia County. Go to http://www.sba.gov/hubzone or contact the Department of Economic Development (386) 248-8048...

VT Data - Zoning 20120709, Huntington

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — Zoning district data for the Town of Huntington, Vermont. For details regarding each zoning district refer to the current zoning regulations on town of Huntington's...

Biophysical Network Modelling of the dLGN Circuit: Different Effects of Triadic and Axonal Inhibition on Visual Responses of Relay Cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Heiberg

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Despite its prominent placement between the retina and primary visual cortex in the early visual pathway, the role of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN in molding and regulating the visual signals entering the brain is still poorly understood. A striking feature of the dLGN circuit is that relay cells (RCs and interneurons (INs form so-called triadic synapses, where an IN dendritic terminal can be simultaneously postsynaptic to a retinal ganglion cell (GC input and presynaptic to an RC dendrite, allowing for so-called triadic inhibition. Taking advantage of a recently developed biophysically detailed multicompartmental model for an IN, we here investigate putative effects of these different inhibitory actions of INs, i.e., triadic inhibition and standard axonal inhibition, on the response properties of RCs. We compute and investigate so-called area-response curves, that is, trial-averaged visual spike responses vs. spot size, for circular flashing spots in a network of RCs and INs. The model parameters are grossly tuned to give results in qualitative accordance with previous in vivo data of responses to such stimuli for cat GCs and RCs. We particularly investigate how the model ingredients affect salient response properties such as the receptive-field center size of RCs and INs, maximal responses and center-surround antagonisms. For example, while triadic inhibition not involving firing of IN action potentials was found to provide only a non-linear gain control of the conversion of input spikes to output spikes by RCs, axonal inhibition was in contrast found to substantially affect the receptive-field center size: the larger the inhibition, the more the RC center size shrinks compared to the GC providing the feedforward excitation. Thus, a possible role of the different inhibitory actions from INs to RCs in the dLGN circuit is to provide separate mechanisms for overall gain control (direct triadic inhibition and regulation of spatial

Biophysical Network Modelling of the dLGN Circuit: Different Effects of Triadic and Axonal Inhibition on Visual Responses of Relay Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Heiberg, Thomas; Hagen, Espen; Halnes, Geir; Einevoll, Gaute T

2016-05-01

Despite its prominent placement between the retina and primary visual cortex in the early visual pathway, the role of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) in molding and regulating the visual signals entering the brain is still poorly understood. A striking feature of the dLGN circuit is that relay cells (RCs) and interneurons (INs) form so-called triadic synapses, where an IN dendritic terminal can be simultaneously postsynaptic to a retinal ganglion cell (GC) input and presynaptic to an RC dendrite, allowing for so-called triadic inhibition. Taking advantage of a recently developed biophysically detailed multicompartmental model for an IN, we here investigate putative effects of these different inhibitory actions of INs, i.e., triadic inhibition and standard axonal inhibition, on the response properties of RCs. We compute and investigate so-called area-response curves, that is, trial-averaged visual spike responses vs. spot size, for circular flashing spots in a network of RCs and INs. The model parameters are grossly tuned to give results in qualitative accordance with previous in vivo data of responses to such stimuli for cat GCs and RCs. We particularly investigate how the model ingredients affect salient response properties such as the receptive-field center size of RCs and INs, maximal responses and center-surround antagonisms. For example, while triadic inhibition not involving firing of IN action potentials was found to provide only a non-linear gain control of the conversion of input spikes to output spikes by RCs, axonal inhibition was in contrast found to substantially affect the receptive-field center size: the larger the inhibition, the more the RC center size shrinks compared to the GC providing the feedforward excitation. Thus, a possible role of the different inhibitory actions from INs to RCs in the dLGN circuit is to provide separate mechanisms for overall gain control (direct triadic inhibition) and regulation of spatial resolution

Development and testing of a compartmentalized reaction network model for redox zones in contaminated aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Abrams , Robert H.; Loague, Keith; Kent, Douglas B.

1998-01-01

The work reported here is the first part of a larger effort focused on efficient numerical simulation of redox zone development in contaminated aquifers. The sequential use of various electron acceptors, which is governed by the energy yield of each reaction, gives rise to redox zones. The large difference in energy yields between the various redox reactions leads to systems of equations that are extremely ill-conditioned. These equations are very difficult to solve, especially in the context of coupled fluid flow, solute transport, and geochemical simulations. We have developed a general, rational method to solve such systems where we focus on the dominant reactions, compartmentalizing them in a manner that is analogous to the redox zones that are often observed in the field. The compartmentalized approach allows us to easily solve a complex geochemical system as a function of time and energy yield, laying the foundation for our ongoing work in which we couple the reaction network, for the development of redox zones, to a model of subsurface fluid flow and solute transport. Our method (1) solves the numerical system without evoking a redox parameter, (2) improves the numerical stability of redox systems by choosing which compartment and thus which reaction network to use based upon the concentration ratios of key constituents, (3) simulates the development of redox zones as a function of time without the use of inhibition factors or switching functions, and (4) can reduce the number of transport equations that need to be solved in space and time. We show through the use of various model performance evaluation statistics that the appropriate compartment choice under different geochemical conditions leads to numerical solutions without significant error. The compartmentalized approach described here facilitates the next phase of this effort where we couple the redox zone reaction network to models of fluid flow and solute transport.

A molecular framework for the inhibition of Arabidopsis root growth in response to boron toxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Aquea, Felipe; Federici, Fernan; Moscoso, Cristian; Vega, Andrea; Jullian, Pastor; Haseloff, Jim; Arce-Johnson, Patricio

2012-04-01

Boron is an essential micronutrient for plants and is taken up in the form of boric acid (BA). Despite this, a high BA concentration is toxic for the plants, inhibiting root growth and is thus a significant problem in semi-arid areas in the world. In this work, we report the molecular basis for the inhibition of root growth caused by boron. We show that application of BA reduces the size of root meristems, correlating with the inhibition of root growth. The decrease in meristem size is caused by a reduction of cell division. Mitotic cell number significantly decreases and the expression level of key core cell cycle regulators is modulated. The modulation of the cell cycle does not appear to act through cytokinin and auxin signalling. A global expression analysis reveals that boron toxicity induces the expression of genes related with abscisic acid (ABA) signalling, ABA response and cell wall modifications, and represses genes that code for water transporters. These results suggest that boron toxicity produces a reduction of water and BA uptake, triggering a hydric stress response that produces root growth inhibition. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 5 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of the US Territory of Guam.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The bathymetry grid (5 m cell size) is derived from bathymetry from four sources: Multibeam...

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 60 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Rota Island, Mariana Islands, USA

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (60 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard NOAA...

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 5 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of French Frigate Shoals, Hawaii, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (5 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard NOAA...

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 5 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Ni'ihau Island, Hawaii, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (5 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard NOAA...

Derivation, evidence and physical validity of a weighted beam-zone method for dose determination in blocked photon fields of arbitrary shape

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glaeser, L.; Quast, U.

1981-01-01

A simple, practical procedure for dose determination at any point of an arbitrarily shaped field has been derived: Square-field photon beams are sectioned into a set of pyramid-shell-like parts (beam zones), nested into each other around the smallest realizable square field, of different sizes but with equal dose contributions (thus weighted) with respect to a central dose reference point. The dose at any reference point in an irregular field can be determined simply by counting the number of non-shielded dose-contributing zones (or zone fractions), leading to the associated order of square-field size (with the same number of zones), the equivalent field with known dose. For experimental evidence of the validity of the weighted beam-zone method, measurements were carried out with different high-energy photon beams with one or more beam zones shielded by absorbing blocks. Measurements were made at points in unshielded and shielded parts of the field, on and off the beam axis and at different depths in a phantom. Calculations and measurements were compared. While relative depth doses were shown to be equal to within +-2% over a range of 5 cm ahead of and behind the dose reference point, the absolute dose deviations were within +-4%. The sources of error were analysed. They were mainly determined by scattered radiation from the beam limiting device and the partial shielding deriving from the shielding blocks. The same errors also occur in most of the known methods of dose calculation in irregular fields. (author)

Should fat in the radiofrequency ablation zone of hepatocellular adenomas raise suspicion for residual tumour?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costa, Andreu F. [University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Joint Department of Medical Imaging, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Dalhousie University, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, QE II Health Sciences Centre - VG Site, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada); Kajal, Dilkash; Pereira, Andre; Atri, Mostafa [University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Joint Department of Medical Imaging, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

2017-04-15

To assess the significance of fat in the radiofrequency ablation (RFA) zone of hepatocellular adenomas (HCA), and its association with tumoral fat and hepatic steatosis. The radiological archive was searched for patients with ablated HCAs and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging between January 2008 and June 2014. Age, sex, risk factors and duration of clinical and imaging follow-up were recorded. Pre-RFA imaging was assessed for tumour size, intra-tumoral fat and steatosis. Post-RFA imaging was reviewed for size, enhancement and intra-ablational fat. Intra-ablational fat was classified as peripheral, central or mixed; the association of these distributions with steatosis and tumoral fat was assessed using Fisher's exact test. Sixteen patients with 26 ablated HCAs were included. Fat was present in 23/26 (88 %) ablation zones. Only 1/26 (4 %) showed serial enlargement and enhancement suggestive of residual disease; the enhancing area did not contain fat. All remaining ablations showed involution and/or diminishing fat content without suspicious enhancement (mean follow-up, 27 months; range, 2-84 months). The peripheral and mixed/central patterns of intra-ablational fat were associated with steatosis (P = 0.0005) and tumoral fat (P = 0.0003), respectively. Fat in the ablation zone of HCAs is a common finding which, in isolation, does not indicate residual tumour. (orig.)

Study of methane hydrate inhibition using AA/AMPS copolymers; Etude du mecanisme d'action d'une famille de copolymeres inhibiteurs cinetiques susceptibles de modifier la cristallisation des hydrates de methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cingotti, B.

1999-12-02

Gas hydrates are inclusion compounds that form when water and natural gas come into contact at high pressure and low temperature. In hydrocarbon production, these conditions can be reached in cold areas (artic zones) or in subsea pipelines where hydrates formation can block production facilities. For a few years, a lot of work has been done to develop a new class of low dosage additives called kinetic inhibitors. These hydrosoluble additives are crystallization inhibitors: they delay nucleation and/or slow down crystal growth and/or agglomeration. In this work, we have studied methane hydrate inhibition using AA/AMPS copolymers. To study methane hydrate crystallization, we use a semibatch reactor equipped with a turbidimetric sensor allowing to measure the turbidity spectrum in the reactor. From turbidity measurements, it is possible to calculate the particles size distribution. This set up allows us to obtain macroscopic results (induction time, gas consumption rate) and microscopic results (hydrate particles granulometry). With this set up, we have studied methane hydrate crystallization without additive at macroscopic and microscopic scale and at different pressures and stirring rates. Copolymers have then been tested in the same experimental conditions. Influence of copolymer composition, copolymer molecular mass and additive concentration has been studied. These copolymers have an inhibiting effect on crystals formation kinetics. Optimal performances are obtained for an AMPS molar ratio or 50 %. Furthermore, minimum additive concentration and minimum mean molecular mass are needed to obtain a kinetic effect on crystals. The higher the pressure (driving force) and the higher the stirring rate (gas transfer), the higher these minimum values. To understand results with and without additives, we have used a model. Relating gas consumption rate to crystal growth, it seems that the copolymer inhibits crystal growth by means of a dead zone. Then, using a model based

Response Inhibition and Internet Gaming Disorder: A Meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Argyriou, Evangelia; Davison, Christopher B; Lee, Tayla T C

2017-08-01

Previous research has demonstrated that Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has multiple negative effects in psychological functioning and health. This makes the identification of its underpinnings, such as response inhibition, essential for the development of relevant interventions that target these core features of the disorder resulting in more effective treatment. Several empirical studies have evaluated the relationship between response inhibition deficits and IGD using neurocognitive tasks, but provided mixed results. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of studies using three neurocognitive tasks, the Go/No Go, the Stroop, and the Stop-Signal tasks, to integrate existing research and estimate the magnitude of this relationship. We found a medium overall effect size (d=0.56, 95% CI [0.32, 0.80]) indicating that compared with healthy individuals, individuals with IGD are more likely to exhibit impaired response inhibition. This finding is in alignment with literature on inhibition and addictive and impulsive behaviors, as well as with neuroimaging research. Theoretical implications regarding the conceptualization of IGD as a clinical disorder, shared commonalities with externalizing psychopathology, and clinical implications for treatment are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vadose Zone Transport Field Study: Summary Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ward, Andy L.; Conrad, Mark E.; Daily, William D.; Fink, James B.; Freedman, Vicky L.; Gee, Glendon W.; Hoversten, Gary M.; Keller, Jason M.; Majer, Ernest L.; Murray, Christopher J.; White, Mark D.; Yabusaki, Steven B.; Zhang, Z. F.

2006-07-31

migration (e.g. BC Cribs and Trenches). The improved models have been also coupled with inverse models and newly-developed parameter scaling techniques to allow estimation of field-scale and effective transport parameters for the vadose zone. The development and utility of pedotransfer functions for describing fine-scale hydrogeochemical heterogeneity and for incorporating this heterogeneity into reactive transport models was explored. An approach based on grain-size statistics appears feasible and has been used to describe heterogeneity in hydraulic properties and sorption properties, such as the cation exchange capacity and the specific surface area of Hanford sediments. This work has also led to the development of inverse modeling capabilities for time-dependent, subsurface, reactive transport with transient flow fields using an automated optimization algorithm. In addition, a number of geophysical techniques investigated for their potential to provide detailed information on the subtle changes in lithology and bedding surfaces; plume delineation, leak detection. High-resolution resistivity is now being used for detecting saline plumes at several waste sites at Hanford, including tank farms. Results from the field studies and associated analysis have appeared in more than 46 publications generated over the past 4 years. These publications include test plans and status reports, in addition to numerous technical notes and peer reviewed papers.

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 60 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Wake Island, West Central Pacific.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (60 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard R/V...

33 CFR 147.847 - Safety Zone; BW PIONEER Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading System Safety Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Production, Storage, and Offloading System Safety Zone. 147.847 Section 147.847 Navigation and Navigable... ZONES § 147.847 Safety Zone; BW PIONEER Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading System Safety Zone. (a) Description. The BW PIONEER, a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) system, is in...

Concentrations and size distributions of fine aerosol particles measured at roof level in urban zone

Science.gov (United States)

Despiau, S.; Croci, D.

2007-05-01

During the experimental Field Experiments to Constrain Models of Atmospheric Pollution and Transport of Emissions (ESCOMPTE) campaign in June-July 2001, concentrations and size distributions of fine particles (14-722 nm) were measured at roof level in downtown Marseille (France). Part of the campaign was dedicated to the study of aerosol behavior in relation to strong photochemical events (which were identified as "IOP" days) and their regional modeling. The analysis of the concentration variations and the evolution of average diurnal size distribution showed that an "IOP day" is not characterized by a specific concentration or its variation, nor by a specific evolution of the average size distribution. The morning traffic rush is detected at roof level by a net increase in particle concentration over the whole size range measured, indicating a production of ultrafine particles by the traffic but also the raising to roof level of particles of the accumulation mode. The increase is observed about 1 hour after the traffic peak at street level, which is characterized by strong increases in NOx and CO concentrations. The corresponding flux of particles at roof level has been estimated around 3 × 104 cm-2 s-1. A specific signature characterized by a strong and rapid burst of concentration (factor 2 to 4 in 15 min) of particles between 25 and 50 nm, independent of the traffic source, has been detected on six occasions during the campaign. These events occur systematically around noon, in cases of strong radiation, low relative humidity, and common wind direction. Despite the high-diameter value of these particles, it is suggested that they could result from a specific "secondary aerosol process" event involving ozone, biogenic, and/or anthropogenic gas precursors like iodine and VOCs.

[A PhD completed 1. Immediate dental implant placement in the aesthetic zone].

Science.gov (United States)

Slagter, K W

2016-05-01

When aesthetics play a role in an extraction, the tendency is to place an implant in the extraction socket immediately, preferably in combination with a temporary crown. This tendency is probably related to evolving social factors: demanding patients who want an instant and attactive result. In 2 randomised clinical trials (total 80 patients) the results of clinical treatment involving immediate implants in the aesthetic zone are investigated. Depending on the size of the bone defect (aesthetic indecees and patient-satisfaction. The most important conclusion is that immediate placements of implants in the aesthetic zone, results in -outstanding short-term (1-year) results with respect to the outcome variables. If this also leads to good long-term results has yet to be investigated.

A model of disordered zone formation in Cu3Au under cascade-producing irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kapinos, V.G.; Bacon, D.J.

1995-01-01

A model to describe the disordering of ordered Cu 3 Au under irradiation is proposed. For the thermal spike phase of a displacement cascade, the processes of heat evolution and conduction in the cascade region are modelled by solving the thermal conduction equation by a discretization method for a medium that can melt and solidify under appropriate conditions. The model considers disordering to result from cascade core melting, with the final disordered zone corresponding to the largest molten zone achieved. The initial conditions for this treatment are obtained by simulation of cascades by the MARLOWE code. The contrast of disordered zones imaged in a superlattice dark-field reflection and projected on the plane parallel to the surface of a thin foil was calculated. The average size of images from hundreds of cascades created by incident Cu + ions were calculated for different ion energies and compared with experimental transmission electron microscopy data. The model is in reasonable quantitative agreement with the experimentally observed trends. (author)

Effect of acicular ferrite formation on grain refinement in the coarse-grained region of heat-affected zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan, X.L.; Wei, R.; Wu, K.M.

2010-01-01

The microstructure of acicular ferrite and its formation for the grain refinement of coarse-grained region of heat-affected zone of high strength low-alloy bainite steels were studied using three-dimensional reconstruction technique. Crystallographic grain size was analyzed by means of electron backscatter diffraction. It was revealed that the microstructure in the coarse-grained region of the heat-affected zone consisted of predominantly bainite packets and a small proportion of acicular ferrite. Acicular ferrite was of lath or plate-like rather than needle or rod-like morphology. Tempering of the coarse-grained region of heat-affected zone showed that the acicular ferrite was more stable than the bainite, indicating that the acicular ferrite was formed prior to bainite. The acicular ferrite laths or plates divided the prior austenite grains into smaller and separate regions, and confining the bainite transformed at lower temperatures in the smaller regions and hence leading to the grain refinement in the coarse-grained region of the heat-affected zone.

Effect of acicular ferrite formation on grain refinement in the coarse-grained region of heat-affected zone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wan, X.L.; Wei, R. [Institute of Advanced Steels and Welding Technology, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Systems Science on Metallurgical Processing, Key Laboratory for Ferrous Metallurgy and Resources Utilization of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China); Wu, K.M., E-mail: wukaiming@wust.edu.cn [Institute of Advanced Steels and Welding Technology, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Systems Science on Metallurgical Processing, Key Laboratory for Ferrous Metallurgy and Resources Utilization of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081 (China)

2010-07-15

The microstructure of acicular ferrite and its formation for the grain refinement of coarse-grained region of heat-affected zone of high strength low-alloy bainite steels were studied using three-dimensional reconstruction technique. Crystallographic grain size was analyzed by means of electron backscatter diffraction. It was revealed that the microstructure in the coarse-grained region of the heat-affected zone consisted of predominantly bainite packets and a small proportion of acicular ferrite. Acicular ferrite was of lath or plate-like rather than needle or rod-like morphology. Tempering of the coarse-grained region of heat-affected zone showed that the acicular ferrite was more stable than the bainite, indicating that the acicular ferrite was formed prior to bainite. The acicular ferrite laths or plates divided the prior austenite grains into smaller and separate regions, and confining the bainite transformed at lower temperatures in the smaller regions and hence leading to the grain refinement in the coarse-grained region of the heat-affected zone.

Effects of laser power density and initial grain size in laser shock punching of pure copper foil

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Chao; Zhang, Xiu; Zhang, Yiliang; Ji, Zhong; Luan, Yiguo; Song, Libin

2018-06-01

The effects of laser power density and initial grain size on forming quality of holes in laser shock punching process were investigated in the present study. Three different initial grain sizes as well as three levels of laser power densities were provided, and then laser shock punching experiments of T2 copper foil were conducted. Based upon the experimental results, the characteristics of shape accuracy, fracture surface morphology and microstructures of punched holes were examined. It is revealed that the initial grain size has a noticeable effect on forming quality of holes punched by laser shock. The shape accuracy of punched holes degrades with the increase of grain size. As the laser power density is enhanced, the shape accuracy can be improved except for the case in which the ratio of foil thickness to initial grain size is approximately equal to 1. Compared with the fracture surface morphology in the quasistatic loading conditions, the fracture surface after laser shock can be divided into three zones including rollover, shearing and burr. The distribution of the above three zones strongly relates with the initial grain size. When the laser power density is enhanced, the shearing depth is not increased, but even diminishes in some cases. There is no obvious change of microstructures with the enhancement of laser power density. However, while the initial grain size is close to the foil thickness, single-crystal shear deformation may occur, suggesting that the ratio of foil thickness to initial grain size has an important impact on deformation behavior of metal foil in laser shock punching process.

Transcutaneous transhepatic portography in the diagnosis of neoplasms of the organs of the hepatopancreatoduodenal zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savel'ev, V.S.; Prokubovskij, V.I.; Kapranov, S.A.

1987-01-01

An analysis of the results of 135 transcutaneous transhepatic investigations of the venous system including 39 superselective investigations of the pancreatoduodenal veins conducted in 78 patients with different diseases of the organs of the hepatopancreatodoudenal zone, made it possible to describe in detail and systematize their phlebographic semiotics. The diagnostic accuracy of the transhepatic radiopaque investigation of the portal vein in pancreatic diseases was 96.5%, in tumors of the biliary tract - 89.5%. The results of transcutaneous transhepatic portography formed the basis for the determination of a size of lesion and applicability of surgery in blastomatous involvement of the organs of the hepatopancreatoduodenal zone

Body size of commom opossum Didelphis aurita Wied-Neuwied 1826 (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae on southern brazilian islands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CH. Salvador

Full Text Available The body size of vertebrates isolated on islands can undergo changes due to ecological features of these environments. This study aimed to compare the body size of the common opossum, Didelphis aurita, from different insular populations within the same archipelago in southern Brazil. The opossum populations showed corporal variation and different hypotheses were raised to understand the results. This study constitutes the most detailed body size comparison of a marsupial within different insular populations in the Neotropical zone and the data gathered represents an initial contribution for regional fauna biometric knowledge.

78 FR 5717 - Safety Zone; Military Ocean Terminal Concord Safety Zone, Suisun Bay, Military Ocean Terminal...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-28

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Military Ocean Terminal Concord Safety Zone, Suisun Bay, Military Ocean Terminal... Guard is establishing a safety zone in the navigable waters of Suisun Bay near Military Ocean Terminal Concord, CA in support of military onload and offload operations. This safety zone is established to...

Heterogeneous hyporheic zone dechlorination of a TCE groundwater plume discharging to an urban river reach.

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Juliana G; Rivett, Michael O; Roche, Rachel S; Durrant Neé Cleverly, Megan; Walker, Caroline; Tellam, John H

2015-02-01

The typically elevated natural attenuation capacity of riverbed-hyporheic zones is expected to decrease chlorinated hydrocarbon (CHC) groundwater plume discharges to river receptors through dechlorination reactions. The aim of this study was to assess physico-chemical processes controlling field-scale variation in riverbed-hyporheic zone dechlorination of a TCE groundwater plume discharge to an urban river reach. The 50-m long pool-riffle-glide reach of the River Tame in Birmingham (UK) studied is a heterogeneous high energy river environment. The shallow riverbed was instrumented with a detailed network of multilevel samplers. Freeze coring revealed a geologically heterogeneous and poorly sorted riverbed. A chlorine number reduction approach provided a quantitative indicator of CHC dechlorination. Three sub-reaches of contrasting behaviour were identified. Greatest dechlorination occurred in the riffle sub-reach that was characterised by hyporheic zone flows, moderate sulphate concentrations and pH, anaerobic conditions, low iron, but elevated manganese concentrations with evidence of sulphate reduction. Transient hyporheic zone flows allowing input to varying riverbed depths of organic matter are anticipated to be a key control. The glide sub-reach displayed negligible dechlorination attributed to the predominant groundwater baseflow discharge condition, absence of hyporheic zone, transition to more oxic conditions and elevated sulphate concentrations expected to locally inhibit dechlorination. The tail-of-pool-riffle sub-reach exhibited patchy dechlorination that was attributed to sub-reach complexities including significant flow bypass of a low permeability, high organic matter, silty unit of high dechlorination potential. A process-based conceptual model of reach-scale dechlorination variability was developed. Key findings of practitioner relevance were: riverbed-hyporheic zone CHC dechlorination may provide only a partial, somewhat patchy barrier to CHC

Towards a Detailed Seismic Structure of the Valley of Mexico's Xochimilco Lake Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabade, S.; Sanchez-Sanchez, J.; Ayala Hernandez, M.; Macias, M. A.; Aguilar Calderon, L. A.; Alcántara, L.; Almora Mata, D.; Castro Parra, G.; Delgado, R.; Leonardo Suárez, M.; Molina Avila, I.; Mora, A.; Perez-Yanez, C.; Ruiz, A. L.; Sandoval, H.; Torres Noguez, M.; Vazquez Larquet, R.; Velasco Miranda, J. M.; Aguirre, J.; Ramirez-Guzmán, L.

2017-12-01

Six centuries of gradual, intentional sediment filling in the Xochimilco Lake Zone have drastically reduced the size of the lake. The basin structure and the lake's clay limits and thickness are poorly constrained, and yet, essential to explain the city's anomalous ground motion. Therefore, we conducted an experiment to define the 3D velocity model of Mexico's capital; the CDMX-E3D. The initial phase involved the deployment of a moving set of 18-broadband stations with an interstation distance of 500m over a period of 19 weeks. We collected the data and analyzed the results for the Xochimilco Lake Zone using H/V Spectral Ratios (Nakamura, 1989), which provided an improved fundamental period map of the region. Results show that periods in the former lake zone have larger variability than values previously estimated. In order to obtain group velocity maps at different periods, we estimated Green's functions from ambient noise cross-correlations following standard methodologies to invert Rayleigh wave travel times (Bensen et al., 2007). Preliminary result show very low-velocity zones (100 m/s) and thick sediment layers in most of the former Xochimilco Lake area. This Project was funded by the Secretaria de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SECITI) of Mexico City. Project SECITI/073/2016.

Mass Transfer Limited Enhanced Bioremediation at Dnapl Source Zones: a Numerical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Kokkinaki, A.; Sleep, B. E.

2011-12-01

The success of enhanced bioremediation of dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) relies on accelerating contaminant mass transfer from the organic to the aqueous phase, thus enhancing the depletion of DNAPL source zones compared to natural dissolution. This is achieved by promoting biological activity that reduces the contaminant's aqueous phase concentration. Although laboratory studies have demonstrated that high reaction rates are attainable by specialized microbial cultures in DNAPL source zones, field applications of the technology report lower reaction rates and prolonged remediation times. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is that the reaction rates are limited by the rate at which the contaminant partitions from the DNAPL to the aqueous phase. In such cases, slow mass transfer to the aqueous phase reduces the bioavailability of the contaminant and consequently decreases the potential source zone depletion enhancement. In this work, the effect of rate limited mass transfer on bio-enhanced dissolution of DNAPL chlorinated ethenes is investigated through a numerical study. A multi-phase, multi-component groundwater transport model is employed to simulate DNAPL mass depletion for a range of source zone scenarios. Rate limited mass transfer is modeled by a linear driving force model, employing a thermodynamic approach for the calculation of the DNAPL - water interfacial area. Metabolic reductive dechlorination is modeled by Monod kinetics, considering microbial growth and self-inhibition. The model was utilized to identify conditions in which mass transfer, rather than reaction, is the limiting process, as indicated by the bioavailability number. In such cases, reaction is slower than expected, and further increase in the reaction rate does not enhance mass depletion. Mass transfer rate limitations were shown to affect both dechlorination and microbial growth kinetics. The complex dynamics between mass transfer, DNAPL transport and distribution, and

The role of inhibition by phosphocitrate and its analogue in chondrocyte differentiation and subchondral bone advance in Hartley guinea pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yubo; Kiraly, Alex J; Cox, Michael; Mauerhan, David R; Hanley, Edward N

2018-04-01

Phosphocitrate (PC) and its analogue, PC-β ethyl ester, inhibit articular cartilage degeneration in Hartley guinea pigs. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that PC exerted its disease-modifying effect on osteoarthritis (OA), in part, by inhibiting a molecular program similar to that in the endochondral pathway of ossification. The results demonstrated that severe proteoglycan loss occurred in the superficial and middle zones, as well as in the calcified zone of articular cartilage in the Hartley guinea pigs. Subchondral bone advance was greater in the control Hartley guinea pigs compared with PC- or PC analogue-treated guinea pigs. Resorption of cartilage bars or islands and vascular invasion in the growth plate were also greater in the control guinea pigs compared with the PC- or PC analogue-treated guinea pigs. The levels of matrix metalloproteinase-13 and type X collagen within the articular cartilage and growth plate were significantly increased in the control guinea pigs compared with PC-treated guinea pigs (Pguinea pigs exhibited a hypertrophic phenotype and recapitulated a developmental molecular program similar to the endochondral pathway of ossification. Activation of this molecular program resulted in resorption of calcified articular cartilage and subchondral bone advance. This suggests that PC and PC analogues exerted their OA disease-modifying activity, in part, by inhibiting this molecular program.

78 FR 24679 - Safety Zones; Fireworks Displays in Captain of the Port Long Island Sound Zone

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-26

...-AA00 Safety Zones; Fireworks Displays in Captain of the Port Long Island Sound Zone AGENCY: Coast Guard... zones for fireworks displays within the Captain of the Port (COTP) Long Island Sound (LIS) Zone. This... Sector Long Island Sound. DATES: This rule is effective from April 27, 2013, until June 22, 2013. This...

76 FR 34867 - Safety Zones; Annual Fireworks Events in the Captain of the Port Detroit Zone

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-15

....941(a)(51) Target Fireworks, Detroit, MI The first safety zone will be enforced from 7 a.m. on June 24... Zones; Annual Fireworks Events in the Captain of the Port Detroit Zone AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of enforcement of regulation. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard will enforce various safety zones for...

Theoretical analysis of recirculation zone and buffer zone in the ADS windowless spallation target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Jie; Pan, Chang-zhao; Tong, Jian-fei; Lu, Wen-qiang

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Height of recirculation zone is very important in windowless target design. • A theoretical formula for the height is derived based on the Bernoulli equation. • Numerical simulation for the LBE is performed and the height of recirculation zone is also obtained. • The theoretically-derived simulation-predicted recirculation zone heights agree with each other very well and the theoretical derivation is proved to be correct. - Abstract: The thermo-hydraulic analysis including reduction of the height of recirculation zone and stability of the free surface is very important in the design and optimization of ADS windowless spallation targets. In the present study, the Bernoulli equation is used to analyze the entire flow process in the target. Formulae for the height of the recirculation zone and the buffer zone are both obtained explicitly. Furthermore, numerical simulation for the heavy metal lead–bismuth eutectic liquid and vapor with cavitation phase change is also performed, and a novel method to calculate the height of the recirculation zone is put forward. By comparison of the theoretical formulae and numerical results, it is clearly shown that they agree with each other very well, and the heights predicted by the two methods are both determined by their own upstream flow parameters

The Market as an Institution for Zoning the Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Clinton, J. E.; Hoagland, P.

2008-12-01

In recent years, spatial conflicts among ocean users have increased significantly, particularly in the coastal ocean. Ocean zoning has been proposed as a promising solution to these conflicts. Strikingly, most ocean zoning proponents focus on a centralized approach, involving government oversight, planning, and spatial allocations. We hypothesize that a market may be more efficient for allocating ocean space, because it tends to put ocean space in the hands of the highest valued uses, and it does not require public decision-makers to compile and analyze large amounts of information. Importantly, where external costs arise, a market in ocean space may need government oversight or regulation. We develop four case studies demonstrating that private allocations of ocean space are taking place already. This evidence suggests that a regulated market in ocean space may perform well as an allocative institution. We find that the proper functioning of a market in ocean space depends positively upon the strength of legal property rights and supportive public policies and negatively upon the number of users and the size of transaction costs.

76 FR 42048 - Safety Zones; Swimming Events in Captain of the Port Boston Zone

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-18

...-AA00 Safety Zones; Swimming Events in Captain of the Port Boston Zone AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... events within the Captain of the Port (COTP) Boston Zone for swimming events. This action is necessary to... property on navigable waters from the hazardous nature of swimming events such as large numbers of swimmers...

Habitable Zones in the Universe

OpenAIRE

Gonzalez, G.

2005-01-01

Habitability varies dramatically with location and time in the universe. This was recognized centuries ago, but it was only in the last few decades that astronomers began to systematize the study of habitability. The introduction of the concept of the habitable zone was key to progress in this area. The habitable zone concept was first applied to the space around a star, now called the Circumstellar Habitable Zone. Recently, other, vastly broader, habitable zones have been proposed. We review...

Very High Cycle Fatigue Crack Initiation Mechanism in Nugget Zone of AA 7075 Friction Stir Welded Joint

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao He

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Very high cycle fatigue behavior of nugget zone in AA 7075 friction stir welded joint was experimentally investigated using ultrasonic fatigue testing system (20 kHz to clarify the crack initiation mechanism. It was found that the fatigue strength of nugget zone decreased continuously even beyond 107 cycles with no traditional fatigue limits. Fatigue cracks initiated from the welding defects located at the bottom side of the friction stir weld. Moreover, a special semicircular zone could be characterized around the crack initiation site, of which the stress intensity factor approximately equaled the threshold of fatigue crack propagation rate. Finally, a simplified model was proposed to estimate the fatigue life by correlating the welding defect size and applied stress. The predicted results are in good agreement with the experimental results.

Comparison of size modulation and conventional standard automated perimetry with the 24-2 test protocol in glaucoma patients

Science.gov (United States)

Hirasawa, Kazunori; Shoji, Nobuyuki; Kasahara, Masayuki; Matsumura, Kazuhiro; Shimizu, Kimiya

2016-05-01

This prospective randomized study compared test results of size modulation standard automated perimetry (SM-SAP) performed with the Octopus 600 and conventional SAP (C-SAP) performed with the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) in glaucoma patients. Eighty-eight eyes of 88 glaucoma patients underwent SM-SAP and C-SAP tests with the Octopus 600 24-2 Dynamic and HFA 24-2 SITA-Standard, respectively. Fovea threshold, mean defect, and square loss variance of SM-SAP were significantly correlated with the corresponding C-SAP indices (P < 0.001). The false-positive rate was slightly lower, and false-negative rate slightly higher, with SM-SAP than C-SAP (P = 0.002). Point-wise threshold values obtained with SM-SAP were moderately to strongly correlated with those obtained with C-SAP (P < 0.001). The correlation coefficients of the central zone were significantly lower than those of the middle to peripheral zone (P = 0.031). The size and depth of the visual field (VF) defect were smaller (P = 0.039) and greater (P = 0.043), respectively, on SM-SAP than on C-SAP. Although small differences were observed in VF sensitivity in the central zone, the defect size and depth and the reliability indices between SM-SAP and C-SAP, global indices of the two testing modalities were well correlated.

Pasture size effects on the ability of off-stream water or restricted stream access to alter the spatial/temporal distribution of grazing beef cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Bisinger, J J; Russell, J R; Morrical, D G; Isenhart, T M

2014-08-01

For 2 grazing seasons, effects of pasture size, stream access, and off-stream water on cow distribution relative to a stream were evaluated in six 12.1-ha cool-season grass pastures. Two pasture sizes (small [4.0 ha] and large [12.1 ha]) with 3 management treatments (unrestricted stream access without off-stream water [U], unrestricted stream access with off-stream water [UW], and stream access restricted to a stabilized stream crossing [R]) were alternated between pasture sizes every 2 wk for 5 consecutive 4-wk intervals in each grazing season. Small and large pastures were stocked with 5 and 15 August-calving cows from mid May through mid October. At 10-min intervals, cow location was determined with Global Positioning System collars fitted on 2 to 3 cows in each pasture and identified when observed in the stream (0-10 m from the stream) or riparian (0-33 m from the stream) zones and ambient temperature was recorded with on-site weather stations. Over all intervals, cows were observed more (P ≤ 0.01) frequently in the stream and riparian zones of small than large pastures regardless of management treatment. Cows in R pastures had 24 and 8% less (P cows in or near pasture streams regardless of pasture size. In 2011, the probability of cow presence in the stream and riparian zones increased at greater (P cow presence in the stream and riparian zones increased at greater (P cow presence in the stream and riparian zone increased less (P cow presence in shade (within 10 m of tree drip lines) in the total pasture with increasing temperatures did not differ between treatments. However, probability of cow presence in riparian shade increased at greater (P cows in or near pasture streams with unrestricted access.

Separation of abscission zone cells in detached Azolla roots depends on apoplastic pH.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuda, Kazuma; Yamada, Yoshiya; Miyamoto, Kensuke; Ueda, Junichi; Uheda, Eiji

2013-01-01

In studies on the mechanism of cell separation during abscission, little attention has been paid to the apoplastic environment. We found that the apoplastic pH surrounding abscission zone cells in detached roots of the water fern Azolla plays a major role in cell separation. Abscission zone cells of detached Azolla roots were separated rapidly in a buffer at neutral pH and slowly in a buffer at pH below 4.0. However, cell separation rarely occurred at pH 5.0-5.5. Light and electron microscopy revealed that cell separation was caused by a degradation of the middle lamella between abscission zone cells at both pH values, neutral and below 4.0. Low temperature and papain treatment inhibited cell separation. Enzyme(s) in the cell wall of the abscission zone cells might be involved in the degradation of the pectin of the middle lamella and the resultant, pH-dependent cell separation. By contrast, in Phaseolus leaf petioles, unlike Azolla roots, cell separation was slow and increased only at acidic pH. The rapid cell separation, as observed in Azolla roots at neutral pH, did not occur. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, using anti-pectin monoclonal antibodies, revealed that the cell wall pectins of the abscission zone cells of Azolla roots and Phaseolus leaf petioles looked similar and changed similarly during cell separation. Thus, the pH-related differences in cell separation mechanisms of Azolla and Phaseolus might not be due to differences in cell wall pectin, but to differences in cell wall-located enzymatic activities responsible for the degradation of pectic substances. A possible enzyme system is discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 60 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of the U.S. Territory of Guam.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (60 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard NOAA...

Inhibition of replicon initiation and DNA elongation in Chinese hamster ovary cells by treatment at 45.5 degrees C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, R.S.; Dewey, W.C.

1982-01-01

Heat treatment of Chinese hamster ovary cells at 45.5 degrees C for 15 minutes resulted in the inhibition of both the replicon initiation and the DNA elongation processes. Analysis of the DNA made after treatment showed that for up to 30 minutes after hyperthermia, there was a significant increase (45-80% above control level) in the amount of labeled DNA less than or equal to 40S in size and having a distinct peak of 20S. Therefore, elongation of 20S molecules into larger molecules was inhibited or slowed down. These small molecules did not accumulate when recovery times were longer than 30 minutes. The DNA made after 120 and 240 minutes postheat incubation was larger than control size and indicated that, although replicon initiation was still inhibited, elongation between replicons into 120S molecules could take place. However, their subsequent elongation into parental-size molecules was inhibited. The same delay in DNA elongation seen in cells examined immediately after treatment was still observed in cells heated and allowed to recover for 30 minutes. Also, after 30 minutes of recovery, heated cells still had more newly synthesized DNA in the single-stranded fraction than did control cells, which indicates that DNA elongation within a replicon is delayed for at least 30 minutes after heating. Furthermore, at 4 hours after heating, the inhibition of elongation of clusters of replicons into parental molecules prevailed

Mechanical properties of fracture zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leijon, B.

1993-05-01

Available data on mechanical characteristics of fracture zones are compiled and discussed. The aim is to improve the basis for adequate representation of fracture zones in geomechanical models. The sources of data researched are primarily borehole investigations and case studies in rock engineering, involving observations of fracture zones subjected to artificial load change. Boreholes only yield local information about the components of fracture zones, i.e. intact rock, fractures and various low-strength materials. Difficulties are therefore encountered in evaluating morphological and mechanical properties of fracture zones from borehole data. Although often thought of as macroscopically planar features, available field data consistently show that fracture zones are characterized by geometrical irregularities such as thickness variations, surface undulation and jogs. These irregularities prevail on all scales. As a result, fracture zones are on all scales characterized by large, in-plane variation of strength- and deformational properties. This has important mechanical consequences in terms of non-uniform stress transfer and complex mechanisms of shear deformation. Field evidence for these findings, in particular results from the underground research laboratory in Canada and from studies of induced fault slip in deep mines, is summarized and discussed. 79 refs

Investigating the development of less-mobile porosity in realistic hyporheic zone sediments with COMSOL Multiphysics

Science.gov (United States)

MahmoodPoorDehkordy, F.; Briggs, M. A.; Day-Lewis, F. D.; Bagtzoglou, A. C.

2017-12-01

Although hyporheic zones are often modeled at the reach scale as homogeneous "boxes" of exchange, heterogeneity caused by variations of pore sizes and connectivity is not uncommon. This heterogeneity leads to the creation of more- and less-mobile zones of hydraulic exchange that influence reactive solute transport processes. Whereas fluid sampling is generally sensitive to more-mobile zones, geoelectrical measurement is sensitive to ionic tracer dynamics in both less- and more-mobile zones. Heterogeneity in pore connectivity leads to a lag between fluid and bulk electrical conductivity (EC) resulting in a hysteresis loop, observed during tracer breakthrough tests, that contains information about the less-mobile porosity attributes of the medium. Here, we present a macro-scale model of solute transport and electrical conduction developed using COMSOL Multiphysics. The model is used to simulate geoelectrical monitoring of ionic transport for bed sediments based on (1) a stochastic sand-and-cobble mixture and (2) a dune feature with strong permeability layering. In both of these disparate sediment types, hysteresis between fluid and bulk EC is observed, and depends in part on fluid flux rate through the model domain. Using the hysteresis loop, the ratio of less-mobile to mobile porosity and mass-transfer coefficient are estimated graphically. The results indicate the presence and significance of less-mobile porosity in the hyporheic zones and demonstrate the capability of the proposed model to detect heterogeneity in flow processes and estimate less-mobile zone parameters.

75 FR 51668 - Optional Mail Preparation Standards for Flat-Size Mailpieces in FSS Zones

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-23

... bundles of six or more addressed pieces each, subject to these standards: * * * * * [Revise item b of 13.2... combination. Mailers will then prepare bundles of uniform size from the pieces in the pool. Bundles must be... this option may be applied to the top piece of each bundle, unless otherwise required to be placed on...

Track treeing mechanism and plastic zone in solid Part 1: Initial development of plastic zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Boyang

2008-01-01

After neutron exposure and chemical etching in advance, latent tracks of recoil nucleon develop into pits on CR39 surface. During electrochemical etching, plastic zone is formed at top of pits. Some pits develop into tree cracks in the initial stage of plastic zone development. Physical and mathematical model of crack and plastic zone is proposed; parameter of development free path of plastic zone is presented. Based on integration of elementary theories the stress analysis is build up; based on analyses of measured parameters, a set of common relations between parameters is obtained. Integrate parameter analysis and stress analysis, depth of plastic zone development, law and phenomenon in experimental data can be interpreted completely

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 5 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Hawaii, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (5 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard R/V...

77 FR 42176 - Safety Zones; Annual Fireworks Events in the Captain of the Port Detroit Zone

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-18

... fireworks launch site located at position 41-34'-18.10'' N, 082-51'-18.70'' W (NAD 83). This zone will be... at position 41-34'-18.10'' N, 082- 51'-18.70'' W (NAD 83). (ii) Expected date. This safety zone will...-AA00 Safety Zones; Annual Fireworks Events in the Captain of the Port Detroit Zone AGENCY: Coast Guard...

Rupture Complexity Promoted by Damaged Fault Zones in Earthquake Cycle Models

Science.gov (United States)

Idini, B.; Ampuero, J. P.

2017-12-01

Pulse-like ruptures tend to be more sensitive to stress heterogeneity than crack-like ones. For instance, a stress-barrier can more easily stop the propagation of a pulse than that of a crack. While crack-like ruptures tend to homogenize the stress field within their rupture area, pulse-like ruptures develop heterogeneous stress fields. This feature of pulse-like ruptures can potentially lead to complex seismicity with a wide range of magnitudes akin to the Gutenberg-Richter law. Previous models required a friction law with severe velocity-weakening to develop pulses and complex seismicity. Recent dynamic rupture simulations show that the presence of a damaged zone around a fault can induce pulse-like rupture, even under a simple slip-weakening friction law, although the mechanism depends strongly on initial stress conditions. Here we aim at testing if fault zone damage is a sufficient ingredient to generate complex seismicity. In particular, we investigate the effects of damaged fault zones on the emergence and sustainability of pulse-like ruptures throughout multiple earthquake cycles, regardless of initial conditions. We consider a fault bisecting a homogeneous low-rigidity layer (the damaged zone) embedded in an intact medium. We conduct a series of earthquake cycle simulations to investigate the effects of two fault zone properties: damage level D and thickness H. The simulations are based on classical rate-and-state friction, the quasi-dynamic approximation and the software QDYN (https://github.com/ydluo/qdyn). Selected fully-dynamic simulations are also performed with a spectral element method. Our numerical results show the development of complex rupture patterns in some damaged fault configurations, including events of different sizes, as well as pulse-like, multi-pulse and hybrid pulse-crack ruptures. We further apply elasto-static theory to assess how D and H affect ruptures with constant stress drop, in particular the flatness of their slip profile

Implications of loading/unloading a subduction zone with a heterogeneously coupled interface

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, M. W.; Furlong, K. P.; Govers, R. M. A.

2017-12-01

Numerical models of subduction zones with appropriate physical properties may help understand deformation throughout great earthquake cycles, as well as associated observations such as the distribution of smaller magnitude megathrust earthquakes and surface displacements. Of particular interest are displacements near the trench, where tsunamis are generated. The patterns of co-seismic strain release in great megathrust earthquakes depend on the frictional coupling of the plate interface prior to the event. Geodetic observations during the inter-seismic stage suggest that the plates are fully locked at asperities surrounded by zones of apparent partial coupling. We simulate the accumulation (and release) of elastic strain in the subduction system using a finite element model with a relatively simple geometry and material properties. We demonstrate that inter-seismic apparent partial coupling can be dominantly explained by a distribution of completely locked asperities and zero friction elsewhere. In these models, the interface up-dip of the locked zone (displacements with little internal strain, potentially leading to large co-seismic block displacements (low displacement gradients) of the near-trench seafloor like those observed following the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku earthquake. This is also consistent with anomalously low co-seismic frictional heating of the shallow megathrust indicated by borehole heat flow measurements after the Tohoku event. Our models also yield insights into slip partitioning throughout multiple earthquake cycles. In smaller ruptures, fault slip is inhibited by nearby locked zones; in subsequent multi-segment ruptures, the rest of this slip deficit may be released, producing significantly larger slip than might be expected based on historical earthquake magnitudes. Finally, because low-friction areas around asperities accumulate some slip deficit but may not rupture co-seismically, these regions may be the primary locations of afterslip following

Varying stiffness and load distributions in defective ball bearings: Analytical formulation and application to defect size estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Dick; Howard, Carl; Prime, Zebb

2015-02-01

This paper presents an analytical formulation of the load distribution and varying effective stiffness of a ball bearing assembly with a raceway defect of varying size, subjected to static loading in the radial, axial and rotational degrees of freedom. The analytical formulation is used to study the effect of the size of the defect on the load distribution and varying stiffness of the bearing assembly. The study considers a square-shaped outer raceway defect centered in the load zone and the bearing is loaded in the radial and axial directions while the moment loads are zero. Analysis of the load distributions shows that as the defect size increases, defect-free raceway sections are subjected to increased static loading when one or more balls completely or partly destress when positioned in the defect zone. The stiffness variations that occur when balls pass through the defect zone are significantly larger and change more rapidly at the defect entrance and exit than the stiffness variations that occur for the defect-free bearing case. These larger, more rapid stiffness variations generate parametric excitations which produce the low frequency defect entrance and exit events typically observed in the vibration response of a bearing with a square-shaped raceway defect. Analysis of the stiffness variations further shows that as the defect size increases, the mean radial stiffness decreases in the loaded radial and axial directions and increases in the unloaded radial direction. The effects of such stiffness changes on the low frequency entrance and exit events in the vibration response are simulated with a multi-body nonlinear dynamic model. Previous work used the time difference between the low frequency entrance event and the high frequency exit event to estimate the size of the defect. However, these previous defect size estimation techniques cannot distinguish between defects that differ in size by an integer number of the ball angular spacing, and a third feature

Sound Zones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Martin Bo; Olsen, Martin

2017-01-01

Sound zones, i.e. spatially confined regions of individual audio content, can be created by appropriate filtering of the desired audio signals reproduced by an array of loudspeakers. The challenge of designing filters for sound zones is twofold: First, the filtered responses should generate...... an acoustic separation between the control regions. Secondly, the pre- and post-ringing as well as spectral deterioration introduced by the filters should be minimized. The tradeoff between acoustic separation and filter ringing is the focus of this paper. A weighted L2-norm penalty is introduced in the sound...

Zonation of macrofauna across sandy beaches and surf zones along the Dutch coast

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerard Janssen

2005-06-01

Full Text Available On nine beaches and two transects in the surf zone along the Dutch coast the presence of benthic macrofauna was studied in relation to basic abiotic characteristics. According to Short's classification system, Dutch beaches are mesotidal and dissipative (Ω = 8.6, and the RTR is low (1.52-1.27, which means that they are not tide-dominated. BSI ranged from 1.4 to 1.1 for the northern and western Dutch coasts respectively and had an overall value of 1.2. The rates of exposure of the beaches varied between 8 and 12, and are therefore regarded as sheltered to moderately exposed. The Dutch beaches display a geographical trend in beach types. Those of the Wadden Sea islands in the northern part of the Netherlands are dissipative, flat, fine-grained, and host high densities of many species of benthic macrofauna. The beaches along the western Dutch coast are less dissipative, steeper, with a higher mean grain size; the species diversity and abundance there are lower. Species diversity and abundance on the beaches increase from the high- to the low-water line. The maximum number of species was found between 0 and -1 m relative to the mean tidal level. The abundance peaks just above the mean tidal level, while the biomass reaches a maximum at the mean tidal level.     Species diversity and abundance are low in the surf zone, but increase towards deeper water. Species numbers are high and the abundance is very high in the trough between the two bars.     The relation between the diversity and abundance of macrobenthic species on the one hand, and the sediment composition, water column depth, and position between the bars on the other show a clear pattern of zonation for the beach, surf zone and near-shore: (1 a supralittoral zone with insects and air-breathing crustaceans, (2 a midshore zone, with intertidal species, (3 a lower shore zone, whose species extend into the shallow surf zone, and (4 a zone of sublittoral fauna in the trough between the

Cyclical Fault Permeability in the Lower Seismogenic Zone: Geological Evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Sibson, R. H.

2005-12-01

Syntectonic hydrothermal veining is widespread in ancient fault zones exhibiting mixed brittle-ductile behavior that are exhumed from subgreenschist to greenschist environments. The hydrothermal material (predominantly quartz ± carbonate) commonly occurs as fault-veins developed along principal slip surfaces, with textures recording intermittent deposition, sometimes in the form of repeated episodes of brecciation and recementation. Systematic sets of extension veins with histories of incremental dilation often occur in adjacent wallrocks. Conspicuous for their size and continuity among these fault-hosted vein systems are mesozonal Au-quartz lodes, which are most widespread in Archean granite-greenstone belts but also occur throughout the geological record. Most of these lode gold deposits developed at pressures of 1-5 kbar and temperatures of 200-450°C within the lower continental seismogenic zone. A notable characteristic is their vertical continuity: many `ribbon-texture' fault veins with thicknesses of the order of a meter extend over depth ranges approaching 2 km. The largest lodes are usually hosted by reverse or reverse- oblique fault zones with low finite displacement. Associated flat-lying extension veins in the wallrock may taper away from the shear zones over tens or hundreds of meters, and demonstrate repeated attainment of the ~lithostatic fluid overpressures needed for hydraulic extension fracturing. Where hosted by extensional-transtensional fault systems, lode systems tend to be less well developed. Mesozonal vein systems are inferred to be the product of extreme fault-valve behavior, whereby episodic accumulation of pore-fluid pressure to near-lithostatic values over the interseismic period leads to fault rupture, followed by postseismic discharge of substantial fluid volumes along the freshly permeable rupture zone inducing hydrothermal precipitation that seals the fracture permeability. Aqueous mineralizing fluids were generally low

33 CFR 165.154 - Safety and Security Zones: Long Island Sound Marine Inspection Zone and Captain of the Port Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Safety and Security Zones: Long... Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) PORTS AND WATERWAYS SAFETY... Areas First Coast Guard District § 165.154 Safety and Security Zones: Long Island Sound Marine...

Anxiety and retrieval inhibition: support for an enhanced inhibition account.

Science.gov (United States)

Nuñez, Mia; Gregory, Josh; Zinbarg, Richard E

2017-02-01

Retrieval inhibition of negative associations is important for exposure therapy for anxiety, but the relationship between memory inhibition and anxiety is not well understood-anxiety could either be associated with enhanced or deficient inhibition. The present study tested these two competing hypotheses by measuring retrieval inhibition of negative stimuli by related neutral stimuli. Non-clinically anxious undergraduates completed measures of trait and state anxiety and completed a retrieval induced forgetting task. Adaptive forgetting varied with state anxiety. Low levels of state anxiety were associated with no evidence for retrieval inhibition for either threatening or non-threatening categories. Participants in the middle tertile of state anxiety scores exhibited retrieval inhibition for non-threatening categories but not for threatening categories. Participants in the highest tertile of state anxiety, however, exhibited retrieval inhibition for both threatening and non-threatening categories with the magnitude of retrieval inhibition being greater for threatening than non-threatening categories. The data are in line with the avoidance aspect of the vigilance-avoidance theory of anxiety and inhibition. Implications for cognitive behavioural therapy practices are discussed.

Spatially resolved Raman spectroscopy study of transformed zones in magnesia-partially-stabilized zirconia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davskardt, R.H.; Veirs, D.K.; Ritchie, R.O.

1989-01-01

Raman vibrational spectroscopy provides an effective phase characterization technique in materials systems containing particle dispersions of the tetragonal and monoclinic polymorphs of zirconia, each of which yields a unique Raman spectrum. An investigation is reported to assess a novel, spatially resolved Raman spectroscopy system in the study of transformed zones surrounding cracks in partially stabilized MgO-ZrO 2 (PSZ). The experimental arrangement uses an imaging (two-dimensional) photomultiplier tube to produce a one-dimensional Raman profile of phase compositions along a slitlike laser beam without translation of either the sample or the laser beam and without scanning the spectrometer. Results from phase characterization studies of the size, frontal morphology, and extent of transformation of transformation zones surrounding cracks produced under monotonic and cyclic loading conditions are presented

33 CFR 165.20 - Safety zones.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Safety zones. 165.20 Section 165... WATERWAYS SAFETY REGULATED NAVIGATION AREAS AND LIMITED ACCESS AREAS Safety Zones § 165.20 Safety zones. A Safety Zone is a water area, shore area, or water and shore area to which, for safety or environmental...

Zone distillation: a new purification method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kravchenko, A.I.

2011-01-01

The features of zone distillation (with zone melting of refined material and with pulling of condensate) as a new purification method are shown. The method is based on similarity of equations of distillation and crystallization refining. The analogy between some distillation and condensation methods (particularly between zone distillation and zone recrystallization) is should up

Inhibition of Alkaline Flocculation by Algal Organic Matter for Chlorella vulgaris

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vandamme, Dries; Beuckels, Annelies; Vadelius, Eric; Depraetere, Orily; Noppe, Wim; Dutta, Abhishek; Foubert, Imogen; Laurens, Lieve; Muylaert, Koenraad

2016-01-01

Alkaline flocculation is a promising strategy for the concentration of microalgae for bulk biomass production. However, previous studies have shown that biological changes during the cultivation negatively affect flocculation efficiency. The influence of changes in cell properties and in the quality and composition of algal organic matter (AOM) were studied using Chlorella vulgaris as a model species. In batch cultivation, flocculation was increasingly inhibited over time and mainly influenced by changes in medium composition, rather than biological changes at the cell surface. Total carbohydrate content of the organic matter fraction sized bigger than 3 kDa increased over time and this fraction was shown to be mainly responsible for the inhibition of alkaline flocculation. The monosaccharide identification of this fraction mainly showed the presence of neutral and anionic monosaccharides. An addition of 30–50 mg L^-1 alginic acid, as a model for anionic carbohydrate polymers containing uronic acids, resulted in a complete inhibition of flocculation. Furthermore, these results suggest that inhibition of alkaline flocculation was caused by interaction of anionic polysaccharides leading to an increased flocculant demand over time.

Inhibition of enveloped viruses infectivity by curcumin.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tzu-Yen Chen

Full Text Available Curcumin, a natural compound and ingredient in curry, has antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic properties. Previously, we reported that curcumin abrogated influenza virus infectivity by inhibiting hemagglutination (HA activity. This study demonstrates a novel mechanism by which curcumin inhibits the infectivity of enveloped viruses. In all analyzed enveloped viruses, including the influenza virus, curcumin inhibited plaque formation. In contrast, the nonenveloped enterovirus 71 remained unaffected by curcumin treatment. We evaluated the effects of curcumin on the membrane structure using fluorescent dye (sulforhodamine B; SRB-containing liposomes that mimic the viral envelope. Curcumin treatment induced the leakage of SRB from these liposomes and the addition of the influenza virus reduced the leakage, indicating that curcumin disrupts the integrity of the membranes of viral envelopes and of liposomes. When testing liposomes of various diameters, we detected higher levels of SRB leakage from the smaller-sized liposomes than from the larger liposomes. Interestingly, the curcumin concentration required to reduce plaque formation was lower for the influenza virus (approximately 100 nm in diameter than for the pseudorabies virus (approximately 180 nm and the vaccinia virus (roughly 335 × 200 × 200 nm. These data provide insights on the molecular antiviral mechanisms of curcumin and its potential use as an antiviral agent for enveloped viruses.

Inhibition of Enveloped Viruses Infectivity by Curcumin

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Hsiao-Wei; Ou, Jun-Lin; Chiou, Shyan-Song; Chen, Jo-Mei; Wong, Min-Liang; Hsu, Wei-Li

2013-01-01

Curcumin, a natural compound and ingredient in curry, has antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic properties. Previously, we reported that curcumin abrogated influenza virus infectivity by inhibiting hemagglutination (HA) activity. This study demonstrates a novel mechanism by which curcumin inhibits the infectivity of enveloped viruses. In all analyzed enveloped viruses, including the influenza virus, curcumin inhibited plaque formation. In contrast, the nonenveloped enterovirus 71 remained unaffected by curcumin treatment. We evaluated the effects of curcumin on the membrane structure using fluorescent dye (sulforhodamine B; SRB)-containing liposomes that mimic the viral envelope. Curcumin treatment induced the leakage of SRB from these liposomes and the addition of the influenza virus reduced the leakage, indicating that curcumin disrupts the integrity of the membranes of viral envelopes and of liposomes. When testing liposomes of various diameters, we detected higher levels of SRB leakage from the smaller-sized liposomes than from the larger liposomes. Interestingly, the curcumin concentration required to reduce plaque formation was lower for the influenza virus (approximately 100 nm in diameter) than for the pseudorabies virus (approximately 180 nm) and the vaccinia virus (roughly 335 × 200 × 200 nm). These data provide insights on the molecular antiviral mechanisms of curcumin and its potential use as an antiviral agent for enveloped viruses. PMID:23658730

Influence of risk area size and location on native collateral resistance and ischemic zone perfusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gumm, D.C.; Cooper, S.M.; Thompson, S.B.; Marcus, M.L.; Harrison, D.C.

1988-01-01

To examine the effect of risk area size on collateral resistance and ichemic region perfusion, the authors produced different sized risk areas by occluding either the left anterior descending (LAD) or the circumflex (Cx) coronary artery at different sites. The most proximal occlusion of the LAD and Cx produced risk areas of 43 ± 5 and 36 ± 2% of left ventricular (LV) mass, respectively, whereas distal LAD and Cx occlusions produced risk areas of 13 ± 2 and 17 ± 2% of LV weight, respectively. Although total collateral flow was highest to the largest risk areas, collateral flow per 100 g of ischemic myocardium was 80% higher to the small LAD risk area compared with the large LAD risk area and 43% higher to the small Cx risk area compared with the large Cx risk area. Collateral resistance, calculated from the transcollateral pressure and perfusion per 100 g of myocardium was significantly lower in the small risk areas than in the large ones. They examined the effect of risk area location on collateral perfusion and resistance. These experiments show that collateral resistance is influenced both by ischemic region size and location. Small risk areas receive more collateral flow per mass of tissue than large risk areas, and apical risk areas receive greater quantities of collateral flow than those located at the base. These data may explain why small risk areas often do not develop infarction after coronary occlusion

Determination of protection zones for Dutch groundwater wells against virus contamination--uncertainty and sensitivity analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Schijven, J F; Mülschlegel, J H C; Hassanizadeh, S M; Teunis, P F M; de Roda Husman, A M

2006-09-01

Protection zones of shallow unconfined aquifers in The Netherlands were calculated that allow protection against virus contamination to the level that the infection risk of 10(-4) per person per year is not exceeded with a 95% certainty. An uncertainty and a sensitivity analysis of the calculated protection zones were included. It was concluded that protection zones of 1 to 2 years travel time (206-418 m) are needed (6 to 12 times the currently applied travel time of 60 days). This will lead to enlargement of protection zones, encompassing 110 unconfined groundwater well systems that produce 3 x 10(8) m3 y(-1) of drinking water (38% of total Dutch production from groundwater). A smaller protection zone is possible if it can be shown that an aquifer has properties that lead to greater reduction of virus contamination, like more attachment. Deeper aquifers beneath aquitards of at least 2 years of vertical travel time are adequately protected because vertical flow in the aquitards is only 0.7 m per year. The most sensitive parameters are virus attachment and inactivation. The next most sensitive parameters are grain size of the sand, abstraction rate of groundwater, virus concentrations in raw sewage and consumption of unboiled drinking water. Research is recommended on additional protection by attachment and under unsaturated conditions.

Modelling The Effects of Aggregate Size on Alkali Aggregate Reaction Expansion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Z. Sekrane

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This work aims at developing models to predict the potential expansion of concrete containing alkali-reactive aggregates. The paper gives measurements in order to provide experimental data concerning the effect of particle size of an alkali-reactive siliceous limestone on mortar expansion. Results show that no expansion was measured on the mortars using small particles (0.5-1.0 mm while the particles (1.0–2.0 mm gave the largest expansions (0.217%. Two models are proposed, the first one studies the correlations between the measured expansions and the size of aggregates, the second one calculates the thickness of the porous zone necessary to take again all the volume of the gel created.

Visual working memory supports the inhibition of previously processed information: evidence from preview search.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Aidroos, Naseem; Emrich, Stephen M; Ferber, Susanne; Pratt, Jay

2012-06-01

In four experiments we assessed whether visual working memory (VWM) maintains a record of previously processed visual information, allowing old information to be inhibited, and new information to be prioritized. Specifically, we evaluated whether VWM contributes to the inhibition (i.e., visual marking) of previewed distractors in a preview search. We evaluated this proposal by testing three predictions. First, Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrate that preview inhibition is more effective when the number of previewed distractors is below VWM capacity than above; an effect that can only be observed at small preview set sizes (Experiment 2A) and when observers are allowed to move their eyes freely (Experiment 2B). Second, Experiment 3 shows that, when quantified as the number of inhibited distractors, the magnitude of the preview effect is stable across different search difficulties. Third, Experiment 4 demonstrates that individual differences in preview inhibition are correlated with individual differences in VWM capacity. These findings provide converging evidence that VWM supports the inhibition of previewed distractors. More generally, these findings demonstrate how VWM contributes to the efficiency of human visual information processing--VWM prioritizes new information by inhibiting old information from being reselected for attention.

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 5m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Saipan Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The bathymetry grid (5 m cell size) is derived from bathymetry from two sources: Multibeam...

Microbial eukaryote diversity in the marine oxygen minimum zone off northern Chile

OpenAIRE

Parris, Darren J.; Ganesh, Sangita; Edgcomb, Virginia P.; Stewart, Frank J.; DeLong, Edward

2014-01-01

Molecular surveys are revealing diverse eukaryotic assemblages in oxygen-limited ocean waters. These communities may play pivotal ecological roles through autotrophy, feeding, and a wide range of symbiotic associations with prokaryotes. We used 18S rRNA gene sequencing to provide the first snapshot of pelagic microeukaryotic community structure in two cellular size fractions (0.2-1.6 µm, >1.6 µm) from seven depths through the anoxic oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) off northern Chile. Sequencing ...

33 CFR 3.25-10 - Sector Hampton Roads Marine Inspection Zone and Captain of the Port Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sector Hampton Roads Marine... ZONES, AND CAPTAIN OF THE PORT ZONES Fifth Coast Guard District § 3.25-10 Sector Hampton Roads Marine Inspection Zone and Captain of the Port Zone. Sector Hampton Roads' office is located in Portsmouth, VA. The...

Dynamic magneto-optical imaging of transport current redistribution and normal zone propagation in YBa2Cu3O7-δ coated conductor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Honghai; Schwartz, Justin; Davidson, Michael W

2009-01-01

YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO) coated conductors carry high critical current density with the potential for low cost and thus have a broad range of potential applications. An unresolved issue that could inhibit implementation, however, is a lack of understanding of the current redistribution and normal zone propagation behavior in the event of a thermal disturbance (quench). In this work, we for the first time present the real-time, dynamic observation of magnetic field redistribution during a thermal disturbance via magneto-optical imaging with a high speed, high resolution CCD (charge coupled device) camera. The optical images are converted to a two-dimensional, time-dependent data set that is then analyzed quantitatively. It is found that the normal zone propagates non-uniformly in two dimensions within the YBCO layer. Two stages of normal zone propagation are observed. During the first stage, the normal zone propagates along the conductor length as the current and magnetic field redistribute within the YBCO layer. During the second stage, current sharing with the Cu begins and the magneto-optical image becomes constant. The normal zone propagation velocity at 45 K, I = 50 A (∼50% I c ), is determined as 22.7 mm s -1 using the time-dependent optical light intensity data. (rapid communication)

Attention modulates visual size adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kreutzer, Sylvia; Fink, Gereon R; Weidner, Ralph

2015-01-01

The current study determined in healthy subjects (n = 16) whether size adaptation occurs at early, i.e., preattentive, levels of processing or whether higher cognitive processes such as attention can modulate the illusion. To investigate this issue, bottom-up stimulation was kept constant across conditions by using a single adaptation display containing both small and large adapter stimuli. Subjects' attention was directed to either the large or small adapter stimulus by means of a luminance detection task. When attention was directed toward the small as compared to the large adapter, the perceived size of the subsequent target was significantly increased. Data suggest that different size adaptation effects can be induced by one and the same stimulus depending on the current allocation of attention. This indicates that size adaptation is subject to attentional modulation. These findings are in line with previous research showing that transient as well as sustained attention modulates visual features, such as contrast sensitivity and spatial frequency, and influences adaptation in other contexts, such as motion adaptation (Alais & Blake, 1999; Lankheet & Verstraten, 1995). Based on a recently suggested model (Pooresmaeili, Arrighi, Biagi, & Morrone, 2013), according to which perceptual adaptation is based on local excitation and inhibition in V1, we conclude that guiding attention can boost these local processes in one or the other direction by increasing the weight of the attended adapter. In sum, perceptual adaptation, although reflected in changes of neural activity at early levels (as shown in the aforementioned study), is nevertheless subject to higher-order modulation.

Oxygenated gasoline release in the unsaturated zone - Part 1: Source zone behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Juliana G; Barker, James F

2011-11-01

Oxygenates present in gasoline, such as ethanol and MTBE, are a concern in subsurface contamination related to accidental spills. While gasoline hydrocarbon compounds have low solubility, MTBE and ethanol are more soluble, ethanol being completely miscible with water. Consequently, their fate in the subsurface is likely to differ from that of gasoline. To evaluate the fate of gasoline containing oxygenates following a release in the unsaturated zone shielded from rainfall/recharge, a controlled field test was performed at Canadian Forces Base Borden, in Ontario. 200L of a mixture composed of gasoline with 10% ethanol and 4.5% MTBE was released in the unsaturated zone, into a trench 20cm deep, about 32cm above the water table. Based on soil cores, most of the ethanol was retained in the source, above the capillary fringe, and remained there for more than 100 days. Ethanol partitioned from the gasoline to the unsaturated pore-water and was retained, despite the thin unsaturated zone at the site (~35cm from the top of the capillary fringe to ground surface). Due to its lower solubility, most of the MTBE remained within the NAPL as it infiltrated deeper into the unsaturated zone and accumulated with the gasoline on top of the depressed capillary fringe. Only minor changes in the distribution of ethanol were noted following oscillations in the water table. Two methods to estimate the capacity of the unsaturated zone to retain ethanol are explored. It is clear that conceptual models for sites impacted by ethanol-fuels must consider the unsaturated zone. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Work zone safety analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-01

This report presents research performed analyzing crashes in work zones in the state of New Jersey so as to : identify critical areas in work zones susceptible to crashes and key factors that contribute to these crashes. A field : data collection on ...

The Damage and Geochemical Signature of a Crustal Scale Strike-Slip Fault Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Gomila, R.; Mitchell, T. M.; Arancibia, G.; Jensen Siles, E.; Rempe, M.; Cembrano, J. M.; Faulkner, D. R.

2013-12-01

Fluid-flow migration in the upper crust is strongly controlled by fracture network permeability and connectivity within fault zones, which can lead to fluid-rock chemical interaction represented as mineral precipitation in mesh veins and/or mineralogical changes (alteration) of the host rock. While the dimensions of fault damage zones defined by fracture intensity is beginning to be better understood, how such dimensions compare to the size of alteration zones is less well known. Here, we show quantitative structural and chemical analyses as a function of distance from a crustal-scale strike-slip fault in the Atacama Fault System, Northern Chile, to compare fault damage zone characteristics with its geochemical signature. The Jorgillo Fault (JF) is a ca. 18 km long NNW striking strike-slip fault cutting Mesozoic rocks with sinistral displacement of ca. 4 km. In the study area, the JF cuts through orthogranulitic and gabbroic rocks at the west (JFW) and the east side (JFE), respectively. A 200 m fault perpendicular transect was mapped and sampled for structural and XRF analyses of the core, damage zone and protolith. The core zone consists of a ca. 1 m wide cataclasite zone bounded by two fault gouge zones ca. 40 cm. The damage zone width defined by fracture density is ca. 50 m wide each side of the core. The damage zone in JFW is characterized by NW-striking subvertical 2 cm wide cataclastic rocks and NE-striking milimetric open fractures. In JFE, 1-20 mm wide chlorite, quartz-epidote and quartz-calcite veins, cut the gabbro. Microfracture analysis in JFW reveal mm-wide cataclasitic/ultracataclasitic bands with clasts of protolith and chlorite orientated subparallel to the JF in the matrix, calcite veins in a T-fractures orientation, and minor polidirectional chlorite veins. In JFE, chlorite filled conjugate fractures with syntaxial growth textures and evidence for dilational fracturing processes are seen. Closest to the core, calcite veins crosscut chlorite veins

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 5 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Tau Island, Territory of American Samoa, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (5 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard R/V...

Effects of ultraviolet irradiation and postirradiation incubation on heterogeneous nuclear RNA size in murine cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, R.; Sauerbier, W.

1978-01-01

We have analyzed the decrease in synthesis of individual size classes of heterogeneous nuclear RNA (hnRNA) in ultraviolet (uv)-irradiated Merwin plasmacytoma (MPC-11) cells at various times of postirradiation incubation. HnRNA from nonirradiated control cells is distributed over a wide range from approximately 60S to 5S, with 42S RNA carrying more label than any other size class. HnRNA from uv-irradiated cells shows a dose-dependent shift in size distribution toward lower molecular weight. The size distribution of hnRNA synthesized after prolonged times of postirradiation incubation is restored toward normal, i.e., synthesis of long RNA molecules increases relative to the synthesis of short ones. Analysis of the total number of hnRNA chains synthesized during a 20-min [ 3 H]uridine pulse shows a considerable eduction in their number with increasing uv dose. Murine cell lines are excision-repair-deficient but capable of post replication repair inhibited by caffeine. HnRNA transcripts of cells incubated in its presence were studied. The caffeine, which has no effect on hnRNA size in control cells, inhibits to a considerable extent the restoration of full-length transcripts during postirradiation incubation. The lack of excision repair in MPC-11 was confirmed by the analysis of pyrimidine dimers in trichloracetic acid-insoluble and soluble fractions within 8 h of postirradiation incubation. The size of parental and daughter strand DNA in uv-irradiated cells was correlated with RNA transcript size. The parental DNA in these experiments does not change its size as a consequence of uv exposure and postirradiation incubation. In contrast, daughter DNA strands are short in uv-irradiated cells and they increase in size during postirradiation incubation to reach the size of parental strands after 8 h

The study of sheath flow dark zone phenomenon in dynamic individual cells scattering measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lu; Zhao, Hong; Wang, Xiaopin; Zhang, Weiguang

2008-09-01

Dynamic cells scattering is one of the most efficient approaches exploring in measurements of cells size, morphology and growth states. This technique can be widely applied in real-time detection for pharmaceutical industry, food industry, liquor industry and other biological fields. A novel method named dynamic individual cells scattering measurement is designed in this paper, which can make cells pass through quartz glass measurement zone one by one with sheath flow driving force. During the experiments, an obvious phenomenon has been found which is called sheath flow dark zone phenomenon (SFDZ). Under the influence of SFDZ, sheath flow forming detection becomes very difficult. In this paper, the causes giving rise to SFDZ have been analyzed. And an improved method is put forward, in which the orifice inside the measurement zone is set as an optical system. Then the illuminating system is redesigned. In this way, almost all the illuminating light can enter orifice so that the total reflection energy decreases substantially. A comparison experiments have been done, which proves the efficiency of this redesigned optical system and its sound effects on SFDZ avoiding.

Remote Zone Extracellular Volume and Left Ventricular Remodeling in Survivors of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Science.gov (United States)

Carberry, Jaclyn; Carrick, David; Haig, Caroline; Rauhalammi, Samuli M.; Ahmed, Nadeem; Mordi, Ify; McEntegart, Margaret; Petrie, Mark C.; Eteiba, Hany; Hood, Stuart; Watkins, Stuart; Lindsay, Mitchell; Davie, Andrew; Mahrous, Ahmed; Ford, Ian; Sattar, Naveed; Welsh, Paul; Radjenovic, Aleksandra; Oldroyd, Keith G.

2016-01-01

The natural history and pathophysiological significance of tissue remodeling in the myocardial remote zone after acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is incompletely understood. Extracellular volume (ECV) in myocardial regions of interest can now be measured with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Patients who sustained an acute STEMI were enrolled in a cohort study (BHF MR-MI [British Heart Foundation Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction study]). Cardiac magnetic resonance was performed at 1.5 Tesla at 2 days and 6 months post STEMI. T1 modified Look-Locker inversion recovery mapping was performed before and 15 minutes after contrast (0.15 mmol/kg gadoterate meglumine) in 140 patients at 2 days post STEMI (mean age: 59 years, 76% male) and in 131 patients at 6 months post STEMI. Remote zone ECV was lower than infarct zone ECV (25.6±2.8% versus 51.4±8.9%; Premote zone ECV (Premote zone ECV (P=0.010). No ST-segment resolution (P=0.034) and extent of ischemic area at risk (Premote zone ECV at 6 months (ΔECV). ΔECV was a multivariable associate of the change in left ventricular end-diastolic volume at 6 months (regression coefficient [95% confidence interval]: 1.43 (0.10–2.76); P=0.036). ΔECV is implicated in the pathophysiology of left ventricular remodeling post STEMI, but because the effect size is small, ΔECV has limited use as a clinical biomarker of remodeling. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02072850. PMID:27354423

Size-dependent reactivity of magnetite nanoparticles: a field-laboratory comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Swindle, Andrew L.; Elwood Madden, Andrew S.; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.; Benamara, Mourad

2014-01-01

Logistic challenges make direct comparisons between laboratory- and field-based investigations into the size-dependent reactivity of nanomaterials difficult. This investigation sought to compare the size-dependent reactivity of nanoparticles in a field setting to a laboratory analog using the specific example of magnetite dissolution. Synthetic magnetite nanoparticles of three size intervals, ∼6 nm, ∼44 nm, and ∼90 nm were emplaced in the subsurface of the USGS research site at the Norman Landfill for up to 30 days using custom-made subsurface nanoparticle holders. Laboratory analog dissolution experiments were conducted using synthetic groundwater. Reaction products were analyzed via TEM and SEM and compared to initial particle characterizations. Field results indicated that an organic coating developed on the particle surfaces largely inhibiting reactivity. Limited dissolution occurred, with the amount of dissolution decreasing as particle size decreased. Conversely, the laboratory analogs without organics revealed greater dissolution of the smaller particles. These results showed that the presence of dissolved organics led to a nearly complete reversal in the size-dependent reactivity trends displayed between the field and laboratory experiments indicating that size-dependent trends observed in laboratory investigations may not be relevant in organic-rich natural systems.

Unsaturated Zone and Saturated Zone Transport Properties (U0100)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

J. Conca

2000-12-20

This Analysis/Model Report (AMR) summarizes transport properties for the lower unsaturated zone hydrogeologic units and the saturated zone at Yucca Mountain and provides a summary of data from the Busted Butte Unsaturated Zone Transport Test (UZTT). The purpose of this report is to summarize the sorption and transport knowledge relevant to flow and transport in the units below Yucca Mountain and to provide backup documentation for the sorption parameters decided upon for each rock type. Because of the complexity of processes such as sorption, and because of the lack of direct data for many conditions that may be relevant for Yucca Mountain, data from systems outside of Yucca Mountain are also included. The data reported in this AMR will be used in Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) calculations and as general scientific support for various Process Model Reports (PMRs) requiring knowledge of the transport properties of different materials. This report provides, but is not limited to, sorption coefficients and other relevant thermodynamic and transport properties for the radioisotopes of concern, especially neptunium (Np), plutonium (Pu), Uranium (U), technetium (Tc), iodine (I), and selenium (Se). The unsaturated-zone (UZ) transport properties in the vitric Calico Hills (CHv) are discussed, as are colloidal transport data based on the Busted Butte UZTT, the saturated tuff, and alluvium. These values were determined through expert elicitation, direct measurements, and data analysis. The transport parameters include information on interactions of the fractures and matrix. In addition, core matrix permeability data from the Busted Butte UZTT are summarized by both percent alteration and dispersion.

Unsaturated Zone and Saturated Zone Transport Properties (U0100)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conca, J.

2000-01-01

This Analysis/Model Report (AMR) summarizes transport properties for the lower unsaturated zone hydrogeologic units and the saturated zone at Yucca Mountain and provides a summary of data from the Busted Butte Unsaturated Zone Transport Test (UZTT). The purpose of this report is to summarize the sorption and transport knowledge relevant to flow and transport in the units below Yucca Mountain and to provide backup documentation for the sorption parameters decided upon for each rock type. Because of the complexity of processes such as sorption, and because of the lack of direct data for many conditions that may be relevant for Yucca Mountain, data from systems outside of Yucca Mountain are also included. The data reported in this AMR will be used in Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) calculations and as general scientific support for various Process Model Reports (PMRs) requiring knowledge of the transport properties of different materials. This report provides, but is not limited to, sorption coefficients and other relevant thermodynamic and transport properties for the radioisotopes of concern, especially neptunium (Np), plutonium (Pu), Uranium (U), technetium (Tc), iodine (I), and selenium (Se). The unsaturated-zone (UZ) transport properties in the vitric Calico Hills (CHv) are discussed, as are colloidal transport data based on the Busted Butte UZTT, the saturated tuff, and alluvium. These values were determined through expert elicitation, direct measurements, and data analysis. The transport parameters include information on interactions of the fractures and matrix. In addition, core matrix permeability data from the Busted Butte UZTT are summarized by both percent alteration and dispersion

Changes of the glomerular size during the human fetal kidney development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daković-Bjelaković Marija

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Newborns adaptation on postnatal conditions includes significant morphological and functional renal changes. Every kidney contains a constant number of nephrons, at the end of the nephrogenesis period, which extends from week 8 to 34 of gestation. Mature juxtamedullary nephrons possess higher filtration capacity than primitive superficial nephrons, which have insufficient vascularization. Objective. The objective of the study was to calculate an average glomerular diameter in cortical zones of the kidney during development, to define periods of their most intensive growth, and to record differences of glomerular size between different cortical zones. METHOD A total of 30 human fetal kidneys aged from IV to X lunar months were analyzed. Stereological methods were used for calculating the average glomerular diameter in superficial, intermediate and juxtamedullary zone of the kidney cortex. Results. Glomeruli in the superficial cortical zone had the lowest average diameter. The average glomerular diameter continually increased from IV lunar month (0.057±0.004 mm to X lunar month (0.082±0.004 mm, with highly significant correlation with gestational age (r=0.755; p<0.01. The average glomerular diameter in the intermediate zone increased from 0.081±0.004 mm (IV lunar month to 0.096±0.004 mm (X lunar month with low linear correlation with gestational age (r=0.161. Juxtamedullary glomeruli were the biggest ones. Their average diameter, during the IV LM ranged from 0.093±0.006 mm to 0.101±0.004 mm. In the newborns (X lunar month, juxtamedullary glomeruli had spherical structures with an average diameter of 0.103±0.004 mm, and low negative correlation (r=-0.032 with gestational age. In the IV and V lunar months of gestation, there was significant difference (p<0.01; p<0.05 between the average glomerular diameter in the different zones of the kidney cortex. Conclusion. Superficial glomeruli had the smallest diameter, while

Correlation Between Intercritical Heat-Affected Zone and Type IV Creep Damage Zone in Grade 91 Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yiyu; Kannan, Rangasayee; Li, Leijun

2018-04-01

A soft zone in Cr-Mo steel weldments has been reported to accompany the infamous Type IV cracking, the highly localized creep damage in the heat-affected zone of creep-resistant steels. However, the microstructural features and formation mechanism of this soft zone are not well understood. In this study, using microhardness profiling and microstructural verification, the initial soft zone in the as-welded condition was identified to be located in the intercritical heat-affected zone of P91 steel weldments. It has a mixed structure, consisting of Cr-rich re-austenitized prior austenite grains and fine Cr-depleted, tempered martensite grains retained from the base metal. The presence of these further-tempered retained grains, originating from the base metal, is directly responsible for the hardness reduction of the identified soft zone in the as-welded condition. The identified soft zone exhibits a high location consistency at three thermal stages. Local chemistry analysis and thermodynamic calculation show that the lower chromium concentrations inside these retained grains thermodynamically decrease their potentials for austenitic transformation during welding. Heterogeneous grain growth is observed in the soft zone during postweld heat treatment. The mismatch of strengths between the weak Cr-depleted grains and strong Cr-rich grains enhances the creep damage. Local deformation of the weaker Cr-depleted grains accelerates the formation of creep cavities.

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 5 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Rose Atoll, Territory of American Samoa, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (5 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard R/V AHI...

Women in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balashevska, Y.; Kireev, S.; Navalikhin, V.

2015-01-01

Today, 29 years after the Chernobyl accident, the Exclusion Zone still remains an areal unsealed radiation source of around 2600 km"2. It is not just a gigantic radioactive waste storage facility (the amount of radioactive waste accumulated within the Zone, except for the Shelter, is estimated at about 2.8 million m"3), but also a unique research and engineering platform for biologists, radiologists, chemists and physicists. Taking into account the amount of the radionuclides released during the accident, it becomes quite understood that the radiological environment in the Exclusion Zone is far from favorable. However, among the Exclusion Zone personnel who numbers 5000, there are female workers. The poster represents the results of the research performed among the female employees of the largest enterprise of the Exclusion Zone, “Chornobyl Spetskombinat”. The survey was performed with the view to knowing what makes women work in the most radioactively contaminated area in Europe, and what their role is, to revealing their fears and hopes, and to estimating the chances of the brave women of Chernobyl Exclusion Zone to succeed in their careers. (author)

Growth Inhibition of Cronobacter sakazakii in Experimentally Contaminated Powdered Infant Formula by Kefir Supernatant.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dong-Hyeon; Chon, Jung-Whan; Kang, Il-Byeong; Kim, Hyunsook; Kim, Hong-Seok; Song, Kwang-Young; Seo, Kun-Ho

2015-09-01

Kefir is a type of fermented milk containing lactic and acetic acid bacteria and yeast. In this study, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of kefir supernatant against Cronobacter sakazakii in powdered infant formula (PIF). In a spot-on-lawn test, the growth of 20 C. sakazakii strains, including 10 clinical and 10 food isolates, was completely inhibited in the presence of kefir supernatant. Significant differences in the diameters of inhibition zones were observed upon treatment with kefir compared with the results for Lactobacillus kefiri and Candida kefyr culture supernatants or solutions of lactic and acetic acid and ethyl alcohol in the agar well diffusion test (P < 0.05). The addition of 100 μl of kefir supernatant to 1 ml of nutrient broth completely inhibited the growth of C. sakazakii, as evaluated by spectrophotometry. The antimicrobial activity of kefir supernatant in experimentally contaminated PIF was also tested; we found no viable C. sakazakii cells remaining in PIF rehydrated with 30% kefir supernatant solution for 1 h, demonstrating that the antimicrobial activity of kefir supernatant against C. sakazakii could be applied in real food samples.

Problems of Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kholosha, V.Yi.

2014-01-01

The collection comprises the results of researches and design activity in the ChNPP exclusion zone, aimed at the development of technologies, equipment and devices for radioactive waste management and ChNPP accident clean-up, at studying the composition and structure of the Exclusion zone soil activity solid bearers, form transformation of the fission products of fuel fallout radionuclide composition in the ChNPP near zone, the spatial distribution of radionuclides and other radioecological issues.. Much attention is paid to medical and biological aspects of the accident influence on the flora, fauna and people's health, labour conditions and incidence of the workers of the Exclusion zone

75 FR 19304 - Safety Zones; Annual Fireworks Events in the Captain of the Port Detroit Zone

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-14

... previously published in Coast Guard regulations. These safety zones are necessary to protect spectators...-AA00 Safety Zones; Annual Fireworks Events in the Captain of the Port Detroit Zone AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes establishment of safety...

A viscoplastic shear-zone model for episodic slow slip events in oceanic subduction zones

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, A.; Meng, L.

2016-12-01

Episodic slow slip events occur widely along oceanic subduction zones at the brittle-ductile transition depths ( 20-50 km). Although efforts have been devoted to unravel their mechanical origins, it remains unclear about the physical controls on the wide range of their recurrence intervals and slip durations. In this study we present a simple mechanical model that attempts to account for the observed temporal evolution of slow slip events. In our model we assume that slow slip events occur in a viscoplastic shear zone (i.e., Bingham material), which has an upper static and a lower dynamic plastic yield strength. We further assume that the hanging wall deformation is approximated as an elastic spring. We envision the shear zone to be initially locked during forward/landward motion but is subsequently unlocked when the elastic and gravity-induced stress exceeds the static yield strength of the shear zone. This leads to backward/trenchward motion damped by viscous shear-zone deformation. As the elastic spring progressively loosens, the hanging wall velocity evolves with time and the viscous shear stress eventually reaches the dynamic yield strength. This is followed by the termination of the trenchward motion when the elastic stress is balanced by the dynamic yield strength of the shear zone and the gravity. In order to account for the zig-saw slip-history pattern of typical repeated slow slip events, we assume that the shear zone progressively strengthens after each slow slip cycle, possibly caused by dilatancy as commonly assumed or by progressive fault healing through solution-transport mechanisms. We quantify our conceptual model by obtaining simple analytical solutions. Our model results suggest that the duration of the landward motion increases with the down-dip length and the static yield strength of the shear zone, but decreases with the ambient loading velocity and the elastic modulus of the hanging wall. The duration of the backward/trenchward motion depends

A model of ischemia-induced neuroblast activation in the adult subventricular zone.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Davide Vergni

Full Text Available We have developed a rat brain organotypic culture model, in which tissue slices contain cortex-subventricular zone-striatum regions, to model neuroblast activity in response to in vitro ischemia. Neuroblast activation has been described in terms of two main parameters, proliferation and migration from the subventricular zone into the injured cortex. We observed distinct phases of neuroblast activation as is known to occur after in vivo ischemia. Thus, immediately after oxygen/glucose deprivation (6-24 hours, neuroblasts reduce their proliferative and migratory activity, whereas, at longer time points after the insult (2 to 5 days, they start to proliferate and migrate into the damaged cortex. Antagonism of ionotropic receptors for extracellular ATP during and after the insult unmasks an early activation of neuroblasts in the subventricular zone, which responded with a rapid and intense migration of neuroblasts into the damaged cortex (within 24 hours. The process is further enhanced by elevating the production of the chemoattractant SDf-1alpha and may also be boosted by blocking the activation of microglia. This organotypic model which we have developed is an excellent in vitro system to study neurogenesis after ischemia and other neurodegenerative diseases. Its application has revealed a SOS response to oxygen/glucose deprivation, which is inhibited by unfavorable conditions due to the ischemic environment. Finally, experimental quantifications have allowed us to elaborate a mathematical model to describe neuroblast activation and to develop a computer simulation which should have promising applications for the screening of drug candidates for novel therapies of ischemia-related pathologies.

Temperate Earth-sized planets transiting a nearby ultracool dwarf star.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillon, Michaël; Jehin, Emmanuël; Lederer, Susan M; Delrez, Laetitia; de Wit, Julien; Burdanov, Artem; Van Grootel, Valérie; Burgasser, Adam J; Triaud, Amaury H M J; Opitom, Cyrielle; Demory, Brice-Olivier; Sahu, Devendra K; Bardalez Gagliuffi, Daniella; Magain, Pierre; Queloz, Didier

2016-05-12

Star-like objects with effective temperatures of less than 2,700 kelvin are referred to as 'ultracool dwarfs'. This heterogeneous group includes stars of extremely low mass as well as brown dwarfs (substellar objects not massive enough to sustain hydrogen fusion), and represents about 15 per cent of the population of astronomical objects near the Sun. Core-accretion theory predicts that, given the small masses of these ultracool dwarfs, and the small sizes of their protoplanetary disks, there should be a large but hitherto undetected population of terrestrial planets orbiting them--ranging from metal-rich Mercury-sized planets to more hospitable volatile-rich Earth-sized planets. Here we report observations of three short-period Earth-sized planets transiting an ultracool dwarf star only 12 parsecs away. The inner two planets receive four times and two times the irradiation of Earth, respectively, placing them close to the inner edge of the habitable zone of the star. Our data suggest that 11 orbits remain possible for the third planet, the most likely resulting in irradiation significantly less than that received by Earth. The infrared brightness of the host star, combined with its Jupiter-like size, offers the possibility of thoroughly characterizing the components of this nearby planetary system.

Coastal zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The report entitled Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation : A Canadian Perspective, presents a summary of research regarding the impacts of climate change on key sectors over the past five years as it relates to Canada. This chapter on the coastal zone focuses on the impact of climate change on Canada's marine and Great Lakes coasts with tips on how to deal with the impacts associated with climate change in sensitive environments. This report is aimed at the sectors that will be most affected by adaptation decisions in the coastal zone, including fisheries, tourism, transportation and water resources. The impact of climate change in the coastal zone may include changes in water levels, wave patterns, storm surges, and thickness of seasonal ice cover. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects global average sea level will rise between 9 and 88 centimetres between 1990 to 2100, but not all areas of Canada will experience the same rate of future sea level change. The main physical impact would be shoreline change that could result in a range of biophysical and socio-economic impacts, some beneficial, some negative. The report focuses on issues related to infrastructure and communities in coastal regions. It is noted that appropriate human adaptation will play a vital role in reducing the extent of potential impacts by decreasing the vulnerability of average zone to climate change. The 3 main trends in coastal adaptation include: (1) increase in soft protection, retreat and accommodation, (2) reliance on technology such as geographic information systems to manage information, and (3) awareness of the need for coastal adaptation that is appropriate for local conditions. 61 refs., 7 figs

Determination of pumper truck intervention ratios in zones with high fire potential by using geographical information system

Science.gov (United States)

Aricak, Burak; Kucuk, Omer; Enez, Korhan

2014-01-01

Fighting forest fires not only depends on the forest type, topography, and weather conditions, but is also closely related to the technical properties of fire-fighting equipment. Firefighting is an important part of fire management planning. However, because of the complex nature of forests, creating thematic layers to generate potential fire risk maps is difficult. The use of remote sensing data has become an efficient method for the discrete classification of potential fire risks. The study was located in the Central District of the Kastamonu Regional Forest Directorate, covering an area of 24,320 ha, 15,685 ha of which is forested. On the basis of stand age, crown closure, and tree species, the sizes and distributions of potential fire risk zones within the study area were determined using high-resolution GeoEye satellite imagery and geographical information system data. The status of pumper truck intervention in zones with high fire risk and the sufficiency of existing forest roads within an existing forest network were discussed based on combustible matter characteristics. Pumper truck intervention was 83% for high-risk zones, 79% for medium-risk zones, and 78% for low-risk zones. A pumper truck intervention area map along existing roads was also created.

Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan Vision Special Economic Zones, UTM Zone 15N NAD83, Louisiana Recovery Authority (2007), [louisiana_speaks_vision_special_economic_zones

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This GIS shapefile data illustrates special economic zones included in the Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan Vision. Special economic zones include existing national,...

Microscopic investigations of palynological features of convolvulaceous species from arid zone of Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashfaq, Shomaila; Zafar, Muhammad; Ahmad, Mushtaq; Sultana, Shazia; Bahadur, Siraj; Khan, Adeel; Shah, Amin

2018-02-01

The pollen morphology of some species of glamorous family Convolvulaceae from arid zones of Pakistan has been evaluated. The pollen grains were acetolyzed, measured, described qualitatively, and illustrated using Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The examined species have differences in shape, size, polarity and exine ornamentation, confirming the eurypalynous character. The pollen types varies from psilate to echinate and colpi to tricolporate, tetracolporate and pantocolporate. Exine ornamentation was exposed as perforate, reticulate and echinate. Spine morphology and exine sculpture are vital for the distinction of species. Pollen fertility shows that selected plants species are well-known in the Arid Zone. A taxonomic key is prepared to use these variations in the identification of species. Statistical analysis by using the Software XLSTAT exhibited that some morphological features is the main characters in identification of the taxa. These studied taxa were separated from each other using cluster Analysis. Our results constructed on MVSP ver. 3.22 software analyses that show morphological explanation; thus, the results highlight the importance of pollen morphology in the identification and characterization of species of the family convolvulacae in arid zone. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Water quality, biodiversity, and codes of practice in relation to harvesting forest plantations in streamside management zones

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel G. Neary; Philip J. Smethurst; Brenda Baillie; Kevin C. Petrone

2011-01-01

Streamside management zones (SMZs) are special landscape units that include riparian areas and adjacent lands that mitigate the movement of sediment, nutrients and other chemicals from upland forest and agricultural management areas into streams. The size, shape, and management of SMZs are governed by various combinations of economic, ecological, and regulatory factors...

Rheological structure of the lithosphere in plate boundary strike-slip fault zones

Science.gov (United States)

Chatzaras, Vasileios; Tikoff, Basil; Kruckenberg, Seth C.; Newman, Julie; Titus, Sarah J.; Withers, Anthony C.; Drury, Martyn R.

2016-04-01

How well constrained is the rheological structure of the lithosphere in plate boundary strike-slip fault systems? Further, how do lithospheric layers, with rheologically distinct behaviors, interact within the strike-slip fault zones? To address these questions, we present rheological observations from the mantle sections of two lithospheric-scale, strike-slip fault zones. Xenoliths from ˜40 km depth (970-1100 ° C) beneath the San Andreas fault system (SAF) provide critical constraints on the mechanical stratification of the lithosphere in this continental transform fault. Samples from the Bogota Peninsula shear zone (BPSZ, New Caledonia), which is an exhumed oceanic transform fault, provide insights on lateral variations in mantle strength and viscosity across the fault zone at a depth corresponding to deformation temperatures of ˜900 ° C. Olivine recrystallized grain size piezometry suggests that the shear stress in the SAF upper mantle is 5-9 MPa and in the BPSZ is 4-10 MPa. Thus, the mantle strength in both fault zones is comparable to the crustal strength (˜10 MPa) of seismogenic strike-slip faults in the SAF system. Across the BPSZ, shear stress increases from 4 MPa in the surrounding rocks to 10 MPa in the mylonites, which comprise the core of the shear zone. Further, the BPSZ is characterized by at least one order of magnitude difference in the viscosity between the mylonites (1018 Paṡs) and the surrounding rocks (1019 Paṡs). Mantle viscosity in both the BPSZ mylonites and the SAF (7.0ṡ1018-3.1ṡ1020 Paṡs) is relatively low. To explain our observations from these two strike-slip fault zones, we propose the "lithospheric feedback" model in which the upper crust and lithospheric mantle act together as an integrated system. Mantle flow controls displacement and the upper crust controls the stress magnitude in the system. Our stress data combined with data that are now available for the middle and lower crustal sections of other transcurrent fault

Dutch distribution zones of stable iodine tablets based on atmospheric dispersion modelling of accidental releases from nuclear power plants.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kok-Palma, Y.S.; Leenders, M.; Meulenbelt, J.

2010-01-01

Rapid administration of stable iodine is essential for the saturation and subsequent protection of the thyroid gland against the potential harm caused by radioiodines. This paper proposes the Dutch risk analysis that uses an atmospheric dispersion model to calculate the size of the zones around

Inhibition of phospholipase C disrupts cytoskeletal organization and gravitropic growth in Arabidopsis roots.

Science.gov (United States)

Andreeva, Zornitza; Barton, Deborah; Armour, William J; Li, Min Y; Liao, Li-Fen; McKellar, Heather L; Pethybridge, Kylie A; Marc, Jan

2010-10-01

The phospholipase protein superfamily plays an important role in hormonal signalling and cellular responses to environmental stimuli. There is also growing evidence for interactions between phospholipases and the cytoskeleton. In this report we used a pharmacological approach to investigate whether inhibiting a member of the phospholipase superfamily, phospholipase C (PLC), affects microtubules and actin microfilaments as well as root growth and morphology of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Inhibiting PLC activity using the aminosteroid U73122 significantly inhibited root elongation and disrupted root morphology in a concentration-dependent manner, with the response being saturated at 5 μM, whereas the inactive analogue U73343 was ineffective. The primary root appeared to lose growth directionality accompanied by root waving and formation of curls. Immunolabelling of roots exposed to increasingly higher U73122 concentrations revealed that the normal transverse arrays of cortical microtubules in the elongation zone became progressively more disorganized or depolymerized, with the disorganization appearing within 1 h of incubation. Likewise, actin microfilament arrays also were disrupted. Inhibiting PLC using an alternative inhibitor, neomycin, caused similar disruptions to both cytoskeletal organization and root morphology. In seedlings gravistimulated by rotating the culture plates by 90°, both U73122 and neomycin disrupted the normal gravitropic growth of roots and etiolated hypocotyls. The effects of PLC inhibitors are therefore consistent with the notion that, as with phospholipases A and D, PLC likewise interacts with the cytoskeleton, alters growth morphology, and is involved in gravitropism.

The fractionation and geochemical characteristics of rare earth elements measured in ambient size-resolved PM in an integrated iron and steelmaking industry zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Qili; Li, Liwei; Yang, Jiamei; Liu, Baoshuang; Bi, Xiaohui; Wu, Jianhui; Zhang, YuFen; Yao, Lin; Feng, Yinchang

2016-09-01

Improved understanding of the fractionation and geochemical characteristic of rare earth elements (REEs) from steel plant emissions is important due to the unclear atmospheric signature of these elements and their adverse impact on human health and the environment. In this study, ambient particulate matter of different sizes was collected from one site in an integrated iron and steelmaking industrial zone (HG) and one urban background site with no direct industrial emissions (ZWY) during a 1-year sampling campaign in China. The total concentrations of REEs for TSP, PM10, and PM2.5 were 27.248, 14.989, 3.542 ng/m(3) in HG and 6.326, 5.274, 1.731 ng/m(3), respectively, in ZWY, which revealed the local influence of the steelmaking activities to the air quality. With respect to ZWY, the REEs in HG site are obviously fractionated in the coarser fraction, and LREEs account for more than 80 % of the total REE burden in all of the samples. Additionally, the REEs in HG and ZWY show a homogeneous trend with successively increased LREE/HREE ratios from the coarse particles to the fine particles. In our samples, La, Ce, Nd, and Sm are the most enriched rare earth elements, especially in the HG site. Moreover, ternary diagrams of LaCeSm indicate that the REEs in HG are potentially contributed by steelworks, carrier vehicles, coal combustion, and road dust re-suspension.

77 FR 9528 - Security Zone; Protection of Military Cargo, Captain of the Port Zone Puget Sound

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG-2012-0087] Security Zone; Protection of Military Cargo, Captain of the Port Zone Puget Sound AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... Waterway Security Zone in Commencement Bay, Tacoma, Washington from 6 a.m. on February 17, 2012, through 11...

78 FR 40396 - Safety Zone; America's Cup Safety Zone and No Loitering Area, San Francisco, CA

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-05

...-AA00 Safety Zone; America's Cup Safety Zone and No Loitering Area, San Francisco, CA AGENCY: Coast... America's Cup races. This safety zone and no loitering area are established to enhance the safety of spectators and mariners near the north east corner of the America's Cup regulated area. All persons or...

Cartilage proteoglycans inhibit fibronectin-mediated adhesion

Science.gov (United States)

Rich, A. M.; Pearlstein, E.; Weissmann, G.; Hoffstein, S. T.

1981-09-01

Normal tissues and organs show, on histological examination, a pattern of cellular and acellular zones that is characteristic and unique for each organ or tissue. This pattern is maintained in health but is sometimes destroyed by disease. For example, in mobile joints, the articular surfaces consist of relatively acellular hyaline cartilage, and the joint space is enclosed by a capsule of loose connective tissue with a lining of fibroblasts and macrophages. In the normal joint these cells are confined to the synovial lining and the articular surface remains acellular. In in vitro culture, macrophages and their precursor monocytes are very adhesive, and fibroblasts can migrate and overgrow surfaces such as collagen or plastic used for tissue culture. The fibroblasts adhere to collagen by means of fibronectin, which they synthesize and secrete1. Because the collagen of cartilage is capable of binding serum fibronectin2 and fibronectin is present in cartilage during its development3, these cells should, in theory, slowly migrate from the synovial lining to the articular surface. It is their absence from the articular cartilage in normal circumstances, and then presence in such pathological states as rheumatoid arthritis, that is striking. We therefore set out to determine whether a component of cartilage could prevent fibroblast adherence in a defined adhesion assay. As normal cartilage is composed of 50% proteoglycans and 50% collagen by dry weight4, we tested the possibility that the proteoglycans in cartilage inhibit fibroblast adhesion to collagen. We present here evidence that fibroblast spreading and adhesion to collagenous substrates is inhibited by cartilage proteoglycans.

Spatial and space-time clustering of tuberculosis in Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Tadesse, Sebsibe; Enqueselassie, Fikre; Hagos, Seifu

2018-01-01

Spatial targeting is advocated as an effective method that contributes for achieving tuberculosis control in high-burden countries. However, there is a paucity of studies clarifying the spatial nature of the disease in these countries. This study aims to identify the location, size and risk of purely spatial and space-time clusters for high occurrence of tuberculosis in Gurage Zone, Southern Ethiopia during 2007 to 2016. A total of 15,805 patient data that were retrieved from unit TB registers were included in the final analyses. The spatial and space-time cluster analyses were performed using the global Moran's I, Getis-Ord [Formula: see text] and Kulldorff's scan statistics. Eleven purely spatial and three space-time clusters were detected (P <0.001).The clusters were concentrated in border areas of the Gurage Zone. There were considerable spatial variations in the risk of tuberculosis by year during the study period. This study showed that tuberculosis clusters were mainly concentrated at border areas of the Gurage Zone during the study period, suggesting that there has been sustained transmission of the disease within these locations. The findings may help intensify the implementation of tuberculosis control activities in these locations. Further study is warranted to explore the roles of various ecological factors on the observed spatial distribution of tuberculosis.

Effects of temperature on embryonic and larval development and growth in the natterjack toad (Bufo calamita in a semi-arid zone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanuy, D.

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Temperature affects the duration of embryonic and larval periods in amphibians. Plasticity in time to metamorphosis is especially important in amphibian populations of Mediterranean semi-arid zones where temperatures are high and precipitation is low, increasing the rate of pond desiccation. In order to test the influence of water temperature on the larval development and growth of the natterjack toad (Bufo calamita, we collected two spawns in a semi¿arid zone at Balaguer (Lleida, NE Iberian peninsula. Approximately 50 (+/-10 eggs (stage 14-16 were raised in the lab at different temperature conditions: 10, 15, 20, 22.5 and 25ºC with 12:12 photoperiod. The results show a lengthening of development time with decreasing temperatures and a better survival performance of B. calamita to high temperatures. However, mean size at metamorphosis was not different across treatments, thus, suggesting that this population of B. calamita requires a minimum size to complete the metamorphosis. This study is the first approach to examine the effects that climatic factors have on the growth and development of B. calamita in semi-arid zones.

Reflection seismic methods applied to locating fracture zones in crystalline rock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juhlin, C.

1998-01-01

The reflection seismic method is a potentially powerful tool for identifying and localising fracture zones in crystalline rock if used properly. Borehole sonic logs across fracture zones show that they have reduced P-wave velocities compared to the surrounding intact rock. Diagnostically important S-wave velocity log information across the fracture zones is generally lacking. Generation of synthetic reflection seismic data and subsequent processing of these data show that structures dipping up towards 70 degrees from horizontal can be reliably imaged using surface seismic methods. Two real case studies where seismic reflection methods have been used to image fracture zones in crystalline rock are presented. Two examples using reflection seismic are presented. The first is from the 5354 m deep SG-4 borehole in the Middle Urals, Russia where strong seismic reflectors dipping from 25 to 50 degrees are observed on surface seismic reflection data crossing over the borehole. On vertical seismic profile data acquired in the borehole, the observed P-wave reflectivity is weak from these zones, however, strong converted P to S waves are observed. This can be explained by the source of the reflectors being fracture zones with a high P wave to S wave velocity ratio compared to the surrounding rock resulting in a high dependence on the angle of incidence for the reflection coefficient. A high P wave to S wave velocity ratio (high Poisson's ratio) is to be expected in fluid filled fractured rock. The second case is from Aevroe, SE Sweden, where two 1 km long crossing high resolution seismic reflection lines were acquired in October 1996. An E-W line was shot with 5 m geophone and shotpoint spacing and a N-S one with 10 m geophone and shotpoint spacing. An explosive source with a charge size of 100 grams was used along both lines. The data clearly image three major dipping reflectors in the upper 200 ms (600 m). The dipping ones intersect or project to the surface at/or close to

Application of carbon extraction replicas in grain-size measurements of high-strength steels using TEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poorhaydari, Kioumars; Ivey, Douglas G.

2007-01-01

In this paper, the application of carbon extraction replicas in grain-size measurements is introduced and discussed. Modern high-strength microalloyed steels, used as structural or pipeline materials, have very small grains with substructures. Replicas used in transmission electron microscopes can resolve the grain boundaries and can be used for systematic measurement of grain size in cases where the small size of the grains pushes the resolution of conventional optical microscopes. The grain-size variations obtained from replicas are compared with those obtained from optical and scanning electron microscopy. An emphasis is placed on the importance of using the correct technique for imaging and the optimal magnification. Grain-size measurements are used for estimation of grain-boundary strengthening contribution to yield strength. The variation in grain size is also correlated with hardness in the base metal of several microalloyed steels, as well as the fine-grained heat-affected zone of a weld structure with several heat inputs

78 FR 54588 - Security Zone; Protection of Military Cargo, Captain of the Port Zone Puget Sound

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-05

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG-2012-0087] Security Zone; Protection of Military Cargo, Captain of the Port Zone Puget Sound AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... Security Zone in Commencement Bay, Tacoma, Washington from 6:00 a.m. on September 2, 2013 through 11:59 p.m...

78 FR 57485 - Security Zone; Protection of Military Cargo, Captain of the Port Zone Puget Sound

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-19

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG-2012-0087] Security Zone; Protection of Military Cargo, Captain of the Port Zone Puget Sound AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... Security Zone in Commencement Bay, Tacoma, Washington from 6 a.m. on September 12, 2013 through 11:59 p.m...

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones derived from gridded bathymetry of Farallon de Medinilla (FDM), Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana (CNMI), USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is derived from gridded (5 m cell size) bathymetry and was created using the...

Global correlations between maximum magnitudes of subduction zone interface thrust earthquakes and physical parameters of subduction zones

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schellart, W. P.; Rawlinson, N.

2013-01-01

The maximum earthquake magnitude recorded for subduction zone plate boundaries varies considerably on Earth, with some subduction zone segments producing giant subduction zone thrust earthquakes (e.g. Chile, Alaska, Sumatra-Andaman, Japan) and others producing relatively small earthquakes (e.g.

Inhibition of Cronobacter sakazakii by heat labile bacteriocins produced by probiotic LAB isolated from healthy infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Awaisheh, Saddam S; Al-Nabulsi, Anas A; Osaili, Tareq M; Ibrahim, Salam; Holley, Richard

2013-09-01

Cronobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause bacteremia, meningitis, and necrotizing enterocolitis, most often in neonates with case-fatality rates that may reach 80%. The antimicrobial activity of lactic acid bacteria against a wide range of foodborne pathogens is well-established in different types of food products. The objective of the current study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. casei isolated from feces of healthy infants against different strains of C. sakazakii in agar and a rehydrated infant milk formula (RIMF) model. The inhibition zones of C. sakazakii around L. acidophilus or L. casei ranged from 22 to 32 mm on eMan Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) agar under aerobic conditions, while a slight reduction in antibacterial activity was noted on modified MRS (0.2% glucose) under anaerobic conditions. It was observed that pH-neutralized cell-free supernatant (CFS) of L. acidophilus or L. casei was inhibitory against tested C. sakazakii strains. The inhibition zones of neutralized CFS were lower than the antibacterial activities of live cultures. The antibacterial activity of CFS was abolished when CFS from L. acidophilus or L. casei was heated at 60 or 80 °C for either 10 min or 2 h, or treated with trypsin or pepsin. This was considered strong evidence that the inhibition was due to the production of bacteriocins by L. casei and L. acidophilus. Both the CFS and active growing cells of L. casei and L. acidophilus were able to reduce the viability of C. sakazakii in the RIMF model. The results may extend the use of natural antimicrobials instead of conventional preservation methods to improve the safety of RIMF. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

A broader classification of damage zones

Science.gov (United States)

Peacock, D. C. P.; Dimmen, V.; Rotevatn, A.; Sanderson, D. J.

2017-09-01

Damage zones have previously been classified in terms of their positions at fault tips, walls or areas of linkage, with the latter being described in terms of sub-parallel and synchronously active faults. We broaden the idea of linkage to include structures around the intersections of non-parallel and/or non-synchronous faults. These interaction damage zones can be divided into approaching damage zones, where the faults kinematically interact but are not physically connected, and intersection damage zones, where the faults either abut or cross-cut. The damage zone concept is applied to other settings in which strain or displacement variations are taken up by a range of structures, such as at fault bends. It is recommended that a prefix can be added to a wide range of damage zones, to describe the locations in which they formed, e.g., approaching, intersection and fault bend damage zone. Such interpretations are commonly based on limited knowledge of the 3D geometries of the structures, such as from exposure surfaces, and there may be spatial variations. For example, approaching faults and related damage seen in outcrop may be intersecting elsewhere on the fault planes. Dilation in intersection damage zones can represent narrow and localised channels for fluid flow, and such dilation can be influenced by post-faulting stress patterns.

Coupled effects of solution chemistry and hydrodynamics on the mobility and transport of quantum dot nanomaterials in the Vadose Zone

Science.gov (United States)

To investigate the coupled effects of solution chemistry and vadose zone processes on the mobility of quantum dot (QD) nanoparticles, laboratory scale transport experiments were performed. The complex coupled effects of ionic strength, size of QD aggregates, surface tension, contact angle, infiltrat...

On use of weld zone temperatures for online monitoring of weld quality in friction stir welding of naturally aged aluminium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imam, Murshid; Biswas, Kajal; Racherla, Vikranth

2013-01-01

Highlights: • FSWs for 6063-T4 AA are done at different process parameters and sheet thicknesses. • Weld nugget zone and heat affected zone temperatures are monitored for each case. • Microstructural and mechanical characterisation of welds is done in all cases. • Weld ductility is found to be particularly sensitive to weld zone temperatures. • Strong correlation is found between WNZ and HAZ temperatures and weld properties. - Abstract: 6063-T4 aluminium alloy sheets of 3 and 6 mm thicknesses were friction stir butt welded using a square tool pin at a wide range of tool rotational speeds. Properties of obtained welds were characterised using tensile tests, optical micrographs, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. Shape, size, and distribution of precipitates in weld zones, and strength and ductility of welds were seen to directly correlate with peak temperatures in weld nugget and heat affected zones, independent of sheet thickness. In addition, fluctuations in measured temperature profiles, for 3 mm sheets, were seen to correlate with an increase in scatter of weld nugget zone properties for 3 mm sheets. Optimal weld strength and ductility were obtained for peak weld nugget zone temperatures of around 450 °C and corresponding peak heat affected zone temperatures of around 360–380 °C. Results obtained suggest that, at least for naturally aged aluminium alloys, nature of temperature evolution and magnitudes of peak temperatures in weld nugget and heat affected zones provide information on uniformity of properties in weld zones, overaging of heat affected zones, and formation of tunnel defects from improper material mixing at low weld zone temperatures

The influence of floc size and hydraulic detention time on the performance of a dissolved air flotation (DAF) pilot unit in the light of a mathematical model.

Science.gov (United States)

Moruzzi, R B; Reali, M A P

2014-12-01

The influence of floc size and hydraulic detention time on the performance of a dissolved air flotation (DAF) pilot unit was investigated in the light of a known mathematical model. The following design and operational parameters were considered: the hydraulic detention time (tdcz) and hydraulic loading rate in the contact zone, the down-flow loading rate in the clarification zone, the particle size distribution (d F), and the recirculation rate (p). As a reference for DAF performance analysis, the proposed β.td parameter from the above mentioned mathematical model was employed. The results indicated that tdcz is an important factor in DAF performance and that d F and floc size are also determinants of DAF efficiency. Further, β.td was sensitive to both design and operational parameters, which were varied in the DAF pilot plant. The performance of the DAF unit decreases with increasing β.td values because a higher td (considering a fixed β) or a higher β (e.g., higher hydrophobicity of the flocs for a fixed td) would be necessary in the reaction zone to reach desired flotation efficiency.

Size of Specially Protected Forest Sites for Raptors: What Size of These Sites Should be for Protect the Raptor’s Breeding Territories?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igor V. Karyakin

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the influence of various types of felling on the occupation of breeding territories by different species of raptors mainly in the Altai Territory forests. Responses of birds of prey to the disturbance factor are also analyzed. Flight initiation distance is determined for each species. A review of international and Russian experience of buffer zones and specially protected forest areas (SPFA around nests of raptors was made. On this basis, the article presents the sizes of specially protected forest areas, thus it is possible to preserve breeding territories of different birds of prey species.

Phytochemical analysis of Binahong (Anredera Cordifolia) leaves extract to inhibit In Vitro growth of Aeromonas Hydrophila

Science.gov (United States)

Basyuni, Mohammad; Ginting, Prita Yulianti Anasta Br; Lesmana, Indra

2017-11-01

Binahong (Anredera cordifolia) is one of the medicinal plants commonly used to treat the disease of living organisms. The secondary metabolite of A. cordifolia leaves has been shown antibacterial activity. This study aimed to investigate the secondary metabolite of A. cordifolia leaves showing antibacterial and analysis the effectiveness of antibacterial to inhibit the growth of bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila. A paper disc soaked in a solution of A. cordifolia leaves extract was used to test in vitro at a concentration of 0% (w/v), 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and positive control of antibiotic (oxytetracycline), respectively. The extracts then placed on a tryptone soy agar (TSA) medium containing bacteria A. hydrophila and incubated at 37 °C for 24 hours. In vitro test showed that A. cordifolia leaves extract inhibited the growth of bacteria A. hydrophila with an inhibition area around the paper disc. The inhibition growth of A. hydrophila increased with the increasing of extract concentration. Bacterial growth was inhibited in the diameter zone of A. hydrophila under different levels of the extracts were 0 mm (0 % negative control), 8.4 mm (0.2 %), 9.4 mm (0.4 %), 10.5 mm (0.6 %), 11.9 mm (0.8 %), 27.5 mm (positive control), respectively. Phytochemical screening of A. cordifolia leaves extract indicated that the extracts contained flavonoid, phenol, saponin, alkaloid, triterpenoid, and β-sitosterol. Our in vitro study demonstrated the inhibition growth of A. hydrophila that caused the disease of motile Aeromonas septicemia (MAS).

Human Occipital and Parietal GABA Selectively Influence Visual Perception of Orientation and Size.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Chen; Sandberg, Kristian; Andersen, Lau Møller; Blicher, Jakob Udby; Rees, Geraint

2017-09-13

GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in human brain. The level of GABA varies substantially across individuals, and this variability is associated with interindividual differences in visual perception. However, it remains unclear whether the association between GABA level and visual perception reflects a general influence of visual inhibition or whether the GABA levels of different cortical regions selectively influence perception of different visual features. To address this, we studied how the GABA levels of parietal and occipital cortices related to interindividual differences in size, orientation, and brightness perception. We used visual contextual illusion as a perceptual assay since the illusion dissociates perceptual content from stimulus content and the magnitude of the illusion reflects the effect of visual inhibition. Across individuals, we observed selective correlations between the level of GABA and the magnitude of contextual illusion. Specifically, parietal GABA level correlated with size illusion magnitude but not with orientation or brightness illusion magnitude; in contrast, occipital GABA level correlated with orientation illusion magnitude but not with size or brightness illusion magnitude. Our findings reveal a region- and feature-dependent influence of GABA level on human visual perception. Parietal and occipital cortices contain, respectively, topographic maps of size and orientation preference in which neural responses to stimulus sizes and stimulus orientations are modulated by intraregional lateral connections. We propose that these lateral connections may underlie the selective influence of GABA on visual perception. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT GABA, the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in human visual system, varies substantially across individuals. This interindividual variability in GABA level is linked to interindividual differences in many aspects of visual perception. However, the widespread influence of GABA raises the

Human Occipital and Parietal GABA Selectively Influence Visual Perception of Orientation and Size

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Lau Møller; Blicher, Jakob Udby

2017-01-01

GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in human brain. The level of GABA varies substantially across individuals, and this variability is associated with interindividual differences in visual perception. However, it remains unclear whether the association between GABA level and visual perception reflects a general influence of visual inhibition or whether the GABA levels of different cortical regions selectively influence perception of different visual features. To address this, we studied how the GABA levels of parietal and occipital cortices related to interindividual differences in size, orientation, and brightness perception. We used visual contextual illusion as a perceptual assay since the illusion dissociates perceptual content from stimulus content and the magnitude of the illusion reflects the effect of visual inhibition. Across individuals, we observed selective correlations between the level of GABA and the magnitude of contextual illusion. Specifically, parietal GABA level correlated with size illusion magnitude but not with orientation or brightness illusion magnitude; in contrast, occipital GABA level correlated with orientation illusion magnitude but not with size or brightness illusion magnitude. Our findings reveal a region- and feature-dependent influence of GABA level on human visual perception. Parietal and occipital cortices contain, respectively, topographic maps of size and orientation preference in which neural responses to stimulus sizes and stimulus orientations are modulated by intraregional lateral connections. We propose that these lateral connections may underlie the selective influence of GABA on visual perception. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT GABA, the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in human visual system, varies substantially across individuals. This interindividual variability in GABA level is linked to interindividual differences in many aspects of visual perception. However, the widespread influence of GABA raises the

33 CFR 2.30 - Exclusive Economic Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Exclusive Economic Zone. 2.30... JURISDICTION Jurisdictional Terms § 2.30 Exclusive Economic Zone. (a) With respect to the United States... States exercises sovereignty, exclusive economic zone means the zone seaward of and adjacent to the...

Passive Rocket Diffuser Theory: A Re-Examination of Minimum Second Throat Size

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Daniel R.

2016-01-01

Second-throat diffusers serve to isolate rocket engines from the effects of ambient back pressure during testing without using active control systems. Among the most critical design parameters is the relative area of the diffuser throat to that of the nozzle throat. A smaller second throat is generally desirable because it decreases the stagnation-to-ambient pressure ratio the diffuser requires for nominal operation. There is a limit, however. Below a certain size, the second throat can cause pressure buildup within the diffuser and prevent it from reaching the start condition that protects the nozzle from side-load damage. This paper presents a method for improved estimation of the minimum second throat area which enables diffuser start. The new 3-zone model uses traditional quasi-one-dimensional compressible flow theory to approximate the structure of two distinct diffuser flow fields observed in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and combines them to provide a less-conservative estimate of the second throat size limit. It is unique among second throat sizing methods in that it accounts for all major conical nozzle and second throat diffuser design parameters within its limits of application. The performance of the 3-zone method is compared to the historical normal shock and force balance methods, and verified against a large number of CFD simulations at specific heat ratios of 1.4 and 1.25. Validation is left as future work, and the model is currently intended to function only as a first-order design tool.

Realization of the Zone Length Measurement during Zone Refining Process via Implementation of an Infrared Camera

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo C. Curtolo

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Zone refining, as the currently most common industrial process to attain ultrapure metals, is influenced by a variety of factors. One of these parameters, the so-called “zone length”, affects not only the ultimate concentration distribution of impurities, but also the rate at which this distribution is approached. This important parameter has however neither been investigated experimentally, nor ever varied for the purpose of optimization. This lack of detections may be due to the difficult temperature measurement of a moving molten area in a vacuum system, of which the zone refining methodology is comprised. Up to now, numerical simulation as a combination of complex mathematical calculations, as well as many assumptions has been the only way to reveal it. This paper aims to propose an experimental method to accurately measure the molten zone length and to extract helpful information on the thermal gradient, temperature profile and real growth rate in the zone refining of an exemplary metal, in this case aluminum. This thermographic method is based on the measurement of the molten surface temperature via an infrared camera, as well as further data analysis through the mathematical software MATLAB. The obtained results show great correlation with the visual observations of zone length and provide helpful information to determine the thermal gradient and real growth rate during the whole process. The investigations in this paper approved the application of an infrared camera for this purpose as a promising technique to automatically control the zone length during a zone refining process.

VT Data - Zoning 20070306, Marlboro

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — Zoning districts, Marlboro, Vermont. Surface water buffer overlay is in a separate shapefile. Data were originally created by WRC in 2005. Marlboro's zoning bylaw...

Multichannel imager for littoral zone characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Podobna, Yuliya; Schoonmaker, Jon; Dirbas, Joe; Sofianos, James; Boucher, Cynthia; Gilbert, Gary

2010-04-01

This paper describes an approach to utilize a multi-channel, multi-spectral electro-optic (EO) system for littoral zone characterization. Advanced Coherent Technologies, LLC (ACT) presents their EO sensor systems for the surf zone environmental assessment and potential surf zone target detection. Specifically, an approach is presented to determine a Surf Zone Index (SZI) from the multi-spectral EO sensor system. SZI provides a single quantitative value of the surf zone conditions delivering an immediate understanding of the area and an assessment as to how well an airborne optical system might perform in a mine countermeasures (MCM) operation. Utilizing consecutive frames of SZI images, ACT is able to measure variability over time. A surf zone nomograph, which incorporates targets, sensor, and environmental data, including the SZI to determine the environmental impact on system performance, is reviewed in this work. ACT's electro-optical multi-channel, multi-spectral imaging system and test results are presented and discussed.

The fracture zone project - final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, Peter

1993-09-01

This report summarizes the work and the experiences gained during the fracture zone project at the Finnsjoen study site. The project is probably the biggest effort, so far, to characterize a major fracture zone in crystalline bedrock. The project was running between 1984-1990 involving a large number of geological, geohydrological, geochemical, and geomechanical investigation. The methods used for identification and characterization are reviewed and discussed in terms of applicability and possible improvements for future investigations. The discussion is exemplified with results from the investigation within the project. Flow and transport properties of the zone determined from hydraulic tests and tracer tests are discussed. A large number of numerical modelling efforts performed within the fracture zone project, the INTRAVAL project, and the SKB91-study are summarized and reviewed. Finally, occurrence of similar zones and the relevance of major low angle fracture zones in connection to the siting of an underground repository is addressed

Do "Some" Enterprise Zones Create Jobs?

Science.gov (United States)

Kolko, Jed; Neumark, David

2010-01-01

We study how the employment effects of enterprise zones vary with their location, implementation, and administration, based on evidence from California. We use new establishment-level data and geographic mapping methods, coupled with a survey of enterprise zone administrators. Overall, the evidence indicates that enterprise zones do not increase…

The role of grain size in He bubble formation: Implications for swelling resistance

Science.gov (United States)

El-Atwani, O.; Nathaniel, J. E.; Leff, A. C.; Muntifering, B. R.; Baldwin, J. K.; Hattar, K.; Taheri, M. L.

2017-02-01

Nanocrystalline metals are postulated as radiation resistant materials due to their high defect and particle (e.g. Helium) sink density. Here, the performance of nanocrystalline iron films is investigated in-situ in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) using He irradiation at 700 K. Automated crystal orientation mapping is used in concert with in-situ TEM to explore the role of grain orientation and grain boundary character on bubble density trends. Bubble density as a function of three key grain size regimes is demonstrated. While the overall trend revealed an increase in bubble density up to a saturation value, grains with areas ranging from 3000 to 7500 nm2 show a scattered distribution. An extrapolated swelling resistance based on bubble size and areal density indicated that grains with sizes less than 2000 nm2 possess the greatest apparent resistance. Moreover, denuded zones are found to be independent of grain size, grain orientation, and grain boundary misorientation angle.

The role of grain size in He bubble formation: Implications for swelling resistance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Atwani, O., E-mail: oelatwan25@gmail.com [Drexel University, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Nathaniel, J.E.; Leff, A.C. [Drexel University, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Muntifering, B.R. [Department of Radiation Solid Interactions, Sandia National Laboratories, NM (United States); Baldwin, J.K. [Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hattar, K. [Department of Radiation Solid Interactions, Sandia National Laboratories, NM (United States); Taheri, M.L. [Drexel University, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2017-02-15

Nanocrystalline metals are postulated as radiation resistant materials due to their high defect and particle (e.g. Helium) sink density. Here, the performance of nanocrystalline iron films is investigated in-situ in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) using He irradiation at 700 K. Automated crystal orientation mapping is used in concert with in-situ TEM to explore the role of grain orientation and grain boundary character on bubble density trends. Bubble density as a function of three key grain size regimes is demonstrated. While the overall trend revealed an increase in bubble density up to a saturation value, grains with areas ranging from 3000 to 7500 nm{sup 2} show a scattered distribution. An extrapolated swelling resistance based on bubble size and areal density indicated that grains with sizes less than 2000 nm{sup 2} possess the greatest apparent resistance. Moreover, denuded zones are found to be independent of grain size, grain orientation, and grain boundary misorientation angle.

SEMIAUTOMATIC DETECTION OF TUMORAL ZONE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ezzeddine Zagrouba

2011-05-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a robust method based on the cooperation of fuzzy classification and regions segmentation algorithms, in order to detect the tumoral zone in the brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI. On one hand, the classification in fuzzy sets is done by the Fuzzy C-Means algorithm (FCM, where a study of its different parameters and its complexity has been previously realised, which led us to improve it. On the other hand, the segmentation in regions is obtained by an hierarchical method through adaptive thresholding. Then, an operator expert selects a germ in the tumoral zone, and the class containing the sick zone is localised in return for the FCM algorithm. Finally, the superposition of the two partitions of the image will determine the sick zone. The originality of our approach is the parallel exploitation of different types of information in the image by the cooperation of two complementary approaches. This allows us to carry out a pertinent approach for the detection of sick zone in MRI images.

How rice roots form their surrounding: Distinctive sub-zones of oxides, silicates and organic matter

Science.gov (United States)

Koelbl, Angelika; Mueller, Carsten; Hoeschen, Carmen; Lugmeier, Johann; Said-Pullicino, Daniel; Romani, Marco; Koegel-Knabner, Ingrid

2016-04-01

mineral particles (e.g. oxides, clay minerals). Beside single 40 x 40 μm sized spots, mosaics of 20 x 20 μm sized images were combined to investigate the region from the surface of the root channels into the soil matrix. The image data of all detected secondary ions was analysed using line scans and designation of regions of interest (ROI) to evaluate relative occurrences and spatial distributions. The results revealed that the oxic zone around rice roots can be subdivided in distinctive sub-zones. We identified a distinctive zone of approx. 20 μm around the root channels, where exclusively oxide-associated organic matter occurred. This zone can be clearly distinguished from a clay mineral-dominated zone. In addition, oxide-incrusted root cells revealed coexisting regions of Fe (hydr)oxides and Al-organic complexes.

Splenic marginal zone lymphoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Piris, Miguel A; Onaindía, Arantza; Mollejo, Manuela

Splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) is an indolent small B-cell lymphoma involving the spleen and bone marrow characterized by a micronodular tumoral infiltration that replaces the preexisting lymphoid follicles and shows marginal zone differentiation as a distinctive finding. SMZL cases are characterized by prominent splenomegaly and bone marrow and peripheral blood infiltration. Cells in peripheral blood show a villous cytology. Bone marrow and peripheral blood characteristic features usually allow a diagnosis of SMZL to be performed. Mutational spectrum of SMZL identifies specific findings, such as 7q loss and NOTCH2 and KLF2 mutations, both genes related with marginal zone differentiation. There is a striking clinical variability in SMZL cases, dependent of the tumoral load and performance status. Specific molecular markers such as 7q loss, p53 loss/mutation, NOTCH2 and KLF2 mutations have been found to be associated with the clinical variability. Distinction from Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis with marginal zone phenotype is still an open issue that requires identification of precise and specific thresholds with clinical meaning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cornell Mixing Zone Expert System

Science.gov (United States)

This page provides an overview Cornell Mixing Zone Expert System water quality modeling and decision support system designed for environmental impact assessment of mixing zones resulting from wastewater discharge from point sources

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 10 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Sarigan Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (10 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard NOAA...

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 10 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Maug Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (10 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard NOAA...

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 10 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Asuncion Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (10 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry collected aboard NOAA...

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 5 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Rota Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (5 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard NOAA...

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 10 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Agrihan Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (10 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard NOAA...

Lower fecundity in parthenogenetic geckos than sexual relatives in the Australian arid zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Kearney, M; Shine, R

2005-05-01

Theoretical models of the advantage of sexual reproduction typically assume that reproductive output is equal in sexual and parthenogenetic females. We tested this assumption by comparing fecundity between parthenogenetic and sexual races of gekkonid lizards in the Heteronotia binoei complex, collected across a 1200 km latitudinal gradient through the Australian arid zone. Under laboratory conditions, parthenogenetic geckos had approximately 30% lower fecundity when compared with their sexual progenitors, irrespective of body size. Reflecting clutch-size constraints in gekkonids, this fecundity difference was mainly because of fewer clutches over a shorter period. When parthenogens were compared more broadly with all coexisting sexual races across the latitudinal gradient, parthenogens had lower fecundity than sexuals only when corrected for body size. Differences in fecundity between parthenogens and coexisting sexual races depended on which sexual race was considered. There was no significant relationship between fecundity and parasite (mite) load, despite significantly higher mite loads in parthenogens than in sexual races.

Reproductive biology of the female Jonah crab from the Maryland-Virginia Coastal Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, H.; Stevens, B. G.

2016-02-01

Jonah crabs, Cancer borealis, have long been considered a bycatch of the lobster industry. Jonah crab harvest is not regulated, there are no fishing size limits, nor restrictions to protect females. The study sampled Jonah crabs from one area in the Maryland-Virginia coastal zone from a local fishing vessel in June and July of 2015. This study is based on examination of the gross anatomy of 49 crabs and on histological preparations from 29 crabs. Ovary development stages were created and ordered based on area of oocytes, color and size of ovary, and the presence of sperm plugs. Four stages were observed but five are identifiable. Size at 50% sexual maturity (SM50), for females, as indicated by vulvar condition and oocyte area, was estimated to be 49.46 mm carapace length (CL). No prior information or study has been published concerning female Jonah crabs. This fishery-independent data is vital to ensure long-term sustainability, and develop appropriate management for this species.

Drug-Free School Zones: Taking Charge.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Carol F.

Information for planning and implementing drug-free school zones within a broader school-community prevention and intervention program is provided in this guidebook. The first section provides background information on drug-free school zone legislation and common elements of drug-free school zones. The risk and protective factors for alcohol and…

Nuclear-weapon-free zones: Pursuing security, region by region. Conference of States Parties and Signatories of treaties that establish nuclear-weapon-free zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ElBaradei, M.

2005-01-01

The development of nuclear-weapon-free zones, over the past four decades, is a testament to what nations can do, region by region, to achieve common security objectives. In fact, when considering the history of nuclear non-proliferation efforts, it might be said that here in Mexico City is w here it all began . The 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco was the first multilateral treaty to establish a region free of nuclear weapons and a requirement for comprehensive IAEA safeguards for its parties - and clearly gave impetus to the conclusion of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Nuclear-weapon-free zones provide tangible security benefits. They help to reassure the larger international community of the peaceful nuclear intentions of countries in these regions. They provide their members with security assurances against the use, or threat of use, of nuclear weapons by a nuclear-weapon State. They include control mechanisms for dealing with non-compliance in a regional setting. And in all cases, they prohibit the development, stationing or testing of nuclear weapons in their respective regions. An important benefit of these zones is that they open a forum for expanded regional dialogue on issues of security. Because the causes of insecurity vary from region to region, security solutions do not come in a 'one-size-fits-all' package. It is for this reason that regional dialogues, as we see in the nuclear-weapon-free zones, are so beneficial. It is clear that such treaties, and such security dialogues, would be invaluable in other areas of the world, such as the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula. Since the end of the Cold War, the international security landscape has undergone dramatic changes. For example, the rise in terrorism, the discovery of clandestine nuclear programmes, and the emergence of covert nuclear procurement networks have heightened our awareness of vulnerabilities in the nuclear non-proliferation regime. This statement focuses on two issues

The ecology of white-handed and pileated gibbons in a zone of overlap and hybridization in Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Asensio, Norberto; José-Domínguez, Juan Manuel; Kongrit, Chalita; Brockelman, Warren Y

2017-08-01

The study of related species in contact zones can elucidate what factors mediate species coexistence and geographical distributions. We investigated niche overlap and group interactions of two gibbon species and their hybrids co-occurring in a zone of overlap and hybridization. The location, composition and behavior of white-handed, pileated, and mixed-species gibbon groups were studied by following them during 31 consecutive months in a relatively large part of the contact zone. Twenty groups of white-handed gibbon were mapped followed by nine groups of pileated gibbons and five mixed-species groups. White-handed, pileated and mixed-species groups had similar sizes and composition, ate a high proportion of fruits, shared a large number of species in their diets, and presented similar habitat preferences. Group home range sizes did not differ between species and overlapped little with neighboring groups irrespective of species, and intraspecific and interspecific encounter rates were similar. Ecological similarities support that competition between the gibbon species exists and takes the form of interspecific territoriality. However, we could not find any clear mechanism of niche partitioning favoring coexistence between species. Our findings suggest that the contact zone is unstable and is maintained by dispersal inward from groups of the parental species. The relatively low numbers of mixed-species groups and hybrids found suggests a high degree of premating reproductive isolation, perhaps mediated by interspecific miscommunication. The existence of hybrids and backcrosses potentially undetectable from phenotypic characters alone raises the possibility of more widespread introgression than has been evident. Hence, while interspecific territoriality should reduce the rate of gene transfer, it would not necessarily present a barrier to introgression into contiguous populations of the opposite species. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

State Enterprise Zone Programs: Have They Worked?

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Alan H.; Fisher, Peter S.

The effectiveness of state enterprise zone programs was examined by using a hypothetical-firm model called the Tax and Incentives Model-Enterprise Zones (TAIM-ez) model to analyze the value of enterprise zone incentives to businesses across the United States and especially in the 13 states that had substantial enterprise zone programs by 1990. The…

Dead zone characteristics of a gas counter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nohtomi, Akihiro; Sakae, Takeji; Matoba, Masaru; Koori, Norihiko.

1990-01-01

The dead zone was recently defined as the product of dead length and dead time in order to describe the characteristics of the self-quenching streamer (SQS) mode of a gas counter. Investigation of the dead zone characteristics has been extended for the proportional and GM modes, and the measured dead zone has been compared with that of the SQS mode. Accurate values for the dead zone could be determined by means of a newly developed method with a pulse interval time to amplitude converter. Each operation mode indicates distinct dead zone characteristics. Properties of gas counters for high counting rates may be improved on the basis of measurements of the dead zone. (author)

Street Prostitution Zones and Crime

OpenAIRE

Bisschop, Paul; Kastoryano, Stephen; van der Klaauw, Bas

2015-01-01

This paper studies the effects of introducing legal street prostitution zones on both registered and perceived crime. We exploit a unique setting in the Netherlands where legal street prostitution zones were opened in nine cities under different regulation systems. We provide evidence that the opening of these zones was not in response to changes in crime. Our difference-in-difference analysis using data on the largest 25 Dutch cities between 1994 and 2011 shows that opening a legal street pr...

Underwater Leidenfrost nanochemistry for creation of size-tailored zinc peroxide cancer nanotherapeutics

Science.gov (United States)

Elbahri, Mady; Abdelaziz, Ramzy; Disci-Zayed, Duygu; Homaeigohar, Shahin; Sosna, Justyna; Adam, Dieter; Kienle, Lorenz; Dankwort, Torben; Abdelaziz, Moheb

2017-05-01

The dynamic underwater chemistry seen in nature is inspiring for the next generation of eco-friendly nanochemistry. In this context, green synthesis of size-tailored nanoparticles in a facile and scalable manner via a dynamic process is an interesting challenge. Simulating the volcano-induced dynamic chemistry of the deep ocean, here we demonstrate the Leidenfrost dynamic chemistry occurring in an underwater overheated confined zone as a new tool for customized creation of nanoclusters of zinc peroxide. The hydrodynamic nature of the phenomenon ensures eruption of the nanoclusters towards a much colder region, giving rise to growth of monodisperse, size-tailored nanoclusters. Such nanoparticles are investigated in terms of their cytotoxicity on suspension and adherent cells to prove their applicability as cancer nanotherapeutics. Our research can pave the way for employment of the dynamic green nanochemistry in facile, scalable fabrication of size-tailored nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

76 FR 3014 - Security Zone; Protection of Military Cargo, Captain of the Port Zone Puget Sound, WA

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-19

... Coast Guard will enforce the Blair Waterway security zone in Commencement Bay, WA for protection of... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 165 [Docket No. USCG-2011-0015] Security Zone; Protection of Military Cargo, Captain of the Port Zone Puget Sound, WA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS...

An Electron-Beam Profile Monitor Using Fresnel Zone Plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Norio; Sakai, Hiroshi; Iida, Kensuke; Shinoe, Kenji; Takaki, Hiroyuki; Fujisawa, Masami; Hayano, Hitoshi; Muto, Toshiya; Nomura, Masaharu; Kamiya, Yukihide; Koseki, Tadashi; Amemiya, Yoshiyuki; Aoki, Nobutada; Nakayama, Koichi

2004-01-01

We have developed a beam profile monitor using two Fresnel zone plates (FZPs) at the KEK-ATF (Accelerator Test Facility) damping ring to measure small electron-beam sizes for low-emittance synchrotron radiation sources. The monitor has a structure of an X-ray microscope, where two FZPs constitute an X-ray imaging optics. In the monitor system, the synchrotron radiation from the electron beam at the bending magnet is monochromatized to 3.235-keV X-rays by a crystal monochromator and the transverse electron-beam image is twenty-times magnified by the two FZPs and detected on an X-ray CCD camera. This monitor has the following advantages: (1) high spatial resolution, (2) non-destructive measurement, (3) real-time monitoring, and (4) direct electron-beam imaging. With the beam profile monitor, we have succeeded in obtaining a clear electron-beam image and measuring the extremely small beam size less than 10 μm. The measured magnification of the imaging optics was in good agreement with the design value

Permeability-Porosity Relationships of Subduction Zone Sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Gamage, K.; Screaton, E.; Bekins, B.; Aiello, I.

2008-12-01

Permeability-porosity relationships for sediments from Northern Barbados, Costa Rica, Nankai, and Peru subduction zones were examined based on their sediment type and grain size distribution. Greater correlation was observed between permeability and porosity for siliciclastic sediments, diatom oozes, and nannofossil chalk than for nannofossil oozes. For siliciclastic sediments, grouping of sediments by clay content yields relationships that are generally consistent with results from other marine settings and suggest decreasing permeability for a given porosity as clay content increases. Correction of measured porosities for smectite content generally improves the quality of permeability-porosity relationships. The relationship between permeability and porosity for diatom oozes may be controlled by the amount of clay present in the ooze, causing diatom oozes to behave similarly to siliciclastic sediments. For a given porosity the nannofossil oozes have higher permeability values by 1.5 orders of magnitude than the siliciclastic sediments. However, the use of a permeability-porosity relation may not be appropriate for unconsolidated carbonates such as nannofossil oozes. This study provided insight to the effects of porosity correction for smectite, variations in lithology and grain size in permeability-porosity relationships. However, further progress in delineating controls on permeability will require more careful and better documented permeability tests on characterized samples.

Radiation danger of exclusion zone objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kholosha, V.I.; Proskura, N.I.; Ivanov, Yu.A.; Kazakov, S.V.; Arkhipov, A.N.

2001-01-01

The analysis of radiation danger of the Exclusion Zone objects was made. Here, the Zone is defined as the territory from which the population has been evacuated in 1986 owing to the Chernobyl accident and possible outflow of the contaminated substances out of the borders is potentially dangerous to the Ukraine. In the present work were analyzed such problems as sources of radiation danger in the Zone, ways of radionuclide migration out of the borders of the Zone in normal and emergency situations, the non-radiation (ecological) danger factors of the Zone objects, doses (individual and collective) from various sources and on separate ways of their formation, and the characteristics of radiation danger of the Zone objects. The conclusions are: (1) Radionuclide flows both from technologic and natural sources exceed those from Shelter objects, (2) Under emergency conditions, radionuclide flows and doze loading remain comparable with those from emergency sources, (3) To solve some management tasks in radiation situation, the basic works on the Shelter objects should be oriented to decrease probability of emergency occurrence and to reduce radiation influence (prevention wash-outs during high waters, fire-prevention measures in forests and strengthening of the control behind non-authorized use of objects in the Zone). (S. Ohno)

76 FR 9646 - Quarterly Listings; Safety Zones, Security Zones, Special Local Regulations, Drawbridge Operation...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-22

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Parts 100, 117, 147, and 165 [USCG-2010-0399] Quarterly Listings; Safety Zones, Security Zones, Special Local Regulations, Drawbridge Operation Regulations and Regulated Navigation Areas AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of expired temporary rules...

Tracing the influence of the Trans-European Suture Zone into the mantle transition zone

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Knapmeyer-Endrun, B.; Krüger, F.; Legendre, C. P.; Geissler, W.H.; Plomerová, Jaroslava; Babuška, Vladislav; Gaždová, Renata; Jedlička, Petr; Kolínský, Petr; Málek, Jiří; Novotný, Oldřich; Růžek, Bohuslav

2013-01-01

Roč. 363, FEB 1 (2013), s. 73-87 ISSN 0012-821X Institutional support: RVO:67985530 ; RVO:67985891 Keywords : mantle transition zone * Trans-European Suture Zone * East European Craton Subject RIV: DC - Siesmology, Volcanology, Earth Structure Impact factor: 4.724, year: 2013

Factors affecting ground-water exchange and catchment size for Florida lakes in mantled karst terrain

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Terrie Mackin

2002-01-01

In the mantled karst terrain of Florida, the size of the catchment delivering ground-water inflow to lakes is often considerably smaller than the topographically defined drainage basin. The size is determined by a balance of factors that act individually to enhance or diminish the hydraulic connection between the lake and the adjacent surficial aquifer, as well as the hydraulic connection between the surficial aquifer and the deeper limestone aquifer. Factors affecting ground-water exchange and the size of the ground-water catchment for lakes in mantled karst terrain were examined by: (1) reviewing the physical and hydrogeological characteristics of 14 Florida lake basins with available ground-water inflow estimates, and (2) simulating ground-water flow in hypothetical lake basins. Variably-saturated flow modeling was used to simulate a range of physical and hydrogeologic factors observed at the 14 lake basins. These factors included: recharge rate to the surficial aquifer, thickness of the unsaturated zone, size of the topographically defined basin, depth of the lake, thickness of the surficial aquifer, hydraulic conductivity of the geologic units, the location and size of karst subsidence features beneath and onshore of the lake, and the head in the Upper Floridan aquifer. Catchment size and the magnitude of ground-water inflow increased with increases in recharge rate to the surficial aquifer, the size of the topographically defined basin, hydraulic conductivity in the surficial aquifer, the degree of confinement of the deeper Upper Floridan aquifer, and the head in the Upper Floridan aquifer. The catchment size and magnitude of ground-water inflow increased with decreases in the number and size of karst subsidence features in the basin, and the thickness of the unsaturated zone near the lake. Model results, although qualitative, provided insights into: (1) the types of lake basins in mantled karst terrain that have the potential to generate small and large

VT Data - Zoning Stream Buffers 20081014, Hartford

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — OVERLAY DISTRICT. Models a municipality’s zoning zones and related information. Final boundary determinations must be obtained from the town Zoning Administrator....

Bathymetric Position Index (BPI) Zones 5 m grid derived from gridded bathymetry of Ofu and Olosega Islands, Territory of American Samoa, USA.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — BPI Zones are derived from a focal mean analysis on bathymetry and slope. The grid is based on gridded (5 m cell size) multibeam bathymetry, collected aboard R/V...

Grain-size variations on a longitudinal dune and a barchan dune

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Andrew

1986-01-01

The grain-size characteristics of the sand upon two dunes—a 40 m high longitudinal dune in the central Namib Desert and a 6.0 m high barchan in the Jafurah sand sea of Saudi Arabia—vary with position on the dunes. On the longitudinal dune, median grain size decreases, sorting improves and the grain-size distributions are less skewed and more normalized toward the crest. Though sand at the windward toe is distinct, elsewhere on the dune the changes in grain-size characteristics are gradual. An abrupt change in grain size and sorting near the crest—as described by Bagnold (1941, pp. 226-229)—is not well represented on this dune. Coarse grains remain as a lag on concave slope units and small particles are winnowed from the sand on the steepest windward slopes near the crest. Avalanching down slipfaces at the crest acts only as a supplementary grading mechanism. On the barchan dune median grain size also decreases near the crest, but sorting becomes poorer, though the grain-size distributions are more symmetric and more normalized. The dune profile is a Gaussian curve with a broad convex zone at the apex upon which topset beds had accreted prior to sampling. Grain size increases and sorting improves down the dune's slipface. However, this grading mechanism does not influence sand on the whole dune because variations in wind regime bring about different modes of dune accretion. On both dunes, height and morphology appear to influence significantly the grain-size characteristics.

The pressure-induced, lactose-dependent changes in the composition and size of casein micelles.