Pigment variations in Emiliania huxleyi (CCMP370) as a response to changes in light intensity or quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Garrido, José L; Brunet, Christophe; Rodríguez, Francisco

2016-12-01

Many studies on photoacclimation examine the pigment responses to changes in light intensity, but variations in light climate in the aquatic environment are also related to changes in spectral composition. We have employed a high-performance liquid chromatography method with improved resolution towards chlorophyll c and fucoxanthin-related xanthophylls to examine the pigment composition of Emiliania huxleyi CCMP 370 under different light intensities and spectral qualities. To maintain its photosynthetic performance, E. huxleyi CCMP370 promotes drastic pigment changes that can be either the interconversion of pigments in pools with the same basic chromophoric structure (Fucoxanthin type or chlorophyll c type), or the ex novo synthesis (Diatoxanthin). These changes are linked either to variations in light quality (Fucoxanthin related xanthophylls) or in light intensity (chlorophyll c 3 /Monovinyl chlorophyll c 3 , Diadinoxanthin/Diatoxanthin, β,ɛ-carotene/ β,β-carotene). Fucoxanthin and 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin proportions were highly dependent on spectral conditions. Whereas Fucoxanthin dominated in green and red light, 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin prevailed under blue spectral conditions. Our results suggest that the huge pigment diversity enhanced the photoacclimative capacities of E. huxleyi to efficiently perform under changing light environments. The ubiquity and success in the global ocean as well as the capacity of E. huxleyi to form large surface blooms might be associated to the plasticity described here. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

EXTINCTION AND POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON INTENSITY VARIATIONS ACROSS THE H II REGION IRAS 12063-6259

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stock, D. J.; Peeters, E.; Otaguro, J. N. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7 (Canada); Tielens, A. G. G. M. [Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, NL-2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Bik, A. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie, Koenigstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)

2013-07-01

The spatial variations in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) band intensities are normally attributed to the physical conditions of the emitting PAHs, however in recent years it has been suggested that such variations are caused mainly by extinction. To resolve this question, we have obtained near-infrared (NIR), mid-infrared (MIR), and radio observations of the compact H II region IRAS 12063-6259. We use these data to construct multiple independent extinction maps and also to measure the main PAH features (6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.2 {mu}m) in the MIR. Three extinction maps are derived: the first using the NIR hydrogen lines and case B recombination theory; the second combining the NIR data with radio data; and the third making use of the Spitzer/IRS MIR observations to measure the 9.8 {mu}m silicate absorption feature using the Spoon method and PAHFIT (as the depth of this feature can be related to overall extinction). The silicate absorption over the bright, southern component of IRAS 12063-6259 is almost absent while the other methods find significant extinction. While such breakdowns of the relationship between the NIR extinction and the 9.8 {mu}m absorption have been observed in molecular clouds, they have never been observed for H II regions. We then compare the PAH intensity variations in the Spitzer/IRS data after dereddening to those found in the original data. It was found that in most cases, the PAH band intensity variations persist even after dereddening, implying that extinction is not the main cause of the PAH band intensity variations.

Effect of variations in rainfall intensity on slope stability in Singapore

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Christofer Kristo

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Numerous scientific evidence has given credence to the true existence and deleterious impacts of climate change. One aspect of climate change is the variations in rainfall patterns, which affect the flux boundary condition across ground surface. A possible disastrous consequence of this change is the occurrence of rainfall-induced slope failures. This paper aims to investigate the variations in rainfall patterns in Singapore and its effect on slope stability. Singapore's historical rainfall data from Seletar and Paya Lebar weather stations for the period of 1985–2009 were obtained and analysed by duration using linear regression. A general increasing trend was observed in both weather stations, with a possible shift to longer duration rainfall events, despite being statistically insignificant according to the Mann-Kendall test. Using the derived trends, projected rainfall intensities in 2050 and 2100 were used in the seepage and slope stability analyses performed on a typical residual soil slope in Singapore. A significant reduction in factor of safety was observed in the next 50 years, with only a marginal decrease in factor of safety in the subsequent 50 years. This indicates a possible detrimental effect of variations in rainfall patterns on slope stability in Singapore, especially in the next 50 years. The statistical analyses on rainfall data from Seletar and Paya Lebar weather stations for the period of 1985–2009 indicated that rainfall intensity tend to increase over the years, with a possible shift to longer duration rainfall events in the future. The stability analyses showed a significant decrease in factor of safety from 2003 to 2050 due to increase in rainfall intensity, suggesting that a climate change might have existed beyond 2009 with possibly detrimental effects to slope stability. Keywords: Climate change, Rainfall, Seepage, Slope stability

The impact of soil suction variation on earthquake intensity indices

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Biglari Mahnoosh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Soil properties can completely change the ground motion characteristics as they travel from the bedrock to the surface because, soil as a low-pass filter, may amplify or deamplify seismic motions in some frequencies on the wave travelling path. Recent studies about the advanced unsaturated soil mechanics clearly shows that dynamic properties of soils, including small-strain shear modulus (Gmax, shear modulus reduction (G/Gmax, and damping ratio (D curves are affected by changes in the soil suction level. The current study present nonlinear time-dependent analysis of three different unsaturated soils available in the literature with different ranges of nonlinear behaviour that earlier have been studied on unsaturated dynamic models. Since, the earthquake intensity parameters can be used to describe the damage potential of an earthquake, the focus of this paper is to evaluate the impact of the suction variation on the engineering ground motion parameters, including peak values of strong motion, Vmax/Amax, root-mean-square acceleration, Arias intensity, characteristic intensity, cumulative absolute velocity, acceleration spectrum intensity, effective design acceleration, A95 parameter and predominant period separately under the near-field and the far-field seismicity categories.

Colour based fire detection method with temporal intensity variation filtration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trambitckii, K; Musalimov, V; Anding, K; Linß, G

2015-01-01

Development of video, computing technologies and computer vision gives a possibility of automatic fire detection on video information. Under that project different algorithms was implemented to find more efficient way of fire detection. In that article colour based fire detection algorithm is described. But it is not enough to use only colour information to detect fire properly. The main reason of this is that in the shooting conditions may be a lot of things having colour similar to fire. A temporary intensity variation of pixels is used to separate them from the fire. These variations are averaged over the series of several frames. This algorithm shows robust work and was realised as a computer program by using of the OpenCV library

Colour based fire detection method with temporal intensity variation filtration

Science.gov (United States)

Trambitckii, K.; Anding, K.; Musalimov, V.; Linß, G.

2015-02-01

Development of video, computing technologies and computer vision gives a possibility of automatic fire detection on video information. Under that project different algorithms was implemented to find more efficient way of fire detection. In that article colour based fire detection algorithm is described. But it is not enough to use only colour information to detect fire properly. The main reason of this is that in the shooting conditions may be a lot of things having colour similar to fire. A temporary intensity variation of pixels is used to separate them from the fire. These variations are averaged over the series of several frames. This algorithm shows robust work and was realised as a computer program by using of the OpenCV library.

Characterization and potential functional significance of human-chimpanzee large INDEL variation

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Polavarapu Nalini

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although humans and chimpanzees have accumulated significant differences in a number of phenotypic traits since diverging from a common ancestor about six million years ago, their genomes are more than 98.5% identical at protein-coding loci. This modest degree of nucleotide divergence is not sufficient to explain the extensive phenotypic differences between the two species. It has been hypothesized that the genetic basis of the phenotypic differences lies at the level of gene regulation and is associated with the extensive insertion and deletion (INDEL variation between the two species. To test the hypothesis that large INDELs (80 to 12,000 bp may have contributed significantly to differences in gene regulation between the two species, we categorized human-chimpanzee INDEL variation mapping in or around genes and determined whether this variation is significantly correlated with previously determined differences in gene expression. Results Extensive, large INDEL variation exists between the human and chimpanzee genomes. This variation is primarily attributable to retrotransposon insertions within the human lineage. There is a significant correlation between differences in gene expression and large human-chimpanzee INDEL variation mapping in genes or in proximity to them. Conclusions The results presented herein are consistent with the hypothesis that large INDELs, particularly those associated with retrotransposons, have played a significant role in human-chimpanzee regulatory evolution.

Seasonal variation of dystocia in a large Danish cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Rohr Thomsen, Christine; Uldbjerg, Niels; Hvidman, Lone; Atladóttir, Hjördís Ósk; Henriksen, Tine Brink; Milidou, Ioanna

2014-01-01

Dystocia is one of the most frequent causes of cesarean delivery in nulliparous women. Despite this, its causes are largely unknown. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) has been found in the myometrium. Thus, it is possible that vitamin D affects the contractility of the myometrium and may be involved in the pathogenesis of dystocia. Seasonal variation of dystocia in areas with distinct seasonal variation in sunlight exposure, like Denmark, could imply that vitamin D may play a role. This study examined whether there was seasonal variation in the incidence of dystocia in a Danish population. We used information from a cohort of 34,261 nulliparous women with singleton pregnancies, spontaneous onset of labor between 37 and 42 completed gestational weeks, and vertex fetal presentation. All women gave birth between 1992 and 2010 at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby. Logistic regression combined with cubic spline was used to estimate the seasonal variation for each outcome after adjusting for calendar time. No evidence for seasonal variation was found for any of the outcomes: acute cesarean delivery due to dystocia (p = 0.44); instrumental vaginal delivery due to dystocia (p = 0.69); oxytocin augmentation due to dystocia (p = 0.46); and overall dystocia (p = 0.91). No seasonal variation in the incidence of dystocia was observed in a large cohort of Danish women. This may reflect no association between vitamin D and dystocia, or alternatively that other factors with seasonal variation and influence on the occurrence of dystocia attenuate such an association.

Origin of transient cosmic ray intensity variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duggal, S.P.; Pomerantz, M.A.

1977-01-01

A new approach to determining the solar progenitor of transient cosmic ray intensity variations has revealed that in a statistical sense, solar flares, heretofore regarded as the predominant source of the modulation, actually do not precede the reduction in flux observed at earth. Superposed epoch analysis of the cosmic ray data with respect to the time of occurrence of all 379 solar flares of importance (Imp) < or =2 observed during solar cycle 20 (1964-1974 inclusive) shows that the onset of a decrease in the composite nucleonic intensity at polar stations occurs prior to the zero day (i.e., time of the flare) well before the arrival in the vicinity of earth of the associated solar plasma. The statistical significance of this result is confirmed by comparing the pooled variance determined from Chree analysis of an equal number of random epochs with that of the curve representing the flare epochs. Subdivision of the latter into three groups according to the heliographic longitude of the flares shows that whereas eastern flares might be associated with cosmic ray decreases, central (30degree to -30degree) and western flares cannot be thus related. A similar analysis of all flares of Imp< or =2 that occurred in a selected set of 24 extraordinary flare-rich active centers during 1964--1974 confirms these results and shows that the observed cosmic ray intensity decrease is, in fact, associated with the central meridian passage ( +- 1 day) of the active regions. Thus earlier conclusions concerning relationships between the heliolongitude of flares and their apparent effectiveness in producing Forbush decreases require reevaluation. The specific feature associated with solar active centers that is actually the principal source of transient modulations remanins to be identified

EXTINCTION AND POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON INTENSITY VARIATIONS ACROSS THE H II REGION IRAS 12063–6259

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stock, D. J.; Peeters, E.; Otaguro, J. N.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.; Bik, A.

2013-01-01

The spatial variations in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) band intensities are normally attributed to the physical conditions of the emitting PAHs, however in recent years it has been suggested that such variations are caused mainly by extinction. To resolve this question, we have obtained near-infrared (NIR), mid-infrared (MIR), and radio observations of the compact H II region IRAS 12063–6259. We use these data to construct multiple independent extinction maps and also to measure the main PAH features (6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.2 μm) in the MIR. Three extinction maps are derived: the first using the NIR hydrogen lines and case B recombination theory; the second combining the NIR data with radio data; and the third making use of the Spitzer/IRS MIR observations to measure the 9.8 μm silicate absorption feature using the Spoon method and PAHFIT (as the depth of this feature can be related to overall extinction). The silicate absorption over the bright, southern component of IRAS 12063–6259 is almost absent while the other methods find significant extinction. While such breakdowns of the relationship between the NIR extinction and the 9.8 μm absorption have been observed in molecular clouds, they have never been observed for H II regions. We then compare the PAH intensity variations in the Spitzer/IRS data after dereddening to those found in the original data. It was found that in most cases, the PAH band intensity variations persist even after dereddening, implying that extinction is not the main cause of the PAH band intensity variations.

Photon energy dependent intensity variations observed in Auger spectra of free argon clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundwall, M; Lindblad, A; Bergersen, H; Rander, T; Oehrwall, G; Tchaplyguine, M; Peredkov, S; Svensson, S; Bjoerneholm, O

2006-01-01

Photon energy dependent intensity variations are experimentally observed in the L 2,3 M 2,3 M 2,3 Auger spectra of argon clusters. Two cluster sizes are examined in the present study. Extrinsic scattering effects, both elastic and inelastic, involving the photoelectron are discussed and suggested as the explanation of the variations in the Auger signal. The atoms in the first few coordination shells surrounding the core-ionized atom are proposed to be the main targets for the scattering processes

Variations of interplanetary parameters and cosmic-ray intensities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geranios, A.

1980-01-01

Observations of cosmic ray intensity depressions by earth bound neutron monitors and measurements of interplanetary parameter's variations aboard geocentric satellites in the period January 1972-July 1974 are analysed and grouped according to their correlation among them. From this analysis of about 30 cases it came out that the majority of the depressions correlates with the average propagation speed of interplanetary shocks as well as with the amplitude of the interplanetary magnetic field after the eruption of a solar flare. About one fourth of the events correlates with corotating fast solar wind streams. As the recovery time of the shock-related depressions depends strongly on the heliographic longitude of the causitive solar flare, it seems that the cosmic ray modulation region has a corotative-like feature. (Auth.)

Characterizations of the diurnal shapes of OI 630.0 nm dayglow intensity variations: inferences

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D. Chakrabarty

2002-11-01

Full Text Available Measurements of OI 630.0 nm thermospheric dayglow emission by means of the Dayglow Photometer (DGP at Mt. Abu (24.6° N, 73.7° E, dip lat 19.09° N, a station under the crest of Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA, reveal day-to-day changes in the shapes of the diurnal profiles of dayglow intensity variations. These shapes have been characterized using the magnetometer data from equatorial and low-latitude stations. Substantial changes have been noticed in the shapes of the dayglow intensity variations between 10:00–15:00 IST (Indian Standard Time during the days when normal and counter electrojet events are present over the equator. It is found that the width (the time span corresponding to 0.8 times the maximum dayglow intensity of the diurnal profile has a linear relationship with the integrated electrojet strength. Occasional deviation from this linear relationship is attributed to the presence of substantial mean meridional wind.Key words. Ionosphere (equatorial ionosphere; ionosphere – atmosphere interactions; ionospheric disturbances

Characterizations of the diurnal shapes of OI 630.0 nm dayglow intensity variations: inferences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Chakrabarty

Full Text Available Measurements of OI 630.0 nm thermospheric dayglow emission by means of the Dayglow Photometer (DGP at Mt. Abu (24.6° N, 73.7° E, dip lat 19.09° N, a station under the crest of Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA, reveal day-to-day changes in the shapes of the diurnal profiles of dayglow intensity variations. These shapes have been characterized using the magnetometer data from equatorial and low-latitude stations. Substantial changes have been noticed in the shapes of the dayglow intensity variations between 10:00–15:00 IST (Indian Standard Time during the days when normal and counter electrojet events are present over the equator. It is found that the width (the time span corresponding to 0.8 times the maximum dayglow intensity of the diurnal profile has a linear relationship with the integrated electrojet strength. Occasional deviation from this linear relationship is attributed to the presence of substantial mean meridional wind.

Key words. Ionosphere (equatorial ionosphere; ionosphere – atmosphere interactions; ionospheric disturbances

Validation of the Amsterdam Dynamic Facial Expression Set--Bath Intensity Variations (ADFES-BIV: A Set of Videos Expressing Low, Intermediate, and High Intensity Emotions.

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Tanja S H Wingenbach

Full Text Available Most of the existing sets of facial expressions of emotion contain static photographs. While increasing demand for stimuli with enhanced ecological validity in facial emotion recognition research has led to the development of video stimuli, these typically involve full-blown (apex expressions. However, variations of intensity in emotional facial expressions occur in real life social interactions, with low intensity expressions of emotions frequently occurring. The current study therefore developed and validated a set of video stimuli portraying three levels of intensity of emotional expressions, from low to high intensity. The videos were adapted from the Amsterdam Dynamic Facial Expression Set (ADFES and termed the Bath Intensity Variations (ADFES-BIV. A healthy sample of 92 people recruited from the University of Bath community (41 male, 51 female completed a facial emotion recognition task including expressions of 6 basic emotions (anger, happiness, disgust, fear, surprise, sadness and 3 complex emotions (contempt, embarrassment, pride that were expressed at three different intensities of expression and neutral. Accuracy scores (raw and unbiased (Hu hit rates were calculated, as well as response times. Accuracy rates above chance level of responding were found for all emotion categories, producing an overall raw hit rate of 69% for the ADFES-BIV. The three intensity levels were validated as distinct categories, with higher accuracies and faster responses to high intensity expressions than intermediate intensity expressions, which had higher accuracies and faster responses than low intensity expressions. To further validate the intensities, a second study with standardised display times was conducted replicating this pattern. The ADFES-BIV has greater ecological validity than many other emotion stimulus sets and allows for versatile applications in emotion research. It can be retrieved free of charge for research purposes from the

Validation of the Amsterdam Dynamic Facial Expression Set--Bath Intensity Variations (ADFES-BIV): A Set of Videos Expressing Low, Intermediate, and High Intensity Emotions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wingenbach, Tanja S H; Ashwin, Chris; Brosnan, Mark

2016-01-01

Most of the existing sets of facial expressions of emotion contain static photographs. While increasing demand for stimuli with enhanced ecological validity in facial emotion recognition research has led to the development of video stimuli, these typically involve full-blown (apex) expressions. However, variations of intensity in emotional facial expressions occur in real life social interactions, with low intensity expressions of emotions frequently occurring. The current study therefore developed and validated a set of video stimuli portraying three levels of intensity of emotional expressions, from low to high intensity. The videos were adapted from the Amsterdam Dynamic Facial Expression Set (ADFES) and termed the Bath Intensity Variations (ADFES-BIV). A healthy sample of 92 people recruited from the University of Bath community (41 male, 51 female) completed a facial emotion recognition task including expressions of 6 basic emotions (anger, happiness, disgust, fear, surprise, sadness) and 3 complex emotions (contempt, embarrassment, pride) that were expressed at three different intensities of expression and neutral. Accuracy scores (raw and unbiased (Hu) hit rates) were calculated, as well as response times. Accuracy rates above chance level of responding were found for all emotion categories, producing an overall raw hit rate of 69% for the ADFES-BIV. The three intensity levels were validated as distinct categories, with higher accuracies and faster responses to high intensity expressions than intermediate intensity expressions, which had higher accuracies and faster responses than low intensity expressions. To further validate the intensities, a second study with standardised display times was conducted replicating this pattern. The ADFES-BIV has greater ecological validity than many other emotion stimulus sets and allows for versatile applications in emotion research. It can be retrieved free of charge for research purposes from the corresponding author.

Local Times of Galactic Cosmic Ray Intensity Maximum and Minimum in the Diurnal Variation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Su Yeon Oh

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The Diurnal variation of galactic cosmic ray (GCR flux intensity observed by the ground Neutron Monitor (NM shows a sinusoidal pattern with the amplitude of 1sim 2 % of daily mean. We carried out a statistical study on tendencies of the local times of GCR intensity daily maximum and minimum. To test the influences of the solar activity and the location (cut-off rigidity on the distribution in the local times of maximum and minimum GCR intensity, we have examined the data of 1996 (solar minimum and 2000 (solar maximum at the low-latitude Haleakala (latitude: 20.72 N, cut-off rigidity: 12.91 GeV and the high-latitude Oulu (latitude: 65.05 N, cut-off rigidity: 0.81 GeV NM stations. The most frequent local times of the GCR intensity daily maximum and minimum come later about 2sim3 hours in the solar activity maximum year 2000 than in the solar activity minimum year 1996. Oulu NM station whose cut-off rigidity is smaller has the most frequent local times of the GCR intensity maximum and minimum later by 2sim3 hours from those of Haleakala station. This feature is more evident at the solar maximum. The phase of the daily variation in GCR is dependent upon the interplanetary magnetic field varying with the solar activity and the cut-off rigidity varying with the geographic latitude.

Variation in faecal water content may confound estimates of gastro-intestinal parasite intensity in wild African herbivores.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, W C; Cizauskas, C A; Getz, W M

2010-03-01

Estimates of parasite intensity within host populations are essential for many studies of host-parasite relationships. Here we evaluated the seasonal, age- and sex-related variability in faecal water content for two wild ungulate species, springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) and plains zebra (Equus quagga). We then assessed whether or not faecal water content biased conclusions regarding differences in strongyle infection rates by season, age or sex. There was evidence of significant variation in faecal water content by season and age for both species, and by sex in springbok. Analyses of faecal egg counts demonstrated that sex was a near-significant factor in explaining variation in strongyle parasite infection rates in zebra (P = 0.055) and springbok (P = 0.052) using wet-weight faecal samples. However, once these intensity estimates were re-scaled by the percent of dry matter in the faeces, sex was no longer a significant factor (zebra, P = 0.268; springbok, P = 0.234). These results demonstrate that variation in faecal water content may confound analyses and could produce spurious conclusions, as was the case with host sex as a factor in the analysis. We thus recommend that researchers assess whether water variation could be a confounding factor when designing and performing research using faecal indices of parasite intensity.

Correlation between ionospheric potential and the intensity of cosmic rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyerott, R.E.; Reagan, J.B.; Evans, J.E.

1983-01-01

Ionospheric potential variations with a period of about 10 yr have been observed in the data that have been acquired to date. Previous studies have shown that these variations appear to be correlated inversely with sunspot number and with solar wind velocity, and directly with cosmic ray intensity. Since the cosmic ray intensity is inversely correlated with sunspot number and solar wind velocity, these correlations all suggest that the long period variations are of solar origin. In this report it is shown that, over the limited period for which ionospheric potential measurements exist, the long period variations are better correlated with the aerosol burden injected into the stratosphere by large volcanic eruptions than with the intensity of cosmic rays. This result indicates that the long period variations in ionospheric potential are of terrestrial rather than solar origin. 20 references

Validation of the Amsterdam Dynamic Facial Expression Set – Bath Intensity Variations (ADFES-BIV): A Set of Videos Expressing Low, Intermediate, and High Intensity Emotions

Science.gov (United States)

Wingenbach, Tanja S. H.

2016-01-01

Most of the existing sets of facial expressions of emotion contain static photographs. While increasing demand for stimuli with enhanced ecological validity in facial emotion recognition research has led to the development of video stimuli, these typically involve full-blown (apex) expressions. However, variations of intensity in emotional facial expressions occur in real life social interactions, with low intensity expressions of emotions frequently occurring. The current study therefore developed and validated a set of video stimuli portraying three levels of intensity of emotional expressions, from low to high intensity. The videos were adapted from the Amsterdam Dynamic Facial Expression Set (ADFES) and termed the Bath Intensity Variations (ADFES-BIV). A healthy sample of 92 people recruited from the University of Bath community (41 male, 51 female) completed a facial emotion recognition task including expressions of 6 basic emotions (anger, happiness, disgust, fear, surprise, sadness) and 3 complex emotions (contempt, embarrassment, pride) that were expressed at three different intensities of expression and neutral. Accuracy scores (raw and unbiased (Hu) hit rates) were calculated, as well as response times. Accuracy rates above chance level of responding were found for all emotion categories, producing an overall raw hit rate of 69% for the ADFES-BIV. The three intensity levels were validated as distinct categories, with higher accuracies and faster responses to high intensity expressions than intermediate intensity expressions, which had higher accuracies and faster responses than low intensity expressions. To further validate the intensities, a second study with standardised display times was conducted replicating this pattern. The ADFES-BIV has greater ecological validity than many other emotion stimulus sets and allows for versatile applications in emotion research. It can be retrieved free of charge for research purposes from the corresponding author

Secular variation of cosmic ray intensity recorded in the radiocarbon concentration of tree rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kigoshi, K.

1978-01-01

Study of the secular variations of cosmic ray intensity on the basis of the secular variations of atmospheric radiocarbon concentration in 8000 years is considered. The data on the radiocarbon concentration is received by three laboratories using the dendrochronologically dated tree ring samples. In order to use the data the variations due to geochemical process must be eliminated. From this point of view the climatic effect on the atmospheric radiocarbon concenttration is estimated using the data on sunspot number and global surface temperature during 1650-1800 y. The barge influence of climate on the atmospheric radiocarbon concentration syggests the small contribution of change of radiocarbon production rate to the short-period fluctuations in the atmospheric radiocarbon concentration. Elimination of variations caused by climate and sunspot activities from the variations in atmospheric radiocarbon concentration gives a long-term scale of its concentration which agrees well to the observed paleo-geomagnetic data

Spatial variations in food web structures with alternative stable states: evidence from stable isotope analysis in a large eutrophic lake

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yunkai; Zhang, Yuying; Xu, Jun; Zhang, Shuo

2018-03-01

Food web structures are well known to vary widely among ecosystems. Moreover, many food web studies of lakes have generally attempted to characterize the overall food web structure and have largely ignored internal spatial and environmental variations. In this study, we hypothesize that there is a high degree of spatial heterogeneity within an ecosystem and such heterogeneity may lead to strong variations in environmental conditions and resource availability, in turn resulting in different trophic pathways. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were employed for the whole food web to describe the structure of the food web in different sub-basins within Taihu Lake. This lake is a large eutrophic freshwater lake that has been intensively managed and highly influenced by human activities for more than 50 years. The results show significant isotopic differences between basins with different environmental characteristics. Such differences likely result from isotopic baseline differences combining with a shift in food web structure. Both are related to local spatial heterogeneity in nutrient loading in waters. Such variation should be explicitly considered in future food web studies and ecosystem-based management in this lake ecosystem.

Spatial variations in food web structures with alternative stable states: evidence from stable isotope analysis in a large eutrophic lake

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yunkai; Zhang, Yuying; Xu, Jun; Zhang, Shuo

2017-05-01

Food web structures are well known to vary widely among ecosystems. Moreover, many food web studies of lakes have generally attempted to characterize the overall food web structure and have largely ignored internal spatial and environmental variations. In this study, we hypothesize that there is a high degree of spatial heterogeneity within an ecosystem and such heterogeneity may lead to strong variations in environmental conditions and resource availability, in turn resulting in different trophic pathways. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were employed for the whole food web to describe the structure of the food web in different sub-basins within Taihu Lake. This lake is a large eutrophic freshwater lake that has been intensively managed and highly influenced by human activities for more than 50 years. The results show significant isotopic differences between basins with different environmental characteristics. Such differences likely result from isotopic baseline differences combining with a shift in food web structure. Both are related to local spatial heterogeneity in nutrient loading in waters. Such variation should be explicitly considered in future food web studies and ecosystem-based management in this lake ecosystem.

Tornado hazard model with the variation effects of tornado intensity along the path length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirakuchi, Hiromaru; Nohara, Daisuke; Sugimoto, Soichiro; Eguchi, Yuzuru; Hattori, Yasuo

2015-01-01

Most of Japanese tornados have been reported near the coast line, where all of Japanese nuclear power plants are located. It is necessary for Japanese electric power companies to assess tornado risks on the plants according to a new regulation in 2013. The new regulatory guide exemplifies a tornado hazard model, which cannot consider the variation of tornado intensity along the path length and consequently produces conservative risk estimates. The guide also recommends the long narrow strip area along the coast line with the width of 5-10 km as a region of interest, although the model tends to estimate inadequate wind speeds due to the limit of application. The purpose of this study is to propose a new tornado hazard model which can be apply to the long narrow strip area. The new model can also consider the variation of tornado intensity along the path length and across the path width. (author)

Variational analysis of self-focusing of intense ultrashort pulses in gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arevalo, E.; Becker, A.

2005-01-01

By using perturbation theory we derive an expression for the electrical field of a Gaussian laser beam propagating in a gas medium. This expression is used as a trial solution in a variational method to get quasianalytical solutions for the width, intensity, and self-focusing distance. The approximation gives a better agreement with results of numerical simulations for a broad range of values of the input power than previous analytical results available in the literature. The results apply in the case of ultrashort pulses too

Modified stress intensity factor as a crack growth parameter applicable under large scale yielding conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasuoka, Tetsuo; Mizutani, Yoshihiro; Todoroki, Akira

2014-01-01

High-temperature water stress corrosion cracking has high tensile stress sensitivity, and its growth rate has been evaluated using the stress intensity factor, which is a linear fracture mechanics parameter. Stress corrosion cracking mainly occurs and propagates around welded metals or heat-affected zones. These regions have complex residual stress distributions and yield strength distributions because of input heat effects. The authors previously reported that the stress intensity factor becomes inapplicable when steep residual stress distributions or yield strength distributions occur along the crack propagation path, because small-scale yielding conditions deviate around those distributions. Here, when the stress intensity factor is modified by considering these distributions, the modified stress intensity factor may be used for crack growth evaluation for large-scale yielding. The authors previously proposed a modified stress intensity factor incorporating the stress distribution or yield strength distribution in front of the crack using the rate of change of stress intensity factor and yield strength. However, the applicable range of modified stress intensity factor for large-scale yielding was not clarified. In this study, the range was analytically investigated by comparison with the J-integral solution. A three-point bending specimen with parallel surface crack was adopted as the analytical model and the stress intensity factor, modified stress intensity factor and equivalent stress intensity factor derived from the J-integral were calculated and compared under large-scale yielding conditions. The modified stress intensity was closer to the equivalent stress intensity factor when compared with the stress intensity factor. If deviation from the J-integral solution is acceptable up to 2%, the modified stress intensity factor is applicable up to 30% of the J-integral limit, while the stress intensity factor is applicable up to 10%. These results showed that

Variation in thickness of the large cryosections cut for whole-body autoradiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Tsunao; Brill, A.B.

1991-01-01

A method to assess variation in thickness of the large cryosections for whole-body autoradiography (WBARG) was described, and the degree of intraslice and interslice variations were determined for our cryomicrotome system (LKB PMV-2250). Intraslice variation in thickness of the 180 x 80 mm cryosection was 0.72-0.92 μm within the range of section thickness for WBARG (15-50 μm), and interslice variation was 0.89-1.21 μm. These potential variations in section thickness should be kept in mind whenever working with quantitative WBARG. (author)

Seasonal variations of intensity of muons and electrons of decay in points of probe measurements of cosmic radiation in the atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurguzova, A.I.; Charakhch'yan, T.N.

1983-01-01

Altitude-dependent intensities of muon and electron decay are calculated for the summer and winter seasons in the regions of Murmansk, Moscow, Alma-Ata and Mirnyj (the Antarctica). Values of the calculated temperature coefficients of muonf and electron decay for three levels (50, 500 and 1000 g/cm 2 ) are given. Seasonal variations of the muone and electron intensities are practically the same for all the points at depths X > 300 g/cm 2 (approximately 5% for muons and approximately 1% for electrons); at depths X 2 in Mirnyj the variations are considerably higher than in other points. Seasonal variations of the cosmic ray intensity on the surface of the Earth make up approximately 4%, in the low atmosphere (X=500 g/cm 2 ) they make up approximately 2%. In Mirnyj the seasonal variations of cosmic rays in the stratosphere (X=50 g/cm 2 ) also make up approximately 2%

Spatiotemporal Variation in Surface Urban Heat Island Intensity and Associated Determinants across Major Chinese Cities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Wang

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Urban heat islands (UHIs created through urbanization can have negative impacts on the lives of people living in cities. They may also vary spatially and temporally over a city. There is, thus, a need for greater understanding of these patterns and their causes. While previous UHI studies focused on only a few cities and/or several explanatory variables, this research provides a comprehensive and comparative characterization of the diurnal and seasonal variation in surface UHI intensities (SUHIIs across 67 major Chinese cities. The factors associated with the SUHII were assessed by considering a variety of related social, economic and natural factors using a regression tree model. Obvious seasonal variation was observed for the daytime SUHII, and the diurnal variation in SUHII varied seasonally across China. Interestingly, the SUHII varied significantly in character between northern and southern China. Southern China experienced more intense daytime SUHIIs, while the opposite was true for nighttime SUHIIs. Vegetation had the greatest effect in the day time in northern China. In southern China, annual electricity consumption and the number of public buses were found to be important. These results have important theoretical significance and may be of use to mitigate UHI effects.

Large observer variation of clinical assessment of dyspnoeic wheezing children.

Science.gov (United States)

Bekhof, Jolita; Reimink, Roelien; Bartels, Ine-Marije; Eggink, Hendriekje; Brand, Paul L P

2015-07-01

In children with acute dyspnoea, the assessment of severity of dyspnoea and response to treatment is often performed by different professionals, implying that knowledge of the interobserver variation of this clinical assessment is important. To determine intraobserver and interobserver variation in clinical assessment of children with dyspnoea. From September 2009 to September 2010, we recorded a convenience sample of 27 acutely wheezing children (aged 3 months-7 years) in the emergency department of a general teaching hospital in the Netherlands, on video before and after treatment with inhaled bronchodilators. These video recordings were independently assessed by nine observers scoring wheeze, prolonged expiratory phase, retractions, nasal flaring and a general assessment of dyspnoea on a Likert scale (0-10). Assessment was repeated after 2 weeks to evaluate intraobserver variation. We analysed 972 observations. Intraobserver reliability was the highest for supraclavicular retractions (κ 0.84) and moderate-to-substantial for other items (κ 0.49-0.65). Interobserver reliability was considerably worse, with κ3 points) was larger than the minimal important change (meaning that in 69% of observations a clinically important change after treatment cannot be distinguished from measurement error. Intraobserver variation is modest, and interobserver variation is large for most clinical findings in children with dyspnoea. The measurement error induced by this variation is too large to distinguish potentially clinically relevant changes in dyspnoea after treatment in two-thirds of observations. The poor interobserver reliability of clinical dyspnoea assessment in children limits its usefulness in clinical practice and research, and highlights the need to use more objective measurements in these patients. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Software quality assurance: in large scale and complex software-intensive systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mistrik, I.; Soley, R.; Ali, N.; Grundy, J.; Tekinerdogan, B.

2015-01-01

Software Quality Assurance in Large Scale and Complex Software-intensive Systems presents novel and high-quality research related approaches that relate the quality of software architecture to system requirements, system architecture and enterprise-architecture, or software testing. Modern software

Resolved shear stress intensity coefficient and fatigue crack growth in large crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, QI; Liu, Hao-Wen

1988-01-01

Fatigue crack growth in large grain Al alloy was studied. Fatigue crack growth is caused primarily by shear decohesion due to dislocation motion in the crack tip region. The crack paths in the large crystals are very irregular and zigzag. The crack planes are often inclined to the loading axis both in the inplane direction and the thickness direction. The stress intensity factors of such inclined cracks are approximated from the two dimensional finite element calculations. The plastic deformation in a large crystal is highly anisotropic, and dislocation motion in such crystals are driven by the resolved shear stress. The resolved shear stress intensity coefficient in a crack solid, RSSIC, is defined, and the coefficients for the slip systems at a crack tip are evaluated from the calculated stress intensity factors. The orientations of the crack planes are closely related to the slip planes with the high RSSIC values. If a single slip system has a much higher RSSIC than all the others, the crack will follow the slip plane, and the slip plane becomes the crack plane. If two or more slip systems have a high RSSIC, the crack plane is the result of the decohesion processes on these active slip planes.

Extending the Principles of Intensive Writing to Large Macroeconomics Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Docherty, Peter; Tse, Harry; Forman, Ross; McKenzie, Jo

2010-01-01

The authors report on the design and implementation of a pilot program to extend the principles of intensive writing outlined by W. Lee Hansen (1998), Murray S. Simpson and Shireen E. Carroll (1999) and David Carless (2006) to large macroeconomics classes. The key aspect of this program was its collaborative nature, with staff from two specialist…

High-resolution records of non-dipole variations in the intensity of the Earth's magnetic field

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Groot, L.V.

2013-01-01

Our understanding of the short-term behavior of the Earth’s magnetic field is currently mainly hampered by a lack of high-resolution records of geomagnetic intensity variations that are well distributed over the globe and cover the same timespan. Over the past decades many efforts have been made to

The interaction of super-intense ultra-short laser pulse and micro-clusters with large atomic clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miao Jingwei; Yang Chaowen; An Zhu; Yuan Xuedong; Sun Weiguo; Luo Xiaobing; Wang Hu; Bai Lixing; Shi Miangong; Miao Lei; Zhen Zhijian; Gu Yuqin; Liu Hongjie; Zhu Zhouseng; Sun Liwei; Liao Xuehua

2007-01-01

The fusion mechanism of large deuterium clusters (100-1000 Atoms/per cluster) in super-intense ultra-short laser pulse field, Coulomb explosions of micro-cluster in solids, gases and Large-size clusters have been studied using the interaction of a high-intensity femtosecond laser pulses with large deuterium clusters, collision of high-quality beam of micro-cluster from 2.5 MV van de Graaff accelerator with solids, gases and large clusters. The experimental advance of the project is reported. (authors)

DISCOVERY OF TIME VARIATION OF THE INTENSITY OF MOLECULAR LINES IN IRC+10216 IN THE SUBMILLIMETER AND FAR-INFRARED DOMAINS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cernicharo, J.; Quintana-Lacaci, G.; Agúndez, M.; Velilla-Prieto, L. [Group of Molecular Astrophysics, ICMM, CSIC, C/Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz N3, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Teyssier, D.; García-Lario, P. [ESA, ESAC, P.O. Box 78, Villanueva de la Cañada, E-28691 Madrid (Spain); Daniel, F. [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Decin, L. [Instituut voor Sterrenkunde, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Guélin, M. [Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique, 300 rue de la Piscine, F-38406 St-Martin d' Hères (France); Encrenaz, P. [LERMA, Observatoire de Paris, 61 Av. de l' Observatoire, F-75014 Paris (France); De Beck, E. [Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory, SE 439 92 Onsala (Sweden); Barlow, M. J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom); Groenewegen, M. A. T. [Koninklijke Sterrenwacht van België, Ringlaan 3, B-1180 Brussels (Belgium); Neufeld, D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Pearson, J. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

2014-11-20

We report on the discovery of strong intensity variations in the high rotational lines of abundant molecular species toward the archetypical circumstellar envelope of IRC+10216. The observations have been carried out with the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) instrument on board Herschel and with the IRAM30 m telescope. They cover several observing periods spreading over three years. The line intensity variations for molecules produced in the external layers of the envelope most likely result from time variations in the infrared pumping rates. We analyze the main implications this discovery has on the interpretation of molecular line emission in the envelopes of Mira-type stars. Radiative transfer calculations must take into account both the time variability of infrared pumping and the possible variation of the dust and gas temperatures with stellar phase in order to reproduce the observation of molecular lines at different epochs. The effect of gas temperature variations with stellar phase could be particularly important for lines produced in the innermost regions of the envelope. Each layer of the circumstellar envelope sees the stellar light radiation with a different lag time (phase). Our results show that this effect must be included in the models. The submillimeter and far infrared lines of asymptotic giant branch stars can no longer be considered as safe intensity calibrators.

Defining Execution Viewpoints for a Large and Complex Software-Intensive System

OpenAIRE

Callo Arias, Trosky B.; America, Pierre; Avgeriou, Paris

2009-01-01

An execution view is an important asset for developing large and complex systems. An execution view helps practitioners to describe, analyze, and communicate what a software system does at runtime and how it does it. In this paper, we present an approach to define execution viewpoints for an existing large and complex software-intensive system. This definition approach enables the customization and extension of a set of predefined viewpoints to address the requirements of a specific developme...

Statistical intensity variation analysis for rapid volumetric imaging of capillary network flux.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jonghwan; Jiang, James Y; Wu, Weicheng; Lesage, Frederic; Boas, David A

2014-04-01

We present a novel optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based technique for rapid volumetric imaging of red blood cell (RBC) flux in capillary networks. Previously we reported that OCT can capture individual RBC passage within a capillary, where the OCT intensity signal at a voxel fluctuates when an RBC passes the voxel. Based on this finding, we defined a metric of statistical intensity variation (SIV) and validated that the mean SIV is proportional to the RBC flux [RBC/s] through simulations and measurements. From rapidly scanned volume data, we used Hessian matrix analysis to vectorize a segment path of each capillary and estimate its flux from the mean of the SIVs gathered along the path. Repeating this process led to a 3D flux map of the capillary network. The present technique enabled us to trace the RBC flux changes over hundreds of capillaries with a temporal resolution of ~1 s during functional activation.

Intracyclic Velocity Variation of the Center of Mass and Hip in Breaststroke Swimming With Maximal Intensity.

Science.gov (United States)

Gourgoulis, Vassilios; Koulexidis, Stylianos; Gketzenis, Panagiotis; Tzouras, Grigoris

2018-03-01

Gourgoulis, V, Koulexidis, S, Gketzenis, P, and Tzouras, G. Intra-cyclic velocity variation of the center of mass and hip in breaststroke swimming with maximal intensity. J Strength Cond Res 32(3): 830-840, 2018-The aim of the study was to compare the center of mass (CM) and hip (HIP) intracyclic velocity variation in breaststroke swimming using 3-dimensional kinematic analysis. Nine male breaststrokes, of moderate performance level, swam 25-m breaststroke with maximal intensity, and their movements were recorded, both under and above the water surface, using 8 digital cameras. Their CM and HIP velocities and their intracyclic variations were estimated after manual digitization of 28 selected points on the body in a complete arm and leg breaststroke cycle. Paired sample t-tests or Wilcoxon tests, when the assumption of normality was broken, were used for statistical analyses. In both, CM and HIP velocity-time curves, the results revealed a similar pattern of 2 clear peaks associated with the leg and arm propulsive phases and 2 minimal velocities that corresponded to the arm and leg recovery phase and the lag time between the leg and arm propulsive phases, respectively. However, despite this similar general pattern, the HIP minimum resultant velocity was significantly lower, whereas its maximal value was significantly greater, than the corresponding CM values. Consequently, the HIP intracyclic swimming velocity fluctuation significantly overestimates the actual variation of the swimmer's velocity in breaststroke swimming.

Latitudinal variation of the polar cusp during a geomagnetic storm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, C.

1982-01-01

Large amplitude latitudinal variation of the polar cusp position was observed during the intense geomagnetic storm of 15--16 February 1980. The observation of the polar cusp, identified as the region of intense but extremely soft electron precipitation, was made by two nearly noon-midnight orbit DMSP satellites over both northern and southern hemispheres. The latitudinal shift of the polar cusp is observed to be related to the intensity variation of the ring current indicated by the hourly Dst values. The polar cusp region moved from its normal location at approx.76 0 gm lat down to approx.62 0 gm lat at the peak of this storm. This movement took about 5 hours and was detected over both hemispheres. A drastic variation in the width of the cusp region was also observed; it is very narrow (approx.1 0 ) during the equatorial shift and expands to > or approx. =5 0 during the poleward recovery. Variation of the polar cusp latitude with that of the Dst index was also seen during the period before the intense storm

Variations in the small-scale galactic magnetic field and short time-scale intensity variations of extragalactic radio sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simonetti, J.H.

1985-01-01

Structure functions of the Faraday rotation measures (RMs) of extragalactic radio sources are used to investigate variations in the interstellar magnetic field on length scales of approx.0.01 to 100 pc. Model structure functions derived assuming a power-law power spectrum of irregularities in n/sub e/B, are compared with those observed. The results indicate an outer angular scale for RM variations of approximately less than or equal to 5 0 and evidence for RM variations on scales as small as 1'. Differences in the variance of n/sub e/B fluctuations for various lines of sight through the Galaxy are found. Comparison of pulsar scintillations in right- and left-circular polarizations yield an upper limit to the variations in n/sub e/ on a length scale of approx.10 11 cm. RMs were determined through high-velocity molecular flows in galactic star-formation regions, with the goal of constraining magnetic fields in and near the flows. RMs of 7 extragalactic sources with a approx.20 arcmin wide area seen through Cep A, fall in two groups separated by approx.150 rad m -2 - large given our knowledge of RM variations on small angular scales and possibly a result of the anisotropy of the high-velocity material

Interplanetary magnetic field associated changes in cosmic ray intensity and geomagnetic field during 1973-75

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, R.L.; Shukla, J.P.; Shukla, A.K.; Sharma, S.M.; Agrawal, S.P.

1979-01-01

The effects of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) B and its Bsub(z) component on cosmic ray intensity and geomagnetic field variations have been examined for the period 1973-75. It is observed that: (1) B >= 10γ (magnetic blobs) is pre-requisite in producing cosmic ray intensity and geomagnetic field variations of varying magnitudes, (2) the longer existence of magnetic blobs on successive days produces larger decreases in cosmic ray intensity and geomagnetic field and (3) the southward component (Bsub(z)) of IMF generally gives rise to large Asub(p) changes, though it is not effective in producing cosmic ray intensity decreases. (auth.)

Temporal Variation of Large Scale Flows in the Solar Interior ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

tribpo

Temporal Variation of Large Scale Flows in the Solar Interior. 355. Figure 2. Zonal and meridional components of the time-dependent residual velocity at a few selected depths as marked above each panel, are plotted as contours of constant velocity in the longitude-latitude plane. The left panels show the zonal component, ...

Aerodynamic Effects of Turbulence Intensity on a Variable-Speed Power-Turbine Blade with Large Incidence and Reynolds Number Variations

Science.gov (United States)

Flegel, Ashlie Brynn; Giel, Paul W.; Welch, Gerard E.

2014-01-01

The effects of inlet turbulence intensity on the aerodynamic performance of a variable speed power turbine blade are examined over large incidence and Reynolds number ranges. Both high and low turbulence studies were conducted in the NASA Glenn Research Center Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade Facility. The purpose of the low inlet turbulence study was to examine the transitional flow effects that are anticipated at cruise Reynolds numbers. The high turbulence study extends this to LPT-relevant turbulence levels while perhaps sacrificing transitional flow effects. Downstream total pressure and exit angle data were acquired for ten incidence angles ranging from +15.8 to 51.0. For each incidence angle, data were obtained at five flow conditions with the exit Reynolds number ranging from 2.12105 to 2.12106 and at a design exit Mach number of 0.72. In order to achieve the lowest Reynolds number, the exit Mach number was reduced to 0.35 due to facility constraints. The inlet turbulence intensity, Tu, was measured using a single-wire hotwire located 0.415 axial-chord upstream of the blade row. The inlet turbulence levels ranged from 0.25 - 0.4 for the low Tu tests and 8- 15 for the high Tu study. Tu measurements were also made farther upstream so that turbulence decay rates could be calculated as needed for computational inlet boundary conditions. Downstream flow field measurements were obtained using a pneumatic five-hole pitchyaw probe located in a survey plane 7 axial chord aft of the blade trailing edge and covering three blade passages. Blade and endwall static pressures were acquired for each flow condition as well. The blade loading data show that the suction surface separation that was evident at many of the low Tu conditions has been eliminated. At the extreme positive and negative incidence angles, the data show substantial differences in the exit flow field. These differences are attributable to both the higher inlet Tu directly and to the thinner inlet endwall

Stability of Grid-Connected PV Inverters with Large Grid Impedance Variation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liserre, Marco; Teodorescu, Remus; Blaabjerg, Frede

2004-01-01

Photovoltaic (PV) inverters used in dispersed power generation of houses in the range of 1-5 kW are currently available from several manufactures. However, large grid impedance variation is challenging the control and the grid filter design in terms of stability. In fact the PV systems are well...... suited for loads connected in a great distance to the transformer (long wires) and the situation becomes even more difficult in low-developed remote areas characterized by low power transformers and long distribution wires with high grid impedance. Hence a theoretical analysis is needed because the grid...... impedance variation leads to dynamic and stability problems both in the low frequency range (around the current controller bandwidth frequency) as well as in the high frequency range (around the LCL-filter resonance frequency). In the low frequency range the possible variation of the impedance challenges...

The day-night variation of cosmic rays intensity at sea level under the influence of meteorological fronts and troughs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mok, H.M.; Cheng, K.M.

2000-01-01

The day-night variation of cosmic rays (CR) intensity at sea level has been observed by a simple G-M counter telescope. We perform two 5 hours counting during the day and the night and find that the pattern of variation is closely related to the atmospheric disturbance. The normal pattern shows that the day counts is a few percents lower than that of the night counts. This can be simply explained by the temperature effect. But when our observation station is being affected by a meteorological front or trough, a reversal occurs. At times the reversal pattern occurs even up to a few days ahead the formation of the troughs at a few hundred kilometers away. Such a reversal may lasts for a few days until the influence of the front or trough has significantly weakened. This effect also overrides the barometric effect, except when there is a sharp change of air pressure, such as during the approach of a tropical cyclone. Our further investigation shows that the pattern of variation may be negatively correlated to the altitude of the 0degC level in the atmosphere. A 150 m upward shift of the 0degC level reduces the CR intensity by about 3-4%. Our postulation is that this variation of CR intensity is related to the relativistic effect of the muon decay, and is an indication of the height of the mid-level pressure distribution. The phenomenon should be further investigated for possible application in weather forecasting and better understanding of the phenomenon could be of use in differentiating the atmospheric effect and the solar effects in CR data. (author)

Sub-annual paleoenvironmental information evaluated from intensity variations of fluorescent annual layers in a stalagmite from Ryuo-do Cave, Nagasaki Prefecture, western Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Hana; Onishi, Yuri; Ishihara, Yoshiro; Yoshimura, Kazuhisa

2017-04-01

Stalagmites can provide various types of paleoenvironmental information such as information on vegetation and climate changes. Fluorescent annual layers formed by humic substances (mainly fulvic acids: FA) in these stalagmites can also provide a time proxy, and a time series on precipitation. Fluorescence intensity patterns in these annual layers can be classified into symmetric, gradually increasing and gradually decreasing types. Onishi et al. (EGU2016) demonstrated the existence of these fluorescence intensity patterns in the annual layers, and their stratigraphic changes, by numerical simulations, and suggested that the patterns could provide paleoenvironmental information at a sub-annual resolution. In this study, we carried out an analysis of fluorescence intensity patterns in the annual layers of a stalagmite from Ryuo-do Cave, Nagasaki Prefecture, western Japan, and also simulated the patterns in the stalagmite, to obtain paleoenvironmental information. Fluorescence intensity patterns in the annual layers are strongly affected by annual variations in FA concentration and precipitation rates of calcite. As the result of simulations of fluorescence intensity patterns, cumulative variations and various types of pattern are reproduced. These differences are depending on time lags between the variation of the FA concentration in the drip waters, and that of the growth rate of the stalagmite. Co-precipitation models of FA are divided into the "Hiatus model" in which FA are preferentially preserved in the stalagmite when its growth rate is relatively low, and the "Partition coefficient (PC) model" in which FA concentrations in the stalagmite increase when the calcite precipitation rate is relatively high. However, various fluorescence intensity patterns in the annual layers could be formed under a combination or either of both of the models. Fluorescence intensity patterns in an annual layer in the stalagmite from Ryuo-do Cave, Nagasaki Prefecture, western Japan

Quality Improvement Process in a Large Intensive Care Unit: Structure and Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Anita J; Guzman, Jorge A

2016-11-01

Quality improvement in the health care setting is a complex process, and even more so in the critical care environment. The development of intensive care unit process measures and quality improvement strategies are associated with improved outcomes, but should be individualized to each medical center as structure and culture can differ from institution to institution. The purpose of this report is to describe the structure of quality improvement processes within a large medical intensive care unit while using examples of the study institution's successes and challenges in the areas of stat antibiotic administration, reduction in blood product waste, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and medication errors. © The Author(s) 2015.

Effect of Variations in Long-Duration Rainfall Intensity on Unsaturated Slope Stability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsin-Fu Yeh

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In recent years, many scientific methods have been used to prove that the Earth’s climate is changing. Climate change can affect rainfall patterns, which can in turn affect slope safety. Therefore, this study analyzed the effects of climate change on rainfall patterns from the perspective of rainfall intensity. This analysis was combined with numerical model analysis to examine the rainfall patterns of the Zengwen reservoir catchment area and its effects on slope stability. In this study, the Mann–Kendall test and the Theil–Sen estimator were used to analyze the rainfall records of rainfall stations at Da-Dong-Shan, Ma-To-Shan, and San-Jiao-Nan-Shan. The rainfall intensity of the Zengwen reservoir catchment area showed an increasing trend from 1990–2016. In addition, the analysis results of rainfall intensity trends were used for qualitative analysis of seepage and slope stability. The trend analysis result showed that in the future, from 2017–2100, if the amount of rainfall per hour continues to rise at about 0.1 mm per year, the amount of seepage will increase at the slope surface boundary and significantly change pore water pressure in the soil. As a result, the time of the occurrence of slope instability after the start of rainfall will decrease from 20 to 13 h, and the reduction in the safety coefficient will increase from 32 to 41%. Therefore, to decrease the effects of slope disasters on the safety of the Zengwen reservoir and its surrounding areas, changes in rainfall intensity trends should be considered for slope safety in this region. However, the results of trend analyses were weak and future research is needed using a wider range of precipitation data and detailed hydrological analysis to better predict rainfall pattern variations.

New Late Neolithic (c. 7000-5000 BC) archeointensity data from Syria. Reconstructing 9000 years of archeomagnetic field intensity variations in the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

Gallet, Yves; Molist Montaña, Miquel; Genevey, Agnès; Clop García, Xavier; Thébault, Erwan; Gómez Bach, Anna; Le Goff, Maxime; Robert, Béatrice; Nachasova, Inga

2015-01-01

We present new archeomagnetic intensity data from two Late Neolithic archeological sites (Tell Halula and Tell Masaïkh) in Syria. These data, from 24 groups of potsherds encompassing 15 different time levels, are obtained using the Triaxe experimental protocol, which takes into account both the thermoremanent magnetization anisotropy and cooling rate effects on intensity determinations. They allow us to recover the geomagnetic intensity variations in the Middle East, between ∼7000 BC and ∼5000 BC, i.e. during the so-called pre-Halaf, proto-Halaf, Halaf and Halaf-Ubaid Transitional cultural phases. The data are compared with previous archeointensity results of similar ages from Northern Iraq (Yarim Tepe II and Tell Sotto) and Bulgaria. We find that previous dating of the Iraqi material was in error. When corrected, all northern Mesopotamian data show a relatively good consistency and also reasonably match with the Bulgarian archeointensity dataset. Using a compilation of available data, we construct a geomagnetic field intensity variation curve for the Middle East encompassing the past 9000 years, which makes it presently the longest known regional archeomagnetic intensity record. We further use this compilation to constrain variations in dipole field moment over most of the Holocene. In particular, we discuss the possibility that a significant dipole moment maximum occurred during the third millennium BC, which cannot easily be identified in available time-varying global geomagnetic field reconstructions.

Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Danish organic pig farms: seasonal and age-related variation in prevalence, infection intensity and species/genotypes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Heidi Huus; Jianmin, Wang; Katakam, Kiran K.

2015-01-01

Although pigs are commonly infected with Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis, including potentially zoonotic species or genotypes, little is known about age-related infection levels, seasonal differences and genetic variation in naturally infected pigs raised in organic management systems....... Therefore, the current study was conducted to assess seasonal and age-related variations in prevalence and infection intensity of Cryptosporidium and Giardia, evaluate zoonotic potential and uncover correlations between species/genotypes, infection intensity and faecal consistency. Shedding of oocysts...... and cysts ((oo-) cysts) was monitored at quarterly intervals (September 2011 to June 2012) in piglets (n=152), starter pigs (n=234), fatteners (n=230) and sows (n=240) from three organic farms in Denmark. (Oo-) cysts were quantified by immunofluorescence microscopy; and 56/75 subsamples from Cryptosporidium...

Analysis of cyclic variations of liquid fuel-air mixing processes in a realistic DISI IC-engine using Large Eddy Simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goryntsev, D.; Sadiki, A.; Klein, M.; Janicka, J.

2010-01-01

Direct injection spark ignition (DISI) engines have a large potential to reduce emissions and specific fuel consumption. One of the most important problem in the design of DISI engines is the cycle-to-cycle variations of the flow, mixing and combustion processes. The Large Eddy Simulation (LES) based analysis is used to characterize the cycle-to-cycle fluctuations of the flow field as well as the mixture preparation in a realistic four-stroke internal combustion engine with variable charge motion system. Based on the analysis of cycle-to-cycle velocity fluctuations of in-cylinder flow, the impact of various fuel spray boundary conditions on injection processes and mixture preparation is pointed out. The joint effect of both cycle-to-cycle velocity fluctuations and variable spray boundary conditions is discussed in terms of mean and standard deviation of relative air-fuel ratio, velocity and mass fraction. Finally a qualitative analysis of the intensity of cyclic fluctuations below the spark plug is provided.

Internal tides and deep diel fades in acoustic intensity.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Andrew W; Henyey, Frank S; Andrew, Rex K; Mercer, James A; Worcester, Peter F; Dzieciuch, Matthew A; Colosi, John A

2016-11-01

A mechanism is presented by which the observed acoustic intensity is made to vary due to changes in the acoustic path that are caused by internal-tide vertical fluid displacements. The position in range and depth of large-scale caustic structure is determined by the background sound-speed profile. Internal tides cause a deformation of the background profile, changing the positions of the caustic structures-which can introduce intensity changes at a distant receiver. Gradual fades in the acoustic intensity occurring over timescales similar to those of the tides were measured during a low-frequency (284-Hz) acoustic scattering experiment in the Philippine Sea in 2009 [White et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 134(4), 3347-3358 (2013)]. Parabolic equation and Hamiltonian ray-tracing calculations of acoustic propagation through a plane-wave internal tide environmental model employing sound-speed profiles taken during the experiment indicate that internal tides could cause significant gradual changes in the received intensity. Furthermore, the calculations demonstrate how large-scale perturbations to the index of refraction can result in variation in the received intensity.

Large extents of intensive land use limit community reorganization during climate warming.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, Tom H; Gillings, Simon; Pearce-Higgins, James W; Brereton, Tom; Crick, Humphrey Q P; Duffield, Simon J; Morecroft, Michael D; Roy, David B

2017-06-01

Climate change is increasingly altering the composition of ecological communities, in combination with other environmental pressures such as high-intensity land use. Pressures are expected to interact in their effects, but the extent to which intensive human land use constrains community responses to climate change is currently unclear. A generic indicator of climate change impact, the community temperature index (CTI), has previously been used to suggest that both bird and butterflies are successfully 'tracking' climate change. Here, we assessed community changes at over 600 English bird or butterfly monitoring sites over three decades and tested how the surrounding land has influenced these changes. We partitioned community changes into warm- and cold-associated assemblages and found that English bird communities have not reorganized successfully in response to climate change. CTI increases for birds are primarily attributable to the loss of cold-associated species, whilst for butterflies, warm-associated species have tended to increase. Importantly, the area of intensively managed land use around monitoring sites appears to influence these community changes, with large extents of intensively managed land limiting 'adaptive' community reorganization in response to climate change. Specifically, high-intensity land use appears to exacerbate declines in cold-adapted bird and butterfly species, and prevent increases in warm-associated birds. This has broad implications for managing landscapes to promote climate change adaptation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Infrastructure Shapes Differences in the Carbon Intensities of Chinese Cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Bo; Zhang, Qiang; Davis, Steven J; Ciais, Philippe; Hong, Chaopeng; Li, Meng; Liu, Fei; Tong, Dan; Li, Haiyan; He, Kebin

2018-05-15

The carbon intensity of economic activity, or CO 2 emissions per unit GDP, is a key indicator of the climate impacts of a given activity, business, or region. Although it is well-known that the carbon intensity of countries varies widely according to their level of economic development and dominant industries, few studies have assessed disparities in carbon intensity at the level of cities due to limited availability of data. Here, we present a detailed new inventory of emissions for 337 Chinese cities (every city in mainland China including 333 prefecture-level divisions and 4 province-level cities, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing) in 2013, which we use to evaluate differences of carbon intensity between cities and the causes of those differences. We find that cities' average carbon intensity is 0.84 kg of CO 2 per dollar of gross domestic product (kgCO 2 per $GDP), but individual cities span a large range: from 0.09 to 7.86 kgCO 2 per $GDP (coefficient of variation of 25%). Further analysis of economic and technological drivers of variations in cities' carbon intensity reveals that the differences are largely due to disparities in cities' economic structure that can in turn be traced to past investment-led growth. These patterns suggest that "carbon lock-in" via socio-economic and infrastructural inertia may slow China's efforts to reduce emissions from activities in urban areas. Policy instruments targeted to accelerate the transition of urban economies from investment-led to consumption-led growth may thus be crucial to China meeting both its economic and climate targets.

Seasonal variation in the intensity of movements by the estuarine dolphin, Sotalia guianensis (Cetacea: Delphinidae, in the North Bay, Santa Catarina Island

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo César Simões-Lopes

2004-05-01

Full Text Available The resident population of estuarine dolphins (Sotalia guianensis in the North Bay, Santa Catarina Island, southern Brazil, was studied from September 2001 until July 2003 through periodical boat surveys. Using focal-group and sequential sampling, information such as geographical position and behavioral patterns were registered at 5-minute intervals. All the information collected was insert in a GIS database of the study area. Since patterns of seasonal variation concerning home range and behavior had been established in previous work, we aimed at evaluating the existence of seasonal intensity of movements, therefore strengthening the proposed hypothesis of higher spatial requirements when food resources are low. The daily mean speed of the dolphin’s group was used as an index of the intensity of movements, and its seasonal variation throughout the study period was analyzed. We found a statistically significant seasonal variation in the intensity of movement. The dolphins tended to move more in the cold seasons, in contrast with the hot seasons when the dolphins tended to move less. Thus, previous studies are corroborated, supporting the hypothesis og higher spatial requirements when there are fewer food resources.

Sensitivity of the scale partition for variational multiscale large-eddy simulation of channel flow

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Holmen, J.; Hughes, T.J.R.; Oberai, A.A.; Wells, G.N.

2004-01-01

The variational multiscale method has been shown to perform well for large-eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent flows. The method relies upon a partition of the resolved velocity field into large- and small-scale components. The subgrid model then acts only on the small scales of motion, unlike

Interobserver Delineation variation using CT versus combined CT + MRI in intensity- modulated radiotherapy for prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villeirs, G.M.; Verstraete, K.L.; Vaerenbergh, K. van; Vakaet, L.; Bral, S.; Claus, F.; Neve, W.J. de; Meerleer, G.O. de

2005-01-01

Purpose: to quantify interobserver variation of prostate and seminal vesicle delineations using CT only versus CT + MRI in consensus reading with a radiologist. Material and methods: the prostate and seminal vesicles of 13 patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy for prostatic adenocarcinoma were retrospectively delineated by three radiation oncologists on CT only and on CT + MRI in consensus reading with a radiologist. The volumes and margin positions were calculated and intermodality and interobserver variations were assessed for the clinical target volume (CTV), seminal vesicles, prostate and three prostatic subdivisions (apical, middle and basal third). Results: using CT + MRI as compared to CT alone, the mean CTV, prostate and seminal vesicle volumes significantly decreased by 6.54%, 5.21% and 10.47%, respectively. More importantly, their standard deviations significantly decreased by 63.06%, 62.65% and 44.83%, respectively. The highest level of variation was found at the prostatic apex, followed by the prostatic base and seminal vesicles. Conclusion: addition of MRI to CT in consensus reading with a radiologist results in a moderate decrease of the CTV, but an important decrease of the interobserver delineation variation, especially at the prostatic apex. (orig.)

HIFU procedures at moderate intensities-effect of large blood vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hariharan, P; Myers, M R; Banerjee, R K

2007-01-01

A three-dimensional computational model is presented for studying the efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) procedures targeted near large blood vessels. The analysis applies to procedures performed at intensities below the threshold for cavitation, boiling and highly nonlinear propagation, but high enough to increase tissue temperature a few degrees per second. The model is based upon the linearized KZK equation and the bioheat equation in tissue. In the blood vessel the momentum and energy equations are satisfied. The model is first validated in a tissue phantom, to verify the absence of bubble formation and nonlinear effects. Temperature rise and lesion-volume calculations are then shown for different beam locations and orientations relative to a large vessel. Both single and multiple ablations are considered. Results show that when the vessel is located within about a beam width (few mm) of the ultrasound beam, significant reduction in lesion volume is observed due to blood flow. However, for gaps larger than a beam width, blood flow has no major effect on the lesion formation. Under the clinically representative conditions considered, the lesion volume is reduced about 40% (relative to the no-flow case) when the beam is parallel to the blood vessel, compared to about 20% for a perpendicular orientation. Procedures involving multiple ablation sites are affected less by blood flow than single ablations. The model also suggests that optimally focused transducers can generate lesions that are significantly larger (>2 times) than the ones produced by highly focused beams

HIFU procedures at moderate intensities-effect of large blood vessels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hariharan, P [Mechanical, Industrial, and Nuclear Engineering Department, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Myers, M R [Division of Solid and Fluid Mechanics, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, US Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Building 62, Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002 (United States); Banerjee, R K [Mechanical, Industrial, and Nuclear Engineering Department, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH (United States)

2007-07-21

A three-dimensional computational model is presented for studying the efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) procedures targeted near large blood vessels. The analysis applies to procedures performed at intensities below the threshold for cavitation, boiling and highly nonlinear propagation, but high enough to increase tissue temperature a few degrees per second. The model is based upon the linearized KZK equation and the bioheat equation in tissue. In the blood vessel the momentum and energy equations are satisfied. The model is first validated in a tissue phantom, to verify the absence of bubble formation and nonlinear effects. Temperature rise and lesion-volume calculations are then shown for different beam locations and orientations relative to a large vessel. Both single and multiple ablations are considered. Results show that when the vessel is located within about a beam width (few mm) of the ultrasound beam, significant reduction in lesion volume is observed due to blood flow. However, for gaps larger than a beam width, blood flow has no major effect on the lesion formation. Under the clinically representative conditions considered, the lesion volume is reduced about 40% (relative to the no-flow case) when the beam is parallel to the blood vessel, compared to about 20% for a perpendicular orientation. Procedures involving multiple ablation sites are affected less by blood flow than single ablations. The model also suggests that optimally focused transducers can generate lesions that are significantly larger (>2 times) than the ones produced by highly focused beams.

Multigrid solution of the Navier-Stokes equations at low speeds with large temperature variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sockol, Peter M.

2003-01-01

Multigrid methods for the Navier-Stokes equations at low speeds and large temperature variations are investigated. The compressible equations with time-derivative preconditioning and preconditioned flux-difference splitting of the inviscid terms are used. Three implicit smoothers have been incorporated into a common multigrid procedure. Both full coarsening and semi-coarsening with directional fine-grid defect correction have been studied. The resulting methods have been tested on four 2D laminar problems over a range of Reynolds numbers on both uniform and highly stretched grids. Two of the three methods show efficient and robust performance over the entire range of conditions. In addition, none of the methods has any difficulty with the large temperature variations

Implications for risk assessment of host factors causing large pharmacokinetic variations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vesell, E.S.

1985-12-01

Normal human subjects vary widely in their capacity to eliminate many drugs and environmental chemicals. These variations range in magnitude from fourfold to fortyfold depending on the drug and the population studied. Pharmacogenetics deals with only one of many host factors responsible for these large pharmacokinetic differences. Age, sex, diet and exposure to other drugs and chemicals, including oral contraceptives, ethanol and cigarette smoking, can alter the genetically determined rate at which a particular subject eliminates drugs and environmental chemicals. These elimination rates, therefore, are dynamic and change even in the same subject with time and condition. Regulatory legislation has only recently begun to recognize this very broad spectrum of human susceptibility and the existence of multiple special subgroups of particularly sensitive subjects. In setting standards for environmental chemicals, EPA and NIOSH have attempted to protect the most sensitive humans and should be encouraged to continue this policy. For some drugs and environmental chemicals, the commonly used safety factor of 100 may be too low; for these chemicals large, interindividual pharmacokinetic variations produced by pharmacogenetic and other host factors may make a safety factor of 400 or 500 more adequate.

Determination of the Average Native Background and the Light-Induced EPR Signals and their Variation in the Teeth Enamel Based on Large-Scale Survey of the Population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivannikov, Alexander I.; Khailov, Artem M.; Orlenko, Sergey P.; Skvortsov, Valeri G.; Stepanenko, Valeri F.; Zhumadilov, Kassym Sh.; Williams, Benjamin B.; Flood, Ann B.; Swartz, Harold M.

2016-01-01

The aim of the study is to determine the average intensity and variation of the native background signal amplitude (NSA) and of the solar light-induced signal amplitude (LSA) in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of tooth enamel for different kinds of teeth and different groups of people. These values are necessary for determination of the intensity of the radiation-induced signal amplitude (RSA) by subtraction of the expected NSA and LSA from the total signal amplitude measured in L-band for in vivo EPR dosimetry. Variation of these signals should be taken into account when estimating the uncertainty of the estimated RSA. A new analysis of several hundred EPR spectra that were measured earlier at X-band in a large-scale examination of the population of the Central Russia was performed. Based on this analysis, the average values and the variation (standard deviation, SD) of the amplitude of the NSA for the teeth from different positions, as well as LSA in outer enamel of the front teeth for different population groups, were determined. To convert data acquired at X-band to values corresponding to the conditions of measurement at L-band, the experimental dependencies of the intensities of the RSA, LSA and NSA on the m.w. power, measured at both X and L-band, were analysed. For the two central upper incisors, which are mainly used in in vivo dosimetry, the mean LSA annual rate induced only in the outer side enamel and its variation were obtained as 10 ± 2 (SD = 8) mGy y"-"1, the same for X- and L-bands (results are presented as the mean ± error of mean). Mean NSA in enamel and its variation for the upper incisors was calculated at 2.0 ± 0.2 (SD = 0.5) Gy, relative to the calibrated RSA dose-response to gamma radiation measured under non-power saturation conditions at X-band. Assuming the same value for L-band under non-power saturating conditions, then for in vivo measurements at L-band at 25 mW (power saturation conditions), a mean NSA and its

Interannual variation of annual precipitation and urban effect on precipitation in the Beijing region

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

The large scale character of the interannual variation of precipitation and the urban effect on local annual precipitation anomaly are investigated in this paper based on the 1960-2000 annual precipitation observations at 20 stations in the Beijing region. The results show that: the annual precipitation in the Beijing region possesses the large scale variation character with the linear trend of - 1.197/10 yr, which corresponds to a total reduction of 27.82 mm in annual precipitation in the 41 years; the local annual precipitation anomalies (percent of the normal 1960-2000) show a positive center near the urban area, i.e. urban precipitation island (UPI), whose intensity increases with the linear trend of 0. 6621%/10 yr, opposite to the interannual trend of large scale precipitation over the Beijing region; changes in the UPI are also associated with the intensity of synoptic processes of precipitation, and when the synoptic processes are strong (wet years), the intensity of UPI strengthens, while the synoptic processes are weak (dry years), and the UPI disappears in the Beijing region.

Azimuthal angle correlations at large rapidities. Revisiting density variation mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gotsman, E. [Tel Aviv University, Department of Particle Physics, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv (Israel); Levin, E. [Tel Aviv University, Department of Particle Physics, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv (Israel); Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria, Departemento de Fisica, Valparaiso (Chile); Centro Cientifico-Tecnologico de Valparaiso, Valparaiso (Chile)

2017-11-15

We discuss the angular correlation present in hadron-hadron collisions at large rapidity difference (anti α{sub S}y{sub 12} >> 1). We find that in the CGC/saturation approach the largest contribution stems from the density variation mechanism. Our principal results are that the odd Fourier harmonics (v{sub 2n+1}) decrease substantially as a function of y{sub 12}, while the even harmonics (v{sub 2n}) increase considerably with the growth of y{sub 12}. (orig.)

Variation in rates of severe retinopathy of prematurity among neonatal intensive care units in the Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network

OpenAIRE

Darlow, B A; Hutchinson, J L; Simpson, J M; Henderson-Smart, D J; Donoghue, D A; Evans, N J

2005-01-01

Aim: To analyse variations in rates of severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) among neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network (ANZNN), adjusting for sampling variability and for case mix.

Electromagnetic Weible Instability in Intense Charged Particle Beams with Large Energy Anisotropy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Startsev, Edward A.; Davidson, Ronald C.

2003-01-01

In plasmas with strongly anisotropic distribution functions, collective instabilities may develop if there is sufficient coupling between the transverse and longitudinal degrees of freedom. Our previous numerical and theoretical studies of intense charged particle beams with large temperature anisotropy [E. A. Startsev, R. C. Davidson and H. Qin, PRSTAB, 6, 084401 (2003); Phys. Plasmas 9, 3138 (2002)] demonstrated that a fast, electrostatic, Harris-like instability develops, and saturates nonlinearly, for sufficiently large temperature anisotropy (T perpendi c ular b /T parallelb >> 1). The total distribution function after saturation, however, is still far from equipartitioned. In this paper the linearized Vlasov-Maxwell equations are used to investigate detailed properties of the transverse electromagnetic Weibel-type instability for a long charge bunch propagating through a cylindrical pipe of radius r w . The kinetic stability analysis is carried out for azimuthally symmetric perturbations about a two-temperature thermal equilibrium distribution in the smooth-focusing approximation. The most unstable modes are identified, and their eigenfrequencies, radial mode structure and instability thresholds are determined. The stability analysis shows that, although there is free energy available to drive the electromagnetic Weibel instability, the finite transverse geometry of the charged particle beam introduces a large threshold value for the temperature anisotropy ((T perpendi c ularb /T parallelb ) Weibel >> (T perpendi c ularb /T parallelb ) Harris ) below which the instability is absent. Hence, unlike the case of an electrically neutral plasma, the Weibel instability is not expected to play as significant a role in the process of energy isotropization of intense unneutralized charged particle beams as the electrostatic Harris-type instability

A Top-Down Approach to Construct Execution Views of a Large Software-Intensive System

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Callo Arias, T.B.; America, P.H.M.; Avgeriou, P.

2011-01-01

This paper presents a top-down approach to construct execution views of a large and complex software intensive system. Execution viewsdescribe what the software does at runtime and how it does it. The presented approach represents a reverse architecting solution that follows a set of pre-defined

The impact of the year-on-year variation in the intensity of solar radiation on the energy intensity of low-energy and passive houses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Šubrt Roman

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Solar radiation is a significant segment of heat gains in the operation of buildings. The importance of this segment is highlighted by lowering the energy performance of buildings. The current condition of assessment considers the standard values of solar radiation but these are often very different from the fair values. In the contribution it draws attention to not only to on-year variation in solar fluctuations in the intensity of solar radiation and its significant long-term deviation from the standard values but also to the impact to energy building in reliance to its energy intensity. The attention will be focused also to different values in standards valid in the Czech Republic. This specification of energy assessment of buildings is not only necessary to approximate calculations of real state, but mainly because we can expect more disputes about if a building has declared calculating the parameters of a building with nearly zero-energy or passive house.

Solar cycle variations of the energetic H/He intensity ratio at high heliolatitudes and in the ecliptic plane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Lario

Full Text Available We study the variability of the heliospheric energetic proton-to-helium abundance ratios during different phases of the solar cycle. We use energetic particle, solar wind, and magnetic field data from the Ulysses, ACE and IMP-8 spacecraft to compare the H/He intensity ratio at high heliographic latitudes and in the ecliptic plane. During the first out-of-ecliptic excursion of Ulysses (1992–1996, the HI-SCALE instrument measured corotating energetic particle intensity enhancements characterized by low values (< 10 of the 0.5–1.0 MeV nucleon^-1 H/He intensity ratio. During the second out-of-ecliptic excursion of Ulysses (1999–2002, the more frequent occurrence of solar energetic particle events resulted in almost continuously high (< 20 values of the H/He ratio, even at the highest heliolatitudes reached by Ulysses. Comparison with in-ecliptic measurements from an identical instrument on the ACE spacecraft showed similar H/He values at ACE and Ulysses, suggesting a remarkable uniformity of energetic particle intensities in the solar maximum heliosphere at high heliolatitudes and in the ecliptic plane. In-ecliptic observations of the H/He intensity ratio from the IMP-8 spacecraft show variations between solar maximum and solar minimum similar to those observed by Ulysses at high heliographic latitudes. We suggest that the variation of the H/He intensity ratio throughout the solar cycle is due to the different level of transient solar activity, as well as the different structure and duration that corotating solar wind structures have under solar maximum and solar minimum conditions. During solar minimum, the interactions between the two different types of solar wind streams (slow vs. fast are strong and long-lasting, allowing for a continuous and efficient acceleration of interstellar pickup He +. During solar maximum, transient events of solar origin (characterized by high values of the H/He ratio are able to globally

A novel type of very long baseline astronomical intensity interferometer

Science.gov (United States)

Borra, Ermanno F.

2013-12-01

This article presents a novel type of very long baseline astronomical interferometer that uses the fluctuations, as a function of time, of the intensity measured by a quadratic detector, which is a common type of astronomical detector. The theory on which the technique is based is validated by laboratory experiments. Its outstanding principal advantages comes from the fact that the angular structure of an astronomical object is simply determined from the visibility of the minima of the spectrum of the intensity fluctuations measured by the detector, as a function of the frequency of the fluctuations, while keeping the spacing between mirrors constant. This would allow a simple setup capable of high angular resolutions because it could use an extremely large baseline. Another major interest is that it allows for a more efficient use of telescope time because observations at a single baseline are sufficient, while amplitude and intensity interferometers need several observations at different baselines. The fact that one does not have to move the telescopes would also allow detecting faster time variations because having to move the telescopes sets a lower limit to the time variations that can be detected. The technique uses wave interaction effects and thus has some characteristics in common with intensity interferometry. A disadvantage of the technique, like in intensity interferometry, is that it needs strong sources if observing at high frequencies (e.g. the visible). This is a minor disadvantage in the radio region. At high frequencies, this disadvantage is mitigated by the fact that, like in intensity interferometry, the requirements of the optical quality of the mirrors used are far less severe than in amplitude interferometry so that poor quality large reflectors (e.g. Cherenkov telescopes) can be used in the optical region.

An Evaluation of Subseasonal Intensity Variation of the South Asian High in the CMIP5 Models

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, W.; Ren, X.

2017-12-01

The South Asian High (SAH) is a vital member among the Asian summer monsoon circulations in the upper troposphere located over the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding areas during boreal summer. This study presents an evaluation of the characteristics of SAH's subseasonal intensity variation simulated by 18 coupled models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). The empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis is used on subseasonal anomalies in 100hPa geopotential height over 20°-40°N, 35°-110°E for June, July and August from 1979 to 2005. The first EOF mode from the ERA-Interim (denoted as observation) shows a monopole pattern capturing the strengthening/weakening of SAH. The power spectrum analysis of the corresponding principal component (PC1) time series shows a period about 10-30 days. In general, all the 18 coupled models can reproduce the monopole pattern and its subseasonal oscillation to a certain extent. The four well-simulated models are: ACCESS1-3, HadGEM2-CC, MRI-CGCM3 and BNU-ESM, which EOF1 show strong positive anomalies in the 100hPa geopotential height over the SAH's region and weak negative anomalies in their north side. Lead-lag regression shows that the evolution of the EOF1 from day -12 to +3 in the above four models is also reasonably simulated. In the observation, positive rainfall band moves northward from the equatorial Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengals and the Western North Pacific to the north of Indian Peninsula, south of Tibetan Plateau and Southeast China, accompanied by the increasing intensity of SAH. In the above four models, the northward movement of anomalous rainfall band can be well reproduced. In the observation, the spatial pattern of anomalies in integrated apparent heat source and integrated apparent moisture sink resemble that of rainfall, thus corresponding to anomalous condensation heat release. The anomalous heating stimulates positive height anomalies with an anomalous anticyclonic circulation to its

Determination of crystal structures with large known fragments directly from measured X-ray powder diffraction intensities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rius, J.; Miravitlles, C.

1988-01-01

A strategy for the determination of crystal structures with large known fragments directly from measured X-ray powder diffraction intensities is presented. It is based on the automated full-symmetry Patterson search method described by Rius and Miravitlles where the Fourier coefficients of the observed Patterson function are modified to allow the use of powder diffraction intensity data. Its application to two structures, one with simulated and one with experimental data, is shown. (orig.)

PGen: large-scale genomic variations analysis workflow and browser in SoyKB.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yang; Khan, Saad M; Wang, Juexin; Rynge, Mats; Zhang, Yuanxun; Zeng, Shuai; Chen, Shiyuan; Maldonado Dos Santos, Joao V; Valliyodan, Babu; Calyam, Prasad P; Merchant, Nirav; Nguyen, Henry T; Xu, Dong; Joshi, Trupti

2016-10-06

With the advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and significant reductions in sequencing costs, it is now possible to sequence large collections of germplasm in crops for detecting genome-scale genetic variations and to apply the knowledge towards improvements in traits. To efficiently facilitate large-scale NGS resequencing data analysis of genomic variations, we have developed "PGen", an integrated and optimized workflow using the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) high-performance computing (HPC) virtual system, iPlant cloud data storage resources and Pegasus workflow management system (Pegasus-WMS). The workflow allows users to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion-deletions (indels), perform SNP annotations and conduct copy number variation analyses on multiple resequencing datasets in a user-friendly and seamless way. We have developed both a Linux version in GitHub ( https://github.com/pegasus-isi/PGen-GenomicVariations-Workflow ) and a web-based implementation of the PGen workflow integrated within the Soybean Knowledge Base (SoyKB), ( http://soykb.org/Pegasus/index.php ). Using PGen, we identified 10,218,140 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 1,398,982 indels from analysis of 106 soybean lines sequenced at 15X coverage. 297,245 non-synonymous SNPs and 3330 copy number variation (CNV) regions were identified from this analysis. SNPs identified using PGen from additional soybean resequencing projects adding to 500+ soybean germplasm lines in total have been integrated. These SNPs are being utilized for trait improvement using genotype to phenotype prediction approaches developed in-house. In order to browse and access NGS data easily, we have also developed an NGS resequencing data browser ( http://soykb.org/NGS_Resequence/NGS_index.php ) within SoyKB to provide easy access to SNP and downstream analysis results for soybean researchers. PGen workflow has been optimized for the most

Imprint of non-linear effects on HI intensity mapping on large scales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Umeh, Obinna, E-mail: umeobinna@gmail.com [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535 (South Africa)

2017-06-01

Intensity mapping of the HI brightness temperature provides a unique way of tracing large-scale structures of the Universe up to the largest possible scales. This is achieved by using a low angular resolution radio telescopes to detect emission line from cosmic neutral Hydrogen in the post-reionization Universe. We use general relativistic perturbation theory techniques to derive for the first time the full expression for the HI brightness temperature up to third order in perturbation theory without making any plane-parallel approximation. We use this result and the renormalization prescription for biased tracers to study the impact of nonlinear effects on the power spectrum of HI brightness temperature both in real and redshift space. We show how mode coupling at nonlinear order due to nonlinear bias parameters and redshift space distortion terms modulate the power spectrum on large scales. The large scale modulation may be understood to be due to the effective bias parameter and effective shot noise.

Intensity Variation Normalization for Finger Vein Recognition Using Guided Filter Based Singe Scale Retinex.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Shan Juan; Lu, Yu; Yoon, Sook; Yang, Jucheng; Park, Dong Sun

2015-07-14

Finger vein recognition has been considered one of the most promising biometrics for personal authentication. However, the capacities and percentages of finger tissues (e.g., bone, muscle, ligament, water, fat, etc.) vary person by person. This usually causes poor quality of finger vein images, therefore degrading the performance of finger vein recognition systems (FVRSs). In this paper, the intrinsic factors of finger tissue causing poor quality of finger vein images are analyzed, and an intensity variation (IV) normalization method using guided filter based single scale retinex (GFSSR) is proposed for finger vein image enhancement. The experimental results on two public datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in enhancing the image quality and finger vein recognition accuracy.

Determination of the Average Native Background and the Light-Induced EPR Signals and their Variation in the Teeth Enamel Based on Large-Scale Survey of the Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivannikov, Alexander I; Khailov, Artem M; Orlenko, Sergey P; Skvortsov, Valeri G; Stepanenko, Valeri F; Zhumadilov, Kassym Sh; Williams, Benjamin B; Flood, Ann B; Swartz, Harold M

2016-12-01

The aim of the study is to determine the average intensity and variation of the native background signal amplitude (NSA) and of the solar light-induced signal amplitude (LSA) in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of tooth enamel for different kinds of teeth and different groups of people. These values are necessary for determination of the intensity of the radiation-induced signal amplitude (RSA) by subtraction of the expected NSA and LSA from the total signal amplitude measured in L-band for in vivo EPR dosimetry. Variation of these signals should be taken into account when estimating the uncertainty of the estimated RSA. A new analysis of several hundred EPR spectra that were measured earlier at X-band in a large-scale examination of the population of the Central Russia was performed. Based on this analysis, the average values and the variation (standard deviation, SD) of the amplitude of the NSA for the teeth from different positions, as well as LSA in outer enamel of the front teeth for different population groups, were determined. To convert data acquired at X-band to values corresponding to the conditions of measurement at L-band, the experimental dependencies of the intensities of the RSA, LSA and NSA on the m.w. power, measured at both X and L-band, were analysed. For the two central upper incisors, which are mainly used in in vivo dosimetry, the mean LSA annual rate induced only in the outer side enamel and its variation were obtained as 10 ± 2 (SD = 8) mGy y -1 , the same for X- and L-bands (results are presented as the mean ± error of mean). Mean NSA in enamel and its variation for the upper incisors was calculated at 2.0 ± 0.2 (SD = 0.5) Gy, relative to the calibrated RSA dose-response to gamma radiation measured under non-power saturation conditions at X-band. Assuming the same value for L-band under non-power saturating conditions, then for in vivo measurements at L-band at 25 mW (power saturation conditions), a mean NSA and its

Variations of bubble cavitation and temperature elevation during lesion formation by high-intensity focused ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yufeng; Gao, Xiaobin Wilson

2013-08-01

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is emerging as an effective therapeutic modality in both thermal ablations for solid tumor/cancer and soft-tissue fragmentation. Mechanical and thermal effects, which play an important role in the HIFU treatment simultaneously, are dependent on the operating parameters and may vary with the progress of therapy. Mechanical erosion in the shape of a "squid," a "dumbbell" lesion with both mechanical and thermal lesions, or a "tadpole" lesion with mechanical erosion at the center and thermal necrosis on the boundary in the transparent gel phantom could be produced correspondingly with the pulse duration of 5-30 ms, which is much longer than histotripsy burst but shorter than the time for tissue boiling, and pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 0.2-5 Hz. Meanwhile, variations of bubble cavitation (both inertial and stable cavitation) and temperature elevation in the focal region (i.e., z = -2.5, 0, and 2.5 mm) were measured by passive cavitation detection (PCD) and thermocouples during the therapeutic procedure, respectively. Stable cavitation increased with the pulse duration, PRF, and the number of pulses delivered. However, inertial cavitation was found to increase initially and then decrease with long pulse duration and high PRF. Temperature in the pre-focal region is always higher than those at the focal and post-focal position in all tests. Great variations of PCD signals and temperature elevation are due to the generation and persistence of large bubble, which is resistant to collapse and occurs with the increase of pulse duration and PRF. Similar lesion pattern and variations were also observed in ex vivo porcine kidneys. Hyperechoes in the B-mode ultrasound image were comparable to the shape and size of lesions in the dissected tissue. Thermal lesion volume increased with the increase of pulse duration and PRF, but mechanical erosion reached its maximum volume with the pulse duration of 20 ms and PRF of 1�

Brief report: large individual variation in outcomes of autistic children receiving low-intensity behavioral interventions in community settings

OpenAIRE

Kamio, Yoko; Haraguchi, Hideyuki; Miyake, Atsuko; Hiraiwa, Mikio

2015-01-01

Background Despite widespread awareness of the necessity of early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), evidence is still limited, in part, due to the complex nature of ASDs. This exploratory study aimed to examine the change across time in young children with autism and their mothers, who received less intensive early interventions with and without applied behavior analysis (ABA) methods in community settings in Japan. Methods Eighteen children with autism (mean ag...

Modelling Variable Fire Severity in Boreal Forests: Effects of Fire Intensity and Stand Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Miquelajauregui, Yosune; Cumming, Steven G; Gauthier, Sylvie

2016-01-01

It is becoming clear that fires in boreal forests are not uniformly stand-replacing. On the contrary, marked variation in fire severity, measured as tree mortality, has been found both within and among individual fires. It is important to understand the conditions under which this variation can arise. We integrated forest sample plot data, tree allometries and historical forest fire records within a diameter class-structured model of 1.0 ha patches of mono-specific black spruce and jack pine stands in northern Québec, Canada. The model accounts for crown fire initiation and vertical spread into the canopy. It uses empirical relations between fire intensity, scorch height, the percent of crown scorched and tree mortality to simulate fire severity, specifically the percent reduction in patch basal area due to fire-caused mortality. A random forest and a regression tree analysis of a large random sample of simulated fires were used to test for an effect of fireline intensity, stand structure, species composition and pyrogeographic regions on resultant severity. Severity increased with intensity and was lower for jack pine stands. The proportion of simulated fires that burned at high severity (e.g. >75% reduction in patch basal area) was 0.80 for black spruce and 0.11 for jack pine. We identified thresholds in intensity below which there was a marked sensitivity of simulated fire severity to stand structure, and to interactions between intensity and structure. We found no evidence for a residual effect of pyrogeographic region on simulated severity, after the effects of stand structure and species composition were accounted for. The model presented here was able to produce variation in fire severity under a range of fire intensity conditions. This suggests that variation in stand structure is one of the factors causing the observed variation in boreal fire severity.

Dependence of the muon intensity on the atmospheric temperature measured by the GRAPES-3 experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Arunbabu, K. P.; Ahmad, S.; Chandra, A.; Dugad, S. R.; Gupta, S. K.; Hariharan, B.; Hayashi, Y.; Jagadeesan, P.; Jain, A.; Jhansi, V. B.; Kawakami, S.; Kojima, H.; Mohanty, P. K.; Morris, S. D.; Nayak, P. K.; Oshima, A.; Rao, B. S.; Reddy, L. V.; Shibata, S.; Tanaka, K.; Zuberi, M.

2017-09-01

The large area (560 m2) GRAPES-3 tracking muon telescope has been operating uninterruptedly at Ooty, India since 2001. Every day, it records 4 × 109 muons of ≥1 GeV with an angular resolution of ∼4°. The variation of atmospheric temperature affects the rate of decay of muons produced by the galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), which in turn modulates the muon intensity. By analyzing the GRAPES-3 data of six years (2005-2010), a small (amplitude ∼0.2%) seasonal variation (1 year (Yr) period) in the intensity of muons could be measured. The effective temperature 'Teff' of the upper atmosphere also displays a periodic variation with an amplitude of ∼1 K which was responsible for the observed seasonal variation in the muon intensity. At GeV energies, the muons detected by the GRAPES-3 are expected to be anti-correlated with Teff. The anti-correlation between the seasonal variation of Teff, and the muon intensity was used to measure the temperature coefficient αT by fast Fourier transform (FFT) technique. The magnitude of αT was found to scale with the assumed attenuation length 'λ' of the hadrons in the range λ = 80-180 g cm-2. However, the magnitude of the correction in the muon intensity was found to be almost independent of the value of λ used. For λ = 120 g cm-2 the value of temperature coefficient αT was found to be (- 0.17 ± 0.02)% K-1.

Intensity variation of cosmic rays near the heliospheric current sheet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badruddin, K.S.; Yadav, R.S.; Yadav, N.R.

1985-01-01

Cosmic ray intensity variations near the heliospheric current sheet-both above and below it-have been studied during 1964-76. Superposed epoch analysis of the cosmic ray neutron monitor data with respect to sector boundaries (i.e., heliospheric current sheet crossings) has been performed. In this analysis data from neutron monitors well distributed in latitude over the Earth's surface is used. First, this study has been made during the two solar activity minimum periods 1964-65 and 1975-76, using the data from Thule (cut-off rigidity O GV), Deep River (cut-off rigidity 1.02 GV), Rome (cut-off rigidity 6.32 GV) and Huancayo (cut-off rigidity 13.45 GV) neutron monitors. The data is analyzed from Deep River, Rome and Huancayo neutron monitors, for which data is available for the full period (1964-76), by dividing the periods according to the changes in solar activity, interplanetary magnetic field polarity and coronal holes. All these studies have shown a negative gradient with respect to heliomagnetic latitude (current sheet). These results have been discussed in the light of theoretical and observational evidences. Suggestions have been given to overcome the discrepancy between the observational and theoretical results. Further, possible explanations for these observational results have been suggested. (author)

Galactic cosmic-ray intensity to a heliocentric distance of 18 AU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Allen, J.A.

1980-01-01

An updated report is given of observations of galactic cosmic-ray intensity to heliocentric radial distance of 8.6 and 18.4 AU with Pioneer 11 and Pioneer 10, respectively. Solar activity via the magnetic structure of the interplanetary medium continues to modulate the intensity out to the greatest distance reached thus far. During the 7 year period 1972 March to 1979 March, the galactic cosmic-ray intensity E/sub p/>80 MeV as measured by detectors on Pioneers 10 and 11 exhibited aperiodic temporal variations by about a factor of 2 and on a time scale of the order of a year and quasi-persistent cyclic variations of 26 day period and amplitude a few percent. The former are attributed to overall changes in the magnetic field structure of the heliosphere, the latter to fast-slow solar wind streams in and near the ecliptic plane and not to toward-away magnetic field sectors. The apparent heliographic latitude dependence of intensity is 0( +- 1.5)% per 10 0 in the latitude range +7 0 .7 to +15. 0 8, though it is possible that radially dependent temporal variations over the large difference in the heliocentric radial distances of the two spacecraft may make this result of limited significance. For protons of energy E/sub p/>80 MeV, there is a fairly consistent heliocentric radial gradient of +2.1( +- 0.3)% per AU integral intensity until 1978 April--May, at which time a substantial disruption of the distribution of cosmic rays in the heliosphere occurred

Variation in Surficial Hydrated Minerals on Large Low-Albedo Asteroids

Science.gov (United States)

Rivkin, Andrew S.; Emery, Joshua P.; Howell, Ellen S.

2017-10-01

Observations of asteroids in the 3-µm spectral region, where absorptions diagnostic for hydrated minerals are found, show low-albedo asteroid spectra can be classified into at least 3 groups (Takir et al. 2013, Rivkin et al. 2015). While definitions of these groups vary between authors, they hold in common a group with spectra like what we see for CM/CI meteorites, one group with spectra like that of Ceres, and a group with spectra that have been interpreted as ice frost. The relationship between these groups is not yet clear. One possibility is that the spectrum reflects (no pun intended) the formation location for the asteroids and that a given object is undifferentiated and homogeneous in the composition of its hydrated minerals. However, models of the thermal and chemical evolution of large, low-albedo asteroids suggests that differentiation may be more common than we had thought, and impacts could exhume once-deep layers or expose complicated mixes of salts and silicates (for instance, Castillo-Rogez et al. LPSC 2017 model of Ceres). In this case, we might expect variation in the 3-µm spectral region to be seen on the surfaces of some objects as they rotate. We will present evidence for such variation in the spectrum of two large asteroids, 704 Interamnia (306 km diameter) and 324 Bamberga (220 km diameter). In the first case, Interamnia’s spectrum seems to have a combination of Ceres- and CM/CI-like features and has aspects where one or another component is dominant, while Bamberga’s spectrum is not easily placed in previously-defined groups.

Regional Variation in Neonatal Intensive Care Admissions and the Relationship to Bed Supply.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Wade N; Wasserman, Jared R; Goodman, David C

2018-01-01

To characterize geographic variation in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission rates across the entire birth cohort and evaluate the relationship between regional bed supply and NICU admission rates. This was a population-based, cross-sectional study. 2013 US birth certificate and 2012 American Hospital Association data were used to assign newborns and NICU beds to neonatal intensive care regions. Descriptive statistics of admission rates were calculated across neonatal intensive care regions. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between bed supply and individual odds of admission, with adjustment for maternal and newborn characteristics. Among 3 304 364 study newborns, the NICU admission rate was 7.2 per 100 births and varied across regions for all birth weight categories. IQRs in admission rates were 84.5-93.2 per 100 births for 500-1499 g, 35.3-46.1 for 1500-2499 g, and 3.5-5.5 for ≥2500 g. Adjusted odds of admission for newborns of very low birth weight were unrelated to regional bed supply; however, newborns ≥2500 g in regions with the highest NICU bed supply were significantly more likely to be admitted to a NICU than those in regions with the lowest (aOR 1.20 [1.03-1.40]). There is persistent underuse of NICU care for newborns of very low birth weight that is not associated with regional bed supply. Among larger newborns, we find evidence of supply-sensitive care, raising concerns about the potential overuse of expensive and unnecessary care. Rather than improving access to needed care, NICU expansion may instead further deregionalize neonatal care, exacerbating underuse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intensity Variation Normalization for Finger Vein Recognition Using Guided Filter Based Singe Scale Retinex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shan Juan Xie

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Finger vein recognition has been considered one of the most promising biometrics for personal authentication. However, the capacities and percentages of finger tissues (e.g., bone, muscle, ligament, water, fat, etc. vary person by person. This usually causes poor quality of finger vein images, therefore degrading the performance of finger vein recognition systems (FVRSs. In this paper, the intrinsic factors of finger tissue causing poor quality of finger vein images are analyzed, and an intensity variation (IV normalization method using guided filter based single scale retinex (GFSSR is proposed for finger vein image enhancement. The experimental results on two public datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in enhancing the image quality and finger vein recognition accuracy.

Solar wind-magnetosphere coupling during intense magnetic storms (1978--1979)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, W.D.; Tsurutani, B.T.; Gonzalez, A.L.C.; Smith, E.J.; Tang, F.; Akasofu, S.

1989-01-01

The solar wind-magnetosphere coupling problem is investigated for the ten intense magnetic storms (Dst <-100 nT) that occurred during the 500 days (August 16, 1978 to December 28, 1979) studied by Gonzalez and Tsurutani [1987]. This investigation concentrates on the ring current energization in terms of solar wind parameters, in order to explain the | -Dst | growth observed during these storms. Thus several coupling functions are tested as energy input and several sets of the ring current decay time-constant τ are searched to find best correlations with the Dst response. From the fairly large correlation coefficients found in this study, there is strong evidence that large scale magnetopause reconnection operates during such intense storm events and that the solar wind ram pressure plays an important role in the ring current energization. Thus a ram pressure correction factor is suggested for expressions concerning the reconnection power during time intervals with large ram pressure variations

Fast geomagnetic Field Intensity Variations between 1400 and 400 BCE: New Archaeointensity Data from Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Hervé, G.; Schnepp, E.; Metzler-Nebelsick, C.; Lhuillier, F.; Gilder, S.; Genevey, A.; Fassbinder, J.; Gallet, Y.

2017-12-01

Thirty-five mean archaeointensity data were obtained on ceramic sherds dated between 1400 and 400 BCE from sites located near Munich, Germany. The 453 sherds were collected from 52 graves, pits and wells dated by archaeological correlation, radiocarbon and/or dendrochronology. Rock magnetic analyses indicate that the remanent magnetization was mainly carried by magnetite. Data from Thellier-Thellier experiments were corrected for anisotropy and cooling rate effects. Triaxe and multispecimen (MSP-DSC) protocols were also measured on a subset of specimens. Around 60% of the samples provide reliable results when using stringent criteria selection. The 35 average archaeointensity values based on 154 pots are consistent with previous data and triple the Western Europe database between 1400 and 400 BCE. A secular variation curve for central-western Europe, built using a Bayesian approach, shows a double oscillation in geomagnetic field strength with intensity maxima of 70 μT around 1000-900 BCE and another up to 90 μT around 600-500 BCE. The maximum rate of variation was 0.25 μT/yr circa 700 BCE. The secular variation trend in Western Europe is similar to that observed in the Middle East and the Caucasus except that we find no evidence for hyper-rapid field variations (i.e. geomagnetic spikes). Virtual Axial Dipole Moments from Western Europe, the Middle East and central Asia differ by more than 20 ZA·m2 prior to 600 BCE, which signifies a departure from an axial dipole field especially between 1000 and 600 BCE. Our observations suggest that the regional Levantine Iron Age anomaly has been accompanied by an increase of the axial dipole moment together with a tilt of the dipole.

Large trees drive forest aboveground biomass variation in moist lowland forests across the tropics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Slik, J.W.Ferry; Paoli, Gary; McGuire, Krista

2013-01-01

.3 ± 109.3 Mg ha−1). Pan-tropical variation in density of large trees and AGB was associated with soil coarseness (negative), soil fertility (positive), community wood density (positive) and dominance of wind dispersed species (positive), temperature in the coldest month (negative), temperature...

Solar cycle 22 control on daily geomagnetic variation at Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Palangio

1998-06-01

Full Text Available Nine summer geomagnetic observatory data (1986-1995 from Terra Nova Bay Base, Antarctica (Lat.74.690S, Long. 164.120E, 80.040S magnetic latitude are used to investigate the behaviour of the daily variation of the geomagnetic field at polar latitude. The instrumentation includes a proton precession magnetometer for total intensity |F| digital recordings; DI magnetometers for absolute measuring of the angular elements D and I and a three axis flux-gate system for acquiring H,D Z time variation data. We find that the magnetic time variation amplitude follows the solar cycle evolution and that the ratio between minimum solar median and maximum solar median is between 2-3 for intensive elements (H and Z and 1.7 for declination(D. The solar cycle effect on geomagnetic daily variation elements amplitude in Antarctica, in comparison with previous studies, is then probably larger than expected. As a consequence, the electric current system that causes the daily magnetic field variation reveals a quite large solar cycle effect at Terra Nova Bay.

Short-time-scale Doppler and intensity variations in the spectrum of SS 433

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, R.M.; Newsom, G.H.; Foltz, C.B.; Byard, P.L.

1981-01-01

Spectroscopic observations of SS 433 were obtained on ten consecutive nights in 1981 May. Measurements of the equivalent widths of the spectral lines and Doppler shifts of the moving lines are presented. Not only does the 6-day period in the wavelengths of the moving lines appear quite clearly, but the data strongly suggest that this period is decreasing at a rate of (3.0 +- 1.1) x 10 -5 days/day. In addition, large equivalent width variations of the stationary lines are observed

A high-resolution paleosecular variation record from Black Sea sediments indicating fast directional changes associated with low field intensities during marine isotope stage (MIS) 4

Science.gov (United States)

Nowaczyk, Norbert R.; Jiabo, Liu; Frank, Ute; Arz, Helge W.

2018-02-01

A total of nine sediment cores recovered from the Archangelsky Ridge in the SE Black Sea were systematically subjected to intense paleo- and mineral magnetic analyses. Besides 16 accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C ages available for another core from this area, dating was accomplished by correlation of short-term warming events during the last glacial monitored by high-resolution X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning as maxima in both Ca/Ti and K/Ti ratios in Black Sea sediments to the so-called 'Dansgaard-Oeschger events' recognized from Greenland ice cores. Thus, several hiatuses could be identified in the various cores during the last glacial/interglacial cycle. Finally, core sections documenting marine isotope stage (MIS) 4 at high resolution back to 69 ka were selected for detailed analyses. At 64.5 ka, according to obtained results from Black Sea sediments, the second deepest minimum in relative paleointensity during the past 69 ka occurred, with the Laschamp geomagnetic excursion at 41 ka being associated with the lowest field intensities. The field minimum during MIS 4 is associated with large declination swings beginning about 3 ka before the minimum. While a swing to 50°E is associated with steep inclinations (50-60°) according to the coring site at 42°N, the subsequent declination swing to 30°W is associated with shallow inclinations of down to 40°. Nevertheless, these large deviations from the direction of a geocentric axial dipole field (I = 61 °, D = 0 °) still can not yet be termed as 'excursional', since latitudes of corresponding virtual geomagnetic poles (VGP) only reach down to 51.5°N (120°E) and 61.5°N (75°W), respectively. However, these VGP positions at opposite sides of the globe are linked with VGP drift rates of up to 0.2° per year in between. These extreme secular variations might be the mid-latitude expression of a geomagnetic excursion with partly reversed inclinations found at several sites much further North in Arctic

Variations of the Hβ-emission line during a large flare on UV Ceti

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moffett, T.J.; Evans, D.S.; Ferland, G.

1977-01-01

Simultaneous high-speed photometry and photoelectric scanner observations of the Hβ-line were obtained for five flare events, one a major flare, on UV Ceti on 1975 January 6. The relative increase in the intensity of the Hβ-line during the large flare was much greater than the relative continuum rise as measured both by the scanner and by broad-band photometric observations. In Hβ the flare lasted nearly 30 times as long as in the continuum. Peak intensity in the Hβ-line occurred later than the continuum maximum. The possibility of using emission line observations to detect flare activity on early spectral-type stars (dK - dG) is discussed. Some speculations on the mechanism of flare production are indulged. (author)

Photoneutron intensity variation with field size around radiotherapy linear accelerator 18-MeV X-ray beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Ghamdi, H.; Fazal-ur-Rehman [Physics Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia); Al-Jarallah, M.I. [Physics Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia)], E-mail: mibrahim@kfupm.edu.sa; Maalej, N. [Physics Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261 (Saudi Arabia)

2008-08-15

In X-ray radiotherapy accelerators, neutrons are produced mainly by ({gamma},n) reaction when high energy X-rays interact with high Z materials of the linear accelerator head. These materials include the lead (Pb) used as shielding in the collimator, tungsten (W) target used for the production of X-rays and iron (Fe) in the accelerator head. These unwanted neutrons contaminate the therapeutic beam and contribute to the patient dose during the treatment of a cancer patient. Knowing the neutron distribution around the radiotherapy accelerator is therefore desired. CR-39 nuclear track detectors (NTDs) were used to study the variation of fast and thermal neutron relative intensities around an 18 MeV linear accelerator X-ray beam with the field sizes of 0, 10x10, 20x20, 30x30 and 40x40cm{sup 2}. For fast neutron detection, bare NTDs were used. For thermal neutron detection, NTDs were covered with lithium tetra borate (Li{sub 2}B{sub 4}O{sub 7}) converters. The NTDs were placed at different locations in the direction perpendicular to the treatment couch (transversal) and in the direction parallel to the treatment couch (longitudinal) with respect to the isocenter of the accelerator. The fast neutron relative intensity is symmetrical about the beam axis and exhibits an exponential-like drop with distance from the isocenter of the accelerator for all the field sizes. At the primary beam (isocenter), the relative fast neutron intensity is highest for 40x40cm{sup 2} field size and decreases linearly with the decrease in the field size. However, fast neutron intensities do not change significantly with beam size for the measurements outside the primary beam. The fast neutron intensity in the longitudinal direction outside the primary beam decreases linearly with the field size. The thermal neutron intensity, at any location, was found to be almost independent of the field size.

Within-Winter Flexibility in Muscle Masses, Myostatin, and Cellular Aerobic Metabolic Intensity in Passerine Birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Swanson, David L; King, Marisa O; Culver, William; Zhang, Yufeng

Metabolic rates of passerine birds are flexible traits that vary both seasonally and among and within winters. Seasonal variation in summit metabolic rates (M sum = maximum thermoregulatory metabolism) in birds is consistently correlated with changes in pectoralis muscle and heart masses and sometimes with variation in cellular aerobic metabolic intensity, so these traits might also be associated with shorter-term, within-winter variation in metabolic rates. To determine whether these mechanisms are associated with within-winter variation in M sum , we examined the effects of short-term (ST; 0-7 d), medium-term (MT; 14-30 d), and long-term (LT; 30-yr means) temperature variables on pectoralis muscle and heart masses, pectoralis expression of the muscle-growth inhibitor myostatin and its metalloproteinase activators TLL-1 and TLL-2, and pectoralis and heart citrate synthase (CS; an indicator of cellular aerobic metabolic intensity) activities for two temperate-zone resident passerines, house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). For both species, pectoralis mass residuals were positively correlated with ST temperature variables, suggesting that cold temperatures resulted in increased turnover of pectoralis muscle, but heart mass showed little within-winter variation for either species. Pectoralis mRNA and protein expression of myostatin and the TLLs were only weakly correlated with ST and MT temperature variables, which is largely consistent with trends in muscle masses for both species. Pectoralis and heart CS activities showed weak and variable trends with ST temperature variables in both species, suggesting only minor effects of temperature variation on cellular aerobic metabolic intensity. Thus, neither muscle or heart masses, regulation by the myostatin system, nor cellular aerobic metabolic intensity varied consistently with winter temperature, suggesting that other factors regulate within-winter metabolic variation in these birds.

Prediction of galactic cosmic ray intensity variation for a few (up to 10-12 years ahead on the basis of convection-diffusion and drift model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. I. Dorman

2005-11-01

Full Text Available We determine the dimension of the Heliosphere (modulation region, radial diffusion coefficient and other parameters of convection-diffusion and drift mechanisms of cosmic ray (CR long-term variation, depending on particle energy, the level of solar activity (SA and general solar magnetic field. This important information we obtain on the basis of CR and SA data in the past, taking into account the theory of convection-diffusion and drift global modulation of galactic CR in the Heliosphere. By using these results and the predictions which are regularly published elsewhere of expected SA variation in the near future and prediction of next future SA cycle, we may make a prediction of the expected in the near future long-term cosmic ray intensity variation. We show that by this method we may make a prediction of the expected in the near future (up to 10-12 years, and may be more, in dependence for what period can be made definite prediction of SA galactic cosmic ray intensity variation in the interplanetary space on different distances from the Sun, in the Earth's magnetosphere, and in the atmosphere at different altitudes and latitudes.

Rainwater runoff retention on an aged intensive green roof.

Science.gov (United States)

Speak, A F; Rothwell, J J; Lindley, S J; Smith, C L

2013-09-01

Urban areas are characterised by large proportions of impervious surfaces which increases rainwater runoff and the potential for surface water flooding. Increased precipitation is predicted under current climate change projections, which will put further pressure on urban populations and infrastructure. Roof greening can be used within flood mitigation schemes to restore the urban hydrological balance of cities. Intensive green roofs, with their deeper substrates and higher plant biomass, are able to retain greater quantities of runoff, and there is a need for more studies on this less common type of green roof which also investigate the effect of factors such as age and vegetation composition. Runoff quantities from an aged intensive green roof in Manchester, UK, were analysed for 69 rainfall events, and compared to those on an adjacent paved roof. Average retention was 65.7% on the green roof and 33.6% on the bare roof. A comprehensive soil classification revealed the substrate, a mineral soil, to be in good general condition and also high in organic matter content which can increase the water holding capacity of soils. Large variation in the retention data made the use of predictive regression models unfeasible. This variation arose from complex interactions between Antecedant Dry Weather Period (ADWP), season, monthly weather trends, and rainfall duration, quantity and peak intensity. However, significantly lower retention was seen for high rainfall events, and in autumn, which had above average rainfall. The study period only covers one unusually wet year, so a longer study may uncover relationships to factors which can be applied to intensive roofs elsewhere. Annual rainfall retention for Manchester city centre could be increased by 2.3% by a 10% increase in intensive green roof construction. The results of this study will be of particular interest to practitioners implementing greenspace adaptation in temperate and cool maritime climates. Copyright © 2013

Applicability of Pulse Pressure Variation during Unstable Hemodynamic Events in the Intensive Care Unit: A Five-Day Prospective Multicenter Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bertrand Delannoy

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Pulse pressure variation can predict fluid responsiveness in strict applicability conditions. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical applicability of pulse pressure variation during episodes of patient hemodynamic instability in the intensive care unit. We conducted a five-day, seven-center prospective study that included patients presenting with an unstable hemodynamic event. The six predefined inclusion criteria for pulse pressure variation applicability were as follows: mechanical ventilation, tidal volume >7 mL/kg, sinus rhythm, no spontaneous breath, heart rate/respiratory rate ratio >3.6, absence of right ventricular dysfunction, or severe valvulopathy. Seventy-three patients presented at least one unstable hemodynamic event, with a total of 163 unstable hemodynamic events. The six predefined criteria for the applicability of pulse pressure variation were completely present in only 7% of these. This data indicates that PPV should only be used alongside a strong understanding of the relevant physiology and applicability criteria. Although these exclusion criteria appear to be profound, they likely represent an absolute contraindication of use for only a minority of critical care patients.

ALOS PALSAR Winter Coherence and Summer Intensities for Large Scale Forest Monitoring in Siberia

Science.gov (United States)

Thiel, Christian; Thiel, Carolin; Santoro, Maurizio; Schmullius, Christiane

2008-11-01

In this paper summer intensity and winter coherence images are used for large scale forest monitoring. The intensities (FBD HH/HV) have been acquired during summer 2007 and feature the K&C intensity stripes [1]. The processing consisted of radiometric calibration, orthorectification, and topographic normalisation. The coherence has been estimated from interferometric pairs with 46-days repeat-pass intervals. The pairs have been acquired during the winters 2006/2007 and 2007/2008. During both winters suited weather conditions have been reported. Interferometric processing consisted of SLC co-registration at sub-pixel level, common-band filtering in range and azimuth and generation of a differential interferogram, which was used in the coherence estimation procedure based on adaptive estimation. All images were geocoded using SRTM data. The pixel size of the final SAR products is 50 m x 50 m. It could already be demonstrated, that by using PALSAR intensities and winter coherence forest and non-forest can be clearly separated [2]. By combining both data types hardly any overlap of the class signatures was detected, even though the analysis was conducted on pixel level and no speckle filter has been applied. Thus, the delineation of a forest cover mask could be executed operationally. The major hitch is the definition of a biomass threshold for regrowing forest to be distinguished as forest.

Importance of selecting archaeomagnetic data for geomagnetic modelling: example of the new Western Europe directional and intensity secular variation curves from 1500 BC to 200 AD

Science.gov (United States)

Herve, Gwenael; Chauvin, Annick; Lanos, Philippe

2014-05-01

At the regional scale, the dispersion between archaeomagnetic data and especially archaeointensities suggests that some of them may be biased. As a consequence, it appears necessary to perform a selection of available data before to compute mean regional secular variation curves or geomagnetic models. However the definition of suitable selection criteria is not obvious and we need to know how to manage "old" data acquired during the 60-70s. The Western Europe directional and intensity data set from 1500 BC to 200 AD allows to discuss these issues. It has recently been enhanced by 39 new archaeodirections and 23 new archaeointensities (Hervé et al., 2013a and 2013b data sets and 5 unpublished data). First, the whole Western Europe data set was selected but the strong dispersion restricted the accuracy and the reliability of the new Western Europe secular variation curves at Paris. The causes of the dispersion appear different between archaeodirections and archaeointensities. In the directional data set, the main problem comes from some age errors in the oldest published data. Since their publication their archaeological dating may have changed of 50 years or more. For intensity data that were acquired much more recently, the dispersion mainly results from the use of unreliable archaeointensity protocols. We propose a weighting approach based on the number of specimens and the use of pTRM-checks, anisotropy and cooling rate corrections. Only 63% of available archaeodirections and 32% of archaeointensities were used to build the new Western Europe secular variation curves from 1500 BC to 200 AD. These curves reveal that selecting the reference data avoids wrong estimations of the shape of the secular variation curves, the secular variation rate, the dating of archaeomagnetic jerks... Finally, it is worth pointing out that current geomagnetic global models take into account almost all the data that we decided to reject. It could partly explain why their predictions at

Rapid geomagnetic field intensity variations in the Near East during the 6th millennium BC: New archeointensity data from Halafian site Yarim Tepe II (Northern Iraq)

Science.gov (United States)

Yutsis-Akimova, Stanislava; Gallet, Yves; Amirov, Shahmardan

2018-01-01

further suggests that the intensity secular variation in the Near East and in Eastern Europe during the 6th millennium BC was in fact principally punctuated by two successive short-lasting intensity peaks, the first around 5800 BC and the second around 5500 BC. The scarcity of the intensity data available worldwide, however, prevents us constraining the geomagnetic dipole or non-dipole origin of these features. The variation rates associated with the rapid intensity fluctuations observed in Yarim Tepe II are of ∼0.15-0.25 μT/yr. This range of values appears similar to that of rapid intensity variations that sporadically occurred in more recent times, such as in Western Europe around 700 BC and 1000 AD. In contrast, it is lower than the variation rates that were proposed for geomagnetic spikes. Our results also have interesting implications on Halafian archeology; in particular, they suggest that the Late Halaf-HUT boundary was older by ∼ one century than previously considered.

Intensity limits for propagation of 0.527 μm laser beams through large-scale-length plasmas for inertial confinement fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niemann, C.; Divol, L.; Froula, D.H.; Gregori, G.; Jones, O.; Kirkwood, R.K.; MacKinnon, A.J.; Meezan, N.B.; Moody, J.D.; Sorce, C.; Suter, L.J.; Glenzer, S.H.; Bahr, R.; Seka, W.

2005-01-01

We have established the intensity limits for propagation of a frequency-doubled (2ω, 527 nm) high intensity interaction beam through an underdense large-scale-length plasma. We observe good beam transmission at laser intensities at or below 2x10 14 W/cm 2 and a strong reduction at intensities up to 10 15 W/cm 2 due to the onset of parametric scattering instabilities. We show that temporal beam smoothing by spectral dispersion allows a factor of 2 higher intensities while keeping the beam spray constant, which establishes frequency-doubled light as an option for ignition and burn in inertial confinement fusion experiments

Canopy area of large trees explains aboveground biomass variations across neotropical forest landscapes

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Meyer, Victoria; Saatchi, Sassan; Clark, David B.; Keller, Michael; Vincent, Grégoire; Ferraz, António; Espírito-Santo, Fernando; d'Oliveira, Marcus V. N.; Kaki, Dahlia; Chave, Jérôme

2018-06-01

Large tropical trees store significant amounts of carbon in woody components and their distribution plays an important role in forest carbon stocks and dynamics. Here, we explore the properties of a new lidar-derived index, the large tree canopy area (LCA) defined as the area occupied by canopy above a reference height. We hypothesize that this simple measure of forest structure representing the crown area of large canopy trees could consistently explain the landscape variations in forest volume and aboveground biomass (AGB) across a range of climate and edaphic conditions. To test this hypothesis, we assembled a unique dataset of high-resolution airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) and ground inventory data in nine undisturbed old-growth Neotropical forests, of which four had plots large enough (1 ha) to calibrate our model. We found that the LCA for trees greater than 27 m (˜ 25-30 m) in height and at least 100 m2 crown size in a unit area (1 ha), explains more than 75 % of total forest volume variations, irrespective of the forest biogeographic conditions. When weighted by average wood density of the stand, LCA can be used as an unbiased estimator of AGB across sites (R2 = 0.78, RMSE = 46.02 Mg ha-1, bias = -0.63 Mg ha-1). Unlike other lidar-derived metrics with complex nonlinear relations to biomass, the relationship between LCA and AGB is linear and remains unique across forest types. A comparison with tree inventories across the study sites indicates that LCA correlates best with the crown area (or basal area) of trees with diameter greater than 50 cm. The spatial invariance of the LCA-AGB relationship across the Neotropics suggests a remarkable regularity of forest structure across the landscape and a new technique for systematic monitoring of large trees for their contribution to AGB and changes associated with selective logging, tree mortality and other types of tropical forest disturbance and dynamics.

Regional variation in fish predation intensity: a historical perspective in the Gulf of Maine.

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Witman, Jon D; Sebens, Kenneth P

1992-06-01

Regional variation in the intensity of fish predation on tethered brittle stars and crabs was measured at 30-33 m depths in the rocky subtidal zone at seven sites representing coastal and offshore regions of the Gulf of Maine, USA. Analysis of covariance comparing the slopes of brittle star survivorship curves followed by multiple comparisons tests revealed five groupings of sites, with significantly greater predation rates in the two offshore than in the three coastal groups. Brittle stars tethered at the three offshore sites were consumed primarily by cod, Gadus morhua, with 60-100% prey mortality occuring in 2.5 h. In striking contrast, only 6-28% of brittle star prey was consumed in the same amount of time at the four coastal sites, which were dominated by cunner, Tautogolabrus adspersus. In several coastal trials, a majority of brittle star prey remained after 24 h. The pattern of higher predation offshore held for rock crabs as well with only 2.7% of tethered crabs consumed (n=36) at coastal sites versus 57.8% of crabs (n=64) consumed at offshore sites. Another important predatory fish, the wolffish, Anarhichas lupus, consumed more tethered crabs than brittle stars. Videos and time-lapse movies indicated that cod and wolffish were significantly more abundant at offshore than at coastal sites. Three hundred years of fishing pressure in New England has severely depleted stocks of at least one important benthic predator, the cod, in coastal waters. We speculate that this human-induced predator removal has lowered predation pressure on crabs and other large mobile epibenthos in deep coastal communities. Transect data indicate that coastal sites with few cod support significantly higher densities of crabs than offshore sites with abundant cod.

Seasonal variation in family member perceptions of physician competence in the intensive care unit: findings from one academic medical center.

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Stevens, Jennifer P; Kachniarz, Bart; O'Reilly, Kristin; Howell, Michael D

2015-04-01

Researchers have found mixed results about the risk to patient safety in July, when newly minted physicians enter U.S. hospitals to begin their clinical training, the so-called "July effect." However, patient and family satisfaction and perception of physician competence during summer months remain unknown. The authors conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of 815 family members of adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients who completed the Family Satisfaction with Care in the Intensive Care Unit instrument from eight ICUs at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, between April 2008 and June 2011. The association of ICU care in the summer months (July-September) versus other seasons and family perception of physician competence was examined in univariable and multivariable analyses. A greater proportion of family members described physicians as competent in summer months as compared with winter months (odds ratio [OR] 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-3.0; P = .003). After adjustment for patient and proxy demographics, severity of illness, comorbidities, and features of the admission in a multivariable model, seasonal variation of family perception of physician competence persisted (summer versus winter, OR of judging physicians competent 2.4; 95% CI 1.3-4.4; P = .004). Seasonal variation exists in family perception of physician competence in the ICU, but opposite to the "July effect." The reasons for this variation are not well understood. Further research is necessary to explore the role of senior provider involvement, trainee factors, system factors such as handoffs, or other possible contributors.

Field-aligned currents observed by CHAMP during the intense 2003 geomagnetic storm events

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H. Wang

2006-03-01

Full Text Available This study concentrates on the characteristics of field-aligned currents (FACs in both hemispheres during the extreme storms in October and November 2003. High-resolution CHAMP magnetic data reflect the dynamics of FACs during these geomagnetic storms, which are different from normal periods. The peak intensity and most equatorward location of FACs in response to the storm phases are examined separately for both hemispheres, as well as for the dayside and nightside. The corresponding large-scale FAC peak densities are, on average, enhanced by about a factor of 5 compared to the quiet-time FACs' strengths. And the FAC densities on the dayside are, on average, 2.5 times larger in the Southern (summer than in the Northern (winter Hemisphere, while the observed intensities on the nightside are comparable between the two hemispheres. Solar wind dynamic pressure is correlated with the FACs strength on the dayside. However, the latitudinal variations of the FACs are compared with the variations in Dst and the interplanetary magnetic field component Bz, in order to determine how these parameters control the large-scale FACs' configuration in the polar region. We have determined that (1 the equatorward shift of FACs on the dayside is directly controlled by the southward IMF Bz and there is a saturation of the latitudinal displacement for large value of negative Bz. In the winter hemisphere this saturation occurs at higher latitudes than in the summer hemisphere. (2 The equatorward expansion of the nightside FACs is delayed with respect to the solar wind input. The poleward recovery of FACs on the nightside is slower than on the dayside. The latitudinal variations on the nightside are better described by the variations of the Dst index. (3 The latitudinal width of the FAC region on the nightside spreads over a wide range of about 25° in latitude.

Insights into Ground-Motion Processes from Intensity Data (Invited)

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Atkinson, G. M.

2009-12-01

Analysis of intensity data gathered from the on-line “Did You Feel It?” (DYFI) questionnaire program (Wald et al., 1999, Seism. Res. L.) provides new insights into both contemporary and historical ground-motion processes; this is particularly important for sparsely-instrumented regions. The value of the DYFI data lies in their vast quantities and large spatial coverage. With thousands to tens of thousands of respondents providing information on the felt and damage characteristics of widely-felt earthquakes, DYFI intensity data provide surprisingly high resolution of ground-motion features. The large data quantities allow techniques such as binning to be used to bring out these features in a statistically-stable way (Atkinson and Wald, 2007, Seism. Res. L.), while correlations of the statistics of DYFI intensities with instrumental ground motions provide the link between intensity and engineering ground-motion parameters (Wald et al., 1999, Earthquake Spectra). This link is largely independent of region if its dependence on earthquake magnitude and distance is taken into account (Kaka and Atkinson, 2007, BSSA). Thus DYFI data provide a valuable tool with which ground motions can be estimated, if their felt and damage effects have been reported. This is useful both for understanding contemporary events in sparsely-instrumented regions, and for re-evaluating historical events, for which only intensity data are available. By using calibrated intensity observations, a number of ground-motion processes can be investigated based on DYFI and/or historical intensity data. For example, intensity data shed light on source scaling issues, and whether source parameters vary regionally. They can also be used to document regional attenuation features, such as the attenuation rate and its variation with distance (Atkinson and Wald, 2007). A key uncertainty in these investigations concerns the effect of spectral shape on intensity; the spectral shape is influenced by site

Nonlinear δf Simulation Studies of Intense Charged Particle Beams with Large Temperature Anisotropy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Startsev, Edward A.; Davidson, Ronald C.; Qin, Hong

2002-01-01

In this paper, a 3-D nonlinear perturbative particle simulation code (BEST) [H. Qin, R.C. Davidson and W.W. Lee, Physical Review Special Topics on Accelerators and Beams 3 (2000) 084401] is used to systematically study the stability properties of intense nonneutral charged particle beams with large temperature anisotropy (T perpendicularb >> T parallelb ). The most unstable modes are identified, and their eigenfrequencies, radial mode structure, and nonlinear dynamics are determined for axisymmetric perturbations with ∂/∂θ = 0

Large-scale Vertical Motions, Intensity Change and Precipitation Associated with Land falling Hurricane Katrina over the Gulf of Mexico

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Reddy, S. R.; Kwembe, T.; Zhang, Z.

2016-12-01

We investigated the possible relationship between the large- scale heat fluxes and intensity change associated with the landfall of Hurricane Katrina. After reaching the category 5 intensity on August 28th , 2005 over the central Gulf of Mexico, Katrina weekend to category 3 before making landfall (August 29th , 2005) on the Louisiana coast with the maximum sustained winds of over 110 knots. We also examined the vertical motions associated with the intensity change of the hurricane. The data for Convective Available Potential Energy for water vapor (CAPE), sea level pressure and wind speed were obtained from the Atmospheric Soundings, and NOAA National Hurricane Center (NHC), respectively for the period August 24 to September 3, 2005. We also computed vertical motions using CAPE values. The study showed that the large-scale heat fluxes reached maximum (7960W/m2) with the central pressure 905mb. The Convective Available Potential Energy and the vertical motions peaked 3-5 days before landfall. The large atmospheric vertical motions associated with the land falling hurricane Katrina produced severe weather including thunderstorm, tornadoes, storm surge and floods Numerical model (WRF/ARW) with data assimilations have been used for this research to investigate the model's performances on hurricane tracks and intensities associated with the hurricane Katrina, which began to strengthen until reaching Category 5 on 28 August 2005. The model was run on a doubly nested domain centered over the central Gulf of Mexico, with grid spacing of 90 km and 30 km for 6 hr periods, from August 28th to August 30th. The model output was compared with the observations and is capable of simulating the surface features, intensity change and track associated with hurricane Katrina.

Diurnal variation of cosmic ray intensity I. Two approaches to the study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sari, J.W.; Venkatesan, D.; Lanzerotti, L.J.; Maclennan, C.G.

1978-01-01

The investigation has been carried out over the past two decades by either of two approaches: the traditional Fourier series method and the more recently introduced power spectral method. A comparison of the two approaches is essential to the proper understanding of the results derived from them. The present study, for the first time, adopts both approaches for investigating the data from the Sulfur Mountain super neutron monitor for the period of mid-December 1965 to April 1966 (extending over five solar rotations), when interplanetary magnetic field data from Pioneer 6 were also available. Problems relating to the analyses of both data sets on a day-to-day basis and on a statistical basis over a number of days are discussed. The power spectral analysis method cannot provide information on the phase of the diurnal variation or information on the diurnal amplitude on a day-to-day basis. This method provides excellent estimates of the diurnal anisotropy amplitude provides a measure of the ambient anisotropy amplitude. The Fourier series method can yield reliable measures of the amplitude and phase on a day-to-day basis, provided the time series is reasonably stationary. This method cannot estimate the ambient anisotropy amplitude which, for small amplitudes, contributes to large uncertainties in the Fourier coefficients. We find that there is a general agreement between the observed diurnal variation and that predicted theoretically. However, for most of the periods examined the ratio of the perpendicular diffusion coefficient to the parallel diffusion coefficient is rather small (K 1 /K < or approx. =0.1). As such the diurnal variation amplitude is generally most sensitive to the interplanetary field direction and the solar wind velocity and not to the calculated values of the diffusion coefficients. Further tests of the theory are discussed

Variations in large-scale tropical cyclone genesis factors over the western North Pacific in the PMIP3 last millennium simulations

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Yan, Qing; Wei, Ting; Zhang, Zhongshi

2017-02-01

Investigation of past tropical cyclone (TC) activity in the Western North Pacific (WNP) is potentially helpful to enable better understanding of future TC behaviors. In this study, we examine variations in large-scale environmental factors important to TC genesis in the last millennium simulations from the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project Phase 3 (PMIP3). The results show that potential intensity, a theoretical prediction of the maximum TC intensity, is increased relative to the last millennium in the north part of the WNP in the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA; 950-1200 AD) while it is decreased in the Little Ice Age (LIA; 1600-1850 AD). Vertical wind shear that generally inhibits TC genesis is enhanced (reduced) to the south of 20°N and is reduced (enhanced) to the north in the MCA (LIA). Relative humidity (at 600 hPa) that measures the mid-tropospheric moisture content broadly shows an increase (decrease) in the MCA (LIA). A genesis potential index indicates that conditions are generally favorable (unfavorable) for TC formation in the WNP in the MCA (LIA), especially in the northern part. Taking changes in steering flows into account, there may be an increasing (decreasing) favorability for storm strikes in East Asia in the MCA (LIA). The estimated TC activity is consistent with the geological proxies in Japan, but contradicts with the typhoon records in southern China and Taiwan. This model-data discrepancy is attributed to the limitations in both simulations and reconstructions.

Seasonal variation in the mating system of a selfing annual with large floral displays.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Ge; Barrett, Spencer C H; Luo, Yi-Bo; Bai, Wei-Ning

2016-03-01

Flowering plants display considerable variation in mating system, specifically the relative frequency of cross- and self-fertilization. The majority of estimates of outcrossing rate do not account for temporal variation, particularly during the flowering season. Here, we investigated seasonal variation in mating and fertility in Incarvillea sinensis (Bignoniaceae), an annual with showy, insect-pollinated, 'one-day' flowers capable of delayed selfing. We examined the influence of several biotic and abiotic environmental factors on day-to-day variation in fruit set, seed set and patterns of mating. We recorded daily flower number and pollinator abundance in nine 3 × 3-m patches in a population at Mu Us Sand land, Inner Mongolia, China. From marked flowers we collected data on daily fruit and seed set and estimated outcrossing rate and biparental inbreeding using six microsatellite loci and 172 open-pollinated families throughout the flowering period. Flower density increased significantly over most of the 50-d flowering season, but was associated with a decline in levels of pollinator service by bees, particularly on windy days. Fruit and seed set declined over time, especially during the latter third of the flowering period. Multilocus estimates of outcrossing rate were obtained using two methods (the programs MLTR and BORICE) and both indicated high selfing rates of ∼80 %. There was evidence for a significant increase in levels of selfing as the flowering season progressed and pollinator visitation declined. Biparental inbreeding also declined significantly as the flowering season progressed. Temporal variation in outcrossing rates may be a common feature of the mating biology of annual, insect-pollinated plants of harsh environments but our study is the first to examine seasonal mating-system dynamics in this context. Despite having large flowers and showy floral displays, I. sinensis attracted relatively few pollinators. Delayed selfing by corolla dragging

Emission line relative intensity variations in the symbiotic stars: CI Cygni, BF Cygni, AX Persei and V1016 Cygni

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliversen, N.A.

1982-01-01

Low resolution spectra (lambda 3800 to lambda 5900) are presented of the symbiotic stars CI Cygni, BF Cygni, AX Persei and V1016 Cygni, which were obtained with the Washburn Observatory Boller and Chivens cassegrain spectrograph and intensified Reticon. The spectra were obtained as part of a monitoring program covering 36 months since November 1978. The nebular electron temperature and density are derived from the [O III] lambda 5007 and lambda 4363 emission lines and the uv intercombination lines of lambda 1661 and lambda 1667. Relative emission line intensity variations were observed in all four stars. The relative emission line changes correlated with photometric minima for CI Cyg, AX Per and possibly BF Cyg. These changes are interpreted as due to a red giant eclipsing a nebula surrounding the exciting source. Based on the [O III] line ratio change, the nebular density of V1016 Cyg has continued to decline since 1978. The thesis also contains a discussion of the use of the emision lines of [Ne III] lambda 3869, [O III] lambda 5007, lambda 4363 and He lambda 5876 to derive nebular electron temperature and density. A decline in the intensity ratios of I(lambda 3869)/(lambda 5007) and I(lambda 5876)/I(lambda 5007) were observed during the 1980 minimum of CI Cyg. The observed I(lambda 3869)/I(lambda 5007) decline was too large to be explained by temperature or density changes. The [Ne III] and He II regions in CI Cyg are therefore closer to the hot source than the more extended (o III] emission region. Contained within the appendix is a discussion of a graphical method of solution ot the nebular temperature and density, which is based on the emission lines of [Ne III], [O III] and He I

Adaptive force produced by stress-induced regulation of random variation intensity.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimansky, Yury P

2010-08-01

The Darwinian theory of life evolution is capable of explaining the majority of related phenomena. At the same time, the mechanisms of optimizing traits beneficial to a population as a whole but not directly to an individual remain largely unclear. There are also significant problems with explaining the phenomenon of punctuated equilibrium. From another perspective, multiple mechanisms for the regulation of the rate of genetic mutations according to the environmental stress have been discovered, but their precise functional role is not well understood yet. Here a novel mathematical paradigm called a Kinetic-Force Principle (KFP), which can serve as a general basis for biologically plausible optimization methods, is introduced and its rigorous derivation is provided. Based on this principle, it is shown that, if the rate of random changes in a biological system is proportional, even only roughly, to the amount of environmental stress, a virtual force is created, acting in the direction of stress relief. It is demonstrated that KFP can provide important insights into solving the above problems. Evidence is presented in support of a hypothesis that the nature employs KFP for accelerating adaptation in biological systems. A detailed comparison between KFP and the principle of variation and natural selection is presented and their complementarity is revealed. It is concluded that KFP is not a competing alternative, but a powerful addition to the principle of variation and natural selection. It is also shown KFP can be used in multiple ways for adaptation of individual biological organisms.

Phenotypic selection varies with pollination intensity across populations of Sabatia angularis.

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Emel, Sarah L; Franks, Steven J; Spigler, Rachel B

2017-07-01

Pollinators are considered primary selective agents acting on plant traits, and thus variation in the strength of the plant-pollinator interaction might drive variation in the opportunity for selection and selection intensity across plant populations. Here, we examine whether these critical evolutionary parameters covary with pollination intensity across wild populations of the biennial Sabatia angularis. We quantified pollination intensity in each of nine S. angularis populations as mean stigmatic pollen load per population. For female fitness and three components, fruit number, fruit set (proportion of flowers setting fruit) and number of seeds per fruit, we evaluated whether the opportunity for selection varied with pollination intensity. We used phenotypic selection analyses to test for interactions between pollination intensity and selection gradients for five floral traits, including flowering phenology. The opportunity for selection via fruit set and seeds per fruit declined significantly with increasing pollen receipt, as expected. We demonstrated significant directional selection on multiple traits across populations. We also found that selection intensity for all traits depended on pollination intensity. Consistent with general theory about the relationship between biotic interaction strength and the intensity of selection, our study suggests that variation in pollination intensity drives variation in selection across S. angularis populations. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Large-scale geographical variation in eggshell metal and calcium content in a passerine bird (Ficedula hypoleuca).

Science.gov (United States)

Ruuskanen, Suvi; Laaksonen, Toni; Morales, Judith; Moreno, Juan; Mateo, Rafael; Belskii, Eugen; Bushuev, Andrey; Järvinen, Antero; Kerimov, Anvar; Krams, Indrikis; Morosinotto, Chiara; Mänd, Raivo; Orell, Markku; Qvarnström, Anna; Slate, Fred; Tilgar, Vallo; Visser, Marcel E; Winkel, Wolfgang; Zang, Herwig; Eeva, Tapio

2014-03-01

Birds have been used as bioindicators of pollution, such as toxic metals. Levels of pollutants in eggs are especially interesting, as developing birds are more sensitive to detrimental effects of pollutants than adults. Only very few studies have monitored intraspecific, large-scale variation in metal pollution across a species' breeding range. We studied large-scale geographic variation in metal levels in the eggs of a small passerine, the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), sampled from 15 populations across Europe. We measured 10 eggshell elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Se, Sr, and Ca) and several shell characteristics (mass, thickness, porosity, and color). We found significant variation among populations in eggshell metal levels for all metals except copper. Eggshell lead, zinc, and chromium levels decreased from central Europe to the north, in line with the gradient in pollution levels over Europe, thus suggesting that eggshell can be used as an indicator of pollution levels. Eggshell lead levels were also correlated with soil lead levels and pH. Most of the metals were not correlated with eggshell characteristics, with the exception of shell mass, or with breeding success, which may suggest that birds can cope well with the current background exposure levels across Europe.

Utilising identifier error variation in linkage of large administrative data sources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katie Harron

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Linkage of administrative data sources often relies on probabilistic methods using a set of common identifiers (e.g. sex, date of birth, postcode. Variation in data quality on an individual or organisational level (e.g. by hospital can result in clustering of identifier errors, violating the assumption of independence between identifiers required for traditional probabilistic match weight estimation. This potentially introduces selection bias to the resulting linked dataset. We aimed to measure variation in identifier error rates in a large English administrative data source (Hospital Episode Statistics; HES and to incorporate this information into match weight calculation. Methods We used 30,000 randomly selected HES hospital admissions records of patients aged 0–1, 5–6 and 18–19 years, for 2011/2012, linked via NHS number with data from the Personal Demographic Service (PDS; our gold-standard. We calculated identifier error rates for sex, date of birth and postcode and used multi-level logistic regression to investigate associations with individual-level attributes (age, ethnicity, and gender and organisational variation. We then derived: i weights incorporating dependence between identifiers; ii attribute-specific weights (varying by age, ethnicity and gender; and iii organisation-specific weights (by hospital. Results were compared with traditional match weights using a simulation study. Results Identifier errors (where values disagreed in linked HES-PDS records or missing values were found in 0.11% of records for sex and date of birth and in 53% of records for postcode. Identifier error rates differed significantly by age, ethnicity and sex (p < 0.0005. Errors were less frequent in males, in 5–6 year olds and 18–19 year olds compared with infants, and were lowest for the Asian ethic group. A simulation study demonstrated that substantial bias was introduced into estimated readmission rates in the presence

Variations of radiation intensity as a function of position in radiation field of a mammographic unit of 760 mm SID with Mo anode and 20 μm Mo added filter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noriah Jamal

2001-01-01

There are many effects that contribute to radiation field nonuniformity in mammography, including the heel effect and shorter source to image distance (SID), inverse square law and different photon path lengths through various attenuating media (the x-ray tube beryllium window, the added filter, the mirror, and the compression paddle) throughout the field. Variations of radiation intensity was investigated as a function of position in the radiation field (with compression paddle in place)of a mammographic unit in 760 mm SID with Mo anode and 20 μm Mo added filter. Reduction in radiation intensity along central axis of up to 19.40%, 19.13% and 19.34% were noted at 24, 26 and 28 kVp respectively. Radiation intensity also drops off to the left and right of the central axis. As a function of position in the field, we also found that the variations of optical density correlate well with the measured radiation intensity changes. (Author)

Study of long-time variations of cosmic rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dergachev, V.A.

1979-01-01

Discussed are some problems of the investigation into the cosmic rays intensity in the past via the contents of cosmogenic isotopes in the samples of known age, mainly measuring the activity of radiocarbon in the samples dated by the dendrochronological method. The necessity of production of the multicentury dendrochronological scales with absolute dating for decoding of the information contained in the annual rings during the large time scale is pointed out. The dendrochronologic studies supplemented by the radiocarbon dating would permit to study the variations in radiocarbon content and to determine the factors, which influence this content, during large time intervals. The different factors - the solar activity, the supernovae flares et cetera - influencing the radiocarbon concentration are considered

Large acceptance magnetic focussing horns for production of a high intensity narrow band neutrino beam at the AGS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carroll, A.; Chimienti, L.; Leonhardt, W.; Monaghan, R.; Ryan, G.; Sandberg, J.; Sims, W.; Smith, G.; Stillman, P.; Thorwarth, H.

1985-01-01

A set of two large acceptance (20 to 140 mrad) horns have been designed and built to form a parallel beam of 3 GeV/c pions and kaons for the production of an intense, dichromatic neutrino beam. A set of beam plugs and collimators determined the momentum of the particles which pass through the horns. The cooling and maintenance of the horns and target was a particular concern since they were operated with an incident intensity of over 10/sup 13/ proton/sec. These systems were designed for simplicity, reliability, and easy replacement.

Large acceptance magnetic focussing horns for production of a high intensity narrow band neutrino beam at the AGS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carroll, A.; Chimienti, L.; Leonhardt, W.

1985-01-01

A set of two large acceptance (20 to 140 mrad) horns have been designed and built to form a parallel beam of 3 GeV/c pions and kaons for the production of an intense, dichromatic neutrino beam. A set of beam plugs and collimators determined the momentum of the particles which pass through the horns. The cooling and maintenance of the horns and target was a particular concern since they were operated with an incident intensity of over 10 13 proton/sec. These systems were designed for simplicity, reliability, and easy replacement

The interdecadal change in the intensity of interannual variation of spring precipitation over southern China and its relationship with the SST anomaly

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, Y.; Xu, C.

2017-12-01

Based on the observed precipitation data from 756 China stations, ERA-interim reanalysis dataset, and HadISST dataset for 1979-2014, this paper investigates the intensity of interannual variation (IIV) of spring precipitation over southern China during 1979-2014 and related large-scale atmospheric and oceanic signal through empirical orthogonal function (EOF) method and other statistical analysis methods. The results show that the IIV of spring precipitation over South China (SC) was stronger during 1979-1994, which is related to the spring western Pacific (WP) sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) and the previous winter South Pacific tripole (SPT) pattern of SSTA. Anomalous cooler (warmer) WP SSTA triggers anomalous descending (ascending) motion and lower-level anticyclone (cyclone), which in turn induces anomalous ascent (descent) over SC through an anomalous vertical circulation. The SPT can influence the spring precipitation over SC by impacting WP SST. The stronger IIV of WP SST and SPT led to an intensified IIV of spring rainfall over SC. The IIV of spring precipitation over middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (YZR) was more intense during 1995-2006. The intensified interannual variability of spring rainfall over YZR is interrelated with the increase in the amplitude of the spring southern Indian Ocean dipole (SIOD) in early 1990s. During the positive (negative) SIOD, the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) is stronger (weaker), which is favorable (unfavorable) for the transportation of vapor from Pacific to YZR. At the same time, the pressure ridge over Siberia and East Asian trough is weaker (stronger), enhancing (weakening) the spring precipitation over YZR.

Predicting the effects of organ motion on the dose delivered by dynamic intensity modulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, C.X.; Jaffray, David; Martinez, A.A.; Wong, J.W.

1997-01-01

of several breathing cycles. To simplify the analysis, the three-dimensional target was projected to one depth level and the movements of the target along beam direction were assumed to have negligible effects. Results: The dose variations in the target due to the interplay of the target motion and the movement of the beam aperture can be large, over 100% (peak-to-peak) for a clinically realistic range of the speed of collimator travel and size of field segments. Predictions using the numerical model agreed with results measured with a moving phantom. The magnitude of the dose variations in the target showed strong dependence on the collimator speed relative to the speed of the target motion, and the size of field segments relative to the amplitude of target motion. The dose variation was small when the speed of field boundary variation is very low. The dose variation decreased with the size of the field segments. When the treatment was delivered in multiple fractions, the desired beam intensities were smoothed, defeating the purpose of intensity modulation. Conclusion: A simple model was developed to analyze the dosimetric effects of target movement during delivery of dynamic intensity modulation. The dose distributions in a moving target can be predicted before an intensity-modulated treatment is delivered. In regions where the target moves during irradiation, the detrimental dosimetric effects could be significant and cannot be neglected. In such cases, methods of fixing the target position, such as gating or breathing control, are required for dynamic intensity modulation to be delivered

Numerical Studies of Electromagnetic Instabilities in Intense Charged Particle Beams with Large Energy Anisotropy

CERN Document Server

Startsev, Edward; Lee, Wei-li

2005-01-01

In intense charged particle beams with large energy anisotropy, free energy is available to drive transverse electromagnetic Weibel-type instabilities. Such slow-wave transverse electromagnetic instabilities can be described by the so-called Darwin model, which neglects the fast-wave portion of the displacement current. The Weibel instability may also lead to an increase in the longitudinal velocity spread, which would make the focusing of the beam difficult and impose a limit on the minimum spot size achievable in heavy ion fusion experiments. This paper reports the results of recent numerical studies of the Weibel instability using the Beam Eigenmode And Spectra (bEASt) code for space-charge-dominated, low-emittance beams with large tune depression. To study the nonlinear stage of the instability, the Darwin model is being developed and incorporated into the Beam Equilibrium Stability and Transport(BEST) code.

Isotopic composition of water in precipitation due to seasonal variation and variation in intensity of rain fall at a place

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, B.P.

2015-01-01

An attempt has been made to analyze the data to find the original precipitate on GMWL, when there is seasonal variation and variations in intensity of rain fall at the same longitude, latitude and altitude. This has been done using the data as available for each month, weighted average of month and individual year for δ 2 H and δ 18 O for a 10-year periods. Correlation equations between δ 2 H and δ 18 O are available giving slopes and intercepts on the δ 2 H axis for 10-year periods. The data of slope versus intercept for each month, weighted monthly average value and individual year are plotted to arrive at isotope composition of meteoric water δ 18 O and δ 2 H, the method suggested by (Singh B.P. 2013, Isotopic composition of water in precipitation in a region or place, Applied Radiation and Isotopes, vol. 75, pp. 22–25; Singh B.P. 2014, Isotopic composition of river water across a continent, Applied Radiation and Isotopes, vol. 85, pp. 14–18). The results of the original meteoric isotopic composition of water are within the experimental errors as analyzed on a yearly basis, the average of each month of yearly basis and on the basis of each month and also some different amounts of precipitation giving the same value of δ 18 O=−16.72 and δ 2 H=−129.86 on GMWL. - Highlights: • New pattern, plot of slope versus intercept between δ 18 O and δ 2 H at the same location for seasons and rainfall are given. • These patterns are analyzed to arrive at the original isotopic composition to be on GMWL. • It is found that the original isotopic composition is same for different seasons and amount of rainfall

Cosmic ray intensity distribution in the vertical direction to solar equator plane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nosaka, Toru; Mori, Satoru; Sagisaka, Shuji.

1983-01-01

The data of the annual variation of cosmic ray intensity measured by neutron detectors were used to study the distribution of cosmic ray intensity vertical to the solar equator plane and its long term variation. The data used were obtained at Deep River, Kiel, Kerguelen Island, McMurdo, Ottawa, and Mt. Washington. All data showed annual variation. The patterns and degree of variation obtained in northern and southern hemisphere were similar. The summation dial representation of the annual variation and semi-annual variation of cosmic ray was obtained. The inversion of annual variation in 1958 - 1959 and 1968 - 1969 corresponded to the inversion of polarity of solar pole magnetic field. The semi-annual variation showed a complex behavior. The helio-latitudial distribution of cosmic ray intensity was obtained. The asymmetric distribution in relation to the solar equator was observed in the annual variation. The northward gradient of density in 1955 - 1958 and southward gradient in 1959 - 1968 were seen. (Kato, T.)

Periodic variations of cosmic ray intensity with period of -37 minute observed on April 25th, 1984

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakai, Takasuke; Kato, Masahito; Takei, Ryoji; Tamai, Eiji

1985-01-01

Existence of cosmic ray variation with period ranging from a few hours to seconds during geomagnetically quiet and perturb period at different altitude with different detector, was reported previously. As short period variation is thought to be transient with small amplitude fluctuation, consequently high counting rate of cosmic ray and appropriate method for finding short periodicity, is required. Further, there is similar phenomenon in which short variation, followed by storm sudden commencement (SSC) and/or Forbush decrease (FD) occurs. In 1979, Kato et al. used 3 minutes data at Mt. Norikura and obtained -6 x 10 5 count/min, and tried to find out short periodicity of cosmic ray around SSC, but no clear conclusion was obtained. T. Sakai, et al., used plastic scintillation counter of Akeno observatory, following their preceding work. The counter has an area about 154 m 2 . High counting rate of -2 x 10 6 counts/min. was observed at Akeno which revealed the existence of -37 minute periodical oscillation with an amplitude of 0.1 % in p-p during the time period of 1300 - 1900 UT on April 25th 1984, one day before FD. Observed periodical oscillation of cosmic ray counting rate may be the result of the changes in magnetic field. But, it must be noted that there remains possibility of oscillation of cosmic ray intensity in the interplanetary space during the period, independent of geomagnetic field. (author)

MRI intensity inhomogeneity correction by combining intensity and spatial information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vovk, Uros; Pernus, Franjo; Likar, Bostjan

2004-01-01

We propose a novel fully automated method for retrospective correction of intensity inhomogeneity, which is an undesired phenomenon in many automatic image analysis tasks, especially if quantitative analysis is the final goal. Besides most commonly used intensity features, additional spatial image features are incorporated to improve inhomogeneity correction and to make it more dynamic, so that local intensity variations can be corrected more efficiently. The proposed method is a four-step iterative procedure in which a non-parametric inhomogeneity correction is conducted. First, the probability distribution of image intensities and corresponding second derivatives is obtained. Second, intensity correction forces, condensing the probability distribution along the intensity feature, are computed for each voxel. Third, the inhomogeneity correction field is estimated by regularization of all voxel forces, and fourth, the corresponding partial inhomogeneity correction is performed. The degree of inhomogeneity correction dynamics is determined by the size of regularization kernel. The method was qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated on simulated and real MR brain images. The obtained results show that the proposed method does not corrupt inhomogeneity-free images and successfully corrects intensity inhomogeneity artefacts even if these are more dynamic

Strongly intensive quantities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorenstein, M. I.; Gazdzicki, M.

2011-01-01

Analysis of fluctuations of hadron production properties in collisions of relativistic particles profits from use of measurable intensive quantities which are independent of system size variations. The first family of such quantities was proposed in 1992; another is introduced in this paper. Furthermore we present a proof of independence of volume fluctuations for quantities from both families within the framework of the grand canonical ensemble. These quantities are referred to as strongly intensive ones. Influence of conservation laws and resonance decays is also discussed.

Segmentation by Large Scale Hypothesis Testing - Segmentation as Outlier Detection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Darkner, Sune; Dahl, Anders Lindbjerg; Larsen, Rasmus

2010-01-01

a microscope and we show how the method can handle transparent particles with significant glare point. The method generalizes to other problems. THis is illustrated by applying the method to camera calibration images and MRI of the midsagittal plane for gray and white matter separation and segmentation......We propose a novel and efficient way of performing local image segmentation. For many applications a threshold of pixel intensities is sufficient but determine the appropriate threshold value can be difficult. In cases with large global intensity variation the threshold value has to be adapted...... locally. We propose a method based on large scale hypothesis testing with a consistent method for selecting an appropriate threshold for the given data. By estimating the background distribution we characterize the segment of interest as a set of outliers with a certain probability based on the estimated...

Model-based diagnosis of large diesel engines based on angular speed variations of the crankshaft

Science.gov (United States)

Desbazeille, M.; Randall, R. B.; Guillet, F.; El Badaoui, M.; Hoisnard, C.

2010-07-01

This work aims at monitoring large diesel engines by analyzing the crankshaft angular speed variations. It focuses on a powerful 20-cylinder diesel engine with crankshaft natural frequencies within the operating speed range. First, the angular speed variations are modeled at the crankshaft free end. This includes modeling both the crankshaft dynamical behavior and the excitation torques. As the engine is very large, the first crankshaft torsional modes are in the low frequency range. A model with the assumption of a flexible crankshaft is required. The excitation torques depend on the in-cylinder pressure curve. The latter is modeled with a phenomenological model. Mechanical and combustion parameters of the model are optimized with the help of actual data. Then, an automated diagnosis based on an artificially intelligent system is proposed. Neural networks are used for pattern recognition of the angular speed waveforms in normal and faulty conditions. Reference patterns required in the training phase are computed with the model, calibrated using a small number of actual measurements. Promising results are obtained. An experimental fuel leakage fault is successfully diagnosed, including detection and localization of the faulty cylinder, as well as the approximation of the fault severity.

The Baksan experiment on thunderstorm CR variations: history, results, and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khaerdinov, N.S.; Lidvansky, A.S.

2016-01-01

Variations of cosmic rays in thunderstorm atmosphere, as measured at the Baksan Neutrino Observatory with the Carpet air shower array, are discussed. Their underlying mechanisms and accompanying phenomena are also considered. The observed effects in cosmic rays include regular variations with the near-ground electric field of the soft (electrons, positrons and gamma-rays) and hard (muons) components of secondary cosmic rays and sporadic changes in intensity of both these components (bright events). Associated phenomena occurring simultaneously with bright events in cosmic rays include geomagnetic pulsations (observed by high-sensitivity magnetic variation station deep underground) and large-scale atmospheric high-altitude discharge of a new type (observed by a video camera placed at a distance of 75 km from the Carpet array). Implications of all these results and prospects for further studies are discussed. (author)

High voltage distribution scheme for large size GEM detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saini, J.; Kumar, A.; Dubey, A.K.; Negi, V.S.; Chattopadhyay, S.

2016-01-01

Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors will be used for Muon tracking in the Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at the Facility for Anti-proton Ion Research (FAIR) at Darmstadt, Germany. The sizes of the detector modules in the Muon chambers are of the order of 1 metre x 0.5 metre. For construction of these chambers, three GEM foils are used per chamber. These foils are made by two layered 50μm thin kapton foil. Each GEM foil has millions of holes on it. In such a large scale manufacturing of the foils, even after stringent quality controls, some of the holes may still have defects or defects might develop over the time with operating conditions. These defects may result in short-circuit of the entire GEM foil. A short even in a single hole will make entire foil un-usable. To reduce such occurrences, high voltage (HV) segmentation within the foils has been introduced. These segments are powered either by individual HV supply per segment or through an active HV distribution to manage such a large number of segments across the foil. Individual supplies apart from being costly, are highly complex to implement. Additionally, CBM will have high intensity of particles bombarding on the detector causing the change of resistive chain current feeding the GEM detector with the variation in the intensity. This leads to voltage fluctuations across the foil resulting in the gain variation with the particle intensity. Hence, a low cost active HV distribution is designed to take care of the above discussed issues

A systematic review of medical practice variation in OECD countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Corallo, Ashley N; Croxford, Ruth; Goodman, David C; Bryan, Elisabeth L; Srivastava, Divya; Stukel, Therese A

2014-01-01

Major variations in medical practice have been documented internationally. Variations raise questions about the quality, equity, and efficiency of resource allocation and use, and have important implications for health care and health policy. To perform a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature on medical practice variations in OECD countries. We searched MEDLINE to find publications on medical practice variations in OECD countries published between 2000 and 2011. We present an overview of the characteristics of published studies as well as the magnitude of variations for select high impact conditions. A total of 836 studies were included. Consistent with the gray literature, there were large variations across regions, hospitals and physician practices for almost every condition and procedure studied. Many studies focused on high-impact conditions, but very few looked at the causes or outcomes of medical practice variations. While there were an overwhelming number of publications on medical practice variations the coverage was broad and not often based on a theoretical construct. Future studies should focus on conditions and procedures that are clinically important, policy relevant, resource intensive, and have high levels of public awareness. Further study of the causes and consequences of variations is important. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decomposing the variation of aggregate electricity intensity in Spanish industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, P.F.; Suarez, R.P.

2003-01-01

Several papers have dealt with methodological and application issues related to techniques for decomposing changes in environmental indicators. This paper aims to decompose changes in electricity intensity in Spanish industry and to explain the factors that contribute to these changes. Focusing on an energy intensity approach based on Divisia indices, we began by reviewing the two general parametric Divisia methods and six specific cases. In order to avoid obtaining significantly different results by using differing methods, all of them have been applied to Spanish data. Also two different disaggregation levels have been taken into consideration. Combined with electricity price analysis, the results of this paper indicate the poor contribution of structural change to substantial reductions in aggregate electricity intensity, and underline the role of innovation, development, diffusion and access to more efficient technologies as main contributors to the reduction of the energy/production ratio. (author)

Inter fractional dose variation during intensity-modulated radiation therapy for cervical cancer assessed by weekly CT evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Youngyih; Shin, Eun Hyuk; Huh, Seung Jae; Lee, Jung Eun; Park, Won

2006-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the inter fractional dose variation of a small-bowel displacement system (SBDS)-assisted intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for the treatment of cervical cancer. Methods: Four computed tomography (CT) scans were carried out in 10 patients who received radiotherapy for uterine cervical cancer. The initial CT was taken by use of the SBDS, before the beginning of radiotherapy, and 3 additional CT scans with the SBDS were done in subsequent weeks. IMRT was planned by use of the initial CT, and the subsequent images were fused with the initial CT set. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) changes of the targets (planning target volume [PTV] = clinical target volume [CTV] + 1.5 cm) and of the critical organs were evaluated after obtaining the volumes of each organ on 4 CT sets. Results: No significant differences were found in PTV volumes. Changes on the DVH of the CTVs were not significant, whereas DVH changes of the PTVs at 40% to 100% of the prescription dose level were significant (V 90% ; 2nd week: p = 0.0091, 3rd week: p = 0.0029, 4th week: p = 0.0050). The changes in the small-bowel volume included in the treatment field were significant. These were 119.5 cm 3 (range, 26.9-251.0 cm 3 ), 126 cm 3 (range, 38.3-336 cm 3 ), 161.9 cm 3 (range, 37.7-294.6 cm 3 ), and 149.1 cm 3 (range, 38.6-277.8 cm 3 ) at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weeks, respectively, and were significantly correlated with the DVH change in the small bowel, which were significant at the 3rd (V 80% ; p = 0.0230) and 4th (V 80% ; p = 0.0263) weeks. The bladder-volume change correlated to the large volume change (>20%) of the small-bowel volume. Conclusions: Significant DVH differences for the small bowel can result because of interfractional position variations, whereas the DVH differences of the CTV were not significant. Strict bladder-filling control and an accurate margin for the PTV, as well as image-guided position verification, are important to achieve the goal of IMRT

Interannual Variability in the Position and Strength of the East Asian Jet Stream and Its Relation to Large - scale Circulation

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Duo; Zhang, Yang; Wu, Qigang

2013-04-01

East Asian Jet Stream (EASJ) is charactered by obvious interannual variability in strength and position (latitude), with wide impacts on East Asian climate in all seasons. In this study, two indices are established to measure the interannual variability in intensity and position of EAJS. Possible causing factors, including both local signals and non-local large-scale circulation, are examined using NCAP-NCAR reanalysis data to investigate their relations with jet variation. Our analysis shows that the relationship between the interannual variations of EASJ and these factors depends on seasons. In the summer, both the intensity and position of EASJ are closely related to the meridional gradient of local surface temperature, but display no apparent relationship with the larg-scale circulation. In cold seasons (autumn, winter and spring), both the local factor and the large-scale circulation, i.e. the Pacific/North American teleconnection pattern (PNA), play important roles in the interannual variability of the jet intensity. The variability in the jet position, however, is more correlated to the Arctic Oscillation (AO), especially in winter. Diagnostic analysis indicates that transient eddy activity plays an important role in connecting the interannual variability of EASJ position with AO.

Explaining health care expenditure variation: large-sample evidence using linked survey and health administrative data.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Randall P; Fiebig, Denzil G; Johar, Meliyanni; Jones, Glenn; Savage, Elizabeth

2013-09-01

Explaining individual, regional, and provider variation in health care spending is of enormous value to policymakers but is often hampered by the lack of individual level detail in universal public health systems because budgeted spending is often not attributable to specific individuals. Even rarer is self-reported survey information that helps explain this variation in large samples. In this paper, we link a cross-sectional survey of 267 188 Australians age 45 and over to a panel dataset of annual healthcare costs calculated from several years of hospital, medical and pharmaceutical records. We use this data to distinguish between cost variations due to health shocks and those that are intrinsic (fixed) to an individual over three years. We find that high fixed expenditures are positively associated with age, especially older males, poor health, obesity, smoking, cancer, stroke and heart conditions. Being foreign born, speaking a foreign language at home and low income are more strongly associated with higher time-varying expenditures, suggesting greater exposure to adverse health shocks. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Large-scale geographical variation in eggshell heavy metal and calcium content in a passerine bird (Ficedula hypoleuca)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruuskanen, S.; Morales, J.; Laaksonen, T.; Moreno, J.; Mateo, R.; Belskii, E.; Bushuev, A.; Jarvinen, A.; Kerimov, A.; Krams, I.; Morosinotto, C.; Mand, R.; Orell, M.; Qvarnstrom, A.; Slater, F.M.; Siitari, H.; Tilgar, V.; Visser, M.E.; Winkel, W.; Zang, H.; Eeva, T.

2014-01-01

Birds have been used as bioindicators of pollution, such as toxic metals. Levels of pollutants in eggs are especially interesting, as developing birds are more sensitive to detrimental effects of pollutants than adults. Only very few studies have monitored intraspecific, large-scale variation in

Precipitation Pattern Controls on the Dynamics and Subsequent Export of Large Wood from River Catchments

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, J.; Nakamura, F.; Chun, K.; Grant, G. E.

2011-12-01

In-stream large wood (LW) has a critical impact on the geomorphic and ecological character in river catchments, yet relatively little is known about variations in its dynamics and subsequent export in relation to different precipitation patterns and intensities. To understand these variations we used the annual volume of LW removed from 42 reservoirs in Japan and daily precipitation at or near the reservoir sites. Daily precipitation data were transformed into effective precipitation to evaluate trends in both current and antecedent precipitation, and these data were then used to explain basin variation in LW export. Model selection with generalized linear mixed models revealed that the precipitation pattern and intensity controlling LW export in small, intermediate, and large watersheds differed with latitude along the Japanese archipelago. LW export in small watersheds was well explained by effective precipitation greater than 120 mm, and showed little latitudinal variation. In contrast, LW export in intermediate and large watersheds was well explained by daily precipitation greater than 40 mm and 60 mm, respectively, and varied with latitude. In small watersheds with narrow channels and low stream discharges, mass movements (such as landslides and debris flows) are major factors in the production and transport of LW. Thus LW export in small watersheds appears to be regulated by the effective precipitation required to initiate mass movements, and shows little latitudinal change. In intermediate and large watersheds with wide channels and high stream discharges, heavy rainfall and subsequent floods regulate buoyant depth influencing the initiation of LW mobility, and thus control the amount of LW exported. In southern and central Japan, intense rainfall accompanying typhoons or localized torrential downpours lead to geomorphic disturbances, which produce massive amounts of LW delivery into channels. However, these pieces are constantly removed by high streamflows

Relativistic Electrons Observed at UARS and the Interpretation of their Storm-Associated Intensity Variations

Science.gov (United States)

Pesnell, W. D.; Goldberg, R. A.; Chenette, D. L.; Gaines, E. E.

1999-01-01

The High Energy Particle Spectrometer (HEPS) instrument on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) provides a database of electron intensities well resolved in energy and pitch-angle. Because of its 57 deg. orbital inclination, UARS encounters with magnetic shells L greater than 2 occur quite far off-equator (B/B (sub 0) greater than 9), corresponding to equatorial pitch angle alpha (sub 0) greater than 20 deg. Data acquired by HEPS (October 1991 through September 1994) span the declining phase of Solar Cycle 22. To reveal the storm-associated time dependence of relativistic electron intensities over the wide range of energies (50 keV to 5 MeV) covered by HEPS, we divide the daily average of the measured spectrum at a given L value (bin width = 0.25) by the corresponding 500-day average and plot the results with a color scale that spans only 2.5 decades. The data show that our off-equatorial electron intensities typically increase with time after the end of recovery phase (not during main phase or recovery phase) of each geomagnetic storm. The delay in off-equatorial energetic electron response and the subsequent lifetime of the corresponding electron flux enhancement seem to increase with particle energy above 300 keV. The trend below 300 keV seems to be opposite, such that the delay varies inversely with electron energy. Our working hypothesis for interpretation is that stormtime radial transport tends to increase the phase-space densities of trapped relativistic electrons but typically leads to a flux increases at specified energies only as the current (as indicated by Dst) decays. Flux enhancements in early recovery phase are greatest for equatorially mirroring electrons, and to pitch-angle anisotropies are initially large. Subsequent pitch-angle diffusion broadens the flux enhancement to particles that mirror off equator, thus gradually increasing low-altitude electron intensities (as detected by HEPS/UARS) on time scales equal to about 20% of

Infection prevention practices in adult intensive care units in a large community hospital system after implementing strategies to reduce health care-associated, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Moody, Julia; Septimus, Edward; Hickok, Jason; Huang, Susan S; Platt, Richard; Gombosev, Adrijana; Terpstra, Leah; Avery, Taliser; Lankiewicz, Julie; Perlin, Jonathan B

2013-02-01

A range of strategies and approaches have been developed for preventing health care-associated infections. Understanding the variation in practices among facilities is necessary to improve compliance with existing programs and aid the implementation of new interventions. In 2009, HCA Inc administered an electronic survey to measure compliance with evidence-based infection prevention practices as well as identify variation in products or methods, such as use of special approach technology for central vascular catheters and ventilator care. Responding adult intensive care units (ICUs) were those considering participation in a clinical trial to reduce health care-associated infections. Responses from 99 ICUs in 55 hospitals indicated that many evidenced-based practices were used consistently, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening and use of contact precautions for MRSA-positive patients. Other practices exhibited wide variability including discontinuation of precautions and use of antimicrobial technology or chlorhexidine patches for central vascular catheters. MRSA decolonization was not a predominant practice in ICUs. In this large, community-based health care system, there was substantial variation in the products and methods to reduce health care-associated infections. Despite system-wide emphasis on basic practices as a precursor to adding special approach technologies, this survey showed that these technologies were commonplace, including in facilities where improvement in basic practices was needed. Copyright © 2013 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Prospects for UT1 Measurements from VLBI Intensive Sessions

Science.gov (United States)

Boehm, Johannes; Nilsson, Tobias; Schuh, Harald

2010-01-01

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Intensives are one-hour single baseline sessions to provide Universal Time (UT1) in near real-time up to a delay of three days if a site is not e-transferring the observational data. Due to the importance of UT1 estimates for the prediction of Earth orientation parameters, as well as any kind of navigation on Earth or in space, there is not only the need to improve the timeliness of the results but also their accuracy. We identify the asymmetry of the tropospheric delays as the major error source, and we provide two strategies to improve the results, in particular of those Intensives which include the station Tsukuba in Japan with its large tropospheric variation. We find an improvement when (1) using ray-traced delays from a numerical weather model, and (2) when estimating tropospheric gradients within the analysis of Intensive sessions. The improvement is shown in terms of reduction of rms of length-of-day estimates w.r.t. those derived from Global Positioning System observations

Variations in Upper-Level Water Vapor Transport Diagnosed from Climatological Satellite Data

Science.gov (United States)

Lerner, Jeffrey A; Jedlovee, Gary J.; Atkinson, Robert J.

1998-01-01

GOES-7 VAS measurements during the Pathfinder period (1987-88) have been analysed to reveal seasonal and interannual variations in moisture transport. Long term measurements of quality winds and humidity from satellite estimates show superior benefit in diagnosing middle and upper tropospheric large scale climate variations such as ENSO events and direct circulation systems such as the Hadley Cell. A water Vapor Transport Index (WVTI) has been developed to diagnose preferred regions of strong moisture transport and to gauge the seasonal and interannual intensities detected in the GOES viewing area. Second-order variables that may be derived from GOES winds will be also discussed on the poster.

Male density affects large-male advantage in the golden silk spider, Nephila clavipes

OpenAIRE

Clare C. Rittschof

2010-01-01

Across a variety of animal taxa, the outcome of male--male contests depends on male body size; winners are usually the larger males or the males with bigger weapons. However, high male density can either increase or reverse large-male advantage because density changes the frequency and intensity of male--male interactions. In the golden orb-web spider Nephila clavipes, large males have a competitive advantage in male--male contests. However, this species shows more than 2-fold variation in ma...

Large-Scale Compute-Intensive Analysis via a Combined In-situ and Co-scheduling Workflow Approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Messer, Bronson [ORNL; Sewell, Christopher [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Heitmann, Katrin [ORNL; Finkel, Dr. Hal J [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL); Fasel, Patricia [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Zagaris, George [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL); Pope, Adrian [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Habib, Salman [ORNL; Parete-Koon, Suzanne T [ORNL

2015-01-01

Large-scale simulations can produce tens of terabytes of data per analysis cycle, complicating and limiting the efficiency of workflows. Traditionally, outputs are stored on the file system and analyzed in post-processing. With the rapidly increasing size and complexity of simulations, this approach faces an uncertain future. Trending techniques consist of performing the analysis in situ, utilizing the same resources as the simulation, and/or off-loading subsets of the data to a compute-intensive analysis system. We introduce an analysis framework developed for HACC, a cosmological N-body code, that uses both in situ and co-scheduling approaches for handling Petabyte-size outputs. An initial in situ step is used to reduce the amount of data to be analyzed, and to separate out the data-intensive tasks handled off-line. The analysis routines are implemented using the PISTON/VTK-m framework, allowing a single implementation of an algorithm that simultaneously targets a variety of GPU, multi-core, and many-core architectures.

Solar cycle variations of geocoronal balmer α emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nossal, S.; Reynolds, R.J.; Roesler, F.L.; Scherb, F.

1993-01-01

Observations of the geocoronal Balmer in nightglow have been made from Wisconsin for more than a solar cycle with an internally consistent intensity reference to standard astronomical nebulae. These measurements were made with a double etalon, pressure-scanned, 15-cm aperture Fabry-Perot interferometer. The resulting long time data provides an opportunity to examine solar cycle influence on the mid-latitude exosphere and to address accompanying questions concerning the degree to which the exosphere is locally static or changing. The exospheric Balmer α absolute intensity measurements reported here show no statistically significant variations throughout the solar cycle when the variation with viewing geometry is removed by normalizing the data to reference exospheric model predictions by Anderson et al. However, the relative intensity dependence on solar depression angle does show a solar cycle variation. This variation suggests a possible related variation in the exospheric hydrogen density profile, although other interpretations are also possible. The results suggest that additional well-calibrated data taken over a longer time span could probe low-amplitude variations over the solar cycle and test predictions of a slow monotonic increase in exospheric hydrogen arising from greenhouse gases. 21 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs

4D RECONSTRUCTIONS FROM LOW-COUNT SPECT DATA USING DEFORMABLE MODELS WITH SMOOTH INTERIOR INTENSITY VARIATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunningham, G. S.; Lehovich, A.

2000-01-01

The Bayes Inference Engine (BIE) has been used to perform a 4D reconstruction of a first-pass radiotracer bolus distribution inside a CardioWest Total Artificial Heart, imaged with the University of Arizona's FastSPECT system. The BIE estimates parameter values that define the 3D model of the radiotracer distribution at each of 41 times spanning about two seconds. The 3D models have two components: a closed surface, composed of hi-quadratic Bezier triangular surface patches, that defines the interface between the part of the blood pool that contains radiotracer and the part that contains no radiotracer, and smooth voxel-to-voxel variations in intensity within the closed surface. Ideally, the surface estimates the ventricular wall location where the bolus is infused throughout the part of the blood pool contained by the right ventricle. The voxel-to-voxel variations are needed to model an inhomogeneously-mixed bolus. Maximum a posterior (MAP) estimates of the Bezier control points and voxel values are obtained for each time frame. We show new reconstructions using the Bezier surface models, and discuss estimates of ventricular volume as a function of time, ejection fraction, and wall motion. The computation time for our reconstruction process, which directly estimates complex 3D model parameters from the raw data, is performed in a time that is competitive with more traditional voxel-based methods (ML-EM, e.g.)

The intertidal community in West Greenland: Large-scale patterns and small-scale variation on ecosystem dynamics along a climate gradient

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thyrring, Jakob; Blicher, Martin; Sejr, Mikael Kristian

are largely unknown. The West Greenland coast is north - south orientated. This provides an ideal setting to study the impact of climate change on marine species population dynamics and distribution. We investigated the latitudinal changes in the rocky intertidal community along 18° latitudes (59-77°N......) in West Greenland. Using cleared quadrats we quantified patterns in abundance, biomass and species richness in the intertidal zone. We use this data to disentangle patterns in Arctic intertidal communities at different scales. We describe the effects of different environmental drivers and species...... interactions on distribution and dynamics of intertidal species. Our results indicate that changes in distribution and abundance of foundation species can have large effects on the ecosystem. We also show that the importance of small-scale variation may be of same magnitude as large- scale variation. Only...

Challenges encountered by critical care unit managers in the large intensive care units.

Science.gov (United States)

Matlakala, Mokgadi C; Bezuidenhout, Martie C; Botha, Annali D H

2014-04-04

Nurses in intensive care units (ICUs) are exposed regularly to huge demands interms of fulfilling the many roles that are placed upon them. Unit managers, in particular, are responsible for the efficient management of the units and have the responsibilities of planning, organising, leading and controlling the daily activities in order to facilitate the achievement of the unit objectives. The objective of this study was to explore and present the challenges encountered by ICU managers in the management of large ICUs. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study was conducted at five hospital ICUs in Gauteng province, South Africa. Data were collected through individual interviews from purposively-selected critical care unit managers, then analysed using the matic coding. Five themes emerged from the data: challenges related to the layout and structure of the unit, human resources provision and staffing, provision of material resources, stressors in the unit and visitors in the ICU. Unit managers in large ICUs face multifaceted challenges which include the demand for efficient and sufficient specialised nurses; lack of or inadequate equipment that goes along with technology in ICU and supplies; and stressors in the ICU that limit the efficiency to plan, organise, lead and control the daily activities in the unit. The challenges identified call for multiple strategies to assist in the efficient management of large ICUs.

Challenges encountered by critical care unit managers in the large intensive care units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mokgadi C. Matlakala

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Nurses in intensive care units (ICUs are exposed regularly to huge demands interms of fulfilling the many roles that are placed upon them. Unit managers, in particular, are responsible for the efficient management of the units and have the responsibilities of planning, organising, leading and controlling the daily activities in order to facilitate the achievement of the unit objectives. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore and present the challenges encountered by ICU managers in the management of large ICUs. Method: A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study was conducted at five hospital ICUs in Gauteng province, South Africa. Data were collected through individual interviews from purposively-selected critical care unit managers, then analysed using the matic coding. Results: Five themes emerged from the data: challenges related to the layout and structure of the unit, human resources provision and staffing, provision of material resources, stressors in the unit and visitors in the ICU. Conclusion: Unit managers in large ICUs face multifaceted challenges which include the demand for efficient and sufficient specialised nurses; lack of or inadequate equipment that goes along with technology in ICU and supplies; and stressors in the ICU that limit the efficiency to plan, organise, lead and control the daily activities in the unit. The challenges identified call for multiple strategies to assist in the efficient management of large ICUs.

Variations in pCO2 during summer in the surface water of an unproductive lake in northern Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jonsson, A.; Aaberg, J.; Jansson, M.

2007-01-01

Unproductive lakes are generally supersaturated with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and emit CO 2 to the atmosphere continuously during ice-free periods. However, temporal variation of the partial pressure of CO 2 (pCO 2 ) and thus of CO 2 evasion to atmosphere is poorly documented. We therefore carried out temporally high-resolution (every 6 h) measurements of the pCO 2 using an automated logger system in the surface water of a subarctic, unproductive, lake in the birch forest belt. The study period was June-September 2004. We found that the pCO 2 showed large seasonal variation, but low daily variation. The seasonal variation was likely mainly caused by variations in input and mineralization of allochthonous organic matter. Stratification depth probably also influenced pCO 2 of the surface water by controlling the volume in which mineralization of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) occurred. In lakes, with large variations in pCO 2 , as in our study lake a high (weekly) sampling intensity is recommended for obtaining accurate estimates of the evasion of CO 2

15 years of VLT/UVES OH intensities and temperatures in comparison with TIMED/SABER data

Science.gov (United States)

Noll, Stefan; Kimeswenger, Stefan; Proxauf, Bastian; Unterguggenberger, Stefanie; Kausch, Wolfgang; Jones, Amy M.

2017-10-01

The high-resolution echelle spectrograph UVES of the Very Large Telescope at Cerro Paranal in Chile has been regularly operated since April 2000. Thus, UVES archival data originally taken for astronomical projects but also including sky emission can be used to study airglow variations on a time scale longer than a solar cycle. Focusing on OH emission and observations until March 2015, we considered about 3000 high-quality spectra from two instrumental set-ups centred on 760 and 860 nm, which cover about 380 nm each. These data allowed us to measure line intensities for several OH bands in order to derive band intensities and rotational temperatures for different upper vibrational levels as a function of solar activity and observing date. The results were compared with those derived from emission and temperature profile data of the radiometer SABER on the TIMED satellite taken in the Cerro Paranal area between 2002 and 2015. In agreement with the SABER data, the long-term variations in OH intensity and temperature derived from the UVES data are dominated by the solar cycle, whereas secular trends appear to be negligible. Combining the UVES and SABER results, the solar cycle effects for the OH intensity and temperature are about 12-17% and 4-5 K per 100 sfu and do not significantly depend on the selected OH band. The data also reveal that variations of the effective OH emission layer height and air density can cause significant changes in the OH rotational temperatures due to a varying ratio of OH thermalising collisions by air molecules and OH radiation, deactivation, and destruction processes which impede the rotational relaxation. However, this effect appears to be of minor importance for the explanation of the rotational temperature variations related to the solar activity cycle, which causes only small changes in the OH emission profile.

Sulphur mountain: Cosmic ray intensity records

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venkatesan, D.; Mathews, T.

1985-01-01

This book deals with the comic ray intensity registrations at the Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Laboratory. The time series of intensity form a valuable data-set, for studying cosmic ray intensity variations and their dependence on solar activity. The IGY neutron monitor started operating from July 1, 1957 and continued through 1963. Daily mean values are tabulated for the period and these are also represented in plots. This monitor was set up by the National Research Council of Canada

Patterns of variations in large pelagic fish: A comparative approach between the Indian and the Atlantic Oceans

Science.gov (United States)

Corbineau, A.; Rouyer, T.; Fromentin, J.-M.; Cazelles, B.; Fonteneau, A.; Ménard, F.

2010-07-01

Catch data of large pelagic fish such as tuna, swordfish and billfish are highly variable ranging from short to long term. Based on fisheries data, these time series are noisy and reflect mixed information on exploitation (targeting, strategy, fishing power), population dynamics (recruitment, growth, mortality, migration, etc.), and environmental forcing (local conditions or dominant climate patterns). In this work, we investigated patterns of variation of large pelagic fish (i.e. yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, swordfish and blue marlin) in Japanese longliners catch data from 1960 to 2004. We performed wavelet analyses on the yearly time series of each fish species in each biogeographic province of the tropical Indian and Atlantic Oceans. In addition, we carried out cross-wavelet analyses between these biological time series and a large-scale climatic index, i.e. the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). Results showed that the biogeographic province was the most important factor structuring the patterns of variability of Japanese catch time series. Relationships between the SOI and the fish catches in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans also pointed out the role of climatic variability for structuring patterns of variation of catch time series. This work finally confirmed that Japanese longline CPUE data poorly reflect the underlying population dynamics of tunas.

Large earthquake rupture process variations on the Middle America megathrust

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Lingling; Lay, Thorne; Kanamori, Hiroo

2013-11-01

The megathrust fault between the underthrusting Cocos plate and overriding Caribbean plate recently experienced three large ruptures: the August 27, 2012 (Mw 7.3) El Salvador; September 5, 2012 (Mw 7.6) Costa Rica; and November 7, 2012 (Mw 7.4) Guatemala earthquakes. All three events involve shallow-dipping thrust faulting on the plate boundary, but they had variable rupture processes. The El Salvador earthquake ruptured from about 4 to 20 km depth, with a relatively large centroid time of ˜19 s, low seismic moment-scaled energy release, and a depleted teleseismic short-period source spectrum similar to that of the September 2, 1992 (Mw 7.6) Nicaragua tsunami earthquake that ruptured the adjacent shallow portion of the plate boundary. The Costa Rica and Guatemala earthquakes had large slip in the depth range 15 to 30 km, and more typical teleseismic source spectra. Regional seismic recordings have higher short-period energy levels for the Costa Rica event relative to the El Salvador event, consistent with the teleseismic observations. A broadband regional waveform template correlation analysis is applied to categorize the focal mechanisms for larger aftershocks of the three events. Modeling of regional wave spectral ratios for clustered events with similar mechanisms indicates that interplate thrust events have corner frequencies, normalized by a reference model, that increase down-dip from anomalously low values near the Middle America trench. Relatively high corner frequencies are found for thrust events near Costa Rica; thus, variations along strike of the trench may also be important. Geodetic observations indicate trench-parallel motion of a forearc sliver extending from Costa Rica to Guatemala, and low seismic coupling on the megathrust has been inferred from a lack of boundary-perpendicular strain accumulation. The slip distributions and seismic radiation from the large regional thrust events indicate relatively strong seismic coupling near Nicoya, Costa

Sound recovery via intensity variations of speckle pattern pixels selected with variance-based method

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Ge; Yao, Xu-Ri; Qiu, Peng; Mahmood, Waqas; Yu, Wen-Kai; Sun, Zhi-Bin; Zhai, Guang-Jie; Zhao, Qing

2018-02-01

In general, the sound waves can cause the vibration of the objects that are encountered in the traveling path. If we make a laser beam illuminate the rough surface of an object, it will be scattered into a speckle pattern that vibrates with these sound waves. Here, an efficient variance-based method is proposed to recover the sound information from speckle patterns captured by a high-speed camera. This method allows us to select the proper pixels that have large variances of the gray-value variations over time, from a small region of the speckle patterns. The gray-value variations of these pixels are summed together according to a simple model to recover the sound with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Meanwhile, our method will significantly simplify the computation compared with the traditional digital-image-correlation technique. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been verified by applying a variety of objects. The experimental results illustrate that the proposed method is robust to the quality of the speckle patterns and costs more than one-order less time to perform the same number of the speckle patterns. In our experiment, a sound signal of time duration 1.876 s is recovered from various objects with time consumption of 5.38 s only.

Comparison of respiratory-induced variations in photoplethysmographic signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Jin; Jin, Jie; Chen, Xiang; Sun, Weixin; Guo, Ping

2010-01-01

Photoplethysmography (PPG) is an optical method for detecting blood volume changes in tissue. Respiratory-induced intensity, frequency and amplitude variations are contained in the PPG signal; thus, an understanding of the relationships between all of these variations and respiration is essential to advancing respiration monitoring based on PPG. This study investigated correlations between respiratory-induced variations extracted from PPG and simultaneous respiratory signals. PPG signals were recorded from 28 healthy subjects under eight different conditions. Six respiratory-induced variations, i.e. the period of the systole, diastole and pulse, the amplitude of the systole and diastole, and the intensity variation, were determined from the PPG signal. The results indicate that, compared with the period of the pulse, the period of the systole and diastole correlates weakly with respiration; the amplitude of the diastole has a stronger correlation with respiration than the amplitude of the systole. For men, when the respiratory rate is less than 10 breaths min −1 , the period of the pulse has the strongest correlation with respiration, whereas up to or above 15 breaths min −1 , the intensity variation becomes strongest in the sitting posture, while the amplitude of the diastole is strongest in the supine posture. For women, compared with the other variations, the period of the pulse has nearly the strongest correlation with respiration, independent of respiratory rate or posture

Regional variations in health care intensity and physician perceptions of quality of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirovich, Brenda E; Gottlieb, Daniel J; Welch, H Gilbert; Fisher, Elliott S

2006-05-02

Research has documented dramatic differences in health care utilization and spending across U.S. regions with similar levels of patient illness. Although patient outcomes and quality of care have been found to be no better in regions of high health care intensity, it is unknown whether physicians in these regions feel more capable of providing good patient care than those in low-intensity regions. To determine whether physicians in high-intensity regions feel better able to care for patients than physicians in low-intensity regions. Physician telephone survey. 51 metropolitan and 9 nonmetropolitan areas of the United States and a supplemental national sample. 10,577 physicians who provided care to adults in 1998 or 1999 were surveyed for the Community Tracking Study (response rate, 61%). The End-of-Life Expenditure Index, a measure of spending that reflects differences in the overall quantity of medical services provided rather than differences in illness or price, was used to determine health care intensity in the physicians' community. Outcomes included physicians' perceived availability of clinical services, ability to provide high-quality care to patients, and career satisfaction. Although the highest-intensity regions have substantially more hospital beds and specialists per capita, physicians in these regions reported more difficulty obtaining needed services for their patients. The proportion of physicians who felt able to obtain elective hospital admissions ranged from 50% in high-intensity regions to 64% in the lowest-intensity region (P market factors (for example, managed care penetration); the difference in perceived ability to provide high-quality care was no longer statistically significant (P = 0.099). The cross-sectional design prevented demonstration of a causal relationship between intensity and physician perceptions of quality. Despite more resources, physicians in regions of high health care intensity did not report greater ease in obtaining

Global Climate Forcing from Albedo Change Caused by Large-scale Deforestation and Reforestation: Quantification and Attribution of Geographic Variation

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Tong; Williams, Christopher A.; Ghimire, Bardan; Masek, Jeffrey; Gao, Feng; Schaaf, Crystal

2017-01-01

Large-scale deforestation and reforestation have contributed substantially to historical and contemporary global climate change in part through albedo-induced radiative forcing, with meaningful implications for forest management aiming to mitigate climate change. Associated warming or cooling varies widely across the globe due to a range of factors including forest type, snow cover, and insolation, but resulting geographic variation remain spoorly described and has been largely based on model assessments. This study provides an observation-based approach to quantify local and global radiative forcings from large-scale deforestation and reforestation and further examines mechanisms that result in the spatial heterogeneity of radiative forcing. We incorporate a new spatially and temporally explicit land cover-specific albedo product derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer with a historical land use data set (Land Use Harmonization product). Spatial variation in radiative forcing was attributed to four mechanisms, including the change in snow-covered albedo, change in snow-free albedo, snow cover fraction, and incoming solar radiation. We find an albedo-only radiative forcing (RF) of -0.819 W m(exp -2) if year 2000 forests were completely deforested and converted to croplands. Albedo RF from global reforestation of present-day croplands to recover year 1700 forests is estimated to be 0.161 W m)exp -2). Snow-cover fraction is identified as the primary factor in determining the spatial variation of radiative forcing in winter, while the magnitude of the change in snow-free albedo is the primary factor determining variations in summertime RF. Findings reinforce the notion that, for conifers at the snowier high latitudes, albedo RF diminishes the warming from forest loss and the cooling from forest gain more so than for other forest types, latitudes, and climate settings.

Effects of large herbivores on grassland arthropod diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

van Klink, R; van der Plas, F; van Noordwijk, C G E Toos; WallisDeVries, M F; Olff, H

2015-05-01

Both arthropods and large grazing herbivores are important components and drivers of biodiversity in grassland ecosystems, but a synthesis of how arthropod diversity is affected by large herbivores has been largely missing. To fill this gap, we conducted a literature search, which yielded 141 studies on this topic of which 24 simultaneously investigated plant and arthropod diversity. Using the data from these 24 studies, we compared the responses of plant and arthropod diversity to an increase in grazing intensity. This quantitative assessment showed no overall significant effect of increasing grazing intensity on plant diversity, while arthropod diversity was generally negatively affected. To understand these negative effects, we explored the mechanisms by which large herbivores affect arthropod communities: direct effects, changes in vegetation structure, changes in plant community composition, changes in soil conditions, and cascading effects within the arthropod interaction web. We identify three main factors determining the effects of large herbivores on arthropod diversity: (i) unintentional predation and increased disturbance, (ii) decreases in total resource abundance for arthropods (biomass) and (iii) changes in plant diversity, vegetation structure and abiotic conditions. In general, heterogeneity in vegetation structure and abiotic conditions increases at intermediate grazing intensity, but declines at both low and high grazing intensity. We conclude that large herbivores can only increase arthropod diversity if they cause an increase in (a)biotic heterogeneity, and then only if this increase is large enough to compensate for the loss of total resource abundance and the increased mortality rate. This is expected to occur only at low herbivore densities or with spatio-temporal variation in herbivore densities. As we demonstrate that arthropod diversity is often more negatively affected by grazing than plant diversity, we strongly recommend considering the

Human Influence on Tropical Cyclone Intensity

Science.gov (United States)

Sobel, Adam H.; Camargo, Suzana J.; Hall, Timothy M.; Lee, Chia-Ying; Tippett, Michael K.; Wing, Allison A.

2016-01-01

Recent assessments agree that tropical cyclone intensity should increase as the climate warms. Less agreement exists on the detection of recent historical trends in tropical cyclone intensity.We interpret future and recent historical trends by using the theory of potential intensity, which predicts the maximum intensity achievable by a tropical cyclone in a given local environment. Although greenhouse gas-driven warming increases potential intensity, climate model simulations suggest that aerosol cooling has largely canceled that effect over the historical record. Large natural variability complicates analysis of trends, as do poleward shifts in the latitude of maximum intensity. In the absence of strong reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, future greenhouse gas forcing of potential intensity will increasingly dominate over aerosol forcing, leading to substantially larger increases in tropical cyclone intensities.

Intensive Care Unit Structure Variation and Implications for Early Mobilization Practices. An International Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakhru, Rita N; McWilliams, David J; Wiebe, Douglas J; Spuhler, Vicki J; Schweickert, William D

2016-09-01

Early mobilization (EM) improves outcomes for mechanically ventilated patients. Variation in structure and organizational characteristics may affect implementation of EM practices. We queried intensive care unit (ICU) environment and standardized ICU practices to evaluate organizational characteristics that enable EM practice. We recruited 151 ICUs in France, 150 in Germany, 150 in the United Kingdom, and 500 in the United States by telephone. Survey domains included respondent characteristics, hospital and ICU characteristics, and ICU practices and protocols. We surveyed 1,484 ICU leaders and received a 64% response rate (951 ICUs). Eighty-eight percent of respondents were in nursing leadership roles; the remainder were physiotherapists. Surveyed ICUs were predominantly mixed medical-surgical units (67%), and 27% were medical ICUs. ICU staffing models differed significantly (P equipment were highly variable among respondents. International ICU structure and practice is quite heterogeneous, and several factors (multidisciplinary rounds, setting daily goals for patients, presence of a dedicated physiotherapist, country, and nurse/patient staffing ratio) are significantly associated with the practice of EM. Practice and barriers may be far different based upon staffing structure. To achieve successful implementation, whether through trials or quality improvement, ICU staffing and practice patterns must be taken into account.

Humans and Deep Networks Largely Agree on Which Kinds of Variation Make Object Recognition Harder.

Science.gov (United States)

Kheradpisheh, Saeed R; Ghodrati, Masoud; Ganjtabesh, Mohammad; Masquelier, Timothée

2016-01-01

View-invariant object recognition is a challenging problem that has attracted much attention among the psychology, neuroscience, and computer vision communities. Humans are notoriously good at it, even if some variations are presumably more difficult to handle than others (e.g., 3D rotations). Humans are thought to solve the problem through hierarchical processing along the ventral stream, which progressively extracts more and more invariant visual features. This feed-forward architecture has inspired a new generation of bio-inspired computer vision systems called deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN), which are currently the best models for object recognition in natural images. Here, for the first time, we systematically compared human feed-forward vision and DCNNs at view-invariant object recognition task using the same set of images and controlling the kinds of transformation (position, scale, rotation in plane, and rotation in depth) as well as their magnitude, which we call "variation level." We used four object categories: car, ship, motorcycle, and animal. In total, 89 human subjects participated in 10 experiments in which they had to discriminate between two or four categories after rapid presentation with backward masking. We also tested two recent DCNNs (proposed respectively by Hinton's group and Zisserman's group) on the same tasks. We found that humans and DCNNs largely agreed on the relative difficulties of each kind of variation: rotation in depth is by far the hardest transformation to handle, followed by scale, then rotation in plane, and finally position (much easier). This suggests that DCNNs would be reasonable models of human feed-forward vision. In addition, our results show that the variation levels in rotation in depth and scale strongly modulate both humans' and DCNNs' recognition performances. We thus argue that these variations should be controlled in the image datasets used in vision research.

Humans and deep networks largely agree on which kinds of variation make object recognition harder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saeed Reza Kheradpisheh

2016-08-01

Full Text Available View-invariant object recognition is a challenging problem that has attracted much attention among the psychology, neuroscience, and computer vision communities. Humans are notoriously good at it, even if some variations are presumably more difficult to handle than others (e.g. 3D rotations. Humans are thought to solve the problem through hierarchical processing along the ventral stream, which progressively extracts more and more invariant visual features. This feed-forward architecture has inspired a new generation of bio-inspired computer vision systems called deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN, which are currently the best models for object recognition in natural images. Here, for the first time, we systematically compared human feed-forward vision and DCNNs at view-invariant object recognition task using the same set of images and controlling the kinds of transformation (position, scale, rotation in plane, and rotation in depth as well as their magnitude, which we call variation level. We used four object categories: car, ship, motorcycle, and animal. In total, 89 human subjects participated in 10 experiments in which they had to discriminate between two or four categories after rapid presentation with backward masking. We also tested two recent DCNNs (proposed respectively by Hinton's group and Zisserman's group on the same tasks. We found that humans and DCNNs largely agreed on the relative difficulties of each kind of variation: rotation in depth is by far the hardest transformation to handle, followed by scale, then rotation in plane, and finally position (much easier. This suggests that DCNNs would be reasonable models of human feed-forward vision. In addition, our results show that the variation levels in rotation in depth and scale strongly modulate both humans' and DCNNs' recognition performances. We thus argue that these variations should be controlled in the image datasets used in vision research.

Some features of Jupiter decametric radiation and its temporary variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levitskij, L.S.

1977-01-01

The following parameters of Jupiter decametric radiation are considered: duration of the storms, the distribution of the storms over Jupiter's longitudes and Io's position, the distribution along frequency range, burstness. It is shown that probability W of revealing decametric emission does not depend on solar activity level. The relative probability (W 3 /W) of appearing noise storms of large intensity changes according to variations of solar activity indexes for all frequencies (10-35 MHz). The duration of noise storms, its frequency range, intensity and L-burst number increase systematically with the storm's power. There is a tendency to the expansion of the sources of the emission along the longitude if the observer (the Earth) changes his position from the boundary to center of emission cone. Io effects in decametric emission are appreciable for the largest storms only. For small storms these effects may be revealed only in years of minimum solar activity. A part of storms with large number of L-bursts is correlated with the Asub(p)-index

Effect of variations in rainfall intensity on slope stability in Singapore

OpenAIRE

Christofer Kristo; Harianto Rahardjo; Alfrendo Satyanaga

2017-01-01

Numerous scientific evidence has given credence to the true existence and deleterious impacts of climate change. One aspect of climate change is the variations in rainfall patterns, which affect the flux boundary condition across ground surface. A possible disastrous consequence of this change is the occurrence of rainfall-induced slope failures. This paper aims to investigate the variations in rainfall patterns in Singapore and its effect on slope stability. Singapore's historical rainfall d...

Characterizing the spatial variations and correlations of large rainstorms for landslide study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Gao

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Rainfall is the primary trigger of landslides in Hong Kong; hence, rainstorm spatial distribution is an important piece of information in landslide hazard analysis. The primary objective of this paper is to quantify spatial correlation characteristics of three landslide-triggering large storms in Hong Kong. The spatial maximum rolling rainfall is represented by a rotated ellipsoid trend surface and a random field of residuals. The maximum rolling 4, 12, 24, and 36 h rainfall amounts of these storms are assessed via surface trend fitting, and the spatial correlation of the detrended residuals is determined through studying the scales of fluctuation along eight directions. The principal directions of the surface trend are between 19 and 43°, and the major and minor axis lengths are 83–386 and 55–79 km, respectively. The scales of fluctuation of the residuals are found between 5 and 30 km. The spatial distribution parameters for the three large rainstorms are found to be similar to those for four ordinary rainfall events. The proposed rainfall spatial distribution model and parameters help define the impact area, rainfall intensity and local topographic effects for landslide hazard evaluation in the future.

Variational approach for spatial point process intensity estimation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coeurjolly, Jean-Francois; Møller, Jesper

is assumed to be of log-linear form β+θ⊤z(u) where z is a spatial covariate function and the focus is on estimating θ. The variational estimator is very simple to implement and quicker than alternative estimation procedures. We establish its strong consistency and asymptotic normality. We also discuss its...... finite-sample properties in comparison with the maximum first order composite likelihood estimator when considering various inhomogeneous spatial point process models and dimensions as well as settings were z is completely or only partially known....

Variation of High-Intensity Therapeutic Ultrasound (HITU) Pressure Field Characterization: Effects of Hydrophone Choice, Nonlinearity, Spatial Averaging and Complex Deconvolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yunbo; Wear, Keith A; Harris, Gerald R

2017-10-01

Reliable acoustic characterization is fundamental for patient safety and clinical efficacy during high-intensity therapeutic ultrasound (HITU) treatment. Technical challenges, such as measurement variation and signal analysis, still exist for HITU exposimetry using ultrasound hydrophones. In this work, four hydrophones were compared for pressure measurement: a robust needle hydrophone, a small polyvinylidene fluoride capsule hydrophone and two fiberoptic hydrophones. The focal waveform and beam distribution of a single-element HITU transducer (1.05 MHz and 3.3 MHz) were evaluated. Complex deconvolution between the hydrophone voltage signal and frequency-dependent complex sensitivity was performed to obtain pressure waveforms. Compressional pressure (p + ), rarefactional pressure (p - ) and focal beam distribution were compared up to 10.6/-6.0 MPa (p + /p - ) (1.05 MHz) and 20.65/-7.20 MPa (3.3 MHz). The effects of spatial averaging, local non-linear distortion, complex deconvolution and hydrophone damage thresholds were investigated. This study showed a variation of no better than 10%-15% among hydrophones during HITU pressure characterization. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Downscaling Satellite Precipitation with Emphasis on Extremes: A Variational 1-Norm Regularization in the Derivative Domain

Science.gov (United States)

Foufoula-Georgiou, E.; Ebtehaj, A. M.; Zhang, S. Q.; Hou, A. Y.

2013-01-01

The increasing availability of precipitation observations from space, e.g., from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and the forthcoming Global Precipitation Measuring (GPM) Mission, has fueled renewed interest in developing frameworks for downscaling and multi-sensor data fusion that can handle large data sets in computationally efficient ways while optimally reproducing desired properties of the underlying rainfall fields. Of special interest is the reproduction of extreme precipitation intensities and gradients, as these are directly relevant to hazard prediction. In this paper, we present a new formalism for downscaling satellite precipitation observations, which explicitly allows for the preservation of some key geometrical and statistical properties of spatial precipitation. These include sharp intensity gradients (due to high-intensity regions embedded within lower-intensity areas), coherent spatial structures (due to regions of slowly varying rainfall),and thicker-than-Gaussian tails of precipitation gradients and intensities. Specifically, we pose the downscaling problem as a discrete inverse problem and solve it via a regularized variational approach (variational downscaling) where the regularization term is selected to impose the desired smoothness in the solution while allowing for some steep gradients(called 1-norm or total variation regularization). We demonstrate the duality between this geometrically inspired solution and its Bayesian statistical interpretation, which is equivalent to assuming a Laplace prior distribution for the precipitation intensities in the derivative (wavelet) space. When the observation operator is not known, we discuss the effect of its misspecification and explore a previously proposed dictionary-based sparse inverse downscaling methodology to indirectly learn the observation operator from a database of coincidental high- and low-resolution observations. The proposed method and ideas are illustrated in case

Controlling variation in the comet assay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Richard Collins

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Variability of the comet assay is a serious issue, whether it occurs from experiment to experiment in the same laboratory, or between different laboratories analysing identical samples. Do we have to live with high variability, just because the comet assay is a biological assay rather than analytical chemistry? Numerous attempts have been made to limit variability by standardising the assay protocol, and the critical steps in the assay have been identified; agarose concentration, duration of alkaline incubation, and electrophoresis conditions (time, temperature and voltage gradient are particularly important. Even when these are controlled, variation seems to be inevitable. It is helpful to include in experiments reference standards, i.e. cells with a known amount of specific damage to the DNA. They can be aliquots frozen from a single large batch of cells, either untreated (negative controls or treated with, for example, H2O2 or X-rays to induce strand breaks (positive control for the basic assay, or photosensitiser plus light to oxidise guanine (positive control for Fpg- or OGG1-sensitive sites. Reference standards are especially valuable when performing a series of experiments over a long period - for example, analysing samples of white blood cells from a large human biomonitoring trial - to check that the assay is performing consistently, and to identify anomalous results necessitating a repeat experiment. The reference values of tail intensity can also be used to iron out small variations occurring from day to day. We present examples of the use of reference standards in human trials, both within one laboratory and between different laboratories, and describe procedures that can be used to control variation.

Intense auroral field-aligned currents and electrojets detected by rocket-borne fluxgate magnetometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tohyama, Fumio; Fukunishi, Hiroshi; Takahashi, Takao; Kokubun, Susumu; Fujii, Ryoichi; Yamagishi, Hisao.

1988-01-01

The S-310JA-11 and S-310JA-12 rockets, having a vector magnetometer with high sensitivity (1.8 nT) and high sampling frequency (100 Hz), were launched into the aurora on May 29 and July 12, 1985, from Syowa Station, Antarctica. The S-310JA-11 rocket penetrated twice quiet arcs, while the S-310JA-12 rocket traversed across intense and active auroral arcs during a large magnetic substorm. In the S-310JA-12 rocket experiment, intense field-aligned currents of 400 - 600 nT were observed when the rocket penetrated an active arc during the descending flight. The magnetometer on board the S-310JA-12 rocket also detected intense electrojet currents with a center at 110 km on the upward leg and at 108 km on the downward leg. The magnetometer data of the S-310JA-11 rocket showed no distinguished magnetic field variation due to field-aligned current and electrojet. (author)

Simulation of geomagnetic field variations during an intensive magnetic storm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fel'dshtejn, Ya.I.; Dremukhin, L.A.; Veshcherova, U.B.

1993-01-01

The intensity of asymmetric part of magnetic field of ring current is closely linked with energy flow entering the magnetosphere from solar wind. Quantitative description assumes usage of data on parameters of solar wind before few hours

Archeomagnetic Intensity Spikes: Global or Regional Geomagnetic Field Features?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monika Korte

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Variations of the geomagnetic field prior to direct observations are inferred from archeo- and paleomagnetic experiments. Seemingly unusual variations not seen in the present-day and historical field are of particular interest to constrain the full range of core dynamics. Recently, archeomagnetic intensity spikes, characterized by very high field values that appear to be associated with rapid secular variation rates, have been reported from several parts of the world. They were first noted in data from the Levant at around 900 BCE. A recent re-assessment of previous and new Levantine data, involving a rigorous quality assessment, interprets the observations as an extreme local geomagnetic high with at least two intensity spikes between the 11th and 8th centuries BCE. Subsequent reports of similar features from Asia, the Canary Islands and Texas raise the question of whether such features might be common occurrences, or whether they might even be part of a global magnetic field feature. Here we use spherical harmonic modeling to test two hypotheses: firstly, whether the Levantine and other potential spikes might be associated with higher dipole field intensity than shown by existing global field models around 1,000 BCE, and secondly, whether the observations from different parts of the world are compatible with a westward drifting intense flux patch. Our results suggest that the spikes originate from intense flux patches growing and decaying mostly in situ, combined with stronger and more variable dipole moment than shown by previous global field models. Axial dipole variations no more than 60% higher than observed in the present field, probably within the range of normal geodynamo behavior, seem sufficient to explain the observations.

Variations in pCO{sub 2} during summer in the surface water of an unproductive lake in northern Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jonsson, A.; Aaberg, J.; Jansson, M. [Dept. of Ecology and Environmental Sci ence, Umeaa Univ., 901 87 Umeaa (Sweden)]. e-mail: anders.jonsson@emg.umu.se

2007-11-15

Unproductive lakes are generally supersaturated with carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and emit CO{sub 2} to the atmosphere continuously during ice-free periods. However, temporal variation of the partial pressure of CO{sub 2} (pCO{sub 2}) and thus of CO{sub 2} evasion to atmosphere is poorly documented. We therefore carried out temporally high-resolution (every 6 h) measurements of the pCO{sub 2} using an automated logger system in the surface water of a subarctic, unproductive, lake in the birch forest belt. The study period was June-September 2004. We found that the pCO{sub 2} showed large seasonal variation, but low daily variation. The seasonal variation was likely mainly caused by variations in input and mineralization of allochthonous organic matter. Stratification depth probably also influenced pCO{sub 2} of the surface water by controlling the volume in which mineralization of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) occurred. In lakes, with large variations in pCO{sub 2}, as in our study lake a high (weekly) sampling intensity is recommended for obtaining accurate estimates of the evasion of CO{sub 2}.

Time Variations of the Radial Velocity of H2O Masers in the Semi-Regular Variable R Crt

Science.gov (United States)

Sudou, Hiroshi; Shiga, Motoki; Omodaka, Toshihiro; Nakai, Chihiro; Ueda, Kazuki; Takaba, Hiroshi

2017-12-01

H2O maser emission {at 22 GHz} in the circumstellar envelope is one of the good tracers of detailed physics and inematics in the mass loss process of asymptotic giant branch stars. Long-term monitoring of an H2O maser spectrum with high time resolution enables us to clarify acceleration processes of the expanding shell in the stellar atmosphere. We monitored the H2O maser emission of the semi-regular variable R Crt with the Kagoshima 6-m telescope, and obtained a large data set of over 180 maser spectra over a period of 1.3 years with an observational span of a few days. Using an automatic peak detection method based on least-squares fitting, we exhaustively detected peaks as significant velocity components with the radial velocity on a 0.1 km s^{-1} scale. This analysis result shows that the radial velocity of red-shifted and blue-shifted components exhibits a change between acceleration and deceleration on the time scale of a few hundred days. These velocity variations are likely to correlate with intensity variations, in particular during flaring state of H2O masers. It seems reasonable to consider that the velocity variation of the maser source is caused by shock propagation in the envelope due to stellar pulsation.However, it is difficult to explain the relationship between the velocity variation and the intensity variation only from shock propagation effects. We found that a time delay of the integrated maser intensity with respect to the optical light curve is about 150 days.

Estimating nonrigid motion from inconsistent intensity with robust shape features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Wenyang; Ruan, Dan

2013-01-01

Purpose: To develop a nonrigid motion estimation method that is robust to heterogeneous intensity inconsistencies amongst the image pairs or image sequence. Methods: Intensity and contrast variations, as in dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, present a considerable challenge to registration methods based on general discrepancy metrics. In this study, the authors propose and validate a novel method that is robust to such variations by utilizing shape features. The geometry of interest (GOI) is represented with a flexible zero level set, segmented via well-behaved regularized optimization. The optimization energy drives the zero level set to high image gradient regions, and regularizes it with area and curvature priors. The resulting shape exhibits high consistency even in the presence of intensity or contrast variations. Subsequently, a multiscale nonrigid registration is performed to seek a regular deformation field that minimizes shape discrepancy in the vicinity of GOIs. Results: To establish the working principle, realistic 2D and 3D images were subject to simulated nonrigid motion and synthetic intensity variations, so as to enable quantitative evaluation of registration performance. The proposed method was benchmarked against three alternative registration approaches, specifically, optical flow, B-spline based mutual information, and multimodality demons. When intensity consistency was satisfied, all methods had comparable registration accuracy for the GOIs. When intensities among registration pairs were inconsistent, however, the proposed method yielded pronounced improvement in registration accuracy, with an approximate fivefold reduction in mean absolute error (MAE = 2.25 mm, SD = 0.98 mm), compared to optical flow (MAE = 9.23 mm, SD = 5.36 mm), B-spline based mutual information (MAE = 9.57 mm, SD = 8.74 mm) and mutimodality demons (MAE = 10.07 mm, SD = 4.03 mm). Applying the proposed method on a real MR image sequence also provided

Periodic Variations in the Coronal Green Line Intensity and their ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

tribpo

behaviour of data results as discussed by Tsubaki (1988) in the green corona line intensity. ... This work was partly supported by the Grant Agency (5017/98) of the Slovak. Academy of Sciences. One of us (M. M.) thanks IAU for travel support.

Fibromyalgia patients' quality of life and pain intensity variation Variação da intensidade da dor e da qualidade de vida de pacientes com fibromialgia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Eduardo Martinez

2008-12-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: One of the most reported issues on the Fibromyalgia syndrome is the pain intensity variation and its impact on patients' life quality. OBJECTIVES: 1 to establish the correlation among pain, anxiety and depression intensity perception; 2 to determine whether there is a correlation between pain intensity variation and the impact of fibromyalgia on patients' quality of life. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A study was carried out with 21 patients, who received a diary to register their perceptions on pain, anxiety and depression intensity. The patients have made this procedure three times a day, for a fifteen-day period. The impact on life quality was measured by the the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionaire (FIQ. RESULTS: It was observed a significant variation on pain intensity during the day periods. There was not a significant variation for anxiety and depression through the day periods. It was not observed any significant correlation between pain and depression or pain and anxiety intensity perception at any time of the day, during the study period. When considering the whole study period, it was observed that there was a correlation between pain and anxiety and pain and depression in the morning. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that there is a significant pain variation through the day periods and there is a correlation between pain and anxiety and pain and depression in the morning. There is a significant correlation of life quality with pain in the morning, anxiety in the afternoon and evening; and depression in all periods of the day.INTRODUÇÃO: Uma das questões mais relatadas é a variação da intensidade da dor no decorrer do dia e seu impacto na qualidade de vida. OBJETIVOS: Estabelecer a correlação entre a percepção da intensidade da dor, da ansiedade e da depressão e determinar a correlação entre a variação da intensidade da dor e o impacto na qualidade de vida. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Estudou-se 21 pacientes com fibromialgia. As

Estimating grass-clover ratio variations caused by traffic intensities using image analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Rasmus Nyholm; Sørensen, Claus Grøn; Green, Ole

Grass and especially clover have a negative yield response as a function of  traffic intensity.  Conventional grass-clover production for silage have high traffic intensity due to fertilizing with slurry, cutting the grass, rolling the grass into swaths, and collecting and chopping the grass...... to fulfill the aim [1]http://www.ruralni.gov.uk/index/publications/press_articles/dairy-2/role-of-clover.htm...

Downscaling Satellite Precipitation with Emphasis on Extremes: A Variational ℓ1-Norm Regularization in the Derivative Domain

Science.gov (United States)

Foufoula-Georgiou, E.; Ebtehaj, A. M.; Zhang, S. Q.; Hou, A. Y.

2014-05-01

The increasing availability of precipitation observations from space, e.g., from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and the forthcoming Global Precipitation Measuring (GPM) Mission, has fueled renewed interest in developing frameworks for downscaling and multi-sensor data fusion that can handle large data sets in computationally efficient ways while optimally reproducing desired properties of the underlying rainfall fields. Of special interest is the reproduction of extreme precipitation intensities and gradients, as these are directly relevant to hazard prediction. In this paper, we present a new formalism for downscaling satellite precipitation observations, which explicitly allows for the preservation of some key geometrical and statistical properties of spatial precipitation. These include sharp intensity gradients (due to high-intensity regions embedded within lower-intensity areas), coherent spatial structures (due to regions of slowly varying rainfall), and thicker-than-Gaussian tails of precipitation gradients and intensities. Specifically, we pose the downscaling problem as a discrete inverse problem and solve it via a regularized variational approach (variational downscaling) where the regularization term is selected to impose the desired smoothness in the solution while allowing for some steep gradients (called ℓ1-norm or total variation regularization). We demonstrate the duality between this geometrically inspired solution and its Bayesian statistical interpretation, which is equivalent to assuming a Laplace prior distribution for the precipitation intensities in the derivative (wavelet) space. When the observation operator is not known, we discuss the effect of its misspecification and explore a previously proposed dictionary-based sparse inverse downscaling methodology to indirectly learn the observation operator from a data base of coincidental high- and low-resolution observations. The proposed method and ideas are illustrated in case

IVF: exploiting intensity variation function for high-performance pedestrian tracking in forward-looking infrared imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Lamberti, Fabrizio; Sanna, Andrea; Paravati, Gianluca; Belluccini, Luca

2014-02-01

Tracking pedestrian targets in forward-looking infrared video sequences is a crucial component of a growing number of applications. At the same time, it is particularly challenging, since image resolution and signal-to-noise ratio are generally very low, while the nonrigidity of the human body produces highly variable target shapes. Moreover, motion can be quite chaotic with frequent target-to-target and target-to-scene occlusions. Hence, the trend is to design ever more sophisticated techniques, able to ensure rather accurate tracking results at the cost of a generally higher complexity. However, many of such techniques might not be suitable for real-time tracking in limited-resource environments. This work presents a technique that extends an extremely computationally efficient tracking method based on target intensity variation and template matching originally designed for targets with a marked and stable hot spot by adapting it to deal with much more complex thermal signatures and by removing the native dependency on configuration choices. Experimental tests demonstrated that, by working on multiple hot spots, the designed technique is able to achieve the robustness of other common approaches by limiting drifts and preserving the low-computational footprint of the reference method.

Mitigating cutaneous sensation differences during tDCS: comparing sham versus low intensity control conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunyé, Tad T; Cantelon, Julie; Holmes, Amanda; Taylor, Holly A; Mahoney, Caroline R

2014-01-01

Cutaneous sensations at electrode sites during the administration of direct current brain stimulation may inadvertently influence participants' subjective experience and task performance. The present study evaluated the utility of a methodological variation that substitutes sham administration with very low intensity (0.5 mA) current delivery. We used a 4 × 1 high-definition ring electrode transcranial direct current (HD-tDCS) system to target the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann's Area 9). Four stimulation conditions were compared in a repeated-measures design: sham 2.0 mA and 0.5 mA intensity, versus active 2.0 mA and 0.5 mA intensity. During stimulation participants performed a cognitive interference task that activates the cingulo-frontal-parietal network, and periodically provided perceived sensation ratings. We demonstrate that a relatively low intensity control condition attenuates otherwise large differences in perceived sensation between active and sham conditions. Critically, behavioral task differences maintained between the two active conditions. A low intensity control stimulation condition may prove a viable methodological alternative to conventional sham techniques used in repeated-measures designs, though important limitations are discussed. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Intensity of low-frequency radiations and the interplanetary magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larkina, V.I.; Likhter, Ya.I.

1983-01-01

The data of measurements of ELF/VLF radiations at ''Interkosmos-13'' artificial Earth satellite in auroral latitudes and in the polar cap in the vernal equinox of 1975 are compared with characteristics of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The absence of north-south asymmetry of variations of ELF/VLF-radiation Intensity in the outer ionosphere versus the IMF characteristics is noted. The intensity of natural ELF- and VLF-radiations depends in a complex way on parameters of the magnetospheric plasma: composition and concentration of ''cold'' particles, geomagnetic field intensity, properties of energetic particle fluxes. The considered variations in the radiation amplitude versus the IMF characteristics show the predominant role of the sector structure polarity and IMF Bsub(y) component sign

Rainfall intensity effects on crusting and mode of seedling ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Predicted changes in rainfall intensity due to climate change are likely to influence key soil health parameters, especially structural attributes and crop growth. Variations in rainfall intensity will impact crop ... and growth in these soils. Keywords: climate change, crusting, mineralogy, penetration resistance, soil organic matter ...

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography–Guided Positioning of Laryngeal Cancer Patients with Large Interfraction Time Trends in Setup and Nonrigid Anatomy Variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gangsaas, Anne; Astreinidou, Eleftheria; Quint, Sandra; Levendag, Peter C.; Heijmen, Ben

2013-01-01

Purpose: To investigate interfraction setup variations of the primary tumor, elective nodes, and vertebrae in laryngeal cancer patients and to validate protocols for cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)-guided correction. Methods and Materials: For 30 patients, CBCT-measured displacements in fractionated treatments were used to investigate population setup errors and to simulate residual setup errors for the no action level (NAL) offline protocol, the extended NAL (eNAL) protocol, and daily CBCT acquisition with online analysis and repositioning. Results: Without corrections, 12 of 26 patients treated with radical radiation therapy would have experienced a gradual change (time trend) in primary tumor setup ≥4 mm in the craniocaudal (CC) direction during the fractionated treatment (11/12 in caudal direction, maximum 11 mm). Due to these trends, correction of primary tumor displacements with NAL resulted in large residual CC errors (required margin 6.7 mm). With the weekly correction vector adjustments in eNAL, the trends could be largely compensated (CC margin 3.5 mm). Correlation between movements of the primary and nodal clinical target volumes (CTVs) in the CC direction was poor (r 2 =0.15). Therefore, even with online setup corrections of the primary CTV, the required CC margin for the nodal CTV was as large as 6.8 mm. Also for the vertebrae, large time trends were observed for some patients. Because of poor CC correlation (r 2 =0.19) between displacements of the primary CTV and the vertebrae, even with daily online repositioning of the vertebrae, the required CC margin around the primary CTV was 6.9 mm. Conclusions: Laryngeal cancer patients showed substantial interfraction setup variations, including large time trends, and poor CC correlation between primary tumor displacements and motion of the nodes and vertebrae (internal tumor motion). These trends and nonrigid anatomy variations have to be considered in the choice of setup verification protocol and

Anomalous Polarized Raman Scattering and Large Circular Intensity Differential in Layered Triclinic ReS2.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shishu; Mao, Nannan; Zhang, Na; Wu, Juanxia; Tong, Lianming; Zhang, Jin

2017-10-24

The Raman tensor of a crystal is the derivative of its polarizability tensor and is dependent on the symmetries of the crystal and the Raman-active vibrational mode. The intensity of a particular mode is determined by the Raman selection rule, which involves the Raman tensor and the polarization configurations. For anisotropic two-dimensional (2D) layered crystals, polarized Raman scattering has been used to reveal the crystalline orientations. However, due to its complicated Raman tensors and optical birefringence, the polarized Raman scattering of triclinic 2D crystals has not been well studied yet. Herein, we report the anomalous polarized Raman scattering of 2D layered triclinic rhenium disulfide (ReS 2 ) and show a large circular intensity differential (CID) of Raman scattering in ReS 2 of different thicknesses. The origin of CID and the anomalous behavior in polarized Raman scattering were attributed to the appearance of nonzero off-diagonal Raman tensor elements and the phase factor owing to optical birefringence. This can provide a method to identify the vertical orientation of triclinic layered materials. These findings may help to further understand the Raman scattering process in 2D materials of low symmetry and may indicate important applications in chiral recognition by using 2D materials.

Solar activity effects on cosmic ray intensity and geomagnetic field variation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukla, A.K.; Shukla, J.P.; Sharma, S.M.; Singh, R.L.; Agrawal, S.P.

1978-01-01

An analysis has been performed to statistically correlate the date of solar flare occurrence and its importance with the short term cosmic ray intensity decreases (observed by the high latitude neutron monitors) as well as with the geomagnetic field fluctuation indices (Asub(p) and Dsub(st)), during the period 1973-1976. This period has the particular advantage of being close to a solar minimum to avoid the ambiguity due to closely spaced solar flares. It is found that the intensity decrease starts at least 2-3 days after the date of bright solar flares of Imp 1B, 2B or 3B and the amplitude of the decrease increases with the importance of the solar flare. (author)

Suitability of cerebrospinal fluid as a signal-intensity reference on MRI: evaluation of signal-intensity variations in the lumbosacral dural sac

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luoma, E.K.; Luukkonen, R.; Riihimaeki, H.A.; Raininko, R.; Manninen, H.I.; Nummi, P.J.

1997-01-01

The suitability of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the lumbosacral dural sac as an internal signal-intensity reference was studied on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine using a surface coil and motion artefact suppression technique. A signal-intensity reference is needed when signal is compared between images, studies or subjects. Homogeneity of the CSF was estimated visually on T2-weighted images of 60 subjects at 1.5 T and of another 60 subjects at 0.1 T. Spines with a severely narrowed dural sac or marked scoliosis were excluded from the study to avoid partial volume effect. CSF was homogeneous in 82% and 73% of the examinations at 1.5 T and 0.1 T, respectively. The type and location of the local inhomogeneities did not relate to local narrowings of the dural sac. The signal intensity of CSF was measured in 108 examinations at 0.1 T after correcting the spatially-dependent signal-intensity nonuniformities with a phantom-based method. The signal-intensity difference between the CSF in the upper and lower lumbar dural sac was less than 10% in 73% of the examinations. The CSF in the lumbosacral dural sac can be a useful signal-intensity reference for estimation of the signal of the adjacent structures in patients without severe narrowing of the dural sac or marked scoliosis. It may contribute to assessing spinal disease processes. (orig.). With 1 fig., 3 tabs

[Correlation of intraocular pressure variation after visual field examination with 24-hour intraocular pressure variations in primary open-angle glaucoma].

Science.gov (United States)

Noro, Takahiko; Nakamoto, Kenji; Sato, Makoto; Yasuda, Noriko; Ito, Yoshinori; Ogawa, Shumpei; Nakano, Tadashi; Tsuneoka, Hiroshi

2014-10-01

We retrospectively examined intraocular pressure variations after visual field examination in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), together with its influencing factors and its association with 24-hour intraocular pressure variations. Subjects were 94 eyes (52 POAG patients) subjected to measurements of 24-hour intraocular pressure and of changes in intraocular pressure after visual field examination using a Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer. Subjects were classified into three groups according to the magnitude of variation (large, intermediate and small), and 24-hour intraocular pressure variations were compared among the three groups. Factors influencing intraocular pressure variations after visual field examination and those associated with the large variation group were investigated. Average intraocular pressure variation after visual field examination was -0.28 ± 1.90 (range - 6.0(-) + 5.0) mmHg. No significant influencing factors were identified. The intraocular pressure at 3 a.m. was significantly higher in the large variation group than other two groups (p field examination. Increases in intraocular pressure during the night might be associated with large intraocular pressure variations after visual field examination.

Adjuvant intensity-modulated proton therapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma. A comparison with intensity-modulated radiotherapy and a spot size variation assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lorentini, S. [Agenzia Provinciale per la Protonterapia (ATreP), Trento (Italy); Padova Univ. (Italy). Medical Physics School; Amichetti, M.; Fellin, F.; Schwarz, M. [Agenzia Provinciale per la Protonterapia (ATreP), Trento (Italy); Spiazzi, L. [Brescia Hospital (Italy). Medical Physics Dept.; Tonoli, S.; Magrini, S.M. [Brescia Hospital (Italy). Radiation Oncology Dept.

2012-03-15

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is the state-of-the-art treatment for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). The goal of this work was to assess whether intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) could further improve the dosimetric results allowed by IMRT. We re-planned 7 MPM cases using both photons and protons, by carrying out IMRT and IMPT plans. For both techniques, conventional dose comparisons and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) analysis were performed. In 3 cases, additional IMPT plans were generated with different beam dimensions. IMPT allowed a slight improvement in target coverage and clear advantages in dose conformity (p < 0.001) and dose homogeneity (p = 0.01). Better organ at risk (OAR) sparing was obtained with IMPT, in particular for the liver (D{sub mean} reduction of 9.5 Gy, p = 0.001) and ipsilateral kidney (V{sub 20} reduction of 58%, p = 0.001), together with a very large reduction of mean dose for the contralateral lung (0.2 Gy vs 6.1 Gy, p = 0.0001). NTCP values for the liver showed a systematic superiority of IMPT with respect to IMRT for both the esophagus (average NTCP 14% vs. 30.5%) and the ipsilateral kidney (p = 0.001). Concerning plans obtained with different spot dimensions, a slight loss of target coverage was observed along with sigma increase, while maintaining OAR irradiation always under planning constraints. Results suggest that IMPT allows better OAR sparing with respect to IMRT, mainly for the liver, ipsilateral kidney, and contralateral lung. The use of a spot dimension larger than 3 x 3 mm (up to 9 x 9 mm) does not compromise dosimetric results and allows a shorter delivery time.

Relapsed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Treated by Reduced-Intensity Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation with Donor Lymphocyte Infusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chudhry, Q.N.; Ahmed, P.; Ullah, K.; Satti, T.M.; Raza, S.; Mehmood, S.K.; Akram, M.; Ahmed, S.

2010-01-01

A 42 years old male with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was given second-line chemotherapy followed by reduced intensity allogeneic stem cell transplantation from HLA matched brother. Twelve weeks post transplant, his disease relapsed evidenced by the appearance of lymphoma cells in the peripheral blood and declining donor chimerism. Donor lymphocyte infusion was given that induced complete lymphoma remission. The patient is well 3 years post transplant with his disease in complete remission. (author)

Monte Carlo estimation of total variation distance of Markov chains on large spaces, with application to phylogenetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Herbei, Radu; Kubatko, Laura

2013-03-26

Markov chains are widely used for modeling in many areas of molecular biology and genetics. As the complexity of such models advances, it becomes increasingly important to assess the rate at which a Markov chain converges to its stationary distribution in order to carry out accurate inference. A common measure of convergence to the stationary distribution is the total variation distance, but this measure can be difficult to compute when the state space of the chain is large. We propose a Monte Carlo method to estimate the total variation distance that can be applied in this situation, and we demonstrate how the method can be efficiently implemented by taking advantage of GPU computing techniques. We apply the method to two Markov chains on the space of phylogenetic trees, and discuss the implications of our findings for the development of algorithms for phylogenetic inference.

Reduction of intensity variations on a photovoltaic array with compound parabolic concentrators

Science.gov (United States)

Greenman, P.; Ogallagher, J.; Winston, R.; Costogue, E.

1979-01-01

The reduction of nonuniformities in the intensity distribution of light focused on a photovoltaic array by a compound parabolic concentrator is investigated. The introduction of small distortions into the surfaces of the reflector in order to diffuse the incident collimated light to fill the angular acceptance of the concentrator is calculated by means of ray tracing to decrease the irradiance nonuniformity at the cost of a lowered effective concentration of the concentrator. Measurements of the intensity distribution on a scale test model in terrestrial sunlight with corrugated aluminized mylar reflectors are shown to be in good agreement with the ray tracing results. A two-stage concentrator consisting of a focusing primary and a nonimaging secondary is also shown to result in a fairly uniform intensity distribution except in the case of a 4-deg incidence angle, which may be corrected by the introduction of distortions into one or both concentration stages.

GALACTIC COSMIC-RAY INTENSITY MODULATION BY COROTATING INTERACTION REGION STREAM INTERFACES AT 1 au

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, X. [State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 (China); Florinski, V. [Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research, University of Alabama, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States)

2016-07-20

We present a new model that couples galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) propagation with magnetic turbulence transport and the MHD background evolution in the heliosphere. The model is applied to the problem of the formation of corotating interaction regions (CIRs) during the last solar minimum from the period between 2007 and 2009. The numerical model simultaneously calculates the large-scale supersonic solar wind properties and its small-scale turbulent content from 0.3 au to the termination shock. Cosmic rays are then transported through the background, and thus computed, with diffusion coefficients derived from the solar wind turbulent properties, using a stochastic Parker approach. Our results demonstrate that GCR variations depend on the ratio of diffusion coefficients in the fast and slow solar winds. Stream interfaces inside the CIRs always lead to depressions of the GCR intensity. On the other hand, heliospheric current sheet (HCS) crossings do not appreciably affect GCR intensities in the model, which is consistent with the two observations under quiet solar wind conditions. Therefore, variations in diffusion coefficients associated with CIR stream interfaces are more important for GCR propagation than the drift effects of the HCS during a negative solar minimum.

GALACTIC COSMIC-RAY INTENSITY MODULATION BY COROTATING INTERACTION REGION STREAM INTERFACES AT 1 au

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, X.; Florinski, V.

2016-01-01

We present a new model that couples galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) propagation with magnetic turbulence transport and the MHD background evolution in the heliosphere. The model is applied to the problem of the formation of corotating interaction regions (CIRs) during the last solar minimum from the period between 2007 and 2009. The numerical model simultaneously calculates the large-scale supersonic solar wind properties and its small-scale turbulent content from 0.3 au to the termination shock. Cosmic rays are then transported through the background, and thus computed, with diffusion coefficients derived from the solar wind turbulent properties, using a stochastic Parker approach. Our results demonstrate that GCR variations depend on the ratio of diffusion coefficients in the fast and slow solar winds. Stream interfaces inside the CIRs always lead to depressions of the GCR intensity. On the other hand, heliospheric current sheet (HCS) crossings do not appreciably affect GCR intensities in the model, which is consistent with the two observations under quiet solar wind conditions. Therefore, variations in diffusion coefficients associated with CIR stream interfaces are more important for GCR propagation than the drift effects of the HCS during a negative solar minimum.

Composition variations of low energy heavy ions during large solar energetic particle events

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ho, George C., E-mail: George.Ho@jhuapl.edu; Mason, Glenn M., E-mail: Glenn.Mason@jhuapl.edu [Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723 (United States)

2016-03-25

The time-intensity profile of large solar energetic particle (SEP) event is well organized by solar longitude as observed at Earth orbit. This is mostly due to different magnetic connection to the shock that is associated with large SEP event propagates from the Sun to the heliosphere. Earlier studies have shown event averaged heavy ion abundance ratios can also vary as a function of solar longitude. It was found that the Fe/O ratio for high energy particle (>10 MeV/nucleon) is higher for those western magnetically well connected events compare to the eastern events as observed at L1 by the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft. In this paper, we examined the low energy (∼1 MeV/nucleon) heavy ions in 110 isolated SEP events from 2009 to the end of 2014. In addition, the optical and radio signatures for all of our events are identified and when data are available we also located the associated coronal mass ejection (CME) data. Our survey shows a higher Fe/O ratio at events in the well-connected region, while there are no corrections between the event averaged elemental composition with the associated coronal mass ejection speed. This is inconsistent with the higher energy results, but inline with other recent low-energy measurements.

Structured approaches to large-scale systems: Variational integrators for interconnected Lagrange-Dirac systems and structured model reduction on Lie groups

Science.gov (United States)

Parks, Helen Frances

This dissertation presents two projects related to the structured integration of large-scale mechanical systems. Structured integration uses the considerable differential geometric structure inherent in mechanical motion to inform the design of numerical integration schemes. This process improves the qualitative properties of simulations and becomes especially valuable as a measure of accuracy over long time simulations in which traditional Gronwall accuracy estimates lose their meaning. Often, structured integration schemes replicate continuous symmetries and their associated conservation laws at the discrete level. Such is the case for variational integrators, which discretely replicate the process of deriving equations of motion from variational principles. This results in the conservation of momenta associated to symmetries in the discrete system and conservation of a symplectic form when applicable. In the case of Lagrange-Dirac systems, variational integrators preserve a discrete analogue of the Dirac structure preserved in the continuous flow. In the first project of this thesis, we extend Dirac variational integrators to accommodate interconnected systems. We hope this work will find use in the fields of control, where a controlled system can be thought of as a "plant" system joined to its controller, and in the approach of very large systems, where modular modeling may prove easier than monolithically modeling the entire system. The second project of the thesis considers a different approach to large systems. Given a detailed model of the full system, can we reduce it to a more computationally efficient model without losing essential geometric structures in the system? Asked without the reference to structure, this is the essential question of the field of model reduction. The answer there has been a resounding yes, with Principal Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) with snapshots rising as one of the most successful methods. Our project builds on previous work

Quasi-periodic variations of cometary ion fluxes at large distances from comet Halley

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richter, A.K.; Daly, P.W.; Verigin, M.I.; Gringauz, K.I.; Erdos, G.; Kecskemety, K.; Somogyi, A.J.; Szego, K.; Varga, A.; McKenna-Lawlor, S.

1989-04-01

Large variations, with a period of about 4 h, in the energetic ion fluxes have been observed far upstream (between 2 and 10 million kilometers) of comet Halley on both the Vega-1 and Giotto spacecraft. We have fitted the cometocentric distances of the occurrences to a simple model of expanding shells of neutral particles, the production of which is modulated by the spin of the comet nucleus, and have achieved excellent agreement between the two spacecraft. We derive an expansion speed for the neutrals of 6.18 +- 0.14 km s/sup -1/. Possible candidates for the neutrals are hydrogen atoms, created by the photo-dissociation of OH with a speed of 8 km s/sup -1/, or oxygen atoms, produced from the photo-dissociation of CO/sub 2/ with a speed of 6.5 km s/sup -1/.

An extended algebraic variational multiscale-multigrid-multifractal method (XAVM4) for large-eddy simulation of turbulent two-phase flow

Science.gov (United States)

Rasthofer, U.; Wall, W. A.; Gravemeier, V.

2018-04-01

A novel and comprehensive computational method, referred to as the eXtended Algebraic Variational Multiscale-Multigrid-Multifractal Method (XAVM4), is proposed for large-eddy simulation of the particularly challenging problem of turbulent two-phase flow. The XAVM4 involves multifractal subgrid-scale modeling as well as a Nitsche-type extended finite element method as an approach for two-phase flow. The application of an advanced structural subgrid-scale modeling approach in conjunction with a sharp representation of the discontinuities at the interface between two bulk fluids promise high-fidelity large-eddy simulation of turbulent two-phase flow. The high potential of the XAVM4 is demonstrated for large-eddy simulation of turbulent two-phase bubbly channel flow, that is, turbulent channel flow carrying a single large bubble of the size of the channel half-width in this particular application.

Experimental Studies of Turbulent Intensity around a Tidal Turbine Support Structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stuart Walker

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Tidal stream energy is a low-carbon energy source. Tidal stream turbines operate in a turbulent environment, and the effect of the structure between the turbine and seabed on this environment is not fully understood. An experimental study using 1:72 scale models based on a commercial turbine design was carried out to study the support structure influence on turbulent intensity around the turbine blades. The study was conducted using the wave-current tank at the Laboratory of Maritime Engineering (LABIMA, University of Florence. A realistic flow environment (ambient turbulent intensity = 11% was established. Turbulent intensity was measured upstream and downstream of a turbine mounted on two different support structures (one resembling a commercial design, the other the same with an additional vertical element, in order to quantify any variation in turbulence and performance between the support structures. Turbine drive power was used to calculate power generation. Acoustic Doppler velocimetry (ADV was used to record and calculate upstream and downstream turbulent intensity. In otherwise identical conditions, performance variation of only 4% was observed between two support structures. Turbulent intensity at 1, 3 and 5 blade diameters, both upstream and downstream, showed variation up to 21% between the two cases. The additional turbulent structures generated by the additional element of the second support structure appears to cause this effect, and the upstream propagation of turbulent intensity is believed to be permitted by surface waves. This result is significant for the prediction of turbine array performance.

Exploring language variation across Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hovy, Dirk; Johannsen, Anders Trærup

2016-01-01

Language varies not only between countries, but also along regional and sociodemographic lines. This variation is one of the driving factors behind language change. However, investigating language variation is a complex undertaking: the more factors we want to consider, the more data we need. Tra...... use of large amounts of data and provides statistical analyses, maps, and interactive features that enable scholars to explore language variation in a data-driven way.......Language varies not only between countries, but also along regional and sociodemographic lines. This variation is one of the driving factors behind language change. However, investigating language variation is a complex undertaking: the more factors we want to consider, the more data we need...... training in both variational linguistics and computational methods, a combination that is still not common. We take a first step here to alleviate the problem by providing an interface to explore large-scale language variation along several socio-demographic factors without programming knowledge. It makes...

Limb Darkening and Planetary Transits: Testing Center-to-limb Intensity Variations and Limb-darkening Directly from Model Stellar Atmospheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neilson, Hilding R.; Lester, John B. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada); McNeil, Joseph T.; Ignace, Richard, E-mail: neilson@astro.utoronto.ca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, East Tennessee State University, Box 70652, Johnson City, TN 37614 (United States)

2017-08-10

The transit method, employed by Microvariability and Oscillation of Stars ( MOST ), Kepler , and various ground-based surveys has enabled the characterization of extrasolar planets to unprecedented precision. These results are precise enough to begin to measure planet atmosphere composition, planetary oblateness, starspots, and other phenomena at the level of a few hundred parts per million. However, these results depend on our understanding of stellar limb darkening, that is, the intensity distribution across the stellar disk that is sequentially blocked as the planet transits. Typically, stellar limb darkening is assumed to be a simple parameterization with two coefficients that are derived from stellar atmosphere models or fit directly. In this work, we revisit this assumption and compute synthetic planetary-transit light curves directly from model stellar atmosphere center-to-limb intensity variations (CLIVs) using the plane-parallel Atlas and spherically symmetric SAtlas codes. We compare these light curves to those constructed using best-fit limb-darkening parameterizations. We find that adopting parametric stellar limb-darkening laws leads to systematic differences from the more geometrically realistic model stellar atmosphere CLIV of about 50–100 ppm at the transit center and up to 300 ppm at ingress/egress. While these errors are small, they are systematic, and they appear to limit the precision necessary to measure secondary effects. Our results may also have a significant impact on transit spectra.

Large Interstellar Polarisation Survey. II. UV/optical study of cloud-to-cloud variations of dust in the diffuse ISM

Science.gov (United States)

Siebenmorgen, R.; Voshchinnikov, N. V.; Bagnulo, S.; Cox, N. L. J.; Cami, J.; Peest, C.

2018-03-01

It is well known that the dust properties of the diffuse interstellar medium exhibit variations towards different sight-lines on a large scale. We have investigated the variability of the dust characteristics on a small scale, and from cloud-to-cloud. We use low-resolution spectro-polarimetric data obtained in the context of the Large Interstellar Polarisation Survey (LIPS) towards 59 sight-lines in the Southern Hemisphere, and we fit these data using a dust model composed of silicate and carbon particles with sizes from the molecular to the sub-micrometre domain. Large (≥6 nm) silicates of prolate shape account for the observed polarisation. For 32 sight-lines we complement our data set with UVES archive high-resolution spectra, which enable us to establish the presence of single-cloud or multiple-clouds towards individual sight-lines. We find that the majority of these 35 sight-lines intersect two or more clouds, while eight of them are dominated by a single absorbing cloud. We confirm several correlations between extinction and parameters of the Serkowski law with dust parameters, but we also find previously undetected correlations between these parameters that are valid only in single-cloud sight-lines. We find that interstellar polarisation from multiple-clouds is smaller than from single-cloud sight-lines, showing that the presence of a second or more clouds depolarises the incoming radiation. We find large variations of the dust characteristics from cloud-to-cloud. However, when we average a sufficiently large number of clouds in single-cloud or multiple-cloud sight-lines, we always retrieve similar mean dust parameters. The typical dust abundances of the single-cloud cases are [C]/[H] = 92 ppm and [Si]/[H] = 20 ppm.

Variational estimates of point-kinetics parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Favorite, J.A.; Stacey, W.M. Jr.

1995-01-01

Variational estimates of the effect of flux shifts on the integral reactivity parameter of the point-kinetics equations and on regional power fractions were calculated for a variety of localized perturbations in two light water reactor (LWR) model problems representing a small, tightly coupled core and a large, loosely coupled core. For the small core, the flux shifts resulting from even relatively large localized reactivity changes (∼600 pcm) were small, and the standard point-kinetics approximation estimates of reactivity were in error by only ∼10% or less, while the variational estimates were accurate to within ∼1%. For the larger core, significant (>50%) flux shifts occurred in response to local perturbations, leading to errors of the same magnitude in the standard point-kinetics approximation of the reactivity worth. For positive reactivity, the error in the variational estimate of reactivity was only a few percent in the larger core, and the resulting transient power prediction was 1 to 2 orders of magnitude more accurate than with the standard point-kinetics approximation. For a large, local negative reactivity insertion resulting in a large flux shift, the accuracy of the variational estimate broke down. The variational estimate of the effect of flux shifts on reactivity in point-kinetics calculations of transients in LWR cores was found to generally result in greatly improved accuracy, relative to the standard point-kinetics approximation, the exception being for large negative reactivity insertions with large flux shifts in large, loosely coupled cores

Spatial variation and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons influenced by intensive land use in an urbanized river network of East China.

Science.gov (United States)

Bi, Chunjuan; Wang, Xueping; Jia, Jinpu; Chen, Zhenlou

2018-06-15

The concentrations and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urbanized river networks are strongly influenced by intensive land use, industrial activities and population density. The spatial variations and their influencing factors of 16 priority PAHs were investigated in surface water, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediments among areas under different intensive land uses (industrial areas, agricultural areas, inner city, suburban towns and island areas) in the Shanghai river network, East China. Source apportionment was carried out using isomer ratios of PAHs and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF). Total concentrations of 16 PAHs ranged from 105.2 to 400.5 ng/L, 108.1 to 1058.8 ng/L and 104.4 to 19,480.0 ng/g in water, SPM and sediments, respectively. The concentrations of PAHs in SPM and sediments varied significantly among areas (p natural gas combustion in water and SPM, and vehicular emissions in sediments. Vehicular emissions were the strongest contributors in SPM and sediments of the inner city, indicating the strong influence of vehicular transportation to PAHs pollution in the urbanized river network. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developing natural convection in a fluid layer with localized heating and large viscosity variation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hickox, C.E.; Chu, Tze Yao.

1991-01-01

Numerical simulations and laboratory experiments are used to elucidate aspects of transient natural convection in a magma chamber. The magma chamber is modeled as a horizontal fluid layer confined within an enclosure of square planform and heated from below by a strip heater centered on the lower boundary of the enclosure. The width of the strip heater and the depth of the fluid layer are one-fourth of the layer width. Corn syrup is used as the working fluid in order to approximate the large viscosity variation with temperature and the large Prandtl number typical of magma. The quiescent, uniform, fluid layer is subjected to instantaneous heating from the strip heater producing a transient flow which is dominated by two counter-rotating convective cells. Experimentally determined characteristics of the developing flow are compared with numerical simulations carried out with a finite element computer program. The results of numerical simulations are in essential agreement with experimental data. Differences between the numerical simulations and experimental measurements are conjectured to result from non-ideal effects present in the experiment which are difficult to represent accurately in a numerical simulation.

Intensive photometry of southern Wolf-Rayet stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balona, L.A.; Egan, J.; Marang, F.

1989-01-01

Results are presented of an intensive photometric campaign on 17 of the brightest southern Wolf-Rayet stars. We report the detection of multi-periodicity in two stars: HD 50896 and HD 96548. It is likely that these periodicities are not coherent but are manifestations of the quasi-periodic variations seen in a few WR stars. A good example of these variations is given by HD 86161. A new eclipsing binary, HD 92740 has been discovered; other stars show periodic variations which can be explained by phase-dependent scattering of the secondary light as it traverses the Wolf-Rayet wind. An important conclusion of this study is that not a single example was found of short-period variations which can be attributed to pulsation. (author)

Variation in the macrofaunal community over large temporal and spatial scales in the southern Yellow Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yong; Sui, Jixing; Yang, Mei; Sun, Yue; Li, Xinzheng; Wang, Hongfa; Zhang, Baolin

2017-09-01

To detect large, temporal- and spatial-scale variations in the macrofaunal community in the southern Yellow Sea, data collected along the western, middle and eastern regions of the southern Yellow Sea from 1958 to 2014 were organized and analyzed. Statistical methods such as cluster analysis, non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination (nMDS), permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA), redundancy analysis (RDA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were applied. The abundance of polychaetes increased in the western region but decreased in the eastern region from 1958 to 2014, whereas the abundance of echinoderms showed an opposite trend. For the entire macrofaunal community, Margalef's richness (d), the Shannon-Wiener index (H‧) and Pielou's evenness (J‧) were significantly lower in the eastern region when compared with the other two regions. No significant temporal differences were found for d and H‧, but there were significantly lower values of J‧ in 2014. Considerable variation in the macrofaunal community structure over the past several decades and among the geographical regions at the species, genus and family levels were observed. The species, genera and families that contributed to the temporal variation in each region were also identified. The most conspicuous pattern was the increase in the species Ophiura sarsii vadicola in the eastern region. In the western region, five polychaetes (Ninoe palmata, Notomastus latericeus, Paralacydonia paradoxa, Paraprionospio pinnata and Sternaspis scutata) increased consistently from 1958 to 2014. The dominance curves showed that both the species diversity and the dominance patterns were relatively stable in the western and middle regions. Environmental parameters such as depth, temperature and salinity could only partially explain the observed biological variation in the southern Yellow Sea. Anthropogenic activities such as demersal fishing and other unmeasured environmental variables

Behavioral effects of microwave reinforcement schedules and variations in microwave intensity on albino rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vitulli, W.F.; Lambert, J.K.; Brown, S.W.; Quinn, J.M.

1987-12-01

The objective of this exploratory investigation was to determine the interactive effects of fixed-ratio scheduling of microwave reinforcement in tandem with changes in microwave intensity. Nine albino rats were conditioned to regulate their thermal environment with microwave radiation while living in a Skinner (operant conditioning) Box in which the ambient temperature was about 27.13 degrees F at the beginning of the session. Each rat obtained a 6-sec. exposure of microwave radiation on a fixed-ratio schedule of MW reinforcement, the values of which varied from FR-1 to FR-30. Intensities of MW radiation were 62.5 W, 125 W, 250 W, and 437.5 W. Sessions lasted for 8 to 9 hr. over an approximate 13-mo. period. The effects of the intensity of microwave reinforcement varied as a function of the ratio value of the schedule used. Continuous reinforcement (FR-1) produced the lowest over-all rates, whereas FR-15, and FR-25 produced the highest over-all rates. Relatively higher thermal-behavior rates occurred under 62.5 W than under any of the other MW intensities for FR-1, FR-15, and FR-25, whereas FR-10 and FR-30 ratios produced intermediate rates of thermal responding which were constant for all values of MW intensity. These data are explained in terms of interactive effects between the local satiation or deprivation properties of the MW intensity and the ratio requirements of the schedule of MW reinforcement.

Visualisation methods for large provenance collections in data-intensive collaborative platforms

Science.gov (United States)

Spinuso, Alessandro; Fligueira, Rosa; Atkinson, Malcolm; Gemuend, Andre

2016-04-01

This work investigates improving the methods of visually representing provenance information in the context of modern data-driven scientific research. It explores scenarios where data-intensive workflows systems are serving communities of researchers within collaborative environments, supporting the sharing of data and methods, and offering a variety of computation facilities, including HPC, HTC and Cloud. It focuses on the exploration of big-data visualization techniques aiming at producing comprehensive and interactive views on top of large and heterogeneous provenance data. The same approach is applicable to control-flow and data-flow workflows or to combinations of the two. This flexibility is achieved using the W3C-PROV recommendation as a reference model, especially its workflow oriented profiles such as D-PROV (Messier et al. 2013). Our implementation is based on the provenance records produced by the dispel4py data-intensive processing library (Filgueira et al. 2015). dispel4py is an open-source Python framework for describing abstract stream-based workflows for distributed data-intensive applications, developed during the VERCE project. dispel4py enables scientists to develop their scientific methods and applications on their laptop and then run them at scale on a wide range of e-Infrastructures (Cloud, Cluster, etc.) without making changes. Users can therefore focus on designing their workflows at an abstract level, describing actions, input and output streams, and how they are connected. The dispel4py system then maps these descriptions to the enactment platforms, such as MPI, Storm, multiprocessing. It provides a mechanism which allows users to determine the provenance information to be collected and to analyze it at runtime. For this work we consider alternative visualisation methods for provenance data, from infinite lists and localised interactive graphs, to radial-views. The latter technique has been positively explored in many fields, from text

Behaviour of large-area avalanche photodiodes under intense magnetic fields for VUV- visible- and X-ray photon detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandes, L.M.P.; Antognini, A.; Boucher, M.; Conde, C.A.N.; Huot, O.; Knowles, P.; Kottmann, F.; Ludhova, L.; Mulhauser, F.; Pohl, R.; Schaller, L.A.; Santos, J.M.F. dos; Taqqu, D.; Veloso, J.F.C.A.

2003-01-01

The behaviour of large-area avalanche photodiodes for X-rays, visible and vacuum-ultra-violet (VUV) light detection in magnetic fields up to 5 T is described. For X-rays and visible light detection, the photodiode pulse amplitude and energy resolution were unaffected from 0 to 5 T, demonstrating the insensitivity of this type of detector to strong magnetic fields. For VUV light detection, however, the photodiode relative pulse amplitude decreases with increasing magnetic field intensity reaching a reduction of about 24% at 5 T, and the energy resolution degrades noticeably with increasing magnetic field

Will the warmer temperature bring the more intensity precipitation?

Science.gov (United States)

Yutong, Z., II; Wang, T.

2017-12-01

Will the warmer temperature bring the more intensity precipitation?Over the past several decades, changes in climate are amplified over the Tibetan Plateau(TP), with warming trend almost being twice as large as the global average. In sharp contrast, there is a large spatial discrepancy of the variations in precipitation extremes, with increasing trends found in the southern and decreasing trends in central TP. These features motivate are urgent need for an observation-based understanding of how precipitation extremes respond to climate change. Here we examine the relation between precipitation intensity with atmospheric temperature, dew point temperature (Td) and convective available potential energy (CAPE) in Tibet Plateau. Owing to the influences of the westerlies and Indian monsoon on Tibetan climate, the stations can be divided into three sub-regions in TP: the westerlies region (north of 35°N, N = 28), the monsoon region (south of 30°N in TP, N = 31), and the transition region (located between 30°N and 35°N, N = 48). We found that the intensity precipitation does not follow the C-C relation and there is a mix of positive and negative slope. To better understand why different scaling occurs with temperature in district region, using the dew point temperature replace the temperature, although there is significant variability in relative humidity values, at most stations, there appears to be a general increase in relative humidity associated. It is likely that the observed rise in relative humidity can assist in explaining the negative scaling of extreme precipitation at westerlies domain and monsoon domain, with the primary reason why precipitation extremes expected to increase follows from the fact that a warmer atmosphere can "hold" more moisture. This suggests that not only on how much the moisture the atmosphere can hold, but on how much moisture exits in atmosphere. To understand the role of dynamic on extreme precipitation, we repeat the precipitation

A fiber-optic ice detection system for large-scale wind turbine blades

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dae-gil; Sampath, Umesh; Kim, Hyunjin; Song, Minho

2017-09-01

Icing causes substantial problems in the integrity of large-scale wind turbines. In this work, a fiber-optic sensor system for detection of icing with an arrayed waveguide grating is presented. The sensor system detects Fresnel reflections from the ends of the fibers. The transition in Fresnel reflection due to icing gives peculiar intensity variations, which categorizes the ice, the water, and the air medium on the wind turbine blades. From the experimental results, with the proposed sensor system, the formation of icing conditions and thickness of ice were identified successfully in real time.

Symbiotic Sensing for Energy-Intensive Tasks in Large-Scale Mobile Sensing Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Duc V; Nguyen, Thuong; Scholten, Hans; Havinga, Paul J M

2017-11-29

Energy consumption is a critical performance and user experience metric when developing mobile sensing applications, especially with the significantly growing number of sensing applications in recent years. As proposed a decade ago when mobile applications were still not popular and most mobile operating systems were single-tasking, conventional sensing paradigms such as opportunistic sensing and participatory sensing do not explore the relationship among concurrent applications for energy-intensive tasks. In this paper, inspired by social relationships among living creatures in nature, we propose a symbiotic sensing paradigm that can conserve energy, while maintaining equivalent performance to existing paradigms. The key idea is that sensing applications should cooperatively perform common tasks to avoid acquiring the same resources multiple times. By doing so, this sensing paradigm executes sensing tasks with very little extra resource consumption and, consequently, extends battery life. To evaluate and compare the symbiotic sensing paradigm with the existing ones, we develop mathematical models in terms of the completion probability and estimated energy consumption. The quantitative evaluation results using various parameters obtained from real datasets indicate that symbiotic sensing performs better than opportunistic sensing and participatory sensing in large-scale sensing applications, such as road condition monitoring, air pollution monitoring, and city noise monitoring.

Symbiotic Sensing for Energy-Intensive Tasks in Large-Scale Mobile Sensing Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Scholten, Hans; Havinga, Paul J. M.

2017-01-01

Energy consumption is a critical performance and user experience metric when developing mobile sensing applications, especially with the significantly growing number of sensing applications in recent years. As proposed a decade ago when mobile applications were still not popular and most mobile operating systems were single-tasking, conventional sensing paradigms such as opportunistic sensing and participatory sensing do not explore the relationship among concurrent applications for energy-intensive tasks. In this paper, inspired by social relationships among living creatures in nature, we propose a symbiotic sensing paradigm that can conserve energy, while maintaining equivalent performance to existing paradigms. The key idea is that sensing applications should cooperatively perform common tasks to avoid acquiring the same resources multiple times. By doing so, this sensing paradigm executes sensing tasks with very little extra resource consumption and, consequently, extends battery life. To evaluate and compare the symbiotic sensing paradigm with the existing ones, we develop mathematical models in terms of the completion probability and estimated energy consumption. The quantitative evaluation results using various parameters obtained from real datasets indicate that symbiotic sensing performs better than opportunistic sensing and participatory sensing in large-scale sensing applications, such as road condition monitoring, air pollution monitoring, and city noise monitoring. PMID:29186037

Symbiotic Sensing for Energy-Intensive Tasks in Large-Scale Mobile Sensing Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duc V. Le

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Energy consumption is a critical performance and user experience metric when developing mobile sensing applications, especially with the significantly growing number of sensing applications in recent years. As proposed a decade ago when mobile applications were still not popular and most mobile operating systems were single-tasking, conventional sensing paradigms such as opportunistic sensing and participatory sensing do not explore the relationship among concurrent applications for energy-intensive tasks. In this paper, inspired by social relationships among living creatures in nature, we propose a symbiotic sensing paradigm that can conserve energy, while maintaining equivalent performance to existing paradigms. The key idea is that sensing applications should cooperatively perform common tasks to avoid acquiring the same resources multiple times. By doing so, this sensing paradigm executes sensing tasks with very little extra resource consumption and, consequently, extends battery life. To evaluate and compare the symbiotic sensing paradigm with the existing ones, we develop mathematical models in terms of the completion probability and estimated energy consumption. The quantitative evaluation results using various parameters obtained from real datasets indicate that symbiotic sensing performs better than opportunistic sensing and participatory sensing in large-scale sensing applications, such as road condition monitoring, air pollution monitoring, and city noise monitoring.

High-Power, High-Intensity Laser Propagation and Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

2014-03-10

intensity as the weighting function. The full refractive index associated with the laser plasma interaction having a parabolic density variation ...radiation in turn enhances the electron density wave further amplifying the radiation. Considering spatial variations in the z direction only the FEL...effL/ at the entrance to the wiggler where effL is the effective interaction length. This requirement can be expressed by the following inequality

Calculating computer-generated optical elements to produce arbitrary intensity distributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Findlay, S.; Nugent, K.A.; Scholten, R.E.

2000-01-01

Full text: We describe preliminary investigation into using a computer to generate optical elements (CGOEs) with phase-only variation, that will produce an arbitrary intensity distribution in a given image plane. An iterative calculation cycles between the CGOE and the image plane and modifies each according to the appropriate constraints. We extend this to the calculation of defined intensity distributions in two separated planes by modifying both phase and intensity at the CGOE

Observations of Fe XIV Line Intensity Variations in the Solar Corona During the 21 August 2017 Solar Eclipse

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Payton; Ladd, Edwin

2018-01-01

We present time- and spatially-resolved observations of the inner solar corona in the 5303 Å line of Fe XIV, taken during the 21 August 2017 solar eclipse from a field observing site in Crossville, TN. These observations are used to characterize the intensity variations in this coronal emission line, and to compare with oscillation predictions from models for heating the corona by magnetic wave dissipation.The observations were taken with two Explore Scientific ED 102CF 102 mm aperture triplet apochromatic refractors. One system used a DayStar custom-built 5 Å FWHM filter centered on the Fe XIV coronal spectral line and an Atik Titan camera for image collection. The setup produced images with a pixel size of 2.15 arcseconds (~1.5 Mm at the distance to the Sun), and a field of view of 1420 x 1060 arcseconds, covering approximately 20% of the entire solar limb centered near the emerging sunspot complex AR 2672. We obtained images with an exposure time of 0.22 seconds and a frame rate of 2.36 Hz, for a total of 361 images during totality.An identical, co-aligned telescope/camera system observed the same portion of the solar corona, but with a 100 Å FWHM Baader Planetarium solar continuum filter centered on a wavelength of 5400 Å. Images with an exposure time of 0.01 seconds were obtained with a frame rate of 4.05 Hz. These simultaneous observations are used as a control to monitor brightness variations not related to coronal line oscillations.

Full-Scale Modeling Explaining Large Spatial Variations of Nitrous Oxide Fluxes in a Step-Feed Plug-Flow Wastewater Treatment Reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Bing-Jie; Pan, Yuting; van den Akker, Ben; Ye, Liu; Yuan, Zhiguo

2015-08-04

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emission data collected from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) show huge variations between plants and within one plant (both spatially and temporarily). Such variations and the relative contributions of various N2O production pathways are not fully understood. This study applied a previously established N2O model incorporating two currently known N2O production pathways by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) (namely the AOB denitrification and the hydroxylamine pathways) and the N2O production pathway by heterotrophic denitrifiers to describe and provide insights into the large spatial variations of N2O fluxes in a step-feed full-scale activated sludge plant. The model was calibrated and validated by comparing simulation results with 40 days of N2O emission monitoring data as well as other water quality parameters from the plant. The model demonstrated that the relatively high biomass specific nitrogen loading rate in the Second Step of the reactor was responsible for the much higher N2O fluxes from this section. The results further revealed the AOB denitrification pathway decreased and the NH2OH oxidation pathway increased along the path of both Steps due to the increasing dissolved oxygen concentration. The overall N2O emission from this step-feed WWTP would be largely mitigated if 30% of the returned sludge were returned to the Second Step to reduce its biomass nitrogen loading rate.

Seasonal variations of the high-latitude geomagnetic field intensity in the northern hemisphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rivin, Yu.R.; Chkhaidze, Z.Sh.

1994-01-01

Seasonal variation of the geomagnetic field three components is investigated using the data of the USA observatories chain separately for polar region, auroral zone and middle latitudes beginning from 1950. The variation consists of an annual and half-yearly waves. main attention is paid to time variability of the annual wave phase in the auroral zone, that is connected with superposition of waves of western and eastern jets

Variation of rain intensity and drop size distribution with General Weather Patterns (GWL)

Science.gov (United States)

Ghada, Wael; Buras, Allan; Lüpke, Marvin; Menzel, Annette

2017-04-01

Short-duration rainfall extremes may cause flash floods in certain catchments (e.g. cities or fast responding watersheds) and pose a great risk to affected communities. In order to predict their occurrence under future climate change scenarios, their link to atmospheric circulation patterns needs to be well understood. We used a comprehensive data set of meteorological data (temperature, rain gauge precipitation) and precipitation spectra measured by a disdrometer (OTT PARSIVEL) between October 2008 and June 2010 at Freising, southern Germany. For the 21 months of the study period, we integrated the disdrometer spectra over intervals of 10 minutes to correspond to the temporal resolution of the weather station data and discarded measurements with air temperatures below 0°C. Daily General Weather Patterns ("Großwetterlagen", GWL) were downloaded from the website of the German Meteorological Service. Out of the 29 GWL, 14 were included in the analysis for which we had at least 12 rain events during our study period. For the definition of a rain event, we tested different lengths of minimum inter-event times and chose 30 min as a good compromise between number and length of resulting events; rain events started when more than 0.001 mm/h (sensitivity of the disdrometer) were recorded. The length of the rain events ranged between 10 min and 28 h (median 130 min) with the maximum rain intensity recorded being 134 mm/h on 24-07-2009. Seasonal differences were identified for rain event average intensities and maximum intensities per event. The influence of GWL on rain properties such as rain intensity and drop size distribution per time step and per event was investigated based on the above mentioned rain event definition. Pairwise Wilcoxon-tests revealed that higher rain intensity and larger drops were associated with the GWL "Low over the British Isles" (TB), whereas low rain intensities and less drops per interval were associated with the GWL "High over Central Europe

Water Detection Based on Color Variation

Science.gov (United States)

Rankin, Arturo L.

2012-01-01

This software has been designed to detect water bodies that are out in the open on cross-country terrain at close range (out to 30 meters), using imagery acquired from a stereo pair of color cameras mounted on a terrestrial, unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). This detector exploits the fact that the color variation across water bodies is generally larger and more uniform than that of other naturally occurring types of terrain, such as soil and vegetation. Non-traversable water bodies, such as large puddles, ponds, and lakes, are detected based on color variation, image intensity variance, image intensity gradient, size, and shape. At ranges beyond 20 meters, water bodies out in the open can be indirectly detected by detecting reflections of the sky below the horizon in color imagery. But at closer range, the color coming out of a water body dominates sky reflections, and the water cue from sky reflections is of marginal use. Since there may be times during UGV autonomous navigation when a water body does not come into a perception system s field of view until it is at close range, the ability to detect water bodies at close range is critical. Factors that influence the perceived color of a water body at close range are the amount and type of sediment in the water, the water s depth, and the angle of incidence to the water body. Developing a single model of the mixture ratio of light reflected off the water surface (to the camera) to light coming out of the water body (to the camera) for all water bodies would be fairly difficult. Instead, this software detects close water bodies based on local terrain features and the natural, uniform change in color that occurs across the surface from the leading edge to the trailing edge.

Variation of crack intensity factor in three compacted clay liners exposed to annual cycle of atmospheric conditions with and without geotextile cover.

Science.gov (United States)

Safari, E; Jalili Ghazizade, M; Abduli, M A; Gatmiri, B

2014-08-01

Performance of compacted clay liners commonly used as landfill barrier systems can be subject to decline in terms of hydraulic conductivity if left exposed to atmospheric conditions for an extended period of time prior to placement of overlaying layers. The resulting desiccation cracking can lead to increased hydraulic conductivity. Desiccation crack intensity was studied for three clayey soils commonly used for construction of landfill barrier system in a relatively large scale test setup exposed to real time atmospheric conditions over a complete annual cycle. A white separator geotextile cover was presumed to be capable of reducing the intensity of desiccation cracking through absorbing and maintaining higher amounts of moisture and reducing the temperature of the soil surface in comparison to a directly exposed soil surface. Desiccation cracking was monitored using a digital imaging technique for three compacted clay liners in two sets, one open to air and the second covered with the white geotextile. Crack intensity factor approached a relatively stable phase after certain cycles corresponding to atmospheric dry wet cycles. The results indicated that the white separator geotextile was capable of reducing the crack intensity factor by 37.4-45.9% throughout the experiment including the cyclic phase of desiccation cracking. During the stable phase, the maximum reduction in crack intensity factor of 90.4% as a result of applying geotextile cover was observed for the soil with the lowest plastic index and clay content and therefore the lowest magnitude of crack intensity factor. The other two soils with similar clay content but different plastic index showed 23.6% and 52.2% reductions in crack intensity factor after cyclic phase when covered with geotextile. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interspecific variation in the relationship between clutch size, laying date and intensity of urbanization in four species of hole-nesting birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaugoyeau, Marie; Adriaensen, Frank; Artemyev, Alexandr; Bańbura, Jerzy; Barba, Emilio; Biard, Clotilde; Blondel, Jacques; Bouslama, Zihad; Bouvier, Jean-Charles; Camprodon, Jordi; Cecere, Francesco; Charmantier, Anne; Charter, Motti; Cichoń, Mariusz; Cusimano, Camillo; Czeszczewik, Dorota; Demeyrier, Virginie; Doligez, Blandine; Doutrelant, Claire; Dubiec, Anna; Eens, Marcel; Eeva, Tapio; Faivre, Bruno; Ferns, Peter N; Forsman, Jukka T; García-Del-Rey, Eduardo; Goldshtein, Aya; Goodenough, Anne E; Gosler, Andrew G; Grégoire, Arnaud; Gustafsson, Lars; Harnist, Iga; Hartley, Ian R; Heeb, Philipp; Hinsley, Shelley A; Isenmann, Paul; Jacob, Staffan; Juškaitis, Rimvydas; Korpimäki, Erkki; Krams, Indrikis; Laaksonen, Toni; Lambrechts, Marcel M; Leclercq, Bernard; Lehikoinen, Esa; Loukola, Olli; Lundberg, Arne; Mainwaring, Mark C; Mänd, Raivo; Massa, Bruno; Mazgajski, Tomasz D; Merino, Santiago; Mitrus, Cezary; Mönkkönen, Mikko; Morin, Xavier; Nager, Ruedi G; Nilsson, Jan-Åke; Nilsson, Sven G; Norte, Ana C; Orell, Markku; Perret, Philippe; Perrins, Christopher M; Pimentel, Carla S; Pinxten, Rianne; Richner, Heinz; Robles, Hugo; Rytkönen, Seppo; Senar, Juan Carlos; Seppänen, Janne T; Pascoal da Silva, Luis; Slagsvold, Tore; Solonen, Tapio; Sorace, Alberto; Stenning, Martyn J; Tryjanowski, Piotr; von Numers, Mikael; Walankiewicz, Wieslaw; Møller, Anders Pape

2016-08-01

The increase in size of human populations in urban and agricultural areas has resulted in considerable habitat conversion globally. Such anthropogenic areas have specific environmental characteristics, which influence the physiology, life history, and population dynamics of plants and animals. For example, the date of bud burst is advanced in urban compared to nearby natural areas. In some birds, breeding success is determined by synchrony between timing of breeding and peak food abundance. Pertinently, caterpillars are an important food source for the nestlings of many bird species, and their abundance is influenced by environmental factors such as temperature and date of bud burst. Higher temperatures and advanced date of bud burst in urban areas could advance peak caterpillar abundance and thus affect breeding phenology of birds. In order to test whether laying date advance and clutch sizes decrease with the intensity of urbanization, we analyzed the timing of breeding and clutch size in relation to intensity of urbanization as a measure of human impact in 199 nest box plots across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East (i.e., the Western Palearctic) for four species of hole-nesters: blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), great tits (Parus major), collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis), and pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca). Meanwhile, we estimated the intensity of urbanization as the density of buildings surrounding study plots measured on orthophotographs. For the four study species, the intensity of urbanization was not correlated with laying date. Clutch size in blue and great tits does not seem affected by the intensity of urbanization, while in collared and pied flycatchers it decreased with increasing intensity of urbanization. This is the first large-scale study showing a species-specific major correlation between intensity of urbanization and the ecology of breeding. The underlying mechanisms for the relationships between life history and

MRPack: Multi-Algorithm Execution Using Compute-Intensive Approach in MapReduce

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Large quantities of data have been generated from multiple sources at exponential rates in the last few years. These data are generated at high velocity as real time and streaming data in variety of formats. These characteristics give rise to challenges in its modeling, computation, and processing. Hadoop MapReduce (MR) is a well known data-intensive distributed processing framework using the distributed file system (DFS) for Big Data. Current implementations of MR only support execution of a single algorithm in the entire Hadoop cluster. In this paper, we propose MapReducePack (MRPack), a variation of MR that supports execution of a set of related algorithms in a single MR job. We exploit the computational capability of a cluster by increasing the compute-intensiveness of MapReduce while maintaining its data-intensive approach. It uses the available computing resources by dynamically managing the task assignment and intermediate data. Intermediate data from multiple algorithms are managed using multi-key and skew mitigation strategies. The performance study of the proposed system shows that it is time, I/O, and memory efficient compared to the default MapReduce. The proposed approach reduces the execution time by 200% with an approximate 50% decrease in I/O cost. Complexity and qualitative results analysis shows significant performance improvement. PMID:26305223

Filling Service Gaps: Providing Intensive Treatment Services for Offenders

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Douglas W.; Farrell, Jill L.; Henderson, Craig E.; Taxman, Faye S.

2009-01-01

Consistent with the few studies that have previously examined treatment prevalence and access in the adult and juvenile justice systems, the recent National Criminal Justice Treatment Practices (NCJTP) survey indicated that there is a particular need to expand intensive treatment modalities for offenders in both institutional and community corrections settings. Applying multilevel modeling techniques to NCJTP survey data, this study explores conditions and factors that may underlie the wide variation among states in the provision of intensive treatment for offenders. Results indicate that states' overall rates of substance abuse and dependence, funding resources, and the state governor's political party affiliation were significantly associated with intensive treatment provision. Numerous factors that have been implicated in recent studies of evidence-based practice adoption, including state agency executives' views regarding rehabilitation, agency culture and climate, and other state-level measures (e.g., household income, crime rates, expenditures on treatment for the general population) were not associated with treatment provision. Future research should examine further variations in offenders' service needs, the role of legislators' political affiliations, and how other factors may interact with administrator characteristics in the adoption and expansion of intensive treatment services for offenders. PMID:19261394

Ulysses: accurate detection of low-frequency structural variations in large insert-size sequencing libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillet-Markowska, Alexandre; Richard, Hugues; Fischer, Gilles; Lafontaine, Ingrid

2015-03-15

The detection of structural variations (SVs) in short-range Paired-End (PE) libraries remains challenging because SV breakpoints can involve large dispersed repeated sequences, or carry inherent complexity, hardly resolvable with classical PE sequencing data. In contrast, large insert-size sequencing libraries (Mate-Pair libraries) provide higher physical coverage of the genome and give access to repeat-containing regions. They can thus theoretically overcome previous limitations as they are becoming routinely accessible. Nevertheless, broad insert size distributions and high rates of chimerical sequences are usually associated to this type of libraries, which makes the accurate annotation of SV challenging. Here, we present Ulysses, a tool that achieves drastically higher detection accuracy than existing tools, both on simulated and real mate-pair sequencing datasets from the 1000 Human Genome project. Ulysses achieves high specificity over the complete spectrum of variants by assessing, in a principled manner, the statistical significance of each possible variant (duplications, deletions, translocations, insertions and inversions) against an explicit model for the generation of experimental noise. This statistical model proves particularly useful for the detection of low frequency variants. SV detection performed on a large insert Mate-Pair library from a breast cancer sample revealed a high level of somatic duplications in the tumor and, to a lesser extent, in the blood sample as well. Altogether, these results show that Ulysses is a valuable tool for the characterization of somatic mosaicism in human tissues and in cancer genomes. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The use of multibeam backscatter intensity data as a tool for mapping glacial deposits in the Central North Sea, UK

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Heather; Bradwell, Tom

2014-05-01

Multibeam backscatter intensity data acquired offshore eastern Scotland and north-eastern England have been used to map drumlin fields, large arcuate moraine ridges, smaller scale moraine ridges, and incised channels on the sea floor. The study area includes the catchments of the previously proposed, but only partly mapped, Strathmore, Forth-Tay, and Tweed palaeo-ice streams. The ice sheet glacial landsystem is extremely well preserved on the sea bed and comprehensive mapping of the seafloor geomorphology has been undertaken. The authors demonstrate the value in utilising not only digital terrain models (both NEXTMap and multibeam bathymetry derived) in undertaking geomorphological mapping, but also examining the backscatter intensity data that is often overlooked. Backscatter intensity maps were generated using FM Geocoder by the British Geological Survey. FM Geocoder corrects the backscatter intensities registered by the multibeam echosounder system, and then geometrically corrects and positions each acoustic sample in a backscatter mosaic. The backscatter intensity data were gridded at the best resolution per dataset (between 2 and 5 m). The strength of the backscattering is dependent upon sediment type, grain size, survey conditions, sea-bed roughness, compaction and slope. A combination of manual interpretation and semi-automated classification of the backscatter intensity data (a predictive method for mapping variations in surficial sea-bed sediments) has been undertaken in the study area. The combination of the two methodologies has produced a robust glacial geomorphological map for the study area. Four separate drumlin fields have been mapped in the study area indicative of fast-flowing and persistent ice-sheet flow configurations. A number of individual drumlins are also identified located outside the fields. The drumlins show as areas of high backscatter intensity compared to the surrounding sea bed, indicating the drumlins comprise mixed sediments of

Intra and Interspecific Variations of Gene Expression Levels in Yeast Are Largely Neutral: (Nei Lecture, SMBE 2016, Gold Coast).

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jian-Rong; Maclean, Calum J; Park, Chungoo; Zhao, Huabin; Zhang, Jianzhi

2017-09-01

It is commonly, although not universally, accepted that most intra and interspecific genome sequence variations are more or less neutral, whereas a large fraction of organism-level phenotypic variations are adaptive. Gene expression levels are molecular phenotypes that bridge the gap between genotypes and corresponding organism-level phenotypes. Yet, it is unknown whether natural variations in gene expression levels are mostly neutral or adaptive. Here we address this fundamental question by genome-wide profiling and comparison of gene expression levels in nine yeast strains belonging to three closely related Saccharomyces species and originating from five different ecological environments. We find that the transcriptome-based clustering of the nine strains approximates the genome sequence-based phylogeny irrespective of their ecological environments. Remarkably, only ∼0.5% of genes exhibit similar expression levels among strains from a common ecological environment, no greater than that among strains with comparable phylogenetic relationships but different environments. These and other observations strongly suggest that most intra and interspecific variations in yeast gene expression levels result from the accumulation of random mutations rather than environmental adaptations. This finding has profound implications for understanding the driving force of gene expression evolution, genetic basis of phenotypic adaptation, and general role of stochasticity in evolution. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Big Data Analysis of Human Genome Variations

KAUST Repository

Gojobori, Takashi

2016-01-25

Since the human genome draft sequence was in public for the first time in 2000, genomic analyses have been intensively extended to the population level. The following three international projects are good examples for large-scale studies of human genome variations: 1) HapMap Data (1,417 individuals) (http://hapmap.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/downloads/genotypes/2010-08_phaseII+III/forward/), 2) HGDP (Human Genome Diversity Project) Data (940 individuals) (http://www.hagsc.org/hgdp/files.html), 3) 1000 genomes Data (2,504 individuals) http://ftp.1000genomes.ebi.ac.uk/vol1/ftp/release/20130502/ If we can integrate all three data into a single volume of data, we should be able to conduct a more detailed analysis of human genome variations for a total number of 4,861 individuals (= 1,417+940+2,504 individuals). In fact, we successfully integrated these three data sets by use of information on the reference human genome sequence, and we conducted the big data analysis. In particular, we constructed a phylogenetic tree of about 5,000 human individuals at the genome level. As a result, we were able to identify clusters of ethnic groups, with detectable admixture, that were not possible by an analysis of each of the three data sets. Here, we report the outcome of this kind of big data analyses and discuss evolutionary significance of human genomic variations. Note that the present study was conducted in collaboration with Katsuhiko Mineta and Kosuke Goto at KAUST.

A savanna response to precipitation intensity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryan S Berry

Full Text Available As the atmosphere warms, precipitation events are becoming less frequent but more intense. A three-year experiment in Kruger National Park, South Africa, found that fewer, more intense precipitation events encouraged woody plant encroachment. To test whether or not these treatment responses persisted over time, here, we report results from all five years of that experiment. Grass growth, woody plant growth, total fine root number and area and hydrologic tracer uptake by grasses and woody plants were measured in six treated plots (8 m by 8 m and six control plots. Treatment effects on soil moisture were measured continuously in one treated and one control plot. During the fourth year, increased precipitation intensity treatments continued to decrease water flux in surface soils (0-10 cm, increase water flux in deeper soils (20+ cm, decrease grass growth and increase woody plant growth. Greater root numbers at 20-40 cm and greater woody plant uptake of a hydrological tracer from 45-60 cm suggested that woody plants increased growth by increasing root number and activity (but not root area in deeper soils. During the fifth year, natural precipitation events were large and intense so treatments had little effect on precipitation intensity or plant available water. Consistent with this effective treatment removal, there was no difference in grass or woody growth rates between control and treated plots, although woody plant biomass remained higher in treated than control plots due to treatment effects in the previous four years. Across the five years of this experiment, we found that 1 small increases in precipitation intensity can result in large increases in deep (20-130 cm soil water availability, 2 plant growth responses to precipitation intensity are rapid and disappear quickly, and 3 because woody plants accumulate biomass, occasional increases in precipitation intensity can result in long-term increases in woody plant biomass (i.e., shrub

Quality Assurance Analysis of a Large Multicenter Practice: Does Increased Complexity of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Lead to Increased Error Frequency?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, Adam C.; Wegner, Rodney E.; Scicutella, Carol; Heron, Dwight E.; Greenberger, Joel S.; Huq, M. Saiful; Bednarz, Gregory; Flickinger, John C.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Error reduction is an important concern in clinical medicine. Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is an important advancement in radiation oncology that increases the complexity of treatment, potentially increasing the error risk. We studied the frequency and severity of errors in a large multicenter practice to ascertain the impact of quality improvement interventions over time, IMRT, and type of practice. Methods and Materials: We analyzed prospective data from three academic and 16 community practice sites with 24,775 courses of radiotherapy (9,210 IMRT courses and 15,565 non-IMRT) between January 2006 and December 2009. All IMRT treatment was performed using one centralized dose planning center for all sites. Results: We prospectively identified various errors or potential errors in 0.14 % vs. 0.40 % of the IMRT vs. non-IMRT courses (13/9,210 vs. 62/15,565, p = 0.0004) and excluding potential errors: 0.03 % for IMRT vs. 0.21% for non-IMRT. We developed the Clinical Radiotherapy Error Severity Scale (CRESS) to classify error severity from 1 to 10, with 1 to 3 for potential or completely correctable errors, 4 to 5 for dose variations 5%. Multivariate analyses of CRESS values, severity >4, and any error (including potential) correlated significantly reduced errors with IMRT (p = 0.0001–0.0024) but found no significant difference between the academic and community practice sites and no change in error frequency over time despite implementation of 39 system-wide policy changes by the centralized quality improvement committee. Conclusions: Despite the increase in complexity with IMRT compared with conventional radiotherapy, it can be delivered with reduced error frequency.

Variations of atmospheric electric field and meteorological parameters in Kamchatka in 1997-2016

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smirnov Sergey

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Analysis of seasonal and annual variations of aero-electric field at a midlatitudinal observatory Paratunka in Kamchatka was carried out for 1997-2016. Stable seasonal intervals of the highest and the lowest values are observed. Changeability of the annual trend of aero-electric field in the near ground air layer at the observatory located in an active geodynamic region is shown. A large positive trend was changed by a smooth negative one. It is likely to be associated either with radon emanation intensity change in the observatory region or with volcanic activity change in Kamchatka.

Using simulation to isolate physician variation in intensive care unit admission decision making for critically ill elders with end-stage cancer: a pilot feasibility study.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnato, Amber E; Hsu, Heather E; Bryce, Cindy L; Lave, Judith R; Emlet, Lillian L; Angus, Derek C; Arnold, Robert M

2008-12-01

To determine the feasibility of high-fidelity simulation for studying variation in intensive care unit admission decision making for critically ill elders with end-stage cancer. Mixed qualitative and quantitative analysis of physician subjects participating in a simulation scenario using hospital set, actors, medical chart, and vital signs tracings. The simulation depicted a 78-yr-old man with metastatic gastric cancer, life-threatening hypoxia most likely attributable to cancer progression, and stable preferences to avoid intensive care unit admission and intubation. Two independent raters assessed the simulations and subjects completed a postsimulation web-based survey and debriefing interview. Peter M. Winter Institute for Simulation Education and Research at the University of Pittsburgh. Twenty-seven hospital-based attending physicians, including 6 emergency physicians, 13 hospitalists, and 8 intensivists. Outcomes included qualitative report of clinical verisimilitude during the debriefing interview, survey-reported diagnosis and prognosis, and observed treatment decisions. Independent variables included physician demographics, risk attitude, and reactions to uncertainty. All (100%) reported that the case and simulation were highly realistic, and their diagnostic and prognostic assessments were consistent with our intent. Eight physicians (29.6%) admitted the patient to the intensive care unit. Among the eight physicians who admitted the patient to the intensive care unit, three (37%) initiated palliation, two (25%) documented the patient's code status (do not intubate/do not resuscitate), and one intubated the patient. Among the 19 physicians who did not admit the patient to the intensive care unit, 13 (68%) initiated palliation and 5 (42%) documented code status. Intensivists and emergency physicians (p = 0.048) were more likely to admit the patient to the intensive care unit. Years since medical school graduation were inversely associated with the

Hydrogen atom in intense magnetic field.

Science.gov (United States)

Canuto, V.; Kelly, D. C.

1972-01-01

The structure of a hydrogen atom situated in an intense magnetic field is investigaged. Three approaches are employed. An elementary Bohr picture establishes a crucial magnetic field strength, H sub a approximately equal to 5 x 10 to the 9th G. Fields in excess of H sub a are intense in that they are able to modify the characteristic atomic scales of length and binding energy. A second approach solves the Schrodinger equation by a combination of variational methods and perturbation theory. It yields analytic expressions for the wave functions and energy eigenvalues. A third approach determines the energy eigenvalues by reducing the Schrodinger equation to a one-dimensional wave equation, which is then solved numerically. Energy eigenvalues are tabulated for field strengths of 2 x 10 to the 10th G and 2 x 10 to the 12th G. It is found that at 2 x 10 to the 12th G the lowest energy eigenvalue is changed from -13.6 to about -180 eV in agreement with previous variational computations.

Solar Cycle variations in Earth's open flux content measured by the SuperDARN radar network

Science.gov (United States)

Imber, S. M.; Milan, S. E.; Lester, M.

2013-09-01

We present a long term study, from 1996 - 2012, of the latitude of the Heppner-Maynard Boundary (HMB) determined using the northern hemisphere SuperDARN radars. The HMB represents the equatorward extent of ionospheric convection and is here used as a proxy for the amount of open flux in the polar cap. The mean HMB latitude (measured at midnight) is found to be at 64 degrees during the entire period, with secondary peaks at lower latitudes during the solar maximum of 2003, and at higher latitudes during the recent extreme solar minimum of 2008-2011. We associate these large scale statistical variations in open flux content with solar cycle variations in the solar wind parameters leading to changes in the intensity of the coupling between the solar wind and the magnetosphere.

Testing the FOODBANCS hypothesis: Seasonal variations in near-bottom particle flux, bioturbation intensity, and deposit feeding based on 234Th measurements

Science.gov (United States)

McClintic, Mark A.; DeMaster, David J.; Thomas, Carrie J.; Smith, Craig R.

2008-11-01

Naturally occurring 234Th (24-d half-life) was used on the West Antarctic continental shelf to evaluate temporal variations in the flux of particulate material reaching the seabed, bioturbation intensity, the seasonal continuity of feeding by benthic fauna, and trends in particle selection during ingestion for six common detritivores (four surface deposit feeders and two subsurface deposit feeders). These measurements were made at three stations during the five FOODBANCS cruises (December 1999, March, June, and October 2000, and March 2001) to assess the nature of pelagic-benthic coupling on the shelf and to evaluate the seabed as a potential food bank for deposit feeders when surface primary production is minimal. Two summer regimes were sampled (March 2000 and March 2001) with the latter exhibiting a distinct 1-2-cm-thick phytodetritus layer in nearly all sediment core samples. At site B, the 234Th fluxes into the near-bottom (150/170 mab) sediment traps were indistinguishable for the December-March 2000, March-June 2000, and June-October 2000 sampling intervals (fluxes ranging from 170 to 280 dpm m -2 d -1). However, the sediment-trap 234Th flux measured for the October 2000-March 2001 interval (1000 dpm m -2 d -1) was ˜5-fold greater than during the other three sampling periods, consistent with the deposition of a phytodetritus layer. The steady-state 234Th fluxes derived from seabed inventories at site B were 2.4-2.7 times greater than the sediment-trap 234Th fluxes, indicating substantial scavenging of this particle-reactive radiotracer in the bottom 150 m of the water column and/or lateral transport near the seabed. The seabed 234Th inventories at the three stations showed no variation during the first four cruises, but were significantly greater during cruise FB-V (March 2001), when the phytodetritus layer occurred. Based on 234Th distributions in the seabed, bioturbation intensities (quantified using the diffusive mixing coefficient, Db) varied from 0

Four loci explain 83% of size variation in the horse.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shokouh Makvandi-Nejad

Full Text Available Horse body size varies greatly due to intense selection within each breed. American Miniatures are less than one meter tall at the withers while Shires and Percherons can exceed two meters. The genetic basis for this variation is not known. We hypothesize that the breed population structure of the horse should simplify efforts to identify genes controlling size. In support of this, here we show with genome-wide association scans (GWAS that genetic variation at just four loci can explain the great majority of horse size variation. Unlike humans, which are naturally reproducing and possess many genetic variants with weak effects on size, we show that horses, like other domestic mammals, carry just a small number of size loci with alleles of large effect. Furthermore, three of our horse size loci contain the LCORL, HMGA2 and ZFAT genes that have previously been found to control human height. The LCORL/NCAPG locus is also implicated in cattle growth and HMGA2 is associated with dog size. Extreme size diversification is a hallmark of domestication. Our results in the horse, complemented by the prior work in cattle and dog, serve to pinpoint those very few genes that have played major roles in the rapid evolution of size during domestication.

When intensions do not map onto extensions: Individual differences in conceptualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Hampton, James A; Passanisi, Alessia

2016-04-01

Concepts are represented in the mind through knowledge of their extensions (the class of items to which the concept applies) and intensions (features that distinguish that class of items). A common assumption among theories of concepts is that the 2 aspects are intimately related. Hence if there is systematic individual variation in concept representation, the variation should correlate between extensional and intensional measures. A pair of individuals with similar extensional beliefs about a given concept should also share similar intensional beliefs. To test this notion, exemplars (extensions) and features (intensions) of common categories were rated for typicality and importance respectively across 2 occasions. Within-subject consistency was greater than between-subjects consensus on each task, providing evidence for systematic individual variation. Furthermore, the similarity structure between individuals for each task was stable across occasions. However, across 5 samples, similarity between individuals for extensional judgments did not map onto similarity between individuals for intensional judgments. The results challenge the assumption common to many theories of conceptual representation that intensions determine extensions and support a hybrid view of concepts where there is a disconnection between the conceptual resources that are used for the 2 tasks. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Seasonal variation in sports participation.

Science.gov (United States)

Schüttoff, Ute; Pawlowski, Tim

2018-02-01

This study explores indicators describing socio-demographics, sports participation characteristics and motives which are associated with variation in sports participation across seasons. Data were drawn from the German Socio-Economic Panel which contains detailed information on the sports behaviour of adults in Germany. Overall, two different measures of seasonal variation are developed and used as dependent variables in our regression models. The first variable measures the coefficient of (seasonal) variation in sport-related energy expenditure per week. The second variable measures whether activity drops below the threshold as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Results suggest that the organisational setting, the intensity and number of sports practised, and the motive for participation are strongly correlated with the variation measures used. For example, both, participation in a sports club and a commercial facility, are associated with reduced seasonal variation and a significantly higher probability of participating at a volume above the WHO threshold across all seasons. These findings give some impetus for policymaking and the planning of sports programmes as well as future research directions.

Anatomic variation and orgasm: Could variations in anatomy explain differences in orgasmic success?

Science.gov (United States)

Emhardt, E; Siegel, J; Hoffman, L

2016-07-01

Though the public consciousness is typically focused on factors such as psychology, penis size, and the presence of the "G-spot," there are other anatomical and neuro-anatomic differences that could play an equal, or more important, role in the frequency and intensity of orgasms. Discovering these variations could direct further medical or procedural management to improve sexual satisfaction. The aim of this study is to review the available literature of anatomical sexual variation and to explain why this variation may predispose some patients toward a particular sexual experience. In this review, we explored the available literature on sexual anatomy and neuro-anatomy. We used PubMed and OVID Medline for search terms, including orgasm, penile size variation, clitoral variation, Grafenberg spot, and benefits of orgasm. First we review the basic anatomy and innervation of the reproductive organs. Then we describe several anatomical variations that likely play a superior role to popular known variation (penis size, presence of g-spot, etc). For males, the delicate play between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems is vital to achieve orgasm. For females, the autonomic component is more complex. The clitoris is the primary anatomical feature for female orgasm, including its migration toward the anterior vaginal wall. In conclusions, orgasms are complex phenomena involving psychological, physiological, and anatomic variation. While these variations predispose people to certain sexual function, future research should explore how to surgically or medically alter these. Clin. Anat. 29:665-672, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Online tracking of outdoor lighting variations for augmented reality with moving cameras.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yanli; Granier, Xavier

2012-04-01

In augmented reality, one of key tasks to achieve a convincing visual appearance consistency between virtual objects and video scenes is to have a coherent illumination along the whole sequence. As outdoor illumination is largely dependent on the weather, the lighting condition may change from frame to frame. In this paper, we propose a full image-based approach for online tracking of outdoor illumination variations from videos captured with moving cameras. Our key idea is to estimate the relative intensities of sunlight and skylight via a sparse set of planar feature-points extracted from each frame. To address the inevitable feature misalignments, a set of constraints are introduced to select the most reliable ones. Exploiting the spatial and temporal coherence of illumination, the relative intensities of sunlight and skylight are finally estimated by using an optimization process. We validate our technique on a set of real-life videos and show that the results with our estimations are visually coherent along the video sequences.

Climatology and Interannual Variability of Quasi-Global Intense Precipitation Using Satellite Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Ricko, Martina; Adler, Robert F.; Huffman, George J.

2016-01-01

Climatology and variations of recent mean and intense precipitation over a near-global (50 deg. S 50 deg. N) domain on a monthly and annual time scale are analyzed. Data used to derive daily precipitation to examine the effects of spatial and temporal coverage of intense precipitation are from the current Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) 3B42 version 7 precipitation product, with high spatial and temporal resolution during 1998 - 2013. Intense precipitation is defined by several different parameters, such as a 95th percentile threshold of daily precipitation, a mean precipitation that exceeds that percentile, or a fixed threshold of daily precipitation value [e.g., 25 and 50 mm day(exp -1)]. All parameters are used to identify the main characteristics of spatial and temporal variation of intense precipitation. High correlations between examined parameters are observed, especially between climatological monthly mean precipitation and intense precipitation, over both tropical land and ocean. Among the various parameters examined, the one best characterizing intense rainfall is a fraction of daily precipitation Great than or equal to 25 mm day(exp. -1), defined as a ratio between the intense precipitation above the used threshold and mean precipitation. Regions that experience an increase in mean precipitation likely experience a similar increase in intense precipitation, especially during the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. Improved knowledge of this intense precipitation regime and its strong connection to mean precipitation given by the fraction parameter can be used for monitoring of intense rainfall and its intensity on a global to regional scale.

Measurements of acoustic pressure at high amplitudes and intensities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crum, L A; Bailey, M R; Kaczkowski, P; McAteer, J A; Pishchalnikov, Y A; Sapozhnikov, O A

2004-01-01

In our research group, we desire measurements of the large pressure amplitudes generated by the shock waves used in shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) and the large acoustic intensities used in High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). Conventional piezoelectric or PVDF hydrophones can not be used for such measurements as they are damaged either by cavitation, in SWL applications, or heat, in HIFU applications. In order to circumvent these difficulties, we have utilized optical fiber hydrophones in SWL that do not cavitate, and small glass probes and a scattering technique for measurements of large HIFU intensities. Descriptions of these techniques will be given as well as some typical data

Variations in the Quality of Care at Large Public Hospitals in Beijing, China: A Condition-Based Outcome Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ye; Liu, Yuanli; Shu, Ting; Yang, Wei; Liang, Minghui

2015-01-01

Public hospitals deliver over ninety percent of all outpatient and inpatient services in China. Their quality is graded into three levels (A, B, and C) largely based on structural resources, but empirical evidence on the quality of process and outcome of care is extremely scarce. As expectations for quality care rise with higher living standards and cost of care, such evidence is urgently needed and vital to improve care and to inform future health reforms. We compiled and analyzed a multicenter database of over 4 million inpatient discharge summary records to provide a comprehensive assessment of the level and variations in clinical outcomes of hospitalization at 39 tertiary hospitals in Beijing. We assessed six outcome measures of clinical quality: in-hospital mortality rates (RSMR) for AMI, stroke, pneumonia and CABG, post-procedural complication rate (RS-CR), and failure-to-rescue rate (RS-FTR). The measures were adjusted for pre-admission patient case-mix using indirect standardization method with hierarchical linear mixed models. We found good overall quality with large variations by hospital and condition (mean/range, in %): RSMR-AMI: 6.23 (2.37-14.48), RSMR-stroke: 4.18 (3.58-4.44), RSMR-pneumonia: 7.78 (7.20-8.59), RSMR-CABG: 1.93 (1.55-2.23), RS-CR: 11.38 (9.9-12.88), and RS-FTR: 6.41 (5.17-7.58). Hospital grade was not significantly associated with any risk-adjusted outcome measures. Going to a higher grade public hospital does not always lead to better patient outcome because hospital grade only contains information about hospital structural resources. A hospital report card with some outcome measures of quality would provide valuable information to patients in choosing providers, and for regulators to identify gaps in health care quality. Reducing the variations in clinical practice and patient outcome should be a focus for policy makers in the next round of health sector reforms in China.

Tissue-Based MRI Intensity Standardization: Application to Multicentric Datasets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolas Robitaille

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Intensity standardization in MRI aims at correcting scanner-dependent intensity variations. Existing simple and robust techniques aim at matching the input image histogram onto a standard, while we think that standardization should aim at matching spatially corresponding tissue intensities. In this study, we present a novel automatic technique, called STI for STandardization of Intensities, which not only shares the simplicity and robustness of histogram-matching techniques, but also incorporates tissue spatial intensity information. STI uses joint intensity histograms to determine intensity correspondence in each tissue between the input and standard images. We compared STI to an existing histogram-matching technique on two multicentric datasets, Pilot E-ADNI and ADNI, by measuring the intensity error with respect to the standard image after performing nonlinear registration. The Pilot E-ADNI dataset consisted in 3 subjects each scanned in 7 different sites. The ADNI dataset consisted in 795 subjects scanned in more than 50 different sites. STI was superior to the histogram-matching technique, showing significantly better intensity matching for the brain white matter with respect to the standard image.

Genomic variation landscape of the human gut microbiome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schloissnig, Siegfried; Arumugam, Manimozhiyan; Sunagawa, Shinichi

2013-01-01

Whereas large-scale efforts have rapidly advanced the understanding and practical impact of human genomic variation, the practical impact of variation is largely unexplored in the human microbiome. We therefore developed a framework for metagenomic variation analysis and applied it to 252 faecal...... polymorphism rates of 0.11 was more variable between gut microbial species than across human hosts. Subjects sampled at varying time intervals exhibited individuality and temporal stability of SNP variation patterns, despite considerable composition changes of their gut microbiota. This indicates...

Fourth Order Nonlinear Intensity and the corresponding Refractive ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nonlinear effects occur whenever the optical fields associated with one or more intense light such as from laser beams propagating in a crystal are large enough to produce polarization fields. This paper describes how the fourth order nonlinear intensity and the corresponding effective refractive index that is intensity ...

A variational analysis for large deflection of skew plates under ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In the present paper, the static behaviour of thin isotropic skew plates under uniformly distributed load is analyzed with the geometric nonlinearity of the model properly handled. A variational method based on total potential energy has been implemented through assumed displacement field. The computational work has ...

Variations in plasma wave intensity with distance along the electron foreshock boundary at Venus

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, G. K.; Strangeway, R. J.; Russell, C. T.

1991-01-01

Plasma waves are observed in the solar wind upstream of the Venus bow shock by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter. These wave signatures occur during periods when the interplanetary magnetic field through the spacecraft position intersects the bow shock, thereby placing the spacecraft in the foreshock region. Wave intensity is analyzed as a function of distance along the electron foreshock boundary. It is found that the peak wave intensity may increase along the foreshock boundary from the tangent point to a maximum value at several Venus radii, then decrease in intensity with subsequent increase in distance. These observations could be associated with the instability process: the instability of the distribution function increasing with distance from the tangent point to saturation at the peak. Thermalization of the beam for distances beyond this point could reduce the distribution function instability resulting in weaker wave signatures.

Infiltration capacity in a tropical montane landscape: Disentangling the effects of land-use intensity and biophysical gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Looker, N. T.; Kolka, R.; Colin, P. O.; Asbjornsen, H.

2017-12-01

The alteration of soil field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) is a primary mechanism by which land-use/cover changes influence catchment hydrologic behavior. While previous studies have demonstrated declines in Ksat with forest cover loss, we lack a comprehensive framework for predicting the response of Ksat to increases in forest cover or to changes in land-use intensity (rather than changes in cover type per se). Variation in Ksat due to biophysical factors (e.g., climate or topography) may further obscure the effects of land cover or intensity. We assessed differences in Ksat between four cover types representative of a catchment in central Veracruz, Mexico (maize, pasture, shade coffee, and secondary cloud forest) and evaluated the factors that control variation across sites within cover types. In 38 sites distributed from 1200 m to 2900 m above sea level, we estimated Ksat at a depth of 25 cm using a Guelph permeameter. Ksat was significantly lower in soils under pasture and maize than in those under woody cover types (i.e., shade coffee and secondary forest), largely due to differences in horizon thickness. Variation in Ksat within woody cover types was associated with vegetation productivity and seasonality as inferred using remotely sensed vegetation indices. Unexpectedly, coffee and forest sites exhibited contrasting relationships between Ksat and vegetation indices. We propose possible mechanisms for these relationships and explore their implications for the regionalization of Ksat in catchment modeling applications.

Temporal and spatial variations in the magnitude of completeness for homogenized moment magnitude catalogue for northeast India

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Ranjit; Wason, H. R.; Sharma, M. L.

2012-02-01

Northeast India region is one of the most seismically active areas in the world. Events data for the period 1897-2010, used in this study has been largely compiled from global ISC, NEIC and GCMT databases. Historical seismicity catalogue of Gupta et al (1986) and some events data from the bulletins of India Meteorological Department are also used. Orthogonal regression relations for conversion of body and surface wave magnitudes to M w,HRVD based on events data for the period 1978-2006 have been derived. An Orthogonal Standard Regression (OSR) relationship has also been obtained for scaling of intensity estimates to M w,NEIC using 126 global intensity events with intensity VI or greater during the period 1975-2010. Magnitude of completeness and Gutenberg-Richter (GR) recurrence parameter values have been determined for the declustered homogenized catalogue pertaining to four different time periods namely, 1897-1963, 1964-1990, 1964-2000 and 1964-2010. The M c and ` b' values are observed to decrease and increase, respectively, with addition of newer data with time. The study region has been subdivided into nine seismogenic zones keeping in view the spatial variations in earthquake occurrence and prevalent tectonics. M c, ` b' and ` a' values have been estimated with respect to each zone, and the variations in the values of these parameters have been analysed.

Sudden Intensity Increases and Radial Gradient Changes of Cosmic Ray Mev Electrons and Protons Observed at Voyager 1 Beyond 111 AU in the Heliosheath

Science.gov (United States)

Webber, W. R.; Mcdonald, F. B.; Cummings, A. C.; Stone, E. C.; Heikkila, B.; Lal, N.

2012-01-01

Voyager 1 has entered regions of different propagation conditions for energetic cosmic rays in the outer heliosheathat a distance of about 111 AU from the Sun. The low energy 614 MeV galactic electron intensity increased by 20over a time period 10 days and the electron radial intensity gradient abruptly decreased from 19AU to 8AU at2009.7 at a radial distance of 111.2 AU. At about 2011.2 at a distance of 116.6 AU a second abrupt intensity increase of25 was observed for electrons. After the second sudden electron increase the radial intensity gradient increased to18AU. This large positive gradient and the 13 day periodic variations of 200 MeV particles observed near theend of 2011 indicate that V1 is still within the overall heliospheric modulating region. The implications of these resultsregarding the proximity of the heliopause are discussed.

Genome size variation affects song attractiveness in grasshoppers: evidence for sexual selection against large genomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Schielzeth, Holger; Streitner, Corinna; Lampe, Ulrike; Franzke, Alexandra; Reinhold, Klaus

2014-12-01

Genome size is largely uncorrelated to organismal complexity and adaptive scenarios. Genetic drift as well as intragenomic conflict have been put forward to explain this observation. We here study the impact of genome size on sexual attractiveness in the bow-winged grasshopper Chorthippus biguttulus. Grasshoppers show particularly large variation in genome size due to the high prevalence of supernumerary chromosomes that are considered (mildly) selfish, as evidenced by non-Mendelian inheritance and fitness costs if present in high numbers. We ranked male grasshoppers by song characteristics that are known to affect female preferences in this species and scored genome sizes of attractive and unattractive individuals from the extremes of this distribution. We find that attractive singers have significantly smaller genomes, demonstrating that genome size is reflected in male courtship songs and that females prefer songs of males with small genomes. Such a genome size dependent mate preference effectively selects against selfish genetic elements that tend to increase genome size. The data therefore provide a novel example of how sexual selection can reinforce natural selection and can act as an agent in an intragenomic arms race. Furthermore, our findings indicate an underappreciated route of how choosy females could gain indirect benefits. © 2014 The Author(s). Evolution © 2014 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Does quality control matter? Surface urban heat island intensity variations estimated by satellite-derived land surface temperature products

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Jiameng; Zhan, Wenfeng; Huang, Fan; Quan, Jinling; Hu, Leiqiu; Gao, Lun; Ju, Weimin

2018-05-01

The temporally regular and spatially comprehensive monitoring of surface urban heat islands (SUHIs) have been extremely difficult, until the advent of satellite-based land surface temperature (LST) products. However, these LST products have relatively higher errors compared to in situ measurements. This has resulted in comparatively inaccurate estimations of SUHI indicators and, consequently, may have distorted interpretations of SUHIs. Although reports have shown that LST qualities are important for SUHI interpretations, systematic investigations of the response of SUHI indicators to LST qualities across cities with dissimilar bioclimates are rare. To address this issue, we chose eighty-six major cities across mainland China and analyzed SUHI intensity (SUHII) derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LST data. The LST-based SUHII differences due to inclusion or exclusion of MODIS quality control (QC) flags (i.e., ΔSUHII) were evaluated. Our major findings included, but are not limited to, the following four aspects: (1) SUHIIs can be significantly impacted by MODIS QC flags, and the associated QC-induced ΔSUHIIs generally accounted for 24.3% (29.9%) of the total SUHII value during the day (night); (2) the ΔSUHIIs differed between seasons, with considerable differences between transitional (spring and autumn) and extreme (summer and winter) seasons; (3) significant discrepancies also appeared among cities located in northern and southern regions, with northern cities often possessing higher annual mean ΔSUHIIs. The internal variations of ΔSUHIIs within individual cities also showed high heterogeneity, with ΔSUHII variations that generally exceeded 5.0 K (3.0 K) in northern (southern) cities; (4) ΔSUHIIs were negatively related to SUHIIs and cloud cover percentages (mostly in transitional seasons). No significant relationship was found in the extreme seasons. Our findings highlight the need to be extremely cautious when using LST

Large-scale geographic variation in distribution and abundance of Australian deep-water kelp forests.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ezequiel M Marzinelli

Full Text Available Despite the significance of marine habitat-forming organisms, little is known about their large-scale distribution and abundance in deeper waters, where they are difficult to access. Such information is necessary to develop sound conservation and management strategies. Kelps are main habitat-formers in temperate reefs worldwide; however, these habitats are highly sensitive to environmental change. The kelp Ecklonia radiate is the major habitat-forming organism on subtidal reefs in temperate Australia. Here, we provide large-scale ecological data encompassing the latitudinal distribution along the continent of these kelp forests, which is a necessary first step towards quantitative inferences about the effects of climatic change and other stressors on these valuable habitats. We used the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV facility of Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS to survey 157,000 m2 of seabed, of which ca 13,000 m2 were used to quantify kelp covers at multiple spatial scales (10-100 m to 100-1,000 km and depths (15-60 m across several regions ca 2-6° latitude apart along the East and West coast of Australia. We investigated the large-scale geographic variation in distribution and abundance of deep-water kelp (>15 m depth and their relationships with physical variables. Kelp cover generally increased with latitude despite great variability at smaller spatial scales. Maximum depth of kelp occurrence was 40-50 m. Kelp latitudinal distribution along the continent was most strongly related to water temperature and substratum availability. This extensive survey data, coupled with ongoing AUV missions, will allow for the detection of long-term shifts in the distribution and abundance of habitat-forming kelp and the organisms they support on a continental scale, and provide information necessary for successful implementation and management of conservation reserves.

Short period sound speed oscillation measured by intensive XBT survey and its role on GNSS/acoustic positioning

Science.gov (United States)

Kido, M.; Matsui, R.; Imano, M.; Honsho, C.

2017-12-01

In the GNSS/acoustic measurement, sound speed in ocean plays a key role of accuracy of final positioning. We have shown than longer period sound speed undulation can be properly estimated from GNSS-A analysis itself in our previous work. In this work, we have carried out intensive XBT measurement to get temporal variation of sound speed in short period to be compared with GNSS-A derived one. In the individual temperature profile obtained by intensive XBT measurements (10 minutes interval up to 12 times of cast), clear vertical oscillation up to 20 m of amplitude in the shallow part were observed. These can be interpreted as gravitational internal wave with short-period and hence short wavelength anomaly. Kido et al. (2007) proposed that horizontal variation of the ocean structure can be considered employing five or more transponders at once if the structure is expressed by two quantities, i.e., horizontal gradient in x/y directions. However, this hypothesis requires that the variation must has a large spatial scale (> 2-5km) so that the horizontal variation can be regarded as linear within the extent of acoustic path to seafloor transponders. Therefore the wavelength of the above observed internal wave is getting important. The observed period of internal wave was 30-60 minute. However its wavelength cannot be directly measured. It must be estimate based on density profile of water column. In the comparison between sound speed change and positioning, the delay of their phases were 90 degree, which indicates that most steep horizontal slope of internal wave correspond to largest apparent positioning shift.

Fast Variations In Spectrum of Comet Halley

Science.gov (United States)

Borysenko, S. A.

The goal of this work is to research fast variations of spectral lines intensities in spectra of comet Halley. The present research was made on the basis of more then 500 high- resolution spectrogram obtained by L.M. Shulman and H.K. Nazarchuk in November- December, 1985 at the 6-m telescope (SAO, Russia). Some fast variations with different quasiperiods were detected in all the spectrograms. Quasiperiods of these variations were from 15 - 40 min to 1.5 - 2 hours. As data from spacecraft "Vega-2" show, more fast variations with quasiperiods 5 - 10 min are obviously present in cometary time variations. Only the most important lines so as C2, C3, CN, CH and NH2 were analyzed. False periods were checked by comparison of the power spectra of the variations with the computed spectral window of the data. Only false periods about 400 sec (the avarage period of exposition) were detected. An algorithm for analysis of locally Poisson's time series was proposed. Two types of fast variations are detected: 1)high amplitude variations with more long quasiperiods (1.5 - 2 hours) and the coefficient of crosscorrelations between line intensities about 0.9 - 0.95; 2)low amplitude variations with short periods (15 - 40 min), which look like white noise and have the coefficient of crosscorrelations about 0.1 - 0.3. This difference may be caused by nature of variations. The first type variations may be an effect of both active processes in cometary nucleus and streams of solar protons. Analysis of solar proton flux variation with energies >1 MeV in November - Decem- ber 1985 confirms the above-mentioned version. In the second case it may by only inner processes in the nucleus that generate the observed variations. For determination of general parameters of cometary atmosphere, such as the produc- tion rates of radicals C2, C3, CN, CH, and NH2 it was necessary to estimate the contri- bution of dust grains luminiscence into the continuum of the comet. Space and wave- length distribution

Coupling of physical erosion and chemical weathering after phases of intense human activity

Science.gov (United States)

Schoonejans, Jerome; Vanacker, Veerle; Opfergelt, Sophie; Ameijeiras-Mariño, Yolanda; Kubik, Peter W.

2014-05-01

Anthropogenic disturbance of natural vegetation profoundly alters the lateral and vertical fluxes of soil nutrients and particles at the land surface. Human-induced acceleration of soil erosion can thereby result in an imbalance between physical erosion, soil production and chemical weathering. The (de-)coupling between physical erosion and chemical weathering in ecosystems with strong anthropogenic disturbances is not yet fully understood, as earlier studies mostly focused on natural ecosystems. In this study, we explore the chemical weathering intensity for four study sites located in the Internal Zone of the Spanish Betic Cordillera. Most of the sites belong to the Nevado-Filabres complex, but are characterized by different rates of long-term exhumation, 10Be catchment-wide denudation and hill slope morphology. Denudation rates are generally low, but show large variation between the three sites (from 23 to 246 mm kyr-1). The magnitude of denudation rates is consistent with longer-term uplift rates derived from marine deposits, fission-track measurements and vertical fault slip rates. Two to three soil profiles were sampled per study site at exposed ridge tops. All soils overly fractured mica schist, and are very thin (< 60cm). In each soil profile, we sampled 5 depth slices, rock fragments and the (weathered) bedrock. In total, 38 soil and 20 rock samples were analyzed for their chemical composition. The chemical weathering intensity is constrained by the Chemical Depletion Fraction that is based on a chemical mass balance approach using Zr as an immobile element. Chemical weathering accounts for 5 to 35% of the total mass lost due to denudation. We observe systematically higher chemical weathering intensities (CDFs) in sites with lower denudation rates (and vice versa), suggesting that weathering is supply-limited. Our measurements of soil elemental losses from 10 soil profiles suggest that the observed variation in chemical weathering is strongly associated

Generality and cultural variation in the experience of regret.

Science.gov (United States)

Breugelmans, Seger M; Zeelenberg, Marcel; Gilovich, Thomas; Huang, Wen-Hsien; Shani, Yaniv

2014-12-01

Regret is the prototypical decision-related emotion. Most theory and research on regret comes from the United States and Europe, but recent research has suggested potential cross-cultural differences in regret. We examined generality and cultural variation in the experience of regret. A cross-cultural study compared experiences of regret with those of disappointment and guilt as reported by participants from the United States (n = 143), the Netherlands (n = 147), Israel (n = 148), and Taiwan (n = 115). We found strong evidence for generality of the distinct emotion components of regret, compared with those of disappointment and guilt. We also found cultural variation in the frequency and intensity of regret in intrapersonal situations (regrets about outcomes affecting the self) and interpersonal regrets (regrets about outcomes affecting others). Whereas in the U.S. sample, regret was experienced more intensely in intrapersonal than interpersonal situations, both emotions were experienced more intensely in interpersonal situations in the Taiwanese sample.

Innovation system and knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Timmermans, Bram

2011-01-01

The goal of this deliverable is to investigate the properties and the nature of knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship as a largely distributed phenomenon at firm, sector and national levels in Denmark. Following the guidelines previously developed in the Deliverable 2.2.1 “Innovation systems...... and knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship: Analytical framework and guidelines for case study research” I will investigate the interplay between national innovation systems and knowledge- intensive entrepreneurship by focusing on two main sectors: machine tools, and computer and related activities....

On the variation of the gravitational constant G

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Sabbata, V.

1980-01-01

We consider the variation of the gravitational constant G starting from Dirac's large number hypothesis. After a brief description of the various gravitational theories which, other than General Relativity, incorporate the variation of G, we consider the geophysical and astrophysical consequences of the variation of G and the present status of the performed experiments. Finally, a short account on strong gravity is given which seems to provide a basis for Dirac's large number hypothesis. (author)

RECORD-SETTING COSMIC-RAY INTENSITIES IN 2009 AND 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mewaldt, R. A.; Davis, A. J.; Leske, R. A.; Stone, E. C.; Cummings, A. C.; Labrador, A. W.; Lave, K. A.; Binns, W. R.; Israel, M. H.; Wiedenbeck, M. E.; Christian, E. R.; De Nolfo, G. A.; Von Rosenvinge, T. T.

2010-01-01

We report measurements of record-setting intensities of cosmic-ray nuclei from C to Fe, made with the Cosmic Ray Isotope Spectrometer carried on the Advanced Composition Explorer in orbit about the inner Sun-Earth Lagrangian point. In the energy interval from ∼70 to ∼450 MeV nucleon -1 , near the peak in the near-Earth cosmic-ray spectrum, the measured intensities of major species from C to Fe were each 20%-26% greater in late 2009 than in the 1997-1998 minimum and previous solar minima of the space age (1957-1997). The elevated intensities reported here and also at neutron monitor energies were undoubtedly due to several unusual aspects of the solar cycle 23/24 minimum, including record-low interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) intensities, an extended period of reduced IMF turbulence, reduced solar-wind dynamic pressure, and extremely low solar activity during an extended solar minimum. The estimated parallel diffusion coefficient for cosmic-ray transport based on measured solar-wind properties was 44% greater in 2009 than in the 1997-1998 solar-minimum period. In addition, the weaker IMF should result in higher cosmic-ray drift velocities. Cosmic-ray intensity variations at 1 AU are found to lag IMF variations by 2-3 solar rotations, indicating that significant solar modulation occurs inside ∼20 AU, consistent with earlier galactic cosmic-ray radial-gradient measurements. In 2010, the intensities suddenly decreased to 1997 levels following increases in solar activity and in the inclination of the heliospheric current sheet. We describe the conditions that gave cosmic rays greater access to the inner solar system and discuss some of their implications.

Changes in the Long-Term Intensity Variations in Cygnus X-2 and LMC X-3

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, B.; Kitamoto, S.; Makino, F.

2000-01-01

We report the detection of changes in the long-term intensity variations in two X-ray binaries, Cyg X-2 and LMC X-3. In this work, we have used the long-term light curves obtained with the All-Sky Monitors (ASMs) of the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), Ginga, Ariel 5, and Vela 5B and the scanning modulation collimator of HEAO 1. It is found that in the light curves of both the sources, obtained with these instruments at various times over the last 30 years, more than one periodic or quasi-periodic component is always present. The multiple prominent peaks in the periodograms have frequencies unrelated to each other. In Cyg X-2, RXTE-ASM data show strong peaks at 40.4 and 68.8 days, and Ginga-ASM data show strong peaks at 53.7 and 61.3 days. Multiple peaks are also observed in LMC X-3. The various strong peaks in the periodograms of LMC X-3 appear at 104, 169, and 216 days (observed with RXTE-ASM) and 105, 214, and 328 days (observed with Ginga-ASM). The present results, when compared with the earlier observations of periodicities in these two systems, demonstrate the absence of any stable long period. The 78 day periodicity detected earlier in Cyg X-2 was probably due to the short time base in the RXTE data that were used, and the periodicity of 198 days in LMC X-3 was due to a relatively short duration of observation with HEAO 1.

Prevalence and intensity of third stage Gnathostoma spinigerum larvae in swamp eels sold in three large markets in Bangkok, Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Saksirisampant, Wilai; Nuchprayoon, Surang; Wiwanitkit, Viroj; Kraivichian, Kanyarat; Suwansaksri, Jamsai

2002-01-01

Gnathostoma spinigerum is a common human tissue parasite in Thailand. The swamp eel is the major intermediate or paratenic host for this parasite. The high prevalence of the infective third stage larvae (L3) of this parasite in the rainy season has been noted in previous studies. During June 1999 (rainy season), we performed a cross-sectional survey of the prevalence and the intensity of G. spinigerum L3s in the livers of swamp eels that were obtained from three large Bangkok markets (Klong Toey, Pran Nok, and Tevej). Of a total of 785 livers, G. spinigerum L3s were found in 97: an infection rate of 12%. The prevalence rates in Klong Toey, Pran Nok, and Tevej markets were 13%, 10% and 14% respectively. There was no significant difference in the proportion of infected eels between the markets (p > 0.05). The intensity of L3 burden in the livers ranged from 1-17 larvae, with an average of 2.60 +/- 0.24 larvae (mean +/- SE). In this study a high prevalence of G. spinigerum L3s was found; there was no significant difference in the intensity of larvae in swamp eels between markets. These findings emphasize the importance of public health education: people need to be aware of the dangers of consuming raw or undercooked food.

Large variations in ocular dimensions in a multiethnic population with similar genetic background.

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Zhiqiang; Li, Jun; Zhong, Hua; Yuan, Zhonghua; Zhou, Hua; Zhang, Yang; Yuan, Yuansheng; Chen, Qin; Pan, Chen-Wei

2016-03-07

We aimed to describe the ethnic variations in ocular dimensions among three ethnic groups with similar genetic ancestry from mainland of China. We included 2119 ethnic Bai, 2202 ethnic Yi and 2183 ethnic Han adults aged 50 years or older in the study. Ocular dimensions including axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), vitreous chamber depth (VCD) and lens thickness (LT) were measured using A-scan ultrasonography. Bai Chinese had longer ALs (P variations in LTs. Diabetes was associated with shallower ACDs and this association was stronger in Bai Chinese compared with Yi or Han Chinese (P for interaction = 0.02). Thicker lenses were associated with younger age (P = 0.04), male gender (P variations in cultures and lifestyles.

Influence of vegetation physiognomy, elevation and fire frequency on medium and large mammals in two protected areas of the Espinhaço Range

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Ferreira de Pinho

2017-05-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to determine the richness of medium and large mammal species in two protected areas of the Espinhaço Mountain Range, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil; and to investigate the factors affecting the occurrence of those species. To accomplish that we placed 49 camera traps activated by heat and motion at Rio Preto State Park (RPSP and 48 at Sempre Vivas National Park (SVNP. We also collected data on three environmental variables: vegetation physiognomy, elevation and wildfire frequency, to evaluate the influence of these factors on species richness and use intensity (inferred from camera trap detection rate by large mammals. We recorded 23 large mammal species in the two parks combined. The lowest species richness was found at the rupestrian habitat of RPSP, and in the open grasslands of SVNP. The forest and savannah physiognomies were used more intensively by large mammals. Species richness was higher and use was greater at lower elevations of RPSP. In SVNP, fire frequency did not affect species richness or use intensity. The savannah habitat had very similar richness compared to the forests of the two protected areas. The high species richness and use intensity observed in these forest habitats highlights the importance of riparian environments in the Cerrado biome. The highest species richness and use intensity observed at low elevation follows patterns found in the literature, probably due to variation in the vegetation, which results in greater resource availability. Although rupestrian habitats at high elevations of the Espinhaço Range are known to have a high degree of endemism for some taxa, large mammal richness and use were not high in this habitat. These results indicate that the protection of native vegetation at lower elevations is crucial for the long-term conservation of large mammals in the Espinhaço Range.

Sustained Reduction in Bloodstream Infections in Infants at a Large Tertiary Care Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Neill, Sara; Haithcock, Sarah; Smith, P. Brian; Goldberg, Ronald; Bidegain, Margarita; Tanaka, David; Carriker, Charlene; Ericson, Jessica E.

2015-01-01

Purpose Reduction of bloodstream infections (BSI) has emerged as an important patient safety goal. Implementation of central line insertion bundles, standardized line care protocols, and health care provider education programs have reduced BSI in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) around the country. The ability of large tertiary care centers to decrease nosocomial infections, including BSI, has been demonstrated. However, long-term BSI reductions in infants are not well documented. We sought to demonstrate that a low incidence of BSI can be maintained over time in a tertiary care NICU. Subjects 6,790 infants admitted to a large, tertiary care NICU between 2005 and 2013. Design Retrospective intervention study. Methods A staged, multifaceted infection prevention plan was implemented beginning in October 2007 under nursing leadership. The incidence of BSI was determined annually for 2005-2013. Results Baseline BSI incidence for infants admitted to the NICU was 5.15 and 6.08 episodes per 1,000 infant-days in 2005 and 2006, respectively. After protocol implementation, the incidence of BSI decreased to 2.14/1,000 infant-days and 2.44/1,000 infant-days in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Yearly incidence remained low over the next 4 years and decreased even further to 0.20-0.45 infections/1,000 infant days. This represents a 92% decrease in BSI over a period of >5 years. Conclusions Implementation of a nursing-led comprehensive infection control initiative can effectively produce and maintain a reduction in the incidence of BSI in infants at a large tertiary care NICU. What this study adds Long term reductions in neonatal BSI are possible with implementation of a multidisciplinary team approach and strong nursing leadership. PMID:25915573

Quantitative measurement of phase variation amplitude of ultrasonic diffraction grating based on diffraction spectral analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, Meiyan, E-mail: yphantomohive@gmail.com; Zeng, Yingzhi; Huang, Zuohua, E-mail: zuohuah@163.com [Laboratory of Quantum Engineering and Quantum Materials, School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006 (China)

2014-09-15

A new method based on diffraction spectral analysis is proposed for the quantitative measurement of the phase variation amplitude of an ultrasonic diffraction grating. For a traveling wave, the phase variation amplitude of the grating depends on the intensity of the zeroth- and first-order diffraction waves. By contrast, for a standing wave, this amplitude depends on the intensity of the zeroth-, first-, and second-order diffraction waves. The proposed method is verified experimentally. The measured phase variation amplitude ranges from 0 to 2π, with a relative error of approximately 5%. A nearly linear relation exists between the phase variation amplitude and driving voltage. Our proposed method can also be applied to ordinary sinusoidal phase grating.

A Statistical Model of the Fluctuations in the Geomagnetic Field from Paleosecular Variation to Reversal

Science.gov (United States)

Camps; Prevot

1996-08-09

The statistical characteristics of the local magnetic field of Earth during paleosecular variation, excursions, and reversals are described on the basis of a database that gathers the cleaned mean direction and average remanent intensity of 2741 lava flows that have erupted over the last 20 million years. A model consisting of a normally distributed axial dipole component plus an independent isotropic set of vectors with a Maxwellian distribution that simulates secular variation fits the range of geomagnetic fluctuations, in terms of both direction and intensity. This result suggests that the magnitude of secular variation vectors is independent of the magnitude of Earth's axial dipole moment and that the amplitude of secular variation is unchanged during reversals.

TLS FIELD DATA BASED INTENSITY CORRECTION FOR FOREST ENVIRONMENTS

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J. Heinzel

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS is increasingly used for forestry applications. Besides the three dimensional point coordinates, the 'intensity' of the reflected signal plays an important role in forestry and vegetation studies. The benefit of the signal intensity is caused by the wavelength of the laser that is within the near infrared (NIR for most scanners. The NIR is highly indicative for various vegetation characteristics. However, the intensity as recorded by most terrestrial scanners is distorted by both external and scanner specific factors. Since details about system internal alteration of the signal are often unknown to the user, model driven approaches are impractical. On the other hand, existing data driven calibration procedures require laborious acquisition of separate reference datasets or areas of homogenous reflection characteristics from the field data. In order to fill this gap, the present study introduces an approach to correct unwanted intensity variations directly from the point cloud of the field data. The focus is on the variation over range and sensor specific distortions. Instead of an absolute calibration of the values, a relative correction within the dataset is sufficient for most forestry applications. Finally, a method similar to time series detrending is presented with the only pre-condition of a relative equal distribution of forest objects and materials over range. Our test data covers 50 terrestrial scans captured with a FARO Focus 3D S120 scanner using a laser wavelength of 905 nm. Practical tests demonstrate that our correction method removes range and scanner based alterations of the intensity.

Large variation in lipid content, ΣPCB and δ13C within individual Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Persson, Maria E.; Larsson, Per; Holmqvist, Niklas; Stenroth, Patrik

2007-01-01

Many studies that investigate pollutant levels, or use stable isotope ratios to define trophic level or animal origin, use different standard ways of sampling (dorsal, whole filet or whole body samples). This study shows that lipid content, ΣPCB and δ 13 C display large differences within muscle samples taken from a single Atlantic salmon. Lipid- and PCB-content was lowest in tail muscles, intermediate in anterior-dorsal muscles and highest in the stomach (abdominal) muscle area. Stable isotopes of carbon (δ 13 C) showed a lipid accumulation in the stomach muscle area and a depletion in tail muscles. We conclude that it is important to choose an appropriate sample location within an animal based on what processes are to be studied. Care should be taken when attributing persistent pollutant levels or stable isotope data to specific environmental processes before controlling for within-animal variation in these variables. - Lipid content, ΣPCB and δ 13 C vary to a large extent within Atlantic salmon, therefore, the sample technique for individual fish is of outmost importance for proper interpretation of data

Average features of cosmic ray variation associated with sudden commencement of magnetic storm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wada, Masami; Suda, Tomoshige.

1980-01-01

In order to obtain average features of cosmic ray variation associated with a passage of shock front in space, superposed epoch analysis of cosmic ray intensity with respect to the time of occurrence of sudden commencement (SC) of magnetic storm during solar cycle 20, 1964 - 1975, is carried out for hundreds of SC. When SC's are distributed evenly over the day, the onset in cosmic ray decrease is seen clearly within one hour of SC, followed by a sharp decrease in the intensity, but without any precursory fluctuation. The magnitude distribution and the rigidity spectrum for maximum depression show the features of Forbush decrease (FD). Superposed epoch analysis is also applied to solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field data, and their relation to cosmic ray variation is studied. Effects of the superposition of the isotropic and anisotropic variations on the time profile of cosmic ray intensity observed at a station are discussed. (author)

Precipitation Intensity Effects on Groundwater Recharge in the Southwestern United States

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Brian F. Thomas

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Episodic recharge as a result of infrequent, high intensity precipitation events comprises the bulk of groundwater recharge in arid environments. Climate change and shifts in precipitation intensity will affect groundwater continuity, thus altering groundwater recharge. This study aims to identify changes in the ratio of groundwater recharge and precipitation, the R:P ratio, in the arid southwestern United States to characterize observed changes in groundwater recharge attributed to variations in precipitation intensity. Our precipitation metric, precipitation intensity magnification, was used to investigate the relationship between the R:P ratio and precipitation intensity. Our analysis identified significant changes in the R:P ratio concurrent with decreases in precipitation intensity. The results illustrate the importance of precipitation intensity in relation to groundwater recharge in arid regions and provide further insights for groundwater management in nonrenewable groundwater systems and in a changing climate.

Past, present and future variations of extreme rainfall in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gregersen, Ida Bülow

of non-stationary extreme rainfall behaviour, in Denmark as well as worldwide. To provide recommendations on future design intensities it is necessary to explore and understand patterns of temporal variation in urban design rainfall and identify potential drivers behind past, present and future changes...... to the natural variability, the expected impacts of climate change and their interplay. A large part of the uncertainty is inherent and cannot be reduced. On top of this come the many unknown features in the climate system. The irrational behaviour of mankind contributes to the uncertainty, as it both affects...... the greenhouse gas emissions, and the requirements to cities of the future. Simple case studies based on different decision making frameworks show that the uncertainty of the future is not a hindrance for adaptation....

Among-population variation in tolerance to larval herbivory by Anthocharis cardamines in the polyploid herb Cardamine pratensis.

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Malin A E König

Full Text Available Plants have two principal defense mechanisms to decrease fitness losses to herbivory: tolerance, the ability to compensate fitness after damage, and resistance, the ability to avoid damage. Variation in intensity of herbivory among populations should result in variation in plant defense levels if tolerance and resistance are associated with costs. Yet little is known about how levels of tolerance are related to resistance and attack intensity in the field, and about the costs of tolerance. In this study, we used information about tolerance and resistance against larval herbivory by the butterfly Anthocharis cardamines under controlled conditions together with information about damage in the field for a large set of populations of the perennial plant Cardamine pratensis. Plant tolerance was estimated in a common garden experiment where plants were subjected to a combination of larval herbivory and clipping. We found no evidence of that the proportion of damage that was caused by larval feeding vs. clipping influenced plant responses. Damage treatments had a negative effect on the three measured fitness components and also resulted in an earlier flowering in the year after the attack. Tolerance was related to attack intensity in the population of origin, i.e. plants from populations with higher attack intensity were more likely to flower in the year following damage. However, we found no evidence of a relationship between tolerance and resistance. These results indicate that herbivory drives the evolution for increased tolerance, and that changes in tolerance are not linked to changes in resistance. We suggest that the simultaneous study of tolerance, attack intensity in the field and resistance constitutes a powerful tool to understand how plant strategies to avoid negative effects of herbivore damage evolve.

Patterns of variation at Ustilago maydis virulence clusters 2A and 19A largely reflect the demographic history of its populations.

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Ronny Kellner

Full Text Available The maintenance of an intimate interaction between plant-biotrophic fungi and their hosts over evolutionary times involves strong selection and adaptative evolution of virulence-related genes. The highly specialised maize pathogen Ustilago maydis is assigned with a high evolutionary capability to overcome host resistances due to its high rates of sexual recombination, large population sizes and long distance dispersal. Unlike most studied fungus-plant interactions, the U. maydis - Zea mays pathosystem lacks a typical gene-for-gene interaction. It exerts a large set of secreted fungal virulence factors that are mostly organised in gene clusters. Their contribution to virulence has been experimentally demonstrated but their genetic diversity within U. maydis remains poorly understood. Here, we report on the intraspecific diversity of 34 potential virulence factor genes of U. maydis. We analysed their sequence polymorphisms in 17 isolates of U. maydis from Europe, North and Latin America. We focused on gene cluster 2A, associated with virulence attenuation, cluster 19A that is crucial for virulence, and the cluster-independent effector gene pep1. Although higher compared to four house-keeping genes, the overall levels of intraspecific genetic variation of virulence clusters 2A and 19A, and pep1 are remarkably low and commensurate to the levels of 14 studied non-virulence genes. In addition, each gene is present in all studied isolates and synteny in cluster 2A is conserved. Furthermore, 7 out of 34 virulence genes contain either no polymorphisms or only synonymous substitutions among all isolates. However, genetic variation of clusters 2A and 19A each resolve the large scale population structure of U. maydis indicating subpopulations with decreased gene flow. Hence, the genetic diversity of these virulence-related genes largely reflect the demographic history of U. maydis populations.

Cosmic ray variations of solar origin in relation to human physiological state during the December 2006 solar extreme events

Science.gov (United States)

Papailiou, M.; Mavromichalaki, H.; Vassilaki, A.; Kelesidis, K. M.; Mertzanos, G. A.; Petropoulos, B.

2009-02-01

There is an increasing amount of evidence linking biological effects to solar and geomagnetic disturbances. A series of studies is published referring to the changes in human physiological responses at different levels of geomagnetic activity. In this study, the possible relation between the daily variations of cosmic ray intensity, measured by the Neutron Monitor at the Cosmic Ray Station of the University of Athens (http://cosray.phys.uoa.gr) and the average daily and hourly heart rate variations of persons, with no symptoms or hospital admission, monitored by Holter electrocardiogram, is considered. This work refers to a group of persons admitted to the cardiological clinic of the KAT Hospital in Athens during the time period from 4th to 24th December 2006 that is characterized by extreme solar and geomagnetic activity. A series of Forbush decreases started on 6th December and lasted until the end of the month and a great solar proton event causing a Ground Level Enhancement (GLE) of the cosmic ray intensity on 13th December occurred. A sudden decrease of the cosmic ray intensity on 15th December, when a geomagnetic storm was registered, was also recorded in Athens Neutron Monitor station (cut-off rigidity 8.53 GV) with amplitude of 4%. It is noticed that during geomagnetically quiet days the heart rate and the cosmic ray intensity variations are positively correlated. When intense cosmic ray variations, like Forbush decreases and relativistic proton events produced by strong solar phenomena occur, cosmic ray intensity and heart rate get minimum values and their variations, also, coincide. During these events the correlation coefficient of these two parameters changes and follows the behavior of the cosmic ray intensity variations. This is only a small part of an extended investigation, which has begun using data from the year 2002 and is still in progress.

Spatio-temporal Variations of Nitrogen Dioxide over Western China from Satellite Observations during 2005-2013

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Y.; Lin, J.; Huang, B.; Song, C.

2015-12-01

Western China has experienced rapid urbanization and industrialization since the implementation of National Western Development Strategy by Chinese Government. Most resource-intensive industries and high-pollution factories had been moved from the east coast to Western China after 2000. In this research, the spatial and temporal variations of tropospheric NO2 concentration in 2005 - 2013 is analyzed based on the satellite observations by Ozone Measurement Instrument (OMI). The annual trends and seasonality of tropospheric NO2 over Western China are calculated. The results show that large increases are observed in urban areas and the polluted regions are expanding. Additionally, the seasonal patterns of some regions over Western China are changing significantly and more clean areas tend to changing from the characteristics of natural emissions to those of anthropogenic emissions. The spatial and temporal variations of NO2 concentrations are well responded to the rapid urbanization and industrialization over Western China.

AGS intensity record

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bleser, Ed

1994-01-01

As flashed in the September issue, this summer the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) reached a proton beam intensity of 4.05 x 10 13 protons per puise, claimed as the highest intensity ever achieved in a proton synchrotron. It is, however, only two-thirds of the way to its final goal of 6 x 10 13 . The achievement is the resuit of many years of effort. The Report of the AGS II Task Force, issued in February 1984, laid out a comprehensive programme largely based on a careful analysis of the PS experience at CERN. The AGS plan had two essential components: the construction of a new booster, and major upgrades to the AGS itself.

Intrapopulation genome size variation in D. melanogaster reflects life history variation and plasticity.

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Lisa L Ellis

2014-07-01

Full Text Available We determined female genome sizes using flow cytometry for 211 Drosophila melanogaster sequenced inbred strains from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel, and found significant conspecific and intrapopulation variation in genome size. We also compared several life history traits for 25 lines with large and 25 lines with small genomes in three thermal environments, and found that genome size as well as genome size by temperature interactions significantly correlated with survival to pupation and adulthood, time to pupation, female pupal mass, and female eclosion rates. Genome size accounted for up to 23% of the variation in developmental phenotypes, but the contribution of genome size to variation in life history traits was plastic and varied according to the thermal environment. Expression data implicate differences in metabolism that correspond to genome size variation. These results indicate that significant genome size variation exists within D. melanogaster and this variation may impact the evolutionary ecology of the species. Genome size variation accounts for a significant portion of life history variation in an environmentally dependent manner, suggesting that potential fitness effects associated with genome size variation also depend on environmental conditions.

Intrapopulation Genome Size Variation in D. melanogaster Reflects Life History Variation and Plasticity

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Lisa L.; Huang, Wen; Quinn, Andrew M.; Ahuja, Astha; Alfrejd, Ben; Gomez, Francisco E.; Hjelmen, Carl E.; Moore, Kristi L.; Mackay, Trudy F. C.; Johnston, J. Spencer; Tarone, Aaron M.

2014-01-01

We determined female genome sizes using flow cytometry for 211 Drosophila melanogaster sequenced inbred strains from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel, and found significant conspecific and intrapopulation variation in genome size. We also compared several life history traits for 25 lines with large and 25 lines with small genomes in three thermal environments, and found that genome size as well as genome size by temperature interactions significantly correlated with survival to pupation and adulthood, time to pupation, female pupal mass, and female eclosion rates. Genome size accounted for up to 23% of the variation in developmental phenotypes, but the contribution of genome size to variation in life history traits was plastic and varied according to the thermal environment. Expression data implicate differences in metabolism that correspond to genome size variation. These results indicate that significant genome size variation exists within D. melanogaster and this variation may impact the evolutionary ecology of the species. Genome size variation accounts for a significant portion of life history variation in an environmentally dependent manner, suggesting that potential fitness effects associated with genome size variation also depend on environmental conditions. PMID:25057905

An integration of minimum local feature representation methods to recognize large variation of foods

Science.gov (United States)

Razali, Mohd Norhisham bin; Manshor, Noridayu; Halin, Alfian Abdul; Mustapha, Norwati; Yaakob, Razali

2017-10-01

Local invariant features have shown to be successful in describing object appearances for image classification tasks. Such features are robust towards occlusion and clutter and are also invariant against scale and orientation changes. This makes them suitable for classification tasks with little inter-class similarity and large intra-class difference. In this paper, we propose an integrated representation of the Speeded-Up Robust Feature (SURF) and Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) descriptors, using late fusion strategy. The proposed representation is used for food recognition from a dataset of food images with complex appearance variations. The Bag of Features (BOF) approach is employed to enhance the discriminative ability of the local features. Firstly, the individual local features are extracted to construct two kinds of visual vocabularies, representing SURF and SIFT. The visual vocabularies are then concatenated and fed into a Linear Support Vector Machine (SVM) to classify the respective food categories. Experimental results demonstrate impressive overall recognition at 82.38% classification accuracy based on the challenging UEC-Food100 dataset.

Forecasting intense geomagnetic activity using interplanetary magnetic field data

Science.gov (United States)

Saiz, E.; Cid, C.; Cerrato, Y.

2008-12-01

Southward interplanetary magnetic fields are considered traces of geoeffectiveness since they are a main agent of magnetic reconnection of solar wind and magnetosphere. The first part of this work revises the ability to forecast intense geomagnetic activity using different procedures available in the literature. The study shows that current methods do not succeed in making confident predictions. This fact led us to develop a new forecasting procedure, which provides trustworthy results in predicting large variations of Dst index over a sample of 10 years of observations and is based on the value Bz only. The proposed forecasting method appears as a worthy tool for space weather purposes because it is not affected by the lack of solar wind plasma data, which usually occurs during severe geomagnetic activity. Moreover, the results obtained guide us to provide a new interpretation of the physical mechanisms involved in the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere using Faraday's law.

A study of fast electron energy transport in relativistically intense laser-plasma interactions with large density scalelengths

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, R. H. H.; Norreys, P. A. [Department of Physics, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot, Oxford OX11 0QX (United Kingdom); Perez, F.; Baton, S. D. [LULI, Ecole Polytechnique, UMR 7605, CNRS/CEA/UPMC, Route de Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau (France); Santos, J. J.; Nicolai, Ph.; Hulin, S. [Univ. Bordeaux/CNRS/CEA, CELIA, UMR 5107, 33405 Talence (France); Ridgers, C. P. [Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU (United Kingdom); Department of Physics, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Davies, J. R. [GoLP, Instituto de Plasmas e Fusao Nuclear - Laboratorio Associado, Instituto Superior Tecnico, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Lancaster, K. L.; Trines, R. M. G. M. [Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot, Oxford OX11 0QX (United Kingdom); Bell, A. R.; Tzoufras, M. [Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU (United Kingdom); Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot, Oxford OX11 0QX (United Kingdom); Rose, S. J. [Department of Physics, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

2012-05-15

A systematic experimental and computational investigation of the effects of three well characterized density scalelengths on fast electron energy transport in ultra-intense laser-solid interactions has been performed. Experimental evidence is presented which shows that, when the density scalelength is sufficiently large, the fast electron beam entering the solid-density plasma is best described by two distinct populations: those accelerated within the coronal plasma (the fast electron pre-beam) and those accelerated near or at the critical density surface (the fast electron main-beam). The former has considerably lower divergence and higher temperature than that of the main-beam with a half-angle of {approx}20 Degree-Sign . It contains up to 30% of the total fast electron energy absorbed into the target. The number, kinetic energy, and total energy of the fast electrons in the pre-beam are increased by an increase in density scalelength. With larger density scalelengths, the fast electrons heat a smaller cross sectional area of the target, causing the thinnest targets to reach significantly higher rear surface temperatures. Modelling indicates that the enhanced fast electron pre-beam associated with the large density scalelength interaction generates a magnetic field within the target of sufficient magnitude to partially collimate the subsequent, more divergent, fast electron main-beam.

An Ensemble Three-Dimensional Constrained Variational Analysis Method to Derive Large-Scale Forcing Data for Single-Column Models

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Shuaiqi

Atmospheric vertical velocities and advective tendencies are essential as large-scale forcing data to drive single-column models (SCM), cloud-resolving models (CRM) and large-eddy simulations (LES). They cannot be directly measured or easily calculated with great accuracy from field measurements. In the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program, a constrained variational algorithm (1DCVA) has been used to derive large-scale forcing data over a sounding network domain with the aid of flux measurements at the surface and top of the atmosphere (TOA). We extend the 1DCVA algorithm into three dimensions (3DCVA) along with other improvements to calculate gridded large-scale forcing data. We also introduce an ensemble framework using different background data, error covariance matrices and constraint variables to quantify the uncertainties of the large-scale forcing data. The results of sensitivity study show that the derived forcing data and SCM simulated clouds are more sensitive to the background data than to the error covariance matrices and constraint variables, while horizontal moisture advection has relatively large sensitivities to the precipitation, the dominate constraint variable. Using a mid-latitude cyclone case study in March 3rd, 2000 at the ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) site, we investigate the spatial distribution of diabatic heating sources (Q1) and moisture sinks (Q2), and show that they are consistent with the satellite clouds and intuitive structure of the mid-latitude cyclone. We also evaluate the Q1 and Q2 in analysis/reanalysis, finding that the regional analysis/reanalysis all tend to underestimate the sub-grid scale upward transport of moist static energy in the lower troposphere. With the uncertainties from large-scale forcing data and observation specified, we compare SCM results and observations and find that models have large biases on cloud properties which could not be fully explained by the uncertainty from the large-scale forcing

EqualChance: Addressing Intra-set Write Variation to Increase Lifetime of Non-volatile Caches

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mittal, Sparsh [ORNL; Vetter, Jeffrey S [ORNL

2014-01-01

To address the limitations of SRAM such as high-leakage and low-density, researchers have explored use of non-volatile memory (NVM) devices, such as ReRAM (resistive RAM) and STT-RAM (spin transfer torque RAM) for designing on-chip caches. A crucial limitation of NVMs, however, is that their write endurance is low and the large intra-set write variation introduced by existing cache management policies may further exacerbate this problem, thereby reducing the cache lifetime significantly. We present EqualChance, a technique to increase cache lifetime by reducing intra-set write variation. EqualChance works by periodically changing the physical cache-block location of a write-intensive data item within a set to achieve wear-leveling. Simulations using workloads from SPEC CPU2006 suite and HPC (high-performance computing) field show that EqualChance improves the cache lifetime by 4.29X. Also, its implementation overhead is small, and it incurs very small performance and energy loss.

Variational Histogram Equalization for Single Color Image Defogging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Zhou

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Foggy images taken in the bad weather inevitably suffer from contrast loss and color distortion. Existing defogging methods merely resort to digging out an accurate scene transmission in ignorance of their unpleasing distortion and high complexity. Different from previous works, we propose a simple but powerful method based on histogram equalization and the physical degradation model. By revising two constraints in a variational histogram equalization framework, the intensity component of a fog-free image can be estimated in HSI color space, since the airlight is inferred through a color attenuation prior in advance. To cut down the time consumption, a general variation filter is proposed to obtain a numerical solution from the revised framework. After getting the estimated intensity component, it is easy to infer the saturation component from the physical degradation model in saturation channel. Accordingly, the fog-free image can be restored with the estimated intensity and saturation components. In the end, the proposed method is tested on several foggy images and assessed by two no-reference indexes. Experimental results reveal that our method is relatively superior to three groups of relevant and state-of-the-art defogging methods.

Collimator setting optimization in intensity modulated radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, M.; Hoban, P.

2001-01-01

Full text: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of collimator angle and bixel size settings in IMRT when using the step and shoot method of delivery. Of particular interest is minimisation of the total monitor units delivered. Beam intensity maps with bixel size 10 x 10 mm were segmented into MLC leaf sequences and the collimator angle optimised to minimise the total number of MU's. The monitor units were estimated from the maximum sum of positive-gradient intensity changes along the direction of leaf motion. To investigate the use of low resolution maps at optimum collimator angles, several high resolution maps with bixel size 5 x 5 mm were generated. These were resampled into bixel sizes, 5 x 10 mm and 10 x 10 mm and the collimator angle optimised to minimise the RMS error between the original and resampled map. Finally, a clinical IMRT case was investigated with the collimator angle optimised. Both the dose distribution and dose-volume histograms were compared between the standard IMRT plan and the optimised plan. For the 10 x 10 mm bixel maps there was a variation of 5% - 40% in monitor units at the different collimator angles. The maps with a high degree of radial symmetry showed little variation. For the resampled 5 x 5 mm maps, a small RMS error was achievable with a 5 x 10 mm bixel size at particular collimator positions. This was most noticeable for maps with an elongated intensity distribution. A comparison between the 5 x 5 mm bixel plan and the 5 x 10 mm showed no significant difference in dose distribution. The monitor units required to deliver an intensity modulated field can be reduced by rotating the collimator and aligning the direction of leaf motion with the axis of the fluence map that has the least intensity. Copyright (2001) Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine

Intra-pulse transition between ion acceleration mechanisms in intense laser-foil interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Padda, H.; King, M.; Gray, R. J.; Powell, H. W.; Gonzalez-Izquierdo, B.; Wilson, R.; Dance, R. J.; MacLellan, D. A.; Butler, N. M. H.; Capdessus, R.; McKenna, P., E-mail: paul.mckenna@strath.ac.uk [SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG (United Kingdom); Stockhausen, L. C. [Centro de Laseres Pulsados (CLPU), Parque Cientifico, Calle del Adaja s/n. 37185 Villamayor, Salamanca (Spain); Carroll, D. C. [Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX (United Kingdom); Yuan, X. H. [Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Borghesi, M. [Centre for Plasma Physics, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Neely, D. [SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG (United Kingdom); Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX (United Kingdom)

2016-06-15

Multiple ion acceleration mechanisms can occur when an ultrathin foil is irradiated with an intense laser pulse, with the dominant mechanism changing over the course of the interaction. Measurement of the spatial-intensity distribution of the beam of energetic protons is used to investigate the transition from radiation pressure acceleration to transparency-driven processes. It is shown numerically that radiation pressure drives an increased expansion of the target ions within the spatial extent of the laser focal spot, which induces a radial deflection of relatively low energy sheath-accelerated protons to form an annular distribution. Through variation of the target foil thickness, the opening angle of the ring is shown to be correlated to the point in time transparency occurs during the interaction and is maximized when it occurs at the peak of the laser intensity profile. Corresponding experimental measurements of the ring size variation with target thickness exhibit the same trends and provide insight into the intra-pulse laser-plasma evolution.

Unexpectedly high genetic variation in large unisexual clumps of the subdioecious plant Honckenya peploides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sánchez-Vilas, Julia; Philipp, Marianne; Retuerto, Rubén

2010-01-01

Honckenya peploides is a subdioecious dune plant that reproduces both sexually and by clonal growth. In northwest Spain this species was found to exhibit an extreme spatial segregation of the sexes, and our objective was to investigate genetic variation in unisexual clumps. Genetic variation was ...

Proposed National Large Solar Telescope Jagdev Singh

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

proposed to design, fabricate and install a 2-meter class solar telescope at a suitable site in India to ... which can facilitate simultaneous measurements of the solar atmospheric parameters and of the vector ... Intensity variation of. 1% or less.

Short term variation of Cyg X-1 in the hard x-ray region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doi, Kosei

1978-01-01

Cyg X-1 is a peculiar celestial body considered to be a close binary system of a black hole and a blue super-giant star. It is presently known that the time fluctuation of Cyg X-1 is considerably complex, ranging from seconds to days or months. Of these variation, attention has been paid to the short time variation in relation to the black hole theory. Observations of fluctuations in the order of second have been limited to soft X-ray (20 keV or more) so far, because great technical difficulties are involved due to the low intensity of hard X-ray. The present investigation is based on the fluctuations in the order of second in hard X-ray, and was conducted by employing an unprecedented large area X-ray telescope. The text describes on the brief history of the short time fluctuation, explains the experimental plan, X-ray detecting system, flight of a balloon and the analyses and discussions of fluctuation factor by variation function method, and gives the analysis data and conclusion. The observations resulted in the fact that the fluctuations in the order of second were small at 20 to 30 keV, but become large when energy is higher or lower than this value. The most natural explanation available for this result may be that it is essentially spectrum fluctuation, being inverse correlation in higher and lower energies. Physical meaning of such spectrum fluctuation is considered in connection with precipitating disk model around a black hole. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Short term variation of Cyg X-1 in the hard x-ray region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doi, Kosei [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Inst. of Space and Aeronautical Science

1978-08-01

Cyg X-1 is a peculiar celestial body considered to be a close binary system of a black hole and a blue super-giant star. It is presently known that the time fluctuation of Cyg X-1 is considerably complex, ranging from seconds to days or months. Of these variation, attention has been paid to the short time variation in relation to the black hole theory. Observations of fluctuations in the order of second have been limited to soft X-ray (20 keV or more) so far, because great technical difficulties are involved due to the low intensity of hard X-ray. The present investigation is based on the fluctuations in the order of second in hard X-ray, and was conducted by employing an unprecedented large area X-ray telescope. The text describes on the brief history of the short time fluctuation, explains the experimental plan, X-ray detecting system, flight of a balloon and the analyses and discussions of fluctuation factor by variation function method, and gives the analysis data and conclusion. The observations resulted in the fact that the fluctuations in the order of second were small at 20 to 30 keV, but become large when energy is higher or lower than this value. The most natural explanation available for this result may be that it is essentially spectrum fluctuation, being inverse correlation in higher and lower energies. Physical meaning of such spectrum fluctuation is considered in connection with precipitating disk model around a black hole.

Regional variation in short distance homogamy

OpenAIRE

Haandrikman, Karen; van Wissen, Leo

2011-01-01

A third of all Dutch cohabiters choose a partner from the same municipality, so-called short distance homogamy. This article analyses the regional variation in this phenomenon, and it explains this variation in terms of geographical, socioeconomic, demographic and cultural determinants. Population register data on all new cohabiters in 2004 were used. Regression methods were employed to explain spatial patterns. Regional variation in short distance homogamy is largely explained by geographica...

Numerical simulation of scouring-deposition variations caused by rainfall-induced landslides in the upstream of Zengwun River, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ming-Hsi; Liao, Yi-Wen; Tsai, Kuang-Jung

2017-04-01

In recent years, the increasing sediment disasters of severe rainfall-induced landslides on human lives and lifeline facilities worldwide have advanced the necessity to find out both economically acceptable and useful techniques to predict the occurrence and destructive power of the disasters. In August 2009, Typhoon Morakot brought a large amount of rainfall with both high intensity and long duration to a vast area of Taiwan. Unfortunately, this resulted in a catastrophic landslide in watershed of Zengwun-River reservoir, southern Taiwan. Meanwhile, large amounts of landslides were formed in the upstream of Zengwun River. The major scope of this study is to apply numerical model to simulate the scouring-deposition variations caused by rainfall-induced landslides that occurred in the upstream of Zengwun River during Typhoon Morakot. This study proposed the relation diagrams of the intermediate diameter (d50), recurrence interval (T) and scouring-deposition depth (D), and applied the diagrams to understand the impacts of the scouring-deposition variations on the structures for water and soil conservation and their measurements. Based on the simulation of scouring-deposition variation at the Da-Bu dam and Da-Bang dam, this study also discussed the scouring-deposition variations of different sections under different scenarios (including flow rate, intermediate diameters and structures). In summary, the result suggested that the diagrams of the intermediate diameter, recurrence interval and scouring-deposition depth could be used as the reference for designing the check dams, ground sills and lateral constructions.

Variations in pollinator density and impacts on large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb. crop yield in Sikkim Himalaya, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kailash S. Gaira

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb., a perennial cash crop, cultivated under an agroforestry system in the eastern Himalaya of India, is well recognized as a pollination-dependent crop. Observations on pollinator abundance in Mamlay watershed of Sikkim Himalaya were collected during the blooming season to evaluate the pollinator abundance across sites and time frames, and impact of pollinator abundance on crop yield from 2010 to 2012. The results revealed that the bumblebees and honeybees are most frequent visitors of large cardamom flowers. The abundance of honeybees, however, varied between sites for the years 2010–2012, while that of bumblebees varied for the years 2011 and 2012. The abundance of honeybees resulted in a variation within time frames for 2010 and 2011, while that of bumblebees varied for 2010 and 2012 (p<0.01. The density of pollinators correlated positively with the number of flowers of the target crop. The impact of pollinator abundance revealed that the increasing bumblebee visitation resulted in a higher yield of the crop (i.e. 17–41 g/plant and the increasing abundance of all bees (21–41 g/plant was significant (p<0.03. Therefore, the study concluded that the large cardamom yield is sensitive to pollinator abundance and there is a need for adopting the best pollinator conservation and management practices toward sustaining the yield of large cardamom.

Fractional variational principles in action

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baleanu, Dumitru [Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Art and Sciences, Cankaya University, 06530 Ankara (Turkey); Institute of Space Sciences, PO Box MG-23, R 76900, Magurele-Bucharest (Romania)], E-mail: dumitru@cankaya.edu.tr

2009-10-15

The fractional calculus has gained considerable importance in various fields of science and engineering, especially during the last few decades. An open issue in this emerging field is represented by the fractional variational principles area. Therefore, the fractional Euler-Lagrange and Hamilton equations started to be examined intensely during the last decade. In this paper, we review some new trends in this field and we discuss some of their potential applications.

Case studies of the storm time variation of the polar cusp

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, C.

1983-01-01

The latitudinal variations of the polar cusp region were examined during three intense geomagnetic storms. The variations were compared with the intensity of storm time ring current inferred from the Dst index, with the magnitude of the north-south component B/sub z/ of the interplanetary magnetic field and with substorm activity. The common feature is that the rapid equatorward shift occurred during the increase of the ring current growth and during the southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field orientation. The equatorwardmost latitude of the cusp was reached before the peak of the ring current intensity, by a few to several hours, coinciding with the occurrence of the largest magnitude of the southward interplanetary magnetic field component. However, details of the polar cusp latitudinal movement differ from storm to storm. During the three storms studied, the poleward recovery commenced at the peak magnitude of the negative IMF B/sub z/ component, but the recovery proceeded without a clear relation to variations of the interplanetary B/sub z/ component, to the ring current intensity, or to the substorm activity. The lowest cusp latitude observed was at approx.61.7 0 , and the magnitude of this shift seems to be related to the magnitudes of -B/sub z/. It is further observed that the approximate rates of the cusp macroscopic equatorward and poleward movements are about 3 0 and 1.5 0 per hour, respectively

Variations in the intensive use of head CT for elderly patients with hemorrhagic stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Bekelis, Kimon; Fisher, Elliott S; Labropoulos, Nicos; Zhou, Weiping; Skinner, Jonathan

2015-04-01

To investigate the variability in head computed tomographic (CT) scanning in patients with hemorrhagic stroke in U.S. hospitals, its association with mortality, and the number of different physicians consulted. The study was approved by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects at Dartmouth College. A retrospective analysis of the Medicare fee-for-service claims data was performed for elderly patients admitted for hemorrhagic stroke in 2008-2009, with 1-year follow-up through 2010. Risk-adjusted primary outcome measures were mean number of head CT scans performed and high-intensity use of head CT (six or more head CT scans performed in the year after admission). We examined the association of high-intensity use of head CT with the number of different physicians consulted and mortality. A total of 53 272 patients (mean age, 79.6 years; 31 377 women [58.9%]) with hemorrhagic stroke were identified in the study period. The mean number of head CT scans conducted in the year after admission for stroke was 3.4; 8737 patients (16.4%) underwent six or more scans. Among the hospitals with the highest case volume (more than 50 patients with hemorrhagic stroke), risk-adjusted rates ranged from 8.0% to 48.1%. The correlation coefficient between number of physicians consulted and rates of high-intensity use of head CT was 0.522 (P mortality was found for patients undergoing six or more head CT scans (odds ratio, 0.84; 95% confidence interval: 0.69, 1.02). High rates of head CT use for patients with hemorrhagic stroke are frequently observed, without an association with decreased mortality. A higher number of physicians consulted was associated with high-intensity use of head CT. © RSNA, 2014 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

[Study on plasma temperature of a large area surface discharge by optical emission spectrum].

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Li-Fang; Tong, Guo-Liang; Zhang, Yu; Zhou, Bin

2014-04-01

A large area surface discharge was realized in air/argon gas mixture by designing a discharge device with water electrodes. By using optical emission spectrum, the variations of the molecular vibrational temperature, the mean energy of electron, and the electronic excitation temperature as a function of the gas pressure were studied. The nitrogen molecular vibrational temperature was calculated according to the emission line of the second positive band system of the nitrogen molecule (C3 pi(u) --> B 3 pi(g)). The electronic excitation temperature was obtained by using the intensity ratio of Ar I 763.51 nm (2P(6) --> 1S(5)) to Ar I 772.42 nm (2P(2) --> 1S(3)). The changes in the mean energy of electron were studied by the relative intensity ratio of the nitrogen molecular ion 391.4 nm to nitrogen 337.1 nm. It was found that the intensity of emission spectral line increases with the increase in the gas pressure, meanwhile, the outline and the ratios of different spectral lines intensity also change. The molecular vibrational temperature, the mean energy of electron, and the electronic excitation temperature decrease as the gas pressure increases from 0.75 x 10(5) Pa to 1 x 10(5) Pa.

Hurricane feedback research may improve intensity forecasts

Science.gov (United States)

Schultz, Colin

2012-06-01

Forecasts of a hurricane's intensity are generally much less accurate than forecasts of its most likely path. Large-scale atmospheric patterns dictate where a hurricane will go and how quickly it will get there. The storm's intensity, however, depends on small-scale shifts in atmospheric stratification, upwelling rates, and other transient dynamics that are difficult to predict. Properly understanding the risk posed by an impending storm depends on having a firm grasp of all three properties: translational speed, intensity, and path. Drawing on 40 years of hurricane records representing 3090 different storms, Mei et al. propose that a hurricane's translational speed and intensity may be closely linked.

A STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF VIEWING ANGLE VARIATION IN SUGARCANE RADIOMETRIC MEASURES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Érika Akemi Saito; Moriya

Full Text Available Abstract: Remote Sensing techniques, such as field spectroscopy provide information with a large level of detail about spectral characteristics of plants enabling the monitoring of crops. The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of viewing angle in estimating the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF for the case of sugarcane. The study on the variation of the spectral reflectance profile can help the improvement of algorithms for correction of BRDF in remote sensing images. Therefore, spectral measurements acquired on nadir and different off-nadir view angle directions were considered in the experiments. Change both anisotropy factor and anisotropy index was determined in order to evaluate the BRDF variability in the spectral data of sugarcane. BRDF correction was applied using the Walthall model, thus reducing the BRDF effects. From the results obtained in the experiments, the spectral signatures showed a similar spectral pattern varying mainly in intensity. The anisotropy factor which showed a similar pattern in all wavelengths. The visual analysis of the spectral reflectance profile of sugarcane showed variation mainly in intensity at different angles. The use of Walthall model reduced the BRDF effects and brought the spectral reflectance profiles acquired on different viewing geometry close to nadir viewing. Therefore, BRDF effects on remote sensing data of vegetation cover can be minimized by applying this model. This conclusion contributes to developing suitable algorithms to produce radiometrically calibrated mosaics with remote sensing images taken by aerial platforms.

Measurement and Socio-Demographic Variation of Social Capital in a Large Population-Based Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Nieminen, Tarja; Martelin, Tuija; Koskinen, Seppo; Simpura, Jussi; Alanen, Erkki; Harkanen, Tommi; Aromaa, Arpo

2008-01-01

Objectives: The main objective of this study was to describe the variation of individual social capital according to socio-demographic factors, and to develop a suitable way to measure social capital for this purpose. The similarity of socio-demographic variation between the genders was also assessed. Data and methods: The study applied…

Dependence of ionospheric response on the local time of sudden commencement and the intensity of geomagnetic storms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balan, N.; Rao, P.B.

1990-01-01

A study has been designed specifically to investigate the dependence of the ionospheric response on the time of occurrence of sudden commencement (SC) and the intensity of the magnetic storms for a low- and a mid-latitude station by considering total electron content and peak electron density data for more than 60 SC-type geomagnetic storms. The nature of the response, whether positive or negative, is found to be determined largely by the local time of SC, although there is a local time shift of about six hours between low- and mid-latitudes. The time delays associated with the positive responses are low for daytime SCs and high for night-time SCs, whereas the opposite applies for negative responses. The time delays are significantly shorter for mid-latitudes than for low-latitudes and, at both latitudes, are inversely related to the intensity of the storm. There is a positive correlation between the intensity of the ionospheric response and that of the magnetic storm, the correlation being greater at mid-latitudes. The results are discussed in the light of the possible processes which might contribute to the storm-associated ionospheric variations. (author)

Longitudinal intensity effects in the CERN Large Hadron Collider

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2081238; Rivkin, Leonid

This PhD thesis provides an improved knowledge of the LHC longitudinal impedance model and a better understanding of the longitudinal intensity effects. These effects can limit the LHC performance and lead to a reduction of the integrated luminosity. The LHC longitudinal impedance was measured with beams. Results obtained using traditional techniques are consistent with the expectations based on the impedance model, although the measurement precision was proven insufficient for the low impedance of the LHC. Innovative methods to probe the LHC reactive impedance were successfully used. One of the methods is based on exciting the beam with a sinusoidal rf phase modulation to estimate the synchrotron frequency shift from potential-well distortion. In the second method, the impedance is estimated from the loss of Landau damping threshold, which is also found to be in good agreement with analytical estimations. Beam-based impedance measurements agree well with estimations using the LHC impedance model. Macropartic...

Long-term Observations of Intense Precipitation Small-scale Spatial Variability in a Semi-arid Catchment

Science.gov (United States)

Cropp, E. L.; Hazenberg, P.; Castro, C. L.; Demaria, E. M.

2017-12-01

In the southwestern US, the summertime North American Monsoon (NAM) provides about 60% of the region's annual precipitation. Recent research using high-resolution atmospheric model simulations and retrospective predictions has shown that since the 1950's, and more specifically in the last few decades, the mean daily precipitation in the southwestern U.S. during the NAM has followed a decreasing trend. Furthermore, days with more extreme precipitation have intensified. The current work focuses the impact of these long-term changes on the observed small-scale spatial variability of intense precipitation. Since limited long-term high-resolution observational data exist to support such climatological-induced spatial changes in precipitation frequency and intensity, the current work utilizes observations from the USDA-ARS Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) in southeastern Arizona. Within this 150 km^2 catchment over 90 rain gauges have been installed since the 1950s, measuring at sub-hourly resolution. We have applied geospatial analyses and the kriging interpolation technique to identify long-term changes in the spatial and temporal correlation and anisotropy of intense precipitation. The observed results will be compared with the previously model simulated results, as well as related to large-scale variations in climate patterns, such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO).

Global variations of large megathrust earthquake rupture characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Kanamori, Hiroo

2018-01-01

Despite the surge of great earthquakes along subduction zones over the last decade and advances in observations and analysis techniques, it remains unclear whether earthquake complexity is primarily controlled by persistent fault properties or by dynamics of the failure process. We introduce the radiated energy enhancement factor (REEF), given by the ratio of an event’s directly measured radiated energy to the calculated minimum radiated energy for a source with the same seismic moment and duration, to quantify the rupture complexity. The REEF measurements for 119 large [moment magnitude (Mw) 7.0 to 9.2] megathrust earthquakes distributed globally show marked systematic regional patterns, suggesting that the rupture complexity is strongly influenced by persistent geological factors. We characterize this as the existence of smooth and rough rupture patches with varying interpatch separation, along with failure dynamics producing triggering interactions that augment the regional influences on large events. We present an improved asperity scenario incorporating both effects and categorize global subduction zones and great earthquakes based on their REEF values and slip patterns. Giant earthquakes rupturing over several hundred kilometers can occur in regions with low-REEF patches and small interpatch spacing, such as for the 1960 Chile, 1964 Alaska, and 2011 Tohoku earthquakes, or in regions with high-REEF patches and large interpatch spacing as in the case for the 2004 Sumatra and 1906 Ecuador-Colombia earthquakes. Thus, combining seismic magnitude Mw and REEF, we provide a quantitative framework to better represent the span of rupture characteristics of great earthquakes and to understand global seismicity. PMID:29750186

Developing data-intensive applications on Facebook

OpenAIRE

Hribar, Rok

2011-01-01

Facebook applications are becoming an important asset to companies in marketing and promotion of their services or products. For easier and more efficient marketing for companies there are many different data-intensive Facebook applications that businesses can use. Data-intensive applications require large amounts of data, the greater part of the implementation is used primarily for searching and transfering data from database. In my graduation thesis I focused on the development, transfe...

The contribution of additive genetic variation to personality variation: heritability of personality.

Science.gov (United States)

Dochtermann, Ned A; Schwab, Tori; Sih, Andrew

2015-01-07

Individual animals frequently exhibit repeatable differences from other members of their population, differences now commonly referred to as 'animal personality'. Personality differences can arise, for example, from differences in permanent environmental effects--including parental and epigenetic contributors--and the effect of additive genetic variation. Although several studies have evaluated the heritability of behaviour, less is known about general patterns of heritability and additive genetic variation in animal personality. As overall variation in behaviour includes both the among-individual differences that reflect different personalities and temporary environmental effects, it is possible for personality to be largely genetically influenced even when heritability of behaviour per se is quite low. The relative contribution of additive genetic variation to personality variation can be estimated whenever both repeatability and heritability are estimated for the same data. Using published estimates to address this issue, we found that approximately 52% of animal personality variation was attributable to additive genetic variation. Thus, while the heritability of behaviour is often moderate or low, the heritability of personality is much higher. Our results therefore (i) demonstrate that genetic differences are likely to be a major contributor to variation in animal personality and (ii) support the phenotypic gambit: that evolutionary inferences drawn from repeatability estimates may often be justified. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Raman intensity and vibrational modes of armchair CNTs

Science.gov (United States)

Hur, Jaewoong; Stuart, Steven J.

2017-07-01

Raman intensity changes and frequency patterns have been studied using the various armchair (n, n) to understand the variations of bond polarizability, in regard to changing diameters, lengths, and the number of atoms in the (n, n). The Raman intensity trends of the (n, n) are validated by those of Cn isomers. For frequency trends, similar frequency patterns and frequency inward shifts for the (n, n) are characterized. Also, VDOS trends of the (n, n) expressing Raman modes are interpreted. The decomposition of vibrational modes in the (n, n) into radial, longitudinal, and tangential mode is beneficially used to recognize the distinct characteristics of vibrational modes.

Curbing variations in packaging process through Six Sigma way in a large-scale food-processing industry

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, Darshak A.; Kotadiya, Parth; Makwana, Nikheel; Patel, Sonalinkumar

2015-03-01

Indian industries need overall operational excellence for sustainable profitability and growth in the present age of global competitiveness. Among different quality and productivity improvement techniques, Six Sigma has emerged as one of the most effective breakthrough improvement strategies. Though Indian industries are exploring this improvement methodology to their advantage and reaping the benefits, not much has been presented and published regarding experience of Six Sigma in the food-processing industries. This paper is an effort to exemplify the application of Six Sigma quality improvement drive to one of the large-scale food-processing sectors in India. The paper discusses the phase wiz implementation of define, measure, analyze, improve, and control (DMAIC) on one of the chronic problems, variations in the weight of milk powder pouch. The paper wraps up with the improvements achieved and projected bottom-line gain to the unit by application of Six Sigma methodology.

Variations in the Contouring of Organs at Risk: Test Case From a Patient With Oropharyngeal Cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelms, Benjamin E., E-mail: alpha@canislupusllc.com [Canis Lupus LLC, Merrimac, WI (United States); Tome, Wolfgang A. [Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Robinson, Greg [Radiation Oncology Resources, Goshen, IN (United States); Wheeler, James [Department of Radiation Oncology, Goshen Health System Goshen, IN (United States)

2012-01-01

Purpose: Anatomy contouring is critical in radiation therapy. Inaccuracy and variation in defining critical volumes will affect everything downstream: treatment planning, dose-volume histogram analysis, and contour-based visual guidance used in image-guided radiation therapy. This study quantified: (1) variation in the contouring of organs at risk (OAR) in a clinical test case and (2) corresponding effects on dosimetric metrics of highly conformal plans. Methods and Materials: A common CT data set with predefined targets from a patient with oropharyngeal cancer was provided to a population of clinics, which were asked to (1) contour OARs and (2) design an intensity-modulated radiation therapy plan. Thirty-two acceptable plans were submitted as DICOM RT data sets, each generated by a different clinical team. Using those data sets, we quantified: (1) the OAR contouring variation and (2) the impact this variation has on dosimetric metrics. New technologies were employed, including a software tool to quantify three-dimensional structure comparisons. Results: There was significant interclinician variation in OAR contouring. The degree of variation is organ-dependent. We found substantial dose differences resulting strictly from contouring variation (differences ranging from -289% to 56% for mean OAR dose; -22% to 35% for maximum dose). However, there appears to be a threshold in the OAR comparison metric beyond which the dose differences stabilize. Conclusions: The effects of interclinician variation in contouring organs-at-risk in the head and neck can be large and are organ-specific. Physicians need to be aware of the effect that variation in OAR contouring can play on the final treatment plan and not restrict their focus only to the target volumes.

Centennial-scale variations in diatom productivity off Peru over the last 3000 years

Science.gov (United States)

Fleury, Sophie; Crosta, Xavier; Schneider, Ralph; Blanz, Thomas; Ther, Olivier; Martinez, Philippe; Kim, Jung-Hyun

2016-04-01

The Peruvian coastal upwelling is one of the most productive systems in the global ocean, with important impacts on the carbon cycle. Primary productivity there displays strong variations at the inter-annual to decadal timescales. However, down-core investigations rarely reach sufficient temporal resolution to assess the response of productivity to climatic variations at these timescales beyond the instrumental and historical periods. We here analyzed diatom assemblages, sea-surface temperatures, nitrogen and organic carbon contents on a laminated sediment core from the Peruvian continental shelf to trace variations in regional productivity over the last 3000 years. Our record provides evidence for different climatic and oceanic conditions with more humid and less productive conditions older than 2500 Cal years BP and drier and more productive conditions younger than 2500 Cal years BP. The last 2500 years also present much stronger centennial-scale variability with the occurrence of six intervals with higher total diatom abundances and stronger percentages in upwelling-related diatom species, representative of intensified productivity, congruent to lower percentages in benthic diatoms, indicative of reduced rainfall. These six periods were synchronous to intervals of enhanced Walker circulation, suggesting a strong imprint of the Pacific zonal circulation on productivity variations off Peru. Our record also demonstrates that SSTs did not vary in phase with productivity, arguing against the idea of regional SSTs controlled by the upwelling intensity, but were rather in agreement to SST records off southern Chile, suggesting that Peruvian SSTs variations were largely controlled by oceanic currents at southern high latitudes.

Longitudinal Variation of the Lunar Tide in the Equatorial Electrojet

Science.gov (United States)

Yamazaki, Yosuke; Stolle, Claudia; Matzka, Jürgen; Siddiqui, Tarique A.; Lühr, Hermann; Alken, Patrick

2017-12-01

The atmospheric lunar tide is one known source of ionospheric variability. The subject received renewed attention as recent studies found a link between stratospheric sudden warmings and amplified lunar tidal perturbations in the equatorial ionosphere. There is increasing evidence from ground observations that the lunar tidal influence on the ionosphere depends on longitude. We use magnetic field measurements from the CHAMP satellite during July 2000 to September 2010 and from the two Swarm satellites during November 2013 to February 2017 to determine, for the first time, the complete seasonal-longitudinal climatology of the semidiurnal lunar tidal variation in the equatorial electrojet intensity. Significant longitudinal variability is found in the amplitude of the lunar tidal variation, while the longitudinal variability in the phase is small. The amplitude peaks in the Peruvian sector (˜285°E) during the Northern Hemisphere winter and equinoxes, and in the Brazilian sector (˜325°E) during the Northern Hemisphere summer. There are also local amplitude maxima at ˜55°E and ˜120°E. The longitudinal variation is partly due to the modulation of ionospheric conductivities by the inhomogeneous geomagnetic field. Another possible cause of the longitudinal variability is neutral wind forcing by nonmigrating lunar tides. A tidal spectrum analysis of the semidiurnal lunar tidal variation in the equatorial electrojet reveals the dominance of the westward propagating mode with zonal wave number 2 (SW2), with secondary contributions by westward propagating modes with zonal wave numbers 3 (SW3) and 4 (SW4). Eastward propagating waves are largely absent from the tidal spectrum. Further study will be required for the relative importance of ionospheric conductivities and nonmigrating lunar tides.

4D segmentation of brain MR images with constrained cortical thickness variation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Wang

Full Text Available Segmentation of brain MR images plays an important role in longitudinal investigation of developmental, aging, disease progression changes in the cerebral cortex. However, most existing brain segmentation methods consider multiple time-point images individually and thus cannot achieve longitudinal consistency. For example, cortical thickness measured from the segmented image will contain unnecessary temporal variations, which will affect the time related change pattern and eventually reduce the statistical power of analysis. In this paper, we propose a 4D segmentation framework for the adult brain MR images with the constraint of cortical thickness variations. Specifically, we utilize local intensity information to address the intensity inhomogeneity, spatial cortical thickness constraint to maintain the cortical thickness being within a reasonable range, and temporal cortical thickness variation constraint in neighboring time-points to suppress the artificial variations. The proposed method has been tested on BLSA dataset and ADNI dataset with promising results. Both qualitative and quantitative experimental results demonstrate the advantage of the proposed method, in comparison to other state-of-the-art 4D segmentation methods.

Periodic and recurrent variations of cosmic rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Somogyi, A.J.

1981-12-01

The new results achieved in the field of periodic and recurrent variations of the intensity of 10 9 to 10 13 eV cosmic rays are reviewed. Particular emphasis is given to developments in understanding the fluctuations of corotation-type anisotropies as well as to the structure of the heliosphere and its temporal changes. (author)

Investigation of the temporal evolution and spatial variation of in-cylinder engine fuel spray characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin, Wenjin; Hung, David L.S.; Xu, Min

2015-01-01

Highlights: • POD quadruple decomposition can reconstruct spray structure into different parts. • Different quadruple POD parts reveal different levels of spay field intensity. • Large scale structure part dominates the CCV of the entire spray. • In-cylinder flow field has the strongest effect on CCV of spray structure. - Abstract: The proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method is applied to analyze the pulsing spray characteristics of the fuel injection inside a four-valve optical spark-ignition direct-injection (SIDI) engine. The instantaneous spray structures are decomposed into four parts, namely the mean structure, large scale structure, transition structure and small scale structure, respectively, by using POD quadruple decomposition. The cycle-to-cycle variations (CCV) of the in-cylinder pulsing spray structure are examined separately based on the four parts. Analysis results indicate that the four parts have different characteristics, and each individual part represents a specific instantaneous spray structure. First, the mean part contains more than 90% of the total intensity of the spray field throughout the whole injection process. Moreover, the large scale structure part has the highest CCV level among all four parts, and it dominates the CCV of the entire spray field. The CCV of spray can be influenced by different engine operating conditions. In particular, the in-cylinder flow field has the strongest effect on the spray CCV. The varying motion of the in-cylinder flow field significantly influences the CCV of the large scale spray part, which in turn affects the CCV characteristics of the whole spray field

Assessing temporal and spatial variability of phytoplankton composition in a large reservoir in the Brazilian northeastern region under intense drought conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hortência de Souza Barroso

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The present study was carried out in Castanhão Reservoir, a large aquatic system in the Brazilian semi-arid region that serves multiples uses as water drinking supply and intensive fish-cage aquaculture site. In order to understand the effects of environmental conditions on the spatial and temporal variability of the phytoplankton functional groups (FG and the main ‘characterizing taxa’, sub-superficial water samples were collected from March 2012 to August 2013, a period distinguished by the continuous drop in reservoir volume due to rainfall shortage. Eighteen functional groups and 102 total phytoplankton taxa were found in the Castanhão reservoir during the study. No significant differences were observed relative to spatial variation of total phytoplankton composition throughout the reservoir (PERMANOVA, P>0.05. On the other hand, according to cluster analysis results, three temporal phases have been identified (Similarity Profile, P<0.05, based on 102 phytoplankton taxa. The ‘characterizing taxa’ was found using the Similarity Percentage procedure (cut-off 90%, being thus defined as those taxa that contributed the most to the similarity within each temporal phase. Nineteen ‘characterizing taxa’ described the Castanhão reservoir, with predominance of those typical of mixing and turbidity conditions. Cyanobacteria dominated through the three temporal phases. According to the redundancy analysis, nutrient availability and water transparency were found to influence the phytoplankton temporal dynamics. The phase I (rainy season was most represented by Planktolyngbya minor/Pl. limnetica (FG = S1, which reached best performance under strongly decreased phosphate-P concentrations and low water transparency. In phase II (dry season, Romeria victoriae (FG = ? outcompeted other cyanobacteria probably due the increase in water transparency and decrease in ammonium-N. Finally, in phase III (rainy season the decrease of water transparency

Effect of Variations in Long-Duration Rainfall Intensity on Unsaturated Slope Stability

OpenAIRE

Hsin-Fu Yeh; Yi-Jin Tsai

2018-01-01

In recent years, many scientific methods have been used to prove that the Earth’s climate is changing. Climate change can affect rainfall patterns, which can in turn affect slope safety. Therefore, this study analyzed the effects of climate change on rainfall patterns from the perspective of rainfall intensity. This analysis was combined with numerical model analysis to examine the rainfall patterns of the Zengwen reservoir catchment area and its effects on slope stability. In this study, the...

Light variations of a spherical star with two hot precessing spots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kyurkchieva, D.P.; Shkodrov, V.G.

1984-01-01

In one of the models of SS443, suggested by Lipunov and Shakura (1982), the second component of the double stellar system is considered a star with two hot spots on the surface. Since the gas jets forming the spots are precessing, the hot spots on the visible disk will do likewise. In this paper, the light variations of a spherical star with two precessing hot spots are analyzed under the following restrictive conditions: (I) the inclination of the precession axis toward the line of sight is i=π/2; (II) the visible disk of the spherical star is considered uniformly illuminated, i.e. the effect of the variation in intensity from the disk center to the limb is neglected. The time variations in the projection area of the precessing spots on the visible stellar disk are investigated. In the studies to follow, the same effect will be analyzed assuming: (1) inot=π/2; (2) the variation in intensity is estimated from center to the stellar boundary; (3) a case of ellipsoidal stars; (4) this effect added to the effect of darkening due to orbital movement in a double stellar system

Insecticide-driven patterns of genetic variation in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti in Martinique Island.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sébastien Marcombe

Full Text Available Effective vector control is currently challenged worldwide by the evolution of resistance to all classes of chemical insecticides in mosquitoes. In Martinique, populations of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti have been intensively treated with temephos and deltamethrin insecticides over the last fifty years, resulting in heterogeneous levels of resistance across the island. Resistance spreading depends on standing genetic variation, selection intensity and gene flow among populations. To determine gene flow intensity, we first investigated neutral patterns of genetic variability in sixteen populations representative of the many environments found in Martinique and experiencing various levels of insecticide pressure, using 6 microsatellites. Allelic richness was lower in populations resistant to deltamethrin, and consanguinity was higher in populations resistant to temephos, consistent with a negative effect of insecticide pressure on neutral genetic diversity. The global genetic differentiation was low, suggesting high gene flow among populations, but significant structure was found, with a pattern of isolation-by-distance at the global scale. Then, we investigated adaptive patterns of divergence in six out of the 16 populations using 319 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs. Five SNP outliers displaying levels of genetic differentiation out of neutral expectations were detected, including the kdr-V1016I mutation in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene. Association tests revealed a total of seven SNPs associated with deltamethrin resistance. Six other SNPs were associated with temephos resistance, including two non-synonymous substitutions in an alkaline phosphatase and in a sulfotransferase respectively. Altogether, both neutral and adaptive patterns of genetic variation in mosquito populations appear to be largely driven by insecticide pressure in Martinique.

Provider Use of a Novel EHR display in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Large Customizable Interactive Monitor (LCIM).

Science.gov (United States)

Asan, Onur; Holden, Richard J; Flynn, Kathryn E; Yang, Yushi; Azam, Laila; Scanlon, Matthew C

2016-07-20

The purpose of this study was to explore providers' perspectives on the use of a novel technology, "Large Customizable Interactive Monitor" (LCIM), a novel application of the electronic health record system implemented in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. We employed a qualitative approach to collect and analyze data from pediatric intensive care physicians, pediatric nurse practitioners, and acute care specialists. Using semi-structured interviews, we collected data from January to April, 2015. The research team analyzed the transcripts using an iterative coding method to identify common themes. Study results highlight contextual data on providers' use routines of the LCIM. Findings from thirty six interviews were classified into three groups: 1) providers' familiarity with the LCIM; 2) providers' use routines (i.e. when and how they use it); and 3) reasons why they use or do not use it. It is important to conduct baseline studies of the use of novel technologies. The importance of training and orientation affects the adoption and use patterns of this new technology. This study is notable for being the first to investigate a LCIM system, a next generation system implemented in the pediatric critical care setting. Our study revealed this next generation HIT might have great potential for family-centered rounds, team education during rounds, and family education/engagement in their child's health in the patient room. This study also highlights the effect of training and orientation on the adoption patterns of new technology.

Simulating Large Area, High Intensity AM0 Illumination on Earth- Representative Testing at Elevated Temperatures for the BepiColombo and SolO Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Oberhuttinger, C.; Quabis, D.; Zimmermann, C. G.

2014-08-01

During both the BepiColombo and the Solar Orbiter (SolO) mission, severe environmental conditions with sun intensities up to 10.6 solar constants (SCs) resp. 12.8 SCs will be encountered. Therefore, a special cell design was developed which can withstand these environmental loads. To verify the solar cells under representative conditions, a set of specific tests is conducted. The key qualification test for these high intensity, high temperature (HIHT) missions is a combined test, which exposes a large number of cells simultaneously to the complete AM0 spectrum at the required irradiance and temperature. Such a test was set up in the VTC1.5 chamber located at ESTEC. This paper provides an overview of the challenges in designing a setup capable of achieving this HIHT simulation. The solutions that were developed will be presented. Also the performance of the setup will be illustrated by actual test results.

Explaining growth variation over large spatial scales: Effects of temperature and food on walleye growth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mosgaard, Thomas; Venturelli, Paul; Lester, Nigel P.

2012-01-01

freshwater fish species in North America. We then use length at age data from yellow perch (Perca flavescens) to identify the mechanisms behind the remaining variation in the length at age – temperature relationship for walleye. A positive perch – walleye relationship indicates that the mechanism behind......Most fishes exhibit strong spatial variation in growth. Because fish growth and production are tightly linked, quantifying and explaining variation in growth can mean the difference between successful management and unforeseen collapse. However, disentangling the factors that are responsible...

Atmospheric Structure and Diurnal Variations at Low Altitudes in the Martian Tropics

Science.gov (United States)

Hinson, David P.; Spiga, A.; Lewis, S.; Tellmann, S.; Pätzold, M.; Asmar, S.; Häusler, B.

2013-10-01

We are using radio occultation measurements from Mars Express, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and Mars Global Surveyor to characterize the diurnal cycle in the lowest scale height above the surface. We focus on northern spring and summer, using observations from 4 Martian years at local times of 4-5 and 15-17 h. We supplement the observations with results obtained from large-eddy simulations and through data assimilation by the UK spectral version of the LMD Mars Global Circulation Model. We previously investigated the depth of the daytime convective boundary layer (CBL) and its variations with surface elevation and surface properties. We are now examining unusual aspects of the temperature structure observed at night. Most important, predawn profiles in the Tharsis region contain an unexpected layer of neutral static stability at pressures of 200-300 Pa with a depth of 4-5 km. The mixed layer is bounded above by a midlevel temperature inversion and below by another strong inversion adjacent to the surface. The narrow temperature minimum at the base of the midlevel inversion suggests the presence of a water ice cloud layer, with the further implication that radiative cooling at cloud level can induce convective activity at lower altitudes. Conversely, nighttime profiles in Amazonis show no sign of a midlevel inversion or a detached mixed layer. These regional variations in the nighttime temperature structure appear to arise in part from large-scale variations in topography, which have several notable effects. First, the CBL is much deeper in the Tharsis region than in Amazonis, owing to a roughly 6-km difference in surface elevation. Second, large-eddy simulations show that daytime convection is not only deeper above Tharsis but also considerably more intense than it is in Amazonis. Finally, the daytime surface temperatures are comparable in the two regions, so that Tharsis acts as an elevated heat source throughout the CBL. These topographic effects are expected to

Large Torque Variations in Two Soft Gamma Repeaters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Woods, P.M.; Kouveliotou, C.; Göğüş, E.; Finger, M.H.; Swank, J.; Markwardt, C.B.; Hurley, K.; van der Klis, M.

2002-01-01

We have monitored the pulse frequencies of the two soft gamma repeaters SGR 1806-20 and SGR 1900+14 through the beginning of year 2001 using primarily Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer Proportional Counter Array observations. In both sources, we observe large changes in the spin-down torque up to a factor

Variation in the Asian monsoon intensity and dry-wet conditions since the Little Ice Age in central China revealed by an aragonite stalagmite

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, J.-J.; Yuan, D.-X.; Li, H.-C.; Cheng, H.; Li, T.-Y.; Edwards, R. L.; Lin, Y.-S.; Qin, J.-M.; Tang, W.; Zhao, Z.-Y.; Mii, H.-S.

2014-10-01

This paper focuses on the climate variability in central China since AD 1300, involving: (1) a well-dated, 1.5-year resolution stalagmite δ18O record from Lianhua Cave, central China (2) links of the δ18O record with regional dry-wet conditions, monsoon intensity, and temperature over eastern China (3) correlations among drought events in the Lianhua record, solar irradiation, and ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) variation. We present a highly precise, 230Th / U-dated, 1.5-year resolution δ18O record of an aragonite stalagmite (LHD1) collected from Lianhua Cave in the Wuling Mountain area of central China. The comparison of the δ18O record with the local instrumental record and historical documents indicates that (1) the stalagmite δ18O record reveals variations in the summer monsoon intensity and dry-wet conditions in the Wuling Mountain area. (2) A stronger East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) enhances the tropical monsoon trough controlled by ITCZ (Intertropical Convergence Zone), which produces higher spring quarter rainfall and isotopically light monsoonal moisture in the central China. (3) The summer quarter/spring quarter rainfall ratio in central China can be a potential indicator of the EASM strength: a lower ratio corresponds to stronger EASM and higher spring rainfall. The ratio changed from 1 after 1950, reflecting that the summer quarter rainfall of the study area became dominant under stronger influence of the Northwestern Pacific High. Eastern China temperatures varied with the solar activity, showing higher temperatures under stronger solar irradiation, which produced stronger summer monsoons. During Maunder, Dalton and 1900 sunspot minima, more severe drought events occurred, indicating a weakening of the summer monsoon when solar activity decreased on decadal timescales. On an interannual timescale, dry conditions in the study area prevailed under El Niño conditions, which is also supported by the spectrum analysis. Hence, our record

Isogeometric variational multiscale large-eddy simulation of fully-developed turbulent flow over a wavy wall

KAUST Repository

Chang, Kyungsik; Hughes, Thomas Jr R; Calo, Victor M.

2012-01-01

We report on the isogeometric residual-based variational multiscale (VMS) large eddy simulation of a fully developed turbulent flow over a wavy wall. To assess the predictive capability of the VMS modeling framework, we compare its predictions against the results from direct numerical simulation (DNS) and large eddy simulation (LES) and, when available, against experimental measurements. We use C 1 quadratic B-spline basis functions to represent the smooth geometry of the sinusoidal lower wall and the solution variables. The Reynolds numbers of the flows considered are 6760 and 30,000 based on the bulk velocity and average channel height. The ratio of amplitude to wavelength (α/λ) of the sinusoidal wavy surface is set to 0.05. The computational domain is 2λ×1.05λ×λ in the streamwise, wall-normal and spanwise directions, respectively. For the Re=6760 case, mean averaged quantities, including velocity and pressure profiles, and the separation/reattachment points in the recirculation region, are compared with DNS and experimental data. The turbulent kinetic energy and Reynolds stress are in good agreement with benchmark data. Coherent structures over the wavy wall are observed in isosurfaces of the Q-criterion and show similar features to those previously reported in the literature. Comparable accuracy to DNS solutions is obtained with at least one order of magnitude fewer degrees of freedom. For the Re=30,000 case, good agreement was obtained for mean wall shear stress and velocity profiles compared with available LES results reported in the literature. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Isogeometric variational multiscale large-eddy simulation of fully-developed turbulent flow over a wavy wall

KAUST Repository

Chang, Kyungsik

2012-09-01

We report on the isogeometric residual-based variational multiscale (VMS) large eddy simulation of a fully developed turbulent flow over a wavy wall. To assess the predictive capability of the VMS modeling framework, we compare its predictions against the results from direct numerical simulation (DNS) and large eddy simulation (LES) and, when available, against experimental measurements. We use C 1 quadratic B-spline basis functions to represent the smooth geometry of the sinusoidal lower wall and the solution variables. The Reynolds numbers of the flows considered are 6760 and 30,000 based on the bulk velocity and average channel height. The ratio of amplitude to wavelength (α/λ) of the sinusoidal wavy surface is set to 0.05. The computational domain is 2λ×1.05λ×λ in the streamwise, wall-normal and spanwise directions, respectively. For the Re=6760 case, mean averaged quantities, including velocity and pressure profiles, and the separation/reattachment points in the recirculation region, are compared with DNS and experimental data. The turbulent kinetic energy and Reynolds stress are in good agreement with benchmark data. Coherent structures over the wavy wall are observed in isosurfaces of the Q-criterion and show similar features to those previously reported in the literature. Comparable accuracy to DNS solutions is obtained with at least one order of magnitude fewer degrees of freedom. For the Re=30,000 case, good agreement was obtained for mean wall shear stress and velocity profiles compared with available LES results reported in the literature. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Size variation in Middle Pleistocene humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Arsuaga, J L; Carretero, J M; Lorenzo, C; Gracia, A; Martínez, I; Bermúdez de Castro, J M; Carbonell, E

1997-08-22

It has been suggested that European Middle Pleistocene humans, Neandertals, and prehistoric modern humans had a greater sexual dimorphism than modern humans. Analysis of body size variation and cranial capacity variation in the large sample from the Sima de los Huesos site in Spain showed instead that the sexual dimorphism is comparable in Middle Pleistocene and modern populations.

A time series approach to the correction for atmosphere effects and the significance of a semi-diurnal variation in corrected intensities of secondary cosmic ray neutrons and mesons (NM64 and MT64)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huijsmans, D.P.

1982-01-01

The aim of this research was to distinguish as accurately as possible between two mechanisms behind a half-daily variation in detected numbers of neutrons and mesons in the secondary cosmic ray particles at sea level. These two mechanisms are due to air pressure variations at sea level and affect the number of primary particles with a certain arrival direction. The distribution among arrival directions in the ecliptic plane varies if a gradient exists in the guiding centre density of primaries in directions perpendicular to the neutral sheet. Chapter 2 is devoted to the calculation of a physically and statistically justifiable determination of the barometric coefficient for neutron measurements and air pressures. Chapter 3 deals with the estimation of atmospheric correction coefficients for the elimination of the influence of changing atmospheric conditions on the number of detected mesons. For mesons the variation of total mass, and also the variations in mass-distribution along the trajectory of the mesons are important. After correction for atmospheric variations using the resulting atmospheric correction coefficients from chapter 2 and 3, the influence of the structure of the interplanetary magnetic field near the earth is examined in chapter 4. 0inally, in chapter 5, a power spectral analysis of variations in corrected intensities of neutrons and mesons is carried out. Such an analysis distinguishes the variance of a time series into contributions within small frequency intervals. From the power spectra of variations on a yearly basis, a statistically fundamented judgement can be given as to the significance of the semi-diurnal variation during the different phases of the solar magnetic activity cycle. (Auth.)

Efficient inference of population size histories and locus-specific mutation rates from large-sample genomic variation data.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhaskar, Anand; Wang, Y X Rachel; Song, Yun S

2015-02-01

With the recent increase in study sample sizes in human genetics, there has been growing interest in inferring historical population demography from genomic variation data. Here, we present an efficient inference method that can scale up to very large samples, with tens or hundreds of thousands of individuals. Specifically, by utilizing analytic results on the expected frequency spectrum under the coalescent and by leveraging the technique of automatic differentiation, which allows us to compute gradients exactly, we develop a very efficient algorithm to infer piecewise-exponential models of the historical effective population size from the distribution of sample allele frequencies. Our method is orders of magnitude faster than previous demographic inference methods based on the frequency spectrum. In addition to inferring demography, our method can also accurately estimate locus-specific mutation rates. We perform extensive validation of our method on simulated data and show that it can accurately infer multiple recent epochs of rapid exponential growth, a signal that is difficult to pick up with small sample sizes. Lastly, we use our method to analyze data from recent sequencing studies, including a large-sample exome-sequencing data set of tens of thousands of individuals assayed at a few hundred genic regions. © 2015 Bhaskar et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Intelligent agents in data-intensive computing

CERN Document Server

Correia, Luís; Molina, José

2016-01-01

This book presents new approaches that advance research in all aspects of agent-based models, technologies, simulations and implementations for data intensive applications. The nine chapters contain a review of recent cross-disciplinary approaches in cloud environments and multi-agent systems, and important formulations of data intensive problems in distributed computational environments together with the presentation of new agent-based tools to handle those problems and Big Data in general. This volume can serve as a reference for students, researchers and industry practitioners working in or interested in joining interdisciplinary work in the areas of data intensive computing and Big Data systems using emergent large-scale distributed computing paradigms. It will also allow newcomers to grasp key concepts and potential solutions on advanced topics of theory, models, technologies, system architectures and implementation of applications in Multi-Agent systems and data intensive computing. .

Understanding the Impact of Intensive Horticulture Land-Use Practices on Surface Water Quality in Central Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faith K. Muriithi

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Rapid expansion of commercial horticulture production and related activities contribute to declining surface water quality. The study sought to understand the impacts on select rivers in Laikipia and Meru, production hotspots. The specific aims were (1 to identify prevailing surface water quality by examining variations of 14 physico-chemical parameters, and (2 to categorize measured surface water quality parameters into land use types highlighting potential pollutant source processes. Water samples were collected in July and August 2013 along 14 rivers in the study area. The data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA and discriminant analysis (DA. Principal components (PCs explained 70% of the observed total variability of water quality, indicating a prevalence of heavy metal traces (cadmium, phosphate, and zinc. These were linked to the rigorous use of phosphate fertilizers and copper-based agrochemicals in intensive farming. DA provided four significant (p < 0.05 discriminant functions, with 89.5% correct assignment enabling the association of land use with observed water quality. Concentrations of dissolved solids, electro-conductivity, and salinity spiked at locations with intensive small-scale and large-scale horticulture. Understanding the impacts of intensive commercial horticulture and land use practices on water quality is critical to formulating ecologically sound watershed management and pollution abatement plans.

Reliable detection of fluence anomalies in EPID-based IMRT pretreatment quality assurance using pixel intensity deviations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordon, J. J.; Gardner, J. K.; Wang, S.; Siebers, J. V.

2012-01-01

Purpose: This work uses repeat images of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) fields to quantify fluence anomalies (i.e., delivery errors) that can be reliably detected in electronic portal images used for IMRT pretreatment quality assurance. Methods: Repeat images of 11 clinical IMRT fields are acquired on a Varian Trilogy linear accelerator at energies of 6 MV and 18 MV. Acquired images are corrected for output variations and registered to minimize the impact of linear accelerator and electronic portal imaging device (EPID) positioning deviations. Detection studies are performed in which rectangular anomalies of various sizes are inserted into the images. The performance of detection strategies based on pixel intensity deviations (PIDs) and gamma indices is evaluated using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results: Residual differences between registered images are due to interfraction positional deviations of jaws and multileaf collimator leaves, plus imager noise. Positional deviations produce large intensity differences that degrade anomaly detection. Gradient effects are suppressed in PIDs using gradient scaling. Background noise is suppressed using median filtering. In the majority of images, PID-based detection strategies can reliably detect fluence anomalies of ≥5% in ∼1 mm 2 areas and ≥2% in ∼20 mm 2 areas. Conclusions: The ability to detect small dose differences (≤2%) depends strongly on the level of background noise. This in turn depends on the accuracy of image registration, the quality of the reference image, and field properties. The longer term aim of this work is to develop accurate and reliable methods of detecting IMRT delivery errors and variations. The ability to resolve small anomalies will allow the accuracy of advanced treatment techniques, such as image guided, adaptive, and arc therapies, to be quantified.

Intensity issues and machine protection of the HE-LHC

OpenAIRE

Assmann, R.

2011-01-01

The HE-LHC study investigates the possibilities for upgrading the beam energy of the Large Hadron Collider CERN from 7 TeV to 16.5 TeV. This paper presents a preliminary investigation of intensity issues and machine protection for the HE-LHC. The HE-LHC study investigates the possibilities for upgrading the beam energy of the Large Hadron Collider CERN from 7 TeV to 16.5 TeV. This paper presents a preliminary investigation of intensity issues and machine protection for the HE-LHC.

Natural variations in the geomagnetically trapped electron population

Science.gov (United States)

Vampola, A. L.

1972-01-01

Temporal variations in the trapped natural electron flux intensities and energy spectra are discussed and demonstrated using recent satellite data. These data are intended to acquaint the space systems engineer with the types of natural variations that may be encountered during a mission and to augment the models of the electron environment currently being used in space system design and orbit selection. An understanding of the temporal variations which may be encountered should prove helpful. Some of the variations demonstrated here which are not widely known include: (1) addition of very energetic electrons to the outer zone during moderate magnetic storms: (2) addition of energetic electrons to the inner zone during major magnetic storms; (3) inversions in the outer zone electron energy spectrum during the decay phase of a storm injection event and (4) occasional formation of multiple maxima in the flux vs altitude profile of moderately energetic electrons.

Top-down Estimates of Greenhouse Gas Intensities and Emissions for Individual Oil Sands Facilities in Alberta Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Liggio, J.; Li, S. M.; Staebler, R. M.; Hayden, K. L.; Mittermeier, R. L.; McLaren, R.; Baray, S.; Darlington, A.; Worthy, D.; O'Brien, J.

2017-12-01

The oil sands (OS) region of Alberta contributes approximately 10% to Canada's overall anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Such emissions have traditionally been estimated through "bottom-up" methods which seek to account for all individual sources of GHGs within a given facility. However, it is recognized that bottom-up approaches for complex industrial facilities can be subject to uncertainties associated with incomplete or inaccurate emission factor and/or activity data. In order to quantify air pollutant emissions from oil sands activities an aircraft-based measurement campaign was performed in the summer of 2013. The aircraft measurements could also be used to quantify GHG emissions for comparison to the bottom up emissions estimates. Utilizing specific flight patterns, together with an emissions estimation algorithm and measurements of CO2 and methane, a "top-down" estimate of GHG intensities for several large surface mining operations was obtained. The results demonstrate that there is a wide variation in emissions intensities (≈80 - 220 kg CO2/barrel oil) across OS facilities, which in some cases agree with calculated intensities, and in other cases are larger than that estimated using industry reported GHG emission and oil production data. When translated to annual GHG emissions, the "top-down" approach results in a CO2 emission of approximately 41 Mega Tonnes (MT) CO2/year for the 4 OS facilities investigated, in contrast to the ≈26 MT CO2/year reported by industry. The results presented here highlight the importance of using "top-down" approaches as a complimentary method in evaluating GHG emissions from large industrial sources.

Estimation of historical earthquake intensities and intensity-PGA relationship for wooden house damages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, In-Kil; Seo, Jeong-Moon

2002-01-01

A series of tests and dynamic analyses on Korean traditional wooden houses was performed for the intensity estimation of the typical large historical earthquake records. Static and cyclic lateral load tests on the wooden frames were performed to assess the lateral load capacity of wooden frames. The shaking table tests on two 1:4 scaled models of a Korean ancient commoner's house made of fresh pine lumber were performed. Typical earthquake time histories recorded on soil and rock sites were used as input for the tests. The prototypical wooden house was analyzed for multiple time histories which match Ohsaki's ground response spectra. Seismic analyses comprise the aging of lumber and different soil condition. The relationship between the earthquake intensity and the peak ground acceleration (PGA) is proposed for the wooden house damages based on the results of this study. The intensity of major Korean historical earthquake records related with house collapses was quantitatively estimated to be MM VIII

A Russian Keyword Spotting System Based on Large Vocabulary Continuous Speech Recognition and Linguistic Knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentin Smirnov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper describes the key concepts of a word spotting system for Russian based on large vocabulary continuous speech recognition. Key algorithms and system settings are described, including the pronunciation variation algorithm, and the experimental results on the real-life telecom data are provided. The description of system architecture and the user interface is provided. The system is based on CMU Sphinx open-source speech recognition platform and on the linguistic models and algorithms developed by Speech Drive LLC. The effective combination of baseline statistic methods, real-world training data, and the intensive use of linguistic knowledge led to a quality result applicable to industrial use.

Factors associated with inter-institutional variations in sepsis rates of very-low-birth-weight infants in 34 Malaysian neonatal intensive care units.

Science.gov (United States)

Boo, Nem-Yun; Cheah, Irene Guat-Sim

2016-03-01

This study aimed to determine whether patient loads, infant status on admission and treatment interventions were significantly associated with inter-institutional variations in sepsis rates in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants in the Malaysian National Neonatal Registry (MNNR). This was a retrospective study of 3,880 VLBW (≤ 1,500 g) infants admitted to 34 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the MNNR. Sepsis was diagnosed in symptomatic infants with positive blood culture. Sepsis developed in 623 (16.1%) infants; 61 (9.8%) had early-onset sepsis (EOS) and 562 (90.2%) had late-onset sepsis (LOS). The median EOS rate of all NICUs was 1.0% (interquartile range [IQR] 0%, 2.0%). Compared with NICUs reporting no EOS (n = 14), NICUs reporting EOS (n = 20) had significantly higher patient loads (total live births, admissions, VLBW infants, outborns); more mothers with a history of abortions, and antenatal steroids and intrapartum antibiotic use; more infants requiring resuscitation procedures at birth; higher rates of surfactant therapy, pneumonia and insertion of central venous catheters. The median LOS rate of all NICUs was 14.5% (IQR 7.8%, 19.2%). Compared with NICUs with LOS rates below the first quartile (n = 8), those above the third quartile (n = 8) used less intrapartum antibiotics, and had significantly bigger and more mature infants, more outborns, as well as a higher number of sick infants requiring ventilator support and total parenteral nutrition. Patient loads, resuscitation at birth, status of infants on admission and treatment interventions were significantly associated with inter-institutional variations in sepsis. Copyright: © Singapore Medical Association.

Solution of problems in calculus of variations via He's variational iteration method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tatari, Mehdi; Dehghan, Mehdi

2007-01-01

In the modeling of a large class of problems in science and engineering, the minimization of a functional is appeared. Finding the solution of these problems needs to solve the corresponding ordinary differential equations which are generally nonlinear. In recent years He's variational iteration method has been attracted a lot of attention of the researchers for solving nonlinear problems. This method finds the solution of the problem without any discretization of the equation. Since this method gives a closed form solution of the problem and avoids the round off errors, it can be considered as an efficient method for solving various kinds of problems. In this research He's variational iteration method will be employed for solving some problems in calculus of variations. Some examples are presented to show the efficiency of the proposed technique

DROPOUT OF DIRECTIONAL ELECTRON INTENSITIES IN LARGE SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE EVENTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tan, Lun C. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Reames, Donald V., E-mail: ltan@umd.edu [Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States)

2016-01-10

In the “gradual” solar energetic particle (SEP) event during solar cycle 23 we have observed the dispersionless modulation (“dropout”) in directional intensities of nonrelativistic electrons. The average duration of dropout periods is ∼0.8 hr, which is consistent with the correlation scale of solar wind turbulence. During the dropout period electrons could display scatter-free transport in an intermittent way. Also, we have observed a decrease in the anisotropic index of incident electrons with increasing electron energy (E{sub e}), while the index of scattered/reflected electrons is nearly independent of E{sub e}. We hence perform an observational examination of the correlation between the anisotropic index of low-energy scattered/reflected electrons and the signature of the locally measured solar wind turbulence in the dissipation range, which is responsible for resonant scattering of nonrelativistic electrons. Since during the dropout period the slab turbulence fraction is dominant (0.8 ± 0.1), we pay close attention to the effect of slab fraction on the correlation examined. Our observation is consistent with the simulation result that in the dominance of the slab turbulence component there should exist a dispatched structure of magnetic flux tubes, along which electrons could be transported in a scatter-free manner. Since a similar phenomenon is exhibited in the “impulsive” SEP event, electron dropout should be a transport effect. Therefore, being different from most ion dropout events, which are due to a compact flare source, the dropout of directional electron intensities should be caused by the change of turbulence status in the solar wind.

DROPOUT OF DIRECTIONAL ELECTRON INTENSITIES IN LARGE SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE EVENTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, Lun C.; Reames, Donald V.

2016-01-01

In the “gradual” solar energetic particle (SEP) event during solar cycle 23 we have observed the dispersionless modulation (“dropout”) in directional intensities of nonrelativistic electrons. The average duration of dropout periods is ∼0.8 hr, which is consistent with the correlation scale of solar wind turbulence. During the dropout period electrons could display scatter-free transport in an intermittent way. Also, we have observed a decrease in the anisotropic index of incident electrons with increasing electron energy (E e ), while the index of scattered/reflected electrons is nearly independent of E e . We hence perform an observational examination of the correlation between the anisotropic index of low-energy scattered/reflected electrons and the signature of the locally measured solar wind turbulence in the dissipation range, which is responsible for resonant scattering of nonrelativistic electrons. Since during the dropout period the slab turbulence fraction is dominant (0.8 ± 0.1), we pay close attention to the effect of slab fraction on the correlation examined. Our observation is consistent with the simulation result that in the dominance of the slab turbulence component there should exist a dispatched structure of magnetic flux tubes, along which electrons could be transported in a scatter-free manner. Since a similar phenomenon is exhibited in the “impulsive” SEP event, electron dropout should be a transport effect. Therefore, being different from most ion dropout events, which are due to a compact flare source, the dropout of directional electron intensities should be caused by the change of turbulence status in the solar wind

Individual Variation in Hunger, Energy Intake, and Ghrelin Responses to Acute Exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

King, James A; Deighton, Kevin; Broom, David R; Wasse, Lucy K; Douglas, Jessica A; Burns, Stephen F; Cordery, Philip A; Petherick, Emily S; Batterham, Rachel L; Goltz, Fernanda R; Thackray, Alice E; Yates, Thomas; Stensel, David J

2017-06-01

This study aimed to characterize the immediate and extended effect of acute exercise on hunger, energy intake, and circulating acylated ghrelin concentrations using a large data set of homogenous experimental trials and to describe the variation in responses between individuals. Data from 17 of our group's experimental crossover trials were aggregated yielding a total sample of 192 young, healthy males. In these studies, single bouts of moderate to high-intensity aerobic exercise (69% ± 5% V˙O2 peak; mean ± SD) were completed with detailed participant assessments occurring during and for several hours postexercise. Mean hunger ratings were determined during (n = 178) and after (n = 118) exercise from visual analog scales completed at 30-min intervals, whereas ad libitum energy intake was measured within the first hour after exercise (n = 60) and at multiple meals (n = 128) during the remainder of trials. Venous concentrations of acylated ghrelin were determined at strategic time points during (n = 118) and after (n = 89) exercise. At group level, exercise transiently suppressed hunger (P hunger and circulating acylated ghrelin concentrations with notable diversity between individuals. Care must be taken to distinguish true interindividual variation from random differences within normal limits.

Dose optimization with first-order total-variation minimization for dense angularly sampled and sparse intensity modulated radiation therapy (DASSIM-RT)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hojin; Li Ruijiang; Lee, Rena; Goldstein, Thomas; Boyd, Stephen; Candes, Emmanuel; Xing Lei [Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-9505 (United States) and Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5847 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5847 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Ehwa University, Seoul 158-710 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-9505 (United States); Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-4065 (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5304 (United States)

2012-07-15

Purpose: A new treatment scheme coined as dense angularly sampled and sparse intensity modulated radiation therapy (DASSIM-RT) has recently been proposed to bridge the gap between IMRT and VMAT. By increasing the angular sampling of radiation beams while eliminating dispensable segments of the incident fields, DASSIM-RT is capable of providing improved conformity in dose distributions while maintaining high delivery efficiency. The fact that DASSIM-RT utilizes a large number of incident beams represents a major computational challenge for the clinical applications of this powerful treatment scheme. The purpose of this work is to provide a practical solution to the DASSIM-RT inverse planning problem. Methods: The inverse planning problem is formulated as a fluence-map optimization problem with total-variation (TV) minimization. A newly released L1-solver, template for first-order conic solver (TFOCS), was adopted in this work. TFOCS achieves faster convergence with less memory usage as compared with conventional quadratic programming (QP) for the TV form through the effective use of conic forms, dual-variable updates, and optimal first-order approaches. As such, it is tailored to specifically address the computational challenges of large-scale optimization in DASSIM-RT inverse planning. Two clinical cases (a prostate and a head and neck case) are used to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed planning technique. DASSIM-RT plans with 15 and 30 beams are compared with conventional IMRT plans with 7 beams in terms of plan quality and delivery efficiency, which are quantified by conformation number (CN), the total number of segments and modulation index, respectively. For optimization efficiency, the QP-based approach was compared with the proposed algorithm for the DASSIM-RT plans with 15 beams for both cases. Results: Plan quality improves with an increasing number of incident beams, while the total number of segments is maintained to be about the

On Estimation of Contamination from Hydrogen Cyanide in Carbon Monoxide Line-intensity Mapping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Dongwoo T.; Li, Tony Y.; Viero, Marco P.; Church, Sarah E.; Wechsler, Risa H., E-mail: dongwooc@stanford.edu [Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Physics Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States)

2017-09-01

Line-intensity mapping surveys probe large-scale structure through spatial variations in molecular line emission from a population of unresolved cosmological sources. Future such surveys of carbon monoxide line emission, specifically the CO(1-0) line, face potential contamination from a disjointed population of sources emitting in a hydrogen cyanide emission line, HCN(1-0). This paper explores the potential range of the strength of HCN emission and its effect on the CO auto power spectrum, using simulations with an empirical model of the CO/HCN–halo connection. We find that effects on the observed CO power spectrum depend on modeling assumptions but are very small for our fiducial model, which is based on current understanding of the galaxy–halo connection. Given the fiducial model, we expect the bias in overall CO detection significance due to HCN to be less than 1%.

Asymptotic Behaviour of Total Generalised Variation

KAUST Repository

Papafitsoros, Konstantinos; Valkonen, Tuomo

2015-01-01

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015. The recently introduced second order total generalised variation functional TGV2 β,α has been a successful regulariser for image processing purposes. Its definition involves two positive parameters α and β whose values determine the amount and the quality of the regularisation. In this paper we report on the behaviour of TGV2 β,α in the cases where the parameters α, β as well as their ratio β/α becomes very large or very small. Among others, we prove that for sufficiently symmetric two dimensional data and large ratio β/α, TGV2 β,α regularisation coincides with total variation (TV) regularization

Predictors of intensive care unit refusal in French intensive care units: a multiple-center study.

Science.gov (United States)

Garrouste-Orgeas, Maité; Montuclard, Luc; Timsit, Jean-François; Reignier, Jean; Desmettre, Thibault; Karoubi, Philippe; Moreau, Delphine; Montesino, Laurent; Duguet, Alexandre; Boussat, Sandrine; Ede, Christophe; Monseau, Yannick; Paule, Thierry; Misset, Benoit; Carlet, Jean

2005-04-01

To identify factors associated with granting or refusing intensive care unit (ICU) admission, to analyze ICU characteristics and triage decisions, and to describe mortality in admitted and refused patients. Observational, prospective, multiple-center study. Four university hospitals and seven primary-care hospitals in France. None. Age, underlying diseases (McCabe score and Knaus class), dependency, hospital mortality, and ICU characteristics were recorded. The crude ICU refusal rate was 23.8% (137/574), with variations from 7.1% to 63.1%. The reasons for refusal were too well to benefit (76/137, 55.4%), too sick to benefit (51/137, 37.2%), unit too busy (9/137, 6.5%), and refusal by the family (1/137). In logistic regression analyses, two patient-related factors were associated with ICU refusal: dependency (odds ratio [OR], 14.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.27-38.25; p refused patients, and 1.03 (95% CI, 0.28-1.75) for later-admitted patients. ICU refusal rates varied greatly across ICUs and were dependent on both patient and organizational factors. Efforts to define ethically optimal ICU admission policies might lead to greater homogeneity in refusal rates, although case-mix variations would be expected to leave an irreducible amount of variation across ICUs.

A conceptual framework for analysing and measuring land-use intensity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Erb, Karl-Heinz; Haberl, Helmut; Jepsen, Martin Rudbeck

2013-01-01

Large knowledge gaps currently exist that limit our ability to understand and characterise dynamics and patterns of land-use intensity: in particular, a comprehensive conceptual framework and a system of measurement are lacking. This situation hampers the development of a sound understanding...... of the mechanisms, determinants, and constraints underlying changes in land-use intensity. On the basis of a review of approaches for studying land-use intensity, we propose a conceptual framework to quantify and analyse land-use intensity. This framework integrates three dimensions: (a) input intensity, (b) output...

Large-scale atomic calculations using variational methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joensson, Per.

1995-01-01

Atomic properties, such as radiative lifetimes, hyperfine structures and isotope shift, have been studied both theoretically and experimentally. Computer programs which calculate these properties from multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock (MCHF) and configuration interaction (CI) wave functions have been developed and tested. To study relativistic effects, a program which calculates hyperfine structures from multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock (MCDF) wave functions has also been written. A new method of dealing with radial non-orthogonalities in transition matrix elements has been investigated. This method allows two separate orbital sets to be used for the initial and final states, respectively. It is shown that, once the usual orthogonality restrictions have been overcome, systematic MCHF calculations are able to predict oscillator strengths in light atoms with high accuracy. In connection with recent high-power laser experiments, time-dependent calculations of the atomic response to intense laser fields have been performed. Using the frozen-core approximation, where the atom is modeled as an active electron moving in the average field of the core electrons and the nucleus, the active electron has been propagated in time under the influence of the laser field. Radiative lifetimes and hyperfine structures of excited states in sodium and silver have been experimentally determined using time-resolved laser spectroscopy. By recording the fluorescence light decay following laser excitation in the vacuum ultraviolet spectral region, the radiative lifetimes and hyperfine structures of the 7p 2 P states in silver have been measured. The delayed-coincidence technique has been used to make very accurate measurements of the radiative lifetimes and hyperfine structures of the lowest 2P states in sodium and silver. 77 refs, 2 figs, 14 tabs

Large-scale atomic calculations using variational methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joensson, Per

1995-01-01

Atomic properties, such as radiative lifetimes, hyperfine structures and isotope shift, have been studied both theoretically and experimentally. Computer programs which calculate these properties from multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock (MCHF) and configuration interaction (CI) wave functions have been developed and tested. To study relativistic effects, a program which calculates hyperfine structures from multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock (MCDF) wave functions has also been written. A new method of dealing with radial non-orthogonalities in transition matrix elements has been investigated. This method allows two separate orbital sets to be used for the initial and final states, respectively. It is shown that, once the usual orthogonality restrictions have been overcome, systematic MCHF calculations are able to predict oscillator strengths in light atoms with high accuracy. In connection with recent high-power laser experiments, time-dependent calculations of the atomic response to intense laser fields have been performed. Using the frozen-core approximation, where the atom is modeled as an active electron moving in the average field of the core electrons and the nucleus, the active electron has been propagated in time under the influence of the laser field. Radiative lifetimes and hyperfine structures of excited states in sodium and silver have been experimentally determined using time-resolved laser spectroscopy. By recording the fluorescence light decay following laser excitation in the vacuum ultraviolet spectral region, the radiative lifetimes and hyperfine structures of the 7p{sup 2}P states in silver have been measured. The delayed-coincidence technique has been used to make very accurate measurements of the radiative lifetimes and hyperfine structures of the lowest 2P states in sodium and silver. 77 refs, 2 figs, 14 tabs.

MPQS with three large primes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leyland, P.; Lenstra, A.K.; Dodson, B.; Muffett, A.; Wagstaff, S.; Fieker, C.; Kohel, D.R.

2002-01-01

We report the factorization of a 135-digit integer by the triple-large-prime variation of the multiple polynomial quadratic sieve. Previous workers [6][10] had suggested that using more than two large primes would be counterproductive, because of the greatly increased number of false reports from

Responses of Solar Irradiance and the Ionosphere to an Intense Activity Region

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yiding; Liu, Libo; Le, Huijun; Wan, Weixing

2018-03-01

Solar rotation (SR) variation dominates solar extremely ultraviolet (EUV) changes on the timescale of days. The F10.7 index is usually used as an indicator for solar EUV. The SR variation of F10.7 significantly enhanced during the 2008th-2009th Carrington rotations (CRs) owing to an intense active region; F10.7 increased about 180 units during that SR period. That was the most prominent SR variation of F10.7 during solar cycle 23. In this paper, global electron content (GEC) is used to investigate ionospheric response to that strong variation of solar irradiance indicated by F10.7. The variation of GEC with F10.7 was anomalous (GEC-F10.7 slope significantly decreased) during the 2008th-2009th CRs; however, GEC versus EUV variation during that period was consistent with that during adjacent time intervals when using Solar Heliospheric Observatory/Solar EUV Monitor 26-34 nm EUV measurements. The reason is that F10.7 response to that intense active region was much stronger than EUV response; thus, the EUV-F10.7 slope decreased. We confirmed decreased EUV-F10.7 slope during the 2008th-2009th CRs for different wavelengths within 27-120 nm using Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics/Solar EUV Experiment high spectral resolution EUV measurements. And on the basis of Solar Heliospheric Observatory/Solar EUV Monitor EUV measurements during solar cycle 23, we further presented that EUV-F10.7 slope statistically tends to decrease when the SR variation of F10.7 significantly enhances. Moreover, we found that ionospheric time lag effect to EUV is exaggerated when using F10.7, owing to the time lag effect of EUV to F10.7.

Cosmic ray intensity in the past

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dergachev, V.A.

1977-01-01

Variations of cosmic rays have been investigated according to the data on the content of radiocarbon in the Earth atmosphere, on the solar activity and on the geomagnetic field. The results of spectral analysis of the data on radiocarbon (1688-1951 time interval) and the data on the numbers of sunspots have been compared. As a result of spectral analysis it has been established that the two main peaks coincide in periods (approximately 11 and approximately 80 years) and differ in amplitudes. The 11-year periods are the main periods for the solar activity, and the 80-year periods for the radiocarbon concentration. To elucidate the role of the geomagnetic field in the cosmic ray variations considered are extermal changes in the magnetic field and variations in the radiocarbon content for four time intervals: 0-500 years, 750-2200 years, 2200-4500 years and 4500-6800 years form the present. The following cycles have been revealed in the time spectra of radiocarbon; approximately 600, approximately 360, approximately 80, approximately 36 years, their relative amplitude decreasing with the period. The absence of short-range solar syscle is typical for the geomagnetic field intensity

Convergence analysis of variational and non-variational multigrid algorithms for the Laplace-Beltrami operator

KAUST Repository

Bonito, Andrea

2012-09-01

We design and analyze variational and non-variational multigrid algorithms for the Laplace-Beltrami operator on a smooth and closed surface. In both cases, a uniform convergence for the V -cycle algorithm is obtained provided the surface geometry is captured well enough by the coarsest grid. The main argument hinges on a perturbation analysis from an auxiliary variational algorithm defined directly on the smooth surface. In addition, the vanishing mean value constraint is imposed on each level, thereby avoiding singular quadratic forms without adding additional computational cost. Numerical results supporting our analysis are reported. In particular, the algorithms perform well even when applied to surfaces with a large aspect ratio. © 2011 American Mathematical Society.

Photonuclear experiments using large acceptance detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mecking, B.A.

1984-08-01

Experimental programs in photonuclear physics are discussed. In experiments concentrate on the combined use of low intensity (real and virtual) photon beams and large acceptance detectors for the detection of multiple particle final states. Count rate estimates and the consequences for the operation of a high intensity accelerator are given. (orig.)

Temporal and Latitudinal Variations of the Length-Scales and Relative Intensities of the Chromospheric Network

Science.gov (United States)

Raju, K. P.

2018-05-01

The Calcium K spectroheliograms of the Sun from Kodaikanal have a data span of about 100 years and covers over 9 solar cycles. The Ca line is a strong chromospheric line dominated by chromospheric network and plages which are good indicators of solar activity. Length-scales and relative intensities of the chromospheric network have been obtained in the solar latitudes from 50 degree N to 50 degree S from the spectroheliograms. The length-scale was obtained from the half-width of the two-dimensional autocorrelation of the latitude strip which gives a measure of the width of the network boundary. As reported earlier for the transition region extreme ultraviolet (EUV) network, relative intensity and width of the chromospheric network boundary are found to be dependent on the solar cycle. A varying phase difference has been noticed in the quantities in different solar latitudes. A cross-correlation analysis of the quantities from other latitudes with ±30 degree latitude revealed an interesting phase difference pattern indicating flux transfer. Evidence of equatorward flux transfer has been observed. The average equatorward flux transfer was estimated to be 5.8 ms-1. The possible reasons of the drift could be meridional circulation, torsional oscillations, or the bright point migration. Cross-correlation of intensity and length-scale from the same latitude showed increasing phase difference with increasing latitude. We have also obtained the cross correlation of the quantities across the equator to see the possible phase lags in the two hemispheres. Signatures of lags are seen in the length scales of southern hemisphere near the equatorial latitudes, but no such lags in the intensity are observed. The results have important implications on the flux transfer over the solar surface and hence on the solar activity and dynamo.

Squidpops: A Simple Tool to Crowdsource a Global Map of Marine Predation Intensity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J Emmett Duffy

Full Text Available We present a simple, standardized assay, the squidpop, for measuring the relative feeding intensity of generalist predators in aquatic systems. The assay consists of a 1.3-cm diameter disk of dried squid mantle tethered to a rod, which is either inserted in the sediment in soft-bottom habitats or secured to existing structure. Each replicate squidpop is scored as present or absent after 1 and 24 hours, and the data for analysis are proportions of replicate units consumed at each time. Tests in several habitats of the temperate southeastern USA (Virginia and North Carolina and tropical Central America (Belize confirmed the assay's utility for measuring variation in predation intensity among habitats, among seasons, and along environmental gradients. In Belize, predation intensity varied strongly among habitats, with reef > seagrass = mangrove > unvegetated bare sand. Quantitative visual surveys confirmed that assayed feeding intensity increased with abundance and species richness of fishes across sites, with fish abundance and richness explaining up to 45% and 70% of the variation in bait loss respectively. In the southeastern USA, predation intensity varied seasonally, being highest during summer and declining in late autumn. Deployments in marsh habitats generally revealed a decline in mean predation intensity from fully marine to tidal freshwater sites. The simplicity, economy, and standardization of the squidpop assay should facilitate engagement of scientists and citizens alike, with the goal of constructing high-resolution maps of how top-down control varies through space and time in aquatic ecosystems, and addressing a broad array of long-standing hypotheses in macro- and community ecology.

Evolutionary factors affecting Lactate dehydrogenase A and B variation in the Daphnia pulex species complex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristescu Melania E

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Evidence for historical, demographic and selective factors affecting enzyme evolution can be obtained by examining nucleotide sequence variation in candidate genes such as Lactate dehydrogenase (Ldh. Two closely related Daphnia species can be distinguished by their electrophoretic Ldh genotype and habitat. Daphnia pulex populations are fixed for the S allele and inhabit temporary ponds, while D. pulicaria populations are fixed for the F allele and inhabit large stratified lakes. One locus is detected in most allozyme surveys, but genome sequencing has revealed two genes, LdhA and LdhB. Results We sequenced both Ldh genes from 70 isolates of these two species from North America to determine if the association between Ldh genotype and habitat shows evidence for selection, and to elucidate the evolutionary history of the two genes. We found that alleles in the pond-dwelling D. pulex and in the lake-dwelling D. pulicaria form distinct groups at both loci, and the substitution of Glutamine (S for Glutamic acid (F at amino acid 229 likely causes the electrophoretic mobility shift in the LDHA protein. Nucleotide diversity in both Ldh genes is much lower in D. pulicaria than in D. pulex. Moreover, the lack of spatial structuring of the variation in both genes over a wide geographic area is consistent with a recent demographic expansion of lake populations. Neutrality tests indicate that both genes are under purifying selection, but the intensity is much stronger on LdhA. Conclusions Although lake-dwelling D. pulicaria hybridizes with the other lineages in the pulex species complex, it remains distinct ecologically and genetically. This ecological divergence, coupled with the intensity of purifying selection on LdhA and the strong association between its genotype and habitat, suggests that experimental studies would be useful to determine if variation in molecular function provides evidence that LDHA variants are adaptive.

CLASP/SJ Observations of Rapid Time Variations in the Ly α Emission in a Solar Active Region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishikawa, Shin-nosuke [Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252–5210 (Japan); Kubo, Masahito; Katsukawa, Yukio; Kano, Ryouhei; Narukage, Noriyuki; Ishikawa, Ryohko; Bando, Takamasa [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Winebarger, Amy; Kobayashi, Ken [NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States); Trujillo Bueno, Javier [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Auchère, Frédéric, E-mail: s.ishikawa@solar.isas.jaxa.jp [Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS/Univ. Paris-Sud 11, Bätiment 121, F-91405 Orsay (France)

2017-09-10

The Chromospheric Ly α SpectroPolarimeter (CLASP) is a sounding rocket experiment launched on 2015 September 3 to investigate the solar chromosphere and transition region. The slit-jaw (SJ) optical system captured Ly α images with a high time cadence of 0.6 s. From the CLASP/SJ observations, many variations in the solar chromosphere and transition region emission with a timescale of <1 minute were discovered. In this paper, we focus on the active region within the SJ field of view and investigate the relationship between short (<30 s) temporal variations in the Ly α emission and the coronal structures observed by Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA). We compare the Ly α temporal variations at the coronal loop footpoints observed in the AIA 211 Å (≈2 MK) and AIA 171 Å (≈0.6 MK) channels with those in the regions with bright Ly α features without a clear association with the coronal loop footpoints. We find more short (<30 s) temporal variations in the Ly α intensity in the footpoint regions. Those variations did not depend on the temperature of the coronal loops. Therefore, the temporal variations in the Ly α intensity at this timescale range could be related to the heating of the coronal structures up to temperatures around the sensitivity peak of 171 Å. No signature was found to support the scenario that these Ly α intensity variations were related to the nanoflares. Waves or jets from the lower layers (lower chromosphere or photosphere) are possible causes for this phenomenon.

Genome Variation Map: a data repository of genome variations in BIG Data Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Shuhui; Tian, Dongmei; Li, Cuiping; Tang, Bixia; Dong, Lili; Xiao, Jingfa; Bao, Yiming; Zhao, Wenming; He, Hang; Zhang, Zhang

2018-01-04

The Genome Variation Map (GVM; http://bigd.big.ac.cn/gvm/) is a public data repository of genome variations. As a core resource in the BIG Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, GVM dedicates to collect, integrate and visualize genome variations for a wide range of species, accepts submissions of different types of genome variations from all over the world and provides free open access to all publicly available data in support of worldwide research activities. Unlike existing related databases, GVM features integration of a large number of genome variations for a broad diversity of species including human, cultivated plants and domesticated animals. Specifically, the current implementation of GVM not only houses a total of ∼4.9 billion variants for 19 species including chicken, dog, goat, human, poplar, rice and tomato, but also incorporates 8669 individual genotypes and 13 262 manually curated high-quality genotype-to-phenotype associations for non-human species. In addition, GVM provides friendly intuitive web interfaces for data submission, browse, search and visualization. Collectively, GVM serves as an important resource for archiving genomic variation data, helpful for better understanding population genetic diversity and deciphering complex mechanisms associated with different phenotypes. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Genome Variation Map: a data repository of genome variations in BIG Data Center

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Dongmei; Li, Cuiping; Tang, Bixia; Dong, Lili; Xiao, Jingfa; Bao, Yiming; Zhao, Wenming; He, Hang

2018-01-01

Abstract The Genome Variation Map (GVM; http://bigd.big.ac.cn/gvm/) is a public data repository of genome variations. As a core resource in the BIG Data Center, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, GVM dedicates to collect, integrate and visualize genome variations for a wide range of species, accepts submissions of different types of genome variations from all over the world and provides free open access to all publicly available data in support of worldwide research activities. Unlike existing related databases, GVM features integration of a large number of genome variations for a broad diversity of species including human, cultivated plants and domesticated animals. Specifically, the current implementation of GVM not only houses a total of ∼4.9 billion variants for 19 species including chicken, dog, goat, human, poplar, rice and tomato, but also incorporates 8669 individual genotypes and 13 262 manually curated high-quality genotype-to-phenotype associations for non-human species. In addition, GVM provides friendly intuitive web interfaces for data submission, browse, search and visualization. Collectively, GVM serves as an important resource for archiving genomic variation data, helpful for better understanding population genetic diversity and deciphering complex mechanisms associated with different phenotypes. PMID:29069473

Tribological Processes of the Mechanisms of Free Motion of Impulsive Friction Variators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Nedic

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Free motion mechanism (FMM of the impulsive variators is one vital part in power transmiting of impulsive lever variators which oscillating motion of external envelope (coulisse converted in rotation movement of the output shaft. The elements of mechanism of free motion are exposed to friction and wear during the work, which may be extremely intensive in some cases. The paper analyzes the tribological processes on elements of free motion mechanism of impulsive friction variators with special report on wear of tribomehanical system: the external envelope (coulisse - roller and roller - shaft (star.

Sedimentary records of trace elements from large European lakes (Switzerland) document historic to recent freshwater pollution and climate-induced runoff variations

Science.gov (United States)

Thevenon, F.; Wirth, S. B.; Fujak, M.; Poté, J.; Thierry, A.; Chiaradia, M.; Girardclos, S.

2011-12-01

Continuous sedimentary records of anthropogenic and natural trace elements determined by ICPMS, from 5 large and deep perialpine lakes from Central Europe (Switzerland), evidence the environmental impacts of industrial fossil fuel pollution. In fact, the greatest increase in heavy metal pollution was registered at all the studied sites following the European industrial revolution of ca. AD 1800; with the highest values during the middle part of the 20th century. On a regional scale, anthropogenic heavy metal input subsequently stopped increasing thanks to remediation strategies such as the implementation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). On the other hand, the discharge of industrial treated wastewaters into Vidy Bay of Lake Geneva during the second part of the 20th century involved the sedimentation of highly contaminated sediments in the area surrounding the WWTP outlet pipe discharge; less than 4 km from the main supply of drinking water of Lausanne (127'000 hab.). Microbial analyses furthermore reveal i) high increase in bacterial densities following the lake eutrophication in the 1970s, and that ii) the related sediments can be considered as a reservoir of antibiotic resistant bacteria/genes (of human origin). We finally compare instrumental hydrological data over the last century with variations of lithogenic trace elements (e.g., titanium) as registered in three large lakes (Brienz, Thun and Bienne) connected by the River Aar. This task allows to better constraining the runoff variations on a regional scale over the last decades for the the River Aar, and its possible increase under warming climate conditions in the European Alps.

Comparative analysis of face recognition techniques with illumination variation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jondhale, K C; Waghmare, L M

2010-01-01

Illumination variation is one of the major challenges in the face recognition. To deal with this problem, this paper presents comparative analysis of three different techniques. First, the DCT is employed to compensate for illumination variations in the logarithm domain. Since illumination variation lies mainly in the low frequency band, an appropriate number of DCT coefficients are truncated to reduce the variations under different lighting conditions. The nearest neighbor classifier based on Euclidean distance is employed for classification. Second, the performance of PCA is checked on normalized image. PCA is a technique used to reduce multidimensional data sets to a lower dimension for analysis. Third, LDA based methods gives a satisfactory result under controlled lighting condition. But its performance under large illumination variation is not satisfactory. So, the performance of LDA is checked on normalized image. Experimental results on the Yale B and ORL database show that the proposed approach of application of PCA and LDA on normalized dataset improves the performance significantly for the face images with large illumination variations.

In situ observations of the influence of a large onshore wind farm on near-surface temperature, turbulence intensity and wind speed profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Craig M.; Barthelmie, R. J.; Pryor, S. C.

2013-09-01

Observations of wakes from individual wind turbines and a multi-megawatt wind energy installation in the Midwestern US indicate that directly downstream of a turbine (at a distance of 190 m, or 2.4 rotor diameters (D)), there is a clear impact on wind speed and turbulence intensity (TI) throughout the rotor swept area. However, at a downwind distance of 2.1 km (26 D downstream of the closest wind turbine) the wake of the whole wind farm is not evident. There is no significant reduction of hub-height wind speed or increase in TI especially during daytime. Thus, in high turbulence regimes even very large wind installations may have only a modest impact on downstream flow fields. No impact is observable in daytime vertical potential temperature gradients at downwind distances of >2 km, but at night the presence of the wind farm does significantly decrease the vertical gradients of potential temperature (though the profile remains stably stratified), largely by increasing the temperature at 2 m.

In situ observations of the influence of a large onshore wind farm on near-surface temperature, turbulence intensity and wind speed profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Craig M; Barthelmie, R J; Pryor, S C

2013-01-01

Observations of wakes from individual wind turbines and a multi-megawatt wind energy installation in the Midwestern US indicate that directly downstream of a turbine (at a distance of 190 m, or 2.4 rotor diameters (D)), there is a clear impact on wind speed and turbulence intensity (TI) throughout the rotor swept area. However, at a downwind distance of 2.1 km (26 D downstream of the closest wind turbine) the wake of the whole wind farm is not evident. There is no significant reduction of hub-height wind speed or increase in TI especially during daytime. Thus, in high turbulence regimes even very large wind installations may have only a modest impact on downstream flow fields. No impact is observable in daytime vertical potential temperature gradients at downwind distances of >2 km, but at night the presence of the wind farm does significantly decrease the vertical gradients of potential temperature (though the profile remains stably stratified), largely by increasing the temperature at 2 m. (letter)

Increased risk for diabetes development in subjects with large variation in total cholesterol levels in 2,827,950 Koreans: A nationwide population-based study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eun-Jung Rhee

Full Text Available Recent studies suggest a role for hyperlipidemia in the development of diabetes. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between variations of total cholesterol (TC levels and the risk for type 2 diabetes development from a Korean nationwide population-based database.We examined the General Health Check-up sub-dataset of the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS of 2,827,950 participants who had at least three health check-ups between 2002 and 2007, and were not reported to have diabetes during that time. The variations of TC levels between the examinations were calculated as follows: [Formula: see text]. The examinees were divided into 10 groups according to TC variation, and the hazard ratio for diabetes development from 2007 to 2013, were analyzed.During the follow-up period, 3.4% of the participants had developed diabetes. The hazard ratio (HR for diabetes development relative to the overall risk in the whole study population started to be higher than 1.0 from eighth decile of TC variation. The highest decile group showed an increased HR for diabetes development after adjustment for confounding variables (1.139; 95% confidence interval 1.116~1.163. These results were similar regardless of the use of anti-hyperlipidemic medication and baseline TC levels.The participants with a large variation in TC levels showed an increased risk for diabetes development, independent of the use of anti-hyperlipidemic medications. These results suggest a relationship between fluctuations in lipid levels and the development of type 2 diabetes.

Disentangling the relative importance of changes in climate and land-use intensity in driving recent bird population trends.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah M Eglington

Full Text Available Threats to biodiversity resulting from habitat destruction and deterioration have been documented for many species, whilst climate change is regarded as increasingly impacting upon species' distribution and abundance. However, few studies have disentangled the relative importance of these two drivers in causing recent population declines. We quantify the relative importance of both processes by modelling annual variation in population growth of 18 farmland bird species in the UK as a function of measures of land-use intensity and weather. Modelled together, both had similar explanatory power in accounting for annual fluctuations in population growth. When these models were used to retrodict population trends for each species as a function of annual variation in land-use intensity and weather combined, and separately, retrodictions incorporating land-use intensity were more closely linked to observed population trends than retrodictions based only on weather, and closely matched the UK farmland bird index from 1970 onwards. Despite more stable land-use intensity in recent years, climate change (inferred from weather trends has not overtaken land-use intensity as the dominant driver of bird populations.

Variation in U.V. primary fluorescence-intensity of vital cells depending on 60Co γ-radiation dose

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merkle, K.

1978-01-01

Using impulse-cytofluorophotometry in the ultra-violet spectral region it has been shown on vital, unstained Ehrlich ascites tumour cells that the primary fluorescence intensity of this tumour was on day 11 after transplantation 20 per cent higher than on day 8. Storage of the vital cells for 25 min at 20 0 C had no effect on this result. When the cells were exposed to 60 Co γ-radiation on day 6, a new stable fluorescence level was established after 20 hours. Measurements of the primary fluorescence intensity depending on dose have shown a significant rise starting from 75 rad at 48 hours after irradiation. The fluorescence intensity rose by 42.5 per cent of the control value at 3000 rad, but only by 31.5 per cent on exposure to 4000 rad. (author)

Rapid adjustment of bird community compositions to local climatic variations and its functional consequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaüzère, Pierre; Jiguet, Frédéric; Devictor, Vincent

2015-09-01

The local spatial congruence between climate changes and community changes has rarely been studied over large areas. We proposed one of the first comprehensive frameworks tracking local changes in community composition related to climate changes. First, we investigated whether and how 12 years of changes in the local composition of bird communities were related to local climate variations. Then, we tested the consequences of this climate-induced adjustment of communities on Grinnellian (habitat-related) and Eltonian (function-related) homogenization. A standardized protocol monitoring spatial and temporal trends of birds over France from 2001 to 2012 was used. For each plot and each year, we used the spring temperature and the spring precipitations and calculated three indices reflecting the thermal niche, the habitat specialization, and the functional originality of the species within a community. We then used a moving-window approach to estimate the spatial distribution of the temporal trends in each of these indices and their congruency with local climatic variations. Temperature fluctuations and community dynamics were found to be highly variable in space, but their variations were finely congruent. More interestingly, the community adjustment to temperature variations was nonmonotonous. Instead, unexplained fluctuations in community composition were observed up to a certain threshold of climate change intensity, above which a change in community composition was observed. This shift corresponded to a significant decrease in the relative abundance of habitat specialists and functionally original species within communities, regardless of the direction of temperature change. The investigation of variations in climate and community responses appears to be a central step toward a better understanding of climate change effects on biodiversity. Our results suggest a fine-scale and short-term adjustment of community composition to temperature changes. Moreover

Consequences for established design practice from geographical variation of historical rainfall data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikkelsen, P.S.; Arnbjerg-Nielsen, K.; Harremoës, P.

1997-01-01

variation and variation due to (correlated) sampling errors. Further analyses indicate that the observed variation can be explained only partially by correlation with regional climatological variables and that a significant residual variation remains, especially for large return periods. The new perceptions...

Universal and local time components in Schumann resonance intensity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. P. Nickolaenko

2008-05-01

Full Text Available We extend the technique suggested by Sentman and Fraser (1991 and discussed by Pechony and Price (2006, the technique for separating the local and universal time variations in the Schumann resonance intensity. Initially, we simulate the resonance oscillations in a uniform Earth-ionosphere cavity with the distribution of lightning strokes based on the OTD satellite data. Different field components were used in the Dayside source model for the Moshiri (Japan, geographic coordinates: 44.365° N, 142.24° E and Lehta (Karelia, Russia, 64.427° N, 33.974° E observatories. We use the extended Fourier series for obtaining the modulating functions. Simulations show that the algorithm evaluates the impact of the source proximity in the resonance intensity. Our major goal was in estimating the universal alteration factors, which reflect changes in the global thunderstorm activity. It was achieved by compensating the local factors present in the initial data. The technique is introduced with the model Schumann resonance data and afterwards we use the long-term experimental records at the above sites for obtaining the diurnal/monthly variations of the global thunderstorms.

Sensitivity of euphotic zone properties to CDOM variations in marine ecosystem models

OpenAIRE

Urtizberea, Agurtzane; Dupont, Nicolas; Rosland, Rune; Aksnes, Dag L.

2013-01-01

In marine ecosystem models, the underwater light intensity is commonly characterized by the shading of phytoplankton in addition to a background light attenuation coefficient. Colour dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is an important component of the background light attenuation, and we investigate how variation in CDOM attenuation affects euphotic zone properties in a general marine ecosystem model. Our results suggest that euphotic zone properties are highly sensitive to CDOM variations occurr...

High intensity hadron facility, AGS II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Y.Y.; Lowenstein, D.I.

1989-01-01

There is a large and growing community of particle and nuclear physicists around the world who are actively lobbying for the construction of an accelerator that could provide 1-2 orders of magnitude increase in proton intensity above that of the present AGS. There have been a series of proposals from Canada, Europe, Japan, and the USA. They can all be characterized as machines varying in energy from 12-60 GeV and intensities of 30-100 μA. The community of physicists using the AGS are in a unique position however. The AGS is the only machine available that can provide the beams to execute the physics program that this large international community is interested in. The BNL approach to the communities interests involves a stepwise intensity upgrade program. At present the AGS slow extracted beam current is 1 μA. With the completion of the Booster in 1990 and the associated AGS modifications, the current will rise to 4-5 μA. With the subsequent addition of the Stretcher which is under design, the current will rise to 8-10 μA and approximately 100% duty factor. The possibility of a further enhancement to a current level of 40-50 μA CW is now being examined. 2 figures, 6 tables

From genomic variation to personalized medicine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wesolowska, Agata; Schmiegelow, Kjeld

Genomic variation is the basis of interindividual differences in observable traits and disease susceptibility. Genetic studies are the driving force of personalized medicine, as many of the differences in treatment efficacy can be attributed to our genomic background. The rapid development...... a considerable amount of the phenotype variability, hence the major difficulty of interpretation lies in the complexity of molecular interactions. This PhD thesis describes the state-of-art of the functional human variation research (Chapter 1) and introduces childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL...... the thesis and includes some final remarks on the perspectives of genomic variation research and personalized medicine. In summary, this thesis demonstrates the feasibility of integrative analyses of genomic variations and introduces large-scale hypothesis-driven SNP exploration studies as an emerging...

Natural variation in rosette size under salt stress conditions corresponds to developmental differences between Arabidopsis accessions and allelic variation in the LRR-KISS gene

KAUST Repository

Julkowska, Magdalena; Klei, Karlijn; Fokkens, Like; Haring, Michel A.; Schranz, M. Eric; Testerink, Christa

2016-01-01

Natural variation among Arabidopsis accessions is an important genetic resource to identify mechanisms underlying plant development and stress tolerance. To evaluate the natural variation in salinity stress tolerance, two large-scale experiments

Detailed seismic intensity in Morioka area; Moriokashi ni okeru shosai shindo bunpu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saito, T; Yamamoto, H; Settai, H [Iwate University, Iwate (Japan). Faculty of Engineering; Yamada, T [Obayashi Road Construction Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1996-10-01

To reveal a seismic intensity distribution in individual areas, a large-scale detailed seismic intensity survey was conducted in Morioka City through questionnaire, as to the Hokkaido Toho-oki (HE) earthquake occurred on October 4, 1994 with a record of seismic intensity 4 at Morioka, and the Sanriku Haruka-oki (SH) earthquake occurred on December 28, 1994 with a record of seismic intensity 5 at Morioka. A relationship was also examined between the seismic intensity distribution and the properties of shallow basement in Morioka City. The range of seismic intensity was from 2.9 to 4.6 and the difference was 1.7 in the case of HE earthquake, and the range was from 3.1 to 5.0 and the difference was 1.9 in the case of SH earthquake. There were large differences in the seismic intensity at individual points. Morioka City has different geological structures in individual areas. There were differences in the S-wave velocity in the surface layer ranging from 150 to 600 m/sec, which were measured using a plate hammering seismic source at 76 areas in Morioka City. These properties of surface layers were in harmony with the seismic intensity distribution obtained from the questionnaire. For the observation of short frequency microtremors at about 490 points in the city, areas with large amplitudes, mean maximum amplitudes of vertical motion components more than 0.1 mkine were distributed in north-western region and a part of southern region. 4 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.

Metabolite variation in hybrid corn grain from a large-scale multisite study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingjie Chen

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Metabolite composition is strongly affected by genotype, environment, and interactions between genotype and environment, although the extent of variation caused by these factors may depend upon the type of metabolite. To characterize the complexity of genotype, environment, and their interaction in hybrid seeds, 50 genetically diverse non-genetically modified (GM maize hybrids were grown in six geographically diverse locations in North America. Polar metabolites from 553 harvested corn grain samples were isolated and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and 45 metabolites detected in all samples were used to generate a data matrix for statistical analysis. There was moderate variation among biological replicates and across genotypes and test sites. The genotype effects were detected by univariate and Hierarchical clustering analyses (HCA when environmental effects were excluded. Overall, environment exerted larger effects than genotype, and polar metabolite accumulation showed a geographic effect. We conclude that it is possible to increase seed polar metabolite content in hybrid corn by selection of appropriate inbred lines and growing regions.

An experimental analysis of illumination intensity and temperature dependency of photovoltaic cell parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuce, Erdem; Cuce, Pinar Mert; Bali, Tulin

2013-01-01

Highlights: • R sh is rather sensitive to the variations in T c . • For higher G values, G ∗ is not affected from the variations in light intensity. • Ideality factor decreases linearly with increasing T c . • A linear decrease of R s and R sh has been observed with increasing T c . • Fill factor increases exponentially with G while it decreases linearly with T c . - Abstract: It is well known that accurate knowledge of photovoltaic cell parameters from the measured current–voltage characteristics is of vital importance for the quality control and the performance assessment of photovoltaic cells/modules. Although many attempts have been made so far for a thorough analysis of cell parameters, there are still significant discrepancies between the previously published results. In this regard, a detailed investigation of cell parameters through a comprehensive experimental and statistical work is important to elucidate the aforementioned contradictions. Therefore in the present work, effects of two main environmental factors on performance parameters of mono-crystalline and poly-crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules have been experimentally investigated. The experiments have been carried out under a calibrated solar simulator for various intensity levels and cell temperatures in the range 200–500 W/m 2 and 15–60 °C, respectively. The results indicated that light intensity has a dominant effect on current parameters. Photocurrent, short circuit current and maximum current increase linearly with increasing intensity level. A new term, solar intensity coefficient, has been defined first time to characterize the solar radiation dependency of current parameters. On the other hand, it has been observed that cell temperature has a dramatic effect on voltage parameters. Open circuit voltage and maximum voltage considerably decrease with increasing cell temperature. Temperature coefficients of voltage parameters have been calculated for each case. Shunt

Variation in psychotropic drug use in nursing homes.

Science.gov (United States)

Castle, N G

1998-01-01

Numerous studies of health service use reveal considerable variation in the degree of services provided. In this article the variation in psychotropic drug use in nursing homes is examined. First, a descriptive analysis of nursing homes with and without high levels of psychotropic drug use is provided. Second, an analysis of the determinants of high levels of psychotropic drug use in nursing homes is provided. Factors such as ownership, staffing levels, having special care units, case-mix intensity, competitiveness of the nursing home market, and the state Medicaid reimbursement rate structure are examined. The results of these analyses are discussed in terms of their policy issues.

Transient Stress Intensity Factors of Functionally Graded Hollow Cylinders with Internal Circumferential Cracks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iman Eshraghi

Full Text Available Abstract In this paper, transient thermomechanical stress intensity factors for functionally graded cylinders with complete internal circumferential cracks are obtained using the weight function method. The finite difference method is used to calculate the time dependent temperature distribution and thermal stresses along the cylinder thickness. Furthermore, finite element analysis is performed to determine the weight function coefficients and to investigate the accuracy of the predicted stress intensity factors from the weight functions. Variation of the stress intensity factors with time and effects of the material gradation on the results are investigated, as well. It is shown that the proposed technique can be used to accurately predict transient thermomechanical stress intensity factors for functionally graded cylinders with arbitrary material gradation.

Intensity correction method customized for multi-animal abdominal MR imaging with 3 T clinical scanner and multi-array coil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitsuda, Minoru; Yamaguchi, Masayuki; Nakagami, Ryutaro; Furuta, Toshihiro; Fujii, Hirofumi; Sekine, Norio; Niitsu, Mamoru; Moriyama, Noriyuki

2013-01-01

Simultaneous magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of multiple small animals in a single session increases throughput of preclinical imaging experiments. Such imaging using a 3-tesla clinical scanner with multi-array coil requires correction of intensity variation caused by the inhomogeneous sensitivity profile of the coil. We explored a method for correcting intensity that we customized for multi-animal MR imaging, especially abdominal imaging. Our institutional committee for animal experimentation approved the protocol. We acquired high resolution T 1 -, T 2 -, and T 2 * -weighted images and low resolution proton density-weighted images (PDWIs) of 4 rat abdomens simultaneously using a 3T clinical scanner and custom-made multi-array coil. For comparison, we also acquired T 1 -, T 2 -, and T 2 * -weighted volume coil images in the same rats in 4 separate sessions. We used software created in-house to correct intensity variation. We applied thresholding to the PDWIs to produce binary images that displayed only a signal-producing area, calculated multi-array coil sensitivity maps by dividing low-pass filtered PDWIs by low-pass filtered binary images pixel by pixel, and divided uncorrected T 1 -, T 2 -, or T 2 * -weighted images by those maps to obtain intensity-corrected images. We compared tissue contrast among the liver, spinal canal, and muscle between intensity-corrected multi-array coil images and volume coil images. Our intensity correction method performed well for all pulse sequences studied and corrected variation in original multi-array coil images without deteriorating the throughput of animal experiments. Tissue contrasts were comparable between intensity-corrected multi-array coil images and volume coil images. Our intensity correction method customized for multi-animal abdominal MR imaging using a 3T clinical scanner and dedicated multi-array coil could facilitate image interpretation. (author)

Energy compensation after sprint- and high-intensity interval training.

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Matthew M Schubert

Full Text Available Many individuals lose less weight than expected in response to exercise interventions when considering the increased energy expenditure of exercise (ExEE. This is due to energy compensation in response to ExEE, which may include increases in energy intake (EI and decreases in non-exercise physical activity (NEPA. We examined the degree of energy compensation in healthy young men and women in response to interval training.Data were examined from a prior study in which 24 participants (mean age, BMI, & VO2max = 28 yrs, 27.7 kg•m-2, and 32 mL∙kg-1∙min-1 completed either 4 weeks of sprint-interval training or high-intensity interval training. Energy compensation was calculated from changes in body composition (air displacement plethysmography and exercise energy expenditure was calculated from mean heart rate based on the heart rate-VO2 relationship. Differences between high (≥ 100% and low (< 100% levels of energy compensation were assessed. Linear regressions were utilized to determine associations between energy compensation and ΔVO2max, ΔEI, ΔNEPA, and Δresting metabolic rate.Very large individual differences in energy compensation were noted. In comparison to individuals with low levels of compensation, individuals with high levels of energy compensation gained fat mass, lost fat-free mass, and had lower change scores for VO2max and NEPA. Linear regression results indicated that lower levels of energy compensation were associated with increases in ΔVO2max (p < 0.001 and ΔNEPA (p < 0.001.Considerable variation exists in response to short-term, low dose interval training. In agreement with prior work, increases in ΔVO2max and ΔNEPA were associated with lower energy compensation. Future studies should focus on identifying if a dose-response relationship for energy compensation exists in response to interval training, and what underlying mechanisms and participant traits contribute to the large variation between individuals.

Adaptive pixel-to-pixel projection intensity adjustment for measuring a shiny surface using orthogonal color fringe pattern projection

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chao; Gao, Nan; Wang, Xiangjun; Zhang, Zonghua

2018-05-01

Three-dimensional (3D) shape measurement based on fringe pattern projection techniques has been commonly used in various fields. One of the remaining challenges in fringe pattern projection is that camera sensor saturation may occur if there is a large range of reflectivity variation across the surface that causes measurement errors. To overcome this problem, a novel fringe pattern projection method is proposed to avoid image saturation and maintain high-intensity modulation for measuring shiny surfaces by adaptively adjusting the pixel-to-pixel projection intensity according to the surface reflectivity. First, three sets of orthogonal color fringe patterns and a sequence of uniform gray-level patterns with different gray levels are projected onto a measured surface by a projector. The patterns are deformed with respect to the object surface and captured by a camera from a different viewpoint. Subsequently, the optimal projection intensity at each pixel is determined by fusing different gray levels and transforming the camera pixel coordinate system into the projector pixel coordinate system. Finally, the adapted fringe patterns are created and used for 3D shape measurement. Experimental results on a flat checkerboard and shiny objects demonstrate that the proposed method can measure shiny surfaces with high accuracy.

Contrasting patterns of leaf trait variation among and within species during tropical dry forest succession in Costa Rica.

Science.gov (United States)

Derroire, Géraldine; Powers, Jennifer S; Hulshof, Catherine M; Cárdenas Varela, Luis E; Healey, John R

2018-01-10

A coordinated response to environmental drivers amongst individual functional traits is central to the plant strategy concept. However, whether the trait co-ordination observed at the global scale occurs at other ecological scales (especially within species) remains an open question. Here, for sapling communities of two tropical dry forest types in Costa Rica, we show large differences amongst traits in the relative contribution of species turnover and intraspecific variation to their directional changes in response to environmental changes along a successional gradient. We studied the response of functional traits associated with the leaf economics spectrum and drought tolerance using intensive sampling to analyse inter- and intra-specific responses to environmental changes and ontogeny. Although the overall functional composition of the sapling communities changed during succession more through species turnover than through intraspecific trait variation, their relative contributions differed greatly amongst traits. For instance, community mean specific leaf area changed mostly due to intraspecific variation. Traits of the leaf economics spectrum showed decoupled responses to environmental drivers and ontogeny. These findings emphasise how divergent ecological mechanisms combine to cause great differences in changes of individual functional traits over environmental gradients and ecological scales.

Monte Carlo modelling of a-Si EPID response: The effect of spectral variations with field size and position

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parent, Laure; Seco, Joao; Evans, Phil M.; Fielding, Andrew; Dance, David R.

2006-01-01

This study focused on predicting the electronic portal imaging device (EPID) image of intensity modulated radiation treatment (IMRT) fields in the absence of attenuation material in the beam with Monte Carlo methods. As IMRT treatments consist of a series of segments of various sizes that are not always delivered on the central axis, large spectral variations may be observed between the segments. The effect of these spectral variations on the EPID response was studied with fields of various sizes and off-axis positions. A detailed description of the EPID was implemented in a Monte Carlo model. The EPID model was validated by comparing the EPID output factors for field sizes between 1x1 and 26x26 cm 2 at the isocenter. The Monte Carlo simulations agreed with the measurements to within 1.5%. The Monte Carlo model succeeded in predicting the EPID response at the center of the fields of various sizes and offsets to within 1% of the measurements. Large variations (up to 29%) of the EPID response were observed between the various offsets. The EPID response increased with field size and with field offset for most cases. The Monte Carlo model was then used to predict the image of a simple test IMRT field delivered on the beam axis and with an offset. A variation of EPID response up to 28% was found between the on- and off-axis delivery. Finally, two clinical IMRT fields were simulated and compared to the measurements. For all IMRT fields, simulations and measurements agreed within 3%--0.2 cm for 98% of the pixels. The spectral variations were quantified by extracting from the spectra at the center of the fields the total photon yield (Y total ), the photon yield below 1 MeV (Y low ), and the percentage of photons below 1 MeV (P low ). For the studied cases, a correlation was shown between the EPID response variation and Y total , Y low , and P low

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with correlated source-light-intensity errors

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Cong; Yu, Zong-Wen; Wang, Xiang-Bin

2018-04-01

We present an analysis for measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with correlated source-light-intensity errors. Numerical results show that the results here can greatly improve the key rate especially with large intensity fluctuations and channel attenuation compared with prior results if the intensity fluctuations of different sources are correlated.

Factors influencing variation in dentist service rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Grembowski, D; Milgrom, P; Fiset, L

1990-01-01

In the previous article, we calculated dentist service rates for 200 general dentists based on a homogeneous, well-educated, upper-middle-class population of patients. Wide variations in the rates were detected. In this analysis, factors influencing variation in the rates were identified. Variation in rates for categories of dental services was explained by practice characteristics, patient exposure to fluoridated water supplies, and non-price competition in the dental market. Rates were greatest in large, busy practices in markets with high fees. Older practices consistently had lower rates across services. As a whole, these variables explained between 5 and 30 percent of the variation in the rates.

Large Variations in HIV-1 Viral Load Explained by Shifting-Mosaic Metapopulation Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Lythgoe, Katrina A.; Blanquart, François

2016-01-01

The viral population of HIV-1, like many pathogens that cause systemic infection, is structured and differentiated within the body. The dynamics of cellular immune trafficking through the blood and within compartments of the body has also received wide attention. Despite these advances, mathematical models, which are widely used to interpret and predict viral and immune dynamics in infection, typically treat the infected host as a well-mixed homogeneous environment. Here, we present mathematical, analytical, and computational results that demonstrate that consideration of the spatial structure of the viral population within the host radically alters predictions of previous models. We study the dynamics of virus replication and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) within a metapopulation of spatially segregated patches, representing T cell areas connected by circulating blood and lymph. The dynamics of the system depend critically on the interaction between CTLs and infected cells at the within-patch level. We show that for a wide range of parameters, the system admits an unexpected outcome called the shifting-mosaic steady state. In this state, the whole body’s viral population is stable over time, but the equilibrium results from an underlying, highly dynamic process of local infection and clearance within T-cell centers. Notably, and in contrast to previous models, this new model can explain the large differences in set-point viral load (SPVL) observed between patients and their distribution, as well as the relatively low proportion of cells infected at any one time, and alters the predicted determinants of viral load variation. PMID:27706164

Characteristics of Intrapreneurs in Scale-Intensive Service Firms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katja Maria Hydle

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This empirical paper explores the work of employees in charge of service innovation when firms develop and launch new scale-intensive services by addressing two re- search questions: i How do employees responsible for service innovation work? and ii what are the related managerial implications when developing and launching new scale-intensive services? To this end, 21 qualitative, in-depth interviews were con- ducted with employees in five large scale-intensive service firms. The findings suggest that the involvement of internal professionals is an asset when new scale-intensive services are developed, and that internal professionals act as intrapreneurs when they are involved in the development of radically new scale-intensive services. This paper integrates understanding from the innovation management literature with knowledge of professionals from extant literature on professional service firms since we find that professionals in scale-intensive firms act as intrapreneurs. Thus, this pa- per extends the theory on determinants of innovation in scale-intensive service firms, blending insights from both findings and theory.

Seasonal variation in standardized litter decomposition and effects of elevation and land use at Mount Kilimanjaro

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Joscha; Kuzyakov, Yakov

2017-04-01

Decomposition is one of most important ecological steps in organic matter and nutrient cycles, but studies and reliable data from tropical regions in Africa are still scarce. At the global scale, litter decomposition and recycling is controlled by climatic factors and land-use intensity. These factors can be linked to specific ecosystem characteristics along the unique elevation gradient of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Our objectives were to assess the effects of climatic conditions (i.e. elevation) and land-use intensity on C turnover and stabilization and investigated the seasonal variations. Tea-bag Index (see www.teatime4science.org) was used to measure decomposition of a standardized litter substrate by microorganisms and mesofauna coffee plantations or cloud forest (S=0.11) respectively and strongly increased again to a maximum of S=0.41 in the alpine helichrysum ecosystem. During all seasons, we found the highest decomposition rates at mid elevation. However, during both warm seasons the peak is shifted upslope. Savanna experienced the strongest seasonal variation, with 23 times higher S-values in dry- compared to rainy season. Mean annual k-values increased for about 30% with increasing land-use intensity. C stabilization in Mt. Kilimanjaro ecosystems is strongly dependent on seasonal moisture limitation (lower slope) and perennial temperature limitation (alpine zone). Ecosystems at mid elevation (around 1920 & 2120m) represent the interception zone of optimal moisture and temperature conditions. High input and fast turnover drive the C sequestration in these ecosystems, while restrains on decomposition control the C turnover in lower and higher elevation zones. Land-use intensification decreases stabilization from new C inputs in transition zones from savanna to maize monocultures and from traditional homegardens to large-scale coffee plantations.

Digital immunohistochemistry platform for the staining variation monitoring based on integration of image and statistical analyses with laboratory information system.

Science.gov (United States)

Laurinaviciene, Aida; Plancoulaine, Benoit; Baltrusaityte, Indra; Meskauskas, Raimundas; Besusparis, Justinas; Lesciute-Krilaviciene, Daiva; Raudeliunas, Darius; Iqbal, Yasir; Herlin, Paulette; Laurinavicius, Arvydas

2014-01-01

Digital immunohistochemistry (IHC) is one of the most promising applications brought by new generation image analysis (IA). While conventional IHC staining quality is monitored by semi-quantitative visual evaluation of tissue controls, IA may require more sensitive measurement. We designed an automated system to digitally monitor IHC multi-tissue controls, based on SQL-level integration of laboratory information system with image and statistical analysis tools. Consecutive sections of TMA containing 10 cores of breast cancer tissue were used as tissue controls in routine Ki67 IHC testing. Ventana slide label barcode ID was sent to the LIS to register the serial section sequence. The slides were stained and scanned (Aperio ScanScope XT), IA was performed by the Aperio/Leica Colocalization and Genie Classifier/Nuclear algorithms. SQL-based integration ensured automated statistical analysis of the IA data by the SAS Enterprise Guide project. Factor analysis and plot visualizations were performed to explore slide-to-slide variation of the Ki67 IHC staining results in the control tissue. Slide-to-slide intra-core IHC staining analysis revealed rather significant variation of the variables reflecting the sample size, while Brown and Blue Intensity were relatively stable. To further investigate this variation, the IA results from the 10 cores were aggregated to minimize tissue-related variance. Factor analysis revealed association between the variables reflecting the sample size detected by IA and Blue Intensity. Since the main feature to be extracted from the tissue controls was staining intensity, we further explored the variation of the intensity variables in the individual cores. MeanBrownBlue Intensity ((Brown+Blue)/2) and DiffBrownBlue Intensity (Brown-Blue) were introduced to better contrast the absolute intensity and the colour balance variation in each core; relevant factor scores were extracted. Finally, tissue-related factors of IHC staining variance were

The variational spiked oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguilera-Navarro, V.C.; Ullah, N.

1992-08-01

A variational analysis of the spiked harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian -d 2 / d x 2 + x 2 + δ/ x 5/2 , δ > 0, is reported in this work. A trial function satisfying Dirichlet boundary conditions is suggested. The results are excellent for a large range of values of the coupling parameter. (author)

Partial ring currents and cosmic ray magnetic cutoff rigidity variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arens, M.

1978-01-01

A short introduction on cosmic ray modulation and a description of the magnetosphere, and of some physical processes occurring within its boundaries are presented. 20 geomagnetic storms are analysed together with the cosmic ray intensities during these storms as measured by Neutron Monitors. Using a semi-empirical method, the variations in the magnetic cutoff rigidity for the mountain stations Pic du Midi and Jungfraujoch are deduced. These stations are the most sensitive for measuring these variations. The analysis shows that all analyzed storms have an asymmetric development phase. Often the asymmetry even continues during part of the recovery phase. It is shown that variations in magnetic cutoff rigidity occur only during the asymmetric phase of the storm. The largest variations are found when the cosmic ray station is located in the late afternoon-midnight sector. (Auth.)

Experimental reduction in interaction intensity strongly affects biotic selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Sletvold, Nina; Ågren, Jon

2016-11-01

The link between biotic interaction intensity and strength of selection is of fundamental interest for understanding biotically driven diversification and predicting the consequences of environmental change. The strength of selection resulting from biotic interactions is determined by the strength of the interaction and by the covariance between fitness and the trait under selection. When the relationship between trait and absolute fitness is constant, selection strength should be a direct function of mean population interaction intensity. To test this prediction, we excluded pollinators for intervals of different length to induce five levels of pollination intensity within a single plant population. Pollen limitation (PL) increased from 0 to 0.77 across treatments, accompanied by a fivefold increase in the opportunity for selection. Trait-fitness covariance declined with PL for number of flowers, but varied little for other traits. Pollinator-mediated selection on plant height, corolla size, and spur length increased by 91%, 34%, and 330%, respectively, in the most severely pollen-limited treatment compared to open-pollinated plants. The results indicate that realized biotic selection can be predicted from mean population interaction intensity when variation in trait-fitness covariance is limited, and that declines in pollination intensity will strongly increase selection on traits involved in the interaction. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Detecting Significant Stress Drop Variations in Large Micro-Earthquake Datasets: A Comparison Between a Convergent Step-Over in the San Andreas Fault and the Ventura Thrust Fault System, Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Goebel, T. H. W.; Hauksson, E.; Plesch, A.; Shaw, J. H.

2017-06-01

A key parameter in engineering seismology and earthquake physics is seismic stress drop, which describes the relative amount of high-frequency energy radiation at the source. To identify regions with potentially significant stress drop variations, we perform a comparative analysis of source parameters in the greater San Gorgonio Pass (SGP) and Ventura basin (VB) in southern California. The identification of physical stress drop variations is complicated by large data scatter as a result of attenuation, limited recording bandwidth and imprecise modeling assumptions. In light of the inherently high uncertainties in single stress drop measurements, we follow the strategy of stacking large numbers of source spectra thereby enhancing the resolution of our method. We analyze more than 6000 high-quality waveforms between 2000 and 2014, and compute seismic moments, corner frequencies and stress drops. Significant variations in stress drop estimates exist within the SGP area. Moreover, the SGP also exhibits systematically higher stress drops than VB and shows more scatter. We demonstrate that the higher scatter in SGP is not a generic artifact of our method but an expression of differences in underlying source processes. Our results suggest that higher differential stresses, which can be deduced from larger focal depth and more thrust faulting, may only be of secondary importance for stress drop variations. Instead, the general degree of stress field heterogeneity and strain localization may influence stress drops more strongly, so that more localized faulting and homogeneous stress fields favor lower stress drops. In addition, higher loading rates, for example, across the VB potentially result in stress drop reduction whereas slow loading rates on local fault segments within the SGP region result in anomalously high stress drop estimates. Our results show that crustal and fault properties systematically influence earthquake stress drops of small and large events and should

Bringing quality improvement into the intensive care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

McMillan, Tracy R; Hyzy, Robert C

2007-02-01

During the last several years, many governmental and nongovernmental organizations have championed the application of the principles of quality improvement to the practice of medicine, particularly in the area of critical care. To review the breadth of approaches to quality improvement in the intensive care unit, including measures such as mortality and length of stay, and the use of protocols, bundles, and the role of large, multiple-hospital collaboratives. Several agencies have participated in the application of the quality movement to medicine, culminating in the development of standards such as the intensive care unit core measures of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Although "zero defects" may not be possible in all measurable variables of quality in the intensive care unit, several measures, such as catheter-related bloodstream infections, can be significantly reduced through the implementation of improved processes of care, such as care bundles. Large, multiple-center, quality improvement collaboratives, such as the Michigan Keystone Intensive Care Unit Project, may be particularly effective in improving the quality of care by creating a "bandwagon effect" within a geographic region. The quality revolution is having a significant effect in the critical care unit and is likely to be facilitated by the transition to the electronic medical record.

Solar Cycle Variation of Microwave Polar Brightening and EUV Coronal Hole Observed by Nobeyama Radioheliograph and SDO/AIA

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sujin; Park, Jong-Yeop; Kim, Yeon-Han

2017-08-01

We investigate the solar cycle variation of microwave and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) intensity in latitude to compare microwave polar brightening (MPB) with the EUV polar coronal hole (CH). For this study, we used the full-sun images observed in 17 GHz of the Nobeyama Radioheliograph from 1992 July to 2016 November and in two EUV channels of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) 193 Å and 171 Å on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) from 2011 January to 2016 November. As a result, we found that the polar intensity in EUV is anti-correlated with the polar intensity in microwave. Since the depression of EUV intensity in the pole is mostly owing to the CH appearance and continuation there, the anti-correlation in the intensity implies the intimate association between the polar CH and the MPB. Considering the report of tet{gopal99} that the enhanced microwave brightness in the CH is seen above the enhanced photospheric magnetic field, we suggest that the pole area during the solar minimum has a stronger magnetic field than the quiet sun level and such a strong field in the pole results in the formation of the polar CH. The emission mechanism of the MPB and the physical link with the polar CH are not still fully understood. It is necessary to investigate the MPB using high resolution microwave imaging data, which can be obtained by the high performance large-array radio observatories such as the ALMA project.

When Intensions Do Not Map onto Extensions: Individual Differences in Conceptualization

Science.gov (United States)

Hampton, James A.; Passanisi, Alessia

2016-01-01

Concepts are represented in the mind through knowledge of their extensions (the class of items to which the concept applies) and intensions (features that distinguish that class of items). A common assumption among theories of concepts is that the 2 aspects are intimately related. Hence if there is systematic individual variation in concept…

Equatorial F-region plasma depletion drifts: latitudinal and seasonal variations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Pimenta

2003-12-01

Full Text Available The equatorial ionospheric irregularities have been observed in the past few years by different techniques (e.g. ground-based radar, digisonde, GPS, optical instruments, in situ satellite and rocket instrumentation, and its time evolution and propagation characteristics can be used to study important aspects of ionospheric dynamics and thermosphere-ionosphere coupling. At present, one of the most powerful optical techniques to study the large-scale ionospheric irregularities is the all-sky imaging photometer system, which normally measures the strong F-region nightglow 630 nm emission from atomic oxygen. The monochromatic OI 630 nm emission images usually show quasi-north-south magnetic field-aligned intensity depletion bands, which are the bottomside optical signatures of large-scale F-region plasma irregularities (also called plasma bubbles. The zonal drift velocities of the plasma bubbles can be inferred from the space-time displacement of the dark structures (low intensity regions seen on the images. In this study, images obtained with an all-sky imaging photometer, using the OI 630 nm nightglow emission, from Cachoeira Paulista (22.7° S, 45° W, 15.8° S dip latitude, Brazil, have been used to determine the nocturnal monthly and latitudinal variation characteristics of the zonal plasma bubble drift velocities in the low latitude (16.7° S to 28.7° S region. The east and west walls of the plasma bubble show a different evolution with time. The method used here is based on the western wall of the bubble, which presents a more stable behavior. Also, the observed zonal plasma bubble drift velocities are compared with the thermospheric zonal neutral wind velocities obtained from the HWM-90 model (Hedin et al., 1991 to investigate the thermosphere-ionosphere coupling. Salient features from this study are presented and discussed.Key words. Ionosphere (ionosphere-atmosphere interactions; ionospheric irregularities; instruments and techniques

Ultra Deep Sequencing of a Baculovirus Population Reveals Widespread Genomic Variations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aurélien Chateigner

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Viruses rely on widespread genetic variation and large population size for adaptation. Large DNA virus populations are thought to harbor little variation though natural populations may be polymorphic. To measure the genetic variation present in a dsDNA virus population, we deep sequenced a natural strain of the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus. With 124,221X average genome coverage of our 133,926 bp long consensus, we could detect low frequency mutations (0.025%. K-means clustering was used to classify the mutations in four categories according to their frequency in the population. We found 60 high frequency non-synonymous mutations under balancing selection distributed in all functional classes. These mutants could alter viral adaptation dynamics, either through competitive or synergistic processes. Lastly, we developed a technique for the delimitation of large deletions in next generation sequencing data. We found that large deletions occur along the entire viral genome, with hotspots located in homologous repeat regions (hrs. Present in 25.4% of the genomes, these deletion mutants presumably require functional complementation to complete their infection cycle. They might thus have a large impact on the fitness of the baculovirus population. Altogether, we found a wide breadth of genomic variation in the baculovirus population, suggesting it has high adaptive potential.

Spatial variation in messaging effects

Science.gov (United States)

Warshaw, Christopher

2018-05-01

There is large geographic variation in the public's views about climate change in the United States. Research now shows that climate messages can influence public beliefs about the scientific consensus on climate change, particularly in the places that are initially more skeptical.

Preferency of soil macrofauna to crops residue at different light intensity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SUGIYARTO

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Every species of soil macrofauna prefer specific food and environment to be establish in it's habitat. Their diversity depend on variation of food and environmental condition. The aim of this research was to study the effect of different crop residue and light intensity on population of several soil macrofauna specieses. Mycrocosmos experiment was arranged in split-plot design with two treatments factor, i.e.: (1 crop residue (albizia, papaya, elephant grass, maize, sweet potato and without crop residue input, and (2 light intensities (0, 5, 15 and 25 Watt/day. The soil macrofauna were earthworms, millipedes, scarabids larvae and cocroachs. Results of the study showed that: (1 crop residues apllication increased soil macrofauna population, especially maize residue ( by 113%, respectively, compare to control tretment, (2 on higher light intensity, population of earthworms, scarabids larvae and cocroach decreased, but population of millipedes increased, (3 the highest macrofauna population was on maize residue and 5 Watt/day light intensity treatment.

Spatial variation of the Universal Thermal Climate Index in Lublin in specified weather scenarios / Zróżnicowanie przestrzenne wskaźnika UTCI w Lublinie w określonych scenariuszach pogodowych

Science.gov (United States)

Dobek, Mateusz; Demczuk, Piotr; Nowosad, Marek

2013-06-01

Due to the diversified land relief and presence of numerous gorge dissections intensively used by man largely for recreational purposes, Lublin is a valuable study area in terms of bioclimatology. The results of modelling of the variation of the bioclimatic conditions of Lublin provide information useful e.g. in the economy and spatial planning. The determined features of the city's bioclimate can be a significant element in the selection of locations for new residential and recreational investments. Knowledge on the spatial variation of biometeorological situations positively and negatively influencing the human organism can also find application in activities concerning the improvement of life quality and health protection, as well as in tourism and recreation. The objective of the paper is to present the spatial variation of biometeorological conditions in Lublin based on the example of specified weather scenarios.

Does observer bias contribute to variations in the rate of retinopathy of prematurity between centres?

Science.gov (United States)

Darlow, Brian A; Elder, Mark J; Horwood, L John; Donoghue, Deborah A; Henderson-Smart, David J

2008-01-01

We aimed to indirectly assess the contribution from observer bias to between centre variability in the incidence of acute retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). The Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network (ANZNN) collected data on the highest stage of acute ROP in either eye in 2286 infants born at less than 29 weeks in 1998-1999 and cared for in one of 25 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Chi-squared analysis was used to detect differences in the proportion of stages of ROP for each neonatal intensive care unit. These proportions were compared with those reported in two large studies of treatment for ROP. The incidence of acute ROP in the ANZNN cohort was 42% and the ratio of stage 1:2:3 ROP was 1.5:1.9:1. There was considerable variation in both the incidence of acute ROP and the proportions with stage 1:2:3 ROP between centres. A chi-squared test determined that the assignment of stages 1, 2 and 3/4 ROP was not independent of centre (chi(2)(48) = 165.2; P < 0.0001). Treatment of stage 3 ROP varied between 15% and 120%, indicating some eyes were treated at less than stage 3. The data are highly suggestive of observer bias contributing to the observed between centre variation in the incidence of acute ROP. In neonatal intervention studies where acute ROP is an outcome it would seem important to have an accreditation process for examining ophthalmologists, and there are similar arguments for neonatal networks which collect these data.

A stochastic large deformation model for computational anatomy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arnaudon, Alexis; Holm, Darryl D.; Pai, Akshay Sadananda Uppinakudru

2017-01-01

In the study of shapes of human organs using computational anatomy, variations are found to arise from inter-subject anatomical differences, disease-specific effects, and measurement noise. This paper introduces a stochastic model for incorporating random variations into the Large Deformation...

3D7-derived Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 is a frequent target of naturally acquired antibodies recognizing protein domains in a particular pattern independent of malaria transmission intensity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Joergensen, Louise; Vestergaard, Lasse S; Turner, Louise

2007-01-01

Protection against Plasmodium falciparum malaria is largely mediated by IgG against surface Ags such as the erythrocyte membrane protein 1 family (PfEMP1) responsible for antigenic variation and sequestration of infected erythrocytes. PfEMP1 molecules can be divided into groups A, B/A, B, C, and B......, the sequence by which individuals acquired Abs to particular constructs was largely the same in the three villages. This indicates that the pattern of PfEMP1 expression by parasites transmitted at the different sites was similar, suggesting that PfEMP1 expression is nonrandom and shaped by host......-parasite relationship factors operating at all transmission intensities....

Application of soft x-ray laser interferometry to study large-scale-length, high-density plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan, A.S.; Barbee, T.W., Jr.; Cauble, R.

1996-01-01

We have employed a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, using a Ne-like Y x- ray laser at 155 Angstrom as the probe source, to study large-scale- length, high-density colliding plasmas and exploding foils. The measured density profile of counter-streaming high-density colliding plasmas falls in between the calculated profiles using collisionless and fluid approximations with the radiation hydrodynamic code LASNEX. We have also performed simultaneous measured the local gain and electron density of Y x-ray laser amplifier. Measured gains in the amplifier were found to be between 10 and 20 cm -1 , similar to predictions and indicating that refraction is the major cause of signal loss in long line focus lasers. Images showed that high gain was produced in spots with dimensions of ∼ 10 μm, which we believe is caused by intensity variations in the optical drive laser. Measured density variations were smooth on the 10-μm scale so that temperature variations were likely the cause of the localized gain regions. We are now using the interferometry technique as a mechanism to validate and benchmark our numerical codes used for the design and analysis of high-energy-density physics experiments. 11 refs., 6 figs

Seasonal variation in the Dutch bovine raw milk composition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heck, J.M.L.; Valenberg, van H.J.F.; Dijkstra, J.; Hooijdonk, van A.C.M.

2009-01-01

In this study, we determined the detailed composition of and seasonal variation in Dutch dairy milk. Raw milk samples representative of the complete Dutch milk supply were collected weekly from February 2005 until February 2006. Large seasonal variation exists in the concentrations of the main

Schwinger variational calculation of ionization of hydrogen atoms for ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Schwinger variational calculation of ionization of hydrogen atoms for large momentum transfers. K CHAKRABARTI. Department of Mathematics, Scottish Church College, 1 & 3 Urquhart Square,. Kolkata 700 006, India. MS received 7 July 2001; revised 10 October 2001. Abstract. Schwinger variational principle is used here ...

Annual variation in the net longshore sediment transport rate

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Schoonees, JS

2000-05-01

Full Text Available The annual variation in the net long shore sediment transport rates at three South African and at one North African site is investigated. The net rates at these sites, given in the first table, showed large variations. It was found that measurements...

Energy intensities: Prospects and potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

In the previous chapter, the author described how rising activity levels and structural change are pushing toward higher energy use in many sectors and regions, especially in the developing countries. The extent to which more activity leads to greater energy use will depend on the energy intensity of end-use activities. In this chapter, the author presents an overview of the potential for intensity reductions in each sector over the next 10-20 years. It is not the author's intent to describe in detail the various technologies that could be employed to improve energy efficiency, which has been done by others (see, for example, Lovins ampersand Lovins, 1991; Goldembert et al., 1987). Rather, he discusses the key factors that will shape future energy intensities in different parts of the world, and gives a sense for the changes that could be attained if greater attention were given to accelerate efficiency improvement. The prospects for energy intensities, and the potential for reduction, vary among sectors and parts of the world. In the majority of cases, intensities are tending to decline as new equipment and facilities come into use and improvements are made on existing stocks. The effect of stock turnover will be especially strong in the developing countries, where stocks are growing at a rapid pace, and the Former East Bloc, where much of the existing industrial plant will eventually be retired and replaced with more modern facilities. While reductions in energy intensity are likely in most areas, there is a large divergence between the technical and economic potential for reducing energy intensities and the direction in which present trends are moving. In the next chapter, the author presents scenarios that illustrate where trends are pointing, and what could be achieved if improving energy efficiency were a focus of public policies. 53 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

Harmonically excited orbital variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, T.

1985-01-01

Rephrasing the equations of motion for orbital maneuvers in terms of Lagrangian generalized coordinates instead of Newtonian rectangular cartesian coordinates can make certain harmonic terms in the orbital angular momentum vector more readily apparent. In this formulation the equations of motion adopt the form of a damped harmonic oscillator when torques are applied to the orbit in a variationally prescribed manner. The frequencies of the oscillator equation are in some ways unexpected but can nonetheless be exploited through resonant forcing functions to achieve large secular variations in the orbital elements. Two cases are discussed using a circular orbit as the control case: (1) large changes in orbital inclination achieved by harmonic excitation rather than one impulsive velocity change, and (2) periodic and secular changes to the longitude of the ascending node using both stable and unstable excitation strategies. The implications of these equations are also discussed for both artificial satellites and natural satellites. For the former, two utilitarian orbits are suggested, each exploiting a form of harmonic excitation. 5 refs

Spectral line intensity irreversibility in circulatory plasma magnetization processes

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Z. Q.; Dun, G. T.

2012-01-01

Spectral line intensity variation is found to be irreversible in circulatory plasma magnetization process by experiments described in this paper, i.e., the curves illustrating spectral line photon fluxes irradiated from a light source immerged in a magnetic field by increasing the magnetic induction cannot be reproduced by decreasing the magnetic induction within the errors. There are two plasma magnetization patterns found. One shows that the intensities are greater at the same magnetic inductions during the magnetic induction decreasing process after the increasing, and the other gives the opposite effect. This reveals that the magneto-induced excitation and de-excitation process is irreversible like ferromagnetic magnetization. But the two irreversible processes are very different in many aspects stated in the text.

Concept for phase-to-intensity conversion in SOAs by facet reflections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blaaberg, Søren; Mørk, Jesper

2010-01-01

All-optical conversion from phase-modulated signals to intensity-modulated signals is theoretically demonstrated in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). Large-signal and small-signal calculations show significant conversion responses appearing as a result of even minute reflections at the end...... mirrors of the SOA. It is discussed how reflected phase-modulated signals can lead to interference resulting in intensity fluctuations that are amplified by the gain in a SOA. The effect can be utilized for deliberate conversion between optical modulation formats.......All-optical conversion from phase-modulated signals to intensity-modulated signals is theoretically demonstrated in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). Large-signal and small-signal calculations show significant conversion responses appearing as a result of even minute reflections at the end...

Variation across mitochondrial gene trees provides evidence for systematic error: How much gene tree variation is biological?

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Emilie J; Brown, Jeremy M; Barley, Anthony J; Chong, Rebecca A; Thomson, Robert C

2018-02-19

The use of large genomic datasets in phylogenetics has highlighted extensive topological variation across genes. Much of this discordance is assumed to result from biological processes. However, variation among gene trees can also be a consequence of systematic error driven by poor model fit, and the relative importance of biological versus methodological factors in explaining gene tree variation is a major unresolved question. Using mitochondrial genomes to control for biological causes of gene tree variation, we estimate the extent of gene tree discordance driven by systematic error and employ posterior prediction to highlight the role of model fit in producing this discordance. We find that the amount of discordance among mitochondrial gene trees is similar to the amount of discordance found in other studies that assume only biological causes of variation. This similarity suggests that the role of systematic error in generating gene tree variation is underappreciated and critical evaluation of fit between assumed models and the data used for inference is important for the resolution of unresolved phylogenetic questions.

A top-down approach to construct execution views of a large software-intensive system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Callo Arias, Trosky B.; America, Pierre; Avgeriou, Paris

This paper presents an approach to construct execution views, which are views that describe what the software of a software-intensive system does at runtime and how it does it. The approach represents an architecture reconstruction solution based on a metamodel, a set of viewpoints, and a dynamic

Sources of measurement variation in blood pressure in large-scale epidemiological surveys with follow-up