Period Variations for the Cepheid VZ Cyg

Science.gov (United States)

Sirorattanakul, Krittanon; Engle, Scott; Pepper, Joshua; Wells, Mark; Laney, Clifton D.; Rodriguez, Joseph E.; Stassun, Keivan G.

2017-12-01

The Cepheid Period-Luminosity law is a key rung on the extragalactic distance ladder. However, numerous Cepheids are known to undergo period variations. Monitoring, refining, and understanding these period variations allows us to better determine the parameters of the Cepheids themselves and of the instability strip in which they reside, and to test models of stellar evolution. VZ Cyg, a classical Cepheid pulsating at ˜4.864 days, has been observed for over 100 years. Combining data from literature observations, the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) transit survey, and new targeted observations with the Robotically Controlled Telescope (RCT) at Kitt Peak, we find a period change rate of dP/dt = -0.0642 ± 0.0018 s yr-1. However, when only the recent observations are examined, we find a much higher period change rate of dP/dt = -0.0923 ± 0.0110 s yr-1. This higher rate could be due to an apparent long-term (P ≈ 26.5 years) cyclic period variation. The possible interpretations of this single Cepheid’s complex period variations underscore both the need to regularly monitor pulsating variables and the important benefits that photometric surveys such as KELT can have on the field. Further monitoring of this interesting example of Cepheid variability is recommended to confirm and better understand the possible cyclic period variations. Further, Cepheid timing analyses are necessary to fully understand their current behaviors and parameters, as well as their evolutionary histories.

Quasi-periodic luminosity variations in dwarf novae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, E.L.; Nather, R.E.

1979-01-01

We have identified quasi-periodic oscillations in the light curves of five dwarf novae--U Gem, SS Cyg, RU Peg, KT Per, and VW Hyi-- and in the light curve of the quasi-periodic X-ray source Sco X-1. The mean periods of the quasi-periodic oscillations range from 32 s in SS Cyg to 147 s in KT Per and 165 s in Sco X-l. Their amplitudes are typically 0.005--0.0l mag. The properties of the quasi-periodic oscillations are represented well by a second-order autoregressive process. Use of this representation shows that the length of time over which the quasi-periodic oscillations maintain coherence is very short, typically 3--5 cycles of the oscillations. Thus the quasi-periodic oscillations can be distinguished from the short-period coherent oscillations in dwarf novae, which are usually interpreted as white dwarf pulsations, because t the periods of the quasi-periodic oscillations are 3--4 times longer and their coherence time is much shorter. The quasi-periodic oscillations occur in dwarf novae only during their eruptions and occur in Sco X-l only when the system is bright. The presence of the oscillations does not depend on the subclass to which a dwarf nova belongs or on the morphology of the individual eruptions. We argue that their short periods, their short coherence times, and their presence in Sco X-l require that the quasi-periodic oscillations be produced by the accretion disk, and not by the stars or by the boundary between the a accretion disk and its central star

How Do Earth-Sized, Short-Period Planets Form?

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-08-01

Matching theory to observation often requires creative detective work. In a new study, scientists have used a clever test to reveal clues about the birth of speedy, Earth-sized planets.Former Hot Jupiters?Artists impression of a hot Jupiter with an evaporating atmosphere. [NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech]Among the many different types of exoplanets weve observed, one unusual category is that of ultra-short-period planets. These roughly Earth-sized planets speed around their host stars at incredible rates, with periods of less than a day.How do planets in this odd category form? One popular theory is that they were previously hot Jupiters, especially massive gas giants orbiting very close to their host stars. The close orbit caused the planets atmospheres to be stripped away, leaving behind only their dense cores.In a new study, a team of astronomers led by Joshua Winn (Princeton University) has found a clever way to test this theory.Planetary radius vs. orbital period for the authors three statistical samples (colored markers) and the broader sample of stars in the California Kepler Survey. [Winn et al. 2017]Testing MetallicitiesStars hosting hot Jupiters have an interesting quirk: they typically have metallicities that are significantly higher than an average planet-hosting star. It is speculated that this is because planets are born from the same materials as their host stars, and hot Jupiters require the presence of more metals to be able to form.Regardless of the cause of this trend, if ultra-short-period planets are in fact the solid cores of former hot Jupiters, then the two categories of planets should have hosts with the same metallicity distributions. The ultra-short-period-planet hosts should therefore also be weighted to higher metallicities than average planet-hosting stars.To test this, the authors make spectroscopic measurements and gather data for a sample of stellar hosts split into three categories:64 ultra-short-period planets (orbital period shorter than a

Short-term variations of Icelandic ice cap mass inferred from cGPS coordinate time series

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Compton, Kathleen; Bennett, Richard A.; Hreinsdóttir, Sigrún

2017-01-01

As the global climate changes, understanding short-term variations in water storage is increasingly important. Continuously operating Global Positioning System (cGPS) stations in Iceland record annual periodic motion—the elastic response to winter accumulation and spring melt seasons—with peak-to...

Origin of very-short orbital-period binary systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyaji, S.

1983-01-01

Recent observations of four close binaries have established that there is a group of very-short orbital-period (VSOP) binaries whose orbital periods are less than 60 minutes. The VSOP binaries consist of both X-ray close binaries and cataclysmic variables. Their orbital periods are too short to have a main-sequence companion. However, four binaries, none of which belongs to any globular cluster, are too abundant to be explained by the capturing mechanism of a white dwarf. Therefore it seemed to be worthwhile to present an evolutionary scenario from an original binary system which can be applied for all VSOP binaries. (Auth.)

Short Communication: Prevalence of hypertension and variation of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Short Communication: Prevalence of hypertension and variation of blood pressure with age among adolescents in Chetla, India. I Saha, B Paul, A Dasgupta. Abstract. This community-based cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of hypertension and variation of blood pressure with age among ...

Estimation and analysis of the short-term variations of multi-GNSS receiver differential code biases using global ionosphere maps

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Min; Yuan, Yunbin; Wang, Ningbo; Liu, Teng; Chen, Yongchang

2017-12-01

Care should be taken to minimize the adverse impact of differential code biases (DCBs) on global navigation satellite systems (GNSS)-derived ionospheric information determinations. For the sake of convenience, satellite and receiver DCB products provided by the International GNSS Service (IGS) are treated as constants over a period of 24 h (Li et al. (2014)). However, if DCB estimates show remarkable intra-day variability, the DCBs estimated as constants over 1-day period will partially account for ionospheric modeling error; in this case DCBs will be required to be estimated over shorter time period. Therefore, it is important to further gain insight into the short-term variation characteristics of receiver DCBs. In this contribution, the IGS combined global ionospheric maps and the German Aerospace Center (DLR)-provided satellite DCBs are used in the improved method to determine the multi-GNSS receiver DCBs with an hourly time resolution. The intra-day stability of the receiver DCBs is thereby analyzed in detail. Based on 1 month of data collected within the multi-GNSS experiment of the IGS, a good agreement within the receiver DCBs is found between the resulting receiver DCB estimates and multi-GNSS DCB products from the DLR at a level of 0.24 ns for GPS, 0.28 ns for GLONASS, 0.28 ns for BDS, and 0.30 ns for Galileo. Although most of the receiver DCBs are relatively stable over a 1-day period, large fluctuations (more than 9 ns between two consecutive hours) within the receiver DCBs can be found. We also demonstrate the impact of the significant short-term variations in receiver DCBs on the extraction of ionospheric total electron content (TEC), at a level of 12.96 TECu (TEC unit). Compared to daily receiver DCB estimates, the hourly DCB estimates obtained from this study can reflect the short-term variations of the DCB estimates more dedicatedly. The main conclusion is that preliminary analysis of characteristics of receiver DCB variations over short

Short-term variations of radiocarbon during the last century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burchuladze, A.A.; Pagava, S.V.; Jurina, V.; Povinec, P.; Usacev, S.

1982-01-01

Radiocarbon variations related to the 11-year solar cycle during the last century are discussed. Previous investigations on short term 14 C variations in tree rings are compared with 14 C measurements in Georgian wine samples. The amplitude of 14 C variations as obtained by various authors ranges from 0.2 to about 1%. (author)

Toward 2D Seismic Wavefield Monitoring: Seismic Gradiometry for Long-Period Seismogram and Short-Period Seismogram Envelope applied to the Hi-net Array

Science.gov (United States)

Maeda, T.; Nishida, K.; Takagi, R.; Obara, K.

2015-12-01

The high-sensitive seismograph network Japan (Hi-net) operated by National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) has about 800 stations with average separation of 20 km. We can observe long-period seismic wave propagation as a 2D wavefield with station separations shorter than wavelength. In contrast, short-period waves are quite incoherent at stations, however, their envelope shapes resemble at neighbor stations. Therefore, we may be able to extract seismic wave energy propagation by seismogram envelope analysis. We attempted to characterize seismic waveform at long-period and its envelope at short-period as 2D wavefield by applying seismic gradiometry. We applied the seismic gradiometry to a synthetic long-period (20-50s) dataset prepared by numerical simulation in realistic 3D medium at the Hi-net station layout. Wave amplitude and its spatial derivatives are estimated by using data at nearby stations. The slowness vector, the radiation pattern and the geometrical spreading are extracted from estimated velocity, displacement and its spatial derivatives. For short-periods at shorter than 1 s, seismogram envelope shows temporal and spatial broadening through scattering by medium heterogeneity. It is expected that envelope shape may be coherent among nearby stations. Based on this idea, we applied the same method to the time-integration of seismogram envelope to estimate its spatial derivatives. Together with seismogram envelope, we succeeded in estimating the slowness vector from the seismogram envelope as well as long-period waveforms by synthetic test, without using phase information. Our preliminarily results show that the seismic gradiometry suits the Hi-net to extract wave propagation characteristics both at long and short periods. This method is appealing that it can estimate waves at homogeneous grid to monitor seismic wave as a wavefield. It is promising to obtain phase velocity variation from direct waves, and to grasp wave

CLATHRATE HYDRATES FORMATION IN SHORT-PERIOD COMETS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marboeuf, Ulysse; Mousis, Olivier; Petit, Jean-Marc; Schmitt, Bernard

2010-01-01

The initial composition of current models of cometary nuclei is only based on two forms of ice: crystalline ice for long-period comets and amorphous ice for short-period comets. A third form of ice, i.e., clathrate hydrate, could exist within the short-period cometary nuclei, but the area of formation of this crystalline structure in these objects has never been studied. Here, we show that the thermodynamic conditions in the interior of short-period comets allow the existence of clathrate hydrates in Halley-type comets. We show that their existence is viable in the Jupiter family comets only when the equilibrium pressure of CO clathrate hydrate is at least 1 order of magnitude lower than the usually assumed theoretical value. We calculate that the amount of volatiles that could be trapped in the clathrate hydrate layer may be orders of magnitude greater than the daily amount of gas released at the surface of the nucleus at perihelion. The formation and the destruction of the clathrate hydrate cages could then explain the diversity of composition of volatiles observed in comets, as well as some pre-perihelion outbursts. We finally show that the potential clathrate hydrate layer in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko would, unfortunately, be deep inside the nucleus, out of reach of the Rosetta lander. However, such a clathrate hydrate layer would show up by the gas composition of the coma.

Short-term variations of Icelandic ice cap mass inferred from cGPS coordinate time series

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Compton, Kathleen; Bennett, Richard A.; Hreinsdóttir, Sigrún

2017-01-01

As the global climate changes, understanding short-term variations in water storage is increasingly important. Continuously operating Global Positioning System (cGPS) stations in Iceland record annual periodic motion—the elastic response to winter accumulation and spring melt seasons—with peak-to...... insulation in response to tephra deposition following volcanic eruptions, processes that are not resolved with once or twice-yearly stake measurements....

Field Optimization for short Period Undulators

CERN Document Server

Peiffer, P; Rossmanith, R; Schoerling, D

2011-01-01

Undulators dedicated to low energy electron beams, like Laser Wakefield Accelerators, require very short period lengths to achieve X-ray emission. However, at these short period length (LambdaU ~ 5 mm) it becomes difficult to reach magnetic field amplitudes that lead to a K parameter of >1, which is generally desired. Room temperature permanent magnets and even superconductive undulators using Nb-Ti as conductor material have proven insufficient to achieve the desired field amplitudes. The superconductor Nb$_{3}$Sn has the theoretical potential to achieve the desired fields. However, up to now it is limited by several technological challenges to much lower field values than theoretically predicted. An alternative idea for higher fields is to manufacture the poles of the undulator body from Holmium instead of iron or to use Nb-Ti wires with a higher superconductor/copper ratio. The advantages and challenges of the different options are compared in this contribution.

Ultra-short period X-ray mirrors: Production and investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bibishkin, M.S.; Chkhalo, N.I.; Fraerman, A.A.; Pestov, A.E.; Prokhorov, K.A.; Salashchenko, N.N.; Vainer, Yu.A.

2005-01-01

Technological problems that deal with manufacturing of highly effective ultra-short (d=0.7-3.2 nm) period X-ray multilayer mirrors (MLM) are discussed in the article. In an example of Cr/Sc and W/B 4 C MLM it is experimentally shown, that the problem of periodicity and selectivity for multilayer dispersive X-ray elements has been generally solved by now. However, the problem of short-period MLM reflectivity increase related to existing of transitive borders between layers in structures remains rather urgent. The new technique of tungsten deposition using the RF source in order to decrease roughness in borders is discussed and tested. The results of measurements on wavelengths of 0.154, 0.834 and 1.759 nm are given. The RbAP crystals ordinary used in experiments and short-period W/B 4 C MLM produced are compared. The specular and non-specular characteristics of scattering on the 0.154 nm wavelengths are also measured in order to study transitive borders structures

Southern hemisphere searches for short period pulsars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manchester, R.N.

1984-01-01

Two searches of the southern sky for short period pulsars are briefly described. The first, made using the 64-m telescope at Parkes, is sensitive to pulsars with periods greater than about 10 ms and the second, made using the Molonglo radio telescope, has sensitivity down to periods of about 1.5 ms. Four pulsars were found in the Parkes survey and none in the Molonglo survey, although analysis of the latter is as yet incomplete. 10 references, 1 figure, 2 tables

Planetary perturbations and the origins of short-period comets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quinn, T.; Tremaine, S.; Duncan, M.

1990-01-01

To investigate the dynamical plausibility of possible sources for the short-period comets, a representative sample of comet orbits in the field of the sun and the giant planets was integrated, with the aim to determine whether the distribution of orbits from a proposed source that reach observable perihelia (q less than 2.5 AU) matches the observed distribution of short-period orbits. It is found that the majority of the short-period comets, those with orbital period P less than 20 yr (the Jupiter family), cannot arise from isotropic orbits with perihelia near Jupiter's orbit, because the resulting observable comet orbits have the wrong distribution in period, inclination, and argument of perihelion. The simulations also show that Jupiter-family comets cannot arise from isotropic orbits with perihelia in the Uranus-Neptune region. On the other hand, a source of low-inclination Neptune-crossing orbits yields a distribution of observable Jupiter-family comets that is consistent with the data in all respects. These results imply that the Jupiter-family comets arise from a disk source in the outer solar system rather than from the Oort comet cloud. 30 refs

Design issues for cryogenic cooling of short period superconducting undulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, M.A.; Dietderich, D.R.; Marks, S.; Prestemon, S.O.; Schlueter, R.D.

2003-01-01

Superconducting insertion devices, which produce periodic magnetic fields, have been built and installed in a number of synchrotron-light source storage-rings. For the most part, these devices have been wigglers, which have relatively long period lengths. This report concerns itself with the special cryogenic issues associated with short period undulators. The motivation for considering the incorporation of superconducting technology in insertion device designs is to achieve higher magnetic fields than can be achieved with more conventional permanent magnet technology. Since the peak field decreases sharply with increased magnet gap to period ratio, the cryogenic design of the magnet system is crucial. In particular, the insulation required for a warm vacuum bore device is impractical for short period undulators. This report describes the issues that are related to a cold bore (∼4 K) and an intermediate temperature bore (30 to 70 K) designs. The criteria for the use of small cryocoolers for cooling a short period undulator are presented. The problems associated with connecting small coolers to an undulator at 4.2 K are discussed

Periodic transients linked to a variation in reactivity; Transitoires de periode lies a une variation de reactivite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Furet, J; Weil, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1961-07-01

We study here the influence of the transient, linked to a variation in reactivity, on the measurement of the period, this measurement being made from the logarithmic differential of the power and being defined by 1/T 1/p(dp/dt). We show that the adjustment of the thresholds of period safety is often incompatible with the velocities of liberation of reactivity. A compromise is then necessary between the speed of response of the periodimeter and the speed with which the reactivity is liberated. This makes it necessary to have rapid security devices for the power levels in the piles in which the speeds of liberation of the reactivity are high. (author) [French] On etudie ici l'influence du transitoire lie a une variation de la reactivite sur la mesure de la periode, cette mesure etant faite a partir de la derivee logarithmique de la puissance et etant definie par 1/T 1/p(dp/dt). On montre que le reglage des seuils de securite periode est souvent incompatible avec les vitesses de liberation de reactivite. Il y a alors un compromis a faire entre la vitesse de reponse du periodemetre et la vitesse de liberation de reactivite. Ceci impose de disposer de securites rapides sur les niveaux de puissance, dans les piles ou les vitesses de liberation de reactivite sont importantes. (auteur)

Short-Period Surface Wave Based Seismic Event Relocation

Science.gov (United States)

White-Gaynor, A.; Cleveland, M.; Nyblade, A.; Kintner, J. A.; Homman, K.; Ammon, C. J.

2017-12-01

Accurate and precise seismic event locations are essential for a broad range of geophysical investigations. Superior location accuracy generally requires calibration with ground truth information, but superb relative location precision is often achievable independently. In explosion seismology, low-yield explosion monitoring relies on near-source observations, which results in a limited number of observations that challenges our ability to estimate any locations. Incorporating more distant observations means relying on data with lower signal-to-noise ratios. For small, shallow events, the short-period (roughly 1/2 to 8 s period) fundamental-mode and higher-mode Rayleigh waves (including Rg) are often the most stable and visible portion of the waveform at local distances. Cleveland and Ammon [2013] have shown that teleseismic surface waves are valuable observations for constructing precise, relative event relocations. We extend the teleseismic surface wave relocation method, and apply them to near-source distances using Rg observations from the Bighorn Arche Seismic Experiment (BASE) and the Earth Scope USArray Transportable Array (TA) seismic stations. Specifically, we present relocation results using short-period fundamental- and higher-mode Rayleigh waves (Rg) in a double-difference relative event relocation for 45 delay-fired mine blasts and 21 borehole chemical explosions. Our preliminary efforts are to explore the sensitivity of the short-period surface waves to local geologic structure, source depth, explosion magnitude (yield), and explosion characteristics (single-shot vs. distributed source, etc.). Our results show that Rg and the first few higher-mode Rayleigh wave observations can be used to constrain the relative locations of shallow low-yield events.

Periodic weather and climate variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, Vladimir V

2002-01-01

Variations in meteorological parameters are largely due to periodic processes and can be forecast for several years. Many such processes are related to astronomical factors such as the gravitational influences of the Moon and the Sun, and the modulation of solar irradiance by lunar and planetary motion. The Moon, Jupiter, and Venus have the strongest effect. These influences produce lines in the spectra of meteorological variations, which are combinations of the harmonics of the frequencies of revolution of the planets, the Earth, and the Moon around the Sun with the harmonics of the lunar revolution around the Earth. Due to frequency differences between the orbital and radial motions, fine spectral features of three types appear: line splitting, line-profile complications due to radial oscillations, and additional lines due to the combination of radial-oscillation frequencies with perturbation harmonics. (reviews of topical problems)

On the short periods oscillation in relativistic stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aquilano, R.; Morales, S.; Navone, H.; Sevilla, D.; Zorzi, A.

2009-01-01

We expand the study of neutron and strange matter stars with general relativistic formalism. We analyze the correlation with the observational data short periods oscillations in these stars, and we intend to discriminate between them.

Preferred Hosts for Short-Period Exoplanets

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2015-12-01

In an effort to learn more about how planets form around their host stars, a team of scientists has analyzed the population of Kepler-discovered exoplanet candidates, looking for trends in where theyre found.Planetary OccurrenceSince its launch in 2009, Kepler has found thousands of candidate exoplanets around a variety of star types. Especially intriguing is the large population of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes planets with masses between that of Earth and Neptune that have short orbital periods. How did they come to exist so close to their host star? Did they form in situ, or migrate inwards, or some combination of both processes?To constrain these formation mechanisms, a team of scientists led by Gijs Mulders (University of Arizona and NASAs NExSS coalition) analyzed the population of Kepler planet candidates that have orbital periods between 2 and 50 days.Mulders and collaborators used statistical reconstructions to find the average number of planets, within this orbital range, around each star in the Kepler field. They then determined how this planet occurrence rate changed for different spectral types and therefore the masses of the host stars: do low-mass M-dwarf stars host more or fewer planets than higher-mass, main-sequence F, G, or K stars?Challenging ModelsAuthors estimates for the occurrence rate for short-period planets of different radii around M-dwarfs (purple) and around F, G, and K-type stars (blue). [Mulders et al. 2015]The team found that M dwarfs, compared to F, G, or K stars, host about half as many large planets with orbital periods of P 50 days. But, surprisingly, they host significantly more small planets, racking up an average of 3.5 times the number of planets in the size range of 12.8 Earth-radii.Could it be that M dwarfs have a lower total mass of planets, but that mass is distributed into more, smaller planets? Apparently not: the authors show that the mass of heavy elements trapped in short-orbital-period planets is higher for M

Effects of periodic atmospheric pressure variation on radon entry into buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Tsang, Y. W.; Narasimhan, T. N.

1992-06-01

Using a mathematical model, we have investigated the temporal variations of radon entry into a house basement in the presence of time-dependent periodic variations of barometric pressure as well as a persistent small steady depressurization within the basement. The tool for our investigation is an integral finite difference numerical code which can solve for both diffusive and advective flux of radon in the soil gas which is treated as a slightly compressible fluid. Two different boundary conditions at the house basement are considered: (1) a dirt floor basement so that diffusion is equally or more important than advective transport, and (2) an "impermeable" cement basement except for a 1-cm-wide crack near the perimeter of the basement floor; in which case, advective transport of radon flux dominates. Two frequencies of barometric pressure fluctuation with representative values of amplitudes, based on a Fourier decomposition of barometric pressure data, were chosen in this study: one with a short period of 0.5 hour with pressure amplitude of 50 Pa, the other a diurnal variation with a period of 24 hours with the typical pressure amplitude of 250 Pa. For a homogeneous soil medium with soil permeability to air between 10-13 and 10-10 m2, we predict that the barometric fluctuations increase the radon entry into the basement by up to 120% of the steady radon inflow into the basement owing to a steady depressurization of 5 Pa. If soil permeability heterogeneity is present, such as the presence of a thin layer of higher permeability aggregate immediately below the basement floor, radon flux due to atmospheric pumping is further increased. Effects of pressure pumping on radon entry are also compared to diffusion-only transport when the steady depressurization is absent. It is found that contribution to radon entry is significant for the basement crack configuration. In particular, for pressure pumping at 0.5-hour period and for a homogeneous medium of permeability of 10

The effect of short recovery period investment on least-cost generation system expansion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yiqun He; David, A.K.; Fernando, P.N.

1995-01-01

The effect of the short recovery period of private investment on least-cost generation system expansion is analysed, and a trade-off method for generation system expansion, which gives consideration to both the least-cost strategy and the short recovery period of private investment, is presented. First, the optimal mix of generation units under a standard recovery period for all units is established, and then the surcharge, due to the difference between the short recovery period and the standard recovery period, is calculated and shared between all units. The former is an optimization to make best use of natural resources, and the latter is a trade-off method to spread the surcharge throughout the system. (Author)

Layering of Structure in the North American Upper Mantle: Combining Short Period Constraints and Full Waveform Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, C.; Calo, M.; Bodin, T.; Romanowicz, B. A.

2016-12-01

Recent receiver function (RF) studies of the north American craton suggest the presence of layering within the cratonic lithosphere with significant lateral variations in the depth. However, the location and character of these discontinuities depends on assumptions made on a background 3D velocity model. On the other hand, the implementation of the Spectral Element Method (SEM) for the computation of the seismic wavefield in 3D structures is allowing improved resolution of volumetric structure in full waveform tomography. The corresponding computations are however very heavy and limit our ability to attain short enough periods to resolve short scale features such as the existence and lateral variations of discontinuities. In order to overcome these limitations, we have developed a methodology that combines full waveform inversion tomography and information provided by short period seismic observables. In a first step we constructed a 3D discontinuous radially anisotropic starting model combining 1D models calculated using RF and L and R wave dispersion data in a Bayesian framework using trans-dimensional MCMC inversion at a collection of 30 stations across the north American continent (Calò et al., 2016). This model was then interpolated and smoothed using a procedure based on residual homogenization (Capdeville et al. 2013) and serves as input model for full waveform tomography using a three-component waveform dataset previously collected (Yuan et al., 2014). The homogenization is necessary to avoid meshing problems and heavy SEM computations. In a second step, several iterations of the full waveform inversion are performed until convergence, using a regional SEM code for forward computations (RegSEM, Cupillard et al., 2012). Results of the inversion are volumetric velocity perturbations around the homogenized starting model, which are then added to the discontinuous 3D starting model. The final result is a multiscale discontinuous model containing both short and

Hurricane Arthur and its effect on the short term variation of pCO2

Science.gov (United States)

Lemay, Jonathan; Thomas, Helmuth; Craig, Susanne; Greenan, Blair; Fennel, Katja

2016-04-01

Seasonal changes in carbon cycling over the years have become better understood on the Scotian Shelf, however little is resolved in short term variation. Hourly measurements were collected from an autonomous moored instrument (CARIOCA) stationed at Halifax Line 2 (HL2), roughly 30km off the coast of Halifax for the 2014 year. Data from the 2007 deployment of the SeaHorse vertical sampling mooring at HL2 was also collected. Focusing on the storm event, Hurricane Arthur, July 5th 2014 reveals a significant drop in pCO2. With the shelf having carbon rich deep water, a reduction of pCO2 due to mixing went against current understanding. It was revealed that slightly above the mixed layer there is a sustained population of phytoplankton. When wind mixing from storms occurs, this population moves to the surface allowing greater light and nutrients for short term growth. This growth then reduces pCO2 for a short period of time until wind speeds slow down reducing mixing of the water column.

Effects of age, gender, and stimulus presentation period on visual short-term memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunimi, Mitsunobu

2016-01-01

This study focused on age-related changes in visual short-term memory using visual stimuli that did not allow verbal encoding. Experiment 1 examined the effects of age and the length of the stimulus presentation period on visual short-term memory function. Experiment 2 examined the effects of age, gender, and the length of the stimulus presentation period on visual short-term memory function. The worst memory performance and the largest performance difference between the age groups were observed in the shortest stimulus presentation period conditions. The performance difference between the age groups became smaller as the stimulus presentation period became longer; however, it did not completely disappear. Although gender did not have a significant effect on d' regardless of the presentation period in the young group, a significant gender-based difference was observed for stimulus presentation periods of 500 ms and 1,000 ms in the older group. This study indicates that the decline in visual short-term memory observed in the older group is due to the interaction of several factors.

Response of phytoplankton assemblages isolated for short periods ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The response of phytoplankton assemblages isolated in enclosures for short periods of time was examined in hyper-eutrophic Lake Chivero (Harare, Zimbabwe), to determine the factors that influenced the structure of the phytoplankton community, after noticing a marked decline in the dominance of Microcystis aeruginosa ...

Long-Period Tidal Variations of the Earth's Rotation Rate

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, S.; Gross, R.; Wahr, J.

1999-01-01

Long-period tidal variations of the Earth's rotation rate are caused by the redistribution of mass associated with the respective elastic solid Earth tides, the ocean tide heights, and the anelasticity of the Earth's mantle, and by the relative angular momentum associated with the long-period ocean tide currents.

PLANET HUNTERS: ASSESSING THE KEPLER INVENTORY OF SHORT-PERIOD PLANETS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwamb, Megan E.; Lintott, Chris J.; Lynn, Stuart; Smith, Arfon M.; Simpson, Robert J.; Fischer, Debra A.; Giguere, Matthew J.; Brewer, John M.; Parrish, Michael; Schawinski, Kevin

2012-01-01

We present the results from a search of data from the first 33.5 days of the Kepler science mission (Quarter 1) for exoplanet transits by the Planet Hunters citizen science project. Planet Hunters enlists members of the general public to visually identify transits in the publicly released Kepler light curves via the World Wide Web. Over 24,000 volunteers reviewed the Kepler Quarter 1 data set. We examine the abundance of ≥2 R ⊕ planets on short-period ( ⊕ Planet Hunters ≥85% efficient at identifying transit signals for planets with periods less than 15 days for the Kepler sample of target stars. Our high efficiency rate for simulated transits along with recovery of the majority of Kepler ≥4 R ⊕ planets suggests that the Kepler inventory of ≥4 R ⊕ short-period planets is nearly complete.

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)

Short term variations in particulate matter in Mahi river estuary

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Bhosle, N.B.; Rokade, M.A.; Zingde, M.D.

The particulate matter (PM) collected from Mahi River Estuary was analysed for organic carbon (POC), nitrogen (PON), and chlorophyll a (Chl a). The concentration of PM, POC, PON and Chl a showed short term variations. Average surface concentration...

Local Analysis Approach for Short Wavelength Geopotential Variations

Science.gov (United States)

Bender, P. L.

2009-12-01

The value of global spherical harmonic analyses for determining 15 day to 30 day changes in the Earth's gravity field has been demonstrated extensively using data from the GRACE mission and previous missions. However, additional useful information appears to be obtainable from local analyses of the data. A number of such analyses have been carried out by various groups. In the energy approximation, the changes in the height of the satellite altitude geopotential can be determined from the post-fit changes in the satellite separation during individual one-revolution arcs of data from a GRACE-type pair of satellites in a given orbit. For a particular region, it is assumed that short wavelength spatial variations for the arcs crossing that region during a time T of interest would be used to determine corrections to the spherical harmonic results. The main issue in considering higher measurement accuracy in future missions is how much improvement in spatial resolution can be achieved. For this, the shortest wavelengths that can be determined are the most important. And, while the longer wavelength variations are affected by mass distribution changes over much of the globe, the shorter wavelength ones hopefully will be determined mainly by more local changes in the mass distribution. Future missions are expected to have much higher accuracy for measuring changes in the satellite separation than GRACE. However, how large an improvement in the derived results in hydrology will be achieved is still very much a matter of study, particularly because of the effects of uncertainty in the time variations in the atmospheric and oceanic mass distributions. To be specific, it will be assumed that improving the spatial resolution in continental regions away from the coastlines is the objective, and that the satellite altitude is in the range of roughly 290 to 360 km made possible for long missions by drag-free operation. The advantages of putting together the short wavelength

A Search for Exoplanets in Short-Period Binary Star Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronald Kaitchuck

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the progress of a search for exoplanets with S-type orbits in short-period binary star systems. The selected targets have stellar orbital periods of just a few days. These systems are eclipsing binaries so that exoplanet transits, if planets exist, will be highly likely. We report the results for seven binary star systems.

Periodic Anderson model with correlated conduction electrons: Variational and exact diagonalization study

Science.gov (United States)

Hagymási, I.; Itai, K.; Sólyom, J.

2012-06-01

We investigate an extended version of the periodic Anderson model (the so-called periodic Anderson-Hubbard model) with the aim to understand the role of interaction between conduction electrons in the formation of the heavy-fermion and mixed-valence states. Two methods are used: (i) variational calculation with the Gutzwiller wave function optimizing numerically the ground-state energy and (ii) exact diagonalization of the Hamiltonian for short chains. The f-level occupancy and the renormalization factor of the quasiparticles are calculated as a function of the energy of the f orbital for a wide range of the interaction parameters. The results obtained by the two methods are in reasonably good agreement for the periodic Anderson model. The agreement is maintained even when the interaction between band electrons, Ud, is taken into account, except for the half-filled case. This discrepancy can be explained by the difference between the physics of the one- and higher-dimensional models. We find that this interaction shifts and widens the energy range of the bare f level, where heavy-fermion behavior can be observed. For large-enough Ud this range may lie even above the bare conduction band. The Gutzwiller method indicates a robust transition from Kondo insulator to Mott insulator in the half-filled model, while Ud enhances the quasiparticle mass when the filling is close to half filling.

Coherent Phonon Dynamics in Short-Period InAs/GaSb Superlattices

OpenAIRE

Noe, G. T.; Haugan, H. J.; Brown, G. J.; Sanders, G. D.; Stanton, C. J.; Kono, J.

2011-01-01

We have performed ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy studies on a series of InAs/GaSb-based short-period superlattice (SL) samples with periods ranging from 46 \\AA to 71 \\AA. We observe two types of oscillations in the differential reflectivity with fast ($\\sim$ 1- 2 ps) and slow ($\\sim$ 24 ps) periods. The period of the fast oscillations changes with the SL period and can be explained as coherent acoustic phonons generated from carriers photoexcited within the SL. This mode provides an accura...

Period variation studies of six contact binaries in M4

Science.gov (United States)

Rukmini, Jagirdar; Shanti Priya, Devarapalli

2018-04-01

We present the first period study of six contact binaries in the closest globular cluster M4 the data collected from June 1995‑June 2009 and Oct 2012‑Sept 2013. New times of minima are determined for all the six variables and eclipse timing (O-C) diagrams along with the quadratic fit are presented. For all the variables, the study of (O-C) variations reveals changes in the periods. In addition, the fundamental parameters for four of the contact binaries obtained using the Wilson-Devinney code (v2003) are presented. Planned observations of these binaries using the 3.6-m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT) and the 4-m International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) operated by the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES; Nainital) can throw light on their evolutionary status from long term period variation studies.

Absence of a Metallicity Effect for Ultra-short-period Planets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winn, Joshua N.; Sanchis-Ojeda, Roberto; Isaacson, Howard; Marcy, Geoffrey W.; Rogers, Leslie; Petigura, Erik A.; Howard, Andrew W.; Schlaufman, Kevin C.; Cargile, Phillip; Hebb, Leslie

2017-01-01

Ultra-short-period (USP) planets are a newly recognized class of planets with periods shorter than one day and radii smaller than about 2  R ⊕ . It has been proposed that USP planets are the solid cores of hot Jupiters that have lost their gaseous envelopes due to photo-evaporation or Roche lobe overflow. We test this hypothesis by asking whether USP planets are associated with metal-rich stars, as has long been observed for hot Jupiters. We find the metallicity distributions of USP-planet and hot-Jupiter hosts to be significantly different ( p = 3 × 10 −4 ) based on Keck spectroscopy of Kepler stars. Evidently, the sample of USP planets is not dominated by the evaporated cores of hot Jupiters. The metallicity distribution of stars with USP planets is indistinguishable from that of stars with short-period planets with sizes between 2 and 4  R ⊕ . Thus, it remains possible that the USP planets are the solid cores of formerly gaseous planets that are smaller than Neptune.

Absence of a Metallicity Effect for Ultra-short-period Planets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winn, Joshua N. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 4 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Sanchis-Ojeda, Roberto; Isaacson, Howard; Marcy, Geoffrey W. [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Rogers, Leslie [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Petigura, Erik A.; Howard, Andrew W. [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Schlaufman, Kevin C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Cargile, Phillip [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Hebb, Leslie [Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY 14456 (United States)

2017-08-01

Ultra-short-period (USP) planets are a newly recognized class of planets with periods shorter than one day and radii smaller than about 2  R {sub ⊕}. It has been proposed that USP planets are the solid cores of hot Jupiters that have lost their gaseous envelopes due to photo-evaporation or Roche lobe overflow. We test this hypothesis by asking whether USP planets are associated with metal-rich stars, as has long been observed for hot Jupiters. We find the metallicity distributions of USP-planet and hot-Jupiter hosts to be significantly different ( p = 3 × 10{sup −4}) based on Keck spectroscopy of Kepler stars. Evidently, the sample of USP planets is not dominated by the evaporated cores of hot Jupiters. The metallicity distribution of stars with USP planets is indistinguishable from that of stars with short-period planets with sizes between 2 and 4  R {sub ⊕}. Thus, it remains possible that the USP planets are the solid cores of formerly gaseous planets that are smaller than Neptune.

Orbital period variations of two W UMa-type binaries: UY UMa and EF Boo

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yun-Xia; Zhang, Xu-Dong; Hu, Ke; Xiang, Fu-Yuan

2017-08-01

The orbital period variations of two W UMa-type contact binaries, UY UMa and EF Boo, are analyzed by using all available times of light minimum. It is detected that the general trends of their (O - C) curves show an upward parabolic variation, which reveals their continuous period increases at the rates of dP / dt = 2.545 ×10-7 days yr-1 and dP / dt = 2.623 ×10-7 days yr-1 , respectively. Meanwhile, UY UMa also shows a cyclic period variation with a small amplitude of A = 0.0026 days superposed on the long-term increase. Due to their contact configurations, the secular period increases are interpreted as a result of mass transfer from the less massive component to the more massive one. The cyclic period variation of UY UMa may be interpreted in terms of either the magnetic activity or the light time effect.

Seasonal variation in short-term mortality after surgery for colorectal cancer?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, L H; Nielsen, H; Pedersen, L

2010-01-01

Comorbidity has a major impact on short-term and long-term survival of colorectal cancer (CRC) and many CRC patients suffer from comorbidities. Mortality rates for comorbidities like cardio-respiratory diseases exhibit distinct seasonal variations with highest rates in the winter. Therefore, we...

Attenuation of short-period P, PcP, ScP, and pP waves in the earth's mantle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bock, G.; Clements, J.R.

1982-01-01

The parameter t* (ratio of body wave travel time to the average quality factor Q) was estimated under various assumptions of the nature of the earthquake sources for short-period P, PcP, and ScP phases originating from earthquakes in the Fiji-Tonga region and recorded at the Warramunga Seismic Array at Tennant Creek (Northern Territory, Australia). Spectral ratios were calculated for the amplitudes of PcP to P and of pP to P. The data reveal a laterally varying Q structure in the Fiji-Tonga region. The high-Q lithosphere descending beneath the Tonga Island arc is overlain above 350 km depth by a wedgelike zone of high attenuation with an average Q/sub α/ between 120 and 200 at short periods. The upper mantle farther to the west of the Tonga island arc is less attenuating, with Q/sub α/, between 370 and 560. Q/sub α/ is about 500 in the upper mantle on the oceanic side of the subduction zone. The t* estimates of this study are much smaller than estimates from the free oscillation model SL8. This can be partly explained by regional variations of Q in the upper mantle. If no lateral Q variations occur in the lower mantle, a frequency-dependent Q can make the PcP and ScP observations consistent with model SL8. Adopting the absorption band model to describe the frequency dependence of Q, the parameter tau 2 , the cut-off period of the high-frequency end of the absorption band, was determined. For different source models with finite corner frequencies, the average tau 2 for the mantle is between 0.01 and 0.10 s (corresponding to frequencies between 16 and 1.6 Hz) as derived from the PcP data, and between 0.06 and 0.12 s (2.7 and 1.3 Hz), as derived from the ScP data

Beamline front end for in-vacuum short period undulator at the photon factory storage ring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyauchi, Hiroshi, E-mail: hiroshi.miyauchi@kek.jp [Accelerator Laboratory, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Department of Accelerator Science, School of High Energy Accelerator Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Tahara, Toshihiro, E-mail: ttahara@post.kek.jp; Asaoka, Seiji, E-mail: seiji.asaoka@kek.jp [Accelerator Laboratory, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan)

2016-07-27

The straight-section upgrade project of the Photon Factory created four new short straight sections capable of housing in-vacuum short period undulators. The first to fourth short period undulators SGU#17, SGU#03, SGU#01 and SGU#15 were installed at the 2.5-GeV Photon Factory storage ring in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2013, respectively. The beamline front end for SGU#15 is described in this paper.

Evaluation of short-period rainfall estimates from Kalpana-1 satellite

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The INSAT Multispectral Rainfall Algorithm (IMSRA) technique for rainfall estimation, has recently been developed to meet the shortcomings of the Global Precipitation Index (GPI) technique of rainfall estimation from the data of geostationary satellites; especially for accurate short period rainfall estimates. This study ...

Staggered and short-period solutions of the saturable discrete nonlinear Schrodinger equation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khare, A.; Rasmussen, K.O.; Samuelsen, Mogens Rugholm

2009-01-01

We point out that the nonlinear Schrodinger lattice with a saturable nonlinearity also admits staggered periodic aswell as localized pulse-like solutions. Further, the same model also admits solutions with a short period. We examine the stability of these solutions and find that the staggered as ...

A technique to detect periodic and non-periodic ultra-rapid flux time variations with standard radio-astronomical data

Science.gov (United States)

Borra, Ermanno F.; Romney, Jonathan D.; Trottier, Eric

2018-06-01

We demonstrate that extremely rapid and weak periodic and non-periodic signals can easily be detected by using the autocorrelation of intensity as a function of time. We use standard radio-astronomical observations that have artificial periodic and non-periodic signals generated by the electronics of terrestrial origin. The autocorrelation detects weak signals that have small amplitudes because it averages over long integration times. Another advantage is that it allows a direct visualization of the shape of the signals, while it is difficult to see the shape with a Fourier transform. Although Fourier transforms can also detect periodic signals, a novelty of this work is that we demonstrate another major advantage of the autocorrelation, that it can detect non-periodic signals while the Fourier transform cannot. Another major novelty of our work is that we use electric fields taken in a standard format with standard instrumentation at a radio observatory and therefore no specialized instrumentation is needed. Because the electric fields are sampled every 15.625 ns, they therefore allow detection of very rapid time variations. Notwithstanding the long integration times, the autocorrelation detects very rapid intensity variations as a function of time. The autocorrelation could also detect messages from Extraterrestrial Intelligence as non-periodic signals.

New serial time codes for seismic short period and long period data acquisition systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolvankar, V.G.; Rao, D.S.

1988-01-01

This paper discusses a new time code for time indexing multichannel short period (1 to 25 hz) seismic event data recorded on a single track of magnetic tape in digital format and discusses its usefulness in contrast to Vela time code used in continuous analog multichannel data recording system on multitrack instrumentation tape deck. This paper also discusses another time code, used for time indexing of seismic long period (DC to 2.5 seconds) multichannel data recorded on a single track of magnetic tape in digital format. The time code decoding and display system developed to provide quick access to any desired portion of the tape in both data recording and repro duce system is also discussed. (author). 7 figs

Design of a short-period superconducting undulator at KEK-PF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohmi, K.; Ikeda, N.; Ishii, S.

1998-06-01

A short-period undulator using a superconducting magnet is proposed. This undulator has been designed to install in the KEK-Photon Factory 2.5-GeV or 6.5-GeV storage ring. The idea of a staggered wiggler, developed in Stanford university, is used in this undulator. The target of the period and K value of the undulator are set to be 1 cm and 1, respectively. We can obtain monochromatic photons with an energy of {approx} 5keV or {approx} 40 keV by using the undulator. (author)

Observation of short period fluctuation of CygX-1 with balloon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, Michio; Sakurai, Takahisa; Uchida, Masayoshi

1977-01-01

CygX-1 presents very complex short period fluctuation of X-ray, therefore the hard X-ray was especially observed in 1972 and 1973 with large balloons, and the data were analyzed. This short period fluctuation and energy spectra of CygX-1 in the normal and flare time bands were compared. The observing apparatuses consisted of the 3 in diameter NaI detector and a high pressure proportional counter. The observing method is to turn the gondora alternately to the directions of source (ON) and background (OFF). As for the data analysis, the events at ON and OFF in the observation data in 1972 and 1973 were plotted for time interval. The background component is in agreement with Poisson's distribution, but source component is not. This difference for Poisson's distribution means the behavior of CygX-1. The power spectrum was analyzed, and the strong power density was observed at 5.4 x 10 -2 Hz in ON, but such power density was not observed in OFF. Accordingly this is presumed to be caused by CygX-1. The events for time interval in flare time are shown. The rise of about 2.9 σ exists at 80 msec. The count rates were compared for photon energy in the normal and flare times. The short period fluctuation of hard X-ray from CygX-1 deviates from Poisson's distribution and is different in the normal and flare times. (Nakai, Y.)

Tidally distorted exoplanets: Density corrections for short-period hot-Jupiters based solely on observable parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burton, J. R.; Watson, C. A.; Fitzsimmons, A.; Moulds, V. [Astrophysics Research Centre, Queen' s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Pollacco, D.; Wheatley, P. J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); Littlefair, S. P., E-mail: jburton04@qub.ac.uk [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH (United Kingdom)

2014-07-10

The close proximity of short-period hot-Jupiters to their parent star means they are subject to extreme tidal forces. This has a profound effect on their structure and, as a result, density measurements that assume that the planet is spherical can be incorrect. We have simulated the tidally distorted surface for 34 known short-period hot-Jupiters, assuming surfaces of constant gravitational equipotential for the planet, and the resulting densities have been calculated based only on observed parameters of the exoplanet systems. Comparing these results to the density values, assuming the planets are spherical, shows that there is an appreciable change in the measured density for planets with very short periods (typically less than two days). For one of the shortest-period systems, WASP-19b, we determine a decrease in bulk density of 12% from the spherical case and, for the majority of systems in this study, this value is in the range of 1%-5%. On the other hand, we also find cases where the distortion is negligible (relative to the measurement errors on the planetary parameters) even in the cases of some very short period systems, depending on the mass ratio and planetary radius. For high-density gas planets requiring apparently anomalously large core masses, density corrections due to tidal deformation could become important for the shortest-period systems.

A short period undulator for MAX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahola, H.; Meinander, T.

1992-01-01

A hybrid undulator for generation of high brilliance synchrotron radiation in the photon energy range of 60--600 eV at the 550 MeV electron storage ring MAX in Lund, Sweden has been designed and built at the Technical Research Centre of Finland in close collaboration with MAX-lab of Lund University. At the rather modest electron energy of MAX this photon energy range can be reached only by an undulator featuring a fairly short period and the smallest possible magnetic gap. Even then, higher harmonics (up to the 13th) of the radiation spectrum must be utilized. An optimization of the magnetic design resulted in a hybrid configuration of NdFeB magnets and soft iron poles with a period of 24 mm and a minimum magnetic gap of 7--10 mm. A variable-gap vacuum chamber allows reduction of the vacuum gap from a maximum of 20 mm, needed for injection, down to 6 mm during stored beam operation. A special design of this chamber permits a magnetic gap between pole tips that is only 1 mm larger than the vacuum gap. Adequate field uniformity was ensured by calibration of magnets to equal strength at their true operating point and verification of the homogeneity of their magnetization. Magnetic measurements included Hall probe scans of the undulator field and flip coil evaluations of the field integral

Short-period volcanic gas precursors to phreatic eruptions: Insights from Poás Volcano, Costa Rica

Science.gov (United States)

de Moor, Maarten; Aiuppa, Alessandro; Pacheco, Javier; Avard, Geoffroy; Kern, Christoph; Liuzzo, Marco; Martinez, Maria; Giudice, Gaetano; Fischer, Tobias P.

2016-01-01

Volcanic eruptions involving interaction with water are amongst the most violent and unpredictable geologic phenomena on Earth. Phreatic eruptions are exceptionally difficult to forecast by traditional geophysical techniques. Here we report on short-term precursory variations in gas emissions related to phreatic blasts at Poás volcano, Costa Rica, as measured with an in situ multiple gas analyzer that was deployed at the edge of the erupting lake. Gas emitted from this hyper-acid crater lake approaches magmatic values of SO2/CO2 1–6 days prior to eruption. The SO2 flux derived from magmatic degassing through the lake is measureable by differential optical absorption spectrometry (sporadic campaign measurements), which allows us to constrain lake gas output and input for the major gas species during eruptive and non-eruptive periods. We can further calculate power supply to the hydrothermal system using volatile mass balance and thermodynamics, which indicates that the magmatic heat flux into the shallow hydrothermal system increases from ∼27 MW during quiescence to ∼59 MW during periods of phreatic events. These transient pulses of gas and heat from the deeper magmatic system generate both phreatic eruptions and the observed short-term changes in gas composition, because at high gas flux scrubbing of sulfur by the hydrothermal system is both kinetically and thermodynamically inhibited whereas CO2gas is always essentially inert in hyperacid conditions. Thus, the SO2/CO2 of lake emissions approaches magmatic values as gas and power supply to the sub-limnic hydrothermal system increase, vaporizing fluids and priming the hydrothermal system for eruption. Our results suggest that high-frequency real-time gas monitoring could provide useful short-term eruptive precursors at volcanoes prone to phreatic explosions.

Temporal Variation in Oscillatory Characteristics of Long-period Tremor at Aso Volcano, Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, M.; Ohkura, T.; Kaneshima, S.; Kawakatsu, H.

2017-12-01

At Aso volcano, Japan, various kinds of volcanic signals with broad frequency contents have been observed since 1930s. One of these signals is long-period tremor (LPT) with a dominant period of around 15 s, which is intermittently emitted from the volcano regardless of the surface activity. Our broadband seismic observations have revealed that LPTs are a kind of resonance oscillation of a crack-like conduit beneath the crater. In this study, aiming to detect a temporal variation of volcanic system, we analyze the long-term variation of LPTs from 1994 to the present.We first examine the temporal variation of dominant periods of LPTs (fundamental mode of around 15 s and the first overtone of around 7 s) using the continuous data recorded at broadband stations close to the active crater. The result shows a clear temporal change in the dominant periods of LPTs in 2003-2005 and 2014-2015. In 2003-2005, the periods of the two modes show correlated temporal change, and it can be interpreted as compositional and/or thermal change of hydrothermal fluids. On the other hand, in 2014-2015, the period of first overtone is almost constant at around 8 s, while that of the fundamental mode shows relatively large temporal fluctuations between 16 s and 12 s. To explain the different behavior among the two resonant modes, we examine the oscillatory characteristics of a fluid-filled crack having linearly varying thickness. With this model, we find that the ratio between resonance periods becomes smaller than that in the case of a flat crack having constant thickness. This behavior can be understood by considering the effective thickness of the crack depends on the wavelength of each resonant mode. Based on these results, the different temporal variation of dominant periods can be interpreted by depth-dependent thickness of the crack-like conduit which may be caused by pressurization and/or intrusion of magma at deeper portion of the conduit. These results suggest the importance of

Towards a Fundamental Understanding of Short Period Eclipsing Binary Systems Using Kepler Data

Science.gov (United States)

Prsa, Andrej

Kepler's ultra-high precision photometry is revolutionizing stellar astrophysics. We are seeing intrinsic phenomena on an unprecedented scale, and interpreting them is both a challenge and an exciting privilege. Eclipsing binary stars are of particular significance for stellar astrophysics because precise modeling leads to fundamental parameters of the orbiting components: masses, radii, temperatures and luminosities to better than 1-2%. On top of that, eclipsing binaries are ideal physical laboratories for studying other physical phenomena, such as asteroseismic properties, chromospheric activity, proximity effects, mass transfer in close binaries, etc. Because of the eclipses, the basic geometry is well constrained, but a follow-up spectroscopy is required to get the dynamical masses and the absolute scale of the system. A conjunction of Kepler photometry and ground- based spectroscopy is a treasure trove for eclipsing binary star astrophysics. This proposal focuses on a carefully selected set of 100 short period eclipsing binary stars. The fundamental goal of the project is to study the intrinsic astrophysical effects typical of short period binaries in great detail, utilizing Kepler photometry and follow-up spectroscopy to devise a robust and consistent set of modeling results. The complementing spectroscopy is being secured from 3 approved and fully funded programs: the NOAO 4-m echelle spectroscopy at Kitt Peak (30 nights; PI Prsa), the 10- m Hobby-Eberly Telescope high-resolution spectroscopy (PI Mahadevan), and the 2.5-m Sloan Digital Sky Survey III spectroscopy (PI Mahadevan). The targets are prioritized by the projected scientific yield. Short period detached binaries host low-mass (K- and M- type) components for which the mass-radius relationship is sparsely populated and still poorly understood, as the radii appear up to 20% larger than predicted by the population models. We demonstrate the spectroscopic detection viability in the secondary

Long-Period Tidal Variations in the Length of Day

Science.gov (United States)

Ray, Richard D.; Erofeeva, Svetlana Y.

2014-01-01

A new model of long-period tidal variations in length of day is developed. The model comprises 80 spectral lines with periods between 18.6 years and 4.7 days, and it consistently includes effects of mantle anelasticity and dynamic ocean tides for all lines. The anelastic properties followWahr and Bergen; experimental confirmation for their results now exists at the fortnightly period, but there remains uncertainty when extrapolating to the longest periods. The ocean modeling builds on recent work with the fortnightly constituent, which suggests that oceanic tidal angular momentum can be reliably predicted at these periods without data assimilation. This is a critical property when modeling most long-period tides, for which little observational data exist. Dynamic ocean effects are quite pronounced at shortest periods as out-of-phase rotation components become nearly as large as in-phase components. The model is tested against a 20 year time series of space geodetic measurements of length of day. The current international standard model is shown to leave significant residual tidal energy, and the new model is found to mostly eliminate that energy, with especially large variance reduction for constituents Sa, Ssa, Mf, and Mt.

Periodic light variations of young stars U X Orion and S U Auriga

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minikulov, N.Kh.; Abdulloev, S.Kh.

2007-01-01

The light curves of young variable stars U X Orion and S U Auriga are created from archive data of Institute of Astrophysics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan and other sources. It is established that periodic light variations of young stars U X Orion and S U Auriga occurs to duration of 36.4 and 29.8 years, accordingly. It is supposed that such periodic light variations are connected with existence a planetary system around these stars

Effect of periodic temperature variations on the microstructure of neutron-irradiated metals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zinkle, S.J.; Hashimoto, N.; Hoelzer, D.T.

2002-01-01

Specimens of pure copper, a high purity austenitic stainless steel, and V–4Cr–4Ti were exposed to eight cycles of either constant temperature or periodic temperature variations during neutron irradiation in the High Flux Isotopes Reactor to a cumulative damage level of 4–5 displacements per atom.......-induced microstructural features consisted of dislocation loops, stacking fault tetrahedra and voids in the stainless steel, Ti-rich precipitates in the V alloy, and voids (along with a low density of stacking fault tetrahedra) in copper.......Specimens of pure copper, a high purity austenitic stainless steel, and V–4Cr–4Ti were exposed to eight cycles of either constant temperature or periodic temperature variations during neutron irradiation in the High Flux Isotopes Reactor to a cumulative damage level of 4–5 displacements per atom....... Specimens exposed to periodic temperature variations experienced a low temperature (360 °C) during the initial 10% of accrued dose in each of the eight cycles, and a higher temperature (520 °C) during the remaining 90% of accrued dose in each cycle. The microstructures of the irradiated stainless steel...

Perspectives for short timescale variability studies with Gaia

Science.gov (United States)

Roelens, M.; Eyer, L.; Mowlavi, N.; Lecoeur-Taïbi, I.; Rimoldini, L.; Blanco-Cuaresma, S.; Palaversa, L.; Süveges, M.; Charnas, J.; Wevers, T.

2017-12-01

We assess the potential of Gaia for detecting and characterizing short timescale variables, i.e. at timescale from a few seconds to a dozen hours, through extensive light-curve simulations for various short timescale variable types, including both periodic and non-periodic variability. We evidence that the variogram analysis applied to Gaia photometry should enable to detect such fast variability phenomena, down to amplitudes of a few millimagnitudes, with limited contamination from longer timescale variables or constant sources. This approach also gives valuable information on the typical timescale(s) of the considered variation, which could complement results of classical period search methods, and help prepare ground-based follow-up of the Gaia short timescale candidates.

Exercise during Short-Term and Long-Term Continuous Exposure to Hypoxia Exacerbates Sleep-Related Periodic Breathing

Science.gov (United States)

Tellez, Helio Fernandez; Morrison, Shawnda A.; Neyt, Xavier; Mairesse, Olivier; Piacentini, Maria Francesca; Macdonald-Nethercott, Eoin; Pangerc, Andrej; Dolenc-Groselj, Leja; Eiken, Ola; Pattyn, Nathalie; Mekjavic, Igor B.; Meeusen, Romain

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: Exposure to hypoxia elevates chemosensitivity, which can lead to periodic breathing. Exercise impacts gas exchange, altering chemosensitivity; however, interactions between sleep, exercise and chronic hypoxic exposure have not been examined. This study investigated whether exercise exacerbates sleep-related periodic breathing in hypoxia. Methods: Two experimental phases. Short-Term Phase: a laboratory controlled, group-design study in which 16 active, healthy men (age: 25 ± 3 y, height: 1.79 ± 0.06 m, mass: 74 ± 8 kg) were confined to a normobaric hypoxic environment (FIO2 = 0.139 ± 0.003, 4,000 m) for 10 days, after random assignment to a sedentary (control, CON) or cycle-exercise group (EX). Long-Term Phase: conducted at the Concordia Antarctic Research Station (3,800 m equivalent at the Equator) where 14 men (age: 36 ± 9 y, height: 1.77 ± 0.09 m, mass: 75 ± 10 kg) lived for 12–14 months, continuously confined. Participants were stratified post hoc based on self-reported physical activity levels. We quantified apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and physical activity variables. Results: Short-Term Phase: mean AHI scores were significantly elevated in the EX group compared to CON (Night1 = CON: 39 ± 51, EX: 91 ± 59; Night10 = CON: 32 ± 32, EX: 92 ± 48; P = 0.046). Long-Term Phase: AHI was correlated to mean exercise time (R2 = 0.4857; P = 0.008) and the coefficient of variation in night oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO2; R2 = 0.3062; P = 0.049). Conclusions: Data indicate that exercise (physical activity) per se affects night SpO2 concentrations and AHI after a minimum of two bouts of moderate-intensity hypoxic exercise, while habitual physical activity in hypobaric hypoxic confinement affects breathing during sleep, up to 13+ months' duration Citation: Tellez HF, Morrison SA, Neyt X, Mairesse O, Piacentini MF, Macdonald-Nethercott E, Pangerc A, Dolenc-Groselj L, Eiken O, Pattyn N, Mekjavic IB, Meeusen R. Exercise during short-term and long

Short term variation in NTproBNP after lifestyle intervention in severe obesity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Debora Fedele

Full Text Available Natriuretic peptides are not only involved in cardiovascular adaption to various conditions, but also in metabolic diseases. We performed this study to assess the effect of a very short time of lifestyle inpatient intervention on NTproBNP values in normotensive subjects with severe obesity and normal cardiac function.We recruited 14 consecutive obese normotensive subjects with normal cardiac function who were aged 30 years and more and were referred to inpatient rehabilitation in an academic clinic over a two months period. They were examined at baseline and after a 3-weeks program including dietary intervention with hypocaloric diet and assisted personalized physical aerobic and anaerobic activities and compared to age, sex and BMI-matched control subjects under usual care.BMI significantly decreased (40.8 ±1.6 vs 42.3 ± 1.6 kg/m2, p <0.0001. Median reduction in body weight was 4.9 kg (interquartile range 2.4-5.2 kg. After diet and exercise-induced weight loss, plasma NTproBNP levels showed an almost two-fold increase, which was statistically significant (28.2 ± 12.3 vs 17.2 ± 13.2 ng/L, p = 0.01, and particularly relevant in the subgroup with NT-proBNP values below median values compared to those with higher values (p = 0.02. No significant variations were found in control subjects (18.0 ± 13.0 vs 16.5 ± 11.2 ng/L, p = 0.18. The lipid profile was significantly ameliorated, and both HbA1c and insulin levels showed a marginally non-significant decrease after treatment.An almost two-fold increase in NTproBNP levels was evident after a very short time period of lifestyle intervention in normotensive severe obese patients without cardiac disease. This finding might have clinical relevance, considering the role of NT-proBNP as risk factor of impaired glucose tolerance.

Short-period oscillations in photoemission from thin films of Cr(100)

Science.gov (United States)

Vyalikh, Denis V.; Zahn, Peter; Richter, Manuel; Dedkov, Yu. S.; Molodtsov, S. L.

2005-07-01

Angle-resolved photoemission (PE) study of thin films of Cr grown on Fe(100) reveals thickness-dependent short-period oscillations of the PE intensity close to the Fermi energy at k‖˜0 . The oscillations are assigned to quantum-well states (QWS) caused by the nesting between the Fermi-surface sheets around the Γ and the X points in the Brillouin zone of antiferromagnetic Cr. The experimental data are confirmed by density-functional calculations applying a screened Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker Green’s function method. The period of the experimentally observed QWS oscillations amounts to about 2.6 monolayers and is larger than the fundamental 2-monolayer period of antiferromagnetic coupling in Cr.

A superconducting short period undulator for a harmonic generation FEL experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ingold, G.; Solomon, L.; Ben-Zvi, I.; Krinsky, S.; Li, D.; Lynch, D.; Sheehan, J.; Woodle, M.; Qiu, X.Z.; Yu, L.H.

1993-01-01

A three stage superconducting (SC) undulator for a high gain harmonic generation (HGE) FEL experiment in the infrared is under construction at the NSLS in collaboration with Grumman Corporation. A novel undulator technology suitable for short period (6-40mm) undulators will be employed for all three stages, the modulator, the dispersive section and the radiator. The undulator triples the frequency of a 10.4μm CO 2 seed laser. So far a 27 period (one third of the final radiator) prototype radiator has been designed, built and tested

Periodical climate variations and their impact on Earth rotation for the last 800Kyr

Science.gov (United States)

Chapanov, Yavor; Gambis, Daniel

2010-05-01

The Earth rotation variations are highly affected by climatic variations associated with the glacial cycles in the late Pleistocene. The processes of glaciation, followed by ice melting, are connected with significant changes of the mean sea level. These processes redistribute great amount of water masses between oceans and ice sheets, which lead to changes of the axial moment of inertia and corresponding variations of the Universal Time UT1 and Length of Day LOD, according to the law of angular momentum conservation. The climatic variations for the last 800Kyr are analyzed by means of time series of temperature changes, determined by deuterium data from Antarctica ice core. Reconstructed glacial sea level variations for the last 380Kyr, determined by the sediments from the Red sea, are used, too. Common periodicities of the temperature and mean sea level variations are determined. Time series of the long-periodical UT1 and LOD oscillations for the last 380Kyr and 800Kyr are reconstructed by means of empirical hydrological model of global water redistribution between the ocean and ice sheets during the last glacial events.

QUASI-PERIODIC OSCILLATIONS AND BROADBAND VARIABILITY IN SHORT MAGNETAR BURSTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huppenkothen, Daniela; Watts, Anna L.; Uttley, Phil; Van der Horst, Alexander J.; Van der Klis, Michiel [Astronomical Institute ' ' Anton Pannekoek' ' , University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, 1090-GE Amsterdam (Netherlands); Kouveliotou, Chryssa [Office of Science and Technology, ZP12, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States); Goegues, Ersin [Sabanc Latin-Small-Letter-Dotless-I University, Orhanl Latin-Small-Letter-Dotless-I -Tuzla, Istanbul 34956 (Turkey); Granot, Jonathan [The Open University of Israel, 1 University Road, P.O. Box 808, Ra' anana 43537 (Israel); Vaughan, Simon [X-Ray and Observational Astronomy Group, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); Finger, Mark H., E-mail: D.Huppenkothen@uva.nl [Universities Space Research Association, Huntsville, AL 35805 (United States)

2013-05-01

The discovery of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in magnetar giant flares has opened up prospects for neutron star asteroseismology. However, with only three giant flares ever recorded, and only two with data of sufficient quality to search for QPOs, such analysis is seriously data limited. We set out a procedure for doing QPO searches in the far more numerous, short, less energetic magnetar bursts. The short, transient nature of these bursts requires the implementation of sophisticated statistical techniques to make reliable inferences. Using Bayesian statistics, we model the periodogram as a combination of red noise at low frequencies and white noise at high frequencies, which we show is a conservative approach to the problem. We use empirical models to make inferences about the potential signature of periodic and QPOs at these frequencies. We compare our method with previously used techniques and find that although it is on the whole more conservative, it is also more reliable in ruling out false positives. We illustrate our Bayesian method by applying it to a sample of 27 bursts from the magnetar SGR J0501+4516 observed by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, and we find no evidence for the presence of QPOs in any of the bursts in the unbinned spectra, but do find a candidate detection in the binned spectra of one burst. However, whether this signal is due to a genuine quasi-periodic process, or can be attributed to unmodeled effects in the noise is at this point a matter of interpretation.

Estimating the short-circuit impedance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Arne Hejde; Pedersen, Knud Ole Helgesen; Poulsen, Niels Kjølstad

1997-01-01

A method for establishing a complex value of the short-circuit impedance from naturally occurring variations in voltage and current is discussed. It is the symmetrical three phase impedance at the fundamental grid frequency there is looked for. The positive sequence components in voltage...... and current are derived each period, and the short-circuit impedance is estimated from variations in these components created by load changes in the grid. Due to the noisy and dynamic grid with high harmonic distortion it is necessary to threat the calculated values statistical. This is done recursively...... through a RLS-algorithm. The algorithms have been tested and implemented on a PC at a 132 kV substation supplying a rolling mill. Knowing the short-circuit impedance gives the rolling mill an opportunity to adjust the arc furnace operation to keep flicker below a certain level. Therefore, the PC performs...

Adaptive influence of extrinsic and intrinsic factors on variation of incubation periods among tropical and temperate passerines

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Thomas E.; Ton, Riccardo; Oteyza, Juan C.

2018-01-01

Understanding intrinsic (physiological) and extrinsic (e.g., temperature) causes of variation in embryonic development time (incubation period) is important because they can have different impacts on individual quality. Robert Ricklefs and colleagues have argued that longer incubation periods result primarily from intrinsic physiological programs that increase individual quality and adult survival. They claim that incubation periods are largely invariant and that extrinsic factors like temperature have little impact. We have argued that adult survival may be a cause rather than a consequence of much of the variation in embryonic development time. A reduction in extrinsic sources of annual adult mortality (e.g., migration, predation, nonbreeding-season mortality) favors reduced parental effort during incubation to minimize costs to future reproduction and survival. Reduced parental effort, in turn, manifests as cooler average egg temperatures that yield longer incubation periods. Ricklefs and colleagues mischaracterized our hypothesis and deconstructed their own incorrect version, while also making some incorrect statements. We show that reevaluation of previous evidence provided by this group actually supports a role of egg temperature for the variation in incubation periods. We also summarize other observational and experimental evidence that incubation periods are not invariant and that egg temperature has a strong causal influence on variation within and among species. In fact, egg temperature explains ∼60% of the difference in incubation periods among species. The remaining ∼40% reflects intrinsic physiological programs and other factors, potentially providing intrinsic benefits. Ultimately, annual adult mortality explains substantial variation in parental effort and egg temperature, and the latter strongly explains variation in incubation periods. Both intrinsic programs and extrinsic temperature effects need to be considered in attempts to understand

On the Origin of Quasi-Periodic Temperature Variations in Kun-1 Well (Kunashir Island)

Science.gov (United States)

Demezhko, D. Yu.; Yurkov, A. K.

2017-12-01

The results of temperature monitoring in the 300-m kun-1 well (Kunashir Island) in 2011-2015 are considered. Quasi-periodic temperature variations with an amplitude of up to 0.3°C and a variation period of 14-26 h were added from November 2011 to the previously observed temperature variations caused by tidal deformations, free thermal convection, and deformation processes associated with the preparation and occurrence of tectonic earthquakes. Five cycles of such variations lasting from 2 to 6 months have been recorded. Each cycle was initiated by an earthquake with magnitude M > 2.5log( R), where R is the epicentral distance (km). According to their characteristics, the variations are unique and have not been described previously. Assumptions have been made about the possible connection of the registered variations with the inertial currents of the ocean or with hydrothermal processes in the Earth's subsurface. The phenomenon discovered requires further study not only as an object of fundamental science, but also as a feature of an earlier unknown type of geodynamic activity that can be a significant threat to the regional population.

Atmospheric tides and periodic variations in the precipitation field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cevolani, G.; Bacci, P.; Bonelli, P.; Isnardi, C.

1986-01-01

The analysis of daily precipitations data at many weather stations in Alpes and Po Valley gives evidence of a ''tidal'' influence from luni-solar gravitational fields. The tidal influence does not appear to be strictly constant with time, as the possible results of a modulation effect of luni-solar cycles having similar periods. Time variations of daily precipitation data as a function of some particular cycles show that gravitational tides effect heavy rainfalls more than mean precipitation values

Capability of simultaneous Rayleigh LiDAR and O2 airglow measurements in exploring the short period wave characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Taori, Alok; Raghunath, Karnam; Jayaraman, Achuthan

We use combination of simultaneous measurements made with Rayleigh lidar and O2 airglow monitoring to improve lidar investigation capability to cover a higher altitude range. We feed instantaneous O2 airglow temperatures instead the model values at the top altitude for subsequent integration method of temperature retrieval using Rayleigh lidar back scattered signals. Using this method, errors in the lidar temperature estimates converges at higher altitudes indicating better altitude coverage compared to regular methods where model temperatures are used instead of real-time measurements. This improvement enables the measurements of short period waves at upper mesospheric altitudes (~90 km). With two case studies, we show that above 60 km the few short period wave amplitude drastically increases while, some of the short period wave show either damping or saturation. We claim that by using such combined measurements, a significant and cost effective progress can be made in the understanding of short period wave processes which are important for the coupling across the different atmospheric regions.

Variational Approaches for the Existence of Multiple Periodic Solutions of Differential Delay Equations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rong Cheng

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The existence of multiple periodic solutions of the following differential delay equation (=−((− is established by applying variational approaches directly, where ∈ℝ, ∈(ℝ,ℝ and >0 is a given constant. This means that we do not need to use Kaplan and Yorke's reduction technique to reduce the existence problem of the above equation to an existence problem for a related coupled system. Such a reduction method introduced first by Kaplan and Yorke in (1974 is often employed in previous papers to study the existence of periodic solutions for the above equation and its similar ones by variational approaches.

Variational Wavefunction for the Periodic Anderson Model with Onsite Correlation Factors

Science.gov (United States)

Kubo, Katsunori; Onishi, Hiroaki

2017-01-01

We propose a variational wavefunction containing parameters to tune the probabilities of all the possible onsite configurations for the periodic Anderson model. We call it the full onsite-correlation wavefunction (FOWF). This is a simple extension of the Gutzwiller wavefunction (GWF), in which one parameter is included to tune the double occupancy of the f electrons at the same site. We compare the energy of the GWF and the FOWF evaluated by the variational Monte Carlo method and that obtained with the density-matrix renormalization group method. We find that the energy is considerably improved in the FOWF. On the other hand, the physical quantities do not change significantly between these two wavefunctions as long as they describe the same phase, such as the paramagnetic phase. From these results, we not only demonstrate the improvement by the FOWF, but we also gain insights on the applicability and limitation of the GWF to the periodic Anderson model.

Variational wavefunction for the periodic anderson model with onsite correlation factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubo, Katsunori; Onishi, Hiroaki

2017-01-01

We propose a variational wavefunction containing parameters to tune the probabilities of all the possible onsite configurations for the periodic Anderson model. We call it the full onsite-correlation wavefunction (FOWF). This is a simple extension of the Gutzwiller wavefunction (GWF), in which one parameter is included to tune the double occupancy of the f electrons at the same site. We compare the energy of the GWF and the FOWF evaluated by the variational Monte Carlo method and that obtained with the density-matrix renormalization group method. We find that the energy is considerably improved in the FOWF. On the other hand, the physical quantities do not change significantly between these two wavefunctions as long as they describe the same phase, such as the paramagnetic phase. From these results, we not only demonstrate the improvement by the FOWF, but we also gain insights on the applicability and limitation of the GWF to the periodic Anderson model. (author)

Could ionospheric variations be precursors of a seismic event? A short discussion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kouris, S.S. [Thessaloniki Univ., Thessaloniki (Greece). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Spalla, P. [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Ricerca Onde Elettromagnetiche, Florence (Italy); Zolesi, B. [Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Rome (Italy)

2001-04-01

A short review of published papers on the perturbations in the ionosphere due to seismogenic effects is reported. The method to correlate different classes of phenomena as ionospheric variations and subsequent seismic events is discussed. Even if the theoretical attempts to understand or to explain the electromagnetic phenomena in the ionosphere, as precursors of earthquakes are not satisfactory, the reported results encourage further investigations.

Millennial and sub-millennial scale climatic variations recorded in polar ice cores over the last glacial period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Capron

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Since its discovery in Greenland ice cores, the millennial scale climatic variability of the last glacial period has been increasingly documented at all latitudes with studies focusing mainly on Marine Isotopic Stage 3 (MIS 3; 28–60 thousand of years before present, hereafter ka and characterized by short Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO events. Recent and new results obtained on the EPICA and NorthGRIP ice cores now precisely describe the rapid variations of Antarctic and Greenland temperature during MIS 5 (73.5–123 ka, a time period corresponding to relatively high sea level. The results display a succession of abrupt events associated with long Greenland InterStadial phases (GIS enabling us to highlight a sub-millennial scale climatic variability depicted by (i short-lived and abrupt warming events preceding some GIS (precursor-type events and (ii abrupt warming events at the end of some GIS (rebound-type events. The occurrence of these sub-millennial scale events is suggested to be driven by the insolation at high northern latitudes together with the internal forcing of ice sheets. Thanks to a recent NorthGRIP-EPICA Dronning Maud Land (EDML common timescale over MIS 5, the bipolar sequence of climatic events can be established at millennial to sub-millennial timescale. This shows that for extraordinary long stadial durations the accompanying Antarctic warming amplitude cannot be described by a simple linear relationship between the two as expected from the bipolar seesaw concept. We also show that when ice sheets are extensive, Antarctica does not necessarily warm during the whole GS as the thermal bipolar seesaw model would predict, questioning the Greenland ice core temperature records as a proxy for AMOC changes throughout the glacial period.

Short-term cyclic variations and diurnal variations of the Venus upper atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Keating, G. M.; Taylor, F. W.; Nicholson, J. Y.; Hinson, E. W.

1979-01-01

The vertical structure of the nighttime thermosphere and exosphere of Venus was discussed. A comparison of the day and nighttime profiles indicates, contrary to the model of Dickinson and Riley (1977), that densities (principally atomic oxygen) dropped sharply from day to night. It was suggested either that the lower estimates were related to cooler exospheric temperatures at night or that the atomic bulge was flatter than expected at lower altitudes. Large periodic oscillations, in both density and inferred exospheric temperatures, were detected with periods of 5 to 6 days. The possibility that cyclic variations in the thermosphere and stratosphere were caused by planetary-scale waves, propagated upward from the lower atmosphere, was investigated using simultaneous temperature measurements obtained by the Venus radiometric temperature experiment (VORTEX). Inferred exospheric temperatures in the morning were found to be lower than in the evening as if the atmosphere rotated in the direction of the planet's rotation, similar to that of earth. Superrotation of the thermosphere and exosphere was discussed as a possible extension of the 4-day cyclic atmospheric rotation near the cloud tops.

Estimating return periods of extreme values from relatively short time series of winds

Science.gov (United States)

Jonasson, Kristjan; Agustsson, Halfdan; Rognvaldsson, Olafur; Arfeuille, Gilles

2013-04-01

An important factor for determining the prospect of individual wind farm sites is the frequency of extreme winds at hub height. Here, extreme winds are defined as the value of the highest 10 minutes averaged wind speed with a 50 year return period, i.e. annual exceeding probability of 2% (Rodrigo, 2010). A frequently applied method to estimate winds in the lowest few hundred meters above ground is to extrapolate observed 10-meter winds logarithmically to higher altitudes. Recent study by Drechsel et al. (2012) showed however that this methodology is not as accurate as interpolating simulated results from the global ECMWF numerical weather prediction (NWP) model to the desired height. Observations of persistent low level jets near Colima in SW-Mexico also show that the logarithmic approach can give highly inaccurate results for some regions (Arfeuille et al., 2012). To address these shortcomings of limited, and/or poorly representative, observations and extrapolations of winds one can use NWP models to dynamically scale down relatively coarse resolution atmospheric analysis. In the case of limited computing resources one has typically to make a compromise between spatial resolution and the duration of the simulated period, both of which can limit the quality of the wind farm siting. A common method to estimate maximum winds is to fit an extreme value distribution (e.g. Gumbel, gev or Pareto) to the maximum values of each year of available data, or the tail of these values. If data are only available for a short period, e.g. 10 or 15 years, then this will give a rather inaccurate estimate. It is possible to deal with this problem by utilizing monthly or weekly maxima, but this introduces new problems: seasonal variation, autocorrelation of neighboring values, and increased discrepancy between data and fitted distribution. We introduce a new method to estimate return periods of extreme values of winds at hub height from relatively short time series of winds, simulated

Boundedness and almost Periodicity in Time of Solutions of Evolutionary Variational Inequalities

Science.gov (United States)

Pankov, A. A.

1983-04-01

In this paper existence theorems are obtained for the solutions of abstract parabolic variational inequalities, which are bounded with respect to time (in the Stepanov and L^\\infty norms). The regularity and almost periodicity properties of such solutions are studied. Theorems are also established concerning their solvability in spaces of Besicovitch almost periodic functions. The majority of the results are obtained without any compactness assumptions. Bibliography: 30 titles.

Impact of high temperature and short period annealing on SnS films deposited by E-beam evaporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gedi, Sreedevi; Reddy, Vasudeva Reddy Minnam; Kang, Jeong-yoon; Jeon, Chan-Wook

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Preparation SnS films using electron beam evaporation at room temperature. • SnS films were annealed at a high temperaure for different short period of times. • The films showed highly oriented (111) planes with orthorhombic crystal structure. • Surface morphology showed bigger and faceted grains embedded in orthorombic. • The TEM confirmed that big orthorombic slabs had single-crystalline nature. - Abstract: Thin films of SnS were deposited on Mo-substrate using electron beam evaporation at room temperature. As-deposited SnS films were annealed at a constant high temperaure of 860 K for different short period of times, 1 min, 3 min, and 5 min. The impact of heat treatment period on the physical properties of SnS films was investigated using appropriate characterization tools. XRD analysis revealed that the films were highly oriented along (111) plane with orthorhombic crystal structure. Surface morphology of as-deposited SnS films showed an identical leaf texture where as the annealed films showed large orthorombic slab shape grains in adidition to the leaf shape grains, which indicates the significance of short period annealing at high temperature. The transmission electron microscopy confirmed that those large orthorombic slabs had single-crystalline nature. The results emphasized that the short period annealing treatment at high temperature stimulated the growth of film towards the single crystallinity.

Impact of high temperature and short period annealing on SnS films deposited by E-beam evaporation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gedi, Sreedevi; Reddy, Vasudeva Reddy Minnam; Kang, Jeong-yoon; Jeon, Chan-Wook, E-mail: cwjeon@ynu.ac.kr

2017-04-30

Highlights: • Preparation SnS films using electron beam evaporation at room temperature. • SnS films were annealed at a high temperaure for different short period of times. • The films showed highly oriented (111) planes with orthorhombic crystal structure. • Surface morphology showed bigger and faceted grains embedded in orthorombic. • The TEM confirmed that big orthorombic slabs had single-crystalline nature. - Abstract: Thin films of SnS were deposited on Mo-substrate using electron beam evaporation at room temperature. As-deposited SnS films were annealed at a constant high temperaure of 860 K for different short period of times, 1 min, 3 min, and 5 min. The impact of heat treatment period on the physical properties of SnS films was investigated using appropriate characterization tools. XRD analysis revealed that the films were highly oriented along (111) plane with orthorhombic crystal structure. Surface morphology of as-deposited SnS films showed an identical leaf texture where as the annealed films showed large orthorombic slab shape grains in adidition to the leaf shape grains, which indicates the significance of short period annealing at high temperature. The transmission electron microscopy confirmed that those large orthorombic slabs had single-crystalline nature. The results emphasized that the short period annealing treatment at high temperature stimulated the growth of film towards the single crystallinity.

Luminosity Variations in Post-AGB Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Mesler, Robert; Henson, G.

2007-12-01

Although much is known about AGB stars and planetary nebulae, relatively little is known about the phase of a star's life in which it transitions between those two states. We have measured the variations in luminosity of a sample of known Post-AGB stars (as well as several candidates) relative to nearby, non-variable stars in order to compare them with theoretical models. The typical behavior of the observed variations is described and an attempt is made to discern whether any periodicity might be present. Luminosity variations were found to be on the order of a few hundredths to a few tenths of a magnitude for the stars that were surveyed, with occasional fluctuations of up to a magnitude. This agrees with current models of Post-AGB stars. Each star fell into one of three categories, which were termed groups 1, 2, and 3. Group 1 stars showed long term, non-periodic luminosity variations on the scale of weeks or longer and were most likely to display some sort of short term, coherent luminosity oscillation (each of which lasted for only a few cycles). Group 2 stars showed erratic, short-term magnitude variations occurring on scales of several days. Group 3 stars showed little or no variation in magnitude. Of the 27 Post-AGB stars that were sampled, five fell into group 1, fifteen fell into group 2, and seven fell into group 3. The luminosity variations tended to be color-independent, and occurred on timescales ranging nearly continuously from a few days to more than a year. No clear periodic behavior was found in any star in our sample. This project was funded by a partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF AST-0552798), Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), and the Department of Defense (DoD) ASSURE (Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences) programs.

Daily and seasonal variation of short-lived radon decay product concentrations in ground-level air at Munich-Neuherberg - a long-term study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winkler, R.

2001-09-01

Daily and seasonal variation of the equilibrium equivalent radon concentration (EEC Rn-222 ) and of the concentration of the short-lived radon decay product 214 Pb in ground-level air was investigated at Munich-Neuherberg from 1982 to 2000, and from 1989 to 2000, respectively. For this, the EEC was measured continuously with an alpha/beta aerosol monitor at 2.5 m above ground, and 214 Pb was determined by online gamma spectrometry at about 12 m above ground. The resulting time series were analysed statistically. For the respective periods, the measurements yielded a long-term average concentration of 7.8 Bq m -3 (geometric mean: 6.1 Bq m -3 ) for the EEC, and 6.0 Bq m -3 (geom. mean: 5.0 Bq m -3 ) for 214 Pb. In these periods, daily averages ranged from 0.6 to 49 Bq m -3 (EEC), and from 0.6 to 43 Bq m -3 ( 214 Pb). Monthly mean concentrations varied between 3.0 Bq m -3 in March 1988 and 20 Bq m -3 in October 1985 (EEC), and from 3.4 Bq m -3 in April 1992 to 11 Bq m -3 in October 1995 ( 214 Pb), respectively. The annual average concentrations were from 5.9 Bq m -3 in 1999 to 10.6 Bq m -3 in 1985 (EEC), and from 5.3 Bq m -3 in 1999 to 6.8 Bq m -3 in 1991 ( 214 Pb). From the long-term average equilibrium equivalent radon concentration (EEC), an average annual effective dose of 0.13 mSv due to the short-lived radon progeny outdoors was estimated. The time series showed distinct daily and seasonal variations. The variations from day to day are mainly caused by the actual weather conditions (wind, rain, etc.), i.e. the short-term turbulent conditions. The seasonal pattern is characterised by an autumn to winter maximum and an early summer minimum, and reflects the prevailing turbulent conditions at the respective seasons. As known, at Munich-Neuherberg during autumn and winter months (October/November to February) inversion weather conditions frequently occur, while the other months are characterised by more turbulent conditions. (orig.)

Short and long term variation in ultraviolet radiation and multiple sclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Menni, Cristina; Lowell, Walter E; Bentzen, Joan

2012-01-01

We examined the role of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in persons diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in four different populations, Italians, Danish, White and African Americans. We tested whether variation in UVR as determined by seasons (short term variation) and solar cycles (long term...... to study the pattern of month of birth distribution in patients with MS comparing with general population data. T-tests were employed to study solar cycles association with lifespan. A surplus of births was observed in June for White Americans. A decrease of births in October and November, though...... not significant after multiple testing correction, was observed in the three populations. In White American with MS overall, males and females, we found that solar cycle is associated with lifespan. We found that season and solar cycles have some role in MS susceptibility and life duration. However...

Genome variability of foot-and-mouth disease virus during the short period of the 2010 epidemic in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishi, Tatsuya; Yamada, Manabu; Fukai, Katsuhiko; Shimada, Nobuaki; Morioka, Kazuki; Yoshida, Kazuo; Sakamoto, Kenichi; Kanno, Toru; Yamakawa, Makoto

2017-02-01

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is highly contagious and has a high mutation rate, leading to extensive genetic variation. To investigate how FMDV genetically evolves over a short period of an epidemic after initial introduction into an FMD-free area, whole L-fragment sequences of 104 FMDVs isolated from the 2010 epidemic in Japan, which continued for less than three months were determined and phylogenetically and comparatively analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis of whole L-fragment sequences showed that these isolates were classified into a single group, indicating that FMDV was introduced into Japan in the epidemic via a single introduction. Nucleotide sequences of 104 virus isolates showed more than 99.56% pairwise identity rates without any genetic deletion or insertion, although no sequences were completely identical with each other. These results indicate that genetic substitutions of FMDV occurred gradually and constantly during the epidemic and generation of an extensive mutant virus could have been prevented by rapid eradication strategy. From comparative analysis of variability of each FMDV protein coding region, VP4 and 2C regions showed the highest average identity rates and invariant rates, and were confirmed as highly conserved. In contrast, the protein coding regions VP2 and VP1 were confirmed to be highly variable regions with the lowest average identity rates and invariant rates, respectively. Our data demonstrate the importance of rapid eradication strategy in an FMD epidemic and provide valuable information on the genome variability of FMDV during the short period of an epidemic. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Geographic variation in avian incubation periods and parental influences on embryonic temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Thomas E; Auer, Sonya K; Bassar, Ronald D; Niklison, Alina M; Lloyd, Penn

2007-11-01

Theory predicts shorter embryonic periods in species with greater embryo mortality risk and smaller body size. Field studies of 80 passerine species on three continents yielded data that largely conflicted with theory; incubation (embryonic) periods were longer rather than shorter in smaller species, and egg (embryo) mortality risk explained some variation within regions, but did not explain larger differences in incubation periods among geographic regions. Incubation behavior of parents seems to explain these discrepancies. Bird embryos are effectively ectothermic and depend on warmth provided by parents sitting on the eggs to attain proper temperatures for development. Parents of smaller species, plus tropical and southern hemisphere species, commonly exhibited lower nest attentiveness (percent of time spent on the nest incubating) than larger and northern hemisphere species. Lower nest attentiveness produced cooler minimum and average embryonic temperatures that were correlated with longer incubation periods independent of nest predation risk or body size. We experimentally tested this correlation by swapping eggs of species with cool incubation temperatures with eggs of species with warm incubation temperatures and similar egg mass. Incubation periods changed (shortened or lengthened) as expected and verified the importance of egg temperature on development rate. Slower development resulting from cooler temperatures may simply be a cost imposed on embryos by parents and may not enhance offspring quality. At the same time, incubation periods of transferred eggs did not match host species and reflect intrinsic differences among species that may result from nest predation and other selection pressures. Thus, geographic variation in embryonic development may reflect more complex interactions than previously recognized.

RAPID COMMUNICATION: Improving prediction accuracy of GPS satellite clocks with periodic variation behaviour

Science.gov (United States)

Heo, Youn Jeong; Cho, Jeongho; Heo, Moon Beom

2010-07-01

The broadcast ephemeris and IGS ultra-rapid predicted (IGU-P) products are primarily available for use in real-time GPS applications. The IGU orbit precision has been remarkably improved since late 2007, but its clock products have not shown acceptably high-quality prediction performance. One reason for this fact is that satellite atomic clocks in space can be easily influenced by various factors such as temperature and environment and this leads to complicated aspects like periodic variations, which are not sufficiently described by conventional models. A more reliable prediction model is thus proposed in this paper in order to be utilized particularly in describing the periodic variation behaviour satisfactorily. The proposed prediction model for satellite clocks adds cyclic terms to overcome the periodic effects and adopts delay coordinate embedding, which offers the possibility of accessing linear or nonlinear coupling characteristics like satellite behaviour. The simulation results have shown that the proposed prediction model outperforms the IGU-P solutions at least on a daily basis.

Survival of a planet in short-period Neptunian desert under effect of photoevaporation

Science.gov (United States)

Ionov, Dmitry E.; Pavlyuchenkov, Yaroslav N.; Shematovich, Valery I.

2018-06-01

Despite the identification of a great number of Jupiter-like and Earth-like planets at close-in orbits, the number of `hot Neptunes' - the planets with 0.6-18 times of Neptune mass and orbital periods less than 3 d - turned out to be very small. The corresponding region in the mass-period distribution was assigned as the `short-period Neptunian desert'. The common explanation of this fact is that the gaseous planet with few Neptune masses would not survive in the vicinity of host star due to intensive atmosphere outflow induced by heating from stellar radiation. To check this hypothesis, we performed numerical simulations of atmosphere dynamics for a hot Neptune. We adopt the previously developed self-consistent 1D model of hydrogen-helium atmosphere with suprathermal electrons accounted. The mass-loss rates as a function of orbital distances and stellar ages are presented. We conclude that the desert of short-period Neptunes could not be entirely explained by evaporation of planet atmosphere caused by the radiation from a host star. For the less massive Neptune-like planet, the estimated upper limits of the mass-loss may be consistent with the photoevaporation scenario, while the heavier Neptune-like planets could not lose the significant mass through this mechanism. We also found the significant differences between our numerical results and widely used approximate estimates of the mass-loss.

Orbital Elements and Period Variation of the Eclipsing Binary T LMi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyu-Dong Oh

1987-12-01

Full Text Available A photometric solutions of T LMi were derived with derived with the Wilson and Devinney model using the BV photoelectric light curves of Okazaki(1977 and orbital period changes are discussed from the all of the collected times of minima available in the literature. We obtained a variation with a period of 62.y01 and an amplitude of 0.d0425 form the (O-C diagram. According to the physical properties of T LMi on the basis of derived photometric solution, it have a doubt the credibility of the existence of "R CMs type".

Spectra of short-period pulsars according to the hypothesis of the two types of pulsars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malov, I.F.

1985-01-01

The lack of low-frequency turnovers in the spectra of PSR 0531+21 and 1937+21 may be expl ned if the generation of radio emission in these pulsars occurs near the light cylinder. Differences of high frequency cut-offs and spectral inoices for long-period pulsars and short-period ones are discussed

PULSATION PERIOD VARIATIONS IN THE RRc LYRAE STAR KIC 5520878

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hippke, Michael [Institute for Data Analysis, Luiter Str. 21b, D-47506 Neukirchen-Vluyn (Germany); Learned, John G. [High Energy Physics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Manoa 327 Watanabe Hall, 2505 Correa Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Zee, A. [Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Edmondson, William H. [School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Lindner, John F. [Physics Department, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH 44691 (United States); Kia, Behnam; Ditto, William L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Hawai' i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Stevens, Ian R., E-mail: hippke@ifda.eu, E-mail: jgl@phys.hawaii.edu, E-mail: zee@kitp.ucsb.edu, E-mail: w.h.edmondson@bham.ac.uk, E-mail: jlindner@wooster.edu, E-mail: wditto@hawaii.edu, E-mail: behnam@hawaii.edu, E-mail: irs@star.sr.bham.ac.uk [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom)

2015-01-01

Learned et al. proposed that a sufficiently advanced extra-terrestrial civilization may tickle Cepheid and RR Lyrae variable stars with a neutrino beam at the right time, thus causing them to trigger early and jogging the otherwise very regular phase of their expansion and contraction. This would turn these stars into beacons to transmit information throughout the galaxy and beyond. The idea is to search for signs of phase modulation (in the regime of short pulse duration) and patterns, which could be indicative of intentional, omnidirectional signaling. We have performed such a search among variable stars using photometric data from the Kepler space telescope. In the RRc Lyrae star KIC 5520878, we have found two such regimes of long and short pulse durations. The sequence of period lengths, expressed as time series data, is strongly autocorrelated, with correlation coefficients of prime numbers being significantly higher (p = 99.8%). Our analysis of this candidate star shows that the prime number oddity originates from two simultaneous pulsation periods and is likely of natural origin. Simple physical models elucidate the frequency content and asymmetries of the KIC 5520878 light curve. Despite this SETI null result, we encourage testing of other archival and future time-series photometry for signs of modulated stars. This can be done as a by-product to the standard analysis, and can even be partly automated.

Geographic variation in avian incubation periods and parental influences on embryonic temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, T.E.; Auer, S.K.; Bassar, R.D.; Niklison, Alina M.; Lloyd, P.

2007-01-01

Theory predicts shorter embryonic periods in species with greater embryo mortality risk and smaller body size. Field studies of 80 passerine species on three continents yielded data that largely conflicted with theory; incubation (embryonic) periods were longer rather than shorter in smaller species, and egg (embryo) mortality risk explained some variation within regions, but did not explain larger differences in incubation periods among geographic regions. Incubation behavior of parents seems to explain these discrepancies. Bird embryos are effectively ectothermic and depend on warmth provided by parents sitting on the eggs to attain proper temperatures for development. Parents of smaller species, plus tropical and southern hemisphere species, commonly exhibited lower nest attentiveness (percent of time spent on the nest incubating) than larger and northern hemisphere species. Lower nest attentiveness produced cooler minimum and average embryonic temperatures that were correlated with longer incubation periods independent of nest predation risk or body size. We experimentally tested this correlation by swapping eggs of species with cool incubation temperatures with eggs of species with warm incubation temperatures and similar egg mass. Incubation periods changed (shortened or lengthened) as expected and verified the importance of egg temperature on development rate. Slower development resulting from cooler temperatures may simply be a cost imposed on embryos by parents and may not enhance offspring quality. At the same time, incubation periods of transferred eggs did not match host species and reflect intrinsic differences among species that may result from nest predation and other selection pressures. Thus, geographic variation in embryonic development may reflect more complex interactions than previously recognized. ?? 2007 The Author(s).

Seasonal variation in the behaviour of a short-lived rodent.

Science.gov (United States)

Eccard, Jana A; Herde, Antje

2013-11-15

Short lived, iteroparous animals in seasonal environments experience variable social and environmental conditions over their lifetime. Animals can be divided into those with a "young-of-the-year" life history (YY, reproducing and dying in the summer of birth) and an "overwinter" life history (OW, overwintering in a subadult state before reproducing next spring).We investigated how behavioural patterns across the population were affected by season and sex, and whether variation in behaviour reflects the variation in life history patterns of each season. Applications of pace-of-life (POL) theory would suggest that long-lived OW animals are shyer in order to increase survival, and YY are bolder in order to increase reproduction. Therefore, we expected that in winter and spring samples, when only OW can be sampled, the animals should be shyer than in summer and autumn, when both OW and YY animals can be sampled.We studied common vole (Microtus arvalis) populations, which express typical, intra-annual density fluctuation. We captured a total of 492 voles at different months over 3 years and examined boldness and activity level with two standardised behavioural experiments. Behavioural variables of the two tests were correlated with each other. Boldness, measured as short latencies in both tests, was extremely high in spring compared to other seasons. Activity level was highest in spring and summer, and higher in males than in females. Being bold in laboratory tests may translate into higher risk-taking in nature by being more mobile while seeking out partners or valuable territories. Possible explanations include asset-protection, with OW animals being rather old with low residual reproductive value in spring. Therefore, OW may take higher risks during this season. Offspring born in spring encounter a lower population density and may have higher reproductive value than offspring of later cohorts. A constant connection between life history and animal personality, as

Temporal and Periodic Variations of Sunspot Counts in Flaring and Non-Flaring Active Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Kilcik, A.; Yurchyshyn, V.; Donmez, B.; Obridko, V. N.; Ozguc, A.; Rozelot, J. P.

2018-04-01

We analyzed temporal and periodic variations of sunspot counts (SSCs) in flaring (C-, M-, or X-class flares), and non-flaring active regions (ARs) for nearly three solar cycles (1986 through 2016). Our main findings are as follows: i) temporal variations of monthly means of the daily total SSCs in flaring and non-flaring ARs behave differently during a solar cycle and the behavior varies from one cycle to another; during Solar Cycle 23 temporal SSC profiles of non-flaring ARs are wider than those of flaring ARs, while they are almost the same during Solar Cycle 22 and the current Cycle 24. The SSC profiles show a multi-peak structure and the second peak of flaring ARs dominates the current Cycle 24, while the difference between peaks is less pronounced during Solar Cycles 22 and 23. The first and second SSC peaks of non-flaring ARs have comparable magnitude in the current solar cycle, while the first peak is nearly absent in the case of the flaring ARs of the same cycle. ii) Periodic variations observed in the SSCs profiles of flaring and non-flaring ARs derived from the multi-taper method (MTM) spectrum and wavelet scalograms are quite different as well, and they vary from one solar cycle to another. The largest detected period in flaring ARs is 113± 1.6 days while we detected much longer periodicities (327± 13, 312 ± 11, and 256± 8 days) in the non-flaring AR profiles. No meaningful periodicities were detected in the MTM spectrum of flaring ARs exceeding 55± 0.7 days during Solar Cycles 22 and 24, while a 113± 1.3 days period was detected in flaring ARs of Solar Cycle 23. For the non-flaring ARs the largest detected period was only 31± 0.2 days for Cycle 22 and 72± 1.3 days for the current Cycle 24, while the largest measured period was 327± 13 days during Solar Cycle 23.

Albedo matters: Understanding runaway albedo variations on Pluto

Science.gov (United States)

Earle, Alissa M.; Binzel, Richard P.; Young, Leslie A.; Stern, S. A.; Ennico, K.; Grundy, W.; Olkin, C. B.; Weaver, H. A.; New Horizons Surface Composition Theme

2018-03-01

The data returned from NASA's New Horizons reconnaissance of the Pluto system show striking albedo variations from polar to equatorial latitudes as well as sharp longitudinal boundaries. Pluto has a high obliquity (currently 119°) that varies by 23° over a period of less than 3 million years. This variation, combined with its regressing longitude of perihelion (360° over 3.7 million years), creates epochs of "Super Seasons" where one pole is pointed at the Sun at perihelion, thereby experiencing a short, relatively warm summer followed by its longest possible period of winter darkness. In contrast, the other pole experiences a much longer, less intense summer and a short winter season. We use a simple volatile sublimation and deposition model to explore the relationship between albedo variations, latitude, and volatile sublimation and deposition for the current epoch as well as historical epochs during which Pluto experienced these "Super Seasons." Our investigation quantitatively shows that Pluto's geometry creates the potential for runaway albedo and volatile variations, particularly in the equatorial region, which can sustain stark longitudinal contrasts like the ones we see between Tombaugh Regio and the informally named Cthulhu Regio.

THE SHORT ROTATION PERIOD OF HI’IAKA, HAUMEA’S LARGEST SATELLITE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hastings, Danielle M.; Margot, Jean-Luc [University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, 595 Charles Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Ragozzine, Darin [Florida Institute of Technology, Department of Physics and Space Sciences, 150 West University Boulevard, Melbourne, FL 32901 (United States); Fabrycky, Daniel C. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Burkhart, Luke D.; Holman, Matthew [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Fuentes, Cesar [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Camino El Observatorio 1515, Santiago (Chile); Brown, Michael E., E-mail: dhastings@g.ucla.edu [California Institute of Technology, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, MC 150-21, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2016-12-01

Hi’iaka is the larger outer satellite of the dwarf planet Haumea. Using relative photometry from the Hubble Space Telescope and Magellan and a phase dispersion minimization analysis, we have identified the rotation period of Hi’iaka to be ∼9.8 hr (double peaked). This is ∼120 times faster than its orbital period, creating new questions about the formation of this system and possible tidal evolution. The rapid rotation suggests that Hi’iaka could have a significant obliquity and spin precession that could be visible in light curves within a few years. We then turn to an investigation of what we learn about the (currently unclear) formation of the Haumea system and family based on this unexpectedly rapid rotation rate. We explore the importance of the initial semimajor axis and rotation period in tidal evolution theory and find that they strongly influence the time required to despin to synchronous rotation, relevant to understanding a wide variety of satellite and binary systems. We find that despinning tides do not necessarily lead to synchronous spin periods for Hi’iaka, even if it formed near the Roche limit. Therefore, the short rotation period of Hi’iaka does not rule out significant tidal evolution. Hi’iaka’s spin period is also consistent with formation near its current location and spin-up due to Haumea-centric impactors.

The contact binary VW Cephei revisited: surface activity and period variation

Science.gov (United States)

Mitnyan, T.; Bódi, A.; Szalai, T.; Vinkó, J.; Szatmáry, K.; Borkovits, T.; Bíró, B. I.; Hegedüs, T.; Vida, K.; Pál, A.

2018-05-01

Context. Despite the fact that VW Cephei is one of the most well-studied contact binaries in the literature, there is no fully consistent model available that can explain every observed property of this system. Aims: Our aims are to obtain new spectra along with photometric measurements, to analyze what kind of changes may have happened in the system in the past two decades, and to propose new ideas for explaining them. Methods: For the period analysis we determined ten new times of minima from our light curves, and constructed a new O-C diagram of the system. Radial velocities of the components were determined using the cross-correlation technique. The light curves and radial velocities were modeled simultaneously with the PHOEBE code. All observed spectra were compared to synthetic spectra and equivalent widths (EWs) of the Hα line were measured on their differences. Results: We re-determine the physical parameters of the system according to our new light curve and spectral models. We confirm that the primary component is more active than the secondary, and there is a correlation between spottedness and the chromospheric activity. We propose that the flip-flop phenomenon occurring on the primary component could be a possible explanation of the observed nature of the activity. To explain the period variation of VW Cep, we test two previously suggested scenarios: the presence of a fourth body in the system, and the Applegate-mechanism caused by periodic magnetic activity. We conclude that although none of these mechanisms can be ruled out entirely, the available data suggest that mass transfer with a slowly decreasing rate provides the most likely explanation for the period variation of VW Cep.

Short-term Periodization Models: Effects on Strength and Speed-strength Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartmann, Hagen; Wirth, Klaus; Keiner, Michael; Mickel, Christoph; Sander, Andre; Szilvas, Elena

2015-10-01

Dividing training objectives into consecutive phases to gain morphological adaptations (hypertrophy phase) and neural adaptations (strength and power phases) is called strength-power periodization (SPP). These phases differ in program variables (volume, intensity, and exercise choice or type) and use stepwise intensity progression and concomitant decreasing volume, converging to peak intensity (peaking phase). Undulating periodization strategies rotate these program variables in a bi-weekly, weekly, or daily fashion. The following review addresses the effects of different short-term periodization models on strength and speed-strength both with subjects of different performance levels and with competitive athletes from different sports who use a particular periodization model during off-season, pre-season, and in-season conditioning. In most periodization studies, it is obvious that the strength endurance sessions are characterized by repetition zones (12-15 repetitions) that induce muscle hypertrophy in persons with a low performance level. Strictly speaking, when examining subjects with a low training level, many periodization studies include mainly hypertrophy sessions interspersed with heavy strength/power sessions. Studies have demonstrated equal or statistically significant higher gains in maximal strength for daily undulating periodization compared with SPP in subjects with a low to moderate performance level. The relatively short intervention period and the lack of concomitant sports conditioning call into question the practical value of these findings for competitive athletes. Possibly owing to differences in mesocycle length, conditioning programs, and program variables, competitive athletes either maintained or improved strength and/or speed-strength performance by integrating daily undulating periodization and SPP during off-season, pre-season and in-season conditioning. In high-performance sports, high-repetition strength training (>15) should be

PHOTOMETRIC STUDIES OF THREE NEGLECTED SHORT-PERIOD CONTACT BINARIES GN BOOTIS, BL LEONIS, AND V1918 CYGNI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Y.-G.; Dai, H.-F.; Qian, S.-B.

2013-01-01

We present new photometry for three short-period contact binaries, GN Boo, BL Leo, and V1918 Cyg, observed from 2008 December to 2012 April using several small telescopes in China. Photometric models were deduced from new observations using the updated Wilson-Devinney Code. The results show that GN Boo and BL Leo are W-type contact binaries, while V1918 Cyg is an A-type one. The mass ratios and fill-out factors are q = 0.320(± 0.002) and f = 5.8(± 0.1)% for GN Boo, q = 0.476(± 0.005) and f = 21.3(± 1.1)% for BL Leo, q = 0.264(± 0.002), and f = 49.7(± 0.7)% for V1918 Cyg, respectively. From the (O – C) curves, it is discovered that the orbital periods of three binaries have varied in a complicated way, i.e., cyclic oscillation for GN Boo, long-term period decrease for BL Leo, and both for V1918 Cyg. The cyclic variations for GN Boo and V1918 Cyg may probably be attributed to the magnetic activity of the primary component or light-time effect due to the third body. Meanwhile, the secular period decreases for BL Leo and V1918 Cyg may result from mass transfer from the primary to the secondary, accompanying the mass and angular momentum loss from the central system. Finally, GN Boo, BL Leo, and V1918 Cyg will evolve into deep contact binaries. Additionally, a statistical study of 37 contact binaries with decreasing periods is given. We obtained the relations of q – f and q – dln P/dt, and preliminarily determined the mass loss rate of dln M/dt from the binary system.

Short-period AM CVn systems as optical, X-ray and gravitational-wave sources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nelemans, G.; Yungelson, L.; Portegies Zwart, S.F.

2004-01-01

We model the population of AM CVn systems in the Galaxy and discuss the detectability of these systems with optical, X-ray and gravitational-wave detectors. We concentrate on the short-period (P < 1500 s) systems, some of which are expected to be in a phase of direct-impact accretion. Using a

Multi-band photometric study of the short-period eclipsing binary GR Boo

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Daimei; Zhang, Liyun; Han, Xianming L.; Lu, Hongpeng

2017-05-01

We present BVRI light curves with complete phase coverage for the short-period (p = 0.377day) eclipsing binary star GR Boo. We carried out the observations using the SARA 90 cm telescope located at Kitt Peak National Observatory. We obtained six new light curve minimum times. By fitting all of the available O-C minimum times, we obtained an updated ephemeris that shows the orbital period of GR Boo is decreasing at a rate of P˙ = - 2.36 ×10-7 days/year. This decrease in its period can be explained by either mass transfer from the more massive component to the less massive one, or angular momentum exchange due to magnetic activities. We also obtained a set of revised orbital parameters using the Wilson & Devinney program. And finally, we concluded that GR Boo is a contact binary with a dark spot.

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.

Periodization of Carbohydrate Intake: Short-Term Effect on Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurie-Anne Marquet

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Background: “Sleep-low” consists of a sequential periodization of carbohydrate (CHO availability—low glycogen recovery after “train high” glycogen-depleting interval training, followed by an overnight-fast and light intensity training (“train low” the following day. This strategy leads to an upregulation of several exercise-responsive signaling proteins, but the chronic effect on performance has received less attention. We investigated the effects of short-term exposure to this strategy on endurance performance. Methods: Following training familiarization, 11 trained cyclists were divided into two groups for a one-week intervention—one group implemented three cycles of periodized CHO intake to achieve the sleep-low strategy over six training sessions (SL, CHO intake: 6 g·kg−1·day−1, whereas the control group consumed an even distribution of CHO over the day (CON. Tests were a 2 h submaximal ride and a 20 km time trial. Results: SL improved their performance (mean: +3.2%; p < 0.05 compared to CON. The improvement was associated with a change in pacing strategy with higher power output during the second part of the test. No change in substrate utilization was observed after the training period for either group. Conclusion: Implementing the “sleep-low” strategy for one week improved performance by the same magnitude previously seen in a three-week intervention, without any significant changes in selected markers of metabolism.

Periodization of Carbohydrate Intake: Short-Term Effect on Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Marquet, Laurie-Anne; Hausswirth, Christophe; Molle, Odeline; Hawley, John A.; Burke, Louise M.; Tiollier, Eve; Brisswalter, Jeanick

2016-01-01

Background: “Sleep-low” consists of a sequential periodization of carbohydrate (CHO) availability—low glycogen recovery after “train high” glycogen-depleting interval training, followed by an overnight-fast and light intensity training (“train low”) the following day. This strategy leads to an upregulation of several exercise-responsive signaling proteins, but the chronic effect on performance has received less attention. We investigated the effects of short-term exposure to this strategy on endurance performance. Methods: Following training familiarization, 11 trained cyclists were divided into two groups for a one-week intervention—one group implemented three cycles of periodized CHO intake to achieve the sleep-low strategy over six training sessions (SL, CHO intake: 6 g·kg−1·day−1), whereas the control group consumed an even distribution of CHO over the day (CON). Tests were a 2 h submaximal ride and a 20 km time trial. Results: SL improved their performance (mean: +3.2%; p < 0.05) compared to CON. The improvement was associated with a change in pacing strategy with higher power output during the second part of the test. No change in substrate utilization was observed after the training period for either group. Conclusion: Implementing the “sleep-low” strategy for one week improved performance by the same magnitude previously seen in a three-week intervention, without any significant changes in selected markers of metabolism. PMID:27897989

Surface electron structure of short-period semiconductor superlattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartos, I.; Czech Academy Science, Prague,; Strasser, T.; Schattke, W.

2004-01-01

Full text: Semiconductor superlattices represent man-made crystals with unique physical properties. By means of the directed layer-by-layer molecular epitaxy growth their electric properties can be tailored (band structure engineering). Longer translational periodicity in the growth direction is responsible for opening of new electron energy gaps (minigaps) with surface states and resonances localized at superlattice surfaces. Similarly as for the electron structure of the bulk, a procedure enabling to modify the surface electron structure of superlattices is desirable. Short-period superlattice (GaAs) 2 (AlAs) 2 with unreconstructed (100) surface is investigated in detail. Theoretical description in terms of full eigenfunctions of individual components has to be used. The changes of electron surface state energies governed by the termination of a periodic crystalline potential, predicted on simple models, are confirmed for this system. Large surface state shifts are found in the lowest minigap of the superlattice when this is terminated in four different topmost layer configurations. The changes should be observable in angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy as demonstrated in calculations based on the one step model of photoemission. Surface state in the center of the two dimensional Brillouin zone moves from the bottom of the minigap (for the superlattice terminated by two bilayers of GaAs) to its top (for the superlattice terminated by two bilayers of AlAs) where it becomes a resonance. No surface state/resonance is found for a termination with one bilayer of AlAs. The surface state bands behave similarly in the corresponding gaps of the k-resolved section of the electron band structure. The molecular beam epitaxy, which enables to terminate the superlattice growth with atomic layer precision, provides a way of tuning the superlattice surface electron structure by purely geometrical means. The work was supported by the Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences

Short-Period Binary Stars: Observations, Analyses, and Results

CERN Document Server

Milone, Eugene F; Hobill, David W

2008-01-01

Short-period binaries run the gamut from widely separated stars to black-hole pairs; in between are systems that include neutron stars and white dwarfs, and partially evolved systems such as tidally distorted and over-contact systems. These objects represent stages of evolution of binary stars, and their degrees of separation provide critical clues to how their evolutionary paths differ from that of single stars. The widest and least distorted systems provide astronomers with the essential precise data needed to study all stars: mass and radius. The interactions of binary star components, on the other hand, provide a natural laboratory to observe how the matter in these stars behaves under different and often varying physical conditions. Thus, cataclysmic variables with and without overpoweringly strong magnetic fields, and stars with densities from that found in the Sun to the degenerate matter of white dwarfs and the ultra-compact states of neutron stars and black holes are all discussed. The extensive inde...

Short-term variations in mesozooplankton, ichthyoplankton, and nutrients associated with semi-diurnal tides in a patagonian Gulf

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, L. R.; Cáceres, M. A.; Silva, N.; Muñoz, M. I.; León, R.; Landaeta, M. F.; Soto-Mendoza, S.

2011-03-01

The relationships between the distribution of different zooplankton and ichthyoplankton stages and physical and chemical variables were studied using samples and data (CTD profiles, ADCP and current meter measurements, nutrients, mesozooplankton, ichthyoplankton) obtained from different strata during two 24-h cycles at two oceanographic stations in a Chilean Patagonian gulf during the CIMAR 10-Fiordos cruise (November, 2004). A station located at the Chacao Channel was dominated by tidal mixing and small increments in surface stratification during high tides, leading to decreased nutrient availability. This agreed with short periods of increased phytoplankton abundance during slack waters at the end of flood currents. Increases in larval density for all zooplankton and ichthyoplankton taxa corresponded to the flooding phases of the tidal cycle. When the larval density data were fit to a sinusoidal model, the regression coefficients were high, suggesting that tides are important features that modulate short-term variations in plankton abundance. All larvae did not vary synchronously with the tidal phase; rather, time lags were observed among species. The abundances of older individuals of the copepodite Rhincalanus nasutus and all zoea stages of the squat lobster Munida gregaria increased during night flood tides, whereas younger stages increased during daytime flood tides. At a station located at the Queullin Pass, which was dominated by vertical stratification patterns, the variations in peak larval density were better fitted to the semi-diurnal sea level fluctuations. Other evidence indicated internal tides below the pycnocline, which could promote larval transport in deeper layers. In the overall picture that emerges from this study, planktonic organisms from different habitats and phylogenetic origins seem to respond to the local tidal regimes. In some cases, this response might be beneficial, transporting these individuals inshore to areas that are rich in

Lithospheric layering in the North American craton revealed by including Short Period Constraints in Full Waveform Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, C.; Calo, M.; Bodin, T.; Romanowicz, B. A.

2017-12-01

Recent receiver function studies of the North American craton suggest the presence of significant layering within the cratonic lithosphere, with significant lateral variations in the depth of the velocity discontinuities. These structural boundaries have been confirmed recently using a transdimensional Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach (TMCMC), inverting surface wave dispersion data and converted phases simultaneously (Calò et al., 2016; Roy and Romanowicz 2017). The lateral resolution of upper mantle structure can be improved with a high density of broadband seismic stations, or with a sparse network using full waveform inversion based on numerical wavefield computation methods such as the Spectral Element Method (SEM). However, inverting for discontinuities with strong topography such as MLDS's or LAB, presents challenges in an inversion framework, both computationally, due to the short periods required, and from the point of view of stability of the inversion. To overcome these limitations, and to improve resolution of layering in the upper mantle, we are developing a methodology that combines full waveform inversion tomography and information provided by short period seismic observables. We have extended the 30 1D radially anisotropic shear velocity profiles of Calò et al. 2016 to several other stations, for which we used a recent shear velocity model (Clouzet et al., 2017) as constraint in the modeling. These 1D profiles, including both isotropic and anisotropic discontinuities in the upper mantle (above 300 km depth) are then used to build a 3D starting model for the full waveform tomographic inversion. This model is built after 1) homogenization of the layered 1D models and 2) interpolation between the 1D smooth profiles and the model of Clouzet et al. 2017, resulting in a smooth 3D starting model. Waveforms used in the inversion are filtered at periods longer than 30s. We use the SEM code "RegSEM" for forward computations and a quasi-Newton inversion

Epitaxial nanowire formation in metamorphic GaAs/GaPAs short-period superlattices

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Nan; Ahrenkiel, S. Phillip

2017-07-01

Metamorphic growth presents routes to novel nanomaterials with unique properties that may be suitable for a range of applications. We discuss self-assembled, epitaxial nanowires formed during metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of metamorphic GaAs/GaPAs short-period superlattices. The heterostructures incorporate strain-engineered GaPAs compositional grades on 6°-B miscut GaAs substrates. Lateral diffusion within the SPS into vertically aligned, three-dimensional columns results in nanowires extending along A directions with a lateral period of 70-90 nm. The microstructure is probed by transmission electron microscopy to confirm the presence of coherent GaAs nanowires within GaPAs barriers. The compositional profile is inferred from analysis of {200} dark-field image contrast and lattice images.

Origin of short-period (30-300 s) Doppler frequency fluctuations of lower F region reflections in the equatorial electrojet region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sastri, J.H.; Ramesh, K.B.; Rao, J.V.S.V.; Somayajulu, V.V.

1991-01-01

Measurements of phase path P of lower F-region reflections at normal incidence at Kodaikanal revealed the ubiquitous presence of 30-300-s quasi-sinusoidal variations in the time rate of change of phase path, P (Doppler frequency shift) during day time. A study is made of the influence of the irregularities in the equatorial electrojet on the P fluctuations using simultaneous observations of F-region phase path at Kodaikanal and of equatorial electrojet with the VHF-backscatter radar at Thumba. It is shown that the spectral content of the Doppler fluctuations (quantified in terms of variance, sigma squared computed from P time series synthesized through FFT exp -1 (FFT) in the chosen period bands, 30-300 s/30-120 s of the FFT of original P times series) bears a significant positive linear relationship to the horizontal phase velocity of electrojet irregularities (3-m scale size) on a hourly basis. This result is in consonance with earlier findings (Sastri et al., 1990) of a significant linear relationship of sigma squared to the electrojet strength (estimated from H-field data) and a practical cessation of the P fluctuations at times of disappearance of Esq on ionograms (partial/complete counterelectrojet). The present work substantiates the interpretation that the short-period Doppler-frequency fluctuations are due to phase-path changes imposed on lower F region reflections by the refractive-index variations associated with the convective motions of plasma density irregularities (type I and II) in the daytime equatorial electrojet. 49 refs

Role of short periodic orbits in quantum maps with continuous openings

Science.gov (United States)

Prado, Carlos A.; Carlo, Gabriel G.; Benito, R. M.; Borondo, F.

2018-04-01

We apply a recently developed semiclassical theory of short periodic orbits to the continuously open quantum tribaker map. In this paradigmatic system the trajectories are partially bounced back according to continuous reflectivity functions. This is relevant in many situations that include optical microresonators and more complicated boundary conditions. In a perturbative regime, the shortest periodic orbits belonging to the classical repeller of the open map—a cantor set given by a region of exactly zero reflectivity—prove to be extremely robust in supporting a set of long-lived resonances of the continuously open quantum maps. Moreover, for steplike functions a significant reduction in the number needed is obtained, similarly to the completely open situation. This happens despite a strong change in the spectral properties when compared to the discontinuous reflectivity case. In order to give a more realistic interpretation of these results we compare with a Fresnel-type reflectivity function.

Propagation of short-period gravity waves at high-latitudes during the MaCWAVE winter campaign

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Nielsen

2006-07-01

Full Text Available As part of the MaCWAVE (Mountain and Convective Waves Ascending Vertically winter campaign an all-sky monochromatic CCD imager has been used to investigate the properties of short-period mesospheric gravity waves at high northern latitudes. Sequential measurements of several nightglow emissions were made from Esrange, Sweden, during a limited period from 27–31 January 2003. Coincident wind measurements over the altitude range (~80–100 km using two meteor radar systems located at Esrange and Andenes have been used to perform a novel investigation of the intrinsic properties of five distinct wave events observed during this period. Additional lidar and MSIS model temperature data have been used to investigate their nature (i.e. freely propagating or ducted. Four of these extensive wave events were found to be freely propagating with potential source regions to the north of Scandinavia. No evidence was found for strong orographic forcing by short-period waves in the airglow emission layers. The fifth event was most unusual exhibiting an extensive, but much smaller and variable wavelength pattern that appeared to be embedded in the background wind field. Coincident wind measurements indicated the presence of a strong shear suggesting this event was probably due to a large-scale Kelvin-Helmholtz instability.

A genomic overview of short genetic variations in a basal chordate, Ciona intestinalis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satou Yutaka

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although the Ciona intestinalis genome contains many allelic polymorphisms, there is only limited data analyzed systematically. Establishing a dense map of genetic variations in C. intestinalis is necessary not only for linkage analysis, but also for other experimental biology including molecular developmental and evolutionary studies, because animals from natural populations are typically used for experiments. Results Here, we identified over three million candidate short genomic variations within a 110 Mb euchromatin region among five C. intestinalis individuals. The average nucleotide diversity was approximately 1.1%. Genetic variations were found at a similar density in intergenic and gene regions. Non-synonymous and nonsense nucleotide substitutions were found in 12,493 and 1,214 genes accounting for 81.9% and 8.0% of the entire gene set, respectively, and over 60% of genes in the single animal encode non-identical proteins between maternal and paternal alleles. Conclusions Our results provide a framework for studying evolution of the animal genome, as well as a useful resource for a wide range of C. intestinalis researchers.

Long-period polar rain variations, solar wind and hemispherically symmetric polar rain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makita, K.; Meng, C.

1987-01-01

On the basic of electron data obtained by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F2 satellite the long-period variations of the polar rain flux are examined for four consecutive solar rotations. It is clearly demonstrated that the asymmetric enhancement of the polar rain flux is strongly controlled by the sector structure of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). However, the orbit-to-orbit and day-to-day variations of the polar rain flux are detected even during a very stable sector period, and the polar rain flux does not have any clear relationship to the magnitude of the IMF B/sub x/ or B/sub y/. Thus the polarity of B/sub x/ controls only the accessibility of a polar region. It is also noticed that the intensity of polar rain fluxes does not show any relationship to the density of the solar wind, suggesting that the origin of the polar rain electrons is different from the commonly observed part of the solar wind electron distribution function. In addition to the asymmetric polar rain distribution, increasing polar rain fluxes of similar high intensity are sometimes detected over both polar caps. An examination of more than 1 year's data from the DMSP F2 and F4 satellites shows that simultaneous intense uniform precipitations (>10 7 electrons/cm 2 s sr) over both polar caps are not coincidental; it also shows that the spectra are similar. The occurrence of hemispherically symmetric events is not common. They generally are observed after an IMF sector transition period, during unstable periods in the sector structure, and while the solar wind density is high. copyright American Geophysical Union 1987

Do the earth tides have an influence on short-term variations in radon concentration?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnet, I.; Prochazka, J.; Skalsky, L.

1997-01-01

The short term (diurnal) indoor radon variations are often explained as a result of temperature and air pressure changes inside a dwelling (the so-called stack effect). The observations of indoor and soil gas radon variations related to the temperature and pressure variations in a test dwelling at Lipova, Northern Bohemia, have not proved the expected correlation between the radon and climatic parameters. The stack effect was clearly observed at the beginning of the four week cycles, when the indoor temperature growth was obvious. However, the indoor radon variations were of the same range or higher than at the beginning of the cycles during the whole week cycles, even when the temperature changes were of the 1-3 o C range. A theory is therefore presented, supported by the known fluctuations of the groundwater level caused by the Earth tides, and the widely observed free air radon variations. According to this theory, the Earth tides lead to the compression of the aquifers and synchronous rise of the groundwater level, which displaces the soil gas with radon into the atmosphere or dwellings. The Earth tide components were calculated for the studied locality and time intervals. The very good phase fit of the amplitudes of gravity variations, vertical and volume strain and vertical displacement with the indoor radon variations was found. This agreement leads to the conclusion that the Earth tides can be considered as one of the causes of the indoor radon variations. This conclusion is also supported by the observations of the radon variations in the underground unventilated spaces under constant temperature and air pressure conditions. (Author)

Closeout of IE Bulletin 79-12: short-period scrams at boiling-water reactors. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeBevac, C.J.; Holland, R.A.

1985-03-01

IE Circular 77-07 was issued on April 14, 1977 because of the occurrence of short period scram events at Dresden Unit 2 on December 28, 1976 and at Monticello on February 23, 1977. The circular advised BWR plants to revise their control rod withdrawal sequences and operating procedures to reduce the likelihood of future short period scrams. However, similar events continued to occur. These included events at Oyster Creek on December 14, 1978; at Browns Ferry Unit 1 on January 18, 1979; and at Hatch Unit 1 on January 31, 1979. As a result of these events, IE Bulletin 79-12 was issued on May 31, 1979. This bulletin required a written response from licensees of GE-designed BWRs regarding specific actions listed in the bulletin. All of the licensees responded in a satisfactory manner. No similar events have been reported since IE Bulletin 79-12 was issued

Magnetoresistance calculations for a two-dimensional electron gas with unilateral short-period strong modulation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Výborný, Karel; Smrčka, Ludvík

2002-01-01

Roč. 66, č. 20 (2002), s. 205318-1 - 205318-8 ISSN 0163-1829 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/01/0754 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1010914 Keywords : magnetoresistance * short-period superlattices * two-dimensional electron gas Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.327, year: 2002

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

Removing tidal-period variations from time-series data using low-pass digital filters

Science.gov (United States)

Walters, Roy A.; Heston, Cynthia

1982-01-01

Several low-pass, digital filters are examined for their ability to remove tidal Period Variations from a time-series of water surface elevation for San Francisco Bay. The most efficient filter is the one which is applied to the Fourier coefficients of the transformed data, and the filtered data recovered through an inverse transform. The ability of the filters to remove the tidal components increased in the following order: 1) cosine-Lanczos filter, 2) cosine-Lanczos squared filter; 3) Godin filter; and 4) a transform fitter. The Godin fitter is not sufficiently sharp to prevent severe attenuation of 2–3 day variations in surface elevation resulting from weather events.

Long- and short-term temporal variations of the diffuse CO2 emission from Timanfaya volcano, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández, P. A.; Padilla, G.; Calvo, D.; Padrón, E.; Melian, G.; Dionis, S.; Nolasco, D.; Barrancos, J.; Rodríguez, F.; Pérez, N.

2012-04-01

Lanzarote Island is an emergent part of the East Canary Ridge and it is situated approximately 100 km from the NW coast of Morocco, covering an area of about 795km2. The largest historical eruption of the Canary Islands, Timanfaya, took place during 1730-36 in this island when long-term eruptions from a NE-SW-trending fissure formed the Montañas del Fuego. The last eruption at Lanzarote Island occurred during 1824, Tinguaton volcano, and produced a much smaller lava flow that reached the SW coast. At present, one of the most prominent phenomena at Timanfaya volcanic field is the high maintained superficial temperatures occurring in the area since the 1730 volcanic eruption. The maximum temperatures recorded in this zone are 605°C, taken in a slightly inclined well 13 m deep. Since fumarolic activity is absent at the surface environment of Lanzarote, to study the diffuse CO2 emission becomes an ideal geochemical tool for monitoring its volcanic activity. Soil CO2 efflux surveys were conducted throughout Timanfaya volcanic field and surrounding areas during the summer periods of 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, fall period of 2010 and winter, spring and summer periods of 2011 to investigate long and short-term temporal variations of the diffuse CO2 emission from Timanfaya volcano. Soil CO2 efflux surveys were undertaken at Timanfaya volcanic field always under stable weather conditions to minimize effects of meteorological conditions on the CO2 at the soil atmosphere. Approximately 370-430 sampling sites were selected at the surface environment of Timanfaya to obtain an even distribution of the sampling points over the study area. The accumulation chamber method (Parkinson et al., 1981) was used to perform soil CO2 efflux measurements in-situ by means of a portable non dispersive infrared (NDIR) CO2 analyzer, which was interfaced to a hand size computer that runs data acquisition software. At each sampling site, soil temperature at 15 and 40cm depth was also measured by

Cross-Sectional Distribution of GARCH Coefficients across S&P 500 Constituents: Time-Variation over the Period 2000-2012

OpenAIRE

David Ardia; Lennart F. Hoogerheide

2013-01-01

We investigate the time-variation of the cross-sectional distribution of asymmetric GARCH model parameters over the S&P 500 constituents for the period 2000-2012. We find the following results. First, the unconditional variances in the GARCH model obviously show major time-variation, with a high level after the dot-com bubble and the highest peak in the latest financial crisis. Second, in these more volatile periods it is especially the persistence of deviations of volatility from is uncondit...

Short- and long-term variations in non-linear dynamics of heart rate variability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kanters, J K; Højgaard, M V; Agner, E

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to investigate the short- and long-term variations in the non-linear dynamics of heart rate variability, and to determine the relationships between conventional time and frequency domain methods and the newer non-linear methods of characterizing heart rate...... rate and describes mainly linear correlations. Non-linear predictability is correlated with heart rate variability measured as the standard deviation of the R-R intervals and the respiratory activity expressed as power of the high-frequency band. The dynamics of heart rate variability changes suddenly...

Long-Term Evaluation of Ocean Tidal Variation Models of Polar Motion and UT1

Science.gov (United States)

Karbon, Maria; Balidakis, Kyriakos; Belda, Santiago; Nilsson, Tobias; Hagedoorn, Jan; Schuh, Harald

2018-04-01

Recent improvements in the development of VLBI (very long baseline interferometry) and other space geodetic techniques such as the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) require very precise a-priori information of short-period (daily and sub-daily) Earth rotation variations. One significant contribution to Earth rotation is caused by the diurnal and semi-diurnal ocean tides. Within this work, we developed a new model for the short-period ocean tidal variations in Earth rotation, where the ocean tidal angular momentum model and the Earth rotation variation have been setup jointly. Besides the model of the short-period variation of the Earth's rotation parameters (ERP), based on the empirical ocean tide model EOT11a, we developed also ERP models, that are based on the hydrodynamic ocean tide models FES2012 and HAMTIDE. Furthermore, we have assessed the effect of uncertainties in the elastic Earth model on the resulting ERP models. Our proposed alternative ERP model to the IERS 2010 conventional model considers the elastic model PREM and 260 partial tides. The choice of the ocean tide model and the determination of the tidal velocities have been identified as the main uncertainties. However, in the VLBI analysis all models perform on the same level of accuracy. From these findings, we conclude that the models presented here, which are based on a re-examined theoretical description and long-term satellite altimetry observation only, are an alternative for the IERS conventional model but do not improve the geodetic results.

Nature of short-period microtremors on the cliff-like ground. part 6; Gakechi kinbo no tanshuki bido. 6

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maiguma, T; Kimura, Y [Waseda University, Tokyo (Japan). School of Science and Engineering; Yasui, [Toda Corp., Tokyo, (Japan)

1997-10-22

Short-period microtremors were observed on the cliff-like ground to discuss vibration characteristics of the ground. It is known that damage of an earthquake becomes especially serious in the vicinity of the cliff-like ground with steep slopes. The present investigation has performed observations on short-period microtremors in two cliff-like grounds, one with a height of about 17 m and an inclination angle of about 55 degrees, and another with a height of 11 m and an inclination angle of about 60 degrees. The areas of the investigation are the Musashino tableland of the Pleistocene era covered by the Kanto loam bed, and the Oritate area (a farm land) with the cliff-like ground which has been formed as a result of erosion of a river terrace consisted of a gravel bed. The observation was carried out with nine moving coil type vibration converters having a natural period of one second installed for horizontal movements and seven converters installed for vertical movements. The result of the investigation revealed that, at the Musashino tableland, no noticeable influence of the cliff-like ground was recognized in the short-period microtremors; at the Oritate area, the spectra of the horizontal movements vary largely with vibrating directions; and the cliff effect can be seen in microtremors with frequencies from 5 Hz to 9 Hz. 5 refs., 9 figs.

Nonlinear dynamics in integrated coupled DFB lasers with ultra-short delay.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dong; Sun, Changzheng; Xiong, Bing; Luo, Yi

2014-03-10

We report rich nonlinear dynamics in integrated coupled lasers with ultra-short coupling delay. Mutually stable locking, period-1 oscillation, frequency locking, quasi-periodicity and chaos are observed experimentally. The dynamic behaviors are reproduced numerically by solving coupled delay differential equations that take the variation of both frequency detuning and coupling phase into account. Moreover, it is pointed out that the round-trip frequency is not involved in the above nonlinear dynamical behaviors. Instead, the relationship between the frequency detuning Δν and the relaxation oscillation frequency νr under mutual injection are found to be critical for the various observed dynamics in mutually coupled lasers with very short delay.

Non-radial oscillations of rotating stars and their relevance to the short-period oscillations of cataclysmic variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papaloizou, J.; Pringle, J.E.

1978-01-01

The usual hypothesis, that the short-period coherent oscillations seen in cataclysmic variables are attributable to g modes in a slowly rotating white dwarf, is considered. It is shown that this hypothesis is untenable for three main reasons: (i) the observed periods are too short for reasonable white dwarf models, (ii) the observed variability of the oscillations is too rapid and (iii) the expected rotation of the white dwarf, due to accretion, invalidates the slow rotation assumption on which standard g-mode theory is based. The low-frequency spectrum of a rotating pulsating star is investigated taking the effects of rotation fully into account. In this case there are two sets of low-frequency modes, the g modes, and modes similar to Rossby waves in the Earth's atmosphere and oceans, which are designated r modes. Typical periods for such modes are 1/m times the rotation period of the white dwarfs outer layers (m is the aximuthal wavenumber). It is concluded that non-radial oscillations of rotating white dwarfs can account for the properties of the oscillations seen in dwarf novae. Application of these results to other systems is also discussed. (author)

Numerical doubly-periodic solution of the (2+1)-dimensional Boussinesq equation with initial conditions by the variational iteration method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inc, Mustafa

2007-01-01

In this Letter, a scheme is developed to study numerical doubly-periodic solutions of the (2+1)-dimensional Boussinesq equation with initial condition by the variational iteration method. As a result, the approximate and exact doubly-periodic solutions are obtained. For different modulus m, comparison between the approximate solution and the exact solution is made graphically, revealing that the variational iteration method is a powerful and effective tool to non-linear problems

LISA Pathfinder test-mass charging during galactic cosmic-ray flux short-term variations

Science.gov (United States)

Grimani, C.; Fabi, M.; Lobo, A.; Mateos, I.; Telloni, D.

2015-02-01

Metal free-floating test masses aboard the future interferometers devoted to gravitational wave detection in space are charged by galactic and solar cosmic rays with energies \\gt 100 MeV/n. This process represents one of the main sources of noise in the lowest frequency band (\\lt 10-3 Hz) of these experiments. We study here the charging of the LISA Pathfinder (LISA-PF) gold-platinum test masses due to galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) protons and helium nuclei with the Fluka Monte Carlo toolkit. Projections of the energy spectra of GCRs during the LISA-PF operations in 2015 are considered. This work was carried out on the basis of the solar activity level and solar polarity epoch expected for LISA-PF. The effects of GCR short-term variations are evaluated here for the first time. Classical Forbush decreases, GCR variations induced by the Sun rotation, and fluctuations in the LISA-PF frequency bandwidth are discussed.

Biological control of short-term variations in the concentration of DMSP and DMS during a Phaeocystis spring bloom

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Duyl, FC; Gieskes, WWC; Kop, AJ; Lewis, WE

1998-01-01

In the spring of 1995. short-term variations in the concentration of particulate and dissolved dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and dimethylsulfide (DMS) were monitored in the western Wadden Sea, a shallow coastal region in open connection with the North Sea. Significant correlations were found

Period variations in pulsating X-ray sources. I. Accretion flow parameters and neutron star structure from timing observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, F.K.; Pines, D.; Shaham, J.

1978-01-01

We show that valuable information about both accretion flows and neutron star structure can be obtained from X-ray timing observations of period variations in pulsating sources. Such variations can result from variations in the accretion flow, or from internal torque variations, associated with oscillations of the fluid core or the unpinning of vortices in the inner crust. We develop a statistical description of torque variations in terms of noise processes, indicate how the applicability of such a description may be tested observationally, and show how it may be used to determine from observation both the properties of accretion flows and the internal structure of neutron stars, including the relative inertial moments of the crust and superfluid neutron core, the crust-core coupling time, and the frequencies of any low-frequency internal collective modes. Particular attention is paid to the physical origin of spin-down episodes; it is shown that usyc episodes may result either from external torque reversals or from internal torque variations.With the aid of the statistical description, the response of the star to torque fluctuations is calculated for three stellar models: (i) a completely rigid star; (ii) a two-component star; and (iii) a two-component star with a finite-frequency internal mode, such as the Tkachenko mode of a rotating neutron superfluid. Our calculations show that fluctuating torques could account for the period the period variations and spin-down episodes observed in Her X-1 and Cen X-3, including the large spin-down event observed in the latter source during 1972 September-October. The torque noise strengths inferred from current timing observations using the simple two-component models are shown to be consistent with those to be expected from fluctuations in accretion flows onto magnetic neutron stars

Studying Short-Period Comets and Long-Period Comets Detected by WISE/NEOWISE

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, Emily A.; Fernández, Yanga R.; Bauer, James M.; Stevenson, Rachel; Mainzer, Amy K.; Grav, Tommy; Masiero, Joseph; Walker, Russell G.; Lisse, Carey M.

2014-11-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission surveyed the sky in four infrared wavelength bands (3.4, 4.6, 12 and 22-micron) between January 2010 and February 2011 [1, 2]. During the mission, WISE serendipitously observed 160 comets, including 21 newly discovered objects. About 89 of the comets observed by WISE displayed a significant dust tail in the 12 and 22-micron (thermal emission) bands, showing a wide range of activity levels and dust morphology. Since the observed objects are a mix of both long-period comets (LPCs) and short-period comets (SPCs), differences in their activity can be used to better understand the thermal evolution that each of these populations has undergone. For the comets that displayed a significant dust tail, we have estimated the sizes and ages of the particles using dynamical models based on the Finson-Probstein method [3, 4]. For a selection of 40 comets, we have then compared these models to the data using a novel tail-fitting method that allows the best-fit model to be chosen analytically rather than subjectively. For comets that were observed multiple times by WISE, the dust tail particle properties were estimated separately, and then compared. We find that the dust tails of both LPCs and SPCs are primarily comprised of ~mm to cm sized particles, which were the result of emission that occurred several months to several years prior to the observations. The LPCs nearly all have strong dust emission close to the comet's perihelion distance, and the SPCs mostly have strong dust emission close to perihelion, but some have strong dust emission well before perihelion. Acknowledgments: This publication makes use of data products from (1) WISE, which is a joint project of UCLA and JPL/Caltech, funded by NASA; and (2) NEOWISE, which is a project of JPL/Caltech, funded by the Planetary Science Division of NASA. EK was supported by a NASA Earth and Space Sciences Fellowship. RS gratefully acknowledges support from the NASA

A dearth of short-period massive binaries in the young massive star forming region M 17. Evidence for a large orbital separation at birth?

Science.gov (United States)

Sana, H.; Ramírez-Tannus, M. C.; de Koter, A.; Kaper, L.; Tramper, F.; Bik, A.

2017-03-01

Aims: The formation of massive stars remains poorly understood and little is known about their birth multiplicity properties. Here, we aim to quantitatively investigate the strikingly low radial-velocity dispersion measured for a sample of 11 massive pre- and near-main-sequence stars (σ1D= 5.6 ± 0.2 km s-1) in the very young massive star forming region M 17, in order to obtain first constraints on the multiplicity properties of young massive stellar objects. Methods: We compute the radial-velocity dispersion of synthetic populations of massive stars for various multiplicity properties and we compare the obtained σ1D distributions to the observed value. We specifically investigate two scenarios: a low binary fraction and a dearth of short-period binary systems. Results: Simulated populations with low binary fractions () or with truncated period distributions (Pcutoff > 9 months) are able to reproduce the low σ1D observed within their 68%-confidence intervals. Furthermore, parent populations with fbin > 0.42 or Pcutoff < 47 d can be rejected at the 5%-significance level. Both constraints are in stark contrast with the high binary fraction and plethora of short-period systems in few Myr-old, well characterized OB-type populations. To explain the difference in the context of the first scenario would require a variation of the outcome of the massive star formation process. In the context of the second scenario, compact binaries must form later on, and the cut-off period may be related to physical length-scales representative of the bloated pre-main-sequence stellar radii or of their accretion disks. Conclusions: If the obtained constraints for the M 17's massive-star population are representative of the multiplicity properties of massive young stellar objects, our results may provide support to a massive star formation process in which binaries are initially formed at larger separations, then harden or migrate to produce the typical (untruncated) power-law period

Short-rotation woody-crops program. Quarterly progress report for period ending August 31, 1981

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cushman, J.H.; Ranney, J.W.

1982-04-01

Progress of twenty-one projects in the Short Rotation Woody Crops Program is summarized for the period June 1 through August 31, 1981. Individual quarterly reports included from each of the projects discuss accomplishments within specific project objectives and identify recent papers and publications resulting from the research. The major program activities are species screening and genetic selection, stand establishment and cultural treatment, and harvest, collection, transportation, and storage.

Short-rotation woody-crops program. Quarterly progress report for period ending May 31, 1981

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cushman, J.H.; Ranney, J.W.

1982-04-01

Progress of twenty projects in the Short Rotation Woody Crops Program is summarized for the period March 1 through May 31, 1981. Individual quarterly reports included from each of the projects discuss accomplishments within specific project objectives and identify recent papers and publications resulting from the research. The major project activities are species screening and genetic selection, stand establishment and cultural treatment, and harvest, collection, transportation, and storage.

Complexity analyses show two distinct types of nonlinear dynamics in short heart period variability recordings

Science.gov (United States)

Porta, Alberto; Bari, Vlasta; Marchi, Andrea; De Maria, Beatrice; Cysarz, Dirk; Van Leeuwen, Peter; Takahashi, Anielle C. M.; Catai, Aparecida M.; Gnecchi-Ruscone, Tomaso

2015-01-01

Two diverse complexity metrics quantifying time irreversibility and local prediction, in connection with a surrogate data approach, were utilized to detect nonlinear dynamics in short heart period (HP) variability series recorded in fetuses, as a function of the gestational period, and in healthy humans, as a function of the magnitude of the orthostatic challenge. The metrics indicated the presence of two distinct types of nonlinear HP dynamics characterized by diverse ranges of time scales. These findings stress the need to render more specific the analysis of nonlinear components of HP dynamics by accounting for different temporal scales. PMID:25806002

A high-average power tapered FEL amplifier at submillimeter frequencies using sheet electron beams and short-period wigglers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bidwell, S.W.; Radack, D.J.; Antonsen, T.M. Jr.; Booske, J.H.; Carmel, Y.; Destler, W.W.; Granatstein, V.L.; Levush, B.; Latham, P.E.; Zhang, Z.X.

1990-01-01

A high-average-power FEL amplifier operating at submillimeter frequencies is under development at the University of Maryland. Program goals are to produce a CW, ∼1 MW, FEL amplifier source at frequencies between 280 GHz and 560 GHz. To this end, a high-gain, high-efficiency, tapered FEL amplifier using a sheet electron beam and a short-period (superconducting) wiggler has been chosen. Development of this amplifier is progressing in three stages: (1) beam propagation through a long length (∼1 m) of short period (λ ω = 1 cm) wiggler, (2) demonstration of a proof-of-principle amplifier experiment at 98 GHz, and (3) designs of a superconducting tapered FEL amplifier meeting the ultimate design goal specifications. 17 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab

2-D Modelling of Long Period Variations of Galactic Cosmic Ray Intensity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siluszyk, M; Iskra, K; Alania, M

2015-01-01

A new two-dimensional (2-D) time dependent model describing long-period variations of the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) intensity has been developed. New approximations for the changes of the magnitude B of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF), the tilt angle δ of the Heliospheric Neutral Sheet (HNS) and drift effects of the GCR particles have been included into the model. Moreover, temporal changes of the exponent γ expressing the power law - rigidity dependence of the amplitudes of the 11-year variation of the GCR intensity have been added. We show that changes of the expected GCR particle density precedes changes of the GCR intensity measured by the Moscow Neutron (MN) monitor by about 18 months. So ∼18 months can be taken as an effective delay time between the expected intensity caused by the combined influence of the changes of the parameters implemented in the time-dependent 2-D model and the GCR intensity measured by neutron monitors during the 21 cycle of solar activity. (paper)

Variational data assimilation for the optimized ozone initial state and the short-time forecasting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.-Y. Park

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, we apply the four-dimensional variational (4D-Var data assimilation to optimize initial ozone state and to improve the predictability of air quality. The numerical modeling systems used for simulations of atmospheric condition and chemical formation are the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF model and the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ model. The study area covers the capital region of South Korea, where the surface measurement sites are relatively evenly distributed. The 4D-Var code previously developed for the CMAQ model is modified to consider background error in matrix form, and various numerical tests are conducted. The results are evaluated with an idealized covariance function for the appropriateness of the modified codes. The background error is then constructed using the NMC method with long-term modeling results, and the characteristics of the spatial correlation scale related to local circulation are analyzed. The background error is applied in the 4D-Var research, and a surface observational assimilation is conducted to optimize the initial concentration of ozone. The statistical results for the 12 h assimilation periods and the 120 observatory sites show a 49.4 % decrease in the root mean squared error (RMSE, and a 59.9 % increase in the index of agreement (IOA. The temporal variation of spatial distribution of the analysis increments indicates that the optimized initial state of ozone concentration is transported to inland areas by the clockwise-rotating local circulation during the assimilation windows. To investigate the predictability of ozone concentration after the assimilation window, a short-time forecasting is carried out. The ratios of the RMSE (root mean squared error with assimilation versus that without assimilation are 8 and 13 % for the +24 and +12 h, respectively. Such a significant improvement in the forecast accuracy is obtained solely by using the optimized initial state. The potential

THE VERY SHORT PERIOD M DWARF BINARY SDSS J001641-000925

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davenport, James R. A.; Becker, Andrew C.; Hawley, Suzanne L.; Gunning, Heather C.; Munshi, Ferah A.; Albright, Meagan [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); West, Andrew A. [Astronomy Department, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Bochanski, John J. [Astronomy and Astrophysics Department, Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Holtzman, Jon [Department of Astronomy, New Mexico State University, Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States); Hilton, Eric J., E-mail: jrad@astro.washington.edu [Department of Geology and Geophysics and Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States)

2013-02-10

We present follow-up observations and analysis of the recently discovered short period low-mass eclipsing binary, SDSS J001641-000925. With an orbital period of 0.19856 days, this system has one of the shortest known periods for an M dwarf binary system. Medium-resolution spectroscopy and multi-band photometry for the system are presented. Markov Chain Monte Carlo modeling of the light curves and radial velocities yields estimated masses for the stars of M {sub 1} = 0.54 {+-} 0.07 M {sub Sun} and M {sub 2} = 0.34 {+-} 0.04 M {sub Sun }, and radii of R {sub 1} = 0.68 {+-} 0.03 R {sub Sun} and R {sub 2} = 0.58 {+-} 0.03 R {sub Sun }, respectively. This solution places both components above the critical Roche overfill limit, providing strong evidence that SDSS J001641-000925 is the first verified M-dwarf contact binary system. Within the follow-up spectroscopy we find signatures of non-solid body rotation velocities, which we interpret as evidence for mass transfer or loss within the system. In addition, our photometry samples the system over nine years, and we find strong evidence for period decay at the rate of P-dot {approx} 8 s yr{sup -1}. Both of these signatures raise the intriguing possibility that the system is in over-contact, and actively losing angular momentum, likely through mass loss. This places SDSS J001641-000925 as not just the first M-dwarf over-contact binary, but one of the few systems of any spectral type known to be actively undergoing coalescence. Further study of SDSS J001641-000925 is ongoing to verify the nature of the system, which may prove to be a unique astrophysical laboratory.

Short-Term Intra-Subject Variation in Exhaled Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs in COPD Patients and Healthy Controls and Its Effect on Disease Classification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Phillips

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs are of interest for their potential to diagnose disease non-invasively. However, most breath VOC studies have analyzed single breath samples from an individual and assumed them to be wholly consistent representative of the person. This provided the motivation for an investigation of the variability of breath profiles when three breath samples are taken over a short time period (two minute intervals between samples for 118 stable patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD and 63 healthy controls and analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC/MS. The extent of the variation in VOC levels differed between COPD and healthy subjects and the patterns of variation differed for isoprene versus the bulk of other VOCs. In addition, machine learning approaches were applied to the breath data to establish whether these samples differed in their ability to discriminate COPD from healthy states and whether aggregation of multiple samples, into single data sets, could offer improved discrimination. The three breath samples gave similar classification accuracy to one another when evaluated separately (66.5% to 68.3% subjects classified correctly depending on the breath repetition used. Combining multiple breath samples into single data sets gave better discrimination (73.4% subjects classified correctly. Although accuracy is not sufficient for COPD diagnosis in a clinical setting, enhanced sampling and analysis may improve accuracy further. Variability in samples, and short-term effects of practice or exertion, need to be considered in any breath testing program to improve reliability and optimize discrimination.

Light curve solutions and study of roles of magnetic fields in period variations of the UV Leo system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D Manzoori

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The solutions of photometric BV light curves for the Algol like system UV Leo were obtained using Wilson-Devinney code. The physical and orbital parameters along with absolute dimensions of the system were determined. It has been found that to best fit the V light curve of the system, assumptions of three dark spots were necessary two on the secondary and one on the primary. The absolute visual magnitudes (Mv of the individual components i.e., primary and secondary were estimated to 4.41 and 4.43, respectively, through the color curve analysis. The period analysis of the system presented elsewhere, indicated a cyclic period change of 12 yr duration, which was attributed to magnetic activity cycle, as a main cause of period variation in the system, through the Applegate mechanism. To verify the Applegate model I preformed calculations of some related parameters barrowed from Apllegate and Kalimeris. Values of all the calculated parameters were in accordance to those obtained for similar systems by Applegate. The differential magnitudes Δ B and Δ V, along with corresponding values of Δ(B-V color index. The cyclic variations in brightness are quite clear. There are three predictions of Applegate's theory concerning effects of cyclic magnetic changes on the period variations, which can be checked through the observations, these are as follows: I The long term variations in mean brightness (at outside of eclipses and cyclic changes of orbital period, vary with the same period. II The active star gets bluer as it gets brightened and/or the brightness and color variations are to be in phase. III Changes in luminosity due to changes in quadrupole moment should be of the order 0.1 mag. All the above mentioned predictions of Applegate’s theory are verified. These results combined with cyclic character of P(E presented elsewhere and also consistency of parameters which are obtained in this paper, led me to conclude that one the main causes of period

Examining the short-run price elasticity of gasoline demand in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Brannan, Michael James

Estimating the consumer demand response to changes in the price of gasoline has important implications regarding fuel tax policies and environmental concerns. There are reasons to believe that the short-run price elasticity of gasoline demand fluctuates due to changing structural and behavioral factors. In this paper I estimate the short-run price elasticity of gasoline demand in two time periods, from 2001 to 2006 and from 2007 to 2010. This study utilizes data at both the national and state levels to produce estimates. The short-run price elasticities range from -0.034 to -0.047 during 2001 to 2006, compared to -0.058 to -0.077 in the 2007 to 2010 period. This paper also examines whether there are regional differences in the short-run price elasticity of gasoline demand in the United States. However, there appears to only be modest variation in price elasticity values across regions.

THE MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL FALLEN IN SHORT PERIODS OF TIME IN THE HILLY AREA OF CLUJ COUNTY - GENESIS, DISTRIBUTION AND PROBABILITY OF OCCURRENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BLAGA IRINA

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The maximum amounts of rainfall are usually characterized by high intensity, and their effects on the substrate are revealed, at slope level, by the deepening of the existing forms of torrential erosion and also by the formation of new ones, and by landslide processes. For the 1971-2000 period, for the weather stations in the hilly area of Cluj County: Cluj- Napoca, Dej, Huedin and Turda the highest values of rainfall amounts fallen in 24, 48 and 72 hours were analyzed and extracted, based on which the variation and the spatial and temporal distribution of the precipitation were analyzed. The annual probability of exceedance of maximum rainfall amounts fallen in short time intervals (24, 48 and 72 hours, based on thresholds and class values was determined, using climatological practices and the Hyfran program facilities.

Ultra-short-period WC/SiC multilayer coatings for x-ray applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernández-Perea, Mónica; Pivovaroff, Mike J.; Soufli, Regina; Alameda, Jennifer; Mirkarimi, Paul; Descalle, Marie-Anne; Baker, Sherry L.; McCarville, Tom; Ziock, Klaus; Hornback, Donald; Romaine, Suzanne; Bruni, Ric; Zhong, Zhong; Honkimäki, Veijo; Ziegler, Eric; Christensen, Finn E.; Jakobsen, Anders C.

2013-01-01

Multilayer coatings enhance x-ray mirror performance at incidence angles steeper than the critical angle, allowing for improved flux, design flexibility and facilitating alignment. In an attempt to extend the use of multilayer coatings to photon energies higher than previously achieved, we have developed multilayers with ultra-short periods between 1 and 2 nm based on the material system WC/SiC. This material system was selected because it possesses very sharp and stable interfaces. In this article, we show highlights from a series of experiments performed in order to characterize the stress, microstructure and morphology of the multilayer films, as well as their reflective performance at photon energies from 8 to 384 keV

THE FREQUENCY OF LOW-MASS EXOPLANETS. III. TOWARD η+ AT SHORT PERIODS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wittenmyer, Robert A.; Tinney, C. G.; Bailey, J.; Horner, J.; Butler, R. P.; O'Toole, Simon J.; Jones, H. R. A.; Carter, B. D.

2011-01-01

Determining the occurrence rate of 'super-Earth' planets (m sin i + ) is a critically important step on the path toward determining the frequency of Earth-like planets (η + ), and hence the uniqueness of our solar system. Current radial-velocity surveys, achieving precisions of 1 m s -1 , are now able to detect super-Earths and provide meaningful estimates of their occurrence rate. We present an analysis of 67 solar-type stars from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search specifically targeted for very high precision observations. When corrected for incompleteness, we find that the planet occurrence rate increases sharply with decreasing planetary mass. Our results are consistent with those from other surveys: in periods shorter than 50 days, we find that 3.0% of stars host a giant (msin i > 100 M + ) planet, and that 17.4% of stars host a planet with msin i + . The preponderance of low-mass planets in short-period orbits is in conflict with formation simulations in which the majority of super-Earths reside at larger orbital distances. This work gives a hint as to the size of η + , but to make meaningful predictions on the frequency of terrestrial planets in longer, potentially habitable orbits, low-mass terrestrial planet searches at periods of 100-200 days must be made an urgent priority for ground-based Doppler planet searches in the years ahead.

Solar UV Variations During the Decline of Cycle 23

Science.gov (United States)

DeLand, Matthew, T.; Cebula, Richard P.

2011-01-01

Characterization of temporal and spectral variations in solar ultraviolet irradiance over a solar cycle is essential for understanding the forcing of Earth's atmosphere and climate. Satellite measurements of solar UV variability for solar cycles 21, 22, and 23 show consistent solar cycle irradiance changes at key wavelengths (e.g. 205 nm, 250 nm) within instrumental uncertainties. All historical data sets also show the same relative spectral dependence for both short-term (rotational) and long-term (solar cycle) variations. Empirical solar irradiance models also produce long-term solar UV variations that agree well with observational data. Recent UV irradiance data from the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM) and Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE) instruments covering the declining phase of Cycle 23 present a different picture oflong-term solar variations from previous results. Time series of SIM and SOLSTICE spectral irradiance data between 2003 and 2007 show solar variations that greatly exceed both previous measurements and predicted irradiance changes over this period, and the spectral dependence of the SIM and SOLSTICE variations during these years do not show features expected from solar physics theory. The use of SORCE irradiance variations in atmospheric models yields substantially different middle atmosphere ozone responses in both magnitude and vertical structure. However, short-term solar variability derived from SIM and SOLSTICE UV irradiance data is consistent with concurrent solar UV measurements from other instruments, as well as previous results, suggesting no change in solar physics. Our analysis of short-term solar variability is much less sensitive to residual instrument response changes than the observations of long-term variations. The SORCE long-term UV results can be explained by under-correction of instrument response changes during the first few years of measurements

Determination of circulation and short period fluctuation in Ilha Grande Bay (RJ, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshimine Ikeda

1980-06-01

Full Text Available A mesosoale study was made of the Ilha Grande area. The local circulation described through -progressive vector diagrams showed a clochwise bottom circulation determined in June 1976, while in the upper 10 m the direction of the flow entering the Ilha Grande Bay was towards the center in the west and towards the Marambaia sandbank in the east side of the Bay. Short periods and amplitude fluctuations were evaluted using power spectral analysis, Fourier and Maximum Entropy Method, which showed that in the upper 10 m predominant periods decrease from 1.1h (A = 6.3cm sec-1 (position = 3C to 1.0h (A = 7.4 cm sec-1 (position = 2D and increase to 5.8h (A = 6.8 cm., sec-1 (position = ID, while at the bottom layer the predominant period increases from 0.4 h (A = 5.0 cm sec-1 (position = 3G to 6.4h (A = 7.0 cm sec-1 (position = 2G and to 4.4h (A = 7.9 cm sec-1 (position = 1G . From the original data it has been possible to determine an "intense pulsation" between 30-70 cm sec-1 in the upper 10 m with about 1.0h period and 10-20 min duration in all the stations.

Variations in the electrical short-circuit current decay for recombination lifetime and velocity measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Tae-Won; Lindholm, Fredrik A.; Neugroschel, Arnost

1987-01-01

An improved measurement system for electrical short-circuit current decay is presented that extends applicability of the method to silicon solar cells having an effective lifetime as low as 1 microsec. The system uses metal/oxide/semiconductor transistors as voltage-controlled switches. Advances in theory developed here increase precision and sensitivity in the determination of the minority-carrier recombination lifetime and recombination velocity. A variation of the method, which exploits measurements made on related back-surface field and back-ohmic contact devices, further improves precision and sensitivity. The improvements are illustrated by application to 15 different silicon solar cells.

Variation in Parasympathetic Dysregulation Moderates Short-term Memory Problems in Childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Anthony R; Alarcón, Gabriela; Nigg, Joel T; Musser, Erica D

2015-11-01

Although attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with impairment in working memory and short-term memory, up to half of individual children with ADHD perform within a normative range. Heterogeneity in other ADHD-related mechanisms, which may compensate for or combine with cognitive weaknesses, is a likely explanation. One candidate is the robustness of parasympathetic regulation (as indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA). Theory and data suggest that a common neural network is likely tied to both heart-rate regulation and certain cognitive functions (including aspects of working and short-term memory). Cardiac-derived indices of parasympathetic reactivity were collected during short-term memory (STM) storage and rehearsal tasks from 243 children (116 ADHD, 127 controls). ADHD was associated with lower STM performance, replicating previous work. In addition, RSA reactivity moderated the association between STM and ADHD - both as a category and a dimension - independent of comorbidity. Specifically, conditional effects revealed that high levels of withdrawal interacted with weakened STM but high levels of augmentation moderated a positive association predicting ADHD. Thus, variations in parasympathetic reactivity may help explain neuropsychological heterogeneity in ADHD.

Interfacial intermixing in InAs/GaSb short-period-superlattices grown by molecular beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luna, E.; Satpati, B.; Trampert, A.; Rodriguez, J. B.; Baranov, A. N.; Tournie, E.

2010-01-01

The unique properties of the noncommon-atom InAs/GaSb short-period-superlattices (SPSL) strongly depend on the interface structure. These interfaces are characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The compositional sharpness is obtained from the comparison of the experimental contrast in g 002 two-beam dark-field TEM images with simulated intensity profiles, which are calculated assuming that the element distribution profiles are described by sigmoidal functions. The interfacial intermixing, defined by the chemical width, is obtained for SPSL with different periods and layer thicknesses, even in the extreme case of nominally less than 3 ML thick InAs layers. Nominal 1 ML InSb layers intentionally inserted are also identified.

Does variation in mineral composition alter the short-wave light scattering properties of desert dust aerosol?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Andrew J.A.; Grainger, Roy G.

2014-01-01

Mineral dust aerosol is a major component of natural airborne particulates. Using satellite measurements from the visible and near-infrared, there is insufficient information to retrieve a full microphysical and chemical description of an aerosol distribution. As such, refractive index is one of many parameters that must be implicitly assumed in order to obtain an optical depth retrieval. This is essentially a proxy for the dust mineralogy. Using a global soil map, it is shown that as long as a reasonable refractive index for dust is assumed, global dust variability is unlikely to cause significant variation in the optical properties of a dust aerosol distribution in the short-wave, and so should not greatly affect retrievals of mineral dust aerosol from space by visible and near-infrared radiometers. Errors in aerosol optical depth due to this variation are expected to be ≲1%. The work is framed around the ORAC AATSR aerosol retrieval, but is equally applicable to similar satellite retrievals. In this case, variations in the top-of-atmosphere reflectance caused by mineral variation are within the noise limits of the instrument. -- Highlights: • Global variation in dust aerosol refractive index is quantified using soil maps. • Resulting visible light scattering properties have limited variability. • Satellite aerosol retrievals do not need to account for varying dust refractive indices

Theoretical study of nitride short period superlattices

Science.gov (United States)

Gorczyca, I.; Suski, T.; Christensen, N. E.; Svane, A.

2018-02-01

Discussion of band gap behavior based on first principles calculations of electronic band structures for various short period nitride superlattices is presented. Binary superlattices, as InN/GaN and GaN/AlN as well as superlattices containing alloys, as InGaN/GaN, GaN/AlGaN, and GaN/InAlN are considered. Taking into account different crystallographic directions of growth (polar, semipolar and nonpolar) and different strain conditions (free-standing and pseudomorphic) all the factors influencing the band gap engineering are analyzed. Dependence on internal strain and lattice geometry is considered, but the main attention is devoted to the influence of the internal electric field and the hybridization of well and barrier wave functions. The contributions of these two important factors to band gap behavior are illustrated and estimated quantitatively. It appears that there are two interesting ranges of layer thicknesses; in one (few atomic monolayers in barriers and wells) the influence of the wave function hybridization is dominant, whereas in the other (layers thicker than roughly five to six monolayers) dependence of electric field on the band gaps is more important. The band gap behavior in superlattices is compared with the band gap dependence on composition in the corresponding ternary and quaternary alloys. It is shown that for superlattices it is possible to exceed by far the range of band gap values, which can be realized in ternary alloys. The calculated values of the band gaps are compared with the photoluminescence emission energies, when the corresponding data are available. Finally, similarities and differences between nitride and oxide polar superlattices are pointed out by comparison of wurtzite GaN/AlN and ZnO/MgO.

The Conceptual Model of Calculating the Return Period of the Costs for Creation of the Enterprise’s Economic Security Service in the Short-Term Period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melikhova Tetiana O.

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Determination of the return period of the costs, advanced for the creation of economic security service of enterprise during a year, involves consideration of interaction of the conditional money flow, accumulated for a certain number of months, and the constant costs. The main component of the constant costs are the annual depreciation deductions. The return period is considered as gross, net, valid, and specified. The gross (net, valid, and specified return period is the time, wherein the gross conditional money flow, equal to the advanced costs, will be accumulated. The gross return period, taking account of the effect of time factor, is proposed to be defined as the ratio of annual depreciation deductions increased by the annual compounding coefficient to the conditional average monthly gross money flow, increased by the average monthly inflation index. As for the short-term period, a relationship between the gross, net, valid, and specified return periods of the costs, advanced to the creation of the economic security service, has been identified. The net (valid, specified return period is equal to the gross period adjusted to the coefficient of excess of the gross conditional money flow, accumulated in the gross period, over the net (valid, specified conditional cash flow.

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of phase-precipitation versus instability behavior in short period FeCr superlattices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodríguez-Martínez, F.J. [UCAM, Universidad Católica de Murcia, Campus de los Jerónimos, 30107 Guadalupe (Murcia) (Spain); Castejón-Mochón, J.F., E-mail: jfcastejon@ucam.edu [UCAM, Universidad Católica de Murcia, Campus de los Jerónimos, 30107 Guadalupe (Murcia) (Spain); Castrillo, P.; Berenguer-Vidal, R. [UCAM, Universidad Católica de Murcia, Campus de los Jerónimos, 30107 Guadalupe (Murcia) (Spain); Dopico, I.; Martin-Bragado, I. [IMDEA Materials Institute, Eric Kandel 2, 28906 Getafe (Madrid) (Spain)

2017-02-15

The structural evolution of FeCr superlattices has been studied using a quasi-atomistic Object Kinetic Monte Carlo model. Superlattices with different spatial periods have been simulated for anneal durations from few hours to several months at 500 °C. Relatively-long period superlattices stabilize into Fe-rich and Cr-rich layers with compositions close to those of bulk α and α′ phases. In contrast, superlattices with very short periods (4, 5, 6 nm) are observed to undergo instability and, for long annealing times, evolve into three-dimensionally decomposed regions, in qualitative agreement to recent experimental observations. The instability onset is delayed as the spatial period increases, and it occurs via interface roughness. This evolution can be explained as a minimization of the free-energy associated to the α/α′ interfaces. A comprehensive description of the evolution dynamics of FeCr-based structures is obtained with our model.

Short sales, differences of opinion and fundamental value

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brounen, Dirk; Porras Prado, M.; Ling, D.C.

2013-01-01

This study explores the role of short sale constraints in explaining the variation in premiums to Net Asset Value (NAV) in REIT pricing. We use proprietary information on short sales between June 2006 and September 2008 to examine how short sales and short sale constraints affect the variation in

Delicious words – Assessing the impact of short storytelling messages on consumer preferences for variations of a new processed meat product

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fenger, Morten H. J.; Aschemann-Witzel, Jessica; Hansen, Flemming

2015-01-01

related to stimulation seeking and hedonism and with a tendency towards variety seeking – reacted positively to the new product, others were less interested. The introduction of elements of storytelling, however, had a favorable effect on choice for the segment previously less interested. Thus......Continuous food product improvements require communication that induces consumers to test the new products. The paper presents an experiment that investigated the characteristics of consumers who reacted positively to variations of a new meat product, and explores the effect of short storytelling...... messages on choice. 1087 Danish consumers were presented with binary choice sets consisting of conventional and new variations of a cubed ham product; half of the respondents in addition saw short storytelling messages. It was found that while some consumers – especially those characterized by values...

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

Thermodynamics of Micro- and Nano-Systems Driven by Periodic Temperature Variations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kay Brandner

2015-08-01

Full Text Available We introduce a general framework for analyzing the thermodynamics of small systems that are driven by both a periodic temperature variation and some external parameter modulating their energy. This setup covers, in particular, periodic micro- and nano-heat engines. In a first step, we show how to express total entropy production by properly identified time-independent affinities and currents without making a linear response assumption. In linear response, kinetic coefficients akin to Onsager coefficients can be identified. Specializing to a Fokker-Planck-type dynamics, we show that these coefficients can be expressed as a sum of an adiabatic contribution and one reminiscent of a Green-Kubo expression that contains deviations from adiabaticity. Furthermore, we show that the generalized kinetic coefficients fulfill an Onsager-Casimir-type symmetry tracing back to microscopic reversibility. This symmetry allows for nonidentical off-diagonal coefficients if the driving protocols are not symmetric under time reversal. We then derive a novel constraint on the kinetic coefficients that is sharper than the second law and provides an efficiency-dependent bound on power. As one consequence, we can prove that the power vanishes at least linearly when approaching Carnot efficiency. We illustrate our general framework by explicitly working out the paradigmatic case of a Brownian heat engine realized by a colloidal particle in a time-dependent harmonic trap subject to a periodic temperature profile. This case study reveals inter alia that our new general bound on power is asymptotically tight.

Climate variations and the enhanced greenhouse effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karlen, W. [Stockholm Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Physical Geography

1998-06-01

Changes in the size of glaciers, in the altitude of the alpine tree-limit, and variation in the width of tree-rings during the Holocene clearly indicate that the average Scandinavian summer temperature has fluctuated. During warm periods it has been about 2 deg C warmer than at present; during cold periods it has been almost as cold as it was during the coldest decades of the previous centuries. Superimposed on these long-term variations, which have lasted from 100 to 200 years, are short fluctuations in temperature. The Scandinavian chronology, which is based on glacier and alpine tree-limit fluctuations as well as on dendrochronology, is well correlated with the changes in climate, which studies of ice cores from central Greenland have revealed. It is therefore believed that the Scandinavian climate chronology depicts conditions typical of a large area. The Scandinavian record is compared with data concerning solar irradiation variations estimated as {sup 14}C anomalies obtained from tree-rings. A correlation between major changes in climate and variations in solar irradiation points to a solar forcing of the climate. This means that there is no evidence of a human influence on climate so far Special issue. Research for mountain area development: Europe. 64 refs, 3 figs

Orbital Period Variations in the NY Vir System, Revisited in the Light of New Data

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Baştürk Özgür

2018-02-01

Full Text Available NY Virginis is an eclipsing binary system with a subdwarf B primary and an M type dwarf secondary. Recent studies (Qian et al. 2012; Lee et al. 2014 suggested the presence of two circumbinary planets with a few Jovian masses within the system. Lee et al. (2014 examined the orbital stabilities of the suggested planets, using the best-fit parameters derived from their eclipse timing variation analysis. They found that the outer companion should be ejected from the system in about 800 000 years. An observational report from Pulley et al. (2016 pointed out that the recent mideclipse times of the binary deviate significantly from the models suggested by Lee et al. (2014. In fact, variations in the orbital period of the system had already been recognized by many authors, but the parameters of these variations vary significantly as new data accumulate. Here, we analyze the eclipse timing variations of the NY Vir system, using new mid-eclipse times that we have obtained together with earlier published measurements in order to understand the nature of the system and constrain its parameters.

Fetal short time variation during labor: a non-invasive alternative to fetal scalp pH measurements?

OpenAIRE

Schiermeier, Sven; Reinhard, Joscha; Hatzmann, Hendrike; Zimmermann, Ralf C.; Westhof, Gregor

2009-01-01

Objective: To determine whether short time variation (STV) of fetal heart beat correlates with scalp pH measurements during labor. Patients and methods: From 1279 deliveries, 197 women had at least one fetal scalp pH measurement. Using the CTG-Player®, STVs were calculated from the electronically saved cardiotocography (CTG) traces and related to the fetal scalp pH measurements. Results: There was no correlation between STV and fetal scalp pH measurements (r=−0.0592). Conclusions: Fetal ST...

ON THE POSSIBLE EXISTENCE OF SHORT-PERIOD g-MODE INSTABILITIES POWERED BY NUCLEAR-BURNING SHELLS IN POST-ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH H-DEFICIENT (PG1159-TYPE) STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corsico, A. H.; Althaus, L. G.; Miller Bertolami, M. M.; Gonzalez Perez, J. M.; Kepler, S. O.

2009-01-01

We present a pulsational stability analysis of hot post-asymptotic giant branch (AGB) H-deficient pre-white dwarf stars with active He-burning shells. The stellar models employed are state-of-the-art equilibrium structures representative of PG1159 stars derived from the complete evolution of the progenitor stars, through the thermally pulsing AGB phase and born-again episode. On the basis of fully nonadiabatic pulsation computations, we confirmed theoretical evidence for the existence of a separate PG1159 instability strip in the log T eff -log g diagram characterized by short-period g-modes excited by the ε-mechanism. This instability strip partially overlaps the already known GW Vir instability strip of intermediate/long-period g-modes destabilized by the classical κ-mechanism acting on the partial ionization of C and/or O in the envelope of PG1159 stars. We found that PG1159 stars characterized by thick He-rich envelopes and located inside this overlapping region could exhibit both short and intermediate/long periods simultaneously. As a natural application of our results, we study the particular case of VV 47, a pulsating planetary nebula nucleus (PG1159 type) that is particularly interesting because it has been reported to exhibit a rich and complex pulsation spectrum including a series of unusually short pulsation periods. We found that the long periods exhibited by VV 47 can be readily explained by the classical κ-mechanism, while the observed short-period branch below ∼300 s could correspond to modes triggered by the He-burning shell through the ε-mechanism, although more observational work is needed to confirm the reality of these short-period modes. Were the existence of short-period g-modes in this star convincingly confirmed by future observations, VV 47 could be the first known pulsating star in which both the κ-mechanism and the ε-mechanism of mode driving are simultaneously operating.

Characteristics of N2O production and hydroxylamine variation in short-cut nitrification SBR process.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Bo; Ye, Junhong; Zhao, Jianqiang; Ding, Xiaoqian; Yang, Liwei; Tian, Xiaolei

2018-01-01

In order to study the characteristics of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) production and hydroxylamine (NH 2 OH) variation under oxic conditions, concentrations of NH 2 OH and N 2 O were simultaneously monitored in a short-cut nitrification sequencing batch reactor (SBR) operated with different influent ammonia concentrations. In the short-cut nitrification process, N 2 O production was increased with the increasing of ammonia concentration in influent. The maximum concentrations of dissolved N 2 O-N in the reactor were 0.11 mg/L and 0.52 mg/L when ammonia concentrations in the influent were 50 mg/L and 70 mg/L respectively. Under the low and medium ammonia load phases, the concentrations of NH 2 OH-N in the reactor were remained at a low level which fluctuated around 0.06 mg/L in a small range, and did not change with the variation of influent NH 4 + -N concentration. Based on the determination results, the half-saturation of NH 2 OH in the biochemical conversion process of NH 2 OH to NO 2 - -N was very small, and the value of 0.05 mg NH 2 OH-N/L proposed in the published literature was accurate. NH 2 OH is an important intermediate in the nitrification process, and the direct determination of NH 2 OH in the nitrification process was beneficial for revealing the kinetic process of NH 2 OH production and consumption as well as the effects of NH 2 OH on N 2 O production in the nitrification process.

Ocular discomfort responses after short periods of contact lens wear.

Science.gov (United States)

Papas, Eric; Tilia, Daniel; McNally, John; de la Jara, Percy Lazon

2015-06-01

To investigate if contact lens-related discomfort is a function of the time of day at which lenses are worn. This was a randomized, crossover, open-label clinical trial where subjective responses, with and without contact lenses, were assessed every 2 hours during five stages (A to E). Each stage began at the time when subjects would normally have inserted their contact lenses (T0). During stage A, no lenses were worn, whereas in stage B, lenses were worn continuously for 12 hours. In stages C to E, lenses were worn for only 4 hours. Contact lenses were inserted at T0 for stage C, but for stages D and E, lenses were not inserted until T0 + 4 and T0 + 8 hours, respectively. Mixed linear models were used for statistical analysis. In the absence of contact lenses, ocular comfort and dryness remained reasonably constant throughout the observation period. Ocular comfort and dryness decreased during 12 hours of continuous lens wear and became significantly worse from the 8-hour time onward compared with insertion (p 0.05) to the first 4 hours of continuous contact lens wear. Comparing the scores of each of these stages with the no-lens response at the corresponding time showed no significant differences for comfort (p > 0.23) or dryness (p > 0.37). Short periods of wear can be experienced at any time of day without significant change in ocular discomfort and dryness. This suggests that subjective responses at the end of the day are determined by the length of time lenses are in contact with the eye, rather than the time of day at which lenses are worn.

Cooperative learning combined with short periods of lecturing: A good alternative in teaching biochemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Santander, Ana

2008-01-01

The informal activities of cooperative learning and short periods of lecturing has been combined and used in the university teaching of biochemistry as part of the first year course of Optics and Optometry in the academic years 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. The lessons were previously elaborated by the teacher and included all that is necessary to understand the topic (text, figures, graphics, diagrams, pictures, etc.). Additionally, a questionnaire was prepared for every chapter. All lessons contained three parts: objectives, approach and development, and the assessment of the topic. Team work, responsibility, and communication skills were some of the abilities developed with this new methodology. Students worked collaboratively in small groups of two or three following the teacher's instructions with short periods of lecturing that clarified misunderstood concepts. Homework was minimized. On comparing this combined methodology with the traditional one (only lecture), students were found to exhibit a higher satisfaction with the new method. They were more involved in the learning process and had a better attitude toward the subject. The use of this new methodology showed a significant increase in the mean score of the students' academic results. The rate of students who failed the subject was significantly inferior in comparison with those who failed in the previous years when only lecturing was applied. This combined methodology helped the teacher to observe the apprenticeship process of students better and to act as a facilitator in the process of building students' knowledge. Copyright © 2008 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

A short period of high-intensity interval training improves skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and pulmonary oxygen uptake kinetics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Peter Møller; Jacobs, Robert A; Bonne, Thomas Christian

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine whether improvements in pulmonary V̇O2 kinetics following a short period of high-intensity training (HIT) would be associated with improved skeletal muscle mitochondrial function. Ten untrained male volunteers (age: 26 ± 2; mean ± SD) performed six HIT...

Variation in the local population dynamics of the short-lived Opuntia macrorhiza (Cactaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Haridas, C V; Keeler, Kathleen H; Tenhumberg, Brigitte

2015-03-01

Spatiotemporal variation in demographic rates can have profound effects for population persistence, especially for dispersal-limited species living in fragmented landscapes. Long-term studies of plants in such habitats help with understanding the impacts of fragmentation on population persistence but such studies are rare. In this work, we reanalyzed demographic data from seven years of the short-lived cactus Opuntia macrorhiza var. macrorhiza at five plots in Boulder, Colorado. Previous work combining data from all years and all plots predicted a stable population (deterministic log lamda approximately 0). This approach assumed that all five plots were part of a single population. Since the plots were located in a suburban-agricultural interface separated by highways, grazing lands, and other barriers, and O. macrorhiza is likely dispersal limited, we analyzed the dynamics of each plot separately using stochastic matrix models assuming each plot represented a separate population. We found that the stochastic population growth rate log lamdaS varied widely between populations (log lamdaS = 0.1497, 0.0774, -0.0230, -0.2576, -0.4989). The three populations with the highest growth rates were located close together in space, while the two most isolated populations had the lowest growth rates suggesting that dispersal between populations is critical for the population viability of O. macrorhiza. With one exception, both our prospective (stochastic elasticity) and retrospective (stochastic life table response experiments) analysis suggested that means of stasis and growth, especially of smaller plants, were most important for population growth rate. This is surprising because recruitment is typically the most important vital rate in a short-lived species such as O. macrorhiza. We found that elasticity to the variance was mostly negligible, suggesting that O. macrorhiza populations are buffered against large temporal variation. Finally, single-year elasticities to means

Efficiency of ETV diagrams as diagnostic tools for long-term period variations. II. Non-conservative mass transfer, and gravitational radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Nanouris, N.; Kalimeris, A.; Antonopoulou, E.; Rovithis-Livaniou, H.

2015-03-01

Context. The credibility of an eclipse timing variation (ETV) diagram analysis is investigated for various manifestations of the mass transfer and gravitational radiation processes in binary systems. The monotonicity of the period variations and the morphology of the respective ETV diagrams are thoroughly explored in both the direct impact and the accretion disk mode of mass transfer, accompanied by different types of mass and angular momentum losses (through a hot-spot emission from the gainer and via the L2/L3 points). Aims: Our primary objective concerns the traceability of each physical mechanism by means of an ETV diagram analysis. Also, possible critical mass ratio values are sought for those transfer modes that involve orbital angular momentum losses strong enough to dictate the secular period changes even when highly competitive mechanisms with the opposite direction act simultaneously. Methods: The dot{J-dot{P}} relation that governs the orbital evolution of a binary system is set to provide the exact solution for the period and the function expected to represent the subsequent eclipse timing variations. The angular momentum transport is parameterized through appropriate empirical relations, which are inferred from semi-analytical ballistic models. Then, we numerically determine the minimum temporal range over which a particular mechanism is rendered measurable, as well as the critical mass ratio values that signify monotonicity inversion in the period modulations. Results: Mass transfer rates comparable to or greater than 10-8 M⊙ yr-1 are measurable for typical noise levels of the ETV diagrams, regardless of whether the process is conservative. However, the presence of a transient disk around the more massive component defines a critical mass ratio (qcr ≈ 0.83) above which the period turns out to decrease when still in the conservative regime, rendering the measurability of the anticipated variations a much more complicated task. The effects of

Long-term variation analysis of a tropical river's annual streamflow regime over a 50-year period

Science.gov (United States)

Seyam, Mohammed; Othman, Faridah

2015-07-01

Studying the long-term changes of streamflow is an important tool for enhancing water resource and river system planning, design, and management. The aim of this work is to identify the long-term variations in annual streamflow regime over a 50-year period from 1961 to 2010 in the Selangor River, which is one of the main tropical rivers in Malaysia. Initially, the data underwent preliminary independence, normality, and homogeneity testing using the Pearson correlation coefficient and Shapiro-Wilk and Pettitt's tests, respectively. The work includes a study and analysis of the changes through nine variables describing the annual streamflow and variations in the yearly duration of high and low streamflows. The analyses were conducted via two time scales: yearly and sub-periodic. The sub-periods were obtained by segmenting the 50 years into seven sub-periods by two techniques, namely the change-point test and direct method. Even though analysis revealed nearly negligible changes in mean annual flow over the study period, the maximum annual flow generally increased while the minimum annual flow significantly decreased with respect to time. It was also observed that the variables describing the dispersion in streamflow continually increased with respect to time. An obvious increase was detected in the yearly duration of danger level of streamflow, a slight increase was noted in the yearly duration of warning and alert levels, and a slight decrease in the yearly duration of low streamflow was found. The perceived changes validate the existence of long-term changes in annual streamflow regime, which increase the probability of floods and droughts occurring in future. In light of the results, attention should be drawn to developing water resource management and flood protection plans in order to avert the harmful effects potentially resulting from the expected changes in annual streamflow regime.

Simulation of channeling and radiation of 855 MeV electrons and positrons in a small-amplitude short-period bent crystal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korol, Andrei V., E-mail: korol@mbnexplorer.com [MBN Research Center, Altenhöferallee 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany); Bezchastnov, Victor G. [A.F. Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute, Politechnicheskaya Str. 26, 194021 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Politechnicheskaya 29, 195251 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Sushko, Gennady B.; Solov’yov, Andrey V. [MBN Research Center, Altenhöferallee 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

2016-11-15

Channeling and radiation are studied for the relativistic electrons and positrons passing through a Si crystal periodically bent with a small amplitude and a short period. Comprehensive analysis of the channeling process for various bending amplitudes is presented on the grounds of numerical simulations. The features of the channeling are highlighted and elucidated within an analytically developed continuous potential approximation. The radiation spectra are computed and discussed.

First Kepler results on compact pulsators - V. Slowly pulsating subdwarf B stars in short-period binaries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kawaler, Stephen D.; Reed, Michael D.; Østensen, Roy H.

2010-01-01

of sdB stars with a close M-dwarf companion with orbital periods of less than half a day. Because the orbital period is so short, the stars should be in synchronous rotation, and if so, the rotation period should imprint itself on the multiplet structure of the pulsations. However, we do not find clear......The survey phase of the Kepler Mission includes a number of hot subdwarf B (sdB) stars to search for non-radial pulsations. We present our analysis of two sdB stars that are found to be g-mode pulsators of the V1093 Her class. These two stars also display the distinct irradiation effect typical...... evidence for such rotational splitting. Though the stars do show some frequency spacings that are consistent with synchronous rotation, they also display multiplets with splittings that are much smaller. Longer-duration time series photometry will be needed to determine if those small splittings...

Analysis of longer period variation of the Kuroshio Current intrusion into the Luzon Strait using rectified wavelet power spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Yaochu; Yang, Chenghao; Tseng, Yu-heng; Zhu, Xiao-Hua; Wang, Huiqun; Chen, Hong

2017-08-01

Longer period variation of the Kuroshio into the Luzon Strait (LS) was identified using acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) observations as well as pressure and temperature time series data recorded by two TDs (manufactured by the RBR Ltd.) at mooring station N2 (20°40.441‧N, 120°38.324‧E). The ADCP was deployed at depths of 50-300 m between July 7, 2009 and April 10, 2011, and the TDs at around 340 and 365 m between July 9, 2009 and July 9, 2011. Observations provide strong evidence of longer period variation of the Kuroshio into the LS using the Vector rotary spectra (VRS) and Rectified wavelet power spectra analysis (RWPSA). RWPSA of the observations allowed the identification of two types of dominant periods. The first type, with the strongest power spectral density (PSD), had a dominant period of 112 d and was found throughout the upper 300 m. For example, the maximum PSD for western and northern velocity components time series were 3800 and 3550 at 50 m, respectively. The maximum power spectral density decrease with deeper depths, i.e., the depth dependence of maximum PSD. The 112 d period was also identified in the pressure and temperature time series data, at 340 m and 365 m. Combined RWPSA with VRS and mechanism analysis, it is clear that the occurrence of the most dominant period of 112 d in the upper 300 m is related to the clockwise meandering of the Kuroshio into the LS, which is caused by westward propagating stronger anticyclonic eddies from the interior ocean due to the interaction of Rossby eddies with the Kuroshio. The second type of dominant period, for example a 40 d period, is related to the anticlockwise meandering of the Kuroshio. The final dominant period of 14 d coincides with the fortnightly spring-neap tidal period.

Temporal variation of phytoplankton in a small tropical crater lake, Costa Rica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerardo Umaña-Villalobos

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The temporal variation in lake’s phytoplankton is important to understand its general biodiversity. For tropical lakes, it has been hypothesized that they follow a similar pattern as temperate ones, on a much accelerated pace; nevertheless, few case studies have tried to elucidate this. Most studies in Costa Rica have used a monthly sampling scheme and failed in showing the expected changes. In this study, the phytoplankton of the small Barvas’s crater lake was followed for more than three years, first with monthly and later with weekly samplings, that covered almost two years. Additional information on temperature and oxygen vertical profiles was obtained on a monthly basis, and surface temperature was measured during weekly samplings around noon. Results showed that in spite of its shallow condition (max. depth: 7m and low surface temperature (11 to 19°C, the lake stratifies at least for brief periods. The phytoplankton showed both, rapid change periods, and prolonged ones of relative stasis. The plankton composition fluctuated between three main phases, one characterized by the abundance of small sized desmids (Staurastrum paradoxum, Cosmarium asphaerosporum, a second phase dominated by equally small cryptomonads (Chryptochrysis minor, Chroomonas sp. and a third phase dominated by the green alga Eutetramorus tetrasporus. Although data evidenced that monthly sampling could miss short term events, the temporal variation did not follow the typical dry and rainy seasons of the region, or any particular annual pattern. Year to year variation was high. As this small lake is located at the summit of Barva Volcano and receives the influence from both the Caribbean and the Pacific weather, seasonality at the lake is not clearly defined as in the rest of the country and short term variations in the local weather might have a stronger effect than broad seasonal trends. The occurrence of this short term changes in the phytoplankton of small tropical

Prediction of digestible and metabolizable energy content and standardized ileal amino Acid digestibility in wheat shorts and red dog for growing pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Q; Piao, X S; Ren, P; Li, D F

2012-12-01

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of chemical composition of wheat shorts and red dog on energy and amino acid digestibility in growing pigs and to establish prediction models to estimate their digestible (DE) and metabolizable (ME) energy content and as well as their standardized ileal digestible (SID) amino acid content. For Exp. 1, sixteen diets were fed to thirty-two growing pigs according to a completely randomized design during three successive periods. The basal diet was based on corn and soybean meal while the other fifteen diets contained 28.8% wheat shorts (N = 7) or red dog (N = 8), added at the expense of corn and soybean meal. Over the three periods, each diet was fed to six pigs with each diet being fed to two pigs during each period. The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy in wheat shorts and red dog averaged 75.1 and 87.9%. The DE values of wheat shorts and red dog averaged 13.8 MJ/kg (range 13.1 to 15.0 MJ/kg) and 15.1 MJ/kg (range 13.3 to 16.6 MJ/kg) of dry matter, respectively. For Exp. 2, twelve growing pigs were allotted to two 6×6 Latin Square Designs with six periods. Ten of the diets were formulated based on 60% wheat shorts or red dog and the remaining two diets were nitrogen-free diets based on cornstarch and sucrose. Chromic oxide (0.3%) was used as an indigestible marker in all diets. There were no differences (p>0.05) in SID values for the amino acids in wheat shorts and red dog except for lysine and methionine. Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and SID values for lysine in different sources of wheat shorts or red dog, which averaged 78.1 and 87.8%, showed more variation than either methionine or tryptophan. A stepwise regression was performed to establish DE, ME and amino acid digestibility prediction models. Data indicated that fiber content and amino acid concentrations were good indicators to predict energy values and amino acid digestibility, respectively. The present study confirms the large

POSITION AND CHARACTER (Ɖ OR X) OF ENERGY STATES IN SHORT-PERIOD (GaAs)m(AlAs)n SUPERLATTICES

OpenAIRE

Nagle , J.; Garriga , M.; Stolz , W.; Isu , T.; Ploog , K.

1987-01-01

We have grown a series of (GaAs)m(AlAs)n short period superlattices by molecular beam epitaxy including samples with m=n and m≠n. Low temperature photoluminescence, excitation spectroscopy and ellipsometry measurements have been performed to determine the positions and origins of the different electronic states.

Short-term landfill methane emissions dependency on wind.

Science.gov (United States)

Delkash, Madjid; Zhou, Bowen; Han, Byunghyun; Chow, Fotini K; Rella, Chris W; Imhoff, Paul T

2016-09-01

Short-term (2-10h) variations of whole-landfill methane emissions have been observed in recent field studies using the tracer dilution method for emissions measurement. To investigate the cause of these variations, the tracer dilution method is applied using 1-min emissions measurements at Sandtown Landfill (Delaware, USA) for a 2-h measurement period. An atmospheric dispersion model is developed for this field test site, which is the first application of such modeling to evaluate atmospheric effects on gas plume transport from landfills. The model is used to examine three possible causes of observed temporal emissions variability: temporal variability of surface wind speed affecting whole landfill emissions, spatial variability of emissions due to local wind speed variations, and misaligned tracer gas release and methane emissions locations. At this site, atmospheric modeling indicates that variation in tracer dilution method emissions measurements may be caused by whole-landfill emissions variation with wind speed. Field data collected over the time period of the atmospheric model simulations corroborate this result: methane emissions are correlated with wind speed on the landfill surface with R(2)=0.51 for data 2.5m above ground, or R(2)=0.55 using data 85m above ground, with emissions increasing by up to a factor of 2 for an approximately 30% increase in wind speed. Although the atmospheric modeling and field test are conducted at a single landfill, the results suggest that wind-induced emissions may affect tracer dilution method emissions measurements at other landfills. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CYCLIC VARIATIONS OF ORBITAL PERIOD AND LONG-TERM LUMINOSITY IN CLOSE BINARY RT ANDROMEDAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manzoori, Davood

2009-01-01

Solutions of standard VR light curves for the eclipsing binary RT And were obtained using the PHOEBE program (ver. 0.3a). Absolute parameters of the stellar components were then determined, enabling them to be positioned on the mass-luminosity diagram. Times of minima data ( O - C curve ) were analyzed using the method of Kalimeris et al. A cyclic variation in the orbital period and brightness, with timescales of about 11.89 and 12.50 yr were found, respectively. This is associated with a magnetic activity cycle modulating the orbital period of RT And via the Applegate mechanism. To check the consistency of the Applegate model, we have estimated some related parameters of the RT And system. The calculated parameters were in accordance with those estimated by Applegate for other similar systems, except B, the subsurface magnetic field of which shows a rather high value for RT And.

The Very Short Period M Dwarf Binary SDSS J001641-000925

Science.gov (United States)

Davenport, James R. A.; Becker, Andrew C.; West, Andrew A.; Bochanski, John J.; Hawley, Suzanne L.; Holtzman, Jon; Gunning, Heather C.; Hilton, Eric J.; Munshi, Ferah A.; Albright, Meagan

2013-02-01

We present follow-up observations and analysis of the recently discovered short period low-mass eclipsing binary, SDSS J001641-000925. With an orbital period of 0.19856 days, this system has one of the shortest known periods for an M dwarf binary system. Medium-resolution spectroscopy and multi-band photometry for the system are presented. Markov Chain Monte Carlo modeling of the light curves and radial velocities yields estimated masses for the stars of M 1 = 0.54 ± 0.07 M ⊙ and M 2 = 0.34 ± 0.04 M ⊙, and radii of R 1 = 0.68 ± 0.03 R ⊙ and R 2 = 0.58 ± 0.03 R ⊙, respectively. This solution places both components above the critical Roche overfill limit, providing strong evidence that SDSS J001641-000925 is the first verified M-dwarf contact binary system. Within the follow-up spectroscopy we find signatures of non-solid body rotation velocities, which we interpret as evidence for mass transfer or loss within the system. In addition, our photometry samples the system over nine years, and we find strong evidence for period decay at the rate of \\dot{P}\\sim 8 s yr-1. Both of these signatures raise the intriguing possibility that the system is in over-contact, and actively losing angular momentum, likely through mass loss. This places SDSS J001641-000925 as not just the first M-dwarf over-contact binary, but one of the few systems of any spectral type known to be actively undergoing coalescence. Further study of SDSS J001641-000925 is ongoing to verify the nature of the system, which may prove to be a unique astrophysical laboratory. Based on observations obtained with the Apache Point Observatory 3.5 m telescope, which is owned and operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium. This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile. Support for the design and construction of the Magellan Echellette Spectrograph was received from the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, the

Short-time variations of the ground water level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsson, Lars Y.

1977-09-01

Investigations have demonstrated that the ground water level of aquifers in the Swedish bedrock shows shorttime variations without changing their water content. The ground water level is among other things affected by regular tidal movements occuring in the ''solid'' crust of the earth variations in the atmospheric pressure strong earthquakes occuring in different parts of the world These effects proves that the system of fissures in the bedrock are not stable and that the ground water flow is influenced by both water- and airfilled fissures

Precessional Periods of Long and Short Foucault Pendulums

Science.gov (United States)

Soga, Michitoshi

1978-01-01

Derives the precessional period of a Foucault pendulum without using small oscillation amplitudes. Shows that if the path of the pendulum passes through the origin, the periods for differing amplitudes are essentially the same. (GA)

Variations of physicochemical properties in Kalpakkam coastal waters, east coast of India, during southwest to northeast monsoon transition period.

Science.gov (United States)

Satpathy, Kamala Kanta; Mohanty, Ajit K; Sahu, Gouri; Sarkar, Santosh K; Natesan, Usha; Venkatesan, R; Prasad, M V R

2010-12-01

A significant variation in physicochemical properties of the Kalpakkam coastal waters, eastern part of India, was observed during the event of southwest to northeast monsoon transition. Increase in nitrate, total nitrogen, and silicate concentrations were noticed during post-transition period. Ammonia concentration was at peak during transition period as compared to pre- and post-transition periods. Hypo-saline condition (~23 psu) was observed during post-transition as the surface water salinity decreased by ~10 psu from the pre-transitional values. Turbidity, suspended particulate matter, phosphate and total phosphorous values decreased marginally, coinciding with northward to southward current reversal. A drastic decrease (eightfold) in chlorophyll-a concentration was observed in the coastal water during post-transition period.

THE PERIOD VARIATION OF AND A SPOT MODEL FOR THE ECLIPSING BINARY AR BOOTIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jae Woo; Youn, Jae-Hyuck; Lee, Chung-Uk; Kim, Seung-Lee; Koch, Robert H.

2009-01-01

New CCD photometric observations of the eclipsing system AR Boo were obtained from 2006 February to 2008 April. The star's photometric properties are derived from detailed studies of the period variability and of all available light curves. We find that over about 56 yr the orbital period of the system has varied due to a combination of an upward parabola and a sinusoid rather than in a monotonic fashion. Mass transfer from the less massive primary to the more massive secondary component is likely responsible for at least a significant part of the secular period change. The cyclical variation with a period of 7.57 yr and a semi-amplitude of 0.0015 d can be produced either by a light-travel-time effect due to an unseen companion with a scaled mass of M 3 sin i 3 = 0.081 M sun or by a magnetic period modulation in the secondary star. Historical light curves of AR Boo, as well as our own, display season-to-season light variability, which are best modeled by including both a cool spot and a hot one on the secondary star. We think that the spots express magnetic dynamo-related activity and offer limited support for preferring the magnetic interpretation of the 7.57 yr cycle over the third-body interpretation. Our solutions confirm that AR Boo belongs to the W-subtype contact binary class, consisting of a hotter, less massive primary star with a spectral type of G9 and a companion of spectral type K1.

Long-term and transient time variation of cosmic ray fluxes detected in Argentina by CARPET cosmic ray detector

Science.gov (United States)

De Mendonça, R. R. S.; Raulin, J.-P.; Bertoni, F. C. P.; Echer, E.; Makhmutov, V. S.; Fernandez, G.

2011-07-01

We present results obtained at El Leoncito (CASLEO, San Juan, Argentina) with the CARPET charged particles detector installed in April 2006. The observed modulation of the cosmic ray flux is discussed as a function of its time variability and it is related to longer solar activity variations and to shorter variations during solar and geomagnetic transient activity. Short period (few minutes, few hours) cosmic ray modulation events are observed during rain time (precipitation) and significant variations of the atmospheric electric field. Complementary observations of the atmospheric electric field indicate that its time variations play an important role in the detected cosmic ray event.

The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE): Observing Mass Loss on Short-Period Exoplanets

Science.gov (United States)

Egan, Arika; Fleming, Brian; France, Kevin

2018-06-01

The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) is an NUV spectrograph packaged into a 6U CubeSat, designed to characterize the interaction between exoplanetary atmospheres and their host stars. CUTE will conduct a transit spectroscopy survey, gathering data over multiple transits on more than 12 short-period exoplanets with a range of masses and radii. The instrument will characterize the spectral properties of the transit light curves to atomic and molecular absorption features predicted to exist in the upper atmospheres of these planets, including Mg I, Mg II, Fe II, and OH. The shape and evolution of these spectral light curves will be used to quantify mass loss rates, the stellar drives of that mass loss, and the possible existence of exoplanetary magnetic fiends. This poster presents the science motivation for CUTE, planned observation and data analysis methods, and expected results.

Fetal short time variation during labor: a non-invasive alternative to fetal scalp pH measurements?

Science.gov (United States)

Schiermeier, Sven; Reinhard, Joscha; Hatzmann, Hendrike; Zimmermann, Ralf C; Westhof, Gregor

2009-01-01

To determine whether short time variation (STV) of fetal heart beat correlates with scalp pH measurements during labor. From 1279 deliveries, 197 women had at least one fetal scalp pH measurement. Using the CTG-Player, STVs were calculated from the electronically saved cardiotocography (CTG) traces and related to the fetal scalp pH measurements. There was no correlation between STV and fetal scalp pH measurements (r=-0.0592). Fetal STV is an important parameter with high sensitivity for antenatal fetal acidosis. This study shows that STV calculations do not correlate with fetal scalp pH measurements during labor, hence are not helpful in identifying fetal acidosis.

European wind power integration study. Periodic report 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1992-12-31

This periodic report no. 1 describes the work done in the Danish part of the European Wind Power Integration Study in the period until 1.4.1991. The R and D project was initiated January 1, 1989 upon prior establishment of registration equipment at 7 wind farms and at the Tjaereborg turbine. ELSAM and the meteorological service centre in Karup (VTC-Karup) have supplied data for the task. Wind Predictability, Potential and Benefits, Wind Farm - Grid Interface, Distribution System Strength, Wind Farm Cost and Operation, and Co-generation Wind Turbines/Other renewables were measured and modelled. The statistical distribution of the wind speed variations (changes in wind speed from one period of time to another) has been established with great certainty in the report. The wind speed variations follow a Weibull distribution, irrespective of the time intervals with which the data are considered. Duration curves and power distributions for the 7 wind farms have been estimated. Registration equipment for one-minute measurements was chosen in order to clarify the short-term variations in the wind power production. The possibility of working out production forecasts, to be applied in the daily load dispatching, were to be assessed for the total amount of wind power production in Jutland and Funen. The report has examined whether it would be possible to have only one wind measurement and then let it be `guiding` for the total wind farm production. Some simulations are to be carried out in the attempt to set up guidelines for the connection between the strength of distribution systems and the requirements which must be made to the wind farms which are to be places in the system. (EG)

Study about geomagnetic variations from data recorded at Surlari Geomagnetic Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Asimopolos, Laurentiu; Asimopolos, Natalia-Silvia; Sandulescu, Agata Monica; Niculici, Eugen

2013-04-01

This paper presents statistical and spectral analysis of data from Surlari Geomagnetic Observatory that contributing to study of geomagnetic variations. Thus were highlighted, for long series of records over several solar cycles, periodicities of 22 years and 11 years. Following the same procedures for medium recording series (multi-annual) have highlighted annual, seasonal and monthly periodicities. For shorter data series, we highlighted diurnal, semidiurnal, 8 hours and even lower periodicities. For very short series with a high sample rate and for few magnetotellurics records, we highlight different types of pulsations (Pc2 - Pc5 and Pi 2). Geomagnetic signals are the convolution product of the atomic stationary signals mono-frequential of different amplitudes associated to phenomena with a very broad band of periodicities and nondeterministic signals associated with geomagnetic disturbances and non-periodic phenomena. Among analysis processes used for discrete series of geomagnetic data with different lengths and sampling rates, can conclude the following: Moving average works as a low pass filter in frequency or high pass in time. By eliminating high frequency components (depending on mobile window size used) can be studied preferential periodicities greater than a given value. Signal linearization (using least squares) provides information on linear trend of the entire series analyzed. Thus, for the very long data series (several decades) we extracted the secular variation slope for each geomagnetic component, separately. The numeric derivative of signal versus time proved to be a very reliable indicator for geomagnetic disturbed periods. Thus, the derivative value may be increased by several orders of magnitude during periods of agitation in comparisons to calm periods. The correlation factor shows significant increases when between two time series a causal relationship exists. Variation of the correlation factor, calculated for a mobile window containing k

A Conceptual Model for Calculating the Return of Costs Invested in the Creation of an Economic Security Service, During a Short-Term Period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melikhova Tetiana O.

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The article is aimed at suggesting methods for calculating the short-term period of return of costs invested in creation of an economic security service. The article considers approaches to calculation of the period of return of costs, advanced at the level of enterprise, which build the methodical basis for definition of such period. At the level of structural subdivisions of enterprise, which do not produce products, it is suggested to use conditional money flow as a source of financing advanced costs. The calculation of the short-term return on investment at the enterprise level provides for: allocation of expenses for the permanent and the replacement parts during the year; determination of the production of money flow and the money flow accumulated during the year. Annual depreciation payments are the basis of fixed costs. Methods of determination of the gross, net, valid, and specified periods of return of costs, advanced during the year for introduction of an economic security service at enterprise, have been suggested.

Variations in steroid hormone receptor content throughout age and menopausal periods, and menstrual cycle in breast cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikolic-Vukosavljevic, D.; Vasiljevic, N.; Brankovic-Magic, M.; Polic, D.

1996-01-01

Variations in steroid hormone receptor contents throughout age and menopausal periods define three breast carcinoma groups: younger pre-menopausal carcinomas (aged up to 45), middle-aged carcinomas (aged up to 45), middle-aged carcinomas (pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal aged 45-59) and older postmenopausal carcinomas (aged over 59). Age-related steroid hormone receptor contents within pre-menopausal and postmenopausal carcinoma groups are characterized by the important increase of both receptor contents, while menopausal-related steroid hormone receptor contents within middle-aged carcinoma group (aged 45-59) are characterized by the important decrease of progesterone receptor content and estrogen receptor functionality. No variations in steroid hormone receptor contents throughout menstrual cycle within the follicular and the luteal phases were obtained. The important cycle within the follicular and the luteal phases were obtained. The important decrease of estrogen receptor content in the mid-cycle phase versus the peri-menstrual phase was found. Variations in steroid hormone receptor contents throughout age and menopausal periods, as well as throughout menstrual cycle could nod be associated with variations in the blood steroid hormone concentrations. However, important association between steroid hormone receptor contents and the blood steroid hormone concentrations was found within the luteal phase carcinoma group and within older postmenopausal carcinoma group. It is interesting that within carcinoma group with the highest concentration of progesterone, progesterone receptor content increases with an increase of the ration of estradiol and progesterone blood concentrations, while within carcinoma group with the lowest steroid hormone concentration and the highest content of estrogen receptor content, estrogen receptor content decreases with an increase of either the blood estradiol concentration or the ratio of the blood estradiol and progesterone blood

Archeointensities in Greece during the Neolithic period: New insights into material selection and secular variation curve

Science.gov (United States)

Fanjat, G.; Aidona, E.; Kondopoulou, D.; Camps, P.; Rathossi, C.; Poidras, T.

2013-02-01

Numerous archeomagnetic studies have provided high quality data for both the direction and the intensity of the geomagnetic field, essentially in Europe for the last 10 millennia. In particular, Greece supplies a lot of archeological materials due to its impressive cultural heritage and volcanic activity, so that numerous data have been obtained from burnt clays or historical lava flows. The most recent Greek secular variation curves are available for the last 8 millennia for the intensity and the last 6 millennia for the direction. Nevertheless, the coverage still presents several gaps for periods older than 2500 BC. In an effort to complete the Greek curve and extend it to older times, we present the archeointensity results from three Neolithic settlements in Northern Greece. The samples are of two different natures: burnt structures from Avgi (5250 ± 150 BC) and Vasili (4800 ± 200 BC), as well as ceramics from Dikili Tash (4830 ± 80 BC) and Vasili (4750 ± 250 BC). The samples have been subjected to standard rock magnetic analyses in order to estimate the thermal stability and the domain state of the magnetic carriers before archeointensity measurements. Surprisingly, very few ceramic samples provided reliable archeointensities whereas samples from burnt structures presented a very good success rate. Complementary studies showed that a detailed examination of the matrix color, following archeological information and classification standards can be a decisive test for pre-selection of sherds. In spite of these unsuccessful measurements from ceramics, we obtained an intensity value of 73.5 ± 1.1 μT for Dikili Tash, a higher value than the other data obtained in the same area, during the same period. However we do not have evidences for a technical artefact during the experiment. The burnt structures yielded two reliable archeointensities of 36.1 ± 1.8 μT and 46.6 ± 3.4 μT for Avgi and Vasili, respectively. Finally, we achieved a new archeomagnetic dating

On the use of volumetric strain meters to infer additional characteristics of short-period seismic radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Borcherdt, R.D.; Johnston, M.J.S.; Glassmoyer, G.

1989-01-01

Volumetric strain meters (Sacks-Evertson design) are installed at 15 sites along the San Andreas fault system, to monitor long-term strain changes for earthquake prediction. Deployment of portable broadband, high-resolution digital recorders (GEOS) at several of the sites extends the detection band for volumetric strain to periods shorter than 5 ?? 10-2 sec and permits the simultaneous observation of seismic radiation fields using conventional short-period pendulum seismometers. Recordings of local and regional earthquakes indicate that dilatometers respond to P energy but not direct shear energy and that straingrams can be used to resolve superimposed reflect P and S waves for inference of wave characteristics not permitted by either sensor alone. Simultaneous measurements of incident P- and S-wave amplitudes are used to introduce a technique for single-station estimates of wave field inhomogeneity, free-surface reflection coefficients and local material P velocity. -from Authors

Textured dysprosium and gadolinium poles for high-field, short-period hybrid undulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murokh, Alex; Solovyov, Vyacheslav; Agustsson, Ron; O'Shea, Finn H.; Chubar, Oleg; Chen, Yung; Grandsaert, Thomas

2014-01-01

We discuss the feasibility of enhancement of the gap field in a short-period hybrid undulator by using pole inserts with the saturation inductance B s , over that of iron, 2 T. Dysprosium metal, with the saturation inductance of 3.4 T below 90 K, and Gadolinium with B s =2.7 T, appear as good candidates as the optimized pole material. However, due to the high magnetic anisotropy of Dy, such a high level of magnetization can only be realized when the external field lies in the basal plane. This implies that the pole has to be single-crystalline or highly textured. Considering that growing large, >10mm, Dy single crystals is difficult, we propose secondary recrystallization as a method to induce the required texture in thin Dy and Gd foils. The textured foils can be stacked to produce pole inserts of the desired geometry and orientation. Results of small-scale processing and magnetic measurements of thin (20–60 μ) foils provide evidence that the required texture quality can be achieved by a relatively simple sequence of heat-treatments and cold rolling. The advantage of textured Dy and Gd poles is demonstrated in a several period test undulator. -- Highlights: • Textured rare-earth materials for use as undulator pole materials. • We measure the development of texture in Dy and Gd. • We compare the rare-earth materials with high saturation steel in undulators. • Thin sheets of Dy and Gd materials perform similar to single crystals

Short-period atmospheric gravity waves - A study of their statistical properties and source mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Gedzelman, S. D.

1983-01-01

Gravity waves for the one year period beginning 19 October 1976 around Palisades, New York, are investigated to determine their statistical properties and sources. The waves have typical periods of 10 min, pressure amplitudes of 3 Pa and velocities of 30 m/s. In general, the largest, amplitude waves occur during late fall and early winter when the upper tropospheric winds directly overhead are fastest and the static stability of the lower troposphere is greatest. Mean wave amplitudes correlate highly with the product of the mean maximum wind speed and the mean low level stratification directly aloft. A distinct diurnal variation of wave amplitudes with the largest waves occurring in the pre-dawn hours is also observed as a result of the increased static stability then. The majority of waves are generated by shear instability; however, a number of waves are generated by distant sources such as nuclear detonations or large thunderstorms. The waves with distant sources can be distinguished on the basis of their generally much higher coherency across the grid and velocities that depart markedly from the wind velocity at any point in the sounding.

Periodic variation and its effect on management and prognosis of Korean patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyo Eun; Koo, Bon-Kwon; Lee, Wonjae; Cho, Youngjin; Park, Jin Sik; Choi, Ji-Yong; Jeong, Myung-Ho; Kim, Jong Hyun; Chae, Shung Chull; Kim, Young Jo; Nam, Chang-Wook; Lee, Jae-Hwan; Choi, Dong Hoon; Hong, Taek Jong; Chae, Jei Keon; Rhew, Jae Young; Kim, Kee Sik; Kim, Hyo-Soo; Oh, Byung-Hee; Park, Young Bae

2010-05-01

The characteristics of the periodic variation in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and the subsequent effect on management and prognosis have not been fully investigated in a large number of Asian populations. From a prospective, observational multicenter online registry, 4,573 patients diagnosed as AMI in Korea from January to December 2006 were included. The highest incidence of AMI was between 8 a.m. and noon. The number of cases was highest in the winter and lowest in the autumn (13.6 vs 11.4 patients per day, Pworking hours had a shorter time to first medical contact (203+/-288 min) compared with out-of-hours onset (230+/-288 min, P=0.003). In patients who underwent primary angioplasty, out-of hours symptom onset was associated with a greater time delay in both the patient's and the medical facility's response (door-to-balloon time out-of hours vs working hours: 101+/-54 min vs 84+/-44 min, P<0.001). In patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, symptoms to first medical contact showed a significant relationship to in-hospital mortality (for every 10 min of symptoms to first medical contact, odds ratio 1.006, 95% confidence interval 1.001-1.012, P=0.018) Circadian and periodic variation in AMI exists in Korean patients, which resulted in different patient behavior, hospital management and outcomes.

Exercise following a short immobilization period is detrimental to tendon properties and joint mechanics in a rat rotator cuff injury model.

Science.gov (United States)

Peltz, Cathryn D; Sarver, Joseph J; Dourte, Leann M; Würgler-Hauri, Carola C; Williams, Gerald R; Soslowsky, Louis J

2010-07-01

Rotator cuff tears are a common clinical problem that can result in pain and disability. Previous studies in a rat model showed enhanced tendon to bone healing with postoperative immobilization. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of postimmobilization activity level on insertion site properties and joint mechanics in a rat model. Our hypothesis was that exercise following a short period of immobilization will cause detrimental changes in insertion site properties compared to cage activity following the same period of immobilization, but that passive shoulder mechanics will not be affected. We detached and repaired the supraspinatus tendon of 22 Sprague-Dawley rats, and the injured shoulder was immobilized postoperatively for 2 weeks. Following immobilization, rats were prescribed cage activity or exercise for 12 weeks. Passive shoulder mechanics were determined, and following euthanasia, tendon cross-sectional area and mechanical properties were measured. Exercise following immobilization resulted in significant decreases compared to cage activity in range of motion, tendon stiffness, modulus, percent relaxation, and several parameters from both a structurally based elastic model and a quasi-linear viscoelastic model. Therefore, we conclude that after a short period of immobilization, increased activity is detrimental to both tendon mechanical properties and shoulder joint mechanics, presumably due to increased scar production. (c) 2010 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Time variation of meteorological elements as controlled by the quasi-biennial periodicity in the solar phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Michiharu; Sakurai, Kunitomo

1981-01-01

It is shown that the quasi-biennial oscillation observed on some meteorological elements as the ozone content at middle latitudes, both north and south, the zonal wind velocity at the equator and the ground-level temperature at middle latitudes, is produced by the variation of the ultraviolet flux emitted from the sun, which is varying with the solar activity with the period of about 26 months. The ozone content is varying in phase with the ultraviolet flux and the solar activity, whereas the other two elements mentioned above are changing out of phase with these phenomena. There is a possibility that both these meteorological elements and the solar activity are varying quasi-biennially while being modulated by the 26 month periodicity in the efficiency of thermonuclear fusions at the central core of the sun. (author)

Short-time variations of the solar neutrino luminosity (Fourier analysis of the argon-37 production rate data)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haubold, H.J.; Gerth, E.

1985-01-01

We continue the Fourier analysis of the argon-37 production rate for runs 18--80 observed in Davis' well known solar neutrino experiment. The method of Fourier analysis with the unequally-spaced data of Davis and associates is described and the discovered periods we compare with our recently published results for the analysis of runs 18--69 (Haubold and Gerth, 1983). The harmonic analysis of the data of runs 18--80 shows time variations of the solar neutrino flux with periods π = 8.33; 5.26; 2.13; 1.56; 0.83; 0.64; 0.54; and 0.50 years, respectively, which confirms our earlier computations

Cloning and Characterization of a Flavonol Synthase Gene From Litchi chinensis and Its Variation Among Litchi Cultivars With Different Fruit Maturation Periods

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Wei Liu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Litchi (Litchi chinensis is an important subtropical fruit tree with high commercial value. However, the short and centralized fruit maturation period of litchi cultivars represents a bottleneck for litchi production. Therefore, the development of novel cultivars with extremely early fruit maturation period is critical. Previously, we showed that the genotypes of extremely early-maturing (EEM, early-maturing (EM, and middle-to-late-maturing (MLM cultivars at a specific locus SNP51 (substitution type C/T were consistent with their respective genetic background at the whole-genome level; a homozygous C/C genotype at SNP51 systematically differentiated EEM cultivars from others. The litchi gene on which SNP51 was located was annotated as flavonol synthase (FLS, which catalyzes the formation of flavonols. Here, we further elucidate the variation of the FLS gene from L. chinensis (LcFLS among EEM, EM, and MLM cultivars. EEM cultivars with a homozygous C/C genotype at SNP51 all contained the same 2,199-bp sequence of the LcFLS gene. For MLM cultivars with a homozygous T/T genotype at SNP51, the sequence lengths of the LcFLS gene were 2,202–2,222 bp. EM cultivars with heterozygous C/T genotypes at SNP51 contained two different alleles of the LcFLS gene: a 2,199-bp sequence identical to that in EEM cultivars and a 2,205-bp sequence identical to that in MLM cultivar ‘Heiye.’ Moreover, the coding regions of LcFLS genes of other MLM cultivars were almost identical to that of ‘Heiye.’ Therefore, the LcFLS gene coding region may be used as a source of diagnostic SNP markers to discriminate or identify genotypes with the EEM trait. The expression pattern of the LcFLS gene and accumulation pattern of flavonol from EEM, EM, and MLM cultivars were analyzed and compared using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC for mature leaves, flower buds, and fruits, 15, 30, 45, and 60 days after anthesis. Flavonol

Low-dose combined oral contraceptive use is associated with lower bone mineral content variation in adolescents over a 1-year period.

Science.gov (United States)

Biason, Talita Poli; Goldberg, Tamara Beres Lederer; Kurokawa, Cilmery Suemi; Moretto, Maria Regina; Teixeira, Altamir Santos; Nunes, Hélio Rubens de Carvalho

2015-04-03

Low-dose combined oral contraceptives (COCs) can interfere with bone mass acquisition during adolescence. This study aimed to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) in female adolescents taking a standard low-dose COC (ethinylestradiol 20 μg/desogestrel 150 μg) over a 1-year period and to compare their data with those of healthy adolescents from the same age group not taking COCs. This was a non-randomized parallel-control study with a 1-year follow-up. Sixty-seven adolescents aged from 12 to 19 years, divided into COC users (n = 41) taking 20 μg ethinylestradiol/150 μg desogestrel and COC non-user controls (n = 26), were evaluated by bone densitometry examinations at baseline and after 12 months. Comparisons between the groups at the study onset were performed using the Mann-Whitney test with the significance level fixed at 5% or p variations in the median percentages for bone mass variables. The COC users presented with low bone mass acquisition in the lumbar spine, and had BMD and BMC median variations of 2.07% and +1.57%, respectively, between the measurements at baseline and 12 months. The control group had median variations of +12.16% and +16.84% for BMD and BMC, respectively, over the same period. The total body BMD and BMC showed similar evolutions during the study in both groups. Statistical significance (p variation between COC users and non-users. Use of a low-dose COC (ethinylestradiol 20 μg/desogestrel 150 μg) was associated with lower bone mass acquisition in adolescents during the study period. Registry Number, RBR-5h9b3c.

Pulse periods and the long-term variations of the X-ray pulsars VELA X-1 and Centaurus X-3

Science.gov (United States)

Tsunemi, Hiroshi

The paper reports recent determinations of the pulse period for two X-ray pulsars, Vela X-1 and Cen X-3, made in 1987 with the All Sky Monitor (ASM) on board the Ginga satellite. The heliocentric pulse periods are 283.09 + or - 0.01 s and 4.8229 + or - 0.0001 s, respectively. These are the longest and shortest values in their respective observational histories. The random walk model for the Vela X-1 pulsar can explain this result as well as those obtained previously. It is also noted that the pulse-period change for the Cen X-3 system shows a 9-yr periodicity. This is probably due to the activity of the companion star rather than to Doppler-shift variations due to a third body or the precession of the neutron star.

The Discovery and Mass Measurement of a New Ultra-short-period Planet: K2-131b

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Fei; Winn, Joshua N.; Gandolfi, Davide; Wang, Sharon X.; Teske, Johanna K.; Burt, Jennifer; Albrecht, Simon; Barragán, Oscar; Cochran, William D.; Endl, Michael; Fridlund, Malcolm; Hatzes, Artie P.; Hirano, Teruyuki; Hirsch, Lea A.; Johnson, Marshall C.; Justesen, Anders Bo; Livingston, John; Persson, Carina M.; Prieto-Arranz, Jorge; Vanderburg, Andrew; Alonso, Roi; Antoniciello, Giuliano; Arriagada, Pamela; Butler, R. P.; Cabrera, Juan; Crane, Jeffrey D.; Cusano, Felice; Csizmadia, Szilárd; Deeg, Hans; Dieterich, Sergio B.; Eigmüller, Philipp; Erikson, Anders; Everett, Mark E.; Fukui, Akihiko; Grziwa, Sascha; Guenther, Eike W.; Henry, Gregory W.; Howell, Steve B.; Johnson, John Asher; Korth, Judith; Kuzuhara, Masayuki; Narita, Norio; Nespral, David; Nowak, Grzegorz; Palle, Enric; Pätzold, Martin; Rauer, Heike; Montañés Rodríguez, Pilar; Shectman, Stephen A.; Smith, Alexis M. S.; Thompson, Ian B.; Van Eylen, Vincent; Williamson, Michael W.; Wittenmyer, Robert A.

2017-12-01

We report the discovery of a new ultra-short-period planet and summarize the properties of all such planets for which the mass and radius have been measured. The new planet, K2-131b, was discovered in K2 Campaign 10. It has a radius of {1.81}-0.12+0.16 {R}\\oplus and orbits a G dwarf with a period of 8.9 hr. Radial velocities obtained with Magellan/PFS and TNG/HARPS-N show evidence for stellar activity along with orbital motion. We determined the planetary mass using two different methods: (1) the “floating chunk offset” method, based only on changes in velocity observed on the same night; and (2) a Gaussian process regression based on both the radial velocity and photometric time series. The results are consistent and lead to a mass measurement of 6.5+/- 1.6 {M}\\oplus and a mean density of {6.0}-2.7+3.0 g cm-3.

PG 0308 + 096 and PG 1026 + 002 - Two new short period binary stars resulting from common-envelope evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Saffer, Rex A.; Wade, Richard A.; Liebert, James; Green, Richard F.; Sion, Edward M.; Bechtold, J.; Foss, Diana; Kidder, K.

1993-01-01

Ultraviolet spectroscopy, optical spectroscopy, and spectrophotometry have been used to study the excess UV stars PG 0308 + 096 and PG 1026 + 002. Both objects are short-period binary systems, each containing a DA white dwarf star and a dM star. Orbital periods of approximately 0.284 day for PG 0308 + 096, and aproximately 0.597 day for PG 1026, have been found by spectroscopic analysis of the H-alpha emission line. Ly-alpha and Balmer line profile fitting were used to estimate the mass of white dwarf stars; mass estimates for the dM stars are based on their spectral types. The orbital inclinations are derived from these masses, the periods, and amplitudes of the H-alpha radial velocity curves. The equivalent width of the H-alpha emission line, in each binary system, varies with the orbital phase in such a manner as to imply that it arises, in large part at least, from the hemisphere of the M star that faces the white dwarf star.

A neutral network based technique for short-term forecasting of anomalous load periods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sforna, M [ENEL, s.p.a, Italian Power Company (Italy); Lamedica, R; Prudenzi, A [Rome Univ. ` La Sapienza` , Rome (Italy); Caciotta, M; Orsolini Cencelli, V [Rome Univ. III, Rome (Italy)

1995-01-01

The paper illustrates a part of the research activity conducted by authors in the field of electric Short Term Load Forecasting (STLF) based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) architectures. Previous experiences with basic ANN architectures have shown that, even though these architecture provide results comparable with those obtained by human operators for most normal days, they evidence some accuracy deficiencies when applied to `anomalous` load conditions occurring during holidays and long weekends. For these periods a specific procedure based upon a combined (unsupervised/supervised) approach has been proposed. The unsupervised stage provides a preventive classification of the historical load data by means of a Kohonen`s Self Organizing Map (SOM). The supervised stage, performing the proper forecasting activity, is obtained by using a multi-layer percept ron with a back propagation learning algorithm similar to the ones above mentioned. The unconventional use of information deriving from the classification stage permits the proposed procedure to obtain a relevant enhancement of the forecast accuracy for anomalous load situations.

The early period of the calculus of variations

CERN Document Server

Freguglia, Paolo

2016-01-01

This monograph explores the early development of the calculus of variations in continental Europe during the Eighteenth Century by illustrating the mathematics of its founders. Closely following the original papers and correspondences of Euler, Lagrange, the Bernoullis, and others, the reader is immersed in the challenge of theory building. We see what the founders were doing, the difficulties they faced, the mistakes they made, and their triumphs. The authors guide the reader through these works with instructive commentaries and complements to the original proofs, as well as offering a modern perspective where useful. The authors begin in 1697 with Johann Bernoulli’s work on the brachystochrone problem and the events leading up to it, marking the dawn of the calculus of variations. From there, they cover key advances in the theory up to the development of Lagrange’s δ-calculus, including: • The isoperimetrical problems • Shortest lines and geodesics • Euler’s Methodus Inveniendi and the two Addi...

Periodic variations of atmospheric electric field on fair weather conditions at YBJ, Tibet

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Bin; Zou, Dan; Chen, Ben Yuan; Zhang, Jin Ye; Xu, Guo Wang

2013-05-01

Observations of atmospheric electric field on fair weather conditions from the plateau station, YBJ, Tibet (90°31‧50″ E, 30°06‧38″ N), over the period from 2006 to 2011, are presented in this work. Its periodic modulations are analyzed in frequency-domain by Lomb-Scargle Periodogram method and in time-domain by folding method. The results show that the fair weather atmospheric electric field intensity is modulated weakly by annual cycle, solar diurnal cycle and its several harmonic components. The modulating amplitude of annual cycle is bigger than that of solar diurnal cycle. The annual minimum/maximum nearly coincides with spring/autumn equinox. The detailed spectrum analysis show that the secondary peaks (i.e. sidereal diurnal cycle and semi-sidereal diurnal cycle) nearly disappear along with their primary peaks when the primary signals are subtracted from electric field data sequence. The average daily variation curve exhibits dual-fluctuations, and has obviously seasonal dependence. The mean value is bigger in summer and autumn, but smaller in spring and winter. The daytime fluctuation is affected by the sunrise and sunset effect, the occurring time of which have a little shift with seasons. However, the nightly one has a great dependence on season conditions.

The relative kicking frequency of infants born full-term and preterm during learning and short-term and long-term memory periods of the mobile paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Heathcock, Jill C; Bhat, Anjana N; Lobo, Michele A; Galloway, James C

2005-01-01

Infants born preterm differ in their spontaneous kicking, as well as their learning and memory abilities in the mobile paradigm, compared with infants born full-term. In the mobile paradigm, a supine infant's ankle is tethered to a mobile so that leg kicks cause a proportional amount of mobile movement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative kicking frequency of the tethered (right) and nontethered (left) legs in these 2 groups of infants. Ten infants born full-term and 10 infants born preterm (infants participated in the study. The relative kicking frequencies of the tethered and nontethered legs were analyzed during learning and short-term and long-term memory periods of the mobile paradigm. Infants born full-term showed an increase in the relative kicking frequency of the tethered leg during the learning period and the short-term memory period but not for the long-term memory period. Infants born preterm did not show a change in kicking pattern for learning or memory periods, and consistently kicked both legs in relatively equal amounts. Infants born full-term adapted their baseline kicking frequencies in a task-specific manner to move the mobile and then retained this adaptation for the short-term memory period. In contrast, infants born preterm showed no adaptation, suggesting a lack of purposeful leg control. This lack of control may reflect a general decrease in the ability of infants born preterm to use their limb movements to interact with their environment. As such, the mobile paradigm may be clinically useful in the early assessment and intervention of infants born preterm and at risk for future impairment.

Genetic variation in total number and locations of GnRH neurons identified using in situ hybridization in a wild-source population.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaugars, Katherine E; Rivers, Charlotte I; Saha, Margaret S; Heideman, Paul D

2016-02-01

The evolution of brain function in the regulation of physiology may depend in part upon the numbers and locations of neurons. Wild populations of rodents contain natural genetic variation in the inhibition of reproduction by winter-like short photoperiod, and it has been hypothesized that this functional variation might be due in part to heritable variation in the numbers or location of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. A naturally variable wild-source population of white-footed mice was used to develop lines artificially selected for or against mature gonads in short, winter-like photoperiods. We compared a selection line that is reproductively inhibited in short photoperiod (Responsive) to a line that is weakly inhibited by short photoperiod (Nonresponsive) for differences in counts of neurons identified using in situ hybridization for GnRH mRNA. There was no effect of photoperiod, but there were 60% more GnRH neurons in total in the Nonresponsive selection line than the Responsive selection line. The lines differed specifically in numbers of GnRH neurons in more anterior regions, whereas numbers of GnRH neurons in posterior areas were not statistically different between lines. We compare these results to those of an earlier study that used immunohistochemical labeling for GnRH neurons. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the selection lines and natural source population contain significant genetic variation in the number and location of GnRH neurons. The variation in GnRH neurons may contribute to functional variation in fertility that occurs in short photoperiods in the laboratory and in the wild source population in winter. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The first photometric investigation and orbital period variation analysis of the W UMa type binary IK Bootis

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Kriwattanawong, Wichean; Sanguansak, Nuanwan; Maungkorn, Sakdawoot

2017-08-01

With new CCD observations of the W UMa type binary IK Boo, we present the first investigation of photometric parameters and orbital period change. The BVRc light curve fit shows that IK Boo is a W-type contact system with a mass ratio of q = 1.146 and a shallow contact with a fill-out factor of f = 2.22%. The orbital period decrease was found to be a rate of -3.28 × 10-7 d yr-1, corresponding to a mass transfer from the more massive to the less massive component with a rate of -2.83 × 10-6 M⊙ yr-1. The inner and outer critical Roche lobes will contract and cause the contact degree to increase. Therefore, IK Boo may evolve into a deeper contact system. Furthermore, a possible cyclic variation was found with a period of 9.74 yr, which could be explained by the light-travel time effect due to the existence of a third companion in the system.

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/.

The suitability of short-term measurements of radon in the built environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denman, A.R.; Groves-Kirkby, C.J.; Phillips, P.S.; Crockett, R.G.M.; Woolridge, A.C.

2008-01-01

Although domestic and workplace radon concentration levels often show marked diurnal/short-term variation, overall health risk is determined by the long-term average level, and many national protocols advocate the use of long exposure periods, usually three months, to assess long-term risk. Simple passive measurement techniques, e.g. track-etch, activated charcoal and electret, can, however, provide reasonably accurate determinations with exposures as short as one week, and there is pressure from users and stake holders for assessments within this time period. We report evaluation of the effectiveness of one-week, one-month and three-month exposures over a period of one year in a designated Radon Affected Area in the United Kingdom (UK). Although short-term exposures did not compromise measurement accuracy, short-term radon variability rendered one-week measurements less reliable in predicting annual average radon levels via the conventional methodology. Analysis permitted estimation of the maximum and minimum short-term measured domestic radon concentrations at which there was 95% probability of the predicted annual average being below or above the UK Action Level of 200 Bq·m -3 respectively. Between these limits, the short-term result is equivocal, requiring repetition, and the 'equivocal range' for one-week measurements is significantly wider than for three-month exposures. In any geographical area, domestic radon concentrations are distributed log normally, with many properties having low average levels; a small number exhibit excessive levels, and this distribution must be considered when defining exposures for a radon measurement programme. In low-radon areas, where 1% of houses might exceed the Action Level, a one-week assessment will find that fewer outcomes are equivocal. For high-radon areas, with 20% or more houses over the Action Level, more than 50% of one-week outcomes will be equivocal, requiring repeats. The results of this work will be presented

Short periodic oscillations of the dwarf nova VW Hydri

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haefner, R.; Schoembs, R.

1977-01-01

A coherent oscillation of approximately 88 s period and 0.m005 amplitude was detected during the decline stage at the end of the long eruption of VW Hyi in December 1975. The period changed erratically between 86 and 90 s during eight nights. There are indications that the amplitude depends on the phase of the orbital revolution. The new period favours models in which such oscillations are caused by the orbital motion of inhomogeneities in the disc. (orig.) [de

Dual-component model of respiratory motion based on the periodic autoregressive moving average (periodic ARMA) method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCall, K C; Jeraj, R

2007-01-01

A new approach to the problem of modelling and predicting respiration motion has been implemented. This is a dual-component model, which describes the respiration motion as a non-periodic time series superimposed onto a periodic waveform. A periodic autoregressive moving average algorithm has been used to define a mathematical model of the periodic and non-periodic components of the respiration motion. The periodic components of the motion were found by projecting multiple inhale-exhale cycles onto a common subspace. The component of the respiration signal that is left after removing this periodicity is a partially autocorrelated time series and was modelled as an autoregressive moving average (ARMA) process. The accuracy of the periodic ARMA model with respect to fluctuation in amplitude and variation in length of cycles has been assessed. A respiration phantom was developed to simulate the inter-cycle variations seen in free-breathing and coached respiration patterns. At ±14% variability in cycle length and maximum amplitude of motion, the prediction errors were 4.8% of the total motion extent for a 0.5 s ahead prediction, and 9.4% at 1.0 s lag. The prediction errors increased to 11.6% at 0.5 s and 21.6% at 1.0 s when the respiration pattern had ±34% variations in both these parameters. Our results have shown that the accuracy of the periodic ARMA model is more strongly dependent on the variations in cycle length than the amplitude of the respiration cycles

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

Examples of mesoscale structures and short-term wind variations detected by VHF Doppler radar

Science.gov (United States)

Forbes, G. S.

1986-01-01

The first of three wind profilers planned for operation in central and western Pennsylvania began full-time, high-quality operation during July 1985. It is located about 20 km south-southeast of University Park and operates at 50 MHz. Another 50-MHz radar and a 400-MHz radar are to be installed over the next few months, to complete a mesoscale triangle with sides of 120 to 160 km. During the period since early July, a number of weather systems have passed over the wind profiler. Those accompanied by thunderstorms caused data losses either because the Department computer system lost power or because power went out at the profiler site. A backup power supply and an automatic re-start program will be added to the profiler system to minimize such future losses. Data have normally been averaged over a one-hour period, although there have been some investigations of shorter-period averaging. In each case, preliminary examinations reveal that the profiler winds are indicative of meteorological phenomena. The only occasions of bad or missing data are obtained when airplane noise is occasionally experienced and when the returned power is nearly at the noise level, at the upper few gates, where a consensus wind cannot be determined. Jets streams, clouds, and diurnal variations of winds are discussed.

The application of knemometry to measure childhood short-term growth among the indigenous Shuar of Ecuador.

Science.gov (United States)

Urlacher, Samuel S; Snodgrass, J Josh; Liebert, Melissa A; Cepon-Robins, Tara J; Gildner, Theresa E; Sugiyama, Lawrence S

2016-06-01

Knemometry, the precise measurement of lower leg (LL) length, suggests that childhood short-term (e.g., weekly) growth is a dynamic, nonlinear process. However, owing to the large size and complexity of the traditional knemometer device, previous study of short-term growth among children has been restricted predominantly to clinical settings in industrialized Western nations. The aim of the present study is to address this limitation and promote broader understandings of global variation in childhood development by: (1) describing a custom-built portable knemometer and assessing its performance in the field; and (2) demonstrating the potential application of such a device by characterizing childhood short-term LL growth among the indigenous Shuar of Amazonian Ecuador. Mixed-longitudinal LL length data were collected weekly from 336 Shuar children age 5-12 years old using the custom portable knemometer (n = 1,145 total observations). Device performance and Shuar short-term LL growth were explored using linear mixed effects models and descriptive statistics. The portable knemometer performed well across a range of participant characteristics and possesses a low technical error of measurement of 0.18 mm. Shuar childhood LL growth averages 0.47 mm/week (SD = 0.75 mm/week), but exhibits large between- and within-individual variation. Knemometry can be reliably performed in the field, providing a means for evaluating childhood short-term growth among genetically and ecologically diverse populations. Preliminary findings suggest that Shuar weekly LL growth is comparable in mean magnitude but likely more variable than reported for healthy Western children. Future work will further explore these patterns. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:353-357, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Midlatitude D region variations measured from broadband radio atmospherics

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Feng

lightning or displaced lightning on others. The nighttime profile sharpness during 2.5 hours in two different nights was calculated, and the results were compared to the equivalent sharpness derived from International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) models. Both the absolute values and variation trends in IRI models are different from those in broadband measurements. Based on sferic data similar to those for nighttime, we also measured the day-time D region electron density profile variations in July and August 2005 near Duke University. As expected, the solar radiation is the dominant but not the only determinant source for the daytime D region profile height temporal variations. The observed quiet time heights showed close correlations with solar zenith angle changes but unexpected spatial variations not linked to the solar zenith angle were also observed on some days, with 15% of days exhibiting regional differences larger than 0.5 km. During the solar flare, the induced height change was approximately proportional to the logarithm of the X-ray fluxes. During the rising and decaying phases of the solar flare, the height changes correlated more consistently with the short (wavelength 0.5--4 A), rather than the long (wavelength 1--8 A) X-ray flux changes. The daytime profile sharpness during morning, noontime and afternoon periods in three different days and for the solar zenith angle range 20 to 75 degrees was calculated. These broadband measured results were compared to narrowband VLF measurements, IRI models and Faraday rotation base IRI models (called FIRI). The estimated sharpness from all these sources was more consistent when the solar zenith angle was small than when it was large. By applying the nighttime and daytime measurement techniques, we also derived the D region variations during sunrise and sunset periods. The measurements showed that both the electron density profile height and sharpness decrease during the sunrise period while increase during the sunset

Short-term variability of CYG X-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oda, M.; Doi, K.; Ogawara, Y.; Takagishi, K.; Wada, M.

1975-01-01

The short-term X-ray variability distinguishes Cyg X-1, which is the most likely candidate of the black hole, from other X-ray sources. Present status of our knowledge on this short-term variation mainly from the Uhuru, the MIT and the GSFC observations is reviewed. The nature of impulsive variations which compose the time variation exceeding the statistical fluctuation is discussed. There are indications that the energy spectrum of large pulses is harder than the average spectrum or the large pulses are the characteristics of the hard component of the spectrum if it is composed of two, soft and hard, components. Features of the variations may be partly simulated by the superposition of random short-noise pulses with a fraction of a second duration. However, the autocorrelation analysis and the dynamic spectrum analysis indicate that the correlation lasts for several seconds and in the variation buried are some regularities which exhibit power concentrations in several frequency bands; 0.2 -- 0.3, 0.4 -- 0.5, 0.8, 1.2 -- 1.5 Hz. There are several possible interpretation of these results in terms of: e.g. a) a mixture of short-noise pulses with two or more constant durations, b) the shape of the basic shot-noise pulse, c) bunching of the pulses, d) superposition of wave-packets or temporal oscillations. But we have not yet reached any definite understandings in the nature of the variabilities. The sub-structure of the fluctuations on a time scale of milli-second suggested by two investigations is also discussed. (auth.)

Effects of feeding strategy during a short finishing period on performance, carcass and meat quality in previously-grazed young bulls.

Science.gov (United States)

Cerdeño, A; Vieira, C; Serrano, E; Lavín, P; Mantecón, A R

2006-04-01

Twenty-one Brown Swiss×Limousin young bulls reared on pasture were housed for a short finishing period (60 days). CA group (concentrate-ad libitum group) received concentrate and straw ad libitum for the whole finishing period. CR group (concentrate-restricted group) received 4kg of concentrate/animal per day and ad libitum alfalfa hay throughout the 60days. CRA group (concentrate-restricted/ad libitum group) received the same diet as CR group for the first 30days and the same diet as CA group for the last 30days. CA and CRA groups presented higher fatness values. Myoglobin concentration in muscle was highest in CA group (P0.05). It is concluded that, in this type of young animal, 4kg concentrate plus ad libitum alfalfa hay for a 60-day finishing period, despite lower fatness, provides carcasses and meat with acceptable quality characteristics, similar to those obtained from ad libitum fed animals for the same period.

Raman analysis of phonon modes in a short period AlN/GaN superlattice

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Ketaki; Datta, Debopam; Gosztola, David J.; Shi, Fengyuan; Nicholls, Alan; Stroscio, Michael A.; Dutta, Mitra

2018-03-01

AlN/GaN-based optoelectronic devices have been the subject of intense research underlying the commercialization of efficient devices. Areas of considerable interest are the study of their lattice dynamics, phonon transport, and electron-phonon interactions specific to the interface of these heterostructures which results in additional optical phonon modes known as interface phonon modes. In this study, the framework of the dielectric continuum model (DCM) has been used to compare and analyze the optical phonon modes obtained from experimental Raman scattering measurements on AlN/GaN short-period superlattices. We have observed the localized E2(high), A1(LO) and the E1(TO) modes in superlattice measurements at frequencies shifted from their bulk values. To the best of our knowledge, the nanostructures used in these studies are among the smallest yielding useful Raman signatures for the interface modes. In addition, we have also identified an additional spread of interface phonon modes in the TO range resulting from the superlattice periodicity. The Raman signature contribution from the underlying AlxGa1-xN ternary has also been observed and analyzed. A temperature calibration was done based on Stokes/anti-Stokes ratio of A1(LO) using Raman spectroscopy in a broad operating temperature range. Good agreement between the experimental results and theoretically calculated calibration plot predicted using Bose-Einstein statistics was obtained.

Improved precision radiocarbon measurements and natural 14C variations around 10.000 cal BP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goslar, T.

1990-01-01

The subject of present work, natural radiocarbon variations in the past, is one of the most significant methodological questions of radiocarbon chronology. In the first three chapters, the author discusses problems connected with calibration of conventional radiocarbon dates, and consequences of monitoring the 14 C variations for the research of the changes of geomagnetic field, solar activity and global carbon cycle. Dendrochronological dating, which, in connection with 14 C measurements enables us to reconstruct the radiocarbon variations in the past, is also widely described. Fourth chapter concerns the technical problems of detection 14 C β-activity, especially accounting for proportional counters technique. In the next chapter the author describes results of his own dendrochonological research. Sixth chapter comprises frame discussion of the system for improved precision radiocarbon dating, together with short presentation of equipment, its calibration and analysis of errors. The last chapter gives the reconstruction of the pattern of atmospheric 14 C variations in 300-year period around 10.000 cal BP. It was found that in the last 10.000 years similar pattern repeats periodically. In the end, the author discusses the meaning of negative correlation between 14 C variations and changes of annual tree-ring widths in the oak trunk from Lublinek, for searching the connection between solar activity and climate. (author)

Influence of temperature of the short-period heat treatment on mechanical properties of the NiTi alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaroslav Čapek

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The equiatomic alloy of nickel and titanium, known as nitinol, possesses unique properties such as superelasticity, pseudoplasticity, shape memory, while maintaining good corrosion resistance and sufficient biocompatibility. Therefore it is used for production of various devices including surgery implants. Heat treatment of nickel-rich NiTi alloys can result in precipitation of nickel-rich phases, which strongly influence tensile and fatigue behaviour of the material.In this work we have studied influence of short-period heat treatment on tensile behaviour and fatigue life of the NiTi (50.9 at. % Ni wire intended for fabrication of surgery stents.

Study of quiet turbofan STOL aircraft for short haul transportation

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins, T. P.; Stout, E. G.; Sweet, H. S.

1973-01-01

Conceptual designs of Quiet Turbofan STOL Short-Haul Transport Aircraft for the mid-1980 time period are developed and analyzed to determine their technical, operational, and economic feasibility. A matrix of aircraft using various high-lift systems and design parameters are considered. Variations in aircraft characteristics, airport geometry and location, and operational techniques are analyzed systematically to determine their effects on the market, operating economics, and community acceptance. In these studies, the total systems approach is considered to be critically important in analyzing the potential of STOL aircraft to reduce noise pollution and alleviate the increasing air corridor and airport congestion.

Short-Term Output Variations in Wind Farms--Implications for Ancillary Services in the United States: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cadogan, J. [U.S. Department of Energy (US); Milligan, M. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (US); Wan, Y. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (US); Kirby, B. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US)

2001-09-21

With the advent of competition in the electric power marketplace, this paper reviews changes that affect wind and other renewable energy technologies, and discusses the role of federal and state policies in the recent wind installations in the United States. In particular, it reviews the implications of ancillary service requirements on a wind farm and presents initial operating results of monitoring one Midwest wind farm. Under federal energy policy, each generator must purchase, or otherwise provide for, ancillary services, such as dispatch, regulation, operation reserve, voltage regulation, and scheduling required to move power to load. As a renewable technology that depends on the forces of nature, short-term output variations are inherently greater for a wind farm than for a gas-fired combined cycle or a supercritical coal-fired unit.

Comparing models of the periodic variations in spin-down and beamwidth for PSR B1828-11

Science.gov (United States)

Ashton, G.; Jones, D. I.; Prix, R.

2016-05-01

We build a framework using tools from Bayesian data analysis to evaluate models explaining the periodic variations in spin-down and beamwidth of PSR B1828-11. The available data consist of the time-averaged spin-down rate, which displays a distinctive double-peaked modulation, and measurements of the beamwidth. Two concepts exist in the literature that are capable of explaining these variations; we formulate predictive models from these and quantitatively compare them. The first concept is phenomenological and stipulates that the magnetosphere undergoes periodic switching between two metastable states as first suggested by Lyne et al. The second concept, precession, was first considered as a candidate for the modulation of B1828-11 by Stairs et al. We quantitatively compare models built from these concepts using a Bayesian odds ratio. Because the phenomenological switching model itself was informed by these data in the first place, it is difficult to specify appropriate parameter-space priors that can be trusted for an unbiased model comparison. Therefore, we first perform a parameter estimation using the spin-down data, and then use the resulting posterior distributions as priors for model comparison on the beamwidth data. We find that a precession model with a simple circular Gaussian beam geometry fails to appropriately describe the data, while allowing for a more general beam geometry provides a good fit to the data. The resulting odds between the precession model (with a general beam geometry) and the switching model are estimated as 102.7±0.5 in favour of the precession model.

Physiological Responses of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) to Short Periods of Water Stress During Different Developmental Stages

OpenAIRE

R. Vurayai; V. Emongor and B. Moseki

2011-01-01

The study was conducted to evaluate the responses of bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) to short periods of water stress imposed at different growth stages, and the recuperative ability of the species from drought stress. A major problem associated with Bambara groundnut production is its very low yields due to intra-seasonal and inter-seasonal variability in rainfall in semi-arid regions. The response pattern of physiological processes to water stress imposed at different growth ...

Megadontia, striae periodicity and patterns of enamel secretion in Plio-Pleistocene fossil hominins.

Science.gov (United States)

Lacruz, Rodrigo S; Dean, M Christopher; Ramirez-Rozzi, Fernando; Bromage, Timothy G

2008-08-01

Early hominins formed large and thick-enamelled cheek-teeth within relatively short growth periods as compared with modern humans. To understand better the developmental basis of this process, we measured daily enamel increments, or cross striations, in 17 molars of Plio-Pleistocene hominins representing seven different species, including specimens attributed to early Homo. Our results show considerable variation across species, although all specimens conformed to the known pattern characterised by greater values in outer than inner enamel, and greater cuspal than cervical values. We then compared our results with the megadontia index, which represents tooth size in relation to body mass, for each species to assess the effect of daily growth rates on tooth size. Our results indicate that larger toothed (megadont) taxa display higher rates or faster forming enamel than smaller toothed hominins. By forming enamel quickly, large tooth crowns were able to develop within the constraints of shorter growth periods. Besides daily increments, many animals express long-period markings (striae of Retzius) in their enamel. We report periodicity values (number of cross striations between adjacent striae) in 14 new specimens of Australopithecus afarensis, Paranthropus aethiopicus, Paranthropus boisei, Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis and Homo erectus, and show that long-period striae express a strong association with male and average male-female body mass. Our results for Plio-Pleistocene hominins show that the biological rhythms that give rise to long-period striae are encompassed within the range of variation known for modern humans, but show a lower mean and modal value of 7 days in australopithecines. In our sample of early Homo, mean and modal periodicity values were 8 days, and therefore similar to modern humans. These new data on daily rates of enamel formation and periodicity provide a better framework to interpret surface manifestations of internal growth markings on

Born dry in the photoevaporation desert: Kepler's ultra-short-period planets formed water-poor

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Eric D.

2017-11-01

Recent surveys have uncovered an exciting new population of ultra-short-period (USP) planets with orbital periods less than a day. These planets typically have radii ≲1.5 R⊕, indicating that they likely have rocky compositions. This stands in contrast to the overall distribution of planets out to ∼100 d, which is dominated by low-density sub-Neptunes above 2 R⊕, which must have gaseous envelopes to explain their size. However, on the USP orbits, planets are bombarded by intense levels of photoionizing radiation and consequently gaseous sub-Neptunes are extremely vulnerable to losing their envelopes to atmospheric photoevaporation. Using models of planet evolution, I show that the rocky USP planets can easily be produced as the evaporated remnants of sub-Neptunes with H/He envelopes and that we can therefore understand the observed dearth of USP sub-Neptunes as a natural consequence of photoevaporation. Critically however, planets on USP orbits could often retain their envelopes if they are formed with very high-metallicity water-dominated envelopes. Such water-rich planets would commonly be ≳2 R⊕ today, which is inconsistent with the observed evaporation desert, indicating that most USP planets likely formed from water-poor material within the snow-line. Finally, I examine the special case of 55 Cancri e and its possible composition in the light of recent observations, and discuss the prospects for further characterizing this population with future observations.

Periodic orbits near the particle resonance in galaxies

CERN Document Server

Contopoulos, George

1978-01-01

Near the particle resonance of a spiral galaxy the almost circular periodic orbits that exist inside the resonance (direct) or outside it (retrograde) are replaced by elongated trapped orbits around the maxima of the potential L/sub 4/ and L/sub 5/. These are the long- period trapped periodic orbits. The long-period orbits shrink to the points L/sub 4/, L/sub 5/ for a critical value of the Hamiltonian h. For still larger h, a family of short-period trapped orbits appears, with continuously growing size. The evolution of the periodic orbits with h is followed, theoretically and numerically, from the untrapped orbits to the long-periodic orbits and then to the short-periodic orbits, mainly in the case of a bar. In a tight spiral case an explanation of the asymmetric periodic and banana orbits is given, and an example of short-period orbits not surrounding L/sub 4/ or L/sub 5/ is provided. Another family of periodic orbits reaching corotation is trapped at the inner Lindblad resonance. (5 refs).

Allowable propagation of short pulse laser beam in a plasma channel and electromagnetic solitary waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Shan; Hong, Xue-Ren; Wang, Hong-Yu; Xie, Bai-Song

2011-01-01

Nonparaxial and nonlinear propagation of a short intense laser beam in a parabolic plasma channel is analyzed by means of the variational method and nonlinear dynamics. The beam propagation properties are classified by five kinds of behaviors. In particularly, the electromagnetic solitary wave for finite pulse laser is found beside the other four propagation cases including beam periodically oscillating with defocussing and focusing amplitude, constant spot size, beam catastrophic focusing. It is also found that the laser pulse can be allowed to propagate in the plasma channel only when a certain relation for laser parameters and plasma channel parameters is satisfied. For the solitary wave, it may provide an effective way to obtain ultra-short laser pulse.

Effects of Pre - Season Short - Term Daily Undulating Periodized Training on Muscle Strength and Sprint Performance of Under - 20 Soccer Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles Ricardo L OPES

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of daily undulating training periodization designed for maximal lower limb muscle strength and sprint performance in under - 20 soccer players. Twenty - four male athletes (age = 19.1 ± 1.2 yr; mass = 71.1 ± 6. 8 kg; height = 178.0 ± 0.1 cm participated in four weeks of a daily undulating periodized (DUP training soccer program. During the pre - and post - training periods the subjects performed a one repetition maximum (1 RM half back squat test and a 15 - meter s print. Significant training - induced changes were observed in sprint times (pre = 2.38 ± 0.01 s; post = 2.31 ± 0.02 s and 1 RM tests (pre = 107.0 ± 2.0 kg; post = 128.0 ± 2.2 kg. These results indicate that a DUP program is efficient in promoting positive neuromuscular adaptations in soccer players, even with a short - term preseason training period.

Proteomic and biochemical analyses of short-tailed pit viper (Gloydius brevicaudus) venom: age-related variation and composition-activity correlation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Jian-Fang; Wang, Jin; He, Ying; Qu, Yan-Fu; Lin, Long-Hui; Ma, Xiao-Mei; Ji, Xiang

2014-06-13

We conducted an in-depth analysis of the proteomic and biochemical profiles of the venom of neonate and adult short-tailed pit vipers (Gloydius brevicaudus). Identified proteins were assigned to a few main toxin families. Disintegrin, phospholipase A2 (PLA2), serine proteinase, cysteine-rich secretory protein, C-type lectin-like protein, l-amino acid oxidase and snake venom metalloproteinase (SVMP) were detected in both venoms, while 5'-nucleotidase was detected only in the adult venom. SVMP was the predominant protein family in both venoms (neonate: 65.7%; adult: 64.4%), followed by PLA2 (neonate: 13.4%; adult: 25.0%). Antivenomic analysis revealed that commercial G. brevicaudus antivenom almost neutralized the chromatographic peaks with medium and high molecular masses in both venoms, but did not completely recognize peaks with low molecular mass. Toxicological and enzymatic activities show remarkable age-related variation in G. brevicaudus venom, probably resulting from variation in venom composition. Our data demonstrate age-related variation across venomics, antivenomics and biochemical profiles of G. brevicaudus venom, and have implications for the management of G. brevicaudus bites, including improving antivenom preparation by combining both venoms. This study investigates the composition and biochemical activity of neonate and adult Gloydius brevicaudus venoms. We found remarkable age-related variation in venom biological activity, likely the result of variation in venom composition. Antivenomics analysis was used to explore difference in neonate and adult G. brevicaudus venoms. Our findings have implications for the diagnosis and clinical management of G. brevicaudus bites, and the design of venom mixtures that will increase the efficacy of commercial antivenom. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Proteomics of non-model organisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Variation of Magnetic Field (By , Bz) Polarity and Statistical Analysis of Solar Wind Parameters during the Magnetic Storm Period

OpenAIRE

Ga-Hee Moon

2011-01-01

It is generally believed that the occurrence of a magnetic storm depends upon the solar wind conditions, particularly the southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) component. To understand the relationship between solar wind parameters and magnetic storms, variations in magnetic field polarity and solar wind parameters during magnetic storms are examined. A total of 156 storms during the period of 1997~2003 are used. According to the interplanetary driver, magnetic storms are ...

Short Stature Diagnosis and Referral

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Mohamad Maghnie

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The “360° GH in Europe” meeting, which examined various aspects of GH diseases, was held in Lisbon, Portugal, in June 2016. The Merck KGaA (Germany funded meeting comprised three sessions entitled “Short Stature Diagnosis and Referral,” “Optimizing Patient Management,” and “Managing Transition.” Each session had three speaker presentations, followed by a discussion period, and is reported as a manuscript, authored by the speakers. The first session examined current processes of diagnosis and referral by endocrine specialists for pediatric patients with short stature. Requirements for referral vary widely, by country and by patient characteristics such as age. A balance must be made to ensure eligible patients get referred while healthcare systems are not over-burdened by excessive referrals. Late referral and diagnosis of non-GH deficiency conditions can result in increased morbidity and mortality. The consequent delays in making a diagnosis may compromise the effectiveness of GH treatment. Algorithms for growth monitoring and evaluation of skeletal disproportions can improve identification of non-GH deficiency conditions. Performance and validation of guidelines for diagnosis of GH deficiency have not been sufficiently tested. Provocative tests for investigation of GH deficiency remain equivocal, with insufficient information on variations due to patient characteristics, and cutoff values for definition differ not only by country but also by the assay used. When referring and diagnosing causes of short stature in pediatric patients, clinicians need to rely on many factors, but the most essential is clinical experience.

Solar UV radiation variations and their stratospheric and climatic effects

Science.gov (United States)

Donnelly, R. F.; Heath, D. F.

1985-01-01

Nimbus-7 SBUV measurements of the short-term solar UV variations caused by solar rotation and active-region evolution have determined the amplitude and wavelength dependence for the active-region component of solar UV variations. Intermediate-term variations lasting several months are associated with rounds of major new active regions. The UV flux stays near the peak value during the current solar cycle variation for more than two years and peaks about two years later than the sunspot number. Nimbus-7 measurements have observed the concurrent stratospheric ozone variations caused by solar UV variations. There is now no doubt that solar UV variations are an important cause of short- and long-term stratospheric variations, but the strength of the coupling to the troposphere and to climate has not yet been proven.

Deterministic and probabilistic interval prediction for short-term wind power generation based on variational mode decomposition and machine learning methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yachao; Liu, Kaipei; Qin, Liang; An, Xueli

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Variational mode decomposition is adopted to process original wind power series. • A novel combined model based on machine learning methods is established. • An improved differential evolution algorithm is proposed for weight adjustment. • Probabilistic interval prediction is performed by quantile regression averaging. - Abstract: Due to the increasingly significant energy crisis nowadays, the exploitation and utilization of new clean energy gains more and more attention. As an important category of renewable energy, wind power generation has become the most rapidly growing renewable energy in China. However, the intermittency and volatility of wind power has restricted the large-scale integration of wind turbines into power systems. High-precision wind power forecasting is an effective measure to alleviate the negative influence of wind power generation on the power systems. In this paper, a novel combined model is proposed to improve the prediction performance for the short-term wind power forecasting. Variational mode decomposition is firstly adopted to handle the instability of the raw wind power series, and the subseries can be reconstructed by measuring sample entropy of the decomposed modes. Then the base models can be established for each subseries respectively. On this basis, the combined model is developed based on the optimal virtual prediction scheme, the weight matrix of which is dynamically adjusted by a self-adaptive multi-strategy differential evolution algorithm. Besides, a probabilistic interval prediction model based on quantile regression averaging and variational mode decomposition-based hybrid models is presented to quantify the potential risks of the wind power series. The simulation results indicate that: (1) the normalized mean absolute errors of the proposed combined model from one-step to three-step forecasting are 4.34%, 6.49% and 7.76%, respectively, which are much lower than those of the base models and the hybrid

Study of short-period RS Canum Venaticorum and W Ursae Majoris binary systems: The global nature of Hα

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barden, S.C.

1985-01-01

I present the rotation versus emission characteristics of the Hα line for several short-period (P -5 ) and the Rossby number (the ratio between the rotational period and the convective time scale) is seen for those components showing emission. Such a correlation suggests that the Hα line is a good diagnostic for the study of the magnetic-related activity in late-type stellar systems. Plotting the L/sub Halpha//L/sub bol/ against a measure of the tidal amplitude of Scharlemann shows that the activity of the W UMa secondary components may be shut off by the tidal forces of the primaries. The shut-off appears in those components having a tidal amplitude > or approx. =0.02. It is, however, unclear whether the tidal damping of the differential rotation is the sole mechanism responsible for the shut-off of the Hα emission, as the activity damping may also be attributable to the contact nature of the W UMa systems

Assessing non-linear variation of temperature and precipitation for different growth periods of maize and their impacts on phenology in the Midwest of Jilin Province, China

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Enliang; Zhang, Jiquan; Wang, Yongfang; Alu, Si; Wang, Rui; Li, Danjun; Ha, Si

2018-05-01

In the past two decades, the regional climate in China has undergone significant change, resulting in crop yield reduction and complete failure. The goal of this study is to detect the variation of temperature and precipitation for different growth periods of maize and assess their impact on phenology. The daily meteorological data in the Midwest of Jilin Province during 1960-2014 were used in the study. The ensemble empirical mode decomposition method was adopted to analyze the non-linear trend and fluctuation in temperature and precipitation, and the sensitivity of the length of the maize growth period to temperature and precipitation was analyzed by the wavelet cross-transformation method. The results show that the trends of temperature and precipitation change are non-linear for different growth periods of maize, and the average temperature in the sowing-jointing stage was different from that in the other growth stages, showing a slight decrease trend, while the variation amplitude of maximum temperature is smaller than that of the minimum temperature. This indicates that the temperature difference between day and night shows a gradually decreasing trend. Precipitation in the growth period also showed a decreasing non-linear trend, while the inter-annual variability with period of quasi-3-year and quasi-6-year dominated the variation of temperature and precipitation. The whole growth period was shortened by 10.7 days, and the sowing date was advanced by approximately 11 days. We also found that there was a significant resonance period among temperature, precipitation, and phenology. Overall, a negative correlation between phenology and temperature is evident, while a positive correlation with precipitation is exhibited. The results illustrate that the climate suitability for maize has reduced over the past decades.

Secular Orbit and Spin Variations of Asteroid (16) Psyche

Science.gov (United States)

Bills, B. G.; Park, R. S.; Scott, B.

2016-12-01

The obliquity, or angular separation between spin and orbit poles, of asteroid (16) Psyche is currently 95 degrees. We are interested in knowing how much that angular separation varies, on time scales of 104 to 106 years. To answer that question, we have done several related analyses. On short time scales, the orbital element variations of Psyche are dominated by perturbations from Jupiter. Jupiter's dominance has two basic causes: first is the large mass and relatively close position of Jupiter, and second is a 19:8 mean motion resonance. Jupiter completes 8 orbits in 94.9009 years, while Psyche takes 94.9107 years to complete 19 orbits. As a result of this, all of the orbital elements of Psyche exhibit significant periodic variations, with a 94.9 year period dominating. There are also significant variations at the synodic period, which is 8.628 years, or 1/11 of the resonant period. Over a 1000 year time span, centered on the present, the eccentricity varies from 0.133 to 0.140, and the inclination varies from 2.961 to 3.229 degrees. On longer time scales, the orbital elements of Psyche vary considerably more than that, due to secular perturbations from the planets. The secular variations are modeled as the response of interacting mass rings, rather than point masses. Again, Jupiter is the main perturbing influence on Psyche. The eccentricity and inclination both oscillate, with dominant periods of 18.667 kyr. The range of values seen over a million year time span, is 0.057 to 0.147 for eccentricity, and 0.384 to 4.777 degrees for inclination. Using a recent shape model, and assumption of uniform density, to constrain relevant moments of inertia, we estimate the spin pole precession rate parameter to be 8.53 arcsec/year. The current spin pole is at ecliptic {lon, lat} = { 32, -7} deg, whereas the orbit pole is at {lon, lat} = {60.47, 86.91} deg. The current obliquity is thus 94.3 degree. Using nominal values of the input parameters, the recovered spin pole

Long-term studies with the Ariel-5 asm. 1: Her X-1, Vela X-1 and Cen X-3. [periodic variations

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, S. S.; Kaluzienski, L. J.; Boldt, E. A.; Serlemitsos, P. J.

1978-01-01

Twelve hundred days of 3-6 keV X-ray data from Her X-1, Vela X-1 and Cen X-3 accumulated with the Ariel-5 all-sky monitor are interrogated. The binary periodicities of all three can be clearly observed, as can the approximately 35-d variation of Her X-1, for which we can refine the period to 34.875 plus or minus .030-d. No such longer-term periodicity less than 200-d is observed from Vela X-1. The 26.6-d low-state recurrence period for Cen X-3 previously suggested is not observed, but a 43.0-d candidate periodicity is found which may be consistent with the precession of an accretion disk in that system. The present results are illustrative of the long-term studies which can be performed on approximately 50 sources over a temporal base which will ultimately extend to at least 1800 days.

Solar ultraviolet irradiance variations: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lean, J.

1987-01-01

Despite the geophysical importance of solar ultraviolet radiation, specific aspects of its temporal variations have not yet been adequately determined experimentally, nor are the mechanisms for the variability completely understood. Satellite observations have verified the reality of solar ultraviolet irradiance variations over time scales of days and months, and model calculations have confirmed the association of these short-term variations with the evolution and rotation of regions of enhanced magnetic activity on the solar disc. However, neither rocket nor satellite measurements have yet been made with sufficient accuracy and regularity to establish unequivocally the nature of the variability over the longer time of the 11-year solar cycle. The comparative importance for the long-term variations of local regions of enhanced magnetic activity and global scale activity perturbations is still being investigated. Solar ultraviolet irradiance variations over both short and long time scales are reviewed, with emphasis on their connection to solar magnetic activity. Correlations with ground-based measures of solar variability are examined because of the importance of the ground-based observations as historical proxies of ultraviolet irradiance variations. Current problems in understanding solar ultraviolet irradiance variations are discussed, and the measurements planned for solar cycle 22, which may resolve these problems, are briefly described. copyright American Geophysical Union 1987

Epsodic paroxysmal hemicrania with seasonal variation: case report and the EPH-cluster headache continuum hypothesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veloso Germany Gonçalves

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Episodic paroxysmal hemicrania (EPH is a rare disorder characterized by frequent, daily attacks of short-lived, unilateral headache with accompanying ipsilateral autonomic features. EPH has attack periods which last weeks to months separated by remission intervals lasting months to years, however, a seasonal variation has never been reported in EPH. We report a new case of EPH with a clear seasonal pattern: a 32-year-old woman with a right-sided headache for 17 years. Pain occurred with a seasonal variation, with bouts lasting one month (usually in the first months of the year and remission periods lasting around 11 months. During these periods she had headache from three to five times per day, lasting from 15 to 30 minutes, without any particular period preference. There were no precipitating or aggravating factors. Tearing and conjunctival injection accompanied ipsilaterally the pain. Previous treatments provided no pain relief. She completely responded to indomethacin 75 mg daily. After three years, the pain recurred with longer attack duration and was just relieved with prednisone. We also propose a new hypothesis: the EPH-cluster headache continuum.

Deterministic prediction of surface wind speed variations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. V. Drisya

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Accurate prediction of wind speed is an important aspect of various tasks related to wind energy management such as wind turbine predictive control and wind power scheduling. The most typical characteristic of wind speed data is its persistent temporal variations. Most of the techniques reported in the literature for prediction of wind speed and power are based on statistical methods or probabilistic distribution of wind speed data. In this paper we demonstrate that deterministic forecasting methods can make accurate short-term predictions of wind speed using past data, at locations where the wind dynamics exhibit chaotic behaviour. The predictions are remarkably accurate up to 1 h with a normalised RMSE (root mean square error of less than 0.02 and reasonably accurate up to 3 h with an error of less than 0.06. Repeated application of these methods at 234 different geographical locations for predicting wind speeds at 30-day intervals for 3 years reveals that the accuracy of prediction is more or less the same across all locations and time periods. Comparison of the results with f-ARIMA model predictions shows that the deterministic models with suitable parameters are capable of returning improved prediction accuracy and capturing the dynamical variations of the actual time series more faithfully. These methods are simple and computationally efficient and require only records of past data for making short-term wind speed forecasts within practically tolerable margin of errors.

Quasi-periodic oscillations in short recurring bursts of the soft gamma repeater J1550–5418

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huppenkothen, D.; D' Angelo, C.; Watts, A. L.; Heil, L.; Van der Klis, M.; Van der Horst, A. J. [Astronomical Institute " Anton Pannekoek," University of Amsterdam, Postbus 94249, 1090 GE Amsterdam (Netherlands); Kouveliotou, C. [Astrophysics Office, ZP 12, NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States); Baring, M. G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, MS-108, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251 (United States); Göğüş, E.; Kaneko, Y. [SabancıUniversity, Orhanlı-Tuzla, İstanbul 34956 (Turkey); Granot, J. [Department of Natural Sciences, The Open University of Israel, 1 University Road, P.O. Box 808, Ra' anana 43537 (Israel); Lin, L. [François Arago Centre, APC, 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, F-75205 Paris (France); Von Kienlin, A. [Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Younes, G., E-mail: D.Huppenkothen@uva.nl [NSSTC, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35805 (United States)

2014-06-01

The discovery of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in magnetar giant flares has opened up prospects for neutron star asteroseismology. The scarcity of giant flares makes a search for QPOs in the shorter, far more numerous bursts from soft gamma repeaters (SGRs) desirable. In Huppenkothen et al., we developed a Bayesian method for searching for QPOs in short magnetar bursts, taking into account the effects of the complicated burst structure, and have shown its feasibility on a small sample of bursts. Here we apply the same method to a much larger sample from a burst storm of 286 bursts from SGR J1550–5418. We report a candidate signal at 260 Hz in a search of the individual bursts, which is fairly broad. We also find two QPOs at ∼93 Hz, and one at 127 Hz, when averaging periodograms from a number of bursts in individual triggers, at frequencies close to QPOs previously observed in magnetar giant flares. Finally, for the first time, we explore the overall burst variability in the sample and report a weak anti-correlation between the power-law index of the broadband model characterizing aperiodic burst variability and the burst duration: shorter bursts have steeper power-law indices than longer bursts. This indicates that longer bursts vary over a broader range of timescales and are not simply longer versions of the short bursts.

MORPHOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VERMIFORM APPENDIX DURING THE PRENATAL PERIOD IN MAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Živković

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In the literature, there are different data about the morphologic characteristics and variations of the appendix during the postnatal period in man, but the information about its characteristics in the prenatal period is scarce. In our study, the characteristics of the appendix in prenatal period of development were studied on the fetal material. We used the fetuses from the collection of the Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine in Niš, 100 of them in total, formalin-fixed, of both genders, in their second and third trimester of intrauterine development. Regarding anatomical variations, we found a missing appendix in one case and a double appendix in another. The appendical opening into the cecum was located on the inner, posterior, outer, and anterior walls of the cecum, always below the ileal opening. The origin from the inferior, lowest part of the cecum was also observed. The appendix ran in preileal, retroileal, prececal, retrocecal, and retrocolic directions. The appendix had tubular shape, with one or two bends, being rarely straight. The length of the appendix varied from very short to very long, descending from the inferior edge of the liver to the right iliac fossa. The morphologic characteristics of the appendix in fetus, observed in our study, in the literature have been described to exist in the postnatal human life as well.

Influence of the interface on growth rates in AlN/GaN short period superlattices via metal organic vapor phase epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Rodak, L. E.; Korakakis, D.

2011-11-01

AlN/GaN short period superlattices are well suited for a number of applications including, but not limited to, digital alloys, intersubband devices, and emitters. In this work, AlN/GaN superlattices with periodicities ranging from 10 to 20 Å have been grown via metal organic vapor phase epitaxy in order to investigate the influence of the interface on the binary alloy growth rates. The GaN growth rate at the interface was observed to decrease with increasing GaN thickness while the AlN growth rate remained constant. This has been attributed to a decrease in the decomposition rate of GaN at the hetero-interface as seen in other III-V hetero-structures.

Solvent micro-evaporation and concentration gradient synergistically induced crystallization of poly(L-lactide) and ring banded supra-structures with radial periodic variation of thickness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huang, Shaoyong; Li, Hongfei; Wen, Huiying

2014-01-01

The crystalline morphology and structure of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) in a PLLA film-chloroform system were investigated by means of wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), polarized optical microscopy (POM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Birefringent and nonbirefringent ring banded supra-structure......The crystalline morphology and structure of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) in a PLLA film-chloroform system were investigated by means of wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), polarized optical microscopy (POM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Birefringent and nonbirefringent ring banded supra......-structures with radial periodic variation of thickness were obtained, which were induced by micro-evaporation of solvents and concentration gradient of PLLA. The ring banded morphologies consisted of multilayer lamellar crystals, which is a manifestation of alternating ridge and valley bands of periodic variation...

Infrared photometry of cataclysmic variables. II - Evidence for ellipsoidal variations in CW MoN, X Leo, IP Peg, and AF CaM

Science.gov (United States)

Szkody, P.; Mateo, M.

1986-08-01

Broadband H or K light curves of the dwarf novae CM Mon, X Leo, IP Peg, and AF Cam reveal variations that can be attributed to ellipsoidal modulation of the secondaries in these systems. The present data imply orbital periods of 4.23 + or - 0.01 hr for CW Mon and 5.0 + or - 0.1 hr for X Leo. The high-amplitude ellipsoidal modulation of the secondary of CW Mon implies a large orbital inclination. The interpretation of the low-amplitude variability seen in X Leo is complicated by details in its light curve and a recent determination of its orbital period by Shafter and Harkness (1986) which differs significantly from the period inferred from the present observations. The light variations of the eclipsing system IP Peg are interpreted as showing a 0.2 mag ellipsoidal variation from the secondary superposed on a deep eclipse of the IR light of the white dwarf and hotspot. AF Cam shows marginal evidence for a low-amplitude variation implying a very short orbital period of 76 min. IR colors of SS Aur, AH Eri, and IR Gem as well as the above four objects are used to place limits on the properties of the secondaries and the distances to these systems.

Solar cycle variations in IMF intensity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, J.H.

1979-01-01

Annual averages of logarithms of hourly interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) intensities, obtained from geocentric spacecraft between November 1963 and December 1977, reveal the following solar cycle variation. For 2--3 years at each solar minimum period, the IMF intensity is depressed by 10--15% relative to its mean value realized during a broad 9-year period contered at solar maximum. No systematic variations occur during this 9-year period. The solar minimum decrease, although small in relation to variations in some other solar wind parameters, is both statistically and physically significant

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

Condition of The Stratospheric and Mesospheric Ozone Layer Over Bulgaria for the Period 1996-2012

Science.gov (United States)

Kaleyna, Petya; Mukhtarov, Plamen; Miloshev, Nikolay

2014-05-01

A detailed analysis of the variations of the stratospheric and mesospheric ozone over Bulgaria, in the period 1996-2012, is presented in the article on the basis of ground and satellite measurements of the Total Ozone Content (TOC). The move of the most important components: yearly running mean values, amplitudes and phases of the first four harmonics of the seasonal cycle. Their mean values for the period and the existing long term trends have been found. An evaluation of the general characteristics of the short term variability of the Total Ozone Content (TOC) over Bulgaria also has been made in the article. The impact of the planetary wave activity of the stratosphere on the total ozone has been studied and the climatology of the oscillation amplitudes with periods of 4, 7, 11 and 25 days has been defined.

Short-term dynamics of North Sea bacterioplankton-dissolved organic matter coherence on molecular level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judith eLucas

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Remineralisation and transformation of dissolved organic matter (DOM by marine microbes shape the DOM composition and thus, have large impact on global carbon and nutrient cycling. However, information on bacterioplankton-DOM interactions on a molecular level is limited. We examined the variation of bacterial community composition at Helgoland Roads (North Sea in relation to variation of molecular DOM composition and various environmental parameters on short-time scales. Surface water samples were taken daily over a period of twenty days. Bacterial community and molecular DOM composition were assessed via 16S rRNA gene tag sequencing and ultrahigh resolution Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS, respectively. Environmental conditions were driven by a coastal water influx during the first half of the sampling period and the onset of a summer phytoplankton bloom towards the end of the sampling period. These phenomena led to a distinct grouping of bacterial communities and DOM composition which was particularly influenced by total dissolved nitrogen concentration, temperature and salinity, as revealed by distance-based linear regression analyses. Bacterioplankton-DOM interaction was demonstrated in strong correlations between specific bacterial taxa and particular DOM molecules, thus, suggesting potential specialization on particular substrates. We propose that a combination of high resolution techniques, as used in this study, may provide substantial information on substrate generalists and specialists and thus, contribute to prediction of bacterial community composition variation.

Optical properties of spontaneous lateral composition modulation in AlAs/InAs short-period superlattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francoeur, S.; Zhang, Yong; Norman, A. G.; Alsina, F.; Mascarenhas, A.; Reno, J. L.; Jones, E. D.; Lee, S. R.; Follstaedt, D. M.

2000-01-01

The effect of lateral composition modulation, spontaneously generated during the epitaxial growth of an AlAs/InAs short-period superlattice, on the electronic band structure is investigated using phototransmission and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Compared with uniform layers of identical average composition, the presence of the composition modulation considerably reduces the band-gap energy and produces strongly polarized emission and absorption spectra. We demonstrate that the dominant polarization direction can selectively be aligned along the [1(bar sign)10] or [010] crystallographic directions. In compressively strained samples, the use of (001) InP substrates slightly miscut toward (111)A or (101) resulted in modulation directions along [110] or [100], respectively, and dominant polarization directions along a direction orthogonal to the respective composition modulation. Band-gap reductions as high as 350 and 310 meV are obtained for samples with composition modulation along [110] and [100], respectively. Ratios of polarized intensities up to 26 are observed in transmission spectra. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

Response of Aspergillus niger Inoculated on Tomatoes Exposed to Vapor Phase Mustard Essential Oil for Short or Long Periods and Sensory Evaluation of Treated Tomatoes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Elena Aguilar-González

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The inhibitory effect of mustard essential oil (EO in vapor phase against Aspergillus niger was evaluated in vitro and in vivo (in tomatoes. Mold response in tomatoes exposed for short or long periods to selected concentrations of mustard EO was also evaluated. Furthermore, a sensory evaluation was also performed among treated tomatoes and compared with nontreated ones. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC for the studied EO was determined by the inverted Petri dish method. MIC for the in vitro and in vivo tests for mustard EO was of 3.08 μL/Lair. In vitro and in vivo results demonstrate the effectiveness of vapors of mustard EO against A. niger. The studied EO contains highly volatile organic compounds with strong inhibitory effects, even when applied for short periods, and can consequently be considered a good alternative to traditional synthetic antimicrobials without detriment of selected sensory attributes.

CSI 2264: CHARACTERIZING YOUNG STARS IN NGC 2264 WITH SHORT-DURATION PERIODIC FLUX DIPS IN THEIR LIGHT CURVES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stauffer, John; Cody, Ann Marie; Rebull, Luisa; Plavchan, Peter; Carey, Sean [Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); McGinnis, Pauline; Alencar, Silvia H. P. [Departamento de Física—ICEx—UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 30270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Carpenter, John [Astronomy Department, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Turner, Neal J. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Terebey, Susan [Department of Physics and Astronomy, 5151 State University Drive, California State University at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90032 (United States); Morales-Calderón, María [Centro de Astrobiología, Dpto. de Astrofísica, INTA-CSIC, PO BOX 78, E-28691, ESAC Campus, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid (Spain); Bouvier, Jerome; Venuti, Laura [Université de Grenoble, Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), F-38000 Grenoble (France); CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Hartmann, Lee; Calvet, Nuria [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 (United States); Micela, Giusi; Flaccomio, Ettore [INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, Piazza del Parlamento 1, I-90134, Palermo (Italy); Song, Inseok [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602–2451 (United States); Gutermuth, Rob, E-mail: stauffer@ipac.caltech.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); and others

2015-04-15

We identify nine young stellar objects (YSOs) in the NGC 2264 star-forming region with optical CoRoT light curves exhibiting short-duration, shallow periodic flux dips. All of these stars have infrared excesses that are consistent with their having inner disk walls near the Keplerian co-rotation radius. The repeating photometric dips have FWHMs generally less than 1 day, depths almost always less than 15%, and periods (3 < P < 11 days) consistent with dust near the Keplerian co-rotation period. The flux dips vary considerably in their depth from epoch to epoch, but usually persist for several weeks and, in two cases, were present in data collected in successive years. For several of these stars, we also measure the photospheric rotation period and find that the rotation and dip periods are the same, as predicted by standard “disk-locking” models. We attribute these flux dips to clumps of material in or near the inner disk wall, passing through our line of sight to the stellar photosphere. In some cases, these dips are also present in simultaneous Spitzer IRAC light curves at 3.6 and 4.5 microns. We characterize the properties of these dips, and compare the stars with light curves exhibiting this behavior to other classes of YSOs in NGC 2264. A number of physical mechanisms could locally increase the dust scale height near the inner disk wall, and we discuss several of those mechanisms; the most plausible mechanisms are either a disk warp due to interaction with the stellar magnetic field or dust entrained in funnel-flow accretion columns arising near the inner disk wall.

CSI 2264: CHARACTERIZING YOUNG STARS IN NGC 2264 WITH SHORT-DURATION PERIODIC FLUX DIPS IN THEIR LIGHT CURVES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stauffer, John; Cody, Ann Marie; Rebull, Luisa; Plavchan, Peter; Carey, Sean; McGinnis, Pauline; Alencar, Silvia H. P.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Carpenter, John; Turner, Neal J.; Terebey, Susan; Morales-Calderón, María; Bouvier, Jerome; Venuti, Laura; Hartmann, Lee; Calvet, Nuria; Micela, Giusi; Flaccomio, Ettore; Song, Inseok; Gutermuth, Rob

2015-01-01

We identify nine young stellar objects (YSOs) in the NGC 2264 star-forming region with optical CoRoT light curves exhibiting short-duration, shallow periodic flux dips. All of these stars have infrared excesses that are consistent with their having inner disk walls near the Keplerian co-rotation radius. The repeating photometric dips have FWHMs generally less than 1 day, depths almost always less than 15%, and periods (3 < P < 11 days) consistent with dust near the Keplerian co-rotation period. The flux dips vary considerably in their depth from epoch to epoch, but usually persist for several weeks and, in two cases, were present in data collected in successive years. For several of these stars, we also measure the photospheric rotation period and find that the rotation and dip periods are the same, as predicted by standard “disk-locking” models. We attribute these flux dips to clumps of material in or near the inner disk wall, passing through our line of sight to the stellar photosphere. In some cases, these dips are also present in simultaneous Spitzer IRAC light curves at 3.6 and 4.5 microns. We characterize the properties of these dips, and compare the stars with light curves exhibiting this behavior to other classes of YSOs in NGC 2264. A number of physical mechanisms could locally increase the dust scale height near the inner disk wall, and we discuss several of those mechanisms; the most plausible mechanisms are either a disk warp due to interaction with the stellar magnetic field or dust entrained in funnel-flow accretion columns arising near the inner disk wall

Variation of transaminases, HCV-RNA levels and Th1/Th2 cytokine production during the post-partum period in pregnant women with chronic hepatitis C.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angeles Ruiz-Extremera

Full Text Available This study analyses the evolution of liver disease in women with chronic hepatitis C during the third trimester of pregnancy and the post-partum period, as a natural model of immune modulation and reconstitution. Of the 122 mothers recruited to this study, 89 were HCV-RNA+ve/HIV-ve and 33 were HCV-RNA-ve/HIV-ve/HCVantibody+ve and all were tested during the third trimester of pregnancy, at delivery and post-delivery. The HCV-RNA+ve mothers were categorized as either Type-A (66%, with an increase in ALT levels in the post-partum period (>40 U/L; P<0.001 or as Type-B (34%, with no variation in ALT values. The Type-A mothers also presented a significant decrease in serum HCV-RNA levels in the post-delivery period (P<0.001 and this event was concomitant with an increase in Th1 cytokine levels (INFγ, P = 0.04; IL12, P = 0.01 and IL2, P = 0.01. On the other hand, the Type-B mothers and the HCV-RNA-ve women presented no variations in either of these parameters. However, they did present higher Th1 cytokine levels in the partum period (INFγ and IL2, P<0.05 than both the Type-A and the HCV-RNA-ve women. Cytokine levels at the moment of delivery do not constitute a risk factor associated with HCV vertical transmission. It is concluded that differences in the ALT and HCV-RNA values observed in HCV-RNA+ve women in the postpartum period might be due to different ratios of Th1 cytokine production. In the Type-B women, the high partum levels of Th1 cytokines and the absence of post-partum variation in ALT and HCV-RNA levels may be related to permanent Th1 cytokine stimulation.

Polar cap contraction and expansion during a period of substorms

Science.gov (United States)

Aikio, Anita; Pitkänen, Timo; Honkonen, Ilja; Palmroth, Minna; Amm, Olaf

We have studied the variations in the polar cap area and related parameters during a period of four substorms on February 18, 2004, following an extended quiet period. The measurements were obtained by the EISCAT incoherent scatter radars, MIRACLE magnetometers, Geotail and solar wind satellites. In addition, the event is modeled by the GUMICS-4 MHD simulation. By using the measured and modeled data, the dayside and nightside reconnection voltages are calculated. The results show a good general agreement in the polar cap boundary (PCB) location as estimated by the EISCAT radars and the GUMICS simulation. Deviations are found, too, like shorter durations of expansion phases in the simulation. Geotail measurements of the inclination angle of the magnetic field in the tail (Xgsm= -22 Re) agree with the PCB latitude variations measured by EISCAT at a different MLT. We conclude that a large polar cap corresponds to a stretched tail configuration in the near-Earth tail and a small polar cap to a more dipolar configuration. The substorm onsets took place during southward IMF. A specific feature is that the substorm expansion phases were not associated with significant contractions of the polar cap. Even though nightside reconnection voltages started to increase during expansion phases, maximum closure of open flux took place in the recovery phases. We shortly discuss implications of the observation to the definition of the recovery phase.

Delimitation of the warm and cold period of the year based on the variation of the Aegean sea surface temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. MAVRAKIS

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Knowledge of the warm and cold season onset is important for the living conditions and the occupational activities of the inhabitants of a given area, and especially for agriculture and tourism. This paper presents a way to estimate the onset/end of the cold and warm period of the year, based on the sinusoidal annual variation of the Sea Surface Temperature. The method was applied on data from 8 stations of the Hellenic Navy Hydrographic Service, covering the period from 1965-1995. The results showed that the warm period starts sometime between April 28th and May 21st while it ends between October 27th and November 19th in accordance with the findings of other studies. Characteristic of the nature of the parameter used is the very low variance per station – 15 days at maximum. The average date of warm period onset is statistically the same for the largest part of the Aegean, with only one differentiation, that between Kavala and the southern stations ( Thira and Heraklion.

Projected changes to short- and long-duration precipitation extremes over the Canadian Prairie Provinces

Science.gov (United States)

Masud, M. B.; Khaliq, M. N.; Wheater, H. S.

2017-09-01

The effects of climate change on April-October short- and long-duration precipitation extremes over the Canadian Prairie Provinces were evaluated using a multi-Regional Climate Model (RCM) ensemble available through the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program. Simulations considered include those performed with six RCMs driven by the National Centre for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis II product for the 1981-2000 period and those driven by four Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCMs) for the current 1971-2000 and future 2041-2070 periods (i.e. a total of 11 current-to-future period simulation pairs). A regional frequency analysis approach was used to develop 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, and 50-year return values of precipitation extremes from NCEP and AOGCM-driven current and future period simulations that respectively were used to study the performance of RCMs and projected changes for selected return values at regional, grid-cell and local scales. Performance errors due to internal dynamics and physics of RCMs studied for the 1981-2000 period reveal considerable variation in the performance of the RCMs. However, the performance errors were found to be much smaller for RCM ensemble averages than for individual RCMs. Projected changes in future climate to selected regional return values of short-duration (e.g. 15- and 30-min) precipitation extremes and for longer return periods (e.g. 50-year) were found to be mostly larger than those to the longer duration (e.g. 24- and 48-h) extremes and short return periods (e.g. 2-year). Overall, projected changes in precipitation extremes were larger for southeastern regions followed by southern and northern regions and smaller for southwestern and western regions of the study area. The changes to return values were also found to be statistically significant for the majority of the RCM-AOGCM simulation pairs. These projections might be useful as a key input for the future planning of urban

Genetic variation in bovine milk fat composition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stoop, W.M.

2009-01-01

In her thesis, Stoop shows that there is considerable genetic variation in milk fat composition, which opens opportunities to improve milk fat composition by selective breeding. Short and medium chain fatty acids had high heritabilities, whereas variation due to herd (mainly feed effects) was

Study of poly hydrocarbons compounds (PAH) in air particulates and their variations in several periods of the year in Damascus city

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Masri, M. S.; Al-Kharfan, K.; Mahzia, Y.; Ibrahim, S.

2012-01-01

A study of poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) associated with suspended particulate and their variations in several periods of the year in several sites locations in Damascus City during the period of 2008-2009 was carried out. The studied sites were Zablatani (Ahdaasharea), Mohafaza square, Roken Eddin (Shamdine square) and Mezh (near AlAkram mosque), in addition to Soja as a reference site. The average concentrations of PAH associated with total particulates ranged between 0.97-70.11 ng/m3, which are higher than the average concentrations in the reference site (0.0013-0.75 ng/m3). Also, results have showed that the concentrations were maximal in the dry period comparing with the wet period, while they increased in the day period by 42% in comparison with the night period and decreased in the holidays, which indicates the impact of the traffic. In addition, the highest concentrations were recorded in Zablatani location in all study stages. On the other hand, the results of distribution study of the PAHs according to particle size showed that 81.65-93.51% of the total concentration of these compounds were associated with respiratory particulates (PM10). (author)

Use of 7Be to document soil erosion associated with a short period of extreme rainfall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sepulveda, A.; Schuller, P.; Walling, D.E.; Castillo, A.

2008-01-01

Intensification and expansion of agricultural production since the 1970s have increased soil erosion problems in south-central Chile. Quantitative information on soil loss is needed for erosion risk assessment and to establish the effectiveness of improved land management practices. Since information from traditional sources, such as erosion plots, is limited, attention has been directed to the use of environmental radionuclides for documenting erosion rates. Cs-137 has been successfully utilised for this purpose, but only provides information on medium-term erosion rates. There is also a need to document event-related soil erosion. This paper outlines the basis for using 7 Be measurements to document short-term erosion and reports its successful use for quantifying the erosion that occurred within an arable field, as a result of a period of heavy rainfall (400 mm in 27 days) occurring in May 2005. The study field had been under a no-till, no-burning system for 18 years, but immediately prior to the period of heavy rainfall the harvest residues were burnt. The erosion recorded therefore reflected both the extreme nature of the rainfall and the effects of the burning in increasing surface runoff and erosion. The sampled area corresponded to that used previously by the authors to document the medium-term erosion rates associated with both conventional tillage and the subsequent switch to a no-till system. Comparisons between the erosion documented for the period of heavy rainfall in 2005 with these medium-term erosion rates permits some tentative conclusions regarding the importance of extreme events and the impact of burning in increasing the erosion associated with the no-till system

Filipino DNA variation at 12 X-chromosome short tandem repeat markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Salvador, Jazelyn M; Apaga, Dame Loveliness T; Delfin, Frederick C; Calacal, Gayvelline C; Dennis, Sheila Estacio; De Ungria, Maria Corazon A

2018-06-08

Demands for solving complex kinship scenarios where only distant relatives are available for testing have risen in the past years. In these instances, other genetic markers such as X-chromosome short tandem repeat (X-STR) markers are employed to supplement autosomal and Y-chromosomal STR DNA typing. However, prior to use, the degree of STR polymorphism in the population requires evaluation through generation of an allele or haplotype frequency population database. This population database is also used for statistical evaluation of DNA typing results. Here, we report X-STR data from 143 unrelated Filipino male individuals who were genotyped via conventional polymerase chain reaction-capillary electrophoresis (PCR-CE) using the 12 X-STR loci included in the Investigator ® Argus X-12 kit (Qiagen) and via massively parallel sequencing (MPS) of seven X-STR loci included in the ForenSeq ™ DNA Signature Prep kit of the MiSeq ® FGx ™ Forensic Genomics System (Illumina). Allele calls between PCR-CE and MPS systems were consistent (100% concordance) across seven overlapping X-STRs. Allele and haplotype frequencies and other parameters of forensic interest were calculated based on length (PCR-CE, 12 X-STRs) and sequence (MPS, seven X-STRs) variations observed in the population. Results of our study indicate that the 12 X-STRs in the PCR-CE system are highly informative for the Filipino population. MPS of seven X-STR loci identified 73 X-STR alleles compared with 55 X-STR alleles that were identified solely by length via PCR-CE. Of the 73 sequence-based alleles observed, six alleles have not been reported in the literature. The population data presented here may serve as a reference Philippine frequency database of X-STRs for forensic casework applications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A passive method for the determination of the equilibrium factor between radon gas and its short period progeny

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, Fabio O.; Canoba, Analia C.

2001-01-01

Due to the radiological importance of 222 Rn gas and its progeny of short period it is extremely necessary to count with an adequate methodology for the determination of its concentration in the different atmospheres in which human activity is developed. In this work a method was developed to determine the concentration of 222 Rn gas and the equilibrium factor between the concentration of the gas and its descendants, by means of a single device that has two Makrofol passive tracks detector. This device is completely passive and integrating, conditions that make it very appropriate to be used in any atmospheres in which human activity is developed, for example in houses, schools, places of work, underground mines, etc. (author)

Magneto-transport studies of InAs/GaSb short period superlattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broadley, Victoria Jane

2002-01-01

This thesis studies the transport properties of short period semiconducting InAs/GaSb superlattices in the presence of strong electric and magnetic fields applied parallel to the growth axis. Electrical transport parallel to the growth axis occurs through the superlattice miniband, which have widths varying from three to 30meV. Resonant scattering between confined Landau levels and Stark levels is observed at low temperatures (4.2K). In addition LO-phonon assisted scattering between Landau levels is observed in both type-I GaAs/AIAs and type-ll inAs/GaSb superlattices, which are enhanced in the type-ll system due to the strong interband coupling. K·p band structure calculations show that the interband coupling causes the superlattice miniband energy dispersion to be strongly dependent on the in-plane wavevector and the applied magnetic field. For large applied electric fields, where the miniband is split into discrete Stark levels, strong stark-cyclotron resonance (SCR) features are observed, which occur when the Landau level separation equals to the stark level separation. These resonances are enhanced when compared to SCR in type-I superlattices due to the suppression of miniband conduction in higher lying Landau levels. At low electric fields electrical transport through the superlattice miniband yields characteristic miniband transport features, which are modelled using the Esaki-Tsu miniband transport model. Strong electron - LO-phonon scattering is also observed in InAs/GaSb superlattices, where we report the first observation of miniband transport assisted via the emission of LO-phonons between stark levels in adjacent wells. Below 50K thermally activated behaviour is reported and at high magnetic fields (in the quantum limit) complete localisation of carriers is observed. In this regime LO-phonon delocalised transport in also observed. (author)

Reference free phasing and representation of complex variation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jacob Malte

2017-01-01

High throughput sequencing has revolutionized our ability to interrogate genomes and entire human genomes are sequenced daily across the world. Mapping of short reads to a reference genome has enhanced our ability to detect genetic variation and is currently the most widely used technology....... Therefore, new methods for detecting variation that reduce reference bias are needed including ways of representing genomes that account for the variability within and between populations. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region is one of the most diverse and complex regions of the human genome...... to detect and call variation in humans. However, it has become evident that mapping of short reads to a single reference genome is subject to ascertainment bias (reference bias). This bias is especially pronounced in complex regions of the genome and particularly hampers detection of structural variation...

Short-range order in alloys of nickel with the elements of group VIII of the periodic table

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khwaja, F.A.

1981-08-01

Experimental measurements of the diffuse X-ray scattering intensity were performed on alloys of Ni with Rh and Os. The atomic short-range order (SRO) parameters αsub(i) and the size-effect parameters βsub(i) were calculated from these measurements. It is established that SRO and size-effect exist in Ni-Rh and Ni-Os alloys analogously as in a few other alloys of Ni with the elements of group VIII of the periodic table. The experimental data was interpreted theoretically by calculating the interaction energies from the pseudo-potentials and the effective valencies of the individual components of the systems studied. It was found that theoretically calculated values of the interaction energies for these alloys are inconsistent with the experimentally determined sign of the SRO parameter. (author)

Approximate solutions: ramps and periodic variations. Chapter 5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

The aim of reactor regulation is generally to maintain reactor power at the demand power, or to vary it slowly to attain a new demand power. On the other hand, the purpose of reactor shutdown systems (SDS) is to insert rapidly, on actuation, a large negative reactivity in order to minimize an overpower, or limit the energy released during a transient, so that fuel failure is improbable. Control mechanisms are therefore characterized by: their reactivity worth (mk), which must exceed the reactivity effect which the mechanism is designed to compensate; and their insertion rate (mk/s), which must be at least as fast as the effect to be controlled. Table 5.1 gives a summary of the various control mechanisms in a CANDU 6 reactor. The reactivity worth shown for each mechanism is the static reactivity change associated with full movement of the device. In reality, the dynamic reactivity will vary in a continuous manner, not suddenly, as assumed in the previous chapter. The realistic simulation of a reactivity insertion in the reactor must then take into account the rate of insertion of reactivity, which is governed by the insertion speed of the mechanism. We have seen in the previous chapter that it is possible to solved analytically the point-kinetics equations for constant reactivity. We could generalize these solutions to step-wise reactivity variations by linking together the analytic solutions to for a sequence of step changes. This approach is not necessarily the best from a numerical point of view. By introducing one or more simplifying assumptions, it will be possible to obtain an analytical solution of arbitrary variations in reactivity or in the external source. These assumptions will undoubtedly limit the applicability of the results, but the approximate solutions obtained will allow us to describe the reactor behaviour analytically. (author)

Finite-Difference Time-Domain Simulation of Light Propagation in 2D Periodic and Quasi-Periodic Photonic Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Dadashzadeh

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Ultra-short pulse is a promising technology for achieving ultra-high data rate transmission which is required to follow the increased demand of data transport over an optical communication system. Therefore, the propagation of such type of pulses and the effects that it may suffer during its transmission through an optical waveguide has received a great deal of attention in the recent years. We provide an overview of recent theoretical developments in a numerical modeling of Maxwell's equations to analyze the propagation of short laser pulses in photonic structures. The process of short light pulse propagation through 2D periodic and quasi-periodic photonic structures is simulated based on Finite-Difference Time-Domain calculations of Maxwell’s equations.

Deciphering Periodic Methanol Masers

Science.gov (United States)

Stecklum, Bringfried; Caratti o Garatti, Alessio; Henning, Thomas; Hodapp, Klaus; Hopp, Ulrich; Kraus, Alex; Linz, Hendrik; Sanna, Alberto; Sobolev, Andrej; Wolf, Verena

2018-05-01

Impressive progress has been made in recent years on massive star formation, yet the involved high optical depths even at submm/mm wavelengths make it difficult to reveal its details. Recently, accretion bursts of massive YSOs have been identified to cause flares of Class II methanol masers (methanol masers for short) due to enhanced mid-IR pumping. This opens a new window to protostellar accretion variability, and implies that periodic methanol masers hint at cyclic accretion. Pinning down the cause of the periodicity requires joint IR and radio monitoring. We derived the first IR light curve of a periodic maser host from NEOWISE data. The source, G107.298+5.639, is an intermediate-mass YSO hosting methanol and water masers which flare every 34.5 days. Our recent joint K-band and radio observations yielded first but marginal evidence for a phase lag between the rise of IR and maser emission, respectively, and revealed that both NEOWISE and K-band light curves are strongly affected by the light echo from the ambient dust. Both the superior resolution of IRAC over NEOWISE and the longer wavelengths compared to our ground-based imaging are required to inhibit the distractive contamination by the light echo. Thus, we ask for IRAC monitoring of G107 to cover one flare cycle, in tandem with 100-m Effelsberg and 2-m Wendelstein radio and NIR observations to obtain the first high-quality synoptic measurements of this kind of sources. The IR-maser phase lag, the intrinsic shape of the IR light curves and their possible color variation during the cycle allow us to constrain models for the periodic maser excitation. Since methanol masers are signposts of intermediate-mass and massive YSOs, deciphering their variability offers a clue to the dynamics of the accretion-mediated growth of massive stars and their feedback onto the immediate natal environment. The Spitzer light curve of such a maser-hosting YSO would be a legacy science product of the mission.

MARVELS-1b: A SHORT-PERIOD, BROWN DWARF DESERT CANDIDATE FROM THE SDSS-III MARVELS PLANET SEARCH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Brian L.; Ge Jian; Fleming, Scott W.; Mahadevan, Suvrath; Sivarani, Thirupathi; Stassun, Keivan G.; Gary, Bruce; Pepper, Joshua; Gaudi, B. Scott; Eastman, Jason D.; Siverd, Robert J.; Barnes, Rory; Laws, Chris; Wisniewski, John P.; Wright, Jason; Ghezzi, Luan; Ogando, Ricardo L. C.; Maia, Marcio A. G.; Da Costa, Luiz Nicolaci; Porto de Mello, G. F.

2011-01-01

We present a new short-period brown dwarf (BD) candidate around the star TYC 1240-00945-1. This candidate was discovered in the first year of the Multi-object APO Radial Velocity Exoplanets Large-area Survey (MARVELS), which is part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) III, and we designate the BD as MARVELS-1b. MARVELS uses the technique of dispersed fixed-delay interferometery to simultaneously obtain radial velocity (RV) measurements for 60 objects per field using a single, custom-built instrument that is fiber fed from the SDSS 2.5 m telescope. From our 20 RV measurements spread over a ∼370 day time baseline, we derive a Keplerian orbital fit with semi-amplitude K = 2.533 ± 0.025 km s -1 , period P = 5.8953 ± 0.0004 days, and eccentricity consistent with circular. Independent follow-up RV data confirm the orbit. Adopting a mass of 1.37 ± 0.11 M sun for the slightly evolved F9 host star, we infer that the companion has a minimum mass of 28.0 ± 1.5 M Jup , a semimajor axis 0.071 ± 0.002 AU assuming an edge-on orbit, and is probably tidally synchronized. We find no evidence for coherent intrinsic variability of the host star at the period of the companion at levels greater than a few millimagnitudes. The companion has an a priori transit probability of ∼14%. Although we find no evidence for transits, we cannot definitively rule them out for companion radii ∼ Jup .

Short- and long-term reproducibility of radioisotopic examination of gastric emptying

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jonderko, K. (Silesian School of Medicine, Katowice (Poland). Dept. of Gastroenterology)

1990-01-01

Reproducibility of gastric emptying (GE) of a radiolabelled solid meal was assessed. The short-term reproducibility was evaluated on the basis of 12 paired GE examinations performed 1-3 days apart. Twelve paired GE examinations taken 3-8 months apart enabled long-term reproducibility assessment. Reproducibility of GE parameters was expressed in terms of the coefficient of variation, CV. No significant between-day variation of solid GE was found either regarding the short-term or the long-term reproducibility. Although slightly higher CV values characterized the long-term reproducibility of the GE parameters considered, the variations of the differences between repeated GE examinations did not differ significantly between short- and long-term GE reproducibility. The results obtained justify the use of radioisotopic GE measurement for the assessment of early and late results of pharmacologic or surgical management. (author).

Evidence of negative electrorefraction in type-II GaAs/GaAlAs short-period superlattice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shchukin, V A; Ledentsov, N N; Karachinsky, L Ya; Novikov, I I; Egorov, A Yu; Blokhin, S A; Maximov, M V; Gordeev, N Yu; Kulagina, M M; Ustinov, V M

2015-01-01

A type-II GaAs/GaAlAs short-period superlattice (SPSL) used as an electro-optic medium for the spectral range 820–850 nm is studied in a vertical microcavity geometry. SPSL is sandwiched between two GaAlAs distributed Bragg reflectors. Optical power reflectance (OR) spectra are measured as a function of applied reverse bias at different tilt angles and temperatures. All spectra reveal a blue shift of the reflectivity dip upon applied voltage which evidences a negative electrorefraction of the electro-optic medium. The shift enhances up to ∼0.6 nm once the exciton resonance is brought close to the wavelength of the reflectivity dip. As opposed to those modulators based on quantum–confined Stark effect, no increased absorption is observed at an applied bias, because the integrated intensity of the reflectivity dip in the OR spectra is virtually constant. This indicates a low absorption loss with applied bias and consequently a high potential for the increased dynamic range of the related modulator. (paper)

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

Response of noctilucent cloud brightness to daily solar variations

Science.gov (United States)

Dalin, P.; Pertsev, N.; Perminov, V.; Dubietis, A.; Zadorozhny, A.; Zalcik, M.; McEachran, I.; McEwan, T.; Černis, K.; Grønne, J.; Taustrup, T.; Hansen, O.; Andersen, H.; Melnikov, D.; Manevich, A.; Romejko, V.; Lifatova, D.

2018-04-01

For the first time, long-term data sets of ground-based observations of noctilucent clouds (NLC) around the globe have been analyzed in order to investigate a response of NLC to solar UV irradiance variability on a day-to-day scale. NLC brightness has been considered versus variations of solar Lyman-alpha flux. We have found that day-to-day solar variability, whose effect is generally masked in the natural NLC variability, has a statistically significant effect when considering large statistics for more than ten years. Average increase in day-to-day solar Lyman-α flux results in average decrease in day-to-day NLC brightness that can be explained by robust physical mechanisms taking place in the summer mesosphere. Average time lags between variations of Lyman-α flux and NLC brightness are short (0-3 days), suggesting a dominant role of direct solar heating and of the dynamical mechanism compared to photodissociation of water vapor by solar Lyman-α flux. All found regularities are consistent between various ground-based NLC data sets collected at different locations around the globe and for various time intervals. Signatures of a 27-day periodicity seem to be present in the NLC brightness for individual summertime intervals; however, this oscillation cannot be unambiguously retrieved due to inevitable periods of tropospheric cloudiness.

Pulsations and period variations of the δ Scuti star AN Lyncis in a possible three-body system

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Gang; Fu, Jianning; Su, Jie; Fox-Machado, Lester; Michel, Raul; Guo, Zhen; Liu, Jinzhong; Feng, Guojie

2018-01-01

Observations for the δ Scuti star AN Lyn have been made between 2008 and 2016 with the 85-cm telescope at Xinglong station of National Astronomical Observatories of China, the 84-cm telescope at SPM Observatory of Mexico and the Nanshan One metre Wide field Telescope of Xinjiang Observatory of China. Data in V in 50 nights and in R in 34 nights are obtained in total. The bi-site observations from both Xinglong Station and SPM Observatory in 2014 are analysed with Fourier Decomposition to detect pulsation frequencies. Two independent frequencies are resolved, including one non-radial mode. A number of stellar model tracks are constructed with the MESA code and the fit of frequencies leads to the best-fitting model with the stellar mass of M = 1.70 ± 0.05 M⊙, the metallicity abundance of Z = 0.020 ± 0.001, the age of 1.33 ± 0.01 billion years and the period change rate 1/P · dP/dt = 1.06 × 10-9 yr-1, locating the star at the evolutionary stage close to the terminal age main sequence. The O-C diagram provides the period change rate of (1/P)(dP/dt) = 4.5(8) × 10-7 yr-1. However, the period change rate calculated from the models is smaller in two orders than the one derived from the O-C diagram. Together with the sinusoidal function signature, the period variations are regarded to be dominated by the light-travel time effect of the orbital motion of a three-body system with two low-luminosity components, rather than the stellar evolutionary effect.

Short-term predictability of crude oil markets: A detrended fluctuation analysis approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez-Ramirez, Jose; Alvarez, Jesus; Rodriguez, Eduardo

2008-01-01

This paper analyzes the auto-correlations of international crude oil prices on the basis of the estimation of the Hurst exponent dynamics for returns over the period from 1987 to 2007. In doing so, a model-free statistical approach - detrended fluctuation analysis - that reduces the effects of non-stationary market trends and focuses on the intrinsic auto-correlation structure of market fluctuations over different time horizons, is used. Tests for time variations of the Hurst exponent indicate that over long horizons the crude oil market is consistent with the efficient market hypothesis. However, meaningful auto-correlations cannot be excluded for time horizons smaller than one month where the Hurst exponent manifests cyclic, non-periodic dynamics. This means that the market exhibits a time-varying short-term inefficient behavior that becomes efficient in the long term. The proposed methodology and its findings are put in perspective with previous studies and results. (author)

On Quasi-Periodic Brightness Variations of P Cygni

Science.gov (United States)

Kochiashvili, N.; Beradze, S.; Natsvlishvili, R.; Kochiashvili, I.; Vardosanidze, M.; Pannicke, A.

2018-03-01

Until recent decades, it was considered that all Luminous Blue Variables are single massive and high luminosity stars. Now for several of them a companion has been found. The opinion exists that P Cygni also has a companion with an orbital period of about seven years. In accordance with this hypothesis, a known powerful eruption occurred near the periastron point. P Cygni, as well as several other well-known Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) stars, is a so-called "Supernova Impostor" because it survived after a powerful outburst. However, there were cases during the last decade when a LBV star survived after a powerful giant eruption, and then after a few years, explode as a supernova. Because the real reason for the great eruption and characteristic light variability of LBV, including P Cygni, is not established yet, any kind of photometric and spectral observational data is very significant. We present the results of analysis of the long-term photometric observations of hypergiant P Cygni. On the basis of these data, different quasi-periodic brightness changes of the star were revealed.

Site characterization and validation - Head variations during the entire experimental period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haigh, D.; Brightman, M.; Black, J.; Parry, S.

1992-01-01

The site characterization and validation project lasted for five years from 1986 to 1991. It consisted of a number of experiments within the region known as the SCV site. During this period of experimentation a monitoring system was established within the mine for the purpose of measuring the variation of head at a number of locations within and around the site. The system installed was based around a set of equipment known as a Piezomac TM system. In this system there is one central pressure transducer and each borehole interval is connected to it in turn. It can measure up to 55 separate points during each measurement 'cycle'. Monitoring points were either complete boreholes or sections of boreholes isolated by packers. In order to produce reasonable file size, data sets were screened. The results show that the SCV site was always responding to some form of hydrogeological disturbance. Many key tests were performed against changing background trends. This was particularly so of the simulated drift experiment and the large scale crosshole tests. However, some estimates of long term equilibrium heads before and after excavation of the validation drift have been made. Contoured plots of heads before and after show significant reduction of steady state heads as a result of drift excavation. Furthermore contouring the estimated long term drawdowns responding to the simulated drift experiment shows the specific influence of the H zone and the A/B zone. Overall the results of the monitoring show that the mine was a very active hydrogeological environment during the experimentation. Additionally it was often very difficult to clearly identify the causes of such disturbances. (au)

Amplitude Variations in Pulsating Red Giants. II. Some Systematics

Science.gov (United States)

Percy, J. R.; Laing, J.

2017-12-01

In order to extend our previous studies of the unexplained phenomenon of cyclic amplitude variations in pulsating red giants, we have used the AAVSO time-series analysis package vstar to analyze long-term AAVSO visual observations of 50 such stars, mostly Mira stars. The relative amount of the variation, typically a factor of 1.5, and the time scale of the variation, typically 20-35 pulsation periods, are not significantly different in longer-period, shorter-period, and carbon stars in our sample, and they also occur in stars whose period is changing secularly, perhaps due to a thermal pulse. The time scale of the variations is similar to that in smaller-amplitude SR variables, but the relative amount of the variation appears to be larger in smaller-amplitude stars, and is therefore more conspicuous. The cause of the amplitude variations remains unclear, though they may be due to rotational modulation of a star whose pulsating surface is dominated by the effects of large convective cells.

Shock dynamics in layered periodic media

KAUST Repository

Ketcheson, David I.; Leveque, Randall J.

2012-01-01

of shock waves in a one-dimensional periodic layered medium by a computational study of time-reversibility and entropy evolution. We find that periodic layered media tend to inhibit shock formation. For small initial conditions and large impedance variation

Periodic Variation of the North-South Asymmetry of Solar Activity ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. We report here a study of various solar activity phenomena occurring in both north and south hemispheres of the Sun during solar cycles 8-23. In the study we have used sunspot data for the period 1832—. 1976, flare index data for the period 1936-1993, Hα flare data 1993-1998 and solar active prominences data ...

IUE spectrophotometry of the DA4 primary in the short-period white dwarf-red dwarf spectroscopic binary Case 1

Science.gov (United States)

Sion, E. M.; Guinan, E. F.; Wesemael, F.

1984-01-01

Low-resolution ultraviolet International Ultraviolet Explorer spectra of the DA white dwarf Case 1 are presented. The spectra show the presence of the 1400 A feature, already discovered in several other DA stars, and of a shallower trough in the 1550-1700 A range. A model atmosphere analysis of the ultraviolet energy distribution of the Ly-alpha red wing yields T(e) = 13,000 + or - 500 K. Possible interpretations of the 1400 A feature are reviewed. Case 1 is the coolest white dwarf found in a short-period, detached white dwarf-red dwarf binary, and its cooling time is consistent with estimates of the efficiency of angular momentum removal mechanisms in the phases subsequent to common envelope binary evolution.

Temporal variation in bat-fruit interactions: Foraging strategies influence network structure over time

Science.gov (United States)

Zapata-Mesa, Natalya; Montoya-Bustamante, Sebastián; Murillo-García, Oscar E.

2017-11-01

Mutualistic interactions, such as seed dispersal, are important for the maintenance of structure and stability of tropical communities. However, there is a lack of information about spatial and temporal variation in plant-animal interaction networks. Thus, our goal was to assess the effect of bat's foraging strategies on temporal variation in the structure and robustness of bat-fruit networks in both a dry and a rain tropical forest. We evaluated monthly variation in bat-fruit networks by using seven structure metrics: network size, average path length, nestedness, modularity, complementary specialization, normalized degree and betweenness centrality. Seed dispersal networks showed variations in size, species composition and modularity; did not present nested structures and their complementary specialization was high compared to other studies. Both networks presented short path lengths, and a constantly high robustness, despite their monthly variations. Sedentary bat species were recorded during all the study periods and occupied more central positions than nomadic species. We conclude that foraging strategies are important structuring factors that affect the dynamic of networks by determining the functional roles of frugivorous bats over time; thus sedentary bats are more important than nomadic species for the maintenance of the network structure, and their conservation is a must.

New variational principles for locating periodic orbits of differential equations.

Science.gov (United States)

Boghosian, Bruce M; Fazendeiro, Luis M; Lätt, Jonas; Tang, Hui; Coveney, Peter V

2011-06-13

We present new methods for the determination of periodic orbits of general dynamical systems. Iterative algorithms for finding solutions by these methods, for both the exact continuum case, and for approximate discrete representations suitable for numerical implementation, are discussed. Finally, we describe our approach to the computation of unstable periodic orbits of the driven Navier-Stokes equations, simulated using the lattice Boltzmann equation.

Midterm Periodicity Analysis of the Mount Wilson Magnetic Indices Using the Synchrosqueezing Transform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Song; Wang, Feng; Deng, Hui; Yang, Yunfei [Yunnan Key Laboratory of Computer Technology Application/Faculty of Information Engineering and Automation, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500 (China); Yu, Lan, E-mail: ynkmfs@escience.cn [Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Yunnan Land and Resources Vocational College, Kunming 650217 (China)

2017-08-10

A novel time–frequency technique, called the synchrosqueezing transform (SST), is used to investigate the midterm periodic variations of magnetic fields on the solar surface. The Magnetic Plage Strength Index (MPSI) and the Mount Wilson Sunspot Index (MWSI), measured daily by the Mount Wilson Observatory between 1970 January 19 and 2012 January 22, are selected. Short-, mid, and longer-term periodicities are represented and decomposed by the SST with hardly any mode mixing. This demonstrates that the SST is a useful time–frequency analysis technique to characterize the periodic modes of helioseismic data. Apart from the fundamental modes of the annual periodicity, ∼27 day rotational cycle and ∼11 year solar cycle, the SST reveals several midterm periodicities in the two magnetic activity indices, specifically, ∼157 days (i.e., Rieger-type periodicity), and ∼1.3 and 1.7 years. The periodic modes, with 116.4 and 276.2 day periodicity in the MPSI, 108.5 and 251.6 day periodicity in the MWSI, and 157.7 day periodicity in the two indices, are in better accord with those significant periodicities derived from the Rossby waves theoretical model. This study suggests that the modes are caused by Rossby waves. For the 1.30 and 1.71 year periodicity of the MPSI, and the 1.33 and 1.67 year periodicity of the MWSI, our analysis infers that they are related to those periodicities with the same timescale in the interior of the Sun and in the high atmospheric layers.

Circadian variation in dominant atrial fibrillation frequency in persistent atrial fibrillation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandberg, Frida; Stridh, Martin; Sörnmo, Leif; Bollmann, Andreas; Husser, Daniela

2010-01-01

Circadian variation in atrial fibrillation (AF) frequency is explored in this paper by employing recent advances in signal processing. Once the AF frequency has been estimated and tracked by a hidden Markov model approach, the resulting trend is analyzed for the purpose of detecting and characterizing the presence of circadian variation. With cosinor analysis, the results show that the short-term variations in the AF frequency exceed the variation that may be attributed to circadian. Using the autocorrelation method, circadian variation was found in 13 of 18 ambulatory ECG recordings (Holter) acquired from patients with long-standing persistent AF. Using the ensemble correlation method, the highest AF frequency usually occurred during the afternoon, whereas the lowest usually occurred during late night. It is concluded that circadian variation is present in most patients with long-standing persistent AF though the short-term variation in the AF frequency is considerable and should be taken into account

Observation of a Short Period Quasi-periodic Pulsation in Solar X-Ray, Microwave, and EUV Emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Pankaj; Cho, Kyung-Suk [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), Daejeon, 305-348 (Korea, Republic of); Nakariakov, Valery M., E-mail: pankaj@kasi.re.kr [Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

2017-02-10

This paper presents the multiwavelength analysis of a 13 s quasi-periodic pulsation (QPP) observed in hard X-ray (12–300 keV) and microwave (4.9–34 GHz) emissions during a C-class flare that occurred on 2015 September 21. Atmospheric Image Assembly (AIA) 304 and 171 Å images show an emerging loop/flux tube (L1) moving radially outward, which interacts with the preexisting structures within the active region (AR). The QPP was observed during the expansion of and rising motion of L1. The Nobeyama Radioheliograph microwave images in 17/34 GHz channels reveal a single radio source that was co-spatial with a neighboring loop (L2). In addition, using AIA 304 Å images, we detected intensity oscillations in the legs of L2 with a period of about 26 s. A similar oscillation period was observed in the GOES soft X-ray flux derivative. This oscillation period seems to increase with time. We suggest that the observed QPP is most likely generated by the interaction between L2 and L3 observed in the AIA hot channels (131 and 94 Å). The merging speed of loops L2 and L3 was ∼35 km s{sup −1}. L1 was destroyed possibly by its interaction with preexisting structures in the AR, and produced a cool jet with the speed of ∼106–118 km s{sup −1} associated with a narrow CME (∼770 km s{sup −1}). Another mechanism of the QPP in terms of a sausage oscillation of the loop (L2) is also possible.

Does exposure to GSM 900 MHz mobile phone radiation affect short-term memory of elementary school students?

Science.gov (United States)

Movvahedi, M M; Tavakkoli-Golpayegani, A; Mortazavi, S A R; Haghani, M; Razi, Z; Shojaie-Fard, M B; Zare, M; Mina, E; Mansourabadi, L; Nazari-Jahromi; Safari, A; Shokrpour, N; Mortazavi, S M J

2014-05-01

Now-a-days, children are exposed to mobile phone radiation at a very early age. We have previously shown that a large proportion of children in the city of Shiraz, Iran use mobile phones. Furthermore, we have indicated that the visual reaction time (VRT) of university students was significantly affected by a 10 min real/sham exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phone. We found that these exposures decreased the reaction time which might lead to a better response to different hazards. We have also revealed that occupational exposures to radar radiations decreased the reaction time in radar workers. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether short-term exposure of elementary school students to radiofrequency (RF) radiation leads to changes in their reaction time and short-term memory. A total of 60 elementary school children ages ranging from 8 to 10 years studying at a public elementary school in Shiraz, Iran were enrolled in this study. Standardized computer-based tests of VRT and short-term memory (modified for children) were administered. The students were asked to perform some preliminary tests for orientation with the VRT test. After orientation, to reduce the random variation of measurements, each test was repeated ten times in both real and sham exposure phases. The time interval between the two subsequent sham and real exposure phases was 30 min. The mean ± standard deviation reaction times after a 10 min talk period and after a 10 min sham exposure (switched off mobile) period were 249.0 ± 82.3 ms and 252.9 ± 68.2 ms (P = 0.629), respectively. On the other hand, the mean short-term memory scores after the talk and sham exposure periods were 1062.60 ± 305.39, and 1003.84 ± 339.68 (P = 0.030), respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show that short-term exposure of elementary school students to RF radiation leads to the better performance of their short-term memory.

Holonomic systems for period mappings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Jingyue, E-mail: jychen@brandeis.edu [Department of Mathematics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454 (United States); Huang, An, E-mail: anhuang@math.harvard.edu [Department of Mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Lian, Bong H., E-mail: lian@brandeis.edu [Department of Mathematics, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454 (United States)

2015-09-15

Period mappings were introduced in the sixties [4] to study variation of complex structures of families of algebraic varieties. The theory of tautological systems was introduced recently [7,8] to understand period integrals of algebraic manifolds. In this paper, we give an explicit construction of a tautological system for each component of a period mapping. We also show that the D-module associated with the tautological system gives rise to many interesting vanishing conditions for period integrals at certain special points of the parameter space.

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.

Short-wave albedo of a pine forest

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kessler, A.

1985-06-01

In this paper nine years of continuous records of the short-wave albedo above a Scotch pine forest in middle Europe were analysed. Special emphasis was given to the dependencies of the albedo on its diurnal variation, its annual variation, the solar altitude, the structure of the stand, the cloud cover, the soil moisture and the spectral reflectance. A long-termed trend of the albedo could not be found, e.g. caused by the stand growth. Finally the annual variation of the albedo of the Scotch pine forest was compared with measurements above different surface types in middle Europe.

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.

Half-period optical pulse generation using a free-electron laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaroszynski, D.A.; Chaix, P.; Piovella, N.

1995-01-01

Recently there has been growth, in interest in non-equilibrium interaction of half-period long optical pulses with matter. To date the optical pulses have been produced by chopping out a half-period long segment from a longer pulse using a semiconductor switch driven by a femtosecond laser. In this paper we present new methods for producing tunable ultra-short optical pulses as short as half an optical period using a free-electron laser driven by electron bunches with a duration a fraction of an optical period. Two different methods relying on the production of coherent spontaneous emission will be described. In the first method we show that when a train of ultra-short optical pulses as short as one half period. We present calculations which show that the small signal gain is unimportant in the early stages of radiation build up in the cavity when the startup process is dominated by coherent spontaneous emission. To support our proposed method we present encouraging experimental results from the FELIX experiment in the Netherlands which show that interference effects between the coherent spontaneous optical pulses at start-up are very important. The second proposed method relies on the fact that coherent spontaneous emission mimics the undulations of electrons as they pass through the undulator. We show that ultra-short optical pulses are produced by coherent spontaneous emission when ultra-short electron bunches pass through an ultra-short undulator. We discuss the interesting case of such undulator radiation in the presence of an optical cavity and show that the optical pulse can be open-quotes tayloredclose quotes by simply adjusting the optical cavity desynchronism. The proposed methods may be realisable using existing rf driven FELs in the far-infrared

Nitrogen fertilization and yield formation of potato during a short growing period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. MUSTONEN

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The effects various rates of nitrogen application on accumulation of dry matter and nitrogen in potato (Solanum tuberosum L. were studied during a short growing period of 140–180 days, at MTT Agrifood Research Finland in 2000–2001. The treatments were 0, 60 and 120 kg N ha-1 and the potato cultivars tested were Van Gogh and Nicola. Four successive harvests were made during the course of the experiment to monitor changes in the accumulation of dry matter and nitrogen over the season. Applications of nitrogen substantially increased haulm dry matter accumulation and to an even greater extent their nitrogen contents. The highest dry matter values were generally registered at 120 kg N ha-1. Dry matter and nitrogen content of haulms started to decline during the later part of season and most nitrogen was relocated to tubers. The results suggest that an application of only 60 kg N ha-1 was sufficient to promote rapid canopy development and there were only small reductions in dry matter and nitrogen accumulation until late in the season when the canopy started to senesce as nitrogen supply diminished. Tuber yield, plant dry matter and nitrogen accumulation at maturity were related to crop nitrogen supply. Although application of the high rate, 120 N kg ha-1, resulted in a significant increase in dry matter accumulation, this was not reflected in the profit because the higher nitrogen application reduced dry matter content of tubers by 2.6% in 2000 and by 1.1% in 2001 relative to the use of 60 kg N ha-1. Apparent fertilizer nitrogen recovery values on a whole plant basis ranged from 53 to 75%. The proportion of fertilizer recovered in tubers clearly declined with increase in nitrogen supply.;

Detecting atmospheric normal modes with periods less than 6 h by barometric observations

Science.gov (United States)

Ermolenko, S. I.; Shved, G. M.; Jacobi, Ch.

2018-04-01

The theory of atmospheric normal modes (ANMs) predicts the existence of relatively short-period gravity-inertia ANMs. Simultaneous observations of surface air-pressure variations by barometers at distant stations of the Global Geodynamics Project network during an interval of 6 months were used to detect individual gravity-inertia ANMs with periods of ∼2-5 h. Evidence was found for five ANMs with a lifetime of ∼10 days. The data of the stations, which are close in both latitude and longitude, were utilized for deriving the phases of the detected ANMs. The phases revealed wave propagation to the west and increase of zonal wavenumbers with frequency. As all the detected gravity-inertia ANMs are westward propagating, they are suggested to be generated due to the breakdown of migrating solar tides and/or large-scale Rossby waves. The existence of an ANM background will complicate the detection of the translational motions of the Earth's inner core.

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)

Enormous periodic doppler shifts in SS 433

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margon, B.; Ford, H.C.; Grandi, S.A.; Stone, R.P.S.

1979-01-01

We have previously reported prominent ''moving' emission lines in the visible spectrum of Stephenson-Sanduleak 433, the optical counterpart of a variable radio and X-ray source. Further observations show that despite the implausible velocities and changes in velocities implied if the moving features are interpreted as Doppler-shifted Balmer lines, this explanation is indeed correct. Spectroscopy of SS 433 on 51 mights in 1978--1979 reveals that the unidentified features are two sets of Balmer and He I lines, one with large and changing redshift, and the other with large and changing blueshift. Combining our data with published earlier observations, we obtain Doppler shifts on 80 nights in the period 1978 June to 1979 June. These data indicate that the velocity variations are cyclical, repeating in both the blueshift and redshift systems with a period of 164 +- 3 days. The two systems have thus far been observed to reach maximum positive and negative radial velocities of +50,000 and -35,000 km s -1 , respectively, are always symmetric about redshift z=0.04, and follow roughly sinusoidal velocity curves. We discuss in addition a variety of interesting short-term spectroscopic details, including minor but highly significant deviations of the radial velocity from the sinusoid, and nightly line profile changes, sometimes appearing as mirror-image events in the redshift and blueshift systems. The behavior of SS 433 is unprecedented

Correlation between Very Short and Short-Term Blood Pressure Variability in Diabetic-Hypertensive and Healthy Subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Casali, Karina R; Schaan, Beatriz D; Montano, Nicola; Massierer, Daniela; M F Neto, Flávio; Teló, Gabriela H; Ledur, Priscila S; Reinheimer, Marilia; Sbruzzi, Graciele; Gus, Miguel

2018-02-01

Blood pressure (BP) variability can be evaluated by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (24h-ABPM), but its concordance with results from finger BP measurement (FBPM) has not been established yet. The aim of this study was to compare parameters of short-term (24h-ABPM) with very short-term BP variability (FBPM) in healthy (C) and diabetic-hypertensive (DH) subjects. Cross-sectional study with 51 DH subjects and 12 C subjects who underwent 24h-ABPM [extracting time-rate, standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV)] and short-term beat-to-beat recording at rest and after standing-up maneuvers [FBPM, extracting BP and heart rate (HR) variability parameters in the frequency domain, autoregressive spectral analysis]. Spearman correlation coefficient was used to correlate BP and HR variability parameters obtained from both FBPM and 24h-ABPM (divided into daytime, nighttime, and total). Statistical significance was set at p ABPM) and LF component of short-term variability (FBPM, total, R = 0.591, p = 0.043); standard deviation (24h-ABPM) with LF component BPV (FBPM, total, R = 0.608, p = 0.036), coefficient of variation (24h-ABPM) with total BPV (FBPM, daytime, -0.585, p = 0.046) and alpha index (FBPM, daytime, -0.592, p = 0.043), time rate (24h-ABPM) and delta LF/HF (FBPM, total, R = 0.636, p = 0.026; daytime R = 0,857, p ABPM (total, daytime) reflect BP and HR variability evaluated by FBPM in healthy individuals. This does not apply for DH subjects.

Rapid Gene Turnover as a Significant Source of Genetic Variation in a Recently Seeded Population of a Healthcare-Associated Pathogen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucía Graña-Miraglia

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Genome sequencing has been useful to gain an understanding of bacterial evolution. It has been used for studying the phylogeography and/or the impact of mutation and recombination on bacterial populations. However, it has rarely been used to study gene turnover at microevolutionary scales. Here, we sequenced Mexican strains of the human pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii sampled from the same locale over a 3 year period to obtain insights into the microevolutionary dynamics of gene content variability. We found that the Mexican A. baumannii population was recently founded and has been emerging due to a rapid clonal expansion. Furthermore, we noticed that on average the Mexican strains differed from each other by over 300 genes and, notably, this gene content variation has accrued more frequently and faster than the accumulation of mutations. Moreover, due to its rapid pace, gene content variation reflects the phylogeny only at very short periods of time. Additionally, we found that the external branches of the phylogeny had almost 100 more genes than the internal branches. All in all, these results show that rapid gene turnover has been of paramount importance in producing genetic variation within this population and demonstrate the utility of genome sequencing to study alternative forms of genetic variation.

Modeling fish community dynamics in Florida Everglades: Role of temperature variation

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Rabai'ah, H. A.; Koh, H. L.; DeAngelis, Donald L.; Lee, Hooi-Ling

2002-01-01

Temperature variation is an important factor in Everglade wetlands ecology. A temperature fluctuation from 17°C to 32°C recorded in the Everglades may have significant impact on fish dynamics. The short life cycles of some of Everglade fishes has rendered this temperature variation to have even more impacts on the ecosystem. Fish population dynamic models, which do not explicitly consider seasonal oscillations in temperature, may fail to describe the details of such a population. Hence, a model for fish in freshwater marshes of the Florida Everglades that explicitly incorporates seasonal temperature variations is developed. The model's main objective is to assess the temporal pattern of fish population and densities through time subject to temperature variations. Fish population is divided into 2 functional groups (FGs) consisting of small fishes; each group is subdivided into 5-day age classes during their life cycles. Many governing sub-modules are set directly or indirectly to be temperature dependent. Growth, fecundity, prey availability, consumption rates and mortality are examples. Several mortality sub-modules are introduced in the model, of which starvation mortality is set to be proportional to the ratio of prey needed to prey available at that particular time step. As part of the calibration process, the model is run for 50 years to ensure that fish densities do not go to extinction, while the simulation period is about 8 years.

Short-term memories with a stochastic perturbation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pontes, Jose C.A. de; Batista, Antonio M.; Viana, Ricardo L.; Lopes, Sergio R.

2005-01-01

We investigate short-term memories in linear and weakly nonlinear coupled map lattices with a periodic external input. We use locally coupled maps to present numerical results about short-term memory formation adding a stochastic perturbation in the maps and in the external input

Long-Period Variability in o Ceti

Science.gov (United States)

Templeton, Matthew R.; Karovska, Margarita

2009-02-01

We carried out a new and sensitive search for long-period variability in the prototype of the Mira class of long-period pulsating variables, o Ceti (Mira A), the closest and brightest Mira variable. We conducted this search using an unbroken light curve from 1902 to the present, assembled from the visual data archives of five major variable star observing organizations from around the world. We applied several time-series analysis techniques to search for two specific kinds of variability: long secondary periods (LSPs) longer than the dominant pulsation period of ~333 days, and long-term period variation in the dominant pulsation period itself. The data quality is sufficient to detect coherent periodic variations with photometric amplitudes of 0.05 mag or less. We do not find evidence for coherent LSPs in o Ceti to a limit of 0.1 mag, where the amplitude limit is set by intrinsic, stochastic, low-frequency variability of approximately 0.1 mag. We marginally detect a slight modulation of the pulsation period similar in timescale to that observed in the Miras with meandering periods, but with a much lower period amplitude of ±2 days. However, we do find clear evidence of a low-frequency power-law component in the Fourier spectrum of o Ceti's long-term light curve. The amplitude of this stochastic variability is approximately 0.1 mag at a period of 1000 days, and it exhibits a turnover for periods longer than this. This spectrum is similar to the red noise spectra observed in red supergiants.

Gene transposition causing natural variation for growth in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Science.gov (United States)

Vlad, Daniela; Rappaport, Fabrice; Simon, Matthieu; Loudet, Olivier

2010-05-13

A major challenge in biology is to identify molecular polymorphisms responsible for variation in complex traits of evolutionary and agricultural interest. Using the advantages of Arabidopsis thaliana as a model species, we sought to identify new genes and genetic mechanisms underlying natural variation for shoot growth using quantitative genetic strategies. More quantitative trait loci (QTL) still need be resolved to draw a general picture as to how and where in the pathways adaptation is shaping natural variation and the type of molecular variation involved. Phenotypic variation for shoot growth in the Bur-0 x Col-0 recombinant inbred line set was decomposed into several QTLs. Nearly-isogenic lines generated from the residual heterozygosity segregating among lines revealed an even more complex picture, with major variation controlled by opposite linked loci and masked by the segregation bias due to the defective phenotype of SG3 (Shoot Growth-3), as well as epistasis with SG3i (SG3-interactor). Using principally a fine-mapping strategy, we have identified the underlying gene causing phenotypic variation at SG3: At4g30720 codes for a new chloroplast-located protein essential to ensure a correct electron flow through the photosynthetic chain and, hence, photosynthesis efficiency and normal growth. The SG3/SG3i interaction is the result of a structural polymorphism originating from the duplication of the gene followed by divergent paralogue's loss between parental accessions. Species-wide, our results illustrate the very dynamic rate of duplication/transposition, even over short periods of time, resulting in several divergent--but still functional-combinations of alleles fixed in different backgrounds. In predominantly selfing species like Arabidopsis, this variation remains hidden in wild populations but is potentially revealed when divergent individuals outcross. This work highlights the need for improved tools and algorithms to resolve structural variation

Modelling regional variation of first-time births in Denmark 1980-1994 by an age-period-cohort model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisbeth B. Knudsen

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Despite the small size of Denmark, there have traditionally been rather consistent regional differences in fertility rates. We apply the statistical age-period-cohort model to include the effect of these three time-related factors thereby concisely illuminating the regional differences of first-time births in Denmark. From the Fertility of Women and Couples Dataset we obtain data on number of births by nulliparous women by year (1980-1994, age (15-45 and county of residence. We show that the APC-model describes the fertility rates of nulliparous women satisfactorily. To catch the regional variation an interaction parameter between age and county is necessary, which provides a surprisingly good description suggesting that the county-specific age-distributions of first-time fertility rates differ. Our results are in general agreement with the 'moral geography' concepts of Tonboe (2001.

Modelling regional variation of first-time births in Denmark 1980-1994 by an age-period-cohort model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thygesen, Lau Caspar; Knudsen, Lisbeth B.; Keiding, Niels

2005-01-01

Despite the small size of Denmark, there have traditionally been rather consistent regional differences in fertility rates. We apply the statistical age-period-cohort model to include the effect of these three time-related factors thereby concisely illuminating the regional differences of first......-time births in Denmark. From the Fertility of Women and Couples Dataset we obtain data on number of births by nulliparous women by year (1980-1994), age (15-45) and county of residence. We show that the APC-model describes the fertility rates of nulliparous women satisfactorily. To catch the regional...... variation an interaction parameter between age and county is necessary, which provides a surprisingly good description suggesting that the county-specific age-distributions of first-time fertility rates differ. Our results are in general agreement with the 'moral geography' concepts of Tonboe (2001)....

Disentangling drought-induced variation in ecosystem and soil respiration using stable carbon isotopes.

Science.gov (United States)

Unger, Stephan; Máguas, Cristina; Pereira, João S; Aires, Luis M; David, Teresa S; Werner, Christiane

2010-08-01

Combining C flux measurements with information on their isotopic composition can yield a process-based understanding of ecosystem C dynamics. We studied the variations in both respiratory fluxes and their stable C isotopic compositions (delta(13)C) for all major components (trees, understory, roots and soil microorganisms) in a Mediterranean oak savannah during a period with increasing drought. We found large drought-induced and diurnal dynamics in isotopic compositions of soil, root and foliage respiration (delta(13)C(res)). Soil respiration was the largest contributor to ecosystem respiration (R (eco)), exhibiting a depleted isotopic signature and no marked variations with increasing drought, similar to ecosystem respired delta(13)CO(2), providing evidence for a stable C-source and minor influence of recent photosynthate from plants. Short-term and diurnal variations in delta(13)C(res) of foliage and roots (up to 8 and 4 per thousand, respectively) were in agreement with: (1) recent hypotheses on post-photosynthetic fractionation processes, (2) substrate changes with decreasing assimilation rates in combination with increased respiratory demand, and (3) decreased phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity in drying roots, while altered photosynthetic discrimination was not responsible for the observed changes in delta(13)C(res). We applied a flux-based and an isotopic flux-based mass balance, yielding good agreement at the soil scale, while the isotopic mass balance at the ecosystem scale was not conserved. This was mainly caused by uncertainties in Keeling plot intercepts at the ecosystem scale due to small CO(2) gradients and large differences in delta(13)C(res) of the different component fluxes. Overall, stable isotopes provided valuable new insights into the drought-related variations of ecosystem C dynamics, encouraging future studies but also highlighting the need of improved methodology to disentangle short-term dynamics of isotopic composition of R (eco).

Variation in levels of serum inhibin B, testosterone, estradiol, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and sex hormone-binding globulin in monthly samples from healthy men during a 17-month period

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersson, Anna-Maria; Carlsen, Elisabeth; Petersen, Jørgen Holm

2003-01-01

To obtain information on the scale of the intraindividual variation in testicular hormone, blood samples for inhibin B determination were collected monthly in 27 healthy male volunteers during a 17-month period. In addition, the traditional reproductive hormones FSH, LH, testosterone, estradiol....... A seasonal variation was observed in LH and testosterone levels, but not in the levels of the other hormones. The seasonal variation in testosterone levels could be explained by the variation in LH levels. The seasonal variation in LH levels seemed to be related to the mean air temperature during the month...... levels in men. The peak levels of both LH and testosterone were observed during June-July, with minimum levels present during winter-early spring. Air temperature, rather than light exposure, seems to be a possible climatic variable explaining the seasonal variation in LH levels....

ACTIVITY OF 50 LONG-PERIOD COMETS BEYOND 5.2 au

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sárneczky, K.; Szabó, Gy. M.; Csák, B.; Kelemen, J.; Pál, A.; Szakáts, R.; Szegedi-Elek, E.; Vida, K.; Vinkó, J.; Kiss, L. L. [Konkoly Observatory, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1121 Budapest, Konkoly Thege Miklós út 15-17 (Hungary); Marschalkó, G. [Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem, H-1117 Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, Budapest (Hungary); Szalai, T. [Department of Optics and Quantum Electronics, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Dóm tér 9 (Hungary); Székely, P. [Department of Experimental Physics, University of Szeged, Szeged H-6720, Dóm tér 9 (Hungary)

2016-12-01

Remote investigations of ancient matter in the solar system have traditionally been carried out through observations of long-period (LP) comets, which are less affected by solar irradiation than their short-period counterparts orbiting much closer to the Sun. Here we summarize the results of our decade-long survey of the distant activity of LP comets. We found that the most important separation in the data set is based on the dynamical nature of the objects. Dynamically new comets are characterized by a higher level of activity on average: the most active new comets in our sample can be characterized by Afρ values >3–4, higher than those for our most active returning comets. New comets develop more symmetric comae, suggesting a generally isotropic outflow. In contrast to this, the comae of recurrent comets can be less symmetrical, ocassionally exhibiting negative slope parameters, which suggest sudden variations in matter production. The morphological appearance of the observed comets is rather diverse. A surprisingly large fraction of the comets have long, tenuous tails, but the presence of impressive tails does not show a clear correlation with the brightness of the comets.

ACTIVITY OF 50 LONG-PERIOD COMETS BEYOND 5.2 au

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sárneczky, K.; Szabó, Gy. M.; Csák, B.; Kelemen, J.; Pál, A.; Szakáts, R.; Szegedi-Elek, E.; Vida, K.; Vinkó, J.; Kiss, L. L.; Marschalkó, G.; Szalai, T.; Székely, P.

2016-01-01

Remote investigations of ancient matter in the solar system have traditionally been carried out through observations of long-period (LP) comets, which are less affected by solar irradiation than their short-period counterparts orbiting much closer to the Sun. Here we summarize the results of our decade-long survey of the distant activity of LP comets. We found that the most important separation in the data set is based on the dynamical nature of the objects. Dynamically new comets are characterized by a higher level of activity on average: the most active new comets in our sample can be characterized by Afρ values >3–4, higher than those for our most active returning comets. New comets develop more symmetric comae, suggesting a generally isotropic outflow. In contrast to this, the comae of recurrent comets can be less symmetrical, ocassionally exhibiting negative slope parameters, which suggest sudden variations in matter production. The morphological appearance of the observed comets is rather diverse. A surprisingly large fraction of the comets have long, tenuous tails, but the presence of impressive tails does not show a clear correlation with the brightness of the comets.

Ontogeny of sensorimotor gating and short-term memory processing throughout the adolescent period in rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anja A. Goepfrich

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Adolescence and puberty are highly susceptible developmental periods during which the neuronal organization and maturation of the brain is completed. The endocannabinoid (eCB system, which is well known to modulate cognitive processing, undergoes profound and transient developmental changes during adolescence. With the present study we were aiming to examine the ontogeny of cognitive skills throughout adolescence in male rats and clarify the potential modulatory role of CB1 receptor signalling. Cognitive skills were assessed repeatedly every 10th day in rats throughout adolescence. All animals were tested for object recognition memory and prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex. Although cognitive performance in short-term memory as well as sensorimotor gating abilities were decreased during puberty compared to adulthood, both tasks were found to show different developmental trajectories throughout adolescence. A low dose of the CB1 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist SR141716 was found to improve recognition memory specifically in pubertal animals while not affecting behavioral performance at other ages tested. The present findings demonstrate that the developmental trajectory of cognitive abilities does not occur linearly for all cognitive processes and is strongly influenced by pubertal maturation. Developmental alterations within the eCB system at puberty onset may be involved in these changes in cognitive processing.

Heat flux variations over sea-ice observed at the coastal area of the Sejong Station, Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Park, S.; Choi, T.; Kim, S.

2012-12-01

This study presents variations of sensible heat flux and latent heat flux over sea-ice observed in 2011 from the 10-m flux tower located at the coast of the Sejong Station on King George Island, Antarctica. A period from June to November was divided into three parts: "Freezing", "Frozen", and "Melting" periods based on daily monitoring of sea state and hourly photos looking at the Marian Cove in front of the Sejong Station. The division of periods enabled us to look into the heat flux variations depending on the sea-ice conditions. Over freezing sea surface during the freezing period of late June, daily mean sensible heat flux was -11.9 Wm-2 and daily mean latent heat flux was +16.3 Wm-2. Over the frozen sea-ice, daily mean sensible heat flux was -10.4 Wm-2 while daily mean latent heat flux was +2.4 Wm-2. During the melting period of mid-October to early November, magnitudes of sensible heat flux increased to -14.2 Wm-2 and latent heat flux also increased to +13.5 Wm-2. In short, latent heat flux was usually upward over sea-ice most of the time while sensible heat flux was downward from atmosphere to sea-ice. Magnitudes of the fluxes were small but increased when freezing or melting of sea-ice was occurring. Especially, latent heat flux increased five to six times compared to that of "frozen" period implying that early melting of sea-ice may cause five to six times larger supply of moisture to the atmosphere.

Short-term variability of Cyg X-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oda, M.; Doi, K.; Ogawara, Y.

1976-01-01

The short-term X-ray variability distinguishes Cyg X-1, which is the most likely candidate for a black hole, from other X-ray sources. The present status of our knowledge on this short-term variation, mainly from the UHURU, the MIT and the GSFC observations, is reviewed. The nature of impulsive variations which compose the time variation exceeding the statistical fluctuation is discussed. There are indications that the energy spectrum of large pulses is harder than the average spectrum, or that the large pulses are the characteristics of the hard component of the spectrum if it is composed of two, soft and hard, components. Features of the variations may be partly simulated by the superposition of random shot-noise pulses with a fraction of a second duration. However, the autocorrelation analysis and the dynamic spectrum analysis indicate that the correlation lasts for several seconds and in the variation are buried some regularities which exhibit power concentrations in several frequency bands; 0.2-0.3, 0.4-0.5, 0.8, 1.2-1.5 Hz. There are several possible interpretations of these results in terms of; e.g. (a) a mixture of shot-noise pulses with two or more constant durations, (b) the shape of the basic shot-noise pulse, (c) bunching of the pulses, (d) superposition of wave-packets or temporal oscillations. But we have not yet reached any definite understandings in the nature of the variabilities. The substructure of the fluctuations on a time scale of milliseconds suggested by two investigations is also discussed. (Auth.)

Procedure for the delivering of personal short-term visitor dosimeters

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

Update of the administrative procedure for delivering a personal short-term visitor dosimeter to associated members of CERN’s personnel.   Associated members of the CERN personnel may request a short term visitor dosimeter if working only in Supervised Radiation Areas and for a period of less than two months in a calendar year. Such a dosimeter is delivered without the need to provide the usual regular documents: radiation passport, certificate from the home institute or medical certificate. Periodic verification will ensure that holders of these personal dosimeters do not exceed the maximum allowed personal dose for this type of dosimeter, which is the same as the limit for members of the public at 1 mSv per year. From now on, the two-month period can be spread over a calendar year, offering greater flexibility to users coming to CERN for multiple short periods. Please return unused dosimeters Persons leaving CERN for a period of more than one month should return their dosimeter to the D...

PERIOD ESTIMATION FOR SPARSELY SAMPLED QUASI-PERIODIC LIGHT CURVES APPLIED TO MIRAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Shiyuan; Huang, Jianhua Z.; Long, James [Department of Statistics, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX (United States); Yuan, Wenlong; Macri, Lucas M., E-mail: lmacri@tamu.edu [George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX (United States)

2016-12-01

We develop a nonlinear semi-parametric Gaussian process model to estimate periods of Miras with sparsely sampled light curves. The model uses a sinusoidal basis for the periodic variation and a Gaussian process for the stochastic changes. We use maximum likelihood to estimate the period and the parameters of the Gaussian process, while integrating out the effects of other nuisance parameters in the model with respect to a suitable prior distribution obtained from earlier studies. Since the likelihood is highly multimodal for period, we implement a hybrid method that applies the quasi-Newton algorithm for Gaussian process parameters and search the period/frequency parameter space over a dense grid. A large-scale, high-fidelity simulation is conducted to mimic the sampling quality of Mira light curves obtained by the M33 Synoptic Stellar Survey. The simulated data set is publicly available and can serve as a testbed for future evaluation of different period estimation methods. The semi-parametric model outperforms an existing algorithm on this simulated test data set as measured by period recovery rate and quality of the resulting period–luminosity relations.

Inter- and intra-industry variations of capital structure in the Czech manufacturing industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlína Pinková

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of the paper is to investigate the existence of inter-industry variations in the capital structure of enterprises of the Czech manufacturing industry and to identify the intra-industry causes of these differences. Three measures of capital structure are employed to determine the inter-industry variations. These are total debt ratio, long-term debt and short-term debt ratios. The set of explanatory variables is included to clarify the intra-industry variations. These explanatory variables are size, asset structure, asset utilization, profitability, non-debt tax shield and growth. The paper reports the analysis of capital structure of five distinctive industrial branches, namely the manufacture of beverages, the manufacture of textiles, the manufacture of paper and paper products, the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products, and the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products. The data come from the financial statements of selected companies and cover a period from 2008 to 2012. The analysis of variance, correlation and regression analyses are used to develop the statistical framework. The paper aims to study the impact of industry and firm characteristics on capital structure choice.

Wind direction variations in the natural wind – A new length scale

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansson, Jens; Christensen, Silas Sverre

2018-01-01

During an observation period of e.g. 10min, the wind direction will differ from its mean direction for short periods of time, and a body of air will pass by from that direction before the direction changes once again. The present paper introduces a new length scale which we have labeled the angular...... length scale. This length scale expresses the average size of the body of air passing by from any deviation of wind direction away from the mean direction. Using metrological observations from two different sites under varying conditions we have shown that the size of the body of air relative to the mean...... size decreases linearly with the deviation from the mean wind direction when the deviation is normalized with the standard deviation of the wind direction. It is shown that this linear variation is independent of the standard deviation of the wind direction, and that the two full-scale data sets follow...

High frequency variations of Earth Rotation Parameters from GPS and GLONASS observations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Erhu; Jin, Shuanggen; Wan, Lihua; Liu, Wenjie; Yang, Yali; Hu, Zhenghong

2015-01-28

The Earth's rotation undergoes changes with the influence of geophysical factors, such as Earth's surface fluid mass redistribution of the atmosphere, ocean and hydrology. However, variations of Earth Rotation Parameters (ERP) are still not well understood, particularly the short-period variations (e.g., diurnal and semi-diurnal variations) and their causes. In this paper, the hourly time series of Earth Rotation Parameters are estimated using Global Positioning System (GPS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and combining GPS and GLONASS data collected from nearly 80 sites from 1 November 2012 to 10 April 2014. These new observations with combining different satellite systems can help to decorrelate orbit biases and ERP, which improve estimation of ERP. The high frequency variations of ERP are analyzed using a de-trending method. The maximum of total diurnal and semidiurnal variations are within one milli-arcseconds (mas) in Polar Motion (PM) and 0.5 milli-seconds (ms) in UT1-UTC. The semidiurnal and diurnal variations are mainly related to the ocean tides. Furthermore, the impacts of satellite orbit and time interval used to determinate ERP on the amplitudes of tidal terms are analyzed. We obtain some small terms that are not described in the ocean tide model of the IERS Conventions 2010, which may be caused by the strategies and models we used or the signal noises as well as artifacts. In addition, there are also small differences on the amplitudes between our results and IERS convention. This might be a result of other geophysical excitations, such as the high-frequency variations in atmospheric angular momentum (AAM) and hydrological angular momentum (HAM), which needs more detailed analysis with more geophysical data in the future.

Variation in the diversity and richness of parasitoid wasps based on sampling effort.

Science.gov (United States)

Saunders, Thomas E; Ward, Darren F

2018-01-01

Parasitoid wasps are a mega-diverse, ecologically dominant, but poorly studied component of global biodiversity. In order to maximise the efficiency and reduce the cost of their collection, the application of optimal sampling techniques is necessary. Two sites in Auckland, New Zealand were sampled intensively to determine the relationship between sampling effort and observed species richness of parasitoid wasps from the family Ichneumonidae. Twenty traps were deployed at each site at three different times over the austral summer period, resulting in a total sampling effort of 840 Malaise-trap-days. Rarefaction techniques and non-parametric estimators were used to predict species richness and to evaluate the variation and completeness of sampling. Despite an intensive Malaise-trapping regime over the summer period, no asymptote of species richness was reached. At best, sampling captured two-thirds of parasitoid wasp species present. The estimated total number of species present depended on the month of sampling and the statistical estimator used. Consequently, the use of fewer traps would have caught only a small proportion of all species (one trap 7-21%; two traps 13-32%), and many traps contributed little to the overall number of individuals caught. However, variation in the catch of individual Malaise traps was not explained by seasonal turnover of species, vegetation or environmental conditions surrounding the trap, or distance of traps to one another. Overall the results demonstrate that even with an intense sampling effort the community is incompletely sampled. The use of only a few traps and/or for very short periods severely limits the estimates of richness because (i) fewer individuals are caught leading to a greater number of singletons; and (ii) the considerable variation of individual traps means some traps will contribute few or no individuals. Understanding how sampling effort affects the richness and diversity of parasitoid wasps is a useful

Macroinvertebrate short-term responses to flow variation and oxygen depletion: A mesocosm approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Calapez, Ana R; Branco, Paulo; Santos, José M; Ferreira, Teresa; Hein, Thomas; Brito, António G; Feio, Maria João

2017-12-01

In Mediterranean rivers, water scarcity is a key stressor with direct and indirect effects on other stressors, such as water quality decline and inherent oxygen depletion associated with pollutants inputs. Yet, predicting the responses of macroinvertebrates to these stressors combination is quite challenging due to the reduced available information, especially if biotic and abiotic seasonal variations are taken under consideration. This study focused on the response of macroinvertebrates by drift to single and combined effects of water scarcity and dissolved oxygen (DO) depletion over two seasons (winter and spring). A factorial design of two flow velocity levels - regular and low (vL) - with three levels of oxygen depletion - normoxia, medium depletion (dM) and higher depletion (dH) - was carried out in a 5-artificial channels system, in short-term experiments. Results showed that both stressors individually and together had a significant effect on macroinvertebrate drift ratio for both seasons. Single stressor effects showed that macroinvertebrate drift decreased with flow velocity reduction and increased with DO depletion, in both winter and spring experiments. Despite single stressors opposing effects in drift ratio, combined stressors interaction (vL×dM and vL×dH) induced a positive synergistic drift effect for both seasons, but only in winter the drift ratio was different between the levels of DO depletion. Stressors interaction in winter seemed to intensify drift response when reached lower oxygen saturation. Also, drift patterns were different between seasons for all treatments, which may depend on individual's life stage and seasonal behaviour. Water scarcity seems to exacerbate the oxygen depletion conditions resulting into a greater drifting of invertebrates. The potential effects of oxygen depletion should be evaluated when addressing the impacts of water scarcity on river ecosystems, since flow reductions will likely contribute to a higher oxygen

Mid-Term Quasi-Periodicities and Solar Cycle Variation of the White-Light Corona from 18.5 Years (1996.0 - 2014.5) of LASCO Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Barlyaeva, T.; Lamy, P.; Llebaria, A.

2015-07-01

We report on the analysis of the temporal evolution of the solar corona based on 18.5 years (1996.0 - 2014.5) of white-light observations with the SOHO/LASCO-C2 coronagraph. This evolution is quantified by generating spatially integrated values of the K-corona radiance, first globally, then in latitudinal sectors. The analysis considers time series of monthly values and 13-month running means of the radiance as well as several indices and proxies of solar activity. We study correlation, wavelet time-frequency spectra, and cross-coherence and phase spectra between these quantities. Our results give a detailed insight on how the corona responds to solar activity over timescales ranging from mid-term quasi-periodicities (also known as quasi-biennial oscillations or QBOs) to the long-term 11 year solar cycle. The amplitude of the variation between successive solar maxima and minima (modulation factor) very much depends upon the strength of the cycle and upon the heliographic latitude. An asymmetry is observed during the ascending phase of Solar Cycle 24, prominently in the royal and polar sectors, with north leading. Most prominent QBOs are a quasi-annual period during the maximum phase of Solar Cycle 23 and a shorter period, seven to eight months, in the ascending and maximum phases of Solar Cycle 24. They share the same properties as the solar QBOs: variable periodicity, intermittency, asymmetric development in the northern and southern solar hemispheres, and largest amplitudes during the maximum phase of solar cycles. The strongest correlation of the temporal variations of the coronal radiance - and consequently the coronal electron density - is found with the total magnetic flux. Considering that the morphology of the solar corona is also directly controlled by the topology of the magnetic field, this correlation reinforces the view that they are intimately connected, including their variability at all timescales.

Anomalous variations of lithosphere magnetic field before several earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Z.; Chen, B.

2015-12-01

Based on the geomagnetic vector data measured each year since 2011 at more than 500 sites with a mean spatial interval of ~70km.we observed anomalous variations of lithospheric magnetic field before and after over 15 earthquakes having magnitude > 5. We find that the field in near proximity (about 50km) to the epicenter of large earthquakes shows high spatial and temporal gradients before the earthquake. Due to the low frequency of repeat measurements it is unclear when these variations occurred and how do them evolve. We point out anomalous magnetic filed using some circles with radius of 50km usually in June of each year, and then we would check whether quake will locat in our circles during one year after that time (June to next June). Now we caught 10 earthquakes of 15 main shocks having magnitude > 5, most of them located at less than10km away from our circles and some of them were in our circles. Most results show that the variations of lithosphere magnetic filed at the epicenter are different with surrending backgroud usually. When we figure out horizontal variations (vector) of lithosphere magnetic field and epicenter during one year after each June, we found half of them show that the earthquakes will locat at "the inlands in a flowing river", that means earthquakes may occur at "quiet"regions while the backgroud show character as"flow" as liquid. When we compared with GPS results, it appears that these variations of lithospere magnetic field may also correlate with displacement of earth's surface. However we do not compared with GPS results for each earthquake, we are not clear whether these anomalous variations of lithospere magnetic field may also correlate with anomalous displacement of earth's surface. Future work will include developing an automated method for identifying this type of anomalous field behavior and trying to short repeat measurement period to 6 month to try to find when these variations occur.

Spatial and temporal variations in shallow wetland groundwater quality

Science.gov (United States)

Schot, Paul P.; Pieber, Simone M.

2012-02-01

SummaryWetlands worldwide are threatened by environmental change. Differences in groundwater composition is one of the factors affecting wetland terrestrial floristic biodiversity. However, few studies discuss variations in wetland groundwater composition. This study presents an analysis of local-scale spatial and short-term temporal variations in 15 groundwater composition parameters of the 7 km2 Naardermeer wetland nature reserve in The Netherlands. Data is available from a network of 35 groundwater wells with 2-4 filters each, at depths between 50 and 800 cm, which were sampled about monthly over a 1-year period, totalling 1042 chemical analysis from 103 filter screens. Relative standard deviations indicate large differences in variation between parameters. Largest spatial and temporal variations were found for nutrients (NO3-, PO43-, NH4+) and redox sensitive parameters (Fe, Mn), and lowest variations for macroions and SiO2. A horizontal zonation in groundwater concentrations has been found related to soil type and soil wetness, with largest horizontal decrease in NO3- and SO42-, and largest increase in Fe and SiO2, going in the groundwater flow direction from dry sandy soils to wet peat/clay soils. No clear horizontal patterns have been found for the macroions. Spatial zonations in the north-south direction and with depth are absent for all parameters. Spatial and temporal variations were found to be related. 3D-maps indicate highest temporal fluctuations at filter screens with lowest median concentrations for NO3-, SO42- and Fe, but the reverse pattern for SiO2. High temporal variations of nutrients and redox sensitive parameters could not be traced back to a seasonal trend. The spatial and temporal variability of groundwater quality parameters as presented in this study, together with their reported effects on different vegetation types, may be used to design efficient monitoring schemes by nature managers having set specific vegetation development targets

Confusion in the Periodic Table of the Elements.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernelius, W. C.; Powell, W. H.

1982-01-01

Discusses long (expanded), short (condensed), and pyramidal periodic table formats and documents events leading to a periodic table in which subgroups (families) are designated with the letters A and B, suggesting that this format is confusing for those consulting the table. (JN)

Gravity and Height Variations at Medicina, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Bruni, Sara; Zerbini, Susanna; Errico, Maddalena; Santi, Efisio; Wziontek, Hartmut

2017-04-01

Since 1996, at the Medicina station, height and gravity variations are monitored continuously by means of GPS, VLBI and superconducting gravimeter (SG) data. Additionally, absolute gravity observations are performed twice a year and environmental parameters, among others water table levels, are regularly acquired. Levelling between the different monuments at the site area is also carried out repeatedly to constrain local ties in the vertical position. Two GPS systems are located very close to each other, and both are in close proximity to the VLBI antenna. Twenty years of data are now available, which allow investigating both long- and short-period height and gravity signals together with their relevant correlations. Natural land subsidence, which is well known to occur in the area, is a major component of the observed long-term behavior; however, non-linear long-period signatures are also present in the time series. On a shorter time scale, fingerprints of the water table seasonal oscillations can be recognized in the data. The Medicina site is characterized by clayey soil subjected to consolidation effects when the water table lowers during summer periods. The pillar on which the SG is installed is especially affected because of its shallow foundation, causing height decreases in the order of 2.5-3 cm for water table lowering of 2 m. This study presents a comparative analysis of the different data sets with the aim of separating mass and deformation contributions in the SG gravity record.

Short-period strain (0.1-105 s): Near-source strain field for an earthquake (M L 3.2) near San Juan Bautista, California

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, M. J. S.; Borcherdt, R. D.; Linde, A. T.

1986-10-01

Measurements of dilational earth strain in the frequency band 25-10-5 Hz have been made on a deep borehole strainmeter installed near the San Andreas fault. These data are used to determine seismic radiation fields during nuclear explosions, teleseisms, local earthquakes, and ground noise during seismically quiet times. Strains of less than 10-10 on these instruments can be clearly resolved at short periods (< 10 s) and are recorded with wide dynamic range digital recorders. This permits measurement of the static and dynamic strain variations in the near field of local earthquakes. Noise spectra for earth strain referenced to 1 (strain)2/Hz show that strain resolution decreases at about 10 dB per decade of frequency from -150 dB at 10-4 Hz to -223 dB at 10 Hz. Exact expressions are derived to relate the volumetric strain and displacement field for a homogeneous P wave in a general viscoelastic solid as observed on colocated dilatometers and seismometers. A rare near-field recording of strain and seismic velocity was obtained on May 26, 1984, from an earthquake (ML 3.2) at a hypocentral distance of 3.2 km near the San Andreas fault at San Juan Bautista, California. While the data indicate no precursory strain release at the 5 × 10-11 strain level, a coseismic strain release of 1.86 nanostrain was observed. This change in strain is consistent with that calculated from a simple dislocation model of the event. Ground displacement spectra, determined from the downhole strain data and instrument-corrected surface seismic data, suggest that source parameters estimated from surface recordings may be contaminated by amplification effects in near-surface low-velocity materials.

Cosmogenic nuclides in recently fallen meteorites: Evidence for galactic cosmic ray variations during the period 1967--1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, J.C.; Reeves, J.H.; Rancitelli, L.A.; Bogard, D.D.

1982-01-01

Cosmogenic radionuclides were measured on 48 fragments of 24 meteorites which fell between 1967 and 1978. Nondestructive gamma counting techniques were used to obtain data on 7 Be, 46 Sc, 48 V, 51 Cr, 54 Mn, 56 Co, 57 Co, 58 Co, and 60 Co on at least some of the samples. Sodium 22 and 26 Al measurements are reported on all 48 samples. In addition, new rare gas data and exposure ages are reported for the meteorites Guibga, Gorlovka, Dhajala, Louisville, Acapulco, Jilin, Kabo, Alta-Ameen, and Canon City. The cosmogenic radioisotope and rare gas data are interpreted in terms of a time dependent modulation of galactic cosmic rays spanning one full 11 year sun spot cycle. Special attention is given to the data on 22 Na, 46 Sc, 54 Mn, and 48 V with either 26 Al or 22 Ne/ 21 Ne used to provide a shielding correction. The shielding normalized data using the 26 Al method appear to correlate well with calculated production rates scaled against the Deep River neutron monitor. The data for the four isotopes are consistent with a production rate variation of a factor of 2.5--3 between solar maximum and solar minimum for sun spot cycle 20. These data demonstrate that the production rates of cosmic ray-produced nuclides in meteorites vary considerably according to modulation by the 11-year solar cycle and support the concept that variations of solar-modulated, cosmic ray flux of similar magnitude have occurred over much longer time periods

Variation of long periodicity in blends of styrene butadiene, styrene ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

relationship between long periodicity and concentration of blends. These parameters are ... tential customers for conducting polymers [10]. 2. ... Theory. The linear paracrystalline model of polymer morphology of blends comprises stacks.

Process Inference from High Frequency Temporal Variations in Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) Dynamics Across Nested Spatial Scales

Science.gov (United States)

Tunaley, C.; Tetzlaff, D.; Lessels, J. S.; Soulsby, C.

2014-12-01

In order to understand aquatic ecosystem functioning it is critical to understand the processes that control the spatial and temporal variations in DOC. DOC concentrations are highly dynamic, however, our understanding at short, high frequency timescales is still limited. Optical sensors which act as a proxy for DOC provide the opportunity to investigate near-continuous DOC variations in order to understand the hydrological and biogeochemical processes that control concentrations at short temporal scales. Here we present inferred 15 minute stream water DOC data for a 12 month period at three nested scales (1km2, 3km2 and 31km2) for the Bruntland Burn, a headwater catchment in NE Scotland. High frequency data were measured using FDOM and CDOM probes which work by measuring the fluorescent component and coloured component, respectively, of DOC when exposed to ultraviolet light. Both FDOM and CDOM were strongly correlated (r2 >0.8) with DOC allowing high frequency estimations. Results show the close coupling of DOC with discharge throughout the sampling period at all three spatial scales. However, analysis at the event scale highlights anticlockwise hysteresis relationships between DOC and discharge due to the delay in DOC being flushed from the increasingly large areas of peaty soils as saturation zones expand and increase hydrological connectivity. Lag times vary between events dependent on antecedent conditions. During a 10 year drought period in late summer 2013 it was apparent that very small changes in discharge on a 15 minute timescale result in high increases in DOC. This suggests transport limitation during this period where DOC builds up in the soil and is not flushed regularly, therefore any subsequent increase in discharge results in large DOC peaks. The high frequency sensors also reveal diurnal variability during summer months related to the photo-oxidation, evaporative and biological influences of DOC during the day. This relationship is less

InN/GaN short-period superlattices as ordered InGaN ternary alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusakabe, Kazuhide; Imai, Daichi; Wang, Ke; Yoshikawa, Akihiko

2016-01-01

Coherent (InN) 1 /(GaN) n short-period superlattices (SPSs) were successfully grown through dynamic atomic layer epitaxy (D-ALEp) mode by RF-plasma molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), where GaN layer thicknesses n were thinned down to 4 monolayer (ML). After this achievement, we demonstrated quasi-ternary InGaN behavior in their photoluminescence (PL) spectra for the first time. It was found interestingly that GaN layer thickness of n = 4 ML was the criterion both for structural control and continuum-band formation. Although highly lattice-mismatched InN/GaN interfaces easily introduce relaxation in (InN) 1 /(GaN) 4 SPSs during growth depending on the dynamic surface stoichiometry condition, this problem was overcome by precise control/removal of fluid-like residual In/Ga metals on the growth front with in-situ monitoring method. The (InN) 1 /(GaN) n SPSs with n ≥ 7 ML showed a constant PL peak energy around 3.2 eV at 12 K, reflecting discrete electron/hole wavefunctions. On the other hand, the (InN) 1 /(GaN) 4 SPSs indicated the red-shifted PL peak at 2.93 eV at 12 K, which was attributed to the continuum-band state with increasing in the overlap of electrons/hole wavefunctions. This result is concluded that the (InN) 1 /(GaN) 4 SPSs can be considered as ordered InGaN alloys. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Packaging Solutions for Mitigating IGBT Short-Circuit Instabilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reigosa, Paula Diaz; Iannuzzo, Francesco; Blaabjerg, Frede

2017-01-01

In this paper, the gate voltage oscillations occurring under short-circuit conditions in Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors are investigated, together with their dependency with respect to stray inductance variations. By using AnSYS Q3D Extractor, electromagnetic simulations are conducted to extr...

Short Term Strategies for a Dynamic Multi-Period Routing Problem

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Angelelli, E.; Bianchessi, N.; Mansini, R.; Speranza, M. G.

2009-01-01

We consider a Dynamic Multi-Period Routing Problem (DMPRP) faced by a company which deals with on-line pick-up requests and has to serve them by a fleet of uncapacitated vehicles over a finite time horizon. When a request is issued, a deadline of a given number of days d ≤ 2 is associated to it: if

Decadal period external magnetic field variations determined via eigenanalysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shore, R. M.; Whaler, K. A.; Macmillan, S.

2016-01-01

to a full solar cycle. Our analysis focuses on geomagnetically quiet days and middle to low latitudes. We use the climatological eigenanalysis technique called empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs), which allows us to identify discrete spatiotemporal patterns with no a priori specification of their geometry...... mean external field distribution. Separate patterns of semiannual and solar-cycle-length periods appear to stem from the amplitude modulations of spatially fixed background fields....

Transcriptomic analysis of short-fruit 1 (sf1) reveals new insights into the variation of fruit-related traits in Cucumis sativus.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lina; Cao, Chenxing; Zheng, Shuangshuang; Zhang, Haiyang; Liu, Panjing; Ge, Qian; Li, Jinrui; Ren, Zhonghai

2017-06-07

Fruit size is an important quality trait in different market classes of Cucumis sativus L., an economically important vegetable cultivated worldwide, but the genetic and molecular mechanisms that control fruit size are largely unknown. In this study, we isolated a natural cucumber mutant, short fruit 1 (sf1), caused by a single recessive Mendelian factor, from the North China-type inbred line CNS2. In addition to significantly decreased fruit length, other fruit-related phenotypic variations were also observed in sf1 compared to the wild-type (WT) phenotype, indicating that sf1 might have pleiotropic effects. Microscopic imaging showed that fruit cell size in sf1 was much larger than that in WT, suggesting that the short fruit phenotype in sf1 is caused by decreased cell number. Fine mapping revealed that sf1 was localized to a 174.3 kb region on chromosome 6. Similarly, SNP association analysis of bulked segregant RNA-Seq data showed increased SNP frequency in the same region of chromosome 6. In addition, transcriptomic analysis revealed that sf1 might control fruit length through the fine-tuning of cytokinin and auxin signalling, gibberellin biosynthesis and signal transduction in cucumber fruits. Overall, our results provide important information for further study of fruit length and other fruit-related features in cucumber.

THE FIRST RESULTS OF STUDIES OF TEMPORARY VARIATIONS IN SOILRADON ACTIVITY OF FAULTS IN WESTERN PRIBAIKALIE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

К. Zh. Seminsky

2013-01-01

.0.TectonophysicsThe external and internal factors are acting together, but their roles are different with regard to variations of radon concentrations in different periods of time. In the monitoring periods, radon emanation variations were mainly controlled by the planetary factors. Radon exhalation increases and decreases according to periodic variations in atmospheric pressure, which, in additional to ‘pumping’ effects, may lead to opening/closure of pores and cracks in the rocks. While external pressures are reduced, internal stresses are released by relatively weak earthquakes. The guiding influence of atmospheric pressure on the yield of radon is disturbed when internal stresses are in excess of a certain level due to intensive movements along faults in the Baikal rift or displacements of plates in neighbouring active zones (for example, due to the strongest earthquake in Japan. In such relatively short periods of time, when seismic activity is increased, the influence of tectonic stresses on permeability of rocks and radon emanations becomes dominant.Based on our analysis of the measurements of soil radon concentrations obtained on the local site in the Primorsky fault zone through the monitoring period, it became possible, for the first time for Pribaikalie, to reveal and theoretically model the principal specific features of variation of soil radon concentrations, Q, in time and the dependence of such variations on the external and internal factors. Prospects of these studies are related to installation of a network of monitoring stations in the territory of the Baikal rift and assurance of longterm monitoring sessions.

Introduction and application of the multiscale coefficient of variation analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Abney, Drew H; Kello, Christopher T; Balasubramaniam, Ramesh

2017-10-01

Quantifying how patterns of behavior relate across multiple levels of measurement typically requires long time series for reliable parameter estimation. We describe a novel analysis that estimates patterns of variability across multiple scales of analysis suitable for time series of short duration. The multiscale coefficient of variation (MSCV) measures the distance between local coefficient of variation estimates within particular time windows and the overall coefficient of variation across all time samples. We first describe the MSCV analysis and provide an example analytical protocol with corresponding MATLAB implementation and code. Next, we present a simulation study testing the new analysis using time series generated by ARFIMA models that span white noise, short-term and long-term correlations. The MSCV analysis was observed to be sensitive to specific parameters of ARFIMA models varying in the type of temporal structure and time series length. We then apply the MSCV analysis to short time series of speech phrases and musical themes to show commonalities in multiscale structure. The simulation and application studies provide evidence that the MSCV analysis can discriminate between time series varying in multiscale structure and length.

Constraining P-wave velocity variations in the upper mantle beneath Southeast Asia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, Chang; Hilst, R.D. van der; Toksöz, M. Nafi

2006-01-01

We have produced a P-wave model of the upper mantle beneath Southeast (SE) Asia from reprocessed short period International Seismological Centre (ISC) P and pP data, short period P data of the Annual Bulletin of Chinese Earthquakes (ABCE), and long period PP-P data.We used 3D sensitivity kernels

Non-storm irregular variation of the Dst index

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Nakano

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The Dst index has a long-term variation that is not associated with magnetic storms. We estimated the long-term non-storm component of the Dst variation by removing the short-term variation related to magnetic storms. The results indicate that the variation of the non-storm component includes not only a seasonal variation but also an irregular variation. The irregular long-term variation is likely to be due to an anti-correlation with the long-term variation of solar-wind activity. In particular, a clear anti-correlation is observed between the non-storm component of Dst and the long-term variation of the solar-wind dynamic pressure. This means that in the long term, the Dst index tends to increase when the solar-wind dynamic pressure decreases. We interpret this anti-correlation as an indication that the long-term non-storm variation of Dst is influenced by the tail current variation. The long-term variation of the solar-wind dynamic pressure controls the plasma sheet thermal pressure, and the change of the plasma sheet thermal pressure would cause the non-storm tail current variation, resulting in the non-storm variation of Dst.

Between-game variation of physical soccer performance measures in highly trained youth soccer players.

Science.gov (United States)

Doncaster, Greg; Unnithan, Viswanath

2017-07-12

To assess the between-game variation in measures of physical performance during 11 v 11 soccer match-play, over a short period of time, in highly trained youth soccer players. A single cohort observational study design was employed. Physical match performance data were collected from 17 male, highly trained youth soccer players (age: 13.3 ± 0.4 y) over three, 2 x 20min, 11 v 11 matches. Using 10 Hz GPS, the variables selected for analyses were total distance (TD), high-speed running (HSR), very high-speed running (VHSR), number of high-speed running efforts (HSReff) and number of very high-speed running efforts (VHSReff). Match data was also separated into cumulative 5 min epochs, to identify the peak 5 min epoch and the mean of the cumulative 5 min epochs for each match. Variability was quantified using the coefficient of variation (CV), Standard error of measurement (SEM) and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Between- and within-player smallest worthwhile changes (SWC) were also calculated for each variable to aid in the interpretation of the data. Analysis of the variance between games reported a low CV for TD (3.8%) but larger CVs for HSR (33.3%), HSReff (35.4%) and VHSR and VHSReff (59.6 and 57.4 %, respectively). Analysis of 5 min epochs (peak and average) found an increase in the CVs beyond that of the values reported for the whole match. Between-player SWC in high intensity physical performance data ranged from 24.7 - 42.4 %, whereas within-player SWC ranged from 1.2 - 79.9%. The between-game variability of high and very high intensity activities in youth soccer players, across three soccer matches over a short period of time (2 weeks), is relatively 'large' and specific to the individual, thus highlighting the need for caution when interpreting physical performance data between games and players.

A short remark on Stewart 1962 variational principle for laminar flow in a uniform duct

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Hong-Yan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper concludes that Stewart 1962 variational principle for laminar flow in a uniform duct is for a differential-difference. Some generalized variational principles are elucidated with or without Stewart’s discrete treatment.

High Frequency Variations of Earth Rotation Parameters from GPS and GLONASS Observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erhu Wei

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The Earth’s rotation undergoes changes with the influence of geophysical factors, such as Earth’s surface fluid mass redistribution of the atmosphere, ocean and hydrology. However, variations of Earth Rotation Parameters (ERP are still not well understood, particularly the short-period variations (e.g., diurnal and semi-diurnal variations and their causes. In this paper, the hourly time series of Earth Rotation Parameters are estimated using Global Positioning System (GPS, Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS, and combining GPS and GLONASS data collected from nearly 80 sites from 1 November 2012 to 10 April 2014. These new observations with combining different satellite systems can help to decorrelate orbit biases and ERP, which improve estimation of ERP. The high frequency variations of ERP are analyzed using a de-trending method. The maximum of total diurnal and semidiurnal variations are within one milli-arcseconds (mas in Polar Motion (PM and 0.5 milli-seconds (ms in UT1-UTC. The semidiurnal and diurnal variations are mainly related to the ocean tides. Furthermore, the impacts of satellite orbit and time interval used to determinate ERP on the amplitudes of tidal terms are analyzed. We obtain some small terms that are not described in the ocean tide model of the IERS Conventions 2010, which may be caused by the strategies and models we used or the signal noises as well as artifacts. In addition, there are also small differences on the amplitudes between our results and IERS convention. This might be a result of other geophysical excitations, such as the high-frequency variations in atmospheric angular momentum (AAM and hydrological angular momentum (HAM, which needs more detailed analysis with more geophysical data in the future.

Accounting for unemployment: the long and short of it

OpenAIRE

Andreas Hornstein

2012-01-01

Shimer (2012) accounts for the volatility of unemployment based on a model of homogeneous unemployment. Using data on short-term unemployment he finds that most of unemployment volatility is accounted for by variations in the exit rate from unemployment. The assumption of homogeneous exit rates is inconsistent with the observed negative duration dependence of unemployment exit rates for the U.S. labor market. We construct a simple model of heterogeneous unemployment with short-term and long-t...

Can oscillating physics explain an apparently periodic universe?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, C.T.; Steinhardt, P.J.; Turner, M.S.; Chicago Univ., IL; Fermi National Accelerator Lab., Batavia, IL

1990-01-01

Recently, Broadhurst et al. have reported an apparent periodicity in a north-south pencil-beam red-shift survey of galaxies. We consider whether the periodicity may be an illusion caused by the oscillations of physical constants. Should the periodicity be disproven by subsequent observations, the same analysis can be used to derive new, stringent limits on the variations of physical constants. (orig.)

Water quality, Multivariate statistical techniques, submarine out fall, spatial variation, temporal variation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, Francisco; Palacio, Carlos; Garcia, Uriel

2012-01-01

Multivariate statistical techniques were used to investigate the temporal and spatial variations of water quality at the Santa Marta coastal area where a submarine out fall that discharges 1 m3/s of domestic wastewater is located. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), cluster and principal component analysis and Krigging interpolation were considered for this report. Temporal variation showed two heterogeneous periods. From December to April, and July, where the concentration of the water quality parameters is higher; the rest of the year (May, June, August-November) were significantly lower. The spatial variation reported two areas where the water quality is different, this difference is related to the proximity to the submarine out fall discharge.

MULTI PERIOD SHOCKS ROLES ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING IN INDONESIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaka Sriyana

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes an alternative dynamic model of government spending in Indonesia. The model is based on short term disequilibrium assumption, in which multi period of shocks variables may play an important role. This research applies a loss function approach and uses optimum shock variables as the determinant for government spending during 1970-2010. The result shows that real GDP, population, and multi period shock of government spending are statistically significant. It provides evidence of the impact of multi period shocks to the realization of government spending. It implies that government faces a serious disequilibrium in determining their spending both in short and long terms.Keywords: Fiscal, government spending, deficit budget, shockJEL classification numbers: H53, H62, C22

Intraspecific variation in social organization by genetic variation, developmental plasticity, social flexibility or entirely extrinsic factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Schradin, Carsten

2013-05-19

Previously, it was widely believed that each species has a specific social organization, but we know now that many species show intraspecific variation in their social organization. Four different processes can lead to intraspecific variation in social organization: (i) genetic variation between individuals owing to local adaptation (between populations) or evolutionarily stable strategies within populations; (ii) developmental plasticity evolved in long-term (more than one generation) unpredictable and short-term (one generation) predictable environments, which is mediated by organizational physiological effects during early ontogeny; (iii) social flexibility evolved in highly unpredictable environments, which is mediated by activational physiological effects in adults; (iv) entirely extrinsic factors such as the death of a dominant breeder. Variation in social behaviour occurs between individuals in the case of genetic variation and developmental plasticity, but within individuals in the case of social flexibility. It is important to study intraspecific variation in social organization to understand the social systems of species because it reveals the mechanisms by which species can adapt to changing environments, offers a useful tool to study the ultimate and proximate causes of sociality, and is an interesting phenomenon by itself that needs scientific explanation.

Short-term degradation of air quality during major firework events in Delhi, India

Science.gov (United States)

Shivani; Gadi, Ranu; Saxena, Mohit; Sharma, Sudhir Kumar; Mandal, Tuhin Kumar

2018-04-01

The effect of firework events on air quality was assessed from ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) collected during the Diwali period in two consecutive years, i.e., November 2015 and October 2016. The extensive firework activities led to the short-term degradation of air quality during the Diwali days. PM2.5 samples were chemically characterised for elements, water-soluble ionic species, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC). Ba, K, Sr, S, Mg and Na showed significant increases in concentration on Diwali days compared to pre-Diwali days which revealed their association with firecrackers. Concentration of SO4 2-, NO3 -, Cl-, K+ and NH4 + ions contributed to the increases in PM2.5 concentration on Diwali days. Higher OC/EC ratios indicated the formation of secondary organic carbon during the Diwali period. This study concludes that the high PM2.5 level during Diwali 2016 was a result of contribution from fireworks on the Diwali night, trans-regional movement of pollutants due to crop residue burning, low wind speed (0.15 m s-1), and high humidity. It was observed that short-term exposure to Diwali is plausible to generate 1.3% increase in non-carcinogenic hazard index due to elements Al and Ba during Diwali 2016, whereas no significant variation was observed for the carcinogenic risk due to Pb. However, in 2015, the increase in non-carcinogenic hazard index was appreciably lower as compared to 2016.

An analysis of seismic background noise variation and evaluation of detection capability of Keskin Array (BRTR PS-43) in Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

Bakir, M. E.; Ozel, N. M.; Semin, K. U.

2011-12-01

Bogazici University, Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI) is currently operating the Keskin seismic array (BRTR-PS 43) located in town Keskin, providing real-time data to IDC. The instrumentaion of seismic array includes six short period borehole seismometers and one broadband borehole seismometer. The seismic background noise variation of Keskin array are studied in order to estimate the local and regional event detection capability in the frequency range from 1 Hz to 10 Hz. The Power density spectrum and also probability density function of Keskin array data were computed for seasonal and diurnal noise variations between 2008 and 2010. The computation will be extended to cover the period between 2005 and 2008. We attempt to determine the precise frequency characteristics of the background noise, which will help us to assess the station sensitivity. Minimum detectable magnitude versus distance for Keskin seismic array will be analyzed based on the seismic noise analysis. Detailed analysis results of seismic background noise and detection capability will be presented by this research.

Observed periodicities and the spectrum of field variations in Holocene magnetic records

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Panovska, S.; Finlay, Chris; Hirt, A.M.

2013-01-01

, globally observed, periods. Rather we find a continuous broadband spectrum, with a slope corresponding to a power law with exponent of -2.3 ± 0.6 for the period range between 300 and 4000 yr. This is consistent with the hypothesis that chaotic convection in the outer core drives the majority of secular......In order to understand mechanisms that maintain and drive the evolution of the Earth's magnetic field, a characterization of its behavior on time scales of centuries to millennia is required. We have conducted a search for periodicities in Holocene sediment magnetic records, by applying three...

Neural processing of short-term recurrence in songbird vocal communication.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriël J L Beckers

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Many situations involving animal communication are dominated by recurring, stereotyped signals. How do receivers optimally distinguish between frequently recurring signals and novel ones? Cortical auditory systems are known to be pre-attentively sensitive to short-term delivery statistics of artificial stimuli, but it is unknown if this phenomenon extends to the level of behaviorally relevant delivery patterns, such as those used during communication. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We recorded and analyzed complete auditory scenes of spontaneously communicating zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata pairs over a week-long period, and show that they can produce tens of thousands of short-range contact calls per day. Individual calls recur at time scales (median interval 1.5 s matching those at which mammalian sensory systems are sensitive to recent stimulus history. Next, we presented to anesthetized birds sequences of frequently recurring calls interspersed with rare ones, and recorded, in parallel, action and local field potential responses in the medio-caudal auditory forebrain at 32 unique sites. Variation in call recurrence rate over natural ranges leads to widespread and significant modulation in strength of neural responses. Such modulation is highly call-specific in secondary auditory areas, but not in the main thalamo-recipient, primary auditory area. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results support the hypothesis that pre-attentive neural sensitivity to short-term stimulus recurrence is involved in the analysis of auditory scenes at the level of delivery patterns of meaningful sounds. This may enable birds to efficiently and automatically distinguish frequently recurring vocalizations from other events in their auditory scene.

Separating Mass and Height Contributions in Gravity Variations at Medicina, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Zerbini, S.; Bruni, S.; Errico, M.; Santi, E.; Wziontek, H.

2016-12-01

During 1996, at the Medicina station, a GPS and a superconducting gravimeter (SG) were installed in the framework of an experiment focused on the comparison between height and gravity variations. Absolute gravity observations are also performed twice a year and environmental parameters, among others water table levels, are recorded continuously. The station is also equipped with a second GPS system, the two antennas are very close to each other, and both are located in close proximity to the VLBI dish. Two decades of continuous height and gravity observations are now available which allow investigating both long and short period signals and the relevant correlations between the two measured quantities. Long period signatures are observed, a principal component is due to subsidence which is well known to occur in the area; however, also non-linear long-period behaviors are observed. Seasonal effects are also clearly recognizable in the time series and are mainly associated with the water table seasonal behavior. The station is characterized by clayey soil which is subject to consolidation effects when the water table lowers during the summer period. This effect is particularly recognizable in the SG data since the instrument is installed on a shallow foundation pillar which may suffer for height decreases in the order of 2,5-3 cm for water table lowering of 2 m.

Investigation of short and long term trends in chemical composition of Eastern Mediterranean aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

A collaborative study was started with the Middle East Technical University, Environmental Engineering Department in 2004 in order to determine the transport of air pollutants and their deposition rates to Eastern Mediterranean with the ultimate aim of filling the gaps in knowledge on the current status of Eastern Mediterranean air quality profile. Collection sufficient amount of representative samples, analyzes of the collected samples with high accuracy and precision and interpretation of generated data are crucial efforts. To attain this goal, EDXRF spectrometer, which is a rapid, reliable and sensitive analytical instrument, located at our center was employed in analysis of the collected samples after calibration with 'NIST 2783 Air Particles on Filter'. The effectiveness of the control strategies taken on the emissions was discussed by investigating the short and long term variations in the chemical composition of samples collected between 1993 and 2001 at Antalya station. In this context, generated data set was studied for short (daily) term, seasonal and long term variations. It has been found that short term variations in the concentrations of pollutants in short time scale are highly episodic. The concentration of measured pollutants was changed 10-20 folds in the subsequent two days. The most important factors affecting the chemical composition of pollutants in short time interval are meteorological factors such as precipitation and variations observed at the emission strength of pollutants. The declined in Pb concentrations at the Antalya station was attributed to observed decrease in Pb emissions in Europe after the introduction of leaded gasoline. Highest summer averages were reported for anthropogenic pollutants in summer months. Aegean Sea (Izmir-Aliaga) studies of the project will be completed this year

Short-term effects of tidal flooding on soil nitrogen mineralization in a Chinese tidal salt marsh

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Haifeng; Bai, Junhong; Deng, Xiaoya; Lu, Qiongqiong; Ye, Xiaofei

2018-02-01

Tidal flooding is an important control of nitrogen biogeochemistry in wetland ecosystems of Yellow River Delta, China. Variations in hydrology could change soil redox dynamics and conditions for microorganisms living. A tidal simulation experiment was designed to extract tidal flooding effect on nitrogen mineralization of salt marsh soil. Inorganic nitrogen and relevant enzyme were measured during the 20-day incubation period. Considering the variation of both inorganic N and enzymes, nitrogen mineralization process in tidal salt marsh could be divided into 2 phases of short term response and longtime adaption by around 12th incubation day as the inflection point. Soil ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) and volatilized ammonia (NH3) occupied the mineralization process since nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) was not detected over whole incubation period. NH4+-N varied fluctuant and increased significantly after 12 day's incubation. Released NH3 reached to peak value of 14.24 mg m-2 d-1 at the inflection point and declined thereafter. Inorganic nitrogen released according to net nitrogen mineralization rate (RM) under the tidal flooding condition without plant uptake except first 2 days. However, during the transitional period of 6-12 days, RM decreased notably to almost 0 and increased again after inflection point with the value of 0.182 mg kg-1 d-1. It might be due to the change of microbial composition and function when soil shifted from oxic to anoxic, which were reflected by arylamidase, urease and fluorescein diacetate. Fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis and arylamidase had the similar variation of U style with decreasing activities before 12 days' incubation. All the enzymes measured in this experiment increased after inflection point. Whereas, urease activity kept constant from 2 to 12 days. Alternant oxidation reduction condition would increase N loss through denitrification and ammonia volatilization during the transitional period, while more inorganic nitrogen would be

Assessment of Radiation Background Variation for Moving Detection Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, James Christopher [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Rennie, John Alan [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Toevs, James Waldo [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Wallace, Darrin J. [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Abhold, Mark Edward [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2015-07-13

The introduction points out that radiation backgrounds fluctuate across very short distances: factors include geology, soil composition, altitude, building structures, topography, and other manmade structures; and asphalt and concrete can vary significantly over short distances. Brief descriptions are given of the detection system, experimental setup, and background variation measurements. It is concluded that positive and negative gradients can greatly reduce the detection sensitivity of an MDS: negative gradients create opportunities for false negatives (nondetection), and positive gradients create a potentially unacceptable FAR (above 1%); the location of use for mobile detection is important to understand; spectroscopic systems provide more information for screening out false alarms and may be preferred for mobile use; and mobile monitor testing at LANL accounts for expected variations in the background.

Partial diel migration: A facultative migration underpinned by long-term inter-individual variation.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Philip M; Gutowsky, Lee F G; Martins, Eduardo G; Patterson, David A; Cooke, Steven J; Power, Michael

2017-09-01

The variations in migration that comprise partial diel migrations, putatively occur entirely as a consequence of behavioural flexibility. However, seasonal partial migrations are increasingly recognised to be mediated by a combination of reversible plasticity in response to environmental variation and individual variation due to genetic and environmental effects. Here, we test the hypothesis that while partial diel migration heterogeneity occurs primarily due to short-term within-individual flexibility in behaviour, long-term individual differences in migratory behaviour also underpin this migration variation. Specifically, we use a hierarchical behavioural reaction norm approach to partition within- and among-individual variation in depth use and diel plasticity in depth use, across short- and long-term time-scales, in a group of 47 burbot (Lota lota) tagged with depth-sensing acoustic telemetry transmitters. We found that within-individual variation at the among-dates-within-seasons and among-seasons scale, explained the dominant proportion of phenotypic variation. However, individuals also repeatedly differed in their expression of migration behaviour over the 2 year study duration. These results reveal that diel migration variation occurs primarily due to short-term within-individual flexibility in depth use and diel migration behaviour. However, repeatable individual differences also played a key role in mediating partial diel migration. These findings represent a significant advancement of our understanding of the mechanisms generating the important, yet poorly understood phenomena of partial diel migration. Moreover, given the pervasive occurrence of diel migrations across aquatic taxa, these findings indicate that individual differences have an important, yet previously unacknowledged role in structuring the temporal and vertical dynamics of aquatic ecosystems. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2017 British Ecological Society.

Semi-annual Sq-variation in solar activity cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Pogrebnoy, V.; Malosiev, T.

The peculiarities of semi-annual variation in solar activity cycle have been studied. The data from observatories having long observational series and located in different latitude zones were used. The following observatories were selected: Huancayo (magnetic equator), from 1922 to 1959; Apia (low latitudes), from 1912 to 1961; Moscow (middle latitudes), from 1947 to 1965. Based on the hourly values of H-components, the average monthly diurnal amplitudes (a difference between midday and midnight values), according to five international quiet days, were computed. Obtained results were compared with R (relative sunspot numbers) in the ranges of 0-30R, 40-100R, and 140-190R. It was shown, that the amplitude of semi-annual variation increases with R, from minimum to maximum values, on average by 45%. At equatorial Huancayo observatory, the semi-annual Sq(H)-variation appears especially clearly: its maximums take place at periods of equinoxes (March-April, September-October), and minimums -- at periods of solstices (June-July, December-January). At low (Apia observatory) and middle (Moscow observatory) latitudes, the character of semi-annual variation is somewhat different: it appears during the periods of equinoxes, but considerably less than at equator. Besides, with the growth of R, semi-annual variation appears against a background of annual variation, in the form of second peaks (maximum in June). At observatories located in low and middle latitudes, second peaks become more appreciable with an increase of R (March-April and September-October). During the periods of low solar activity, they are insignificant. This work has been carried out with the support from International Scientific and Technology Center (Project #KR-214).

African and Atlantic short-term climatic variations described from Meteosat water vapor channel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Picon

1995-07-01

Full Text Available Pluriannual series of Meteosat-2 water vapor (WV images are used to build average maps of decadal and monthly brightness temperatures in the 6.3 µm channel. This processing is applied to all the 3-hourly scenes, clear or cloudy, for July 1983 to July 1987. The ISCCP cloudiness analyses confirm that the warmest spots in the monthly WV images correspond to scenes either clear or covered with low clouds, whereas the coldest areas correspond to scenes where cloud tops above 440 hPa frequently occur. The WV statistics are then used to characterize seasonal and interannual variations of both the ITCZ (InterTropical Convergence Zone and the warm (dry areas, corresponding to subtropical subsidence. Thanks mainly to the seasonal variations, relationships between the variations in the ITCZ and in dry subtropical areas can be studied. It is shown that, for the Meteosat sector, a wetter subtropical high troposphere is associated with an enhanced activity of the ITCZ, and vice versa. For this area where the north-south assymetry is large, the negative water vapor feedback previously proposed seems not to occur.

The "Nursing Home Compare" measure of urinary/fecal incontinence: cross-sectional variation, stability over time, and the impact of case mix.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yue; Schnelle, John; Spector, William D; Glance, Laurent G; Mukamel, Dana B

2010-02-01

To assess the impact of facility case mix on cross-sectional variations and short-term stability of the "Nursing Home Compare" incontinence quality measure (QM) and to determine whether multivariate risk adjustment can minimize such impacts. Retrospective analyses of the 2005 national minimum data set (MDS) that included approximately 600,000 long-term care residents in over 10,000 facilities in each quarterly sample. Mixed logistic regression was used to construct the risk-adjusted QM (nonshrinkage estimator). Facility-level ordinary least-squares models and adjusted R(2) were used to estimate the impact of case mix on cross-sectional and short-term longitudinal variations of currently published and risk-adjusted QMs. At least 50 percent of the cross-sectional variation and 25 percent of the short-term longitudinal variation of the published QM are explained by facility case mix. In contrast, the cross-sectional and short-term longitudinal variations of the risk-adjusted QM are much less susceptible to case-mix variations (adjusted R(2)case-mix variations across facilities and over time, and therefore it may be biased. This issue can be largely addressed by multivariate risk adjustment using risk factors available in the MDS.

Homogenization of variational inequalities for obstacle problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandrakov, G V

2005-01-01

Results on the convergence of solutions of variational inequalities for obstacle problems are proved. The variational inequalities are defined by a non-linear monotone operator of the second order with periodic rapidly oscillating coefficients and a sequence of functions characterizing the obstacles. Two-scale and macroscale (homogenized) limiting variational inequalities are obtained. Derivation methods for such inequalities are presented. Connections between the limiting variational inequalities and two-scale and macroscale minimization problems are established in the case of potential operators.

Dissociating Contents of Consciousness from Contents of Short-Term Memory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Thomas Alrik; Ásgeirsson, Árni Gunnar; Staugaard, Camilla Funch

2014-01-01

The contents of consciousness and of short-term memory are hard to disentangle. As it seems intuitive that we represent attended objects in short-term memory and in experience, to many, it also seems intuitive to equate this content. Here we investigated memory resolution for orientation......” to a “clear experience” of a probed target. To assess memory resolution we used a Landolt-variation on the visual short-term memory (VSTM) resolution paradigm (e.g. Wilken & Ma, 2004). Set-sizes in the memory display were varied between 1, 2, or 4 elements. With increasing set-size we found that both...

Impact of streamflow data assimilation and length of the verification period on the quality of short-term ensemble hydrologic forecasts

Science.gov (United States)

Randrianasolo, A.; Thirel, G.; Ramos, M. H.; Martin, E.

2014-11-01

Data assimilation has gained wide recognition in hydrologic forecasting due mainly to its capacity to improve the quality of short-term forecasts. In this study, a comparative analysis is conducted to assess the impact of discharge data assimilation on the quality of streamflow forecasts issued by two different modeling conceptualizations of catchment response. The sensitivity of the performance metrics to the length of the verification period is also investigated. The hydrological modeling approaches are: the coupled physically-based hydro-meteorological model SAFRAN-ISBA-MODCOU, a distributed model with a data assimilation procedure that uses streamflow measurements to assess the initial state of soil water content that optimizes discharge simulations, and the lumped soil moisture-accounting type rainfall-runoff model GRP, which assimilates directly the last observed discharge to update the state of the routing store. The models are driven by the weather ensemble prediction system PEARP of Météo-France, which is based on the global spectral ARPEGE model zoomed over France. It runs 11 perturbed members for a forecast range of 60 h. Forecast and observed data are available for 86 catchments over a 17-month period (March 2005-July 2006) for both models and for 82 catchments over a 52-month period (April 2005-July 2009) for the GRP model. The first dataset is used to investigate the impact of streamflow data assimilation on forecast quality, while the second is used to evaluate the impact of the length of the verification period on the assessment of forecast quality. Forecasts are compared to daily observed discharges and scores are computed for lead times 24 h and 48 h. Results indicate an overall good performance of both hydrological models forced by the PEARP ensemble predictions when the models are run with their data assimilation procedures. In general, when data assimilation is performed, the quality of the forecasts increases: median differences between

Timing Variations in Two Balkan Percussion Performances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Goldberg

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Many songs and dance pieces from the Balkan Peninsula employ aksak meter, in which two categorically different durations, long and short, coexist in the sequence of beats that performers emphasize and listeners move to. This paper analyzes the durations of aksak beats and measures in two recorded percussion performances that use a particular aksak beat sequence, long-short-short. The results suggest that the timing of beats varies in conjunction with factors including melodic grouping and interaction among members of a performing ensemble and audience. Timing variation linked to melodic groups occurs on a solo recording of a Macedonian Romani folk song. The performer, Muzafer Bizlim, taps an ostinato while singing, and the timing of his taps seems to mark some local and large-scale group boundaries. Melodic organization also seems relevant to the timing of beats and measures on a recording of Bulgarian percussionist Mitko Popov playing the tŭpan, a double-headed bass drum, in a small folk music ensemble. In Popov’s performance, however, timing differences might be related to characteristics of the ensemble dynamic, such as the coordination of multiple musical participants. These interpretations generate possibilities for future study of timing variations in relation to rhythm and meter.

A survey of short-term and long-term stability of tube parameters in a mammography unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Praskalo Jovica Ž.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In order to set up a successful mammography screening program in the Republic of Srpska, a Siemens Mammomat 1000 X-ray machine was selected for analysis as the said mammography system is widely used in clinical practice. The variations in tube parameters (specific air kerma, high-voltage accuracy and reproducibility, linearity between exposure and dose exposure time were monitored over a five-year period, from 2008 to 2012. In addition, due to observed daily fluctuations for chosen parameters, a series of measurements were performed three times a day within a single-month period (mainly October 2012. The goal of such an experimental set up is to assess short-term and long-term stability of tube parameters in the given mammography unit and to make a comparison between them. The present paper shows how an early detection of significant parameter fluctuations can help eliminate irregularities and optimize the performance of mammography systems. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 171007

Secular variations of radon in metropolitan Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghomshei, M.M.; Slawson, W.F.

1990-01-01

In this paper sampling of radon within the soil from three sites in metropolitan Vancouver is reported. Alpha trace bi-weekly measurements during a period of 4 years show secular variations with a period of 8-15 months. There are low-radon and high-radon episodes enduring several months to a year. Average radon level during the high-radon episodes reaches 5-10 times that of the low-radon periods. During high-radon episodes the high-frequency variations show very high amplitudes. After filtering of the high-frequency fluctuations, the data from different sites demonstrate remarkably similar trends. It is suggested that along with hydrogeological events, stress relaxation in rocks, earthquake, and magma emplacement may contribute to the sources of secular variations of radon. Because of long-term variations, radon level in urban areas should be monitored on a continuous basis. Single measurements, even those integrating radiation over a period of few months, may sample a low-radon episode, and provide a false assurance, or occur during a high-radon episode and give a false alarm

Tidal variations of earth rotation

Science.gov (United States)

Yoder, C. F.; Williams, J. G.; Parke, M. E.

1981-01-01

The periodic variations of the earths' rotation resulting from the tidal deformation of the earth by the sun and moon were rederived including terms with amplitudes of 0.002 millisec and greater. The series applies to the mantle, crust, and oceans which rotate together for characteristic tidal periods; the scaling parameter is the ratio of the fraction of the Love number producing tidal variations in the moment of inertia of the coupled mantle and oceans (k) to the dimensionless polar moment of inertia of the coupled moments (C). The lunar laser ranging data shows that k/C at monthly and fortnightly frequencies equals 0.99 + or - 0.15 and 0.99 + or - 0.20 as compared to the theoretical value of 0.94 + or - 0.04.

Pulse-to-pulse variations in accreting X-ray pulsars

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Kretschmar Peter

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In most accreting X-ray pulsars, the periodic signal is very clear and easily shows up as soon as data covering sufficient pulse periods (a few ten are available. The mean pulse profile is often quite typical for a given source and with minor variations repeated and recognisable across observations done years or even decades apart. At the time scale of individual pulses, significant pulse-to-pulse variations are commonly observed. While at low energies some of these variations might be explained by absorption, in the hard X-rays they will reflect changes in the accretion and subsequent emission. The amount of these variations appears to be quite different between sources and contains information about the surrounding material as well ass possibly interactions at the magnetosphere. We investigate such variations for a sample of well-known sources.

Short time ahead wind power production forecast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sapronova, Alla; Meissner, Catherine; Mana, Matteo

2016-01-01

An accurate prediction of wind power output is crucial for efficient coordination of cooperative energy production from different sources. Long-time ahead prediction (from 6 to 24 hours) of wind power for onshore parks can be achieved by using a coupled model that would bridge the mesoscale weather prediction data and computational fluid dynamics. When a forecast for shorter time horizon (less than one hour ahead) is anticipated, an accuracy of a predictive model that utilizes hourly weather data is decreasing. That is because the higher frequency fluctuations of the wind speed are lost when data is averaged over an hour. Since the wind speed can vary up to 50% in magnitude over a period of 5 minutes, the higher frequency variations of wind speed and direction have to be taken into account for an accurate short-term ahead energy production forecast. In this work a new model for wind power production forecast 5- to 30-minutes ahead is presented. The model is based on machine learning techniques and categorization approach and using the historical park production time series and hourly numerical weather forecast. (paper)

Short time ahead wind power production forecast

Science.gov (United States)

Sapronova, Alla; Meissner, Catherine; Mana, Matteo

2016-09-01

An accurate prediction of wind power output is crucial for efficient coordination of cooperative energy production from different sources. Long-time ahead prediction (from 6 to 24 hours) of wind power for onshore parks can be achieved by using a coupled model that would bridge the mesoscale weather prediction data and computational fluid dynamics. When a forecast for shorter time horizon (less than one hour ahead) is anticipated, an accuracy of a predictive model that utilizes hourly weather data is decreasing. That is because the higher frequency fluctuations of the wind speed are lost when data is averaged over an hour. Since the wind speed can vary up to 50% in magnitude over a period of 5 minutes, the higher frequency variations of wind speed and direction have to be taken into account for an accurate short-term ahead energy production forecast. In this work a new model for wind power production forecast 5- to 30-minutes ahead is presented. The model is based on machine learning techniques and categorization approach and using the historical park production time series and hourly numerical weather forecast.

Treatment of bronchial asthma with low-level laser in attack-free period at children

Science.gov (United States)

Ailioaie, C.; Ailioaie, Laura

2000-06-01

Bronchial asthma is a common disease in both the pediatric and adult populations, characterized by wide variations over short periods of time in resistance to airflow in intrapulmonary airways. A primary goal in the use of low- level laser therapy (LLLT) was the safe, effective and rapid palliation of symptoms owing to tracheal or bronchial obstruction. We have investigated the effects of LLLT comparatively with other modality trials in children's asthma. In the study were included 98 patients aged 10-18 years diagnosed with moderate or severe asthma, in attack- free period. The patients were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 received only laser therapy using extra meridian acupuncture points and scanning technique. Group 2 was treated only with inhaled Serevent 2 X 25 micrometers , two times daily, 3 months. Group 3 was tread with Theophylline retard in dosage of 15-mg/kg/12 h, 3 months. At the end of treatment we remarked a noticeable improvement of the clinical, functional and immunological characteristics at 83 percent of patients in group 1, comparatively with only 70 percent (group 2) and 53 percent (group 3). The LLLT had a very good action on bronchial patency , displayed an immunocorrecting action and is recommended in attack-free periods at children.

Investigation of Quasi-periodic Solar Oscillations in Sunspots Based on SOHO/MDI Magnetograms

Science.gov (United States)

Kallunki, J.; Riehokainen, A.

2012-10-01

In this work we study quasi-periodic solar oscillations in sunspots, based on the variation of the amplitude of the magnetic field strength and the variation of the sunspot area. We investigate long-period oscillations between three minutes and ten hours. The magnetic field synoptic maps were obtained from the SOHO/MDI. Wavelet (Morlet), global wavelet spectrum (GWS) and fast Fourier transform (FFT) methods are used in the periodicity analysis at the 95 % significance level. Additionally, the quiet Sun area (QSA) signal and an instrumental effect are discussed. We find several oscillation periods in the sunspots above the 95 % significance level: 3 - 5, 10 - 23, 220 - 240, 340 and 470 minutes, and we also find common oscillation periods (10 - 23 minutes) between the sunspot area variation and that of the magnetic field strength. We discuss possible mechanisms for the obtained results, based on the existing models for sunspot oscillations.

Hourly variation of elemental components of urban aerosol in Debrecen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kertesz, Zs.; Dobos, E.; Szoboszlai, Z.; Borbely-Kiss, I.

2007-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. With the use of accelerator based PIXE elemental analysis technique and statistical methods, systematic investigation of aerosol samples have been performed in the Institute of Nuclear Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for 20 years determining the elemental composition, size distribution, seasonal and long term time variation, sources and lung deposition probabilities of atmospheric aerosol characteristic to the east-Hungary region. In continuation of this research we observed the short-term time variation of the elemental components in spring and in autumn 2007, at the end and the beginning of the heating season. We studied the changes in the elemental concentrations, their periodicity, correlation with other elements and meteorological parameters. The sampling was done with a PIXE International streaker sampler, which enables a time-discrete record of fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10-2.5) size fractions. Sampling campaigns were carried out in the garden of the Atomki on 10-16 April and 10-19 October. Elemental concentration data (Z > 12) with 2h time resolution were determined on the two size fractions. Statistical evaluation and source determination were carried out with the positive mass factorization method developed for aerosol source characterization by US EPA. Six sources of the urban aerosols were identified: 2 types of soil - loess and sand - biomass burning, sulfate originating form long range transport processes, an unknown source enriched with chlorine and heavy metals originating form traffic. The hourly contribution of some sources for the week 12-19 October is presented on figure 1. In the time trend of soil and heavy metals a periodicity can be observed: the peaks in the morning and in the evening of working days fall together with traffic rush hours. Peaks of biomass burning appear during nights and mornings indicating its origin of domestic heating. Several emission episodes were also detected. Such

Congenital Short QT Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lia Crotti

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The Short QT Syndrome is a recently described new genetic disorder, characterized by abnormally short QT interval, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and life threatening ventricular arrhythmias. This autosomal dominant syndrome can afflict infants, children, or young adults; often a remarkable family background of cardiac sudden death is elucidated. At electrophysiological study, short atrial and ventricular refractory periods are found, with atrial fibrillation and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia easily induced by programmed electrical stimulation. Gain of function mutations in three genes encoding K+ channels have been identified, explaining the abbreviated repolarization seen in this condition: KCNH2 for Ikr (SQT1, KCNQ1 for Iks (SQT2 and KCNJ2 for Ik1 (SQT3. The currently suggested therapeutic strategy is an ICD implantation, although many concerns exist for asymptomatic patients, especially in pediatric age. Pharmacological treatment is still under evaluation; quinidine has shown to prolong QT and reduce the inducibility of ventricular arrhythmias, but awaits additional confirmatory clinical data.

Phytoplankton Biomass Dynamics in the Strait of Malacca within the Period of the SeaWiFS Full Mission: Seasonal Cycles, Interannual Variations and Decadal-Scale Trends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eko Siswanto

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Seasonal cycles, interannual variations and decadal trends of Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS-retrieved chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a in the Strait of Malacca (SM were investigated with reconstructed, cloud-free SeaWiFS Chl-a during the period of the SeaWiFS full mission (September 1997 to December 2010. Pixel-based non-parametric correlations of SeaWiFS Chl-a on environmental variables were used to identify the probable causes of the observed spatio-temporal variations of SeaWiFS Chl-a in northern, middle and southern regions of the SM. Chl-a was high (low during the northeast (southwest monsoon. The principal causes of the seasonality were wind-driven vertical mixing in the northern region and wind-driven coastal upwelling and possibly river discharges in the middle region. Among the three regions, the southern region showed the largest interannual variations of Chl-a. These variations were associated with the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO and river runoff. Interannual variations of Chl-a in the middle and northern regions were more responsive to the Indian Ocean Dipole and ENSO, respectively, with atmospheric deposition being the most important driver. The most significant decadal-scale trend of increasing Chl-a was in the southern region; the trend was moderate in the middle region. This increasing trend was probably caused by environmental changes unrelated to the variables investigated in this study.

Planet X as the source of the periodic and steady-state flux of short period comets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matese, J.J.; Whitmire, D.P.

1986-01-01

The cratering and fossil records suggest that impacts on the earth have been modulated with a period of roughly 30 Myr. In the Planet X model, this modulation is the result of the interaction of Planet X with a primordial disk of planetesimals lying beyond the orbit of Neptune. In this paper, observational and theoretical evidence supporting the existence of Planet X and the planetesimal disk is briefly reviewed, and the constraints on the orbit parameters of Planet X and the disk parameters which must be satisfied to ensure consistency with observational limits are discussed

Diurnal variations in water relations of deficit irrigated lemon trees during fruit growth period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. García-Orellana

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Field-grown lemon trees (Citrus limon (L. Burm. fil. cv. Fino were subjected to different drip irrigation treatments: a control treatment, irrigated daily above crop water requirements in order to obtain non-limiting soil water conditions and two deficit irrigation treatments, reducing the water applied according to the maximum daily trunk shrinkage (MDS signal intensity (actual MDS/control treatment MDS threshold values of 1.25 (T1 treatment and 1.35 (T2 treatment, which induced two different drought stress levels. Daily variations in leaf (Yleaf and stem (Ystem water potentials, leaf conductance, net photosynthesis, sap flow (SF and trunk diameter fluctuations were studied on four occasions during the lemon fruit growth period. Ystem and Yleaf revealed a diurnal pattern in response to changes in evaporative demand of the atmosphere. Both water potentials decreased in response to water deficits, which were more pronounced in the T2 treatment. Ystem was seen to be a better plant water status indicator than Yleaf. The difference between the two values of Y (Ystem - Yleaf  = DY was closely correlated with sap flow, making it a suitable measure of leaf transpiration. Using the slope of this relationship, the canopy hydraulic conductance (KC was estimated. When other continuously recorded plant-based indicators are not accessible, the concurrent measurement of leaf and stem water potentials at midday, which are relatively inexpensive to measure and user-friendly, act as sufficiently good indicators of the plant water status in field grown Fino lemon trees.

Progressive erosion of genetic and epigenetic variation in callus-derived cocoa (Theobroma cacao) plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez López, Carlos M; Wetten, Andrew C; Wilkinson, Michael J

2010-06-01

*Relatively little is known about the timing of genetic and epigenetic forms of somaclonal variation arising from callus growth. We surveyed for both types of change in cocoa (Theobroma cacao) plants regenerated from calli of various ages, and also between tissues from the source trees. *For genetic change, we used 15 single sequence repeat (SSR) markers from four source trees and from 233 regenerated plants. For epigenetic change, we used 386 methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) markers on leaf and explant (staminode) DNA from two source trees and on leaf DNA from 114 regenerants. *Genetic variation within source trees was limited to one slippage mutation in one leaf. Regenerants were far more variable, with 35% exhibiting at least one mutation. Genetic variation initially accumulated with culture age but subsequently declined. MSAP (epigenetic) profiles diverged between leaf and staminode samples from source trees. Multivariate analysis revealed that leaves from regenerants occupied intermediate eigenspace between leaves and staminodes of source plants but became progressively more similar to source tree leaves with culture age. *Statistical analysis confirmed this rather counterintuitive finding that leaves of 'late regenerants' exhibited significantly less genetic and epigenetic divergence from source leaves than those exposed to short periods of callus growth.

Thin film surface processing by UltraShort Laser Pulses (USLP)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scorticati, D.; Skolski, J.Z.P.; Römer, G.R.B.E.; Huis in 't Veld, A.J.; Workum, M.; Theelen, M.J.; Zeman, M.

2012-01-01

In this work, we studied the feasibility of surface texturing of thin molybdenum layers on a borosilicate glass substrate with Ultra-Short Laser Pulses (USLP). Large areas of regular diffraction gratings were produced consisting of Laserinduced periodic surface structures (LIPSS). A short pulsed

Seasonal variations in the characteristics of superficial sediments in a macrotidal estuary (the Seine inlet, France)

Science.gov (United States)

Lesourd, S.; Lesueur, P.; Brun-Cottan, J. C.; Garnaud, S.; Poupinet, N.

2003-09-01

Seasonal variations in the sedimentary regime in the mouth of the Seine river, a macrotidal estuary, are described for a 3-year period. The aim of this study is to characterize and to understand the main governing mechanisms, using data from more than a thousand of superficial sediment grab samples or box cores gathered throughout the study period. Analyses of lithofacies and rheological properties were carried out. The distribution of sediments is governed by seasonal meteorological variations. The surface covered by mud reaches a maximum (40% of the total mouth area) during winter. After the winter, the soft mud deposits are progressively redistributed throughout the whole estuary area and onto the shelf. During the lowest freshwater flow at the end of summer, the fine-grained sediments cover less than 20% of the river mouth area. These seasonal variations mainly depend on the river discharge intensity, but are also linked to wave activity. In the study area, the amount of fine-grained deposits after high river flow periods depends on (1) volume of mud erodable within the estuary, (2) the duration of the flood tidal influx, and (3) the duration preceding the particular annual high river flow. During the last decades, filling of the estuary upstream from Honfleur has led to a downstream shift of the fine-grained sediment deposition area; following this, the present-day mud deposition area is in the open part of the estuary, in the subtidal shallow area. Subsequently, fresh mud deposits undergo intense hydrodynamical and meteorological effects, and are partly reworked by waves and tidal currents effects. In this study, it is shown that the behaviour of suspended matter and of superficial sediments is strongly influenced by short but intense events including high river flows and gales.

Global Electric Circuit Diurnal Variation Derived from Storm Overflight and Satellite Optical Lightning Datasets

Science.gov (United States)

Mach, Douglas M.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Bateman, M. J.; Bailey, J. C.

2011-01-01

We have combined analyses of over 1000 high altitude aircraft observations of electrified clouds with diurnal lightning statistics from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) and Optical Transient Detector (OTD) to produce an estimate of the diurnal variation in the global electric circuit. Using basic assumptions about the mean storm currents as a function of flash rate and location, and the global electric circuit, our estimate of the current in the global electric circuit matches the Carnegie curve diurnal variation to within 4% for all but two short periods of time. The agreement with the Carnegie curve was obtained without any tuning or adjustment of the satellite or aircraft data. Mean contributions to the global electric circuit from land and ocean thunderstorms are 1.1 kA (land) and 0.7 kA (ocean). Contributions to the global electric circuit from ESCs are 0.22 kA for ocean storms and 0.04 kA for land storms. Using our analysis, the mean total conduction current for the global electric circuit is 2.0 kA.

The period of the magnetic star HD 133 029

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panov, K.; Schoeneich, W.

1976-01-01

The period of 0.741285 days for the light variability of the magnetic star HD 133 029 was obtained from UBV observations. The observations of the effective magnetic field by Babcock show variations with a period of 0.7447 days. A small change of the period and a slow change of the magnitude of this magnetic star seems to be present. (author)

Solar cycles and climate variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chistyakov, V.F.

1990-01-01

Climate oscillations with 100-, 200- and 300-year periods are positively correlated with solar activity oscillations: the higher is solar activity the warmer is climate. According to geological data (varved clays) it is determined, that length of cycles has decreased from 23.4 up to 11 years during latter 2.5 billion years. 12-year cycles occurred during the great glaciation periods, while 10-year cycles occurred during interglaciation periods. It is suggested, that these oscillations are related with variations of the solar activity and luminescence

Differences in genetic and environmental variation in adult BMI by sex, age, time period, and region

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silventoinen, Karri; Jelenkovic, Aline; Sund, Reijo

2017-01-01

Background: Genes and the environment contribute to variation in adult body mass index [BMI (in kg/m(2))], but factors modifying these variance components are poorly understood.Objective: We analyzed genetic and environmental variation in BMI between men and women from young adulthood to old age...

Differences in genetic and environmental variation in adult BMI by sex, age, time period, and region

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silventoinen, Karri; Jelenkovic, Aline; Sund, Reijo

2017-01-01

Background: Genes and the environment contribute to variation in adult body mass index [BMI (in kg/m(2))], but factors modifying these variance components are poorly understood. Objective: We analyzed genetic and environmental variation in BMI between men and women from young adulthood to old age...

Short-Period RF Undulator for a SASE Nanometer source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirshfield, Jay L.

2011-01-01

Analysis is described towards development of a RF undulator with a period < 1 cm, an undulator parameter K of the order of unity, and a gap greater than 2.25 mm. The application for the undulator is for a SASE source to produce 1 nm wavelength radiation using a low energy electron beam in the range 1-2 GeV. Particle orbit calculations in a conventional standing-wave resonator configuration show that the presence of a co-propagating component of RF field can cause deleterious motion for the undulating electrons that can seriously degrade their radiation spectrum. To obviate this problem, resonator designs were devised in which only the counter-propagating field components interact with the particles. Two resonator configurations with the same undulator parameter K = 0.4 have been devised and are described in this report.

The correlation between variation of visual acuity and the anterior chamber depth in the early period after phacoemulsification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kai-jian CHEN

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Objective To investigate the correlation between the visual acuity variation and the anterior chamber depth in the early period after phacoemulsification.Methods Thirty-six eyes of 32 patients with age-related cataract underwent 3.2mm clear corneal incision phacoemulsification and intraocular lens(IOL implantation.The visual acuity was examined and horizontal curvature(K1,vertical curvature(K2,corneal astigmatism,and anterior chamber depth were measured with IOL-master preoperatively and also on 1,3,7 and 15 postoperative days.The changes in parameters were compared,and the correlations among visual acuity,corneal astigmatism and anterior chamber depth were analyzed.Results Before operation and 1d,3d,7d and 15d after operation,the corneal astigmatism was-0.87±0.40D,-1.92±1.38D,-1.69±1.13D,-1.45±0.79D and-1.36±0.74D;the anterior chamber depth was 3.08±0.35mm,4.04±0.38mm,4.28±0.29mm,4.22±0.17mm and 4.22±0.16mm;the visual acuity was 0.18±0.10,0.44±0.14,0.59±0.12,0.61±0.11 and 0.62±0.14.Significant difference was found between pre-operative and postoperative visual acuity,corneal astigmatism and anterior chamber depth,and it was also found in corneal astigmatism between 1d and 15d post operation(P < 0.05,as well as in anterior chamber depth and visual acuity between 1d and 3d post operation(P < 0.05.A positive correlation was found between visual acuity and corneal astigmatism on 1d(r=0.42,P < 0.05,3d(r=0.35,P < 0.05 and 7d(r=0.35,P < 0.05 post operation;and a negative correlation was found between visual acuity and anterior chamber depth on 3d(r=-0.29,P < 0.05,7d(r=-0.43,P < 0.01 and 15d(r=-0.37,P < 0.05 post operation.Conclusion Both the corneal astigmatism and the anterior chamber depth are correlated with the visual acuity variation in the early period after phacoemulsification.

The match-to-match variation of match-running in elite female soccer.

Science.gov (United States)

Trewin, Joshua; Meylan, César; Varley, Matthew C; Cronin, John

2018-02-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the match-to-match variation of match-running in elite female soccer players utilising GPS, using full-match and rolling period analyses. Longitudinal study. Elite female soccer players (n=45) from the same national team were observed during 55 international fixtures across 5 years (2012-2016). Data was analysed using a custom built MS Excel spreadsheet as full-matches and using a rolling 5-min analysis period, for all players who played 90-min matches (files=172). Variation was examined using co-efficient of variation and 90% confidence limits, calculated following log transformation. Total distance per minute exhibited the smallest variation when both the full-match and peak 5-min running periods were examined (CV=6.8-7.2%). Sprint-efforts were the most variable during a full-match (CV=53%), whilst high-speed running per minute exhibited the greatest variation in the post-peak 5-min period (CV=143%). Peak running periods were observed as slightly more variable than full-match analyses, with the post-peak period very-highly variable. Variability of accelerations (CV=17%) and Player Load (CV=14%) was lower than that of high-speed actions. Positional differences were also present, with centre backs exhibiting the greatest variation in high-speed movements (CV=41-65%). Practitioners and researchers should account for within player variability when examining match performances. Identification of peak running periods should be used to assist worst case scenarios. Whilst micro-sensor technology should be further examined as to its viable use within match-analyses. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Periodic orbits around areostationary points in the Martian gravity field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xiaodong; Baoyin Hexi; Ma Xingrui

2012-01-01

This study investigates the problem of areostationary orbits around Mars in three-dimensional space. Areostationary orbits are expected to be used to establish a future telecommunication network for the exploration of Mars. However, no artificial satellites have been placed in these orbits thus far. The characteristics of the Martian gravity field are presented, and areostationary points and their linear stability are calculated. By taking linearized solutions in the planar case as the initial guesses and utilizing the Levenberg-Marquardt method, families of periodic orbits around areostationary points are shown to exist. Short-period orbits and long-period orbits are found around linearly stable areostationary points, but only short-period orbits are found around unstable areostationary points. Vertical periodic orbits around both linearly stable and unstable areostationary points are also examined. Satellites in these periodic orbits could depart from areostationary points by a few degrees in longitude, which would facilitate observation of the Martian topography. Based on the eigenvalues of the monodromy matrix, the evolution of the stability index of periodic orbits is determined. Finally, heteroclinic orbits connecting the two unstable areostationary points are found, providing the possibility for orbital transfer with minimal energy consumption.

Genetic Variation in Cardiomyopathy and Cardiovascular Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

McNally, Elizabeth M; Puckelwartz, Megan J

2015-01-01

With the wider deployment of massively-parallel, next-generation sequencing, it is now possible to survey human genome data for research and clinical purposes. The reduced cost of producing short-read sequencing has now shifted the burden to data analysis. Analysis of genome sequencing remains challenged by the complexity of the human genome, including redundancy and the repetitive nature of genome elements and the large amount of variation in individual genomes. Public databases of human genome sequences greatly facilitate interpretation of common and rare genetic variation, although linking database sequence information to detailed clinical information is limited by privacy and practical issues. Genetic variation is a rich source of knowledge for cardiovascular disease because many, if not all, cardiovascular disorders are highly heritable. The role of rare genetic variation in predicting risk and complications of cardiovascular diseases has been well established for hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy, where the number of genes that are linked to these disorders is growing. Bolstered by family data, where genetic variants segregate with disease, rare variation can be linked to specific genetic variation that offers profound diagnostic information. Understanding genetic variation in cardiomyopathy is likely to help stratify forms of heart failure and guide therapy. Ultimately, genetic variation may be amenable to gene correction and gene editing strategies.

Constraining spatial variations in P-wave velocity in the upper mantle beneath SE Asia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, C.; Hilst, R.D. van der; Toksoz, N.M.

2006-01-01

We have produced a P-wave model of the upper mantle beneath Southeast (SE) Asia from reprocessed short period International Seismological Centre (ISC) P and pP data, short period P data of the Annual Bulletin of Chinese Earthquakes (ABCE), and long period PP-P data.We used 3D sensitivity kernels

Sensitivity analysis of periodic errors in heterodyne interferometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganguly, Vasishta; Kim, Nam Ho; Kim, Hyo Soo; Schmitz, Tony

2011-01-01

Periodic errors in heterodyne displacement measuring interferometry occur due to frequency mixing in the interferometer. These nonlinearities are typically characterized as first- and second-order periodic errors which cause a cyclical (non-cumulative) variation in the reported displacement about the true value. This study implements an existing analytical periodic error model in order to identify sensitivities of the first- and second-order periodic errors to the input parameters, including rotational misalignments of the polarizing beam splitter and mixing polarizer, non-orthogonality of the two laser frequencies, ellipticity in the polarizations of the two laser beams, and different transmission coefficients in the polarizing beam splitter. A local sensitivity analysis is first conducted to examine the sensitivities of the periodic errors with respect to each input parameter about the nominal input values. Next, a variance-based approach is used to study the global sensitivities of the periodic errors by calculating the Sobol' sensitivity indices using Monte Carlo simulation. The effect of variation in the input uncertainty on the computed sensitivity indices is examined. It is seen that the first-order periodic error is highly sensitive to non-orthogonality of the two linearly polarized laser frequencies, while the second-order error is most sensitive to the rotational misalignment between the laser beams and the polarizing beam splitter. A particle swarm optimization technique is finally used to predict the possible setup imperfections based on experimentally generated values for periodic errors

Sensitivity analysis of periodic errors in heterodyne interferometry

Science.gov (United States)

Ganguly, Vasishta; Kim, Nam Ho; Kim, Hyo Soo; Schmitz, Tony

2011-03-01

Periodic errors in heterodyne displacement measuring interferometry occur due to frequency mixing in the interferometer. These nonlinearities are typically characterized as first- and second-order periodic errors which cause a cyclical (non-cumulative) variation in the reported displacement about the true value. This study implements an existing analytical periodic error model in order to identify sensitivities of the first- and second-order periodic errors to the input parameters, including rotational misalignments of the polarizing beam splitter and mixing polarizer, non-orthogonality of the two laser frequencies, ellipticity in the polarizations of the two laser beams, and different transmission coefficients in the polarizing beam splitter. A local sensitivity analysis is first conducted to examine the sensitivities of the periodic errors with respect to each input parameter about the nominal input values. Next, a variance-based approach is used to study the global sensitivities of the periodic errors by calculating the Sobol' sensitivity indices using Monte Carlo simulation. The effect of variation in the input uncertainty on the computed sensitivity indices is examined. It is seen that the first-order periodic error is highly sensitive to non-orthogonality of the two linearly polarized laser frequencies, while the second-order error is most sensitive to the rotational misalignment between the laser beams and the polarizing beam splitter. A particle swarm optimization technique is finally used to predict the possible setup imperfections based on experimentally generated values for periodic errors.

A Short-Circuit Safe Operation Area Identification Criterion for SiC MOSFET Power Modules

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reigosa, Paula Diaz; Iannuzzo, Francesco; Luo, Haoze

2017-01-01

This paper proposes a new method for the investigation of the short-circuit safe operation area (SCSOA) of state-of-the-art SiC MOSFET power modules rated at 1.2 kV based on the variations in SiC MOSFET electrical parameters (e.g., short-circuit current and gate–source voltage). According...... to the experimental results, two different failure mechanisms have been identified, both reducing the short-circuit capability of SiC power modules with respect to discrete SiC devices. Based on such failure mechanisms, two short-circuit safety criteria have been formulated: 1) the short-circuit...

Short-term power plant operation scheduling in thermal systems with long-term boundary conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolter, H.

1990-01-01

For the first time, the modeling of long-term quantitative conditions within the short-term planning of the application of power stations is made via their shadow prices. It corresponds to a decomposition of the quantitative conditions by means of the method of the Langrange relaxation. The shadow prices determined by the planning for energy application regarding long- term quantitative conditions pass into the short-term planning for power station application and subsidize or rather punish the application of limited amounts as for as they are not claimed for sufficiently or excessively. The clear advantage of this modeling is that the short-term planning of power station application can deviate from the envisioned energy application regarding the total optimum, because the shadow prices contain all information about the cost effect of the energy shifts in the residual total period, which become necessary due to the deviations in the short-term period to be planned in the current short-term period. (orig./DG) [de

ANALISIS BEBERAPA FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI HOLDING PERIOD SAHAM BIASA PADA PERUSAHAAN GO PUBLIC YANG TERCATAT DALAM INDEX LQ45

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinus - Maulina

2012-05-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT   There are many factors influencing the decision making of investors in holding their possession on security especially common stock. Monetary crisis condition has proved to be able to influence the investors’ attitude in Jakarta Stock Market in investing their capital especially about the long/short of holding a security. This study is conducted based on the differentiation of conclusion/result of study from previous studies about decision to hold security in the long/short term. The aim of this study is to analyze variables influencing holding period of common stock on public firm listed in LQ 45 Index, that are firms generally have good performance assessed based on both market performance and firm fundamental, then analyzing the dominance influencing variable. This study is conducted in Jakarta Stock Exchange with population of stocks listed in LQ 45 index in period of 2000 – 2001 with the total of 64 firms. The Sample Taking Method is purposive sampling with the criteria that the firms at least listed twice in LQ45 index on the study period. The analysis method used to analyze independent variables: spread, market value, variance return, and dividend pay out ratio and dependent variable: holding period is two stage least squares multiple regression model,  since there is possibility that the correlation of bid-ask spread from the current period and bid-ask spread and holding period from the previous period for every stock take place simultaneously. Results of the study showed that, partially, bid-ask spread variable that constitutes the different value between the highest price provided paid by buyer with the lowest price offered by seller has significance positive correlation on holding period of common stock and there is inverse correlation/significance negative between variance return variable that reflect the risk rate from stock effected by fluctuation of stock price and holding period of common stock. While

Studying the influence of strong meteorological disturbances in the Earth's lower atmosphere on variations of ionospheric parameters in the Asian region of Russia

Science.gov (United States)

Chernigovskaya, Marina; Kurkin, Vladimir; Orlov, Igor; Oinats, Alexey; Sharkov, Eugenii

2010-05-01

Short-period temporal variations of ionospheric parameters were analyzed to study probabilities of manifestation of strong meteorological disturbances in the Earth's lower atmosphere in variations of upper atmosphere parameters in a zone far removed from a disturbance source. In the analysis, we used data on maximum observed frequencies (MOF) of oblique sounding (OS) signals along Norilsk-Irkutsk, Magadan-Irkutsk, and Khabarovsk-Irkutsk paths in East Siberia and the Far East. These data were obtained during solar minimum at equinoxes (March, September) in 2008-2009. Analyzing effects of wave disturbances in ionospheric parameters, we take into account helio-geomagnetic and meteorological conditions in regions under study to do an effective separation between disturbances associated with magnetospheric-ionospheric coupling and those induced by the influence of the lower atmosphere on the upper one. The frequency analysis we conducted revealed time intervals with higher intensity of short-period oscillations which may have been interpreted as manifestation of large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) whose sources were internal gravity waves (IGWs) with periods of 1-5 hours. The complex analysis of helio-geomagnetic, ionospheric, and atmospheric data as well as data on tropical cyclones established that the detected TIDs were unrelated to helio-geomagnetic disturbances (2008-2009 exhibited solar minimum and quiet geomagnetic conditions). The analysis of other potential sources of the observed short-period wave disturbances shows that observed TIDs do not always coincide in time with passage of local meteorological fronts through the region of subionospheric points of OS paths and are not associated with passage of solar terminator. An attempt was made to connect a number of detected TIDs with ionospheric responses to tropical cyclones (TC) which were in active phase in the north-west of the Pacific Ocean during the periods considered. A considerable

Study on Turn-to-turn Short Circuit On一line Monitoring System for Dry一type Ai r一core Reactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GAO Zi-wei

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The change of current value caused by turn-to-turn short circuit of dry-type air-core reactor is so little that failure detection is difficult to be carried out. In order to solve this problem，a new on-line monitoring system based on impedance variation of turn-to-turn short circuit is proposed. The numerical method is applied to analyze the variation of equivalent resistance and equivalent reactance when dry-type air-core reactor winding short circuit happens in different places，and the monitoring method based on harmonic analysis method and quasi- synchronization sampling method is analyzed by theory. The hardware system，which takes single-chip microcomputer as the core of data processing and logic control，completes data acquisition of voltage signal and current signal of the reactor. In the respect of software design，the impedance variation will be uploaded to the PC after it has been calculated by using the above monitoring method，and then monitoring of turn-to-turn short circuit fault will be realized. Finally，the design of on-line monitoring system is studied by testing. The research result shows that，the equivalent resistance increases and the equivalent reactance decreases when turn-to-turn short circuit occurs，and the variation of equivalent resistance is more obvious than equivalent reactance. The experiment results prove that this monitoring method is true and the on-line monitoring system is feasible.

Quantum state engineering with ultra-short-period (AlN)m/(GaN)n superlattices for narrowband deep-ultraviolet detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Na; Lin, Wei; Chen, Xue; Huang, Kai; Li, Shuping; Li, Jinchai; Chen, Hangyang; Yang, Xu; Ji, Li; Yu, Edward T; Kang, Junyong

2014-12-21

Ultra-short-period (AlN)m/(GaN)n superlattices with tunable well and barrier atomic layer numbers were grown by metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy, and employed to demonstrate narrowband deep ultraviolet photodetection. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray reciprocal space mapping confirm that superlattices containing well-defined, coherently strained GaN and AlN layers as thin as two atomic layers (∼ 0.5 nm) were grown. Theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that an optical absorption band as narrow as 9 nm (210 meV) at deep-ultraviolet wavelengths can be produced, and is attributable to interband transitions between quantum states along the [0001] direction in ultrathin GaN atomic layers isolated by AlN barriers. The absorption wavelength can be precisely engineered by adjusting the thickness of the GaN atomic layers because of the quantum confinement effect. These results represent a major advance towards the realization of wavelength selectable and narrowband photodetectors in the deep-ultraviolet region without any additional optical filters.

Long-period variations of wind parameters in the mesopause region and the solar cycle dependence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greisiger, K.M.; Schminder, R.; Kuerschner, D.

1987-01-01

A solar dependence of wind parameters below 100 km was found by Sprenger and Schminder on the basis of long-term continuous ionospheric drift measurements. For winter they obtained for the prevailing wind a positive correlation with solar activity and for the amplitude of the semi-diurnal tidal wind a negative correlation. However, after the years 1973-1974 we found a significant negative correlation with solar activity with an indication of a new change after 1983. We conclude that this long-term behaviour points rather to a climatic variation with an internal atmospheric cause than to a direct solar control. Recent satellite data of the solar u.v. radiation and the upper stratospheric ozone have shown that the possible variation of the thermal tidal excitation during the solar cycle amounts to only a few per cent. This is, therefore, insufficient to account for the 40-70% variation of the tidal amplitudes. Some other possibilities of explaining this result are discussed. (author)

Variations of brightness and Ca 2 emission of the xi Boo AB and HD 1835 dWarf G stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chuganov, P.F.

1983-01-01

75 photoelectric UBV-observations of xi Boo AB were obtained during 45 nights in 1980. Real light variations of several thousandths of magnitude are revealed. Moreover, the variations observed in two nights were resembling flares. Both recent and published data on HD 1835 together with Wilson's observations of H and K Ca II lines in the spectra of xi Boo A, xi Boo B and HD 1835 are used for the search of periodicities. The periodicities are present in variations of light and Ca II -emission. Periodicities are more prominent in light variations (periods are 10 days for xi Boo AB and 7.66 days for HD 1835). In H and K Ca II lines the duration of cycles is different but the basic period is the same as in light variations. Therefore, the basic period (interpreted as the period of star roration) can be revealed only from a very long run of H and K Ca II observations (approximately 150). Light variations of xi Boo AB are probably due to the A-component since the basic period of Ca II-variations in xi Boo A is approximately the same (10 days). The basic period of Ca II-variations in xi Boo B is considerably larger.

Variations of brightness and Ca 2 emission of the xi Boo AB and HD 1835 dWarf G stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chuganov, P.F.

1983-01-01

75 photoelectric UBV-observations of xi Boo AB were obtained during 45 nights in 1980. Real light variations of several thousandths of magnitude are revealed. Moreover, the variations observed in two nights were resembling flares. Both recent and published data on HD 1835 together with Wilson's observations of H and K Ca II lines in the spectra of xi Boo A, xi Boo B and HD 1835 are used for the search of periodicities. The periodicities are present in variations of light and Ca II -emission. Periodicities are more prominent in light variations (periods are 10 days for xi Boo AB and 7.66 days for HD 1835). In H and K Ca II lines the dura-- tion of cycles is different but the basic period is the same as in light variations. Therefore, the basic period (interpreted as the period of star roration) can be revealed only from a very long run of H and K Ca II observations (approximately 150). Light variations of xi Boo AB are probably due to the A-component since the basic period of Ca II-variations in xi Boo A is approximately the same (10 days). The basic period of Ca II-variations in xi Boo B is considerably larger;

Development of Speech Fluency over a Short Period of Time: Effects of Pedagogic Intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Tavakoli, Parvaneh; Campbell, Colin; McCormack, Joan

2016-01-01

This study investigates the effects of a short-term pedagogic intervention on development of second language (L2) fluency among learners studying English for academic purposes at a UK university. It also examines the interaction between development of fluency and complexity and accuracy. Through a pretest and posttest design, data were collected…

The zonal tidal effect on the variation in the rotation rate of the Earth with a fluid core II. Numerical calculation and comparisons

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Han-Wei; Zheng, Yong; Du, Lan; Pan, Guan-Song

The tidal variation in Earth rotation rate is a periodical response to solar-lunar tide generating potential (TGP). Some theoretical formulae are given here based on Doodson development of TGP including the variations in Earth rotation rate, LOD and UT1. Finally the zonal tidal effect on the variation in the fluid core Earth rotation rate is calculated according to the formula deduced by Xi Qinwen (1995). The calculation shows that the results in this paper are well consistent with the ones in IERS (96), which indicates the correctness of the theoretical formula we deduced. It is also shown that the effects from the high frequency parts are relatively small, within the observing precision so far; relatively large effects due to the lower parts, which should be able to be seperated from the observed data, are actually difficult to make because of the influence from some non-tidal factors as well as short time span data.

Magnetomechanically induced long period fiber gratings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Causado-Buelvas, Jesus D.; Gomez-Cardona, Nelson D.; Torres, Pedro

2008-01-01

In this work, we report a simple, flexible method to create long period fiber gratings mechanically by controlling the repulsion/attraction force between two magnets that pressing a plate with a periodic array of small glass cylinders to a short length of optical fiber. Via the photoelastic effect, the pressure points induce the required periodic refractive index modulation to create the LPFG. We found that the induced device exhibits spectral characteristics similar to those of other types of LPFG. As the optical properties of LPFGs are directly related to the nature of the applied perturbations, we show, to our knowledge for the frrst time, how is the evolution of birefringence effects in mechanically induced LPFGs

The circadian variation of premature atrial contractions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Bjørn Strøier; Kumarathurai, Preman; Nielsen, Olav W

2016-01-01

AIMS: The aim of the study was to assess a possible circadian variation of premature atrial contractions (PACs) in a community-based population and to determine if the daily variation could be used to assess a more vulnerable period of PACs in predicting later incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF...... variation in heart rate. After adjusting for relevant risk factors, the risk of AF was equal in all time intervals throughout the day. CONCLUSION: Premature atrial contractions showed a circadian variation in subjects with frequent PACs. No specific time interval of the day was more predictive of AF than...

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...

Performance of a reactor containing denitrifying immobilized biomass in removing ethanol and aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX) in a short operating period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gusmao, Valquiria Ribeiro; Chinalia, Fabio Alexandre; Sakamoto, Isabel Kimiko; Varesche, Maria Bernadete Amancio

2007-01-01

A horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass reactor (HAIB) containing denitrifying biomass was evaluated with respect to its ability to remove, separately and in a short operating period (30 days), organic matter, nitrate, and the hydrocarbons benzene (41.4 mg L -1 ), toluene (27.8 mg L -1 ), ethylbenzene (31.1 mg L -1 ), o-xylene (28.5 mg L -1 ), m-xylene (28.4 mg L -1 ) and p-xylene (32.1 mg L -1 ). The purified culture, which was grown in the presence of the specific hydrocarbon, was used as the source of cells to be immobilized in the polyurethane foam. After 30 days of operation, the foam was removed and a new immobilized biomass was grown in the presence of another hydrocarbon. The average hydrocarbon removal efficiency attained was 97%. The organic matter, especially ethanol, was removed with an average efficiency of 83% at a mean influent concentration of 1185.0 mg L -1 . A concomitant removal of 97% of nitrate was observed for a mean influent concentration of 423.4 mg L -1 . The independent removal of each hydrocarbon demonstrated that these contaminants can be biodegraded separately, without the need for a compound to be the primary substrate for the degradation of another. This study proposes the application of the system for treatment of areas contaminated with these compounds, with substitution and formation of a biofilm in a 30-day period

Causes of global mean surface temperature slowdowns, trends and variations from months to a century, 1891-2015

Science.gov (United States)

Folland, C. K.; Boucher, O.; Colman, A.; Parker, D. E.

2017-12-01

The recent slowdown in the warming of global mean surface temperature (GST) has highlighted the influences of natural variability. This talk discusses reconstructions of the variations of GST down to the monthly time scale since 1891 using monthly forcing data. We show that most of the variations in annual, and to some extent sub-annual, GST since 1891 can be reproduced skillfully from known forcing factors external and internal to the climate system. This includes the slowdown in warming over about 1998-2013 where reconstruction skill is particularly high down to the multi-monthly time scale. The relative contributions of the several key forcing factors to GST continually vary, but most of the net warming since 1891 is reconstructed to be attributable to the net forcing due to increasing greenhouse gases and anthropogenic aerosols. Separate analyses are carried out for three periods of GST slowdown:- 1896-1910, 1941-1976, together with 1998-2013 and some of its sub periods. We also study two periods where strong warming occurred, 1911-1940 and 1977-1997. Comparisons are made with the skill of average GST provided by 40 CMIP5 models. In the recent 1998-2013 slowdown, TSI forcing appears to have caused significant cooling, particularly over 2001-2010. This is additional to well documented cooling effects of an increased frequency of La Nina events, a negative Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation and some increases in volcanic forcing. Although there are short-term features of the GST curve since 1891 that cannot be fully explained, the most serious disagreements between the reconstructions and observations occur in the Second World War, especially in 1944-1945. Here observed near worldwide SSTs may be biased significantly too warm. Despite this, our generally high reconstruction skill is consistent with a good understanding of the multiple causes of observed GST variations and the general veracity of the GST record since 1891.

Only 7% of the variation in feed efficiency in veal calves can be predicted from variation in feeding motivation, digestion, metabolism, immunology, and behavioral traits in early life.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, M S; van den Borne, J J G C; van Reenen, C G; Gerrits, W J J

2017-10-01

High interindividual variation in growth performance is commonly observed in veal calf production and appears to depend on milk replacer (MR) composition. Our first objective was to examine whether variation in growth performance in healthy veal calves can be predicted from early life characterization of these calves. Our second objective was to determine whether these predictions differ between calves that are fed a high- or low-lactose MR in later life. A total of 180 male Holstein-Friesian calves arrived at the facilities at 17 ± 3.4 d of age, and blood samples were collected before the first feeding. Subsequently, calves were characterized in the following 9 wk (period 1) using targeted challenges related to traits within each of 5 categories: feeding motivation, digestion, postabsorptive metabolism, behavior and stress, and immunology. In period 2 (wk 10-26), 130 calves were equally divided over 2 MR treatments: a control MR that contained lactose as the only carbohydrate source and a low-lactose MR in which 51% of the lactose was isocalorically replaced by glucose, fructose, and glycerol (2:1:2 ratio). Relations between early life characteristics and growth performance in later life were assessed in 117 clinically healthy calves. Average daily gain (ADG) in period 2 tended to be greater for control calves (1,292 ± 111 g/d) than for calves receiving the low-lactose MR (1,267 ± 103 g/d). Observations in period 1 were clustered per category using principal component analysis, and the resulting principal components were used to predict performance in period 2 using multiple regression procedures. Variation in observations in period 1 predicted 17% of variation in ADG in period 2. However, this was mainly related to variation in solid feed refusals. When ADG was adjusted to equal solid feed intake, only 7% of the variation in standardized ADG in period 2, in fact reflecting feed efficiency, could be explained by early life measurements. This indicates that >90

Ultra-Short-Term Heart Rate Variability is Sensitive to Training Effects in Team Sports Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Fabio Y; Flatt, Andrew A; Pereira, Lucas A; Ramirez-Campillo, Rodrigo; Loturco, Irineu; Esco, Michael R

2015-09-01

The aim of this study was to test the possibility of the ultra-short-term lnRMSSD (measured in 1-min post-1-min stabilization period) to detect training induced adaptations in futsal players. Twenty-four elite futsal players underwent HRV assessments pre- and post-three or four weeks preseason training. From the 10-min HRV recording period, lnRMSSD was analyzed in the following time segments: 1) from 0-5 min (i.e., stabilization period); 2) from 0-1 min; 1-2 min; 2-3 min; 3-4 min; 4-5 min and; 3) from 5-10 min (i.e., criterion period). The lnRMSSD was almost certainly higher (100/00/00) using the magnitude-based inference in all periods at the post- moment. The correlation between changes in ultra-short-term lnRMSSD (i.e., 0-1 min; 1-2 min; 2-3 min; 3-4 min; 4-5 min) and lnRMSSDCriterion ranged between 0.45-0.75, with the highest value (p = 0.75; 90% CI: 0.55 - 0.85) found between ultra-short-term lnRMDSSD at 1-2 min and lnRMSSDCriterion. In conclusion, lnRMSSD determined in a short period of 1-min is sensitive to training induced changes in futsal players (based on the very large correlation to the criterion measure), and can be used to track cardiac autonomic adaptations. Key pointsThe ultra-short-term (1 min) natural log of the root-mean-square difference of successive normal RR intervals (lnRMSSD) is sensitive to training effects in futsal playersThe ultra-short-term lnRMSSD may simplify the assessment of the cardiac autonomic changes in the field compared to the traditional and lengthier (10 min duration) analysisCoaches are encouraged to implement the ultra-short-term heart rate variability in their routines to monitor team sports athletes.

Diurnal variations in water relations of deficit irrigated lemon trees during fruit growth period

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia-Orellana, Y.; Ortuno, M. F.; Conejero, W.; Ruiz-Sanchez, M. C.

2013-05-01

Field-grown lemon trees (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. fil. cv. Fino) were subjected to different drip irrigation treatments: a control treatment, irrigated daily above crop water requirements in order to obtain non-limiting soil water conditions and two deficit irrigation treatments, reducing the water applied according to the maximum daily trunk shrinkage (MDS) signal intensity (actual MDS/control treatment MDS) threshold values of 1.25 (T1 treatment) and 1.35 (T2 treatment), which induced two different drought stress levels. Daily variations in leaf (Y{sub l}eaf) and stem (Y{sub s}tem) water potentials, leaf conductance, net photosynthesis, sap flow (SF) and trunk diameter fluctuations were studied on four occasions during the lemon fruit growth period. Ystem and Y{sub l}eaf revealed a diurnal pattern in response to changes in evaporative demand of the atmosphere. Both water potentials decreased in response to water deficits, which were more pronounced in the T2 treatment. Y{sub s}tem was seen to be a better plant water status indicator than Y{sub l}eaf. The difference between the two values of Y (Y{sub s}tem - Y{sub l}eaf {Delta}{Psi}) was closely correlated with sap flow, making it a suitable measure of leaf transpiration. Using the slope of this relationship, the canopy hydraulic conductance (KC) was estimated. When other continuously recorded plant-based indicators are not accessible, the concurrent measurement of leaf and stem water potentials at midday, which are relatively inexpensive to measure and user-friendly, act as sufficiently good indicators of the plant water status in field grown Fino lemon trees. (Author) 40 refs.

Short-Term Market Risks Implied by Weekly Options

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Torben Gustav; Fusari, Nicola; Todorov, Viktor

a direct way to study volatility and jump risks. Unlike longer-dated options, they are largely insensitive to the risk of intertemporal shifts in the economic environment. Adopting a novel semi-nonparametric approach, we uncover variation in the negative jump tail risk which is not spanned by market......We study short-term market risks implied by weekly S&P 500 index options. The introduction of weekly options has dramatically shifted the maturity profile of traded options over the last five years, with a substantial proportion now having expiry within one week. Such short-dated options provide......" by the level of market volatility and elude standard asset pricing models....

Age-specific infectious period shapes dynamics of pneumonia in bighorn sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Plowright, Raina K; Manlove, Kezia R; Besser, Thomas E; Páez, David J; Andrews, Kimberly R; Matthews, Patrick E; Waits, Lisette P; Hudson, Peter J; Cassirer, E Frances

2017-10-01

Superspreading, the phenomenon where a small proportion of individuals contribute disproportionately to new infections, has profound effects on disease dynamics. Superspreading can arise through variation in contacts, infectiousness or infectious periods. The latter has received little attention, yet it drives the dynamics of many diseases of critical public health, livestock health and conservation concern. Here, we present rare evidence of variation in infectious periods underlying a superspreading phenomenon in a free-ranging wildlife system. We detected persistent infections of Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, the primary causative agent of pneumonia in bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), in a small number of older individuals that were homozygous at an immunologically relevant genetic locus. Interactions among age-structure, genetic composition and infectious periods may drive feedbacks in disease dynamics that determine the magnitude of population response to infection. Accordingly, variation in initial conditions may explain divergent population responses to infection that range from recovery to catastrophic decline and extirpation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Effect of short-term versus long-term grassland management and seasonal variation in organic and conventional dairy farming on the composition of bulk tank milk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adler, S A; Jensen, Søren Krogh; Govasmark, E

2013-01-01

Bulk tank milk from 28 dairy farms was sampled every second month for 2 yr to assess the effects of grassland management, production system and season on milk fatty acid (FA) composition, concentrations of fat-soluble vitamins, Se, and milk sensory quality. Grassland management varied in terms of...... feeding periods had potential health benefits due to FA composition. In contrast, the higher milk-fat proportions of saturated FA in milk from ORG farms may be perceived as negative for human health.......:0 and C18:1 cis-9 associated with higher forage proportion and differences in concentrations of FA in concentrates. Compared with the outdoor-feeding periods, the indoor feeding periods yielded milk fat with higher proportions of most short-chain and medium-chain FA and lower proportions of most C18-FA....... In conclusion, grassland management had minor effects on milk composition, and differences between ORG farms and CON farms may be explained by differences in concentrate intake and concentrate FA concentrations. Milk produced on ORG farms versus CON farms and milk produced during the outdoor versus indoor...

Non-commuting variations in mathematics and physics a survey

CERN Document Server

Preston, Serge

2016-01-01

This text presents and studies the method of so –called noncommuting variations in Variational Calculus. This method was pioneered by Vito Volterra who noticed that the conventional Euler-Lagrange (EL-) equations are not applicable in Non-Holonomic Mechanics and suggested to modify the basic rule used in Variational Calculus. This book presents a survey of Variational Calculus with non-commutative variations and shows that most basic properties of conventional Euler-Lagrange Equations are, with some modifications, preserved for EL-equations with K-twisted (defined by K)-variations. Most of the book can be understood by readers without strong mathematical preparation (some knowledge of Differential Geometry is necessary). In order to make the text more accessible the definitions and several necessary results in Geometry are presented separately in Appendices I and II Furthermore in Appendix III a short presentation of the Noether Theorem describing the relation between the symmetries of the differential equa...

Diurnal variations of Titan's ionosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, J.; Galand, M.; Yelle, R. V.; Vuitton, V.; Wahlund, J.-E.; Lavvas, P. P.; Müller-Wodarg, I. C. F.; Cravens, T. E.; Kasprzak, W. T.; Waite, J. H.

2009-06-01

We present our analysis of the diurnal variations of Titan's ionosphere (between 1000 and 1300 km) based on a sample of Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) measurements in the Open Source Ion (OSI) mode obtained from eight close encounters of the Cassini spacecraft with Titan. Although there is an overall ion depletion well beyond the terminator, the ion content on Titan's nightside is still appreciable, with a density plateau of ˜700 cm-3 below ˜1300 km. Such a plateau is a combined result of significant depletion of light ions and modest depletion of heavy ones on Titan's nightside. We propose that the distinctions between the diurnal variations of light and heavy ions are associated with their different chemical loss pathways, with the former primarily through “fast” ion-neutral chemistry and the latter through “slow” electron dissociative recombination. The strong correlation between the observed night-to-day ion density ratios and the associated ion lifetimes suggests a scenario in which the ions created on Titan's dayside may survive well to the nightside. The observed asymmetry between the dawn and dusk ion density profiles also supports such an interpretation. We construct a time-dependent ion chemistry model to investigate the effect of ion survival associated with solid body rotation alone as well as superrotating horizontal winds. For long-lived ions, the predicted diurnal variations have similar general characteristics to those observed. However, for short-lived ions, the model densities on the nightside are significantly lower than the observed values. This implies that electron precipitation from Saturn's magnetosphere may be an additional and important contributor to the densities of the short-lived ions observed on Titan's nightside.

Periodicities observed on solar flux index (F10.7) during geomagnetic disturbances

Science.gov (United States)

Adhikari, B.; Narayan, C.; Chhatkuli, D. N.

2017-12-01

Solar activities change within the period of 11 years. Sometimes the greatest event occurs in the period of solar maxima and the lowest activity occurs in the period of solar minimum. During the time period of solar activity sunspots number will vary. A 10.7 cm solar flux measurement is a determination of the strength of solar radio emission. The solar flux index is more often used for the prediction and monitoring of the solar activity. This study mainly focused on the variation on solar flux index and amount of electromagnetic wave in the atmosphere. Both seasonal and yearly variation on solar F10.7 index. We also analyzed the dataset obatained from riometer.Both instruments show seasonal and yearly variations. We also observed the solar cycle dependence on solar flux index and found a strong dependence on solar activity. Results also show that solar intensities higher during the rising phase of solar cycle. We also observed periodicities on solar flux index using wavelet analysis. Through this analysis, it was found that the power intensities of solar flux index show a high spectral variability.

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS, NOTES AND REPORTS

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Campbell Murn

1976). Among raptors there are those species where only the female incubates, those where the male may also incubate for short to longer periods, and those in which females and males equally share the incubation (Newton 1979). It is well known that both sexes incubate the clutch in vultures, both in the wild (Mundy et al.

Nature of short-period microtremors on the cliff-like ground. 3; Gakechi kinbo no tanshuki bido . 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maiguma, T; Matsuzawa, H [Saitama University, Saitama (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

1996-05-01

Vibration characteristics were investigated of the ground in the vicinity of a cliff-like sharp slope. Short-period microtremors were observed in the vicinity of an artificially made cliff-like test ground, height 8m and inclination 90{degree}, and a natural cliff, height approximately 9m and inclination approximately 35{degree}. The artificial cliff was reinforced by a virtually vertical retaining wall of concrete, and the ground was prepared for testing with a belt approximately 20m wide and 50m long along the cliff face. All the vibration components were simultaneously measured at measuring spots that were located 5-40m apart from the cliff end and orientated perpendicular to the cliff face. It was then found that in case of artificial cliff there is a conspicuous 3.1Hz prevalent ground vibration in the component squarely meeting the cliff face, that the prevalent ground vibration is not particularly great near the cliff end because the retaining wall and the ground are artificially prepared, that there is no influence of the cliff-like ground in the ground vibration parallel to or vertical along the cliff face, and that in case of natural ground there are no vibration characteristic proper to a cliff-like ground in any of the vibration components. 3 refs., 7 figs.

Time-Varying Periodicity in Intraday Volatility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Torben Gustav; Thyrsgaard, Martin; Todorov, Viktor

We develop a nonparametric test for deciding whether return volatility exhibits time-varying intraday periodicity using a long time-series of high-frequency data. Our null hypothesis, commonly adopted in work on volatility modeling, is that volatility follows a stationary process combined...... with a constant time-of-day periodic component. We first construct time-of-day volatility estimates and studentize the high-frequency returns with these periodic components. If the intraday volatility periodicity is invariant over time, then the distribution of the studentized returns should be identical across...... with estimating volatility moments through their sample counterparts. Critical values are computed via easy-to-implement simulation. In an empirical application to S&P 500 index returns, we find strong evidence for variation in the intraday volatility pattern driven in part by the current level of volatility...

An evaluation of periodicals subscription and related problems at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, an attempt is made to describe the importance of periodicals among the various sources of information. Brief introduction of the federal polytechnic library and its periodical unit is given. The annual expenditure made in the last six (6) years is mentioned, after ascertaining the variation in the number of ...

Fine particulate air pollution and all-cause mortality within the Harvard Six-Cities Study: variations in risk by period of exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Villeneuve, Paul J; Goldberg, Mark S; Krewski, Daniel; Burnett, Richard T; Chen, Yue

2002-11-01

We used Poisson regression methods to examine the relation between temporal changes in the levels of fine particulate air pollution (PM(2.5)) and the risk of mortality among participants of the Harvard Six Cities longitudinal study. Our analyses were based on 1430 deaths that occurred between 1974 and 1991 in a cohort that accumulated 105,714 person-years of follow-up. For each city, indices of PM(2.5) were derived using daily samples. Individual level data were collected on several risk factors including: smoking, education, body mass index (BMI), and occupational exposure to dusts. Time-dependent indices of PM(2.5) were created across 13 calendar periods (/= 1990) to explore whether recent or chronic exposures were more important predictors of mortality. The relative risk (RR) of mortality calculated using Poisson regression based on average city-specific exposures that remained constant during follow-up was 1.31 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.12-1.52] per 18.6 microg/m(3) of PM(2.5). This result was similar to the risk calculated using the Cox model (RR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.08-1.46). The RR of mortality was attenuated when the Poisson regression model included a time-dependent estimate of exposure (RR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.04-1.36). There was little variation in RR across time-dependent indices of PM(2.5). The attenuated risk of mortality that was observed with a time-dependent index of PM(2.5) is due to the combined influence of city-specific variations in mortality rates and decreasing levels of air pollution that occurred during follow-up. The RR of mortality associated with PM(2.5) did not depend on when exposure occurred in relation to death, possibly because of little variation between the time-dependent city-specific exposure indices.

Long- and short-term outcomes in renal allografts with deceased donors: A large recipient and donor genome-wide association study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez-Fuentes, Maria P; Franklin, Christopher; Rebollo-Mesa, Irene; Mollon, Jennifer; Delaney, Florence; Perucha, Esperanza; Stapleton, Caragh; Borrows, Richard; Byrne, Catherine; Cavalleri, Gianpiero; Clarke, Brendan; Clatworthy, Menna; Feehally, John; Fuggle, Susan; Gagliano, Sarah A; Griffin, Sian; Hammad, Abdul; Higgins, Robert; Jardine, Alan; Keogan, Mary; Leach, Timothy; MacPhee, Iain; Mark, Patrick B; Marsh, James; Maxwell, Peter; McKane, William; McLean, Adam; Newstead, Charles; Augustine, Titus; Phelan, Paul; Powis, Steve; Rowe, Peter; Sheerin, Neil; Solomon, Ellen; Stephens, Henry; Thuraisingham, Raj; Trembath, Richard; Topham, Peter; Vaughan, Robert; Sacks, Steven H; Conlon, Peter; Opelz, Gerhard; Soranzo, Nicole; Weale, Michael E; Lord, Graham M

2018-02-01

Improvements in immunosuppression have modified short-term survival of deceased-donor allografts, but not their rate of long-term failure. Mismatches between donor and recipient HLA play an important role in the acute and chronic allogeneic immune response against the graft. Perfect matching at clinically relevant HLA loci does not obviate the need for immunosuppression, suggesting that additional genetic variation plays a critical role in both short- and long-term graft outcomes. By combining patient data and samples from supranational cohorts across the United Kingdom and European Union, we performed the first large-scale genome-wide association study analyzing both donor and recipient DNA in 2094 complete renal transplant-pairs with replication in 5866 complete pairs. We studied deceased-donor grafts allocated on the basis of preferential HLA matching, which provided some control for HLA genetic effects. No strong donor or recipient genetic effects contributing to long- or short-term allograft survival were found outside the HLA region. We discuss the implications for future research and clinical application. © 2018 The Authors. American Journal of Transplantation published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Correlations between the geomagnetic field variations, the fluctuations of the earth`s rotation and climate change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greiner-Mai, H; Jochmann, H

1995-03-01

The amplitude spectra of global geophysical phenomena were investigated to motivate research of physical connections between them. The suggested causality was derived from comparison of the spectra, and from cross correlation functions. The following global parameters were discussed: For the earth rotation by the variations of the length of day, for the geomagnetic variation by the global field intensity, changes of the dipole axis and the westward drift, and for climate change by the atmospheric excitation function derived from air pressure variations, and temperature variations. The model of atmospheric excitation, which can be proved most exactly for the annual variations of length of day, is responsible for the 11 and 22 years periods, too. It failed for longer periods, e.g. partially for the 30 years periods and completely for the 60 to 80 years periods, which were also discovered in the mean temperature and geomagnetic field variations. Therefore, it was suggested that longer periods in climate change and in the variations of the earth`s rotation are caused independently by the same process in the earth core, provided that a physical influence of the geomagnetic field on climate will be accepted in future. The investigation was completed by comparison with the spectra of some local temperature variations in Europe. (orig.)

Fermentation to short-chain fatty acids and lactate in human faecal batch cultures. Intra- and inter-individual variations versus variations caused by changes in fermented saccharides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, P B; Hove, H; Clausen, M R

1991-01-01

in homogenates pooled from three individuals increased short-chain fatty acid production linearly. Amounts and ratios of short-chain fatty acids formed were highly dependent on the type of substrate fermented. Fermentable saccharides increased ammonia assimilation, in contrast to the metabolic inert cellulose...

Period-dependent source rupture behavior of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake estimated by multi period-band Bayesian waveform inversion

Science.gov (United States)

Kubo, H.; Asano, K.; Iwata, T.; Aoi, S.

2014-12-01

Previous studies for the period-dependent source characteristics of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake (e.g., Koper et al., 2011; Lay et al., 2012) were based on the short and long period source models using different method. Kubo et al. (2013) obtained source models of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake using multi period-bands waveform data by a common inversion method and discussed its period-dependent source characteristics. In this study, to achieve more in detail spatiotemporal source rupture behavior of this event, we introduce a new fault surface model having finer sub-fault size and estimate the source models in multi period-bands using a Bayesian inversion method combined with a multi-time-window method. Three components of velocity waveforms at 25 stations of K-NET, KiK-net, and F-net of NIED are used in this analysis. The target period band is 10-100 s. We divide this period band into three period bands (10-25 s, 25-50 s, and 50-100 s) and estimate a kinematic source model in each period band using a Bayesian inversion method with MCMC sampling (e.g., Fukuda & Johnson, 2008; Minson et al., 2013, 2014). The parameterization of spatiotemporal slip distribution follows the multi-time-window method (Hartzell & Heaton, 1983). The Green's functions are calculated by the 3D FDM (GMS; Aoi & Fujiwara, 1999) using a 3D velocity structure model (JIVSM; Koketsu et al., 2012). The assumed fault surface model is based on the Pacific plate boundary of JIVSM and is divided into 384 subfaults of about 16 * 16 km^2. The estimated source models in multi period-bands show the following source image: (1) First deep rupture off Miyagi at 0-60 s toward down-dip mostly radiating relatively short period (10-25 s) seismic waves. (2) Shallow rupture off Miyagi at 45-90 s toward up-dip with long duration radiating long period (50-100 s) seismic wave. (3) Second deep rupture off Miyagi at 60-105 s toward down-dip radiating longer period seismic waves then that of the first deep rupture. (4) Deep

Natural and anthropogenic variations in the N cycle - A perspective provided by nitrogen isotopes in trees near oil-sand developments

Science.gov (United States)

Savard, M. M.; Bégin, C.; Marion, J.; Smirnoff, A.

2011-12-01

Nitrogen stable isotopes of tree-ring series have been recently used to detect past air pollution effects on forests in the contexts of point sources, highways or peri-urban regions. Here, we want to assess their potential to understand changes in soil processes and reveal perturbations of the N cycle. Our approach involves combining tree-ring N, C and O stable isotope series with statistical modelling to distinguish the responses of trees due to natural (climatic) conditions from the ones potentially caused by emissions from the Athabasca oil-sand developments where truck fleets, oil upgraders, desulphurization and hydrogen plants, boilers, heaters and turbines have been active since 1967. Three white spruce trees [Picea glauca (Moench)] 165 years or older, were selected in a well drained brunisolic site, at 55 km from the heart of the development operations (white and black spruce trees from other sites are currently being investigated). Their growth rings were dated and separated at a time resolution of 1 or 2 years for the 1880-2009 period. The average oxygen isotope ratios of cellulose do not show long-term anomalies and reflect climatic conditions. The average C isotope ratios of cellulose covering the 1880-1965 period show short-term variations mostly explained by local climatic conditions, whereas the 1966-1995 series presents similar short-term variations superimposed on a long-term isotopic increase significantly departing from the oxygen isotope curve. Most importantly, the nitrogen isotope series of treated wood shows an average decrease of 1.0% during the 1970-2009 period. The statistical links between the variations of the regional drought index and the isotopic C and N responses during the pre-operation period allows to develop predictive climatic models. When we apply these models to predict the natural isotopic behaviour of the recent period, the measured isotopic trends of the operation period depart from the modelled curves. In contrast, using

Relativistic boost as the cause of periodicity in a massive black-hole binary candidate.

Science.gov (United States)