Food ionisation. Realities and perspectives; L'ionisation alimentaire. Realites et perspectives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bonnet, G

1994-06-01

The ionisation of food is a treatment using a certain type of energy. the radiations used in the industrial treatments are limited to three sources. The gamma radiations, the x radiations and the electrons beams emitted with accelerators. The physical treatments by ionizing radiations have for aim to cleanse and to increase the conservation time of food. Now, the applications in agriculture and food industry, are still marginal. The industrial using ionisation are these ones that did not find any alternative decontamination method. The barriers are more scientific or technical or economical than a question of regulation or behaviour. (N.C.)

The effect of an alternating electric field on a totally ionised plasma; Action d'un champ electrique alternatif sur un plasma totalement ionise

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baglin, H; Brin, A; Ozias, Y; Salmon, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires; Delcroix, J L [Ecole Normale Superieure, 75 - Paris (France)

1960-07-01

The equation giving the distribution function of the electrons in a steady-state, for a fully ionized plasma in an a.c. field, are provided from the Fokker-Planck equation. The electric conductivity is complex and depends on the frequency. (author) [French] L'equation qui donne la fonction de distribution des electrons dans un etat stationnaire pour un plasma totalement ionise dans un champ electrique alternatif est fournie par l'equation de Fokker-Planck. La conductibilite electrique est complexe et depend de la frequence. (auteur)

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry imaging and its development for plant protein imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Millar A Harvey

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation (MALDI mass spectrometry imaging (MSI uses the power of high mass resolution time of flight (ToF mass spectrometry coupled to the raster of lasers shots across the cut surface of tissues to provide new insights into the spatial distribution of biomolecules within biological tissues. The history of this technique in animals and plants is considered and the potential for analysis of proteins by this technique in plants is discussed. Protein biomarker identification from MALDI-MSI is a challenge and a number of different approaches to address this bottleneck are discussed. The technical considerations needed for MALDI-MSI are reviewed and these are presented alongside examples from our own work and a protocol for MALDI-MSI of proteins in plant samples.

Quantification of complex DNA damage by ionising radiation. An experimental and theoretical approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fulford, J.

2000-05-01

Ionising radiation potentially produces a broad spectrum of damage in DNA including single and double strand breaks (ssb and dsb) and base damages. It has been hypothesised that sites of complex damage within cellular DNA have particular biological significance due to an associated decreased efficiency in repair. The aim of this study is to gain further understanding of the formation of complex DNA damage. Irradiations of plasmid DNA illustrate that an increase in ionising density of the radiation results in a decrease in ssb yields/Gy but an increase in dsb per ssb, indicative of an increase in the number of complex damage sites per simple isolated damage site. As the mechanism for damage formation shifts from purely indirect at low scavenging capacities to a significant proportion of direct at higher scavenging capacities the proportion of complex damage increases. Comparisons with the yields of ssb and dsb simulated by Monte-Carlo calculations for Al K USX and α-particles also indicate this correspondence. The ionisation density of low energy, secondary electrons produced by photons was assessed experimentally from the dependence of the yield of OH radicals escaping intra-track recombination on photon energy. As energy decreases the OH radical yield initially decreases reflecting an increased ionisation density. However, with further decrease in photon energy the yield of OH radicals increases in line with theoretical calculations. Base damage yields were determined for low and high ionising density radiation over a range of scavenging capacities. As scavenging capacity increases the base damage: ssb ratios increases implying a contribution from electrons to base damage. It is proposed that base damage contributes to DNA damage complexity. Complex damage analysis reveals that at cell mimetic scavenging capacities, 23% and 72% of ssb have an additional spatially close damage site following γ-ray and α-particle irradiation respectively. (author)

The ionisation equation in a relativistic gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kichenassamy, S.; Krikorian, R.A.

1983-01-01

By deriving the relativistic form of the ionisation equation for a perfect gas it is shown that the usual Saha equation is valid to 3% for temperatures below one hundred million Kelvin. Beyond 10 9 K, the regular Saha equation is seriously incorrect and a relativistic distribution function for electrons must be taken into account. Approximate forms are derived when only the electrons are relativistic (appropriate up to 10 12 K) and also for the ultrarelativistic case (temperatures greater than 10 15 K). (author)

Impact assessment of ionising radiation on wildlife

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Copplestone, D.; Bielby, S.; Jones, S.

2001-01-01

This R and D project was commissioned by the Environment Agency and English Nature in January 2001 to provide up-to-date information on the impacts of ionising radiation on wildlife, upon which a robust assessment approach may be developed. This approach will also feed into the European Commission funded project 'Framework for Assessment of Environmental Impact' (FASSET), due to complete in October 2003. This report describes the behaviour and transport of radionuclides in the environment, considers the impact of ionising radiation on wildlife, and makes recommendations on an approach for the impact assessment of ionising radiation on wildlife for England and Wales. The assessment approach focuses on three ecosystems representative of those considered potentially most at risk from the impact of authorised radioactive discharges, namely a coastal grassland (terrestrial ecosystem); estuarine and freshwater ecosystems. The likely scale of the impact on wildlife is also assessed in light of a preliminary analysis based on this assessment approach. The aims of the report are: to summarise the latest research on the behaviour, transfer and impact of ionising radiation effects on wildlife; an outline and review of the relevant European and national legislation which has impacts on the requirements for assessments of the impact of ionising radiation on wildlife in the UK; to consider the role of regulatory bodies in assessing the impact of ionising radiation on wildlife with respect to England and Wales; to make recommendations on the relative biological effectiveness of different types of radiation with respect to wildlife; and to recommend an approach to assess the impacts to wildlife from ionising radiation from authorised discharges in England and Wales, with spreadsheets to support the methodology. The report demonstrates the behaviour and transfer of radionuclides in a number of different ecosystem types. Particular emphasis is placed on exposure pathways in those

Impact assessment of ionising radiation in wildlife

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

This R and D project was commissioned by the Environment Agency and English Nature in January 2001 to provide up-to-date information on ionising radiation impact to wildlife, upon which a robust assessment approach may be developed. The methodology will provide an interim approach, whilst awaiting the outcome of the European Commission funded project 'Framework for Assessment of Environmental Impact' (FASSET) due to end in October 2003. The aims of the report were: to summarise the latest research on the behaviour, transfer and impact of ionising radiation effects on wildlife; to outline and review relevant European Directives which have impacted on the requirements to assess the impact to wildlife from ionising radiation in the UK; to consider the role of regulatory bodies in assessing the impact of ionising radiation on wildlife with respect to England and Wales; to make recommendations on the relative biological effectiveness of different types of radiation with respect to wildlife; and to recommend an approach with which to assess the 'scale of risk' to wildlife from the effects of ionising radiation, with spreadsheets to support the methodology. The report describes the behaviour and transfer of radionuclides in a number of different ecosystem types. Particular emphasis is placed on those ecosystems most likely to be impacted by the authorised discharges of radioactivity within the UK. As there is no international consensus on the approach to be taken to assess the impact of ionising radiation on wildlife, some countries have adopted their own legislation. The report evaluates these regulatory frameworks and describe the current UK position

Nucleation in an ultra low ionisation environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Enghoff, Martin Andreas Bødker

in aerosol nucleation. By exposing a controlled volume of air to varying levels of ionising radiation, and with the minimum ionisation level vastly reduced compared to normal surface laboratory conditions, we have provided both a validation of earlier studies of ion-induced nucleation and extended...

Scaling precipitation input to spatially distributed hydrological models by measured snow distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Vögeli

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Accurate knowledge on snow distribution in alpine terrain is crucial for various applicationssuch as flood risk assessment, avalanche warning or managing water supply and hydro-power.To simulate the seasonal snow cover development in alpine terrain, the spatially distributed,physics-based model Alpine3D is suitable. The model is typically driven by spatial interpolationsof observations from automatic weather stations (AWS, leading to errors in the spatial distributionof atmospheric forcing. With recent advances in remote sensing techniques, maps of snowdepth can be acquired with high spatial resolution and accuracy. In this work, maps of the snowdepth distribution, calculated from summer and winter digital surface models based on AirborneDigital Sensors (ADS, are used to scale precipitation input data, with the aim to improve theaccuracy of simulation of the spatial distribution of snow with Alpine3D. A simple method toscale and redistribute precipitation is presented and the performance is analysed. The scalingmethod is only applied if it is snowing. For rainfall the precipitation is distributed by interpolation,with a simple air temperature threshold used for the determination of the precipitation phase.It was found that the accuracy of spatial snow distribution could be improved significantly forthe simulated domain. The standard deviation of absolute snow depth error is reduced up toa factor 3.4 to less than 20 cm. The mean absolute error in snow distribution was reducedwhen using representative input sources for the simulation domain. For inter-annual scaling, themodel performance could also be improved, even when using a remote sensing dataset from adifferent winter. In conclusion, using remote sensing data to process precipitation input, complexprocesses such as preferential snow deposition and snow relocation due to wind or avalanches,can be substituted and modelling performance of spatial snow distribution is improved.

Spatial distribution of aquatic insects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, Lars Lønsmann

(time since glacial disturbance and habitat stability) and question the generality of these processes for the understanding of species richness gradients in European rivers. Using regional distributions of European mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies this chapter demonstrates that differences...... and shape the habitat requirements and distribution of one of the most affected groups of freshwater species: aquatic insects. It comprises four chapters each addressing different spatial factors in relation to the occurrence of aquatic insects in Europe. Chapter I examine two spatial ecological processes...... niche is derived from local distribution patterns, without incorporating landscape history it can lead to an erroneous niche definition. Chapter III provides some of the first evidence for differences in dispersal phenology related to flight potential in aquatic insects. The chapter highlights...

Emissions and doses from sources of ionising radiation in the Netherlands: radiation policy monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eleveld, H.; Pruppers, M.

2002-01-01

In 1997 the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment requested RIVM to develop an information system for policy monitoring. One of the motives was that the European Union requires that the competent authorities of each member state ensure that dose estimates due to practices involving exposure to ionising radiation are made as realistic as possible for the population as a whole and for reference groups in all places where such groups may occur. Emissions of radionuclides and radiation to the environment can be classified as follows: (1) emissions to the atmosphere, (2) emissions to the aquatic system and (3) emission of external radiation from radioactive materials and equipment that produces ionising radiation. Released radioactivity is dispersed via exposure pathways, such as the atmosphere, deposition on the ground and farmland products, drinking water, fish products, etc. This leads to radiation doses due to inhalation, ingestion and exposure to external radiation. To assess the possible radiation doses different kinds of models are applied, varying from simple multiplications with dispersion coefficients, transfer coefficients and dose conversion coefficients to complex dispersion models. In this paper an overview is given of the human-induced radiation doses in the Netherlands. Also, trends in and the effect of policy on the radiation dose of members of the public are investigated. This paper is based on an RIVM report published recently. A geographical distribution of radiation risks due to routine releases for a typical year in the Netherlands was published earlier

Threshold law for positron-atom impact ionisation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Temkin, A.

1982-01-01

The threshold law for ionisation of atoms by positron impact is adduced in analogy with the author's approach to the electron-atom ionisation. It is concluded the Coulomb-dipole region of potential gives the essential part of the interaction in both cases and leads to the same kind of result: a modulated linear law. An additional process which enters positron ionisation is positronium formation in the continuum, but that will not dominate the threshold yield. The result is in sharp contrast to the positron threshold law as recently derived by Klar (J. Phys. B.; 14:4165 (1981)) on the basis of a Wannier-type (Phys. Rev.; 90:817 (1953)) analysis. (author)

Working Group on Ionising Radiations. Report 1987-88

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The programme of work for 1987/88 by the Working Group on Ionising Radiation, Health and Safety Commision in February 1988, included the main topics of continuing interest and concern in relation to ionising radiations in general and the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985 (IRR 85) (Ref 1) in particular. These were: emergency dose limitation, occupational dose limitation, practical experience of the principle of keeping doses as low as reasonably practicable, experience of the regulatory requirements in respect of internal dosimetry and the need for a standing advisory committee on ionising radiations. Calibration of radiotherapy equipment was also considered as a matter of principle following a specific incident involving cancer patients. This report of progress during the first year summarises the Group's opinions on each topic and gives recommendations. (author)

Ionising radiation - physical and biological effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holter, Oe.; Ingebretsen, F.; Parr, H.

1979-01-01

The physics of ionising radiation is briefly presented. The effects of ionising radiation on biological cells, cell repair and radiosensitivity are briefly treated, where after the effects on man and mammals are discussed and related to radiation doses. Dose limits are briefly discussed. The genetic effects are discussed separately. Radioecology is also briefly treated and a table of radionuclides deriving from reactors, and their radiation is given. (JIW)

The ionisation balance of C0 to C+4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nussbaumer, H.; Storey, P.J.

1975-01-01

The ionisation balance for the ions C 0 -C +4 has been calculated for 10 8 -3 ] 12 and 2 x 10 4 K 5 K. The presence of metastable terms is included in the calculation of the collisional dielectronic recombination and ionisation coefficients. The influence of the observed solar radiation field on the ionisation balance is investigated. Changes in that field do strongly influence the results. (orig.) [de

Generator for ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romanovsky, V.F.; Panasjuk, V.S.; Stepanov, B.M.; Ovcharov, A.M.; Akimov, J.A.

1979-01-01

The generator for ionising radiation wherein a transmitter for ionising radiation contains a resonance transformer wherein the field coil is composed of a low voltage outside portion and a transformer coil, electrically connected with an electrically conducting housing of the resonance transformer, and an acclerating tube wherein the high voltage electrode is coupled with the high voltage end of the transformer coil of the resonance transformer and fixed to one of the ends of the tubular insulator of the accelerator tube, wherein the low voltage electrode is electrically connected with the housing of the resonance transformer and a source of charged particles is introduced into the evacuated inner space of the acceleration tube and electrically connected with one of the electrodes thereof, is described. (G.C.)

Food ionisation. Realities and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonnet, G.

1994-06-01

The ionisation of food is a treatment using a certain type of energy. the radiations used in the industrial treatments are limited to three sources. The gamma radiations, the x radiations and the electrons beams emitted with accelerators. The physical treatments by ionizing radiations have for aim to cleanse and to increase the conservation time of food. Now, the applications in agriculture and food industry, are still marginal. The industrial using ionisation are these ones that did not find any alternative decontamination method. The barriers are more scientific or technical or economical than a question of regulation or behaviour. (N.C.)

Fully kinetic simulations of magnetic reconnection in partially ionised gases

Science.gov (United States)

Innocenti, M. E.; Jiang, W.; Lapenta, G.; Markidis, S.

2016-12-01

Magnetic reconnection has been explored for decades as a way to convert magnetic energy into kinetic energy and heat and to accelerate particles in environments as different as the solar surface, planetary magnetospheres, the solar wind, accretion disks, laboratory plasmas. When studying reconnection via simulations, it is usually assumed that the plasma is fully ionised, as it is indeed the case in many of the above-mentioned cases. There are, however, exceptions, the most notable being the lower solar atmosphere. Small ionisation fractions are registered also in the warm neutral interstellar medium, in dense interstellar clouds, in protostellar and protoplanetary accreditation disks, in tokamak edge plasmas and in ad-hoc laboratory experiments [1]. We study here how magnetic reconnection is modified by the presence of a neutral background, i.e. when the majority of the gas is not ionised. The ionised plasma is simulated with the fully kinetic Particle-In-Cell (PIC) code iPic3D [2]. Collisions with the neutral background are introduced via a Monte Carlo plug-in. The standard Monte Carlo procedure [3] is employed to account for elastic, excitation and ionization electron-neutral collisions, as well as for elastic scattering and charge exchange ion-neutral collisions. Collisions with the background introduce resistivity in an otherwise collisionless plasma and modifications of the particle distribution functions: particles (and ions at a faster rate) tend to thermalise to the background. To pinpoint the consequences of this, we compare reconnection simulations with and without background. References [1] E E Lawrence et al. Physical review letters, 110(1):015001, 2013. [2] S Markidis et al. Mathematics and Computers in Simulation, 80(7):1509-1519, 2010. [3] K Nanbu. IEEE Transactions on plasma science, 28(3):971-990, 2000.

Ionised gas kinematics in bipolar H II regions

Science.gov (United States)

Dalgleish, Hannah S.; Longmore, Steven N.; Peters, Thomas; Henshaw, Jonathan D.; Veitch-Michaelis, Joshua L.; Urquhart, James S.

2018-05-01

Stellar feedback plays a fundamental role in shaping the evolution of galaxies. Here we explore the use of ionised gas kinematics in young, bipolar H II regions as a probe of early feedback in these star-forming environments. We have undertaken a multi-wavelength study of a young, bipolar H II region in the Galactic disc, G316.81-0.06, which lies at the centre of a massive (˜103 M⊙) infrared-dark cloud filament. It is still accreting molecular gas as well as driving a ˜0.2 pc ionised gas outflow perpendicular to the filament. Intriguingly, we observe a large velocity gradient (47.81 ± 3.21 km s-1 pc-1) across the ionised gas in a direction perpendicular to the outflow. This kinematic signature of the ionised gas shows a reasonable correspondence with the simulations of young H II regions. Based on a qualitative comparison between our observations and these simulations, we put forward a possible explanation for the velocity gradients observed in G316.81-0.06. If the velocity gradient perpendicular to the outflow is caused by rotation of the ionised gas, then we infer that this rotation is a direct result of the initial net angular momentum in the natal molecular cloud. If this explanation is correct, this kinematic signature should be common in other young (bipolar) H II regions. We suggest that further quantitative analysis of the ionised gas kinematics of young H II regions, combined with additional simulations, should improve our understanding of feedback at these early stages.

Spatial Distribution Analysis of Scrub Typhus in Korea

OpenAIRE

Jin, Hong Sung; Chu, Chaeshin; Han, Dong Yeob

2013-01-01

Objective: This study analyzes the spatial distribution of scrub typhus in Korea. Methods: A spatial distribution of Orientia tsutsugamushi occurrence using a geographic information system (GIS) is presented, and analyzed by means of spatial clustering and correlations. Results: The provinces of Gangwon-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do show a low incidence throughout the year. Some districts have almost identical environmental conditions of scrub typhus incidence. The land use change of districts does...

Ionisation of hydrogen-like atoms by a multiphoton absorption process; Ionisation des atomes hydrogenoides par un processus d'absorption multiphotonique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gontier, Y; Trahin, M [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1967-07-01

The general expression for the amplitude of the probability of ionisation by a multiphoton absorption process is derived. Its non-relativistic limit is taken and the bipolar approximation is used for calculating the ionisation cross-section of hydrogen-like atoms. This latter involves the summation over intermediate virtual states by means of: a) a recursion relationship concerning angular functions, b) a particular technique which when applied to radial functions makes it possible to solve a system of inhomogeneous first-order differential equations. (authors) [French] On etablit l'expression generale de l'amplitude de probabilite d'ionisation par un processus d'absorption multiphotonique. On en prend la limite non-relativiste et l'on utilise l'approximation dipolaire avant de calculer la section efficace d'ionisation d'atomes hydrogenoides. Cette derniere fait intervenir des sommations sur des etats virtuels intermediaires effectuees a l'aide: a) d'une relation de recurrence qui concerne les fonctions angulaires, b) d'une technique particuliere qui, appliquee aux fonctions radiales, conduit a resoudre un systeme d'equations differentielles inhomogenes du premier ordre. (auteur)

Multicriteria optimization of the spatial dose distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlaefer, Alexander; Viulet, Tiberiu; Muacevic, Alexander; Fürweger, Christoph

2013-01-01

Purpose: Treatment planning for radiation therapy involves trade-offs with respect to different clinical goals. Typically, the dose distribution is evaluated based on few statistics and dose–volume histograms. Particularly for stereotactic treatments, the spatial dose distribution represents further criteria, e.g., when considering the gradient between subregions of volumes of interest. The authors have studied how to consider the spatial dose distribution using a multicriteria optimization approach.Methods: The authors have extended a stepwise multicriteria optimization approach to include criteria with respect to the local dose distribution. Based on a three-dimensional visualization of the dose the authors use a software tool allowing interaction with the dose distribution to map objectives with respect to its shape to a constrained optimization problem. Similarly, conflicting criteria are highlighted and the planner decides if and where to relax the shape of the dose distribution.Results: To demonstrate the potential of spatial multicriteria optimization, the tool was applied to a prostate and meningioma case. For the prostate case, local sparing of the rectal wall and shaping of a boost volume are achieved through local relaxations and while maintaining the remaining dose distribution. For the meningioma, target coverage is improved by compromising low dose conformality toward noncritical structures. A comparison of dose–volume histograms illustrates the importance of spatial information for achieving the trade-offs.Conclusions: The results show that it is possible to consider the location of conflicting criteria during treatment planning. Particularly, it is possible to conserve already achieved goals with respect to the dose distribution, to visualize potential trade-offs, and to relax constraints locally. Hence, the proposed approach facilitates a systematic exploration of the optimal shape of the dose distribution

Studies of the electron-impact double-ionisation process in magnesium using coincidence techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ford, M.J.

1998-01-01

This article will review recent measurements of the electron-impact double-ionisation of atomic magnesium. Results for the resonant Auger double-ionisation process with coincident detection of all three outgoing electrons, the (e, 3e) experiment, and for the direct double-ionisation process where only two outgoing electrons are detected, the (e, (3 -1)e) experiment, will be discussed. The results are analysed with reference to ionisation mechanisms and comparisons are made with calculated double-ionisation cross sections. Copyright (1998) CSIRO Australia

On the derivation of the ionisation threshold law

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterkop, R.

1983-01-01

The different procedures for derivation of the electron-atom ionisation threshold law have been analysed and the reasons for discrepancies in the results are pointed out. It is shown that if the wavefunction has a linear node at equal electron distances (r 1 =r 2 ), then the threshold law for the total cross section has the form σ approx. Esup(3m), where σ approx. Esup(m) is the Wannier law. The distribution of energy between escaping electrons is non-uniform and has a parabolic node at equal energies (epsilon 1 = epsilon 2 ). The linear node at opposite directions of electrons (theta = π) does not change the Wannier law but leads to a parabolic node in angular distribution at theta = π. The existence of both nodes leads to the threshold law σ approx. Esup(3m) and to parabolic nodes in energy and angular distributions. (author)

Health Service use of ionising radiations: Guidance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

This booklet gives outline guidance on the use of ionising radiations in the Health Service in the United Kingdom. Extensive reference is made to documents where more detailed information may be found. The guidance covers general advice on the medical use of ionising radiations, statutory requirements, and guidance on selected Health Service issues such as patient identification procedures, information management systems, deviations from prescribed radiation dose, imaging and radiotherapy. (57 references) (U.K.)

Spatial distributions of Cu polycrystal sputtered atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abgaryan, V.K.; Semenov, A.A.; Shkarban, I.I.

2004-01-01

The results of the experimental determination of the Cu atoms spatial distribution, sputtered from the polycrystalline copper target, irradiated by the Xe + ions with the energy of 300 eV, are presented. The spatial distributions of the sputtered particles, calculated through the quasistable-dynamic model of the cascade modeling (CAMO) are presented also for the case of the polycrystalline copper irradiation by the Ar + and Xe + ions with the energy of 300-1000 eV [ru

Innershell ionisation at small impactparameters in proton-atom collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duinker, W.

1981-01-01

This thesis concentrates on innershell ionisation in proton-atom collisions. An experiment on K-shell ionisation of argon is described, performed in a gasfilled collision chamber under single collision conditions. Further experiments with carbon and aluminium were performed, the K-shell vacancy production in the collision of protons with these atoms being detected through the measurement of Auger-electrons. A spectrometer with a large solid angle was specially constructed for this and its performance is described. K-shell ionisation accompanying nuclear (p,γ) reactions has also been measured using 26 Mg and 27 Al. (Auth./C.F.)

Search for ionisation density effects in the radiation absorption stage in LiF:Mg,Ti

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nail, I.; Horowitz, Y. S.; Oster, L.; Brandan, M. E.; Rodriguez-Villafuerte, M.; Buenfil, A. E.; Ruiz-Trejo, C.; Gamboa-deBuen, I.; Avila, O.; Tovar, V. M.; Olko, P.; Ipe, N.

2006-01-01

Optical absorption (OA) dose-response of LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100) is studied as a function of electron energy (ionisation density) and irradiation dose. Contrary to the situation in thermoluminescence dose-response where the supra-linearity is strongly energy-dependent, no dependence of the OA dose filling constants on energy is observed. This result is interpreted as indicating a lack of competitive process in the radiation absorption stage. The lack of an energy dependence of the dose filling constant also suggests that the charge carrier migration distances are sufficiently large to smear out the differences in the non-uniform distribution of ionisation events created by the impinging gamma/ electron radiation of various energies. (authors)

EDDIX--a database of ionisation double differential cross sections.

Science.gov (United States)

MacGibbon, J H; Emerson, S; Liamsuwan, T; Nikjoo, H

2011-02-01

The use of Monte Carlo track structure is a choice method in biophysical modelling and calculations. To precisely model 3D and 4D tracks, the cross section for the ionisation by an incoming ion, double differential in the outgoing electron energy and angle, is required. However, the double differential cross section cannot be theoretically modelled over the full range of parameters. To address this issue, a database of all available experimental data has been constructed. Currently, the database of Experimental Double Differential Ionisation Cross sections (EDDIX) contains over 1200 digitalised experimentally measured datasets from the 1960s to present date, covering all available ion species (hydrogen to uranium) and all available target species. Double differential cross sections are also presented with the aid of an eight parameter functions fitted to the cross sections. The parameters include projectile species and charge, target nuclear charge and atomic mass, projectile atomic mass and energy, electron energy and deflection angle. It is planned to freely distribute EDDIX and make it available to the radiation research community for use in the analytical and numerical modelling of track structure.

Coupled-states calculations of argon L-shell impact ionisation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martir, M.H.; Ford, A.L.; Reading, J.F.

1982-01-01

A coupled-states method is used to calculate the corrections to the first Born approximation for L-shell impact ionisation in the ion-atom collisions p+Ar and α+Ar at energies between 100 and 850 keV amu -1 . Using a classical projectile path and a pseudostate description of the ionisation continuum, the pseudostate and partial-wave convergence is considered. It is found that the absolute cross sections for these collisions are sensitive to the particular independent-particle-model (IPM) target-atom potential which is used. A modification to the long-range part of the neutral-atom Hartree-Fock (HF) potential is proposed that lowers the energy of the unbound pseudostates and that thereby brings the L-shell removal energies closer to the experimental ionisation potentials. With this modified HF potential good agreement between the present L-shell ionisation cross sections and experimental L-vacancy production cross sections is found. (author)

Hazard tolerance of spatially distributed complex networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunn, Sarah; Wilkinson, Sean

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present a new methodology for quantifying the reliability of complex systems, using techniques from network graph theory. In recent years, network theory has been applied to many areas of research and has allowed us to gain insight into the behaviour of real systems that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to analyse, for example increasingly complex infrastructure systems. Although this work has made great advances in understanding complex systems, the vast majority of these studies only consider a systems topological reliability and largely ignore their spatial component. It has been shown that the omission of this spatial component can have potentially devastating consequences. In this paper, we propose a number of algorithms for generating a range of synthetic spatial networks with different topological and spatial characteristics and identify real-world networks that share the same characteristics. We assess the influence of nodal location and the spatial distribution of highly connected nodes on hazard tolerance by comparing our generic networks to benchmark networks. We discuss the relevance of these findings for real world networks and show that the combination of topological and spatial configurations renders many real world networks vulnerable to certain spatial hazards. - Highlights: • We develop a method for quantifying the reliability of real-world systems. • We assess the spatial resilience of synthetic spatially distributed networks. • We form algorithms to generate spatial scale-free and exponential networks. • We show how these “synthetic” networks are proxies for real world systems. • Conclude that many real world systems are vulnerable to spatially coherent hazard.

SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF POVERTY AT DIFFERENT SCALES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gandhi PAWITAN

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Poverty mapping is usually developed from some sources of data, such as from census and survey data. In some practical application, the poverty was measured usually by household income or expenditure of daily basic consumption. Using different scales and zoning on a particular set of spatial data may leads to problems in interpreting the results. In practice, organizations publish statistics and maps at a particular area level. Minot and Baulch (2005a discussed some consequences of using aggregated level data in poverty mapping, which may affect the validity of the output. The key point of this paper is to compare spatial distribution of the poverty at two different scale, which is the province and district level. How the spatial distribution of the poverty at province level can be use to infer the distribution at the district level. The geographical weighted regression will be applied, and the poverty data of Vietnam will be used as an illustration.

Electron spectroscopy of He and NO using electron impact and multiphoton ionisation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimman, J.T.N.

1984-01-01

This thesis describes two experimental studies which are intended to contribute to our knowledge of the structure of molecules and the decay dynamics of excited molecular states. The two studies have in common that they are both concerned with ionisation processes, in which an accurately known amount of energy is transferred to the target, and energy analysis of the ejected electrons is made. Ionisation is caused either by scattering electrons off the molecules (chapter 2: electron impact ionisation) or by a simultaneous absorption of several photons (chapter 3: multiphoton ionisation). In chapter 2 an electron impact ionisation experiment on Helium is described in which the kinematics of both the scattered and the ejected electrons is fully determined ((e,2e) experiment). (Auth.)

Spatial distribution measured by the modulation transfer function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rossi, P.; Brice, D.K.; Doyle, B.L.

2003-01-01

Spatial distributions in ion micro-beam and IBA experimental practice are regularly characterized through the parameters of FWHM and tail area percentage (TF, tail fraction). Linear and stationary transducer theory allows these distributions to be described in the Fourier-dual frequency space, and provides an indirect method to evaluate them through measurement of the modulation transfer function (MTF). We suggest direct measurement of MTF by employing bar pattern grids, similar to those used for calibration of radiological equipment. Assuming spatial distributions of the form exp(-(|αx|) η ), we are able to relate the MTF measurements to the more popular FWHM and TF. This new approach to determine spatial resolution can become a standard for use by the micro-beam community

The use of detectors based on ionisation recombination in radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, A.H.

1984-01-01

Intitial recombination of ionisation in a gas depends on the ionisation density and hence on the linear energy transfer along the tracks of charged particles. This effect can be used as a basis for instruments that respond to different types of ionising radiation approximately in the way required by the quality factor-linear energy transfer relation recommended by the ICRP for use in radiation protection. Empirical instruments based on ionisation recombination that have been used for radiation protection measurements are reviewed, and relations are derived from recombination theory that show that the response of such detectors can be readily predicted. The usefulness of recombination instruments in radiation protection is discussed and their advantages and limitations assessed. It is shown that their main application will be as reference instruments against which other detectors can be calibrated. As an extension to using recombination detectors as reference instruments, the feasibility of specifying radiation quality in terms of ionisation recombination is investigated. (author)

Medical exposure to ionising radiation and the risk of brain tumours

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blettner, Maria; Schlehofer, Brigitte; Samkange-Zeeb, Florence

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: The role of exposure to low doses of ionising radiation in the aetiology of brain tumours has yet to be clarified. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between medically or occupationally related exposure to ionising radiation and brain tumours. METHODS: We...... used self-reported medical and occupational data collected during the German part of a multinational case-control study on mobile phone use and the risk of brain tumours (Interphone study) for the analyses. RESULTS: For any exposure to medical ionising radiation we found odds ratios (ORs) of 0.63 (95...... regions. CONCLUSION: We did not find any significant increased risk of brain tumours for exposure to medical ionising radiation....

The electrical charging of inactive aerosols in high ionised atmosphere, the electrical charging of artificial beta radioactive aerosols; Le processus de charge electrique: des aerosols non radioactifs en milieu fortement ionise, des aerosols radioactifs artificiels emetteurs beta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gensdarmes, F

2000-07-01

The electrical properties of aerosols greatly influence their transport and deposition in a containment. In a bipolar ionic atmosphere, a neutral electric charge on aerosols is commonly assumed. However, many studies report a different charge distribution in some situations, like highly ionised atmosphere or in the case of radioactive aerosols. Such situations could arise from a hypothetical accident in a nuclear power plant. Within the framework of safety studies which are carried out at IPSN, our aims were the study of electrical properties of aerosols in highly ionised atmosphere, and the study of artificial radioactive aerosols, in order to suggest experimental validation of available theories. For this purpose, we designed an experimental device that allows us to measure non-radioactive aerosol charge distribution under high gamma irradiation, up to 10{sup 4} Gy/h. With our experimental device we also studied the properties of small ions in the medium. Our results show a variation of the charge distribution in highly ionised atmosphere. The charge increases with the dose of gamma ray. We have related this variation with the one of the small ions in the gases, according to theoretical prediction. However, the model overestimates slightly our experimental results. In the case of the radioactive aerosols, we have designed an original experimental device, which allows us to study the charge distribution of a {sup 137}Cs aerosol. Our results show that the electric charging of such aerosols is strongly dependent on evolution parameters in a containment. So, our results underline a great enhancement of self-charging of particles which are sampled in a confined medium. Our results are qualitatively in agreement with the theoretical model; nevertheless the latter underestimates appreciably the self-charging, owing to the fact that wall effects are not taken into account. (author)

Nanoscale photoelectron ionisation detector based on lanthanum hexaboride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zimmer, C.M.; Kunze, U.; Schubert, J.; Hamann, S.; Doll, T.

2011-01-01

A nanoscale ioniser is presented exceeding the limitation of conventional photoionisation detectors. It employs accelerated photoelectrons that allow obtaining molecule specificity by the tuning of ionisation energies. The material lanthanum hexaboride (LaB 6 ) is used as air stable photo cathode. Thin films of that material deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) show quantum efficiency (QE) in the range of 10 -5 which is comparable to laser photo stimulation results. A careful treatment of the material yields reasonable low work functions even after surface reoxidation which opens up the possibility of using ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV LEDs) in replacement of discharge lamps. Schematic diagram of a photoelectron ionisation detector (PeID) operating by an electron emitter based on the photoelectric effect of lanthanum hexaboride. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Semiclassical calculation of ionisation rate for Rydberg helium atoms in an electric field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang De-Hua

2011-01-01

The ionisation of Rydberg helium atoms in an electric field above the classical ionisation threshold has been examined using the semiclassical method, with particular emphasis on discussing the influence of the core scattering on the escape dynamics of electrons. The results show that the Rydberg helium atoms ionise by emitting a train of electron pulses. Unlike the case of the ionisation of Rydberg hydrogen atom in parallel electric and magnetic fields, where the pulses of the electron are caused by the external magnetic field, the pulse trains for Rydberg helium atoms are created through core scattering. Each peak in the ionisation rate corresponds to the contribution of one core-scattered combination trajectory. This fact further illustrates that the ionic core scattering leads to the chaotic property of the Rydberg helium atom in external fields. Our studies provide a simple explanation for the escape dynamics in the ionisation of nonhydrogenic atoms in external fields. (atomic and molecular physics)

Positional information generated by spatially distributed signaling cascades.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Muñoz-García

2009-03-01

Full Text Available The temporal and stationary behavior of protein modification cascades has been extensively studied, yet little is known about the spatial aspects of signal propagation. We have previously shown that the spatial separation of opposing enzymes, such as a kinase and a phosphatase, creates signaling activity gradients. Here we show under what conditions signals stall in the space or robustly propagate through spatially distributed signaling cascades. Robust signal propagation results in activity gradients with long plateaus, which abruptly decay at successive spatial locations. We derive an approximate analytical solution that relates the maximal amplitude and propagation length of each activation profile with the cascade level, protein diffusivity, and the ratio of the opposing enzyme activities. The control of the spatial signal propagation appears to be very different from the control of transient temporal responses for spatially homogenous cascades. For spatially distributed cascades where activating and deactivating enzymes operate far from saturation, the ratio of the opposing enzyme activities is shown to be a key parameter controlling signal propagation. The signaling gradients characteristic for robust signal propagation exemplify a pattern formation mechanism that generates precise spatial guidance for multiple cellular processes and conveys information about the cell size to the nucleus.

Fractal nature of hydrocarbon deposits. 2. Spatial distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barton, C.C.; Schutter, T.A; Herring, P.R.; Thomas, W.J.; Scholz, C.H.

1991-01-01

Hydrocarbons are unevenly distributed within reservoirs and are found in patches whose size distribution is a fractal over a wide range of scales. The spatial distribution of the patches is also fractal and this can be used to constrain the design of drilling strategies also defined by a fractal dimension. Fractal distributions are scale independent and are characterized by a power-law scaling exponent termed the fractal dimension. The authors have performed fractal analyses on the spatial distribution of producing and showing wells combined and of dry wells in 1,600-mi 2 portions of the Denver and Powder River basins that were nearly completely drilled on quarter-mile square-grid spacings. They have limited their analyses to wells drilled to single stratigraphic intervals so that the map pattern revealed by drilling is representative of the spatial patchiness of hydrocarbons at depth. The fractal dimensions for the spatial patchiness of hydrocarbons in the two basins are 1.5 and 1.4, respectively. The fractal dimension for the pattern of all wells drilled is 1.8 for both basins, which suggests a drilling strategy with a fractal dimension significantly higher than the dimensions 1.5 and 1.4 sufficient to efficiently and economically explore these reservoirs. In fact, the fractal analysis reveals that the drilling strategy used in these basins approaches a fractal dimension of 2.0, which is equivalent to random drilling with no geologic input. Knowledge of the fractal dimension of a reservoir prior to drilling would provide a basis for selecting and a criterion for halting a drilling strategy for exploration whose fractal dimension closely matches that of the spatial fractal dimension of the reservoir, such a strategy should prove more efficient and economical than current practice

On the spatial distributions of dense cores in Orion B

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Richard J.

2018-05-01

We quantify the spatial distributions of dense cores in three spatially distinct areas of the Orion B star-forming region. For L1622, NGC 2068/NGC 2071, and NGC 2023/NGC 2024, we measure the amount of spatial substructure using the Q-parameter and find all three regions to be spatially substructured (Q Orion B, the mass segregation cannot be dynamical. Our results are also inconsistent with simulations in which the most massive stars form via competitive accretion, and instead hint that magnetic fields may be important in influencing the primordial spatial distributions of gas and stars in star-forming regions.

Analysing the distribution of synaptic vesicles using a spatial point process model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khanmohammadi, Mahdieh; Waagepetersen, Rasmus; Nava, Nicoletta

2014-01-01

functionality by statistically modelling the distribution of the synaptic vesicles in two groups of rats: a control group subjected to sham stress and a stressed group subjected to a single acute foot-shock (FS)-stress episode. We hypothesize that the synaptic vesicles have different spatial distributions...... in the two groups. The spatial distributions are modelled using spatial point process models with an inhomogeneous conditional intensity and repulsive pairwise interactions. Our results verify the hypothesis that the two groups have different spatial distributions....

Disposal regulations and techniques applicable to devices using ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vidal, J.P.

1998-01-01

L'office de Protection contre les rayonnement ionisants, being a government body under the supervision of Ministry of Health and Labour, among other different missions controls the compliance of radiation protection laws with the aim to guarantee the safe operation of equipment using ionising radiation sources. These regulations concerning competence of personnel, especially in the field of medicine or application of ionising radiation on humans, are restricted only to medical doctors (or dentists in their domain) by technical constraints dealing with design of equipment and its exploitation. At the same time regulations define conditions of permanent control in order to verify compliance of radiation protection laws

Spatial distributions of niche-constructing populations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaozhuo Han

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Niche construction theory regards organisms not only as the object of natural selection but also an active subject that can change their own selective pressure through eco-evolutionary feedbacks. Through reviewing the existing works on the theoretical models of niche construction, here we present the progress made on how niche construction influences genetic structure of spatially structured populations and the spatial-temporal dynamics of metapopulations, with special focuses on mathematical models and simulation methods. The majority of results confirmed that niche construction can significantly alter the evolutionary trajectories of structured populations. Organism-environmental interactions induced by niche construction can have profound influence on the dynamics, competition and diversity of metapopulations. It can affect fine-scale spatially distribution of species and spatial heterogeneity of the environment. We further propose a few research directions with potentials, such as applying adaptive dynamics or spatial game theory to explore the effect of niche construction on phenotypic evolution and diversification.

Sensitivity of gaseous xenon ionisation chambers (1961); Sensibilite des chambres d'ionisation a xenon gazeux (1961)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schuhl, C [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1960-07-01

It seems advantageous to fill an ionization chamber with xenon gas when this chamber is used for measuring a low intensity and high energy electron or positron beam, or monitoring a gamma beam. In the study of 5 to 50 MeV electrons, xenon allows for the ionization chamber yield, an improvement of a factor 4,5. (author) [French] Il apparait interessant d'utiliser du xenon comme gaz dans une chambre d'ionisation destinee a mesurer un faisceau d'electrons ou de positons de faible intensite et de grande energie ou pour monitorer un faisceau de gamma. Dans les etudes des electrons de 5 a 50 MeV, le xenon permet de gagner un facteur 4,5 sur l'air pour la sensibilite d'une chambre d'ionisation. (auteur)

Distorted-wave calculations of electron impact ionisation in the Ni isonuclear sequence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Griffin, D C; Pindzola, M S

1988-10-14

Electron impact ionisation cross sections for Ni/sup +/, Ni/sup 3+/, Ni/sup 5+/, Ni/sup 6+/, Ni/sup 7+/, Ni/sup 8+/, Ni/sup 12+/, Ni/sup 14+/, and Ni/sup 16+/ are calculated in the distorted-wave approximation. These calculations include contributions from direct ionisation and inner-shell excitation followed by autoionisation. For Ni/sup 12+/, Ni/sup 14+/, and Ni/sup 16+/ we report not only on ionisation cross sections from the ground states but also from the metastable states of these ions. Experimental cross section measurements exist for all ions reported here, except Ni/sup 16+/. The agreement between experiment and theory is reasonably good and improves with ionisation stage.

Dosimetry with tissue-equivalent ionisation chambers in fast neutron fields for biomedical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoetelief, J.; Broerse, J.J.

1983-01-01

The use of calibrated tissue-equivalent (TE) ionisation chambers is commonly considered to be the most practical method for total absorbed dose determinations in mixed neutron-photon fields for biomedical applications. The total absorbed dose can be derived from the charge produced within the cavity of an ionisation chamber employing a number of physical parameters. To arrive at the charge produced in the cavity several correction factors have to be introduced which are related to the operational characteristics of the chambers. Information on the operational characteristics of four TE ionisation chambers is presented in relation to ion collection, density and composition of gas in the cavity, wall thickness and effective point of measurement. In addition, some recent results from an ionisation chamber operated at high gas pressures are presented. The total absorbed doses derived from TE ionisation chambers show agreement within the uncertainty limits with results from other independent dosimetry methods, i.e., differential fluence measurements and a TE calorimeter. Conscientious experimentation and a common data base can provide dosimetry results with TE ionisation chambers with variations of less than +-2%. (author)

Real-time distribution of pelagic fish: combining hydroacoustics, GIS and spatial modelling at a fine spatial scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Muška, Milan; Tušer, Michal; Frouzová, Jaroslava; Mrkvička, Tomáš; Ricard, Daniel; Seďa, Jaromír; Morelli, Federico; Kubečka, Jan

2018-03-29

Understanding spatial distribution of organisms in heterogeneous environment remains one of the chief issues in ecology. Spatial organization of freshwater fish was investigated predominantly on large-scale, neglecting important local conditions and ecological processes. However, small-scale processes are of an essential importance for individual habitat preferences and hence structuring trophic cascades and species coexistence. In this work, we analysed the real-time spatial distribution of pelagic freshwater fish in the Římov Reservoir (Czechia) observed by hydroacoustics in relation to important environmental predictors during 48 hours at 3-h interval. Effect of diurnal cycle was revealed of highest significance in all spatial models with inverse trends between fish distribution and predictors in day and night in general. Our findings highlighted daytime pelagic fish distribution as highly aggregated, with general fish preferences for central, deep and highly illuminated areas, whereas nighttime distribution was more disperse and fish preferred nearshore steep sloped areas with higher depth. This turnover suggests prominent movements of significant part of fish assemblage between pelagic and nearshore areas on a diel basis. In conclusion, hydroacoustics, GIS and spatial modelling proved as valuable tool for predicting local fish distribution and elucidate its drivers, which has far reaching implications for understanding freshwater ecosystem functioning.

Studies of Non-Targeted Effects of Ionising Radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oleg V Belyakov; Heli Mononen; Marjo Peraelae

2006-01-01

The discovery of ionising radiation induced non-targeted effects is important for understanding the dose-response mechanisms relevant to low dose irradiation in vivo. One important question is whether the non-targeted effects relates to a protective mechanism or whether, conversely, it amplifies the number of cells damaged by the isolated radiation tracks of low dose exposures leading to an increased risk of carcinogenesis. One theory supported by the experimental data obtained during this project is that the main functions of the non-targeted effects are to decrease the risk of transformation in a multicellular organism exposed to radiation. Differences in the gene expression profiles, temporal and spatial patterns of key proteins expressed in directly irradiated and bystander cells may determine how the cells ultimately respond to low doses of radiation. Such a mechanism of co-operative response would make the tissue system much more robust. (N.C.)

Studies of Non-Targeted Effects of Ionising Radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oleg V Belyakov; Heli Mononen; Marjo Peraelae [STUK - Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, Helsinki (Finland)

2006-07-01

The discovery of ionising radiation induced non-targeted effects is important for understanding the dose-response mechanisms relevant to low dose irradiation in vivo. One important question is whether the non-targeted effects relates to a protective mechanism or whether, conversely, it amplifies the number of cells damaged by the isolated radiation tracks of low dose exposures leading to an increased risk of carcinogenesis. One theory supported by the experimental data obtained during this project is that the main functions of the non-targeted effects are to decrease the risk of transformation in a multicellular organism exposed to radiation. Differences in the gene expression profiles, temporal and spatial patterns of key proteins expressed in directly irradiated and bystander cells may determine how the cells ultimately respond to low doses of radiation. Such a mechanism of co-operative response would make the tissue system much more robust. (N.C.)

Unleashing spatially distributed ecohydrology modeling using Big Data tools

Science.gov (United States)

Miles, B.; Idaszak, R.

2015-12-01

Physically based spatially distributed ecohydrology models are useful for answering science and management questions related to the hydrology and biogeochemistry of prairie, savanna, forested, as well as urbanized ecosystems. However, these models can produce hundreds of gigabytes of spatial output for a single model run over decadal time scales when run at regional spatial scales and moderate spatial resolutions (~100-km2+ at 30-m spatial resolution) or when run for small watersheds at high spatial resolutions (~1-km2 at 3-m spatial resolution). Numerical data formats such as HDF5 can store arbitrarily large datasets. However even in HPC environments, there are practical limits on the size of single files that can be stored and reliably backed up. Even when such large datasets can be stored, querying and analyzing these data can suffer from poor performance due to memory limitations and I/O bottlenecks, for example on single workstations where memory and bandwidth are limited, or in HPC environments where data are stored separately from computational nodes. The difficulty of storing and analyzing spatial data from ecohydrology models limits our ability to harness these powerful tools. Big Data tools such as distributed databases have the potential to surmount the data storage and analysis challenges inherent to large spatial datasets. Distributed databases solve these problems by storing data close to computational nodes while enabling horizontal scalability and fault tolerance. Here we present the architecture of and preliminary results from PatchDB, a distributed datastore for managing spatial output from the Regional Hydro-Ecological Simulation System (RHESSys). The initial version of PatchDB uses message queueing to asynchronously write RHESSys model output to an Apache Cassandra cluster. Once stored in the cluster, these data can be efficiently queried to quickly produce both spatial visualizations for a particular variable (e.g. maps and animations), as well

Spatial distribution of emissions to air - the SPREAD model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plejdrup, M S; Gyldenkaerne, S

2011-04-15

The National Environmental Research Institute (NERI), Aarhus University, completes the annual national emission inventories for greenhouse gases and air pollutants according to Denmark's obligations under international conventions, e.g. the climate convention, UNFCCC and the convention on long-range transboundary air pollution, CLRTAP. NERI has developed a model to distribute emissions from the national emission inventories on a 1x1 km grid covering the Danish land and sea territory. The new spatial high resolution distribution model for emissions to air (SPREAD) has been developed according to the requirements for reporting of gridded emissions to CLRTAP. Spatial emission data is e.g. used as input for air quality modelling, which again serves as input for assessment and evaluation of health effects. For these purposes distributions with higher spatial resolution have been requested. Previously, a distribution on the 17x17 km EMEP grid has been set up and used in research projects combined with detailed distributions for a few sectors or sub-sectors e.g. a distribution for emissions from road traffic on 1x1 km resolution. SPREAD is developed to generate improved spatial emission data for e.g. air quality modelling in exposure studies. SPREAD includes emission distributions for each sector in the Danish inventory system; stationary combustion, mobile sources, fugitive emissions from fuels, industrial processes, solvents and other product use, agriculture and waste. This model enables generation of distributions for single sectors and for a number of sub-sectors and single sources as well. This report documents the methodologies in this first version of SPREAD and presents selected results. Further, a number of potential improvements for later versions of SPREAD are addressed and discussed. (Author)

The case against protecting the environment from ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, J.T.

2004-01-01

The objective of this paper is to present the (rarely heard) argument in favour of retention of the present system of radiation protection of the environment. There has been a recent trend in the radioecological and radiation protection community towards greater regulation of the effects of ionising radiations on biota. In particular, the often quoted International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP) hypothesis that: If humans are protected from the effects of ionising radiation, then flora and fauna are also adequately protected has been criticised as being too anthropocentric and not adequate for protection of the environment. In this paper I will challenge this view, arguing firstly that this statement is almost always quoted out of its proper context, and secondly that the ICRP hypothesis does adequately protect the environment from the effects of ionising radiations. In view of the relatively insignificant effect of regulated releases of ionising radiation on the environment, the economic cost of further regulation will not result in a significant environmental benefit. Whilst empirical research to test the ICRP hypothesis should continue, until there is clear evidence against it, this simple and cost-effective approach should be retained. This would benefit the environment by directing scarce resources to more urgent environmental problems. (author)

Development of Spatial Distribution Patterns by Biofilm Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haagensen, Janus Anders Juul; Hansen, Susse Kirkelund; Bak Christensen, Bjarke

2015-01-01

-pattern by Acinetobacter sp. C6. Ecological spatial pattern analyses revealed that the microcolonies were not entirely randomly distributed, and instead arranged in a uniform pattern. Detailed time-lapse confocal microscopy at the single cell level demonstrated that the spatial pattern was the result of an intriguing self......-organization: Small multicellular clusters moved along the surface to fuse with one another to form microcolonies. This active distribution capability was dependent on environmental factors (carbon source, oxygen) and historical contingency (formation of phenotypic variants). The findings of this study are discussed...

Making ionising radiation a real experience for high school science students

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitlock, J.; Lang, P.; De La Matter, D.; Hinman, P.; White, B.

2009-01-01

The Canadian public has little understanding of ionising radiation due in part to its treatment in popular media. In principle, students learn about ionising radiation in their school science classes. Developments in science curricula are providing more education opportunities for this subject. The Canadian Nuclear Society's program for introducing real, personal experience with ionising radiation in the classroom is starting to make a difference. The demand is expected to exceed the resources of the CNS and the program is being developed to facilitate external support. This paper summarizes the need, the history of this program development, and the path forward. (author)

The spatial distribution of pollutants in pipe-scale of large-diameter pipelines in a drinking water distribution system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Jingqing [College of Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Chen, Huanyu [College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Binhai Industrial Technology Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Tianjin 300000 (China); Yao, Lingdan; Wei, Zongyuan [College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Lou, Liping, E-mail: loulp@zju.edu.cn [College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Shan, Yonggui; Endalkachew, Sahle-Demessie; Mallikarjuna, Nadagouda [Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, NRMRL, Cincinnati, OH 45220 (United States); Hu, Baolan [College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Zhou, Xiaoyan [Shaoxing Water Environmental Science Institute Co. Ltd, Zhejiang 312000 (China)

2016-11-05

Highlights: • First investigating the spatial distribution of pollutants in pipe-scale. • Spatial distribution of heavy metals indicated their sources were different. • Three main factors effete the distribution of pollutants. • Organic deposits mainly included microbial and microalgae metabolites. - Abstract: In large-diameter drinking water pipelines, spatial differences in hydraulic and physiochemical conditions may also result in spatial variations in pipe corrosion, biofilm growth and pollutant accumulation. In this article, the spatial distributions of various metals and organic contaminants in two 19-year-old grey cast iron pipes which had an internal diameter of 600 mm (DN600), were investigated and analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry, Energy Dispersive Spectrometer, X-ray Diffraction, etc. The spatial distribution of heavy metals varied significantly across the pipe section, and iron, manganese, lead, copper, and chromium were highest in concentration in the upper portion pipe-scales. However, the highest aluminum and zinc content was detected in the lower portion pipe-scales. Apart from some common types of hydrocarbons formed by microbial metabolites, there were also some microalgae metabolites and exogenous contaminants accumulated in pipe-scale, which also exhibited high diversity between different spatial locations. The spatial distributions of the physical and chemical properties of pipe-scale and contaminants were quite different in large-diameter pipes. The finding put forward higher requirements on the research method about drinking water distribution system chemical safety. And the scientific community need understand trend and dynamics of drinking water pipe systems better.

The spatial distribution of pollutants in pipe-scale of large-diameter pipelines in a drinking water distribution system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Jingqing; Chen, Huanyu; Yao, Lingdan; Wei, Zongyuan; Lou, Liping; Shan, Yonggui; Endalkachew, Sahle-Demessie; Mallikarjuna, Nadagouda; Hu, Baolan; Zhou, Xiaoyan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • First investigating the spatial distribution of pollutants in pipe-scale. • Spatial distribution of heavy metals indicated their sources were different. • Three main factors effete the distribution of pollutants. • Organic deposits mainly included microbial and microalgae metabolites. - Abstract: In large-diameter drinking water pipelines, spatial differences in hydraulic and physiochemical conditions may also result in spatial variations in pipe corrosion, biofilm growth and pollutant accumulation. In this article, the spatial distributions of various metals and organic contaminants in two 19-year-old grey cast iron pipes which had an internal diameter of 600 mm (DN600), were investigated and analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry, Energy Dispersive Spectrometer, X-ray Diffraction, etc. The spatial distribution of heavy metals varied significantly across the pipe section, and iron, manganese, lead, copper, and chromium were highest in concentration in the upper portion pipe-scales. However, the highest aluminum and zinc content was detected in the lower portion pipe-scales. Apart from some common types of hydrocarbons formed by microbial metabolites, there were also some microalgae metabolites and exogenous contaminants accumulated in pipe-scale, which also exhibited high diversity between different spatial locations. The spatial distributions of the physical and chemical properties of pipe-scale and contaminants were quite different in large-diameter pipes. The finding put forward higher requirements on the research method about drinking water distribution system chemical safety. And the scientific community need understand trend and dynamics of drinking water pipe systems better.

The ionisation loss of relativistic charged particles in thin gas samples and its use for particle identification. I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cobb, J.H.; Allison, W.W.M.; Bunch, J.N.

1976-01-01

A brief review shows a significant discrepancy between available data and theoretical predictions on the ionisation loss of charged particles in thin gas-filled proportional counters. The discrepancy related both to the increase of the most probable loss at relativistic velocities (relativistic rise) and to the spectrum of such losses at a given velocity (the Landau distribution). The origin of this relativistic rise is discussed in simple terms and related to the phenomena of transition radiation and Cherenkov radiation. It is shown that the failure of the prediction is due to the small number of ionising collisions in a gas. This problem is overcome by using a Monte Carlo method rather than a continuous integral over the spectrum of single collision processes. A specific mode of the atomic form factors is used with a modified Born approximation to yield the differential cross sections needed for the calculation. The new predictions give improved agreement with experiment and are used to investigate the problem of identifying particles of known momenta in the relativistic region. It is shown that by measuring the ionisation loss of each particle several hundred times over 5m or more, kaon, pion and proton separation with good confidence level may be achieved. Many gases are considered and a comparison is made. The results are also compared with the velocity resolution achievable by measuring primary ionisation. (Auth.)

Big Pylons: Mixed signals for transmission. Spatial planning for energy distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritchie, Heather; Hardy, Maelíosa; Lloyd, M. Greg; McGreal, Stanley

2013-01-01

The effective delivery of a sustainable energy future raises many challenges in relation to energy distribution where a new understanding of spatial planning is needed in relation to energy production, consumption and storage. Understanding the emergent low carbon energy economy in terms of its production, distribution and consumption characteristics has prompted a deliberate spatial planning interest. This paper examines issues relating to spatial planning, regulation, political legitimacy and accountability in the current and future systems for energy distribution. In particular it examines the Beauly Denny public inquiry in Scotland as a case study in terms of demonstrating the changing state–market–civil relations in an energy transition context with differentiated values and interests. The case study highlights implications for the regulation in the public interest of highly contested spaces, places and development schemes, together with a synopsis of government structure and change that is influencing the future of spatial planning and energy distribution in particular. - Highlights: • We examine links between spatial planning and regulation of energy distribution. • We examine the Beauly Denny public inquiry in Scotland. • We highlight challenges surrounding the development of a resilient energy system. • We highlight links between spatial planning and infrastructural development

Critical ionisation velocity and the dynamics of a coaxial plasma gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raadu, M.A.

1978-01-01

The dynamics of an ionising wave in a coaxial plasma gun with an azimuthal bias magnetic field is analysed in a theoretical model. Only the radial dependence is treated and instead of including a treatment of the energy balance two separate physical assumptions are made. In the first case it is assumed that the total internal electric field is given by the critical ionisation velocity condition and in the second that the ionisation rate is constant. For consistency wall sheaths are assumed to match the internal plasma potential to that of the walls. On the basis of momentum and particle balance the radial dependence of the electron density, current density, electric field and drift velocity are found. An electron source is required at the cathode and the relative contribution from ionisation within the plasma is deduced. The assumption that there are no ion sources at the electrodes leads to a restriction on the possible values of the axial electric field. (author)

Juvenile Penaeid Shrimp Density, Spatial Distribution and Size ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effects of habitat characteristics (mangrove creek, sandflat, mudflat and seagrass meadow) water salinity, temperature, and depth on the density, spatial distribution and size distribution of juveniles of five commercially important penaied shrimp species (Metapenaus monoceros, M. stebbingi, Fenneropenaeus indicus, ...

Spatial distribution of emissions to air - the SPREAD model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plejdrup, M.S.; Gyldenkaerne, S.

2011-04-15

The National Environmental Research Institute (NERI), Aarhus University, completes the annual national emission inventories for greenhouse gases and air pollutants according to Denmark's obligations under international conventions, e.g. the climate convention, UNFCCC and the convention on long-range transboundary air pollution, CLRTAP. NERI has developed a model to distribute emissions from the national emission inventories on a 1x1 km grid covering the Danish land and sea territory. The new spatial high resolution distribution model for emissions to air (SPREAD) has been developed according to the requirements for reporting of gridded emissions to CLRTAP. Spatial emission data is e.g. used as input for air quality modelling, which again serves as input for assessment and evaluation of health effects. For these purposes distributions with higher spatial resolution have been requested. Previously, a distribution on the 17x17 km EMEP grid has been set up and used in research projects combined with detailed distributions for a few sectors or sub-sectors e.g. a distribution for emissions from road traffic on 1x1 km resolution. SPREAD is developed to generate improved spatial emission data for e.g. air quality modelling in exposure studies. SPREAD includes emission distributions for each sector in the Danish inventory system; stationary combustion, mobile sources, fugitive emissions from fuels, industrial processes, solvents and other product use, agriculture and waste. This model enables generation of distributions for single sectors and for a number of sub-sectors and single sources as well. This report documents the methodologies in this first version of SPREAD and presents selected results. Further, a number of potential improvements for later versions of SPREAD are addressed and discussed. (Author)

Spatial pattern of 2009 dengue distribution in Kuala Lumpur using GIS application.

Science.gov (United States)

Aziz, S; Ngui, R; Lim, Y A L; Sholehah, I; Nur Farhana, J; Azizan, A S; Wan Yusoff, W S

2012-03-01

In the last few years in Malaysia, dengue fever has increased dramatically and has caused huge public health concerns. The present study aimed to establish a spatial distribution of dengue cases in the city of Kuala Lumpur using a combination of Geographic Information System (GIS) and spatial statistical tools. Collation of data from 1,618 dengue cases in 2009 was obtained from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL). These data were processed and then converted into GIS format. Information on the average monthly rainfall was also used to correlate with the distribution pattern of dengue cases. To asses the spatial distribution of dengue cases, Average Nearest Neighbor (ANN) Analysis was applied together with spatial analysis with the ESRI ArcGIS V9.3 programme. Results indicated that the distribution of dengue cases in Kuala Lumpur for the year 2009 was spatially clustered with R value less than 1 (R = 0.42; z-scores = - 4.47; p 1) between August and November. In addition, the mean monthly rainfall has not influenced the distribution pattern of the dengue cases. Implementation of control measures is more difficult for dispersed pattern compared to clustered pattern. From this study, it was found that distribution pattern of dengue cases in Kuala Lumpur in 2009 was spatially distributed (dispersed or clustered) rather than cases occurring randomly. It was proven that by using GIS and spatial statistic tools, we can determine the spatial distribution between dengue and population. Utilization of GIS tools is vital in assisting health agencies, epidemiologist, public health officer, town planner and relevant authorities in developing efficient control measures and contingency programmes to effectively combat dengue fever.

Ionisation detectors as monitors of toxic compounds in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leonhardt, J.W.

1994-01-01

Beta particles cause ionisation in gas mixtures. The ions produced provide information on the concentration and identity of trace compounds in ambient air. Modern ionisation detectors use ion mobilities to monitor toxic compounds. Chemical solvent, phosphororganic compounds, PCB and many other toxins can be detected using ion mobility detectors (IMD) in the ppb range or lower. Ion mobility detectors have large potential in industry and research because of their sensitivity, specificity, fast response and relatively low cost. Portable devices and fixed installations are possible. The paper discusses the following topics: (1) ionisation sources in IMD: 63 Ni, 3 H, photoionization and corona discharge, (2) basic principles of ion production, (3) ion collection in IMD, (4) design, gas supply, automatic identification and quantification of IMD data, and (5) selected applications. Advantages and problems with this new type of nuclear analytical instrument are also discussed. (author). 2 refs., 9 figs., 3 tabs

Spatially distributed multipartite entanglement enables EPR steering of atomic clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Kunkel, Philipp; Prüfer, Maximilian; Strobel, Helmut; Linnemann, Daniel; Frölian, Anika; Gasenzer, Thomas; Gärttner, Martin; Oberthaler, Markus K.

2018-04-01

A key resource for distributed quantum-enhanced protocols is entanglement between spatially separated modes. However, the robust generation and detection of entanglement between spatially separated regions of an ultracold atomic system remain a challenge. We used spin mixing in a tightly confined Bose-Einstein condensate to generate an entangled state of indistinguishable particles in a single spatial mode. We show experimentally that this entanglement can be spatially distributed by self-similar expansion of the atomic cloud. We used spatially resolved spin read-out to reveal a particularly strong form of quantum correlations known as Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) steering between distinct parts of the expanded cloud. Based on the strength of EPR steering, we constructed a witness, which confirmed genuine 5-partite entanglement.

Antioxidant Protection in Blood against Ionising Radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bognar, G.; Meszaros, G.; Koteles, G. J.

2001-01-01

Full text: The quantities of the antioxidants in the human blood are important indicators of health status. The routine determinations of activities/capacities of antioxidant compounds would be of great importance in assessing individual sensitivities against oxidative effects. We have investigated the sensitivities of those antioxidant elements against various doses of ionising radiation tested by the RANDOX assays. Our results show dose-dependent decreases of antioxidant activities caused by the different doses. The total antioxidant status value linearly decreased up to 1 Gy, but further increase of dose (2 Gy) did not influence the respective values although the test system still indicated their presence. It means that the human blood retains 60-70% of its total antioxidant capacity. Radiation induced alterations of the antioxidant enzymes: glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase have been also investigated. The activities of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase decreased linearly upon the effects of various doses of ionising radiation till 1 Gy. Between 1 and 2 Gy only further mild decreases could be detected. In this case the human blood retained 40-60% of these two antioxidant enzymes. These observations suggest either the limited response of antioxidant system against ionising radiation, or the existence of protection system of various reactabilities. (author)

Measurement-Based Spatial Correlation and Capacity of Indoor Distributed MIMO System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Zhang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Distributed MIMO (D-MIMO system is one of the candidates for future wireless access networks. In this study, the spatial correlation and capacity in indoor D-MIMO system are presented. All results are from the actual channel measurements in typical indoor scenarios, including office and corridor. Based on measured data, spatial correlation coefficients between distributed transmitting antennas are analyzed. Although the literature about D-MIMO system assumes the small scale fading between distributed antennas is independent, we find that spatial correlation may still exist in specific propagation scenario. This correlation can also degrade the performance of D-MIMO system. To mitigate the impact of spatial correlation, one efficient method is to use transmitting antenna selection technique.

Working safely with ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDowell, D.J.

1990-01-01

A small leaflet provides information on working safely with ionizing radiation. Topics covered include the types of radiation, radiological units, external radiation, contamination and internal radiation, methods of protection form radiation, radiation monitors, protective clothing for contamination, personal dosemeters, radiation dose limits for classified workers and finally the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985. (UK)

Hierarchical spatial models for predicting pygmy rabbit distribution and relative abundance

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, T.L.; Odei, J.B.; Hooten, M.B.; Edwards, T.C.

2010-01-01

Conservationists routinely use species distribution models to plan conservation, restoration and development actions, while ecologists use them to infer process from pattern. These models tend to work well for common or easily observable species, but are of limited utility for rare and cryptic species. This may be because honest accounting of known observation bias and spatial autocorrelation are rarely included, thereby limiting statistical inference of resulting distribution maps. We specified and implemented a spatially explicit Bayesian hierarchical model for a cryptic mammal species (pygmy rabbit Brachylagus idahoensis). Our approach used two levels of indirect sign that are naturally hierarchical (burrows and faecal pellets) to build a model that allows for inference on regression coefficients as well as spatially explicit model parameters. We also produced maps of rabbit distribution (occupied burrows) and relative abundance (number of burrows expected to be occupied by pygmy rabbits). The model demonstrated statistically rigorous spatial prediction by including spatial autocorrelation and measurement uncertainty. We demonstrated flexibility of our modelling framework by depicting probabilistic distribution predictions using different assumptions of pygmy rabbit habitat requirements. Spatial representations of the variance of posterior predictive distributions were obtained to evaluate heterogeneity in model fit across the spatial domain. Leave-one-out cross-validation was conducted to evaluate the overall model fit. Synthesis and applications. Our method draws on the strengths of previous work, thereby bridging and extending two active areas of ecological research: species distribution models and multi-state occupancy modelling. Our framework can be extended to encompass both larger extents and other species for which direct estimation of abundance is difficult. ?? 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation ?? 2010 British Ecological Society.

Analysis of skin tissues spatial fluorescence distribution by the Monte Carlo simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Churmakov, D Y; Meglinski, I V; Piletsky, S A; Greenhalgh, D A

2003-01-01

A novel Monte Carlo technique of simulation of spatial fluorescence distribution within the human skin is presented. The computational model of skin takes into account the spatial distribution of fluorophores, which would arise due to the structure of collagen fibres, compared to the epidermis and stratum corneum where the distribution of fluorophores is assumed to be homogeneous. The results of simulation suggest that distribution of auto-fluorescence is significantly suppressed in the near-infrared spectral region, whereas the spatial distribution of fluorescence sources within a sensor layer embedded in the epidermis is localized at an 'effective' depth

Analysis of skin tissues spatial fluorescence distribution by the Monte Carlo simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Churmakov, D Y [School of Engineering, Cranfield University, Cranfield, MK43 0AL (United Kingdom); Meglinski, I V [School of Engineering, Cranfield University, Cranfield, MK43 0AL (United Kingdom); Piletsky, S A [Institute of BioScience and Technology, Cranfield University, Silsoe, MK45 4DT (United Kingdom); Greenhalgh, D A [School of Engineering, Cranfield University, Cranfield, MK43 0AL (United Kingdom)

2003-07-21

A novel Monte Carlo technique of simulation of spatial fluorescence distribution within the human skin is presented. The computational model of skin takes into account the spatial distribution of fluorophores, which would arise due to the structure of collagen fibres, compared to the epidermis and stratum corneum where the distribution of fluorophores is assumed to be homogeneous. The results of simulation suggest that distribution of auto-fluorescence is significantly suppressed in the near-infrared spectral region, whereas the spatial distribution of fluorescence sources within a sensor layer embedded in the epidermis is localized at an 'effective' depth.

Analysis of skin tissues spatial fluorescence distribution by the Monte Carlo simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Y Churmakov, D.; Meglinski, I. V.; Piletsky, S. A.; Greenhalgh, D. A.

2003-07-01

A novel Monte Carlo technique of simulation of spatial fluorescence distribution within the human skin is presented. The computational model of skin takes into account the spatial distribution of fluorophores, which would arise due to the structure of collagen fibres, compared to the epidermis and stratum corneum where the distribution of fluorophores is assumed to be homogeneous. The results of simulation suggest that distribution of auto-fluorescence is significantly suppressed in the near-infrared spectral region, whereas the spatial distribution of fluorescence sources within a sensor layer embedded in the epidermis is localized at an `effective' depth.

A digital elevation analysis: Spatially distributed flow apportioning algorithm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Sang-Hyun; Kim, Kyung-Hyun [Pusan National University, Pusan(Korea); Jung, Sun-Hee [Korea Environment Institute, (Korea)

2001-06-30

A flow determination algorithm is proposed for the distributed hydrologic model. The advantages of a single flow direction scheme and multiple flow direction schemes are selectively considered to address the drawbacks of existing algorithms. A spatially varied flow apportioning factor is introduced in order to accommodate the accumulated area from upslope cells. The channel initiation threshold area(CIT) concept is expanded and integrated into the spatially distributed flow apportioning algorithm in order to delineate a realistic channel network. An application of a field example suggests that the linearly distributed flow apportioning scheme provides some advantages over existing approaches, such as the relaxation of over-dissipation problems near channel cells, the connectivity feature of river cells, the continuity of saturated areas and the negligence of the optimization of few parameters in existing algorithms. The effects of grid sizes are explored spatially as well as statistically. (author). 28 refs., 7 figs.

A tutorial on Palm distributions for spatial point processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coeurjolly, Jean-Francois; Møller, Jesper; Waagepetersen, Rasmus Plenge

2017-01-01

This tutorial provides an introduction to Palm distributions for spatial point processes. Initially, in the context of finite point processes, we give an explicit definition of Palm distributions in terms of their density functions. Then we review Palm distributions in the general case. Finally, we...

Beam Cooling with ionisation losses

CERN Document Server

Rubbia, Carlo; Kadi, Y; Vlachoudis, V

2006-01-01

A novel type of particle "cooling", called Ionization Cooling, is applicable to slow (v of the order of 0.1c) ions stored in a small ring. The many traversals through a thin foil enhance the nuclear reaction probability, in a steady configuration in which ionisation losses are recovered at each turn by a RF-cavity. For a uniform target "foil" the longitudinal momentum spread diverges exponentially since faster (slower) particles ionise less (more) than the average. In order to "cool" also longitudinally, a chromaticity has to be introduced with a wedge shaped "foil". Multiple scattering and straggling are then "cooled" in all three dimensions, with a method similar to the one of synchrotron cooling, but valid for low energy ions. Particles then stably circulate in the beam indefinitely, until they undergo for instance nuclear processes in the thin target foil. This new method is under consideration for the nuclear production of a few MeV/A ion beams. Simple reactions, for instance Li 7 + D Li 8 + p, are more ...

Calibration of ARI QC ionisation chambers using the Australian secondary standards for activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mo, L.; Van Der Gaast, H.A.; Alexiev, D.; Butcher, K.S.A.; Davies, J.

1999-01-01

The Secondary Standard Activity Laboratory (SSAL) in ANSTO routinely provides standardised radioactive sources, traceable activity measurements and custom source preparation services to customers. The most important activity carried out is the calibration of ionisation chambers located in the Quality Control (QC) section of Australian Radioisotopes (ARI). This ensures that their activity measurements are traceable to the Australian primary methods of standardisation. ARI QC ionisation chambers are calibrated for 99m Tc, 67 Ga, 131 I, 201 Tl and 153 Sm. The SSAL has a TPA ionisation chamber, which has been directly calibrated against a primary standard for a variety of radioactive nuclides. Calibration factors for this chamber were determined specifically for the actual volumes (5ml for 99m Tc, 131 I, 2ml for 67 Ga, 201 Tl and 3 ml for 153 Sm) and types of vial (Wheaton) which are routinely used at ARI. These calibration factors can be used to accurately measure the activity of samples prepared by ARI. The samples can subsequently be used to calibrate the QC ionisation chambers. QC ionisation chambers are re-calibrated biannually

SPATIAL VARIETY AND DISTRIBUTION OF TRADITIONAL MARKETS IN SURAKARTA AS POTENTIAL FACTORS IN IMPROVING SPATIAL-BASED MANAGEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Istijabatul Aliyah

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Traditional markets function as trading place, socio-culture interaction, and recreation facility either in regional or urban scope. Distribution and variety of spatial condition influence traditional markets’ planning both physically and non-physically. Therefore, this research aimed to conduct a mapping of traditional markets’ spatial distribution and variety as potential factors to improve spatial-based management. Analysis methods including: (1 Mapping by employing Geographic Information System, (2 Category Based Analysis (CBA, and (3 Interactive Analysis were applied in Surakarta City as the research location. The result of this research signifies that spatial variety and distribution of traditional markets in Surakarta had similar pattern between one market to others; overlapping service function; specific commodity types in accordance with the market’s characteristics; diverse operating hours. Spatial variety and distribution could be potential factors to improve traditional market management as shopping service. This result was contrasted with Central Place Theory by Christaller and NÆss & Jensen’s research finding stating that distance became a key factor influencing accessibility to a number of activity facilities. Therefore, distance toward the service center is not considered as the main factor in traditional market management. The main factor in managing and controlling traditional markets’ development includes service function, commodity specification, and operating hour’s flexibility.

Critical ionisation velocity effects in astrophysical plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raadu, M.A.

1979-08-01

Critical ionisation velocity effects are relevant to astrophysical situations where neutral gas moves through a magnetised plasma. The experimental significance of the critical velocity is well established and the physical basis is now becoming clear. The underlying mechanism depends on the combined effects of electron impact ionisation and electron energisation by collective plasma interactions. For low density plasmas a theory based on a circular process involving electron heating through a modified two stream instability has been developed. Several applications of critical velocity effects to astrophysical plasmas have been discussed in the literature. The importance of the effect in any particular case may be determined from a detailed consideration of energy and momentum balance, using appropriate atomic rate coefficients and taking full account of collective plasma processes. (Auth.)

Ionising radiation. Part 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

A brief tutorial on the health effects of ionising radiation is presented. The distinction between somatic and genetic health effects is explained. The two types of somatic health effects, i.e., acute and chronic effects, are discussed, as well as the concepts of ''deterministic'' and ''stochastic'' (also called ''probabilistic'') health effects. The possibility of cancer caused by DNA damage is discussed. The document ends with the definition of some key radiation terms

IRID: specifications for the Ionising Radiations Incident Database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, G.O.; Croft, J.R.; Williams, M.K.; McHugh, J.O.

1996-01-01

Technologies that make use of ionising radiations are widespread. They provide many benefits but, as with other technologies, the use of ionising radiations carries with it the potential for incidents and accidents. Their severity can vary from the trivial to the fatal and may involve substantial economic penalties. In order to minimise the number of incidents and their consequences it is important that there is a mechanism to learn the lessons from those that do occur. To help pursue this objective the National Radiological Protection Board, the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency have established a national Ionising Radiations Incident Database (IRID) to cover radiation incidents in industry, medicine, research and teaching. This publication details the specifications for IRID and its methods of operation. All information in the database will be unattributable and names of persons or organisations will not be included. It is a personal computer based system with 24 fields to categorise an incident, including a text field that will provide a description of the incident giving the causes, consequences, follow-up actions and lessons to be learned. These descriptions will be used in subsequent publications to provide feedback to the users. (UK)

Thematic and spatial resolutions affect model-based predictions of tree species distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Yu; He, Hong S; Fraser, Jacob S; Wu, ZhiWei

2013-01-01

Subjective decisions of thematic and spatial resolutions in characterizing environmental heterogeneity may affect the characterizations of spatial pattern and the simulation of occurrence and rate of ecological processes, and in turn, model-based tree species distribution. Thus, this study quantified the importance of thematic and spatial resolutions, and their interaction in predictions of tree species distribution (quantified by species abundance). We investigated how model-predicted species abundances changed and whether tree species with different ecological traits (e.g., seed dispersal distance, competitive capacity) had different responses to varying thematic and spatial resolutions. We used the LANDIS forest landscape model to predict tree species distribution at the landscape scale and designed a series of scenarios with different thematic (different numbers of land types) and spatial resolutions combinations, and then statistically examined the differences of species abundance among these scenarios. Results showed that both thematic and spatial resolutions affected model-based predictions of species distribution, but thematic resolution had a greater effect. Species ecological traits affected the predictions. For species with moderate dispersal distance and relatively abundant seed sources, predicted abundance increased as thematic resolution increased. However, for species with long seeding distance or high shade tolerance, thematic resolution had an inverse effect on predicted abundance. When seed sources and dispersal distance were not limiting, the predicted species abundance increased with spatial resolution and vice versa. Results from this study may provide insights into the choice of thematic and spatial resolutions for model-based predictions of tree species distribution.

The ionisation parameter of star-forming galaxies evolves with the specific star formation rate

Science.gov (United States)

Kaasinen, Melanie; Kewley, Lisa; Bian, Fuyan; Groves, Brent; Kashino, Daichi; Silverman, John; Kartaltepe, Jeyhan

2018-04-01

We investigate the evolution of the ionisation parameter of star-forming galaxies using a high-redshift (z ˜ 1.5) sample from the FMOS-COSMOS survey and matched low-redshift samples from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. By constructing samples of low-redshift galaxies for which the stellar mass (M*), star formation rate (SFR) and specific star formation rate (sSFR) are matched to the high-redshift sample we remove the effects of an evolution in these properties. We also account for the effect of metallicity by jointly constraining the metallicity and ionisation parameter of each sample. We find an evolution in the ionisation parameter for main-sequence, star-forming galaxies and show that this evolution is driven by the evolution of sSFR. By analysing the matched samples as well as a larger sample of z physically consistent with the definition of the ionisation parameter, a measure of the hydrogen ionising photon flux relative to the number density of hydrogen atoms.

Quantum coherence in photo-ionisation with tailored XUV pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Carlström, Stefanos; Mauritsson, Johan; Schafer, Kenneth J.; L'Huillier, Anne; Gisselbrecht, Mathieu

2018-01-01

Ionisation with ultrashort pulses in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) regime can be used to prepare an ion in a superposition of spin-orbit substates. In this work, we study the coherence properties of such a superposition, created by ionising xenon atoms using two phase-locked XUV pulses at different frequencies. In general, if the duration of the driving pulse exceeds the quantum beat period, dephasing will occur. If however, the frequency difference of the two pulses matches the spin-orbit splitting, the coherence can be efficiently increased and dephasing does not occur.

Revised spatially distributed global livestock emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Asrar, G.; Wolf, J.; West, T. O.

2015-12-01

Livestock play an important role in agricultural carbon cycling through consumption of biomass and emissions of methane. Quantification and spatial distribution of methane and carbon dioxide produced by livestock is needed to develop bottom-up estimates for carbon monitoring. These estimates serve as stand-alone international emissions estimates, as input to global emissions modeling, and as comparisons or constraints to flux estimates from atmospheric inversion models. Recent results for the US suggest that the 2006 IPCC default coefficients may underestimate livestock methane emissions. In this project, revised coefficients were calculated for cattle and swine in all global regions, based on reported changes in body mass, quality and quantity of feed, milk production, and management of living animals and manure for these regions. New estimates of livestock methane and carbon dioxide emissions were calculated using the revised coefficients and global livestock population data. Spatial distribution of population data and associated fluxes was conducted using the MODIS Land Cover Type 5, version 5.1 (i.e. MCD12Q1 data product), and a previously published downscaling algorithm for reconciling inventory and satellite-based land cover data at 0.05 degree resolution. Preliminary results for 2013 indicate greater emissions than those calculated using the IPCC 2006 coefficients. Global total enteric fermentation methane increased by 6%, while manure management methane increased by 38%, with variation among species and regions resulting in improved spatial distributions of livestock emissions. These new estimates of total livestock methane are comparable to other recently reported studies for the entire US and the State of California. These new regional/global estimates will improve the ability to reconcile top-down and bottom-up estimates of methane production as well as provide updated global estimates for use in development and evaluation of Earth system models.

A new scheme for solving inhomogeneous Boltzmann equation for electrons in weakly ionised gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmoud, M.O.M.; Yousfi, M.

1995-01-01

In the case of weakly ionized gases, the numerical treatment of non-hydrodynamic regime involving spatial variation of distribution function due to boundaries (walls, electrodes, electron source, etc hor-ellipsis) by using direct Boltzmann equation always constitute a challenge if the main collisional processes occurring in non thermal plasmas are to be considered (elastic, inelastic and super-elastic collisions, Penning ionisation, Coulomb interactions, etc hor-ellipsis). In the non-thermal discharge modelling, the inhomogeneous electron Boltzmann equation is needed in order to be coupled for example to a fluid model to take into account the electron non-hydrodynamic effects. This is for example the case of filamentary discharge, in which the space charge electric field due to streamer propagation has a very sharp spatial profile thus leading to important space non-hydrodynamic effects. It is also the case of the cathodic zone of glow discharge where electric field has a rapid spatial decrease until the negative glow. In the present work, a new numerical scheme is proposed to solve the inhomogeneous Boltzmann equation for electrons in the framework of two-term approximation (TTA) taking into account elastic and inelastic processes. Such a method has the usual drawbacks associated with the TTA i.e. not an accurate enough at high E/N values or in presence of high inelastic processes. But the accuracy of this method is considered sufficient because in a next step it is destinated to be coupled to fluid model for charged particles and a chemical kinetic model where the accuracy is of the same order of magnitude or worse. However there are numerous advantages of this method concerning time computing, treatment of non-linear collision processes (Coulomb, Penning, etc hor-ellipsis)

Dose limits for ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gifford, D.

1989-01-01

Dose limits for exposure to ionising radiation are assessed to see if they give sufficient protection both for the occupationally exposed and for the general public. It is concluded that current limits give a level of safety that satisfies the necessary criteria in the light of present knowledge and further reductions would be unlikely to improve standards of safety. (author)

Mapping the spatial distribution of global anthropogenic mercury atmospheric emission inventories

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Simon J.; Steenhuisen, Frits; Pacyna, Jozef M.; Pacyna, Elisabeth G.

This paper describes the procedures employed to spatially distribute global inventories of anthropogenic emissions of mercury to the atmosphere, prepared by Pacyna, E.G., Pacyna, J.M., Steenhuisen, F., Wilson, S. [2006. Global anthropogenic mercury emission inventory for 2000. Atmospheric Environment, this issue, doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2006.03.041], and briefly discusses the results of this work. A new spatially distributed global emission inventory for the (nominal) year 2000, and a revised version of the 1995 inventory are presented. Emissions estimates for total mercury and major species groups are distributed within latitude/longitude-based grids with a resolution of 1×1 and 0.5×0.5°. A key component in the spatial distribution procedure is the use of population distribution as a surrogate parameter to distribute emissions from sources that cannot be accurately geographically located. In this connection, new gridded population datasets were prepared, based on the CEISIN GPW3 datasets (CIESIN, 2004. Gridded Population of the World (GPW), Version 3. Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University and Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT). GPW3 data are available at http://beta.sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/gpw/index.jsp). The spatially distributed emissions inventories and population datasets prepared in the course of this work are available on the Internet at www.amap.no/Resources/HgEmissions/

Spatial and temporal distribution of onroad CO2 emissions at the Urban spatial scale

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Y.; Gurney, K. R.; Zhou, Y.; Mendoza, D. L.

2011-12-01

The Hestia Project is a multi-disciplinary effort to help better understand the spatial and temporal distribution of fossil fuel carbon dioxide (CO2) emission at urban scale. Onroad transportation is an essential source of CO2 emissions. This study examines two urban domains: Marion County (Indianapolis) and Los Angeles County and explores the methods and results associated with the spatial and temporal distribution of local urban onroad CO2 emissions. We utilize a bottom-up approach and spatially distribute county emissions based on the Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) counts provided by local Department of Transportation. The total amount of CO2 emissions is calculated by the National Mobile Inventory Model (NMIM) for Marion County and the EMission FACtors (EMFAC) model for Los Angeles County. The NMIM model provides CO2 emissions based on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) data at the county-level from the national county database (NCD). The EMFAC model provides CO2 emissions for California State based on vehicle activities, including VMT, vehicle population and fuel types. A GIS road atlas is retrieved from the US Census Bureau. Further spatial analysis and integration are performed by GIS software to distribute onroad CO2 emission according to the traffic volume. The temporal allocation of onroad CO2 emission is based on the hourly traffic data obtained from the Metropolitan Planning Orgnizations (MPO) for Marion County and Department of Transportation for Los Angeles County. The annual CO2 emissions are distributed according to each hourly fraction of traffic counts. Due to the fact that ATR stations are unevenly distributed in space, we create Thiessen polygons such that each road segment is linked to the nearest neighboring ATR station. The hourly profile for each individual station is then combined to create a "climatology" of CO2 emissions in time on each road segment. We find that for Marion County in the year 2002, urban interstate and arterial roads have

Spatial distribution of enzyme activities in the rhizosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Razavi, Bahar S.; Zarebanadkouki, Mohsen; Blagodatskaya, Evgenia; Kuzyakov, Yakov

2015-04-01

The rhizosphere, the tiny zone of soil surrounding roots, certainly represents one of the most dynamic habitat and interfaces on Earth. Activities of enzymes produced by both plant roots and microbes are the primary biological drivers of organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. That is why there is an urgent need in spatially explicit methods for the determination of the rhizosphere extension and enzyme distribution. Recently, zymography as a new technique based on diffusion of enzymes through the 1 mm gel plate for analysis has been introduced (Spohn & Kuzyakov, 2013). We developed the zymography technique to visualize the enzyme activities with a higher spatial resolution. For the first time, we aimed at quantitative imaging of enzyme activities as a function of distance from the root tip and the root surface in the soil. We visualized the two dimensional distribution of the activity of three enzymes: β-glucosidase, phosphatase and leucine amino peptidase in the rhizosphere of maize using fluorogenically labelled substrates. Spatial-resolution of fluorescent images was improved by direct application of a substrate saturated membrane to the soil-root system. The newly-developed direct zymography visualized heterogeneity of enzyme activities along the roots. The activity of all enzymes was the highest at the apical parts of individual roots. Across the roots, the enzyme activities were higher at immediate vicinity of the roots (1.5 mm) and gradually decreased towards the bulk soil. Spatial patterns of enzyme activities as a function of distance from the root surface were enzyme specific, with highest extension for phosphatase. We conclude that improved zymography is promising in situ technique to analyze, visualize and quantify spatial distribution of enzyme activities in the rhizosphere hotspots. References Spohn, M., Kuzyakov, Y., 2013. Phosphorus mineralization can be driven by microbial need for carbon. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 61: 69-75

Introducing Biological Microdosimetry for Ionising Radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, B.R.; Schoellnberger, H.

2000-01-01

Microdosimetry is important for radiation protection, for understanding mechanisms of radiation action, and for radiation risk assessment. This article introduces a generic, Monte Carlo based approach to biological microdosimetry for ionising radiation. Our Monte Carlo analyses are carried out with a widely used Crystal Ball software. The approach to biological microdosimetry presented relates to quantal biological effects data (e.g. cell survival, mutagenesis, neoplastic transformation) for which there is an initial linear segment to the dose-response curve. The macroscopic dose data considered were selected such that is could be presumed that the vast majority of cells at risk have radiation dose delivered to their critical target. For cell killing, neoplastic transformation, and mutagenesis, the critical biological target for radiation is presumed to be DNA. Our approach to biological microdosimetry does not require detailed information about the mass, volume, and shape of the critical biological target. Further, one does not have to know what formal distribution function applies to the microdose distribution. However, formal distributions are required for the biological data used to derive the non-parametric microdose distributions. Here, we use the binomial distribution to characterise the variability in the number of cells affected by a fixed macroscopic dose. Assuming this variability to arise from variability in the microscopic dose to the critical biological target, a non-parametric microdose distribution is generated by the standard Monte Carlo method. The non-parametric distribution is then fitted using a set of formal distributions (beta, exponential, extreme value, gamma, logistic, log-normal, normal, Pareto, triangular, uniform, and Weibull). The best fit is then evaluated based on statistical criteria (chi-square test). To demonstrate the application of biological microdosimetry, the standard Monte Carlo method is used with radiobiological data for

Introducing Biological Microdosimetry for Ionising Radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, B.R.; Schoellnberger, H

2000-07-01

Microdosimetry is important for radiation protection, for understanding mechanisms of radiation action, and for radiation risk assessment. This article introduces a generic, Monte Carlo based approach to biological microdosimetry for ionising radiation. Our Monte Carlo analyses are carried out with a widely used Crystal Ball software. The approach to biological microdosimetry presented relates to quantal biological effects data (e.g. cell survival, mutagenesis, neoplastic transformation) for which there is an initial linear segment to the dose-response curve. The macroscopic dose data considered were selected such that is could be presumed that the vast majority of cells at risk have radiation dose delivered to their critical target. For cell killing, neoplastic transformation, and mutagenesis, the critical biological target for radiation is presumed to be DNA. Our approach to biological microdosimetry does not require detailed information about the mass, volume, and shape of the critical biological target. Further, one does not have to know what formal distribution function applies to the microdose distribution. However, formal distributions are required for the biological data used to derive the non-parametric microdose distributions. Here, we use the binomial distribution to characterise the variability in the number of cells affected by a fixed macroscopic dose. Assuming this variability to arise from variability in the microscopic dose to the critical biological target, a non-parametric microdose distribution is generated by the standard Monte Carlo method. The non-parametric distribution is then fitted using a set of formal distributions (beta, exponential, extreme value, gamma, logistic, log-normal, normal, Pareto, triangular, uniform, and Weibull). The best fit is then evaluated based on statistical criteria (chi-square test). To demonstrate the application of biological microdosimetry, the standard Monte Carlo method is used with radiobiological data for

Characterisation of bacteria by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation and electrospray mass spectrometry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baar, B.L.M. van

2000-01-01

Chemical analysis for the characterisation of micro-organisms is rapidly evolving, after the recent advent of new ionisation methods in mass spectrometry (MS): electrospray (ES) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation (MALDI). These methods allow quick characterisation of micro-organisms,

Temporal and spatial distribution characteristics in the natural plague foci of Chinese Mongolian gerbils based on spatial autocorrelation.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Hai-Wen; Wang, Yong; Zhuang, Da-Fang; Jiang, Xiao-San

2017-08-07

The nest flea index of Meriones unguiculatus is a critical indicator for the prevention and control of plague, which can be used not only to detect the spatial and temporal distributions of Meriones unguiculatus, but also to reveal its cluster rule. This research detected the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of the plague natural foci of Mongolian gerbils by body flea index from 2005 to 2014, in order to predict plague outbreaks. Global spatial autocorrelation was used to describe the entire spatial distribution pattern of the body flea index in the natural plague foci of typical Chinese Mongolian gerbils. Cluster and outlier analysis and hot spot analysis were also used to detect the intensity of clusters based on geographic information system methods. The quantity of M. unguiculatus nest fleas in the sentinel surveillance sites from 2005 to 2014 and host density data of the study area from 2005 to 2010 used in this study were provided by Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The epidemic focus regions of the Mongolian gerbils remain the same as the hot spot regions relating to the body flea index. High clustering areas possess a similar pattern as the distribution pattern of the body flea index indicating that the transmission risk of plague is relatively high. In terms of time series, the area of the epidemic focus gradually increased from 2005 to 2007, declined rapidly in 2008 and 2009, and then decreased slowly and began trending towards stability from 2009 to 2014. For the spatial change, the epidemic focus regions began moving northward from the southwest epidemic focus of the Mongolian gerbils from 2005 to 2007, and then moved from north to south in 2007 and 2008. The body flea index of Chinese gerbil foci reveals significant spatial and temporal aggregation characteristics through the employing of spatial autocorrelation. The diversity of temporary and spatial distribution is mainly affected by seasonal variation, the human

Advisory group on ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, J.R.

1996-01-01

The Advisory Group on Ionising Radiation has a busy and challenging work programme. Its reports will be published in the Documents of the NRPB series. These may advise further research or could form the basis of formal NRPB advice. Covering the full spectrum of radiation issues at work, in public health and clinical medicine, and the environment, it should enhance the radiation advice available to NRPB. (author)

Measurement of the electronic density of ionised media by hyper frequency methods; Mesure de la densite electronique des milieux ionises par des methodes hyperfrequences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Consoli, T [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France).Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1960-07-01

Within the limits of the I.N.S.T.N. courses on plasmas, this analytical study summarizes the articles quoted in the references on hyper-frequency techniques for the measurement of electronic density of an ionised gas. It is neither exhaustive nor complete and further details may be obtained by referring to the works mentioned. The first part, devoted to the theoretical side, concert the propagation of electromagnetic waves ionised media and the excitation of stationary raves in electromagnetic cavities. The second part deals with the measurement techniques themselves. It includes those techniques which hare become classic, and also more recent ones being developed in various laboratories and in the Service of Applied Physics at Saclay. (author) [French] Dans le cadre des cours sur les plasmas a l'l.N.S.T. cette etude d'analyse resume les articles cites en bibliographie sur les techniques hyperfrequences pour la mesure de la densite electronique d'un gas ionise. Elle n'est ni exhaustive, ni complete. Pour plus de details on voudra bien se rapporter aux travaux mentionnes. La premiere partie consacree a des rappels theoriques, concerne la propagation des ondes electromagnetiques dans les milieux ionises et sur l'excitation d'ondes stationnaires dans les cavites electromagnetiques. La seconde se rapporte aux techniques de mesures proprement dites. On a fait figurer dans cette partie des techniques devenues classiques et celles plus recentes en cours d'etudes dans divers laboratoires et au Service de Physique Appliquee a SACLAY. (auteur)

Proceedings. Protection of the natural environment. International symposium on ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amiro, B.; Johansson, Gunnar; Larsson, Carl-Magnus; Luening, M.

1996-01-01

The symposium was organised jointly by the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute and the Atomic Energy Control Board of Canada. The programme was organised around six major topics: Biological effects of ionising radiation; Ecological effects of ionising radiation; Behaviour and transport of radionuclides in the natural environment; Criteria for environmental protection; Assessment methodology; and Social and economic aspects. All 86 contributions (excluding the opening addresses) have been separately indexed

Ionisation of hydrogen-like atoms by a multiphoton absorption process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gontier, Y.; Trahin, M.

1967-01-01

The general expression for the amplitude of the probability of ionisation by a multiphoton absorption process is derived. Its non-relativistic limit is taken and the bipolar approximation is used for calculating the ionisation cross-section of hydrogen-like atoms. This latter involves the summation over intermediate virtual states by means of: a) a recursion relationship concerning angular functions, b) a particular technique which when applied to radial functions makes it possible to solve a system of inhomogeneous first-order differential equations. (authors) [fr

Law on protection against ionising radiation and nuclear safety in Slovenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breznik, B.; Krizman, M.; Skrk, D.; Tavzes, R.

2003-01-01

The existing legislation related to nuclear and radiation safety in Slovenia was introduced in 80's. The necessity for the new law is based on the new radiation safety standards (ICRP 60) and the intention of Slovenia to harmonize the legislation with the European Union. The harmonization means adoption of the basic safety standards and other relevant directives and regulations of Euratom. The nuclear safety section of this law is based on the legally binding international conventions ratified by Slovenia. The general approach is similar to that of some members of Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD). The guidelines of the law were set by the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Nuclear Safety Administration, and Ministry of Health. The expert group of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning and the Ministry of Health together with the representatives of the users of the ionising sources and representatives of the nuclear sector, prepared the draft of the subject law. The emphasis in this paper is given to main topics and solutions related to the control of the occupationally exposed workers, radiation safety, licensing, nuclear and waste safety, and radiation protection of people and patients. (authors)

Spatial distribution of suicide in Queensland, Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tong Shilu

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There has been a lack of investigation into the spatial distribution and clustering of suicide in Australia, where the population density is lower than many countries and varies dramatically among urban, rural and remote areas. This study aims to examine the spatial distribution of suicide at a Local Governmental Area (LGA level and identify the LGAs with a high relative risk of suicide in Queensland, Australia, using geographical information system (GIS techniques. Methods Data on suicide and demographic variables in each LGA between 1999 and 2003 were acquired from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. An age standardised mortality (ASM rate for suicide was calculated at the LGA level. GIS techniques were used to examine the geographical difference of suicide across different areas. Results Far north and north-eastern Queensland (i.e., Cook and Mornington Shires had the highest suicide incidence in both genders, while the south-western areas (i.e., Barcoo and Bauhinia Shires had the lowest incidence in both genders. In different age groups (≤24 years, 25 to 44 years, 45 to 64 years, and ≥65 years, ASM rates of suicide varied with gender at the LGA level. Mornington and six other LGAs with low socioeconomic status in the upper Southeast had significant spatial clusters of high suicide risk. Conclusions There was a notable difference in ASM rates of suicide at the LGA level in Queensland. Some LGAs had significant spatial clusters of high suicide risk. The determinants of the geographical difference of suicide should be addressed in future research.

THE NATURE OF STARBURSTS. III. THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF STAR FORMATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Skillman, Evan D. [Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, 116 Church Street, S.E., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Weisz, Daniel R.; Williams, Benjamin F. [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); Cannon, John M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon Company, 1151 E. Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States); Holtzman, Jon, E-mail: kmcquinn@astro.umn.edu [Department of Astronomy, New Mexico State University, Box 30001-Department 4500, 1320 Frenger Street, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States)

2012-11-01

We map the spatial distribution of recent star formation over a few Multiplication-Sign 100 Myr timescales in 15 starburst dwarf galaxies using the location of young blue helium burning stars identified from optically resolved stellar populations in archival Hubble Space Telescope observations. By comparing the star formation histories from both the high surface brightness central regions and the diffuse outer regions, we measure the degree to which the star formation has been centrally concentrated during the galaxies' starbursts, using three different metrics for the spatial concentration. We find that the galaxies span a full range in spatial concentration, from highly centralized to broadly distributed star formation. Since most starbursts have historically been identified by relatively short timescale star formation tracers (e.g., H{alpha} emission), there could be a strong bias toward classifying only those galaxies with recent, centralized star formation as starbursts, while missing starbursts that are spatially distributed.

LUMINOUS SATELLITES OF EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES. I. SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nierenberg, A. M.; Auger, M. W.; Treu, T.; Marshall, P. J.; Fassnacht, C. D.

2011-01-01

We study the spatial distribution of faint satellites of intermediate redshift (0.1 s = 1.7 +0.9 -0.8 ) that is comparable to the number of Milky Way satellites with similar host-satellite contrast. The average projected radial profile of the satellite distribution is isothermal (γ p = -1.0 +0.3 -0.4 ), which is consistent with the observed central mass density profile of massive early-type galaxies. Furthermore, the satellite distribution is highly anisotropic (isotropy is ruled out at a >99.99% confidence level). Defining φ to be the offset between the major axis of the satellite spatial distribution and the major axis of the host light profile, we find a maximum posterior probability of φ = 0 and |φ| less than 42 0 at the 68% confidence level. The alignment of the satellite distribution with the light of the host is consistent with simulations, assuming that light traces mass for the host galaxy as observed for lens galaxies. The anisotropy of the satellite population enhances its ability to produce the flux ratio anomalies observed in gravitationally lensed quasars.

An Assessment of the Spatial Distribution of Government Secondary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

It reveals that the spatial distribution of Government Owned Secondary Schools in Zaria area is very uneven. The paper argues that uneven distribution of Government Owned Secondary education facilities as well as their inadequacy and inefficiency encourage the proliferation of Private Owned Secondary Schools (POSS) ...

Extra holiday because of ionising radiation not necessary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1978-01-01

The 'regulations for special measures to protect employees working with X-rays and radium radiation' of 21st November 1947, which included a statutory six-week holiday period annually, has now been superceded by 'regulations on special protective measures for work with ionising radiation', issued by the Directorate for Work Inspection on 31st March 1978, effective from 1st May 1978. In addition to removing the requirement for six weeks annual holiday for radiation personnel, routine medical surveillance is only required every third year instead of annually. A number of other changes are mentioned. The basis for these changes is that continuous personnel dosimetry and better knowledge of the effects of ionising radiation allows any necessary measures to be taken on the basis of these. (JIW)

Spatial distribution and landuse planning of informal automobile ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Spatial distribution and landuse planning of informal automobile workshops in Osogbo, ... data pertaining to the activities and other related issues of their workshops. ... The study therefore, recommends the establishment of mechanic complex, ...

Measurement of spatial dose-rate distribution using a position sensitive detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emoto, T.; Torii, T.; Nozaki, T.; Ando, H.

1994-01-01

Recently, the radiation detectors using plastic scintillation fibers (PSF) have been developed to measure the positions exposed to radiation such as neutrons and high energy charged particles. In particular, the time of flight (TOF) method for measuring the difference of time that two directional signals of scintillation light reach both ends of a PSF is a rather simple method for the measurement of the spatial distribution of fast neutron fluence rate. It is possible to use the PSF in nuclear facility working areas because of its flexibility, small diameter and long length. In order to apply TOF method to measure spatial gamma dose rate distribution, the characteristic tests of a detector using PSFs were carried out. First, the resolution of irradiated positions and the counting efficiency were measured with collimated gamma ray. The sensitivity to unit dose rate was also obtained. The measurement of spatial dose rate distribution was also carried out. The sensor is made of ten bundled PSFs, and the experimental setup is described. The experiment and the results are reported. It was found that the PSF detector has the good performance to measure spatial gamma dose rate distribution. (K.I.)

Spatial distribution of dust in galaxies from the Integral field unit data

Science.gov (United States)

Zafar, Tayyaba; Sophie Dubber, Andrew Hopkins

2018-01-01

An important characteristic of the dust is it can be used as a tracer of stars (and gas) and tell us about the composition of galaxies. Sub-mm and infrared studies can accurately determine the total dust mass and its spatial distribution in massive, bright galaxies. However, faint and distant galaxies are hampered by resolution to dust spatial dust distribution. In the era of integral-field spectrographs (IFS), Balmer decrement is a useful quantity to infer the spatial extent of the dust in distant and low-mass galaxies. We conducted a study to estimate the spatial distribution of dust using the Sydney-Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO) Multi-object Integral field spectrograph (SAMI) galaxies. Our methodology is unique to exploit the potential of IFS and using the spatial and spectral information together to study dust in galaxies of various morphological types. The spatial extent and content of dust are compared with the star-formation rate, reddening, and inclination of galaxies. We find a right correlation of dust spatial extent with the star-formation rate. The results also indicate a decrease in dust extent radius from Late Spirals to Early Spirals.

The spatial distribution of pollutants in pipe-scale of large-diameter pipelines in a drinking water distribution system.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jingqing; Chen, Huanyu; Yao, Lingdan; Wei, Zongyuan; Lou, Liping; Shan, Yonggui; Endalkachew, Sahle-Demessie; Mallikarjuna, Nadagouda; Hu, Baolan; Zhou, Xiaoyan

2016-11-05

In large-diameter drinking water pipelines, spatial differences in hydraulic and physiochemical conditions may also result in spatial variations in pipe corrosion, biofilm growth and pollutant accumulation. In this article, the spatial distributions of various metals and organic contaminants in two 19-year-old grey cast iron pipes which had an internal diameter of 600mm (DN600), were investigated and analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Energy Dispersive Spectrometer, X-ray Diffraction, etc. The spatial distribution of heavy metals varied significantly across the pipe section, and iron, manganese, lead, copper, and chromium were highest in concentration in the upper portion pipe-scales. However, the highest aluminum and zinc content was detected in the lower portion pipe-scales. Apart from some common types of hydrocarbons formed by microbial metabolites, there were also some microalgae metabolites and exogenous contaminants accumulated in pipe-scale, which also exhibited high diversity between different spatial locations. The spatial distributions of the physical and chemical properties of pipe-scale and contaminants were quite different in large-diameter pipes. The finding put forward higher requirements on the research method about drinking water distribution system chemical safety. And the scientific community need understand trend and dynamics of drinking water pipe systems better. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The solar ionisation rate deduced from Ulysses measurements and its implications to interplanetary Lyman alpha-intensity

Science.gov (United States)

Summanen, T.; Kyroelae, E.

1995-01-01

We have developed a computer code which can be used to study 3-dimensional and time-dependent effects of the solar cycle on the interplanetary (IP) hydrogen distribution. The code is based on the inverted Monte Carlo simulation. In this work we have modelled the temporal behaviour of the solar ionisation rate. We have assumed that during the most of the time of the solar cycle there is an anisotopic latitudinal structure but right at the solar maximum the anisotropy disappears. The effects of this behaviour will be discussed both in regard to the IP hydrogen distribution and IP Lyman a a-intensity.

An Innovative Metric to Evaluate Satellite Precipitation's Spatial Distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, H.; Chu, W.; Gao, X.; Sorooshian, S.

2011-12-01

Thanks to its capability to cover the mountains, where ground measurement instruments cannot reach, satellites provide a good means of estimating precipitation over mountainous regions. In regions with complex terrains, accurate information on high-resolution spatial distribution of precipitation is critical for many important issues, such as flood/landslide warning, reservoir operation, water system planning, etc. Therefore, in order to be useful in many practical applications, satellite precipitation products should possess high quality in characterizing spatial distribution. However, most existing validation metrics, which are based on point/grid comparison using simple statistics, cannot effectively measure satellite's skill of capturing the spatial patterns of precipitation fields. This deficiency results from the fact that point/grid-wised comparison does not take into account of the spatial coherence of precipitation fields. Furth more, another weakness of many metrics is that they can barely provide information on why satellite products perform well or poor. Motivated by our recent findings of the consistent spatial patterns of the precipitation field over the western U.S., we developed a new metric utilizing EOF analysis and Shannon entropy. The metric can be derived through two steps: 1) capture the dominant spatial patterns of precipitation fields from both satellite products and reference data through EOF analysis, and 2) compute the similarities between the corresponding dominant patterns using mutual information measurement defined with Shannon entropy. Instead of individual point/grid, the new metric treat the entire precipitation field simultaneously, naturally taking advantage of spatial dependence. Since the dominant spatial patterns are shaped by physical processes, the new metric can shed light on why satellite product can or cannot capture the spatial patterns. For demonstration, a experiment was carried out to evaluate a satellite

Fine-scale spatial distribution of plants and resources on a sandy soil in the Sahel

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rietkerk, M.G.; Ouedraogo, T.; Kumar, L.; Sanou, S.; Langevelde, F. van; Kiema, A.; Koppel, J. van de; Andel, J. van; Hearne, J.; Skidmore, A.K.; Ridder, N. de; Stroosnijder, L.; Prins, H.H.T.

2002-01-01

We studied fine-scale spatial plant distribution in relation to the spatial distribution of erodible soil particles, organic matter, nutrients and soil water on a sandy to sandy loam soil in the Sahel. We hypothesized that the distribution of annual plants would be highly spatially autocorrelated

Food preservation by ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade, M. E.

1996-01-01

The process of food preservation by ionising radiation is an alternative, or a complement, to the traditional methods of heating, refrigerating, freezing or using chemical additives. The study and development of this technique has started on the beginning of the fifties but it is based on the radiation killing effect on micro-organisms discovered by the end of last century. Foodstuffs are treated in appropriate plants: isotopic facilities (gamma radiation) and accelerated electron beams produced by machines called accelerators. The FAO and WHO in close cooperation with the IAEA have played an important role on the development of the process and on the increment of the industrial application of food irradiation. Over the world there are about 37 countries trading foods treated by ionising radiation. However, governments have been slow to clear the utilization of this process. The main reason of this attitude is in general due to the fact that the advantages of the technique are not clearly understood. Therefore, the dissemination of the information could on one hand clarify who has to take decisions and on the other hand support the choice of those foods by the consumers. This is the unique way to dynamize the application of this process

Spatial distribution of calcium-gated chloride channels in olfactory cilia.

Science.gov (United States)

French, Donald A; Badamdorj, Dorjsuren; Kleene, Steven J

2010-12-30

In vertebrate olfactory receptor neurons, sensory cilia transduce odor stimuli into changes in neuronal membrane potential. The voltage changes are primarily caused by the sequential openings of two types of channel: a cyclic-nucleotide-gated (CNG) cationic channel and a calcium-gated chloride channel. In frog, the cilia are 25 to 200 µm in length, so the spatial distributions of the channels may be an important determinant of odor sensitivity. To determine the spatial distribution of the chloride channels, we recorded from single cilia as calcium was allowed to diffuse down the length of the cilium and activate the channels. A computational model of this experiment allowed an estimate of the spatial distribution of the chloride channels. On average, the channels were concentrated in a narrow band centered at a distance of 29% of the ciliary length, measured from the base of the cilium. This matches the location of the CNG channels determined previously. This non-uniform distribution of transduction proteins is consistent with similar findings in other cilia. On average, the two types of olfactory transduction channel are concentrated in the same region of the cilium. This may contribute to the efficient detection of weak stimuli.

How do air ions reflect variations in ionising radiation in the lower atmosphere in a boreal forest?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Chen

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Most of the ion production in the atmosphere is attributed to ionising radiation. In the lower atmosphere, ionising radiation consists mainly of the decay emissions of radon and its progeny, gamma radiation of the terrestrial origin as well as photons and elementary particles of cosmic radiation. These types of radiation produce ion pairs via the ionisation of nitrogen and oxygen as well as trace species in the atmosphere, the rate of which is defined as the ionising capacity. Larger air ions are produced out of the initial charge carriers by processes such as clustering or attachment to pre-existing aerosol particles. This study aimed (1 to identify the key factors responsible for the variability in ionising radiation and in the observed air ion concentrations, (2 to reveal the linkage between them and (3 to provide an in-depth analysis into the effects of ionising radiation on air ion formation, based on measurement data collected during 2003–2006 from a boreal forest site in southern Finland. In general, gamma radiation dominated the ion production in the lower atmosphere. Variations in the ionising capacity came from mixing layer dynamics, soil type and moisture content, meteorological conditions, long-distance transportation, snow cover attenuation and precipitation. Slightly similar diurnal patterns to variations in the ionising capacity were observed in air ion concentrations of the cluster size (0.8–1.7 nm in mobility diameters. However, features observed in the 0.8–1 nm ion concentration were in good connection to variations of the ionising capacity. Further, by carefully constraining perturbing variables, a strong dependency of the cluster ion concentration on the ionising capacity was identified, proving the functionality of ionising radiation in air ion production in the lower atmosphere. This relationship, however, was only clearly observed on new particle formation (NPF days, possibly indicating that charges after

Spatial distribution of soluble insulin in pig subcutaneous tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Maria; Rasmussen, Christian Hove; Refsgaard, Hanne H F

2015-01-01

in the tomographic reconstructions and the amount of drug in each tissue class was quantified. With a scan time of about 45min per sample, and a robust segmentation it was possible to analyze differences in the spatial drug distribution between several similar injections. It was studied how the drug distribution...

Recent trends in utilising ionising radiations for nondestructive evaluation of materials (Preprint No. SP-3)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raj, Baldev; Venkatraman, B.

1988-02-01

The various NDT techniques based on the use of ionising radiations can be broadly classified into radiography, radiation gaging techniques and analytical techniques. This paper highlights the state of art of these techniques along with their applications. While an effort has been made to cover the major techniques based on ionising radiations, many techniques utilising ionising radiations as xeroradiography, laminography, ionography etc, have not been dealt with due to their restricted applications. (author). 23 refs., 4 figs

The potential use of ionising energy treatment in Queensland's horticultural industries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heather, N.W.; Sheehy, P.T.; Muirhead, I.F.; Brown, B.I.; Hassall, R.N.

1985-01-01

The potential application of ionising energy treatment technology in Queensland falls into three categories: insect disinfestation, disease control and quality improvement. The technology fulfils the requirements of a disinfestation treatment against Queensland fruit fly and other pests of quarantine importance in respect to efficacy, absence of phytotoxicity, absence of residues and, on technical considerations would be an ideal replacement for the fumigant EDB. The report examines the purposes of ionising energy treatment, economic and marketing aspects and research needs

Precise Mapping Of A Spatially Distributed Radioactive Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beck, A.; Caras, I.; Piestum, S.; Sheli, E.; Melamud, Y.; Berant, S.; Kadmon, Y.; Tirosh, D.

1999-01-01

Spatial distribution measurement of radioactive sources is a routine task in the nuclear industry. The precision of each measurement depends upon the specific application. However, the technological edge of this precision is motivated by the production of standards for calibration. Within this definition, the most demanding field is the calibration of standards for medical equipment. In this paper, a semi-empirical method for controlling the measurement precision is demonstrated, using a relatively simple laboratory apparatus. The spatial distribution of the source radioactivity is measured as part of the quality assurance tests, during the production of flood sources. These sources are further used in calibration of medical gamma cameras. A typical flood source is a 40 x 60 cm 2 plate with an activity of 10 mCi (or more) of 57 Co isotope. The measurement set-up is based on a single NaI(Tl) scintillator with a photomultiplier tube, moving on an X Y table which scans the flood source. In this application the source is required to have a uniform activity distribution over its surface

Ionising radiation risk disclosure: When should radiographers assume a duty to inform?

Science.gov (United States)

Younger, C W E; Douglas, C; Warren-Forward, H

2018-05-01

Autonomy is a fundamental patient right for ethical practice, and informed consent is the mechanism by which health care professionals ensure this right has been respected. The ethical notion of informed consent has evolved alongside legal developments. Under Australian law, a provider who fails to disclose risk may be found to be in breach of a duty of disclosure, potentially facing legal consequences if the patient experiences harm that is attributable to an undisclosed risk. These consequences may include the common law tort of negligence. Ionising radiation, in the form of a medical imaging examination, has the potential to cause harm. However, stochastic effects cannot be attributable to a specific ionising radiation event. What then is the role of the Australian medical imaging service provider in disclosing ionising radiation risk? The ethical and legal principles of informed consent, and the duty of information provision to the patient are investigated. These general principles are then applied to the specific and unusual case of ionising radiation, and what responsibilities apply to the medical imaging provider. Finally, the legal, professional and ethical duties of the radiographer to disclose information to their patients are investigated. Australian law is unclear as to whether a radiographer has a common law responsibility to disclose radiation risk. There is ambiguity as to whether stochastic ionising radiation risk could be considered a legal disclosure responsibility. While it is unlikely that not disclosing risk will have medicolegal consequences, doing so represents sound ethical practice. Copyright © 2017 The College of Radiographers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial distribution and longitudinal development of deep cortical sulcal landmarks in infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Yu; Li, Gang; Lin, Weili; Gilmore, John H; Shen, Dinggang

2014-10-15

Sulcal pits, the locally deepest points in sulci of the highly convoluted and variable cerebral cortex, are found to be spatially consistent across human adult individuals. It is suggested that sulcal pits are genetically controlled and have close relationships with functional areas. To date, the existing imaging studies of sulcal pits are mainly focused on adult brains, yet little is known about the spatial distribution and temporal development of sulcal pits in the first 2 years of life, which is the most dynamic and critical period of postnatal brain development. Studying sulcal pits during this period would greatly enrich our limited understandings of the origins and developmental trajectories of sulcal pits, and would also provide important insights into many neurodevelopmental disorders associated with abnormal cortical foldings. In this paper, by using surface-based morphometry, for the first time, we systemically investigated the spatial distribution and temporal development of sulcal pits in major cortical sulci from 73 healthy infants, each with three longitudinal 3T MR scans at term birth, 1 year, and 2 years of age. Our results suggest that the spatially consistent distributions of sulcal pits in major sulci across individuals have already existed at term birth and this spatial distribution pattern keeps relatively stable in the first 2 years of life, despite that the cerebral cortex expands dramatically and the sulcal depth increases considerably during this period. Specially, the depth of sulcal pits increases regionally heterogeneously, with more rapid growth in the high-order association cortex, including the prefrontal and temporal cortices, than the sensorimotor cortex in the first 2 years of life. Meanwhile, our results also suggest that there exist hemispheric asymmetries of the spatial distributions of sulcal pits in several cortical regions, such as the central, superior temporal and postcentral sulci, consistently from birth to 2 years of age

The size and spatial distribution of microchannel plate output electron clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lapington, J.S.; Edgar, M.L.

1989-01-01

An experimental technique for measuring the spatial distribution of the output charge cloud from a microchannel plate (MCP), using a planar, charge-division-type anode is discussed. The anode simultaneously measures, for each charge cloud, both the position of the charge centroid and the fractional charge falling to one side of the split in the pattern. The measurements from several thousand events have been combined to calculate the average spatial distribution of the electron cloud and the dominant factors influencing the charge cloud distribution have been found to be the MCP gain and the MCP-anode accelerating field and geometry. Experimental research on the two dominant factors with respect to ranges of distribution is presented. 10 refs

Ionising radiation safety training in the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenks, G.J.; O'Donovan, E.J.B.; Wood, W.B.

1998-01-01

Training personnel in ionising radiation safety within the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) requires addressing some unique features of an organisation employing both military and civilian personnel. Activities may include those of a civil nature (such as industrial and medical radiography), specific military requirements (for training and emergency response) and scientific research and development. Some personnel may be assigned to full-time duties associated with radiation. However, most are designated as radiation protection officers as a secondary duty. A further complication is that most military personnel are subjected to postings at regular intervals. The ADO's Directorate of Defence Occupational Health and Safety has established an Ionising Radiation Safety Subcommittee to monitor not only the adequacy of the internal Ionising Radiation Safety Manual but also the training requirements. A Training Course, responding to these requirements, has been developed to emphasize, basic radiation theory and protection, operation of radiation monitors available in the ADO, an understanding of the Ionising Radiation Safety Manual, day-to-day radiation safety in units and establishments, and appropriate responses to radiation accidents and emergencies. In addition, students are briefed on a limited number of peripheral topics and participate in some site visits. Currently, two Courses are held annually, each with about twenty students. Most of the material is presented by ADO personnel with external contractor support. The three Courses held to date have proved successful, both for the students and the ADO generally. To seek national accreditation of the course through the Australian National Training Authority, as a first step, competency standards have been proposed. (authors)

Spatial distribution of cold antihydrogen formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madsen, N.; Hangst, J.S.; Amoretti, M.; Carraro, C.; Macri, M.; Testera, G.; Variola, A.; Amsler, C.; Pruys, H.; Regenfus, C.; Bonomi, G.; Doser, M.; Kellerbauer, A.; Landua, R.; Bowe, P.D.; Charlton, M.; Joergensen, L.V.; Mitchard, D.; Werf, D.P. van der; Cesar, C.L.

2005-01-01

Antihydrogen is formed when antiprotons are mixed with cold positrons in a nested Penning trap. We present experimental evidence, obtained using our antihydrogen annihilation detector, that the spatial distribution of the emerging antihydrogen atoms is independent of the positron temperature and axially enhanced. This indicates that antihydrogen is formed before the antiprotons are in thermal equilibrium with the positron plasma. This result has important implications for the trapping and spectroscopy of antihydrogen

Spatial Distribution of Infection Risk of SARS Transmission in a Hospital Ward

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qian, Hua; Li, Yuguo; Nielsen, Peter V.

2009-01-01

The classical Wells-Riley model for predicting risk of airborne transmission of diseases assumes a uniform spatial distribution of the infected cases in an enclosed space. A new mathematical model is developed here for predicting the spatial distribution of infection risk of airborne transmitted ......, such as inpatients in a hospital ward, passengers in an airplane etc....

Occupational radiation injuries from ionising rays recorded in the Federal Republic of Germany during the period between 1953 and 1979

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soffke, R.

1986-01-01

An evaluation of 218 occupational diseases, which were reported between 1953 and 1979 and officially recognised as being caused by ionising rays, showed these to be made up chiefly by skin disorders (61%, equally distributed over acute and chronic forms), even though considerable percentage shares were also calculated for haematological ailments (15%) and bronchial carcinomas developed by uranium miners. There was a total of 42 deaths, 32 of which were ascribed to uranium mining and 10 to haematological diseases. In all, the annual rate of occupational diseases attributed to ionising rays shows a tendency to decline, even though the number of individuals exposed to radiation is increasing. The incidence of radiation injuries was calculated to be in the order of 0.01% for persons at risk of occupational radiation exposure. (orig./EDB) [de

Health protection of persons occupationally exposed to ionising radiation in Croatia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zavalic, M.

2005-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the health condition of workers occupationally exposed to ionising radiation. The results for 1406 workers exposed to ionising radiations, who were regularly examined in 2004, were analysed using Statistica 5.0. The analysis included workers' case histories, frequency of illnesses and causes of temporary or permanent work disability. Of 1406 workers, 16 (1.13%) were found permanently disabled; in 11 the cause of disability was lens opacity, in 2 persistent trombocitophenia, and in 2 malignant tumour. Twenty-four workers were temporarily disabled, of whom 5 due to pregnancy. Thrombocytopenia was found in 12 men and only one woman. Anaemia was found in 4 women; dicentric chromosomes were the cause of temporary disability in one person, and tuberculosis in one person. Medical examinations of Croatian workers confirm low occupational exposure to ionising radiation. With this type of radiation, the established lens impairments could not be characterised as occupational. The two malignant tumours however were recognised as occupational diseases.(author)

Complex systems of biological interest stability under ionising radiations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maclot, Sylvain

2014-01-01

This PhD work presents the study of stability of molecular systems of biological interest in the gas phase after interaction with ionising radiations. The use of ionising radiation can probe the physical chemistry of complex systems at the molecular scale and thus consider their intrinsic properties. Beyond the fundamental aspect, this work is part of the overall understanding of radiation effects on living organisms and in particular the use of ionizing radiation in radiotherapy. Specifically, this study focused on the use of low-energy multiply charged ions (tens of keV) provided by the GANIL (Caen), which includes most of the experiments presented. In addition, experiments using VUV photons were also conducted at synchrotron ELETTRA (Trieste, Italy). The bio-molecular systems studied are amino acids and nucleic acid constituents. Using an experimental crossed beams device allows interaction between biomolecules and ionising radiation leads mainly to the ionization and fragmentation of the system. The study of its relaxation dynamics is by time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled to a coincidences measurements method. It is shown that an approach combining experiment and theory allows a detailed study of the fragmentation dynamics of complex systems. The results indicate that fragmentation is generally governed by the Coulomb repulsion but the intramolecular rearrangements involve specific relaxation mechanisms. (author) [fr

Erich Regener and the ionisation maximum of the atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, P.; Watson, A. A.

2014-12-01

In the 1930s the German physicist Erich Regener (1881-1955) did important work on the measurement of the rate of production of ionisation deep under water and in the atmosphere. Along with one of his students, Georg Pfotzer, he discovered the altitude at which the production of ionisation in the atmosphere reaches a maximum, often, but misleadingly, called the Pfotzer maximum. Regener was one of the first to estimate the energy density of cosmic rays, an estimate that was used by Baade and Zwicky to bolster their postulate that supernovae might be their source. Yet Regener's name is less recognised by present-day cosmic ray physicists than it should be, largely because in 1937 he was forced to take early retirement by the National Socialists as his wife had Jewish ancestors. In this paper we briefly review his work on cosmic rays and recommend an alternative naming of the ionisation maximum. The influence that Regener had on the field through his son, his son-in-law, his grandsons and his students, and through his links with Rutherford's group in Cambridge, is discussed in an appendix. Regener was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics by Schrödinger in 1938. He died in 1955 at the age of 73.

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation: ethical issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oughton, Deborah

2003-01-01

The paper identifies some of the main ethical issues concerning the protection of the environment from radiation and suggests ways in which ethics can aid in developing a system of protection. After a presentation of background on ethical theory and environmental ethics, three main issues related to environmental protection are discussed: First, the question of valuing the environment and implications for the definition of harm and monetary valuation of environmental goods; second, difficulties with scientific uncertainty and applications of the precautionary principle; and third, issues concerned with the distribution of risk and its relevance fo participation in decision-making. In summary, the paper argues that there are strong ethical grounds to provide for the protection of the environment and that, all other things being equal, there is no reason to treat ionising radiation differently to other environmental stressors

Protection of the environment from ionising radiation: ethical issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Oughton, Deborah

2003-01-01

The paper identifies some of the main ethical issues concerning the protection of the environment from radiation and suggests ways in which ethics can aid in developing a system of protection. After a presentation of background on ethical theory and environmental ethics, three main issues related to environmental protection are discussed: First, the question of valuing the environment and implications for the definition of harm and monetary valuation of environmental goods; second, difficulties with scientific uncertainty and applications of the precautionary principle; and third, issues concerned with the distribution of risk and its relevance for participation in decision-making. In summary, the paper argues that there are strong ethical grounds to provide for the protection of the environment and that, all other things being equal, there is no reason to treat ionising radiation differently to other environmental stressors. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Sediment spatial distribution evaluated by three methods and its relation to some soil properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bacchi, O O.S. . [Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura-CENA/USP, Laboratorio de Fisica do Solo, Piracicaba, SP (Brazil); Reichardt, K [Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura-CENA/USP, Laboratorio de Fisica do Solo, Piracicaba, SP (Brazil); Departamento de Ciencias Exatas, Escola Superior de Agricultura ' Luiz de Queiroz' ESALQ/USP, Piracicaba, SP (Brazil); Sparovek, G [Departamento de Solos e Nutricao de Plantas, Escola Superior de Agricultura ' Luiz de Queiroz' ESALQ/USP, Piracicaba, SP (Brazil)

2003-02-15

An investigation of rates and spatial distribution of sediments on an agricultural field cultivated with sugarcane was undertaken using the {sup 137}Cs technique, USLE and WEPP models. The study was carried out on the Ceveiro watershed of the Piracicaba river basin, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, experiencing severe soil degradation due to soil erosion. The objectives of the study were to compare the spatial distribution of sediments evaluated by the three methods and its relation to some soil properties. Erosion and sedimentation rates and their spatial distribution estimated by the three methods were completely different. Although not able to show sediment deposition, the spatial distribution of erosion rates evaluated by USLE presented the best correlation with other studied soil properties. (author)

Effect of gel texture and sucrose spatial distribution on sweetness perception

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mosca, A.C.; Velde, van de F.; Bult, J.H.F.; Boekel, van M.A.J.S.; Stieger, M.A.

2012-01-01

Layered gels differing in mechanical and breakdown properties (soft, medium and hard gels) and in the distribution of sucrose in the matrix (homogeneous and inhomogeneous distributions) were used to investigate the effects of texture and spatial distribution of sucrose on sweetness perception.

Inferring the flood frequency distribution for an ungauged basin using a spatially distributed rainfall-runoff model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Moretti

2008-08-01

Full Text Available The estimation of the peak river flow for ungauged river sections is a topical issue in applied hydrology. Spatially distributed rainfall-runoff models can be a useful tool to this end, since they are potentially able to simulate the river flow at any location of the watershed drainage network. However, it is not fully clear to what extent these models can provide reliable simulations over a wide range of spatial scales. This issue is investigated here by applying a spatially distributed, continuous simulation rainfall-runoff model to infer the flood frequency distribution of the Riarbero River. This is an ungauged mountain creek located in northern Italy, whose drainage area is 17 km². The hydrological model is first calibrated by using a 1-year record of hourly meteorological data and river flows observed at the outlet of the 1294 km² wide Secchia River basin, of which the Riarbero is a tributary. The model is then validated by performing a 100-year long simulation of synthetic river flow data, which allowed us to compare the simulated and observed flood frequency distributions at the Secchia River outlet and the internal cross river section of Cavola Bridge, where the basin area is 337 km². Finally, another simulation of hourly river flows was performed by referring to the outlet of the Riarbero River, therefore allowing us to estimate the related flood frequency distribution. The results were validated by using estimates of peak river flow obtained by applying hydrological similarity principles and a regional method. The results show that the flood flow estimated through the application of the distributed model is consistent with the estimate provided by the regional procedure as well as the behaviors of the river banks. Conversely, the method based on hydrological similarity delivers an estimate that seems to be not as reliable. The analysis highlights interesting perspectives for the application of

Pattern and spatial distribution of plague in Lushoto, north-eastern ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A review of plague records from 1986 to 2002 and household interviews were carried out in the plague endemic villages to establish a pattern and spatial distribution of the disease in Lushoto district, Tanzania. Spatial data of households and village centres were collected and mapped using a hand held Global Positioning ...

Non-homogeneous Behaviour of the Spatial Distribution of Macrospicules

Science.gov (United States)

Gyenge, N.; Bennett, S.; Erdélyi, R.

2015-03-01

In this paper the longitudinal and latitudinal spatial distribution of macrospicules is examined. We found a statistical relationship between the active longitude (determined by sunspot groups) and the longitudinal distribution of macrospicules. This distribution of macrospicules shows an inhomogeneity and non-axisymmetrical behaviour in the time interval between June 2010 and December 2012, covered by observations of the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) satellite. The enhanced positions of the activity and its time variation have been calculated. The migration of the longitudinal distribution of macrospicules shows a similar behaviour to that of the sunspot groups.

The experimental method of measurement for spatial distribution of full aperture backscatter light by circular PIN-array

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Xuefeng; Wang Chuanke; Hu Feng; Kuang Longyu; Wang Zhebin; Li Sanwei; Liu Shengye; Jiang Gang

2011-01-01

The spatial distribution of backscatter light is very important for understanding the production of backscatter light. The experimental method of spatial distribution of full aperture backscatter light is based on the circular PIN array composed of concentric orbicular multi-PIN detectors. The image of backscatter light spatial distribution of full aperture SBS is obtained by measuring spatial distribution of full aperture backscatter light using the method in the experiment of laser hohlraum targets interaction at 'Shenguang II'. A preliminary method to measure spatial distribution of full aperture backscatter light is established. (authors)

The ENEA calibration service for ionising radiations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monteventi, F.; Sermenghi, I.

1999-01-01

The report describes all the facilities available at the the service of the ENEA Calibration Service for Ionising Radiations at Bologna (Italy). It gives a detailed description of all equipments qualified for photon fields metrology including the secondary standards and the calibration procedures performed for radiation monitoring devices and dosemeters [it

Prediction of spatial distribution for some land use allometric ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prediction of spatial distribution for some land use allometric characteristics in land use planning models with geostatistic and Geographical Information System (GIS) (Case study: Boein and Miandasht, Isfahan Province, Iran)

Use of voltammetry for in vitro equilibrium and transport studies of ionisable drugs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matej Velicky

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In this review, we will briefly outline the voltammetric investigations of the transfer of ionisable drugs at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions. The voltammetric techniques enable the determination of some key in vitro properties of ionisable drugs, including partition coefficient, diffusion coefficient and membrane permeability. Some successful applications will be highlighted, together with the background methodologies.

Spatial oxygen distribution and nitrous oxide emissions from soil after manure application

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhu, Kun; Bruun, Sander; Larsen, Morten

2014-01-01

The availability and spatial distribution of oxygen (O2) in agricultural soil are controlling factors in the production and emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) to the atmosphere, but most experiments investigating the effects of various factors on N2O emissions in soil have been conducted without...... to interpret data on N2O emissions following a uniform or layered amendment of manure to agricultural soil. The spatial distribution of O2 and gas emission rates were monitored for 12 h. An anoxic layer formed rapidly around the layered manure, whereas the uniformly distributed manure led to a more widespread...... anoxia. Nitrous oxide emissions increased immediately after depletion of O2 in the manure-amended treatments. Greater understanding and improved knowledge of the spatial distribution of O2 is clearly beneficial and can be used to devise improved application strategies for mitigating N2O emissions from...

Benefits of incorporating spatial organisation of catchments for a semi-distributed hydrological model

Science.gov (United States)

Schumann, Andreas; Oppel, Henning

2017-04-01

To represent the hydrological behaviour of catchments a model should reproduce/reflect the hydrologically most relevant catchment characteristics. These are heterogeneously distributed within a watershed but often interrelated and subject of a certain spatial organisation. Since common models are mostly based on fundamental assumptions about hydrological processes, the reduction of variance of catchment properties as well as the incorporation of the spatial organisation of the catchment is desirable. We have developed a method that combines the idea of the width-function used for determination of the geomorphologic unit hydrograph with information about soil or topography. With this method we are able to assess the spatial organisation of selected catchment characteristics. An algorithm was developed that structures a watershed into sub-basins and other spatial units to minimise its heterogeneity. The outcomes of this algorithm are used for the spatial setup of a semi-distributed model. Since the spatial organisation of a catchment is not bound to a single characteristic, we have to embed information of multiple catchment properties. For this purpose we applied a fuzzy-based method to combine the spatial setup for multiple single characteristics into a union, optimal spatial differentiation. Utilizing this method, we are able to propose a spatial structure for a semi-distributed hydrological model, comprising the definition of sub-basins and a zonal classification within each sub-basin. Besides the improved spatial structuring, the performed analysis ameliorates modelling in another way. The spatial variability of catchment characteristics, which is considered by a minimum of heterogeneity in the zones, can be considered in a parameter constrained calibration scheme in a case study both options were used to explore the benefits of incorporating the spatial organisation and derived parameter constraints for the parametrisation of a HBV-96 model. We use two benchmark

Relations between Spatial Distribution, Social Affiliations and Dominance Hierarchy in a Semi-Free Mandrill Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Naud, Alexandre; Chailleux, Eloise; Kestens, Yan; Bret, Céline; Desjardins, Dominic; Petit, Odile; Ngoubangoye, Barthélémy; Sueur, Cédric

2016-01-01

Although there exist advantages to group-living in comparison to a solitary lifestyle, costs and gains of group-living may be unequally distributed among group members. Predation risk, vigilance levels and food intake may be unevenly distributed across group spatial geometry and certain within-group spatial positions may be more or less advantageous depending on the spatial distribution of these factors. In species characterized with dominance hierarchy, high-ranking individuals are commonly observed in advantageous spatial position. However, in complex social systems, individuals can develop affiliative relationships that may balance the effect of dominance relationships in individual's spatial distribution. The objective of the present study is to investigate how the group spatial distribution of a semi-free ranging colony of Mandrills relates to its social organization. Using spatial observations in an area surrounding the feeding zone, we tested the three following hypothesis: (1) does dominance hierarchy explain being observed in proximity or far from a food patch? (2) Do affiliative associations also explain being observed in proximity or far from a food patch? (3) Do the differences in rank in the group hierarchy explain being co-observed in proximity of a food patch? Our results showed that high-ranking individuals were more observed in proximity of the feeding zone while low-ranking individuals were more observed at the boundaries of the observation area. Furthermore, we observed that affiliative relationships were also associated with individual spatial distributions and explain more of the total variance of the spatial distribution in comparison with dominance hierarchy. Finally, we found that individuals observed at a same moment in proximity of the feeding zone were more likely to be distant in the hierarchy while controlling for maternal kinship, age and sex similarity. This study brings some elements about how affiliative networks and dominance

Relations Between Spatial Distribution, Social Affiliations And Dominance Hierarchy In A Semi-Free Mandrill Population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre eNaud

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Although there exist advantages to group-living in comparison to a solitary lifestyle, costs and gains of group-living may be unequally distributed among group members. Predation risk, vigilance levels and food intake may be unevenly distributed across group spatial geometry and certain within-group spatial positions may be more or less advantageous depending on the spatial distribution of these factors. In species characterized with dominance hierarchy, high-ranking individuals are commonly observed in advantageous spatial position. However, in complex social systems, individuals can develop affiliative relationships that may balance the effect of dominance relationships in individual’s spatial distribution. The objective of the present study is to investigate how the group spatial distribution of a semi-free ranging colony of Mandrills relates to its social organization. Using spatial observations in an area surrounding the feeding zone, we tested the three following hypothesis: (1 does dominance hierarchy explain being observed in proximity or far from a food patch? (2 Do affiliative associations also explain being observed in proximity or far from a food patch? (3 Do the differences in rank in the group hierarchy explain being co-observed in proximity of a food patch? Our results showed that high-ranking individuals were more observed in proximity of the feeding zone while low-ranking individuals were more observed at the boundaries of the observation area. Furthermore, we observed that affiliative relationships were also associated with individual spatial distributions and explain more of the total variance of the spatial distribution in comparison with dominance hierarchy. Finally, we found that individuals observed at a same moment in proximity of the feeding zone were more likely to be distant in the hierarchy while controlling for maternal kinship, age and sex similarity. This study brings some elements about how affiliative networks

Stellar bars and the spatial distribution of infrared luminosity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devereux, N.

1987-01-01

Ground-based 10 micron observations of the central region of over 100 infrared luminous galaxies are presented. A first order estimate of the spatial distribution of infrared emission in galaxies is obtained through a combination of ground-based and Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) data. The galaxies are nearby and primarily noninteracting, permitting an unbiased investigation of correlations with Hubble type. Approximately 40% of the early-type barred galaxies in this sample are associated with enhanced luminosity in the central (approximately 1 kpc diameter) region. The underlying luminosity source is attributed to both Seyfert and star formation activity. Late-type spirals are different in that the spatial distribution of infrared emission and the infrared luminoisty are not strongly dependent on barred morphology

Cost considerations for an ionising energy treatment facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Culpitt, R.A.

1985-01-01

Variables influencing the cost of food irradiation can be included under three broad headings: the physical characteristics of products to be treated; the operational characteristics of the plant to be used; costs of establishment and operation of an ionising energy treatment

Spatial distribution of ozone over Indonesia (Study case: Forest fire event 2015)

Science.gov (United States)

Muslimah, Sri; Buce Saleh, Muhamad; Hidayat, Rahmat

2018-05-01

Tropospheric ozone is known as surface ozone and caused several health impact. The objective of this study was to analysis spatial distribution of tropospheric ozone over Indonesia case study forest fire event in 2015. Monthly observation measured by Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) have been analysed from January – December 2015 to study spatial distribution of tropospheric ozone related to forest fire event 2015. The study discovered high level of tropospheric column ozone (TCO) from October to November 2015. The result shows increasing average of TCO from September to October almost 6 DU. Meanwhile, monthly number of hotspot is higher in September 2015 with total number 257 hotspot which is acquired by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) Terra version 6.1 with confidence level same or more than 90%. The hotspot distribution compared with spatial TCO distribution and shows interesting time lag with respect to hotspot distribution, one month. Further study for daily comparison of TCO and forest fire event needed. This result suggested that the tropospheric ozone over the Indonesian region increases in 2015 were remarkable and corresponded to forest fire event.

Long-term spatial heterogeneity in mallard distribution in the Prairie pothole region

Science.gov (United States)

Janke, Adam K.; Anteau, Michael J.; Stafford, Joshua D.

2017-01-01

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of north-central United States and south-central Canada supports greater than half of all breeding mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) annually counted in North America and is the focus of widespread conservation and research efforts. Allocation of conservation resources for this socioeconomically important population would benefit from an understanding of the nature of spatiotemporal variation in distribution of breeding mallards throughout the 850,000 km2 landscape. We used mallard counts from the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey to test for spatial heterogeneity and identify high- and low-abundance regions of breeding mallards over a 50-year time series. We found strong annual spatial heterogeneity in all years: 90% of mallards counted annually were on an average of only 15% of surveyed segments. Using a local indicator of spatial autocorrelation, we found a relatively static distribution of low-count clusters in northern Montana, USA, and southern Alberta, Canada, and a dynamic distribution of high-count clusters throughout the study period. Distribution of high-count clusters shifted southeast from northwestern portions of the PPR in Alberta and western Saskatchewan, Canada, to North and South Dakota, USA, during the latter half of the study period. This spatial redistribution of core mallard breeding populations was likely driven by interactions between environmental variation that created favorable hydrological conditions for wetlands in the eastern PPR and dynamic land-use patterns related to upland cropping practices and government land-retirement programs. Our results highlight an opportunity for prioritizing relatively small regions within the PPR for allocation of wetland and grassland conservation for mallard populations. However, the extensive spatial heterogeneity in core distributions over our study period suggests such spatial prioritization will have to overcome challenges presented by dynamic land

The cause of spatial structure in solar He I 1083 nm multiplet images

Science.gov (United States)

Leenaarts, Jorrit; Golding, Thomas; Carlsson, Mats; Libbrecht, Tine; Joshi, Jayant

2016-10-01

Context. The He I 1083 nm is a powerful diagnostic for inferring properties of the upper solar chromosphere, in particular for the magnetic field. The basic formation of the line in one-dimensional models is well understood, but the influence of the complex three-dimensional structure of the chromosphere and corona has however never been investigated. This structure must play an essential role because images taken in He I 1083 nm show structures with widths down to 100 km. Aims: We aim to understand the effect of the three-dimensional temperature and density structure in the solar atmosphere on the formation of the He I 1083 nm line. Methods: We solved the non-LTE radiative transfer problem assuming statistical equilibrium for a simple nine-level helium atom that nevertheless captures all essential physics. As a model atmosphere we used a snapshot from a 3D radiation-MHD simulation computed with the Bifrost code. Ionising radiation from the corona was self-consistently taken into account. Results: The emergent intensity in the He I 1083 nm is set by the source function and the opacity in the upper chromosphere. The former is dominated by scattering of photospheric radiation and does not vary much with spatial location. The latter is determined by the photonionisation rate in the He I ground state continuum, as well as the electron density in the chromosphere. The spatial variation of the flux of ionising radiation is caused by the spatially-structured emissivity of the ionising photons from material at T ≈ 100 kK in the transition region. The hotter coronal material produces more ionising photons, but the resulting radiation field is smooth and does not lead to small-scale variation of the UV flux. The corrugation of the transition region further increases the spatial variation of the amount of UV radiation in the chromosphere. Finally we find that variations in the chromospheric electron density also cause strong variation in He I 1083 nm opacity. We compare our

Biological Effects of Ionising Radiation and Countermeasures (Les effets biologiques des rayonnements ionisants et leurs contre-mesures)

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

radiation physicists. As an example, a special issue of Health Physics [3] presents a body of experimental work characterizing the outdoor...Terrorist Attack involving Ionising Radiation. Campus Vesta, Belgium September 25-29, 2016. [3] Health Physics (Special Issue) 2016:110;399- 547...of Radiobiology & Radiation Protection 128 Szaserów Street 04-141 Warsaw POLAND Email: mjaniak@wihe.waw.pl Mr. Tjerk KUIPERS Health Physics

Student and intern awareness of ionising radiation exposure from common diagnostic imaging procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, G. Z.; Wong, D. D.; Nguyen, L. K.; Mendelson, R. M.

2010-01-01

Full text: This study aims to evaluate medical student and intern awareness of ionising radiation exposure from common diagnostic imaging procedures and to suggest how education could be improved. Fourth to sixth year medical students enrolled at a Western Australian university and interns from three teaching hospitals in Perth were recruited. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire consisting of 26 questions on their background, knowledge of ionising radiation doses and learning preferences for future teaching on this subject. A total of 331 completed questionnaires were received (95.9%). Of the 17 questions assessing knowledge of ionising radiation, a mean score of 6.0 was obtained by respondents (95% CI 5.8-6.2). Up to 54.8% of respondents underestimated the radiation dose from commonly requested radiological procedures. Respondents (11.3 and 25.5%) incorrectly believed that ultrasound and MRI emit ionising radiation, respectively. Of the four subgroups of respondents, the intern doctor subgroup performed significantly better (mean score 6.9, P< 0.0001, 95% CI 6.5-7.3) than each of the three medical student subgroups. When asked for the preferred method of teaching for future radiation awareness, a combination of lectures, tutorials and workshops was preferred. This study has clearly shown that awareness of ionising radiation from diagnostic imaging is lacking among senior medical students and interns. The results highlight the need for improved education to minimise unnecessary exposure of patients and the community to radiation. Further studies are required to determine the most effective form of education.

Spatial distribution of cancer in Kohgilooyeh and Boyerahmad province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Fararouei

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Spatial distribution of cancer is one of the powerful tools in epidemiology of cancer. The present study is designed to understand the geographical distribution of most frequent types of cancer in K&B province. Methods: All registered cases of cancer are reviewed and duplicate cases were removed. The data was analyzed using Arcgis software. Results: Of all registered cases, 1273  remained for analysis of which 57% were residences of urban areas. Cities including  Sisakht, Yasuj and Dehdsasht were shown to have highest incidence rates among the Urban areas. Dena, Sepidar and Kohmare Khaleghi had the highest rates among the rural areas in the province. Skin cancer was the most common type of cancer which had the highest rates of incidence in Sisakht and Dehdasht and Dena and Sepidar among urban and rural areas respectively. Conclusion: The distribution of cancer was not even in the province. Attitude and consumption of wild and regional plants are introduced as the potential risk factors for such a spatial distribution of the common cancers I the province. The results of this study could be used for further analytical studies to understand the regional etiology of cancer in the province.

Metabolic changes in broiler chickens exposed to low dose of ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danova, D.; Kafka, I.; Kalenicova, Z.; Petrovova, E.; Toropila, M.

2008-01-01

In our experiment broiler chickens, 28-day old, were exposed to single whole- body dose 3 Gy of ionising radiation in time gap 3., 7., 14. and 21 day. We applied zinc to organism of chicks after irradiation. We observed changes of concentrations of cholesterol and glucose in blood serum. From obtained results it is evident that despite relative high resistance of poultry to irradiation, it reacts strongly to ionising radiation even at laboratory levels. (authors)

Spatial distribution and habitat characterisation of mosquito species ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Infections with mosquito-borne parasites are common in human populations inhabiting tropical regions of the world. Malaria is endemic along Kenyan Lake Victoria basin and its vectors are fresh water breeders. However, much less is known about the current spatial distribution and habitat characterisation of ...

Single-stage accelerator mass spectrometer radiocarbon-interference identification and positive-ionisation characterisation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilcken, K.M., E-mail: klaus.wilcken@ansto.gov.au [Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride G75 0QF (United Kingdom); Freeman, S.P.H.T.; Xu, S.; Dougans, A. [Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride G75 0QF (United Kingdom)

2013-01-15

A single-stage accelerator mass spectrometer (SSAMS) is a good alternative to conventional spectrometers based on tandem electrostatic acceleration for radiocarbon measurement and permits experimentation with both negative and positive carbon ions. However, such {sup 14}C AMS of either polarity ions is limited by an interference. In the case of anion acceleration we have newly determined this to be summed {sup 13}C and {sup 16}O by improvising an additional Wien filter on our SSAMS deck. Also, {sup 14}C AMS might be improved by removing its dependency on negative-ionisation in a sputter ion source. This requires negative-ionisation of sample atoms elsewhere to suppress the {sup 14}N interference, which we accomplish by transmitting initially positive ions through a thin membrane. The ionisation dependence on ion-energy is found to be consistent with previous experimentation with vapours and thicker foils.

Spatial and temporal distribution of geophysical disasters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cvetković Vladimir

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Natural disasters of all kinds (meteorological, hydrological, geophysical, climatological and biological are increasingly becoming part of everyday life of modern human. The consequences are often devastating, to the life, health and property of people, as well to the security of states and the entire international regions. In this regard, we noted the need for a comprehensive investigation of the phenomenology of natural disasters. In addition, it is particularly important to pay attention to the different factors that might correlate with each other to indicate more dubious and more original facts about their characteristics. However, as the issue of natural disasters is very wide, the subject of this paper will be forms, consequences, temporal and spatial distribution of geophysical natural disasters, while analysis of other disasters will be the subject of our future research. Using an international database on natural disasters of the centre for research on the epidemiology of disasters (CRED based in Brussels, with the support of the statistical analysis (SPSS, we tried to point out the number, trends, consequences, the spatial and temporal distribution of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and dry mass movements in the world, from 1900 to 2013.

Experimental study of spatial distribution of Ar glow discharge plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, X.M.; Zhou, T.D.; Pai, S.T.

1996-01-01

The characteristics of the spatial distribution of Ar glow discharge plasma were experimentally investigated. By means of direct comparisons between theory and experiment, the effects of the variation of gap separation, gas pressure, and electrode radius on the spatial distributions of electron density and electric field were studied. Results indicate that the maximum electron density moves toward the cathode as the gap separation or gas pressure increases while variation of electrode radius produces little effect. Predictions from a theoretical model have been experimentally verified. General agreements between theory and experiment were found to be reasonably good except in the cathode region, where discrepancy exists. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Cross-coherent vector sensor processing for spatially distributed glider networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Nichols, Brendan; Sabra, Karim G

2015-09-01

Autonomous underwater gliders fitted with vector sensors can be used as a spatially distributed sensor array to passively locate underwater sources. However, to date, the positional accuracy required for robust array processing (especially coherent processing) is not achievable using dead-reckoning while the gliders remain submerged. To obtain such accuracy, the gliders can be temporarily surfaced to allow for global positioning system contact, but the acoustically active sea surface introduces locally additional sensor noise. This letter demonstrates that cross-coherent array processing, which inherently mitigates the effects of local noise, outperforms traditional incoherent processing source localization methods for this spatially distributed vector sensor network.

Sodium Atoms in the Lunar Exotail: Observed Velocity and Spatial Distributions

Science.gov (United States)

Line, Michael R.; Mierkiewicz, E. J.; Oliversen, R. J.; Wilson, J. K.; Haffner, L. M.; Roesler, F. L.

2011-01-01

The lunar sodium tail extends long distances due to radiation pressure on sodium atoms in the lunar exosphere. Our earlier observations determined the average radial velocity of sodium atoms moving down the lunar tail beyond Earth along the Sun-Moon-Earth line (i.e., the anti-lunar point) to be 12.4 km/s. Here we use the Wisconsin H-alpha Mapper to obtain the first kinematically resolved maps of the intensity and velocity distribution of this emission over a 15 x times 15 deg region on the sky near the anti-lunar point. We present both spatially and spectrally resolved observations obtained over four nights around new moon in October 2007. The spatial distribution of the sodium atoms is elongated along the ecliptic with the location of the peak intensity drifting 3 degrees east along the ecliptic per night. Preliminary modeling results suggest that the spatial and velocity distributions in the sodium exotail are sensitive to the near surface lunar sodium velocity distribution and that observations of this sort along with detailed modeling offer new opportunities to describe the time history of lunar surface sputtering over several days.

Diseases induced by ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-11-01

An interim report is presented by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council in accordance with Section 141 of the Social Security Act 1975 on the question whether the terms of prescription for occupational diseases induced by ionising radiation should be amended to cover a wider range of conditions. A lack of persuasive statistical data has prevented reliable estimates of health risks of radiation workers in the UK to be made. However the report gives details of the progress made so far and the difficulties encountered. (U.K.)

Investigation of Spatial Distribution Properties of Mid-Infrared ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The spatial distribution properties of quantum cascade lasers with emission wavelengths around 7 µm were measured. In addition, the emission profile on a plane orthogonal to the propagation axis of the beam were measured and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) on the orthogonal and lateral directions calculated.

Medical use of ionising radiation - challenges for the third millennium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leitz, W.

2003-01-01

From the very beginning after its discovery ionising radiation has been in beneficial use for health care. But even the drawbacks showed up very early: only a few months after Roentgens discovery reports were published on patients who got severe skin damage after fluoroscopy with x-rays. This finding of the adverse effects was soon turned into something positive: ionising radiation could be used for treatment of cancer. In 1928 radiologists took the initiative to the foundation of what later became the International Commission on Radiological Protection, ICRP. Medical use of ionising radiation is giving by far the largest contribution to the radiation burden of the global population from artificial sources, on average 0,3 mSv per year and inhabitant, excluding doses from radiation treatment. In the Nordic countries this dose is approximately 0,7 mSv. This isn't a problem by itself. The total benefit is exceeding the total radiation risk with large margins. But the margins could even be larger. Methods for examinations and treatments have often a potential for improvements, meaning that the medical effect can be obtained with a lower dose to the patient. In certain circumstances the examination does not contribute to the further treatment of the patient or to her/his well-being and is then regarded as not justified. The huge challenge we are facing depends among other things on the extreme fast technical development which enables exposures of a magnitude that we haven't seen before and applications we only could dream about. There is a risk that the motto 'do what is possible to do' is followed instead of 'do what the individual patient needs'. This presentation addresses the possibilities, but also the dangers that medical use of ionising radiation in medical care is facing in the new millennium, or at least in its first years. (orig.)

Full Ionisation In Binary-Binary Encounters With Small Positive Energies

Science.gov (United States)

Sweatman, W. L.

2006-08-01

Interactions between binary stars and single stars and binary stars and other binary stars play a key role in the dynamics of a dense stellar system. Energy can be transferred between the internal dynamics of a binary and the larger scale dynamics of the interacting objects. Binaries can be destroyed and created by the interaction. In a binary-binary encounter, full ionisation occurs when both of the binary stars are destroyed in the interaction to create four single stars. This is only possible when the total energy of the system is positive. For very small energies the probability of this occurring is very low and it tends towards zero as the total energy tends towards zero. Here the case is considered for which all the stars have equal masses. An asymptotic power law is predicted relating the probability of full ionisation with the total energy when this latter quantity is small. The exponent, which is approximately 2.31, is compared with the results from numerical scattering experiments. The theoretical approach taken is similar to one used previously in the three-body problem. It makes use of the fact that the most dramatic changes in scale and energies of a few-body system occur when its components pass near to a central configuration. The position, and number, of these configurations is not known for the general four-body problem, however, with equal masses there are known to be exactly five different cases. Separate consideration and comparison of the properties of orbits close to each of these five central configurations enables the prediction of the form of the cross-section for full ionisation for the case of small positive total energy. This is the relation between total energy and the probability of total ionisation described above.

Location-Based Mapping Services to Support Collaboration in Spatially Distributed Workgroups

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Eike Michael; Wichmann, Daniel; Büsch, Henning; Boll, Susanne

Mobile devices and systems reached almost every part of our daily life. Following the mobile computing trend, also business logics of distributed, cooperative applications started to move into the mobile client applications. With this shift, the cooperation aspect may also exploit the user’s location and situation context and capabilities of the mobile device and integrate it into the actual cooperation and collaboration. In this paper, we present an approach for a Collaborative Map that exploits the spatial context of the member of a distributed group as a means to visualize and provide collaboration functionality. Then, a number of location-related cooperation methods become feasible such as getting an overview of the spatial distribution of the team members, identify an ad-hoc meeting place nearby, or chat with a group member who has a certain expertise in his or her profile. With CoMa, we move from standard collaboration tools that marginally consider spatial information towards context-aware mobile collaborative systems that can support a wide range of applications such as emergency response, maintenance work or event organization where human resources have to be coordinated in a spatial context and tasks need to be assigned dynamically depending on capabilities and situation context.

Seasonal and spatial distribution of metals in surface sediment of an urban estuary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buggy, Conor J.; Tobin, John M.

2008-01-01

Aquatic pollution by metals is of concern because of various toxic effects to marine life. The Tolka Estuary, Co. Dublin, Ireland, is a typical Irish urban estuary. It has a significant metal loading originating from the urban environment. Results of a 25 month analysis of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc spatial and temporal distribution over 10 sample locations in this estuary are presented in this paper. Metal concentrations were analysed using differential pulse polarography. Significant seasonal and spatial trends in metal distribution were observed over the 25 months. Sediment metal concentrations gradually increased (30-120%) in spring to a maximum at the end of summer which was followed by a decrease in winter months (30-60%). Sediment organic matter (OM) concentrations exhibited similar seasonal trends and a positive correlation between OM and metal distributions was observed, implying OM had an influence on metal distributions over time. - Assessment and correlation of the seasonal and spatial distribution of metals and organic matter in surface sediment of an urban estuary

Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Reef Fish Spawning ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The spatial patterns among fish families were attributed to a combination of differences in species abundance and distribution as well as variation in fishing effort. Spawning periodicity reported by fishers indicated that for snappers and rabbitfishes, the most activity occurred across a protracted period of October to April/May, ...

Temporal and spatial distribution of human cryptosporidiosis in the west of Ireland 2004-2007.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Callaghan, Mary

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Cryptosporidiosis is increasingly recognised as a cause of gastrointestinal infection in Ireland and has been implicated in several outbreaks. This study aimed to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of human cryptosporidiosis in the west of Ireland in order to identify high risk seasons and areas and to compare Classically Calculated (CC) and Empirical Bayesian (EB) incidence rates. Two spatial scales of analysis were used with a view to identifying the best one in assessing geographical patterns of infection. Global Moran\\'s I and Local Moran\\'s I tests of autocorrelation were used to test for evidence of global and local spatial clustering. RESULTS: There were statistically significant seasonal patterns of cryptosporidiosis with peaks in spring and an increasing temporal trend. Significant (p < 0.05) global spatial clustering was observed in CC rates at the Electoral Division (ED) level but not in EB rates at the same level. Despite variations in disease, ED level was found to provide the most accurate account of distribution of cryptosporidiosis in the West of Ireland but required spatial EB smoothing of cases. There were a number of areas identified with significant local clustering of cryptosporidiosis rates. CONCLUSION: This study identified spatial and temporal patterns in cryptosporidiosis distribution. The study also showed benefit in performing spatial analyses at more than one spatial scale to assess geographical patterns in disease distribution and that smoothing of disease rates for mapping in small areas enhances visualisation of spatial patterns. These findings are relevant in guiding policy decisions on disease control strategies.

A self-calibrating ionisation chamber for the precise intensity calibration of high-energy heavy-ion beam monitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Junghans, A.

1996-01-01

The intensity of a 136 Xe(600 A MeV) beam has been determined by simultaneously measuring the particle rate and the corresponding ionisation current with an ionisation chamber. The ionisation current of this self-calibrating device was compared at higher intensities with the current of a secondary-electron monitor and a calibration of the secondary-electron current was achieved with a precision of 2%. This method can be applied to all high-energy heavy-ion beams. (orig.)

Study of the interaction operator between two groups of particles in a completely ionised plasma. Development of the distribution functions in a series of orthogonal polynomials (1963); Etude de l'operateur d'interaction entre deux groupes de particules dans un plasma completement ionise. Developpement des fonctions de distribution en series de polynomes orthogonaux (1963)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fain, A [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1963-05-15

A completely ionised medium is considered in which the variations of the distribution functions for each species of particles is governed by the Fokker-Planck equation. The interaction operator is of a form given by Rosenbluth - Macdonald - Judd. The distribution functions are expanded into orthogonal polynomial series in the velocity space. In a first stage these functions are first split up into spherical harmonic series (or, in an equivalent form, into series of scalar products of irreducible cartesian tensors), with coefficients which are a function of the velocity modulus as well as space and time coordinates. In the second stage these coefficients are expanded into series of orthogonal functions of the velocity modulus; the 1 order harmonic is represented by the product of a Maxwell distribution and of a SONINE polynomial series, having an index of 1 + 1 / 2, which have as variable the reduced energy of the particles (in terms of a basic temperature), with coefficients which then only depend on the space and time coordinates. In the first part the relationship is established between the expansion coefficients and the moments of the distribution function, as well as the hydrodynamic values. In the second part the expansion using spherical harmonics is applied to the Fokker-Planck equation. The general expression for the second member is given as well as the particular expressions corresponding to the cases where the operator is linearized. In the third part the complete expansion in orthogonal polynomial series is applied to the Fokker-Planck equation. The expression of the generating functions is given for all the harmonics in the case of the linearized operator, as well as the transport equations for the first four harmonics. (author) [French] On considere un milieu completement ionise ou l'evolution des fonctions de distribution pour chaque espece de particules est regie par l'equation de FOKKER-PLANCK. L'operateur d'interaction se met sous la forme

Electron impact ionisation cross-sections of 2-heptanone

Science.gov (United States)

Vacher, J. R.; Blin-Simiand, N.; Jorand, F.; Pasquiers, S.

2005-01-01

The electron impact ionisation of 2-heptanone between 13 and 78 eV is studied using mass spectrometry. CH3C(O)CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3+ and fragment ions are produced with a total cross-section of 5 × 10-16 cm2 towards 50 eV. Two ions, identified as CH3CO+ (43 amu) and CH3C(OH)CH2+ (58 amu), contribute to about 60% of the total cross-section for electron energies above the ionisation threshold. The detected ions are identified using ab initio calculations. For E = 14 eV, the ion of 58 amu is the most abundant followed by an ion of 59 amu identified as being CH3C(OH)CH3+; they result from a bond cleavage with one or two H atom rearrangements. For E >= 48 eV, the ion of 43 amu is the most abundant; it results from an [alpha]-cleavage reaction in the molecular ion.

Application of R-Matrix with Time-dependence Theory to Double Ionisation Using a 2-electron Outer Region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wragg, Jack; Parker, J S; Van der Hart, H W

2015-01-01

R-Matrix with Time-dependence (RMT) theory has been extended to cover double-ionisation processes. An application to photoionisation of He is demonstrated, with an emphasis on double-ionisation cross sections. (paper)

Estimating the spatial distribution of artificial groundwater recharge using multiple tracers.

Science.gov (United States)

Moeck, Christian; Radny, Dirk; Auckenthaler, Adrian; Berg, Michael; Hollender, Juliane; Schirmer, Mario

2017-10-01

Stable isotopes of water, organic micropollutants and hydrochemistry data are powerful tools for identifying different water types in areas where knowledge of the spatial distribution of different groundwater is critical for water resource management. An important question is how the assessments change if only one or a subset of these tracers is used. In this study, we estimate spatial artificial infiltration along an infiltration system with stage-discharge relationships and classify different water types based on the mentioned hydrochemistry data for a drinking water production area in Switzerland. Managed aquifer recharge via surface water that feeds into the aquifer creates a hydraulic barrier between contaminated groundwater and drinking water wells. We systematically compare the information from the aforementioned tracers and illustrate differences in distribution and mixing ratios. Despite uncertainties in the mixing ratios, we found that the overall spatial distribution of artificial infiltration is very similar for all the tracers. The highest infiltration occurred in the eastern part of the infiltration system, whereas infiltration in the western part was the lowest. More balanced infiltration within the infiltration system could cause the elevated groundwater mound to be distributed more evenly, preventing the natural inflow of contaminated groundwater. Dedicated to Professor Peter Fritz on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

Holographic monitoring of spatial distributions of singlet oxygen in water

Science.gov (United States)

Belashov, A. V.; Bel'tyukova, D. M.; Vasyutinskii, O. S.; Petrov, N. V.; Semenova, I. V.; Chupov, A. S.

2014-12-01

A method for monitoring spatial distributions of singlet oxygen in biological media has been developed. Singlet oxygen was generated using Radachlorin® photosensitizer, while thermal disturbances caused by nonradiative deactivation of singlet oxygen were detected by the holographic interferometry technique. Processing of interferograms yields temperature maps that characterize the deactivation process and show the distribution of singlet oxygen species.

Determination of the ionisation potential of certain hydrocarbons in the liquid phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casanovas, J.; Grob, R.; Brunet, G.; Sabattier, R.; Guelfucci, J.P.; Blanc, D.

1978-01-01

The first results obtained are presented on the determination of the ionisation potential of four alkanes (n-hexane, n-pentane, cyclopentane and trimethyl-2,2,4 pentane) in the liquid phase. In the gaseous phase, the ionisation potential values of these hydrocarbons are respectively 10.18 eV for n-hexane, 10.35 eV for n-pentane, 10.53 eV for cyclopentane and 9.86 eV for trimethyl-2,2,4 pentane. Consequently rare gas resonance lamps (krypton and Xenon) were made, sealed and excited by an ultra-high frequency wave, which emit photons in the energy field concerned, i.e. from 8.5 eV to 11eV. The energy of the photons emitted by these lamps is respectively 8.44 eV (100%) and 9.57 eV (2%) for xenon and 10.03 eV (100%) and 10.64 eV (5%) for krypton. From the extent of the induced ionisation currents and particularly the value of the ratio of the currents induced by the photons of the krypton and xenon lamps, a minimum value of the ionisation potential drop can be deduced compared with the gas phase of 0.61 eV for n-hexane, 0.78 eV for n-pentane, 0.96 eV for cyclopentane and a maximum value of 1.42 eV for trimethyl-2,2,4 pentane [fr

The seven sisters DANCe. III. Projected spatial distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Olivares, J.; Moraux, E.; Sarro, L. M.; Bouy, H.; Berihuete, A.; Barrado, D.; Huelamo, N.; Bertin, E.; Bouvier, J.

2018-04-01

Context. Membership analyses of the DANCe and Tycho + DANCe data sets provide the largest and least contaminated sample of Pleiades candidate members to date. Aims: We aim at reassessing the different proposals for the number surface density of the Pleiades in the light of the new and most complete list of candidate members, and inferring the parameters of the most adequate model. Methods: We compute the Bayesian evidence and Bayes Factors for variations of the classical radial models. These include elliptical symmetry, and luminosity segregation. As a by-product of the model comparison, we obtain posterior distributions for each set of model parameters. Results: We find that the model comparison results depend on the spatial extent of the region used for the analysis. For a circle of 11.5 parsecs around the cluster centre (the most homogeneous and complete region), we find no compelling reason to abandon King's model, although the Generalised King model introduced here has slightly better fitting properties. Furthermore, we find strong evidence against radially symmetric models when compared to the elliptic extensions. Finally, we find that including mass segregation in the form of luminosity segregation in the J band is strongly supported in all our models. Conclusions: We have put the question of the projected spatial distribution of the Pleiades cluster on a solid probabilistic framework, and inferred its properties using the most exhaustive and least contaminated list of Pleiades candidate members available to date. Our results suggest however that this sample may still lack about 20% of the expected number of cluster members. Therefore, this study should be revised when the completeness and homogeneity of the data can be extended beyond the 11.5 parsecs limit. Such a study will allow for more precise determination of the Pleiades spatial distribution, its tidal radius, ellipticity, number of objects and total mass.

Spatial distribution of Nemesis lamna Risso 1826 (Copepoda ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The selection of a specific site of attachment by a copepod parasite is determined by a set of mostly unknown factors. The spatial distribution of Nemesis lamna on the gill filaments of white sharks Carcharodon carcharias was investigated. The complete set of left gills of 11 hosts was examined and the location, orientation ...

Managing distributed dynamic systems with spatial grasp technology

CERN Document Server

Sapaty, Peter Simon

2017-01-01

The book describes a novel ideology and supporting information technology for integral management of both civil and defence-orientated large, distributed dynamic systems. The approach is based on a high-level Spatial Grasp Language, SGL, expressing solutions in physical, virtual, executive and combined environments in the form of active self-evolving and self-propagating patterns spatially matching the systems to be created, modified and controlled. The communicating interpreters of SGL can be installed in key system points, which may be in large numbers (up to millions and billions) and represent equipped humans, robots, laptops, smartphones, smart sensors, etc. Operating under gestalt-inspired scenarios in SGL initially injected from any points, these systems can be effectively converted into goal-driven spatial machines (rather than computers as dealing with physical matter too) capable of responding to numerous challenges caused by growing world dynamics in the 21st century. Including numerous practical e...

Health Services management. Health Service use of ionising radiations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-12-01

This circular consolidates and updates advice on the statutory and management responsibilities of Health Authorities in relation to the use of ionising radiations (including radioactive substances) on premises controlled by them and/or by persons employed by them (author)

A new thermal ionisation mass spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haines, C.; Merren, T.O.; Unsworth, W.D.

1979-01-01

The Isomass 54E, a new thermal ionisation mass spectrometer for precise measurements of isotopic composition is described in detail. It combines the fruits of three development pro ects, viz. automation, energy filters and extended geometry with existing micromass expertise and experience. The hardware and software which are used for the automation as well as the energy filter used, are explained. The 'extended geometry' ion optical system adopted for better performance is discussed in detail. (K.B.)

Spatial distribution sampling and Monte Carlo simulation of radioactive isotopes

CERN Document Server

Krainer, Alexander Michael

2015-01-01

This work focuses on the implementation of a program for random sampling of uniformly spatially distributed isotopes for Monte Carlo particle simulations and in specific FLUKA. With FLUKA it is possible to calculate the radio nuclide production in high energy fields. The decay of these nuclide, and therefore the resulting radiation field, however can only be simulated in the same geometry. This works gives the tool to simulate the decay of the produced nuclide in other geometries. With that the radiation field from an irradiated object can be simulated in arbitrary environments. The sampling of isotope mixtures was tested by simulating a 50/50 mixture of $Cs^{137}$ and $Co^{60}$. These isotopes are both well known and provide therefore a first reliable benchmark in that respect. The sampling of uniformly distributed coordinates was tested using the histogram test for various spatial distributions. The advantages and disadvantages of the program compared to standard methods are demonstrated in the real life ca...

Reactivity effect of spent fuel due to spatial distributions for coolant temperature and burnup

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayashi, T.; Yamane, Y. [Nagoya Univ., Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, Nagoya, Aichi (Japan); Suyama, K. [OECD/NEA, Paris (France); Mochizuki, H. [Japan Research Institute, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

2002-03-01

We investigated the reactivity effect of spent fuel caused by the spatial distributions of coolant temperature and burnup by using the integrated burnup calculation code system SWAT. The reactivity effect which arises from taking account of the spatial coolant temperature distribution increases as the average burnup increases, and reaches the maximum value of 0.69%{delta}k/k at 50 GWd/tU when the burnup distribution is concurrently considered. When the burnup distribution is ignored, the reactivity effect decreases by approximately one-third. (author)

Unbiased estimators for spatial distribution functions of classical fluids

Science.gov (United States)

Adib, Artur B.; Jarzynski, Christopher

2005-01-01

We use a statistical-mechanical identity closely related to the familiar virial theorem, to derive unbiased estimators for spatial distribution functions of classical fluids. In particular, we obtain estimators for both the fluid density ρ(r) in the vicinity of a fixed solute and the pair correlation g(r) of a homogeneous classical fluid. We illustrate the utility of our estimators with numerical examples, which reveal advantages over traditional histogram-based methods of computing such distributions.

Spatial distribution of human-caused forest fires in Galicia (NW Spain)

Science.gov (United States)

M. L. Chas-Amil; J. Touza; P. Prestemon

2010-01-01

It is crucial for fire prevention policies to assess the spatial patterns of human-started fires and their relationship with geographical and socioeconomic aspects. This study uses fire reports for the period 1988-2006 in Galicia, Spain, to analyze the spatial distribution of human-induced fire risk attending to causes and underlying motivations associated with fire...

Delineating Facies Spatial Distribution by Integrating Ensemble Data Assimilation and Indicator Geostatistics with Level Set Transformation.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hammond, Glenn Edward; Song, Xuehang; Ye, Ming; Dai, Zhenxue; Zachara, John; Chen, Xingyuan

2017-03-01

A new approach is developed to delineate the spatial distribution of discrete facies (geological units that have unique distributions of hydraulic, physical, and/or chemical properties) conditioned not only on direct data (measurements directly related to facies properties, e.g., grain size distribution obtained from borehole samples) but also on indirect data (observations indirectly related to facies distribution, e.g., hydraulic head and tracer concentration). Our method integrates for the first time ensemble data assimilation with traditional transition probability-based geostatistics. The concept of level set is introduced to build shape parameterization that allows transformation between discrete facies indicators and continuous random variables. The spatial structure of different facies is simulated by indicator models using conditioning points selected adaptively during the iterative process of data assimilation. To evaluate the new method, a two-dimensional semi-synthetic example is designed to estimate the spatial distribution and permeability of two distinct facies from transient head data induced by pumping tests. The example demonstrates that our new method adequately captures the spatial pattern of facies distribution by imposing spatial continuity through conditioning points. The new method also reproduces the overall response in hydraulic head field with better accuracy compared to data assimilation with no constraints on spatial continuity on facies.

Determinants of the distribution and concentration of biogas production in Germany. A spatial econometric analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scholz, Lukas

2015-01-01

The biogas production in Germany is characterized by a heterogeneous distribution and the formation of regional centers. In the present study the determinants of the spatial distribution and concentration are analyzed with methods of spatial statistics and spatial econometrics. In addition to the consideration of ''classic'' site factors of agricultural production, the analysis here focuses on the possible relevance of agglomeration effects. The results of the work contribute to a better understanding of the regional distribution and concentration of the biogas production in Germany. [de

Inputs and spatial distribution patterns of Cr in Jiaozhou Bay

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Dongfang; Miao, Zhenqing; Huang, Xinmin; Wei, Linzhen; Feng, Ming

2018-03-01

Cr pollution in marine bays has been one of the critical environmental issues, and understanding the input and spatial distribution patterns is essential to pollution control. In according to the source strengths of the major pollution sources, the input patterns of pollutants to marine bay include slight, moderate and heavy, and the spatial distribution are corresponding to three block models respectively. This paper analyzed input patterns and distributions of Cr in Jiaozhou Bay, eastern China based on investigation on Cr in surface waters during 1979-1983. Results showed that the input strengths of Cr in Jiaozhou Bay could be classified as moderate input and slight input, and the input strengths were 32.32-112.30 μg L-1 and 4.17-19.76 μg L-1, respectively. The input patterns of Cr included two patterns of moderate input and slight input, and the horizontal distributions could be defined by means of Block Model 2 and Block Model 3, respectively. In case of moderate input pattern via overland runoff, Cr contents were decreasing from the estuaries to the bay mouth, and the distribution pattern was parallel. In case of moderate input pattern via marine current, Cr contents were decreasing from the bay mouth to the bay, and the distribution pattern was parallel to circular. The Block Models were able to reveal the transferring process of various pollutants, and were helpful to understand the distributions of pollutants in marine bay.

Predicting the spatial distribution of leaf litterfall in a mixed deciduous forest

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Staelens, Jeroen; Nachtergale, Lieven; Luyssaert, Sebastiaan

2004-01-01

An accurate prediction of the spatial distribution of litterfall can improve insight in the interaction between the canopy layer and forest floor characteristics, which is a key feature in forest nutrient cycling. Attempts to model the spatial variability of litterfall have been made across forest

Additives in UV and ionising radiation grafting and curing processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garnett, J.L.; Ng, L.T.; Viengkhou, V.

1998-01-01

Full text: Curing of polymers induced by both UV and ionising radiation are now established technologies. Currently both systems are predominantly based on acrylate chemistry. UV processes use photoinitiators to achieve fast polymerisation. In the proposed paper the significance of the occurrence of concurrent grafting with cure will be examined. particularly with respect to the recycling of finished product. Basic studies on grafting initiated by UV and ionising radiation will be discussed. Polar methyl methacrylate (MMA) and non-polar styrene will be used as representative monomers with cellulose and propylene typifying the backbone polymers. The additives chosen for examination in this study are predominantly components used in radiation curing formulations since grafting and curing are known to be mechanically related. The additives used were mineral acid, photoinitiators, vinyl ethers, oligomers, polyfunctional monomers including multifunctional acrylates (MFAs) and methacrylates (MFMAs). For the first time the use of charge transfer complexes in the Mulliken sense as additives in radiation grafting will be discussed. The CT complexes themselves, being monomers, have also been grafted to the above polymers. Recent developments with excimer laser sources for initiating these processes will be discussed, especially the use of non-acrylate chemistry. Excimer laser sources are shown to complement conventional UV and ionising radiation and are photoinitiator free. Mechanisms for the above grafting and curing processes will be outlined

Spatial distribution of malaria in Peninsular Malaysia from 2000 to 2009.

Science.gov (United States)

Alias, Haridah; Surin, Johari; Mahmud, Rohela; Shafie, Aziz; Mohd Zin, Junaidden; Mohamad Nor, Mahadzir; Ibrahim, Ahmad Shah; Rundi, Christina

2014-04-15

Malaria is still an endemic disease of public health importance in Malaysia. Populations at risk of contracting malaria includes indigenous people, traditional villagers, mobile ethnic groups and land scheme settlers, immigrants from malaria endemic countries as well as jungle workers and loggers. The predominant species are Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax. An increasing number of P. knowlesi infections have also been encountered. The principal vectors in Peninsular Malaysia are Anopheles maculatus and An. cracens. This study aims to determine the changes in spatial distribution of malaria in Peninsular Malaysia from year 2000-2009. Data for the study was collected from Ministry of Health, Malaysia and was analysed using Geographic Information System (GIS). Changes for a period of 10 years of malaria spatial distribution in 12 states of Peninsular Malaysia were documented and discussed. This is illustrated by digital mapping according to five variables; incidence rate (IR), fatality rate (FR), annual blood examination rate (ABER), annual parasite index (API) and slide positivity rate (SPR). There is a profound change in the spatial distribution of malaria within a 10-year period. This is evident from the digital mapping of the infection in Peninsular Malaysia.

Spatial structures of the environment and of dispersal impact species distribution in competitive metacommunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Dexiecuo; Gravel, Dominique; Chu, Chengjin; Wang, Gang

2013-01-01

The correspondence between species distribution and the environment depends on species' ability to track favorable environmental conditions (via dispersal) and to maintain competitive hierarchy against the constant influx of migrants (mass effect) and demographic stochasticity (ecological drift). Here we report a simulation study of the influence of landscape structure on species distribution. We consider lottery competition for space in a spatially heterogeneous environment, where the landscape is represented as a network of localities connected by dispersal. We quantified the contribution of neutrality and species sorting to their spatial distribution. We found that neutrality increases and the strength of species-sorting decreases with the centrality of a community in the landscape when the average dispersal among communities is low, whereas the opposite was found at elevated dispersal. We also found that the strength of species-sorting increases with environmental heterogeneity. Our results illustrate that spatial structure of the environment and of dispersal must be taken into account for understanding species distribution. We stress the importance of spatial geographic structure on the relative importance of niche vs. neutral processes in controlling community dynamics.

A preliminary survey and analysis of the spatial distribution of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The spatial distribution of aquatic macroinvertebrates in the Okavango River Delta, ... seasonally-flooded pools and temporary rain-filled pools in MGR and CI. ... biodiversity of the Okavango Delta, thereby contributing to its conservation.

Using spatial principles to optimize distributed computing for enabling the physical science discoveries.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chaowei; Wu, Huayi; Huang, Qunying; Li, Zhenlong; Li, Jing

2011-04-05

Contemporary physical science studies rely on the effective analyses of geographically dispersed spatial data and simulations of physical phenomena. Single computers and generic high-end computing are not sufficient to process the data for complex physical science analysis and simulations, which can be successfully supported only through distributed computing, best optimized through the application of spatial principles. Spatial computing, the computing aspect of a spatial cyberinfrastructure, refers to a computing paradigm that utilizes spatial principles to optimize distributed computers to catalyze advancements in the physical sciences. Spatial principles govern the interactions between scientific parameters across space and time by providing the spatial connections and constraints to drive the progression of the phenomena. Therefore, spatial computing studies could better position us to leverage spatial principles in simulating physical phenomena and, by extension, advance the physical sciences. Using geospatial science as an example, this paper illustrates through three research examples how spatial computing could (i) enable data intensive science with efficient data/services search, access, and utilization, (ii) facilitate physical science studies with enabling high-performance computing capabilities, and (iii) empower scientists with multidimensional visualization tools to understand observations and simulations. The research examples demonstrate that spatial computing is of critical importance to design computing methods to catalyze physical science studies with better data access, phenomena simulation, and analytical visualization. We envision that spatial computing will become a core technology that drives fundamental physical science advancements in the 21st century.

A Multi-Resolution Spatial Model for Large Datasets Based on the Skew-t Distribution

KAUST Repository

Tagle, Felipe

2017-12-06

Large, non-Gaussian spatial datasets pose a considerable modeling challenge as the dependence structure implied by the model needs to be captured at different scales, while retaining feasible inference. Skew-normal and skew-t distributions have only recently begun to appear in the spatial statistics literature, without much consideration, however, for the ability to capture dependence at multiple resolutions, and simultaneously achieve feasible inference for increasingly large data sets. This article presents the first multi-resolution spatial model inspired by the skew-t distribution, where a large-scale effect follows a multivariate normal distribution and the fine-scale effects follow a multivariate skew-normal distributions. The resulting marginal distribution for each region is skew-t, thereby allowing for greater flexibility in capturing skewness and heavy tails characterizing many environmental datasets. Likelihood-based inference is performed using a Monte Carlo EM algorithm. The model is applied as a stochastic generator of daily wind speeds over Saudi Arabia.

S.I. No 125 of 2000 Radiological Protection Act 1991 (ionising radiation) Order 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

This statutory instrument provides for the implementation of Council Directive 96/29/Euratom of 13 May 1996 laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation. It also incorporates the provisions of Council Directive 90/641/Euratom of 4 December 1990 on the operational protection of outside workers exposed to the risk of ionising radiation during their activities in controlled areas. It replaces the provisions of the European Communities (Ionising Radiation) Regulations, 1991 (S.I. No. 43 of 1991), the Radiological Protection Act, 1991 (General Control of Radioactive Substances, Nuclear Devices and Irradiating Apparatus) Order, 1993 (S.I. No. 151 of 1993) and the European Communities (Protection of Outside Workers from Ionising Radiation) Regulations, 1994 (S.I. No. 144 of 1994). The main changes introduced in this Order are: the inclusion of work activities involving exposure to natural sources of radiation, stricter application of existing radiation protection principles through the introduction of lower dose limits, the use of dose constraints in keeping doses as low as reasonably achievable (i.e. optimisation process) and extended application of justification principles, the introduction of radiation protection principles for intervention in cases of radiological emergencies or lasting exposures. (author)

Floral abundance, richness, and spatial distribution drive urban garden bee communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Plascencia, M; Philpott, S M

2017-10-01

In urban landscapes, gardens provide refuges for bee diversity, but conservation potential may depend on local and landscape features. Foraging and population persistence of bee species, as well as overall pollinator community structure, may be supported by the abundance, richness, and spatial distribution of floral resources. Floral resources strongly differ in urban gardens. Using hand netting and pan traps to survey bees, we examined whether abundance, richness, and spatial distribution of floral resources, as well as ground cover and garden landscape surroundings influence bee abundance, species richness, and diversity on the central coast of California. Differences in floral abundance and spatial distribution, as well as urban cover in the landscape, predicted different bee community variables. Abundance of all bees and of honeybees (Apis mellifera) was lower in sites with more urban land cover surrounding the gardens. Honeybee abundance was higher in sites with patchy floral resources, whereas bee species richness and bee diversity was higher in sites with more clustered floral resources. Surprisingly, bee species richness and bee diversity was lower in sites with very high floral abundance, possibly due to interactions with honeybees. Other studies have documented the importance of floral abundance and landscape surroundings for bees in urban gardens, but this study is the first to document that the spatial arrangement of flowers strongly predicts bee abundance and richness. Based on these findings, it is likely that garden managers may promote bee conservation by managing for floral connectivity and abundance within these ubiquitous urban habitats.

Spatial distributions of dose enhancement around a gold nanoparticle at several depths of proton Bragg peak

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, Jihun [Department of Radiation Oncology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University (Japan); Sutherland, Kenneth [Department of Medical Physics, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University (Japan); Hashimoto, Takayuki [Department of Radiation Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine (Japan); Shirato, Hiroki [Department of Radiation Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine and Global Station for Quantum Medical Science and Engineering, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University (Japan); Date, Hiroyuki, E-mail: date@hs.hokudai.ac.jp [Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University (Japan)

2016-10-01

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have been recognized as a promising candidate for a radiation sensitizer. A proton beam incident on a GNP can produce secondary electrons, resulting in an enhancement of the dose around the GNP. However, little is known about the spatial distribution of dose enhancement around the GNP, especially in the direction along the incident proton. The purpose of this study is to determine the spatial distribution of dose enhancement by taking the incident direction into account. Two steps of calculation were conducted using the Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation toolkit. First, the energy spectra of 100 and 195 MeV protons colliding with a GNP were calculated at the Bragg peak and three other depths around the peak in liquid water. Second, the GNP was bombarded by protons with the obtained energy spectra. Radial dose distributions were computed along the incident beam direction. The spatial distributions of the dose enhancement factor (DEF) and subtracted dose (D{sub sub}) were then evaluated. The spatial DEF distributions showed hot spots in the distal radial region from the proton beam axis. The spatial D{sub sub} distribution isotropically spread out around the GNP. Low energy protons caused higher and wider dose enhancement. The macroscopic dose enhancement in clinical applications was also evaluated. The results suggest that the consideration of the spatial distribution of GNPs in treatment planning will maximize the potential of GNPs.

NDT using ionising radiation in the Indian space programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viswanathan, K.

1997-01-01

Ionising radiations continue to play a vital role in the Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) of various components used in space vehicles and satellites. The different Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) methods which are useful to the Indian space programme are discussed. 4 refs., 5 figs

European Communities (Foodstuffs treated with ionising radiation) Regulations, 2000. Statutory Instrument S.I. No. 297 of 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

These Regulations give effect to Directive 1999/2/EC (the framework Directive) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 February 1999 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning foods and food ingredients treated with ionising radiation and Directive 1999/3/EC (the implementing Directive) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 February 1999 on the establishment of a Community list of foods and food ingredients treated with ionising radiation. The effect of these Regulations is to lay down the general provisions for the treatment of foodstuffs with ionising radiation. Provisions concerning the approval and control of irradiation facilities and rules on labelling are also included. A positive list of foodstuffs authorised for treatment with ionising radiation and their maximum radiation doses are defined in the implementing Directive. These Regulations should be read together with the two Directives (author)

A preliminary survey and analysis of the spatial distribution of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The spatial distribution of aquatic macroinvertebrates in the Okavango River ... of taxa was recorded in marginal vegetation in the channels and lagoons, ... highlights the importance of maintaining a mosaic of aquatic habitats in the Delta.

Ionisation and dissociation of water induced by swift multicharged ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Legendre, S.

2006-02-01

Ionization and dissociation of water molecules and water clusters induced by 11.7 MeV/A Ni 25+ ions were carried out by imaging techniques. Branching ratios, ionisation cross sections and Kinetic Energy Released distributions have been measured together with fragmentation dynamics studies. Multiple ionization represents approximately 30% of the ionizing events. Double ionization produces in significant way atomic oxygen, considered as a possible precursor of the large production of HO 2 radical in liquid water radiolysis by ions of high Linear Energy Transfer. We evidence a strong selectivity of bond breakage in the case of ion-induced HOD fragmentation. Once the molecule doubly ionized, the breakage of the O-H bond is found 6.5 times more probable than that of the O-D bond. A semi-classical calculation simulating the fragmentation dynamics on the potential energy surface of the ground-state of di-cation H 2 O 2+ makes possible to as well reproduce the preferential nature of the breakage of the O-H bond as the position and the shift of the kinetic energy distributions. First results concerning interaction with water clusters are also reported. Measurements in coincidence are carried out giving access to correlation, with the distributions in energy and angle of the emitted fragments. Mass spectrum points fast intra-cluster proton transfer, leading to the emission of protonated clusters. (author)

Delineating Hydrofacies Spatial Distribution by Integrating Ensemble Data Assimilation and Indicator Geostatistics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Xuehang [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States); Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Chen, Xingyuan [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Ye, Ming [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States); Dai, Zhenxue [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hammond, Glenn Edward [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-07-01

This study develops a new framework of facies-based data assimilation for characterizing spatial distribution of hydrofacies and estimating their associated hydraulic properties. This framework couples ensemble data assimilation with transition probability-based geostatistical model via a parameterization based on a level set function. The nature of ensemble data assimilation makes the framework efficient and flexible to be integrated with various types of observation data. The transition probability-based geostatistical model keeps the updated hydrofacies distributions under geological constrains. The framework is illustrated by using a two-dimensional synthetic study that estimates hydrofacies spatial distribution and permeability in each hydrofacies from transient head data. Our results show that the proposed framework can characterize hydrofacies distribution and associated permeability with adequate accuracy even with limited direct measurements of hydrofacies. Our study provides a promising starting point for hydrofacies delineation in complex real problems.

Medical response to effects of ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crosbie, W.A.; Gittus, J.H.

1989-01-01

The proceedings of a conference on 'Medical Response to Effects of Ionising Radiation' in 1989 in the form of nineteen papers published as a book. Topics discussed include radiation accidents at nuclear facilities, the medical management of radiation casualties, the responsibilities, plans and resources for coping with a nuclear accident and finally the long term effects of radiation, including leukaemia epidemiology studies. All papers were selected and indexed separately. (UK)

Spatial distribution of enzyme driven reactions at micro-scales

Science.gov (United States)

Kandeler, Ellen; Boeddinghaus, Runa; Nassal, Dinah; Preusser, Sebastian; Marhan, Sven; Poll, Christian

2017-04-01

Studies of microbial biogeography can often provide key insights into the physiologies, environmental tolerances, and ecological strategies of soil microorganisms that dominate in natural environments. In comparison with aquatic systems, soils are particularly heterogeneous. Soil heterogeneity results from the interaction of a hierarchical series of interrelated variables that fluctuate at many different spatial and temporal scales. Whereas spatial dependence of chemical and physical soil properties is well known at scales ranging from decimetres to several hundred metres, the spatial structure of soil enzymes is less clear. Previous work has primarily focused on spatial heterogeneity at a single analytical scale using the distribution of individual cells, specific types of organisms or collective parameters such as bacterial abundance or total microbial biomass. There are fewer studies that have considered variations in community function and soil enzyme activities. This presentation will give an overview about recent studies focusing on spatial pattern of different soil enzymes in the terrestrial environment. Whereas zymography allows the visualization of enzyme pattern in the close vicinity of roots, micro-sampling strategies followed by MUF analyses clarify micro-scale pattern of enzymes associated to specific microhabitats (micro-aggregates, organo-mineral complexes, subsoil compartments).

Interacting Social and Environmental Predictors for the Spatial Distribution of Conservation Lands

Science.gov (United States)

Baldwin, Robert F.; Leonard, Paul B.

2015-01-01

Conservation decisions should be evaluated for how they meet conservation goals at multiple spatial extents. Conservation easements are land use decisions resulting from a combination of social and environmental conditions. An emerging area of research is the evaluation of spatial distribution of easements and their spatial correlates. We tested the relative influence of interacting social and environmental variables on the spatial distribution of conservation easements by ownership category and conservation status. For the Appalachian region of the United States, an area with a long history of human occupation and complex land uses including public-private conservation, we found that settlement, economic, topographic, and environmental data associated with spatial distribution of easements (N = 4813). Compared to random locations, easements were more likely to be found in lower elevations, in areas of greater agricultural productivity, farther from public protected areas, and nearer other human features. Analysis of ownership and conservation status revealed sources of variation, with important differences between local and state government ownerships relative to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and among U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) GAP program status levels. NGOs were more likely to have easements nearer protected areas, and higher conservation status, while local governments held easements closer to settlement, and on lands of greater agricultural potential. Logistic interactions revealed environmental variables having effects modified by social correlates, and the strongest predictors overall were social (distance to urban area, median household income, housing density, distance to land trust office). Spatial distribution of conservation lands may be affected by geographic area of influence of conservation groups, suggesting that multi-scale conservation planning strategies may be necessary to satisfy local and regional needs for reserve networks. Our

Interacting Social and Environmental Predictors for the Spatial Distribution of Conservation Lands.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldwin, Robert F; Leonard, Paul B

2015-01-01

Conservation decisions should be evaluated for how they meet conservation goals at multiple spatial extents. Conservation easements are land use decisions resulting from a combination of social and environmental conditions. An emerging area of research is the evaluation of spatial distribution of easements and their spatial correlates. We tested the relative influence of interacting social and environmental variables on the spatial distribution of conservation easements by ownership category and conservation status. For the Appalachian region of the United States, an area with a long history of human occupation and complex land uses including public-private conservation, we found that settlement, economic, topographic, and environmental data associated with spatial distribution of easements (N = 4813). Compared to random locations, easements were more likely to be found in lower elevations, in areas of greater agricultural productivity, farther from public protected areas, and nearer other human features. Analysis of ownership and conservation status revealed sources of variation, with important differences between local and state government ownerships relative to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and among U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) GAP program status levels. NGOs were more likely to have easements nearer protected areas, and higher conservation status, while local governments held easements closer to settlement, and on lands of greater agricultural potential. Logistic interactions revealed environmental variables having effects modified by social correlates, and the strongest predictors overall were social (distance to urban area, median household income, housing density, distance to land trust office). Spatial distribution of conservation lands may be affected by geographic area of influence of conservation groups, suggesting that multi-scale conservation planning strategies may be necessary to satisfy local and regional needs for reserve networks. Our

Metabolite signal identification in accurate mass metabolomics data with MZedDB, an interactive m/z annotation tool utilising predicted ionisation behaviour 'rules'

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Snowdon Stuart

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Metabolomics experiments using Mass Spectrometry (MS technology measure the mass to charge ratio (m/z and intensity of ionised molecules in crude extracts of complex biological samples to generate high dimensional metabolite 'fingerprint' or metabolite 'profile' data. High resolution MS instruments perform routinely with a mass accuracy of Results Metabolite 'structures' harvested from publicly accessible databases were converted into a common format to generate a comprehensive archive in MZedDB. 'Rules' were derived from chemical information that allowed MZedDB to generate a list of adducts and neutral loss fragments putatively able to form for each structure and calculate, on the fly, the exact molecular weight of every potential ionisation product to provide targets for annotation searches based on accurate mass. We demonstrate that data matrices representing populations of ionisation products generated from different biological matrices contain a large proportion (sometimes > 50% of molecular isotopes, salt adducts and neutral loss fragments. Correlation analysis of ESI-MS data features confirmed the predicted relationships of m/z signals. An integrated isotope enumerator in MZedDB allowed verification of exact isotopic pattern distributions to corroborate experimental data. Conclusion We conclude that although ultra-high accurate mass instruments provide major insight into the chemical diversity of biological extracts, the facile annotation of a large proportion of signals is not possible by simple, automated query of current databases using computed molecular formulae. Parameterising MZedDB to take into account predicted ionisation behaviour and the biological source of any sample improves greatly both the frequency and accuracy of potential annotation 'hits' in ESI-MS data.

Within-field spatial distribution of Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) in soybean (Fabales: Fabaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Seiter, Nicholas J; Reay-Jones, Francis P F; Greene, Jeremy K

2013-12-01

The recently introduced plataspid Megacopta cribraria (F.) can infest fields of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) in the southeastern United States. Grid sampling in four soybean fields was conducted in 2011 and 2012 to study the spatial distribution of M. cribraria adults, nymphs, and egg masses. Peak oviposition typically occurred in early August, while peak levels of adults occurred in mid-late September. The overall sex ratio was slightly biased at 53.1 ± 0.2% (SEM) male. Sweep samples of nymphs were biased toward late instars. All three life stages exhibited a generally aggregated spatial distribution based on Taylor's power law, Iwao's patchiness regression, and spatial analysis by distance indices (SADIE). Interpolation maps of local SADIE aggregation indices showed clusters of adults and nymphs located at field edges, and mean densities of adults were higher in samples taken from field edges than in those taken from field interiors. Adults and nymphs were often spatially associated based on SADIE, indicating spatial stability across life stages.

Abiotic and biotic controls on local spatial distribution and performance of Boechera stricta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

KUSUM J NAITHANI

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the relative influence of biotic and abiotic factors on community dynamics using an integrated approach and highlights the influence of space on genotypic and phenotypic traits in plant community structure. We examined the relative influence of topography, environment, spatial distance, and intra- and interspecific interactions on spatial distribution and performance of Boechera stricta (rockcress, a close perennial relative of model plant Arabidopsis. First, using Bayesian kriging, we mapped the topography and environmental gradients and explored the spatial distribution of naturally occurring rockcress plants and two neighbors, Taraxacum officinale (dandelion and Solidago missouriensis (goldenrod found in close proximity within a typical diverse meadow community across topographic and environmental gradients. We then evaluated direct and indirect relationships among variables using Mantel path analysis and developed a network displaying abiotic and biotic interactions in this community. We found significant spatial autocorrelation among rockcress individuals, either because of common microhabitats as displayed by high density of individuals at lower elevation and high soil moisture area, or limited dispersal as shown by significant spatial autocorrelation of naturally occurring inbred lines, or a combination of both. Goldenrod and dandelion density around rockcress does not show any direct relationship with rockcress fecundity, possibly due to spatial segregation of resources. However, dandelion density around rockcress shows an indirect negative influence on rockcress fecundity via herbivory, indicating interspecific competition. Overall, we suggest that common microhabitat preference and limited dispersal are the main drivers for spatial distribution. However, intra-specific interactions and insect herbivory are the main drivers of rockcress performance in the meadow community.

Spatial Distribution of Flower Color Induced by Interspecific Sexual Interaction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuma Takahashi

Full Text Available Understanding the mechanisms shaping the spatiotemporal distribution of species has long been a central concern of ecology and evolutionary biology. Contemporary patterns of plant assemblies suggest that sexual interactions among species, i.e., reproductive interference, lead to the exclusive distributions of closely related species that share pollinators. However, the fitness consequences and the initial ecological/evolutionary responses to reproductive interference remain unclear in nature, since reproductive isolation or allopatric distribution has already been achieved in the natural community. In Japan, three species of blue-eyed grasses (Sisyrinchium with incomplete reproductive isolation have recently colonized and occur sympatrically. Two of them are monomorphic with white flowers, whereas the other exhibits heritable color polymorphism (white and purple morphs. Here we investigated the effects of the presence of two monomorphic species on the distribution and reproductive success of color morphs. The frequency and reproductive success of white morphs decreased in area where monomorphic species were abundant, while those of purple morphs did not. The rate of hybridization between species was higher in white morphs than in the purple ones. Resource competition and habitat preference seemed not to contribute to the spatial distribution and reproductive success of two morphs. Our results supported that color-dependent reproductive interference determines the distribution of flower color polymorphism in a habitat, implying ecological sorting promoted by pollinator-mediated reproductive interference. Our study helps us to understand the evolution and spatial structure of flower color in a community.

Origin of Pareto-like spatial distributions in ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Manor, Alon; Shnerb, Nadav M

2008-12-31

Recent studies of cluster distribution in various ecosystems revealed Pareto statistics for the size of spatial colonies. These results were supported by cellular automata simulations that yield robust criticality for endogenous pattern formation based on positive feedback. We show that this patch statistics is a manifestation of the law of proportionate effect. Mapping the stochastic model to a Markov birth-death process, the transition rates are shown to scale linearly with cluster size. This mapping provides a connection between patch statistics and the dynamics of the ecosystem; the "first passage time" for different colonies emerges as a powerful tool that discriminates between endogenous and exogenous clustering mechanisms. Imminent catastrophic shifts (such as desertification) manifest themselves in a drastic change of the stability properties of spatial colonies.

Contribution to the study and use of ionisation chambers for nuclear reactor control (1965); Contribution a l'etude et a l'utilisation des chambres d'ionisation pour le controle des reacteurs nucleaires (1965)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

1961-02-15

At the moment ionisation chambers are the detectors which are best suited to the task of nuclear reactor control by neutronic measurements. We have thought it wise to state some generalities concerning reactor dynamics, the various neutron detection methods, the working of ionisation chambers and the measurement methods used. Our contribution to reactor control techniques consists on the one hand in an attempt to make a synthesis of the factors influencing the operation of ionisation chambers, the study of these factors, and on the other hand in the development of ionisation chambers of the fission and boron types, making it possible to follow the working of a reactor from the moment it starts up until maximum power is attained. In the field of fission chambers, we have in particular improved the technique for depositing uranium oxide on aluminium and have perfected the electrolytic deposition process on other metals: stainless steel, copper, molybdenum, nickel, tantalum, titanium, kovar, tungsten and beryllium. We have developed several types of fission chambers used during the start-up of reactors: one type of medium performance now in use in French piles one high-sensitivity type one high-temperature type which has operated up to 600 deg. C. As far as boron chambers are concerned, we have studied the perturbations caused to the measurement by the exposure of the chamber to high neutron flux and to a very strong {gamma} radiation. This exposure brings about a modification of the properties of the constituent materials and causes a background noise in the chamber which can seriously handicap the neutron measurements. We have shown that the compensation technique makes it possible to limit this noise and to thereby increase the range of measurement of conventional ionisation chambers intended for power measurements. Finally, we have built two types of compensation chambers used in the French reactors and have begun the study of a third type of high sensitivity for

Ionising energy treatment of fresh fruit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rigney, C.J.

1985-01-01

The main purposes of the ionising energy treatment of fresh fruit are: the extension of shelf life of the commodity due to a direct physiological effect on the particular product; the extension of shelf life of the commodity due to a reduction in the development of moulds and rots which would normally render the product worthless; and the killing of insect pests of quarantine significance, to allow for normal marketing of fresh fruit without the risk of introducing insect pests to previously pest-free areas

Properties of an electret ionisation chamber for individual dosimetry in photon radiation fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doerschel, B.; Pretzsch, G.

1985-01-01

The main properties of individual photon dosemeters are their energy and angular dependence and their measuring range and measurement accuracy. The determination of radiation exposure from the dosemeter readout is based on the choice of appropriate conversion factors, taking into account the influence of body backscatter on the dosemeter readout. The measurement range and accuracy of an electret ionisation chamber primarily depend on the electret stability and charge state measurement as well as on the chamber geometry. Dosimetric properties are described for an electret ionisation chamber designed for personnel monitoring. (author)

Determinants of Spatial Distribution in a Bee Community: Nesting Resources, Flower Resources, and Body Size

Science.gov (United States)

Torné-Noguera, Anna; Rodrigo, Anselm; Arnan, Xavier; Osorio, Sergio; Barril-Graells, Helena; da Rocha-Filho, Léo Correia; Bosch, Jordi

2014-01-01

Understanding biodiversity distribution is a primary goal of community ecology. At a landscape scale, bee communities are affected by habitat composition, anthropogenic land use, and fragmentation. However, little information is available on local-scale spatial distribution of bee communities within habitats that are uniform at the landscape scale. We studied a bee community along with floral and nesting resources over a 32 km2 area of uninterrupted Mediterranean scrubland. Our objectives were (i) to analyze floral and nesting resource composition at the habitat scale. We ask whether these resources follow a geographical pattern across the scrubland at bee-foraging relevant distances; (ii) to analyze the distribution of bee composition across the scrubland. Bees being highly mobile organisms, we ask whether bee composition shows a homogeneous distribution or else varies spatially. If so, we ask whether this variation is irregular or follows a geographical pattern and whether bees respond primarily to flower or to nesting resources; and (iii) to establish whether body size influences the response to local resource availability and ultimately spatial distribution. We obtained 6580 specimens belonging to 98 species. Despite bee mobility and the absence of environmental barriers, our bee community shows a clear geographical pattern. This pattern is mostly attributable to heterogeneous distribution of small (nesting substrates. Even then, a large proportion (54.8%) of spatial variability remains unexplained by flower or nesting resources. We conclude that bee communities are strongly conditioned by local effects and may exhibit spatial heterogeneity patterns at a scale as low as 500–1000 m in patches of homogeneous habitat. These results have important implications for local pollination dynamics and spatial variation of plant-pollinator networks. PMID:24824445

Spatial structures of the environment and of dispersal impact species distribution in competitive metacommunities.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dexiecuo Ai

Full Text Available The correspondence between species distribution and the environment depends on species' ability to track favorable environmental conditions (via dispersal and to maintain competitive hierarchy against the constant influx of migrants (mass effect and demographic stochasticity (ecological drift. Here we report a simulation study of the influence of landscape structure on species distribution. We consider lottery competition for space in a spatially heterogeneous environment, where the landscape is represented as a network of localities connected by dispersal. We quantified the contribution of neutrality and species sorting to their spatial distribution. We found that neutrality increases and the strength of species-sorting decreases with the centrality of a community in the landscape when the average dispersal among communities is low, whereas the opposite was found at elevated dispersal. We also found that the strength of species-sorting increases with environmental heterogeneity. Our results illustrate that spatial structure of the environment and of dispersal must be taken into account for understanding species distribution. We stress the importance of spatial geographic structure on the relative importance of niche vs. neutral processes in controlling community dynamics.

Ionising radiation and trans-generational instability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vrhovac, I.; Niksic, G.

2007-01-01

Indirect monitoring of the impact posed by ionising radiation to the genome instability of the descendants, consequent to the irradiation of one of their parents, boils down to the investigation of changes occurring exclusively in the mini-satellite loci of the cells constituting the gametal developmental line. The resultant mini-satellite mutations are expressed in their percentages, and equal to the ratio of the number of mutated alleles in that particular generation over the total number of alleles present. The impact of ionising radiation to the irradiated parent's offspring was first noticed on haematopoietic mouse stem-cells. Even though an irradiated cell of a female parent lacks any mutations whatsoever, daughter cells present with the increased mutation rates. The observed phenomenon of the so called trans-generational instability has been defined as the occurrence of mutations in the genome of individuals originating from the irradiated ancestors. Due to the aforementioned, one can conclude that these mutations need not be present in the irradiated parental cells, and do not necessarily vanish in the next few generations, but may result in the increase in mutation rates observed in the latter. The results of the investigations performed on the animal model, as well as of those carried out in human population, point to the occurrence of significant changes to be found on mini-satellite loci of the descending generation, while the mechanism underlying those changes hasn't been completely clarified yet, and, therefore, calls for the further investigation. (author)

Interference competition as a key determinant for spatial distribution of mangrove crabs

KAUST Repository

Cannicci, Stefano

2018-02-15

The spatial distribution of mangrove crabs has been commonly associated with tree zonation and abiotic factors such as ground temperature and soil granulometry. Conversely, no studies were designed to investigate the role of competition for resources and predation in shaping crab distribution in mangroves, despite these biotic factors are recognised as key determinants for spatial patterns observed in the communities colonising rocky and sandy intertidal habitats.We studied floral and faunal assemblages in two zones of a Sri Lankan mangrove, a man-made upper intertidal level and a natural eulittoral, mid-shore one. Leaf choice experiments were designed to study both feeding rate and intra and inter-specific interactions for food of sesarmid crabs in the two habitats in order to better understand crab spatial distribution.The two intertidal belts differed in terms of floral composition and crab species abundance. The eulittoral zone was strongly dominated by Neosarmatium smithi, while within the elevated littoral fringe four sesarmids (N. smithi, N. asiaticum, N. malabaricum and Muradium tetragonum) were more evenly distributed. At both levels, all sesarmids showed to collect significantly more Bruguiera spp. and Rhizophora apiculata leaves than Excoecaria agallocha ones. There was no temporal segregation in feeding activity among the four species, resulting in a high interference competition for leaves. Regardless of the habitat, N. smithi was always successful in winning inter-specific fights.Our results showed that the elevated littoral fringe was more crowded with crabs, but was less favourable in terms of food availability and environmental conditions. The dominance of N. smithi in gathering mangrove leaves suggests that this species may segregate the other sesarmids into less favourable habitats. The present data strongly suggest for the first time that interference competition for food can contribute to shape mangrove crab spatial distribution.

Interference competition as a key determinant for spatial distribution of mangrove crabs

KAUST Repository

Cannicci, Stefano; Fusi, Marco; Cimó , Filippo; Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid; Fratini, Sara

2018-01-01

The spatial distribution of mangrove crabs has been commonly associated with tree zonation and abiotic factors such as ground temperature and soil granulometry. Conversely, no studies were designed to investigate the role of competition for resources and predation in shaping crab distribution in mangroves, despite these biotic factors are recognised as key determinants for spatial patterns observed in the communities colonising rocky and sandy intertidal habitats.We studied floral and faunal assemblages in two zones of a Sri Lankan mangrove, a man-made upper intertidal level and a natural eulittoral, mid-shore one. Leaf choice experiments were designed to study both feeding rate and intra and inter-specific interactions for food of sesarmid crabs in the two habitats in order to better understand crab spatial distribution.The two intertidal belts differed in terms of floral composition and crab species abundance. The eulittoral zone was strongly dominated by Neosarmatium smithi, while within the elevated littoral fringe four sesarmids (N. smithi, N. asiaticum, N. malabaricum and Muradium tetragonum) were more evenly distributed. At both levels, all sesarmids showed to collect significantly more Bruguiera spp. and Rhizophora apiculata leaves than Excoecaria agallocha ones. There was no temporal segregation in feeding activity among the four species, resulting in a high interference competition for leaves. Regardless of the habitat, N. smithi was always successful in winning inter-specific fights.Our results showed that the elevated littoral fringe was more crowded with crabs, but was less favourable in terms of food availability and environmental conditions. The dominance of N. smithi in gathering mangrove leaves suggests that this species may segregate the other sesarmids into less favourable habitats. The present data strongly suggest for the first time that interference competition for food can contribute to shape mangrove crab spatial distribution.

Temporal acceleration of spatially distributed kinetic Monte Carlo simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatterjee, Abhijit; Vlachos, Dionisios G.

2006-01-01

The computational intensity of kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulation is a major impediment in simulating large length and time scales. In recent work, an approximate method for KMC simulation of spatially uniform systems, termed the binomial τ-leap method, was introduced [A. Chatterjee, D.G. Vlachos, M.A. Katsoulakis, Binomial distribution based τ-leap accelerated stochastic simulation, J. Chem. Phys. 122 (2005) 024112], where molecular bundles instead of individual processes are executed over coarse-grained time increments. This temporal coarse-graining can lead to significant computational savings but its generalization to spatially lattice KMC simulation has not been realized yet. Here we extend the binomial τ-leap method to lattice KMC simulations by combining it with spatially adaptive coarse-graining. Absolute stability and computational speed-up analyses for spatial systems along with simulations provide insights into the conditions where accuracy and substantial acceleration of the new spatio-temporal coarse-graining method are ensured. Model systems demonstrate that the r-time increment criterion of Chatterjee et al. obeys the absolute stability limit for values of r up to near 1

Graphic display of spatially distributed binary-state experimental data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, B.L.

1981-01-01

Experimental data collected from a large number of transducers spatially distributed throughout a three-dimensional volume has typically posed a difficult interpretation task for the analyst. This paper describes one approach to alleviating this problem by presenting color graphic displays of experimental data; specifically, data representing the dynamic three-dimensional distribution of cooling fluid collected during the reflood and refill of simulated nuclear reactor vessels. Color-coded binary data (wet/dry) are integrated with a graphic representation of the reactor vessel and displayed on a high-resolution color CRT. The display is updated with successive data sets and made into 16-mm movies for distribution and analysis. Specific display formats are presented and extension to other applications discussed

Examining the Spatial Distribution of Marijuana Establishments in Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Kerski, Joseph

2018-01-01

In this 22-question activity, high school students investigate the spatial distribution of marijuana stores in Colorado using an interactive web map containing stores, centers, highways, population, and other data at several scales. After completing this lesson, students will know and be able to: (1) Use interactive maps, layers, and tools in…

Impact ionisation rate calculations in wide band gap semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, D.

1998-09-01

Calculations of band-to-band impact ionisation rates performed in the semi-classical Fermi's Golden Rule approximation are presented here for the semiconductors GaAs, In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As and Si 0.5 Ge 0.5 at 300K. The crystal band structure is calculated using the empirical pseudopotential method. To increase the speed with which band structure data at arbitrary k-vectors can be obtained, an interpolation scheme has been developed. Energies are quadratically interpolated on adapted meshes designed to ensure accuracy is uniform throughout the Brillouin zone, and pseudowavefunctions are quadratically interpolated on a regular mesh. Matrix elements are calculated from the pseudowavefunctions, and include the terms commonly neglected in calculations for narrow band gap materials and an isotropic approximation to the full wavevector and frequency dependent dielectric function. The numerical integration of the rate over all distinct energy and wavevector conserving transitions is performed using two different algorithms. Results from each are compared and found to be in good agreement, indicating that the algorithms are reliable. The rates for electrons and holes in each material are calculated as functions of the k-vector of the impacting carriers, and found to be highly anisotropic. Average rates for impacting carriers at a given energy are calculated and fitted to Keldysh-type expressions with higher than quadratic dependence of the rate on energy above threshold being obtained in all cases. The average rates calculated here are compared to results obtained by other workers, with reasonable agreement being obtained for GaAs, and poorer agreement obtained for InGaAs and SiGe. Possible reasons for the disagreement are investigated. The impact ionisation thresholds are examined and k-space and energy distributions of generated carriers are determined. The role of threshold anisotropy, variation in the matrix elements and the shape of the bands in determining

Variations in the Spatial Distribution of Areas of Economic Growth and Stagnation in Poland: Determinants and Consequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Churski Paweł

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This study seeks to identify the spatial distribution of and changes in areas of economic growth and stagnation in Poland resulting from spatial differences in the process of the country’s socio-economic advancement. The research covered two spatial systems, NUTS 2 and NUTS 4, and embraced the following steps: (1 identification of the spatial distribution of areas of economic growth and stagnation, by region and subregion, and of its determinants; (2 analysis of variations in the spatial distribution of areas of economic growth and stagnation, by region and subregion, and of its consequences; and (3 conclusions from the development trajectories identified and recommendations for intervention measures to be taken under cohesion policy.

POPULATION STRUCTURE AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF Ceratozamia mexicana BRONGN. (ZAMIACEAE IN PRESERVED AND DISTURBED ENVIRONMENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrés Rivera-Fernández

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Vegetal populations are affected by biotic and abiotic factors that influence the regeneration processes. The aims of this study were to know the population structure of Ceratozamia mexicana under two contrasting conditions (conserved site and disturbed site, and to determine if the sexual structure, the population density and the spatial distribution of C. mexicana are modified by effect of disturbance. Eight plots of 25 m2 within each site (conserved and disturbed were used. The structure and spatial distribution of the sites were determined. Methods included analysis of variance, spatial distribution indexes, and climatic and edaphic factors determined by conventional methods for their comparison. The conserved site showed a demographic structure of an inverted "J", while the disturbed site varied slightly with more discontinuous distribution. Population density was 0.78 individuals/m2 in the conserved site and 0.26 individuals/m2 in the disturbed site. Spatial distribution for all development stages of the plant was random, with the exception of the seedling stage, which was aggregated. Results showed that perturbation decreases the density of plants and removes reproductive individuals, which threatens the persistence of the population.

Nuclear recoil scintillation and ionisation yields in liquid xenon from ZEPLIN-III data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Horn, M., E-mail: m.horn@imperial.ac.uk [High Energy Physics group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London (United Kingdom); Belov, V.A.; Akimov, D.Yu. [Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Araujo, H.M. [High Energy Physics group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London (United Kingdom); Barnes, E.J. [School of Physics and Astronomy, SUPA University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom); Burenkov, A.A. [Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Chepel, V. [LIP-Coimbra and Department of Physics of the University of Coimbra (Portugal); Currie, A. [High Energy Physics group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London (United Kingdom); Edwards, B. [Particle Physics Department, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton (United Kingdom); Ghag, C.; Hollingsworth, A. [School of Physics and Astronomy, SUPA University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom); Kalmus, G.E. [Particle Physics Department, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton (United Kingdom); Kobyakin, A.S.; Kovalenko, A.G. [Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Lebedenko, V.N. [High Energy Physics group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London (United Kingdom); Lindote, A. [LIP-Coimbra and Department of Physics of the University of Coimbra (Portugal); Particle Physics Department, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton (United Kingdom); Lopes, M.I. [LIP-Coimbra and Department of Physics of the University of Coimbra (Portugal); Luescher, R.; Majewski, P. [Particle Physics Department, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton (United Kingdom); Murphy, A.StJ. [School of Physics and Astronomy, SUPA University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom)

2011-11-24

Scintillation and ionisation yields for nuclear recoils in liquid xenon above 10 keV{sub nr} (nuclear recoil energy) are deduced from data acquired using broadband Am-Be neutron sources. The nuclear recoil data from several exposures to two sources were compared to detailed simulations. Energy-dependent scintillation and ionisation yields giving acceptable fits to the data were derived. Efficiency and resolution effects are treated using a light collection Monte Carlo, measured photomultiplier response profiles and hardware trigger studies. A gradual fall in scintillation yield below {approx}40 keV{sub nr} is found, together with a rising ionisation yield; both are in agreement with the latest independent measurements. The analysis method is applied to the most recent ZEPLIN-III data, acquired with a significantly upgraded detector and a precision-calibrated Am-Be source, as well as to the earlier data from the first run in 2008. A new method for deriving the recoil scintillation yield, which includes sub-threshold S1 events, is also presented which confirms the main analysis.

Spatial distribution of 12 class B notifiable infectious diseases in China: A retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Bin; Fu, Yang; Liu, Jinlin; Mao, Ying

2018-01-01

China is the largest developing country with a relatively developed public health system. To further prevent and eliminate the spread of infectious diseases, China has listed 39 notifiable infectious diseases characterized by wide prevalence or great harm, and classified them into classes A, B, and C, with severity decreasing across classes. Class A diseases have been almost eradicated in China, thus making class B diseases a priority in infectious disease prevention and control. In this retrospective study, we analyze the spatial distribution patterns of 12 class B notifiable infectious diseases that remain active all over China. Global and local Moran's I and corresponding graphic tools are adopted to explore and visualize the global and local spatial distribution of the incidence of the selected epidemics, respectively. Inter-correlations of clustering patterns of each pair of diseases and a cumulative summary of the high/low cluster frequency of the provincial units are also provided by means of figures and maps. Of the 12 most commonly notifiable class B infectious diseases, viral hepatitis and tuberculosis show high incidence rates and account for more than half of the reported cases. Almost all the diseases, except pertussis, exhibit positive spatial autocorrelation at the provincial level. All diseases feature varying spatial concentrations. Nevertheless, associations exist between spatial distribution patterns, with some provincial units displaying the same type of cluster features for two or more infectious diseases. Overall, high-low (unit with high incidence surrounded by units with high incidence, the same below) and high-high spatial cluster areas tend to be prevalent in the provincial units located in western and southwest China, whereas low-low and low-high spatial cluster areas abound in provincial units in north and east China. Despite the various distribution patterns of 12 class B notifiable infectious diseases, certain similarities between

Destruction of Raman biosignatures by ionising radiation and the implications for life detection on Mars.

Science.gov (United States)

Dartnell, Lewis R; Page, Kristian; Jorge-Villar, Susana E; Wright, Gary; Munshi, Tasnim; Scowen, Ian J; Ward, John M; Edwards, Howell G M

2012-04-01

Raman spectroscopy has proven to be a very effective approach for the detection of microorganisms colonising hostile environments on Earth. The ExoMars rover, due for launch in 2018, will carry a Raman laser spectrometer to analyse samples of the martian subsurface collected by the probe's 2-m drill in a search for similar biosignatures. The martian surface is unprotected from the flux of cosmic rays, an ionising radiation field that will degrade organic molecules and so diminish and distort the detectable Raman signature of potential martian microbial life. This study employs Raman spectroscopy to analyse samples of two model organisms, the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and the extremely radiation resistant polyextremophile Deinococcus radiodurans, that have been exposed to increasing doses of ionising radiation. The three most prominent peaks in the Raman spectra are from cellular carotenoids: deinoxanthin in D. radiodurans and β-carotene in Synechocystis. The degradative effect of ionising radiation is clearly seen, with significant diminishment of carotenoid spectral peak heights after 15 kGy and complete erasure of Raman biosignatures by 150 kGy of ionising radiation. The Raman signal of carotenoid in D. radiodurans diminishes more rapidly than that of Synechocystis, believed to be due to deinoxanthin acting as a superior scavenger of radiolytically produced reactive oxygen species, and so being destroyed more quickly than the less efficient antioxidant β-carotene. This study highlights the necessity for further experimental work on the manner and rate of degradation of Raman biosignatures by ionising radiation, as this is of prime importance for the successful detection of microbial life in the martian near subsurface.

Determinants of spatial distribution in a bee community: nesting resources, flower resources, and body size.

Science.gov (United States)

Torné-Noguera, Anna; Rodrigo, Anselm; Arnan, Xavier; Osorio, Sergio; Barril-Graells, Helena; da Rocha-Filho, Léo Correia; Bosch, Jordi

2014-01-01

Understanding biodiversity distribution is a primary goal of community ecology. At a landscape scale, bee communities are affected by habitat composition, anthropogenic land use, and fragmentation. However, little information is available on local-scale spatial distribution of bee communities within habitats that are uniform at the landscape scale. We studied a bee community along with floral and nesting resources over a 32 km2 area of uninterrupted Mediterranean scrubland. Our objectives were (i) to analyze floral and nesting resource composition at the habitat scale. We ask whether these resources follow a geographical pattern across the scrubland at bee-foraging relevant distances; (ii) to analyze the distribution of bee composition across the scrubland. Bees being highly mobile organisms, we ask whether bee composition shows a homogeneous distribution or else varies spatially. If so, we ask whether this variation is irregular or follows a geographical pattern and whether bees respond primarily to flower or to nesting resources; and (iii) to establish whether body size influences the response to local resource availability and ultimately spatial distribution. We obtained 6580 specimens belonging to 98 species. Despite bee mobility and the absence of environmental barriers, our bee community shows a clear geographical pattern. This pattern is mostly attributable to heterogeneous distribution of small (<55 mg) species (with presumed smaller foraging ranges), and is mostly explained by flower resources rather than nesting substrates. Even then, a large proportion (54.8%) of spatial variability remains unexplained by flower or nesting resources. We conclude that bee communities are strongly conditioned by local effects and may exhibit spatial heterogeneity patterns at a scale as low as 500-1000 m in patches of homogeneous habitat. These results have important implications for local pollination dynamics and spatial variation of plant-pollinator networks.

Determinants of spatial distribution in a bee community: nesting resources, flower resources, and body size.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Torné-Noguera

Full Text Available Understanding biodiversity distribution is a primary goal of community ecology. At a landscape scale, bee communities are affected by habitat composition, anthropogenic land use, and fragmentation. However, little information is available on local-scale spatial distribution of bee communities within habitats that are uniform at the landscape scale. We studied a bee community along with floral and nesting resources over a 32 km2 area of uninterrupted Mediterranean scrubland. Our objectives were (i to analyze floral and nesting resource composition at the habitat scale. We ask whether these resources follow a geographical pattern across the scrubland at bee-foraging relevant distances; (ii to analyze the distribution of bee composition across the scrubland. Bees being highly mobile organisms, we ask whether bee composition shows a homogeneous distribution or else varies spatially. If so, we ask whether this variation is irregular or follows a geographical pattern and whether bees respond primarily to flower or to nesting resources; and (iii to establish whether body size influences the response to local resource availability and ultimately spatial distribution. We obtained 6580 specimens belonging to 98 species. Despite bee mobility and the absence of environmental barriers, our bee community shows a clear geographical pattern. This pattern is mostly attributable to heterogeneous distribution of small (<55 mg species (with presumed smaller foraging ranges, and is mostly explained by flower resources rather than nesting substrates. Even then, a large proportion (54.8% of spatial variability remains unexplained by flower or nesting resources. We conclude that bee communities are strongly conditioned by local effects and may exhibit spatial heterogeneity patterns at a scale as low as 500-1000 m in patches of homogeneous habitat. These results have important implications for local pollination dynamics and spatial variation of plant-pollinator networks.

Spatial and temporal patterns of global onshore wind speed distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Yuyu; Smith, Steven J

2013-01-01

Wind power, a renewable energy source, can play an important role in electrical energy generation. Information regarding wind energy potential is important both for energy related modeling and for decision-making in the policy community. While wind speed datasets with high spatial and temporal resolution are often ultimately used for detailed planning, simpler assumptions are often used in analysis work. An accurate representation of the wind speed frequency distribution is needed in order to properly characterize wind energy potential. Using a power density method, this study estimated global variation in wind parameters as fitted to a Weibull density function using NCEP/climate forecast system reanalysis (CFSR) data over land areas. The Weibull distribution performs well in fitting the time series wind speed data at most locations according to R 2 , root mean square error, and power density error. The wind speed frequency distribution, as represented by the Weibull k parameter, exhibits a large amount of spatial variation, a regionally varying amount of seasonal variation, and relatively low decadal variation. We also analyzed the potential error in wind power estimation when a commonly assumed Rayleigh distribution (Weibull k = 2) is used. We find that the assumption of the same Weibull parameter across large regions can result in non-negligible errors. While large-scale wind speed data are often presented in the form of mean wind speeds, these results highlight the need to also provide information on the wind speed frequency distribution. (letter)

Using a spatially-distributed hydrologic biogeochemistry model with nitrogen transport to study the spatial variation of carbon stocks and fluxes in a Critical Zone Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Y.; Eissenstat, D. M.; He, Y.; Davis, K. J.

2017-12-01

Most current biogeochemical models are 1-D and represent one point in space. Therefore, they cannot resolve topographically driven land surface heterogeneity (e.g., lateral water flow, soil moisture, soil temperature, solar radiation) or the spatial pattern of nutrient availability. A spatially distributed forest biogeochemical model with nitrogen transport, Flux-PIHM-BGC, has been developed by coupling a 1-D mechanistic biogeochemical model Biome-BGC (BBGC) with a spatially distributed land surface hydrologic model, Flux-PIHM, and adding an advection dominated nitrogen transport module. Flux-PIHM is a coupled physically based model, which incorporates a land-surface scheme into the Penn State Integrated Hydrologic Model (PIHM). The land surface scheme is adapted from the Noah land surface model, and is augmented by adding a topographic solar radiation module. Flux-PIHM is able to represent the link between groundwater and the surface energy balance, as well as land surface heterogeneities caused by topography. In the coupled Flux-PIHM-BGC model, each Flux-PIHM model grid couples a 1-D BBGC model, while nitrogen is transported among model grids via surface and subsurface water flow. In each grid, Flux-PIHM provides BBGC with soil moisture, soil temperature, and solar radiation, while BBGC provides Flux-PIHM with spatially-distributed leaf area index. The coupled Flux-PIHM-BGC model has been implemented at the Susquehanna/Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory. The model-predicted aboveground vegetation carbon and soil carbon distributions generally agree with the macro patterns observed within the watershed. The importance of abiotic variables (including soil moisture, soil temperature, solar radiation, and soil mineral nitrogen) in predicting aboveground carbon distribution is calculated using a random forest. The result suggests that the spatial pattern of aboveground carbon is controlled by the distribution of soil mineral nitrogen. A Flux-PIHM-BGC simulation

Characterization of spatial distribution of Tetranychus urticae in peppermint in California and implication for improving sampling plan.

Science.gov (United States)

Rijal, Jhalendra P; Wilson, Rob; Godfrey, Larry D

2016-02-01

Twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, is an important pest of peppermint in California, USA. Spider mite feeding on peppermint leaves causes physiological changes in the plant, which coupling with the favorable environmental condition can lead to increased mite infestations. Significant yield loss can occur in absence of pest monitoring and timely management. Understating the within-field spatial distribution of T. urticae is critical for the development of reliable sampling plan. The study reported here aims to characterize the spatial distribution of mite infestation in four commercial peppermint fields in northern California using spatial techniques, variogram and Spatial Analysis by Distance IndicEs (SADIE). Variogram analysis revealed that there was a strong evidence for spatially dependent (aggregated) mite population in 13 of 17 sampling dates and the physical distance of the aggregation reached maximum to 7 m in peppermint fields. Using SADIE, 11 of 17 sampling dates showed aggregated distribution pattern of mite infestation. Combining results from variogram and SADIE analysis, the spatial aggregation of T. urticae was evident in all four fields for all 17 sampling dates evaluated. Comparing spatial association using SADIE, ca. 62% of the total sampling pairs showed a positive association of mite spatial distribution patterns between two consecutive sampling dates, which indicates a strong spatial and temporal stability of mite infestation in peppermint fields. These results are discussed in relation to behavior of spider mite distribution within field, and its implications for improving sampling guidelines that are essential for effective pest monitoring and management.

Analysis of the spatial distribution of infant mortality by cause of death in Austria in 1984 to 2006

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heinzl Harald

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In Austria, over the last 20 years infant mortality declined from 11.2 per 1,000 life births (1985 to 4.7 per 1,000 in1997 but remained rather constant since then. In addition to this time trend we already reported a non-random spatial distribution of infant mortality rates in a recent study covering the time period 1984 to 2002. This present study includes four additional years and now covers about 1.9 million individual birth certificates. It aimes to elucidate the observed non-random spatial distribution in more detail. We split up infant mortality into six groups according to the underlying cause of death. The underlying spatial distribution of standardized mortality ratios (SMR is estimated by univariate models as well as by two models incorporating all six groups simultaneously. Results We observe strong correlations between the individual spatial patterns of SMR's except for "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome" and to some extent for "Peripartal Problems". The spatial distribution of SMR's is non-random with an area of decreased risk in the South-East of Austria. The group "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome" clearly and the group "Peripartal Problems" slightly show deviations from the common pattern. When comparing univariate and multivariate SMR estimates we observe that the resulting spatial distributions are very similar. Conclusion We observe different non-random spatial distributions of infant mortality rates when grouped by cause of death. The models applied were based on individual data thereby avoiding ecological regression bias. The estimated spatial distributions do not substantially depend on the employed estimation method. The observed non-random spatial patterns of Austrian infant mortality remain to appear ambiguous.

Block scale interpretation on the spatial distribution of the fracture system in the study sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Kyung Su; Bae, Dae Seok; Kim, Chun Soo; Koh, Yong Kweon; Kim, Geon Young [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejeon (Korea)

2002-05-01

The safety of waste disposal can be achieved by a complete isolation of radioactive wastes from biosphere or by a retardation of nuclide migration to reach an acceptable dose level. For the deep geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste, the potential pathways of nuclide primarily depend on the spatial distribution characteristics of conductive fractures in rock mass. This study aims to characterize the spatial distribution characteristics of regional lineaments and background fracture system in eastern and western-type granite rock mass. The spatial distribution characteristics of the fracture system around 500m depth has been estimated based on the homogeneous discontinuity domain except for the highly fractured upper zone. 6 refs., 16 figs., 7 tabs. (Author)

Serum ionised calcium and cardiovascular disease in 45-years old men and women followed for 18 years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ogard, Christina Gerlach; Petersen, Janne; Jørgensen, Torben

2006-01-01

) and a broader definition of CVD. Persons with ionised serum calcium in the highest quintile were compared with persons in the lower four quintiles. Results: In a univariate analysis persons with ionised serum calcium in the highest quintile had increased risk of IHD (p=0.001) and CVD (p=0.02) compared...

Problems associated with the effects of low doses of ionising radiations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1996-01-01

This book is the English version of the report number 34 of the Academie des Sciences, published in October 1995, and entitled 'Problemes lies aux effets des faibles doses des radiations ionisantes'. This report had been endorsed by CODER (Comite des Etudes et Rapports) on February 7, 1995. In dealing with problems associated with ionising radiation, a wide range of important aspects must be taken into account and many different international bodies are concerned with them. It was therefore though useful to make the report available in English. Several additions have been made to the original edition: it has been complemented with three appendices on the cellular, molecular and genetic effects of exposure to low doses of ionising radiations ; it was though useful to give, in addition to the references of the chapters and appendices, a summary of the main relevant work published by French research teams over the past few years; an addendum quotes some of the important contributions made over the past year; a symposium devoted to the effects of low doses of ionising radiations, and to repair enzyme systems will be organized by the Academy at the end of 1997. This will provide the opportunity to re-explore the situation in the light of the data accumulated at that time. This field is evolving rapidly and a periodic evaluation of the new data is mandatory. (authors)

Fine-Scale Spatial Heterogeneity in the Distribution of Waterborne Protozoa in a Drinking Water Reservoir.

Science.gov (United States)

Burnet, Jean-Baptiste; Ogorzaly, Leslie; Penny, Christian; Cauchie, Henry-Michel

2015-09-23

The occurrence of faecal pathogens in drinking water resources constitutes a threat to the supply of safe drinking water, even in industrialized nations. To efficiently assess and monitor the risk posed by these pathogens, sampling deserves careful design, based on preliminary knowledge on their distribution dynamics in water. For the protozoan pathogens Cryptosporidium and Giardia, only little is known about their spatial distribution within drinking water supplies, especially at fine scale. Two-dimensional distribution maps were generated by sampling cross-sections at meter resolution in two different zones of a drinking water reservoir. Samples were analysed for protozoan pathogens as well as for E. coli, turbidity and physico-chemical parameters. Parasites displayed heterogeneous distribution patterns, as reflected by significant (oo)cyst density gradients along reservoir depth. Spatial correlations between parasites and E. coli were observed near the reservoir inlet but were absent in the downstream lacustrine zone. Measurements of surface and subsurface flow velocities suggest a role of local hydrodynamics on these spatial patterns. This fine-scale spatial study emphasizes the importance of sampling design (site, depth and position on the reservoir) for the acquisition of representative parasite data and for optimization of microbial risk assessment and monitoring. Such spatial information should prove useful to the modelling of pathogen transport dynamics in drinking water supplies.

Environmental determinants of the spatial distribution of Echinococcus multilocularis in Hungary.

Science.gov (United States)

Tolnai, Z; Széll, Z; Sréter, T

2013-12-06

Human alveolar echinococcosis, caused by the metacestode stage of Echinococcus multilocularis, is one of the most pathogenic zoonoses in the temperate and arctic region of the Northern Hemisphere. To investigate the spatial distribution of E. multilocularis and the factors influencing this distribution in the recently identified endemic area of Hungary, 1612 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) carcasses were randomly collected from the whole Hungarian territory from November 2008 to February 2009 and from November 2012 to February 2013. The topographic positions of foxes were recorded in geographic information system database. The digitized home ranges and the vector data were used to calculate the altitude, mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, soil water retention, soil permeability, areas of land cover types and the presence and buffer zone of permanent water bodies within the fox territories. The intestinal mucosa from all the foxes was tested by sedimentation and counting technique. Multiple regression analysis was performed with environmental parameter values and E. multilocularis counts. The spatial distribution of the parasite was clumped. Based on statistical analysis, mean annual temperature and annual precipitation were the major determinants of the spatial distribution of E. multilocularis in Hungary. It can be attributed to the sensitivity of E. multilocularis eggs to high temperatures and desiccation. Although spreading and emergence of the parasite was observed in Hungary before 2009, the prevalence and intensity of infection did not change significantly between the two collection periods. It can be explained by the considerably lower annual precipitation before the second collection period. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A spatial pattern analysis of the halophytic species distribution in an arid coastal environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Badreldin, Nasem; Uria-Diez, J; Mateu, J; Youssef, Ali; Stal, Cornelis; El-Bana, Magdy; Magdy, Ahmed; Goossens, Rudi

2015-05-01

Obtaining information about the spatial distribution of desert plants is considered as a serious challenge for ecologists and environmental modeling due to the required intensive field work and infrastructures in harsh and remote arid environments. A new method was applied for assessing the spatial distribution of the halophytic species (HS) in an arid coastal environment. This method was based on the object-based image analysis for a high-resolution Google Earth satellite image. The integration of the image processing techniques and field work provided accurate information about the spatial distribution of HS. The extracted objects were based on assumptions that explained the plant-pixel relationship. Three different types of digital image processing techniques were implemented and validated to obtain an accurate HS spatial distribution. A total of 2703 individuals of the HS community were found in the case study, and approximately 82% were located above an elevation of 2 m. The micro-topography exhibited a significant negative relationship with pH and EC (r = -0.79 and -0.81, respectively, p < 0.001). The spatial structure was modeled using stochastic point processes, in particular a hybrid family of Gibbs processes. A new model is proposed that uses a hard-core structure at very short distances, together with a cluster structure in short-to-medium distances and a Poisson structure for larger distances. This model was found to fit the data perfectly well.

Study on plasma visible radiation spatial distribution at the TO-1 tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molotkov, L.I.; Shvindt, N.N.

1977-01-01

The results of spatial distribution measurements of radiation intensities of spectral lines of hydrogen and light plasma impurities in the visible-light spectrum TO-1 tokamak are described. The method of electrochemical scanning with the help of rotating disk with notches was used. The experiments were carried out in the stable regime of discharge and in the regime with breakdown instability. In the stable regime absolute intensities of the spectral lines were measured. The concentration of radiating atoms and ions were calculated using the measured absolute intensities. Besides in order to determine the region in which the discharge appears in the cross section of the TO-1 chamber the spatial distributions of Hsub(β) neutral hydrogen spectral line in the initial stage of the discharge (0 9 cm -3 for the C(3) ion and anti nsub(0)=1.1x10 10 cm -3 for hydrogen atoms. The investigation into spatial distributions of the Hsub(β) line radiation in the initial stage of the filament formation showed that in the overwhelming majority of cases the discharge appears near the internal wall of the tokamak chamber

[Spatial distribution of occupational disease prevalence in Guangzhou and Foshan city by geographic information system].

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Q; Tu, H W; Gu, C H; Li, X D; Li, R Z; Wang, M; Chen, S G; Cheng, Y J; Liu, Y M

2017-11-20

Objective: To explore the occupational disease spatial distribution characteristics in Guangzhou and Foshan city in 2006-2013 with Geographic Information System and to provide evidence for making control strategy. Methods: The data on occupational disease diagnosis in Guangzhou and Foshan city from 2006 through 2013 were collected and linked to the digital map at administrative county level with Arc GIS12.0 software for spatial analysis. Results: The maps of occupational disease and Moran's spatial autocor-relation analysis showed that the spatial aggregation existed in Shunde and Nanhai region with Moran's index 1.727, -0.003. Local Moran's I spatial autocorrelation analysis pointed out the "positive high incidence re-gion" and the "negative high incidence region" during 2006~2013. Trend analysis showed that the diagnosis case increased slightly then declined from west to east, increase obviously from north to south, declined from? southwest to northeast, high in the middle and low on both sides in northwest-southeast direction. Conclusions: The occupational disease is obviously geographical distribution in Guangzhou and Foshan city. The corresponding prevention measures should be made according to the geographical distribution.

Exploring the Powerful Ionised Wind in the Seyfert Galaxy PG1211+143

Science.gov (United States)

Pounds, Ken

2013-10-01

Highly-ionised high-speed winds in AGN (UFOs) were first detected with XMM-Newton a decade ago, and are now established as a key factor in the study of SMBH accretion, and in the growth and metal enrichment of their host galaxies. However, information on the ionisation and dynamical structure, and the ultimate fate of UFOs remains very limited. We request a 600ks extended XMM-Newton study of the prototype UFO PG1211+143 in AO-13, to obtain high quality EPIC and RGS spectra, to map the flow structure and variability, while seeking evidence for the anticipated interaction with the ISM and possible conversion of the energetic wind to a momentum-driven flow.

Long term effects of low doses of ionising radiation: facts and fallacies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iyer, G.K.

1993-01-01

Health effects of low doses of ionising radiation have been a public concern. The public perception of these low effects is that it causes cancer and genetic effects. Enormous amount of work regarding this cancer has been done all over the world, on occupational workers exposed to low doses of ionising radiation. These studies do not show any adverse effect on them. Epidemiological studies done on members of public staying near nuclear facilities also have shown that there is no health risk involved in staying near these facilities. Genetic effects have also shown negative results. These two aspects of health effects of low dose of radiation are discussed in detail. (author). 5 refs., 1 tab

Performance evaluation of synthetic diamond to realize ionisation chamber for radiotherapy application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerrero Waryn, M.J.

2005-09-01

This work focuses on the optimisation of synthetic CVD diamond quality to realize ionisation chambers for radiotherapy. Diamonds samples have been synthesized and characterized using thermally stimulated measurement. These measurements showed the presence of trapping levels due to crystalline defects or impurities in material. The study of the response of these samples under irradiation has showed a correlation between the charged state of traps (priming and overshoot phenomena) and the response of the detector (stabilization of the signal). To remove the overshoot phenomenon which prevents from reproducible measurements, we used a specific operating set up controlling the device temperature. This technique enables to neutralize these instable phenomena and to use CVD diamond for ionisation chamber fabrication. (author)

Spatial relationship between tumor perfusion and endogeneous glucose distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schroeder, T.; Larrier, N.; Viglianti, B.; Rabbani, Z.N.; Peltz, C.; Vujascovic, Z.; Dewhirst, M.W.

2003-01-01

Earlier studies detecting glucose in tissue and solid tumors by bioluminescence imaging suggested, that glucose distribution patterns may be spatially related to functional vascularity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this relationship by comparing glucose distribution patterns as determined by bioluminescence imaging to perfusion patterns of endogeneous Hoechst 33342 in rats bearing mammary carcinomas. R 3230 mammary carcinoma cells have been implanted subcutaneously into 7 female Fischer 344 rats. Two months post implantation, after injection of Hoechst 33342 the tumors were removed and snap frozen to conserve metabolite levels. Concomitantly, blood was sampled from the animals for analysis of glucose concentrations using a micodialysis analyzer. Cryosections of the tumors have been prepared, and every slice has been analyzed for both, Hoechst binding by fluorescence microscopy, and for glucose distribution patterns using bioluminescence imaging. In many cases vascular structures could be retrieved by the spatial pattern of glucose distribution. In some cases however, higher glucose concentrations could be found independent from Hoechst signal. On the other hand, regions of high Hoechst signal are not necessarily correlated with high glucose concentrations. When comparing blood and tissue glucose levels, tissue glucose content as measured with bioluminescence imaging (1.9-3.5 mM) is considerably lower than blood glucose (5.6-8.0 mM), demonstrating the expected gradient from blood to tissue. This study demonstrates the feasibility of monitoring glucose gradients in relation to functional vasculature throughout the body, from blood down to tissue or tumor and further, throughout the microenvironment of the solid tumor. Glucose distribution patterns may be an important tool in perfusion studies, e. g. in detecting the direction of blood flow in ex-vivo samples or in estimating glucose consumption rates of tumor cells adjacent to or in between perfused

Doubling potential of fibroblasts from different species after ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macieira-Coelho, A.; Diatloff, C.; Malaise, E.

1976-01-01

It is stated that whereas chicken fibroblasts invariably die after a certain number of doublings in vitro, and this fact is never altered by chemical or physical agents, mouse fibroblasts invariably acquire spontaneously an infinite growth potential. In the human species fibroblasts never acquire spontaneously the capacity to divide for ever, although they can become permanent cell lines after treatment with certain viruses. This behaviour of fibroblasts in vitro has been attributed to different nutritional requirements. Experiments are described with human and mouse fibroblasts in which it was found that the response to ionising radiation matches the relative tendencies of the fibroblasts to yield permanent cell lines. Irradiation was commenced during the phase of active proliferation. Human fibroblast cultures irradiated with 100 R stopped dividing earlier than the controls, whereas cultures irradiated with 200, 300 and 500 R had the same lifespan as the control cultures. Cultures irradiated with 400 R showed the longest survival. With mouse fibroblasts the growth curves of the irradiated cells were of the same type as in the controls, but recovery occurred earlier. The results indicated that ionising radiation accelerates a natural phenomenon; in cells with a limited growth potential (chicken) it shortens the lifespan, whereas in cells that can acquire an unlimited growth potential (mouse) it accelerates acquisition of this potential; human fibroblasts showed an intermediate response, since ionising radiation neither established the cultures as with mouse cells nor reduced the number of cells produced as with chicken fibroblasts. Possible explanations for the different behaviour of the species are offered. (U.K.)

Non-targeted effects of ionising radiation—Implications for low dose risk

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kadhim, Munira; Salomaa, Sisko; Wright, Eric

2013-01-01

and adaptive responses are powered by fundamental, but not clearly understood systems that maintain tissue homeostasis. Despite excellent research in this field by various groups, there are still gaps in our understanding of the likely mechanisms associated with non-DNA targeted effects, particularly......Non-DNA targeted effects of ionising radiation, which include genomic instability, and a variety of bystander effects including abscopal effects and bystander mediated adaptive response, have raised concerns about the magnitude of low-dose radiation risk. Genomic instability, bystander effects....... Furthermore, it is still not known what the initial target and early interactions in cells are that give rise to non-targeted responses in neighbouring or descendant cells. This paper provides a commentary on the current state of the field as a result of the non-targeted effects of ionising radiation (NOTE...

A novel spatial performance metric for robust pattern optimization of distributed hydrological models

Science.gov (United States)

Stisen, S.; Demirel, C.; Koch, J.

2017-12-01

Evaluation of performance is an integral part of model development and calibration as well as it is of paramount importance when communicating modelling results to stakeholders and the scientific community. There exists a comprehensive and well tested toolbox of metrics to assess temporal model performance in the hydrological modelling community. On the contrary, the experience to evaluate spatial performance is not corresponding to the grand availability of spatial observations readily available and to the sophisticate model codes simulating the spatial variability of complex hydrological processes. This study aims at making a contribution towards advancing spatial pattern oriented model evaluation for distributed hydrological models. This is achieved by introducing a novel spatial performance metric which provides robust pattern performance during model calibration. The promoted SPAtial EFficiency (spaef) metric reflects three equally weighted components: correlation, coefficient of variation and histogram overlap. This multi-component approach is necessary in order to adequately compare spatial patterns. spaef, its three components individually and two alternative spatial performance metrics, i.e. connectivity analysis and fractions skill score, are tested in a spatial pattern oriented model calibration of a catchment model in Denmark. The calibration is constrained by a remote sensing based spatial pattern of evapotranspiration and discharge timeseries at two stations. Our results stress that stand-alone metrics tend to fail to provide holistic pattern information to the optimizer which underlines the importance of multi-component metrics. The three spaef components are independent which allows them to complement each other in a meaningful way. This study promotes the use of bias insensitive metrics which allow comparing variables which are related but may differ in unit in order to optimally exploit spatial observations made available by remote sensing

Estimating the Spatial Distribution of Groundwater Age Using Synoptic Surveys of Environmental Tracers in Streams

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, W. P.

2017-12-01

A model which simulates tracer concentration in surface water as a function the age distribution of groundwater discharge is used to characterize groundwater flow systems at a variety of spatial scales. We develop the theory behind the model and demonstrate its application in several groundwater systems of local to regional scale. A 1-D stream transport model, which includes: advection, dispersion, gas exchange, first-order decay and groundwater inflow is coupled a lumped parameter model that calculates the concentration of environmental tracers in discharging groundwater as a function of the groundwater residence time distribution. The lumped parameters, which describe the residence time distribution, are allowed to vary spatially, and multiple environmental tracers can be simulated. This model allows us to calculate the longitudinal profile of tracer concentration in streams as a function of the spatially variable groundwater age distribution. By fitting model results to observations of stream chemistry and discharge, we can then estimate the spatial distribution of groundwater age. The volume of groundwater discharge to streams can be estimated using a subset of environmental tracers, applied tracers, synoptic stream gauging or other methods, and the age of groundwater then estimated using the previously calculated groundwater discharge and observed environmental tracer concentrations. Synoptic surveys of SF6, CFC's, 3H and 222Rn, along with measured stream discharge are used to estimate the groundwater inflow distribution and mean age for regional scale surveys of the Berland River in west-central Alberta. We find that groundwater entering the Berland has observable age, and that the age estimated using our stream survey is of similar order to limited samples from groundwater wells in the region. Our results show that the stream can be used as an easily accessible location to constrain the regional scale spatial distribution of groundwater age.

ANALYSIS ON THE DYNAMICS OF SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF MIXED SPIDER POPULATION IN RICE FIELD

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

ZhiWang; Zhe-mingYuan; Da-xiangSong; Ming-shengZhu

2004-01-01

The results make it clear that there are total 11 families, 29 genera and 43 species of spiders in the rice field of Dong Fang Hong Farm. Among them, there are 8 families, 19 genera and 28 species in the early rice field, and 10 families, 27 genera and 36 species in the late rice field. The spatial distribution pattern of mixed spider populations in rice fields was different during different development stages of rice plant. During the prophase, metaphase and anaphase of early rice plant development, the spatial distribution pattern of mixed spider populations was aggregative, random and aggregative respectively. During the prophase, metaphase and anaphase of late rice plant development, the spatial distribution pattern was uniform, aggregative and uniform respectively.

Spatial distribution of carbon species in laser ablation of graphite target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikegami, T.; Ishibashi, S.; Yamagata, Y.; Ebihara, K.; Thareja, R.K.; Narayan, J.

2001-01-01

We report on the temporal evolution and spatial distribution of C 2 and C 3 molecules produced by KrF laser ablation of a graphite target using laser induced fluorescence imaging and optical emission spectroscopy. Spatial density profiles of C 2 were measured using two-dimensional fluorescence in various pressures of different ambient (vacuum, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, helium, and argon) gases at various ablation laser fluences and ablation area. A large yield of C 2 is observed in the central part of the plume and near the target surface and its density and distribution was affected by the laser fluence and ambient gas. Fluorescent C 3 was studied in Ar gas and the yield of C 3 is enhanced at higher gas pressure and longer delay times after ablation

AKaplan-Meier estimators of distance distributions for spatial point processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baddeley, A.J.; Gill, R.D.

1997-01-01

When a spatial point process is observed through a bounded window, edge effects hamper the estimation of characteristics such as the empty space function $F$, the nearest neighbour distance distribution $G$, and the reduced second order moment function $K$. Here we propose and study product-limit

Evaluating Bayesian spatial methods for modelling species distributions with clumped and restricted occurrence data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David W Redding

Full Text Available Statistical approaches for inferring the spatial distribution of taxa (Species Distribution Models, SDMs commonly rely on available occurrence data, which is often clumped and geographically restricted. Although available SDM methods address some of these factors, they could be more directly and accurately modelled using a spatially-explicit approach. Software to fit models with spatial autocorrelation parameters in SDMs are now widely available, but whether such approaches for inferring SDMs aid predictions compared to other methodologies is unknown. Here, within a simulated environment using 1000 generated species' ranges, we compared the performance of two commonly used non-spatial SDM methods (Maximum Entropy Modelling, MAXENT and boosted regression trees, BRT, to a spatial Bayesian SDM method (fitted using R-INLA, when the underlying data exhibit varying combinations of clumping and geographic restriction. Finally, we tested how any recommended methodological settings designed to account for spatially non-random patterns in the data impact inference. Spatial Bayesian SDM method was the most consistently accurate method, being in the top 2 most accurate methods in 7 out of 8 data sampling scenarios. Within high-coverage sample datasets, all methods performed fairly similarly. When sampling points were randomly spread, BRT had a 1-3% greater accuracy over the other methods and when samples were clumped, the spatial Bayesian SDM method had a 4%-8% better AUC score. Alternatively, when sampling points were restricted to a small section of the true range all methods were on average 10-12% less accurate, with greater variation among the methods. Model inference under the recommended settings to account for autocorrelation was not impacted by clumping or restriction of data, except for the complexity of the spatial regression term in the spatial Bayesian model. Methods, such as those made available by R-INLA, can be successfully used to account

Evaluating Bayesian spatial methods for modelling species distributions with clumped and restricted occurrence data.

Science.gov (United States)

Redding, David W; Lucas, Tim C D; Blackburn, Tim M; Jones, Kate E

2017-01-01

Statistical approaches for inferring the spatial distribution of taxa (Species Distribution Models, SDMs) commonly rely on available occurrence data, which is often clumped and geographically restricted. Although available SDM methods address some of these factors, they could be more directly and accurately modelled using a spatially-explicit approach. Software to fit models with spatial autocorrelation parameters in SDMs are now widely available, but whether such approaches for inferring SDMs aid predictions compared to other methodologies is unknown. Here, within a simulated environment using 1000 generated species' ranges, we compared the performance of two commonly used non-spatial SDM methods (Maximum Entropy Modelling, MAXENT and boosted regression trees, BRT), to a spatial Bayesian SDM method (fitted using R-INLA), when the underlying data exhibit varying combinations of clumping and geographic restriction. Finally, we tested how any recommended methodological settings designed to account for spatially non-random patterns in the data impact inference. Spatial Bayesian SDM method was the most consistently accurate method, being in the top 2 most accurate methods in 7 out of 8 data sampling scenarios. Within high-coverage sample datasets, all methods performed fairly similarly. When sampling points were randomly spread, BRT had a 1-3% greater accuracy over the other methods and when samples were clumped, the spatial Bayesian SDM method had a 4%-8% better AUC score. Alternatively, when sampling points were restricted to a small section of the true range all methods were on average 10-12% less accurate, with greater variation among the methods. Model inference under the recommended settings to account for autocorrelation was not impacted by clumping or restriction of data, except for the complexity of the spatial regression term in the spatial Bayesian model. Methods, such as those made available by R-INLA, can be successfully used to account for spatial

[Prediction and spatial distribution of recruitment trees of natural secondary forest based on geographically weighted Poisson model].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ling Yu; Liu, Zhao Gang

2017-12-01

Based on the data collected from 108 permanent plots of the forest resources survey in Maoershan Experimental Forest Farm during 2004-2016, this study investigated the spatial distribution of recruitment trees in natural secondary forest by global Poisson regression and geographically weighted Poisson regression (GWPR) with four bandwidths of 2.5, 5, 10 and 15 km. The simulation effects of the 5 regressions and the factors influencing the recruitment trees in stands were analyzed, a description was given to the spatial autocorrelation of the regression residuals on global and local levels using Moran's I. The results showed that the spatial distribution of the number of natural secondary forest recruitment was significantly influenced by stands and topographic factors, especially average DBH. The GWPR model with small scale (2.5 km) had high accuracy of model fitting, a large range of model parameter estimates was generated, and the localized spatial distribution effect of the model parameters was obtained. The GWPR model at small scale (2.5 and 5 km) had produced a small range of model residuals, and the stability of the model was improved. The global spatial auto-correlation of the GWPR model residual at the small scale (2.5 km) was the lowe-st, and the local spatial auto-correlation was significantly reduced, in which an ideal spatial distribution pattern of small clusters with different observations was formed. The local model at small scale (2.5 km) was much better than the global model in the simulation effect on the spatial distribution of recruitment tree number.

Spatial Distribution of Soil Fauna In Long Term No Tillage

Science.gov (United States)

Corbo, J. Z. F.; Vieira, S. R.; Siqueira, G. M.

2012-04-01

The soil is a complex system constituted by living beings, organic and mineral particles, whose components define their physical, chemical and biological properties. Soil fauna plays an important role in soil and may reflect and interfere in its functionality. These organisms' populations may be influenced by management practices, fertilization, liming and porosity, among others. Such changes may reduce the composition and distribution of soil fauna community. Thus, this study aimed to determine the spatial variability of soil fauna in consolidated no-tillage system. The experimental area is located at Instituto Agronômico in Campinas (São Paulo, Brazil). The sampling was conducted in a Rhodic Eutrudox, under no tillage system and 302 points distributed in a 3.2 hectare area in a regular grid of 10.00 m x 10.00 m were sampled. The soil fauna was sampled with "Pitfall Traps" method and traps remained in the area for seven days. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to determine the main statistical moments (mean variance, coefficient of variation, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis). Geostatistical tools were used to determine the spatial variability of the attributes using the experimental semivariogram. For the biodiversity analysis, Shannon and Pielou indexes and richness were calculated for each sample. Geostatistics has proven to be a great tool for mapping the spatial variability of groups from the soil epigeal fauna. The family Formicidae proved to be the most abundant and dominant in the study area. The parameters of descriptive statistics showed that all attributes studied showed lognormal frequency distribution for groups from the epigeal soil fauna. The exponential model was the most suited for the obtained data, for both groups of epigeal soil fauna (Acari, Araneae, Coleoptera, Formicidae and Coleoptera larva), and the other biodiversity indexes. The sampling scheme (10.00 m x 10.00 m) was not sufficient to detect the spatial

THE IMPACT OF SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL RESOLUTIONS IN TROPICAL SUMMER RAINFALL DISTRIBUTION: PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Q. Liu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The abundance or lack of rainfall affects peoples’ life and activities. As a major component of the global hydrological cycle (Chokngamwong & Chiu, 2007, accurate representations at various spatial and temporal scales are crucial for a lot of decision making processes. Climate models show a warmer and wetter climate due to increases of Greenhouse Gases (GHG. However, the models’ resolutions are often too coarse to be directly applicable to local scales that are useful for mitigation purposes. Hence disaggregation (downscaling procedures are needed to transfer the coarse scale products to higher spatial and temporal resolutions. The aim of this paper is to examine the changes in the statistical parameters of rainfall at various spatial and temporal resolutions. The TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA at 0.25 degree, 3 hourly grid rainfall data for a summer is aggregated to 0.5,1.0, 2.0 and 2.5 degree and at 6, 12, 24 hourly, pentad (five days and monthly resolutions. The probability distributions (PDF and cumulative distribution functions(CDF of rain amount at these resolutions are computed and modeled as a mixed distribution. Parameters of the PDFs are compared using the Kolmogrov-Smironov (KS test, both for the mixed and the marginal distribution. These distributions are shown to be distinct. The marginal distributions are fitted with Lognormal and Gamma distributions and it is found that the Gamma distributions fit much better than the Lognormal.

The Impact of Spatial and Temporal Resolutions in Tropical Summer Rainfall Distribution: Preliminary Results

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Q.; Chiu, L. S.; Hao, X.

2017-10-01

The abundance or lack of rainfall affects peoples' life and activities. As a major component of the global hydrological cycle (Chokngamwong & Chiu, 2007), accurate representations at various spatial and temporal scales are crucial for a lot of decision making processes. Climate models show a warmer and wetter climate due to increases of Greenhouse Gases (GHG). However, the models' resolutions are often too coarse to be directly applicable to local scales that are useful for mitigation purposes. Hence disaggregation (downscaling) procedures are needed to transfer the coarse scale products to higher spatial and temporal resolutions. The aim of this paper is to examine the changes in the statistical parameters of rainfall at various spatial and temporal resolutions. The TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) at 0.25 degree, 3 hourly grid rainfall data for a summer is aggregated to 0.5,1.0, 2.0 and 2.5 degree and at 6, 12, 24 hourly, pentad (five days) and monthly resolutions. The probability distributions (PDF) and cumulative distribution functions(CDF) of rain amount at these resolutions are computed and modeled as a mixed distribution. Parameters of the PDFs are compared using the Kolmogrov-Smironov (KS) test, both for the mixed and the marginal distribution. These distributions are shown to be distinct. The marginal distributions are fitted with Lognormal and Gamma distributions and it is found that the Gamma distributions fit much better than the Lognormal.

Spatial root distribution of plants growing in vertical media for use in living walls

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Lars; Dresbøll, Dorte Bodin; Thorup-Kristensen, Kristian

2014-01-01

Background and Aims: For plants growing in living walls, the growth potential is correlated to the roots ability to utilize resources in all parts of the growing medium and thereby to the spatial root distribution. The aim of the study was to test how spatial root distribution was affected...... root growth was limited for plants in the middle or lower parts of the medium and 15N measurements confirmed that only plants in the bottom of the box had active roots in the bottom of the medium. The species differed in root architecture and spatial root distribution. Conclusions: The choice...... by growing medium, planting position and competition from other plants. Methods: Five species (Campanula poscharskyana cv. 'Stella', Fragaria vesca cv. 'Småland', Geranium sanguineum cv. 'Max Frei', Sesleria heufleriana and Veronica officinalis cv. 'Allgrün') were grown in three growing media (coir and two...

Continuous time modelling of dynamical spatial lattice data observed at sparsely distributed times

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jakob Gulddahl; Møller, Jesper

2007-01-01

Summary. We consider statistical and computational aspects of simulation-based Bayesian inference for a spatial-temporal model based on a multivariate point process which is only observed at sparsely distributed times. The point processes are indexed by the sites of a spatial lattice......, and they exhibit spatial interaction. For specificity we consider a particular dynamical spatial lattice data set which has previously been analysed by a discrete time model involving unknown normalizing constants. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using continuous time processes compared...... with discrete time processes in the setting of the present paper as well as other spatial-temporal situations....

Spatial distribution of potential and positive Aedes aegypti breeding sites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Elías Cuartas

2017-03-01

Conclusions: The spatial relationship between positive and potential A. aegypti breeding sites both indoors and outdoors is dynamic and highly sensitive to the characteristics of each territory. Knowing how positive and potential breeding sites are distributed contributes to the prioritization of resources and actions in vector control programs.

Spatial distribution of saline water and possible sources of intrusion ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The spatial distribution of saline water and possible sources of intrusion into Lekki lagoon and transitional effects on the lacustrine ichthyofaunal characteristics were studied during March, 2006 and February, 2008. The water quality analysis indicated that, salinity has drastically increased recently in the lagoon (0.007 to ...

Closing of Coster-Kronig transitions in multiply ionised gold atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banas, D.; Braziewicz, J.; Czarnota, M.; Fijal, I.; Jaskola, M.; Korman, A.; Kretschmer, W.; Pajek, M.; Semaniak, J.

2003-01-01

The paper discusses the effect of closing of L- and M-shell Coster-Kronig (CK) transitions in multiply ionised Au atoms, for which the selected CK transitions become energetically forbidden. This effect plays an important role when the Coster-Kronig energy for single-hole configuration is relatively low, being comparable with a change of the electronic binding energies in multiply ionised atom. We show, by using a simplified model, that for gold the effect of closing of CK transitions occurs for strong L 1 -L 3 M 4,5 transition for the L 1 -subshell as well as the M 3 -M 5 N 6,7 and M 4 -M 5 O 3,4 CK transitions for the M 3 - and M 4 -subshell, respectively. We demonstrate that the discussed effect of closing CK transitions substantially changes the X-ray fluorescence and Coster-Kronig yields and thus has to be considered in interpretation of X-rays excited by heavy ion impact

New ecological mechanism of formation of spatial distribution of radionuclides in river ecosystem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Degermendzhy, A.G.; Shevyrnogov, A.P.; Kosolapova, L.G.; Levin, L.A.; Chernousov, A.V.; Vlasik, P.V.

1996-01-01

Radioecological expeditions on the Yenissei river revealed 'spotty' distribution of radioisotopes in bottom sediments and along the coastline of the river. This work presents results of theoretical analysis of the formation mechanism of stable spatial non-uniformities of river ecosystem components by population interactions of 'predator-prey' type between the phytoplukton and zooplankton. 'Patchiness contrast' (i.e. the amplitude of the radionuclide spatial propagation wave in the water) for the large oscillations control by increasing or decreasing current velocity depends both on the boundary concentrations of phytoplankton and zooplankton and on the established nature of their interpopulation interactions (or coefficients of interactions). Variation of the below given interaction parameters within the 'phytoplanbon-zooplankton' system makes increase the amplitude of spatial distribution wave: decrease of algal growth rate; increase of algal death rate; decrease of zooplankton death rate; increase of interaction coefficients. It was shown for small oscillations that the period of component distribution waves is in proportion to the current velocity and the amplitude of 'small' waves does not depend on the water current velocity. Theoretically it has been also found that with deep limitation of phytoplankton growth by biogenous elements the 'standing wave' is observed to deteriorate and monotonous distribution of radionuclide concentration fields is found to form. (author)

The fractal spatial distribution of pancreatic islets in three dimensions: a self-avoiding growth model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jo, Junghyo; Periwal, Vipul; Hörnblad, Andreas; Ahlgren, Ulf; Kilimnik, German; Hara, Manami

2013-01-01

The islets of Langerhans, responsible for controlling blood glucose levels, are dispersed within the pancreas. A universal power law governing the fractal spatial distribution of islets in two-dimensional pancreatic sections has been reported. However, the fractal geometry in the actual three-dimensional pancreas volume, and the developmental process that gives rise to such a self-similar structure, has not been investigated. Here, we examined the three-dimensional spatial distribution of islets in intact mouse pancreata using optical projection tomography and found a power law with a fractal dimension of 2.1. Furthermore, based on two-dimensional pancreatic sections of human autopsies, we found that the distribution of human islets also follows a universal power law with a fractal dimension of 1.5 in adult pancreata, which agrees with the value previously reported in smaller mammalian pancreas sections. Finally, we developed a self-avoiding growth model for the development of the islet distribution and found that the fractal nature of the spatial islet distribution may be associated with the self-avoidance in the branching process of vascularization in the pancreas. (paper)

Characterizing the spatial distribution of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in fragmented forest landscapes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, T.; Ye, X.P.; Skidmore, A.K.; Toxopeus, A.G.

2010-01-01

Aim. To examine the effects of forest fragmentation on the distribution of the entire wild giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) population, and to propose a modelling approach for monitoring the spatial distribution and habitat of pandas at the landscape scale using Moderate Resolution Imaging

Spatial distribution of enzyme activities along the root and in the rhizosphere of different plants

Science.gov (United States)

Razavi, Bahar S.; Zarebanadkouki, Mohsen; Blagodatskaya, Evgenia; Kuzyakov, Yakov

2015-04-01

Extracellular enzymes are important for decomposition of many biological macromolecules abundant in soil such as cellulose, hemicelluloses and proteins. Activities of enzymes produced by both plant roots and microbes are the primary biological drivers of organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. So far acquisition of in situ data about local activity of different enzymes in soil has been challenged. That is why there is an urgent need in spatially explicit methods such as 2-D zymography to determine the variation of enzymes along the roots in different plants. Here, we developed further the zymography technique in order to quantitatively visualize the enzyme activities (Spohn and Kuzyakov, 2013), with a better spatial resolution We grew Maize (Zea mays L.) and Lentil (Lens culinaris) in rhizoboxes under optimum conditions for 21 days to study spatial distribution of enzyme activity in soil and along roots. We visualized the 2D distribution of the activity of three enzymes:β-glucosidase, leucine amino peptidase and phosphatase, using fluorogenically labelled substrates. Spatial resolution of fluorescent images was improved by direct application of a substrate saturated membrane to the soil-root system. The newly-developed direct zymography shows different pattern of spatial distribution of enzyme activity along roots and soil of different plants. We observed a uniform distribution of enzyme activities along the root system of Lentil. However, root system of Maize demonstrated inhomogeneity of enzyme activities. The apical part of an individual root (root tip) in maize showed the highest activity. The activity of all enzymes was the highest at vicinity of the roots and it decreased towards the bulk soil. Spatial patterns of enzyme activities as a function of distance from the root surface were enzyme specific, with highest extension for phosphatase. We conclude that improved zymography is promising in situ technique to analyze, visualize and quantify

Spatial distribution and vertical variation of arsenic in Guangdong soil profiles, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, H.H.; Yuan, H.X.; Hu, Y.G.; Wu, Z.F.; Zhu, L.A.; Zhu, L.; Li, F.B.; LI, D.Q.

2006-01-01

Total of 260 soil profiles were reported to investigate the arsenic spatial distribution and vertical variation in Guangdong province. The arsenic concentration followed an approximately lognormal distribution. The arsenic geometric mean concentration of 10.4 mg/kg is higher than that of China. An upper baseline concentration of 23.4 mg/kg was estimated for surface soils. The influence of soil properties on arsenic concentration was not important. Arsenic spatial distributions presented similar patterns that high arsenic concentration mainly located in limestone, and sandshale areas, indicating that soil arsenic distribution was dependent on bedrock properties than anthropogenic inputs. Moreover, from A- to C-horizon arsenic geometric mean concentrations had an increasing tendency of 10.4, 10.7 to 11.3 mg/kg. This vertical variation may be related to the lower soil organic matter and soil degradation and erosion. Consequently, the soil arsenic export into surface and groundwaters would reach 1040 t year -1 in the study area. - Soil arsenic movement export is a potential threat to the water quality of the study area

Influence of macular pigment optical density spatial distribution on intraocular scatter.

Science.gov (United States)

Putnam, Christopher M; Bland, Pauline J; Bassi, Carl J

This study evaluated the summed measures of macular pigment optical density (MPOD) spatial distribution and their effects on intraocular scatter using a commercially available device (C-Quant, Oculus, USA). A customized heterochromatic flicker photometer (cHFP) device was used to measure MPOD spatial distribution across the central 16° using a 1° stimulus. MPOD was calculated as a discrete measure and summed measures across the central 1°, 3.3°, 10° and 16° diameters. Intraocular scatter was determined as a mean of 5 trials in which reliability and repeatability measures were met using the C-Quant. MPOD spatial distribution maps were constructed and the effects of both discrete and summed values on intraocular scatter were examined. Spatial mapping identified mean values for discrete MPOD [0.32 (s.d.=0.08)], MPOD summed across central 1° [0.37 (s.d.=0.11)], MPOD summed across central 3.3° [0.85 (s.d.=0.20)], MPOD summed across central 10° [1.60 (s.d.=0.35)] and MPOD summed across central 16° [1.78 (s.d.=0.39)]. Mean intraocular scatter was 0.83 (s.d.=0.16) log units. While there were consistent trends for an inverse relationship between MPOD and scatter, these relationships were not statistically significant. Correlations between the highest and lowest quartiles of MPOD within the central 1° were near significance. While there was an overall trend of decreased intraocular forward scatter with increased MPOD consistent with selective short wavelength visible light attenuation, neither discrete nor summed values of MPOD significantly influence intraocular scatter as measured by the C-Quant device. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.

The study for the Spatial Distribution Pattern of NDVI in the Western of Jilin Province

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shu-jie; Li, Xiao-dong; Yan, Shou-gang

2018-02-01

Using methods of spatial autocorrelation analysis and trend analysis, the paper studies the spatial distribution pattern of NDVI based on the GIMMS NDVI dataset (1998-2008), in Western Jilin. The maximum value for 15d is got through the method of MAX processing. Results show that: the NDVI in growing season shows a rising trend in western Jilin in 1998-2008. In the study area, the NDVI in Western Jilin shows positive spatial autocorrelation in the whole region, but the partial NDVI is apt to scattered distribution, which means the vegetation cover of Western Jilin is generally fragmental.

Behavioral correlates of the distributed coding of spatial context.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Michael I; Killing, Sarah; Morris, Caitlin; O'Donoghue, Alan; Onyiagha, Dikennam; Stevenson, Rosemary; Verriotis, Madeleine; Jeffery, Kathryn J

2006-01-01

Hippocampal place cells respond heterogeneously to elemental changes of a compound spatial context, suggesting that they form a distributed code of context, whereby context information is shared across a population of neurons. The question arises as to what this distributed code might be useful for. The present study explored two possibilities: one, that it allows contexts with common elements to be disambiguated, and the other, that it allows a given context to be associated with more than one outcome. We used two naturalistic measures of context processing in rats, rearing and thigmotaxis (boundary-hugging), to explore how rats responded to contextual novelty and to relate this to the behavior of place cells. In experiment 1, rats showed dishabituation of rearing to a novel reconfiguration of familiar context elements, suggesting that they perceived the reconfiguration as novel, a behavior that parallels that of place cells in a similar situation. In experiment 2, rats were trained in a place preference task on an open-field arena. A change in the arena context triggered renewed thigmotaxis, and yet navigation continued unimpaired, indicating simultaneous representation of both the altered contextual and constant spatial cues. Place cells similarly exhibited a dual population of responses, consistent with the hypothesis that their activity underlies spatial behavior. Together, these experiments suggest that heterogeneous context encoding (or "partial remapping") by place cells may function to allow the flexible assignment of associations to contexts, a faculty that could be useful in episodic memory encoding. Copyright (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Spatial distribution of small-leaved forests in Kuznetskaya depression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. F. Gulyaeva

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the spatial distribution of small-leaved forests in Kuznetskaya depression where they are forest component of zonal forest-steppe vegetation. Two levels of spatial organization were determined. According to mesorelief communities of different associations are organized into topo-ecological series. These series differ by length and set of communities. On higher level spatial distribution is controlled by climate and reflects zonal structure. Central part of the depression is occupied by Artemisio–Betuletum communities in combination with communities of Calamagrostio–Betuletum which occur in more humid habitats. Near the eastern edge of the depres­sion forest vegetation is represented by combination of Trollio–Populetum and Campanulo–Betuletum communities where the first one is more typical for the plain conditions and second one – for the mountainous environment. In south­ern part of the depression communities of Campanulo–Betuletum are widespread in combination with Saussureo–Populetum communities which localized on higher well-moisturized slopes. In north-western part syntaxonomical diversity drops down to one association – Primulo–Betuletum, and communities of Carici–Betuletum association occur across the whole depression in lowest relief positions. Climatically it is possible to distinguish two belts – forest-steppe and subtaiga. Forest-steppe is represented by two types – typical plain forest-steppe in north-western part and submountainous forest-steppe in the central part of depression. Subtaiga belt in the depression is developed on eastern edge, but in western part it exists only on mountain slopes.

Experimental measurements of spatial dose distributions in radiosurgery treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avila-Rodriguez, M. A.; Rodriguez-Villafuerte, M.; Diaz-Perches, R.; Perez-Pastenes, M. A.

2001-01-01

The measurement of stereotactic radiosurgery dose distributions requires an integrating, high-resolution dosimeter capable of providing a spatial map of absorbed dose. This paper describes the use of a commercial radiochromic dye film (GafChromic MD-55-2) to measure radiosurgery dose distributions with 6 MV X-rays in a head phantom. The response of the MD-55-2 was evaluated by digitizing and analyzing the films with conventional computer systems. Radiosurgery dose distributions were measured using the radiochromic film in a spherical acrylic phantom of 16 cm diameter undergoing a typical SRS treatment as a patient, and were compared with dose distributions provided by the treatment planning system. The comparison lead to mean radial differences of ±0.6 mm, ±0.9 mm, ±1.3 mm, ±1.9 mm, and ±2.8 mm, for the 80, 60, 50, 40, and 30% isodose curves, respectively. It is concluded that the radiochromic film is a convenient and useful tool for radiosurgery treatment planning validation

The effect of spatial planning patterns on distribution of pedestrians ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study focuses on public spaces of residential neighbourhoods in the City of Nairobi. It establishes various spatial characteristics, hence patterns, that have a bearing on the distribution of pedestrians therein. A higher encounter rate of pedestrians is a desirable public space quality given that the higher degree of ...

Improving the accuracy of livestock distribution estimates through spatial interpolation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryssinckx, Ward; Ducheyne, Els; Muhwezi, Bernard; Godfrey, Sunday; Mintiens, Koen; Leirs, Herwig; Hendrickx, Guy

2012-11-01

Animal distribution maps serve many purposes such as estimating transmission risk of zoonotic pathogens to both animals and humans. The reliability and usability of such maps is highly dependent on the quality of the input data. However, decisions on how to perform livestock surveys are often based on previous work without considering possible consequences. A better understanding of the impact of using different sample designs and processing steps on the accuracy of livestock distribution estimates was acquired through iterative experiments using detailed survey. The importance of sample size, sample design and aggregation is demonstrated and spatial interpolation is presented as a potential way to improve cattle number estimates. As expected, results show that an increasing sample size increased the precision of cattle number estimates but these improvements were mainly seen when the initial sample size was relatively low (e.g. a median relative error decrease of 0.04% per sampled parish for sample sizes below 500 parishes). For higher sample sizes, the added value of further increasing the number of samples declined rapidly (e.g. a median relative error decrease of 0.01% per sampled parish for sample sizes above 500 parishes. When a two-stage stratified sample design was applied to yield more evenly distributed samples, accuracy levels were higher for low sample densities and stabilised at lower sample sizes compared to one-stage stratified sampling. Aggregating the resulting cattle number estimates yielded significantly more accurate results because of averaging under- and over-estimates (e.g. when aggregating cattle number estimates from subcounty to district level, P interpolation to fill in missing values in non-sampled areas, accuracy is improved remarkably. This counts especially for low sample sizes and spatially even distributed samples (e.g. P <0.001 for a sample of 170 parishes using one-stage stratified sampling and aggregation on district level

Spatial Distribution of Transgenic Protein After Gene Electrotransfer to Porcine Muscle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spanggaard, Iben; Corydon, Thomas; Hojman, Pernille

2012-01-01

Abstract Gene electrotransfer is an effective nonviral technique for delivery of plasmid DNA into tissues. From a clinical perspective, muscle is an attractive target tissue as long-term, high-level transgenic expression can be achieved. Spatial distribution of the transgenic protein following gene...... electrotransfer to muscle in a large animal model has not yet been investigated. In this study, 17 different doses of plasmid DNA (1-1500 μg firefly luciferase pCMV-Luc) were delivered in vivo to porcine gluteal muscle using electroporation. Forty-eight hours post treatment several biopsies were obtained from...... each transfection site in order to examine the spatial distribution of the transgenic product. We found a significantly higher luciferase activity in biopsies from the center of the transfection site compared to biopsies taken adjacent to the center, 1 and 2 cm along muscle fiber orientation (p...

Thermoluminescent properties of CVD diamond: applications to ionising radiation dosimetry; Proprietes thermoluminescentes du diamant CVD: applications a la dosimetrie des rayonnements ionisants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petitfils, A

2007-09-15

Remarkable properties of synthetic diamond (human soft tissue equivalence, chemical stability, non-toxicity) make this material suitable for medical application as thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD). This work highlights the interest of this material as radiotherapy TLD. In the first stage of this work, we looked after thermoluminescent (TL) and dosimetric properties of polycrystalline diamond made by Chemically Vapor Deposited (CVD) synthesis. Dosimetric characteristics are satisfactory as TLD for medical application. Luminescence thermal quenching on diamond has been investigated. This phenomenon leads to a decrease of dosimetric TL peak sensitivity when the heating rate increases. The second part of this work analyses the use of synthetic diamond as TLD in radiotherapy. Dose profiles, depth dose distributions and the cartography of an electron beam obtained with our samples are in very good agreement with results from an ionisation chamber. It is clearly shown that CVD) diamond is of interest to check beams of treatment accelerators. The use of these samples in a control of treatment with Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy underlines good response of synthetic diamond in high dose gradient areas. These results indicate that CVD diamond is a promising material for radiotherapy dosimetry. (author)

Biological monitors for low levels of ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohankumar, M.N.; Jeevanram, R.K.

1995-01-01

The biological effects of high doses of ionising radiation are well understood and the methods of measurement of these doses well established. However the effects due to extremely low doses remain by and large uncertain. This is because of the fact that at such low doses no gross symptoms are seen. In fact, at these levels the occurrence of double strand breaks leading to the formation of chromosomal aberrations like dicentrics is rare and chances of mutation due to base damage are negligible. Hence neither chromosomal aberration studies nor mutational assays are useful for detecting doses of the order of a few milligray. Results of exhaustive work done by various laboratories indicate that below 20 mGy the chromosomal aberration technique based on scoring of dicentrics cannot distinguish between a linear or a threshold model. However indirect methods like unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) appear to be promising for the detection of radiation exposures due to low levels of radiation. This report reviews the available literature on the biological effects of low levels of ionising radiation and highlights the merits and demerits of the various methods employed in the measurement of UDS and SCE. The phenomenon of radio-adaptive response (RAR) and its relation to DNA repair is also discussed. (author)

Study and optimization of the ionisation channel in the Edelweiss dark matter direct detection experiment; Etude et optimisation de la voie ionisation dans l'experience Edelweiss de detection directe de la matiere noire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Censier, B

2006-02-15

The EDELWEISS experiment is aiming at the detection of Weakly Interactive Massive Particles (WIMPs), today's most favoured candidates for solving the dark matter issue. Background ionising particles are identified thanks to the simultaneous measurement of heat and ionisation in the detectors. The main limitation to this method is coming from the ionisation measurement, charge collection being less efficient in some part of the detectors known as 'dead' areas. The specificity of the measurement is due to the use of very low temperatures and low collection fields. This thesis is dedicated to the study of carrier trapping. It involves time-resolved charge measurements as well as a simulation code adapted to the specific physical conditions. We first present results concerning charge trapping at the free surfaces of the detectors. Our method allows to build a surface-charge in a controlled manner by irradiation with a strong radioactive source. This charge is then characterised with a weaker source which acts as a probe. In a second part of the work, bulk-trapping characteristics are deduced from charge collection efficiency measurements, and by an original method based on event localisation in the detector. The results show that a large proportion of the doping impurities are ionised, as indicated independently by the study of degradation by space-charge build-up. In this last part, near-electrodes areas are found to contain large densities of charged trapping centres, in connection with dead-layer effects. (author)

Spatial distribution modelling of the endangered bivalve Pinna nobilis in a Marine Protected Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. VÁZQUEZ-LUIS

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The spatial distribution of Pinna nobilis densities have been analysed through a geostatistical approach in the MPA of Cabrera National Park, Balearic Islands (Spain, Western Mediterranean Sea. Regression kriging was used to model the effect of environmental variables on the density of living individuals of P. nobilis and generate a predictive map of its distribution within the MPA. The environmental variables considered for the model were: depth; slope; habitat type and heterogeneity; wave exposure; and MPA zoning. A total of 378 transects were randomly distributed with a total of 149,000 m2 surveyed at a depth range from 4.2 to 46 m. The recorded P. nobilis densities are among the highest in the Mediterranean Sea. With respect to the prediction model, results indicate that benthic habitats play a key role in the spatial distribution of P. nobilis, with higher densities in seagrass meadows of Posidonia oceanica. The fan mussel population density peaked at 9 m depth, decreasing with depth. Also, decreasing densities are expected with increasing exposure to waves. The predicted map shows some hotspots of density different in size and distributed along the MPA, and provides valuable information for the spatial conservation management of this species.

STRUCTURE, SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION AND SEED YIELD FOR ANDIROBA (Carapa guianensis Aubl. IN SOUTH RORAIMA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helio Tonini

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Andiroba is one of the Amazon species with great potential of exploration for timber and non-timber forest products (NFTPs. This work was carried out with the objective of studying the population structure, spatial distribution and seed yield in a native forest of andiroba in the south of Roraima state. A permanent sample plot of 300 x 300 m (9 ha was installed and all the trees with DBH equal or superior to 10 cm were identified, mapped and measured. In each tree, the light climate, crown form and lianas load were appraised. To identify the spatial distribution, the medium variance/average rate and the Morisita’s Index were used. The seed yield data were obtained by the seed weighing, being 145 trees monitored during 2006. The population presented a diametric distribution of the j inverted type, and a seed yield of 65,4 kg.ha-1 with average of 8,3 kg.tree-1 was observed. DBH ≥ 30 cm was considered as borderline for commercial seed yield, allowing stratifying the population in juveniles (DBH ≤ 30 cm and adults (DBH > 30 cm. The spatial distribution analysis showed that adult individuals presented random distribution and the juveniles tendency of grouping.

Ionising radiation safety training in the Australian defence organisation (ADO)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenks, G.J.; O'Donovan, E.J.B.; Wood, W.B.

1996-01-01

Full text: Training personnel in ionising radiation safety within the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) requires addressing some unique features of an organisation employing both military and civilian personnel. Activities may include those of a civil nature (such as industrial and medical radiography), specific military requirements (for training and emergency response) and scientific research and development. Some personnel may be assigned to full-time duties associated with radiation, while others may be designated as radiation protection officers in remote units with few duties to perform in this role. A further complication is that most military personnel are subjected to postings at regular intervals. The ADO's Directorate of Defence Occupational Health and Safety has established an Ionising Radiation Safety Subcommittee to monitor not only the adequacy of the internal Ionising Radiation Safety Manual but also the training requirements. A training course, responding to these requirements, has been developed to emphasise: basic radiation theory and protection; operation of radiation monitors available in the ADO; an understanding of the Safety Manual; day-to-day radiation safety in units and establishments; and appropriate responses to radiation accidents and emergencies. In addition, students are briefed on a limited number of peripheral topics and participate in some site visits. Currently, two Courses are held annually, each with about twenty students. Most of the material is presented by ADO personnel with external contractor support. The three Courses held to date have proved sufficiently successful, both for the students and the ADO generally, to seek national accreditation through the Australian National Training Authority and, as a first step, competency standards have been identified

Spatial distribution of juvenile and adult stages of limnetic Cladocera in relation to selected environmental factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Małgorzata Adamczuk

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Environmental factors have a varied impact on the development of juvenile and adult Cladocera, depending on their different physiological conditions and body size. The values of these factors alter spatially and temporarily, thus implying that they play a role in the spatial distribution of the pre-reproductive and potentially reproductive stages of cladocerans. The aim of the study was to determine seasonal and spatial variations in the distribution of juvenile and adult individuals of limnetic Cladocera in relation to selected physicochemical factors (temperature, conductivity, pH, concentration of dissolved oxygen, total organic carbon, total suspended solids and fish predation pressure (measured by Chesson’s coefficient λ in deep Lake Piaseczno (eastern Poland. Adult Cladocera displayed spatial distribution related to fish predation pressure. The species selectively eaten, B. coregoni and D. longispina, and non-selectively eaten, D. cucullata, selected the pelagic zone to exist, whereas those avoided by fish, D. brachyurum and B. longirostris, were evenly distributed in the littoral and pelagic zone. Juvenile cladocerans were strongly impacted by physico-chemical factors. Juvenile Daphnia, Diaphanosoma and B. longirostris showed preferences to biotic zones similar to the adults but differed in their habitat choices. Juvenile and adult stages of B. coregoni differed in their distribution, indicating that adult individuals impacted by high predation pressure alternatively modified their habitat selection. Principal component analysis (PCA ordination showed a seasonal tendency for the spatial segregation of the cladocerans, suggesting that possible competitive interactions between the studied cladocerans may also influence their distribution patterns.

Mosquito-producing containers, spatial distribution, and relationship between Aedes aegypti population indices on the southern boundary of its distribution in South America (Salto, Uruguay).

Science.gov (United States)

Basso, César; Caffera, Ruben M; García da Rosa, Elsa; Lairihoy, Rosario; González, Cristina; Norbis, Walter; Roche, Ingrid

2012-12-01

A study was conducted in the city of Salto, Uruguay, to identify mosquito-producing containers, the spatial distribution of mosquitoes and the relationship between the different population indices of Aedes aegypti. On each of 312 premises visited, water-filled containers and immature Ae. aegypti mosquitoes were identified. The containers were counted and classified into six categories. Pupae per person and Stegomyia indices were calculated. Pupae per person were represented spatially. The number of each type of container and number of mosquitoes in each were analyzed and compared, and their spatial distribution was analyzed. No significant differences in the number of the different types of containers with mosquitoes or in the number of mosquitoes in each were found. The distribution of the containers with mosquito was random and the distribution of mosquitoes by type of container was aggregated or highly aggregated.

Mosquito-Producing Containers, Spatial Distribution, and Relationship between Aedes aegypti Population Indices on the Southern Boundary of its Distribution in South America (Salto, Uruguay)

Science.gov (United States)

Basso, César; Caffera, Ruben M.; García da Rosa, Elsa; Lairihoy, Rosario; González, Cristina; Norbis, Walter; Roche, Ingrid

2012-01-01

A study was conducted in the city of Salto, Uruguay, to identify mosquito-producing containers, the spatial distribution of mosquitoes and the relationship between the different population indices of Aedes aegypti. On each of 312 premises visited, water-filled containers and immature Ae. aegypti mosquitoes were identified. The containers were counted and classified into six categories. Pupae per person and Stegomyia indices were calculated. Pupae per person were represented spatially. The number of each type of container and number of mosquitoes in each were analyzed and compared, and their spatial distribution was analyzed. No significant differences in the number of the different types of containers with mosquitoes or in the number of mosquitoes in each were found. The distribution of the containers with mosquito was random and the distribution of mosquitoes by type of container was aggregated or highly aggregated. PMID:23128295

Dynamics of ionisation and entanglement in the 'atom + quantum electromagnetic field' system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharapova, P R; Tikhonova, O V [Department of Physics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russian Federation)

2012-03-31

The dynamics of a model Rydberg atom in a strong nonclassical electromagnetic field is investigated. The field-induced transitions to the continuum involving different numbers of photons (with intermediate states in the discrete spectrum) are taken into account and the specific features of ionisation in 'squeezed' field states are considered in comparison with the case of classical light. A significant decrease in the ionisation rate is found, which is caused by the interference stabilisation of the atomic system. The entanglement of the atomic and field subsystems, the temporal dynamics of the correlations found, and the possibility of measuring them are analysed.

Optimization of spatial light distribution through genetic algorithms for vision systems applied to quality control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castellini, P; Cecchini, S; Stroppa, L; Paone, N

2015-01-01

The paper presents an adaptive illumination system for image quality enhancement in vision-based quality control systems. In particular, a spatial modulation of illumination intensity is proposed in order to improve image quality, thus compensating for different target scattering properties, local reflections and fluctuations of ambient light. The desired spatial modulation of illumination is obtained by a digital light projector, used to illuminate the scene with an arbitrary spatial distribution of light intensity, designed to improve feature extraction in the region of interest. The spatial distribution of illumination is optimized by running a genetic algorithm. An image quality estimator is used to close the feedback loop and to stop iterations once the desired image quality is reached. The technique proves particularly valuable for optimizing the spatial illumination distribution in the region of interest, with the remarkable capability of the genetic algorithm to adapt the light distribution to very different target reflectivity and ambient conditions. The final objective of the proposed technique is the improvement of the matching score in the recognition of parts through matching algorithms, hence of the diagnosis of machine vision-based quality inspections. The procedure has been validated both by a numerical model and by an experimental test, referring to a significant problem of quality control for the washing machine manufacturing industry: the recognition of a metallic clamp. Its applicability to other domains is also presented, specifically for the visual inspection of shoes with retro-reflective tape and T-shirts with paillettes. (paper)

Structure and Spatial Distribution of Ge Nanocrystals Subjected to Fast Neutron Irradiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander N. Ionov

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The influence of fast neutron irradiation on the structure and spatial distribution of Ge nanocrystals (NC embedded in an amorphous SiO2 matrix has been studied. The investigation was conducted by means of laser Raman Scattering (RS, High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS. The irradiation of Ge- NC samples by a high dose of fast neutrons lead to a partial destruction of the nanocrystals. Full reconstruction of crystallinity was achieved after annealing the radiation damage at 8000C, which resulted in full restoration of the RS spectrum. HR-TEM images show, however, that the spatial distributions of Ge-NC changed as a result of irradiation and annealing. A sharp decrease in NC distribution towards the SiO2 surface has been observed. This was accompanied by XPS detection of Ge oxides and elemental Ge within both the surface and subsurface region.

Spatially Explicit Modeling Reveals Cephalopod Distributions Match Contrasting Trophic Pathways in the Western Mediterranean Sea.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Puerta

Full Text Available Populations of the same species can experience different responses to the environment throughout their distributional range as a result of spatial and temporal heterogeneity in habitat conditions. This highlights the importance of understanding the processes governing species distribution at local scales. However, research on species distribution often averages environmental covariates across large geographic areas, missing variability in population-environment interactions within geographically distinct regions. We used spatially explicit models to identify interactions between species and environmental, including chlorophyll a (Chla and sea surface temperature (SST, and trophic (prey density conditions, along with processes governing the distribution of two cephalopods with contrasting life-histories (octopus and squid across the western Mediterranean Sea. This approach is relevant for cephalopods, since their population dynamics are especially sensitive to variations in habitat conditions and rarely stable in abundance and location. The regional distributions of the two cephalopod species matched two different trophic pathways present in the western Mediterranean Sea, associated with the Gulf of Lion upwelling and the Ebro river discharges respectively. The effects of the studied environmental and trophic conditions were spatially variant in both species, with usually stronger effects along their distributional boundaries. We identify areas where prey availability limited the abundance of cephalopod populations as well as contrasting effects of temperature in the warmest regions. Despite distributional patterns matching productive areas, a general negative effect of Chla on cephalopod densities suggests that competition pressure is common in the study area. Additionally, results highlight the importance of trophic interactions, beyond other common environmental factors, in shaping the distribution of cephalopod populations. Our study presents

Environmental DNA reflects spatial and temporal jellyfish distribution.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toshifumi Minamoto

Full Text Available Recent development of environmental DNA (eDNA analysis allows us to survey underwater macro-organisms easily and cost effectively; however, there have been no reports on eDNA detection or quantification for jellyfish. Here we present the first report on an eDNA analysis of marine jellyfish using Japanese sea nettle (Chrysaora pacifica as a model species by combining a tank experiment with spatial and temporal distribution surveys. We performed a tank experiment monitoring eDNA concentrations over a range of time intervals after the introduction of jellyfish, and quantified the eDNA concentrations by quantitative real-time PCR. The eDNA concentrations peaked twice, at 1 and 8 h after the beginning of the experiment, and became stable within 48 h. The estimated release rates of the eDNA in jellyfish were higher than the rates previously reported in fishes. A spatial survey was conducted in June 2014 in Maizuru Bay, Kyoto, in which eDNA was collected from surface water and sea floor water samples at 47 sites while jellyfish near surface water were counted on board by eye. The distribution of eDNA in the bay corresponded with the distribution of jellyfish inferred by visual observation, and the eDNA concentration in the bay was ~13 times higher on the sea floor than on the surface. The temporal survey was conducted from March to November 2014, in which jellyfish were counted by eye every morning while eDNA was collected from surface and sea floor water at three sampling points along a pier once a month. The temporal fluctuation pattern of the eDNA concentrations and the numbers of observed individuals were well correlated. We conclude that an eDNA approach is applicable for jellyfish species in the ocean.

Environmental determinants of the spatial distribution of Alaria alata in Hungary.

Science.gov (United States)

Széll, Z; Tolnai, Z; Sréter, T

2013-11-15

Alaria alata is a potential zoonotic parasite, which is widely distributed in Eurasia. To assess the risk of human infection, it is important to know the spatial distribution pattern of the parasite and factors influencing this pattern. To investigate these relationships, 1612 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) carcasses were randomly collected from the whole Hungarian territory, and the intestines were examined by sedimentation and counting technique. The spatial distribution of the parasite was highly clumped. The topographic positions where the foxes had been shot and the intensity of infections were recorded in geographic information system database. Digitized home ranges of infected and uninfected foxes were analysed on the background of geographic vector data of altitude, land cover types, permanent waters, mean annual temperature, annual precipitation and soil permeability. Multiple regression analysis was performed with environmental parameter values and A. alata scores. Based on the statistical analysis, lack of permanent waters, mean annual temperature, annual precipitation and soil permeability were the major determinants of the spatial distribution of A. alata. It can be explained by the use of biotopes by the intermediate hosts. The lack of permanent waters results in the use of temporary waters by the second intermediate hosts, frogs. The higher temperature, the lower precipitation and the higher soil permeability lead to earlier desiccation of temporary waters, and tadpoles and frogs infected with mesocercariae can be more easily predated by the final hosts (e.g., red foxes). Moreover, temporary waters are more easily contaminated with the faeces of the final hosts containing eggs than permanent waters. Therefore, high infection rate with A. alata can be expected mainly in lowland areas, where the hydrogeography of permanent waters is less complex, the precipitation is lower, the mean temperature and the soil permeability are higher than in highland areas

A Comparative Study of Spatially Clustered Distribution of Jumbo Flying Squid (Dosidicus gigas) Offshore Peru

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

FENG Yongjiu; CUI Li; CHEN Xinjun; LIU Yu

2017-01-01

We examined spatially clustered distribution of jumbo flying squid (Dosidicus gigas) in the offshore waters of Peru bounded by 78°-86°W and 8°-20°S under 0.5°×0.5° fishing grid.The study is based on the catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and fishing effort from Chinese mainland squid jigging fleet in 2003-2004 and 2006-2013.The data for all years as well as the eight years (excluding E1 Ni(n)o events) were studied to examine the effect of climate variation on the spatial distribution of D.gigas.Five spatial clusters reflecting the spatial distribution were computed using K-means and Getis-Ord Gi* for a detailed comparative study.Our results showed that clusters identified by the two methods were quite different in terms of their spatial patterns,and K-means was not as accurate as Getis-Ord Gi*,as inferred from the agreement degree and receiver operating characteristic.There were more areas of hot and cold spots in years without the impact of El Ni(n)o,suggesting that such large-scale climate variations could reduce the clustering level ofD.gigas.The catches also showed that warm E1 Ni(n)o conditions and high water temperature were less favorable for D.gigas offshore Peru.The results suggested that the use of K-means is preferable if the aim is to discover the spatial distribution of each sub-region (cluster) of the study area,while Getis-Ord Gi* is preferable if the aim is to identify statistically significant hot spots that may indicate the central fishing ground.

A comparative study of spatially clustered distribution of jumbo flying squid ( Dosidicus gigas) offshore Peru

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yongjiu; Cui, Li; Chen, Xinjun; Liu, Yu

2017-06-01

We examined spatially clustered distribution of jumbo flying squid ( Dosidicus gigas) in the offshore waters of Peru bounded by 78°-86°W and 8°-20°S under 0.5°×0.5° fishing grid. The study is based on the catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and fishing effort from Chinese mainland squid jigging fleet in 2003-2004 and 2006-2013. The data for all years as well as the eight years (excluding El Niño events) were studied to examine the effect of climate variation on the spatial distribution of D. gigas. Five spatial clusters reflecting the spatial distribution were computed using K-means and Getis-Ord Gi* for a detailed comparative study. Our results showed that clusters identified by the two methods were quite different in terms of their spatial patterns, and K-means was not as accurate as Getis-Ord Gi*, as inferred from the agreement degree and receiver operating characteristic. There were more areas of hot and cold spots in years without the impact of El Niño, suggesting that such large-scale climate variations could reduce the clustering level of D. gigas. The catches also showed that warm El Niño conditions and high water temperature were less favorable for D. gigas offshore Peru. The results suggested that the use of K-means is preferable if the aim is to discover the spatial distribution of each sub-region (cluster) of the study area, while Getis-Ord Gi* is preferable if the aim is to identify statistically significant hot spots that may indicate the central fishing ground.

Agent-based Algorithm for Spatial Distribution of Objects

KAUST Repository

Collier, Nathan

2012-06-02

In this paper we present an agent-based algorithm for the spatial distribution of objects. The algorithm is a generalization of the bubble mesh algorithm, initially created for the point insertion stage of the meshing process of the finite element method. The bubble mesh algorithm treats objects in space as bubbles, which repel and attract each other. The dynamics of each bubble are approximated by solving a series of ordinary differential equations. We present numerical results for a meshing application as well as a graph visualization application.

Study and optimization of the ionisation channel in the Edelweiss dark matter direct detection experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Censier, B.

2006-02-01

The EDELWEISS experiment is aiming at the detection of Weakly Interactive Massive Particles (WIMPs), today's most favoured candidates for solving the dark matter issue. Background ionising particles are identified thanks to the simultaneous measurement of heat and ionisation in the detectors. The main limitation to this method is coming from the ionisation measurement, charge collection being less efficient in some part of the detectors known as 'dead' areas. The specificity of the measurement is due to the use of very low temperatures and low collection fields. This thesis is dedicated to the study of carrier trapping. It involves time-resolved charge measurements as well as a simulation code adapted to the specific physical conditions. We first present results concerning charge trapping at the free surfaces of the detectors. Our method allows to build a surface-charge in a controlled manner by irradiation with a strong radioactive source. This charge is then characterised with a weaker source which acts as a probe. In a second part of the work, bulk-trapping characteristics are deduced from charge collection efficiency measurements, and by an original method based on event localisation in the detector. The results show that a large proportion of the doping impurities are ionised, as indicated independently by the study of degradation by space-charge build-up. In this last part, near-electrodes areas are found to contain large densities of charged trapping centres, in connection with dead-layer effects. (author)

Ionising radiation: a guide to the Regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, Donald.

1986-01-01

The author explains the basic requirements on health and safety personnel in relation to the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985. The outline paper is presented under the following headings: Dose assessment, Interpretation and general regulations 1-5, Dose limitation regulations 6 and 7, Regulation of work - regulations 8-12, Dosimetry and medical surveillance - regulations 13-17, summary of records to be kept, entry to controlled areas, Control of radioactive substances -regulations 18-23, Monitoring of radiation regulation 24, Assessments and notifications - regulations 25-31, Safety of articles and equipment - regulations 32-34, Other guidance. (U.K.)

Analysis of thrips distribution: application of spatial statistics and Kriging

Science.gov (United States)

John Aleong; Bruce L. Parker; Margaret Skinner; Diantha Howard

1991-01-01

Kriging is a statistical technique that provides predictions for spatially and temporally correlated data. Observations of thrips distribution and density in Vermont soils are made in both space and time. Traditional statistical analysis of such data assumes that the counts taken over space and time are independent, which is not necessarily true. Therefore, to analyze...

A spatial scan statistic for survival data based on Weibull distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatt, Vijaya; Tiwari, Neeraj

2014-05-20

The spatial scan statistic has been developed as a geographical cluster detection analysis tool for different types of data sets such as Bernoulli, Poisson, ordinal, normal and exponential. We propose a scan statistic for survival data based on Weibull distribution. It may also be used for other survival distributions, such as exponential, gamma, and log normal. The proposed method is applied on the survival data of tuberculosis patients for the years 2004-2005 in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, India. Simulation studies reveal that the proposed method performs well for different survival distribution functions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Calibration of a distributed hydrologic model using observed spatial patterns from MODIS data

Science.gov (United States)

Demirel, Mehmet C.; González, Gorka M.; Mai, Juliane; Stisen, Simon

2016-04-01

Distributed hydrologic models are typically calibrated against streamflow observations at the outlet of the basin. Along with these observations from gauging stations, satellite based estimates offer independent evaluation data such as remotely sensed actual evapotranspiration (aET) and land surface temperature. The primary objective of the study is to compare model calibrations against traditional downstream discharge measurements with calibrations against simulated spatial patterns and combinations of both types of observations. While the discharge based model calibration typically improves the temporal dynamics of the model, it seems to give rise to minimum improvement of the simulated spatial patterns. In contrast, objective functions specifically targeting the spatial pattern performance could potentially increase the spatial model performance. However, most modeling studies, including the model formulations and parameterization, are not designed to actually change the simulated spatial pattern during calibration. This study investigates the potential benefits of incorporating spatial patterns from MODIS data to calibrate the mesoscale hydrologic model (mHM). This model is selected as it allows for a change in the spatial distribution of key soil parameters through the optimization of pedo-transfer function parameters and includes options for using fully distributed daily Leaf Area Index (LAI) values directly as input. In addition the simulated aET can be estimated at a spatial resolution suitable for comparison to the spatial patterns observed with MODIS data. To increase our control on spatial calibration we introduced three additional parameters to the model. These new parameters are part of an empirical equation to the calculate crop coefficient (Kc) from daily LAI maps and used to update potential evapotranspiration (PET) as model inputs. This is done instead of correcting/updating PET with just a uniform (or aspect driven) factor used in the mHM model

A modal approach to modeling spatially distributed vibration energy dissipation.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Segalman, Daniel Joseph

2010-08-01

The nonlinear behavior of mechanical joints is a confounding element in modeling the dynamic response of structures. Though there has been some progress in recent years in modeling individual joints, modeling the full structure with myriad frictional interfaces has remained an obstinate challenge. A strategy is suggested for structural dynamics modeling that can account for the combined effect of interface friction distributed spatially about the structure. This approach accommodates the following observations: (1) At small to modest amplitudes, the nonlinearity of jointed structures is manifest primarily in the energy dissipation - visible as vibration damping; (2) Correspondingly, measured vibration modes do not change significantly with amplitude; and (3) Significant coupling among the modes does not appear to result at modest amplitudes. The mathematical approach presented here postulates the preservation of linear modes and invests all the nonlinearity in the evolution of the modal coordinates. The constitutive form selected is one that works well in modeling spatially discrete joints. When compared against a mathematical truth model, the distributed dissipation approximation performs well.

Voxel anthropomorphic phantoms: review of models used for ionising radiation dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemosquet, A.; Carlan, L. de; Clairand, I.

2003-01-01

Computational anthropomorphic phantoms have been used since the 1970's for dosimetric calculations. Realistic geometries are required for this operation, resulting in the development of ever more accurate phantoms. Voxel phantoms, consisting of a set of small-volume elements, appeared towards the end of the 1980's, and significantly improved on the original mathematical models. Voxel phantoms are models of the human body, obtained using computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance images (MRI). These phantoms are an extremely accurate representation of the human anatomy. This article provides a review of the literature available on the development of these phantoms and their applications in ionising radiation dosimetry. The bibliographical study has shown that there is a wide range of phantoms, covering various characteristics of the general population in terms of sex, age or morphology, and that they are used in applications relating to all aspects of ionising radiation. (author)

Occupational Exposure to Ionising Radiation in Greece (1994-1998)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamenopoulou, V.; Drikos, G.; Dimitriou, P.

2000-01-01

This study was scheduled in order to analyse the individual annual dose information on classified workers in Greece, monitored and assessed by the central dosimetry service at the Greek Atomic Energy Commission for the years 1994-98. This service provides film badges to about 7500 workers all over the country on a monthly basis. Dose summaries were recorded and processed by the Dose Registry Information System, the database of which has been totally renewed since 1994. The statistical analysis provided refers to and deals with the mean annual dose, the collective dose, the distribution of the dose over the different specialities and the number of workers that have exceeded any of the established dose levels. Results concerning the annual dose summaries demonstrate a decrease in the collective and the mean individual dose to workers in the year 1995 and a slight but steady year-by-year increase thereafter during the period under consideration. This increasing tendency is discussed along with the increase in the ionising radiation applications, especially those in the medical sector, the change of the positioning of the film badge and the quality control measures provided by Greek law for radiation laboratories. (author)

Spatial Differences in the Distribution of Bone Between Femoral Neck and Trochanteric Fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Aihong; Carballido-Gamio, Julio; Wang, Ling; Lang, Thomas F; Su, Yongbin; Wu, Xinbao; Wang, Manyi; Wei, Jie; Yi, Chen; Cheng, Xiaoguang

2017-08-01

There is little knowledge about the spatial distribution differences in volumetric bone mineral density and cortical bone structure at the proximal femur between femoral neck fractures and trochanteric fractures. In this case-control study, a total of 93 women with fragility hip fractures, 72 with femoral neck fractures (mean ± SD age: 70.6 ± 12.7 years) and 21 with trochanteric fractures (75.6 ± 9.3 years), and 50 control subjects (63.7 ± 7.0 years) were included for the comparisons. Differences in the spatial distributions of volumetric bone mineral density, cortical bone thickness, cortical volumetric bone mineral density, and volumetric bone mineral density in a layer adjacent to the endosteal surface were investigated using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and surface-based statistical parametric mapping (SPM). We compared these spatial distributions between controls and both types of fracture, and between the two types of fracture. Using VBM, we found spatially heterogeneous volumetric bone mineral density differences between control subjects and subjects with hip fracture that varied by fracture type. Interestingly, femoral neck fracture subjects, but not subjects with trochanteric fracture, showed significantly lower volumetric bone mineral density in the superior aspect of the femoral neck compared with controls. Using surface-based SPM, we found that compared with controls, both fracture types showed thinner cortices in regions in agreement with the type of fracture. Most outcomes of cortical and endocortical volumetric bone mineral density comparisons were consistent with VBM results. Our results suggest: 1) that the spatial distribution of trabecular volumetric bone mineral density might play a significant role in hip fracture; 2) that focal cortical bone thinning might be more relevant in femoral neck fractures; and 3) that areas of reduced cortical and endocortical volumetric bone mineral density might be more relevant for

High resolution study of the spatial distributions of abyssal fishes by autonomous underwater vehicle.

Science.gov (United States)

Milligan, R J; Morris, K J; Bett, B J; Durden, J M; Jones, D O B; Robert, K; Ruhl, H A; Bailey, D M

2016-05-16

On abyssal plains, demersal fish are believed to play an important role in transferring energy across the seafloor and between the pelagic and benthic realms. However, little is known about their spatial distributions, making it difficult to quantify their ecological significance. To address this, we employed an autonomous underwater vehicle to conduct an exceptionally large photographic survey of fish distributions on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (NE Atlantic, 4850 m water depth) encompassing two spatial scales (1-10 km(2)) on and adjacent to a small abyssal hill (240 m elevation). The spatial distributions of the total fish fauna and that of the two dominant morphotypes (Coryphaenoides sp. 1 and C. profundicolus) appeared to be random, a result contrary to common expectation but consistent with previous predictions for these fishes. We estimated total fish density on the abyssal plain to be 723 individuals km(-2) (95% CI: 601-844). This estimate is higher, and likely more precise, than prior estimates from trawl catch and baited camera techniques (152 and 188 individuals km(-2) respectively). We detected no significant difference in fish density between abyssal hill and plain, nor did we detect any evidence for the existence of fish aggregations at any spatial scale assessed.

Conversion of electromagnetic waves at the ionisation front

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chegotov, M V

2001-01-01

It is shown that a weak electromagnetic pulse interacting with a copropagating ionisation front is converted in the general case into three electromagnetic pulses with higher and lower frequencies, which propagate in different directions. The coefficients of conversion to these pulses (for intensities) were found as functions of the frequency. The electromagnetic energy is shown to decrease during this conversion because of the losses for the residual electron energy. (interaction of laser radiation with matter. laser plasma)

Neutron spatial distribution measurement with 6Li-contained thermoluminescent sheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konnai, A.; Odano, N.; Sawamura, H.; Ozasa, N.; Ishikawa, Y.

2006-01-01

We have been developing a thermoluminescent (TL) sheet for photon dosimetry (TL sheet) with thermoluminescent material of LiF:Mg, Cu, P and a co-polymer of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene. For the purpose of a development of simple method for neutron spatial distribution measurement, TL sheet for neutron detection (NTL sheet) is made by adding 94.7% enriched 6 LiF to TL sheet. TL material in TL sheet is directly excited by ionizing radiation whereas, in the case of neutron detection, TL material in NTL sheet is indirectly excited by neutron capture reaction. That is neutron distribution can be obtained with TL caused by α particle from 6 Li(n, α) 3 H reaction. Responses of NTL sheets to neutrons were examined at the neutron beam irradiation facility for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) in JRR-4 research reactor in Japan Atomic Energy Agency. TL and NTL sheets were exposed to striped and roundly distributed neutron fields. Attenuations of neutron flux in air and water were also observed using NTL sheets. TL sheets were also exposed on the same conditions and compared with NTL sheets. TL intensity ratios of NTL sheet to TL sheet were consistent with the calculated value from 6 Li content. Thermal neutron attenuation observed by NTL sheet also corresponded with the result measured by Au wire radioactivation and TLD chips, which were currently used in BNCT at JRR-4. These results were analyzed with by Monte Carlo simulation. The present results indicated that NTL sheet is applicable to measurement of neutron spatial distribution. (author)

Modelling the distribution of fish accounting for spatial correlation and overdispersion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lewy, Peter; Kristensen, Kasper

2009-01-01

correlation between observations. It is therefore possible to predict and interpolate unobserved densities at any location in the area. This is important for obtaining unbiased estimates of stock concentration and other measures depending on the distribution in the entire area. Results show that the spatial...

The change in spatial distribution of upper trapezius muscle activity is correlated to contraction duration.

Science.gov (United States)

Farina, Dario; Leclerc, Frédéric; Arendt-Nielsen, Lars; Buttelli, Olivier; Madeleine, Pascal

2008-02-01

The aim of the study was to confirm the hypothesis that the longer a contraction is sustained, the larger are the changes in the spatial distribution of muscle activity. For this purpose, surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded with a 13 x 5 grid of electrodes from the upper trapezius muscle of 11 healthy male subjects during static contractions with shoulders 90 degrees abducted until endurance. The entropy (degree of uniformity) and center of gravity of the EMG root mean square map were computed to assess spatial inhomogeneity in muscle activation and changes over time in EMG amplitude spatial distribution. At the endurance time, entropy decreased (mean+/-SD, percent change 2.0+/-1.6%; Pgrid) root mean square was positively correlated with the shift in the center of gravity (R(2)=0.51, P<0.05). Moreover, the shift in the center of gravity was negatively correlated to both initial and final (at the endurance) entropy (R(2)=0.54 and R(2)=0.56, respectively; P<0.01 in both cases), indicating that subjects with less uniform root mean square maps had larger shift of the center of gravity over time. The spatial changes in root mean square EMG were likely due to spatially-dependent changes in motor unit activation during the sustained contraction. It was concluded that the changes in spatial muscle activity distribution play a role in the ability to maintain a static contraction.

Spatial distribution of grape root borer (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) infestations in Virginia vineyards and implications for sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

Rijal, J P; Brewster, C C; Bergh, J C

2014-06-01

Grape root borer, Vitacea polistiformis (Harris) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) is a potentially destructive pest of grape vines, Vitis spp. in the eastern United States. After feeding on grape roots for ≍2 yr in Virginia, larvae pupate beneath the soil surface around the vine base. Adults emerge during July and August, leaving empty pupal exuviae on or protruding from the soil. Weekly collections of pupal exuviae from an ≍1-m-diameter weed-free zone around the base of a grid of sample vines in Virginia vineyards were conducted in July and August, 2008-2012, and their distribution was characterized using both nonspatial (dispersion) and spatial techniques. Taylor's power law showed a significant aggregation of pupal exuviae, based on data from 19 vineyard blocks. Combined use of geostatistical and Spatial Analysis by Distance IndicEs methods indicated evidence of an aggregated pupal exuviae distribution pattern in seven of the nine blocks used for those analyses. Grape root borer pupal exuviae exhibited spatial dependency within a mean distance of 8.8 m, based on the range values of best-fitted variograms. Interpolated and clustering index-based infestation distribution maps were developed to show the spatial pattern of the insect within the vineyard blocks. The temporal distribution of pupal exuviae showed that the majority of moths emerged during the 3-wk period spanning the third week of July and the first week of August. The spatial distribution of grape root borer pupal exuviae was used in combination with temporal moth emergence patterns to develop a quantitative and efficient sampling scheme to assess infestations.

Ion pair production and chemi-ionisation in collisions of He*(2sup(1,3)S) with Li

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, D.P.; Tang, S.Y.; Neynaber, R.H.

1987-01-01

A merging-beams technique has been used to study collisions of He*(2sup(1,3)S) with Li. The He* represents a composite of 13% He(2 1 S) and 87% He(2 3 S). Absolute and relative cross sections, Q, have been measured in a range of relative kinetic energy, W, from 150 to 1500 eV for the ion pair production (IPP) of He + + Li - , and from 0.01 to 500 eV for chemi-ionisation (CI). Information obtained for CI shows that: the Penning ionisation reaction is directed with most of the Li + scattered in the incident Li direction, the He*-Li system is attractive with a measured well depth of 0.73 eV and the value of Q for total ionisation varies as Wsup(-0.34). Similarities to the He*-He* system are also given. (author)

Nonlinear collisionless electron cyclotron interaction in the pre-ionisation stage

Science.gov (United States)

Farina, D.

2018-06-01

Electron cyclotron (EC) wave-particle interaction is theoretically investigated in the pre-ionisation phase, much before collisions and other mechanisms can play a role. In the very first phase of a plasma discharge with EC-assisted breakdown, the motion of an electron at room temperature in a static magnetic field under the action of a localised microwave beam is nonlinear, and transition to states of larger energy can occur via wave trapping. Within a Hamiltonian adiabatic formalism, the conditions at which the particles gain energy in single beam crossing are derived in a rigorous way, and the energy variation is characterized quantitatively as a function of the wave frequency, harmonic number, polarisation and EC power and beam width. Estimates of interest for applications to tokamak start-up are obtained for the first, second and third cyclotron harmonic. The investigation confirms that electrons can easily gain energies well above the ionisation energy in most conditions at the first two harmonics, while not at the third harmonic, as observed in experiments.

Digital autoradiography technique for studying of spatial Impurity distributions Delara

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khamrayeva, S.

2001-01-01

In this report, the possibilities of the digital image processing for autoradiographic investigations of impurity distributions in the different objects (crystals, biology, geology et al) are shown. Activation autoradiography based on the secondary beta-irradiation is the method spread widely for investigations of the spatial distribution of chemical elements in the different objects. The analysis of autoradiography features is connected with the elucidation of optical density distribution of photoemulsion by means of photometry. The photoemulsion is used as detector of secondary beta irradiation. For different technological and nature materials to have elemental shifts the fine structure of chemical element distribution is often interested. But photometry makes it difficult to study the inhomogeneous chemical elements with the little gradient of concentration (near 20%). Therefore, the suppression of the background and betterment of linear solvability are the main problems of autoradiographic analysis. Application of the fast-acting digital computers and the technical means of signals treatment are allowed to spread the possibilities and the resolution of activation autoradiography. Mechanism of creation of autoradiographic features is described. The treatment of autoradiograms was conducted with the help of the dialogue system having matrix in 512 x 512 elements. For the interpretation of the experimental data clustering analysis methodology was used. Classification of the zones on the minimum of the square mistake was conducted according to the data of histograms of the optical densities of the studying autoradiograms. It was proposed algorithm for digital treatment for reconstruction of autoradiographic features. At a minimal contrast the resolution of the method has been enhanced on the degree by adaptation of methods of digital image processing (DIP) to suppress background activity. Results of the digital autoradiographic investigations of spatial impurity

Evaluation of cytogenetic damage in nuclear medicine personnel occupationally exposed to low-level ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garaj-Vrhovac, V.; Kopjar, N.; Poropat, M.

2005-01-01

Despite intensive research over the last few decades, there still remains considerable uncertainty as to the genetic impact of ionising radiation on human populations, particularly at low levels. The aim of this study was to provide data on genetic hazards associated with occupational exposure to low doses of ionising radiation in nuclear medicine departments. The assessment of DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of medical staff was performed using the chromosome aberration (CA) test. Exposed subjects showed significantly higher frequencies of CA than controls. There were significant inter-individual differences in DNA damage within the exposed population, indicating differences in genome sensitivity. Age and gender were not confounding factors, while smoking enhanced the levels of DNA damage only in control subjects. The present study suggests that chronic exposure to low doses of ionising radiation in nuclear medicine departments causes genotoxic damage. Therefore, to avoid potential genotoxic effects, the exposed medical personnel should minimise radiation exposure wherever possible. Our results also point to the significance of biological indicators providing information about the actual risk to the radiation exposed individuals.(author)

Veterinary applications of ionising radiation HERCA Task Force on Veterinary Applications. Main results of the Questionnaire 'National regulatory requirements with regard to veterinary medical applications of ionising radiation' and conclusions of the TF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Bladel, Lodewijk; Berlamont, Jolien; Michalczak, Herbert; Balogh, Lajos; Peremans, Kathelijne

2013-11-01

In the fall of 2012, the subject of radiation protection in veterinary medicine was raised during the meeting of the HERCA Board. Issues with regard to this subject had been brought to the attention of HERCA by the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging (ECVDI). In October 2012, the Board decided to charge a small Task Force (TF) to further explore the issues in this field. This TF drew up a questionnaire which looked at the general radiation protection regulatory requirements in veterinary medicine applications of ionizing radiation. The results of this study showed large differences in the requirements applicable in the HERCA member countries. The TF also noticed the increasing use of more complex imaging procedures and of different radio-therapeutic modalities, which may imply greater risks of exposure of humans to ionising radiation. These results were presented during the HERCA Board meeting in Berlin, Germany and on which the Board decided to establish a Working Group on veterinary applications of ionising radiations (WG Vet). The main results of the Questionnaire 'National regulatory requirements with regard to veterinary medicine applications of ionising radiation' is attached in Appendix

Electron impact ionisation cross sections of iron oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, Stefan E.; Mauracher, Andreas; Sukuba, Ivan; Urban, Jan; Maihom, Thana; Probst, Michael

2017-12-01

We report electron impact ionisation cross sections (EICSs) of iron oxide molecules, FexOx and FexOx+1 with x = 1, 2, 3, from the ionisation threshold to 10 keV, obtained with the Deutsch-Märk (DM) and binary-encounter-Bethe (BEB) methods. The maxima of the EICSs range from 3.10 to 9 . 96 × 10-16 cm2 located at 59-72 eV and 5.06 to 14.32 × 10-16 cm2 located at 85-108 eV for the DM and BEB approaches, respectively. The orbital and kinetic energies required for the BEB method are obtained by employing effective core potentials for the inner core electrons in the quantum chemical calculations. The BEB cross sections are 1.4-1.7 times larger than the DM cross sections which can be related to the decreasing population of the Fe 4s orbitals upon addition of oxygen atoms, together with the different methodological foundations of the two methods. Both the DM and BEB cross sections can be fitted excellently to a simple analytical expression used in modelling and simulation codes employed in the framework of nuclear fusion research. Supplementary material in the form of one pdf file available from the Journal web page at http://https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2017-80308-2.

Biological monitors for low levels of ionising radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohankumar, M N; Jeevanram, R K [Safety Research and Health Physics Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam (India)

1996-12-31

The biological effects of high doses of ionising radiation are well understood and the methods of measurement of these doses well established. However the effects due to extremely low doses remain by and large uncertain. This is because of the fact that at such low doses no gross symptoms are seen. In fact, at these levels the occurrence of double strand breaks leading to the formation of chromosomal aberrations like dicentrics is rare and chances of mutation due to base damage are negligible. Hence neither chromosomal aberration studies nor mutational assays are useful for detecting doses of the order of a few milligray. Results of exhaustive work done by various laboratories indicate that below 20 mGy the chromosomal aberration technique based on scoring of dicentrics cannot distinguish between a linear or a threshold model. However indirect methods like unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) appear to be promising for the detection of radiation exposures due to low levels of radiation. This report reviews the available literature on the biological effects of low levels of ionising radiation and highlights the merits and demerits of the various methods employed in the measurement of UDS and SCE. The phenomenon of radio-adaptive response (RAR) and its relation to DNA repair is also discussed. (author). 98 refs., 11 figs., 4 tabs.

Spatial Distribution of Market Centers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md. Morshedul Islam

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The present study is an attempt to find the location pattern, distribution and their sphere of influences of market centers in Rangpur City Corporation, Bangladesh. Rangpur is facing some problems like a traffic jam, noisy environment, population pressure etc due to the over population in full day long in the center of this city, all of the whole sale and retail sale markets are located in the middle. Location of Market is always influencing the daily life of the city population who are directly or indirectly connected with the market. If the market strategically distributed in an area they don’t face such kind of problems. Analysis or investigation shows that at about all of the market centers are located in the center of Rangpur and in the residential area of Rangpur. The maximum 67% market centers are found in the high-income residential area. Rangpur City Corporation, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and survey of Bangladesh provided the maps, reports and relevant documents of the study. The spatial dispersion pattern of market centers is clustered together at one place 0.33(Nearest Neighbor Index value, R found in the study area. Geographical Information System (GIS and other software also used to analyze the maps and diagrams. Investigation refers that, the market of Rangpur city have a clustered pattern and different levels of market centers found on the bases of centrality scores. By this centrality scores or levels, found the variation of influencing spheres of market centers in Rangpur City.

Spatial arrangement and size distribution of normal faults, Buckskin detachment upper plate, Western Arizona

Science.gov (United States)

Laubach, S. E.; Hundley, T. H.; Hooker, J. N.; Marrett, R. A.

2018-03-01

Fault arrays typically include a wide range of fault sizes and those faults may be randomly located, clustered together, or regularly or periodically located in a rock volume. Here, we investigate size distribution and spatial arrangement of normal faults using rigorous size-scaling methods and normalized correlation count (NCC). Outcrop data from Miocene sedimentary rocks in the immediate upper plate of the regional Buckskin detachment-low angle normal-fault, have differing patterns of spatial arrangement as a function of displacement (offset). Using lower size-thresholds of 1, 0.1, 0.01, and 0.001 m, displacements range over 5 orders of magnitude and have power-law frequency distributions spanning ∼ four orders of magnitude from less than 0.001 m to more than 100 m, with exponents of -0.6 and -0.9. The largest faults with >1 m displacement have a shallower size-distribution slope and regular spacing of about 20 m. In contrast, smaller faults have steep size-distribution slopes and irregular spacing, with NCC plateau patterns indicating imposed clustering. Cluster widths are 15 m for the 0.1-m threshold, 14 m for 0.01-m, and 1 m for 0.001-m displacement threshold faults. Results demonstrate normalized correlation count effectively characterizes the spatial arrangement patterns of these faults. Our example from a high-strain fault pattern above a detachment is compatible with size and spatial organization that was influenced primarily by boundary conditions such as fault shape, mechanical unit thickness and internal stratigraphy on a range of scales rather than purely by interaction among faults during their propagation.

Attention, spatial integration, and the tail of response time distributions in Stroop task performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roelofs, A.P.A.

2012-01-01

A few studies have examined selective attention in Stroop task performance through ex-Gaussian analyses of response time (RT) distributions. It has remained unclear whether the tail of the RT distribution in vocal responding reflects spatial integration of relevant and irrelevant attributes, as

Spatial distribution of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of Paraná, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Melo, Helen Aline; Rossoni, Diogo Francisco; Teodoro, Ueslei

2017-01-01

The geographic distribution of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) makes it a disease of major clinical importance in Brazil, where it is endemic in the state of Paraná. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial distribution of CL in Paraná between 2001 and 2015, based on data from the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Information System for Notifiable Diseases) regarding autochthonous CL cases. Spatial autocorrelation was performed using Moran's Global Index and the Local Indicator of Spatial Association (LISA). The construction of maps was based on categories of association (high-high, low-low, high-low, and low-high). A total of 4,557 autochthonous cases of CL were registered in the state of Paraná, with an annual average of 303.8 (± 135.2) and a detection coefficient of 2.91. No correlation was found between global indices and their respective significance in 2001 (I = -0.456, p = 0.676), but evidence of spatial autocorrelation was found in other years (pCinzas-Laranjinha, and Ribeira areas. The state of Paraná should keep a constant surveillance over CL due to the prominent presence of socioeconomic and environmental factors such as the favorable circumstances for the vectors present in peri-urban and agriculture áreas.

Modeling the spatial distribution of Chagas disease vectors using environmental variables and people´s knowledge.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández, Jaime; Núñez, Ignacia; Bacigalupo, Antonella; Cattan, Pedro E

2013-05-31

Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to mammal hosts by triatomine insect vectors. The goal of this study was to model the spatial distribution of triatomine species in an endemic area. Vector's locations were obtained with a rural householders' survey. This information was combined with environmental data obtained from remote sensors, land use maps and topographic SRTM data, using the machine learning algorithm Random Forests to model species distribution. We analysed the combination of variables on three scales: 10 km, 5 km and 2.5 km cell size grids. The best estimation, explaining 46.2% of the triatomines spatial distribution, was obtained for 5 km of spatial resolution. Presence probability distribution increases from central Chile towards the north, tending to cover the central-coastal region and avoiding areas of the Andes range. The methodology presented here was useful to model the distribution of triatomines in an endemic area; it is best explained using 5 km of spatial resolution, and their presence increases in the northern part of the study area. This study's methodology can be replicated in other countries with Chagas disease or other vectorial transmitted diseases, and be used to locate high risk areas and to optimize resource allocation, for prevention and control of vectorial diseases.

[Distribution and spatial ordering of biopolymer molecules in resting bacterial spores].

Science.gov (United States)

Duda, V I; Korolev, Iu N; El'-Registan, G I; Duzha, M V; Telegin, N L

1978-01-01

The presence, distribution and spatial arrangement of biopolymers in situ were studied in both a total intact spore and in a certain cellular layer using a spectroscopic technique of attenuated total refraction (ATR-IR) in the IR region. In contrast to vegetative cells, intact spores were characterized by isotropic distribution of protein components. This feature can be regarded as an index of the cryptobiotic state of spores. However, the distribution of protein components among individual layers of a spore was anisotropic. Bonds characterized by amide I and amide II bands were most often ordered in a layer which comprised cellular structures from the exosporium to the inner spore membrane.

Spatial distribution of Plecoptera nymphs in streams of a mountainous area of Central Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. C. BISPO

Full Text Available In this paper the spatial distribution of Plecoptera nymphs in the Almas' River basin, Pirenópolis, GO, was studied. Two Surber samples, each comprising 20 sampling units and totalling 2 m², were taken in each of the 13 stations, one during the rainy season (January 1994 and the second during the dry season (July 1994. In 5 of these stations, monthly samplings were made from June 1993 to July 1994; in these, temperature, velocity, discharge, electrical conductivity and pH were measured. Regional rainfall was also obtained. To ascertain the distribution of nymphs in the habitat, a separate sample was taken. Of the factors considered, the most important affecting the spatial distribution of the stonefly nymphs were altitude, stream order, and anthropic influence. Locally, the genera Anacroneuria and Kempnyia showed clumped distributions, but the data for Gripopteryx and Tupiperla were inconclusive due to low numbers.

Geotechnical parameter spatial distribution stochastic analysis based on multi-precision information assimilation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, C.; Rubin, Y.

2014-12-01

Spatial distribution of important geotechnical parameter named compression modulus Es contributes considerably to the understanding of the underlying geological processes and the adequate assessment of the Es mechanics effects for differential settlement of large continuous structure foundation. These analyses should be derived using an assimilating approach that combines in-situ static cone penetration test (CPT) with borehole experiments. To achieve such a task, the Es distribution of stratum of silty clay in region A of China Expo Center (Shanghai) is studied using the Bayesian-maximum entropy method. This method integrates rigorously and efficiently multi-precision of different geotechnical investigations and sources of uncertainty. Single CPT samplings were modeled as a rational probability density curve by maximum entropy theory. Spatial prior multivariate probability density function (PDF) and likelihood PDF of the CPT positions were built by borehole experiments and the potential value of the prediction point, then, preceding numerical integration on the CPT probability density curves, the posterior probability density curve of the prediction point would be calculated by the Bayesian reverse interpolation framework. The results were compared between Gaussian Sequential Stochastic Simulation and Bayesian methods. The differences were also discussed between single CPT samplings of normal distribution and simulated probability density curve based on maximum entropy theory. It is shown that the study of Es spatial distributions can be improved by properly incorporating CPT sampling variation into interpolation process, whereas more informative estimations are generated by considering CPT Uncertainty for the estimation points. Calculation illustrates the significance of stochastic Es characterization in a stratum, and identifies limitations associated with inadequate geostatistical interpolation techniques. This characterization results will provide a multi

Spatial and kinematic distributions of transition populations in intermediate redshift galaxy clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawford, Steven M.; Wirth, Gregory D.; Bershady, Matthew A.

2014-01-01

We analyze the spatial and velocity distributions of confirmed members in five massive clusters of galaxies at intermediate redshift (0.5 < z < 0.9) to investigate the physical processes driving galaxy evolution. Based on spectral classifications derived from broad- and narrow-band photometry, we define four distinct galaxy populations representing different evolutionary stages: red sequence (RS) galaxies, blue cloud (BC) galaxies, green valley (GV) galaxies, and luminous compact blue galaxies (LCBGs). For each galaxy class, we derive the projected spatial and velocity distribution and characterize the degree of subclustering. We find that RS, BC, and GV galaxies in these clusters have similar velocity distributions, but that BC and GV galaxies tend to avoid the core of the two z ≈ 0.55 clusters. GV galaxies exhibit subclustering properties similar to RS galaxies, but their radial velocity distribution is significantly platykurtic compared to the RS galaxies. The absence of GV galaxies in the cluster cores may explain their somewhat prolonged star-formation history. The LCBGs appear to have recently fallen into the cluster based on their larger velocity dispersion, absence from the cores of the clusters, and different radial velocity distribution than the RS galaxies. Both LCBG and BC galaxies show a high degree of subclustering on the smallest scales, leading us to conclude that star formation is likely triggered by galaxy-galaxy interactions during infall into the cluster.

Spatial Structure of Cities and Distribution of Retail Sales - Analysis based on a Potential NEG Model (Japanese)

OpenAIRE

NAKAMURA Ryohei; TAKATSUKA Hajime

2009-01-01

This paper aims to estimate the retail sales turnover in cities based on a potential New Economic Geography (NEG) model, addressing how (the distribution of) sales turnover is explained by the spatial structure of cities. This also takes into account the population distribution, by treating the spatial distribution of population and retail sales turnover in the cities by district and street (cho and chome) data. The cities covered are prefectural cities excluding government ordinance cities l...

The significance of a new correspondence principle for electromagnetic interaction in strong optical field ionisation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boreham, B. W.; Hora, H.

1997-01-01

We have recently developed a correspondence principle for electromagnetic interaction. When applied to laser interactions with electrons this correspondence principle identifies a critical laser intensity I*. This critical intensity is a transition intensity separating classical mechanical and quantum mechanical interaction regimes. In this paper we discuss the further application of I* to the interaction of bound electrons in atoms. By comparing I* with the ionisation threshold intensities as calculated from a cycle-averaged simple-atom model we conclude that I* can be usefully interpreted as a lower bound to the classical regime in studies of ionisation of gas atoms by intense laser beams

Rapid detection of nicotine from breath using desorption ionisation on porous silicon.

Science.gov (United States)

Guinan, T M; Abdelmaksoud, H; Voelcker, N H

2017-05-04

Desorption ionisation on porous silicon (DIOS) was used for the detection of nicotine from exhaled breath. This result represents proof-of-principle of the ability of DIOS to detect small molecular analytes in breath including biomarkers and illicit drugs.

Direct numerical solution of the Ornstein-Zernike integral equation and spatial distribution of water around hydrophobic molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeguchi, Mitsunori; Doi, Junta

1995-09-01

The Ornstein-Zernike integral equation (OZ equation) has been used to evaluate the distribution function of solvents around solutes, but its numerical solution is difficult for molecules with a complicated shape. This paper proposes a numerical method to directly solve the OZ equation by introducing the 3D lattice. The method employs no approximation the reference interaction site model (RISM) equation employed. The method enables one to obtain the spatial distribution of spherical solvents around solutes with an arbitrary shape. Numerical accuracy is sufficient when the grid-spacing is less than 0.5 Å for solvent water. The spatial water distribution around a propane molecule is demonstrated as an example of a nonspherical hydrophobic molecule using iso-value surfaces. The water model proposed by Pratt and Chandler is used. The distribution agrees with the molecular dynamics simulation. The distribution increases offshore molecular concavities. The spatial distribution of water around 5α-cholest-2-ene (C27H46) is visualized using computer graphics techniques and a similar trend is observed.

Ionised media and fractures: application to cartilaginous tissues and oil industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huyghe, J.M.R.J.; Kraaijeveld, F.; Remmers, J.J.C.; Borst, de R.; Denier, J; Finn, M.D.; Mattner, T

2008-01-01

ionized media are ubiquitous in nature. Our body holds onto water through ionised macromolecules that bind water up to a 1000 times their own mass. Clays and shales do a similar trick in the geoworld. Localization of deformation and fractures are very common. Bore hole instability through fracture

Patterns in the spatial distribution of Peruvian anchovy ( Engraulis ringens) revealed by spatially explicit fishing data

Science.gov (United States)

Bertrand, Sophie; Díaz, Erich; Lengaigne, Matthieu

2008-10-01

Peruvian anchovy ( Engraulis ringens) stock abundance is tightly driven by the high and unpredictable variability of the Humboldt Current Ecosystem. Management of the fishery therefore cannot rely on mid- or long-term management policy alone but needs to be adaptive at relatively short time scales. Regular acoustic surveys are performed on the stock at intervals of 2 to 4 times a year, but there is a need for more time continuous monitoring indicators to ensure that management can respond at suitable time scales. Existing literature suggests that spatially explicit data on the location of fishing activities could be used as a proxy for target stock distribution. Spatially explicit commercial fishing data could therefore guide adaptive management decisions at shorter time scales than is possible through scientific stock surveys. In this study we therefore aim to (1) estimate the position of fishing operations for the entire fleet of Peruvian anchovy purse-seiners using the Peruvian satellite vessel monitoring system (VMS), and (2) quantify the extent to which the distribution of purse-seine sets describes anchovy distribution. To estimate fishing set positions from vessel tracks derived from VMS data we developed a methodology based on artificial neural networks (ANN) trained on a sample of fishing trips with known fishing set positions (exact fishing positions are known for approximately 1.5% of the fleet from an at-sea observer program). The ANN correctly identified 83% of the real fishing sets and largely outperformed comparative linear models. This network is then used to forecast fishing operations for those trips where no observers were onboard. To quantify the extent to which fishing set distribution was correlated to stock distribution we compared three metrics describing features of the distributions (the mean distance to the coast, the total area of distribution, and a clustering index) for concomitant acoustic survey observations and fishing set positions

Unpreferred plants affect patch choice and spatial distribution of European brown hares

Science.gov (United States)

Kuijper, D. P. J.; Bakker, J. P.

2008-11-01

Many herbivore species prefer to forage on patches of intermediate biomass. Plant quality and forage efficiency are predicted to decrease with increasing plant standing crop which explains the lower preference of the herbivore. However, often is ignored that on the long-term, plant species composition is predicted to change with increasing plant standing crop. The amount of low-quality, unpreferred food plants increases with increasing plant standing crop. In the present study the effects of unpreferred plants on patch choice and distribution of European brown hare in a salt-marsh system were studied. In one experiment, unpreferred plants were removed from plots. In the second experiment, plots were planted with different densities of an unpreferred artificial plant. Removal of unpreferred plants increased hare-grazing pressure more than fivefold compared to unmanipulated plots. Planting of unpreferred plants reduced hare-grazing pressure, with a significant reduction of grazing already occurring at low unpreferred plant density. Spatial distribution of hares within this salt-marsh system was related to spatial arrangement of unpreferred plants. Hare-grazing intensity decreased strongly with increasing abundance of unpreferred plants despite a high abundance of principal food plants. The results of this study indicate that plant species replacement is an important factor determining patch choice and spatial distribution of hares next to changing plant quality. Increasing abundance of unpreferred plant species can strengthen the decreasing patch quality with increasing standing crop and can decrease grazing intensity when preferred food plants are still abundantly present.

Detection of endolithic spatial distribution in marble stone.

Science.gov (United States)

Casanova Municchia, A; Percario, Z; Caneva, G

2014-10-01

The penetration of endolithic microorganisms, which develop to depths of several millimetres or even centimetres into the stone, and the diffusion of their extracellular substances speeds up the stone deterioration process. The aim of this study was to investigate, using a confocal laser scanning microscopy with a double-staining, a marble rock sample by observing the endolithic spatial distribution and quantifying the volume they occupied within the stone, in order to understand the real impact of these microorganisms on the conservation of stone monuments. Often the only factors taken into account by biodeterioration studies regarding endolithic microorganisms, are spread and depth of penetration. Despite the knowledge of three-dimensional spatial distribution and quantification of volume, it is indispensable to understand the real damage caused by endolithic microorganisms to stone monuments. In this work, we analyze a marble rock sample using a confocal laser scanning microscopy stained with propidium iodide and Concavalin-A conjugate with the fluorophore Alexa Fluor 488, comparing these results with other techniques (SEM microscope, microphotographs of polished cross-sections and thin-section, PAS staining methods), An image analysis approach has also been applied. The use of confocal laser scanning microscopy with double staining shows clear evidence of the presence of endolithic microorganisms (cyanobacteria and fungi) as well as the extracellular polymeric substance matrix in a three-dimensional architecture as part of the rock sample, this technique, therefore, seems very useful when applied to restoration interventions on stone monuments when endolithic growth is suspected. © 2014 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2014 Royal Microscopical Society.

Agricultural ammonia emissions inventory and spatial distribution in the North China Plain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Y.; Dore, A.J.; Ma, L.; Liu, X.J.; Ma, W.Q.; Cape, J.N.; Zhang, F.S.

2010-01-01

An agricultural ammonia (NH 3 ) emission inventory in the North China Plain (NCP) on a prefecture level for the year 2004, and a 5 x 5 km 2 resolution spatial distribution map, has been calculated for the first time. The census database from China's statistics datasets, and emission factors re-calculated by the RAINS model supported total emissions of 3071 kt NH 3 -N yr -1 for the NCP, accounting for 27% of the total emissions in China. NH 3 emission from mineral fertilizer application contributed 1620 kt NH 3 -N yr -1 , 54% of the total emission, while livestock emissions accounted for the remaining 46% of the total emissions, including 7%, 27%, 7% and 5% from cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, and poultry, respectively. A high-resolution spatial NH 3 emissions map was developed based on 1 x 1 km land use database and aggregated to a 5 x 5 km grid resolution. The highest emission density value was 198 kg N ha -1 yr -1 . - The first high-resolution spatial distribution of ammonia emissions for the North China Plain showed rates up to 200 kg NH 3 -N ha -1 yr -1 .

Research on spatial distribution of photosynthetic characteristics of Winter Wheat

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Q. Q.; Zhou, Q. Y.; Zhang, B. Z.; Han, X.; Han, N. N.; Li, S. M.

2018-03-01

In order to explore the spatial distribution of photosynthetic characteristics of winter wheat leaf, the photosynthetic rate on different parts of leaf (leaf base-leaf middle-leaf apex) and that on each canopy (top layer-middle layer-bottom layer) leaf during the whole growth period of winter wheat were measured. The variation of photosynthetic rate with PAR and the spatial distribution of winter wheat leaf during the whole growth periods were analysed. The results showed that the photosynthetic rate of different parts of winter wheat increased with the increase of PAR, which was showed as leaf base>leaf middle>leaf apex. In the same growth period, photosynthetic rate in different parts of the tablet was showed as leaf middle>leaf base>leaf apex. For the different canopy layer of winter wheat, the photosynthetic rate of the top layer leaf was significantly greater than that of the middle layer and lower layer leaf. The photosynthetic rate of the top layer leaf was the largest in the leaf base position. The photosynthetic rate of leaf of the same canopy layer at different growth stages were showed as tasseling stage >grain filling stage > maturation stage.

Curved-straight neutron guide system with uniform spatial intensity distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mildner, D.F.R.; Cook, J.C.

2008-01-01

The spatial intensity distribution of neutrons emerging from a curved guide is asymmetric, and straight guide sections are sometimes appended to curved guides to make the intensity distribution more nearly uniform. For idealized uniform illumination and in the perfect reflectivity approximation, the spatial-angular acceptance at the exit of the combination can be made exactly uniform for a range of long wavelengths by using a sufficiently long straight section, together with a curved guide whose outer wall coating has a critical angle slightly greater than those of the other guide walls. We refer to this as a 'phase space tailoring guide' where the coatings on the inner wall and straight section are used to define the required divergence at the end of the guide. Increasing the critical angle of the outer wall of the curved section reduces the characteristic wavelength of the curved guide as well as the wavelength at which ideal uniformity can be obtained. The outer wall coating need only be of sufficiently high critical angle to fill the transmittable phase space area of the straight guide uniformly to adequately short wavelength

Towards sustainable regions: the spatial distribution of electric vehicles’ recharging stations from a socio-economic perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Linda; Jensen, Thomas Christian; Kaplan, Sigal

2012-01-01

-free, low-emission vehicles due to the rising oil prices and global warming. Adequate on-road EV recharging infrastructure is essential in the transformation of EV into a practical transport option and the wide-scale market penetration of EV. Nevertheless, the efficient spatial distribution of EV recharging...... is rarely explored. current study focuses on assessing the demand driven need for on-road EV recharging stations, and finding their efficient spatial distribution, while accounting for economic, social, environmental and land-use considerations. The analysis, conducted for Demark, consists of four steps...... a discrete choice model, estimated on the basis of a stated preference survey. Last, the feasibility of the optimal EV spatial distribution of the EV charging stations is analyzed, based on the Danish official socio-economic framework (TERESA). Results show: (i) the number of required recharging stations...

The spatial and temporal distributions of arthropods in forest canopies: uniting disparate patterns with hypotheses for specialisation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wardhaugh, Carl W

2014-11-01

Arguably the majority of species on Earth utilise tropical rainforest canopies, and much progress has been made in describing arboreal assemblages, especially for arthropods. The most commonly described patterns for tropical rainforest insect communities are host specificity, spatial specialisation (predominantly vertical stratification), and temporal changes in abundance (seasonality and circadian rhythms). Here I review the recurrent results with respect to each of these patterns and discuss the evolutionary selective forces that have generated them in an attempt to unite these patterns in a holistic evolutionary framework. I propose that species can be quantified along a generalist-specialist scale not only with respect to host specificity, but also other spatial and temporal distribution patterns, where specialisation is a function of the extent of activity across space and time for particular species. When all of these distribution patterns are viewed through the paradigm of specialisation, hypotheses that have been proposed to explain the evolution of host specificity can also be applied to explain the generation and maintenance of other spatial and temporal distribution patterns. The main driver for most spatial and temporal distribution patterns is resource availability. Generally, the distribution of insects follows that of the resources they exploit, which are spatially stratified and vary temporally in availability. Physiological adaptations are primarily important for host specificity, where nutritional and chemical variation among host plants in particular, but also certain prey species and fungi, influence host range. Physiological tolerances of abiotic conditions are also important for explaining the spatial and temporal distributions of some insect species, especially in drier forest environments where desiccation is an ever-present threat. However, it is likely that for most species in moist tropical rainforests, abiotic conditions are valuable

Relationship between the spatial distribution of SMS messages reporting needs and building damage in 2010 Haiti disaster

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Corbane

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Just 4 days after the M = 7.1 earthquake on 12 January 2010, Haitians could send SMS messages about their location and urgent needs through the on-line mapping platform Ushahidi. This real-time crowdsourcing of crisis information provided direct support to key humanitarian resources on the ground, including Search and Rescue teams. In addition to its use as a knowledge base for rescue operations and aid provision, the spatial distribution of geolocated SMS messages may represent an early indicator on the spatial distribution and on the intensity of building damage.

This work explores the relationship between the spatial patterns of SMS messages and building damage. The latter is derived from the detailed damage assessment of individual buildings interpreted in post-earthquake airborne photos. The interaction between SMS messages and building damage is studied by analyzing the spatial structure of the corresponding bivariate patterns.

The analysis is performed through the implementation of cross Ripley's K-function which is suitable for characterizing the spatial structure of a bivariate pattern, and more precisely the spatial relationship between two types of point sets located in the same study area.

The results show a strong attraction between the patterns exhibited by SMS messages and building damages. The interactions identified between the two patterns suggest that the geolocated SMS can be used as early indicators of the spatial distribution of building damage pattern. Accordingly, a statistical model has been developed to map the distribution of building damage from the geolocated SMS pattern.

The study presented in this paper is the first attempt to derive quantitative estimates on the spatial patterns of novel crowdsourced information and correlate these to established methods in damage assessment using remote sensing data. The consequences of the study findings for rapid damage detection in

Environmental and spatial factors influencing the distribution of cladocerans in lakes across the central Canadian Arctic treeline region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John P. SMOL

2010-02-01

Full Text Available We examine the role of local environmental and spatial factors in explaining variation in the composition of cladoceran assemblages from surface sediments within a set of 50 lakes spanning a broad southwest to northeast transect across the central Canadian Arctic treeline region from Yellowknife (Northwest Territories to the northern boundary of the Thelon Game Sanctuary (Nunavut Territory. Within each lake, the cladoceran fauna was identified based on the subfossil exoskeletal remains preserved in recently deposited lake sediments. Physical and chemical limnological data were measured in August of 1996 and 1998. Spatial data were generated based on latitude and longitude using Principal Coordinates of Neighbors Matrices analysis (PCNM. The relationships between cladocerans and the measured environmental and spatial variables were examined using both unconstrained (Principal Components Analysis, PCA and constrained (Redundancy Analysis, RDA ordination techniques. Variance partitioning, based on partial RDAs, was used to identify the relative importance of significant environmental and spatial explanatory variables. Three environmental variables were identified as significantly influencing cladoceran community structure: surface water temperature, dissolved organic carbon (DOC, and total phosphorus (TP. Five PCNM-generated spatial variables were also significant in explaining cladoceran distributions. Variance partitioning attributed 14% of the variance in the distribution of Cladocera to spatial factors, an additional 10% to spatially-structured environmental variables, and 8% to environmental factors that were not spatially-structured. Within the central Canadian Arctic treeline region, spatial and other environmental processes had an important influence on the distribution of cladoceran communities. The strong influence of spatial factors was related to the large ecoclimatic gradient across treeline. The distribution patterns of cladocerans

Spatial distribution of single-nucleotide polymorphisms related to fungicide resistance and implications for sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

Van der Heyden, H; Dutilleul, P; Brodeur, L; Carisse, O

2014-06-01

Spatial distribution of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to fungicide resistance was studied for Botrytis cinerea populations in vineyards and for B. squamosa populations in onion fields. Heterogeneity in this distribution was characterized by performing geostatistical analyses based on semivariograms and through the fitting of discrete probability distributions. Two SNPs known to be responsible for boscalid resistance (H272R and H272Y), both located on the B subunit of the succinate dehydrogenase gene, and one SNP known to be responsible for dicarboximide resistance (I365S) were chosen for B. cinerea in grape. For B. squamosa in onion, one SNP responsible for dicarboximide resistance (I365S homologous) was chosen. One onion field was sampled in 2009 and another one was sampled in 2010 for B. squamosa, and two vineyards were sampled in 2011 for B. cinerea, for a total of four sampled sites. Cluster sampling was carried on a 10-by-10 grid, each of the 100 nodes being the center of a 10-by-10-m quadrat. In each quadrat, 10 samples were collected and analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or allele specific PCR. Mean SNP incidence varied from 16 to 68%, with an overall mean incidence of 43%. In the geostatistical analyses, omnidirectional variograms showed spatial autocorrelation characterized by ranges of 21 to 1 m. Various levels of anisotropy were detected, however, with variograms computed in four directions (at 0°, 45°, 90°, and 135° from the within-row direction used as reference), indicating that spatial autocorrelation was prevalent or characterized by a longer range in one direction. For all eight data sets, the β-binomial distribution was found to fit the data better than the binomial distribution. This indicates local aggregation of fungicide resistance among sampling units, as supported by estimates of the parameter θ of the β-binomial distribution of 0.09 to 0.23 (overall median value = 0

International responsability of state by the deleterius effects of ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faria, N.M. de.

1988-01-01

International Responsability of State, considering the deleterius effects of ionising radiation on the human being, property, territory and environment which are under other jurisdiction, is focused. Conventional rules, costumary rules, the evolution of ''opinion juris'' as well as the decisions of tribunals related to the subject are analysed. (author) [pt

Injuries to embryo and foetus from ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devik, F.

1980-01-01

A brief review is given of experimental and clinical evidence for tetatological effects of ionising radiation, against the background of general teratology. International and national recommendations and regulations for the protection of the conceptus are quoted. As to interruption of a pregnancy following an unintended exposure, it is pointed out that much of the present evidence points to a dose in the order of 0.1Gy (10 rads) as a dose which may be considered as a practical threshold for the induction of congenital defects. (Auth.)

Coloniality of birds in the Kalahari – spatial distribution of trees and nests of the Sociable Weaver (Philetairus socius)

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Rösner, S

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The spatial distribution of suitable nest sites is a limiting resource for many colonial breeding animals. Therefore, we investigated and mapped the spatial distribution of nests of Sociable Weaver (Philetairus socius) to evaluate whether the size...

Evaluation of chromosomal aberrations in radiologists and medical radiographers chronically exposed to ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasuba, V.; Rozgaj, R.; Jazbec, A.

2005-01-01

Chromosomal aberrations are fairly reliable indicators of damage induced by ionising radiation. This study included 180 radiologists and medical radiographers (technicians) and 90 controls who were not occupationally exposed to ionising radiation. All exposed subjects were routinely monitored with film badge, and none was exposed to a radiation dose exceeding the limit for occupational exposure recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). Two hundred metaphases for each person were scored. The frequencies of acentric fragments, dicentrics, ring chromosomes and chromosomal exchanges were determined and compared to those obtained in the control group. Chromosome aberrations were analysed using Poisson regression for profession, age, sex, smoking and years of exposure. Age, smoking, diagnostic exposure to X-rays and occupation were found to correlate with the occurrence of acentric fragments. The influence of exposure duration on the frequency of acentric fragments was greater in medical radiographers than in radiologists. Smoking and sex were found to correlate with the occurrence of dicentric chromosomes, which were more common in men than in women. As chromosome aberrations exceeded the expected level with respect to the absorbed dose, our findings confirm the importance of chromosome analysis as a part of regular medical check-up of subjects occupationally exposed to ionising radiation.(author)

Characterizing short-range vs. long-range spatial correlations in dislocation distributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevy, Juliette; Fressengeas, Claude; Lebyodkin, Mikhail; Taupin, Vincent; Bastie, Pierre; Duval, Paul

2010-01-01

Hard X-ray diffraction experiments have provided evidence of a strongly heterogeneous distribution of dislocation densities along the axis of cylindrical ice single crystals oriented for basal slip in torsion creep. The dislocation arrangements showed a complex scale-invariant character, which was analyzed by means of statistical and multifractal techniques. A trend to decreasing autocorrelation of the dislocation distribution was observed as deformation proceeds. At low strain levels, long-range spatial correlations control the distribution, but short-range correlations in relation with cross-slip progressively prevail when strain increases. This trend was reproduced by a model based on field dislocation dynamics, a theory accounting for both long-range elastic interactions and short-range interactions through transport of dislocation densities.

Characterizing short-range vs. long-range spatial correlations in dislocation distributions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chevy, Juliette, E-mail: juliette.chevy@gmail.com [Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l' Environnement-CNRS, 54 rue Moliere, 38402 St. Martin d' Heres (France)] [Laboratoire Science et Ingenierie des Materiaux et Procedes, Grenoble INP-CNRS-UJF, BP 75, 38402 St. Martin d' Heres Cedex (France); Fressengeas, Claude; Lebyodkin, Mikhail; Taupin, Vincent [Laboratoire de Physique et Mecanique des Materiaux, Universite Paul Verlaine-Metz/CNRS, Ile du Saulcy, 57045 Metz Cedex (France); Bastie, Pierre [Laboratoire de Spectrometrie Physique, BP 87, 38402 St. Martin d' Heres Cedex (France)] [Institut Laue Langevin, BP 156, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Duval, Paul [Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l' Environnement-CNRS, 54 rue Moliere, 38402 St. Martin d' Heres (France)

2010-03-15

Hard X-ray diffraction experiments have provided evidence of a strongly heterogeneous distribution of dislocation densities along the axis of cylindrical ice single crystals oriented for basal slip in torsion creep. The dislocation arrangements showed a complex scale-invariant character, which was analyzed by means of statistical and multifractal techniques. A trend to decreasing autocorrelation of the dislocation distribution was observed as deformation proceeds. At low strain levels, long-range spatial correlations control the distribution, but short-range correlations in relation with cross-slip progressively prevail when strain increases. This trend was reproduced by a model based on field dislocation dynamics, a theory accounting for both long-range elastic interactions and short-range interactions through transport of dislocation densities.

Spatial and temporal distribution of tropical biomass burning

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Wei Min; Liu, Mei-Huey

1994-12-01

A database for the spatial and temporal distribution of the amount of biomass burned in tropical America, Africa, and Asia during the late 1970s is presented with a resolution of 5° latitude × 5° longitude. The sources of burning in each grid cell have been quantified. Savanna fires, shifting cultivation, deforestation, fuel wood use, and burning of agricultural residues contribute about 50, 24, 10, 11, and 5%, respectively, of total biomass burned in the tropics. Savanna fires dominate in tropical Africa, and forest fires dominate in tropical Asia. A similar amount of biomass is burned from forest and savanna fires in tropical America. The distribution of biomass burned monthly during the dry season has been derived for each grid cell using the seasonal cycles of surface ozone concentrations. Land use changes during the last decade could have a profound impact on the amount of biomass burned and the amount of trace gases and aerosol particles emitted.

Wave actions and topography determine the small-scale spatial distribution of newly settled Asari clams Ruditapes philippinarum on a tidal flat

Science.gov (United States)

Nambu, Ryogen; Saito, Hajime; Tanaka, Yoshio; Higano, Junya; Kuwahara, Hisami

2012-03-01

There are many studies on spatial distributions of Asari clam Ruditapes philippinarum adults on tidal flats but few have dealt with spatial distributions of newly settled Asari clam (physical/topographical conditions on tidal flats. We examined small-scale spatial distributions of newly settled individuals on the Matsunase tidal flat, central Japan, during the low spring tides on two days 29th-30th June 2007, together with the shear stress from waves and currents on the flat. The characteristics of spatial distribution of newly settled Asari clam markedly varied depending on both of hydrodynamic and topographical conditions on the tidal flat. Using generalized linear models (GLMs), factors responsible for affecting newly settled Asari clam density and its spatial distribution were distinguished between sampling days, with "crest" sites always having a negative influence each on the density and the distribution on both sampling days. The continuously recorded data for the wave-current flows at the "crest" site on the tidal flat showed that newly settled Asari clam, as well as bottom sediment particles, at the "crest" site to be easily displaced. Small-scale spatial distributions of newly settled Asari clam changed with more advanced benthic stages in relation to the wave shear stress.

Spatial distribution of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of Paraná, Brazil.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helen Aline Melo

Full Text Available The geographic distribution of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL makes it a disease of major clinical importance in Brazil, where it is endemic in the state of Paraná. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial distribution of CL in Paraná between 2001 and 2015, based on data from the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Information System for Notifiable Diseases regarding autochthonous CL cases. Spatial autocorrelation was performed using Moran's Global Index and the Local Indicator of Spatial Association (LISA. The construction of maps was based on categories of association (high-high, low-low, high-low, and low-high. A total of 4,557 autochthonous cases of CL were registered in the state of Paraná, with an annual average of 303.8 (± 135.2 and a detection coefficient of 2.91. No correlation was found between global indices and their respective significance in 2001 (I = -0.456, p = 0.676, but evidence of spatial autocorrelation was found in other years (p< 0.05. In the construction and analysis of the cluster maps, areas with a high-high positive association were found in the Ivaí-Pirapó, Tibagi, Cinzas-Laranjinha, and Ribeira areas. The state of Paraná should keep a constant surveillance over CL due to the prominent presence of socioeconomic and environmental factors such as the favorable circumstances for the vectors present in peri-urban and agriculture áreas.

Spatially-explicit estimation of geographical representation in large-scale species distribution datasets.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalwij, Jesse M; Robertson, Mark P; Ronk, Argo; Zobel, Martin; Pärtel, Meelis

2014-01-01

Much ecological research relies on existing multispecies distribution datasets. Such datasets, however, can vary considerably in quality, extent, resolution or taxonomic coverage. We provide a framework for a spatially-explicit evaluation of geographical representation within large-scale species distribution datasets, using the comparison of an occurrence atlas with a range atlas dataset as a working example. Specifically, we compared occurrence maps for 3773 taxa from the widely-used Atlas Florae Europaeae (AFE) with digitised range maps for 2049 taxa of the lesser-known Atlas of North European Vascular Plants. We calculated the level of agreement at a 50-km spatial resolution using average latitudinal and longitudinal species range, and area of occupancy. Agreement in species distribution was calculated and mapped using Jaccard similarity index and a reduced major axis (RMA) regression analysis of species richness between the entire atlases (5221 taxa in total) and between co-occurring species (601 taxa). We found no difference in distribution ranges or in the area of occupancy frequency distribution, indicating that atlases were sufficiently overlapping for a valid comparison. The similarity index map showed high levels of agreement for central, western, and northern Europe. The RMA regression confirmed that geographical representation of AFE was low in areas with a sparse data recording history (e.g., Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine). For co-occurring species in south-eastern Europe, however, the Atlas of North European Vascular Plants showed remarkably higher richness estimations. Geographical representation of atlas data can be much more heterogeneous than often assumed. Level of agreement between datasets can be used to evaluate geographical representation within datasets. Merging atlases into a single dataset is worthwhile in spite of methodological differences, and helps to fill gaps in our knowledge of species distribution ranges. Species distribution

Calculation of spatial distribution of optical escape factor and its application to He I collisional-radiative model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iida, Yohei; Kado, Shinichiro; Tanaka, Satoru

2010-01-01

An integral analytical formula for a spatial distribution of the optical escape factor (OEF) in an infinite cylindrical plasma is derived as a function of an arbitrary upper state spatial density profile, the temperature ratio of the upper state to the lower state, and the optical depth of the corresponding transition. Test calculations are carried out for three different upper state profiles, i.e., uniform (rectangular), parabolic, and Gaussian upper state profiles. The OEF takes on negative values at the periphery of the parabolic and Gaussian upper state profiles. These characteristics cannot be expressed by the conventional OEF formulas derived for the center of the plasma, even though the optical depth is increased. In addition to the analytical derivation of the formula, two practical formulas are proposed: an empirical formula of the spatial distribution of the OEF for the Gaussian upper state density profile and a linear formula of the OEF distribution for upper state profiles that are expressed as linear combinations. These formulas enable us to calculate the spatial distribution of the OEF for the multiple-Gaussian upper state profile without the need for time-consuming integral calculations.

Documentation of programs that compute 1) static tilts for a spatially variable slip distribution, and 2) quasi-static tilts produced by an expanding dislocation loop with a spatially variable slip distribution

Science.gov (United States)

McHugh, Stuart

1976-01-01

The material in this report is concerned with the effects of a vertically oriented rectangular dislocation loop on the tilts observed at the free surface of an elastic half-space. Part I examines the effect of a spatially variable static strike-slip distribution across the slip surface. The tilt components as a function of distance parallel, or perpendicular, to the strike of the slip surface are displayed for different slip-versus-distance profiles. Part II examines the effect of spatially and temporally variable slip distributions across the dislocation loop on the quasi-static tilts at the free surface of an elastic half space. The model discussed in part II may be used to generate theoretical tilt versus time curves produced by creep events.

The use of ionising radiation screening devices in airports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazo, T.

2010-01-01

Although the NEA generally focuses on radiological protection at nuclear power plants and related facilities, it also addresses other areas of radiological protection of interest to member countries. A particular subject of recent importance concerns the use of ionising radiation screening devices as part of airport security efforts. Modern body scanners can produce human images that can be used to detect weapons that may be hidden beneath a person's clothing. Heightened concerns over terrorist threats to airline flights have prompted many countries to consider the use, or expanded use of body scanners. The use of such devices raises a wide series of questions, some of which concern the radiological protection of those who might be scanned. As such, the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiation Safety (IACRS), an expert body in which the NEA works together with several other international organisations addressing radiological protection issues, recently developed a joint information paper laying out the key radiological protection and other issues that should be or have been considered when making decisions as to whether ionising radiation body scanners should be deployed in airports. This article provides an overview of the information paper. In assessing the possible use of X-ray body scanners, there are two significant radiological protection issues that may be of relevance with regard to the government decision whether their use is justified. First, although the individual exposures are very low, the exposure experienced by the scanned population as a whole will depend on whether all passengers are systematically scanned, or alternatively whether passengers are selected for scanning randomly or on the basis of specific criteria. The manner in which passengers would be selected would need to be known in order to appropriately assess the full radiological protection impact of scanner use. Second, the use of X-ray body scanners on sensitive groups, such as pregnant

Ionised gas structure of 100 kpc in an over-dense region of the galaxy group COSMOS-Gr30 at z 0.7

Science.gov (United States)

Epinat, B.; Contini, T.; Finley, H.; Boogaard, L. A.; Guérou, A.; Brinchmann, J.; Carton, D.; Michel-Dansac, L.; Bacon, R.; Cantalupo, S.; Carollo, M.; Hamer, S.; Kollatschny, W.; Krajnović, D.; Marino, R. A.; Richard, J.; Soucail, G.; Weilbacher, P. M.; Wisotzki, L.

2018-01-01

We report the discovery of a 104 kpc2 gaseous structure detected in [O II]λλ3727, 3729 in an over-dense region of the COSMOS-Gr30 galaxy group at z 0.725 with deep MUSE Guaranteed Time Observations. We estimate the total amount of diffuse ionised gas to be of the order of ( 5 ± 3) × 1010 M⊙ and explore its physical properties to understand its origin and the source(s) of the ionisation. The MUSE data allow the identification of a dozen group members that are embedded in this structure through emission and absorption lines. We extracted spectra from small apertures defined for both the diffuse ionised gas and the galaxies. We investigated the kinematics and ionisation properties of the various galaxies and extended gas regions through line diagnostics (R23, O32, and [O III]/Hβ) that are available within the MUSE wavelength range. We compared these diagnostics to photo-ionisation models and shock models. The structure is divided into two kinematically distinct sub-structures. The most extended sub-structure of ionised gas is likely rotating around a massive galaxy and displays filamentary patterns that link some galaxies. The second sub-structure links another massive galaxy that hosts an active galactic nucleus (AGN) to a low-mass galaxy, but it also extends orthogonally to the AGN host disc over 35 kpc. This extent is likely ionised by the AGN itself. The location of small diffuse regions in the R23 vs. O32 diagram is compatible with photo-ionisation. However, the location of three of these regions in this diagram (low O32, high R23) can also be explained by shocks, which is supported by their high velocity dispersions. One edge-on galaxy shares the same properties and may be a source of shocks. Regardless of the hypothesis, the extended gas seems to be non-primordial. We favour a scenario where the gas has been extracted from galaxies by tidal forces and AGN triggered by interactions between at least the two sub-structures. Based on observations made with

Use of ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-11-01

The Committee has inquired into and reported on the use of ionising radiation for commercial sterilisation, disinfestation, food preservation and other purposes with particular reference to human health and safety; environmental impacts, and adequacy of assessment and regulatory procedures. While food irradiation is apparently commercially successful overseas the application to Australia seems extremely limited - it would be used primarily for disinfestation of insect pests and perhaps to reduce levels of harmful bacteria in a limited range of foods. For other applications there are effective and more economic alternatives. The report reviews other studies of food irradiation and the policies and practices governing its use in other countries. The safety of irradiated food, the radiological safety issues and the regulations which would be required in Australia are dealt with in detail. The Committee recommends, inter alia, that the Australian Government should not approve the irradiation of food in Australia until such time as a routine commercial method of detection has been developed and that the import of caesium 137 for use as an irradiation source in commercial irradiation facilities be prohibited

Impact of precipitation spatial resolution on the hydrological response of an integrated distributed water resources model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fu, Suhua; Sonnenborg, Torben; Jensen, Karsten Høgh

2011-01-01

Precipitation is a key input variable to hydrological models, and the spatial variability of the input is expected to impact the hydrological response predicted by a distributed model. In this study, the effect of spatial resolution of precipitation on runoff , recharge and groundwater head...... of the total catchment and runoff discharge hydrograph at watershed outlet. On the other hand, groundwater recharge and groundwater head were both aff ected. The impact of the spatial resolution of precipitation input is reduced with increasing catchment size. The effect on stream discharge is relatively low...... was analyzed in the Alergaarde catchment in Denmark. Six different precipitation spatial resolutions were used as inputs to a physically based, distributed hydrological model, the MIKE SHE model. The results showed that the resolution of precipitation input had no apparent effect on annual water balance...

Thermoluminescent properties of CVD diamond: applications to ionising radiation dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petitfils, A.

2007-09-01

Remarkable properties of synthetic diamond (human soft tissue equivalence, chemical stability, non-toxicity) make this material suitable for medical application as thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD). This work highlights the interest of this material as radiotherapy TLD. In the first stage of this work, we looked after thermoluminescent (TL) and dosimetric properties of polycrystalline diamond made by Chemically Vapor Deposited (CVD) synthesis. Dosimetric characteristics are satisfactory as TLD for medical application. Luminescence thermal quenching on diamond has been investigated. This phenomenon leads to a decrease of dosimetric TL peak sensitivity when the heating rate increases. The second part of this work analyses the use of synthetic diamond as TLD in radiotherapy. Dose profiles, depth dose distributions and the cartography of an electron beam obtained with our samples are in very good agreement with results from an ionisation chamber. It is clearly shown that CVD) diamond is of interest to check beams of treatment accelerators. The use of these samples in a control of treatment with Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy underlines good response of synthetic diamond in high dose gradient areas. These results indicate that CVD diamond is a promising material for radiotherapy dosimetry. (author)

The Spatial Variability of Beryllium-7 Depth Distribution Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jalal Sharib; Zainudin Othman; Dainee Nor Fardzila Ahmad Tugi; Noor Fadzilah Yusof; Mohd Tarmizi Ishak

2015-01-01

The objective of this paper is to study the spatial variability of 7 Be depth evolution in soil profile at two different sampling sites. The soil samples have been collected by using metal core in bare area in Bangi, Selangor and Timah Tasoh, Perlis , Malaysia. Two composite core samples for each sampling sites has been sectioned into 2 mm increments to a depth of 4 cm and oven dried at 45- 60 degree Celsius and gently desegregated. These two composite spatial samples are passed through a < 2 mm sieve and packed into proper geometry plastic container for 7 Be analysis by using gamma spectrometry with a 24-hour count time. From the findings, the 7 Be content in the soil samples from Bangi, Selangor study area is distributed lower depth penetration into the soil profile than Timah Tasoh, Perlis catchment due to many factors such as precipitation (fallout) and others. However, the spatial variability from both samples study area is also decreases exponentially with depth and is confined within the top few centimeters and similar with other works been reported (Blake et al., (2000) and Walling et al.,(2008). Furthermore, a detailed discussion from this study findings will be in full papers. (author)

Beam Dynamics in a Muon Ionisation Cooling Channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogers, Chris

2008-01-01

The Neutrino Factory has been proposed as a facility to provide an intense source of neutrinos suitable for the measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters and a possible CP violating phase to unprecedented precision. In the Neutrino Factory, neutrinos are produced by the decay of a muon beam with 20-50 GeV per muon. Initially, the muon beam occupies a large volume in phase space, which must be reduced before the beam can be accelerated. The proposed method to achieve this is to use a solenoidal ionisation colling channel.

Use of ionising radiation for food processing applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ninjoor, V.

1989-01-01

Food irradiation is a recently developed technique used to sterilize and preserve food. Food products are exposed to ionising radiations such as X-rays, gamma rays or high energy electrons which destroy food borne pathogens and parasites and inhibit sprouting. Shelf life of food is extended. The following aspects of radiation processing of food are discussed in the monograph: radiation sources, choice of dose for specific results, safety and nutritional quality of radiation processed food, international status of acceptance of food irradiation, and cost. (M.G.B.). 6 tabs

A hierarchical model for estimating the spatial distribution and abundance of animals detected by continuous-time recorders.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert M Dorazio

Full Text Available Several spatial capture-recapture (SCR models have been developed to estimate animal abundance by analyzing the detections of individuals in a spatial array of traps. Most of these models do not use the actual dates and times of detection, even though this information is readily available when using continuous-time recorders, such as microphones or motion-activated cameras. Instead most SCR models either partition the period of trap operation into a set of subjectively chosen discrete intervals and ignore multiple detections of the same individual within each interval, or they simply use the frequency of detections during the period of trap operation and ignore the observed times of detection. Both practices make inefficient use of potentially important information in the data.We developed a hierarchical SCR model to estimate the spatial distribution and abundance of animals detected with continuous-time recorders. Our model includes two kinds of point processes: a spatial process to specify the distribution of latent activity centers of individuals within the region of sampling and a temporal process to specify temporal patterns in the detections of individuals. We illustrated this SCR model by analyzing spatial and temporal patterns evident in the camera-trap detections of tigers living in and around the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in India. We also conducted a simulation study to examine the performance of our model when analyzing data sets of greater complexity than the tiger data.Our approach provides three important benefits: First, it exploits all of the information in SCR data obtained using continuous-time recorders. Second, it is sufficiently versatile to allow the effects of both space use and behavior of animals to be specified as functions of covariates that vary over space and time. Third, it allows both the spatial distribution and abundance of individuals to be estimated, effectively providing a species distribution model, even in

Synthetic diamond devices for radiotherapy applications: Thermoluminescent dosimeter and ionisation chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Descamps, C.; Tromson, D.; Mer, C.; Nesladek, M.; Bergonzo, P.

2006-01-01

In radiotherapy field, the major usage of dosimeters is in the measurement of the dose received by the patient during radiotherapy (in-vivo measurements) and in beam calibration and uniformity checks. Diamond exhibits several interesting characteristics that make it a good candidate for radiation detection. It is indeed soft-tissue equivalent (Z=6 compared to Z=7.42 for human tissue), mechanically robust and relatively insensitive to radiation damage, chemically stable and non toxic. Moreover, the recent availability of synthetic samples, grown under controlled conditions using the chemical vapour deposition (C.V.D.) technique, allowed decreasing the high cost and the long delivery time of diamond devices. Diamond can be use for off-line dosimetry as thermoluminescent dosimeters or for on-line dosimetry as ionisation chamber [2,3]. These both applications are reported here. For this study, samples were grown in the laboratory and devices were then tested under X-ray irradiations and in clinical environment under medical cobalt source. The work described in this paper was performed in the framework of the European Integrated Project M.A.E.S.T.R.O., Methods and Advanced Equipment for Simulation and Treatment in Radio-Oncology, (6. FP) which is granted by the European Commission.The first results of this study clearly show that C.V.D. diamond detectors are suitable for dosimetry in radiotherapy applications. Moreover, for both T.L. dosimeters and ionisation chambers applications, and even though the sensitivity is subsequently reduced, nitrogen incorporation in films seems to significantly improve the dosimetric characteristics of the devices. Therefore, the optimisation of the material quality appears as a very important issue in order to increase the dosimetric characteristics of devices and more particularly, for use as thermoluminescent dosimeters, other impurities (Nickel, Phosphorus) will be tested. For ionisation chamber applications, experiments with

Modelling the potential spatial distribution of mosquito species using three different techniques

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cianci, D.; Hartemink, N.; Ibáñez-Justicia, A.

2015-01-01

Background: Models for the spatial distribution of vector species are important tools in the assessment of the risk of establishment and subsequent spread of vector-borne diseases. The aims of this study are to define the environmental conditions suitable for several mosquito species through species

Using a spatially-distributed hydrologic biogeochemistry model to study the spatial variation of carbon processes in a Critical Zone Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Y.; Eissenstat, D. M.; Davis, K. J.; He, Y.

2016-12-01

Forest carbon processes are affected by, among other factors, soil moisture, soil temperature, soil nutrients and solar radiation. Most of the current biogeochemical models are 1-D and represent one point in space. Therefore, they cannot resolve the topographically driven hill-slope land surface heterogeneity or the spatial pattern of nutrient availability. A spatially distributed forest ecosystem model, Flux-PIHM-BGC, has been developed by coupling a 1-D mechanistic biogeochemical model Biome-BGC (BBGC) with a spatially distributed land surface hydrologic model, Flux-PIHM. Flux-PIHM is a coupled physically based model, which incorporates a land-surface scheme into the Penn State Integrated Hydrologic Model (PIHM). The land surface scheme is adapted from the Noah land surface model. Flux-PIHM is able to represent the link between groundwater and the surface energy balance, as well as the land surface heterogeneities caused by topography. In the coupled Flux-PIHM-BGC model, each Flux-PIHM model grid couples a 1-D BBGC model, while soil nitrogen is transported among model grids via subsurface water flow. In each grid, Flux-PIHM provides BBGC with soil moisture, soil temperature, and solar radiation information, while BBGC provides Flux-PIHM with leaf area index. The coupled Flux-PIHM-BGC model has been implemented at the Susquehanna/Shale Hills critical zone observatory (SSHCZO). Model results suggest that the vegetation and soil carbon distribution is primarily constrained by nitorgen availability (affected by nitorgen transport via topographically driven subsurface flow), and also constrained by solar radiation and root zone soil moisture. The predicted vegetation and soil carbon distribution generally agrees with the macro pattern observed within the watershed. The coupled ecosystem-hydrologic model provides an important tool to study the impact of topography on watershed carbon processes, as well as the impact of climate change on water resources.

Basic radiation chemistry for the ionising energy treatment of food

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, P.W.

1985-01-01

Before we can understand the chemistry involved in the irradiation of complex substances such as food we need to have some appreciation of the reactions involved and the products formed when ionising energy interacts with the simple substances such as water and dilute solutions. Reactions involving hydrated electrons, hydrogen atoms and hydroxyl radicals are examined and methods for minimising radiolytic effects in foods are discussed

Spatial and mass distributions of molecular clouds and spiral structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwan, J.; Valdes, F.; National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tucson, AZ)

1987-01-01

The growth of molecular clouds resulting from cloud-cloud collisions and coalescence in the Galactic ring between 4 and 8 kpc are modeled, taking into account the presence of a spiral potential and the mutual cloud-cloud gravitational attraction. The mean lifetime of molecular clouds is determined to be about 200 million years. The clouds are present in both spiral arm and interarm regions, but a spiral pattern in their spatial distribution is clearly discernible, with the more massive clouds showing a stronger correlation with the spiral arms. As viewed from within the Galactic disk, however, it is very difficult to ascertain that the molecular cloud distribution in longitude-velocity space has a spiral pattern. 19 references

Two-dimensional readout in a liquid xenon ionisation chamber

CERN Document Server

Solovov, V; Ferreira-Marques, R; Lopes, M I; Pereira, A; Policarpo, Armando

2002-01-01

A two-dimensional readout with metal strips deposited on both sides of a glass plate is investigated aiming to assess the possibility of its use in a liquid xenon ionisation chamber for positron emission tomography. Here, we present results obtained with an alpha-source. It is shown that position resolution of <=1 mm, fwhm, can be achieved for free charge depositions equivalent to those due to gamma-rays with energy from 220 down to 110 keV.

Agricultural ammonia emissions inventory and spatial distribution in the North China Plain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Y., E-mail: zhangying0928@hotmail.co [College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193 (China); Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Edinburgh, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0QB (United Kingdom); Dore, A.J. [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Edinburgh, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0QB (United Kingdom); Ma, L. [College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193 (China); College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding 071001 (China); Liu, X.J., E-mail: liu310@cau.edu.c [College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193 (China); Ma, W.Q. [College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193 (China); College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding 071001 (China); Cape, J.N. [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Edinburgh, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0QB (United Kingdom); Zhang, F.S. [College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193 (China)

2010-02-15

An agricultural ammonia (NH{sub 3}) emission inventory in the North China Plain (NCP) on a prefecture level for the year 2004, and a 5 x 5 km{sup 2} resolution spatial distribution map, has been calculated for the first time. The census database from China's statistics datasets, and emission factors re-calculated by the RAINS model supported total emissions of 3071 kt NH{sub 3}-N yr{sup -1} for the NCP, accounting for 27% of the total emissions in China. NH{sub 3} emission from mineral fertilizer application contributed 1620 kt NH{sub 3}-N yr{sup -1}, 54% of the total emission, while livestock emissions accounted for the remaining 46% of the total emissions, including 7%, 27%, 7% and 5% from cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, and poultry, respectively. A high-resolution spatial NH{sub 3} emissions map was developed based on 1 x 1 km land use database and aggregated to a 5 x 5 km grid resolution. The highest emission density value was 198 kg N ha{sup -1} yr{sup -1}. - The first high-resolution spatial distribution of ammonia emissions for the North China Plain showed rates up to 200 kg NH{sub 3}-N ha{sup -1} yr{sup -1}.

Fitness of equipment used for medical exposures to ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

The advice in this guidance note is aimed at employers in control of equipment used for medical exposures to ionising radiation and ancillary equipment. This includes NHS trusts, health authorities or boards, private hospitals, clinics, surgeries, medical X-ray facilities in industry, dentists and chiropractors. The guidance should also be useful to radiation protection advisers appointed by such employers. The guidance provides advice on the requirements of regulation 33 of the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985 (IRR85). In particular, it covers: (a) the selection, installation, maintenance, calibration and replacement of equipment to ensure that it is capable of restricting, so far as reasonably practicable, the medical exposure of any person to the extent that this is compatible with the intended diagnostic or therapeutic purpose; (b) recommended procedures for the definitive calibration of radiotherapy treatment; and (c) the need to investigate incidents involving a malfunction or defect in any 'radiation equipment' which result in medical exposures much greater than intended and to notify the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). 'Medical exposure' is defined in IRR85 as exposure of a person to ionising radiation for the purpose of his or her medical or dental examination or treatment which is conducted under the direction of a suitably qualified person and includes any such examination or treatment conducted for the purposes of research. For convenience, people undergoing medical exposure will be referred to as 'patients' in this guidance. Nothing in this publication is intended to indicate whether or not patients should be informed of any incident resulting from malfunction or defect in equipment used for medical exposure and the possible consequences of that exposure. As stated above, this guidance concerns medical exposures much greater than intended and although exposures much lower than intended can also have serious consequences, the incident would not

Spatial distribution of the chromosomal forms of anopheles gambiae in Mali

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Traoré Sékou F

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Maps of the distribution of malaria vectors are useful tools for stratification of malaria risk and for selective vector control strategies. Although the distribution of members of the Anopheles gambiae complex is well documented in Africa, a continuous map of the spatial distribution of the chromosomal forms of An. gambiae s.s. is not yet available at country level to support control efforts. Methods Bayesian geostatistical methods were used to produce continuous maps of the spatial distribution of the chromosomal forms of An. gambiae s.s. (Mopti, Bamako, Savanna and their hybrids/recombinants based on their relative frequencies in relation to climatic and environmental factors in Mali. Results The maps clearly show that each chromosomal form favours a particular defined eco-climatic zone. The Mopti form prefers the dryer northern Savanna and Sahel and the flooded/irrigated areas of the inner delta of the Niger River. The Savanna form favours the Sudan savanna areas, particularly the South and South-Eastern parts of the country (Kayes and Sikasso regions. The Bamako form has a strong preference for specific environmental conditions and it is confined to the Sudan savanna areas around urban Bamako and the Western part of Sikasso region. The hybrids/recombinants favour the Western part of the country (Kayes region bordering the Republic of Guinea Conakry. Conclusion The maps provide valuable information for selective vector control in Mali (insecticide resistance management and may serve as a decision support tool for the basis for future malaria control strategies including genetically manipulated mosquitoes.

Incorporating spatial autocorrelation into species distribution models alters forecasts of climate-mediated range shifts.

Science.gov (United States)

Crase, Beth; Liedloff, Adam; Vesk, Peter A; Fukuda, Yusuke; Wintle, Brendan A

2014-08-01

Species distribution models (SDMs) are widely used to forecast changes in the spatial distributions of species and communities in response to climate change. However, spatial autocorrelation (SA) is rarely accounted for in these models, despite its ubiquity in broad-scale ecological data. While spatial autocorrelation in model residuals is known to result in biased parameter estimates and the inflation of type I errors, the influence of unmodeled SA on species' range forecasts is poorly understood. Here we quantify how accounting for SA in SDMs influences the magnitude of range shift forecasts produced by SDMs for multiple climate change scenarios. SDMs were fitted to simulated data with a known autocorrelation structure, and to field observations of three mangrove communities from northern Australia displaying strong spatial autocorrelation. Three modeling approaches were implemented: environment-only models (most frequently applied in species' range forecasts), and two approaches that incorporate SA; autologistic models and residuals autocovariate (RAC) models. Differences in forecasts among modeling approaches and climate scenarios were quantified. While all model predictions at the current time closely matched that of the actual current distribution of the mangrove communities, under the climate change scenarios environment-only models forecast substantially greater range shifts than models incorporating SA. Furthermore, the magnitude of these differences intensified with increasing increments of climate change across the scenarios. When models do not account for SA, forecasts of species' range shifts indicate more extreme impacts of climate change, compared to models that explicitly account for SA. Therefore, where biological or population processes induce substantial autocorrelation in the distribution of organisms, and this is not modeled, model predictions will be inaccurate. These results have global importance for conservation efforts as inaccurate

The spatial distribution of pet dogs and pet cats on the island of Ireland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

More Simon J

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is considerable international research regarding the link between human demographics and pet ownership. In several international studies, pet ownership was associated with household demographics including: the presence of children in the household, urban/rural location, level of education and age/family structure. What is lacking across all these studies, however, is an understanding of how these pets are spatially distributed throughout the regions under study. This paper describes the spatial distribution of pet dog and pet cat owning households on the island of Ireland. Results In 2006, there were an estimated 640,620 pet dog owning households and 215,542 pet cat owning households in Ireland. These estimates are derived from logistic regression modelling, based on household composition to determine pet dog ownership and the type of house to determine pet cat ownership. Results are presented using chloropleth maps. There is a higher density of pet dog owning households in the east of Ireland and in the cities than the west of Ireland and rural areas. However, in urban districts there are a lower proportion of households owning pet dogs than in rural districts. There are more households with cats in the urban areas, but the proportion of households with cats is greater in rural areas. Conclusions The difference in spatial distribution of dog ownership is a reflection of a generally higher density of households in the east of Ireland and in major cities. The higher proportion of ownership in the west is understandable given the higher proportion of farmers and rural dwellings in this area. Spatial representation allows us to visualise the impact of human household distribution on the density of both pet dogs and pet cats on the island of Ireland. This information can be used when analysing risk of disease spread, for market research and for instigating veterinary care.

Combining satellite data and appropriate objective functions for improved spatial pattern performance of a distributed hydrologic model

Science.gov (United States)

Demirel, Mehmet C.; Mai, Juliane; Mendiguren, Gorka; Koch, Julian; Samaniego, Luis; Stisen, Simon

2018-02-01

Satellite-based earth observations offer great opportunities to improve spatial model predictions by means of spatial-pattern-oriented model evaluations. In this study, observed spatial patterns of actual evapotranspiration (AET) are utilised for spatial model calibration tailored to target the pattern performance of the model. The proposed calibration framework combines temporally aggregated observed spatial patterns with a new spatial performance metric and a flexible spatial parameterisation scheme. The mesoscale hydrologic model (mHM) is used to simulate streamflow and AET and has been selected due to its soil parameter distribution approach based on pedo-transfer functions and the build in multi-scale parameter regionalisation. In addition two new spatial parameter distribution options have been incorporated in the model in order to increase the flexibility of root fraction coefficient and potential evapotranspiration correction parameterisations, based on soil type and vegetation density. These parameterisations are utilised as they are most relevant for simulated AET patterns from the hydrologic model. Due to the fundamental challenges encountered when evaluating spatial pattern performance using standard metrics, we developed a simple but highly discriminative spatial metric, i.e. one comprised of three easily interpretable components measuring co-location, variation and distribution of the spatial data. The study shows that with flexible spatial model parameterisation used in combination with the appropriate objective functions, the simulated spatial patterns of actual evapotranspiration become substantially more similar to the satellite-based estimates. Overall 26 parameters are identified for calibration through a sequential screening approach based on a combination of streamflow and spatial pattern metrics. The robustness of the calibrations is tested using an ensemble of nine calibrations based on different seed numbers using the shuffled complex

Modelling the spatial distribution of Fasciola hepatica in dairy cattle in Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Els Ducheyne

2015-03-01

Full Text Available A harmonized sampling approach in combination with spatial modelling is required to update current knowledge of fasciolosis in dairy cattle in Europe. Within the scope of the EU project GLOWORM, samples from 3,359 randomly selected farms in 849 municipalities in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Sweden were collected and their infection status assessed using an indirect bulk tank milk (BTM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. Dairy farms were considered exposed when the optical density ratio (ODR exceeded the 0.3 cut-off. Two ensemble-modelling techniques, Random Forests (RF and Boosted Regression Trees (BRT, were used to obtain the spatial distribution of the probability of exposure to Fasciola hepatica using remotely sensed environmental variables (1-km spatial resolution and interpolated values from meteorological stations as predictors. The median ODRs amounted to 0.31, 0.12, 0.54, 0.25 and 0.44 for Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Poland and southern Sweden, respectively. Using the 0.3 threshold, 571 municipalities were categorized as positive and 429 as negative. RF was seen as capable of predicting the spatial distribution of exposure with an area under the receiver operation characteristic (ROC curve (AUC of 0.83 (0.96 for BRT. Both models identified rainfall and temperature as the most important factors for probability of exposure. Areas of high and low exposure were identified by both models, with BRT better at discriminating between low-probability and high-probability exposure; this model may therefore be more useful in practise. Given a harmonized sampling strategy, it should be possible to generate robust spatial models for fasciolosis in dairy cattle in Europe to be used as input for temporal models and for the detection of deviations in baseline probability. Further research is required for model output in areas outside the eco-climatic range investigated.

The spatial distribution of infrared radiation from visible reflection nebulae

Science.gov (United States)

Luan, Ling; Werner, Michael W.; Dwek, Eli; Sellgren, Kris

1989-01-01

The emission at IRAS 12 and 25 micron bands of reflection nebulae is far in excess of that expected from the longer wavelength equilibrium thermal emission. The excess emission in the IRAS 12 micron band is a general phenomenon, seen in various components of interstellar medium such as IR cirrus clouds, H II regions, atomic and molecular clouds, and also normal spiral galaxies. This excess emission has been attributed to UV excited fluorescence in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules or to the effect of temperature fluctuations in very small grains. Results are presented of studies of IRAS data on reflection nebulae selected from the van den Bergh reflection nebulae sample. Detailed scans of flux ratio and color temperature across the nebulae were obtained in order to study the spatial distribution of IR emission. A model was used to predict the spatial distribution of IR emission from dust grains illuminated by a B type star. The model was also used to explore the excitation of the IRAS 12 micron band emission as a function of stellar temperature. The model predictions are in good agreement with the analysis of reflection nebulae, illuminated by stars with stellar temperature ranging from 21,000 down to 3,000 K.

Origin and spatial distribution of metals in agricultural soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammadpour, Gh.A.; Karbassi, A.R.; Baghvand, A.

2016-01-01

Presence of toxic metals in agricultural soils can impose adverse health impact on consumers. The main purpose of this study was to determine spatial distribution of elements Fe, Sb, Mn in agriculture soils and crops of Hamedan Province in Iran. Soil samples (0-20 cm depth) were collected from an area of 2831 km 2 . Iron, Antimony and Manganese in samples of soil and agricultural crops were extracted and their amount was determined using atomic absorption spectrometer. The spatial distribution map of the studied elements was developed using Kriging method. The main concentration of Fe, Sb and Mn in the soil of the study area is about 3.8%, 2.5 and 403 mg/kg, respectively. According to chemical partitioning studies, the anthropogenic share of Fe, Sb and Mn is about 28.51%, 34.83% and 30.35%, respectively. Results of comparison of heavy metals pollution intensity in the agricultural soil with geoaccumulation index and also pollution index, illustrated that iron and manganese are classified in the Non-polluted class and antimony is in the moderately polluted class. Analysis of zoning map of pollution index showed that Fe, Sb and Mn are of geological sources. In fact, these metals are naturally found in soil. However, anthropogenic activities have led to more accumulation of these metals in the soil. The obtained health risk for metals in agricultural crops is indicative of safe value for consumers.

Incorporating Human Movement Behavior into the Analysis of Spatially Distributed Infrastructure.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lihua Wu

Full Text Available For the first time in human history, the majority of the world's population resides in urban areas. Therefore, city managers are faced with new challenges related to the efficiency, equity and quality of the supply of resources, such as water, food and energy. Infrastructure in a city can be viewed as service points providing resources. These service points function together as a spatially collaborative system to serve an increasing population. To study the spatial collaboration among service points, we propose a shared network according to human's collective movement and resource usage based on data usage detail records (UDRs from the cellular network in a city in western China. This network is shown to be not scale-free, but exhibits an interesting triangular property governed by two types of nodes with very different link patterns. Surprisingly, this feature is consistent with the urban-rural dualistic context of the city. Another feature of the shared network is that it consists of several spatially separated communities that characterize local people's active zones but do not completely overlap with administrative areas. According to these features, we propose the incorporation of human movement into infrastructure classification. The presence of well-defined spatially separated clusters confirms the effectiveness of this approach. In this paper, our findings reveal the spatial structure inside a city, and the proposed approach provides a new perspective on integrating human movement into the study of a spatially distributed system.

Incorporating Human Movement Behavior into the Analysis of Spatially Distributed Infrastructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Lihua; Leung, Henry; Jiang, Hao; Zheng, Hong; Ma, Li

2016-01-01

For the first time in human history, the majority of the world's population resides in urban areas. Therefore, city managers are faced with new challenges related to the efficiency, equity and quality of the supply of resources, such as water, food and energy. Infrastructure in a city can be viewed as service points providing resources. These service points function together as a spatially collaborative system to serve an increasing population. To study the spatial collaboration among service points, we propose a shared network according to human's collective movement and resource usage based on data usage detail records (UDRs) from the cellular network in a city in western China. This network is shown to be not scale-free, but exhibits an interesting triangular property governed by two types of nodes with very different link patterns. Surprisingly, this feature is consistent with the urban-rural dualistic context of the city. Another feature of the shared network is that it consists of several spatially separated communities that characterize local people's active zones but do not completely overlap with administrative areas. According to these features, we propose the incorporation of human movement into infrastructure classification. The presence of well-defined spatially separated clusters confirms the effectiveness of this approach. In this paper, our findings reveal the spatial structure inside a city, and the proposed approach provides a new perspective on integrating human movement into the study of a spatially distributed system.

Experimental determination of pcav factors for cylindrical ionisation chambers in electron beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palm, Aa.; Mattsson, O.

2000-01-01

The electron beam method recommended for calibrating plane parallel ionisation chambers involves cavity correction factors for cylindrical chambers. The cavity correction factors in the IAEA TRS-381 Code of Practice are based on measurements at R 100 in a PMMA phantom using PMMA cylindrical chambers having different cavity radii. In the present work the recommended data were confirmed for electron beams delivered by modern medical accelerators by using the very same phantom and ionisation chambers that were used in the original work. From another series of measurements, using four specially designed wall-less chambers in a graphite phantom, the linear relation between p cav and the chamber radius that is the basis for the experimental method, was verified. The method was also used to determine the cavity correction factors for a set of Farmer-like graphite chambers placed in water. Compared to the TRS-381 Code of Practice a smaller correction was found for the cavity perturbation for the graphite chambers used in water. (author)

Flow distributions and spatial correlations in human brain capillary networks

Science.gov (United States)

Lorthois, Sylvie; Peyrounette, Myriam; Larue, Anne; Le Borgne, Tanguy

2015-11-01

The vascular system of the human brain cortex is composed of a space filling mesh-like capillary network connected upstream and downstream to branched quasi-fractal arterioles and venules. The distribution of blood flow rates in these networks may affect the efficiency of oxygen transfer processes. Here, we investigate the distribution and correlation properties of blood flow velocities from numerical simulations in large 3D human intra-cortical vascular network (10000 segments) obtained from an anatomical database. In each segment, flow is solved from a 1D non-linear model taking account of the complex rheological properties of blood flow in microcirculation to deduce blood pressure, blood flow and red blood cell volume fraction distributions throughout the network. The network structural complexity is found to impart broad and spatially correlated Lagrangian velocity distributions, leading to power law transit time distributions. The origins of this behavior (existence of velocity correlations in capillary networks, influence of the coupling with the feeding arterioles and draining veins, topological disorder, complex blood rheology) are studied by comparison with results obtained in various model capillary networks of controlled disorder. ERC BrainMicroFlow GA615102, ERC ReactiveFronts GA648377.

Measurement of spatial dose distribution for evaluation operator dose during nero-interventional procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Su Chul; Hong, Dong Hee

2016-01-01

The spatial dose distribution was measured with ionization chamber as preliminary study to evaluate operator dose and to study dose reduction during neuro-interventional procedures. The zone of operators was divided into four area (45, 135, 225, and 315 degree).We supposed that operator exist on the four area and indicated location of critical organs(eyes, breast, gonad). The spatial doses were measured depending on distance( 80, 100, 120, and 140 cm) and location of critical organs. The spatial doses of area of 225 degree were 114.5 mR/h (eyes location), 143.1 mR/h (breast location) and 147 mR/h (gonad location) in 80 cm. When changed location of x-ray generator, spatial dose increased in 18.1±10.5%, averagely. We certified spatial dose in the operator locations, Using the results of this study, It is feasible to protect operator from radiation in neuro-interventional procedures

Measurement of spatial dose distribution for evaluation operator dose during nero-interventional procedures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Su Chul [Division of Medical Radiation Equipment, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Dong Hee [Dept. of Radiology Science, Far East University, Eumseong (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-15

The spatial dose distribution was measured with ionization chamber as preliminary study to evaluate operator dose and to study dose reduction during neuro-interventional procedures. The zone of operators was divided into four area (45, 135, 225, and 315 degree).We supposed that operator exist on the four area and indicated location of critical organs(eyes, breast, gonad). The spatial doses were measured depending on distance( 80, 100, 120, and 140 cm) and location of critical organs. The spatial doses of area of 225 degree were 114.5 mR/h (eyes location), 143.1 mR/h (breast location) and 147 mR/h (gonad location) in 80 cm. When changed location of x-ray generator, spatial dose increased in 18.1±10.5%, averagely. We certified spatial dose in the operator locations, Using the results of this study, It is feasible to protect operator from radiation in neuro-interventional procedures.

Assessing the spatial distribution of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) eggs in open-field tomato cultivation through geostatistical analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Júlio C; Picanço, Marcelo C; Silva, Ricardo S; Gonring, Alfredo Hr; Galdino, Tarcísio Vs; Guedes, Raul Nc

2018-01-01

The spatial distribution of insects is due to the interaction between individuals and the environment. Knowledge about the within-field pattern of spatial distribution of a pest is critical to planning control tactics, developing efficient sampling plans, and predicting pest damage. The leaf miner Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is the main pest of tomato crops in several regions of the world. Despite the importance of this pest, the pattern of spatial distribution of T. absoluta on open-field tomato cultivation remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the spatial distribution of T. absoluta in 22 commercial open-field tomato cultivations with plants at the three phenological development stages by using geostatistical analysis. Geostatistical analysis revealed that there was strong evidence for spatially dependent (aggregated) T. absoluta eggs in 19 of the 22 sample tomato cultivations. The maps that were obtained demonstrated the aggregated structure of egg densities at the edges of the crops. Further, T. absoluta was found to accomplish egg dispersal along the rows more frequently than it does between rows. Our results indicate that the greatest egg densities of T. absoluta occur at the edges of tomato crops. These results are discussed in relation to the behavior of T. absoluta distribution within fields and in terms of their implications for improved sampling guidelines and precision targeting control methods that are essential for effective pest monitoring and management. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Spatial structure and distribution of small pelagic fish in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Saraux, Claire; Fromentin, Jean-Marc; Bigot, Jean-Louis; Bourdeix, Jean-Hervé; Morfin, Marie; Roos, David; Van Beveren, Elisabeth; Bez, Nicolas

2014-01-01

Understanding the ecological and anthropogenic drivers of population dynamics requires detailed studies on habitat selection and spatial distribution. Although small pelagic fish aggregate in large shoals and usually exhibit important spatial structure, their dynamics in time and space remain unpredictable and challenging. In the Gulf of Lions (north-western Mediterranean), sardine and anchovy biomasses have declined over the past 5 years causing an important fishery crisis while sprat abundance rose. Applying geostatistical tools on scientific acoustic surveys conducted in the Gulf of Lions, we investigated anchovy, sardine and sprat spatial distributions and structures over 10 years. Our results show that sardines and sprats were more coastal than anchovies. The spatial structure of the three species was fairly stable over time according to variogram outputs, while year-to-year variations in kriged maps highlighted substantial changes in their location. Support for the McCall's basin hypothesis (covariation of both population density and presence area with biomass) was found only in sprats, the most variable of the three species. An innovative method to investigate species collocation at different scales revealed that globally the three species strongly overlap. Although species often co-occurred in terms of presence/absence, their biomass density differed at local scale, suggesting potential interspecific avoidance or different sensitivity to local environmental characteristics. Persistent favourable areas were finally detected, but their environmental characteristics remain to be determined.

Chapter 8. Ionisation radiation and human organism. Radioactivity of human tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toelgyessy, J.; Harangozo, M.

2000-01-01

This is a chapter of textbook of radioecology for university students. In this chapter authors deal with ionisation radiation and human organism as well as with radioactivity of human tissues. Chapter consists of next parts: (1) Radiation stress of human organism; (2) Radioactivity of human tissues and the factors influencing radioactive contamination; (3) Possibilities of decreasing of radiation stress

Spatial bedrock erosion distribution in a natural gorge

Science.gov (United States)

Beer, A. R.; Turowski, J. M.; Kirchner, J. W.

2015-12-01

Quantitative analysis of morphological evolution both in terrestrial and planetary landscapes is of increasing interest in the geosciences. In mountainous regions, bedrock channel formation as a consequence of the interaction of uplift and erosion processes is fundamental for the entire surface evolution. Hence, the accurate description of bedrock channel development is important for landscape modelling. To verify existing concepts developed in the lab and to analyse how in situ channel erosion rates depend on the interrelations of discharge, sediment transport and topography, there is a need of highly resolved topographic field data. We analyse bedrock erosion over two years in a bedrock gorge downstream of the Gorner glacier above the town of Zermatt, Switzerland. At the study site, the Gornera stream cuts through a roche moutonnée in serpentine rock of 25m length, 5m width and 8m depth. We surveyed bedrock erosion rates using repeat terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) with an average point spacing of 5mm. Bedrock erosion rates in direction of the individual surface normals were studied directly on the scanned point clouds applying the M3C2 algorithm (Lague et al., 2013, ISPRS). The surveyed erosion patterns were compared to a simple stream erosivity visualisation obtained from painted bedrock sections at the study location. Spatially distributed erosion rates on bedrock surfaces based on millions of scan points allow deduction of millimeter-scale mean annual values of lateral erosion, incision and downstream erosion on protruding streambed surfaces. The erosion rate on a specific surface point is shown to depend on the position of this surface point in the channel's cross section, its height above the streambed and its spatial orientation to the streamflow. Abrasion by impacting bedload was likely the spatially dominant erosion process, as confirmed by the observed patterns along the painted bedrock sections. However, a single plucking event accounted for the half

Explaining local-scale species distributions: relative contributions of spatial autocorrelation and landscape heterogeneity for an avian assemblage.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brady J Mattsson

Full Text Available Understanding interactions between mobile species distributions and landcover characteristics remains an outstanding challenge in ecology. Multiple factors could explain species distributions including endogenous evolutionary traits leading to conspecific clustering and endogenous habitat features that support life history requirements. Birds are a useful taxon for examining hypotheses about the relative importance of these factors among species in a community. We developed a hierarchical Bayes approach to model the relationships between bird species occupancy and local landcover variables accounting for spatial autocorrelation, species similarities, and partial observability. We fit alternative occupancy models to detections of 90 bird species observed during repeat visits to 316 point-counts forming a 400-m grid throughout the Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge in Maryland, USA. Models with landcover variables performed significantly better than our autologistic and null models, supporting the hypothesis that local landcover heterogeneity is important as an exogenous driver for species distributions. Conspecific clustering alone was a comparatively poor descriptor of local community composition, but there was evidence for spatial autocorrelation in all species. Considerable uncertainty remains whether landcover combined with spatial autocorrelation is most parsimonious for describing bird species distributions at a local scale. Spatial structuring may be weaker at intermediate scales within which dispersal is less frequent, information flows are localized, and landcover types become spatially diversified and therefore exhibit little aggregation. Examining such hypotheses across species assemblages contributes to our understanding of community-level associations with conspecifics and landscape composition.

[Interdependence of plankton spatial distribution and plancton biomass temporal oscillations: mathematical simulation].

Science.gov (United States)

Medvedinskiĭ, A B; Tikhonova, I A; Li, B L; Malchow, H

2003-01-01

The dynamics of aquatic biological communities in a patchy environment is of great interest in respect to interrelations between phenomena at various spatial and time scales. To study the complex plankton dynamics in relation to variations of such a biologically essential parameter as the fish predation rate, we use a simple reaction-diffusion model of trophic interactions between phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish. We suggest that plankton is distributed between two habitats one of which is fish-free due to hydrological inhomogeneity, while the other is fish-populated. We show that temporal variations in the fish predation rate do not violate the strong correspondence between the character of spatial distribution of plankton and changes of plankton biomass in time: regular temporal oscillations of plankton biomass correspond to large-scale plankton patches, while chaotic oscillations correspond to small-scale plankton patterns. As in the case of the constant fish predation rate, the chaotic plankton dynamics is characterized by coexistence of the chaotic attractor and limit cycle.

Variability of the raindrop size distribution at small spatial scales

Science.gov (United States)

Berne, A.; Jaffrain, J.

2010-12-01

Because of the interactions between atmospheric turbulence and cloud microphysics, the raindrop size distribution (DSD) is strongly variable in space and time. The spatial variability of the DSD at small spatial scales (below a few km) is not well documented and not well understood, mainly because of a lack of adequate measurements at the appropriate resolutions. A network of 16 disdrometers (Parsivels) has been designed and set up over EPFL campus in Lausanne, Switzerland. This network covers a typical operational weather radar pixel of 1x1 km2. The question of the significance of the variability of the DSD at such small scales is relevant for radar remote sensing of rainfall because the DSD is often assumed to be uniform within a radar sample volume and because the Z-R relationships used to convert the measured radar reflectivity Z into rain rate R are usually derived from point measurements. Thanks to the number of disdrometers, it was possible to quantify the spatial variability of the DSD at the radar pixel scale and to show that it can be significant. In this contribution, we show that the variability of the total drop concentration, of the median volume diameter and of the rain rate are significant, taking into account the sampling uncertainty associated with disdrometer measurements. The influence of this variability on the Z-R relationship can be non-negligible. Finally, the spatial structure of the DSD is quantified using a geostatistical tool, the variogram, and indicates high spatial correlation within a radar pixel.

Spatial distribution patterns of sheep following manipulation of feeding motivation and food availability.

Science.gov (United States)

Freire, R; Swain, D L; Friend, M A

2012-05-01

We hypothesised that (i) increased feeding motivation will cause sheep to move further apart as a result of individuals trying to find food and (ii) in conditions of high food availability, sheep will move less and show greater social attraction. The effects of both feeding motivation and food availability on spatial distribution was examined in eight groups of food-deprived (high feeding motivation) and satiated (low feeding motivation) sheep in good or poor food resource plots in a 2 × 2 design. Distance travelled was assessed using Global Positioning System collars, grazing time using scan sampling and social cohesion using proximity collars that record the number and duration of encounters within 4 m. Food-deprived sheep in the good-resource plots grazed the most, whereas satiated sheep in the poor-resource plots grazed the least (P = 0.004). Food deprivation had no significant effect on the number or duration of encounters and feeding motivation appeared to have little effect on spatial distribution. Contrary to expectation, sheep had more encounters (P = 0.04) of a longer total duration (P = 0.02) in poor-resource plots than in good-resource plots, indicating that sheep were showing more social cohesion if food was scarce. Our findings suggest that when food is scarce, animals may come together in an attempt to share information on food availability. However, when a highly preferred food is abundant and well dispersed, they may move apart in order to maximise the intake. It is concluded that the particular details of our experiment, namely the even distribution or absence of a highly preferred food, affected spatial distribution patterns as sheep tried to find this food and maximise the intake.

Exposure of the French paediatric population to ionising radiation from diagnostic medical procedures in 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Etard, Cecile; Aubert, Bernard; Mezzarobba, Myriam; Bernier, Marie-Odile

2014-01-01

Medical examination is the main source of artificial radiation exposure. Because children present an increased sensitivity to ionising radiation, radiology practices at a national level in paediatrics should be monitored. This study describes the ionising radiation exposure from diagnostic medical examinations of the French paediatric population in 2010. Data on frequency of examinations were provided by the French National Health Insurance through a representative sample including 107,627 children ages 0-15 years. Effective doses for each type of procedure were obtained from the published French literature. Median and mean effective doses were calculated for the studied population. About a third of the children were exposed to at least one examination using ionising radiation in 2010. Conventional radiology, dental exams, CT scans and nuclear medicine and interventional radiology represent respectively 55.3%, 42.3%, 2.1% and 0.3% of the procedures. Children 10-15 years old and babies from birth to 1 year are the most exposed populations, with respectively 1,098 and 734 examinations per 1,000 children per year. Before 1 year of age, chest and pelvis radiographs are the most common imaging tests, 54% and 32%, respectively. Only 1% of the studied population is exposed to CT scan, with 62% of these children exposed to a head-and-neck procedure. The annual median and mean effective doses were respectively 0.03 mSv and 0.7 mSv for the exposed children. This study gives updated reference data on French paediatric exposure to medical ionising radiation that can be used for public health or epidemiological purposes. Paediatric diagnostic use appears much lower than that of the whole French population as estimated in a previous study. (orig.)

Exposure of the French paediatric population to ionising radiation from diagnostic medical procedures in 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Etard, Cecile; Aubert, Bernard [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, Medical Expertise Unit, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Mezzarobba, Myriam [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, Laboratory of Epidemiology, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Bernier, Marie-Odile [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, Laboratory of Epidemiology, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, IRSN/PRP-HOM/SRBE/LEPID, Laboratoire d' Epidemiologie, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France)

2014-12-15

Medical examination is the main source of artificial radiation exposure. Because children present an increased sensitivity to ionising radiation, radiology practices at a national level in paediatrics should be monitored. This study describes the ionising radiation exposure from diagnostic medical examinations of the French paediatric population in 2010. Data on frequency of examinations were provided by the French National Health Insurance through a representative sample including 107,627 children ages 0-15 years. Effective doses for each type of procedure were obtained from the published French literature. Median and mean effective doses were calculated for the studied population. About a third of the children were exposed to at least one examination using ionising radiation in 2010. Conventional radiology, dental exams, CT scans and nuclear medicine and interventional radiology represent respectively 55.3%, 42.3%, 2.1% and 0.3% of the procedures. Children 10-15 years old and babies from birth to 1 year are the most exposed populations, with respectively 1,098 and 734 examinations per 1,000 children per year. Before 1 year of age, chest and pelvis radiographs are the most common imaging tests, 54% and 32%, respectively. Only 1% of the studied population is exposed to CT scan, with 62% of these children exposed to a head-and-neck procedure. The annual median and mean effective doses were respectively 0.03 mSv and 0.7 mSv for the exposed children. This study gives updated reference data on French paediatric exposure to medical ionising radiation that can be used for public health or epidemiological purposes. Paediatric diagnostic use appears much lower than that of the whole French population as estimated in a previous study. (orig.)

Modeling of the spatial distribution of ten endangered bird species in jurisdiction of Corantioquia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez M, Ana Maria; Alvarez, Esteban

2006-01-01

Recently, thanks to advances made in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), techniques have been developed for the construction of models that predict the spatial distribution of species and other attributes of biodiversity. These methods have allowed for the development of objective criteria that are fundamental for making decisions regarding the creation of protected areas systems throughout the world. In this research, the spatial distribution of ten endangered species of birds found within the jurisdiction of CORANTIOQUIA (JDC from here on) was modelled, using GIS techniques. The JDC was divided into 177 squares of 15 x 10 Km and the following variables were quantified within each one: presence or absence of endangered species of birds, rainfall, temperature, sun brightness, relative humidity, day duration, altitude, vegetal cover, slope and primary net productivity. With the help of logistic regression were made predictive models. Based on logistic regressions techniques predictive models were made. These models allow to explain a percentage between 24% and 80% of spatial distribution variability of these species. Those results can help in the identification of valuable zones for the biodiversity conservation. In places where there are neither the time or the economic resources to carry out exhaustive analyses of biodiversity, the models can predict the probable presence of this endangered species

Investigation of damage mechanism by ionising radiation on biomolecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lau How Mooi

1996-01-01

Occupational radiation hazard is a very controversial subject. Effects from high radiation doses are well known from past experiences. However, hazard from low doses is still a subject that is hotly debated upon until now. The occupational dosimetry used now is based on a macroscopic scale. Lately, microdosimetry is fast gaining recognition as a more superior way of measuring hazard. More importantly, scientists are researching the basic damage mechanism that leads to biological effects by ionising radiation. In this report, a simulation study of the basic damage mechanism is discussed . This simulation is based upon Monte Carlo calculations and using polyuridylic acid (Poly-U) as the DNA model This simulation tries to relate the physics and chemistry of interactions of ionising radiation with biomolecules. The computer codes used in this simulation, OREC and RADLYS were created by Hamm et al. (1983) in Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The biological endpoints in this simulation are the strand break and base release of the DNA, which is the precursor of all biological effects. These results are compared with model studies that had been done experimentally to check the validity of this simulation. The G-values of strand break and base release from this simulation were -2.35 and 2.75 and compared well with results from irradiation experiments by von Sonntag (I 98 7) from Max Plank's Institute, Germany

Observation of the inhomogeneous spatial distribution of MeV ions accelerated by the hydrodynamic ambipolar expansion of clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanasaki, Masato; Jinno, Satoshi; Sakaki, Hironao; Faenov, Anatoly Ya.; Pikuz, Tatiana A.; Nishiuchi, Mamiko; Kiriyama, Hiromitsu; Kando, Masaki; Sugiyama, Akira; Kondo, Kiminori; Matsui, Ryutaro; Kishimoto, Yasuaki; Morishima, Kunihiro; Watanabe, Yukinobu; Scullion, Clare; Smyth, Ashley G.; Alejo, Aaron; Doria, Domenico; Kar, Satyabrata; Borghesi, Marco

2015-01-01

An inhomogeneous spatial distribution of laser accelerated carbon/oxygen ions produced via the hydrodynamic ambipolar expansion of CO_2 clusters has been measured by using CR-39 detectors. An inhomogeneous etch pits spatial distribution has appeared on the etched CR-39 detector installed on the laser propagation direction, while homogeneous ones are appeared on those installed at 45° and 90° from the laser propagation direction. From the range of ions in CR-39 obtained by using the multi-step etching technique, the averaged energies of carbon/oxygen ions for all directions are determined as 0.78 ± 0.09 MeV/n. The number of ions in the laser propagation direction is about 1.5 times larger than those in other directions. The inhomogeneous etch pits spatial distribution in the laser propagation direction could originate from an ion beam collimation and modulation by the effect of electromagnetic structures created in the laser plasma. - Highlights: • A spatial distribution of ions due to hydrodynamic ambipolar expansion is measured. • The homogeneous ion energy distribution of 0.78 ± 0.09 MeV/n is measured by CR-39. • The number of ions in the laser axis is about 1.5 times larger than other directions.

Spatial distribution of fluorescent light emitted from neon and nitrogen excited by low energy electron beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morozov, A.; Kruecken, R.; Ulrich, A.; Wieser, J.

2006-01-01

Side-view intensity profiles of fluorescent light were measured for neon and nitrogen excited with 12 keV electron beams at gas pressures from 250 to 1400 hPa. The intensity profiles were compared with theoretical profiles calculated using the CASINO program which performs Monte Carlo simulations of electron scattering. It was assumed that the spatial distribution of fluorescent intensity is directly proportional to the spatial distribution of energy loss by primary electrons. The comparison shows good correlation of experimental data and the results of numeric simulations

Spatial distribution of parasitism on Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton, 1856 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in citrus orchards.

Science.gov (United States)

Jahnke, S M; Redaelli, L R; Diefenbach, L M G; Efrom, C F

2008-11-01

Many species of microhymenopterous parasitoids have been registered on Phyllocnistis citrella, the citrus leafminer. The present study aimed to identify the spatial distribution pattern of the native and introduced parasitoids of P. citrella in two citrus orchards in Montenegro, RS. The new shoots from 24 randomly selected trees in each orchard were inspected at the bottom (0-1.5 m) and top (1.5-2.5 m) stratum and had their position relative to the quadrants (North, South, East and West) registered at every 15 days from July/2002 to June/2003. The leaves with pupae were collected and kept isolated until the emergence of parasitoids or of the leaf miner; so, the sampling was biased towards parasitoids that emerge in the host pupal phase. The horizontal spatial distribution was evaluated testing the fitness of data to the Poisson and negative binomial distributions. In Montenegrina, there was no significant difference in the number of parasitoids and in the mean number of pupae found in the top and bottom strata (chi2 = 0.66; df = 1; P > 0.05) (chi2 = 0.27; df =1; P > 0.05), respectively. In relation to the quadrants, the highest average numbers of the leafminer pupae and of parasitoids were registered at the East quadrant (chi2 = 11.81; df = 3; P miners was registered at the North quadrant (chi2 = 19. 29; df = 3; P miners and parasitoids in the East and West quadrants would be influenced by the higher solar exposure of these quadrants. The data of the horizontal spatial distribution of the parasitism fit to the negative binomial distribution in all sampling occasions, indicating an aggregated pattern.

Effect of Action Video Games on the Spatial Distribution of Visuospatial Attention

Science.gov (United States)

Green, C. Shawn; Bavelier, Daphne

2006-01-01

The authors investigated the effect of action gaming on the spatial distribution of attention. The authors used the flanker compatibility effect to separately assess center and peripheral attentional resources in gamers versus nongamers. Gamers exhibited an enhancement in attentional resources compared with nongamers, not only in the periphery but…

XUV spectra of highly ionised molybdenum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mansfield, M W.D.; Peacock, N J; Smith, C C; Hobby, M G [UKAEA, Abingdon. Culham Lab.; Cowan, R D

1978-05-14

The spectra of molybdenum ions produced in Tokamaks in the wavelength range 10-200 A have been reproduced in a plasma formed by laser beam irradiation of solid molybdenum targets. Lines from highly ionised stages of molybdenum (Mo XXX to Mo XXXII) have been distinguished by varying the laser beam intensity. Detailed analyses of the simpler ions, Mo XV (Ni-like), Mo XVI (Co-like), Mo XXXII (Na-like), and to a lesser extent Mo XXXI (Mg-like) and Mo XVII (Fe-like), have been achieved by comparison with ab initio calculations. A general interpretation of intermediate ion stages is also given but it is shown that most of these spectra are so complex, as a result of inner-subshell excitation, that detailed term-scheme analyses are nearly impossible.

Spatial distribution of vehicle emission inventories in the Federal District, Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Réquia, Weeberb João; Koutrakis, Petros; Roig, Henrique Llacer

2015-07-01

Air pollution poses an important public health risk, especially in large urban areas. Information about the spatial distribution of air pollutants can be used as a tool for developing public policies to reduce source emissions. Air pollution monitoring networks provide information about pollutant concentrations; however, they are not available in every urban area. Among the 5570 cities in Brazil, for example, only 1.7% of them have air pollution monitoring networks. In this study we assess vehicle emissions for main traffic routes of the Federal District (state of Brazil) and characterize their spatial patterns. Toward this end, we used a bottom-up method to predict emissions and to characterize their spatial patterns using Global Moran's (Spatial autocorrelation analysis) and Getis-Ord General G (High/Low cluster analysis). Our findings suggested that light duty vehicles are primarily responsible for the vehicular emissions of CO (68.9%), CH4 (93.6%), and CO2 (57.9%), whereas heavy duty vehicles are primarily responsible for the vehicular emissions of NMHC (92.9%), NOx (90.7%), and PM (97.4%). Furthermore, CO2 is the pollutant with the highest emissions, over 30 million tons/year. In the spatial autocorrelation analysis was identified cluster (p < 0.01) for all types of vehicles and for all pollutants. However, we identified high cluster only for the light vehicles.

Spatial distribution of radiation damage to crystalline proteins at 25–300 K

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Warkentin, Matthew; Badeau, Ryan; Hopkins, Jesse B.; Thorne, Robert E., E-mail: ret6@cornell.edu [Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States)

2012-09-01

Dose-dependent atomic B factors are used to determine the average spatial distribution of radiation damage to crystalline thaumatin and urease. The spatial distribution of radiation damage (assayed by increases in atomic B factors) to thaumatin and urease crystals at temperatures ranging from 25 to 300 K is reported. The nature of the damage changes dramatically at approximately 180 K. Above this temperature the role of solvent diffusion is apparent in thaumatin crystals, as solvent-exposed turns and loops are especially sensitive. In urease, a flap covering the active site is the most sensitive part of the molecule and nearby loops show enhanced sensitivity. Below 180 K sensitivity is correlated with poor local packing, especially in thaumatin. At all temperatures, the component of the damage that is spatially uniform within the unit cell accounts for more than half of the total increase in the atomic B factors and correlates with changes in mosaicity. This component may arise from lattice-level, rather than local, disorder. The effects of primary structure on radiation sensitivity are small compared with those of tertiary structure, local packing, solvent accessibility and crystal contacts.

Analysis on the Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Maritime traffic profile in Western Taiwan Strait

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jinhai, C; Feng, L; Guojun, P

2014-01-01

The mathematical statistics and spatial analyses for merchant vessels navigating in Western Taiwan Strait are used to unravel potential spatial heterogeneity based on ship tracking records derived from China's coastal Automatic Identification System shore-based network from October 2011 to September 2012. Two maritime traffic profile's indices, composition of vessels, weighted frequency of ship transits, are proposed. Based on the two indices, the most risky hotspots or areas in the Strait are detected by comparing spatial distribution of maritime traffic volume of fishing boat, container ship, crude oil tanker and all ships exclude fishing boats

Experimental equivalent cluster-size distributions in nano-metric volumes of liquid water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grosswendt, B.; De Nardo, L.; Colautti, P.; Pszona, S.; Conte, V.; Tornielli, G.

2004-01-01

Ionisation cluster-size distributions in nano-metric volumes of liquid water were determined for alpha particles at 4.6 and 5.4 MeV by measuring cluster-size frequencies in small gaseous volumes of nitrogen or propane at low gas pressure as well as by applying a suitable scaling procedure. This scaling procedure was based on the mean free ionisation lengths of alpha particles in water and in the gases measured. For validation, the measurements of cluster sizes in gaseous volumes and the cluster-size formation in volumes of liquid water of equivalent size were simulated by Monte Carlo methods. The experimental water-equivalent cluster-size distributions in nitrogen and propane are compared with those in liquid water and show that cluster-size formation by alpha particles in nitrogen or propane can directly be related to those in liquid water. (authors)

Spatial distribution of seeds and seedlings of two tropical tree species: Is there correspondence between patterns?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parrado Rosselli, Angela

2007-01-01

The spatial patterns of seed and seedling distribution relative to parent trees (seed and seedling shadow, respectively) were studied for Dacryodes chimantensis (Burseraceae) and Brosimum utile (Moraceae), two common tree species of terra firme forests of Colombian Amazonia. The general objective was to assess whether the patterns imposed by seed dispersal change or persist in subsequent life stages occurring during the transition from seeds/saplings to adult stages. Seed and seedling shadows on the ground were characterized for each tree species along four 50-m radial transects from the base of the parent tree. Causes of seed and seedling predation as a function of distance to the parent tree were determined, as well as the spatial consistency between life stages. Results showed that seed density of both Dacryodes and Brosimum declined leptokurtically with distance, and it was skewed towards the parent tree. However, seed density was more skewed and leptokurtic in Dacryodes than in Brosimum. The overall trend was maintained in the seedling stage of both species and was positively correlated with the distribution patterns of seeds. Seed and seedling predation were positively correlated with density and negatively correlated with the distance from the parent tree. Factors that could be generating the high consistency between the spatial patterns of seed and seedling distribution are discussed, as well as its implications in the population structure of both species and the debate on the factors that influence the spatial distribution of plant species in tropical rain forests.

Non-monotonic spatial distribution of the interstellar dust in astrospheres: finite gyroradius effect

Science.gov (United States)

Katushkina, O. A.; Alexashov, D. B.; Izmodenov, V. V.; Gvaramadze, V. V.

2017-02-01

High-resolution mid-infrared observations of astrospheres show that many of them have filamentary (cirrus-like) structure. Using numerical models of dust dynamics in astrospheres, we suggest that their filamentary structure might be related to specific spatial distribution of the interstellar dust around the stars, caused by a gyrorotation of charged dust grains in the interstellar magnetic field. Our numerical model describes the dust dynamics in astrospheres under an influence of the Lorentz force and assumption of a constant dust charge. Calculations are performed for the dust grains with different sizes separately. It is shown that non-monotonic spatial dust distribution (viewed as filaments) appears for dust grains with the period of gyromotion comparable with the characteristic time-scale of the dust motion in the astrosphere. Numerical modelling demonstrates that the number of filaments depends on charge-to-mass ratio of dust.

Spatial distribution of conduction disorders during sinus rhythm.

Science.gov (United States)

Lanters, Eva A H; Yaksh, Ameeta; Teuwen, Christophe P; van der Does, Lisette J M E; Kik, Charles; Knops, Paul; van Marion, Denise M S; Brundel, Bianca J J M; Bogers, Ad J J C; Allessie, Maurits A; de Groot, Natasja M S

2017-12-15

Length of lines of conduction block (CB) during sinus rhythm (SR) at Bachmann's bundle (BB) is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, it is unknown whether extensiveness of CB at BB represents CB elsewhere in the atria. We aim to investigate during SR 1) the spatial distribution and extensiveness of CB 2) whether there is a predilection site for CB and 3) the association between CB and incidence of post-operative AF. During SR, epicardial mapping of the right atrium (RA), BB and left atrium was performed in 209 patients with coronary artery disease. The amount of conduction delay (CD, Δlocal activation time ≥7ms) and CB (Δ≥12ms) was quantified as % of the mapping area. Atrial regions were compared to identify potential predilection sites for CD/CB. Correlations between CD/CB and clinical characteristics were tested. Areas with CD or CB were present in all patients, overall prevalence was respectively 1.4(0.2-4.0) % and 1.3(0.1-4.3) %. Extensiveness and spatial distribution of CD/CB varied considerably, however occurred mainly at the superior intercaval RA. Of all clinicalcharacteristics, CD/CB only correlated weakly with age and diabetes (P<0.05). A 1% increase in CD or CB caused a 1.1-1.5ms prolongation of the activation time (P<0.001). There was no correlation between CD/CB and post-operative AF. CD/CB during SR in CABG patients with electrically non-remodeled atria show considerable intra-atrial, but also inter-individual variation. Despite these differences, a predilection site is present at the superior intercaval RA. Extensiveness of CB at the superior intercaval RA or BB does not reflect CB elsewhere in the atria and is not associated with post-operative AF. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial distribution of the chemical properties of the soil and of soybean yield in the field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Gazolla-Neto

2016-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial dependence between chemical properties of the soil and yield components in the soybean using precision farming techniques. Samples of the soil and plants were taken from georeferenced points to determine the chemical properties of the soil and the yield components. The results were submitted to Pearson correlation analysis, descriptive statistics and geostatistics. The coefficient of variation showed a wide range of distribution for the chemical attributes of the soil, with the highest indices being found for the levels of available phosphorus (102% and potassium (72.65%. Soil pH and organic matter showed a coefficient of variation of 5.96 and 15.93% respectively. Semivariogram analysis of the yield components (productivity, 1,000-seed weight and number of seeds and the chemical properties of the soil (organic matter, pH, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, boron, manganese and zinc fitted the spherical model with moderate spatial dependence, with values ranging from 200 to 700 m. Spatial distribution by means of map interpolation was efficient in evaluating spatial variability, allowing the identification and quantification of regions of low and high productivity in the production area, together with the distribution of soil attributes and their respective levels of availability to the soybean plants.

Not to confuse 'contaminated' food and 'irradiated' or 'ionised' food

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

Food contamination corresponds to the undesired presence of radioactive products in food, while irradiation is a process to which food can be deliberately submitted to improve its preservation or hygiene. This publication explains this difference. It describes the process, physical effects and health impacts of radioactive contamination of food. It briefly describes irradiation or ionisation processes, their objectives, doses of ionising radiations used on food products, undesired and harmful effects. It also indicates food products concerned by these irradiation processes, and the associated legal framework, evokes the lack of information of consumers regarding such practices, briefly evokes risks associated with irradiation installations, and indicates where these installations are located in France

Measurement of air kerma rates for 6- to 7-MeV high-energy gamma-ray field by ionisation chamber and build-up plate.

Science.gov (United States)

Kowatari, Munehiko; Tanimura, Yoshihiko; Tsutsumi, Masahiro

2014-12-01

The 6- to 7-MeV high-energy gamma-ray calibration field by the (19)F(p, αγ)(16)O reaction is to be served at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. For the determination of air kerma rates using an ionisation chamber in the 6- to 7-MeV high-energy gamma-ray field, the establishment of the charged particle equilibrium must be achieved during measurement. In addition to measurement of air kerma rates by the ionisation chamber with a thick build-up cap, measurement using the ionisation chamber and a build-up plate (BUP) was attempted, in order to directly determine air kerma rates under the condition of regular calibration for ordinary survey meters and personal dosemeters. Before measurements, Monte Carlo calculations were made to find the optimum arrangement of BUP in front of the ionisation chamber so that the charged particle equilibrium could be well established. Measured results imply that air kerma rates for the 6- to 7-MeV high-energy gamma-ray field could be directly determined under the appropriate condition using an ionisation chamber coupled with build-up materials. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Spatial distribution of coefficients for determination of global radiation in Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolić Jugoslav L.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is a creation of the spatial distribution of the corresponding coefficients for the indirect determination of global radiation using all direct measurements data of this shortwave radiation balance component in Serbia in the standard climate period (1961-1990. Based on the global radiation direct measurements data recorded in the past and routine measurements/observations of cloudiness and sunshine duration, the spatial distribution coefficients maps required for calculation of global radiation were produced on the basis of sunshine/cloudiness in an arbitrary point on the territory of Serbia. Besides, a specific verification of the proposed empirical formula was performed. This paper contributes to a wide range of practical applications as direct measurements of global radiation are relatively rare, and are not carried out in Serbia today. Significant application is possible in the domain of renewable energy sources. The development of method for determination of the global radiation has an importance from the aspect of the environmental protection; however it also has an economic importance through applications in numerous commercial projects, as it does not require special measurements or additional financial investments.

Combining satellite data and appropriate objective functions for improved spatial pattern performance of a distributed hydrologic model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. C. Demirel

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Satellite-based earth observations offer great opportunities to improve spatial model predictions by means of spatial-pattern-oriented model evaluations. In this study, observed spatial patterns of actual evapotranspiration (AET are utilised for spatial model calibration tailored to target the pattern performance of the model. The proposed calibration framework combines temporally aggregated observed spatial patterns with a new spatial performance metric and a flexible spatial parameterisation scheme. The mesoscale hydrologic model (mHM is used to simulate streamflow and AET and has been selected due to its soil parameter distribution approach based on pedo-transfer functions and the build in multi-scale parameter regionalisation. In addition two new spatial parameter distribution options have been incorporated in the model in order to increase the flexibility of root fraction coefficient and potential evapotranspiration correction parameterisations, based on soil type and vegetation density. These parameterisations are utilised as they are most relevant for simulated AET patterns from the hydrologic model. Due to the fundamental challenges encountered when evaluating spatial pattern performance using standard metrics, we developed a simple but highly discriminative spatial metric, i.e. one comprised of three easily interpretable components measuring co-location, variation and distribution of the spatial data. The study shows that with flexible spatial model parameterisation used in combination with the appropriate objective functions, the simulated spatial patterns of actual evapotranspiration become substantially more similar to the satellite-based estimates. Overall 26 parameters are identified for calibration through a sequential screening approach based on a combination of streamflow and spatial pattern metrics. The robustness of the calibrations is tested using an ensemble of nine calibrations based on different seed numbers using the

Modelling the spatial distribution of SO2 and NO(x) emissions in Ireland

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kluizenaar, Y.de; Aherne, J.; Farrell, E.P.

2001-01-01

The spatial distributions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NO(x)) emissions are essential inputs to models of atmospheric transport and deposition. Information of this type is required for international negotiations on emission reduction through the critical load approach.

Research on the Spatial-Temporal Distribution Pattern of the Network Attention of Fog and Haze in China

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Lingyan; Han, Xugao

2018-01-01

Understanding the spatial-temporal distribution pattern of fog and haze is the base to deal with them by adjusting measures to local conditions. Taking 31 provinces in China mainland as the research areas, this paper collected data from Baidu index on the network attention of fog and haze in relevant areas from 2011 to 2016, and conducted an analysis of their spatial-temporal distribution pattern by using autocorrelation analysis. The results show that the network attention of fog and haze has an overall spatial distribution pattern of “higher in the eastern and central, lower in the western China”. There are regional differences in different provinces in terms of network attention. Network attention of fog and haze indicates an obvious geographical agglomeration phenomenon, which is a gradual enlargement of the agglomeration area of higher value with a slight shrinking of those lower value agglomeration areas.

Comparison of alternative spatial resolutions in the application of a spatially distributed biogeochemical model over complex terrain

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, D.P.; Dodson, R.; Marks, D.

1996-01-01

Spatially distributed biogeochemical models may be applied over grids at a range of spatial resolutions, however, evaluation of potential errors and loss of information at relatively coarse resolutions is rare. In this study, a georeferenced database at the 1-km spatial resolution was developed to initialize and drive a process-based model (Forest-BGC) of water and carbon balance over a gridded 54976 km2 area covering two river basins in mountainous western Oregon. Corresponding data sets were also prepared at 10-km and 50-km spatial resolutions using commonly employed aggregation schemes. Estimates were made at each grid cell for climate variables including daily solar radiation, air temperature, humidity, and precipitation. The topographic structure, water holding capacity, vegetation type and leaf area index were likewise estimated for initial conditions. The daily time series for the climatic drivers was developed from interpolations of meteorological station data for the water year 1990 (1 October 1989-30 September 1990). Model outputs at the 1-km resolution showed good agreement with observed patterns in runoff and productivity. The ranges for model inputs at the 10-km and 50-km resolutions tended to contract because of the smoothed topography. Estimates for mean evapotranspiration and runoff were relatively insensitive to changing the spatial resolution of the grid whereas estimates of mean annual net primary production varied by 11%. The designation of a vegetation type and leaf area at the 50-km resolution often subsumed significant heterogeneity in vegetation, and this factor accounted for much of the difference in the mean values for the carbon flux variables. Although area wide means for model outputs were generally similar across resolutions, difference maps often revealed large areas of disagreement. Relatively high spatial resolution analyses of biogeochemical cycling are desirable from several perspectives and may be particularly important in the

Ionisation and dissociation of water induced by swift multicharged ions; Etude de l'ionisation et de la dissociation d'H{sub 2}O induites par collision avec des ions multicharges rapides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Legendre, S

2006-02-15

Ionization and dissociation of water molecules and water clusters induced by 11.7 MeV/A Ni{sup 25+} ions were carried out by imaging techniques. Branching ratios, ionisation cross sections and Kinetic Energy Released distributions have been measured together with fragmentation dynamics studies. Multiple ionization represents approximately 30% of the ionizing events. Double ionization produces in significant way atomic oxygen, considered as a possible precursor of the large production of HO{sub 2} radical in liquid water radiolysis by ions of high Linear Energy Transfer. We evidence a strong selectivity of bond breakage in the case of ion-induced HOD fragmentation. Once the molecule doubly ionized, the breakage of the O-H bond is found 6.5 times more probable than that of the O-D bond. A semi-classical calculation simulating the fragmentation dynamics on the potential energy surface of the ground-state of di-cation H{sub 2}O{sup 2+} makes possible to as well reproduce the preferential nature of the breakage of the O-H bond as the position and the shift of the kinetic energy distributions. First results concerning interaction with water clusters are also reported. Measurements in coincidence are carried out giving access to correlation, with the distributions in energy and angle of the emitted fragments. Mass spectrum points fast intra-cluster proton transfer, leading to the emission of protonated clusters. (author)

Applying Spatially Distributed Rainfall to a Hydrological Model in a Tropical Watershed, Manoa Watershed, in Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Y. F.; Tsang, Y. P.

2017-12-01

Rainfall in Hawaii is characterized with high spatial and temporal variability. In the south side of Oahu, the Manoa watershed, with an area of 11 km2, has the annual maximum rainfall of 3900mm and the minimum rainfall of 1000 mm. Despite this high spatial heterogeneity, the rain gage network seems insufficiently capture this pattern. When simulating stream flow and predicting floods with hydrological models in Hawaii, the model performance is often unsatisfactory because of inadequate representation of rainfall data. Longman et al. (in prep.) have developed the spatially distributed daily rainfall across the Hawaiian Islands by applying ordinary kriging, yet these data have not been applied to hydrological models. In this study, we used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to assess the streamflow simulation by applying spatially-distributed rainfall in the Manoa watershed. We first used point daily-rainfall at Lyon Arboretum from National Center of Environmental Information (NCEI) as the uniform rainfall input. Secondly, we summarized sub-watershed mean rainfall from the daily spatial-statistical rainfall. Both rainfall data are available from 1999 to 2014. The SWAT was set up for five-year warm-up, nine-year calibration, and two-year validation. The model parameters were calibrated and validated with four U.S. Geological Survey stream gages. We compared the calibrated watershed parameters, characteristics, and assess the streamflow hydrographs from these two rainfall inputs. The differences and improvement of using spatially distributed rainfall input in SWAT were discussed. In addition to improving the model by the representation of rainfall, this study helped us having a better understanding of the watershed hydrological response in Hawaii.

Spatial Distribution of Zooplankton Diversity across Temporary Pools in a Semiarid Intermittent River

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thaís X. Melo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This study describes the richness and density of zooplankton across temporary pools in an intermittent river of semiarid Brazil and evaluates the partitioning of diversity across different spatial scales during the wet and dry periods. Given the highly patchy nature of these pools it is hypothesized that the diversity is not homogeneously distributed across different spatial scales but concentrated at lower levels. The plankton fauna was composed of 37 species. Of these 28 were Rotifera, 5 were Cladocera, and 4 were Copepoda (nauplii of Copepoda were also recorded. We showed that the zooplankton presents a spatially segregated pattern of species composition across river reaches and that at low spatial scales (among pools or different habitats within pools the diversity of species is likely to be affected by temporal changes in physical and chemical characteristics. As a consequence of the drying of pool habitats, the spatial heterogeneity within the study river reaches has the potential to increase β diversity during the dry season by creating patchier assemblages. This spatial segregation in community composition and the patterns of partition of the diversity across the spatial scales leads to a higher total diversity in intermittent streams, compared to less variable environments.

Heterogeneous game resource distributions promote cooperation in spatial prisoner's dilemma game

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Guang-Hai; Wang, Zhen; Yang, Yan-Cun; Tian, Sheng-Wen; Yue, Jun

2018-01-01

In social networks, individual abilities to establish interactions are always heterogeneous and independent of the number of topological neighbors. We here study the influence of heterogeneous distributions of abilities on the evolution of individual cooperation in the spatial prisoner's dilemma game. First, we introduced a prisoner's dilemma game, taking into account individual heterogeneous abilities to establish games, which are determined by the owned game resources. Second, we studied three types of game resource distributions that follow the power-law property. Simulation results show that the heterogeneous distribution of individual game resources can promote cooperation effectively, and the heterogeneous level of resource distributions has a positive influence on the maintenance of cooperation. Extensive analysis shows that cooperators with large resource capacities can foster cooperator clusters around themselves. Furthermore, when the temptation to defect is high, cooperator clusters in which the central pure cooperators have larger game resource capacities are more stable than other cooperator clusters.

Application of ionising radiation to the pharmaceutical industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dittmar, E.

1975-01-01

Pharmacons, commonly called 'Drugs', are subject to a many-sided procedure of development before they are released on the market and reach the patient. Again and again they are submitted to controls for safety reasons and at least seven (sometimes nine or ten) years pass before the active substance has made its way from chemistry through many trials with animals in experimental pathology and through the laboratories of the biochemistry department. Ionising radiation is used in each field of drug research as an additional method for obtaining information. In chemistry the structure of molecules can be detected by X-ray diffraction, and the active component elucidated. In the teratology section of experimental pathology the foetus just before delivery and newborn animals are X-rayed. This is in order to find out skeletal malformations that might have occurred during feeding of the substance in question during gestation. In biochemistry the pharmacon is labelled with a suitable radioactive isotope. Its way through the body can then be followed by measuring absorption rate, distribution, binding and elimination. It is also important to explore the influence of the drug on the organism and the reverse - how the pharmacon is influenced by the organism. This means examining the metabolites of the drug and the mechanism of action by means of serial auto-radiography and clearance or excretion studies. Gamma rays are employed for sterilisation of ointment tubes and vials just before filling. Sterilisation of the pharmacon is discussed. (author)

Spatial distribution of cavitation-shock-pressure around a jet-flow gate-valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oba, Risaburo; Takayama, Kazuyoshi; Ito, Yukio; Miyakura, Hideto; Nozaki, Satoru; Ishige, Tadashi; Sonoda, Shuji; Sakamoto, Kenji.

1987-01-01

To make clear the mechanism of cavitation erosion, the spatial distribution of cavitation shock pressures were quantitatively measured by a pressure sensitive sheet in the 1/10 scale model of a jet-flow gate-valve, for various valve-openings and cavitation numbers. The dynamic pressure response of the sheet was corrected by the shock wave generated from detonation explosives. It is made clear that the erosive shock pressures are distributed in a limited part of the whole cavitation region, and the safety region without the fatal cavitation erosion is defined. (author)