Sample records for adaptive dead-zone inverse

  1. Robust adaptive precision motion control of hydraulic actuators with valve dead-zone compensation.

    PubMed

    Deng, Wenxiang; Yao, Jianyong; Ma, Dawei

    2017-09-01

    This paper addresses the high performance motion control of hydraulic actuators with parametric uncertainties, unmodeled disturbances and unknown valve dead-zone. By constructing a smooth dead-zone inverse, a robust adaptive controller is proposed via backstepping method, in which adaptive law is synthesized to deal with parametric uncertainties and a continuous nonlinear robust control law to suppress unmodeled disturbances. Since the unknown dead-zone parameters can be estimated by adaptive law and then the effect of dead-zone can be compensated effectively via inverse operation, improved tracking performance can be expected. In addition, the disturbance upper bounds can also be updated online by adaptive laws, which increases the controller operability in practice. The Lyapunov based stability analysis shows that excellent asymptotic output tracking with zero steady-state error can be achieved by the developed controller even in the presence of unmodeled disturbance and unknown valve dead-zone. Finally, the proposed control strategy is experimentally tested on a servovalve controlled hydraulic actuation system subjected to an artificial valve dead-zone. Comparative experimental results are obtained to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Adaptive Fault-Tolerant Control of Uncertain Nonlinear Large-Scale Systems With Unknown Dead Zone.

    PubMed

    Chen, Mou; Tao, Gang

    2016-08-01

    In this paper, an adaptive neural fault-tolerant control scheme is proposed and analyzed for a class of uncertain nonlinear large-scale systems with unknown dead zone and external disturbances. To tackle the unknown nonlinear interaction functions in the large-scale system, the radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) is employed to approximate them. To further handle the unknown approximation errors and the effects of the unknown dead zone and external disturbances, integrated as the compounded disturbances, the corresponding disturbance observers are developed for their estimations. Based on the outputs of the RBFNN and the disturbance observer, the adaptive neural fault-tolerant control scheme is designed for uncertain nonlinear large-scale systems by using a decentralized backstepping technique. The closed-loop stability of the adaptive control system is rigorously proved via Lyapunov analysis and the satisfactory tracking performance is achieved under the integrated effects of unknown dead zone, actuator fault, and unknown external disturbances. Simulation results of a mass-spring-damper system are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive neural fault-tolerant control scheme for uncertain nonlinear large-scale systems.

  3. Adaptive NN tracking control of uncertain nonlinear discrete-time systems with nonaffine dead-zone input.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yan-Jun; Tong, Shaocheng

    2015-03-01

    In the paper, an adaptive tracking control design is studied for a class of nonlinear discrete-time systems with dead-zone input. The considered systems are of the nonaffine pure-feedback form and the dead-zone input appears nonlinearly in the systems. The contributions of the paper are that: 1) it is for the first time to investigate the control problem for this class of discrete-time systems with dead-zone; 2) there are major difficulties for stabilizing such systems and in order to overcome the difficulties, the systems are transformed into an n-step-ahead predictor but nonaffine function is still existent; and 3) an adaptive compensative term is constructed to compensate for the parameters of the dead-zone. The neural networks are used to approximate the unknown functions in the transformed systems. Based on the Lyapunov theory, it is proven that all the signals in the closed-loop system are semi-globally uniformly ultimately bounded and the tracking error converges to a small neighborhood of zero. Two simulation examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the control approach in the paper.

  4. Control design based on dead-zone and leakage adaptive laws for artificial swarm mechanical systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Xiaomin; Chen, Y. H.; Zhao, Han

    2017-05-01

    We consider the control design of artificial swarm systems with emphasis on four characteristics. First, the agent is made of mechanical components. As a result, the motion of each agent is subject to physical laws that govern mechanical systems. Second, both nonlinearity and uncertainty of the mechanical system are taken into consideration. Third, the ideal agent kinematic performance is treated as a desired d'Alembert constraint. This in turn suggests a creative way of embedding the constraint into the control design. Fourth, two types of adaptive robust control schemes are designed. They both contain leakage and dead-zone. However, one design suggests a trade-off between the amount of leakage and the size of dead-zone, in exchange for a simplified dead-zone structure.

  5. A Unified Approach to Adaptive Neural Control for Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems With Nonlinear Dead-Zone Input.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yan-Jun; Gao, Ying; Tong, Shaocheng; Chen, C L Philip

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, an effective adaptive control approach is constructed to stabilize a class of nonlinear discrete-time systems, which contain unknown functions, unknown dead-zone input, and unknown control direction. Different from linear dead zone, the dead zone, in this paper, is a kind of nonlinear dead zone. To overcome the noncausal problem, which leads to the control scheme infeasible, the systems can be transformed into a m -step-ahead predictor. Due to nonlinear dead-zone appearance, the transformed predictor still contains the nonaffine function. In addition, it is assumed that the gain function of dead-zone input and the control direction are unknown. These conditions bring about the difficulties and the complicacy in the controller design. Thus, the implicit function theorem is applied to deal with nonaffine dead-zone appearance, the problem caused by the unknown control direction can be resolved through applying the discrete Nussbaum gain, and the neural networks are used to approximate the unknown function. Based on the Lyapunov theory, all the signals of the resulting closed-loop system are proved to be semiglobal uniformly ultimately bounded. Moreover, the tracking error is proved to be regulated to a small neighborhood around zero. The feasibility of the proposed approach is demonstrated by a simulation example.

  6. Adaptive Fuzzy Control for Nonstrict Feedback Systems With Unmodeled Dynamics and Fuzzy Dead Zone via Output Feedback.

    PubMed

    Wang, Lijie; Li, Hongyi; Zhou, Qi; Lu, Renquan

    2017-09-01

    This paper investigates the problem of observer-based adaptive fuzzy control for a category of nonstrict feedback systems subject to both unmodeled dynamics and fuzzy dead zone. Through constructing a fuzzy state observer and introducing a center of gravity method, unmeasurable states are estimated and the fuzzy dead zone is defuzzified, respectively. By employing fuzzy logic systems to identify the unknown functions. And combining small-gain approach with adaptive backstepping control technique, a novel adaptive fuzzy output feedback control strategy is developed, which ensures that all signals involved are semi-globally uniformly bounded. Simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented method.

  7. Investigating Aquatic Dead Zones

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Testa, Jeremy; Gurbisz, Cassie; Murray, Laura; Gray, William; Bosch, Jennifer; Burrell, Chris; Kemp, Michael

    2010-01-01

    This article features two engaging high school activities that include current scientific information, data, and authentic case studies. The activities address the physical, biological, and chemical processes that are associated with oxygen-depleted areas, or "dead zones," in aquatic systems. Students can explore these dead zones through both…

  8. Climate change and dead zones.

    PubMed

    Altieri, Andrew H; Gedan, Keryn B

    2015-04-01

    Estuaries and coastal seas provide valuable ecosystem services but are particularly vulnerable to the co-occurring threats of climate change and oxygen-depleted dead zones. We analyzed the severity of climate change predicted for existing dead zones, and found that 94% of dead zones are in regions that will experience at least a 2 °C temperature increase by the end of the century. We then reviewed how climate change will exacerbate hypoxic conditions through oceanographic, ecological, and physiological processes. We found evidence that suggests numerous climate variables including temperature, ocean acidification, sea-level rise, precipitation, wind, and storm patterns will affect dead zones, and that each of those factors has the potential to act through multiple pathways on both oxygen availability and ecological responses to hypoxia. Given the variety and strength of the mechanisms by which climate change exacerbates hypoxia, and the rates at which climate is changing, we posit that climate change variables are contributing to the dead zone epidemic by acting synergistically with one another and with recognized anthropogenic triggers of hypoxia including eutrophication. This suggests that a multidisciplinary, integrated approach that considers the full range of climate variables is needed to track and potentially reverse the spread of dead zones. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Adaptive neural network output feedback control for stochastic nonlinear systems with unknown dead-zone and unmodeled dynamics.

    PubMed

    Tong, Shaocheng; Wang, Tong; Li, Yongming; Zhang, Huaguang

    2014-06-01

    This paper discusses the problem of adaptive neural network output feedback control for a class of stochastic nonlinear strict-feedback systems. The concerned systems have certain characteristics, such as unknown nonlinear uncertainties, unknown dead-zones, unmodeled dynamics and without the direct measurements of state variables. In this paper, the neural networks (NNs) are employed to approximate the unknown nonlinear uncertainties, and then by representing the dead-zone as a time-varying system with a bounded disturbance. An NN state observer is designed to estimate the unmeasured states. Based on both backstepping design technique and a stochastic small-gain theorem, a robust adaptive NN output feedback control scheme is developed. It is proved that all the variables involved in the closed-loop system are input-state-practically stable in probability, and also have robustness to the unmodeled dynamics. Meanwhile, the observer errors and the output of the system can be regulated to a small neighborhood of the origin by selecting appropriate design parameters. Simulation examples are also provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

  10. Observed-Based Adaptive Fuzzy Tracking Control for Switched Nonlinear Systems With Dead-Zone.

    PubMed

    Tong, Shaocheng; Sui, Shuai; Li, Yongming

    2015-12-01

    In this paper, the problem of adaptive fuzzy output-feedback control is investigated for a class of uncertain switched nonlinear systems in strict-feedback form. The considered switched systems contain unknown nonlinearities, dead-zone, and immeasurable states. Fuzzy logic systems are utilized to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions, a switched fuzzy state observer is designed and thus the immeasurable states are obtained by it. By applying the adaptive backstepping design principle and the average dwell time method, an adaptive fuzzy output-feedback tracking control approach is developed. It is proved that the proposed control approach can guarantee that all the variables in the closed-loop system are bounded under a class of switching signals with average dwell time, and also that the system output can track a given reference signal as closely as possible. The simulation results are given to check the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

  11. Robust model reference adaptive output feedback tracking for uncertain linear systems with actuator fault based on reinforced dead-zone modification.

    PubMed

    Bagherpoor, H M; Salmasi, Farzad R

    2015-07-01

    In this paper, robust model reference adaptive tracking controllers are considered for Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) and Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) linear systems containing modeling uncertainties, unknown additive disturbances and actuator fault. Two new lemmas are proposed for both SISO and MIMO, under which dead-zone modification rule is improved such that the tracking error for any reference signal tends to zero in such systems. In the conventional approach, adaption of the controller parameters is ceased inside the dead-zone region which results tracking error, while preserving the system stability. In the proposed scheme, control signal is reinforced with an additive term based on tracking error inside the dead-zone which results in full reference tracking. In addition, no Fault Detection and Diagnosis (FDD) unit is needed in the proposed approach. Closed loop system stability and zero tracking error are proved by considering a suitable Lyapunov functions candidate. It is shown that the proposed control approach can assure that all the signals of the close loop system are bounded in faulty conditions. Finally, validity and performance of the new schemes have been illustrated through numerical simulations of SISO and MIMO systems in the presence of actuator faults, modeling uncertainty and output disturbance. Copyright © 2015 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. ON HYDRODYNAMIC MOTIONS IN DEAD ZONES

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Oishi, Jeffrey S.; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark, E-mail: jsoishi@astro.berkeley.ed, E-mail: mordecai@amnh.or

    We investigate fluid motions near the midplane of vertically stratified accretion disks with highly resistive midplanes. In such disks, the magnetorotational instability drives turbulence in thin layers surrounding a resistive, stable dead zone. The turbulent layers in turn drive motions in the dead zone. We examine the properties of these motions using three-dimensional, stratified, local, shearing-box, non-ideal, magnetohydrodynamical simulations. Although the turbulence in the active zones provides a source of vorticity to the midplane, no evidence for coherent vortices is found in our simulations. It appears that this is because of strong vertical oscillations in the dead zone. By analyzingmore » time series of azimuthally averaged flow quantities, we identify an axisymmetric wave mode particular to models with dead zones. This mode is reduced in amplitude, but not suppressed entirely, by changing the equation of state from isothermal to ideal. These waves are too low frequency to affect sedimentation of dust to the midplane, but may have significance for the gravitational stability of the resulting midplane dust layers.« less

  13. TURBULENCE, TRANSPORT, AND WAVES IN OHMIC DEAD ZONES

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gole, Daniel; Simon, Jacob B.; Armitage, Philip J.

    We use local numerical simulations to study a vertically stratified accretion disk with a resistive mid-plane that damps magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. This is an idealized model for the dead zones that may be present at some radii in protoplanetary and dwarf novae disks. We vary the relative thickness of the dead and active zones to quantify how forced fluid motions in the dead zone change. We find that the residual Reynolds stress near the mid-plane decreases with increasing dead zone thickness, becoming negligible in cases where the active to dead mass ratio is less than a few percent. This impliesmore » that purely Ohmic dead zones would be vulnerable to episodic accretion outbursts via the mechanism of Martin and Lubow. We show that even thick dead zones support a large amount of kinetic energy, but this energy is largely in fluid motions that are inefficient at angular momentum transport. Confirming results from Oishi and Mac Low, the perturbed velocity field in the dead zone is dominated by an oscillatory, vertically extended circulation pattern with a low frequency compared to the orbital frequency. This disturbance has the properties predicted for the lowest order r mode in a hydrodynamic disk. We suggest that in a global disk similar excitations would lead to propagating waves, whose properties would vary with the thickness of the dead zone and the nature of the perturbations (isothermal or adiabatic). Flows with similar amplitudes would buckle settled particle layers and could reduce the efficiency of pebble accretion.« less

  14. Distributed Adaptive Neural Network Output Tracking of Leader-Following High-Order Stochastic Nonlinear Multiagent Systems With Unknown Dead-Zone Input.

    PubMed

    Hua, Changchun; Zhang, Liuliu; Guan, Xinping

    2017-01-01

    This paper studies the problem of distributed output tracking consensus control for a class of high-order stochastic nonlinear multiagent systems with unknown nonlinear dead-zone under a directed graph topology. The adaptive neural networks are used to approximate the unknown nonlinear functions and a new inequality is used to deal with the completely unknown dead-zone input. Then, we design the controllers based on backstepping method and the dynamic surface control technique. It is strictly proved that the resulting closed-loop system is stable in probability in the sense of semiglobally uniform ultimate boundedness and the tracking errors between the leader and the followers approach to a small residual set based on Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, two simulation examples are presented to show the effectiveness and the advantages of the proposed techniques.

  15. Recipe for Hypoxia: Playing the Dead Zone Game

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kastler, Jessica A.

    2009-01-01

    Dead zones--areas experiencing low levels of dissolved oxygen--are growing in shallow ocean waters around the world. Research has shown that dead zones form as a result of a specific type of pollution, called nutrient enrichment or eutrophication, and are found in almost every coastal zone where humans have large populations. Concepts related to…

  16. MAGNETIZED ACCRETION AND DEAD ZONES IN PROTOSTELLAR DISKS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dzyurkevich, Natalia; Henning, Thomas; Turner, Neal J.

    The edges of magnetically dead zones in protostellar disks have been proposed as locations where density bumps may arise, trapping planetesimals and helping form planets. Magneto-rotational turbulence in magnetically active zones provides both accretion of gas on the star and transport of mass to the dead zone. We investigate the location of the magnetically active regions in a protostellar disk around a solar-type star, varying the disk temperature, surface density profile, and dust-to-gas ratio. We also consider stellar masses between 0.4 and 2 M{sub Sun }, with corresponding adjustments in the disk mass and temperature. The dead zone's size andmore » shape are found using the Elsasser number criterion with conductivities including the contributions from ions, electrons, and charged fractal dust aggregates. The charged species' abundances are found using the approach proposed by Okuzumi. The dead zone is in most cases defined by the ambipolar diffusion. In our maps, the dead zone takes a variety of shapes, including a fish tail pointing away from the star and islands located on and off the midplane. The corresponding accretion rates vary with radius, indicating locations where the surface density will increase over time, and others where it will decrease. We show that density bumps do not readily grow near the dead zone's outer edge, independently of the disk parameters and the dust properties. Instead, the accretion rate peaks at the radius where the gas-phase metals freeze out. This could lead to clearing a valley in the surface density, and to a trap for pebbles located just outside the metal freezeout line.« less

  17. Metagenomic insights into important microbes from the Dead Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thrash, C.; Baker, B.; Seitz, K.; Temperton, B.; Gillies, L.; Rabalais, N. N.; Mason, O. U.

    2015-12-01

    Coastal regions of eutrophication-driven oxygen depletion are widespread and increasing in number. Also known as dead zones, these regions take their name from the deleterious effects of hypoxia (dissolved oxygen less than 2 mg/L) on shrimp, demersal fish, and other animal life. Dead zones result from nutrient enrichment of primary production, concomitant consumption by chemoorganotrophic aerobic microorganisms, and strong stratification that prevents ventilation of bottom water. One of the largest dead zones in the world occurs seasonally in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM), where hypoxia can reach up to 22,000 square kilometers. While this dead zone shares many features with more well-known marine oxygen minimum zones, it is nevertheless understudied with regards to the microbial assemblages involved in biogeochemical cycling. We performed metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing on six samples from the 2013 nGOM dead zone from both hypoxic and oxic bottom waters. Assembly and binning led to the recovery of over fifty partial to nearly complete metagenomes from key microbial taxa previously determined to be numerically abundant from 16S rRNA data, such as Thaumarcheaota, Marine Group II Euryarchaeota, SAR406, SAR324, Synechococcus spp., and Planctomycetes. These results provide information about the roles of these taxa in the nGOM dead zone, and opportunities for comparing this region of low oxygen to others around the globe.

  18. Can dead zones create structures like a transition disk?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pinilla, Paola; Flock, Mario; Ovelar, Maria de Juan; Birnstiel, Til

    2016-12-01

    Context. Regions of low ionisation where the activity of the magneto-rotational instability is suppressed, the so-called dead zones, have been suggested to explain gaps and asymmetries of transition disks. Dead zones are therefore a potential cause for the observational signatures of transition disks without requiring the presence of embedded planets. Aims: We investigate the gas and dust evolution simultaneously assuming simplified prescriptions for a dead zone and a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wind acting on the disk. We explore whether the resulting gas and dust distribution can create signatures similar to those observed in transition disks. Methods: We imposed a dead zone and/or an MHD wind in the radial evolution of gas and dust in protoplanetary disks. For the dust evolution, we included the transport, growth, and fragmentation of dust particles. To compare with observations, we produced synthetic images in scattered optical light and in thermal emission at mm wavelengths. Results: In all models with a dead zone, a bump in the gas surface density is produced that is able to efficiently trap large particles (≳ 1 mm) at the outer edge of the dead zone. The gas bump reaches an amplitude of a factor of 5, which can be enhanced by the presence of an MHD wind that removes mass from the inner disk. While our 1D simulations suggest that such a structure can be present only for 1 Myr, the structure may be maintained for a longer time when more realistic 2D/3D simulations are performed. In the synthetic images, gap-like low-emission regions are seen at scattered light and in thermal emission at mm wavelengths, as previously predicted in the case of planet-disk interaction. Conclusions: Main signatures of transition disks can be reproduced by assuming a dead zone in the disk, such as gap-like structure in scattered light and millimetre continuum emission, and a lower gas surface density within the dead zone. Previous studies showed that the Rossby wave instability can

  19. FORMATION OF CIRCUMBINARY PLANETS IN A DEAD ZONE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Martin, Rebecca G.; Armitage, Philip J.; Alexander, Richard D.

    Circumbinary planets have been observed at orbital radii where binary perturbations may have significant effects on the gas disk structure, on planetesimal velocity dispersion, and on the coupling between turbulence and planetesimals. Here, we note that the impact of all of these effects on planet formation is qualitatively altered if the circumbinary disk structure is layered, with a non-turbulent midplane layer (dead zone) and strongly turbulent surface layers. For close binaries, we find that the dead zone typically extends from a radius close to the inner disk edge up to a radius of around 10-20 AU from the center ofmore » mass of the binary. The peak in the surface density occurs within the dead zone, far from the inner disk edge, close to the snow line, and may act as a trap for aerodynamically coupled solids. We suggest that circumbinary planet formation may be easier near this preferential location than for disks around single stars. However, dead zones around wide binaries are less likely, and hence planet formation may be more difficult there.« less

  20. Formation of Circumbinary Planets in a Dead Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martin, Rebecca G.; Armitage, Philip J.; Alexander, Richard D.

    2013-08-01

    Circumbinary planets have been observed at orbital radii where binary perturbations may have significant effects on the gas disk structure, on planetesimal velocity dispersion, and on the coupling between turbulence and planetesimals. Here, we note that the impact of all of these effects on planet formation is qualitatively altered if the circumbinary disk structure is layered, with a non-turbulent midplane layer (dead zone) and strongly turbulent surface layers. For close binaries, we find that the dead zone typically extends from a radius close to the inner disk edge up to a radius of around 10-20 AU from the center of mass of the binary. The peak in the surface density occurs within the dead zone, far from the inner disk edge, close to the snow line, and may act as a trap for aerodynamically coupled solids. We suggest that circumbinary planet formation may be easier near this preferential location than for disks around single stars. However, dead zones around wide binaries are less likely, and hence planet formation may be more difficult there.

  1. Dead Zone Accretion Flows in Protostellar Disks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Turner, Neal; Sano, T.

    2008-01-01

    Planets form inside protostellar disks in a dead zone where the electrical resistivity of the gas is too high for magnetic forces to drive turbulence. We show that much of the dead zone nevertheless is active and flows toward the star while smooth, large-scale magnetic fields transfer the orbital angular momentum radially outward. Stellar X-ray and radionuclide ionization sustain a weak coupling of the dead zone gas to the magnetic fields, despite the rapid recombination of free charges on dust grains. Net radial magnetic fields are generated in the magnetorotational turbulence in the electrically conducting top and bottom surface layers of the disk, and reach the midplane by ohmic diffusion. A toroidal component to the fields is produced near the midplane by the orbital shear. The process is similar to the magnetization of the solar tachocline. The result is a laminar, magnetically driven accretion flow in the region where the planets form.

  2. Young inversion with multiple linked QTLs under selection in a hybrid zone.

    PubMed

    Lee, Cheng-Ruei; Wang, Baosheng; Mojica, Julius P; Mandáková, Terezie; Prasad, Kasavajhala V S K; Goicoechea, Jose Luis; Perera, Nadeesha; Hellsten, Uffe; Hundley, Hope N; Johnson, Jenifer; Grimwood, Jane; Barry, Kerrie; Fairclough, Stephen; Jenkins, Jerry W; Yu, Yeisoo; Kudrna, Dave; Zhang, Jianwei; Talag, Jayson; Golser, Wolfgang; Ghattas, Kathryn; Schranz, M Eric; Wing, Rod; Lysak, Martin A; Schmutz, Jeremy; Rokhsar, Daniel S; Mitchell-Olds, Thomas

    2017-04-03

    Fixed chromosomal inversions can reduce gene flow and promote speciation in two ways: by suppressing recombination and by carrying locally favoured alleles at multiple loci. However, it is unknown whether favoured mutations slowly accumulate on older inversions or if young inversions spread because they capture pre-existing adaptive quantitative trait loci (QTLs). By genetic mapping, chromosome painting and genome sequencing, we have identified a major inversion controlling ecologically important traits in Boechera stricta. The inversion arose since the last glaciation and subsequently reached local high frequency in a hybrid speciation zone. Furthermore, the inversion shows signs of positive directional selection. To test whether the inversion could have captured existing, linked QTLs, we crossed standard, collinear haplotypes from the hybrid zone and found multiple linked phenology QTLs within the inversion region. These findings provide the first direct evidence that linked, locally adapted QTLs may be captured by young inversions during incipient speciation.

  3. The evolution of a dead zone in a circumplanetary disk

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Cheng; Martin, Rebecca; Zhu, Zhaohuan

    2018-01-01

    Studying the evolution of a circumplanetary disk can help us to understand the formation of Jupiter and the four Galilean satellites. With the grid-based hydrodynamic code, FARGO3D, we simulate the evolution of a circumplanetary disk with a dead zone, a region of low turbulence. Tidal torques from the sun constrain the size of the circumplanetary disk to about 0.4 R_H. The dead zone provides a cold environment for icy satellite formation. However, as material builds up there, the temperature of the dead zone may reach the critical temperature required for the magnetorotational instability to drive turbulence. Part of the dead zone accretes on to the planet in an accretion outburst. We explore possible disk parameters that provide a suitable environment for satellite formation.

  4. Uncertainty evaluation of dead zone of diagnostic ultrasound equipment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Souza, R. M.; Alvarenga, A. V.; Braz, D. S.; Petrella, L. I.; Costa-Felix, R. P. B.

    2016-07-01

    This paper presents a model for evaluating measurement uncertainty of a feature used in the assessment of ultrasound images: dead zone. The dead zone was measured by two technicians of the INMETRO's Laboratory of Ultrasound using a phantom and following the standard IEC/TS 61390. The uncertainty model was proposed based on the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement. For the tested equipment, results indicate a dead zone of 1.01 mm, and based on the proposed model, the expanded uncertainty was 0.17 mm. The proposed uncertainty model contributes as a novel way for metrological evaluation of diagnostic imaging by ultrasound.

  5. Analysis of dead zone sources in a closed-loop fiber optic gyroscope.

    PubMed

    Chong, Kyoung-Ho; Choi, Woo-Seok; Chong, Kil-To

    2016-01-01

    Analysis of the dead zone is among the intensive studies in a closed-loop fiber optic gyroscope. In a dead zone, a gyroscope cannot detect any rotation and produces a zero bias. In this study, an analysis of dead zone sources is performed in simulation and experiments. In general, the problem is mainly due to electrical cross coupling and phase modulation drift. Electrical cross coupling is caused by interference between modulation voltage and the photodetector. The cross-coupled signal produces spurious gyro bias and leads to a dead zone if it is larger than the input rate. Phase modulation drift as another dead zone source is due to the electrode contamination, the piezoelectric effect of the LiNbO3 substrate, or to organic fouling. This modulation drift lasts for a short or long period of time like a lead-lag filter response and produces gyro bias error, noise spikes, or dead zone. For a more detailed analysis, the cross-coupling effect and modulation phase drift are modeled as a filter and are simulated in both the open-loop and closed-loop modes. The sources of dead zone are more clearly analyzed in the simulation and experimental results.

  6. Young inversion with multiple linked QTLs under selection in a hybrid zone

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Cheng-Ruei; Wang, Baosheng; Mojica, Julius; Mandáková, Terezie; Prasad, Kasavajhala V. S. K.; Goicoechea, Jose Luis; Perera, Nadeesha; Hellsten, Uffe; Hundley, Hope N.; Johnson, Jenifer; Grimwood, Jane; Barry, Kerrie; Fairclough, Stephen; Jenkins, Jerry W.; Yu, Yeisoo; Kudrna, Dave; Zhang, Jianwei; Talag, Jayson; Golser, Wolfgang; Ghattas, Katherine; Schranz, M. Eric; Wing, Rod; Lysak, Martin A.; Schmutz, Jeremy; Rokhsar, Daniel S.; Mitchell-Olds, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    Fixed chromosomal inversions can reduce gene flow and promote speciation in two ways: by suppressing recombination and by carrying locally favored alleles at multiple loci. However, it is unknown whether favored mutations slowly accumulate on older inversions or if young inversions spread because they capture preexisting adaptive Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs). By genetic mapping, chromosome painting and genome sequencing we have identified a major inversion controlling ecologically important traits in Boechera stricta. The inversion arose since the last glaciation and subsequently reached local high frequency in a hybrid speciation zone. Furthermore, the inversion shows signs of positive directional selection. To test whether the inversion could have captured existing, linked QTLs, we crossed standard, collinear haplotypes from the hybrid zone and found multiple linked phenology QTLs within the inversion region. These findings provide the first direct evidence that linked, locally adapted QTLs may be captured by young inversions during incipient speciation. PMID:28812690

  7. Adaptive fuzzy prescribed performance control for MIMO nonlinear systems with unknown control direction and unknown dead-zone inputs.

    PubMed

    Shi, Wuxi; Luo, Rui; Li, Baoquan

    2017-01-01

    In this study, an adaptive fuzzy prescribed performance control approach is developed for a class of uncertain multi-input and multi-output (MIMO) nonlinear systems with unknown control direction and unknown dead-zone inputs. The properties of symmetric matrix are exploited to design adaptive fuzzy prescribed performance controller, and a Nussbaum-type function is incorporated in the controller to estimate the unknown control direction. This method has two prominent advantages: it does not require the priori knowledge of control direction and only three parameters need to be updated on-line for this MIMO systems. It is proved that all the signals in the resulting closed-loop system are bounded and that the tracking errors converge to a small residual set with the prescribed performance bounds. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated by simulation results. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. DEAD ZONE IN THE POLAR-CAP ACCELERATOR OF PULSARS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chen, Alexander Y.; Beloborodov, Andrei M.

    We study plasma flows above pulsar polar caps using time-dependent simulations of plasma particles in the self-consistent electric field. The flow behavior is controlled by the dimensionless parameter {alpha} = j/c{rho}{sub GJ}, where j is the electric current density and {rho}{sub GJ} is the Goldreich-Julian charge density. The region of the polar cap where 0 < {alpha} < 1 is a {sup d}ead zone{sup -}in this zone, particle acceleration is inefficient and pair creation is not expected even for young, rapidly rotating pulsars. Pulsars with polar caps near the rotation axis are predicted to have a hollow-cone structure of radiomore » emission, as the dead zone occupies the central part of the polar cap. Our results apply to charge-separated flows of electrons (j < 0) or ions (j > 0). In the latter case, we consider the possibility of a mixed flow consisting of different ion species, and observe the development of two-stream instability. The dead zone at the polar cap is essential for the development of an outer gap near the null surface {rho}{sub GJ} = 0.« less

  9. Cheatgrass Dead Zones in Northern Nevada

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Reports of areas of cheatgrass die-off are becoming more frequent. In 2009, we investigated cheatgrass die-off in north-central Nevada. Dead zones ranged from several to hundreds of acres in size and were largely unvegetated and covered by cheatgrass litter with a distinct gray cast. We collected re...

  10. How big is the Ocean Dead Zone off the Coast of California?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hofmann, A. F.; Peltzer, E. T.; Walz, P. M.; Brewer, P. G.

    2010-12-01

    The term “Ocean Dead Zone”, generally referring to a zone that is devoid of aerobic marine life of value to humans, is now widely used in the press and scientific literature but it appears to be not universally defined. The global assessment and monitoring of ocean dead zones, however, is of high public concern due to the considerable economic value associated with impacted fisheries and with questions over the growth of these zones forced by climate change. We report on the existence of a zone at ~850m depth off Santa Monica, California where dissolved oxygen (DO) levels are 1 μmol/kg; an order of magnitude below any existing definition of an “Ocean Dead Zone”. ROV dives show the region to be visually devoid of all aerobic marine life. But how large is this dead zone, and how may its boundaries be defined? Without an accepted definition we cannot report this nor can we compare it to other dead zones reported elsewhere in the world. “Dead zones” are now assessed solely by DO levels. A multitude of values in different units are used (Fig 1), which are clearly not universally applicable. This seriously hampers an integrated global monitoring and management effort and frustrates the development of valid connections with climate change and assessment of the consequences. Furthermore, input of anthropogenic CO2 can also stress marine life. Recent work supported by classical data suggests that higher pCO2 influences the thermodynamic energy efficiency of oxic respiration (CH2O + O2 -> CO2 + H2O). The ratio pO2/pCO2, called the respiration index (RI), emerges as the critical variable, combining the impacts of warming on DO and rising CO2 levels within a single, well defined quantity. We advocate that future monitoring efforts report pO2 and pCO2 concurrently, thus making it possible to classify, monitor and manage “dead zones” within a standard reference system that may include, as with e.g, hurricanes, differing categories of intensity. Fig.1. A DO

  11. Analysis of archaeal communities in Gulf of Mexico dead zone sediments.

    EPA Science Inventory

    Sediments may contribute significantly to Louisiana continental shelf “dead zone” hypoxia but limited information hinders comparison of sediment biogeochemistry between norm-oxic and hypoxic seasons. Dead zone sediment cores collected during hypoxia (September 2006) had higher l...

  12. Tropical dead zones and mass mortalities on coral reefs.

    PubMed

    Altieri, Andrew H; Harrison, Seamus B; Seemann, Janina; Collin, Rachel; Diaz, Robert J; Knowlton, Nancy

    2017-04-04

    Degradation of coastal water quality in the form of low dissolved oxygen levels (hypoxia) can harm biodiversity, ecosystem function, and human wellbeing. Extreme hypoxic conditions along the coast, leading to what are often referred to as "dead zones," are known primarily from temperate regions. However, little is known about the potential threat of hypoxia in the tropics, even though the known risk factors, including eutrophication and elevated temperatures, are common. Here we document an unprecedented hypoxic event on the Caribbean coast of Panama and assess the risk of dead zones to coral reefs worldwide. The event caused coral bleaching and massive mortality of corals and other reef-associated organisms, but observed shifts in community structure combined with laboratory experiments revealed that not all coral species are equally sensitive to hypoxia. Analyses of global databases showed that coral reefs are associated with more than half of the known tropical dead zones worldwide, with >10% of all coral reefs at elevated risk for hypoxia based on local and global risk factors. Hypoxic events in the tropics and associated mortality events have likely been underreported, perhaps by an order of magnitude, because of the lack of local scientific capacity for their detection. Monitoring and management plans for coral reef resilience should incorporate the growing threat of coastal hypoxia and include support for increased detection and research capacity.

  13. Tropical dead zones and mass mortalities on coral reefs

    PubMed Central

    Altieri, Andrew H.; Harrison, Seamus B.; Seemann, Janina; Collin, Rachel; Diaz, Robert J.; Knowlton, Nancy

    2017-01-01

    Degradation of coastal water quality in the form of low dissolved oxygen levels (hypoxia) can harm biodiversity, ecosystem function, and human wellbeing. Extreme hypoxic conditions along the coast, leading to what are often referred to as “dead zones,” are known primarily from temperate regions. However, little is known about the potential threat of hypoxia in the tropics, even though the known risk factors, including eutrophication and elevated temperatures, are common. Here we document an unprecedented hypoxic event on the Caribbean coast of Panama and assess the risk of dead zones to coral reefs worldwide. The event caused coral bleaching and massive mortality of corals and other reef-associated organisms, but observed shifts in community structure combined with laboratory experiments revealed that not all coral species are equally sensitive to hypoxia. Analyses of global databases showed that coral reefs are associated with more than half of the known tropical dead zones worldwide, with >10% of all coral reefs at elevated risk for hypoxia based on local and global risk factors. Hypoxic events in the tropics and associated mortality events have likely been underreported, perhaps by an order of magnitude, because of the lack of local scientific capacity for their detection. Monitoring and management plans for coral reef resilience should incorporate the growing threat of coastal hypoxia and include support for increased detection and research capacity. PMID:28320966

  14. Hybrid Adaptive Flight Control with Model Inversion Adaptation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nguyen, Nhan

    2011-01-01

    This study investigates a hybrid adaptive flight control method as a design possibility for a flight control system that can enable an effective adaptation strategy to deal with off-nominal flight conditions. The hybrid adaptive control blends both direct and indirect adaptive control in a model inversion flight control architecture. The blending of both direct and indirect adaptive control provides a much more flexible and effective adaptive flight control architecture than that with either direct or indirect adaptive control alone. The indirect adaptive control is used to update the model inversion controller by an on-line parameter estimation of uncertain plant dynamics based on two methods. The first parameter estimation method is an indirect adaptive law based on the Lyapunov theory, and the second method is a recursive least-squares indirect adaptive law. The model inversion controller is therefore made to adapt to changes in the plant dynamics due to uncertainty. As a result, the modeling error is reduced that directly leads to a decrease in the tracking error. In conjunction with the indirect adaptive control that updates the model inversion controller, a direct adaptive control is implemented as an augmented command to further reduce any residual tracking error that is not entirely eliminated by the indirect adaptive control.

  15. A Metagenomic Assembly-Based Approach to Decoding Taxa in the Dead Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thrash, C.; Baker, B.; Seitz, K.; Gillies, L.; Temperton, B.; Rabalais, N. N.; Mason, O. U.

    2016-02-01

    Coastal regions of eutrophication-driven oxygen depletion are widespread and increasing in number. Also known as dead zones, these regions take their name from the deleterious effects of hypoxia (dissolved oxygen less than 2 mg/L) on shrimp, demersal fish, and other animal life. Dead zones result from nutrient enrichment of primary production, concomitant consumption by chemoorganotrophic aerobic microorganisms, and strong stratification that prevents ventilation of bottom water. One of the largest dead zones in the world occurs seasonally in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM), where hypoxia can reach up to 22,000 square kilometers. To explore the underlying genomic variation and metabolic potential of microorganisms in hypoxia, we performed metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing on six samples from the 2013 nGOM dead zone from both hypoxic and oxic bottom waters. Over 217 Mb of sequence was assembled into contigs of at least 3 kb with IDBA-UD, with 72 greater than 100 kb, and the largest 495 kb in length. Annotation by IMG recovered over 224 thousand genes in these contigs. Binning with tetra-ESOM and quality filtering based on relative coverage of sample-specific reads led to the recovery of 83 partial to near complete (31 over 70%) high-quality genomes. These metagenomes represent key microbial taxa previously determined to be numerically abundant from 16S rRNA data, such as Thaumarcheaota, Marine Group II Euryarchaeota, SAR406, Synechococcus spp., Actinobacteria, and Planctomycetes. Ongoing work includes the recruitment of metatranscriptomic data to binned contigs for evaluation of relative gene expression, metabolic reconstruction, and comparative genomics with related organisms elsewhere in the global oceans. These data will provide us with detailed information regarding the metabolic potential and activity of many of the key players in the nGOM dead zone.

  16. Chromosomal Inversions, Natural Selection and Adaptation in the Malaria Vector Anopheles funestus

    PubMed Central

    Ayala, Diego; Fontaine, Michael C.; Cohuet, Anna; Fontenille, Didier; Vitalis, Renaud; Simard, Frédéric

    2011-01-01

    Chromosomal polymorphisms, such as inversions, are presumably involved in the rapid adaptation of populations to local environmental conditions. Reduced recombination between alternative arrangements in heterozygotes may protect sets of locally adapted genes, promoting ecological divergence and potentially leading to reproductive isolation and speciation. Through a comparative analysis of chromosomal inversions and microsatellite marker polymorphisms, we hereby present biological evidence that strengthens this view in the mosquito Anopheles funestus s.s, one of the most important and widespread malaria vectors in Africa. Specimens were collected across a wide range of geographical, ecological, and climatic conditions in Cameroon. We observed a sharp contrast between population structure measured at neutral microsatellite markers and at chromosomal inversions. Microsatellite data detected only a weak signal for population structuring among geographical zones (FST < 0.013, P < 0.01). By contrast, strong differentiation among ecological zones was revealed by chromosomal inversions (FST > 0.190, P < 0.01). Using standardized estimates of FST, we show that inversions behave at odds with neutral expectations strongly suggesting a role of environmental selection in shaping their distribution. We further demonstrate through canonical correspondence analysis that heterogeneity in eco-geographical variables measured at specimen sampling sites explained 89% of chromosomal variance in A. funestus. These results are in agreement with a role of chromosomal inversions in ecotypic adaptation in this species. We argue that this widespread mosquito represents an interesting model system for the study of chromosomal speciation mechanisms and should provide ample opportunity for comparative studies on the evolution of reproductive isolation and speciation in major human malaria vectors. PMID:20837604

  17. The life of a dead ant: the expression of an adaptive extended phenotype.

    PubMed

    Andersen, Sandra B; Gerritsma, Sylvia; Yusah, Kalsum M; Mayntz, David; Hywel-Jones, Nigel L; Billen, Johan; Boomsma, Jacobus J; Hughes, David P

    2009-09-01

    Specialized parasites are expected to express complex adaptations to their hosts. Manipulation of host behavior is such an adaptation. We studied the fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, a locally specialized parasite of arboreal Camponotus leonardi ants. Ant-infecting Ophiocordyceps are known to make hosts bite onto vegetation before killing them. We show that this represents a fine-tuned fungal adaptation: an extended phenotype. Dead ants were found under leaves, attached by their mandibles, on the northern side of saplings approximately 25 cm above the soil, where temperature and humidity conditions were optimal for fungal growth. Experimental relocation confirmed that parasite fitness was lower outside this manipulative zone. Host resources were rapidly colonized and further secured by extensive internal structuring. Nutritional composition analysis indicated that such structuring allows the parasite to produce a large fruiting body for spore production. Our findings suggest that the osmotrophic lifestyle of fungi may have facilitated novel exploitation strategies.

  18. Long-lived Dust Asymmetries at Dead Zone Edges in Protoplanetary Disks

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miranda, Ryan; Li, Hui; Li, Shengtai

    A number of transition disks exhibit significant azimuthal asymmetries in thermal dust emission. One possible origin for these asymmetries is dust trapping in vortices formed at the edges of dead zones. We carry out high-resolution, two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of this scenario, including the effects of dust feedback. We find that, although feedback weakens the vortices and slows down the process of dust accumulation, the dust distribution in the disk can nonetheless remain asymmetric for many thousands of orbits. We show that even after 10{sup 4} orbits, or 2.5 Myr when scaled to the parameters of Oph IRS 48 (a significantmore » fraction of its age), the dust is not dispersed into an axisymmetric ring, in contrast to the case of a vortex formed by a planet. This is because accumulation of mass at the dead zone edge constantly replenishes the vortex, preventing it from being fully destroyed. We produce synthetic dust emission images using our simulation results. We find that multiple small clumps of dust may be distributed azimuthally. These clumps, if not resolved from one another, appear as a single large feature. A defining characteristic of a disk with a dead zone edge is that an asymmetric feature is accompanied by a ring of dust located about twice as far from the central star.« less

  19. PLANETESIMAL FORMATION IN MAGNETOROTATIONALLY DEAD ZONES: CRITICAL DEPENDENCE ON THE NET VERTICAL MAGNETIC FLUX

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Okuzumi, Satoshi; Hirose, Shigenobu, E-mail: okuzumi@nagoya-u.jp

    Turbulence driven by magnetorotational instability (MRI) affects planetesimal formation by inducing diffusion and collisional fragmentation of dust particles. We examine conditions preferred for planetesimal formation in MRI-inactive 'dead zones' using an analytic dead-zone model based on our recent resistive MHD simulations. We argue that successful planetesimal formation requires not only a sufficiently large dead zone (which can be produced by tiny dust grains) but also a sufficiently small net vertical magnetic flux (NVF). Although often ignored, the latter condition is indeed important since the NVF strength determines the saturation level of turbulence in MRI-active layers. We show that direct collisionalmore » formation of icy planetesimal across the fragmentation barrier is possible when the NVF strength is lower than 10 mG (for the minimum-mass solar nebula model). Formation of rocky planetesimals via the secular gravitational instability is also possible within a similar range of the NVF strength. Our results indicate that the fate of planet formation largely depends on how the NVF is radially transported in the initial disk formation and subsequent disk accretion processes.« less

  20. Open ocean dead zones in the tropical North Atlantic Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karstensen, J.; Fiedler, B.; Schütte, F.; Brandt, P.; Körtzinger, A.; Fischer, G.; Zantopp, R.; Hahn, J.; Visbeck, M.; Wallace, D.

    2015-04-01

    Here we present first observations, from instrumentation installed on moorings and a float, of unexpectedly low (<2 μmol kg-1) oxygen environments in the open waters of the tropical North Atlantic, a region where oxygen concentration does normally not fall much below 40 μmol kg-1. The low-oxygen zones are created at shallow depth, just below the mixed layer, in the euphotic zone of cyclonic eddies and anticyclonic-modewater eddies. Both types of eddies are prone to high surface productivity. Net respiration rates for the eddies are found to be 3 to 5 times higher when compared with surrounding waters. Oxygen is lowest in the centre of the eddies, in a depth range where the swirl velocity, defining the transition between eddy and surroundings, has its maximum. It is assumed that the strong velocity at the outer rim of the eddies hampers the transport of properties across the eddies boundary and as such isolates their cores. This is supported by a remarkably stable hydrographic structure of the eddies core over periods of several months. The eddies propagate westward, at about 4 to 5 km day-1, from their generation region off the West African coast into the open ocean. High productivity and accompanying respiration, paired with sluggish exchange across the eddy boundary, create the "dead zone" inside the eddies, so far only reported for coastal areas or lakes. We observe a direct impact of the open ocean dead zones on the marine ecosystem as such that the diurnal vertical migration of zooplankton is suppressed inside the eddies.

  1. ROSSBY WAVE INSTABILITY AT DEAD ZONE BOUNDARIES IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL RESISTIVE MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICAL GLOBAL MODELS OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lyra, Wladimir; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark, E-mail: wlyra@jpl.nasa.gov, E-mail: mordecai@amnh.org

    It has been suggested that the transition between magnetorotationally active and dead zones in protoplanetary disks should be prone to the excitation of vortices via Rossby wave instability (RWI). However, the only numerical evidence for this has come from alpha disk models, where the magnetic field evolution is not followed, and the effect of turbulence is parameterized by Laplacian viscosity. We aim to establish the phenomenology of the flow in the transition in three-dimensional resistive-magnetohydrodynamical models. We model the transition by a sharp jump in resistivity, as expected in the inner dead zone boundary, using the PENCIL CODE to simulatemore » the flow. We find that vortices are readily excited in the dead side of the transition. We measure the mass accretion rate finding similar levels of Reynolds stress at the dead and active zones, at the {alpha} Almost-Equal-To 10{sup -2} level. The vortex sits in a pressure maximum and does not migrate, surviving until the end of the simulation. A pressure maximum in the active zone also triggers the RWI. The magnetized vortex that results should be disrupted by parasitical magneto-elliptic instabilities, yet it subsists in high resolution. This suggests that either the parasitic modes are still numerically damped or that the RWI supplies vorticity faster than they can destroy it. We conclude that the resistive transition between the active and dead zones in the inner regions of protoplanetary disks, if sharp enough, can indeed excite vortices via RWI. Our results lend credence to previous works that relied on the alpha-disk approximation, and caution against the use of overly reduced azimuthal coverage on modeling this transition.« less

  2. Adaptive Inverse Control for Rotorcraft Vibration Reduction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jacklin, Stephen A.

    1985-01-01

    This thesis extends the Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm to solve the mult!ple-input, multiple-output problem of alleviating N/Rev (revolutions per minute by number of blades) helicopter fuselage vibration by means of adaptive inverse control. A frequency domain locally linear model is used to represent the transfer matrix relating the higher harmonic pitch control inputs to the harmonic vibration outputs to be controlled. By using the inverse matrix as the controller gain matrix, an adaptive inverse regulator is formed to alleviate the N/Rev vibration. The stability and rate of convergence properties of the extended LMS algorithm are discussed. It is shown that the stability ranges for the elements of the stability gain matrix are directly related to the eigenvalues of the vibration signal information matrix for the learning phase, but not for the control phase. The overall conclusion is that the LMS adaptive inverse control method can form a robust vibration control system, but will require some tuning of the input sensor gains, the stability gain matrix, and the amount of control relaxation to be used. The learning curve of the controller during the learning phase is shown to be quantitatively close to that predicted by averaging the learning curves of the normal modes. For higher order transfer matrices, a rough estimate of the inverse is needed to start the algorithm efficiently. The simulation results indicate that the factor which most influences LMS adaptive inverse control is the product of the control relaxation and the the stability gain matrix. A small stability gain matrix makes the controller less sensitive to relaxation selection, and permits faster and more stable vibration reduction, than by choosing the stability gain matrix large and the control relaxation term small. It is shown that the best selections of the stability gain matrix elements and the amount of control relaxation is basically a compromise between slow, stable convergence and fast

  3. Reproductive isolation and local adaptation quantified for a chromosome inversion in a malaria mosquito.

    PubMed

    Ayala, Diego; Guerrero, Rafael F; Kirkpatrick, Mark

    2013-04-01

    Chromosome inversions have long been thought to be involved in speciation and local adaptation. We have little quantitative information, however, about the effects that inversion polymorphisms have on reproductive isolation and viability. Here we provide the first estimates from any organism for the total amount of reproductive isolation associated with an inversion segregating in natural populations. We sampled chromosomes from 751 mosquitoes of the malaria vector Anopheles funestus along a 1421 km transect in Cameroon that traverses savannah, highland, and rainforest ecological zones. We then developed a series of population genetic models that account for selection, migration, and assortative mating, and fit the models to the data using likelihood. Results from the best-fit models suggest there is strong local adaptation, with relative viabilities of homozygotes ranging from 25% to 130% compared to heterozygotes. Viabilities vary qualitatively between regions: the inversion is underdominant in the savannah, whereas in the highlands it is overdominant. The inversion is also implicated in strong assortative mating. In the savannah, the two homozygote forms show 92% reproductive isolation, suggesting that this one inversion can generate most of the genetic barriers needed for speciation. © 2012 The Author(s). Evolution© 2012 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  4. "Bagels Anyone?": Pedagogy of the Confused and Hungry in the Dead Zone.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katz, Julie

    One instructor's "dead zone" (her windowless classroom in the depths of the Humanities building) was the place where little exchange between teacher and students took place. When one day she overheard the students talking about how little money they had left on their meal cards, she took a few dozen bagels to that afternoon's writing…

  5. Nebular dead zone effects on the D/H ratio in chondrites and comets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali-Dib, Mohamad; Martin, R. G.; Petit, J.-M.; Mousis, O.; Vernazza, P.; Lunine, J. I.

    2015-11-01

    Comets and chondrites show non-monotonic behaviour of their Deuterium to Hydrogen (D/H) ratio as a function of their formation location from the Sun. This is difficult to explain with a classical protoplanetary disk model that has a decreasing temperature structure with radius from the Sun.We want to understand if a protoplanetary disc with a dead zone, a region of zero or low turbulence, can explain the measured D/H values in comets and chondrites. We use time snapshots of a vertically layered disk model with turbulent surface layers and a dead zone at the midplane. The disc has a non-monotonic temperature structure due to increased heating from self-gravity in the outer parts of the dead zone. We couple this to a D/H ratio evolution model in order to quantify the effect of such thermal profiles on D/H enrichment in the nebula.We find that the local temperature peak in the disk can explain the diversity in the D/H ratios of different chondritic families. This disk temperature profile leads to a non-monotonic D/H enrichment evolution, allowing these families to acquire their different D/H values while forming in close proximity. The formation order we infer for these families is compatible with that inferred from their water abundances. However, we find that even for very young disks, the thermal profile reversal is too close to the Sun to be relevant for comets.[1] Ali-Dib, M., Martin, R. G., Petit, J.-M., Mousis, O., Vernazza, P., and Lunine, J. I. (2015, in press A&A). arXiv:1508.00263.

  6. The 1170 and 1202 CE Dead Sea Rift earthquakes and long-term magnitude distribution of the Dead Sea Fault zone

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hough, S.E.; Avni, R.

    2009-01-01

    In combination with the historical record, paleoseismic investigations have provided a record of large earthquakes in the Dead Sea Rift that extends back over 1500 years. Analysis of macroseismic effects can help refine magnitude estimates for large historical events. In this study we consider the detailed intensity distributions for two large events, in 1170 CE and 1202 CE, as determined from careful reinterpretation of available historical accounts, using the 1927 Jericho earthquake as a guide in their interpretation. In the absence of an intensity attenuation relationship for the Dead Sea region, we use the 1927 Jericho earthquake to develop a preliminary relationship based on a modification of the relationships developed in other regions. Using this relation, we estimate M7.6 for the 1202 earthquake and M6.6 for the 1170 earthquake. The uncertainties for both estimates are large and difficult to quantify with precision. The large uncertainties illustrate the critical need to develop a regional intensity attenuation relation. We further consider the distribution of magnitudes in the historic record and show that it is consistent with a b-value distribution with a b-value of 1. Considering the entire Dead Sea Rift zone, we show that the seismic moment release rate over the past 1500 years is sufficient, within the uncertainties of the data, to account for the plate tectonic strain rate along the plate boundary. The results reveal that an earthquake of M7.8 is expected within the zone on average every 1000 years. ?? 2011 Science From Israel/LPPLtd.

  7. Properties of the dead zone due to the gas cushion effect in PBX 9502

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, William

    2017-06-01

    The gas cushion effect is a well-known phenomenon in which gas trapped between an impactor and an explosive precompresses and deadens a layer of the explosive. We have conducted a series of impact experiments, with and without a trapped gas layer, on the plastic bonded explosive PBX 9502 (95% TATB and 5% Kel-F 800). In each experiment, a 100-oriented LiF window was glued, with an intervening Al foil (a reflector for VISAR), to the surface of a thin (2.5-3.3 mm) PBX 9502 sample and the opposite surface impacted by an impactor at a velocity sufficient to produce an overdriven detonation. VISAR was used to observe arrival of the resulting shock wave and reverberations between the LiF window and the impactor. In three experiments, a gap of 25-38 mm, filled with He gas at a pressure of 0.79 bar, existed between the impactor and the sample at the beginning of the experiment. In these three experiments, a low-amplitude wave reflected from the interface between the reacted explosive and the dead zone was observed to precede the reflection from the impactor. We have used the observed wave amplitudes and arrival times to quantify the properties of the dead zone and, by comparison to existing EOS data for reacted and unreacted PBX 9502, estimate the extent of reaction in the dead zone. This work was supported by the US Department of Energy under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396.

  8. Metabolic Roles of Uncultivated Bacterioplankton Lineages in the Northern Gulf of Mexico "Dead Zone".

    PubMed

    Thrash, J Cameron; Seitz, Kiley W; Baker, Brett J; Temperton, Ben; Gillies, Lauren E; Rabalais, Nancy N; Henrissat, Bernard; Mason, Olivia U

    2017-09-12

    Marine regions that have seasonal to long-term low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, sometimes called "dead zones," are increasing in number and severity around the globe with deleterious effects on ecology and economics. One of the largest of these coastal dead zones occurs on the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM), which results from eutrophication-enhanced bacterioplankton respiration and strong seasonal stratification. Previous research in this dead zone revealed the presence of multiple cosmopolitan bacterioplankton lineages that have eluded cultivation, and thus their metabolic roles in this ecosystem remain unknown. We used a coupled shotgun metagenomic and metatranscriptomic approach to determine the metabolic potential of Marine Group II Euryarchaeota , SAR406, and SAR202. We recovered multiple high-quality, nearly complete genomes from all three groups as well as candidate phyla usually associated with anoxic environments- Parcubacteria (OD1) and Peregrinibacteria Two additional groups with putative assignments to ACD39 and PAUC34f supplement the metabolic contributions by uncultivated taxa. Our results indicate active metabolism in all groups, including prevalent aerobic respiration, with concurrent expression of genes for nitrate reduction in SAR406 and SAR202, and dissimilatory nitrite reduction to ammonia and sulfur reduction by SAR406. We also report a variety of active heterotrophic carbon processing mechanisms, including degradation of complex carbohydrate compounds by SAR406, SAR202, ACD39, and PAUC34f. Together, these data help constrain the metabolic contributions from uncultivated groups in the nGOM during periods of low DO and suggest roles for these organisms in the breakdown of complex organic matter. IMPORTANCE Dead zones receive their name primarily from the reduction of eukaryotic macrobiota (demersal fish, shrimp, etc.) that are also key coastal fisheries. Excess nutrients contributed from anthropogenic activity

  9. Nonlinear adaptive inverse control via the unified model neural network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jeng, Jin-Tsong; Lee, Tsu-Tian

    1999-03-01

    In this paper, we propose a new nonlinear adaptive inverse control via a unified model neural network. In order to overcome nonsystematic design and long training time in nonlinear adaptive inverse control, we propose the approximate transformable technique to obtain a Chebyshev Polynomials Based Unified Model (CPBUM) neural network for the feedforward/recurrent neural networks. It turns out that the proposed method can use less training time to get an inverse model. Finally, we apply this proposed method to control magnetic bearing system. The experimental results show that the proposed nonlinear adaptive inverse control architecture provides a greater flexibility and better performance in controlling magnetic bearing systems.

  10. Small step tracking - Implications for the oculomotor 'dead zone'. [eye response failure below threshold target displacements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wyman, D.; Steinman, R. M.

    1973-01-01

    Recently Timberlake, Wyman, Skavenski, and Steinman (1972) concluded in a study of the oculomotor error signal in the fovea that 'the oculomotor dead zone is surely smaller than 10 min and may even be less than 5 min (smaller than the 0.25 to 0.5 deg dead zone reported by Rashbass (1961) with similar stimulus conditions).' The Timberlake et al. speculation is confirmed by demonstrating that the fixating eye consistently and accurately corrects target displacements as small as 3.4 min. The contact lens optical lever technique was used to study the manner in which the oculomotor system responds to small step displacements of the fixation target. Subjects did, without prior practice, use saccades to correct step displacements of the fixation target just as they correct small position errors during maintained fixation.

  11. Characterization and impact of "dead-zone" eddies in the tropical Northeast Atlantic Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schuette, Florian; Karstensen, Johannes; Krahmann, Gerd; Hauss, Helena; Fiedler, Björn; Brandt, Peter; Visbeck, Martin; Körtzinger, Arne

    2016-04-01

    Localized open-ocean low-oxygen dead-zones in the tropical Northeast Atlantic are recently discovered ocean features that can develop in dynamically isolated water masses within cyclonic eddies (CE) and anticyclonic modewater eddies (ACME). Analysis of a comprehensive oxygen dataset obtained from gliders, moorings, research vessels and Argo floats shows that eddies with low oxygen concentrations at 50-150 m depths can be found in surprisingly high numbers and in a large area (from about 5°N to 20°N, from the shelf at the eastern boundary to 30°W). Minimum oxygen concentrations of about 9 μmol/kg in CEs and close to anoxic concentrations (< 1 μmol/kg) in ACMEs were observed. In total, 495 profiles with oxygen concentrations below the minimum background concentration of 40 μmol/kg could be associated with 27 independent "dead-zone" eddies (10 CEs; 17 ACMEs). The low oxygen concentration right beneath the mixed layer has been attributed to the combination of high productivity in the surface waters of the eddies and the isolation of the eddies' cores. Indeed eddies of both types feature a cold sea surface temperature anomaly and enhanced chlorophyll concentrations in their center. The oxygen minimum is located in the eddy core beneath the mixed layer at around 80 m depth. The mean oxygen anomaly between 50 to 150 m depth for CEs (ACMEs) is -49 (-81) μmol/kg. Eddies south of 12°N carry weak hydrographic anomalies in their cores and seem to be generated in the open ocean away from the boundary. North of 12°N, eddies of both types carry anomalously low salinity water of South Atlantic Central Water origin from the eastern boundary upwelling region into the open ocean. This points to an eddy generation near the eastern boundary. A conservative estimate yields that around 5 dead-zone eddies (4 CEs; 1 ACME) per year entering the area north of 12°N between the Cap Verde Islands and 19°W. The associated contribution to the oxygen budget of the shallow oxygen minimum

  12. Diatoms dominate the eukaryotic metatranscriptome during spring in coastal 'dead zone' sediments.

    PubMed

    Broman, Elias; Sachpazidou, Varvara; Dopson, Mark; Hylander, Samuel

    2017-10-11

    An important characteristic of marine sediments is the oxygen concentration that affects many central metabolic processes. There has been a widespread increase in hypoxia in coastal systems (referred to as 'dead zones') mainly caused by eutrophication. Hence, it is central to understand the metabolism and ecology of eukaryotic life in sediments during changing oxygen conditions. Therefore, we sampled coastal 'dead zone' Baltic Sea sediment during autumn and spring, and analysed the eukaryotic metatranscriptome from field samples and after incubation in the dark under oxic or anoxic conditions. Bacillariophyta (diatoms) dominated the eukaryotic metatranscriptome in spring and were also abundant during autumn. A large fraction of the diatom RNA reads was associated with the photosystems suggesting a constitutive expression in darkness. Microscope observation showed intact diatom cells and these would, if hatched, represent a significant part of the pelagic phytoplankton biomass. Oxygenation did not significantly change the relative proportion of diatoms nor resulted in any major shifts in metabolic 'signatures'. By contrast, diatoms rapidly responded when exposed to light suggesting that light is limiting diatom development in hypoxic sediments. Hence, it is suggested that diatoms in hypoxic sediments are on 'standby' to exploit the environment if they reach suitable habitats. © 2017 The Author(s).

  13. Expected treatment dose construction and adaptive inverse planning optimization: Implementation for offline head and neck cancer adaptive radiotherapy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yan Di; Liang Jian

    Purpose: To construct expected treatment dose for adaptive inverse planning optimization, and evaluate it on head and neck (h and n) cancer adaptive treatment modification. Methods: Adaptive inverse planning engine was developed and integrated in our in-house adaptive treatment control system. The adaptive inverse planning engine includes an expected treatment dose constructed using the daily cone beam (CB) CT images in its objective and constrains. Feasibility of the adaptive inverse planning optimization was evaluated retrospectively using daily CBCT images obtained from the image guided IMRT treatment of 19 h and n cancer patients. Adaptive treatment modification strategies with respect tomore » the time and the number of adaptive inverse planning optimization during the treatment course were evaluated using the cumulative treatment dose in organs of interest constructed using all daily CBCT images. Results: Expected treatment dose was constructed to include both the delivered dose, to date, and the estimated dose for the remaining treatment during the adaptive treatment course. It was used in treatment evaluation, as well as in constructing the objective and constraints for adaptive inverse planning optimization. The optimization engine is feasible to perform planning optimization based on preassigned treatment modification schedule. Compared to the conventional IMRT, the adaptive treatment for h and n cancer illustrated clear dose-volume improvement for all critical normal organs. The dose-volume reductions of right and left parotid glands, spine cord, brain stem and mandible were (17 {+-} 6)%, (14 {+-} 6)%, (11 {+-} 6)%, (12 {+-} 8)%, and (5 {+-} 3)% respectively with the single adaptive modification performed after the second treatment week; (24 {+-} 6)%, (22 {+-} 8)%, (21 {+-} 5)%, (19 {+-} 8)%, and (10 {+-} 6)% with three weekly modifications; and (28 {+-} 5)%, (25 {+-} 9)%, (26 {+-} 5)%, (24 {+-} 8)%, and (15 {+-} 9)% with five weekly modifications

  14. Sequential CFAR detectors using a dead-zone limiter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tantaratana, Sawasd

    1990-09-01

    The performances of some proposed sequential constant-false-alarm-rate (CFAR) detectors are evaluated. The observations are passed through a dead-zone limiter, the output of which is -1, 0, or +1, depending on whether the input is less than -c, between -c and c, or greater than c, where c is a constant. The test statistic is the sum of the outputs. The test is performed on a reduced set of data (those with absolute value larger than c), with the test statistic being the sum of the signs of the reduced set of data. Both constant and linear boundaries are considered. Numerical results show a significant reduction of the average number of observations needed to achieve the same false alarm and detection probabilities as a fixed-sample-size CFAR detector using the same kind of test statistic.

  15. Microbial nitrogen sinks in the water column of a large coastal hypoxic area, the Gulf of Mexico "Dead Zone"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rogener, M. K.; Roberts, B. J.; Rabalais, N. N.; Stewart, F. J.; Joye, S. B.

    2016-02-01

    Excess nitrogen in coastal environments leads to eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, habitat loss, oxygen depletion and reductions in biodiversity. As such, biological nitrogen (N) removal through the microbially-mediated process of denitrification is a critical ecosystem function that can mitigate the negative consequences of excess nitrogen loading. However, denitrification can produce nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, as a byproduct under some environmental conditions. To understand how excess nitrogen loading impacts denitrification, we measured rates of this process in the water column of the Gulf of Mexico "Dead Zone" three times over the summer of 2015. The Dead Zone is generated by excessive nitrogen loading from the Mississippi River co-occurring with strong water column stratification, which leads to a large summer-time hypoxic/anoxic area at the mouth of the river and along the coast of Louisiana. Rates of denitrification ranged from 31 to 153 nmol L-1 d-1. Dead Zone waters are also enriched in methane and aerobic methane oxidation rates ranged from 0.1 to 4.3 nmol L-1 d-1. Maximal denitrification rates were observed at stations with the lowest oxygen concentrations and highest methane oxidation rates, suggesting a potential coupling between nitrate reduction and methane oxidation which both scrubs reactive N and methane from the system, thus performing a duel ecosystem service.

  16. Adaptive eigenspace method for inverse scattering problems in the frequency domain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grote, Marcus J.; Kray, Marie; Nahum, Uri

    2017-02-01

    A nonlinear optimization method is proposed for the solution of inverse scattering problems in the frequency domain, when the scattered field is governed by the Helmholtz equation. The time-harmonic inverse medium problem is formulated as a PDE-constrained optimization problem and solved by an inexact truncated Newton-type iteration. Instead of a grid-based discrete representation, the unknown wave speed is projected to a particular finite-dimensional basis of eigenfunctions, which is iteratively adapted during the optimization. Truncating the adaptive eigenspace (AE) basis at a (small and slowly increasing) finite number of eigenfunctions effectively introduces regularization into the inversion and thus avoids the need for standard Tikhonov-type regularization. Both analytical and numerical evidence underpins the accuracy of the AE representation. Numerical experiments demonstrate the efficiency and robustness to missing or noisy data of the resulting adaptive eigenspace inversion method.

  17. Interpreting Brightness Asymmetries in Transition Disks: Vortex at Dead Zone or Planet-carved Gap Edges?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Regály, Zs.; Juhász, A.; Nehéz, D.

    2017-12-01

    Recent submillimeter observations show nonaxisymmetric brightness distributions with a horseshoe-like morphology for more than a dozen transition disks. The most-accepted explanation for the observed asymmetries is the accumulation of dust in large-scale vortices. Protoplanetary disks’ vortices can form by the excitation of Rossby wave instability in the vicinity of a steep pressure gradient, which can develop at the edges of a giant planet–carved gap or at the edges of an accretionally inactive zone. We studied the formation and evolution of vortices formed in these two distinct scenarios by means of two-dimensional locally isothermal hydrodynamic simulations. We found that the vortex formed at the edge of a planetary gap is short-lived, unless the disk is nearly inviscid. In contrast, the vortex formed at the outer edge of a dead zone is long-lived. The vortex morphology can be significantly different in the two scenarios: the vortex radial and azimuthal extensions are ∼1.5 and ∼3.5 times larger for the dead-zone edge compared to gap models. In some particular cases, the vortex aspect ratios can be similar in the two scenarios; however, the vortex azimuthal extensions can be used to distinguish the vortex formation mechanisms. We calculated predictions for vortex observability in the submillimeter continuum with ALMA. We found that the azimuthal and radial extent of the brightness asymmetry correlates with the vortex formation process within the limitations of α-viscosity prescription.

  18. An Adaptive Model of Student Performance Using Inverse Bayes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lang, Charles

    2014-01-01

    This article proposes a coherent framework for the use of Inverse Bayesian estimation to summarize and make predictions about student behaviour in adaptive educational settings. The Inverse Bayes Filter utilizes Bayes theorem to estimate the relative impact of contextual factors and internal student factors on student performance using time series…

  19. Low mass planet migration in magnetically torqued dead zones - I. Static migration torque

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McNally, Colin P.; Nelson, Richard P.; Paardekooper, Sijme-Jan; Gressel, Oliver; Lyra, Wladimir

    2017-12-01

    Motivated by models suggesting that the inner planet forming regions of protoplanetary discs are predominantly lacking in viscosity-inducing turbulence, and are possibly threaded by Hall-effect generated large-scale horizontal magnetic fields, we examine the dynamics of the corotation region of a low-mass planet in such an environment. The corotation torque in an inviscid, isothermal, dead zone ought to saturate, with the libration region becoming both symmetrical and of a uniform vortensity, leading to fast inward migration driven by the Lindblad torques alone. However, in such a low viscosity situation, the material on librating streamlines essentially preserves its vortensity. If there is relative radial motion between the disc gas and the planet, the librating streamlines will no longer be symmetrical. Hence, if the gas is torqued by a large-scale magnetic field so that it undergoes a net inflow or outflow past the planet, driving evolution of the vortensity and inducing asymmetry of the corotation region, the corotation torque can grow, leading to a positive torque. In this paper, we treat this effect by applying a symmetry argument to the previously studied case of a migrating planet in an inviscid disc. Our results show that the corotation torque due to a laminar Hall-induced magnetic field in a dead zone behaves quite differently from that studied previously for a viscous disc. Furthermore, the magnetic field induced corotation torque and the dynamical corotation torque in a low viscosity disc can be regarded as one unified effect.

  20. Statistic inversion of multi-zone transition probability models for aquifer characterization in alluvial fans

    DOE PAGES

    Zhu, Lin; Dai, Zhenxue; Gong, Huili; ...

    2015-06-12

    Understanding the heterogeneity arising from the complex architecture of sedimentary sequences in alluvial fans is challenging. This study develops a statistical inverse framework in a multi-zone transition probability approach for characterizing the heterogeneity in alluvial fans. An analytical solution of the transition probability matrix is used to define the statistical relationships among different hydrofacies and their mean lengths, integral scales, and volumetric proportions. A statistical inversion is conducted to identify the multi-zone transition probability models and estimate the optimal statistical parameters using the modified Gauss–Newton–Levenberg–Marquardt method. The Jacobian matrix is computed by the sensitivity equation method, which results in anmore » accurate inverse solution with quantification of parameter uncertainty. We use the Chaobai River alluvial fan in the Beijing Plain, China, as an example for elucidating the methodology of alluvial fan characterization. The alluvial fan is divided into three sediment zones. In each zone, the explicit mathematical formulations of the transition probability models are constructed with optimized different integral scales and volumetric proportions. The hydrofacies distributions in the three zones are simulated sequentially by the multi-zone transition probability-based indicator simulations. Finally, the result of this study provides the heterogeneous structure of the alluvial fan for further study of flow and transport simulations.« less

  1. Neural-adaptive control of single-master-multiple-slaves teleoperation for coordinated multiple mobile manipulators with time-varying communication delays and input uncertainties.

    PubMed

    Li, Zhijun; Su, Chun-Yi

    2013-09-01

    In this paper, adaptive neural network control is investigated for single-master-multiple-slaves teleoperation in consideration of time delays and input dead-zone uncertainties for multiple mobile manipulators carrying a common object in a cooperative manner. Firstly, concise dynamics of teleoperation systems consisting of a single master robot, multiple coordinated slave robots, and the object are developed in the task space. To handle asymmetric time-varying delays in communication channels and unknown asymmetric input dead zones, the nonlinear dynamics of the teleoperation system are transformed into two subsystems through feedback linearization: local master or slave dynamics including the unknown input dead zones and delayed dynamics for the purpose of synchronization. Then, a model reference neural network control strategy based on linear matrix inequalities (LMI) and adaptive techniques is proposed. The developed control approach ensures that the defined tracking errors converge to zero whereas the coordination internal force errors remain bounded and can be made arbitrarily small. Throughout this paper, stability analysis is performed via explicit Lyapunov techniques under specific LMI conditions. The proposed adaptive neural network control scheme is robust against motion disturbances, parametric uncertainties, time-varying delays, and input dead zones, which is validated by simulation studies.

  2. Adaptive Role of Inversion Polymorphism of Drosophila subobscura in Lead Stressed Environment

    PubMed Central

    Kenig, Bojan; Kurbalija Novičić, Zorana; Patenković, Aleksandra; Stamenković-Radak, Marina; Anđelković, Marko

    2015-01-01

    Local adaptation to environmental stress at different levels of genetic polymorphism in various plants and animals has been documented through evolution of heavy metal tolerance. We used samples of Drosophila subobscura populations from two differently polluted environments to analyze the change of chromosomal inversion polymorphism as genetic marker during laboratory exposure to lead. Exposure to environmental contamination can affect the genetic content within a particular inversion and produce targets for selection in populations from different environments. The aims were to discover whether the inversion polymorphism is shaped by the local natural environments, and if lead as a selection pressure would cause adaptive divergence of two populations during the multigenerational laboratory experiment. The results showed that populations retain signatures from past contamination events, and that heavy metal pollution can cause adaptive changes in population. Differences in inversion polymorphism between the two populations increased over generations under lead contamination in the laboratory. The inversion polymorphism of population originating from the more polluted natural environment was more stable during the experiment, both under conditions with and without lead. Therefore, results showed that inversion polymorphism as a genetic marker reflects a strong signature of adaptation to the local environment, and that historical demographic events and selection are important for both prediction of evolutionary potential and long-term viability of natural populations. PMID:26102201

  3. Adaptive Role of Inversion Polymorphism of Drosophila subobscura in Lead Stressed Environment.

    PubMed

    Kenig, Bojan; Kurbalija Novičić, Zorana; Patenković, Aleksandra; Stamenković-Radak, Marina; Anđelković, Marko

    2015-01-01

    Local adaptation to environmental stress at different levels of genetic polymorphism in various plants and animals has been documented through evolution of heavy metal tolerance. We used samples of Drosophila subobscura populations from two differently polluted environments to analyze the change of chromosomal inversion polymorphism as genetic marker during laboratory exposure to lead. Exposure to environmental contamination can affect the genetic content within a particular inversion and produce targets for selection in populations from different environments. The aims were to discover whether the inversion polymorphism is shaped by the local natural environments, and if lead as a selection pressure would cause adaptive divergence of two populations during the multigenerational laboratory experiment. The results showed that populations retain signatures from past contamination events, and that heavy metal pollution can cause adaptive changes in population. Differences in inversion polymorphism between the two populations increased over generations under lead contamination in the laboratory. The inversion polymorphism of population originating from the more polluted natural environment was more stable during the experiment, both under conditions with and without lead. Therefore, results showed that inversion polymorphism as a genetic marker reflects a strong signature of adaptation to the local environment, and that historical demographic events and selection are important for both prediction of evolutionary potential and long-term viability of natural populations.

  4. A Widespread Chromosomal Inversion Polymorphism Contributes to a Major Life-History Transition, Local Adaptation, and Reproductive Isolation

    PubMed Central

    Lowry, David B.; Willis, John H.

    2010-01-01

    The role of chromosomal inversions in adaptation and speciation is controversial. Historically, inversions were thought to contribute to these processes either by directly causing hybrid sterility or by facilitating the maintenance of co-adapted gene complexes. Because inversions suppress recombination when heterozygous, a recently proposed local adaptation mechanism predicts that they will spread if they capture alleles at multiple loci involved in divergent adaptation to contrasting environments. Many empirical studies have found inversion polymorphisms linked to putatively adaptive phenotypes or distributed along environmental clines. However, direct involvement of an inversion in local adaptation and consequent ecological reproductive isolation has not to our knowledge been demonstrated in nature. In this study, we discovered that a chromosomal inversion polymorphism is geographically widespread, and we test the extent to which it contributes to adaptation and reproductive isolation under natural field conditions. Replicated crosses between the prezygotically reproductively isolated annual and perennial ecotypes of the yellow monkeyflower, Mimulus guttatus, revealed that alternative chromosomal inversion arrangements are associated with life-history divergence over thousands of kilometers across North America. The inversion polymorphism affected adaptive flowering time divergence and other morphological traits in all replicated crosses between four pairs of annual and perennial populations. To determine if the inversion contributes to adaptation and reproductive isolation in natural populations, we conducted a novel reciprocal transplant experiment involving outbred lines, where alternative arrangements of the inversion were reciprocally introgressed into the genetic backgrounds of each ecotype. Our results demonstrate for the first time in nature the contribution of an inversion to adaptation, an annual/perennial life-history shift, and multiple reproductive

  5. Local adaptation along an environmental cline in a species with an inversion polymorphism.

    PubMed

    Wellenreuther, M; Rosenquist, H; Jaksons, P; Larson, K W

    2017-06-01

    Polymorphic inversions are ubiquitous across the animal kingdom and are frequently associated with clines in inversion frequencies across environmental gradients. Such clines are thought to result from selection favouring local adaptation; however, empirical tests are scarce. The seaweed fly Coelopa frigida has an α/β inversion polymorphism, and previous work demonstrated that the α inversion frequency declines from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea and is correlated with changes in tidal range, salinity, algal composition and wrackbed stability. Here, we explicitly test the hypothesis that populations of C. frigida along this cline are locally adapted by conducting a reciprocal transplant experiment of four populations along this cline to quantify survival. We found that survival varied significantly across treatments and detected a significant Location x Substrate interaction, indicating local adaptation. Survival models showed that flies from locations at both extremes had highest survival on their native substrates, demonstrating that local adaptation is present at the extremes of the cline. Survival at the two intermediate locations was, however, not elevated at the native substrates, suggesting that gene flow in intermediate habitats may override selection. Together, our results support the notion that population extremes of species with polymorphic inversions are often locally adapted, even when spatially close, consistent with the growing view that inversions can have direct and strong effects on the fitness of species. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

  6. Adapting Better Interpolation Methods to Model Amphibious MT Data Along the Cascadian Subduction Zone.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parris, B. A.; Egbert, G. D.; Key, K.; Livelybrooks, D.

    2016-12-01

    Magnetotellurics (MT) is an electromagnetic technique used to model the inner Earth's electrical conductivity structure. MT data can be analyzed using iterative, linearized inversion techniques to generate models imaging, in particular, conductive partial melts and aqueous fluids that play critical roles in subduction zone processes and volcanism. For example, the Magnetotelluric Observations of Cascadia using a Huge Array (MOCHA) experiment provides amphibious data useful for imaging subducted fluids from trench to mantle wedge corner. When using MOD3DEM(Egbert et al. 2012), a finite difference inversion package, we have encountered problems inverting, particularly, sea floor stations due to the strong, nearby conductivity gradients. As a work-around, we have found that denser, finer model grids near the land-sea interface produce better inversions, as characterized by reduced data residuals. This is partly to be due to our ability to more accurately capture topography and bathymetry. We are experimenting with improved interpolation schemes that more accurately track EM fields across cell boundaries, with an eye to enhancing the accuracy of the simulated responses and, thus, inversion results. We are adapting how MOD3DEM interpolates EM fields in two ways. The first seeks to improve weighting functions for interpolants to better address current continuity across grid boundaries. Electric fields are interpolated using a tri-linear spline technique, where the eight nearest electrical field estimates are each given weights determined by the technique, a kind of weighted average. We are modifying these weights to include cross-boundary conductivity ratios to better model current continuity. We are also adapting some of the techniques discussed in Shantsev et al (2014) to enhance the accuracy of the interpolated fields calculated by our forward solver, as well as to better approximate the sensitivities passed to the software's Jacobian that are used to generate a new

  7. MT2D Inversion to Image the Gorda Plate Subduction Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lubis, Y. K.; Niasari, S. W.; Hartantyo, E.

    2018-04-01

    The magnetotelluric method is applicable for studying complicated geological structures because the subsurface electrical properties are strongly influenced by the electric and magnetic fields. This research located in the Gorda subduction zone beneath the North American continental plate. Magnetotelluric 2D inversion was used to image the variation of subsurface resistivity although the phase tensor analysis shows that the majority of dimensionality data is 3D. 19 MT sites were acquired from EarthScope/USArray Project. Wepresent the image of MT 2D inversion to exhibit conductivity distribution from the middle crust to uppermost asthenosphere at a depth of 120 kilometers. Based on the inversion, the overall data misfit value is 3.89. The Gorda plate subduction appears as a high resistive zone beneath the California. Local conductive features are found in the middle crust downward Klamath Mountain, Bonneville Lake, and below the eastern of Utah. Furthermore, mid-crustal is characterized by moderately resistive. Below the extensional Basin and Range province was related to highly resistive. The middle crust to the uppermost asthenosphere becomes moderately resistive. We conclude that the electrical parameters and the dimensionality of datain the shallow depth(about 22.319 km) beneath the North American platein accordance with surface geological features.

  8. Effects of adaptive refinement on the inverse EEG solution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weinstein, David M.; Johnson, Christopher R.; Schmidt, John A.

    1995-10-01

    One of the fundamental problems in electroencephalography can be characterized by an inverse problem. Given a subset of electrostatic potentials measured on the surface of the scalp and the geometry and conductivity properties within the head, calculate the current vectors and potential fields within the cerebrum. Mathematically the generalized EEG problem can be stated as solving Poisson's equation of electrical conduction for the primary current sources. The resulting problem is mathematically ill-posed i.e., the solution does not depend continuously on the data, such that small errors in the measurement of the voltages on the scalp can yield unbounded errors in the solution, and, for the general treatment of a solution of Poisson's equation, the solution is non-unique. However, if accurate solutions the general treatment of a solution of Poisson's equation, the solution is non-unique. However, if accurate solutions to such problems could be obtained, neurologists would gain noninvasive accesss to patient-specific cortical activity. Access to such data would ultimately increase the number of patients who could be effectively treated for pathological cortical conditions such as temporal lobe epilepsy. In this paper, we present the effects of spatial adaptive refinement on the inverse EEG problem and show that the use of adaptive methods allow for significantly better estimates of electric and potential fileds within the brain through an inverse procedure. To test these methods, we have constructed several finite element head models from magneteic resonance images of a patient. The finite element meshes ranged in size from 2724 nodes and 12,812 elements to 5224 nodes and 29,135 tetrahedral elements, depending on the level of discretization. We show that an adaptive meshing algorithm minimizes the error in the forward problem due to spatial discretization and thus increases the accuracy of the inverse solution.

  9. Genomic adaptations of the halophilic Dead Sea filamentous fungus Eurotium rubrum.

    PubMed

    Kis-Papo, Tamar; Weig, Alfons R; Riley, Robert; Peršoh, Derek; Salamov, Asaf; Sun, Hui; Lipzen, Anna; Wasser, Solomon P; Rambold, Gerhard; Grigoriev, Igor V; Nevo, Eviatar

    2014-05-09

    The Dead Sea is one of the most hypersaline habitats on Earth. The fungus Eurotium rubrum (Eurotiomycetes) is among the few species able to survive there. Here we highlight its adaptive strategies, based on genome analysis and transcriptome profiling. The 26.2 Mb genome of E. rubrum shows, for example, gains in gene families related to stress response and losses with regard to transport processes. Transcriptome analyses under different salt growth conditions revealed, among other things differentially expressed genes encoding ion and metabolite transporters. Our findings suggest that long-term adaptation to salinity requires cellular and metabolic responses that differ from short-term osmotic stress signalling. The transcriptional response indicates that halophilic E. rubrum actively counteracts the salinity stress. Many of its genes encode for proteins with a significantly higher proportion of acidic amino acid residues. This trait is characteristic of the halophilic prokaryotes as well, supporting the theory of convergent evolution under extreme hypersaline stress.

  10. Seed zones for maintaining adapted plant populations

    Treesearch

    J. Bradley St. Clair; G. Randy Johnson; Vicky J. Erickson; Richard C. Johnson; Nancy L. Shaw

    2007-01-01

    Seed zones delineate areas within which plant materials can be transferred with little risk that they will be poorly adapted to their new location. They ensure successful restoration and revegetation, and help maintain the integrity of natural genetic structure. The value of seed zones is recognized in numerous policy statements from federal and state agencies. Results...

  11. An adaptive inverse kinematics algorithm for robot manipulators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Colbaugh, R.; Glass, K.; Seraji, H.

    1990-01-01

    An adaptive algorithm for solving the inverse kinematics problem for robot manipulators is presented. The algorithm is derived using model reference adaptive control (MRAC) theory and is computationally efficient for online applications. The scheme requires no a priori knowledge of the kinematics of the robot if Cartesian end-effector sensing is available, and it requires knowledge of only the forward kinematics if joint position sensing is used. Computer simulation results are given for the redundant seven-DOF robotics research arm, demonstrating that the proposed algorithm yields accurate joint angle trajectories for a given end-effector position/orientation trajectory.

  12. Global hydromagnetic simulations of a planet embedded in a dead zone: Gap opening, gas accretion, and formation of a protoplanetary jet

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gressel, O.; Nelson, R. P.; Turner, N. J.

    We present global hydrodynamic (HD) and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations with mesh refinement of accreting planets embedded in protoplanetary disks (PPDs). The magnetized disk includes Ohmic resistivity that depends on the overlying mass column, leading to turbulent surface layers and a dead zone near the midplane. The main results are: (1) the accretion flow in the Hill sphere is intrinsically three-dimensional for HD and MHD models. Net inflow toward the planet is dominated by high-latitude flows. A circumplanetary disk (CPD) forms. Its midplane flows outward in a pattern whose details differ between models. (2) The opening of a gap magnetically couplesmore » and ignites the dead zone near the planet, leading to stochastic accretion, a quasi-turbulent flow in the Hill sphere, and a CPD whose structure displays high levels of variability. (3) Advection of magnetized gas onto the rotating CPD generates helical fields that launch magnetocentrifugally driven outflows. During one specific epoch, a highly collimated, one-sided jet is observed. (4) The CPD's surface density is ∼30 g cm{sup −2}, small enough for significant ionization and turbulence to develop. (5) The accretion rate onto the planet in the MHD simulation reaches a steady value 8 × 10{sup –3} M {sub ⊕} yr{sup –1} and is similar in the viscous HD runs. Our results suggest that gas accretion onto a forming giant planet within a magnetized PPD with a dead zone allows rapid growth from Saturnian to Jovian masses. As well as being relevant for giant planet formation, these results have important implications for the formation of regular satellites around gas giant planets.« less

  13. Adaptive multi-step Full Waveform Inversion based on Waveform Mode Decomposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Yong; Han, Liguo; Xu, Zhuo; Zhang, Fengjiao; Zeng, Jingwen

    2017-04-01

    Full Waveform Inversion (FWI) can be used to build high resolution velocity models, but there are still many challenges in seismic field data processing. The most difficult problem is about how to recover long-wavelength components of subsurface velocity models when seismic data is lacking of low frequency information and without long-offsets. To solve this problem, we propose to use Waveform Mode Decomposition (WMD) method to reconstruct low frequency information for FWI to obtain a smooth model, so that the initial model dependence of FWI can be reduced. In this paper, we use adjoint-state method to calculate the gradient for Waveform Mode Decomposition Full Waveform Inversion (WMDFWI). Through the illustrative numerical examples, we proved that the low frequency which is reconstructed by WMD method is very reliable. WMDFWI in combination with the adaptive multi-step inversion strategy can obtain more faithful and accurate final inversion results. Numerical examples show that even if the initial velocity model is far from the true model and lacking of low frequency information, we still can obtain good inversion results with WMD method. From numerical examples of anti-noise test, we see that the adaptive multi-step inversion strategy for WMDFWI has strong ability to resist Gaussian noise. WMD method is promising to be able to implement for the land seismic FWI, because it can reconstruct the low frequency information, lower the dominant frequency in the adjoint source, and has a strong ability to resist noise.

  14. Adaptive divergence in the monkey flower Mimulus guttatus is maintained by a chromosomal inversion

    PubMed Central

    Twyford, Alex D.; Friedman, Jannice

    2015-01-01

    Organisms exhibit an incredible diversity of life history strategies as adaptive responses to environmental variation. The establishment of novel life history strategies involves multilocus polymorphisms, which will be challenging to establish in the face of gene flow and recombination. Theory predicts that adaptive allelic combinations may be maintained and spread if they occur in genomic regions of reduced recombination, such as chromosomal inversion polymorphisms, yet empirical support for this prediction is lacking. Here, we use genomic data to investigate the evolution of divergent adaptive ecotypes of the yellow monkey flower Mimulus guttatus. We show that a large chromosomal inversion polymorphism is the major region of divergence between geographically widespread annual and perennial ecotypes. In contrast, ∼40,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms in collinear regions of the genome show no signal of life history, revealing genomic patterns of diversity have been shaped by localized homogenizing gene flow and large‐scale Pleistocene range expansion. Our results provide evidence for an inversion capturing and protecting loci involved in local adaptation, while also explaining how adaptive divergence can occur with gene flow. PMID:25879251

  15. Near bottom temperature anomalies in the Dead Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ben-Avraham, Zvi; Ballard, Robert D.

    1984-12-01

    A bottom photographic and temperature study was carried out in the Dead Sea using a miniature version of the unmanned camera system ANGUS (mini-ANGUS). Due to the low transparency of the Dead Sea water, the bottom photographs provide very poor results. Only in a very few locations was the floor visible and in those cases it was found to be a white undulating sedimentary surface. The bottom temperature measurements, which were made continuously along the ship track, indicate the presence of a large zone of temperature anomalies. This zone is located in the deep part of the north basin at a water depth of over 330 m. The anomalies occur above a portion of an east-west fault which cuts through the Dead Sea suggesting the presence of hydrothermal activity.

  16. The evolutionary origins of beneficial alleles during the repeated adaptation of garter snakes to deadly prey.

    PubMed

    Feldman, Chris R; Brodie, Edmund D; Brodie, Edmund D; Pfrender, Michael E

    2009-08-11

    Where do the genetic variants underlying adaptive change come from? Are currently adaptive alleles recruited by selection from standing genetic variation within populations, moved through introgression from other populations, or do they arise as novel mutations? Here, we examine the molecular basis of repeated adaptation to the toxin of deadly prey in 3 species of garter snakes (Thamnophis) to determine whether adaptation has evolved through novel mutations, sieving of existing variation, or transmission of beneficial alleles across species. Functional amino acid substitutions in the skeletal muscle sodium channel (Na(v)1.4) are largely responsible for the physiological resistance of garter snakes to tetrodotoxin found in their newt (Taricha) prey. Phylogenetic analyses reject the hypotheses that the unique resistance alleles observed in multiple Thamnophis species were present before the split of these lineages, or that alleles were shared among species through occasional hybridization events. Our results demonstrate that adaptive evolution has occurred independently multiple times in garter snakes via the de novo acquisition of beneficial mutations.

  17. Boundary-layer mantle flow under the Dead Sea transform fault inferred from seismic anisotropy.

    PubMed

    Rümpker, Georg; Ryberg, Trond; Bock, Günter

    2003-10-02

    Lithospheric-scale transform faults play an important role in the dynamics of global plate motion. Near-surface deformation fields for such faults are relatively well documented by satellite geodesy, strain measurements and earthquake source studies, and deeper crustal structure has been imaged by seismic profiling. Relatively little is known, however, about deformation taking place in the subcrustal lithosphere--that is, the width and depth of the region associated with the deformation, the transition between deformed and undeformed lithosphere and the interaction between lithospheric and asthenospheric mantle flow at the plate boundary. Here we present evidence for a narrow, approximately 20-km-wide, subcrustal anisotropic zone of fault-parallel mineral alignment beneath the Dead Sea transform, obtained from an inversion of shear-wave splitting observations along a dense receiver profile. The geometry of this zone and the contrast between distinct anisotropic domains suggest subhorizontal mantle flow within a vertical boundary layer that extends through the entire lithosphere and accommodates the transform motion between the African and Arabian plates within this relatively narrow zone.

  18. Adaptive divergence in the monkey flower Mimulus guttatus is maintained by a chromosomal inversion.

    PubMed

    Twyford, Alex D; Friedman, Jannice

    2015-06-01

    Organisms exhibit an incredible diversity of life history strategies as adaptive responses to environmental variation. The establishment of novel life history strategies involves multilocus polymorphisms, which will be challenging to establish in the face of gene flow and recombination. Theory predicts that adaptive allelic combinations may be maintained and spread if they occur in genomic regions of reduced recombination, such as chromosomal inversion polymorphisms, yet empirical support for this prediction is lacking. Here, we use genomic data to investigate the evolution of divergent adaptive ecotypes of the yellow monkey flower Mimulus guttatus. We show that a large chromosomal inversion polymorphism is the major region of divergence between geographically widespread annual and perennial ecotypes. In contrast, ∼40,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms in collinear regions of the genome show no signal of life history, revealing genomic patterns of diversity have been shaped by localized homogenizing gene flow and large-scale Pleistocene range expansion. Our results provide evidence for an inversion capturing and protecting loci involved in local adaptation, while also explaining how adaptive divergence can occur with gene flow. © 2015 The Author(s). Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  19. Heading Estimation for Pedestrian Dead Reckoning Based on Robust Adaptive Kalman Filtering.

    PubMed

    Wu, Dongjin; Xia, Linyuan; Geng, Jijun

    2018-06-19

    Pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) using smart phone-embedded micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensors plays a key role in ubiquitous localization indoors and outdoors. However, as a relative localization method, it suffers from the problem of error accumulation which prevents it from long term independent running. Heading estimation error is one of the main location error sources, and therefore, in order to improve the location tracking performance of the PDR method in complex environments, an approach based on robust adaptive Kalman filtering (RAKF) for estimating accurate headings is proposed. In our approach, outputs from gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer sensors are fused using the solution of Kalman filtering (KF) that the heading measurements derived from accelerations and magnetic field data are used to correct the states integrated from angular rates. In order to identify and control measurement outliers, a maximum likelihood-type estimator (M-estimator)-based model is used. Moreover, an adaptive factor is applied to resist the negative effects of state model disturbances. Extensive experiments under static and dynamic conditions were conducted in indoor environments. The experimental results demonstrate the proposed approach provides more accurate heading estimates and supports more robust and dynamic adaptive location tracking, compared with methods based on conventional KF.

  20. SMI adaptive antenna arrays for weak interfering signals. [Sample Matrix Inversion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gupta, Inder J.

    1986-01-01

    The performance of adaptive antenna arrays in the presence of weak interfering signals (below thermal noise) is studied. It is shown that a conventional adaptive antenna array sample matrix inversion (SMI) algorithm is unable to suppress such interfering signals. To overcome this problem, the SMI algorithm is modified. In the modified algorithm, the covariance matrix is redefined such that the effect of thermal noise on the weights of adaptive arrays is reduced. Thus, the weights are dictated by relatively weak signals. It is shown that the modified algorithm provides the desired interference protection.

  1. An Innovations-Based Noise Cancelling Technique on Inverse Kepstrum Whitening Filter and Adaptive FIR Filter in Beamforming Structure

    PubMed Central

    Jeong, Jinsoo

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents an acoustic noise cancelling technique using an inverse kepstrum system as an innovations-based whitening application for an adaptive finite impulse response (FIR) filter in beamforming structure. The inverse kepstrum method uses an innovations-whitened form from one acoustic path transfer function between a reference microphone sensor and a noise source so that the rear-end reference signal will then be a whitened sequence to a cascaded adaptive FIR filter in the beamforming structure. By using an inverse kepstrum filter as a whitening filter with the use of a delay filter, the cascaded adaptive FIR filter estimates only the numerator of the polynomial part from the ratio of overall combined transfer functions. The test results have shown that the adaptive FIR filter is more effective in beamforming structure than an adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) structure in terms of signal distortion in the desired signal and noise reduction in noise with nonminimum phase components. In addition, the inverse kepstrum method shows almost the same convergence level in estimate of noise statistics with the use of a smaller amount of adaptive FIR filter weights than the kepstrum method, hence it could provide better computational simplicity in processing. Furthermore, the rear-end inverse kepstrum method in beamforming structure has shown less signal distortion in the desired signal than the front-end kepstrum method and the front-end inverse kepstrum method in beamforming structure. PMID:22163987

  2. Magnetocentrifugally Driven Flows from Young Stars and Disks. IV. The Accretion Funnel and Dead Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ostriker, Eve C.; Shu, Frank H.

    1995-07-01

    We formulate the time-steady, axisymmetric problem of stellar magnetospheric inflow of gas from a surrounding accretion disk. The computational domain is bounded on the outside by a surface of given shape containing the open field lines associated with an induced disk wind. The mechanism for this wind has been investigated in previous publications in this journal. Our zeroth-order solution incorporates an acceptable accounting of the pressure balance between the magnetic field lines loaded with accreting gas (funnel flow) and those empty of matter (dead zone). In comparison with previous models, our funnel-flow/dead-zone solution has the following novel features: (1) Because of a natural tendency for the trapped stellar magnetic flux to pinch toward the corotation radius Rx (X-point of the effective potential), most of the interesting magnetohydrodynamics is initiated within a small neighborhood of Rx (X-region), where the Keplerian angular speed of rotation in the disk equals the spin rate of the star. (2) Unimpeded funnel flow from the inner portion of the X-region to the star can occur when the amount of trapped magnetic flux equals or exceeds 1.5 times the unperturbed dipole flux that would lie outside Rx in the absence of an accretion disk. (3). Near the equatorial plane, radial infall from the X-point is terminated at a "kink" point Rk = 0.74Rx that deflects the flow away from the midplane, mediating thereby between the field topology imposed by a magnetic fan of trapped flux at Rx and the geometry of a strong stellar dipole. (4) The excess angular momentum of accretion that would otherwise spin up the star rapidly is deposited by the magnetic torques of the funnel flow into the inner portion of the X-region of the disk. (5) An induced disk wind arises in the outer portion of the .X-region, where the stellar field lines have been blown open, and removes whatever excess angular momentum that viscous torques do not transport to the outer disk. (6) The interface

  3. A multidisciplinary glider survey of an open ocean dead-zone eddy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karstensen, Johannes; Schütte, Florian; Pietri, Alice; Krahmann, Gerd; Fiedler, Björn; Löscher, Carolin; Grundle, Damian; Hauss, Helena; Körtzinger, Arne; Testor, Pierre; Viera, Nuno

    2016-04-01

    The physical (temperature, salinity) and biogeochemical (oxygen, nitrate, chlorophyll fluorescence, turbidity) structure of an anticyclonic modewater eddy, hosting an open ocean dead zone, is investigated using observational data sampled in high temporal and spatial resolution with autonomous gliders in March and April 2014. The core of the eddy is identified in the glider data as a volume of fresher (on isopycnals) water in the depth range from the mixed layer base (about 70m) to about 200m depth. The width is about 80km. The core aligns well with the 40 μmolkg-1 oxygen contour. From two surveys about 1 month apart, changes in the minimal oxygen concentrations (below 5μmolkg-1) are observed that indicate that small scale processes are in operation. Several scales of coherent variability of physical and biogeochemical variable are identified - from a few meters to the mesoscale. One of the gliders carried an autonomous Nitrate (N) sensor and the data is used to analyse the possible nitrogen pathways within the eddy. Also the highest N is accompanied by lowest oxygen concentrations, the AOU:N ratio reveals a preferred oxygen cycling per N.

  4. An adaptive coupling strategy for joint inversions that use petrophysical information as constraints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heincke, Björn; Jegen, Marion; Moorkamp, Max; Hobbs, Richard W.; Chen, Jin

    2017-01-01

    Joint inversion strategies for geophysical data have become increasingly popular as they allow for the efficient combination of complementary information from different data sets. The algorithm used for the joint inversion needs to be flexible in its description of the subsurface so as to be able to handle the diverse nature of the data. Hence, joint inversion schemes are needed that 1) adequately balance data from the different methods, 2) have stable convergence behavior, 3) consider the different resolution power of the methods used and 4) link the parameter models in a way that they are suited for a wide range of applications. Here, we combine active source seismic P-wave tomography, gravity and magnetotelluric (MT) data in a petrophysical joint inversion that accounts for these issues. Data from the different methods are inverted separately but are linked through constraints accounting for parameter relationships. An advantage of performing the inversions separately is that no relative weighting between the data sets is required. To avoid perturbing the convergence behavior of the inversions by the coupling, the strengths of the constraints are readjusted at each iteration. The criterion we use to control the adaption of the coupling strengths is based on variations in the objective functions of the individual inversions from one to the next iteration. Adaption of the coupling strengths makes the joint inversion scheme also applicable to subsurface conditions, where assumed relationships are not valid everywhere, because the individual inversions decouple if it is not possible to reach adequately low data misfits for the made assumptions. In addition, the coupling constraints depend on the relative resolutions of the methods, which leads to an improved convergence behavior of the joint inversion. Another benefit of the proposed scheme is that structural information can easily be incorporated in the petrophysical joint inversion (no additional terms are added

  5. Prescribed performance distributed consensus control for nonlinear multi-agent systems with unknown dead-zone input

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Guozeng; Xu, Shengyuan; Ma, Qian; Li, Yongmin; Zhang, Zhengqiang

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, the problem of prescribed performance distributed output consensus for higher-order non-affine nonlinear multi-agent systems with unknown dead-zone input is investigated. Fuzzy logical systems are utilised to identify the unknown nonlinearities. By introducing prescribed performance, the transient and steady performance of synchronisation errors are guaranteed. Based on Lyapunov stability theory and the dynamic surface control technique, a new distributed consensus algorithm for non-affine nonlinear multi-agent systems is proposed, which ensures cooperatively uniformly ultimately boundedness of all signals in the closed-loop systems and enables the output of each follower to synchronise with the leader within predefined bounded error. Finally, simulation examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.

  6. Genomic evidence for role of inversion 3RP of Drosophila melanogaster in facilitating climate change adaptation.

    PubMed

    Rane, Rahul V; Rako, Lea; Kapun, Martin; Lee, Siu F; Hoffmann, Ary A

    2015-05-01

    Chromosomal inversion polymorphisms are common in animals and plants, and recent models suggest that alternative arrangements spread by capturing different combinations of alleles acting additively or epistatically to favour local adaptation. It is also thought that inversions typically maintain favoured combinations for a long time by suppressing recombination between alternative chromosomal arrangements. Here, we consider patterns of linkage disequilibrium and genetic divergence in an old inversion polymorphism in Drosophila melanogaster (In(3R)Payne) known to be associated with climate change adaptation and a recent invasion event into Australia. We extracted, karyotyped and sequenced whole chromosomes from two Australian populations, so that changes in the arrangement of the alleles between geographically separated tropical and temperate areas could be compared. Chromosome-wide linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis revealed strong LD within the region spanned by In(3R)Payne. This genomic region also showed strong differentiation between the tropical and the temperate populations, but no differentiation between different karyotypes from the same population, after controlling for chromosomal arrangement. Patterns of differentiation across the chromosome arm and in gene ontologies were enhanced by the presence of the inversion. These data support the notion that inversions are strongly selected by bringing together combinations of genes, but it is still not clear if such combinations act additively or epistatically. Our data suggest that climatic adaptation through inversions can be dynamic, reflecting changes in the relative abundance of different forms of an inversion and ongoing evolution of allelic content within an inversion. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. 3D CSEM inversion based on goal-oriented adaptive finite element method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Y.; Key, K.

    2016-12-01

    We present a parallel 3D frequency domain controlled-source electromagnetic inversion code name MARE3DEM. Non-linear inversion of observed data is performed with the Occam variant of regularized Gauss-Newton optimization. The forward operator is based on the goal-oriented finite element method that efficiently calculates the responses and sensitivity kernels in parallel using a data decomposition scheme where independent modeling tasks contain different frequencies and subsets of the transmitters and receivers. To accommodate complex 3D conductivity variation with high flexibility and precision, we adopt the dual-grid approach where the forward mesh conforms to the inversion parameter grid and is adaptively refined until the forward solution converges to the desired accuracy. This dual-grid approach is memory efficient, since the inverse parameter grid remains independent from fine meshing generated around the transmitter and receivers by the adaptive finite element method. Besides, the unstructured inverse mesh efficiently handles multiple scale structures and allows for fine-scale model parameters within the region of interest. Our mesh generation engine keeps track of the refinement hierarchy so that the map of conductivity and sensitivity kernel between the forward and inverse mesh is retained. We employ the adjoint-reciprocity method to calculate the sensitivity kernels which establish a linear relationship between changes in the conductivity model and changes in the modeled responses. Our code uses a direcy solver for the linear systems, so the adjoint problem is efficiently computed by re-using the factorization from the primary problem. Further computational efficiency and scalability is obtained in the regularized Gauss-Newton portion of the inversion using parallel dense matrix-matrix multiplication and matrix factorization routines implemented with the ScaLAPACK library. We show the scalability, reliability and the potential of the algorithm to deal with

  8. Adaptive online inverse control of a shape memory alloy wire actuator using a dynamic neural network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mai, Huanhuan; Song, Gangbing; Liao, Xiaofeng

    2013-01-01

    Shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators exhibit severe hysteresis, a nonlinear behavior, which complicates control strategies and limits their applications. This paper presents a new approach to controlling an SMA actuator through an adaptive inverse model based controller that consists of a dynamic neural network (DNN) identifier, a copy dynamic neural network (CDNN) feedforward term and a proportional (P) feedback action. Unlike fixed hysteresis models used in most inverse controllers, the proposed one uses a DNN to identify online the relationship between the applied voltage to the actuator and the displacement (the inverse model). Even without a priori knowledge of the SMA hysteresis and without pre-training, the proposed controller can precisely control the SMA wire actuator in various tracking tasks by identifying online the inverse model of the SMA actuator. Experiments were conducted, and experimental results demonstrated real-time modeling capabilities of DNN and the performance of the adaptive inverse controller.

  9. Genomic Evidence for Adaptive Inversion Clines in Drosophila melanogaster.

    PubMed

    Kapun, Martin; Fabian, Daniel K; Goudet, Jérôme; Flatt, Thomas

    2016-05-01

    Clines in chromosomal inversion polymorphisms-presumably driven by climatic gradients-are common but there is surprisingly little evidence for selection acting on them. Here we address this long-standing issue in Drosophila melanogaster by using diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers to estimate inversion frequencies from 28 whole-genome Pool-seq samples collected from 10 populations along the North American east coast. Inversions In(3L)P, In(3R)Mo, and In(3R)Payne showed clear latitudinal clines, and for In(2L)t, In(2R)NS, and In(3R)Payne the steepness of the clinal slopes changed between summer and fall. Consistent with an effect of seasonality on inversion frequencies, we detected small but stable seasonal fluctuations of In(2R)NS and In(3R)Payne in a temperate Pennsylvanian population over 4 years. In support of spatially varying selection, we observed that the cline in In(3R)Payne has remained stable for >40 years and that the frequencies of In(2L)t and In(3R)Payne are strongly correlated with climatic factors that vary latitudinally, independent of population structure. To test whether these patterns are adaptive, we compared the amount of genetic differentiation of inversions versus neutral SNPs and found that the clines in In(2L)t and In(3R)Payne are maintained nonneutrally and independent of admixture. We also identified numerous clinal inversion-associated SNPs, many of which exhibit parallel differentiation along the Australian cline and reside in genes known to affect fitness-related traits. Together, our results provide strong evidence that inversion clines are maintained by spatially-and perhaps also temporally-varying selection. We interpret our data in light of current hypotheses about how inversions are established and maintained. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. Formation of an active thrust triangle zone associated with structural inversion in a subduction setting, eastern New Zealand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barnes, Philip M.; Nicol, Andrew

    2004-02-01

    We analyze a thrust triangle zone, which underlies the continental shelf of Hawke Bay, eastern New Zealand, within the Hikurangi subduction margin. This triangle zone differs from many other examples in that it is active, 90 km from the leading edge of the overriding plate, and formed due to polyphase deformation involving opposed dipping thrust duplex and backthrust, with the later structure forming in response to inversion of an extensional graben. The component structures of the zone mainly developed sequentially rather than synchronously. High-quality marine seismic reflection lines, tied to well and seabed samples, reveal the three-dimensional structure of the zone, together with its 25 Myr evolution and late Quaternary activity. The triangle zone occurs in the lateral overlap between a stack of NW dipping blind thrusts, and a principal backthrust, the Kidnappers fault. The NW dipping thrusts initiated in the early-middle Miocene during the early stages of subduction, with subsequent thrust duplex formation producing major uplift and erosion in the late Miocene-early Pliocene. The active backthrust formed during the late Miocene to early Pliocene as a thin-skinned listric extensional fault confined to the cover sequence. Structural inversion of the extensional fault commenced in the early-middle Pliocene, produced the backthrust and marks the formation of the thrust triangle zone. The thrust duplex and backthrust accrued strain following inversion; however, the later structure accommodated most of the surface deformation in the Quaternary. Section balancing of the triangle zone together with a detailed analysis of reverse displacements along the backthrust reveal spatial and temporal variations of strain accumulation on the two principal components of the zone. Although the formation of the triangle zone is strongly influenced by regional tectonics of the subduction system, these variations may also, in part, reflect local fault interaction. For example, high

  11. An adaptive importance sampling algorithm for Bayesian inversion with multimodal distributions

    DOE PAGES

    Li, Weixuan; Lin, Guang

    2015-03-21

    Parametric uncertainties are encountered in the simulations of many physical systems, and may be reduced by an inverse modeling procedure that calibrates the simulation results to observations on the real system being simulated. Following Bayes’ rule, a general approach for inverse modeling problems is to sample from the posterior distribution of the uncertain model parameters given the observations. However, the large number of repetitive forward simulations required in the sampling process could pose a prohibitive computational burden. This difficulty is particularly challenging when the posterior is multimodal. We present in this paper an adaptive importance sampling algorithm to tackle thesemore » challenges. Two essential ingredients of the algorithm are: 1) a Gaussian mixture (GM) model adaptively constructed as the proposal distribution to approximate the possibly multimodal target posterior, and 2) a mixture of polynomial chaos (PC) expansions, built according to the GM proposal, as a surrogate model to alleviate the computational burden caused by computational-demanding forward model evaluations. In three illustrative examples, the proposed adaptive importance sampling algorithm demonstrates its capabilities of automatically finding a GM proposal with an appropriate number of modes for the specific problem under study, and obtaining a sample accurately and efficiently representing the posterior with limited number of forward simulations.« less

  12. An adaptive importance sampling algorithm for Bayesian inversion with multimodal distributions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Weixuan; Lin, Guang, E-mail: guanglin@purdue.edu

    2015-08-01

    Parametric uncertainties are encountered in the simulations of many physical systems, and may be reduced by an inverse modeling procedure that calibrates the simulation results to observations on the real system being simulated. Following Bayes' rule, a general approach for inverse modeling problems is to sample from the posterior distribution of the uncertain model parameters given the observations. However, the large number of repetitive forward simulations required in the sampling process could pose a prohibitive computational burden. This difficulty is particularly challenging when the posterior is multimodal. We present in this paper an adaptive importance sampling algorithm to tackle thesemore » challenges. Two essential ingredients of the algorithm are: 1) a Gaussian mixture (GM) model adaptively constructed as the proposal distribution to approximate the possibly multimodal target posterior, and 2) a mixture of polynomial chaos (PC) expansions, built according to the GM proposal, as a surrogate model to alleviate the computational burden caused by computational-demanding forward model evaluations. In three illustrative examples, the proposed adaptive importance sampling algorithm demonstrates its capabilities of automatically finding a GM proposal with an appropriate number of modes for the specific problem under study, and obtaining a sample accurately and efficiently representing the posterior with limited number of forward simulations.« less

  13. The active structure of the Dead Sea depression

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shamir, G.

    2003-04-01

    The ~220km long gravitational and structural Dead Sea Depression (DSD), situated along the southern section of the Dead Sea Transform (DST), is centered by the Dead Sea basin sensu strictu (DSB), which has been described since the 1960?s as a pull-apart basin over a presumed left-hand fault step. However, several observations, or their lack thereof, question this scheme, e.g. (i) It is not supported by recent seismological and geomorphic data; (ii) It does not explain the fault pattern and mixed sinistral and dextral offset along the DSB western boundary; (iii) It does not simply explain the presence of intense deformation outside the presumed fault step zone; (iv) It is inconsistent with the orientation of seismically active faults within the Dead Sea and Jericho Valley; (v); It is apparently inconsistent with the symmetrical structure of the DSD; (vi) The length of the DSB exceeds the total offset along the Dead Sea Transform, while its subsidence is about the age of the DST. Integration of newly acquired and analyzed data (high resolution and petroleum seismic reflection data, earthquake relocation and fault plane solutions) with previously published data (structural mapping, fracture orientation distribution, Bouguer anomaly maps, sinkhole distribution, geomorphic lineaments) now shows that the active upper crustal manifestation of the DSD is a broad shear zone dominated by internal fault systems oriented NNE and NNW. These fault systems are identified by earthquake activity, seismic reflection observations, alignment of recent sinkholes, and distribution of Bouguer anomaly gradients. Motion on the NNE system is normal-dextral, suggesting that counterclockwise rotation may have taken place within the shear zone. The overall sinistral motion between the Arabian and Israel-Sinai plates along the DSD is thus accommodated by distributed shear across the N-S extending DSD. The three-dimensionality of this motion at the DSD may be related to the rate of convergence

  14. MT data inversion and sensitivity analysis to image electrical structure of Zagros collision zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Layegh Haghighi, T.; Montahaei, M.; Oskooi, B.

    2018-01-01

    Magnetotelluric (MT) data from 46 stations on a 470-km-long profile across the Zagros fold-thrust belt (ZFTB) that marks the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone were inverted to derive 2-D electrical resistivity structure between Busher on the coast of Persian Gulf and Posht-e-Badam, 160 km north east of Yazd. The model includes prominent anomalies in the upper and lower crust, beneath the brittle-ductile transition depth and mostly related to the fluid distribution and sedimentary layers beneath the profile. The conductivities and dimensions of the fault zone conductors (FZCs) and high conductivity zones (HCZs) as the major conductive anomalies in a fault zone conceptual model vary significantly below the different faults accommodated in this region. The enhanced conductivity below the site Z30 correlates well with the main Zagros thrust (MZT), located at the western boundary of Sanandaj-Sirjan zone (SSZ) and known as the transition between the two continents. The depth extent of the huge conductor beneath the south west of the profile, attributed to the thick sedimentary columns of the Arabian crust, cannot be resolved due to the smearing effect of the smoothness constraint employed in the regularized inversion procedure and the sensitivity of MT data to the conductance of the subsurface. We performed different tests to determine the range of 2-D models consistent with the data. Our approach was based on synthetic studies, comprising of hypothesis testing and the use of a priori information throughout the inversion procedure as well as forward modeling. We conclude that the minimum depth extent of the conductive layer beneath the southwest of the profile can be determined as approximately deeper than 15 km and also the screening effect of the conductive overburden is highly intense in this model and prevents the deep structures from being resolved properly.

  15. Cost of riparian buffer zones: A comparison of hydrologically adapted site-specific riparian buffers with traditional fixed widths

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tiwari, T.; Lundström, J.; Kuglerová, L.; Laudon, H.; Öhman, K.; Ågren, A. M.

    2016-02-01

    Traditional approaches aiming at protecting surface waters from the negative impacts of forestry often focus on retaining fixed width buffer zones around waterways. While this method is relatively simple to design and implement, it has been criticized for ignoring the spatial heterogeneity of biogeochemical processes and biodiversity in the riparian zone. Alternatively, a variable width buffer zone adapted to site-specific hydrological conditions has been suggested to improve the protection of biogeochemical and ecological functions of the riparian zone. However, little is known about the monetary value of maintaining hydrologically adapted buffer zones compared to the traditionally used fixed width ones. In this study, we created a hydrologically adapted buffer zone by identifying wet areas and groundwater discharge hotspots in the riparian zone. The opportunity cost of the hydrologically adapted riparian buffer zones was then compared to that of the fixed width zones in a meso-scale boreal catchment to determine the most economical option of designing riparian buffers. The results show that hydrologically adapted buffer zones were cheaper per hectare than the fixed width ones when comparing the total cost. This was because the hydrologically adapted buffers included more wetlands and low productive forest areas than the fixed widths. As such, the hydrologically adapted buffer zones allows more effective protection of the parts of the riparian zones that are ecologically and biogeochemically important and more sensitive to disturbances without forest landowners incurring any additional cost than fixed width buffers.

  16. TOMOGRAPHY OF PLASMA FLOWS IN THE UPPER SOLAR CONVECTION ZONE USING TIME-DISTANCE INVERSION COMBINING RIDGE AND PHASE-SPEED FILTERING

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Svanda, Michal, E-mail: michal@astronomie.cz; Astronomical Institute, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, V Holesovickach 2, CZ-18000 Prague 8

    2013-09-20

    The consistency of time-distance inversions for horizontal components of the plasma flow on supergranular scales in the upper solar convection zone is checked by comparing the results derived using two k-{omega} filtering procedures-ridge filtering and phase-speed filtering-commonly used in time-distance helioseismology. I show that both approaches result in similar flow estimates when finite-frequency sensitivity kernels are used. I further demonstrate that the performance of the inversion improves (in terms of a simultaneously better averaging kernel and a lower noise level) when the two approaches are combined together in one inversion. Using the combined inversion, I invert for horizontal flows inmore » the upper 10 Mm of the solar convection zone. The flows connected with supergranulation seem to be coherent only for the top {approx}5 Mm; deeper down there is a hint of change of the convection scales toward structures larger than supergranules.« less

  17. A METHOD FOR COUPLING DYNAMICAL AND COLLISIONAL EVOLUTION OF DUST IN CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS: THE EFFECT OF A DEAD ZONE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Charnoz, Sebastien; Taillifet, Esther, E-mail: charnoz@cea.fr

    Dust is a major component of protoplanetary and debris disks as it is the main observable signature of planetary formation. However, since dust dynamics are size-dependent (because of gas drag or radiation pressure) any attempt to understand the full dynamical evolution of circumstellar dusty disks that neglect the coupling of collisional evolution with dynamical evolution is thwarted because of the feedback between these two processes. Here, a new hybrid Lagrangian/Eulerian code is presented that overcomes some of these difficulties. The particles representing 'dust clouds' are tracked individually in a Lagrangian way. This system is then mapped on an Eulerian spatialmore » grid, inside the cells of which the local collisional evolutions are computed. Finally, the system is remapped back in a collection of discrete Lagrangian particles, keeping their number constant. An application example of dust growth in a turbulent protoplanetary disk at 1 AU is presented. First, the growth of dust is considered in the absence of a dead zone and the vertical distribution of dust is self-consistently computed. It is found that the mass is rapidly dominated by particles about a fraction of a millimeter in size. Then the same case with an embedded dead zone is investigated and it is found that coagulation is much more efficient and produces, in a short timescale, 1-10 cm dust pebbles that dominate the mass. These pebbles may then be accumulated into embryo-sized objects inside large-scale turbulent structures as shown recently.« less

  18. Parallel three-dimensional magnetotelluric inversion using adaptive finite-element method. Part I: theory and synthetic study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grayver, Alexander V.

    2015-07-01

    This paper presents a distributed magnetotelluric inversion scheme based on adaptive finite-element method (FEM). The key novel aspect of the introduced algorithm is the use of automatic mesh refinement techniques for both forward and inverse modelling. These techniques alleviate tedious and subjective procedure of choosing a suitable model parametrization. To avoid overparametrization, meshes for forward and inverse problems were decoupled. For calculation of accurate electromagnetic (EM) responses, automatic mesh refinement algorithm based on a goal-oriented error estimator has been adopted. For further efficiency gain, EM fields for each frequency were calculated using independent meshes in order to account for substantially different spatial behaviour of the fields over a wide range of frequencies. An automatic approach for efficient initial mesh design in inverse problems based on linearized model resolution matrix was developed. To make this algorithm suitable for large-scale problems, it was proposed to use a low-rank approximation of the linearized model resolution matrix. In order to fill a gap between initial and true model complexities and resolve emerging 3-D structures better, an algorithm for adaptive inverse mesh refinement was derived. Within this algorithm, spatial variations of the imaged parameter are calculated and mesh is refined in the neighborhoods of points with the largest variations. A series of numerical tests were performed to demonstrate the utility of the presented algorithms. Adaptive mesh refinement based on the model resolution estimates provides an efficient tool to derive initial meshes which account for arbitrary survey layouts, data types, frequency content and measurement uncertainties. Furthermore, the algorithm is capable to deliver meshes suitable to resolve features on multiple scales while keeping number of unknowns low. However, such meshes exhibit dependency on an initial model guess. Additionally, it is demonstrated

  19. Dead cell phagocytosis and innate immune checkpoint

    PubMed Central

    Yoon, Kyoung Wan

    2017-01-01

    The human body loses several billions of cells daily. When cells die in vivo, the corpse of each dead cell is immediately cleared. Specifically, dead cells are efficiently recognized and cleared by multiple types of neighboring phagocytes. Early research on cell death focused more on molecular mechanisms of cell death regulation while the cellular corpses were merely considered cellular debris. However, it has come to light that various biological stimuli following cell death are important for immune regulation. Clearance of normal dead cells occurs silently in immune tolerance. Exogenous or mutated antigens of malignant or infected cells can initiate adaptive immunity, thereby inducing immunogenicity by adjuvant signals. Several pathogens and cancer cells have strategies to limit the adjuvant signals and escape immune surveillance. In this review, we present an overview of the mechanisms of dead cell clearance and its immune regulations. PMID:28768566

  20. Stress tensor and focal mechanisms in the Dead Sea basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hofstetter, A.; Dorbath, C.; Dorbath, L.; Braeuer, B.; Weber, M. H.

    2015-12-01

    We use the recorded seismicity, confined to the Dead Sea basin and its boundaries, by the Dead Sea Integrated Research (DESIRE) portable seismic network and the Israel and Jordan permanent seismic networks for studying the mechanisms of earthquakes that occurred in the Dead Sea basin. The observed seismicity in the Dead Sea basin was divided into 9 regions according to the spatial distribution of the earthquakes and the known tectonic features. The large number of recording stations and the good station distribution allowed the reliable determinations of 494 earthquake focal mechanisms. For each region, based on the inversion of the observed polarities of the earthquakes, we determine the focal mechanisms and the associated stress tensor. For 159 earthquakes out of the 494 mechanisms we could determine compatible fault planes. On the eastern side, the focal mechanisms are mainly strike-slip mechanism with nodal planes in the N-S and E-W directions. The azimuths of the stress axes are well constrained presenting minimal variability in the inversion of the data, which is in good agreement with the Arava fault on the eastern side of the Dead Sea basin and what we had expected from the regional geodynamics. However, larger variabilities of the azimuthal and dip angles are observed on the western side of the basin. Due to the wider range of azimuths of the fault planes, we observe the switching of sigma1 and sigma2 or the switching of sigma2 and sigma3as major horizontal stress directions. This observed switching of stress axes allows having dip-slip and normal mechanisms in a region that is dominated by strike-slip motion.

  1. S-velocity structure in Cimandiri fault zone derived from neighbourhood inversion of teleseismic receiver functions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Syuhada; Anggono, T.; Febriani, F.; Ramdhan, M.

    2018-03-01

    The availability information about realistic velocity earth model in the fault zone is crucial in order to quantify seismic hazard analysis, such as ground motion modelling, determination of earthquake locations and focal mechanism. In this report, we use teleseismic receiver function to invert the S-velocity model beneath a seismic station located in the Cimandiri fault zone using neighbourhood algorithm inversion method. The result suggests the crustal thickness beneath the station is about 32-38 km. Furthermore, low velocity layers with high Vp/Vs exists in the lower crust, which may indicate the presence of hot material ascending from the subducted slab.

  2. Dead cell phagocytosis and innate immune checkpoint.

    PubMed

    Yoon, Kyoung Wan

    2017-10-01

    The human body loses several billions of cells daily. When cells die in vivo, the corpse of each dead cell is immediately cleared. Specifically, dead cells are efficiently recognized and cleared by multiple types of neighboring phagocytes. Early research on cell death focused more on molecular mechanisms of cell death regulation while the cellular corpses were merely considered cellular debris. However, it has come to light that various biological stimuli following cell death are important for immune regulation. Clearance of normal dead cells occurs silently in immune tolerance. Exogenous or mutated antigens of malignant or infected cells can initiate adaptive immunity, thereby inducing immunogenicity by adjuvant signals. Several pathogens and cancer cells have strategies to limit the adjuvant signals and escape immune surveillance. In this review, we present an overview of the mechanisms of dead cell clearance and its immune regulations. [BMB Reports 2017; 50(10): 496-503].

  3. Space-time adaptive solution of inverse problems with the discrete adjoint method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alexe, Mihai; Sandu, Adrian

    2014-08-01

    This paper develops a framework for the construction and analysis of discrete adjoint sensitivities in the context of time dependent, adaptive grid, adaptive step models. Discrete adjoints are attractive in practice since they can be generated with low effort using automatic differentiation. However, this approach brings several important challenges. The space-time adjoint of the forward numerical scheme may be inconsistent with the continuous adjoint equations. A reduction in accuracy of the discrete adjoint sensitivities may appear due to the inter-grid transfer operators. Moreover, the optimization algorithm may need to accommodate state and gradient vectors whose dimensions change between iterations. This work shows that several of these potential issues can be avoided through a multi-level optimization strategy using discontinuous Galerkin (DG) hp-adaptive discretizations paired with Runge-Kutta (RK) time integration. We extend the concept of dual (adjoint) consistency to space-time RK-DG discretizations, which are then shown to be well suited for the adaptive solution of time-dependent inverse problems. Furthermore, we prove that DG mesh transfer operators on general meshes are also dual consistent. This allows the simultaneous derivation of the discrete adjoint for both the numerical solver and the mesh transfer logic with an automatic code generation mechanism such as algorithmic differentiation (AD), potentially speeding up development of large-scale simulation codes. The theoretical analysis is supported by numerical results reported for a two-dimensional non-stationary inverse problem.

  4. 3-D characterization of high-permeability zones in a gravel aquifer using 2-D crosshole GPR full-waveform inversion and waveguide detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klotzsche, Anja; van der Kruk, Jan; Linde, Niklas; Doetsch, Joseph; Vereecken, Harry

    2013-11-01

    Reliable high-resolution 3-D characterization of aquifers helps to improve our understanding of flow and transport processes when small-scale structures have a strong influence. Crosshole ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a powerful tool for characterizing aquifers due to the method's high-resolution and sensitivity to porosity and soil water content. Recently, a novel GPR full-waveform inversion algorithm was introduced, which is here applied and used for 3-D characterization by inverting six crosshole GPR cross-sections collected between four wells arranged in a square configuration close to the Thur River in Switzerland. The inversion results in the saturated part of this gravel aquifer reveals a significant improvement in resolution for the dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity images compared to ray-based methods. Consistent structures where acquisition planes intersect indicate the robustness of the inversion process. A decimetre-scale layer with high dielectric permittivity was revealed at a depth of 5-6 m in all six cross-sections analysed here, and a less prominent zone with high dielectric permittivity was found at a depth of 7.5-9 m. These high-permittivity layers act as low-velocity waveguides and they are interpreted as high-porosity layers and possible zones of preferential flow. Porosity estimates from the permittivity models agree well with estimates from Neutron-Neutron logging data at the intersecting diagonal planes. Moreover, estimates of hydraulic permeability based on flowmeter logs confirm the presence of zones of preferential flow in these depth intervals. A detailed analysis of the measured data for transmitters located within the waveguides, revealed increased trace energy due to late-arrival elongated wave trains, which were observed for receiver positions straddling this zone. For the same receiver positions within the waveguide, a distinct minimum in the trace energy was visible when the transmitter was located outside the

  5. Adaptive Core Simulation Employing Discrete Inverse Theory - Part I: Theory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Abdel-Khalik, Hany S.; Turinsky, Paul J.

    2005-07-15

    Use of adaptive simulation is intended to improve the fidelity and robustness of important core attribute predictions such as core power distribution, thermal margins, and core reactivity. Adaptive simulation utilizes a selected set of past and current reactor measurements of reactor observables, i.e., in-core instrumentation readings, to adapt the simulation in a meaningful way. A meaningful adaption will result in high-fidelity and robust adapted core simulator models. To perform adaption, we propose an inverse theory approach in which the multitudes of input data to core simulators, i.e., reactor physics and thermal-hydraulic data, are to be adjusted to improve agreement withmore » measured observables while keeping core simulator models unadapted. At first glance, devising such adaption for typical core simulators with millions of input and observables data would spawn not only several prohibitive challenges but also numerous disparaging concerns. The challenges include the computational burdens of the sensitivity-type calculations required to construct Jacobian operators for the core simulator models. Also, the computational burdens of the uncertainty-type calculations required to estimate the uncertainty information of core simulator input data present a demanding challenge. The concerns however are mainly related to the reliability of the adjusted input data. The methodologies of adaptive simulation are well established in the literature of data adjustment. We adopt the same general framework for data adjustment; however, we refrain from solving the fundamental adjustment equations in a conventional manner. We demonstrate the use of our so-called Efficient Subspace Methods (ESMs) to overcome the computational and storage burdens associated with the core adaption problem. We illustrate the successful use of ESM-based adaptive techniques for a typical boiling water reactor core simulator adaption problem.« less

  6. Adaptive Core Simulation Employing Discrete Inverse Theory - Part II: Numerical Experiments

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Abdel-Khalik, Hany S.; Turinsky, Paul J.

    2005-07-15

    Use of adaptive simulation is intended to improve the fidelity and robustness of important core attribute predictions such as core power distribution, thermal margins, and core reactivity. Adaptive simulation utilizes a selected set of past and current reactor measurements of reactor observables, i.e., in-core instrumentation readings, to adapt the simulation in a meaningful way. The companion paper, ''Adaptive Core Simulation Employing Discrete Inverse Theory - Part I: Theory,'' describes in detail the theoretical background of the proposed adaptive techniques. This paper, Part II, demonstrates several computational experiments conducted to assess the fidelity and robustness of the proposed techniques. The intentmore » is to check the ability of the adapted core simulator model to predict future core observables that are not included in the adaption or core observables that are recorded at core conditions that differ from those at which adaption is completed. Also, this paper demonstrates successful utilization of an efficient sensitivity analysis approach to calculate the sensitivity information required to perform the adaption for millions of input core parameters. Finally, this paper illustrates a useful application for adaptive simulation - reducing the inconsistencies between two different core simulator code systems, where the multitudes of input data to one code are adjusted to enhance the agreement between both codes for important core attributes, i.e., core reactivity and power distribution. Also demonstrated is the robustness of such an application.« less

  7. An Adaptive ANOVA-based PCKF for High-Dimensional Nonlinear Inverse Modeling

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    LI, Weixuan; Lin, Guang; Zhang, Dongxiao

    2014-02-01

    The probabilistic collocation-based Kalman filter (PCKF) is a recently developed approach for solving inverse problems. It resembles the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) in every aspect—except that it represents and propagates model uncertainty by polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) instead of an ensemble of model realizations. Previous studies have shown PCKF is a more efficient alternative to EnKF for many data assimilation problems. However, the accuracy and efficiency of PCKF depends on an appropriate truncation of the PCE series. Having more polynomial chaos bases in the expansion helps to capture uncertainty more accurately but increases computational cost. Bases selection is particularly importantmore » for high-dimensional stochastic problems because the number of polynomial chaos bases required to represent model uncertainty grows dramatically as the number of input parameters (random dimensions) increases. In classic PCKF algorithms, the PCE bases are pre-set based on users’ experience. Also, for sequential data assimilation problems, the bases kept in PCE expression remain unchanged in different Kalman filter loops, which could limit the accuracy and computational efficiency of classic PCKF algorithms. To address this issue, we present a new algorithm that adaptively selects PCE bases for different problems and automatically adjusts the number of bases in different Kalman filter loops. The algorithm is based on adaptive functional ANOVA (analysis of variance) decomposition, which approximates a high-dimensional function with the summation of a set of low-dimensional functions. Thus, instead of expanding the original model into PCE, we implement the PCE expansion on these low-dimensional functions, which is much less costly. We also propose a new adaptive criterion for ANOVA that is more suited for solving inverse problems. The new algorithm is tested with different examples and demonstrated great effectiveness in comparison with non-adaptive PCKF and En

  8. An adaptive ANOVA-based PCKF for high-dimensional nonlinear inverse modeling

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Weixuan, E-mail: weixuan.li@usc.edu; Lin, Guang, E-mail: guang.lin@pnnl.gov; Zhang, Dongxiao, E-mail: dxz@pku.edu.cn

    2014-02-01

    The probabilistic collocation-based Kalman filter (PCKF) is a recently developed approach for solving inverse problems. It resembles the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) in every aspect—except that it represents and propagates model uncertainty by polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) instead of an ensemble of model realizations. Previous studies have shown PCKF is a more efficient alternative to EnKF for many data assimilation problems. However, the accuracy and efficiency of PCKF depends on an appropriate truncation of the PCE series. Having more polynomial chaos basis functions in the expansion helps to capture uncertainty more accurately but increases computational cost. Selection of basis functionsmore » is particularly important for high-dimensional stochastic problems because the number of polynomial chaos basis functions required to represent model uncertainty grows dramatically as the number of input parameters (random dimensions) increases. In classic PCKF algorithms, the PCE basis functions are pre-set based on users' experience. Also, for sequential data assimilation problems, the basis functions kept in PCE expression remain unchanged in different Kalman filter loops, which could limit the accuracy and computational efficiency of classic PCKF algorithms. To address this issue, we present a new algorithm that adaptively selects PCE basis functions for different problems and automatically adjusts the number of basis functions in different Kalman filter loops. The algorithm is based on adaptive functional ANOVA (analysis of variance) decomposition, which approximates a high-dimensional function with the summation of a set of low-dimensional functions. Thus, instead of expanding the original model into PCE, we implement the PCE expansion on these low-dimensional functions, which is much less costly. We also propose a new adaptive criterion for ANOVA that is more suited for solving inverse problems. The new algorithm was tested with different examples and

  9. Resistivity Image from 2D Inversion of Magnetotelluric Data in the Northern Cascadia Subduction Zone (United States)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gultom, F. B.; Niasari, S. W.; Hartantyo, E.

    2018-04-01

    Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) lies between Pacific margin and North America plate. The purpose of this research is to identify the CSZ along Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming from conductivity (σ) contrast in the subsurface by using the magnetotelluric (MT) method. MT is an electromagnetic method that use frequency between 10-4 Hz and 104 Hz. We obtained the MT data from the EarthScope USArray in the form of EDI-File (five components of the electromagnetic field). We analyzed the MT data using phase tensor and modeled the data using 2D inversion. From the phase tensor analysis, the 3D data dominated the eastern regions. Global data misfit is 6,88, where WYI18 (close to Yellowstone) contributes misfit of 29,3. This means that the model response does not fit the data, which implies the data is not fully 2D. The 2D inversion results are found high resistivity anomalies (more than 500 ohm.m) at shallow depth beneath Oregon and Wyoming, which coresspond to high density anomalies. This high resistivity anomalies might correspond to the north American plate. Thus, it can be concluded that 2D inversion model can be used for most 3D MT data to illustrate the resistivity distribution in the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

  10. GNBP domain of Anopheles darlingi: are polymorphic inversions and gene variation related to adaptive evolution?

    PubMed

    Bridi, L C; Rafael, M S

    2016-02-01

    Anopheles darlingi is the main malaria vector in humans in South America. In the Amazon basin, it lives along the banks of rivers and lakes, which responds to the annual hydrological cycle (dry season and rainy season). In these breeding sites, the larvae of this mosquito feed on decomposing organic and microorganisms, which can be pathogenic and trigger the activation of innate immune system pathways, such as proteins Gram-negative binding protein (GNBP). Such environmental changes affect the occurrence of polymorphic inversions especially at the heterozygote frequency, which confer adaptative advantage compared to homozygous inversions. We mapped the GNBP probe to the An. darlingi 2Rd inversion by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), which was a good indicator of the GNBP immune response related to the chromosomal polymorphic inversions and adaptative evolution. To better understand the evolutionary relations and time of divergence of the GNBP of An. darlingi, we compared it with nine other mosquito GNBPs. The results of the phylogenetic analysis of the GNBP sequence between the species of mosquitoes demonstrated three clades. Clade I and II included the GNBPB5 sequence, and clade III the sequence of GNBPB1. Most of these sequences of GNBP analyzed were homologous with that of subfamily B, including that of An. gambiae (87 %), therefore suggesting that GNBP of An. darling belongs to subfamily B. This work helps us understand the role of inversion polymorphism in evolution of An. darlingi.

  11. The Active Structure of the Greater Dead Sea Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shamir, G.

    2002-12-01

    The Greater Dead Sea Basin (GDSB) is a 220km long depression situated along the southern section of the Dead Sea Transform (DST), between two structurally and gravitationally elevated points, Wadi Malih in the north and Paran fault zone in the south. In its center is the Dead Sea basin 'sensu strictu' (DSB), which has been described since the 1970s as a pull-apart basin at a left step-over along the DST. However, several observations, or their lack thereof, contradict this scheme, e.g. (i) It is not supported by recent seismological and geomorphic data; (ii) It does not explain the fault pattern and mixed sinistral and dextral offset along the DSB western boundary; (iii) It does not simply explain the presence of intense deformation outside the presumed fault step zone; (iv) It is inconsistent with the orientation of seismically active faults within the Dead Sea and Jericho Valley; (v) The length of the DSB exceeds the total offset along the Dead Sea Transform, while its subsidence is about the age of the DST. In this study, newly acquired and analyzed data (high resolution seismic reflection and earthquake relocation and fault plane solutions) has been integrated with previously published data (structural mapping, fracture orientation distribution, Bouguer anomaly maps, sinkhole distribution, geomorphic lineaments). The results show that the GDSB is dominated by two active fault systems, one trending NNE and showing normal-dextral motion, the other trending NW. These systems are identified by earthquake activity, seismic reflection observations, alignment of recent sinkholes, and distribution of Bouguer anomaly gradients. As a result, the intra-basin structure is of a series of rectangular blocks. The dextral slip component along NNE trending faults, the mixed sense of lateral offset along the western boundary of the DSB and temporal change in fracture orientation in the Jericho Valley suggest that the intra-basin blocks have rotated counterclockwise since the

  12. Seismotectonics of the Eastern Himalayan System and Indo-Burman Convergence Zone Using Seismic Waveform Inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, A.; Mitra, S.; Suresh, G.

    2014-12-01

    The Eastern Himalayan System (east of 88°E) is distinct from the rest of the India-Eurasia continental collision, due to a wider zone of distributed deformation, oblique convergence across two orthogonal plate boundaries and near absence of foreland basin sedimentary strata. To understand the seismotectonics of this region we study the spatial distribution and source mechanism of earthquakes originating within Eastern Himalaya, northeast India and Indo-Burman Convergence Zone (IBCZ). We compute focal mechanism of 32 moderate-to-large earthquakes (mb >=5.4) by modeling teleseismic P- and SH-waveforms, from GDSN stations, using least-squares inversion algorithm; and 7 small-to-moderate earthquakes (3.5<= mb <5.4) by modeling local P- and S-waveforms, from the NorthEast India Telemetered Network, using non-linear grid search algorithm. We also include source mechanisms from previous studies, either computed by waveform inversion or by first motion polarity from analog data. Depth distribution of modeled earthquakes reveal that the seismogenic layer beneath northeast India is ~45km thick. From source mechanisms we observe that moderate earthquakes in northeast India are spatially clustered in five zones with distinct mechanisms: (a) thrust earthquakes within the Eastern Himalayan wedge, on north dipping low angle faults; (b) thrust earthquakes along the northern edge of Shillong Plateau, on high angle south dipping fault; (c) dextral strike-slip earthquakes along Kopili fault zone, between Shillong Plateau and Mikir Hills, extending southeast beneath Naga Fold belts; (d) dextral strike-slip earthquakes within Bengal Basin, immediately south of Shillong Plateau; and (e) deep focus (>50 km) thrust earthquakes within IBCZ. Combining with GPS geodetic observations, it is evident that the N20E convergence between India and Tibet is accommodated as elastic strain both within eastern Himalaya and regions surrounding the Shillong Plateau. We hypothesize that the strike

  13. 2.5D complex resistivity modeling and inversion using unstructured grids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Kaijun; Sun, Jie

    2016-04-01

    The characteristic of complex resistivity on rock and ore has been recognized by people for a long time. Generally we have used the Cole-Cole Model(CCM) to describe complex resistivity. It has been proved that the electrical anomaly of geologic body can be quantitative estimated by CCM parameters such as direct resistivity(ρ0), chargeability(m), time constant(τ) and frequency dependence(c). Thus it is very important to obtain the complex parameters of geologic body. It is difficult to approximate complex structures and terrain using traditional rectangular grid. In order to enhance the numerical accuracy and rationality of modeling and inversion, we use an adaptive finite-element algorithm for forward modeling of the frequency-domain 2.5D complex resistivity and implement the conjugate gradient algorithm in the inversion of 2.5D complex resistivity. An adaptive finite element method is applied for solving the 2.5D complex resistivity forward modeling of horizontal electric dipole source. First of all, the CCM is introduced into the Maxwell's equations to calculate the complex resistivity electromagnetic fields. Next, the pseudo delta function is used to distribute electric dipole source. Then the electromagnetic fields can be expressed in terms of the primary fields caused by layered structure and the secondary fields caused by inhomogeneities anomalous conductivity. At last, we calculated the electromagnetic fields response of complex geoelectric structures such as anticline, syncline, fault. The modeling results show that adaptive finite-element methods can automatically improve mesh generation and simulate complex geoelectric models using unstructured grids. The 2.5D complex resistivity invertion is implemented based the conjugate gradient algorithm.The conjugate gradient algorithm doesn't need to compute the sensitivity matrix but directly computes the sensitivity matrix or its transpose multiplying vector. In addition, the inversion target zones are

  14. Characterizing a large shear-zone with seismic and magnetotelluric methods: The case of the Dead Sea Transform

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Maercklin, N.; Bedrosian, P.A.; Haberland, C.; Ritter, O.; Ryberg, T.; Weber, M.; Weckmann, U.

    2005-01-01

    Seismic tomography, imaging of seismic scatterers, and magnetotelluric soundings reveal a sharp lithologic contrast along a ???10 km long segment of the Arava Fault (AF), a prominent fault of the southern Dead Sea Transform (DST) in the Middle East. Low seismic velocities and resistivities occur on its western side and higher values east of it, and the boundary between the two units coincides partly with a seismic scattering image. At 1-4 km depth the boundary is offset to the east of the AF surface trace, suggesting that at least two fault strands exist, and that slip occurred on multiple strands throughout the margin's history. A westward fault jump, possibly associated with straightening of a fault bend, explains both our observations and the narrow fault zone observed by others. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.

  15. Tectonic evolution of the Qumran Basin from high-resolution 3.5-kHz seismic profiles and its implication for the evolution of the northern Dead Sea Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lubberts, Ronald K.; Ben-Avraham, Zvi

    2002-02-01

    The Dead Sea Basin is a morphotectonic depression along the Dead Sea Transform. Its structure can be described as a deep rhomb-graben (pull-apart) flanked by two block-faulted marginal zones. We have studied the recent tectonic structure of the northwestern margin of the Dead Sea Basin in the area where the northern strike-slip master fault enters the basin and approaches the western marginal zone (Western Boundary Fault). For this purpose, we have analyzed 3.5-kHz seismic reflection profiles obtained from the northwestern corner of the Dead Sea. The seismic profiles give insight into the recent tectonic deformation of the northwestern margin of the Dead Sea Basin. A series of 11 seismic profiles are presented and described. Although several deformation features can be explained in terms of gravity tectonics, it is suggested that the occurrence of strike-slip in this part of the Dead Sea Basin is most likely. Seismic sections reveal a narrow zone of intensely deformed strata. This zone gradually merges into a zone marked by a newly discovered tectonic depression, the Qumran Basin. It is speculated that both structural zones originate from strike-slip along right-bending faults that splay-off from the Jordan Fault, the strike-slip master fault that delimits the active Dead Sea rhomb-graben on the west. Fault interaction between the strike-slip master fault and the normal faults bounding the transform valley seems the most plausible explanation for the origin of the right-bending splays. We suggest that the observed southward widening of the Dead Sea Basin possibly results from the successive formation of secondary right-bending splays to the north, as the active depocenter of the Dead Sea Basin migrates northward with time.

  16. Foehn-induced effects on dust pollution, frontal clouds and solar radiation in the Dead Sea valley

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kishcha, Pavel; Starobinets, Boris; Alpert, Pinhas; Kaplan, Michael

    2017-04-01

    The significant drying up of the Dead Sea over the past 40 years has led to an increase in an exposed area contributing to local dust pollution. Measurements show that, sometimes, in the Dead Sea valley, dust pollution can reach extreme concentrations up to several thousands of micrograms per cubic meters. Our analysis of a meteorological situation shows that a foehn phenomenon can be a causal factor for the aforementioned extreme local dust concentration. This foehn phenomenon creates strong warm and dry winds, which are accompanied by air turbulence and temperature inversion. In our study, foehn-induced effects on dust pollution, frontal clouds and solar radiation were analyzed over the Judean Mountains ( 1000 m) and over the Dead Sea valley (-420 m), using high-resolution numerical simulations and in-situ observations at meteorological stations located across the mountain ridge. An extreme dust episode occurring on March 22, 2013, was analyzed, which was characterized by measured surface dust concentrations of up to 7000 µg m-3 in the Dead Sea valley. We simulated this foehn phenomenon with the 3-km resolution COSMO-ART model. Our analysis has shown that the foehn phenomenon could be observed even over the relatively low Judean Mountains. This analysis was based on various meteorological, pyranometer, radar, and aerosol measurements together with high-resolution model data. In the Dead Sea valley, the maximum aerosol optical depth (AOD) did not coincide with the maximum surface dust concentration. This lack of coincidence indicates difficulties in using satellite-based AOD for initializing dust concentration within numerical forecast systems over this region with complex terrain. In the western Dead Sea valley, strong foehn winds of over 20 m/s were accompanied by maximal air turbulence leading to maximal local dust emissions. Thus, the model showed that, by creating significant turbulence, the foehn phenomenon intensified the saltation (bombardment) mechanism

  17. THE QUANTITY AND TURNOVER OF DEAD WOOD IN PERMANENT FOREST PLOTS IN SIX LIFE ZONES OF VENEZUELA

    EPA Science Inventory

    Dead wood can be an important component of the carbon pool in many forests, but few measurements have been made of this pool in tropical forests. To fill this gap, we determined the quantity of dead wood (downed and standing dead) in 25 long-term (up to 30 yr) permanent forest pl...

  18. Seismic imaging of deep low-velocity zone beneath the Dead Sea basin and transform fault: Implications for strain localization and crustal rigidity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    ten Brink, Uri S.; Al-Zoubi, A. S.; Flores, C.H.; Rotstein, Y.; Qabbani, I.; Harder, S.H.; Keller, Gordon R.

    2006-01-01

    New seismic observations from the Dead Sea basin (DSB), a large pull-apart basin along the Dead Sea transform (DST) plate boundary, show a low velocity zone extending to a depth of 18 km under the basin. The lower crust and Moho are not perturbed. These observations are incompatible with the current view of mid-crustal strength at low temperatures and with support of the basin's negative load by a rigid elastic plate. Strain softening in the middle crust is invoked to explain the isostatic compensation and the rapid subsidence of the basin during the Pleistocene. Whether the deformation is influenced by the presence of fluids and by a long history of seismic activity on the DST, and what the exact softening mechanism is, remain open questions. The uplift surrounding the DST also appears to be an upper crustal phenomenon but its relationship to a mid-crustal strength minimum is less clear. The shear deformation associated with the transform plate boundary motion appears, on the other hand, to cut throughout the entire crust. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

  19. Foehn-induced effects on local dust pollution, frontal clouds and solar radiation in the Dead Sea valley

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kishcha, Pavel; Starobinets, Boris; Savir, Amit; Alpert, Pinhas; Kaplan, Michael

    2018-06-01

    Despite the long history of investigation of foehn phenomena, there are few studies of the influence of foehn winds on air pollution and none in the Dead Sea valley. For the first time the foehn phenomenon and its effects on local dust pollution, frontal cloudiness and surface solar radiation were analyzed in the Dead Sea valley, as it occurred on 22 March 2013. This was carried out using both numerical simulations and observations. The foehn winds intensified local dust emissions, while the foehn-induced temperature inversion trapped dust particles beneath this inversion. These two factors caused extreme surface dust concentration in the western Dead Sea valley. The dust pollution was transported by west winds eastward, to the central Dead Sea valley, where the speed of these winds sharply decreased. The transported dust was captured by the ascending airflow contributing to the maximum aerosol optical depth (AOD) over the central Dead Sea valley. On the day under study, the maximum surface dust concentration did not coincide with the maximum AOD: this being one of the specific effects of the foehn phenomenon on dust pollution in the Dead Sea valley. Radar data showed a passage of frontal cloudiness through the area of the Dead Sea valley leading to a sharp drop in noon solar radiation. The descending airflow over the downwind side of the Judean Mountains led to the formation of a cloud-free band followed by only the partial recovery of solar radiation because of the extreme dust pollution caused by foehn winds.

  20. Improve earthquake hypocenter using adaptive simulated annealing inversion in regional tectonic, volcano tectonic, and geothermal observation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ry, Rexha Verdhora, E-mail: rexha.vry@gmail.com; Nugraha, Andri Dian, E-mail: nugraha@gf.itb.ac.id

    Observation of earthquakes is routinely used widely in tectonic activity observation, and also in local scale such as volcano tectonic and geothermal activity observation. It is necessary for determining the location of precise hypocenter which the process involves finding a hypocenter location that has minimum error between the observed and the calculated travel times. When solving this nonlinear inverse problem, simulated annealing inversion method can be applied to such global optimization problems, which the convergence of its solution is independent of the initial model. In this study, we developed own program codeby applying adaptive simulated annealing inversion in Matlab environment.more » We applied this method to determine earthquake hypocenter using several data cases which are regional tectonic, volcano tectonic, and geothermal field. The travel times were calculated using ray tracing shooting method. We then compared its results with the results using Geiger’s method to analyze its reliability. Our results show hypocenter location has smaller RMS error compared to the Geiger’s result that can be statistically associated with better solution. The hypocenter of earthquakes also well correlated with geological structure in the study area. Werecommend using adaptive simulated annealing inversion to relocate hypocenter location in purpose to get precise and accurate earthquake location.« less

  1. How much can history constrain adaptive evolution? A real-time evolutionary approach of inversion polymorphisms in Drosophila subobscura.

    PubMed

    Fragata, I; Lopes-Cunha, M; Bárbaro, M; Kellen, B; Lima, M; Santos, M A; Faria, G S; Santos, M; Matos, M; Simões, P

    2014-12-01

    Chromosomal inversions are present in a wide range of animals and plants, having an important role in adaptation and speciation. Although empirical evidence of their adaptive value is abundant, the role of different processes underlying evolution of chromosomal polymorphisms is not fully understood. History and selection are likely to shape inversion polymorphism variation to an extent yet largely unknown. Here, we perform a real-time evolution study addressing the role of historical constraints and selection in the evolution of these polymorphisms. We founded laboratory populations of Drosophila subobscura derived from three locations along the European cline and followed the evolutionary dynamics of inversion polymorphisms throughout the first 40 generations. At the beginning, populations were highly differentiated and remained so throughout generations. We report evidence of positive selection for some inversions, variable between foundations. Signs of negative selection were more frequent, in particular for most cold-climate standard inversions across the three foundations. We found that previously observed convergence at the phenotypic level in these populations was not associated with convergence in inversion frequencies. In conclusion, our study shows that selection has shaped the evolutionary dynamics of inversion frequencies, but doing so within the constraints imposed by previous history. Both history and selection are therefore fundamental to predict the evolutionary potential of different populations to respond to global environmental changes. © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

  2. Quantifying Uncertainty in Inverse Models of Geologic Data from Shear Zones

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, J. R.; Titus, S.

    2016-12-01

    We use Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation to quantify uncertainty in inverse models of geologic data. Although this approach can be applied to many tectonic settings, field areas, and mathematical models, we focus on transpressional shear zones. The underlying forward model, either kinematic or dynamic, produces a velocity field, which predicts the dikes, foliation-lineations, crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO), shape preferred orientation (SPO), and other geologic data that should arise in the shear zone. These predictions are compared to data using modern methods of geometric statistics, including the Watson (for lines such as dike poles), isotropic matrix Fisher (for orientations such as foliation-lineations and CPO), and multivariate normal (for log-ellipsoids such as SPO) distributions. The result of the comparison is a likelihood, which is a key ingredient in the Bayesian approach. The other key ingredient is a prior distribution, which reflects the geologist's knowledge of the parameters before seeing the data. For some parameters, such as shear zone strike and dip, we identify realistic informative priors. For other parameters, where the geologist has no prior knowledge, we identify useful uninformative priors.We investigate the performance of this approach through numerical experiments on synthetic data sets. A fundamental issue is that many models of deformation exhibit asymptotic behavior (e.g., flow apophyses, fabric attractors) or periodic behavior (e.g., SPO when the clasts are rigid), which causes the likelihood to be too uniform. Based on our experiments, we offer rules of thumb for how many data, of which types, are needed to constrain deformation.

  3. Adaptive NN controller design for a class of nonlinear MIMO discrete-time systems.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yan-Jun; Tang, Li; Tong, Shaocheng; Chen, C L Philip

    2015-05-01

    An adaptive neural network tracking control is studied for a class of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) nonlinear systems. The studied systems are in discrete-time form and the discretized dead-zone inputs are considered. In addition, the studied MIMO systems are composed of N subsystems, and each subsystem contains unknown functions and external disturbance. Due to the complicated framework of the discrete-time systems, the existence of the dead zone and the noncausal problem in discrete-time, it brings about difficulties for controlling such a class of systems. To overcome the noncausal problem, by defining the coordinate transformations, the studied systems are transformed into a special form, which is suitable for the backstepping design. The radial basis functions NNs are utilized to approximate the unknown functions of the systems. The adaptation laws and the controllers are designed based on the transformed systems. By using the Lyapunov method, it is proved that the closed-loop system is stable in the sense that the semiglobally uniformly ultimately bounded of all the signals and the tracking errors converge to a bounded compact set. The simulation examples and the comparisons with previous approaches are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm.

  4. Measuring Helicase Inhibition of the DEAD-box Protein Dbp2 by Yra1

    PubMed Central

    Ma, Wai Kit; Tran, Elizabeth J.

    2016-01-01

    Despite the highly conserved helicase core, individual DEAD-box proteins are specialized in diverse RNA metabolic processes. One mechanism that determines DEAD-box protein specificity is enzymatic regulation by other protein cofactors. In this chapter, we describe a protocol for purifying the Saccharomyces cerevisiae DEAD-box RNA helicase Dbp2 and RNA-binding protein Yra1 and subsequent analysis of helicase regulation. The experiments described here can be adapted to RNA helicase and purified co-factor. PMID:25579587

  5. Prediction and assimilation of surf-zone processes using a Bayesian network: Part II: Inverse models

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Plant, Nathaniel G.; Holland, K. Todd

    2011-01-01

    A Bayesian network model has been developed to simulate a relatively simple problem of wave propagation in the surf zone (detailed in Part I). Here, we demonstrate that this Bayesian model can provide both inverse modeling and data-assimilation solutions for predicting offshore wave heights and depth estimates given limited wave-height and depth information from an onshore location. The inverse method is extended to allow data assimilation using observational inputs that are not compatible with deterministic solutions of the problem. These inputs include sand bar positions (instead of bathymetry) and estimates of the intensity of wave breaking (instead of wave-height observations). Our results indicate that wave breaking information is essential to reduce prediction errors. In many practical situations, this information could be provided from a shore-based observer or from remote-sensing systems. We show that various combinations of the assimilated inputs significantly reduce the uncertainty in the estimates of water depths and wave heights in the model domain. Application of the Bayesian network model to new field data demonstrated significant predictive skill (R2 = 0.7) for the inverse estimate of a month-long time series of offshore wave heights. The Bayesian inverse results include uncertainty estimates that were shown to be most accurate when given uncertainty in the inputs (e.g., depth and tuning parameters). Furthermore, the inverse modeling was extended to directly estimate tuning parameters associated with the underlying wave-process model. The inverse estimates of the model parameters not only showed an offshore wave height dependence consistent with results of previous studies but the uncertainty estimates of the tuning parameters also explain previously reported variations in the model parameters.

  6. Seismic surface-wave prospecting methods for sinkhole hazard assessment along the Dead Sea shoreline

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ezersky, M.; Bodet, L.; Al-Zoubi, A.; Camerlynck, C.; Dhemaied, A.; Galibert, P.-Y.; Keydar, S.

    2012-04-01

    waves generation and picking issues in shear-wave refraction seismic methods. As an alternative, indirect estimation of Vs can then be proposed thanks to surface-wave dispersion measurements and inversion, an emerging seismic prospecting method for near-surface engineering and environment applications. Surface-wave prospecting methods have thus been proposed to address the sinkholes development processes along the Dead Sea shorelines. Two approaches have been used: (1) Vs mapping has been performed to discriminate soft and hard zones within salt layers, after calibration of inverted Vs near boreholes. Preliminarily, soft zones, associated with karstified salt, were characterized by Vs values lower than 1000 m/s, whereas hard zones presented values greater than 1400 m/s (will be specified during following studies); (2) roll along acquisition and dispersion stacking has been performed to achieve multi-modal dispersion measurements along linear profiles. Inverted pseudo-2D Vs sections presented low Vs anomalies in the vicinity of existing sinkholes and made it possible to detect loose sediment associated with potential sinkholes occurrences. Acknowledgements This publication was made possible through support provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and MERC Program under terms of Award No M27-050.

  7. Joint Inversion of Body-Wave Arrival Times and Surface-Wave Dispersion Data in the Wavelet Domain Constrained by Sparsity Regularization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, H.; Fang, H.; Yao, H.; Maceira, M.; van der Hilst, R. D.

    2014-12-01

    Recently, Zhang et al. (2014, Pure and Appiled Geophysics) have developed a joint inversion code incorporating body-wave arrival times and surface-wave dispersion data. The joint inversion code was based on the regional-scale version of the double-difference tomography algorithm tomoDD. The surface-wave inversion part uses the propagator matrix solver in the algorithm DISPER80 (Saito, 1988) for forward calculation of dispersion curves from layered velocity models and the related sensitivities. The application of the joint inversion code to the SAFOD site in central California shows that the fault structure is better imaged in the new model, which is able to fit both the body-wave and surface-wave observations adequately. Here we present a new joint inversion method that solves the model in the wavelet domain constrained by sparsity regularization. Compared to the previous method, it has the following advantages: (1) The method is both data- and model-adaptive. For the velocity model, it can be represented by different wavelet coefficients at different scales, which are generally sparse. By constraining the model wavelet coefficients to be sparse, the inversion in the wavelet domain can inherently adapt to the data distribution so that the model has higher spatial resolution in the good data coverage zone. Fang and Zhang (2014, Geophysical Journal International) have showed the superior performance of the wavelet-based double-difference seismic tomography method compared to the conventional method. (2) For the surface wave inversion, the joint inversion code takes advantage of the recent development of direct inversion of surface wave dispersion data for 3-D variations of shear wave velocity without the intermediate step of phase or group velocity maps (Fang et al., 2014, Geophysical Journal International). A fast marching method is used to compute, at each period, surface wave traveltimes and ray paths between sources and receivers. We will test the new joint

  8. Geometry and subsidence history of the Dead Sea basin: A case for fluid-induced mid-crustal shear zone?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    ten Brink, Uri S.; Flores, C.H.

    2012-01-01

    Pull-apart basins are narrow zones of crustal extension bounded by strike-slip faults that can serve as analogs to the early stages of crustal rifting. We use seismic tomography, 2-D ray tracing, gravity modeling, and subsidence analysis to study crustal extension of the Dead Sea basin (DSB), a large and long-lived pull-apart basin along the Dead Sea transform (DST). The basin gradually shallows southward for 50 km from the only significant transverse normal fault. Stratigraphic relationships there indicate basin elongation with time. The basin is deepest (8-8.5 km) and widest (???15 km) under the Lisan about 40 km north of the transverse fault. Farther north, basin depth is ambiguous, but is 3 km deep immediately north of the lake. The underlying pre-basin sedimentary layer thickens gradually from 2 to 3 km under the southern edge of the DSB to 3-4 km under the northern end of the lake and 5-6 km farther north. Crystalline basement is ???11 km deep under the deepest part of the basin. The upper crust under the basin has lower P wave velocity than in the surrounding regions, which is interpreted to reflect elevated pore fluids there. Within data resolution, the lower crust below ???18 km and the Moho are not affected by basin development. The subsidence rate was several hundreds of m/m.y. since the development of the DST ???17 Ma, similar to other basins along the DST, but subsidence rate has accelerated by an order of magnitude during the Pleistocene, which allowed the accumulation of 4 km of sediment. We propose that the rapid subsidence and perhaps elongation of the DSB are due to the development of inter-connected mid-crustal ductile shear zones caused by alteration of feldspar to muscovite in the presence of pore fluids. This alteration resulted in a significant strength decrease and viscous creep. We propose a similar cause to the enigmatic rapid subsidence of the North Sea at the onset the North Atlantic mantle plume. Thus, we propose that aqueous fluid flux

  9. A Nonlinear Dynamic Inversion Predictor-Based Model Reference Adaptive Controller for a Generic Transport Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Campbell, Stefan F.; Kaneshige, John T.

    2010-01-01

    Presented here is a Predictor-Based Model Reference Adaptive Control (PMRAC) architecture for a generic transport aircraft. At its core, this architecture features a three-axis, non-linear, dynamic-inversion controller. Command inputs for this baseline controller are provided by pilot roll-rate, pitch-rate, and sideslip commands. This paper will first thoroughly present the baseline controller followed by a description of the PMRAC adaptive augmentation to this control system. Results are presented via a full-scale, nonlinear simulation of NASA s Generic Transport Model (GTM).

  10. Shear wave velocity variation across the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand, from receiver function inversion

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bannister, S.; Bryan, C.J.; Bibby, H.M.

    2004-01-01

    The Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ), New Zealand is a region characterized by very high magma eruption rates and extremely high heat flow, which is manifest in high-temperature geothermal waters. The shear wave velocity structure across the region is inferred using non-linear inversion of receiver functions, which were derived from teleseismic earthquake data. Results from the non-linear inversion, and from forward synthetic modelling, indicate low S velocities at ???6- 16 km depth near the Rotorua and Reporoa calderas. We infer these low-velocity layers to represent the presence of high-level bodies of partial melt associated with the volcanism. Receiver functions at other stations are complicated by reverberations associated with near-surface sedimentary layers. The receiver function data also indicate that the Moho lies between 25 and 30 km, deeper than the 15 ?? 2 km depth previously inferred for the crust-mantle boundary beneath the TVZ. ?? 2004 RAS.

  11. Joint Inversion of 1-D Magnetotelluric and Surface-Wave Dispersion Data with an Improved Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm and Application to the Data of the Longmenshan Fault Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Pingping; Tan, Handong; Peng, Miao; Ma, Huan; Wang, Mao

    2018-05-01

    Magnetotellurics and seismic surface waves are two prominent geophysical methods for deep underground exploration. Joint inversion of these two datasets can help enhance the accuracy of inversion. In this paper, we describe a method for developing an improved multi-objective genetic algorithm (NSGA-SBX) and applying it to two numerical tests to verify the advantages of the algorithm. Our findings show that joint inversion with the NSGA-SBX method can improve the inversion results by strengthening structural coupling when the discontinuities of the electrical and velocity models are consistent, and in case of inconsistent discontinuities between these models, joint inversion can retain the advantages of individual inversions. By applying the algorithm to four detection points along the Longmenshan fault zone, we observe several features. The Sichuan Basin demonstrates low S-wave velocity and high conductivity in the shallow crust probably due to thick sedimentary layers. The eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau shows high velocity and high resistivity in the shallow crust, while two low velocity layers and a high conductivity layer are observed in the middle lower crust, probably indicating the mid-crustal channel flow. Along the Longmenshan fault zone, a high conductivity layer from 8 to 20 km is observed beneath the northern segment and decreases with depth beneath the middle segment, which might be caused by the elevated fluid content of the fault zone.

  12. Probing the Detailed Seismic Velocity Structure of Subduction Zones Using Advanced Seismic Tomography Methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, H.; Thurber, C. H.

    2005-12-01

    Subduction zones are one of the most important components of the Earth's plate tectonic system. Knowing the detailed seismic velocity structure within and around subducting slabs is vital to understand the constitution of the slab, the cause of intermediate depth earthquakes inside the slab, the fluid distribution and recycling, and tremor occurrence [Hacker et al., 2001; Obara, 2002].Thanks to the ability of double-difference tomography [Zhang and Thurber, 2003] to resolve the fine-scale structure near the source region and the favorable seismicity distribution inside many subducting slabs, it is now possible to characterize the fine details of the velocity structure and earthquake locations inside the slab, as shown in the study of the Japan subduction zone [Zhang et al., 2004]. We further develop the double-difference tomography method in two aspects: the first improvement is to use an adaptive inversion mesh rather than a regular inversion grid and the second improvement is to determine a reliable Vp/Vs structure using various strategies rather than directly from Vp and Vs [see our abstract ``Strategies to solve for a better Vp/Vs model using P and S arrival time'' at Session T29]. The adaptive mesh seismic tomography method is based on tetrahedral diagrams and can automatically adjust the inversion mesh according to the ray distribution so that the inversion mesh nodes are denser where there are more rays and vice versa [Zhang and Thurber, 2005]. As a result, the number of inversion mesh nodes is greatly reduced compared to a regular inversion grid with comparable spatial resolution, and the tomographic system is more stable and better conditioned. This improvement is quite valuable for characterizing the fine structure of the subduction zone considering the highly uneven distribution of earthquakes within and around the subducting slab. The second improvement, to determine a reliable Vp/Vs model, lies in jointly inverting Vp, Vs, and Vp/Vs using P, S, and S

  13. Coalescent patterns for chromosomal inversions in divergent populations

    PubMed Central

    Guerrero, Rafael F.; Rousset, François; Kirkpatrick, Mark

    2012-01-01

    Chromosomal inversions allow genetic divergence of locally adapted populations by reducing recombination between chromosomes with different arrangements. Divergence between populations (or hybridization between species) is expected to leave signatures in the neutral genetic diversity of the inverted region. Quantitative expectations for these patterns, however, have not been obtained. Here, we develop coalescent models of neutral sites linked to an inversion polymorphism in two locally adapted populations. We consider two scenarios of local adaptation: selection on the inversion breakpoints and selection on alleles inside the inversion. We find that ancient inversion polymorphisms cause genetic diversity to depart dramatically from neutral expectations. Other situations, however, lead to patterns that may be difficult to detect; important determinants are the age of the inversion and the rate of gene flux between arrangements. We also study inversions under genetic drift, finding that they produce patterns similar to locally adapted inversions of intermediate age. Our results are consistent with empirical observations, and provide the foundation for quantitative analyses of the roles that inversions have played in speciation. PMID:22201172

  14. Total variation regularization for seismic waveform inversion using an adaptive primal dual hybrid gradient method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yong, Peng; Liao, Wenyuan; Huang, Jianping; Li, Zhenchuan

    2018-04-01

    Full waveform inversion is an effective tool for recovering the properties of the Earth from seismograms. However, it suffers from local minima caused mainly by the limited accuracy of the starting model and the lack of a low-frequency component in the seismic data. Because of the high velocity contrast between salt and sediment, the relation between the waveform and velocity perturbation is strongly nonlinear. Therefore, salt inversion can easily get trapped in the local minima. Since the velocity of salt is nearly constant, we can make the most of this characteristic with total variation regularization to mitigate the local minima. In this paper, we develop an adaptive primal dual hybrid gradient method to implement total variation regularization by projecting the solution onto a total variation norm constrained convex set, through which the total variation norm constraint is satisfied at every model iteration. The smooth background velocities are first inverted and the perturbations are gradually obtained by successively relaxing the total variation norm constraints. Numerical experiment of the projection of the BP model onto the intersection of the total variation norm and box constraints has demonstrated the accuracy and efficiency of our adaptive primal dual hybrid gradient method. A workflow is designed to recover complex salt structures in the BP 2004 model and the 2D SEG/EAGE salt model, starting from a linear gradient model without using low-frequency data below 3 Hz. The salt inversion processes demonstrate that wavefield reconstruction inversion with a total variation norm and box constraints is able to overcome local minima and inverts the complex salt velocity layer by layer.

  15. Performance comparisons on spatial lattice algorithm and direct matrix inverse method with application to adaptive arrays processing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    An, S. H.; Yao, K.

    1986-01-01

    Lattice algorithm has been employed in numerous adaptive filtering applications such as speech analysis/synthesis, noise canceling, spectral analysis, and channel equalization. In this paper the application to adaptive-array processing is discussed. The advantages are fast convergence rate as well as computational accuracy independent of the noise and interference conditions. The results produced by this technique are compared to those obtained by the direct matrix inverse method.

  16. Angular dependence of multiangle dynamic light scattering for particle size distribution inversion using a self-adapting regularization algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Lei; Yu, Long; Yang, Kecheng; Li, Wei; Li, Kai; Xia, Min

    2018-04-01

    The multiangle dynamic light scattering (MDLS) technique can better estimate particle size distributions (PSDs) than single-angle dynamic light scattering. However, determining the inversion range, angular weighting coefficients, and scattering angle combination is difficult but fundamental to the reconstruction for both unimodal and multimodal distributions. In this paper, we propose a self-adapting regularization method called the wavelet iterative recursion nonnegative Tikhonov-Phillips-Twomey (WIRNNT-PT) algorithm. This algorithm combines a wavelet multiscale strategy with an appropriate inversion method and could self-adaptively optimize several noteworthy issues containing the choices of the weighting coefficients, the inversion range and the optimal inversion method from two regularization algorithms for estimating the PSD from MDLS measurements. In addition, the angular dependence of the MDLS for estimating the PSDs of polymeric latexes is thoroughly analyzed. The dependence of the results on the number and range of measurement angles was analyzed in depth to identify the optimal scattering angle combination. Numerical simulations and experimental results for unimodal and multimodal distributions are presented to demonstrate both the validity of the WIRNNT-PT algorithm and the angular dependence of MDLS and show that the proposed algorithm with a six-angle analysis in the 30-130° range can be satisfactorily applied to retrieve PSDs from MDLS measurements.

  17. Dead layer on silicon p-i-n diode charged-particle detectors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wall, B. L.; Amsbaugh, John F.; Beglarian, A.

    Abstract Semiconductor detectors in general have a dead layer at their surfaces that is either a result of natural or induced passivation, or is formed during the process of making a contact. Charged particles passing through this region produce ionization that is incompletely collected and recorded, which leads to departures from the ideal in both energy deposition and resolution. The silicon p-i-n diode used in the KATRIN neutrinomass experiment has such a dead layer. We have constructed a detailed Monte Carlo model for the passage of electrons from vacuum into a silicon detector, and compared the measured energy spectra tomore » the predicted ones for a range of energies from 12 to 20 keV. The comparison provides experimental evidence that a substantial fraction of the ionization produced in the "dead" layer evidently escapes by discussion, with 46% being collected in the depletion zone and the balance being neutralized at the contact or by bulk recombination. The most elementary model of a thinner dead layer from which no charge is collected is strongly disfavored.« less

  18. Water Quality Modeling in the Dead End Sections of Drinking Water Distribution Networks

    EPA Science Inventory

    Dead-end sections of drinking water distribution networks are known to be problematic zones in terms of water quality degradation. Extended residence time due to water stagnation leads to rapid reduction of disinfectant residuals allowing the regrowth of microbial pathogens. Wate...

  19. Eco-Evolutionary Genomics of Chromosomal Inversions.

    PubMed

    Wellenreuther, Maren; Bernatchez, Louis

    2018-05-03

    Chromosomal inversions have long fascinated evolutionary biologists due to their suppression of recombination, which can protect co-adapted alleles. Emerging research documents that inversions are commonly linked to spectacular phenotypes and have a pervasive role in eco-evolutionary processes, from mating systems, social organisation, environmental adaptation, and reproductive isolation to speciation. Studies also reveal that inversions are taxonomically widespread, with many being old and large, and that balancing selection is commonly facilitating their maintenance. This challenges the traditional view that the role of balancing selection in maintaining variation is relatively minor. The ubiquitous importance of inversions in ecological and evolutionary processes suggests that structural variation should be better acknowledged and integrated in studies pertaining to the molecular basis of adaptation and speciation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Sampling-free Bayesian inversion with adaptive hierarchical tensor representations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eigel, Martin; Marschall, Manuel; Schneider, Reinhold

    2018-03-01

    A sampling-free approach to Bayesian inversion with an explicit polynomial representation of the parameter densities is developed, based on an affine-parametric representation of a linear forward model. This becomes feasible due to the complete treatment in function spaces, which requires an efficient model reduction technique for numerical computations. The advocated perspective yields the crucial benefit that error bounds can be derived for all occuring approximations, leading to provable convergence subject to the discretization parameters. Moreover, it enables a fully adaptive a posteriori control with automatic problem-dependent adjustments of the employed discretizations. The method is discussed in the context of modern hierarchical tensor representations, which are used for the evaluation of a random PDE (the forward model) and the subsequent high-dimensional quadrature of the log-likelihood, alleviating the ‘curse of dimensionality’. Numerical experiments demonstrate the performance and confirm the theoretical results.

  1. Growth gains from selective breeding in a spruce hybrid zone do not compromise local adaptation to climate.

    PubMed

    MacLachlan, Ian R; Yeaman, Sam; Aitken, Sally N

    2018-02-01

    Hybrid zones contain extensive standing genetic variation that facilitates rapid responses to selection. The Picea glauca  ×  Picea engelmannii hybrid zone in western Canada is the focus of tree breeding programs that annually produce ~90 million reforestation seedlings. Understanding the direct and indirect effects of selective breeding on adaptive variation is necessary to implement assisted gene flow (AGF) polices in Alberta and British Columbia that match these seedlings with future climates. We decomposed relationships among hybrid ancestry, adaptive traits, and climate to understand the implications of selective breeding for climate adaptations and AGF strategies. The effects of selection on associations among hybrid index estimated from ~6,500 SNPs, adaptive traits, and provenance climates were assessed for ~2,400 common garden seedlings. Hybrid index differences between natural and selected seedlings within breeding zones were small in Alberta (average +2%), but larger and more variable in BC (average -7%, range -24% to +1%), slightly favoring P. glauca ancestry. The average height growth gain of selected seedlings over natural seedlings within breeding zones was 36% (range 12%-86%). Clines in growth with temperature-related variables were strong, but differed little between selected and natural populations. Seedling hybrid index and growth trait associations with evapotranspiration-related climate variables were stronger in selected than in natural seedlings, indicating possible preadaptation to drier future climates. Associations among cold hardiness, hybrid ancestry, and cold-related climate variables dominated signals of local adaptation and were preserved in breeding populations. Strong hybrid ancestry-phenotype-climate associations suggest that AGF will be necessary to match interior spruce breeding populations with shifting future climates. The absence of antagonistic selection responses among traits and maintenance of cold adaptation in

  2. Adaptive Control via Neural Output Feedback for a Class of Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems in a Nested Interconnected Form.

    PubMed

    Li, Dong-Juan; Li, Da-Peng

    2017-09-14

    In this paper, an adaptive output feedback control is framed for uncertain nonlinear discrete-time systems. The considered systems are a class of multi-input multioutput nonaffine nonlinear systems, and they are in the nested lower triangular form. Furthermore, the unknown dead-zone inputs are nonlinearly embedded into the systems. These properties of the systems will make it very difficult and challenging to construct a stable controller. By introducing a new diffeomorphism coordinate transformation, the controlled system is first transformed into a state-output model. By introducing a group of new variables, an input-output model is finally obtained. Based on the transformed model, the implicit function theorem is used to determine the existence of the ideal controllers and the approximators are employed to approximate the ideal controllers. By using the mean value theorem, the nonaffine functions of systems can become an affine structure but nonaffine terms still exist. The adaptation auxiliary terms are skillfully designed to cancel the effect of the dead-zone input. Based on the Lyapunov difference theorem, the boundedness of all the signals in the closed-loop system can be ensured and the tracking errors are kept in a bounded compact set. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is checked by a simulation study.

  3. On the Use of Nonlinear Regularization in Inverse Methods for the Solar Tachocline Profile Determination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Corbard, T.; Berthomieu, G.; Provost, J.; Blanc-Feraud, L.

    Inferring the solar rotation from observed frequency splittings represents an ill-posed problem in the sense of Hadamard and the traditional approach used to override this difficulty consists in regularizing the problem by adding some a priori information on the global smoothness of the solution defined as the norm of its first or second derivative. Nevertheless, inversions of rotational splittings (e.g. Corbard et al., 1998; Schou et al., 1998) have shown that the surface layers and the so-called solar tachocline (Spiegel & Zahn 1992) at the base of the convection zone are regions in which high radial gradients of the rotation rate occur. %there exist high gradients in the solar rotation profile near %the surface and at the base of the convection zone (e.g. Corbard et al. 1998) %in the so-called solar tachocline (Spiegel & Zahn 1992). Therefore, the global smoothness a-priori which tends to smooth out every high gradient in the solution may not be appropriate for the study of a zone like the tachocline which is of particular interest for the study of solar dynamics (e.g. Elliot 1997). In order to infer the fine structure of such regions with high gradients by inverting helioseismic data, we have to find a way to preserve these zones in the inversion process. Setting a more adapted constraint on the solution leads to non-linear regularization methods that are in current use for edge-preserving regularization in computed imaging (e.g. Blanc-Feraud et al. 1995). In this work, we investigate their use in the helioseismic context of rotational inversions.

  4. Integrated 3D density modelling and segmentation of the Dead Sea Transform

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Götze, H.-J.; El-Kelani, R.; Schmidt, S.; Rybakov, M.; Hassouneh, M.; Förster, H.-J.; Ebbing, J.

    2007-04-01

    A 3D interpretation of the newly compiled Bouguer anomaly in the area of the “Dead Sea Rift” is presented. A high-resolution 3D model constrained with the seismic results reveals the crustal thickness and density distribution beneath the Arava/Araba Valley (AV), the region between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba/Elat. The Bouguer anomalies along the axial portion of the AV, as deduced from the modelling results, are mainly caused by deep-seated sedimentary basins ( D > 10 km). An inferred zone of intrusion coincides with the maximum gravity anomaly on the eastern flank of the AV. The intrusion is displaced at different sectors along the NNW-SSE direction. The zone of maximum crustal thinning (depth 30 km) is attained in the western sector at the Mediterranean. The southeastern plateau, on the other hand, shows by far the largest crustal thickness of the region (38-42 km). Linked to the left lateral movement of approx. 105 km at the boundary between the African and Arabian plate, and constrained with recent seismic data, a small asymmetric topography of the Moho beneath the Dead Sea Transform (DST) was modelled. The thickness and density of the crust suggest that the AV is underlain by continental crust. The deep basins, the relatively large intrusion and the asymmetric topography of the Moho lead to the conclusion that a small-scale asthenospheric upwelling could be responsible for the thinning of the crust and subsequent creation of the Dead Sea basin during the left lateral movement. A clear segmentation along the strike of the DST was obtained by curvature analysis: the northern part in the neighbourhood of the Dead Sea is characterised by high curvature of the residual gravity field. Flexural rigidity calculations result in very low values of effective elastic lithospheric thickness ( t e < 5 km). This points to decoupling of crust in the Dead Sea area. In the central, AV the curvature is less pronounced and t e increases to approximately 10 km

  5. Chromosome inversions and ecological plasticity in the main African malaria mosquitoes

    PubMed Central

    Ayala, Diego; Acevedo, Pelayo; Pombi, Marco; Dia, Ibrahima; Boccolini, Daniela; Costantini, Carlo; Simard, Frédéric; Fontenille, Didier

    2017-01-01

    Chromosome inversions have fascinated the scientific community, mainly because of their role in the rapid adaption of different taxa to changing environments. However, the ecological traits linked to chromosome inversions have been poorly studied. Here, we investigated the roles played by 23 chromosome inversions in the adaptation of the four major African malaria mosquitoes to local environments in Africa. We studied their distribution patterns by using spatially explicit modeling and characterized the ecogeographical determinants of each inversion range. We then performed hierarchical clustering and constrained ordination analyses to assess the spatial and ecological similarities among inversions. Our results show that most inversions are environmentally structured, suggesting that they are actively involved in processes of local adaptation. Some inversions exhibited similar geographical patterns and ecological requirements among the four mosquito species, providing evidence for parallel evolution. Conversely, common inversion polymorphisms between sibling species displayed divergent ecological patterns, suggesting that they might have a different adaptive role in each species. These results are in agreement with the finding that chromosomal inversions play a role in Anopheles ecotypic adaptation. This study establishes a strong ecological basis for future genome-based analyses to elucidate the genetic mechanisms of local adaptation in these four mosquitoes. PMID:28071788

  6. DEAD, UNDEAD, AND ZOMBIE ZONES IN PROTOSTELLAR DISKS AS A FUNCTION OF STELLAR MASS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mohanty, Subhanjoy; Ercolano, Barbara; Turner, Neal J., E-mail: s.mohanty@imperial.ac.uk, E-mail: ercolano@usm.lmu.de, E-mail: neal.turner@jpl.nasa.gov

    We investigate the viability of the magnetorotational instability (MRI) in X-ray ionized viscous accretion disks around both solar-type stars and very low mass stars. In particular, we determine the disk regions where the MRI can be shut off either by Ohmic resistivity (the so-called dead and undead zones) or by ambipolar diffusion (a region we term the zombie zone). We consider two stellar masses: M {sub *} = 0.7 M {sub Sun} and 0.1 M {sub Sun }. In each case, we assume that: the disk surface density profile is that of a scaled Minimum Mass Solar Nebula, with Mmore » {sub disk}/M {sub *} = 0.01 as suggested by current data; disk ionization is driven primarily by stellar X-rays, complemented by cosmic rays and radionuclides; and the stellar X-ray luminosity scales with bolometric luminosity as L{sub X} /L {sub *} Almost-Equal-To 10{sup -3.5}, as observed. Ionization rates are calculated with the MOCCASIN Monte Carlo X-ray transport code, and ionization balance determined using a simplified chemical network, including well-mixed 0.1 {mu}m grains at various levels of depletion. We find that (1) ambipolar diffusion is the primary factor controlling MRI activity in disks around both solar-type and very low mass classical T Tauri stars. Assuming that the MRI yields the maximum possible field strength at each radius, we further find that: (2) the MRI-active layer constitutes only {approx}5%-10% of the total disk mass; (3) the accretion rate ( M-dot ) varies radially in both magnitude and sign (inward or outward), implying time-variable accretion as well as the creation of disk gaps and overdensities, with consequences for planet formation and migration; (4) achieving the empirical accretion rates in solar-type and very low mass stars requires a depletion of well-mixed small grains (via grain growth and/or settling) by a factor of 10-1000 relative to the standard dust-to-gas mass ratio of 10{sup -2}; and (5) the current non-detection of polarized emission from field

  7. Detailed Velocity and Density models of the Cascadia Subduction Zone from Prestack Full-Waveform Inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fortin, W.; Holbrook, W. S.; Mallick, S.; Everson, E. D.; Tobin, H. J.; Keranen, K. M.

    2014-12-01

    Understanding the geologic composition of the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) is critically important in assessing seismic hazards in the Pacific Northwest. Despite being a potential earthquake and tsunami threat to millions of people, key details of the structure and fault mechanisms remain poorly understood in the CSZ. In particular, the position and character of the subduction interface remains elusive due to its relative aseismicity and low seismic reflectivity, making imaging difficult for both passive and active source methods. Modern active-source reflection seismic data acquired as part of the COAST project in 2012 provide an opportunity to study the transition from the Cascadia basin, across the deformation front, and into the accretionary prism. Coupled with advances in seismic inversion methods, this new data allow us to produce detailed velocity models of the CSZ and accurate pre-stack depth migrations for studying geologic structure. While still computationally expensive, current computing clusters can perform seismic inversions at resolutions that match that of the seismic image itself. Here we present pre-stack full waveform inversions of the central seismic line of the COAST survey offshore Washington state. The resultant velocity model is produced by inversion at every CMP location, 6.25 m laterally, with vertical resolution of 0.2 times the dominant seismic frequency. We report a good average correlation value above 0.8 across the entire seismic line, determined by comparing synthetic gathers to the real pre-stack gathers. These detailed velocity models, both Vp and Vs, along with the density model, are a necessary step toward a detailed porosity cross section to be used to determine the role of fluids in the CSZ. Additionally, the P-velocity model is used to produce a pre-stack depth migration image of the CSZ.

  8. Fuzzy Adaptive Control Design and Discretization for a Class of Nonlinear Uncertain Systems.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Xudong; Shi, Peng; Zheng, Xiaolong

    2016-06-01

    In this paper, tracking control problems are investigated for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems in lower triangular form. First, a state-feedback controller is designed by using adaptive backstepping technique and the universal approximation ability of fuzzy logic systems. During the design procedure, a developed method with less computation is proposed by constructing one maximum adaptive parameter. Furthermore, adaptive controllers with nonsymmetric dead-zone are also designed for the systems. Then, a sampled-data control scheme is presented to discretize the obtained continuous-time controller by using the forward Euler method. It is shown that both proposed continuous and discrete controllers can ensure that the system output tracks the target signal with a small bounded error and the other closed-loop signals remain bounded. Two simulation examples are presented to verify the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed new design techniques.

  9. Adaptive image inversion of contrast 3D echocardiography for enabling automated analysis.

    PubMed

    Shaheen, Anjuman; Rajpoot, Kashif

    2015-08-01

    Contrast 3D echocardiography (C3DE) is commonly used to enhance the visual quality of ultrasound images in comparison with non-contrast 3D echocardiography (3DE). Although the image quality in C3DE is perceived to be improved for visual analysis, however it actually deteriorates for the purpose of automatic or semi-automatic analysis due to higher speckle noise and intensity inhomogeneity. Therefore, the LV endocardial feature extraction and segmentation from the C3DE images remains a challenging problem. To address this challenge, this work proposes an adaptive pre-processing method to invert the appearance of C3DE image. The image inversion is based on an image intensity threshold value which is automatically estimated through image histogram analysis. In the inverted appearance, the LV cavity appears dark while the myocardium appears bright thus making it similar in appearance to a 3DE image. Moreover, the resulting inverted image has high contrast and low noise appearance, yielding strong LV endocardium boundary and facilitating feature extraction for segmentation. Our results demonstrate that the inverse appearance of contrast image enables the subsequent LV segmentation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Force adaptation transfers to untrained workspace regions in children: evidence for developing inverse dynamic motor models.

    PubMed

    Jansen-Osmann, Petra; Richter, Stefanie; Konczak, Jürgen; Kalveram, Karl-Theodor

    2002-03-01

    When humans perform goal-directed arm movements under the influence of an external damping force, they learn to adapt to these external dynamics. After removal of the external force field, they reveal kinematic aftereffects that are indicative of a neural controller that still compensates the no longer existing force. Such behavior suggests that the adult human nervous system uses a neural representation of inverse arm dynamics to control upper-extremity motion. Central to the notion of an inverse dynamic model (IDM) is that learning generalizes. Consequently, aftereffects should be observable even in untrained workspace regions. Adults have shown such behavior, but the ontogenetic development of this process remains unclear. This study examines the adaptive behavior of children and investigates whether learning a force field in one hemifield of the right arm workspace has an effect on force adaptation in the other hemifield. Thirty children (aged 6-10 years) and ten adults performed 30 degrees elbow flexion movements under two conditions of external damping (negative and null). We found that learning to compensate an external damping force transferred to the opposite hemifield, which indicates that a model of the limb dynamics rather than an association of visited space and experienced force was acquired. Aftereffects were more pronounced in the younger children and readaptation to a null-force condition was prolonged. This finding is consistent with the view that IDMs in children are imprecise neural representations of the actual arm dynamics. It indicates that the acquisition of IDMs is a developmental achievement and that the human motor system is inherently flexible enough to adapt to any novel force within the limits of the organism's biomechanics.

  11. Water Quality Modeling in the Dead End Sections of Drinking Water Distribution Networks -journal article

    EPA Science Inventory

    Dead-end sections of drinking water distribution networks are known to be problematic zones in terms of water quality degradation. Extended residence time due to water stagnation leads to rapid reduction of disinfectant residuals allowing the regrowth of microbial pathogens. Wate...

  12. More Dead than Dead: Perceptions of Persons in the Persistent Vegetative State

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gray, Kurt; Knickman, T. Anne; Wegner, Daniel M.

    2011-01-01

    Patients in persistent vegetative state (PVS) may be biologically alive, but these experiments indicate that people see PVS as a state curiously more dead than dead. Experiment 1 found that PVS patients were perceived to have less mental capacity than the dead. Experiment 2 explained this effect as an outgrowth of afterlife beliefs, and the…

  13. Whale and dolphin behavioural responses to dead conspecifics.

    PubMed

    Bearzi, Giovanni; Kerem, Dan; Furey, Nathan B; Pitman, Robert L; Rendell, Luke; Reeves, Randall R

    2018-06-01

    , having a clear adaptive value. In some cases such responses are followed by apparently maladaptive behaviour such as the long-term carrying of, or standing by, a decomposed carcass, similar to observations of certain terrestrial mammals. Among the possible explanations for the observed cetacean behavioural responses to dead conspecifics are strong attachment resulting in a difficulty of "letting go"-possibly related to grieving-or perhaps individuals failing to recognise or accept that an offspring or companion has died. Our current understanding is challenged by small sample size, incomplete descriptions, and lack of information on the physiology and neural processes underpinning the observed behaviour. We provide research recommendations that would improve such understanding. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  14. 3-D inversion of airborne electromagnetic data parallelized and accelerated by local mesh and adaptive soundings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Dikun; Oldenburg, Douglas W.; Haber, Eldad

    2014-03-01

    Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) methods are highly efficient tools for assessing the Earth's conductivity structures in a large area at low cost. However, the configuration of AEM measurements, which typically have widely distributed transmitter-receiver pairs, makes the rigorous modelling and interpretation extremely time-consuming in 3-D. Excessive overcomputing can occur when working on a large mesh covering the entire survey area and inverting all soundings in the data set. We propose two improvements. The first is to use a locally optimized mesh for each AEM sounding for the forward modelling and calculation of sensitivity. This dedicated local mesh is small with fine cells near the sounding location and coarse cells far away in accordance with EM diffusion and the geometric decay of the signals. Once the forward problem is solved on the local meshes, the sensitivity for the inversion on the global mesh is available through quick interpolation. Using local meshes for AEM forward modelling avoids unnecessary computing on fine cells on a global mesh that are far away from the sounding location. Since local meshes are highly independent, the forward modelling can be efficiently parallelized over an array of processors. The second improvement is random and dynamic down-sampling of the soundings. Each inversion iteration only uses a random subset of the soundings, and the subset is reselected for every iteration. The number of soundings in the random subset, determined by an adaptive algorithm, is tied to the degree of model regularization. This minimizes the overcomputing caused by working with redundant soundings. Our methods are compared against conventional methods and tested with a synthetic example. We also invert a field data set that was previously considered to be too large to be practically inverted in 3-D. These examples show that our methodology can dramatically reduce the processing time of 3-D inversion to a practical level without losing resolution

  15. The adaptive parallel UKF inversion method for the shape of space objects based on the ground-based photometric data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Du, Xiaoping; Wang, Yang; Liu, Hao

    2018-04-01

    The space object in highly elliptical orbit is always presented as an image point on the ground-based imaging equipment so that it is difficult to resolve and identify the shape and attitude directly. In this paper a novel algorithm is presented for the estimation of spacecraft shape. The apparent magnitude model suitable for the inversion of object information such as shape and attitude is established based on the analysis of photometric characteristics. A parallel adaptive shape inversion algorithm based on UKF was designed after the achievement of dynamic equation of the nonlinear, Gaussian system involved with the influence of various dragging forces. The result of a simulation study demonstrate the viability and robustness of the new filter and its fast convergence rate. It realizes the inversion of combination shape with high accuracy, especially for the bus of cube and cylinder. Even though with sparse photometric data, it still can maintain a higher success rate of inversion.

  16. 9 CFR 82.6 - Interstate movement of dead birds and dead poultry from a quarantined area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Interstate movement of dead birds and... (END) § 82.6 Interstate movement of dead birds and dead poultry from a quarantined area. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section for dressed carcasses, dead birds and dead poultry, including any...

  17. 9 CFR 82.6 - Interstate movement of dead birds and dead poultry from a quarantined area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Interstate movement of dead birds and... (END) § 82.6 Interstate movement of dead birds and dead poultry from a quarantined area. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section for dressed carcasses, dead birds and dead poultry, including any...

  18. Inside-out Planet Formation. III. Planet-Disk Interaction at the Dead Zone Inner Boundary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Xiao; Zhu, Zhaohuan; Tan, Jonathan C.; Chatterjee, Sourav

    2016-01-01

    The Kepler mission has discovered more than 4000 exoplanet candidates. Many of them are in systems with tightly packed inner planets. Inside-out planet formation (IOPF) has been proposed as a scenario to explain these systems. It involves sequential in situ planet formation at the local pressure maximum of a retreating dead zone inner boundary (DZIB). Pebbles accumulate at this pressure trap, which builds up a pebble ring and then a planet. The planet is expected to grow in mass until it opens a gap, which helps to both truncate pebble accretion and also induce DZIB retreat that sets the location of formation of the next planet. This simple scenario may be modified if the planet undergoes significant migration from its formation location. Thus, planet-disk interactions play a crucial role in the IOPF scenario. Here we present numerical simulations that first assess the degree of migration for planets of various masses that are forming at the DZIB of an active accretion disk, where the effective viscosity is undergoing a rapid increase in the radially inward direction. We find that torques exerted on the planet by the disk tend to trap the planet at a location very close to the initial pressure maximum where it formed. We then study gap opening by these planets to assess at what mass a significant gap is created. Finally, we present a simple model for DZIB retreat due to penetration of X-rays from the star to the disk midplane. Overall, these simulations help to quantify both the mass scale of first (“Vulcan”) planet formation and the orbital separation to the location of second planet formation.

  19. Automatic detection of multiple UXO-like targets using magnetic anomaly inversion and self-adaptive fuzzy c-means clustering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, Gang; Zhang, Yingtang; Fan, Hongbo; Ren, Guoquan; Li, Zhining

    2017-12-01

    We have developed a method for automatically detecting UXO-like targets based on magnetic anomaly inversion and self-adaptive fuzzy c-means clustering. Magnetic anomaly inversion methods are used to estimate the initial locations of multiple UXO-like sources. Although these initial locations have some errors with respect to the real positions, they form dense clouds around the actual positions of the magnetic sources. Then we use the self-adaptive fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm to cluster these initial locations. The estimated number of cluster centroids represents the number of targets and the cluster centroids are regarded as the locations of magnetic targets. Effectiveness of the method has been demonstrated using synthetic datasets. Computational results show that the proposed method can be applied to the case of several UXO-like targets that are randomly scattered within in a confined, shallow subsurface, volume. A field test was carried out to test the validity of the proposed method and the experimental results show that the prearranged magnets can be detected unambiguously and located precisely.

  20. Large-scale inverse and forward modeling of adaptive resonance in the tinnitus decompensation.

    PubMed

    Low, Yin Fen; Trenado, Carlos; Delb, Wolfgang; D'Amelio, Roberto; Falkai, Peter; Strauss, Daniel J

    2006-01-01

    Neural correlates of psychophysiological tinnitus models in humans may be used for their neurophysiological validation as well as for their refinement and improvement to better understand the pathogenesis of the tinnitus decompensation and to develop new therapeutic approaches. In this paper we make use of neural correlates of top-down projections, particularly, a recently introduced synchronization stability measure, together with a multiscale evoked response potential (ERP) model in order to study and evaluate the tinnitus decompensation by using a hybrid inverse-forward mathematical methodology. The neural synchronization stability, which according to the underlying model is linked to the focus of attention on the tinnitus signal, follows the experimental and inverse way and allows to discriminate between a group of compensated and decompensated tinnitus patients. The multiscale ERP model, which works in the forward direction, is used to consolidate hypotheses which are derived from the experiments for a known neural source dynamics related to attention. It is concluded that both methodologies agree and support each other in the description of the discriminatory character of the neural correlate proposed, but also help to fill the gap between the top-down adaptive resonance theory and the Jastreboff model of tinnitus.

  1. Comprehensive Measurements of Wind Systems at the Dead Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Metzger, Jutta; Corsmeier, Ulrich; Kalthoff, Norbert; Wieser, Andreas; Alpert, Pinhas; Lati, Joseph

    2016-04-01

    The Dead Sea is a unique place on earth. It is located at the lowest point of the Jordan Rift valley and its water level is currently at -429 m above mean sea level (amsl). To the West the Judean Mountains (up to 1000 m amsl) and to the East the Moab mountains (up to 1300 m amsl) confine the north-south oriented valley. The whole region is located in a transition zone of semi-arid to arid climate conditions and together with the steep orography, this forms a quite complex and unique environment. The Virtual Institute DEad SEa Research Venue (DESERVE) is an international project funded by the German Helmholtz Association and was established to study coupled atmospheric, hydrological, and lithospheric processes in the changing environment of the Dead Sea. Previous studies showed that the valley's atmosphere is often governed by periodic wind systems (Bitan, 1974), but most of the studies were limited to ground measurements and could therefore not resolve the three dimensional development and evolution of these wind systems. Performed airborne measurements found three distinct layers above the Dead Sea (Levin, 2005). Two layers are directly affected by the Dead Sea and the third is the commonly observed marine boundary layer over Israel. In the framework of DESERVE a field campaign with the mobile observatory KITcube was conducted to study the three dimensional structure of atmospheric processes at the Dead Sea in 2014. The combination of several in-situ and remote sensing instruments allows temporally and spatially high-resolution measurements in an atmospheric volume of about 10x10x10 km3. With this data set, the development and evolution of typical local wind systems, as well as the impact of regional scale wind conditions on the valley's atmosphere could be analyzed. The frequent development of a nocturnal drainage flow with wind velocities of over 10 m s-1, the typical lake breeze during the day, its onset and vertical extension as well as strong downslope winds

  2. Fleeing to Fault Zones: Incorporating Syrian Refugees into Earthquake Risk Analysis along the East Anatolian and Dead Sea Rift Fault Zones

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilson, B.; Paradise, T. R.

    2016-12-01

    The influx of millions of Syrian refugees into Turkey has rapidly changed the population distribution along the Dead Sea Rift and East Anatolian Fault zones. In contrast to other countries in the Middle East where refugees are accommodated in camp environments, the majority of displaced individuals in Turkey are integrated into cities, towns, and villages—placing stress on urban settings and increasing potential exposure to strong shaking. Yet, displaced populations are not traditionally captured in data sources used in earthquake risk analysis or loss estimations. Accordingly, we present a district-level analysis assessing the spatial overlap of earthquake hazards and refugee locations in southeastern Turkey to determine how migration patterns are altering seismic risk in the region. Using migration estimates from the U.S. Humanitarian Information Unit, we create three district-level population scenarios that combine official population statistics, refugee camp populations, and low, median, and high bounds for integrated refugee populations. We perform probabilistic seismic hazard analysis alongside these population scenarios to map spatial variations in seismic risk between 2011 and late 2015. Our results show a significant relative southward increase of seismic risk for this period due to refugee migration. Additionally, we calculate earthquake fatalities for simulated earthquakes using a semi-empirical loss estimation technique to determine degree of under-estimation resulting from forgoing migration data in loss modeling. We find that including refugee populations increased casualties by 11-12% using median population estimates, and upwards of 20% using high population estimates. These results communicate the ongoing importance of placing environmental hazards in their appropriate regional and temporal context which unites physical, political, cultural, and socio-economic landscapes. Keywords: Earthquakes, Hazards, Loss-Estimation, Syrian Crisis, Migration

  3. Sources of unbounded priority inversions in real-time systems and a comparative study of possible solutions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davari, Sadegh; Sha, Lui

    1992-01-01

    In the design of real-time systems, tasks are often assigned priorities. Preemptive priority driven schedulers are used to schedule tasks to meet the timing requirements. Priority inversion is the term used to describe the situation when a higher priority task's execution is delayed by lower priority tasks. Priority inversion can occur when there is contention for resources among tasks of different priorities. The duration of priority inversion could be long enough to cause tasks to miss their dead lines. Priority inversion cannot be completely eliminated. However, it is important to identify sources of priority inversion and minimize the duration of priority inversion. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the problem of and solutions to unbounded priority inversion is presented.

  4. Retrospective genomic analysis of sorghum adaptation to temperate-zone grain production.

    PubMed

    Thurber, Carrie S; Ma, Justin M; Higgins, Race H; Brown, Patrick J

    2013-06-26

    Sorghum is a tropical C4 cereal that recently adapted to temperate latitudes and mechanized grain harvest through selection for dwarfism and photoperiod-insensitivity. Quantitative trait loci for these traits have been introgressed from a dwarf temperate donor into hundreds of diverse sorghum landraces to yield the Sorghum Conversion lines. Here, we report the first comprehensive genomic analysis of the molecular changes underlying this adaptation. We apply genotyping-by-sequencing to 1,160 Sorghum Conversion lines and their exotic progenitors, and map donor introgressions in each Sorghum Conversion line. Many Sorghum Conversion lines carry unexpected haplotypes not found in either presumed parent. Genome-wide mapping of introgression frequencies reveals three genomic regions necessary for temperate adaptation across all Sorghum Conversion lines, containing the Dw1, Dw2, and Dw3 loci on chromosomes 9, 6, and 7 respectively. Association mapping of plant height and flowering time in Sorghum Conversion lines detects significant associations in the Dw1 but not the Dw2 or Dw3 regions. Subpopulation-specific introgression mapping suggests that chromosome 6 contains at least four loci required for temperate adaptation in different sorghum genetic backgrounds. The Dw1 region fractionates into separate quantitative trait loci for plant height and flowering time. Generating Sorghum Conversion lines has been accompanied by substantial unintended gene flow. Sorghum adaptation to temperate-zone grain production involves a small number of genomic regions, each containing multiple linked loci for plant height and flowering time. Further characterization of these loci will accelerate the adaptation of sorghum and related grasses to new production systems for food and fuel.

  5. Power Inversion in a Tapped Delay-Line Array.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1975-03-01

    and identify by block number) This report discusses recent studies on adaptive arrays for theNavy ITACS system. The report considers the power inversion...this report we discuss recent studies on adaptive arrays for the Navy ITACS system. The goal of this research is to develop an adaptive antenna system...here is a continuation of earlier research on power inversion by Compton, Lee, and Schwegman [1,2,3,4]. This work differs from previous studies in that

  6. Model-Based Dead Time Optimization for Voltage-Source Converters Utilizing Silicon Carbide Semiconductors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Zheyu; Lu, Haifeng; Costinett, Daniel J.

    Dead time significantly affects the reliability, power quality, and efficiency of voltage-source converters. For silicon carbide (SiC) devices, considering the high sensitivity of turn-off time to the operating conditions (> 5× difference between light load and full load) and characteristics of inductive loads (> 2× difference between motor load and inductor), as well as large additional energy loss induced by the freewheeling diode conduction during the superfluous dead time (~15% of the switching loss), then the traditional fixed dead time setting becomes inappropriate. This paper introduces an approach to adaptively regulate the dead time considering the current operating condition andmore » load characteristics via synthesizing online monitored turn-off switching parameters in the microcontroller with an embedded preset optimization model. Here, based on a buck converter built with 1200-V SiC MOSFETs, the experimental results show that the proposed method is able to ensure reliability and reduce power loss by 12% at full load and 18.2% at light load (8% of the full load in this case study).« less

  7. Model-Based Dead Time Optimization for Voltage-Source Converters Utilizing Silicon Carbide Semiconductors

    DOE PAGES

    Zhang, Zheyu; Lu, Haifeng; Costinett, Daniel J.; ...

    2016-12-29

    Dead time significantly affects the reliability, power quality, and efficiency of voltage-source converters. For silicon carbide (SiC) devices, considering the high sensitivity of turn-off time to the operating conditions (> 5× difference between light load and full load) and characteristics of inductive loads (> 2× difference between motor load and inductor), as well as large additional energy loss induced by the freewheeling diode conduction during the superfluous dead time (~15% of the switching loss), then the traditional fixed dead time setting becomes inappropriate. This paper introduces an approach to adaptively regulate the dead time considering the current operating condition andmore » load characteristics via synthesizing online monitored turn-off switching parameters in the microcontroller with an embedded preset optimization model. Here, based on a buck converter built with 1200-V SiC MOSFETs, the experimental results show that the proposed method is able to ensure reliability and reduce power loss by 12% at full load and 18.2% at light load (8% of the full load in this case study).« less

  8. Unified dead-time compensation structure for SISO processes with multiple dead times.

    PubMed

    Normey-Rico, Julio E; Flesch, Rodolfo C C; Santos, Tito L M

    2014-11-01

    This paper proposes a dead-time compensation structure for processes with multiple dead times. The controller is based on the filtered Smith predictor (FSP) dead-time compensator structure and it is able to control stable, integrating, and unstable processes with multiple input/output dead times. An equivalent model of the process is first computed in order to define the predictor structure. Using this equivalent model, the primary controller and the predictor filter are tuned to obtain an internally stable closed-loop system which also attempts some closed-loop specifications in terms of set-point tracking, disturbance rejection, and robustness. Some simulation case studies are used to illustrate the good properties of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Metabolic Roles of Uncultivated Bacterioplankton Lineages in the Northern Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone”

    PubMed Central

    Seitz, Kiley W.; Temperton, Ben; Gillies, Lauren E.; Rabalais, Nancy N.; Henrissat, Bernard; Mason, Olivia U.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Marine regions that have seasonal to long-term low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, sometimes called “dead zones,” are increasing in number and severity around the globe with deleterious effects on ecology and economics. One of the largest of these coastal dead zones occurs on the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM), which results from eutrophication-enhanced bacterioplankton respiration and strong seasonal stratification. Previous research in this dead zone revealed the presence of multiple cosmopolitan bacterioplankton lineages that have eluded cultivation, and thus their metabolic roles in this ecosystem remain unknown. We used a coupled shotgun metagenomic and metatranscriptomic approach to determine the metabolic potential of Marine Group II Euryarchaeota, SAR406, and SAR202. We recovered multiple high-quality, nearly complete genomes from all three groups as well as candidate phyla usually associated with anoxic environments—Parcubacteria (OD1) and Peregrinibacteria. Two additional groups with putative assignments to ACD39 and PAUC34f supplement the metabolic contributions by uncultivated taxa. Our results indicate active metabolism in all groups, including prevalent aerobic respiration, with concurrent expression of genes for nitrate reduction in SAR406 and SAR202, and dissimilatory nitrite reduction to ammonia and sulfur reduction by SAR406. We also report a variety of active heterotrophic carbon processing mechanisms, including degradation of complex carbohydrate compounds by SAR406, SAR202, ACD39, and PAUC34f. Together, these data help constrain the metabolic contributions from uncultivated groups in the nGOM during periods of low DO and suggest roles for these organisms in the breakdown of complex organic matter. PMID:28900024

  10. Multidimensional NMR inversion without Kronecker products: Multilinear inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Medellín, David; Ravi, Vivek R.; Torres-Verdín, Carlos

    2016-08-01

    Multidimensional NMR inversion using Kronecker products poses several challenges. First, kernel compression is only possible when the kernel matrices are separable, and in recent years, there has been an increasing interest in NMR sequences with non-separable kernels. Second, in three or more dimensions, the singular value decomposition is not unique; therefore kernel compression is not well-defined for higher dimensions. Without kernel compression, the Kronecker product yields matrices that require large amounts of memory, making the inversion intractable for personal computers. Finally, incorporating arbitrary regularization terms is not possible using the Lawson-Hanson (LH) or the Butler-Reeds-Dawson (BRD) algorithms. We develop a minimization-based inversion method that circumvents the above problems by using multilinear forms to perform multidimensional NMR inversion without using kernel compression or Kronecker products. The new method is memory efficient, requiring less than 0.1% of the memory required by the LH or BRD methods. It can also be extended to arbitrary dimensions and adapted to include non-separable kernels, linear constraints, and arbitrary regularization terms. Additionally, it is easy to implement because only a cost function and its first derivative are required to perform the inversion.

  11. Raising the Dead without a Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal? A hydro-economic-institutional analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosenberg, D. E.

    2010-12-01

    Presently, just 100 million cubic meters per year (MCM/year) of the 1,000+ MCM/year that historically flowed in the lower Jordan River reach the Dead Sea. Israeli, Jordanian, and Syrian dam and extraction projects built over seven decades have principally caused the reduced flow, associated falling Dead Sea level, shrinking surface area, sink holes, salinity, and other catastrophic problems. These problems will be magnified in the face of up to 20% reductions in precipitation expected with climate change. The fix proposed by Jordan, Israel, and Palestine—and now under study by the World Bank—envisions building a $US 5 billion multipurpose canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea that would also generate hydropower and desalinated water. Yet alternatives to raise the Dead Sea level that could take advantage of hydrologic variability remain unstudied. Here we show system-wide hydrologic and economic impacts of and discusses institutional management for alternatives to raise the Dead Sea level. Hydro-economic model results for the inter-tied Israel-Jordan-Palestinian water systems show the desalination component of the Red Sea-Dead Sea project is economically unviable. Further, many decentralized new supply, wastewater reuse, conveyance, conservation, and leak reduction projects and programs in each country together increase economic benefits and can reliably deliver up to 900 MCM/year to the Dead Sea. In all cases, results show that net benefits fall and water scarcity rises as the flow volume delivered to the Dead Sea increases. These findings suggest that (i) each country has little individual incentive to allow water to flow to the Dead Sea, and (ii) outside institutions—such as the World Bank—that seek to raise the Dead should instead offer the countries direct incentives to deliver water rather than build them new infrastructure. The work expands the set of viable options to raise the Dead Sea level and can help the World Bank and others recommend whether

  12. An adaptive reentry guidance method considering the influence of blackout zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Yu; Yao, Jianyao; Qu, Xiangju

    2018-01-01

    Reentry guidance has been researched as a popular topic because it is critical for a successful flight. In view that the existing guidance methods do not take into account the accumulated navigation error of Inertial Navigation System (INS) in the blackout zone, in this paper, an adaptive reentry guidance method is proposed to obtain the optimal reentry trajectory quickly with the target of minimum aerodynamic heating rate. The terminal error in position and attitude can be also reduced with the proposed method. In this method, the whole reentry guidance task is divided into two phases, i.e., the trajectory updating phase and the trajectory planning phase. In the first phase, the idea of model predictive control (MPC) is used, and the receding optimization procedure ensures the optimal trajectory in the next few seconds. In the trajectory planning phase, after the vehicle has flown out of the blackout zone, the optimal reentry trajectory is obtained by online planning to adapt to the navigation information. An effective swarm intelligence algorithm, i.e. pigeon inspired optimization (PIO) algorithm, is applied to obtain the optimal reentry trajectory in both of the two phases. Compared to the trajectory updating method, the proposed method can reduce the terminal error by about 30% considering both the position and attitude, especially, the terminal error of height has almost been eliminated. Besides, the PIO algorithm performs better than the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm both in the trajectory updating phase and the trajectory planning phases.

  13. The application of the pilot points in groundwater numerical inversion model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Bin; Teng, Yanguo; Cheng, Lirong

    2015-04-01

    Numerical inversion simulation of groundwater has been widely applied in groundwater. Compared to traditional forward modeling, inversion model has more space to study. Zones and inversing modeling cell by cell are conventional methods. Pilot points is a method between them. The traditional inverse modeling method often uses software dividing the model into several zones with a few parameters needed to be inversed. However, distribution is usually too simple for modeler and result of simulation deviation. Inverse cell by cell will get the most actual parameter distribution in theory, but it need computational complexity greatly and quantity of survey data for geological statistical simulation areas. Compared to those methods, pilot points distribute a set of points throughout the different model domains for parameter estimation. Property values are assigned to model cells by Kriging to ensure geological units within the parameters of heterogeneity. It will reduce requirements of simulation area geological statistics and offset the gap between above methods. Pilot points can not only save calculation time, increase fitting degree, but also reduce instability of numerical model caused by numbers of parameters and other advantages. In this paper, we use pilot point in a field which structure formation heterogeneity and hydraulics parameter was unknown. We compare inversion modeling results of zones and pilot point methods. With the method of comparative analysis, we explore the characteristic of pilot point in groundwater inversion model. First, modeler generates an initial spatially correlated field given a geostatistical model by the description of the case site with the software named Groundwater Vistas 6. Defining Kriging to obtain the value of the field functions over the model domain on the basis of their values at measurement and pilot point locations (hydraulic conductivity), then we assign pilot points to the interpolated field which have been divided into 4

  14. INSIDE-OUT PLANET FORMATION. III. PLANET–DISK INTERACTION AT THE DEAD ZONE INNER BOUNDARY

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hu, Xiao; Tan, Jonathan C.; Chatterjee, Sourav

    The Kepler mission has discovered more than 4000 exoplanet candidates. Many of them are in systems with tightly packed inner planets. Inside-out planet formation (IOPF) has been proposed as a scenario to explain these systems. It involves sequential in situ planet formation at the local pressure maximum of a retreating dead zone inner boundary (DZIB). Pebbles accumulate at this pressure trap, which builds up a pebble ring and then a planet. The planet is expected to grow in mass until it opens a gap, which helps to both truncate pebble accretion and also induce DZIB retreat that sets the location ofmore » formation of the next planet. This simple scenario may be modified if the planet undergoes significant migration from its formation location. Thus, planet–disk interactions play a crucial role in the IOPF scenario. Here we present numerical simulations that first assess the degree of migration for planets of various masses that are forming at the DZIB of an active accretion disk, where the effective viscosity is undergoing a rapid increase in the radially inward direction. We find that torques exerted on the planet by the disk tend to trap the planet at a location very close to the initial pressure maximum where it formed. We then study gap opening by these planets to assess at what mass a significant gap is created. Finally, we present a simple model for DZIB retreat due to penetration of X-rays from the star to the disk midplane. Overall, these simulations help to quantify both the mass scale of first (“Vulcan”) planet formation and the orbital separation to the location of second planet formation.« less

  15. Lossy Wavefield Compression for Full-Waveform Inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boehm, C.; Fichtner, A.; de la Puente, J.; Hanzich, M.

    2015-12-01

    We present lossy compression techniques, tailored to the inexact computation of sensitivity kernels, that significantly reduce the memory requirements of adjoint-based minimization schemes. Adjoint methods are a powerful tool to solve tomography problems in full-waveform inversion (FWI). Yet they face the challenge of massive memory requirements caused by the opposite directions of forward and adjoint simulations and the necessity to access both wavefields simultaneously during the computation of the sensitivity kernel. Thus, storage, I/O operations, and memory bandwidth become key topics in FWI. In this talk, we present strategies for the temporal and spatial compression of the forward wavefield. This comprises re-interpolation with coarse time steps and an adaptive polynomial degree of the spectral element shape functions. In addition, we predict the projection errors on a hierarchy of grids and re-quantize the residuals with an adaptive floating-point accuracy to improve the approximation. Furthermore, we use the first arrivals of adjoint waves to identify "shadow zones" that do not contribute to the sensitivity kernel at all. Updating and storing the wavefield within these shadow zones is skipped, which reduces memory requirements and computational costs at the same time. Compared to check-pointing, our approach has only a negligible computational overhead, utilizing the fact that a sufficiently accurate sensitivity kernel does not require a fully resolved forward wavefield. Furthermore, we use adaptive compression thresholds during the FWI iterations to ensure convergence. Numerical experiments on the reservoir scale and for the Western Mediterranean prove the high potential of this approach with an effective compression factor of 500-1000. Furthermore, it is computationally cheap and easy to integrate in both, finite-differences and finite-element wave propagation codes.

  16. More dead than dead: perceptions of persons in the persistent vegetative state.

    PubMed

    Gray, Kurt; Knickman, T Anne; Wegner, Daniel M

    2011-11-01

    Patients in persistent vegetative state (PVS) may be biologically alive, but these experiments indicate that people see PVS as a state curiously more dead than dead. Experiment 1 found that PVS patients were perceived to have less mental capacity than the dead. Experiment 2 explained this effect as an outgrowth of afterlife beliefs, and the tendency to focus on the bodies of PVS patients at the expense of their minds. Experiment 3 found that PVS is also perceived as "worse" than death: people deem early death better than being in PVS. These studies suggest that people perceive the minds of PVS patients as less valuable than those of the dead - ironically, this effect is especially robust for those high in religiosity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. SU-E-T-458: Determining Threshold-Of-Failure for Dead Pixel Rows in EPID-Based Dosimetry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gersh, J; Wiant, D

    Purpose: A pixel correction map is applied to all EPID-based applications on the TrueBeam (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA). When dead pixels are detected, an interpolative smoothing algorithm is applied using neighboring-pixel information to supplement missing-pixel information. The vendor suggests that when the number of dead pixels exceeds 70,000, the panel should be replaced. It is common for entire detector rows to be dead, as well as their neighboring rows. Approximately 70 rows can be dead before the panel reaches this threshold. This study determines the number of neighboring dead-pixel rows that would create a large enough deviation inmore » measured fluence to cause failures in portal dosimetry (PD). Methods: Four clinical two-arc VMAT plans were generated using Eclipse's AXB algorithm and PD plans were created using the PDIP algorithm. These plans were chosen to represent those commonly encountered in the clinic: prostate, lung, abdomen, and neck treatments. During each iteration of this study, an increasing number of dead-pixel rows are artificially applied to the correction map and a fluence QA is performed using the EPID (corrected with this map). To provide a worst-case-scenario, the dead-pixel rows are chosen so that they present artifacts in the highfluence region of the field. Results: For all eight arc-fields deemed acceptable via a 3%/3mm gamma analysis (pass rate greater than 99%), VMAT QA yielded identical results with a 5 pixel-width dead zone. When 10 dead lines were present, half of the fields had pass rates below the 99% pass rate. With increasing dead rows, the pass rates were reduced substantially. Conclusion: While the vendor still suggests to request service at the point where 70,000 dead rows are measured (as recommended by the vendor), the authors suggest that service should be requested when there are greater than 5 consecutive dead rows.« less

  18. Megabase-Scale Inversion Polymorphism in the Wild Ancestor of Maize

    PubMed Central

    Fang, Zhou; Pyhäjärvi, Tanja; Weber, Allison L.; Dawe, R. Kelly; Glaubitz, Jeffrey C.; González, José de Jesus Sánchez; Ross-Ibarra, Claudia; Doebley, John; Morrell, Peter L.; Ross-Ibarra, Jeffrey

    2012-01-01

    Chromosomal inversions are thought to play a special role in local adaptation, through dramatic suppression of recombination, which favors the maintenance of locally adapted alleles. However, relatively few inversions have been characterized in population genomic data. On the basis of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping across a large panel of Zea mays, we have identified an ∼50-Mb region on the short arm of chromosome 1 where patterns of polymorphism are highly consistent with a polymorphic paracentric inversion that captures >700 genes. Comparison to other taxa in Zea and Tripsacum suggests that the derived, inverted state is present only in the wild Z. mays subspecies parviglumis and mexicana and is completely absent in domesticated maize. Patterns of polymorphism suggest that the inversion is ancient and geographically widespread in parviglumis. Cytological screens find little evidence for inversion loops, suggesting that inversion heterozygotes may suffer few crossover-induced fitness consequences. The inversion polymorphism shows evidence of adaptive evolution, including a strong altitudinal cline, a statistical association with environmental variables and phenotypic traits, and a skewed haplotype frequency spectrum for inverted alleles. PMID:22542971

  19. Modeling temperature inversion in southeastern Yellow Sea during winter 2016

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pang, Ig-Chan; Moon, Jae-Hong; Lee, Joon-Ho; Hong, Ji-Seok; Pang, Sung-Jun

    2017-05-01

    A significant temperature inversion with temperature differences larger than 3°C was observed in the southeastern Yellow Sea (YS) during February 2016. By analyzing in situ hydrographic profiles and results from a regional ocean model for the YS, this study examines the spatiotemporal evolution of the temperature inversion and its connection with wind-induced currents in winter. Observations reveal that in winter, when the northwesterly wind prevails over the YS, the temperature inversion occurs largely at the frontal zone southwest of Korea where warm/saline water of a Kuroshio origin meets cold/fresh coastal water. Our model successfully captures the temperature inversion observed in the winter of 2016 and suggests a close relation between northwesterly wind bursts and the occurrence of the large inversion. In this respect, the strong northwesterly wind drove cold coastal water southward in the upper layer via Ekman transport, which pushed the water mass southward and increased the sea level slope in the frontal zone in southeastern YS. The intensified sea level slope propagated northward away from the frontal zone as a shelf wave, causing a northward upwind flow response along the YS trough in the lower layer, thereby resulting in the large temperature inversion. Diagnostic analysis of the momentum balance shows that the westward pressure gradient, which developed with shelf wave propagation along the YS trough, was balanced with the Coriolis force in accordance with the northward upwind current in and around the inversion area.

  20. 9 CFR 82.6 - Interstate movement of dead birds and dead poultry from a quarantined area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Interstate movement of dead birds and dead poultry from a quarantined area. 82.6 Section 82.6 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT... (END) § 82.6 Interstate movement of dead birds and dead poultry from a quarantined area. (a) Except as...

  1. 9 CFR 82.6 - Interstate movement of dead birds and dead poultry from a quarantined area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Interstate movement of dead birds and dead poultry from a quarantined area. 82.6 Section 82.6 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT... movement of dead birds and dead poultry from a quarantined area. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of...

  2. 9 CFR 82.6 - Interstate movement of dead birds and dead poultry from a quarantined area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Interstate movement of dead birds and dead poultry from a quarantined area. 82.6 Section 82.6 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT... (END) § 82.6 Interstate movement of dead birds and dead poultry from a quarantined area. (a) Except as...

  3. Evolution of genomic diversity and sex at extreme environments: Fungal life under hypersaline Dead Sea stress

    PubMed Central

    Kis-Papo, Tamar; Kirzhner, Valery; Wasser, Solomon P.; Nevo, Eviatar

    2003-01-01

    We have found that genomic diversity is generally positively correlated with abiotic and biotic stress levels (1–3). However, beyond a high-threshold level of stress, the diversity declines to a few adapted genotypes. The Dead Sea is the harshest planetary hypersaline environment (340 g·liter–1 total dissolved salts, ≈10 times sea water). Hence, the Dead Sea is an excellent natural laboratory for testing the “rise and fall” pattern of genetic diversity with stress proposed in this article. Here, we examined genomic diversity of the ascomycete fungus Aspergillus versicolor from saline, nonsaline, and hypersaline Dead Sea environments. We screened the coding and noncoding genomes of A. versicolor isolates by using >600 AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) markers (equal to loci). Genomic diversity was positively correlated with stress, culminating in the Dead Sea surface but dropped drastically in 50- to 280-m-deep seawater. The genomic diversity pattern paralleled the pattern of sexual reproduction of fungal species across the same southward gradient of increasing stress in Israel. This parallel may suggest that diversity and sex are intertwined intimately according to the rise and fall pattern and adaptively selected by natural selection in fungal genome evolution. Future large-scale verification in micromycetes will define further the trajectories of diversity and sex in the rise and fall pattern. PMID:14645702

  4. Linkage disequilibrium network analysis (LDna) gives a global view of chromosomal inversions, local adaptation and geographic structure.

    PubMed

    Kemppainen, Petri; Knight, Christopher G; Sarma, Devojit K; Hlaing, Thaung; Prakash, Anil; Maung Maung, Yan Naung; Somboon, Pradya; Mahanta, Jagadish; Walton, Catherine

    2015-09-01

    Recent advances in sequencing allow population-genomic data to be generated for virtually any species. However, approaches to analyse such data lag behind the ability to generate it, particularly in nonmodel species. Linkage disequilibrium (LD, the nonrandom association of alleles from different loci) is a highly sensitive indicator of many evolutionary phenomena including chromosomal inversions, local adaptation and geographical structure. Here, we present linkage disequilibrium network analysis (LDna), which accesses information on LD shared between multiple loci genomewide. In LD networks, vertices represent loci, and connections between vertices represent the LD between them. We analysed such networks in two test cases: a new restriction-site-associated DNA sequence (RAD-seq) data set for Anopheles baimaii, a Southeast Asian malaria vector; and a well-characterized single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data set from 21 three-spined stickleback individuals. In each case, we readily identified five distinct LD network clusters (single-outlier clusters, SOCs), each comprising many loci connected by high LD. In A. baimaii, further population-genetic analyses supported the inference that each SOC corresponds to a large inversion, consistent with previous cytological studies. For sticklebacks, we inferred that each SOC was associated with a distinct evolutionary phenomenon: two chromosomal inversions, local adaptation, population-demographic history and geographic structure. LDna is thus a useful exploratory tool, able to give a global overview of LD associated with diverse evolutionary phenomena and identify loci potentially involved. LDna does not require a linkage map or reference genome, so it is applicable to any population-genomic data set, making it especially valuable for nonmodel species. © 2015 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Resources Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Where do adaptive shifts occur during invasion A multidisciplinary approach to unravel cold adaptation in a tropical ant species invading the Mediterranean zone

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Although evolution is now recognized as improving the invasive success of populations, where and when key adaptation event(s) occur often remains unclear. Here we used a multidisciplinary approach to disentangle the eco-evolutionary scenario of invasion of a Mediterranean zone (i.e. Israel) by the t...

  6. Simulation of the Aerosol-Atmosphere Interaction in the Dead Sea Area with COSMO-ART

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vogel, Bernhard; Bangert, Max; Kottmeier, Christoph; Rieger, Daniel; Schad, Tobias; Vogel, Heike

    2014-05-01

    The Dead Sea is a unique environment located in the Dead Sea Rift Valley. The fault system of the Dead Sea Rift Valley marks the political borders between Israel, Jordan, and Palestine. The Dead Sea region and the ambient Eastern Mediterranean coastal zone provide a natural laboratory for studying atmospheric processes ranging from the smallest scale of cloud processes to regional weather and climate. The virtual institute DESERVE is designed as a cross-disciplinary and cooperative international project of the Helmholtz Centers KIT, GFZ, and UFZ with well-established partners in Israel, Jordan and Palestine. One main focus of one of the work packages is the role of aerosols in modifying clouds and precipitation and in developing the Dead Sea haze layer as one of the most intriguing questions. The haze influences visibility, solar radiation, and evaporation and may even affect economy and health. We applied the online coupled model system COSMO-ART, which is able to treat the feedback processes between aerosol, radiation, and cloud formation, for a case study above the Dead Sea and adjacent regions. Natural aerosol like mineral dust and sea salt as well as anthropogenic primary and secondary aerosol is taken into account. Some of the observed features like the vertical double structure of the haze layer are already covered by the simulation. We found that absorbing aerosol like mineral dust causes a temperature increase in parts of the model domain. In other areas a decrease in temperature due to cirrus clouds modified by elevated dust layers is simulated.

  7. Hydrogeological perturbations along the Dead Sea coast revealed by submarine sinkholes, Lisan and Ghor al Haditha, Jordan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Closson, D.; Abou Karaki, N.; Milisavljevic, N.; Pasquali, P.; Holecz, F.; Bouaraba, A.

    2012-04-01

    For several decades, surface water and groundwater located in the closed Dead Sea basin experience excessive exploitation. In fifty years, the level of the terminal lake has fallen by about 30 meters and its surface shrunk by one third. The coastal zone is the one that best shows the stigma of the general environmental degradation. Among these are the sinkholes, landslides and subsidence. For years, these phenomena are relatively well documented, particularly sinkholes and subsidence. Over the past five years, field observations combined with ground deformations measurements by radar interferometric stacking techniques have shown that the intensity (size, frequency) of the collapses is increasing in the most affected part of the southern Dead Sea area. The zones of the dried up Lynch Strait, the Lisan peninsula and Ghor Al Haditha in Jordan seem the most affected. Very high resolution (0.5 to 2 m) GeoEye satellite images have shown that many sinkholes also formed below the level of the Dead Sea. The water transparency allows observations up to several meters deep. These data contribute to the validation of the models developed in connection with the deformation of the fresh/saline water interface due to an imbalance always more pronounced between the levels of the surrounding groundwaters and of the terminal lake.

  8. Spatio-temporal development of sinkholes on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holohan, Eoghan; Saberi, Leila; Al-Halbouni, Djamil; Sawarieh, Ali; Closson, Damien; Alrshdan, Hussam; Walter, Thomas; Dahm, Torsten

    2017-04-01

    The ongoing, largely anthropogenically-forced decline of the Dead Sea is associated with the most prolific development of sinkholes worldwide. The fall in hydrological base level since the 1960s is thought to enable relatively fresh ground waters to dissolve underground salt deposits that were previously in equilibrium with hypersaline Dead Sea brine. Sinkhole development in response to this dissolution began in the 1980s and is still ongoing; it represents a significant geohazard in the Dead Sea region. We present new research undertaken within the Dead Sea Research Venue (DESERVE) on the spatio-temporal evolution of the main sinkhole-affected site on the Eastern shore of the Dead Sea, at Ghor Al-Haditha in Jordan. Our data set includes optical satellite imagery, aerial survey photographs and drone-based photogrammetric surveys with high spatial (< 1 m2 - 0.05 m per pixel) and temporal (decadal from 1970-2010, annual from 2004-2016) resolution. These enable new quantitative insights into this, the largest of all the Dead Sea sinkhole sites. Our analysis shows that there are now over 800 sinkholes at Ghor al-Haditha. Sinkholes initiated as spatially distinct clusters in the late 1980's to early 1990s. While some clusters have since become inactive, most have expanded and merged with time. New clusters have also developed, mainly in the more recently exposed north of the area. With the retreat of the Dead Sea, the roughly coastline-parallel zone of sinkhole formation has expanded unevenly but systematically seawards. Such a seaward migration of sinkhole formation is predicted from hydrogeological theory, but as yet not consistently observed elsewhere at the Dead Sea. The rate of sinkhole formation at Ghor Haditha accelerated markedly during the late 2000s to a peak of about 100 per year in 2009. Similar accelerations are observed on the western shore, but differ in timing. The rate of sinkhole formation on the Eastern shore has since declined to about 50 per year

  9. Anatomy of the dead sea transform from lithospheric to microscopic scale

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Weber, M.; Abu-Ayyash, K.; Abueladas, A.; Agnon, A.; Alasonati-Tasarova, Z.; Al-Zubi, H.; Babeyko, A.; Bartov, Y.; Bauer, K.; Becken, M.; Bedrosian, P.A.; Ben-Avraham, Z.; Bock, G.; Bohnhoff, M.; Bribach, J.; Dulski, P.; Ebbing, J.; El-Kelani, R.; Forster, A.; Forster, H.-J.; Frieslander, U.; Garfunkel, Z.; Goetze, H.J.; Haak, V.; Haberland, C.; Hassouneh, M.; Helwig, S.; Hofstetter, A.; Hoffmann-Rotrie, A.; Jackel, K.H.; Janssen, C.; Jaser, D.; Kesten, D.; Khatib, M.; Kind, R.; Koch, O.; Koulakov, I.; Laske, Gabi; Maercklin, N.; Masarweh, R.; Masri, A.; Matar, A.; Mechie, J.; Meqbel, N.; Plessen, B.; Moller, P.; Mohsen, A.; Oberhansli, R.; Oreshin, S.; Petrunin, A.; Qabbani, I.; Rabba, I.; Ritter, O.; Romer, R.L.; Rumpker, G.; Rybakov, M.; Ryberg, T.; Saul, J.; Scherbaum, F.; Schmidt, S.; Schulze, A.; Sobolev, S.V.; Stiller, M.; Stromeyer, D.; Tarawneh, K.; Trela, C.; Weckmann, U.; Wetzel, U.; Wylegalla, K.

    2009-01-01

    Fault zones are the locations where motion of tectonic plates, often associated with earthquakes, is accommodated. Despite a rapid increase in the understanding of faults in the last decades, our knowledge of their geometry, petrophysical properties, and controlling processes remains incomplete. The central questions addressed here in our study of the Dead Sea Transform (DST) in the Middle East are as follows: (1) What are the structure and kinematics of a large fault zone? (2) What controls its structure and kinematics? (3) How does the DST compare to other plate boundary fault zones? The DST has accommodated a total of 105 km of leftlateral transform motion between the African and Arabian plates since early Miocene (???20 Ma). The DST segment between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea, called the Arava/ Araba Fault (AF), is studied here using a multidisciplinary and multiscale approach from the ??m to the plate tectonic scale. We observe that under the DST a narrow, subvertical zone cuts through crust and lithosphere. First, from west to east the crustal thickness increases smoothly from 26 to 39 km, and a subhorizontal lower crustal reflector is detected east of the AF. Second, several faults exist in the upper crust in a 40 km wide zone centered on the AF, but none have kilometer-size zones of decreased seismic velocities or zones of high electrical conductivities in the upper crust expected for large damage zones. Third, the AF is the main branch of the DST system, even though it has accommodated only a part (up to 60 km) of the overall 105 km of sinistral plate motion. Fourth, the AF acts as a barrier to fluids to a depth of 4 km, and the lithology changes abruptly across it. Fifth, in the top few hundred meters of the AF a locally transpressional regime is observed in a 100-300 m wide zone of deformed and displaced material, bordered by subparallel faults forming a positive flower structure. Other segments of the AF have a transtensional character with small pull

  10. Cerebellum as a forward but not inverse model in visuomotor adaptation task: a tDCS-based and modeling study.

    PubMed

    Yavari, Fatemeh; Mahdavi, Shirin; Towhidkhah, Farzad; Ahmadi-Pajouh, Mohammad-Ali; Ekhtiari, Hamed; Darainy, Mohammad

    2016-04-01

    Despite several pieces of evidence, which suggest that the human brain employs internal models for motor control and learning, the location of these models in the brain is not yet clear. In this study, we used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to manipulate right cerebellar function, while subjects adapt to a visuomotor task. We investigated the effect of this manipulation on the internal forward and inverse models by measuring two kinds of behavior: generalization of training in one direction to neighboring directions (as a proxy for inverse models) and localization of the hand position after movement without visual feedback (as a proxy for forward model). The experimental results showed no effect of cerebellar tDCS on generalization, but significant effect on localization. These observations support the idea that the cerebellum is a possible brain region for internal forward, but not inverse model formation. We also used a realistic human head model to calculate current density distribution in the brain. The result of this model confirmed the passage of current through the cerebellum. Moreover, to further explain some observed experimental results, we modeled the visuomotor adaptation process with the help of a biologically inspired method known as population coding. The effect of tDCS was also incorporated in the model. The results of this modeling study closely match our experimental data and provide further evidence in line with the idea that tDCS manipulates FM's function in the cerebellum.

  11. 46 CFR 171.117 - Dead covers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dead covers. 171.117 Section 171.117 Shipping COAST... Dead covers. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each port light with the sill located below the margin line must have a hinged, inside dead cover. (b) The dead cover on a port light...

  12. 46 CFR 171.117 - Dead covers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Dead covers. 171.117 Section 171.117 Shipping COAST... Dead covers. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each port light with the sill located below the margin line must have a hinged, inside dead cover. (b) The dead cover on a port light...

  13. 46 CFR 171.117 - Dead covers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Dead covers. 171.117 Section 171.117 Shipping COAST... Dead covers. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each port light with the sill located below the margin line must have a hinged, inside dead cover. (b) The dead cover on a port light...

  14. 46 CFR 171.117 - Dead covers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Dead covers. 171.117 Section 171.117 Shipping COAST... Dead covers. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each port light with the sill located below the margin line must have a hinged, inside dead cover. (b) The dead cover on a port light...

  15. 46 CFR 171.117 - Dead covers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dead covers. 171.117 Section 171.117 Shipping COAST... Dead covers. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each port light with the sill located below the margin line must have a hinged, inside dead cover. (b) The dead cover on a port light...

  16. Resolution testing and limitations of geodetic and tsunami datasets for finite fault inversions along subduction zones

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williamson, A.; Newman, A. V.

    2017-12-01

    Finite fault inversions utilizing multiple datasets have become commonplace for large earthquakes pending data availability. The mixture of geodetic datasets such as Global Navigational Satellite Systems (GNSS) and InSAR, seismic waveforms, and when applicable, tsunami waveforms from Deep-Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) gauges, provide slightly different observations that when incorporated together lead to a more robust model of fault slip distribution. The merging of different datasets is of particular importance along subduction zones where direct observations of seafloor deformation over the rupture area are extremely limited. Instead, instrumentation measures related ground motion from tens to hundreds of kilometers away. The distance from the event and dataset type can lead to a variable degree of resolution, affecting the ability to accurately model the spatial distribution of slip. This study analyzes the spatial resolution attained individually from geodetic and tsunami datasets as well as in a combined dataset. We constrain the importance of distance between estimated parameters and observed data and how that varies between land-based and open ocean datasets. Analysis focuses on accurately scaled subduction zone synthetic models as well as analysis of the relationship between slip and data in recent large subduction zone earthquakes. This study shows that seafloor deformation sensitive datasets, like open-ocean tsunami waveforms or seafloor geodetic instrumentation, can provide unique offshore resolution for understanding most large and particularly tsunamigenic megathrust earthquake activity. In most environments, we simply lack the capability to resolve static displacements using land-based geodetic observations.

  17. The importance of coherence in inverse problems in optics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferwerda, H. A.; Baltes, H. P.; Glass, A. S.; Steinle, B.

    1981-12-01

    Current inverse problems of statistical optics are presented with a guide to relevant literature. The inverse problems are categorized into four groups, and the Van Cittert-Zernike theorem and its generalization are discussed. The retrieval of structural information from the far-zone degree of coherence and the time-averaged intensity distribution of radiation scattered by a superposition of random and periodic scatterers are also discussed. In addition, formulas for the calculation of far-zone properties are derived within the framework of scalar optics, and results are applied to two examples.

  18. Water Quality Modeling in the Dead End Sections of Drinking ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Dead-end sections of drinking water distribution networks are known to be problematic zones in terms of water quality degradation. Extended residence time due to water stagnation leads to rapid reduction of disinfectant residuals allowing the regrowth of microbial pathogens. Water quality models developed so far apply spatial aggregation and temporal averaging techniques for hydraulic parameters by assigning hourly averaged water demands to the main nodes of the network. Although this practice has generally resulted in minimal loss of accuracy for the predicted disinfectant concentrations in main water transmission lines, this is not the case for the peripheries of a distribution network. This study proposes a new approach for simulating disinfectant residuals in dead end pipes while accounting for both spatial and temporal variability in hydraulic and transport parameters. A stochastic demand generator was developed to represent residential water pulses based on a non-homogenous Poisson process. Dispersive solute transport was considered using highly dynamic dispersion rates. A genetic algorithm was used to calibrate the axial hydraulic profile of the dead-end pipe based on the different demand shares of the withdrawal nodes. A parametric sensitivity analysis was done to assess the model performance under variation of different simulation parameters. A group of Monte-Carlo ensembles was carried out to investigate the influence of spatial and temporal variations

  19. Stochastic inversion of time-lapse geophysical data to characterize the vadose zone at the Arrenaes field site (Denmark)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marie, S.; Irving, J. D.; Looms, M. C.; Nielsen, L.; Holliger, K.

    2011-12-01

    Geophysical methods such as ground-penetrating radar (GPR) can provide valuable information on the hydrological properties of the vadose zone. In particular, there is evidence to suggest that the stochastic inversion of such data may allow for significant reductions in uncertainty regarding subsurface van-Genuchten-Mualem (VGM) parameters, which characterize unsaturated hydrodynamic behaviour as defined by the combination of the water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions. A significant challenge associated with the use of geophysical methods in a hydrological context is that they generally exhibit an indirect and/or weak sensitivity to the hydraulic parameters of interest. A novel and increasingly popular means of addressing this issue involves the acquisition of geophysical data in a time-lapse fashion while changes occur in the hydrological condition of the probed subsurface region. Another significant challenge when attempting to use geophysical data for the estimation of subsurface hydrological properties is the inherent non-linearity and non-uniqueness of the corresponding inverse problems. Stochastic inversion approaches have the advantage of providing a comprehensive exploration of the model space, which makes them ideally suited for addressing such issues. In this work, we present the stochastic inversion of time-lapse zero-offset-profile (ZOP) crosshole GPR traveltime data, collected during a forced infiltration experiment at the Arreneas field site in Denmark, in order to estimate subsurface VGM parameters and their corresponding uncertainties. We do this using a Bayesian Markov-chain-Monte-Carlo (MCMC) inversion approach. We find that the Bayesian-MCMC methodology indeed allows for a substantial refinement in the inferred posterior parameter distributions of the VGM parameters as compared to the corresponding priors. To further understand the potential impact on capturing the underlying hydrological behaviour, we also explore how the posterior

  20. Utilizing High-Performance Computing to Investigate Parameter Sensitivity of an Inversion Model for Vadose Zone Flow and Transport

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, Z.; Ward, A. L.; Fang, Y.; Yabusaki, S.

    2011-12-01

    High-resolution geologic models have proven effective in improving the accuracy of subsurface flow and transport predictions. However, many of the parameters in subsurface flow and transport models cannot be determined directly at the scale of interest and must be estimated through inverse modeling. A major challenge, particularly in vadose zone flow and transport, is the inversion of the highly-nonlinear, high-dimensional problem as current methods are not readily scalable for large-scale, multi-process models. In this paper we describe the implementation of a fully automated approach for addressing complex parameter optimization and sensitivity issues on massively parallel multi- and many-core systems. The approach is based on the integration of PNNL's extreme scale Subsurface Transport Over Multiple Phases (eSTOMP) simulator, which uses the Global Array toolkit, with the Beowulf-Cluster inspired parallel nonlinear parameter estimation software, BeoPEST in the MPI mode. In the eSTOMP/BeoPEST implementation, a pre-processor generates all of the PEST input files based on the eSTOMP input file. Simulation results for comparison with observations are extracted automatically at each time step eliminating the need for post-process data extractions. The inversion framework was tested with three different experimental data sets: one-dimensional water flow at Hanford Grass Site; irrigation and infiltration experiment at the Andelfingen Site; and a three-dimensional injection experiment at Hanford's Sisson and Lu Site. Good agreements are achieved in all three applications between observations and simulations in both parameter estimates and water dynamics reproduction. Results show that eSTOMP/BeoPEST approach is highly scalable and can be run efficiently with hundreds or thousands of processors. BeoPEST is fault tolerant and new nodes can be dynamically added and removed. A major advantage of this approach is the ability to use high-resolution geologic models to preserve

  1. Iterative inversion of deformation vector fields with feedback control.

    PubMed

    Dubey, Abhishek; Iliopoulos, Alexandros-Stavros; Sun, Xiaobai; Yin, Fang-Fang; Ren, Lei

    2018-05-14

    Often, the inverse deformation vector field (DVF) is needed together with the corresponding forward DVF in four-dimesional (4D) reconstruction and dose calculation, adaptive radiation therapy, and simultaneous deformable registration. This study aims at improving both accuracy and efficiency of iterative algorithms for DVF inversion, and advancing our understanding of divergence and latency conditions. We introduce a framework of fixed-point iteration algorithms with active feedback control for DVF inversion. Based on rigorous convergence analysis, we design control mechanisms for modulating the inverse consistency (IC) residual of the current iterate, to be used as feedback into the next iterate. The control is designed adaptively to the input DVF with the objective to enlarge the convergence area and expedite convergence. Three particular settings of feedback control are introduced: constant value over the domain throughout the iteration; alternating values between iteration steps; and spatially variant values. We also introduce three spectral measures of the displacement Jacobian for characterizing a DVF. These measures reveal the critical role of what we term the nontranslational displacement component (NTDC) of the DVF. We carry out inversion experiments with an analytical DVF pair, and with DVFs associated with thoracic CT images of six patients at end of expiration and end of inspiration. The NTDC-adaptive iterations are shown to attain a larger convergence region at a faster pace compared to previous nonadaptive DVF inversion iteration algorithms. By our numerical experiments, alternating control yields smaller IC residuals and inversion errors than constant control. Spatially variant control renders smaller residuals and errors by at least an order of magnitude, compared to other schemes, in no more than 10 steps. Inversion results also show remarkable quantitative agreement with analysis-based predictions. Our analysis captures properties of DVF data

  2. No Time for Dead Time: Use the Fourier Amplitude Differences to Normalize Dead-time-affected Periodograms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bachetti, Matteo; Huppenkothen, Daniela

    2018-02-01

    Dead time affects many of the instruments used in X-ray astronomy, by producing a strong distortion in power density spectra. This can make it difficult to model the aperiodic variability of the source or look for quasi-periodic oscillations. Whereas in some instruments a simple a priori correction for dead-time-affected power spectra is possible, this is not the case for others such as NuSTAR, where the dead time is non-constant and long (∼2.5 ms). Bachetti et al. (2015) suggested the cospectrum obtained from light curves of independent detectors within the same instrument as a possible way out, but this solution has always only been a partial one: the measured rms was still affected by dead time because the width of the power distribution of the cospectrum was modulated by dead time in a frequency-dependent way. In this Letter, we suggest a new, powerful method to normalize dead-time-affected cospectra and power density spectra. Our approach uses the difference of the Fourier amplitudes from two independent detectors to characterize and filter out the effect of dead time. This method is crucially important for the accurate modeling of periodograms derived from instruments affected by dead time on board current missions like NuSTAR and Astrosat, but also future missions such as IXPE.

  3. Low mass planet migration in magnetically torqued dead zones - II. Flow-locked and runaway migration, and a torque prescription

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McNally, Colin P.; Nelson, Richard P.; Paardekooper, Sijme-Jan

    2018-04-01

    We examine the migration of low mass planets in laminar protoplanetary discs, threaded by large scale magnetic fields in the dead zone that drive radial gas flows. As shown in Paper I, a dynamical corotation torque arises due to the flow-induced asymmetric distortion of the corotation region and the evolving vortensity contrast between the librating horseshoe material and background disc flow. Using simulations of laminar torqued discs containing migrating planets, we demonstrate the existence of the four distinct migration regimes predicted in Paper I. In two regimes, the migration is approximately locked to the inward or outward radial gas flow, and in the other regimes the planet undergoes outward runaway migration that eventually settles to fast steady migration. In addition, we demonstrate torque and migration reversals induced by midplane magnetic stresses, with a bifurcation dependent on the disc surface density. We develop a model for fast migration, and show why the outward runaway saturates to a steady speed, and examine phenomenologically its termination due to changing local disc conditions. We also develop an analytical model for the corotation torque at late times that includes viscosity, for application to discs that sustain modest turbulence. Finally, we use the simulation results to develop torque prescriptions for inclusion in population synthesis models of planet formation.

  4. Low-mass planet migration in magnetically torqued dead zones - II. Flow-locked and runaway migration, and a torque prescription

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McNally, Colin P.; Nelson, Richard P.; Paardekooper, Sijme-Jan

    2018-07-01

    We examine the migration of low-mass planets in laminar protoplanetary discs, threaded by large-scale magnetic fields in the dead zone that drive radial gas flows. As shown in Paper I, a dynamical corotation torque arises due to the flow-induced asymmetric distortion of the corotation region and the evolving vortensity contrast between the librating horseshoe material and background disc flow. Using simulations of laminar torqued discs containing migrating planets, we demonstrate the existence of the four distinct migration regimes predicted in Paper I. In two regimes, the migration is approximately locked to the inward or outward radial gas flow, and in the other regimes the planet undergoes outward runaway migration that eventually settles to fast steady migration. In addition, we demonstrate torque and migration reversals induced by mid-plane magnetic stresses, with a bifurcation dependent on the disc surface density. We develop a model for fast migration, and show why the outward runaway saturates to a steady speed, and examine phenomenologically its termination due to changing local disc conditions. We also develop an analytical model for the corotation torque at late times that includes viscosity, for application to discs that sustain modest turbulence. Finally, we use the simulation results to develop torque prescriptions for inclusion in population synthesis models of planet formation.

  5. Accounting for the dead in the longitudinal analysis of income-related health inequalities

    PubMed Central

    Petrie, Dennis; Allanson, Paul; Gerdtham, Ulf-G.

    2011-01-01

    This paper develops an accounting framework to consider the effect of deaths on the longitudinal analysis of income-related health inequalities. Ignoring deaths or using Inverse Probability Weights (IPWs) to re-weight the sample for mortality-related attrition can produce misleading results. Incorporating deaths into the longitudinal analysis of income-related health inequalities provides a more complete picture in terms of the evaluation of health changes in respect to socioeconomic status. We illustrate our work by investigating health mobility from 1999 till 2004 using the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). We show that for Scottish males explicitly accounting for the dead rather than using IPWs to account for mortality-related attrition changes the direction of the relationship between relative health changes and initial income position, from negative to positive, while for other groups it significantly increases the strength of the positive relationship. Incorporating the dead may be vital in the longitudinal analysis of health inequalities. PMID:21820193

  6. Accounting for the dead in the longitudinal analysis of income-related health inequalities.

    PubMed

    Petrie, Dennis; Allanson, Paul; Gerdtham, Ulf G

    2011-09-01

    This paper develops an accounting framework to consider the effect of deaths on the longitudinal analysis of income-related health inequalities. Ignoring deaths or using Inverse Probability Weights (IPWs) to re-weight the sample for mortality-related attrition can produce misleading results. Incorporating deaths into the longitudinal analysis of income-related health inequalities provides a more complete picture in terms of the evaluation of health changes in respect to socioeconomic status. We illustrate our work by investigating health mobility from 1999 till 2004 using the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS). We show that for Scottish males explicitly accounting for the dead rather than using IPWs to account for mortality-related attrition changes the direction of the relationship between relative health changes and initial income position, from negative to positive, while for other groups it significantly increases the strength of the positive relationship. Incorporating the dead may be vital in the longitudinal analysis of health inequalities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Inverse problems and coherence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baltes, H. P.; Ferwerda, H. A.

    1981-03-01

    A summary of current inverse problems of statistical optics is presented together with a short guide to the pertinent review-type literature. The retrieval of structural information from the far-zone degree of coherence and the average intensity distribution of radiation scattered by a superposition of random and periodic scatterers is discussed.

  8. Testing thin-skinned inversion of a prerift salt-bearing passive margin (Eastern Prebetic Zone, SE Iberia)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Escosa, Frederic O.; Roca, Eduard; Ferrer, Oriol

    2018-04-01

    Detailed geologic mapping combined with well and seismic data from the Eastern Prebetic Zone (SE Iberia) reveal extensional and contractional structures that permit characterization of passive margin development and its incorporation into a thin-skinned fold-and-thrust belt. The study area is represented by NW-directed, ENE-trending folds and thrusts faults locally disrupted by the NW-trending Matamoros Basin and the active Jumilla and La Rosa diapirs. These structures resulted from the thin-skinned inversion of the proximal part of the Eastern South Iberian passive margin containing prerift salt. Here, Upper Jurassic to Santonian thick-skinned extension controlled the accumulation of sediment over mobile prerift salt. This in turn defined the style of salt tectonics characterized by monoclinal drape folds, suprasalt extensional faults and diapirs. The structural and sedimentological analysis suggests that during extension, salt localizes strain thus decoupling sub- and suprasalt deformation. Thick-skinned extension controls suprasalt deformation as well as its location and distribution which changes over time. Salt also localizes strain during inversion. The preexisting salt structures, weaker than adjacent areas, preferentially absorb the contractional deformation. In addition, the stepped subsalt geometry that results from thick-skinned extension also controls the shortening propagation. Therefore, the degree of strain localization depends on the thickness of the suprasalt cover and on the dip of subsalt faults relative to the thin-skinned transport direction.

  9. Energy Balance, Evapo-transpiration and Dew deposition in the Dead Sea Valley

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Metzger, Jutta; Corsmeier, Ulrich

    2016-04-01

    The Dead Sea is a unique place on earth. It is a terminal hypersaline lake, located at the lowest point on earth with a lake level of currently -429 m above mean sea level (amsl). It is located in a transition zone of semiarid to arid climate conditions, which makes it highly sensible to climate change (Alpert1997, Smiatek2011). The Virtual Institute DEad SEa Research Venue (DESERVE) is an international project funded by the German Helmholtz Association and was established to study coupled atmospheric hydrological, and lithospheric processes in the changing environment of the Dead Sea. At the moment the most prominent environmental change is the lake level decline of approximately 1 m / year due to anthropogenic interferences (Gertman, 2002). This leads to noticeable changes in the fractions of the existing terrestrial surfaces - water, bare soil and vegetated areas - in the valley. Thus, the partitioning of the net radiation in the valley changes as well. To thoroughly study the atmospheric and hydrological processes in the Dead Sea valley, which are driven by the energy balance components, sound data of the energy fluxes of the different surfaces are necessary. Before DESERVE no long-term monitoring network simultaneously measuring the energy balance components of the different surfaces in the Dead Sea valley was available. Therefore, three energy balance stations were installed at three characteristic sites at the coast-line, over bare soil, and within vegetation, measuring all energy balance components by using the eddy covariance method. The results show, that the partitioning of the energy into sensible and latent heat flux on a diurnal scale is totally different at the three sites. This results in gradients between the sites, which are e.g. responsible for the typical diurnal wind systems at the Dead Sea. Furthermore, driving forces of evapo-transpiration at the sites were identified and a detailed analysis of the daily evaporation and dew deposition rates

  10. Effect of reservoir zones and hedging factor dynamism on reservoir adaptive capacity for climate change impacts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adeloye, Adebayo J.; Soundharajan, Bankaru-Swamy

    2018-06-01

    When based on the zones of available water in storage, hedging has traditionally used a single hedged zone and a constant rationing ratio for constraining supply during droughts. Given the usual seasonality of reservoir inflows, it is also possible that hedging could feature multiple hedged zones and temporally varying rationing ratios but very few studies addressing this have been reported especially in relation to adaptation to projected climate change. This study developed and tested Genetic Algorithms (GA) optimised zone-based operating policies of various configurations using data for the Pong reservoir, Himachal Pradesh, India. The results show that hedging does lessen vulnerability, which dropped from ≥ 60 % without hedging to below 25 % with the single stage hedging. More complex hedging policies, e.g. two stage and/or temporally varying rationing ratios only produced marginal improvements in performance. All this shows that water hedging policies do not have to be overly complex to effectively offset reservoir vulnerability caused by water shortage resulting from e.g. projected climate change.

  11. Efficient 3D inversions using the Richards equation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cockett, Rowan; Heagy, Lindsey J.; Haber, Eldad

    2018-07-01

    Fluid flow in the vadose zone is governed by the Richards equation; it is parameterized by hydraulic conductivity, which is a nonlinear function of pressure head. Investigations in the vadose zone typically require characterizing distributed hydraulic properties. Water content or pressure head data may include direct measurements made from boreholes. Increasingly, proxy measurements from hydrogeophysics are being used to supply more spatially and temporally dense data sets. Inferring hydraulic parameters from such datasets requires the ability to efficiently solve and optimize the nonlinear time domain Richards equation. This is particularly important as the number of parameters to be estimated in a vadose zone inversion continues to grow. In this paper, we describe an efficient technique to invert for distributed hydraulic properties in 1D, 2D, and 3D. Our technique does not store the Jacobian matrix, but rather computes its product with a vector. Existing literature for the Richards equation inversion explicitly calculates the sensitivity matrix using finite difference or automatic differentiation, however, for large scale problems these methods are constrained by computation and/or memory. Using an implicit sensitivity algorithm enables large scale inversion problems for any distributed hydraulic parameters in the Richards equation to become tractable on modest computational resources. We provide an open source implementation of our technique based on the SimPEG framework, and show it in practice for a 3D inversion of saturated hydraulic conductivity using water content data through time.

  12. Simultaneous inversion of seismic velocity and moment tensor using elastic-waveform inversion of microseismic data: Application to the Aneth CO2-EOR field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Y.; Huang, L.

    2017-12-01

    Moment tensors are key parameters for characterizing CO2-injection-induced microseismic events. Elastic-waveform inversion has the potential to providing accurate results of moment tensors. Microseismic waveforms contains information of source moment tensors and the wave propagation velocity along the wavepaths. We develop an elastic-waveform inversion method to jointly invert the seismic velocity model and moment tensor. We first use our adaptive moment-tensor joint inversion method to estimate moment tensors of microseismic events. Our adaptive moment-tensor inversion method jointly inverts multiple microseismic events with similar waveforms within a cluster to reduce inversion uncertainty for microseismic data recorded using a single borehole geophone array. We use this inversion result as the initial model for our elastic-waveform inversion to minimize the cross-correlated-based data misfit between observed data and synthetic data. We verify our method using synthetic microseismic data and obtain improved results of both moment tensors and seismic velocity model. We apply our new inversion method to microseismic data acquired at a CO2-enhanced oil recovery field in Aneth, Utah, using a single borehole geophone array. The results demonstrate that our new inversion method significantly reduces the data misfit compared to the conventional ray-theory-based moment-tensor inversion.

  13. The Dead Sea

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2006-01-01

    The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth at 418 meters below sea level, and also one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth with a salinity of about 300 parts-per-thousand (nine times greater than ocean salinity). It is located on the border between Jordan and Israel, and is fed by the Jordan River. The Dead Sea is located in the Dead Sea Rift, formed as a result of the Arabian tectonic plate moving northward away from the African Plate. The mineral content of the Dead Sea is significantly different from that of ocean water, consisting of approximately 53% magnesium chloride, 37% potassium chloride and 8% sodium chloride. In the early part of the 20th century, the Dead Sea began to attract interest from chemists who deduced that the Sea was a natural deposit of potash and bromine. From the Dead Sea brine, Israel and Jordan produce 3.8 million tons potash, 200,000 tons elemental bromine, 45,000 tons caustic soda, 25, 000 tons magnesium metal, and sodium chloride. Both countries use extensive salt evaporation pans that have essentially diked the entire southern end of the Dead Sea.

    With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet.

    ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products.

    The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop

  14. 7 CFR 322.29 - Dead bees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Dead bees. 322.29 Section 322.29 Agriculture..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BEES, BEEKEEPING BYPRODUCTS, AND BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT Importation and Transit of Restricted Articles § 322.29 Dead bees. (a) Dead bees imported into or transiting the United States must be...

  15. 7 CFR 322.29 - Dead bees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Dead bees. 322.29 Section 322.29 Agriculture..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BEES, BEEKEEPING BYPRODUCTS, AND BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT Importation and Transit of Restricted Articles § 322.29 Dead bees. (a) Dead bees imported into or transiting the United States must be...

  16. 7 CFR 322.29 - Dead bees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Dead bees. 322.29 Section 322.29 Agriculture..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BEES, BEEKEEPING BYPRODUCTS, AND BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT Importation and Transit of Restricted Articles § 322.29 Dead bees. (a) Dead bees imported into or transiting the United States must be...

  17. 7 CFR 322.29 - Dead bees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Dead bees. 322.29 Section 322.29 Agriculture..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BEES, BEEKEEPING BYPRODUCTS, AND BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT Importation and Transit of Restricted Articles § 322.29 Dead bees. (a) Dead bees imported into or transiting the United States must be...

  18. 7 CFR 322.29 - Dead bees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Dead bees. 322.29 Section 322.29 Agriculture..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BEES, BEEKEEPING BYPRODUCTS, AND BEEKEEPING EQUIPMENT Importation and Transit of Restricted Articles § 322.29 Dead bees. (a) Dead bees imported into or transiting the United States must be...

  19. Adaptive GSA-based optimal tuning of PI controlled servo systems with reduced process parametric sensitivity, robust stability and controller robustness.

    PubMed

    Precup, Radu-Emil; David, Radu-Codrut; Petriu, Emil M; Radac, Mircea-Bogdan; Preitl, Stefan

    2014-11-01

    This paper suggests a new generation of optimal PI controllers for a class of servo systems characterized by saturation and dead zone static nonlinearities and second-order models with an integral component. The objective functions are expressed as the integral of time multiplied by absolute error plus the weighted sum of the integrals of output sensitivity functions of the state sensitivity models with respect to two process parametric variations. The PI controller tuning conditions applied to a simplified linear process model involve a single design parameter specific to the extended symmetrical optimum (ESO) method which offers the desired tradeoff to several control system performance indices. An original back-calculation and tracking anti-windup scheme is proposed in order to prevent the integrator wind-up and to compensate for the dead zone nonlinearity of the process. The minimization of the objective functions is carried out in the framework of optimization problems with inequality constraints which guarantee the robust stability with respect to the process parametric variations and the controller robustness. An adaptive gravitational search algorithm (GSA) solves the optimization problems focused on the optimal tuning of the design parameter specific to the ESO method and of the anti-windup tracking gain. A tuning method for PI controllers is proposed as an efficient approach to the design of resilient control systems. The tuning method and the PI controllers are experimentally validated by the adaptive GSA-based tuning of PI controllers for the angular position control of a laboratory servo system.

  20. Dead sea asphalts: historical aspects

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nissenbaum, A.

    1978-05-01

    Asphalts are present in the Dead Sea basin in three forms: (1) huge blocks, up to 100 tons in weight, composed of extremely pure (>99.99%) solid asphalt occasionally found floating on the lake, (2) veins, seepages, and cavity and fissure fillings in Lower Cretaceous to Holocene rocks, and (3) ozocerite veins on the eastern shore of the lake. Dead Sea asphalts probably have been documented over a longer period of time than any other hydrocarbon deposit--from antiquity to the 19th century. Major uses of asphalt from the Dead Sea have been as an ingredient in the embalming process, for medicinalmore » purposes, for fumigation, and for agriculture. The first known war for control of a hydrocarbon deposit was in the Dead Sea area in 312 B.C. between the Seleucid Syrians and the Nabatean Arabs who lived around the lake. Surface manifestations of asphalt are linked closely to tectonic activity. In the lake itself, the asphalt is associated with diapirs During certain historic periods, tectonic and diapiric activity caused frequent liberation to the Dead Sea surface of semiliquid asphalt associated with large amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas. When the tectonic activity was attenuated, as in the 19th and 20th centuries, the rate of asphalt seepage to the bottom sediments of the Dead Sea was much slower and the asphalt solidified on the lake bottom. The release of asphalt to the surface became much more sporadic, and may have resulted in part from earthquakes. Thus, future asphalt prospecting in the Dead Sea area should be conducted along the boundaries of diapirs or their associated faults.« less

  1. 49 CFR 236.55 - Dead section; maximum length.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dead section; maximum length. 236.55 Section 236... Instructions: All Systems Track Circuits § 236.55 Dead section; maximum length. Where dead section exceeds 35... over such dead section is less than 35 feet, the maximum length of the dead section shall not exceed...

  2. 49 CFR 236.55 - Dead section; maximum length.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Dead section; maximum length. 236.55 Section 236... Instructions: All Systems Track Circuits § 236.55 Dead section; maximum length. Where dead section exceeds 35... over such dead section is less than 35 feet, the maximum length of the dead section shall not exceed...

  3. 49 CFR 236.55 - Dead section; maximum length.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dead section; maximum length. 236.55 Section 236... Instructions: All Systems Track Circuits § 236.55 Dead section; maximum length. Where dead section exceeds 35... over such dead section is less than 35 feet, the maximum length of the dead section shall not exceed...

  4. 49 CFR 236.55 - Dead section; maximum length.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Dead section; maximum length. 236.55 Section 236... Instructions: All Systems Track Circuits § 236.55 Dead section; maximum length. Where dead section exceeds 35... over such dead section is less than 35 feet, the maximum length of the dead section shall not exceed...

  5. 49 CFR 236.55 - Dead section; maximum length.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Dead section; maximum length. 236.55 Section 236... Instructions: All Systems Track Circuits § 236.55 Dead section; maximum length. Where dead section exceeds 35... over such dead section is less than 35 feet, the maximum length of the dead section shall not exceed...

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

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

    1991-01-01

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

  7. Two Key Parameters Controlling Particle Clumping Caused by Streaming Instability in the Dead-zone Dust Layer of a Protoplanetary Disk

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sekiya, Minoru; Onishi, Isamu K.

    2018-06-01

    The streaming instability and Kelvin–Helmholtz instability are considered the two major sources causing clumping of dust particles and turbulence in the dust layer of a protoplanetary disk as long as we consider the dead zone where the magnetorotational instability does not grow. Extensive numerical simulations have been carried out in order to elucidate the condition for the development of particle clumping caused by the streaming instability. In this paper, a set of two parameters suitable for classifying the numerical results is proposed. One is the Stokes number that has been employed in previous works and the other is the dust particle column density that is nondimensionalized using the gas density in the midplane, Keplerian angular velocity, and difference between the Keplerian and gaseous orbital velocities. The magnitude of dust clumping is a measure of the behavior of the dust layer. Using three-dimensional numerical simulations of dust particles and gas based on Athena code v. 4.2, it is confirmed that the magnitude of dust clumping for two disk models are similar if the corresponding sets of values of the two parameters are identical to each other, even if the values of the metallicity (i.e., the ratio of the columns density of the dust particles to that of the gas) are different.

  8. 32 CFR 632.4 - Deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Deadly force. 632.4 Section 632.4 National... INVESTIGATIONS USE OF FORCE BY PERSONNEL ENGAGED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SECURITY DUTIES § 632.4 Deadly force. (a) Deadly force is destructive physical force directed against a person or persons (e.g., firing a lethal...

  9. Day of the Dead

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dann, Tammy; Murphy, Amy

    2012-01-01

    Foreign Language in Elementary School (FLES) teachers in the West Des Moines schools incorporate the Day of the Dead into the fourth grade curriculum each year. The teachers discuss the Day of the Dead celebration at the Art Center, and many ask for volunteers from fourth grade to participate in the event. Student presentations include a wide…

  10. SlDEAD31, a Putative DEAD-Box RNA Helicase Gene, Regulates Salt and Drought Tolerance and Stress-Related Genes in Tomato.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Mingku; Chen, Guoping; Dong, Tingting; Wang, Lingling; Zhang, Jianling; Zhao, Zhiping; Hu, Zongli

    2015-01-01

    The DEAD-box RNA helicases are involved in almost every aspect of RNA metabolism, associated with diverse cellular functions including plant growth and development, and their importance in response to biotic and abiotic stresses is only beginning to emerge. However, none of DEAD-box genes was well characterized in tomato so far. In this study, we reported on the identification and characterization of two putative DEAD-box RNA helicase genes, SlDEAD30 and SlDEAD31 from tomato, which were classified into stress-related DEAD-box proteins by phylogenetic analysis. Expression analysis indicated that SlDEAD30 was highly expressed in roots and mature leaves, while SlDEAD31 was constantly expressed in various tissues. Furthermore, the expression of both genes was induced mainly in roots under NaCl stress, and SlDEAD31 mRNA was also increased by heat, cold, and dehydration. In stress assays, transgenic tomato plants overexpressing SlDEAD31 exhibited dramatically enhanced salt tolerance and slightly improved drought resistance, which were simultaneously demonstrated by significantly enhanced expression of multiple biotic and abiotic stress-related genes, higher survival rate, relative water content (RWC) and chlorophyll content, and lower water loss rate and malondialdehyde (MDA) production compared to wild-type plants. Collectively, these results provide a preliminary characterization of SlDEAD30 and SlDEAD31 genes in tomato, and suggest that stress-responsive SlDEAD31 is essential for salt and drought tolerance and stress-related gene regulation in plants.

  11. Accelerating adaptive inverse distance weighting interpolation algorithm on a graphics processing unit

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Liangliang; Xu, Nengxiong

    2017-01-01

    This paper focuses on designing and implementing parallel adaptive inverse distance weighting (AIDW) interpolation algorithms by using the graphics processing unit (GPU). The AIDW is an improved version of the standard IDW, which can adaptively determine the power parameter according to the data points’ spatial distribution pattern and achieve more accurate predictions than those predicted by IDW. In this paper, we first present two versions of the GPU-accelerated AIDW, i.e. the naive version without profiting from the shared memory and the tiled version taking advantage of the shared memory. We also implement the naive version and the tiled version using two data layouts, structure of arrays and array of aligned structures, on both single and double precision. We then evaluate the performance of parallel AIDW by comparing it with its corresponding serial algorithm on three different machines equipped with the GPUs GT730M, M5000 and K40c. The experimental results indicate that: (i) there is no significant difference in the computational efficiency when different data layouts are employed; (ii) the tiled version is always slightly faster than the naive version; and (iii) on single precision the achieved speed-up can be up to 763 (on the GPU M5000), while on double precision the obtained highest speed-up is 197 (on the GPU K40c). To benefit the community, all source code and testing data related to the presented parallel AIDW algorithm are publicly available. PMID:28989754

  12. Accelerating adaptive inverse distance weighting interpolation algorithm on a graphics processing unit.

    PubMed

    Mei, Gang; Xu, Liangliang; Xu, Nengxiong

    2017-09-01

    This paper focuses on designing and implementing parallel adaptive inverse distance weighting (AIDW) interpolation algorithms by using the graphics processing unit (GPU). The AIDW is an improved version of the standard IDW, which can adaptively determine the power parameter according to the data points' spatial distribution pattern and achieve more accurate predictions than those predicted by IDW. In this paper, we first present two versions of the GPU-accelerated AIDW, i.e. the naive version without profiting from the shared memory and the tiled version taking advantage of the shared memory. We also implement the naive version and the tiled version using two data layouts, structure of arrays and array of aligned structures, on both single and double precision. We then evaluate the performance of parallel AIDW by comparing it with its corresponding serial algorithm on three different machines equipped with the GPUs GT730M, M5000 and K40c. The experimental results indicate that: (i) there is no significant difference in the computational efficiency when different data layouts are employed; (ii) the tiled version is always slightly faster than the naive version; and (iii) on single precision the achieved speed-up can be up to 763 (on the GPU M5000), while on double precision the obtained highest speed-up is 197 (on the GPU K40c). To benefit the community, all source code and testing data related to the presented parallel AIDW algorithm are publicly available.

  13. Applying 3D Full Waveform Inversion in resolving fracture damage zones around a modelled geological disposal facility in granite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bentham, H. L. M.; Morgan, J. V.; Angus, D. A.

    2016-12-01

    The UK has a large volume of high level and intermediate level radioactive waste and government policy is to dispose of this waste in a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF). This will be a highly-engineered facility capable of isolating radioactive waste within multiple protective barriers, deep underground, to ensure that no harmful quantities of radioactivity ever reach the surface environment. Although no specific GDF site in the UK has been chosen, granite is one of the candidate host rocks due to its strength, in engineering terms, and because of its low permeability in consideration of groundwater movement. We design time-lapse seismic surveys to characterise geological models of naturally fractured granite with GDF-related tunnel damage zones at a potential disposal depth of 1000 m (the UK GDF might be shallower). Additionally, we use effective medium models to calculate the velocity change when the fracture density is increased in the damage zones, and find a reduction of 60 m/s in P-wave velocity when the fracture density is doubled. Next, we simulate seismic surveys and apply 3D Full Waveform Inversion (FWI) to see how well we can recover the low-velocity damage zones. Furthermore we evaluate the effectiveness of using a survey design consisting of surface and tunnel receivers (a combined array) to resolve the target. After applying FWI we find the velocity anomaly within the damage zone can be resolved to within 2 m/s (3%) and the shape of the damage zone is resolved to 12.5 m (within a single grid cell). Using the combined array we are able to resolve the anomaly strength and shape more completely. When we add further complexity to the model by including tunnel infrastructure, we conclude the combined array is essential in recovering the tunnel damage zone. Our findings show that it is beneficial to use 3D FWI and novel survey designs for characterising subtle variations as may be present in granite, information that could assist in the GDF site selection

  14. [Some adaptations of Monodonta turbinata (born, 1780) (Gastropoda, Prosobranchia, Trochidae) to feeding and habitation in the littoral zone].

    PubMed

    Aliakrinskaia, I O

    2010-01-01

    The basic morphological, ethological, and physiological-biochemical adaptations of Monodonta turbinata to survival in the littoral zone were investigated in this work. Quantitative estimation of myoglobin content in radular tissues of mollusks inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea Basin has been carried out.

  15. The Genetic Content of Chromosomal Inversions across a Wide Latitudinal Gradient

    PubMed Central

    Simões, Pedro; Calabria, Gemma; Picão-Osório, João; Balanyà, Joan; Pascual, Marta

    2012-01-01

    There is increasing evidence regarding the role of chromosomal inversions in relevant biological processes such as local adaptation and speciation. A classic example of the adaptive role of chromosomal polymorphisms is given by the clines of inversion frequencies in Drosophila subobscura, repeatable across continents. Nevertheless, not much is known about the molecular variation associated with these polymorphisms. We characterized the genetic content of ca. 600 individuals from nine European populations following a latitudinal gradient by analysing 19 microsatellite loci from two autosomes (J and U) and the sex chromosome (A), taking into account their chromosomal inversions. Our results clearly demonstrate the molecular genetic uniformity within a given chromosomal inversion across a large latitudinal gradient, particularly from Groningen (Netherlands) in the north to Málaga (Spain) in the south, experiencing highly diverse environmental conditions. This low genetic differentiation within the same gene arrangement across the nine European populations is consistent with the local adaptation hypothesis for th evolutionof chromosomal polymorphisms. We also show the effective role of chromosomal inversions in maintaining different genetic pools within these inverted genomic regions even in the presence of high gene flow. Inversions represent thus an important barrier to gene flux and can help maintain specific allelic combinations with positive effects on fitness. Consistent patterns of microsatellite allele-inversion linkage disequilibrium particularly in loci within inversions were also observed. Finally, we identified areas within inversions presenting clinal variation that might be under selection. PMID:23272126

  16. 3-D Seismic Tomographic Inversion to Image Segmentation of the Sumatra Subduction Zone near Simeulue Island

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, G.; Barton, P. J.; Dean, S. M.; Vermeesch, P. M.; Jusuf, M. D.; Henstock, T.; Djajadihardja, Y.; McNeill, L. C.; Permana, H.

    2009-12-01

    Oceanic subduction along the Sunda trench to the west of Sumatra (Indonesia) shows significant along-strike variations in seismicity. For example, the great M9.3 earthquake in 2004 occurred in the forearc basin north of Simeulue island, rupturing the fault predominantly towards the northwest, while the 2005 Nias earthquake nucleated near the Banyak islands, rupturing towards the southeast (Ammon et al., 2005; Ishii et al. 2005). The gap between these two active areas indicates segmentation of the subduction zone, but the cause of the segmentation remains enigmatic. To investigate the apparent barriers to rupture, two 3-D refraction surveys were conducted in 2008, one, the topic of this study, around Simeulue island and the other to the southeast of Nias island. Seismic data were collected using ocean bottom seismometers and a 12-airgun tuned array with a total capacity of 5420 cu. in., together with high resolution bathymetry data and gravity data. 174,515 traveltimes of first refracted arrivals were picked for the study area, and 128,138 of them were inverted for a model of minimum structure required by the data using the ‘FAST’ method (Zelt et.al, 1998). Resolution tests show that the model is resolvable mostly on a scale of >40 km horizontally. The final velocity model produced has two distinct features: i. the subducted oceanic plates (represented by 6 km/s contours) seem to be discontinuous along strike; ii. the subduction dip angle appears to be steeper in the southern part of the survey area than in the north. The geometric variation in the subducted plate appears to coincide with the segment boundary approximately across the centre of Simeulue island, and may perhaps associated with the segmentation of the seismicity noted from the earthquake record. More accurate velocity models will be developed by jointly inverting traveltimes of first and later arrivals as well as normal incidence data using the tomographic inversion program JIVE-3D (Hobro et

  17. How dead is dead? Qualitative findings from participants of combined traditional and lead-time time trade-off valuations.

    PubMed

    Al Sayah, Fatima; Mladenovic, Ana; Gaebel, Kathryn; Xie, Feng; Johnson, Jeffrey A

    2016-01-01

    The EuroQol Valuation Technology (EQ-VT) uses traditional time trade-off (tTTO) for health states better than dead and lead-time TTO (LT-TTO) for states worse than dead to elicit a value (-1.0 to +1.0) for each health state. In the Canadian EQ-5D-5L Valuation study which used the EQVT platform, we observed an unexpected peak in frequency of "0" values and few negative values, particularly in the range of 0 to -0.5. To better understand this finding, we sought to explore respondents' thought processes while valuing a health state, and their understanding of the tTTO and LT-TTO exercises. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with EQVT task respondents. Questions focused on valuations of health states as: (a) Same as dead in tTTO, (b) Worse than dead in tTTO but changed to same as dead in LT-TTO, (c) Worse than dead in LT-TTO, and (d) Worse than dead in LT-TTO with trading off all 10 years. Data were analyzed using content and thematic analysis. Mean age of participants (N = 70) was 40 ± 18.1 years, 60% female, and 76% Caucasian. Participants provided similar reasons for valuing a health state same as or worse than dead. Many participants expressed confusion about worse than dead valuations, distinction between same as and worse than dead, and the transition from tTTO to LT-TTO. A few indicated that the addition of 10 years of full health in the LT-TTO influenced their valuations. The transition from tTTO to LT-TTO in the EQVT was confusing to participants, whereby some health state valuations around this transition appeared to be arbitrary.

  18. Adaptively Parameterized Tomography of the Western Hellenic Subduction Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hansen, S. E.; Papadopoulos, G. A.

    2017-12-01

    The Hellenic subduction zone (HSZ) is the most seismically active region in Europe and plays a major role in the active tectonics of the eastern Mediterranean. This complicated environment has the potential to generate both large magnitude (M > 8) earthquakes and tsunamis. Situated above the western end of the HSZ, Greece faces a high risk from these geologic hazards, and characterizing this risk requires detailed understanding of the geodynamic processes occurring in this area. However, despite previous investigations, the kinematics of the HSZ are still controversial. Regional tomographic studies have yielded important information about the shallow seismic structure of the HSZ, but these models only image down to 150 km depth within small geographic areas. Deeper structure is constrained by global tomographic models but with coarser resolution ( 200-300 km). Additionally, current tomographic models focused on the HSZ were generated with regularly-spaced gridding, and this type of parameterization often over-emphasizes poorly sampled regions of the model or under-represents small-scale structure. Therefore, we are developing a new, high-resolution image of the mantle structure beneath the western HSZ using an adaptively parameterized seismic tomography approach. By combining multiple, regional travel-time datasets in the context of a global model, with adaptable gridding based on the sampling density of high-frequency data, this method generates a composite model of mantle structure that is being used to better characterize geodynamic processes within the HSZ, thereby allowing for improved hazard assessment. Preliminary results will be shown.

  19. Antimicrobial Activity of Bacillus Persicus 24-DSM Isolated from Dead Sea Mud.

    PubMed

    Al-Karablieh, Nehaya

    2017-01-01

    Dead Sea is a hypersaline lake with 34% salinity, gains its name due to the absence of any living macroscopic creatures. Despite the extreme hypersaline environment, it is a unique ecosystem for various halophilic microorganisms adapted to this environment. Halophilic microorganisms are known for various potential biotechnological applications, the purpose of the current research is isolation and screening of halophilic bacteria from Dead Sea mud for potential antimicrobial applications. Screening for antagonistic bacteria was conducted by bacterial isolation from Dead Sea mud samples and agar plate antagonistic assay. The potential antagonistic isolates were subjected to biochemical characterization and identification by 16S-rRNA sequencing. Among the collected isolates, four isolates showed potential antagonistic activity against Bacillus subtilis 6633 and Escherichia coli 8739. The most active isolate (24-DSM) was subjected for antagonistic activity and minimal inhibitory concentration against different gram positive and negative bacterial strains after cultivation in different salt concentration media. Results: The results of 16S-rRNA analysis revealed that 24-DSM is very closely related to Bacillus persicus strain B48, which was isolated from hypersaline lake in Iran. Therefore, the isolate 24-DSM is assigned as a new strain of B. persicusi isolated from the Dead Sea mud. B. persicusi 24-DSM showed higher antimicrobial activity, when it was cultivated with saline medium, against all tested bacterial strains, where the most sensitive bacterial strain was Corynebacterium diphtheria 51696.

  20. New evidence on the accurate displacement along the Arava/Araba segment of the Dead Sea Transform

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beyth, M.; Sagy, A.; Hajazi, H.; Alkhraisha, S.; Mushkin, A.; Ginat, H.

    2018-06-01

    The sinistral displacement along the Dead Sea Transform (DST), the plate boundary between the African and the Arabian plates, south of the Dead Sea basin, was previously attributed to two main fault zones: the Arava/Araba or Dead Sea fault and the Feinan or Al Quwayra fault zone. This was based on similarities of features on either side of the Araba Valley. In particular, the Timna and the Feinan copper mines, located north of the Themed and Dana faults, and the onlap of the Cambrian formations southward onto the Amram rhyolite and Ahyamir volcanics. To these we add a more accurate offset indicator in the form of an offset Early Cambrian (532 Ma) dolerite dyke previously mapped in Mount Amram (Israel) on the African plate and recently discovered across the Araba Valley in Jabal Sumr al Tayyiba (southwest Jordan) on the Arabian plate. This dolerite dyke is 20 m thick, strikes N50°E and is the only dyke intruding the Jabal Sumr al Tayyiba pink rhyolite flows of the Ahyamir Volcanics. Geochemical and geochronological correlations between the Jabal Sumr al Tayyiba dolerite dyke and the Mount Amram dolerite dyke demonstrate 85 km of sinistral offset across the Arava/Araba fault. Our results also suggest approximately 109 km of combined sinistral displacement across the Arava/Araba and Feinan faults based on petrological correlations between the Timna and Jabal Hanna igneous complexes on the African and Arabian plates, respectively. This constrains the total sinistral displacement of the Feinan fault and its accessory faults to be 24 km.

  1. New evidence on the accurate displacement along the Arava/Araba segment of the Dead Sea Transform

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beyth, M.; Sagy, A.; Hajazi, H.; Alkhraisha, S.; Mushkin, A.; Ginat, H.

    2017-11-01

    The sinistral displacement along the Dead Sea Transform (DST), the plate boundary between the African and the Arabian plates, south of the Dead Sea basin, was previously attributed to two main fault zones: the Arava/Araba or Dead Sea fault and the Feinan or Al Quwayra fault zone. This was based on similarities of features on either side of the Araba Valley. In particular, the Timna and the Feinan copper mines, located north of the Themed and Dana faults, and the onlap of the Cambrian formations southward onto the Amram rhyolite and Ahyamir volcanics. To these we add a more accurate offset indicator in the form of an offset Early Cambrian (532 Ma) dolerite dyke previously mapped in Mount Amram (Israel) on the African plate and recently discovered across the Araba Valley in Jabal Sumr al Tayyiba (southwest Jordan) on the Arabian plate. This dolerite dyke is 20 m thick, strikes N50°E and is the only dyke intruding the Jabal Sumr al Tayyiba pink rhyolite flows of the Ahyamir Volcanics. Geochemical and geochronological correlations between the Jabal Sumr al Tayyiba dolerite dyke and the Mount Amram dolerite dyke demonstrate 85 km of sinistral offset across the Arava/Araba fault. Our results also suggest approximately 109 km of combined sinistral displacement across the Arava/Araba and Feinan faults based on petrological correlations between the Timna and Jabal Hanna igneous complexes on the African and Arabian plates, respectively. This constrains the total sinistral displacement of the Feinan fault and its accessory faults to be 24 km.

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

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

    1991-01-01

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

  3. Adaptive control of robotic manipulators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Seraji, H.

    1987-01-01

    The author presents a novel approach to adaptive control of manipulators to achieve trajectory tracking by the joint angles. The central concept in this approach is the utilization of the manipulator inverse as a feedforward controller. The desired trajectory is applied as an input to the feedforward controller which behaves as the inverse of the manipulator at any operating point; the controller output is used as the driving torque for the manipulator. The controller gains are then updated by an adaptation algorithm derived from MRAC (model reference adaptive control) theory to cope with variations in the manipulator inverse due to changes of the operating point. An adaptive feedback controller and an auxiliary signal are also used to enhance closed-loop stability and to achieve faster adaptation. The proposed control scheme is computationally fast and does not require a priori knowledge of the complex dynamic model or the parameter values of the manipulator or the payload.

  4. Water quality modeling in the dead end sections of drinking water (Supplement)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Dead-end sections of drinking water distribution networks are known to be problematic zones in terms of water quality degradation. Extended residence time due to water stagnation leads to rapid reduction of disinfectant residuals allowing the regrowth of microbial pathogens. Water quality models developed so far apply spatial aggregation and temporal averaging techniques for hydraulic parameters by assigning hourly averaged water demands to the main nodes of the network. Although this practice has generally resulted in minimal loss of accuracy for the predicted disinfectant concentrations in main water transmission lines, this is not the case for the peripheries of the distribution network. This study proposes a new approach for simulating disinfectant residuals in dead end pipes while accounting for both spatial and temporal variability in hydraulic and transport parameters. A stochastic demand generator was developed to represent residential water pulses based on a non-homogenous Poisson process. Dispersive solute transport was considered using highly dynamic dispersion rates. A genetic algorithm was used tocalibrate the axial hydraulic profile of the dead-end pipe based on the different demand shares of the withdrawal nodes. A parametric sensitivity analysis was done to assess the model performance under variation of different simulation parameters. A group of Monte-Carlo ensembles was carried out to investigate the influence of spatial and temporal variation

  5. Three-dimensional modeling of pull-apart basins: implications for the tectonics of the Dead Sea Basin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Katzman, Rafael; ten Brink, Uri S.; Lin, Jian

    1995-01-01

    We model the three-dimensional (3-D) crustal deformation in a deep pull-apart basin as a result of relative plate motion along a transform system and compare the results to the tectonics of the Dead Sea Basin. The brittle upper crust is modeled by a boundary element technique as an elastic block, broken by two en echelon semi-infinite vertical faults. The deformation is caused by a horizontal displacement that is imposed everywhere at the bottom of the block except in a stress-free “shear zone” in the vicinity of the fault zone. The bottom displacement represents the regional relative plate motion. Results show that the basin deformation depends critically on the width of the shear zone and on the amount of overlap between basin-bounding faults. As the width of the shear zone increases, the depth of the basin decreases, the rotation around a vertical axis near the fault tips decreases, and the basin shape (the distribution of subsidence normalized by the maximum subsidence) becomes broader. In contrast, two-dimensional plane stress modeling predicts a basin shape that is independent of the width of the shear zone. Our models also predict full-graben profiles within the overlapped region between bounding faults and half-graben shapes elsewhere. Increasing overlap also decreases uplift near the fault tips and rotation of blocks within the basin. We suggest that the observed structure of the Dead Sea Basin can be described by a 3-D model having a large overlap (more than 30 km) that probably increased as the basin evolved as a result of a stable shear motion that was distributed laterally over 20 to 40 km.

  6. Human inversions and their functional consequences

    PubMed Central

    Puig, Marta; Casillas, Sònia; Villatoro, Sergi

    2015-01-01

    Polymorphic inversions are a type of structural variants that are difficult to analyze owing to their balanced nature and the location of breakpoints within complex repeated regions. So far, only a handful of inversions have been studied in detail in humans and current knowledge about their possible functional effects is still limited. However, inversions have been related to phenotypic changes and adaptation in multiple species. In this review, we summarize the evidences of the functional impact of inversions in the human genome. First, given that inversions have been shown to inhibit recombination in heterokaryotes, chromosomes displaying different orientation are expected to evolve independently and this may lead to distinct gene-expression patterns. Second, inversions have a role as disease-causing mutations both by directly affecting gene structure or regulation in different ways, and by predisposing to other secondary arrangements in the offspring of inversion carriers. Finally, several inversions show signals of being selected during human evolution. These findings illustrate the potential of inversions to have phenotypic consequences also in humans and emphasize the importance of their inclusion in genome-wide association studies. PMID:25998059

  7. Who are the Unclaimed Dead?

    PubMed

    Quinet, Kenna; Nunn, Samuel; Ballew, Alfarena

    2016-01-01

    Unclaimed dead are deceased persons with no known next of kin (NoK) or NoK was located but did not claim the deceased. Unclaimed dead in Marion County, Indiana, 2004-2011, are examined. Comparisons are provided of the unclaimed to the claimed dead population and county death patterns. Race, gender, marital status, age, location, manner and cause of death, NoK, and days to disposition are analyzed. The unclaimed dead were disproportionately male, slightly more likely to be Black, younger at death, died from natural causes, had unknown marital status, were equally likely as not to have NoK, did not die in a hospital, and were subject to autopsy. Nearly half the unclaimed had NoK who did not claim the body; the other half had no identifiable NoK. Unclaimed were more likely to have an autopsy and to die from external causes. Most unclaimed were identified by means outside fingerprints or DNA. © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  8. "Living versus Dead":

    PubMed Central

    Chakrabarti, Pratik

    2010-01-01

    Summary The Semple antirabies vaccine was developed by David Semple in India in 1911. Semple introduced a peculiarly British approach within the Pasteurian tradition by using carbolized dead virus. This article studies this unique phase of vaccine research between 1910 and 1935 to show that in the debates and laboratory experiments around the potency and safety of vaccines, categories like "living" and "dead" were often used as ideological and moral denominations. These abstract and ideological debates were crucial in defining the final configuration of the Semple vaccine, the most popular antirabies vaccine used globally, and also in shaping international vaccination policies. PMID:21037397

  9. 46 CFR 108.161 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 108.161 Section 108.161 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) A-MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS DESIGN AND EQUIPMENT Construction and Arrangement Means of Escape § 108.161 Dead end corridors. No dead end corridor...

  10. 46 CFR 108.161 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 108.161 Section 108.161 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) A-MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS DESIGN AND EQUIPMENT Construction and Arrangement Means of Escape § 108.161 Dead end corridors. No dead end corridor...

  11. 46 CFR 108.161 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 108.161 Section 108.161 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) A-MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS DESIGN AND EQUIPMENT Construction and Arrangement Means of Escape § 108.161 Dead end corridors. No dead end corridor...

  12. 46 CFR 108.161 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 108.161 Section 108.161 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) A-MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS DESIGN AND EQUIPMENT Construction and Arrangement Means of Escape § 108.161 Dead end corridors. No dead end corridor...

  13. 46 CFR 108.161 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 108.161 Section 108.161 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) A-MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS DESIGN AND EQUIPMENT Construction and Arrangement Means of Escape § 108.161 Dead end corridors. No dead end corridor...

  14. 9 CFR 314.8 - Dead animal carcasses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Dead animal carcasses. 314.8 Section 314.8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Dead animal carcasses. (a) With the exception of dead livestock which have died en route and are...

  15. 9 CFR 314.8 - Dead animal carcasses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Dead animal carcasses. 314.8 Section 314.8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Dead animal carcasses. (a) With the exception of dead livestock which have died en route and are...

  16. 9 CFR 314.8 - Dead animal carcasses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Dead animal carcasses. 314.8 Section 314.8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Dead animal carcasses. (a) With the exception of dead livestock which have died en route and are...

  17. 9 CFR 314.8 - Dead animal carcasses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Dead animal carcasses. 314.8 Section 314.8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Dead animal carcasses. (a) With the exception of dead livestock which have died en route and are...

  18. 9 CFR 314.8 - Dead animal carcasses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Dead animal carcasses. 314.8 Section 314.8 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGENCY... Dead animal carcasses. (a) With the exception of dead livestock which have died en route and are...

  19. New Life From Dead Trees

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeGraaf, Richard M.

    1978-01-01

    There are numerous bird species that will nest only in dead or dying trees. Current forestry practices include clearing forests of these snags, or dead trees. This practice is driving many species out of the forests. An illustrated example of bird succession in and on a tree is given. (MA)

  20. A Strategy to Join Adaptive and Reputation-Based Social-Collaborative E-Learning, through the Zone of Proximal Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Marsico, Maria; Sterbini, Andrea; Temperini, Marco

    2013-01-01

    The educational concept of "Zone of Proximal Development", introduced by Vygotskij, stems from the identification of a strong need for adaptation of the learning activities, both traditional classroom and modern e-learning ones, to the present state of learner's knowledge and abilities. Furthermore, Vygotskij's educational…

  1. 46 CFR 111.10-7 - Dead ship.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dead ship. 111.10-7 Section 111.10-7 Shipping COAST... REQUIREMENTS Power Supply § 111.10-7 Dead ship. (a) The generating plant of each self-propelled vessel must provide the electrical services necessary to start the main propulsion plant from a dead ship condition...

  2. 46 CFR 111.10-7 - Dead ship.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Dead ship. 111.10-7 Section 111.10-7 Shipping COAST... REQUIREMENTS Power Supply § 111.10-7 Dead ship. (a) The generating plant of each self-propelled vessel must provide the electrical services necessary to start the main propulsion plant from a dead ship condition...

  3. 46 CFR 111.10-7 - Dead ship.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Dead ship. 111.10-7 Section 111.10-7 Shipping COAST... REQUIREMENTS Power Supply § 111.10-7 Dead ship. (a) The generating plant of each self-propelled vessel must provide the electrical services necessary to start the main propulsion plant from a dead ship condition...

  4. 46 CFR 111.10-7 - Dead ship.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Dead ship. 111.10-7 Section 111.10-7 Shipping COAST... REQUIREMENTS Power Supply § 111.10-7 Dead ship. (a) The generating plant of each self-propelled vessel must provide the electrical services necessary to start the main propulsion plant from a dead ship condition...

  5. 46 CFR 111.10-7 - Dead ship.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dead ship. 111.10-7 Section 111.10-7 Shipping COAST... REQUIREMENTS Power Supply § 111.10-7 Dead ship. (a) The generating plant of each self-propelled vessel must provide the electrical services necessary to start the main propulsion plant from a dead ship condition...

  6. Assessment and management of dead-wood habitat

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hagar, Joan

    2007-01-01

    The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is in the process of revising its resource management plans for six districts in western and southern Oregon as the result of the settlement of a lawsuit brought by the American Forest Resource Council. A range of management alternatives is being considered and evaluated including at least one that will minimize reserves on O&C lands. In order to develop the bases for evaluating management alternatives, the agency needs to derive a reasonable range of objectives for key issues and resources. Dead-wood habitat for wildlife has been identified as a key resource for which decision-making tools and techniques need to be refined and clarified. Under the Northwest Forest Plan, reserves were to play an important role in providing habitat for species associated with dead wood (U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management, 1994). Thus, the BLM needs to: 1) address the question of how dead wood will be provided if reserves are not included as a management strategy in the revised Resource Management Plan, and 2) be able to evaluate the effects of alternative land management approaches. Dead wood has become an increasingly important conservation issue in managed forests, as awareness of its function in providing wildlife habitat and in basic ecological processes has dramatically increased over the last several decades (Laudenslayer et al., 2002). A major concern of forest managers is providing dead wood habitat for terrestrial wildlife. Wildlife in Pacific Northwest forests have evolved with disturbances that create large amounts of dead wood; so, it is not surprising that many species are closely associated with standing (snags) or down, dead wood. In general, the occurrence or abundance of one-quarter to one-third of forest-dwelling vertebrate wildlife species, is strongly associated with availability of suitable dead-wood habitat (Bunnell et al., 1999; Rose et al., 2001). In

  7. Recombination rate predicts inversion size in Diptera.

    PubMed Central

    Cáceres, M; Barbadilla, A; Ruiz, A

    1999-01-01

    Most species of the Drosophila genus and other Diptera are polymorphic for paracentric inversions. A common observation is that successful inversions are of intermediate size. We test here the hypothesis that the selected property is the recombination length of inversions, not their physical length. If so, physical length of successful inversions should be negatively correlated with recombination rate across species. This prediction was tested by a comprehensive statistical analysis of inversion size and recombination map length in 12 Diptera species for which appropriate data are available. We found that (1) there is a wide variation in recombination map length among species; (2) physical length of successful inversions varies greatly among species and is inversely correlated with the species recombination map length; and (3) neither the among-species variation in inversion length nor the correlation are observed in unsuccessful inversions. The clear differences between successful and unsuccessful inversions point to natural selection as the most likely explanation for our results. Presumably the selective advantage of an inversion increases with its length, but so does its detrimental effect on fertility due to double crossovers. Our analysis provides the strongest and most extensive evidence in favor of the notion that the adaptive value of inversions stems from their effect on recombination. PMID:10471710

  8. Shallow lithological structure across the Dead Sea Transform derived from geophysical experiments

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stankiewicz, J.; Munoz, G.; Ritter, O.; Bedrosian, P.A.; Ryberg, T.; Weckmann, U.; Weber, M.

    2011-01-01

    In the framework of the DEad SEa Rift Transect (DESERT) project a 150 km magnetotelluric profile consisting of 154 sites was carried out across the Dead Sea Transform. The resistivity model presented shows conductive structures in the western section of the study area terminating abruptly at the Arava Fault. For a more detailed analysis we performed a joint interpretation of the resistivity model with a P wave velocity model from a partially coincident seismic experiment. The technique used is a statistical correlation of resistivity and velocity values in parameter space. Regions of high probability of a coexisting pair of values for the two parameters are mapped back into the spatial domain, illustrating the geographical location of lithological classes. In this study, four regions of enhanced probability have been identified, and are remapped as four lithological classes. This technique confirms the Arava Fault marks the boundary of a highly conductive lithological class down to a depth of ???3 km. That the fault acts as an impermeable barrier to fluid flow is unusual for large fault zone, which often exhibit a fault zone characterized by high conductivity and low seismic velocity. At greater depths it is possible to resolve the Precambrian basement into two classes characterized by vastly different resistivity values but similar seismic velocities. The boundary between these classes is approximately coincident with the Al Quweira Fault, with higher resistivities observed east of the fault. This is interpreted as evidence for the original deformation along the DST originally taking place at the Al Quweira Fault, before being shifted to the Arava Fault. 

  9. Ultra-low velocity zones beneath the Philippine and Tasman Seas revealed by a trans-dimensional Bayesian waveform inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pachhai, Surya; Dettmer, Jan; Tkalčić, Hrvoje

    2015-11-01

    Ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs) are small-scale structures in the Earth's lowermost mantle inferred from the analysis of seismological observations. These structures exhibit a strong decrease in compressional (P)-wave velocity, shear (S)-wave velocity, and an increase in density. Quantifying the elastic properties of ULVZs is crucial for understanding their physical origin, which has been hypothesized either as partial melting, iron enrichment, or a combination of the two. Possible disambiguation of these hypotheses can lead to a better understanding of the dynamic processes of the lowermost mantle, such as, percolation, stirring and thermochemical convection. To date, ULVZs have been predominantly studied by forward waveform modelling of seismic waves that sample the core-mantle boundary region. However, ULVZ parameters (i.e. velocity, density, and vertical and lateral extent) obtained through forward modelling are poorly constrained because inferring Earth structure from seismic observations is a non-linear inverse problem with inherent non-uniqueness. To address these issues, we developed a trans-dimensional hierarchical Bayesian inversion that enables rigorous estimation of ULVZ parameter values and their uncertainties, including the effects of model selection. The model selection includes treating the number of layers and the vertical extent of the ULVZ as unknowns. The posterior probability density (solution to the inverse problem) of the ULVZ parameters is estimated by reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling that employs parallel tempering to improve efficiency/convergence. First, we apply our method to study the resolution of complex ULVZ structure (including gradually varying structure) by probabilistically inverting simulated noisy waveforms. Then, two data sets sampling the CMB beneath the Philippine and Tasman Seas are considered in the inversion. Our results indicate that both ULVZs are more complex than previously suggested. For the

  10. Transcriptome-wide analysis of DEAD-box RNA helicase gene family in an Antarctic psychrophilic alga Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-L.

    PubMed

    Liu, Chenlin; Huang, Xiaohang

    2015-09-01

    DEAD-box RNA helicase family proteins have been identified in almost all living organisms. Some of them play a crucial role in adaptation to environmental changes and stress response, especially in the low-temperature acclimation in different kinds of organisms. Compared with the full swing study in plants and bacteria, the characters and functions of DEAD-box family proteins had not been surveyed in algae. To identify genes critical for freezing acclimation in algae, we screened DEAD-box RNA helicase genes from the transcriptome sequences of a psychrophilic microalga Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-L which was isolated from Antarctic sea ice. Totally 39 DEAD-box RNA helicase genes had been identified. Most of the DEAD-box RNA helicase have 1:1 homologous relationships in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-L with several exceptions. The homologous proteins in ICE-L to the helicases critical for cold or freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana had been identified based on phylogenetic comparison studies. The response of these helicase genes is not always identical in the Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-L and Arabidopsis under the same low-temperature treatment. The expression of several DEAD-box RNA helicase genes including CiRH5, CiRH25, CiRH28, and CiRH55 were significantly up-regulated under freezing treatment of ICE-L and their function in freezing acclimation of ICE-L deserved further investigation.

  11. Communicating with the Dead

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurtz, Paul

    2000-03-01

    Communicating with dead persons is popular in the new paranatural (paranormal-spiritual) paradigm that has emerged today. This view violates physicalist principles. Scientists have investigated survival questions for over 150 years. Beginning with the Fox sisters in 1848, they have examined reports of apparitions and ghosts, rappings, table turnings, teleportation, levitation, and other alleged physicalist manifestations in séances. Such reports were discredited by uncovering hoaxes by alleged mediums, e.g. Eusapia Palladino (1910s), Marjorie Crandon (1920s), etc. In recent decades there has been a revival of interest in survival with reports of near-death experiences. Skeptics ask: Are such persons clinically dead? Today, channelers such as James Van Praagh, John Edwards, and Sylvia Browne claim to communicate directly with the dead (the "Sixth Sense"). There is no attempt at physical confirmation or independent eyewitness corroboration so essential for scientific inquiry. Subjective claims are uncritically accepted at their face value, though alternative naturalistic explanations can be given for the alleged phenomena.

  12. Stress regimes in the northwest of Iran from stress inversion of earthquake focal mechanisms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Afra, Mahsa; Moradi, Ali; Pakzad, Mehrdad

    2017-11-01

    Northwestern Iran is one of the seismically active regions with a high seismic risk in the world. This area is a part of the complex tectonic system due to the interaction between Arabia, Anatolia and Eurasia. The purpose of this study is to deduce the stress regimes in the northwestern Iran and surrounding regions from stress inversion of earthquake focal mechanisms. We compile 92 focal mechanisms data from the Global CMT catalogue and other sources and also determine the focal mechanisms of 14 earthquakes applying the moment tensor inversion. We divide the studied region into 9 zones using similarity of the horizontal GPS velocities and existing focal mechanisms. We implement two stress inversion methods, Multiple Inverse Method and Iterative Joint Inversion Method, which provide comparable results in terms of orientations of maximum horizontal stress axes SHmax. The similar results of the two methods should make us more confident about the interpretations. We consider zones of exclusion surrounding all the earthquakes according to independent focal mechanisms hypothesis. The hypothesis says that the inversion should involve events that are far enough from each other in order that any previous event doesn't affect the stress field near the earthquake under consideration. Accordingly we deal with the matter by considering zones of exclusion around all the events. The result of exclusion is only significant for eastern Anatolia. The stress regime in this region changes from oblique to strike slip faulting because of the exclusion. In eastern Anatolia, the direction of maximum horizontal stress is nearly north-south. The direction alters to east-west in Talesh region. Errors of σ1 are lower in all zones comparing with errors of σ2 and σ3 and there is a trade-off between data resolution and covariance of the model. The results substantiate the strike-slip and thrust faulting stress regimes in the northwest of Iran.

  13. Exploring equivalence domain in nonlinear inverse problems using Covariance Matrix Adaption Evolution Strategy (CMAES) and random sampling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grayver, Alexander V.; Kuvshinov, Alexey V.

    2016-05-01

    This paper presents a methodology to sample equivalence domain (ED) in nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE)-constrained inverse problems. For this purpose, we first applied state-of-the-art stochastic optimization algorithm called Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMAES) to identify low-misfit regions of the model space. These regions were then randomly sampled to create an ensemble of equivalent models and quantify uncertainty. CMAES is aimed at exploring model space globally and is robust on very ill-conditioned problems. We show that the number of iterations required to converge grows at a moderate rate with respect to number of unknowns and the algorithm is embarrassingly parallel. We formulated the problem by using the generalized Gaussian distribution. This enabled us to seamlessly use arbitrary norms for residual and regularization terms. We show that various regularization norms facilitate studying different classes of equivalent solutions. We further show how performance of the standard Metropolis-Hastings Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm can be substantially improved by using information CMAES provides. This methodology was tested by using individual and joint inversions of magneotelluric, controlled-source electromagnetic (EM) and global EM induction data.

  14. Inversion for Double-Layer Anisotropy in the Mantle Beneath the Middle America and Izu-Bonin Subduction Zones

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuo, B. Y.

    2017-12-01

    We measured shear wave splitting for the intraslab events in the Middle America and Izu-Bonin subduction zones recorded at Pacific stations to infer the anisotropic structure in the subslab mantle. The receiver-side anisotropy is accounted for by considering both azimuthal anisotropy determined by SKS splitting and radial anisotropy given in global tomographic model, although the latter does not change the overall pattern of subslab anisotropy. By removing the anisotropy effects from both receiver and source sides, the initial polarization directions (p) of the shear waves used were recovered, most of which are in reasonable agreement with that predicted form the CMT solutions. For both subduction zones, the polarization-splitting plots strongly suggest the presence of two layers of anisotropy. To constrain the two-layer model, we perform inversions which minimize the misfit in both the splitting parameters and p. In the MASZ, the best model contains an upper layer with the fast direction in parallel with the absolute plate motion of the Cocos plate and a lower layer 40-60 degree clockwise from the APM. The delay times are 1.5 and 1.9 s respectively. The interference of the double layer produced dts in excess of 3 s at a certain range of p. The SKS splitting were also inverted for a two-layer model, yielding similar splitting characters and the clockwise rotation. We are investigating why this rotation takes place and how this observation is related to the dynamics of the asthenosphere.

  15. Space Radar Image of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    This space radar image shows the area surrounding the Dead Sea along the West Bank between Israel and Jordan. This region is of major cultural and historical importance to millions of Muslims, Jews and Christians who consider it the Holy Land. The yellow area at the top of the image is the city of Jericho. A portion of the Dead Sea is shown as the large black area at the top right side of the image. The Jordan River is the white line at the top of the image which flows into the Dead Sea. Jerusalem, which lies in the Judaean Hill Country, is the bright, yellowish area shown along the left center of the image. Just below and to the right of Jerusalem is the town of Bethlehem. The city of Hebron is the white, yellowish area near the bottom of the image. The area around Jerusalem has a history of more than 2,000 years of settlement and scientists are hoping to use these data to unveil more about this region's past. The Jordan River Valley is part of an active fault and rift system that extends from southern Turkey and connects with the east African rift zone. This fault system has produced major earthquakes throughout history and some scientists theorize that an earthquake may have caused the fall of Jericho's walls. The Dead Sea basin is formed by active earthquake faulting and contains the lowest place on the Earth's surface at about 400 meters (1,300 feet) below sea level. It was in caves along the northern shore of the Dead Sea that the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947. The blue and green areas are generally regions of undeveloped hills and the dark green areas are the smooth lowlands of the Jordan River valley. This image is 73 kilometers by 45 kilometers (45 miles by 28 miles) and is centered at 31.7 degrees north latitude, 35.4 degrees east longitude. North is toward the upper left. The colors are assigned to different radar frequencies and polarizations as follows: red is L-band, horizontally transmitted and vertically received; green is L-band, horizontally

  16. The dead donor rule: a defense.

    PubMed

    Birch, Samuel C M

    2013-08-01

    Miller, Truog, and Brock have recently argued that the "dead donor rule," the requirement that donors be determined to be dead before vital organs are procured for transplantation, cannot withstand ethical scrutiny. In their view, the dead donor rule is inconsistent with existing life-saving practices of organ transplantation, lacks a cogent ethical rationale, and is not necessary for maintenance of public trust in organ transplantation. In this paper, the second of these claims will be evaluated. (The first and third are not addressed.) The claim that the dead donor rule lacks a cogent ethical rationale will be shown to be an expression of the contemporary rejection of the moral significance of the traditional distinction between killing and allowing to die. The moral significance of this traditional distinction, and the associated norm that doctors should not kill their patients, will be defended, and this critique of it shown to be unsuccessful.

  17. Volcanic geothermal system in the Main Ethiopian Rift: insights from 3D MT finite-element inversion and other exploration methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Samrock, F.; Grayver, A.; Eysteinsson, H.; Saar, M. O.

    2017-12-01

    In search for geothermal resources, especially in exploration for high-enthalpy systems found in regions with active volcanism, the magnetotelluric (MT) method has proven to be an efficient tool. Electrical conductivity of the subsurface, imaged by MT, is used for detecting layers of electrically highly conductive clays which form around the surrounding strata of hot circulating fluids and for delineating magmatic heat sources such as zones with partial melting. We present a case study using a novel 3-D inverse solver, based on adaptive local mesh refinement techniques, applied to decoupled forward and inverse mesh parameterizations. The flexible meshing allows accurate representation of surface topography, while keeping computational costs at a reasonable level. The MT data set we analyze was measured at 112 sites, covering an area of 18 by 11 km at a geothermal prospect in the Main Ethiopian Rift. For inverse modelling, we tested a series of different settings to ensure that the recovered structures are supported by the data. Specifically, we tested different starting models, regularization functionals, sets of transfer functions, with and without inclusion of topography. Several robust subsurface structures were revealed. These are prominent features of a high-enthalpy geothermal system: A highly conductive shallow clay cap occurs in an area with high fumarolic activity, and is underlain by a more resistive zone, which is commonly interpreted as a propylitic reservoir and is the main geothermal target for drilling. An interesting discovery is the existence of a channel-like conductor connecting the geothermal field at the surface with an off-rift conductive zone, whose existence was proposed earlier as being related to an off-rift volcanic belt along the western shoulder of the Main Ethiopian Rift. The electrical conductivity model is interpreted together with results from other geoscientific studies and outcomes from satellite remote sensing techniques.

  18. 49 CFR 236.798 - Section, dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Section, dead. 236.798 Section 236.798 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION... Section, dead. A section of track, either within a track circuit or between two track circuits, the rails...

  19. 49 CFR 236.798 - Section, dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Section, dead. 236.798 Section 236.798 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION... Section, dead. A section of track, either within a track circuit or between two track circuits, the rails...

  20. 49 CFR 236.798 - Section, dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Section, dead. 236.798 Section 236.798 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION... Section, dead. A section of track, either within a track circuit or between two track circuits, the rails...

  1. 49 CFR 236.798 - Section, dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Section, dead. 236.798 Section 236.798 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION... Section, dead. A section of track, either within a track circuit or between two track circuits, the rails...

  2. 49 CFR 236.798 - Section, dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Section, dead. 236.798 Section 236.798 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION... Section, dead. A section of track, either within a track circuit or between two track circuits, the rails...

  3. Dead time corrections using the backward extrapolation method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gilad, E.; Dubi, C.; Geslot, B.; Blaise, P.; Kolin, A.

    2017-05-01

    Dead time losses in neutron detection, caused by both the detector and the electronics dead time, is a highly nonlinear effect, known to create high biasing in physical experiments as the power grows over a certain threshold, up to total saturation of the detector system. Analytic modeling of the dead time losses is a highly complicated task due to the different nature of the dead time in the different components of the monitoring system (e.g., paralyzing vs. non paralyzing), and the stochastic nature of the fission chains. In the present study, a new technique is introduced for dead time corrections on the sampled Count Per Second (CPS), based on backward extrapolation of the losses, created by increasingly growing artificially imposed dead time on the data, back to zero. The method has been implemented on actual neutron noise measurements carried out in the MINERVE zero power reactor, demonstrating high accuracy (of 1-2%) in restoring the corrected count rate.

  4. Tracing of paleo-shear zones by self-potential data inversion: case studies from the KTB, Rittsteig, and Grossensees graphite-bearing fault planes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mehanee, Salah A.

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes a new method for tracing paleo-shear zones of the continental crust by self-potential (SP) data inversion. The method falls within the deterministic inversion framework, and it is exclusively applicable for the interpretation of the SP anomalies measured along a profile over sheet-type structures such as conductive thin films of interconnected graphite precipitations formed on shear planes. The inverse method fits a residual SP anomaly by a single thin sheet and recovers the characteristic parameters (depth to the top h, extension in depth a, amplitude coefficient k, and amount and direction of dip θ) of the sheet. This method minimizes an objective functional in the space of the logarithmed and non-logarithmed model parameters (log( h), log( a), log( k), and θ) successively by the steepest descent (SD) and Gauss-Newton (GN) techniques in order to essentially maintain the stability and convergence of this inverse method. Prior to applying the method to real data, its accuracy, convergence, and stability are successfully verified on numerical examples with and without noise. The method is then applied to SP profiles from the German Continental Deep Drilling Program (Kontinentales Tiefbohrprogramm der Bundesrepublik Deutschla - KTB), Rittsteig, and Grossensees sites in Germany for tracing paleo-shear planes coated with graphitic deposits. The comparisons of geologic sections constructed in this paper (based on the proposed deterministic approach) against the existing published interpretations (obtained based on trial-and-error modeling) for the SP data of the KTB and Rittsteig sites have revealed that the deterministic approach suggests some new details that are of some geological significance. The findings of the proposed inverse scheme are supported by available drilling and other geophysical data. Furthermore, the real SP data of the Grossensees site have been interpreted (apparently for the first time ever) by the deterministic inverse

  5. 46 CFR 92.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 92.10-30 Section 92.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CARGO AND MISCELLANEOUS VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 92.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the...

  6. 46 CFR 92.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 92.10-30 Section 92.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CARGO AND MISCELLANEOUS VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 92.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the...

  7. 46 CFR 92.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 92.10-30 Section 92.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CARGO AND MISCELLANEOUS VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 92.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the...

  8. 46 CFR 92.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 92.10-30 Section 92.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CARGO AND MISCELLANEOUS VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 92.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the...

  9. 46 CFR 92.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 92.10-30 Section 92.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CARGO AND MISCELLANEOUS VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 92.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the...

  10. Implication of adaptive smoothness constraint and Helmert variance component estimation in seismic slip inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fan, Qingbiao; Xu, Caijun; Yi, Lei; Liu, Yang; Wen, Yangmao; Yin, Zhi

    2017-10-01

    When ill-posed problems are inverted, the regularization process is equivalent to adding constraint equations or prior information from a Bayesian perspective. The veracity of the constraints (or the regularization matrix R) significantly affects the solution, and a smoothness constraint is usually added in seismic slip inversions. In this paper, an adaptive smoothness constraint (ASC) based on the classic Laplacian smoothness constraint (LSC) is proposed. The ASC not only improves the smoothness constraint, but also helps constrain the slip direction. A series of experiments are conducted in which different magnitudes of noise are imposed and different densities of observation are assumed, and the results indicated that the ASC was superior to the LSC. Using the proposed ASC, the Helmert variance component estimation method is highlighted as the best for selecting the regularization parameter compared with other methods, such as generalized cross-validation or the mean squared error criterion method. The ASC may also benefit other ill-posed problems in which a smoothness constraint is required.

  11. Tectonic Activity and Processes Preceding the Formation of the Dead Sea Fault Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eppelbaum, L. V.; Pilchin, A. N.

    2007-12-01

    Analysis of geological-geophysical data indicates that at the end of the Proterozoic, blocks of the Arabian Shield (AS) were thrust to the north-west onto the crust of the proto-Mediterranean (PM). This was caused by the pushing of oceanic crust from the south-east forming the Najd faults system (NF). This thrusting took place between 630 and 590 Ma, and is confirmed by the offsets between the Yanbu suture of the AS and Allaqi-Sol Hamid suture of the Nubian Shield (NS), the Bi'r Umq suture of AS and Nakasib suture of NS, and parts of the Yanbu and Nabitah sutures of AS. This caused the separation of AS from NS, and AS from the continental crust to north-east of it with its north-western displacement, resulting in opening of the Persian Gulf. This caused the start of deposition of huge amounts of Vendian-Cambrian evaporites in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Persian Gulf, Zagros, central Iran and other regions. The fact of the formation and preservation of the evaporites, and the common similarities in Vendian-Triassic sedimentary cover of Central Iran, Zagros, Taurus, and Arabian Plate (AP) and common Late Proterozoic-Early Paleozioc magmatic activity, show that these regions did not change their position significantly since then. Results of the DESERT project show that the lowermost part of the crust is present east of the Dead Sea Fault Zone (DSFZ), but it is absent west of it. This could be explained by detachment of the bottom part of the crust west of DSFZ during AP thrusting onto the crust of PM. The lithospheric slice discovered by seismic data between Moho and depth of about 55 km in S. Israel could be a remnant of that crust. During the thrusting, the AP overrode the detached slice. The slice was later remelted during formation of the postorogenic magmatic rocks of 590-530 Ma widespread in Jordan. The formation of three dyke swarms in S. Israel (600-540 Ma), widespread dykes in Sinai (590-530 Ma) and AP (590-530 Ma), as well as high-T-low-P metamorphism between 600

  12. North American Crust and Upper Mantle Structure Imaged Using an Adaptive Bayesian Inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eilon, Z.; Fischer, K. M.; Dalton, C. A.

    2017-12-01

    We present a methodology for imaging upper mantle structure using a Bayesian approach that incorporates a novel combination of seismic data types and an adaptive parameterization based on piecewise discontinuous splines. Our inversion algorithm lays the groundwork for improved seismic velocity models of the lithosphere and asthenosphere by harnessing increased computing power alongside sophisticated data analysis, with the flexibility to include multiple datatypes with complementary resolution. Our new method has been designed to simultaneously fit P-s and S-p converted phases and Rayleigh wave phase velocities measured from ambient noise (periods 6-40 s) and earthquake sources (periods 30-170s). Careful processing of the body wave data isolates the signals from velocity gradients between the mid-crust and 250 km depth. We jointly invert the body and surface wave data to obtain detailed 1-D velocity models that include robustly imaged mantle discontinuities. Synthetic tests demonstrate that S-p phases are particularly important for resolving mantle structure, while surface waves capture absolute velocities with resolution better than 0.1 km/s. By treating data noise as an unknown parameter, and by generating posterior parameter distributions, model trade offs and uncertainties are fully captured by the inversion. We apply the method to stations across the northwest and north-central United States, finding that the imaged structure improves upon existing models by sharpening the vertical resolution of absolute velocity profiles and offering robust uncertainty estimates. In the tectonically active northwestern US, a strong velocity drop immediately beneath the Moho connotes thin (<70 km) lithosphere and a sharp lithosphere-asthenosphere transition; the asthenospheric velocity profile here matches observations at mid-ocean ridges. Within the Wyoming and Superior cratons, our models reveal mid-lithospheric velocity gradients indicative of thermochemical cratonic

  13. AMP sensing by DEAD-box RNA helicases

    PubMed Central

    Putnam, Andrea A.; Jankowsky, Eckhard

    2013-01-01

    In eukaryotes, cellular levels of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) signal the metabolic state of the cell. AMP concentrations increase significantly upon metabolic stress, such as glucose deprivation in yeast. Here we show that several DEAD-box RNA helicases are sensitive to AMP, which is not produced during ATP hydrolysis by these enzymes. We find that AMP potently inhibits RNA binding and unwinding by the yeast DEAD-box helicases Ded1p, Mss116p, and eIF4A. However, the yeast DEAD-box helicases Sub2p and Dbp5p are not inhibited by AMP. Our observations identify a subset of DEAD-box helicases as enzymes with the capacity to directly link changes in AMP concentrations to RNA metabolism. PMID:23702290

  14. Dead pixel replacement in LWIR microgrid polarimeters.

    PubMed

    Ratliff, Bradley M; Tyo, J Scott; Boger, James K; Black, Wiley T; Bowers, David L; Fetrow, Matthew P

    2007-06-11

    LWIR imaging arrays are often affected by nonresponsive pixels, or "dead pixels." These dead pixels can severely degrade the quality of imagery and often have to be replaced before subsequent image processing and display of the imagery data. For LWIR arrays that are integrated with arrays of micropolarizers, the problem of dead pixels is amplified. Conventional dead pixel replacement (DPR) strategies cannot be employed since neighboring pixels are of different polarizations. In this paper we present two DPR schemes. The first is a modified nearest-neighbor replacement method. The second is a method based on redundancy in the polarization measurements.We find that the redundancy-based DPR scheme provides an order-of-magnitude better performance for typical LWIR polarimetric data.

  15. 46 CFR 190.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 190.10-30 Section 190.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 190.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the equivalent, more...

  16. 46 CFR 190.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 190.10-30 Section 190.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 190.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the equivalent, more...

  17. 46 CFR 72.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 72.10-30 Section 72.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) PASSENGER VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 72.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the equivalent, more than 40...

  18. 46 CFR 72.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 72.10-30 Section 72.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) PASSENGER VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 72.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the equivalent, more than 40...

  19. 46 CFR 190.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 190.10-30 Section 190.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 190.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the equivalent, more...

  20. 46 CFR 72.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 72.10-30 Section 72.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) PASSENGER VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 72.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the equivalent, more than 40...

  1. 46 CFR 190.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 190.10-30 Section 190.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 190.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the equivalent, more...

  2. 46 CFR 72.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 72.10-30 Section 72.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) PASSENGER VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 72.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the equivalent, more than 40...

  3. 46 CFR 190.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 190.10-30 Section 190.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 190.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the equivalent, more...

  4. 46 CFR 72.10-30 - Dead end corridors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Dead end corridors. 72.10-30 Section 72.10-30 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) PASSENGER VESSELS CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT Means of Escape § 72.10-30 Dead end corridors. (a) Dead end corridors, or the equivalent, more than 40...

  5. 10 CFR 1047.7 - Use of deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Use of deadly force. 1047.7 Section 1047.7 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (GENERAL PROVISIONS) LIMITED ARREST AUTHORITY AND USE OF FORCE BY PROTECTIVE FORCE OFFICERS General Provisions § 1047.7 Use of deadly force. (a) Deadly force means that force which a...

  6. "Dead End Kids in Dead End Jobs"? Reshaping Debates on Young People in Jobs without Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quinn, Jocey; Lawy, Robert; Diment, Kim

    2008-01-01

    Young people who are in "jobs without training" (JWT) are commonly seen as "dead end kids in dead end jobs". They have been identified as a problem group who need to be encouraged back into formal education and training. Following the Leitch report and the new policy goal to involve all young people in education and training up…

  7. Rate-distortion analysis of dead-zone plus uniform threshold scalar quantization and its application--part II: two-pass VBR coding for H.264/AVC.

    PubMed

    Sun, Jun; Duan, Yizhou; Li, Jiangtao; Liu, Jiaying; Guo, Zongming

    2013-01-01

    In the first part of this paper, we derive a source model describing the relationship between the rate, distortion, and quantization steps of the dead-zone plus uniform threshold scalar quantizers with nearly uniform reconstruction quantizers for generalized Gaussian distribution. This source model consists of rate-quantization, distortion-quantization (D-Q), and distortion-rate (D-R) models. In this part, we first rigorously confirm the accuracy of the proposed source model by comparing the calculated results with the coding data of JM 16.0. Efficient parameter estimation strategies are then developed to better employ this source model in our two-pass rate control method for H.264 variable bit rate coding. Based on our D-Q and D-R models, the proposed method is of high stability, low complexity and is easy to implement. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed method achieves: 1) average peak signal-to-noise ratio variance of only 0.0658 dB, compared to 1.8758 dB of JM 16.0's method, with an average rate control error of 1.95% and 2) significant improvement in smoothing the video quality compared with the latest two-pass rate control method.

  8. Inverse models of gravity data from the Red Sea-Aden-East African rifts triple junction zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tiberi, Christel; Ebinger, Cynthia; Ballu, Valérie; Stuart, Graham; Oluma, Befekadu

    2005-11-01

    The combined effects of stretching and magmatism permanently modify crustal structure in continental rifts and volcanic passive margins. The Red Sea-Gulf of Aden-Ethiopian rift triple junction zone provides a unique opportunity to examine incipient volcanic margin formation above or near an asthenospheric upwelling. We use gravity inversions and forward modelling to examine lateral variations in crust and upper mantle structure across the Oligocene flood basalt province, which has subsequently been extended to form the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Main Ethiopian rifts. We constrain and test the obtained models with new and existing seismic estimates of crustal thickness. In particular, we predict crustal thickness across the uplifted plateaux and rift valleys, and calibrate our results with recent receiver function analyses. We discuss the results together with a 3-D distribution of density contrasts in terms of magmatic margin structure. The main conclusions are: (1) a denser (+240 kg m-3) and/or a thinner crust (23 km) in the triple junction zone of the Afar depression; (2) a shallower Moho is found along the Main Ethiopian rift axis, with crustal thickness values decreasing from 32-33 km in the south to 24 km beneath the southern Afar depression; (3) thicker crust (~40 km) is present beneath the broad uplifted Oligocene flood basalt province, suggesting that crustal underplating compensates most of the plateau uplift and (4) possible magmatic underplating or a segmentation in the rift structure is observed at ~8°N, 39°W beneath several collapsed caldera complexes. These results indicate that magmatism has profoundly changed crustal structure throughout the flood basalt province.

  9. 42 CFR 71.55 - Dead bodies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Dead bodies. 71.55 Section 71.55 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES QUARANTINE, INSPECTION, LICENSING FOREIGN QUARANTINE Importations § 71.55 Dead bodies. The remains of a person who died of a communicable disease...

  10. 42 CFR 71.55 - Dead bodies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Dead bodies. 71.55 Section 71.55 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES QUARANTINE, INSPECTION, LICENSING FOREIGN QUARANTINE Importations § 71.55 Dead bodies. The remains of a person who died of a communicable disease...

  11. 42 CFR 71.55 - Dead bodies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Dead bodies. 71.55 Section 71.55 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES QUARANTINE, INSPECTION, LICENSING FOREIGN QUARANTINE Importations § 71.55 Dead bodies. The remains of a person who died of a communicable disease...

  12. 42 CFR 71.55 - Dead bodies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dead bodies. 71.55 Section 71.55 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES QUARANTINE, INSPECTION, LICENSING FOREIGN QUARANTINE Importations § 71.55 Dead bodies. The remains of a person who died of a communicable disease...

  13. 42 CFR 71.55 - Dead bodies.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dead bodies. 71.55 Section 71.55 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES QUARANTINE, INSPECTION, LICENSING FOREIGN QUARANTINE Importations § 71.55 Dead bodies. The remains of a person who died of a communicable disease...

  14. Wind systems the driving force of evaporation at the Dead Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Metzger, Jutta; Corsmeier, Ulrich; Alpert, Pinhas

    2017-04-01

    The Dead Sea is a unique place on earth. It is located in the Eastern Mediterranean at the lowest point of the Jordan Rift valley and its water level is currently at 429 m below mean sea level. The region is located in a transition zone of semi-arid to arid climate conditions and endangered by severe environmental problems, especially the rapid lake level decline (>1m/year), causing the shifting of fresh/saline groundwater interfaces and the drying up of the lake. Two key features are relevant for these environmental changes: the evaporation from the water surface and its driving mechanisms. The main driver of evaporation at the Dead Sea is the wind velocity and hence the governing wind systems with different scales in space and time. In the framework of the Virtual Institute DEad SEa Research Venue (DESERVE) an extensive field campaign was conducted to study the governing wind systems in the valley and the energy balance of the water and land surface simultaneously. The combination of several in-situ and remote sensing instruments allowed temporally and spatially high-resolution measurements to investigate the frequency of occurrence of the wind systems, their three-dimensional structure, associated wind velocities and their impact on evaporation. The characteristics of the three local wind systems governing the valley's wind field, as well as their impact on evaporation, will be presented. Mostly decoupled from the large scale flow a local lake breeze determines the conditions during the day. Strong downslope winds drive the evaporation in the afternoon, and down valley flows with wind velocities of over 10 m s-1 dominate during the night causing unusually high evaporation rates after sunset.

  15. Synoptic conditions of fine-particle transport to the last interglacial Red Sea-Dead Sea from Nd-Sr compositions of sediment cores

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palchan, Daniel; Stein, Mordechai; Goldstein, Steven L.; Almogi-Labin, Ahuva; Tirosh, Ofir; Erel, Yigal

    2018-01-01

    The sediments deposited at the depocenter of the Dead Sea comprise high-resolution archive of hydrological changes in the lake's watershed and record the desert dust transport to the region. This paper reconstructs the dust transport to the region during the termination of glacial Marine Isotope Stage 6 (MIS 6; ∼135-129 ka) and the last interglacial peak period (MIS5e, ∼129-116 ka). We use chemical and Nd and Sr isotope compositions of fine detritus material recovered from sediment core drilled at the deepest floor of the Dead Sea. The data is integrated with data achieved from cores drilled at the floor of the Red Sea, thus, forming a Red Sea-Dead Sea transect extending from the desert belt to the Mediterranean climate zone. The Dead Sea accumulated flood sediments derived from three regional surface cover types: settled desert dust, mountain loess-soils and loess-soils filling valleys in the Dead Sea watershed termed here "Valley Loess". The Valley Loess shows a distinct 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.7081 ± 1, inherited from dissolved detrital calcites that originate from dried waterbodies in the Sahara and are transported with the dust to the entire transect. Our hydro-climate and synoptic conditions reconstruction illustrates the following history: During glacial period MIS6, Mediterranean cyclones governed the transport of Saharan dust and rains to the Dead Sea watershed, driving the development of both mountain soils and Valley Loess. Then, at Heinrich event 11, dry western winds blew Saharan dust over the entire Red Sea - Dead Sea transect marking latitudinal expansion of the desert belt. Later, when global sea-level rose, the Dead Sea watershed went through extreme aridity, the lake retreated, depositing salt and accumulating fine detritus of the Valley Loess. During peak interglacial MIS 5e, enhanced flooding activity flushed the mountain soils and fine detritus from all around the Dead Sea and Red Sea, marking a significant "contraction" of the desert belt

  16. Adaptive tracking control for active suspension systems with non-ideal actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pan, Huihui; Sun, Weichao; Jing, Xingjian; Gao, Huijun; Yao, Jianyong

    2017-07-01

    As a critical component of transportation vehicles, active suspension systems are instrumental in the improvement of ride comfort and maneuverability. However, practical active suspensions commonly suffer from parameter uncertainties (e.g., the variations of payload mass and suspension component parameters), external disturbances and especially the unknown non-ideal actuators (i.e., dead-zone and hysteresis nonlinearities), which always significantly deteriorate the control performance in practice. To overcome these issues, this paper synthesizes an adaptive tracking control strategy for vehicle suspension systems to achieve suspension performance improvements. The proposed control algorithm is formulated by developing a unified framework of non-ideal actuators rather than a separate way, which is a simple yet effective approach to remove the unexpected nonlinear effects. From the perspective of practical implementation, the advantages of the presented controller for active suspensions include that the assumptions on the measurable actuator outputs, the prior knowledge of nonlinear actuator parameters and the uncertain parameters within a known compact set are not required. Furthermore, the stability of the closed-loop suspension system is theoretically guaranteed by rigorous mathematical analysis. Finally, the effectiveness of the presented adaptive control scheme is confirmed using comparative numerical simulation validations.

  17. Is floral specialization an evolutionary dead-end? Pollination system transitions in Ruellia (Acanthaceae).

    PubMed

    Tripp, Erin A; Manos, Paul S

    2008-07-01

    Pollination systems frequently reflect adaptations to particular groups of pollinators. Such systems are indicative of evolutionary specialization and have been important in angiosperm diversification. We studied the evolution of pollination systems in the large genus Ruellia. Phylogenetic analyses, morphological ordinations, ancestral state reconstructions, and a character mapping simulation were conducted to reveal key patterns in the direction and lability of floral characters associated with pollination. We found significant floral morphological differences among species that were generally associated with different groups of floral visitors. Floral evolution has been highly labile and also directional. Some specialized systems such as hawkmoth or bat pollination are likely evolutionary dead-ends. In contrast, specialized pollination by hummingbirds is clearly not a dead-end. We found evidence for multiple reverse transitions from presumed ancestral hummingbird pollination to more derived bee or insect pollination. These repeated origins of insect pollination from hummingbird-pollinated ancestors have not evolved without historical baggage. Flowers of insect-pollinated species derived from hummingbird-pollinated ancestors are morphologically more similar to hummingbird flowers than they are to other more distantly related insect-pollinated flowers. Finally, some pollinator switches were concomitant with changes in floral morphology that are associated with those pollinators. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that some transitions have been adaptive in the evolution of Ruellia.

  18. Timing of growth inhibition following shoot inversion in Pharbitis nil

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abdel-Rahman, A. M.; Cline, M. G.

    1989-01-01

    Shoot inversion in Pharbitis nil results in the enhancement of ethylene production and in the inhibition of elongation in the growth zone of the inverted shoot. The initial increase in ethylene production previously was detected within 2 to 2.75 hours after inversion. In the present study, the initial inhibition of shoot elongation was detected within 1.5 to 4 hours with a weighted mean of 2.4 hours. Ethylene treatment of upright shoots inhibited elongation in 1.5 hours. A cause and effect relationship between shoot inversion-enhanced ethylene production and inhibition of elongation cannot be excluded.

  19. 32 CFR 632.4 - Deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... deadly force for one or more of the following reasons only: (1) In self-defense, when in imminent danger... 32 National Defense 4 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Deadly force. 632.4 Section 632.4 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL...

  20. 32 CFR 632.4 - Deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... deadly force for one or more of the following reasons only: (1) In self-defense, when in imminent danger... 32 National Defense 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Deadly force. 632.4 Section 632.4 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL...

  1. 32 CFR 632.4 - Deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... deadly force for one or more of the following reasons only: (1) In self-defense, when in imminent danger... 32 National Defense 4 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Deadly force. 632.4 Section 632.4 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL...

  2. 32 CFR 632.4 - Deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... deadly force for one or more of the following reasons only: (1) In self-defense, when in imminent danger... 32 National Defense 4 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Deadly force. 632.4 Section 632.4 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL...

  3. AMP sensing by DEAD-box RNA helicases.

    PubMed

    Putnam, Andrea A; Jankowsky, Eckhard

    2013-10-23

    In eukaryotes, cellular levels of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) signal the metabolic state of the cell. AMP concentrations increase significantly upon metabolic stress, such as glucose deprivation in yeast. Here, we show that several DEAD-box RNA helicases are sensitive to AMP, which is not produced during ATP hydrolysis by these enzymes. We find that AMP potently inhibits RNA binding and unwinding by the yeast DEAD-box helicases Ded1p, Mss116p, and eIF4A. However, the yeast DEAD-box helicases Sub2p and Dbp5p are not inhibited by AMP. Our observations identify a subset of DEAD-box helicases as enzymes with the capacity to directly link changes in AMP concentrations to RNA metabolism. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Dead zone analysis of ECAL barrel modules under static and dynamic load

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pierre-Emile, T.; Anduze, M.

    2018-03-01

    In the context of ILD project, impact studies of environmental loads on the Electromagnetic CALorimeter (ECAL) have been initiated. The ECAL part considered is the barrel and it consists of several independent modules which are mounted on the Hadronic CALorimeter barrel (HCAL) itself mounted on the cryostat coil and the yoke. The estimate of the gap required between each ECAL modules is fundamental to define the assembly step and avoid mechanical contacts over the barrel lifetime. In the meantime, it has to be done in consideration to the dead spaces reduction and detector hermiticity optimization. Several Finite Element Analysis (FEA) with static and dynamic loads have been performed in order to define correctly the minimum values for those gaps. Due to the implantation site of the whole project in Japan, seismic analysis were carried out in addition to the static ones. This article shows results of these analysis done with the Finite Element Method (FEM) in ANSYS. First results show the impact of HCAL design on the ECAL modules motion in static load. The second study dedicated to seismic approach on a larger model (including yoke and cryostat) gives additional results on earthquake consequences.

  5. Respect for the dead and the ethics of anatomy.

    PubMed

    Wilkinson, T M

    2014-04-01

    Dead bodies are not persons but nor are they just things. What, ethically speaking, do the living owe the dead when it comes to using their bodies in anatomy? The article begins with the general question of respect for the dead. It distinguishes between why we should respect the dead, how we should respect them, and the weight to be given to respect. It sets out an account of the reason to respect the dead based on their interests. The article then turns to how the dead should be respected and the importance of doing so. Specifically, it considers three ethical issues in anatomy: the role of the family, the use of unclaimed bodies, and the public display of bodies donated for that purpose. This article claims that what it is to respect the dead is substantially determined by their wishes. Nonetheless the article argues that respect is consistent with allowing the family to veto anatomical use even when the deceased has consented because respect for the dead does not require following all their possible wishes. Respect is also consistent with using unclaimed bodies to which no one--deceased or family--has consented because the interests of the dead do not directly require consent and the interests of the family are unlikely to be relevant. Finally, the article does not see anything disrespectful in the public display of the bodies of those who have consented. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Cofactor-dependent specificity of a DEAD-box protein.

    PubMed

    Young, Crystal L; Khoshnevis, Sohail; Karbstein, Katrin

    2013-07-16

    DEAD-box proteins, a large class of RNA-dependent ATPases, regulate all aspects of gene expression and RNA metabolism. They can facilitate dissociation of RNA duplexes and remodeling of RNA-protein complexes, serve as ATP-dependent RNA-binding proteins, or even anneal duplexes. These proteins have highly conserved sequence elements that are contained within two RecA-like domains; consequently, their structures are nearly identical. Furthermore, crystal structures of DEAD-box proteins with bound RNA reveal interactions exclusively between the protein and the RNA backbone. Together, these findings suggest that DEAD-box proteins interact with their substrates in a nonspecific manner, which is confirmed in biochemical experiments. Nevertheless, this contrasts with the need to target these enzymes to specific substrates in vivo. Using the DEAD-box protein Rok1 and its cofactor Rrp5, which both function during maturation of the small ribosomal subunit, we show here that Rrp5 provides specificity to the otherwise nonspecific biochemical activities of the Rok1 DEAD-domain. This finding could reconcile the need for specific substrate binding of some DEAD-box proteins with their nonspecific binding surface and expands the potential roles of cofactors to specificity factors. Identification of helicase cofactors and their RNA substrates could therefore help define the undescribed roles of the 19 DEAD-box proteins that function in ribosome assembly.

  7. There's Life in Those Dead Logs!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biggs, Devin; Miller, Todd; Hall, Dee

    2006-01-01

    Although it is unspectacular in appearance, dead wood is one of the most ecologically important resources in forests. Fallen logs, dead standing trees, stumps, and even cavities in live trees fulfill a wide range of roles. Prominent among these is that they provide habitat for many organisms, especially insects. Fourth-grade students at Fox…

  8. An inverse dynamics approach to face animation.

    PubMed

    Pitermann, M; Munhall, K G

    2001-09-01

    Muscle-based models of the human face produce high quality animation but rely on recorded muscle activity signals or synthetic muscle signals that are often derived by trial and error. This paper presents a dynamic inversion of a muscle-based model (Lucero and Munhall, 1999) that permits the animation to be created from kinematic recordings of facial movements. Using a nonlinear optimizer (Powell's algorithm), the inversion produces a muscle activity set for seven muscles in the lower face that minimize the root mean square error between kinematic data recorded with OPTOTRAK and the corresponding nodes of the modeled facial mesh. This inverted muscle activity is then used to animate the facial model. In three tests of the inversion, strong correlations were observed for kinematics produced from synthetic muscle activity, for OPTOTRAK kinematics recorded from a talker for whom the facial model is morphologically adapted and finally for another talker with the model morphology adapted to a different individual. The correspondence between the animation kinematics and the three-dimensional OPTOTRAK data are very good and the animation is of high quality. Because the kinematic to electromyography (EMG) inversion is ill posed, there is no relation between the actual EMG and the inverted EMG. The overall redundancy of the motor system means that many different EMG patterns can produce the same kinematic output.

  9. Improved resistivity imaging of groundwater solute plumes using POD-based inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oware, E. K.; Moysey, S. M.; Khan, T.

    2012-12-01

    We propose a new approach for enforcing physics-based regularization in electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) problems. The approach utilizes a basis-constrained inversion where an optimal set of basis vectors is extracted from training data by Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD). The key aspect of the approach is that Monte Carlo simulation of flow and transport is used to generate a training dataset, thereby intrinsically capturing the physics of the underlying flow and transport models in a non-parametric form. POD allows for these training data to be projected onto a subspace of the original domain, resulting in the extraction of a basis for the inversion that captures characteristics of the groundwater flow and transport system, while simultaneously allowing for dimensionality reduction of the original problem in the projected space We use two different synthetic transport scenarios in heterogeneous media to illustrate how the POD-based inversion compares with standard Tikhonov and coupled inversion. The first scenario had a single source zone leading to a unimodal solute plume (synthetic #1), whereas, the second scenario had two source zones that produced a bimodal plume (synthetic #2). For both coupled inversion and the POD approach, the conceptual flow and transport model used considered only a single source zone for both scenarios. Results were compared based on multiple metrics (concentration root-mean square error (RMSE), peak concentration, and total solute mass). In addition, results for POD inversion based on 3 different data densities (120, 300, and 560 data points) and varying number of selected basis images (100, 300, and 500) were compared. For synthetic #1, we found that all three methods provided qualitatively reasonable reproduction of the true plume. Quantitatively, the POD inversion performed best overall for each metric considered. Moreover, since synthetic #1 was consistent with the conceptual transport model, a small number of basis

  10. Self-Interaction Chromatography of mAbs: Accurate Measurement of Dead Volumes.

    PubMed

    Hedberg, S H M; Heng, J Y Y; Williams, D R; Liddell, J M

    2015-12-01

    Measurement of the second virial coefficient B22 for proteins using self-interaction chromatography (SIC) is becoming an increasingly important technique for studying their solution behaviour. In common with all physicochemical chromatographic methods, measuring the dead volume of the SIC packed column is crucial for accurate retention data; this paper examines best practise for dead volume determination. SIC type experiments using catalase, BSA, lysozyme and a mAb as model systems are reported, as well as a number of dead column measurements. It was observed that lysozyme and mAb interacted specifically with Toyopearl AF-Formyl dead columns depending upon pH and [NaCl], invalidating their dead volume usage. Toyopearl AF-Amino packed dead columns showed no such problems and acted as suitable dead columns without any solution condition dependency. Dead volume determinations using dextran MW standards with protein immobilised SIC columns provided dead volume estimates close to those obtained using Toyopearl AF-Amino dead columns. It is concluded that specific interactions between proteins, including mAbs, and select SIC support phases can compromise the use of some standard approaches for estimating the dead volume of SIC columns. Two other methods were shown to provide good estimates for the dead volume.

  11. Darwin's "strange inversion of reasoning".

    PubMed

    Dennett, Daniel

    2009-06-16

    Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection unifies the world of physics with the world of meaning and purpose by proposing a deeply counterintuitive "inversion of reasoning" (according to a 19th century critic): "to make a perfect and beautiful machine, it is not requisite to know how to make it" [MacKenzie RB (1868) (Nisbet & Co., London)]. Turing proposed a similar inversion: to be a perfect and beautiful computing machine, it is not requisite to know what arithmetic is. Together, these ideas help to explain how we human intelligences came to be able to discern the reasons for all of the adaptations of life, including our own.

  12. Phase and amplitude inversion of crosswell radar data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ellefsen, Karl J.; Mazzella, Aldo T.; Horton, Robert J.; McKenna, Jason R.

    2011-01-01

    Phase and amplitude inversion of crosswell radar data estimates the logarithm of complex slowness for a 2.5D heterogeneous model. The inversion is formulated in the frequency domain using the vector Helmholtz equation. The objective function is minimized using a back-propagation method that is suitable for a 2.5D model and that accounts for the near-, intermediate-, and far-field regions of the antennas. The inversion is tested with crosswell radar data collected in a laboratory tank. The model anomalies are consistent with the known heterogeneity in the tank; the model’s relative dielectric permittivity, which is calculated from the real part of the estimated complex slowness, is consistent with independent laboratory measurements. The methodologies developed for this inversion can be adapted readily to inversions of seismic data (e.g., crosswell seismic and vertical seismic profiling data).

  13. Dead time corrections for inbeam γ-spectroscopy measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boromiza, M.; Borcea, C.; Negret, A.; Olacel, A.; Suliman, G.

    2017-08-01

    Relatively high counting rates were registered in a proton inelastic scattering experiment on 16O and 28Si using HPGe detectors which was performed at the Tandem facility of IFIN-HH, Bucharest. In consequence, dead time corrections were needed in order to determine the absolute γ-production cross sections. Considering that the real counting rate follows a Poisson distribution, the dead time correction procedure is reformulated in statistical terms. The arriving time interval between the incoming events (Δt) obeys an exponential distribution with a single parameter - the average of the associated Poisson distribution. We use this mathematical connection to calculate and implement the dead time corrections for the counting rates of the mentioned experiment. Also, exploiting an idea introduced by Pommé et al., we describe a consistent method for calculating the dead time correction which completely eludes the complicated problem of measuring the dead time of a given detection system. Several comparisons are made between the corrections implemented through this method and by using standard (phenomenological) dead time models and we show how these results were used for correcting our experimental cross sections.

  14. Probabilistic Magnetotelluric Inversion with Adaptive Regularisation Using the No-U-Turns Sampler

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conway, Dennis; Simpson, Janelle; Didana, Yohannes; Rugari, Joseph; Heinson, Graham

    2018-04-01

    We present the first inversion of magnetotelluric (MT) data using a Hamiltonian Monte Carlo algorithm. The inversion of MT data is an underdetermined problem which leads to an ensemble of feasible models for a given dataset. A standard approach in MT inversion is to perform a deterministic search for the single solution which is maximally smooth for a given data-fit threshold. An alternative approach is to use Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods, which have been used in MT inversion to explore the entire solution space and produce a suite of likely models. This approach has the advantage of assigning confidence to resistivity models, leading to better geological interpretations. Recent advances in MCMC techniques include the No-U-Turns Sampler (NUTS), an efficient and rapidly converging method which is based on Hamiltonian Monte Carlo. We have implemented a 1D MT inversion which uses the NUTS algorithm. Our model includes a fixed number of layers of variable thickness and resistivity, as well as probabilistic smoothing constraints which allow sharp and smooth transitions. We present the results of a synthetic study and show the accuracy of the technique, as well as the fast convergence, independence of starting models, and sampling efficiency. Finally, we test our technique on MT data collected from a site in Boulia, Queensland, Australia to show its utility in geological interpretation and ability to provide probabilistic estimates of features such as depth to basement.

  15. Regional hard coral distribution within geomorphic and reef flat ecological zones determined by satellite imagery of the Xisha Islands, South China Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zuo, Xiuling; Su, Fenzhen; Zhao, Huanting; Zhang, Junjue; Wang, Qi; Wu, Di

    2017-05-01

    Coral reefs in the Xisha Islands (also known as the Paracel Islands in English), South China Sea, have experienced dramatic declines in coral cover. However, the current regional scale hard coral distribution of geomorphic and ecological zones, essential for reefs management in the context of global warming and ocean acidification, is not well documented. We analyzed data from field surveys, Landsat-8 and GF-1 images to map the distribution of hard coral within geomorphic zones and reef flat ecological zones. In situ surveys conducted in June 2014 on nine reefs provided a complete picture of reef status with regard to live coral diversity, evenness of coral cover and reef health (live versus dead cover) for the Xisha Islands. Mean coral cover was 12.5% in 2014 and damaged reefs seemed to show signs of recovery. Coral cover in sheltered habitats such as lagoon patch reefs and biotic dense zones of reef flats was higher, but there were large regional differences and low diversity. In contrast, the more exposed reef slopes had high coral diversity, along with high and more equal distributions of coral cover. Mean hard coral cover of other zones was <10%. The total Xisha reef system was estimated to cover 1 060 km2, and the emergent reefs covered 787 m2. Hard corals of emergent reefs were considered to cover 97 km2. The biotic dense zone of the reef flat was a very common zone on all simple atolls, especially the broader northern reef flats. The total cover of live and dead coral can reach above 70% in this zone, showing an equilibrium between live and dead coral as opposed to coral and algae. This information regarding the spatial distribution of hard coral can support and inform the management of Xisha reef ecosystems.

  16. Extreme Dead Sea drying event during the last interglacial from the ICDP Dead Sea Deep Drill Core

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goldstein, S.; Stein, M.; Ben-Avraham, Z.; Agnon, A.; Ariztegui, D.; Brauer, A.; Haug, G.; Ito, E.; Kitagawa, H.; Torfstein, A.; Yasuda, Y.

    2012-04-01

    The ICDP funded Dead Sea Deep Drilling Project (DSDDP) recovered the longest and most complete paleo-environmental record in the Middle East, drilling holes in a deep and a shallow site extending to ~450 meters. The Dead Sea expands during the glacials and contracts during interglacials, and the sediments are an archive of the evolving climatic conditions. During glacials the sediments comprise intervals of marl (aragonite, gypsum and detritus) and during interglacials they are salts and marls. We estimate that the deep site core spans ~200 kyr (to early MIS 7). A dramatic discovery is a ~40 cm interval of rounded pebbles at ~235 m below the lake floor, the only clean pebbly unit in the entire core. It appears to be a beach layer, near the deepest part of the Dead Sea, lying above ~35 meters of mainly salt. If it is a beach layer, it implies an almost complete dry-down of the paleo-Dead Sea. The pebble layer lies within the last interglacial interval. Our initial attempt to estimate the age of the possible dry down shows an intriguing correlation between the salt-mud stratigraphy of the Dead Sea core and the oxygen isotope record of Soreq Cave, whereby excursions to light oxygen in the speleothems correspond to periods of salt deposition. Through this comparison, we estimate that the dry down occurred during MIS 5e. The occurrence of ~35 meters of mainly salt along with the pebble layer demonstrates a severe dry interval during MIS 5. This observation has implications for the Middle East today, where the Dead Sea level is dropping as all the countries in the area use the runoff. GCM models indicate a more arid future in the region. The core shows that the runoff nearly stopped during a past warm period without human intervention.

  17. Examining Adaptations to Water Stress Among Farming Households in Sri Lanka's Dry Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, N. E.; Carrico, A.

    2016-12-01

    Climate change is increasing water scarcity in Sri Lanka's primary rice-farming zone. Whether these changes will undermine the national-level food security that Sri Lanka has worked to develop since their independence depends upon the ability of the small-scale farmers that dominate rice production and the institutions that support them to overcome the challenges presented by changing water availability. Using household survey data collected in 13 rice farming communities throughout Sri Lanka, this research explores how water stressed farmers are working to adapt to changing conditions and how the strategies they employ impact rice yields. Our analyses reveal that farmers' abilities to access irrigation infrastructure is the most important factor shaping the rice yields of water stressed Sri Lanka farmers. Notably, however, our research also identified farmers' use of hybrid, 'short duration' seed varietals to be the only climate adaptation strategy being promoted by agricultural extension services to have a significant positive impact on farmers' yields. These findings provide encouraging evidence for policies that promote plant breeding and distribution in Sri Lanka as a means to buffer the food system to climate change.

  18. Dead-time Corrected Disdrometer Data

    DOE Data Explorer

    Bartholomew, Mary Jane

    2008-03-05

    Original and dead-time corrected disdrometer results for observations made at SGP and TWP. The correction is based on the technique discussed in Sheppard and Joe, 1994. In addition, these files contain calculated radar reflectivity factor, mean Doppler velocity and attenuation for every measurement for both the original and dead-time corrected data at the following wavelengths: 0.316, 0.856, 3.2, 5, and 10cm (W,K,X,C,S bands). Pavlos Kollias provided the code to do these calculations.

  19. Communicating the deadly consequences of global warming for human heat stress

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matthews, Tom K. R.; Wilby, Robert L.; Murphy, Conor

    2017-04-01

    In December of 2015, the international community pledged to limit global warming to below 2 °C above preindustrial (PI) to prevent dangerous climate change. However, to what extent, and for whom, is danger avoided if this ambitious target is realized? We address these questions by scrutinizing heat stress, because the frequency of extremely hot weather is expected to continue to rise in the approach to the 2 °C limit. We use analogs and the extreme South Asian heat of 2015 as a focusing event to help interpret the increasing frequency of deadly heat under specified amounts of global warming. Using a large ensemble of climate models, our results confirm that global mean air temperature is nonlinearly related to heat stress, meaning that the same future warming as realized to date could trigger larger increases in societal impacts than historically experienced. This nonlinearity is higher for heat stress metrics that integrate the effect of rising humidity. We show that, even in a climate held to 2 °C above PI, Karachi (Pakistan) and Kolkata (India) could expect conditions equivalent to their deadly 2015 heatwaves every year. With only 1.5 °C of global warming, twice as many megacities (such as Lagos, Nigeria, and Shanghai, China) could become heat stressed, exposing more than 350 million more people to deadly heat by 2050 under a midrange population growth scenario. The results underscore that, even if the Paris targets are realized, there could still be a significant adaptation imperative for vulnerable urban populations.

  20. Communicating the deadly consequences of global warming for human heat stress

    PubMed Central

    Matthews, Tom K. R.; Wilby, Robert L.; Murphy, Conor

    2017-01-01

    In December of 2015, the international community pledged to limit global warming to below 2 °C above preindustrial (PI) to prevent dangerous climate change. However, to what extent, and for whom, is danger avoided if this ambitious target is realized? We address these questions by scrutinizing heat stress, because the frequency of extremely hot weather is expected to continue to rise in the approach to the 2 °C limit. We use analogs and the extreme South Asian heat of 2015 as a focusing event to help interpret the increasing frequency of deadly heat under specified amounts of global warming. Using a large ensemble of climate models, our results confirm that global mean air temperature is nonlinearly related to heat stress, meaning that the same future warming as realized to date could trigger larger increases in societal impacts than historically experienced. This nonlinearity is higher for heat stress metrics that integrate the effect of rising humidity. We show that, even in a climate held to 2 °C above PI, Karachi (Pakistan) and Kolkata (India) could expect conditions equivalent to their deadly 2015 heatwaves every year. With only 1.5 °C of global warming, twice as many megacities (such as Lagos, Nigeria, and Shanghai, China) could become heat stressed, exposing more than 350 million more people to deadly heat by 2050 under a midrange population growth scenario. The results underscore that, even if the Paris targets are realized, there could still be a significant adaptation imperative for vulnerable urban populations. PMID:28348220

  1. Communicating the deadly consequences of global warming for human heat stress.

    PubMed

    Matthews, Tom K R; Wilby, Robert L; Murphy, Conor

    2017-04-11

    In December of 2015, the international community pledged to limit global warming to below 2 °C above preindustrial (PI) to prevent dangerous climate change. However, to what extent, and for whom, is danger avoided if this ambitious target is realized? We address these questions by scrutinizing heat stress, because the frequency of extremely hot weather is expected to continue to rise in the approach to the 2 °C limit. We use analogs and the extreme South Asian heat of 2015 as a focusing event to help interpret the increasing frequency of deadly heat under specified amounts of global warming. Using a large ensemble of climate models, our results confirm that global mean air temperature is nonlinearly related to heat stress, meaning that the same future warming as realized to date could trigger larger increases in societal impacts than historically experienced. This nonlinearity is higher for heat stress metrics that integrate the effect of rising humidity. We show that, even in a climate held to 2 °C above PI, Karachi (Pakistan) and Kolkata (India) could expect conditions equivalent to their deadly 2015 heatwaves every year. With only 1.5 °C of global warming, twice as many megacities (such as Lagos, Nigeria, and Shanghai, China) could become heat stressed, exposing more than 350 million more people to deadly heat by 2050 under a midrange population growth scenario. The results underscore that, even if the Paris targets are realized, there could still be a significant adaptation imperative for vulnerable urban populations.

  2. Synthesis of inverse ringwoodite sheds light on the subduction history of Tibetan ophiolites.

    PubMed

    Bindi, Luca; Griffin, William L; Panero, Wendy R; Sirotkina, Ekaterina; Bobrov, Andrey; Irifune, Tetsuo

    2018-04-03

    Tibetan ophiolites are shallow mantle material and crustal slabs that were subducted as deep as the mantle transition zone, a conclusion supported by the discovery of high-pressure phases like inverse ringwoodite in these sequences. Ringwoodite, Mg 2 SiO 4 , exhibits the normal spinel structure, with Mg in the octahedral A site and Si in the tetrahedral B site. Through A and B site-disorder, the inverse spinel has four-coordinated A cations and the six-coordinated site hosts a mixture of A and B cations. This process affects the density and impedance contrasts across the boundaries in the transition zone and seismic-wave velocities in this portion of the Earth. We report the first synthesis at high pressure (20 GPa) and high temperature (1600 °C) of a Cr-bearing ringwoodite with a completely inverse-spinel structure. Chemical, structural, and computational analysis confirm the stability of inverse ringwoodite and add further constraints to the subduction history of the Luobusa peridotite of the Tibetan ophiolites.

  3. Do the 'brain dead' merely appear to be alive?

    PubMed

    Nair-Collins, Michael; Miller, Franklin G

    2017-11-01

    The established view regarding 'brain death' in medicine and medical ethics is that patients determined to be dead by neurological criteria are dead in terms of a biological conception of death, not a philosophical conception of personhood, a social construction or a legal fiction. Although such individuals show apparent signs of being alive, in reality they are (biologically) dead, though this reality is masked by the intervention of medical technology. In this article, we argue that an appeal to the distinction between appearance and reality fails in defending the view that the 'brain dead' are dead. Specifically, this view relies on an inaccurate and overly simplistic account of the role of medical technology in the physiology of a 'brain dead' patient. We conclude by offering an explanation of why the conventional view on 'brain death', though mistaken, continues to be endorsed in light of its connection to organ transplantation and the dead donor rule. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  4. Full waveform inversion for ultrasonic flaw identification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seidl, Robert; Rank, Ernst

    2017-02-01

    Ultrasonic Nondestructive Testing is concerned with detecting flaws inside components without causing physical damage. It is possible to detect flaws using ultrasound measurements but usually no additional details about the flaw like position, dimension or orientation are available. The information about these details is hidden in the recorded experimental signals. The idea of full waveform inversion is to adapt the parameters of an initial simulation model of the undamaged specimen by minimizing the discrepancy between these simulated signals and experimentally measured signals of the flawed specimen. Flaws in the structure are characterized by a change or deterioration in the material properties. Commonly, full waveform inversion is mostly applied in seismology on a larger scale to infer mechanical properties of the earth. We propose to use acoustic full waveform inversion for structural parameters to visualize the interior of the component. The method is adapted to US NDT by combining multiple similar experiments on the test component as the typical small amount of sensors is not sufficient for a successful imaging. It is shown that the combination of simulations and multiple experiments can be used to detect flaws and their position, dimension and orientation in emulated simulation cases.

  5. The ecosystem service value of living versus dead biogenic reef

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sheehan, E. V.; Bridger, D.; Attrill, M. J.

    2015-03-01

    Mixed maerl beds (corralline red algae) comprise dead thalli with varying amounts of live maerl fragments, but previously it was not known whether the presence of the live maerl increases the ecosystem service 'habitat provision' of the dead maerl for the associated epibenthos. A 'flying array' towed sled with high definition video was used to film transects of the epibenthos in dead maerl and mixed maerl beds in two locations to the north and south of the English Channel (Falmouth and Jersey). Mixed maerl beds supported greater number of taxa and abundance than dead beds in Falmouth, while in Jersey, mixed and dead beds supported similar number of taxa and dead beds had a greater abundance of epifauna. Scallops tended to be more abundant on mixed beds than dead beds. Tube worms were more abundant on mixed beds in Falmouth and dead beds in Jersey. An increasing percentage occurrence of live maerl thalli correlated with increasing number of taxa in Falmouth but not Jersey. It was concluded that while live thalli can increase the functional role of dead maerl beds for the epibenthos, this is dependent on location and response variable. As a result of this work, maerl habitat in SE Jersey has been protected from towed demersal fishing gear.

  6. Woman wants dead fiancé's baby: who owns a dead man's sperm.

    PubMed

    Spriggs, M

    2004-08-01

    The Brisbane Supreme Court has denied an Australian woman's request to harvest and freeze her dead fiancé's sperm for future impregnation. After she was denied access to the sperm, the woman learnt that her fiancé may have been a sperm donor and she began checking to find out if his sperm was still available. Given what we know, there is a good ethical argument that the woman should have access to the sperm and should be allowed to have her dead fiancé's child. Another aspect of this case is that it illustrates the way in which ethics, law, and personal opinion can differ.

  7. Laterally constrained inversion for CSAMT data interpretation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Ruo; Yin, Changchun; Wang, Miaoyue; Di, Qingyun

    2015-10-01

    Laterally constrained inversion (LCI) has been successfully applied to the inversion of dc resistivity, TEM and airborne EM data. However, it hasn't been yet applied to the interpretation of controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotelluric (CSAMT) data. In this paper, we apply the LCI method for CSAMT data inversion by preconditioning the Jacobian matrix. We apply a weighting matrix to Jacobian to balance the sensitivity of model parameters, so that the resolution with respect to different model parameters becomes more uniform. Numerical experiments confirm that this can improve the convergence of the inversion. We first invert a synthetic dataset with and without noise to investigate the effect of LCI applications to CSAMT data, for the noise free data, the results show that the LCI method can recover the true model better compared to the traditional single-station inversion; and for the noisy data, the true model is recovered even with a noise level of 8%, indicating that LCI inversions are to some extent noise insensitive. Then, we re-invert two CSAMT datasets collected respectively in a watershed and a coal mine area in Northern China and compare our results with those from previous inversions. The comparison with the previous inversion in a coal mine shows that LCI method delivers smoother layer interfaces that well correlate to seismic data, while comparison with a global searching algorithm of simulated annealing (SA) in a watershed shows that though both methods deliver very similar good results, however, LCI algorithm presented in this paper runs much faster. The inversion results for the coal mine CSAMT survey show that a conductive water-bearing zone that was not revealed by the previous inversions has been identified by the LCI. This further demonstrates that the method presented in this paper works for CSAMT data inversion.

  8. Dusty Dead Star

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2010-03-29

    A composite image from NASA Chandra and Spitzer space telescopes shows the dusty remains of a collapsed star, a supernova remnant called G54.1+0.3. The white source at the center is a dead star called a pulsar.

  9. Dead Sea Scrolls

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    A consortium of researchers from Jet Propulsion Laboratory and three other organizations used charged coupled devices (CCDs) and other imaging enhancement technology to decipher previously unreadable portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The technique has potentially important implications for archeology.

  10. Global effects of the DEAD-box RNA helicase DeaD (CsdA) on gene expression over a broad range of temperatures

    PubMed Central

    Vakulskas, Christopher A.; Pannuri, Archana; Cortés-Selva, Diana; Zere, Tesfalem R.; Ahmer, Brian M.; Babitzke, Paul; Romeo, Tony

    2014-01-01

    Summary In Escherichia coli, activity of the global regulatory RNA binding protein CsrA is antagonized by two noncoding sRNAs, CsrB and CsrC, which sequester it away from its lower affinity mRNA targets. Transcription of csrB/C requires the BarA-UvrY two component signal transduction system, which responds to short chain carboxylates. We show that two DEAD-box RNA helicases, DeaD and SrmB, activate csrB/C expression by different pathways. DeaD facilitates uvrY translation by counteracting the inhibitory effect of long distance basepairing between the uvrY mRNA leader and coding region, while SrmB does not affect UvrY or UvrY-phosphate levels. Contrary to the prevailing notion that these helicases act primarily at low temperatures, DeaD and SrmB activated csrB expression over a wide temperature range. High-throughput sequencing of RNA isolated by crosslinking immunoprecipitation (HITS-CLIP) revealed in vivo interactions of DeaD with 39 mRNAs, including those of uvrY and 9 other regulatory genes. Studies on the expression of several of the identified genes revealed regulatory effects of DeaD in all cases and diverse temperature response patterns. Our findings uncover an expanded regulatory role for DeaD, which is mediated through novel mRNA targets, important global regulators and under physiological conditions that were considered to be incompatible with its function. PMID:24708042

  11. Adaptive framework to better characterize errors of apriori fluxes and observational residuals in a Bayesian setup for the urban flux inversions.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghosh, S.; Lopez-Coto, I.; Prasad, K.; Karion, A.; Mueller, K.; Gourdji, S.; Martin, C.; Whetstone, J. R.

    2017-12-01

    The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) supports the North-East Corridor Baltimore Washington (NEC-B/W) project and Indianapolis Flux Experiment (INFLUX) aiming to quantify sources of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions as well as their uncertainties. These projects employ different flux estimation methods including top-down inversion approaches. The traditional Bayesian inversion method estimates emission distributions by updating prior information using atmospheric observations of Green House Gases (GHG) coupled to an atmospheric and dispersion model. The magnitude of the update is dependent upon the observed enhancement along with the assumed errors such as those associated with prior information and the atmospheric transport and dispersion model. These errors are specified within the inversion covariance matrices. The assumed structure and magnitude of the specified errors can have large impact on the emission estimates from the inversion. The main objective of this work is to build a data-adaptive model for these covariances matrices. We construct a synthetic data experiment using a Kalman Filter inversion framework (Lopez et al., 2017) employing different configurations of transport and dispersion model and an assumed prior. Unlike previous traditional Bayesian approaches, we estimate posterior emissions using regularized sample covariance matrices associated with prior errors to investigate whether the structure of the matrices help to better recover our hypothetical true emissions. To incorporate transport model error, we use ensemble of transport models combined with space-time analytical covariance to construct a covariance that accounts for errors in space and time. A Kalman Filter is then run using these covariances along with Maximum Likelihood Estimates (MLE) of the involved parameters. Preliminary results indicate that specifying sptio-temporally varying errors in the error covariances can improve the flux estimates and uncertainties. We

  12. Dead-time compensation for a logarithmic display rate meter

    DOEpatents

    Larson, John A.; Krueger, Frederick P.

    1988-09-20

    An improved circuit is provided for application to a radiation survey meter that uses a detector that is subject to dead time. The circuit compensates for dead time over a wide range of count rates by producing a dead-time pulse for each detected event, a live-time pulse that spans the interval between dead-time pulses, and circuits that average the value of these pulses over time. The logarithm of each of these values is obtained and the logarithms are subtracted to provide a signal that is proportional to a count rate that is corrected for the effects of dead time. The circuit produces a meter indication and is also capable of producing an audible indication of detected events.

  13. Dead-time compensation for a logarithmic display rate meter

    DOEpatents

    Larson, J.A.; Krueger, F.P.

    1987-10-05

    An improved circuit is provided for application to a radiation survey meter that uses a detector that is subject to dead time. The circuit compensates for dead time over a wide range of count rates by producing a dead-time pulse for each detected event, a live-time pulse that spans the interval between dead-time pulses, and circuits that average the value of these pulses over time. The logarithm of each of these values is obtained and the logarithms are subtracted to provide a signal that is proportional to a count rate that is corrected for the effects of dead time. The circuit produces a meter indication and is also capable of producing an audible indication of detected events. 5 figs.

  14. Inverse modeling methods for indoor airborne pollutant tracking: literature review and fundamentals.

    PubMed

    Liu, X; Zhai, Z

    2007-12-01

    Reduction in indoor environment quality calls for effective control and improvement measures. Accurate and prompt identification of contaminant sources ensures that they can be quickly removed and contaminated spaces isolated and cleaned. This paper discusses the use of inverse modeling to identify potential indoor pollutant sources with limited pollutant sensor data. The study reviews various inverse modeling methods for advection-dispersion problems and summarizes the methods into three major categories: forward, backward, and probability inverse modeling methods. The adjoint probability inverse modeling method is indicated as an appropriate model for indoor air pollutant tracking because it can quickly find source location, strength and release time without prior information. The paper introduces the principles of the adjoint probability method and establishes the corresponding adjoint equations for both multi-zone airflow models and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. The study proposes a two-stage inverse modeling approach integrating both multi-zone and CFD models, which can provide a rapid estimate of indoor pollution status and history for a whole building. Preliminary case study results indicate that the adjoint probability method is feasible for indoor pollutant inverse modeling. The proposed method can help identify contaminant source characteristics (location and release time) with limited sensor outputs. This will ensure an effective and prompt execution of building management strategies and thus achieve a healthy and safe indoor environment. The method can also help design optimal sensor networks.

  15. An Adaptive Methodological Inquiry: Exploring a TESOL Teacher Education Program's Affordances and Constraints in Libya as a Conflict Zone

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elsherif, Entisar

    2017-01-01

    This adaptive methodological inquiry explored the affordances and constraints of one TESOL teacher education program in Libya as a conflict zone. Data was collected through seven documents and 33 questionnaires. Questionnaires were gathered from the investigated program's teacher-educators, student-teachers, and graduates, who were in-service…

  16. Geology and hydrocarbon potential of the Dead Sea Rift Basins of Israel and Jordan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Coleman, James; ten Brink, Uri S.

    2016-01-01

    Geochemical analyses indicate that the source of all oils, asphalts, and tars recovered in the Lake Lisan basin is the Ghareb Formation. Geothermal gradients along the Dead Sea fault zone vary from basin to basin. Syn-wrench potential reservoir rocks are highly porous and permeable, whereas pre-wrench strata commonly exhibit lower porosity and permeability. Biogenic gas has been produced from Pleistocene reservoirs. Potential sealing intervals may be present in Neogene evaporites and tight lacustrine limestones and shales. Simple structural traps are not evident; however, subsalt traps may exist. Unconventional source rock reservoir potential has not been tested.

  17. An evolutive real-time source inversion based on a linear inverse formulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanchez Reyes, H. S.; Tago, J.; Cruz-Atienza, V. M.; Metivier, L.; Contreras Zazueta, M. A.; Virieux, J.

    2016-12-01

    Finite source inversion is a steppingstone to unveil earthquake rupture. It is used on ground motion predictions and its results shed light on seismic cycle for better tectonic understanding. It is not yet used for quasi-real-time analysis. Nowadays, significant progress has been made on approaches regarding earthquake imaging, thanks to new data acquisition and methodological advances. However, most of these techniques are posterior procedures once seismograms are available. Incorporating source parameters estimation into early warning systems would require to update the source build-up while recording data. In order to go toward this dynamic estimation, we developed a kinematic source inversion formulated in the time-domain, for which seismograms are linearly related to the slip distribution on the fault through convolutions with Green's functions previously estimated and stored (Perton et al., 2016). These convolutions are performed in the time-domain as we progressively increase the time window of records at each station specifically. Selected unknowns are the spatio-temporal slip-rate distribution to keep the linearity of the forward problem with respect to unknowns, as promoted by Fan and Shearer (2014). Through the spatial extension of the expected rupture zone, we progressively build-up the slip-rate when adding new data by assuming rupture causality. This formulation is based on the adjoint-state method for efficiency (Plessix, 2006). The inverse problem is non-unique and, in most cases, underdetermined. While standard regularization terms are used for stabilizing the inversion, we avoid strategies based on parameter reduction leading to an unwanted non-linear relationship between parameters and seismograms for our progressive build-up. Rise time, rupture velocity and other quantities can be extracted later on as attributs from the slip-rate inversion we perform. Satisfactory results are obtained on a synthetic example (FIgure 1) proposed by the Source

  18. An Amphibious Magnetotelluric Investigation of the Cascadian Seismogenic and ETS zones.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parris, B. A.; Livelybrooks, D.; Bedrosian, P.; Egbert, G. D.; Key, K.; Schultz, A.; Cook, A.; Kant, M.; Wogan, N.; Zeryck, A.

    2015-12-01

    The amphibious Magnetotelluric Observations of Cascadia using a Huge Array (MOCHA) experiment seeks to address unresolved questions about the seismogenic locked zone and down-dip transition zone where episodic tremor and slip (ETS) originates. The presence of free fluids is thought to be one of the primary controls on ETS behavior within the Cascadia margin. Since the bulk electrical conductivity in the crust and mantle can be greatly increased by fluids, magnetotelluric(MT) observations can offer unique insights on the fluid distribution and its relation to observed ETS behavior. Here we present preliminary results from the 146 MT stations collected for the MOCHA project. MOCHA is unique in that it is the first amphibious array of MT stations occupied to provide for 3-D interpretation of conductivity structure of a subduction zone. The MOCHA data set comprises 75 onshore stations and 71 offshore stations, accumulated over a two-year period, and located on an approximate 25km grid, spanning from the trench to the Eastern Willamette Valley, and from central Oregon into middle Washington. We present the results of a series of east-west (cross-strike) oriented, two-dimensional inversions created using the MARE2DEM software that provide an initial picture of the conductivity structure of the locked and ETS zones and its along strike variations. Our models can be used to identify correlations between ETS occurrence rates and inferred fluid concentrations. Our modeling explores the impact of various parameterizations on 2-D inversion results, including inclusion of a smoothness penalty reduction along the inferred slab interface. This series of 2-D inversions can then be used collectively to help make and guide an a priori 3-D inversion. In addition we will present a preliminary 3-D inversion of the onshore stations created using the ModEM software. We are currently working on modifying ModEM to support inversion of offshore data. The more computationally intensive 3-D

  19. Ethics guidelines for research with the recently dead.

    PubMed

    Pentz, Rebecca D; Cohen, Cynthia B; Wicclair, Mark; DeVita, Michael A; Flamm, Anne Lederman; Youngner, Stuart J; Hamric, Ann B; McCabe, Mary S; Glover, Jacqueline J; Kittiko, Winona J; Kinlaw, Kathy; Keller, James; Asch, Adrienne; Kavanagh, John J; Arap, Wadih

    2005-11-01

    The objective of the multidisciplinary expert Consensus Panel on Research with the Recently Dead (CPRRD) was to craft ethics guidelines for research with the recently dead. The CPRRD recommends that research with the recently dead: (i) receive scientific and ethical review and oversight; (ii) involve the community of potential research subjects; (iii) be coordinated with organ procurement organizations; (iv) not conflict with organ donation or required autopsy; (v) use procedures respectful of the dead; (vi) be restricted to one procedure per day; (vii) preferably be authorized by first-person consent, though both general advance research directives and surrogate consent are acceptable; (viii) protect confidentiality; (ix) not impose costs on subjects' estates or next of kin and not involve payment; (x) clearly explain ultimate disposition of the body.

  20. 14 CFR 1203b.106 - Use of deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Use of deadly force. 1203b.106 Section 1203b.106 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION SECURITY PROGRAMS; ARREST AUTHORITY AND USE OF FORCE BY NASA SECURITY FORCE PERSONNEL § 1203b.106 Use of deadly force. Deadly force...

  1. 14 CFR 1203b.106 - Use of deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Use of deadly force. 1203b.106 Section 1203b.106 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION SECURITY PROGRAMS; ARREST AUTHORITY AND USE OF FORCE BY NASA SECURITY FORCE PERSONNEL § 1203b.106 Use of deadly force. Deadly force...

  2. 14 CFR 1203b.106 - Use of deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2011-01-01 2010-01-01 true Use of deadly force. 1203b.106 Section 1203b.106 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION SECURITY PROGRAMS; ARREST AUTHORITY AND USE OF FORCE BY NASA SECURITY FORCE PERSONNEL § 1203b.106 Use of deadly force. Deadly force...

  3. 14 CFR 1203b.106 - Use of deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Use of deadly force. 1203b.106 Section 1203b.106 Aeronautics and Space NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION SECURITY PROGRAMS; ARREST AUTHORITY AND USE OF FORCE BY NASA SECURITY FORCE PERSONNEL § 1203b.106 Use of deadly force. Deadly force...

  4. Parameterizations for ensemble Kalman inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chada, Neil K.; Iglesias, Marco A.; Roininen, Lassi; Stuart, Andrew M.

    2018-05-01

    The use of ensemble methods to solve inverse problems is attractive because it is a derivative-free methodology which is also well-adapted to parallelization. In its basic iterative form the method produces an ensemble of solutions which lie in the linear span of the initial ensemble. Choice of the parameterization of the unknown field is thus a key component of the success of the method. We demonstrate how both geometric ideas and hierarchical ideas can be used to design effective parameterizations for a number of applied inverse problems arising in electrical impedance tomography, groundwater flow and source inversion. In particular we show how geometric ideas, including the level set method, can be used to reconstruct piecewise continuous fields, and we show how hierarchical methods can be used to learn key parameters in continuous fields, such as length-scales, resulting in improved reconstructions. Geometric and hierarchical ideas are combined in the level set method to find piecewise constant reconstructions with interfaces of unknown topology.

  5. Final Project Report: Imaging Fault Zones Using a Novel Elastic Reverse-Time Migration Imaging Technique

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huang, Lianjie; Chen, Ting; Tan, Sirui

    Imaging fault zones and fractures is crucial for geothermal operators, providing important information for reservoir evaluation and management strategies. However, there are no existing techniques available for directly and clearly imaging fault zones, particularly for steeply dipping faults and fracture zones. In this project, we developed novel acoustic- and elastic-waveform inversion methods for high-resolution velocity model building. In addition, we developed acoustic and elastic reverse-time migration methods for high-resolution subsurface imaging of complex subsurface structures and steeply-dipping fault/fracture zones. We first evaluated and verified the improved capabilities of our newly developed seismic inversion and migration imaging methods using synthetic seismicmore » data. Our numerical tests verified that our new methods directly image subsurface fracture/fault zones using surface seismic reflection data. We then applied our novel seismic inversion and migration imaging methods to a field 3D surface seismic dataset acquired at the Soda Lake geothermal field using Vibroseis sources. Our migration images of the Soda Lake geothermal field obtained using our seismic inversion and migration imaging algorithms revealed several possible fault/fracture zones. AltaRock Energy, Inc. is working with Cyrq Energy, Inc. to refine the geologic interpretation at the Soda Lake geothermal field. Trenton Cladouhos, Senior Vice President R&D of AltaRock, was very interested in our imaging results of 3D surface seismic data from the Soda Lake geothermal field. He planed to perform detailed interpretation of our images in collaboration with James Faulds and Holly McLachlan of University of Nevada at Reno. Using our high-resolution seismic inversion and migration imaging results can help determine the optimal locations to drill wells for geothermal energy production and reduce the risk of geothermal exploration.« less

  6. The Spatial Distribution of Dead Trees across Arkansas Timberlands

    Treesearch

    Martin A. Spetich; James M. Guldin

    1999-01-01

    Abstract -- Dead trees are an important part of the forest ecosystem and their attributes have been studied at the stand scale. However, their distribution over a large region has rarely been examined. In this study, the distribution and dynamics of sound wood in dead trees and the ratio of dead to live trees across the Arkansas landscape were...

  7. The stream subsurface: nitrogen cycling and the cleansing function of hyporheic zones

    Treesearch

    Rhonda Mazza; Steve Wondzell; Jay Zarnetske

    2014-01-01

    Nitrogen is an element essential to plant growth and ecosystem productivity. Excess nitrogen, however, is a common water pollutant. It can lead to algal blooms that deplete the water's dissolved oxygen, creating "dead zones" devoid of fish and aquatic insects.Previous research showed that the subsurface area of a stream, known as the hyporheic...

  8. Are Brain Dead Individuals Dead? Grounds for Reasonable Doubt

    PubMed Central

    Brugger, E. Christian

    2016-01-01

    According to the biological definition of death, a human body that has not lost the capacity to holistically organize itself is the body of a living human individual. Reasonable doubt against the conclusion that it has lost the capacity exists when the body appears to express it and no evidence to the contrary is sufficient to rule out reasonable doubt against the conclusion that the apparent expression is a true expression (i.e., when the conclusion that what appears to be holistic organization is in fact holistic organization remains a reasonable explanatory hypothesis in light of the best evidence to the contrary). This essay argues that the evidence and arguments against the conclusion that the signs of complex bodily integration exhibited in ventilated brain dead bodies are true expressions of somatic integration are unpersuasive; that is, they are not adequate to exclude reasonable doubt against the conclusion that BD bodies are dead. Since we should not treat as corpses what for all we know might be living human beings, it follows that we have an obligation to treat BD individuals as if they were living human beings. PMID:27075192

  9. Estimating dead-space fraction for secondary analyses of ARDS clinical trials

    PubMed Central

    Beitler, Jeremy R.; Thompson, B. Taylor; Matthay, Michael A.; Talmor, Daniel; Liu, Kathleen D.; Zhuo, Hanjing; Hayden, Douglas; Spragg, Roger G.; Malhotra, Atul

    2015-01-01

    Objective Pulmonary dead-space fraction is one of few lung-specific independent predictors of mortality from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, it is not measured routinely in clinical trials and thus altogether ignored in secondary analyses that shape future research directions and clinical practice. This study sought to validate an estimate of dead-space fraction for use in secondary analyses of clinical trials. Design Analysis of patient-level data pooled from ARDS clinical trials. Four approaches to estimate dead-space fraction were evaluated: three required estimating metabolic rate; one estimated dead-space fraction directly. Setting U.S. academic teaching hospitals. Patients Data from 210 patients across three clinical trials were used to compare performance of estimating equations with measured dead-space fraction. A second cohort of 3,135 patients from six clinical trials without measured dead-space fraction was used to confirm whether estimates independently predicted mortality. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Dead-space fraction estimated using the unadjusted Harris-Benedict equation for energy expenditure was unbiased (mean ± SD Harris-Benedict 0.59 ± 0.13; measured 0.60 ± 0.12). This estimate predicted measured dead-space fraction to within ± 0.10 in 70% of patients and ± 0.20 in 95% of patients. Measured dead-space fraction independently predicted mortality (OR 1.36 per 0.05 increase in dead-space fraction, 95% CI 1.10–1.68; p < .01). The Harris-Benedict estimate closely approximated this association with mortality in the same cohort (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.21–1.98; p < .01) and remained independently predictive of death in the larger ARDSNet cohort. Other estimates predicted measured dead-space fraction or its association with mortality less well. Conclusions Dead-space fraction should be measured in future ARDS clinical trials to facilitate incorporation into secondary analyses. For analyses where dead

  10. The zero inflation of standing dead tree carbon stocks

    Treesearch

    Christopher W. Woodall; David W. MacFarlane

    2012-01-01

    Given the importance of standing dead trees in numerous forest ecosystem attributes/processes such as carbon (C) stocks, the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program began consistent nationwide sampling of standing dead trees in 1999. Modeled estimates of standing dead tree C stocks are currently used as the official C stock estimates for the...

  11. Ground resistivity method and DCIP2D forward and inversion modelling to identify alteration at the Midwest uranium deposit, northern Saskatchewan, Canada

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Long, Samuel R. M.; Smith, Richard S.; Hearst, Robert B.

    2017-06-01

    Resistivity methods are commonly used in mineral exploration to map lithology, structure, sulphides and alteration. In the Athabasca Basin, resistivity methods are used to detect alteration associated with uranium. At the Midwest deposit, there is an alteration zone in the Athabasca sandstones that is above a uraniferous conductive graphitic fault in the basement and below a conductive lake at surface. Previous geophysical work in this area has yielded resistivity sections that we feel are ambiguous in the area where the alteration is expected. Resolve® and TEMPEST sections yield an indistinct alteration zone, while two-dimensional (2D) inversions of the ground resistivity data show an equivocal smeared conductive feature in the expected location between the conductive graphite and the conductive lake. Forward modelling alone cannot identify features in the pseudosections that are clearly associated with alteration, as the section is dominated by the feature associated with the near-surface conductive lake; inverse modelling alone produces sections that are smeared and equivocal. We advocate an approach that uses a combination of forward and inverse modelling. We generate a forward model from a synthetic geoelectric section; this forward data is then inverse modelled and compared with the inverse model generated from the field data using the same inversion parameters. The synthetic geoelectric section is then adjusted until the synthetic inverse model closely matches the field inverse model. We found that this modelling process required a conductive alteration zone in the sandstone above the graphite, as removing the alteration zone from the sandstone created an inverse section very dissimilar to the inverse section derived from the field data. We therefore conclude that the resistivity method is able to identify conductive alteration at Midwest even though it is below a conductive lake and above a conductive graphitic fault. We also concluded that resistivity

  12. Setting Dead at Zero: Applying Scale Properties to the QALY Model.

    PubMed

    Roudijk, Bram; Donders, A Rogier T; Stalmeier, Peep F M

    2018-04-01

    Scaling severe states can be a difficult task. First, the method of measurement affects whether a health state is considered better or worse than dead. Second, in discrete choice experiments, different models to anchor health states on 0 (dead) and 1 (perfect health) produce varying amounts of health states worse than dead. Within the context of the quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) model, this article provides insight into the value assigned to dead and its consequences for decision making. Our research questions are 1) what are the arguments set forth to assign dead the number 0 on the health-utility scale? And 2) what are the effects of the position of dead on the health-utility scale on decision making? A literature review was conducted to explore the arguments set forth to assign dead a value of 0 in the QALY model. In addition, scale properties and transformations were considered. The review uncovered several practical and theoretical considerations for setting dead at 0. In the QALY model, indifference between 2 health episodes is not preserved under changes of the origin of the duration scale. Ratio scale properties are needed for the duration scale to preserve indifferences. In combination with preferences and zero conditions for duration and health, it follows that dead should have a value of 0. The health-utility and duration scales have ratio scale properties, and dead should be assigned the number 0. Furthermore, the position of dead should be carefully established, because it determines how life-saving and life-improving values are weighed in cost-utility analysis.

  13. The dead donor rule: can it withstand critical scrutiny?

    PubMed

    Miller, Franklin G; Truog, Robert D; Brock, Dan W

    2010-06-01

    Transplantation of vital organs has been premised ethically and legally on "the dead donor rule" (DDR)-the requirement that donors are determined to be dead before these organs are procured. Nevertheless, scholars have argued cogently that donors of vital organs, including those diagnosed as "brain dead" and those declared dead according to cardiopulmonary criteria, are not in fact dead at the time that vital organs are being procured. In this article, we challenge the normative rationale for the DDR by rejecting the underlying premise that it is necessarily wrong for physicians to cause the death of patients and the claim that abandoning this rule would exploit vulnerable patients. We contend that it is ethical to procure vital organs from living patients sustained on life support prior to treatment withdrawal, provided that there is valid consent for both withdrawing treatment and organ donation. However, the conservatism of medical ethics and practical concerns make it doubtful that the DDR will be abandoned in the near future. This leaves the current practice of organ transplantation based on the "moral fiction" that donors are dead when vital organs are procured.

  14. An Inversion Recovery NMR Kinetics Experiment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Travis J.; Kershaw, Allan D.; Li, Vincent; Wu, Xinping

    2011-01-01

    A convenient laboratory experiment is described in which NMR magnetization transfer by inversion recovery is used to measure the kinetics and thermochemistry of amide bond rotation. The experiment utilizes Varian spectrometers with the VNMRJ 2.3 software, but can be easily adapted to any NMR platform. The procedures and sample data sets in this…

  15. Magnetic character of a large continental transform: an aeromagnetic survey of the Dead Sea Fault

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    ten Brink, Uri S.; Rybakov, Michael; Al-Zoubi, Abdallah S.; Rotstein, Yair

    2007-01-01

    New high-resolution airborne magnetic (HRAM) data along a 120-km-long section of the Dead Sea Transform in southern Jordan and Israel shed light on the shallow structure of the fault zone and on the kinematics of the plate boundary. Despite infrequent seismic activity and only intermittent surface exposure, the fault is delineated clearly on a map of the first vertical derivative of the magnetic intensity, indicating that the source of the magnetic anomaly is shallow. The fault is manifested by a 10–20 nT negative anomaly in areas where the fault cuts through magnetic basement and by a

  16. Chromosomal Thermal Index: a comprehensive way to integrate the thermal adaptation of Drosophila subobscura whole karyotype.

    PubMed

    Arenas, Conxita; Zivanovic, Goran; Mestres, Francesc

    2018-02-01

    Drosophila has demonstrated to be an excellent model to study the adaptation of organisms to global warming, with inversion chromosomal polymorphism having a key role in this adaptation. Here, we introduce a new index (Chromosomal Thermal Index or CTI) to quantify the thermal adaptation of a population according to its composition of "warm" and "cold" adapted inversions. This index is intuitive, has good statistical properties, and can be used to hypothesis on the effect of global warming on natural populations. We show the usefulness of CTI using data from European populations of D. subobscura, sampled in different years. Out of 15 comparisons over time, nine showed significant increase of CTI, in accordance with global warming expectations. Although large regions of the genome outside inversions contain thermal adaptation genes, our results show that the total amount of warm or cold inversions in populations seems to be directly involved in thermal adaptation, whereas the interactions between the inversions content of homologous and non-homologous chromosomes are not relevant.

  17. Forward and inverse solutions for three-element Risley prism beam scanners.

    PubMed

    Li, Anhu; Liu, Xingsheng; Sun, Wansong

    2017-04-03

    Scan blind zone and control singularity are two adverse issues for the beam scanning performance in double-prism Risley systems. In this paper, a theoretical model which introduces a third prism is developed. The critical condition for a fully eliminated scan blind zone is determined through a geometric derivation, providing several useful formulae for three-Risley-prism system design. Moreover, inverse solutions for a three-prism system are established, based on the damped least-squares iterative refinement by a forward ray tracing method. It is shown that the efficiency of this iterative calculation of the inverse solutions can be greatly enhanced by a numerical differentiation method. In order to overcome the control singularity problem, the motion law of any one prism in a three-prism system needs to be conditioned, resulting in continuous and steady motion profiles for the other two prisms.

  18. 20 CFR 404.721 - Evidence to presume a person is dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Evidence to presume a person is dead. 404.721... person is dead. If you cannot prove the person is dead but evidence of death is needed, we will presume... person is presumed to be dead as set out in Federal law (5 U.S.C. 5565). Unless we have other evidence...

  19. 20 CFR 404.721 - Evidence to presume a person is dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Evidence to presume a person is dead. 404.721... person is dead. If you cannot prove the person is dead but evidence of death is needed, we will presume... person is presumed to be dead as set out in Federal law (5 U.S.C. 5565). Unless we have other evidence...

  20. 20 CFR 404.721 - Evidence to presume a person is dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Evidence to presume a person is dead. 404.721... person is dead. If you cannot prove the person is dead but evidence of death is needed, we will presume... person is presumed to be dead as set out in Federal law (5 U.S.C. 5565). Unless we have other evidence...

  1. 20 CFR 404.721 - Evidence to presume a person is dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Evidence to presume a person is dead. 404.721... person is dead. If you cannot prove the person is dead but evidence of death is needed, we will presume... person is presumed to be dead as set out in Federal law (5 U.S.C. 5565). Unless we have other evidence...

  2. 20 CFR 404.721 - Evidence to presume a person is dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Evidence to presume a person is dead. 404.721... person is dead. If you cannot prove the person is dead but evidence of death is needed, we will presume... person is presumed to be dead as set out in Federal law (5 U.S.C. 5565). Unless we have other evidence...

  3. Adaptive Neural Network-Based Event-Triggered Control of Single-Input Single-Output Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems.

    PubMed

    Sahoo, Avimanyu; Xu, Hao; Jagannathan, Sarangapani

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a novel adaptive neural network (NN) control of single-input and single-output uncertain nonlinear discrete-time systems under event sampled NN inputs. In this control scheme, the feedback signals are transmitted, and the NN weights are tuned in an aperiodic manner at the event sampled instants. After reviewing the NN approximation property with event sampled inputs, an adaptive state estimator (SE), consisting of linearly parameterized NNs, is utilized to approximate the unknown system dynamics in an event sampled context. The SE is viewed as a model and its approximated dynamics and the state vector, during any two events, are utilized for the event-triggered controller design. An adaptive event-trigger condition is derived by using both the estimated NN weights and a dead-zone operator to determine the event sampling instants. This condition both facilitates the NN approximation and reduces the transmission of feedback signals. The ultimate boundedness of both the NN weight estimation error and the system state vector is demonstrated through the Lyapunov approach. As expected, during an initial online learning phase, events are observed more frequently. Over time with the convergence of the NN weights, the inter-event times increase, thereby lowering the number of triggered events. These claims are illustrated through the simulation results.

  4. Extreme drying event in the Dead Sea basin during MIS5 from the ICDP Dead Sea Deep Drill Core

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goldstein, S. L.; Stein, M.; Ben-Avraham, Z.; Agnon, A.; Ariztegui, D.; Brauer, A.; Haug, G. H.; Ito, E.; Kitagawa, H.; Torfstein, A.; Yasuda, Y.; The Icdp-Dsddp Scientific Party

    2011-12-01

    The ICDP funded Dead Sea Deep Drilling Project (DSDDP) recovered the longest and most complete paleo-environmental record in the Middle East, drilling holes of ~450 and ~350 meters in length in deep (~300 m below the lake level) and shallow sites (~3 mbll) respectively. The Dead Sea expands during the glacials and contracts during interglacials, and the sediments comprise a geological archive of the evolving environmental conditions (e.g. rains, floods, dust-storms, droughts). Dead Sea sediments include inorganic aragonite, allowing for dating by U-series (e.g. Haase-Schramm et al. GCA 2004). The deep site cores were opened and described in June 2011. The cores are composed mainly of alternating intervals of marl (aragonite, gypsum and detritus) during glacials, and salts and marls during interglacials. From this stratigraphy we estimate that the deep site core spans ~200 kyr (to the boundary of MIS 6 and 7). A dramatic discovery is a ~40 cm thick interval of partly rounded pebbles at ~235 m below the lake floor. This is the only clean pebbly unit in the entire core. It appears to be a beach layer, near the deepest part of the Dead Sea, lying above ~35 meters of mainly salt. If it is a beach layer, it implies an almost complete dry-down of the paleo-Dead Sea. The pebble layer lies within the last interglacial interval. Our initial attempt to more precisely estimate the age of the possible dry down shows an intriguing correlation between the salt-mud stratigraphy of the Dead Sea core and the oxygen isotope record of Soreq Cave, whereby excursions to light oxygen in the speleothems correspond to periods of salt deposition. Through this comparison, we estimate that the possible dry down occurred during MIS 5e. The occurrence of ~35 meters of mainly salt along with the pebble layer demonstrates a severe dry interval during MIS 5. This observation has implications for the Middle East today, where the Dead Sea level is dropping as all the countries in the area use the

  5. Clustering and interpretation of local earthquake tomography models in the southern Dead Sea basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bauer, Klaus; Braeuer, Benjamin

    2016-04-01

    The Dead Sea transform (DST) marks the boundary between the Arabian and the African plates. Ongoing left-lateral relative plate motion and strike-slip deformation started in the Early Miocene (20 MA) and produced a total shift of 107 km until presence. The Dead Sea basin (DSB) located in the central part of the DST is one of the largest pull-apart basins in the world. It was formed from step-over of different fault strands at a major segment boundary of the transform fault system. The basin development was accompanied by deposition of clastics and evaporites and subsequent salt diapirism. Ongoing deformation within the basin and activity of the boundary faults are indicated by increased seismicity. The internal architecture of the DSB and the crustal structure around the DST were subject of several large scientific projects carried out since 2000. Here we report on a local earthquake tomography study from the southern DSB. In 2006-2008, a dense seismic network consisting of 65 stations was operated for 18 months in the southern part of the DSB and surrounding regions. Altogether 530 well-constrained seismic events with 13,970 P- and 12,760 S-wave arrival times were used for a travel time inversion for Vp, Vp/Vs velocity structure and seismicity distribution. The work flow included 1D inversion, 2.5D and 3D tomography, and resolution analysis. We demonstrate a possible strategy how several tomographic models such as Vp, Vs and Vp/Vs can be integrated for a combined lithological interpretation. We analyzed the tomographic models derived by 2.5D inversion using neural network clustering techniques. The method allows us to identify major lithologies by their petrophysical signatures. Remapping the clusters into the subsurface reveals the distribution of basin sediments, prebasin sedimentary rocks, and crystalline basement. The DSB shows an asymmetric structure with thickness variation from 5 km in the west to 13 km in the east. Most importantly, a well-defined body

  6. Resistivity characterisation of Hakone volcano, Central Japan, by three-dimensional magnetotelluric inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoshimura, Ryokei; Ogawa, Yasuo; Yukutake, Yohei; Kanda, Wataru; Komori, Shogo; Hase, Hideaki; Goto, Tada-nori; Honda, Ryou; Harada, Masatake; Yamazaki, Tomoya; Kamo, Masato; Kawasaki, Shingo; Higa, Tetsuya; Suzuki, Takeshi; Yasuda, Yojiro; Tani, Masanori; Usui, Yoshiya

    2018-04-01

    On 29 June 2015, a small phreatic eruption occurred at Hakone volcano, Central Japan, forming several vents in the Owakudani geothermal area on the northern slope of the central cones. Intense earthquake swarm activity and geodetic signals corresponding to the 2015 eruption were also observed within the Hakone caldera. To complement these observations and to characterise the shallow resistivity structure of Hakone caldera, we carried out a three-dimensional inversion of magnetotelluric measurement data acquired at 64 sites across the region. We utilised an unstructured tetrahedral mesh for the inversion code of the edge-based finite element method to account for the steep topography of the region during the inversion process. The main features of the best-fit three-dimensional model are a bell-shaped conductor, the bottom of which shows good agreement with the upper limit of seismicity, beneath the central cones and the Owakudani geothermal area, and several buried bowl-shaped conductive zones beneath the Gora and Kojiri areas. We infer that the main bell-shaped conductor represents a hydrothermally altered zone that acts as a cap or seal to resist the upwelling of volcanic fluids. Enhanced volcanic activity may cause volcanic fluids to pass through the resistive body surrounded by the altered zone and thus promote brittle failure within the resistive body. The overlapping locations of the bowl-shaped conductors, the buried caldera structures and the presence of sodium-chloride-rich hot springs indicate that the conductors represent porous media saturated by high-salinity hot spring waters. The linear clusters of earthquake swarms beneath the Kojiri area may indicate several weak zones that formed due to these structural contrasts.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

  7. The Dead Sea, The Lake and Its Setting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brink, Uri ten

    I cannot think of a subject more befitting the description of interdisciplinary research with societal relevance than the study of the Dead Sea, a terminal lake of the Jordan River in Israel and Jordan. The scientific study of the Dead Sea is intimately connected with politics, religion, archeology, economic development, tourism, and environmental change.The Dead Sea is a relatively closed geologic and limnologic system with drastic physical changes often occurring on human timescales and with a long human history to observe these changes. Research in this unique area covers diverse aspects such as active subsidence and deformation along strike-slip faults; vertical stratification and stability of the water column; physical properties of extremely saline and dense (1234 kg/m3) water; spontaneous precipitation of minerals in an oversaturated environment; origin of the unusual chemical composition of the brine; existence of life in extreme environments; use of lake level fluctuations as a paleoclimatic indicator; and effects on the environment of human intervention versus natural climatic variability. Although the Dead Sea covers a small area on a global scale, it is nevertheless one of the largest natural laboratories for these types of research on Earth. These reasons make the Dead Sea a fascinating topic for the curious mind.

  8. Biomechanics of Tetrahymena escaping from a dead end

    PubMed Central

    Kikuchi, Kenji

    2018-01-01

    Understanding the behaviours of swimming microorganisms in various environments is important for understanding cell distribution and growth in nature and industry. However, cell behaviour in complex geometries is largely unknown. In this study, we used Tetrahymena thermophila as a model microorganism and experimentally investigated cell behaviour between two flat plates with a small angle. In this configuration, the geometry provided a ‘dead end' line where the two flat plates made contact. The results showed that cells tended to escape from the dead end line more by hydrodynamics than by a biological reaction. In the case of hydrodynamic escape, the cell trajectories were symmetric as they swam to and from the dead end line. Near the dead end line, T. thermophila cells were compressed between the two flat plates while cilia kept beating with reduced frequency; those cells again showed symmetric trajectories, although the swimming velocity decreased. These behaviours were well reproduced by our computational model based on biomechanics. The mechanism of hydrodynamic escape can be understood in terms of the torque balance induced by lubrication flow. We therefore conclude that a cell's escape from the dead end was assisted by hydrodynamics. These findings pave the way for understanding cell behaviour and distribution in complex geometries. PMID:29491169

  9. [Realization of an adaptive method of simulating the process of temperature change of a cadaver on a microcomputer].

    PubMed

    Shved, E F; Novikov, P I; Vlasov, A Iu

    1989-01-01

    Programme based on mathematical model of the process of dead body temperature changing was developed for estimation of postmortem interval. Automatic retrieval of problem solution was performed on programmable microcalculators of "Electronica MK-61" type using adaptive approach. Diagnostical accuracy in case of dead body being preserved in permanent cooling conditions is +/- 3%.

  10. Joint inversion of satellite-detected tidal and magnetospheric signals constrains electrical conductivity and water content of the upper mantle and transition zone.

    PubMed

    Grayver, A V; Munch, F D; Kuvshinov, A V; Khan, A; Sabaka, T J; Tøffner-Clausen, L

    2017-06-28

    We present a new global electrical conductivity model of Earth's mantle. The model was derived by using a novel methodology, which is based on inverting satellite magnetic field measurements from different sources simultaneously. Specifically, we estimated responses of magnetospheric origin and ocean tidal magnetic signals from the most recent Swarm and CHAMP data. The challenging task of properly accounting for the ocean effect in the data was addressed through full three-dimensional solution of Maxwell's equations. We show that simultaneous inversion of magnetospheric and tidal magnetic signals results in a model with much improved resolution. Comparison with laboratory-based conductivity profiles shows that obtained models are compatible with a pyrolytic composition and a water content of 0.01 wt% and 0.1 wt% in the upper mantle and transition zone, respectively.

  11. Options for reducing HIV transmission related to the dead space in needles and syringes.

    PubMed

    Zule, William A; Pande, Poonam G; Otiashvili, David; Bobashev, Georgiy V; Friedman, Samuel R; Gyarmathy, V Anna; Des Jarlais, Don C

    2018-01-15

    When shared by people who inject drugs, needles and syringes with different dead space may affect the probability of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission differently. We measured dead space in 56 needle and syringe combinations obtained from needle and syringe programs across 17 countries in Europe and Asia. We also calculated the amounts of blood and HIV that would remain in different combinations following injection and rinsing. Syringe barrel capacities ranged from 0.5 to 20 mL. Needles ranged in length from 8 to 38 mm. The average dead space was 3 μL in low dead space syringes with permanently attached needles, 13 μL in high dead space syringes with low dead space needles, 45 μL in low dead space syringes with high dead space needles, and 99 μL in high dead space syringes with high dead space needles. Among low dead space designs, calculated volumes of blood and HIV viral burden were lowest for low dead space syringes with permanently attached needles and highest for low dead space syringes with high dead space needles. The dead space in different low dead space needle and syringe combinations varied substantially. To reduce HIV transmission related to syringe sharing, needle and syringe programs need to combine this knowledge with the needs of their clients.

  12. Application of Adaptive Autopilot Designs for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shin, Yoonghyun; Calise, Anthony J.; Motter, Mark A.

    2005-01-01

    This paper summarizes the application of two adaptive approaches to autopilot design, and presents an evaluation and comparison of the two approaches in simulation for an unmanned aerial vehicle. One approach employs two-stage dynamic inversion and the other employs feedback dynamic inversions based on a command augmentation system. Both are augmented with neural network based adaptive elements. The approaches permit adaptation to both parametric uncertainty and unmodeled dynamics, and incorporate a method that permits adaptation during periods of control saturation. Simulation results for an FQM-117B radio controlled miniature aerial vehicle are presented to illustrate the performance of the neural network based adaptation.

  13. Constructing inverse V-type TiO2-based photocatalyst via bio-template approach to enhance the photosynthetic water oxidation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Jinghui; Zhou, Han; Ding, Jian; Zhang, Fan; Fan, Tongxiang; Zhang, Di

    2015-08-01

    Bio-template approach was employed to construct inverse V-type TiO2-based photocatalyst with well distributed AgBr in TiO2 matrix by making dead Troides Helena wings with inverse V-type scales as the template. A cross-linked titanium precursor with homogenous hydrolytic rate, good liquidity, and low viscosity was employed to facilitate a perfect duplication of the template and the dispersion of AgBr based on appropriate pretreatment of the template by alkali and acid. The as-synthesized inverse V-type TiO2/AgBr can be turned into inverse V-type TiO2/Ag0 from AgBr photolysis during photocatalysis to achieve in situ deposition of Ag0 in TiO2 matrix, by this approach, to avoid the deformation of surface microstructure inherited from the template. The result showed that the cooperation of perfect inverse V-type structure and the well distributed TiO2/Ag0 microstructures can efficiently boost the photosynthetic water oxidation compared to non-inverse V-type TiO2/Ag0 and TiO2/Ag0 without using template. The anti-reflection function of inverse V-type structure and the plasmatic effect of Ag0 might be able to account for the enhanced photon capture and efficient photoelectric conversion.

  14. Population Genomics of Inversion Polymorphisms in Drosophila melanogaster

    PubMed Central

    Corbett-Detig, Russell B.; Hartl, Daniel L.

    2012-01-01

    Chromosomal inversions have been an enduring interest of population geneticists since their discovery in Drosophila melanogaster. Numerous lines of evidence suggest powerful selective pressures govern the distributions of polymorphic inversions, and these observations have spurred the development of many explanatory models. However, due to a paucity of nucleotide data, little progress has been made towards investigating selective hypotheses or towards inferring the genealogical histories of inversions, which can inform models of inversion evolution and suggest selective mechanisms. Here, we utilize population genomic data to address persisting gaps in our knowledge of D. melanogaster's inversions. We develop a method, termed Reference-Assisted Reassembly, to assemble unbiased, highly accurate sequences near inversion breakpoints, which we use to estimate the age and the geographic origins of polymorphic inversions. We find that inversions are young, and most are African in origin, which is consistent with the demography of the species. The data suggest that inversions interact with polymorphism not only in breakpoint regions but also chromosome-wide. Inversions remain differentiated at low levels from standard haplotypes even in regions that are distant from breakpoints. Although genetic exchange appears fairly extensive, we identify numerous regions that are qualitatively consistent with selective hypotheses. Finally, we show that In(1)Be, which we estimate to be ∼60 years old (95% CI 5.9 to 372.8 years), has likely achieved high frequency via sex-ratio segregation distortion in males. With deeper sampling, it will be possible to build on our inferences of inversion histories to rigorously test selective models—particularly those that postulate that inversions achieve a selective advantage through the maintenance of co-adapted allele complexes. PMID:23284285

  15. Standing dead tree resources in forests of the United States

    Treesearch

    Christopher W. Woodall; Karen L. Waddell; Christopher M. Oswalt; James E. Smith

    2013-01-01

    Given the importance of standing dead trees to numerous forest ecosystem attributes/ processes such as fuel loadings and wildlife habitat, the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, initiated a consistent nationwide inventory of standing dead trees in 1999. As the first cycle of annual standing dead tree...

  16. Vial usage, device dead space, vaccine wastage, and dose accuracy of intradermal delivery devices for inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV).

    PubMed

    Jarrahian, Courtney; Rein-Weston, Annie; Saxon, Gene; Creelman, Ben; Kachmarik, Greg; Anand, Abhijeet; Zehrung, Darin

    2017-03-27

    Intradermal delivery of a fractional dose of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) offers potential benefits compared to intramuscular (IM) delivery, including possible cost reductions and easing of IPV supply shortages. Objectives of this study were to assess intradermal delivery devices for dead space, wastage generated by the filling process, dose accuracy, and total number of doses that can be delivered per vial. Devices tested included syringes with staked (fixed) needles (autodisable syringes and syringes used with intradermal adapters), a luer-slip needle and syringe, a mini-needle syringe, a hollow microneedle device, and disposable-syringe jet injectors with their associated filling adapters. Each device was used to withdraw 0.1-mL fractional doses from single-dose IM glass vials which were then ejected into a beaker. Both vial and device were weighed before and after filling and again after expulsion of liquid to record change in volume at each stage of the process. Data were used to calculate the number of doses that could potentially be obtained from multidose vials. Results show wide variability in dead space, dose accuracy, overall wastage, and total number of doses that can be obtained per vial among intradermal delivery devices. Syringes with staked needles had relatively low dead space and low overall wastage, and could achieve a greater number of doses per vial compared to syringes with a detachable luer-slip needle. Of the disposable-syringe jet injectors tested, one was comparable to syringes with staked needles. If intradermal delivery of IPV is introduced, selection of an intradermal delivery device can have a substantial impact on vaccine wasted during administration, and thus on the required quantity of vaccine that needs to be purchased. An ideal intradermal delivery device should be not only safe, reliable, accurate, and acceptable to users and vaccine recipients, but should also have low dead space, high dose accuracy, and low overall

  17. Complex Patterns of Local Adaptation in Teosinte

    PubMed Central

    Pyhäjärvi, Tanja; Hufford, Matthew B.; Mezmouk, Sofiane; Ross-Ibarra, Jeffrey

    2013-01-01

    Populations of widely distributed species encounter and must adapt to local environmental conditions. However, comprehensive characterization of the genetic basis of adaptation is demanding, requiring genome-wide genotype data, multiple sampled populations, and an understanding of population structure and potential selection pressures. Here, we used single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping and data on numerous environmental variables to describe the genetic basis of local adaptation in 21 populations of teosinte, the wild ancestor of maize. We found complex hierarchical genetic structure created by altitude, dispersal events, and admixture among subspecies, which complicated identification of locally beneficial alleles. Patterns of linkage disequilibrium revealed four large putative inversion polymorphisms showing clinal patterns of frequency. Population differentiation and environmental correlations suggest that both inversions and intergenic polymorphisms are involved in local adaptation. PMID:23902747

  18. Scientific evidence of the therapeutic effects of dead sea treatments: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Katz, Uriel; Shoenfeld, Yehuda; Zakin, Varda; Sherer, Yaniv; Sukenik, Shaul

    2012-10-01

    The Dead Sea, the deepest and most saline lake on earth, has been known from biblical times for its healing properties. The aim of this systematic review was to present critically the level of evidence for the claims of therapeutic effects of Dead Sea treatments in several rheumatologic diseases and psoriasis as well as to review these treatments' safety. All articles cited in MEDLINE under the query, "Dead Sea," were reviewed. We found bona fide evidence that Dead Sea treatments are especially effective in psoriasis due to both the special characteristics of solar ultraviolet radiation in the Dead Sea and the Dead Sea water balneotherapy. Dead Sea mud and Dead Sea balneotherapy have been found to be beneficial in rheumatologic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and knee osteoarthritis. In the safety analysis, we found no evidence for an increase in skin neoplasia, although skin actinic damage seems to be increased in patients treated in the Dead Sea. Dead Sea treatments do not lead to worsening of blood pressure. Substantial ingestion of Dead Sea water (generally in unusual near-drowning cases) is toxic and can result in cardiac rhythm disturbances because of electrolyte concentration abnormalities. Laboratory analysis of Dead Sea mud did not reveal mineral concentrations that could represent a health concern for their intended use. Dead Sea treatments are beneficial in several rheumatologic diseases and psoriasis and have a good safety profile. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. MERIDIONAL FLOW IN THE SOLAR CONVECTION ZONE. II. HELIOSEISMIC INVERSIONS OF GONG DATA

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jackiewicz, J.; Serebryanskiy, A.; Kholikov, S., E-mail: jasonj@nmsu.edu

    2015-06-01

    Meridional flow is thought to play a very important role in the dynamics of the solar convection zone; however, because of its relatively small amplitude, precisely measuring it poses a significant challenge. Here we present a complete time–distance helioseismic analysis of about 2 years of ground-based Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) Doppler data to retrieve the meridional circulation profile for modest latitudes in an attempt to corroborate results from other studies. We use an empirical correction to the travel times due to an unknown center-to-limb systematic effect. The helioseismic inversion procedure is first tested and reasonably validated on artificial datamore » from a large-scale numerical simulation followed by a test to broadly recover the solar differential rotation found from global seismology. From GONG data, we measure poleward photospheric flows at all latitudes with properties that are comparable with earlier studies and a shallow equatorward flow about 65 Mm beneath the surface, in agreement with recent findings from Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) data. No strong evidence of multiple circulation cells in depth or latitude is found, yet the whole phase space has not yet been explored. Tests of mass flux conservation are then carried out on the inferred GONG and HMI flows and compared to a fiducial numerical baseline from models, and we find that the continuity equation is poorly satisfied. While the two disparate data sets do give similar results for about the outer 15% of the interior radius, the total inverted circulation pattern appears to be unphysical in terms of mass conservation when interpreted over modest time scales. We can likely attribute this to both the influence of realization noise and subtle effects in the data and measurement procedure.« less

  20. 10 CFR 1047.7 - Use of deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... reasonable person would consider likely to cause death or serious bodily harm. Its use may be justified only... following circumstances exists: (1) Self-Defense. When deadly force reasonably appears to be necessary to... death or serious bodily harm. (2) Serious offenses against persons. When deadly force reasonably appears...

  1. 10 CFR 1047.7 - Use of deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... reasonable person would consider likely to cause death or serious bodily harm. Its use may be justified only... following circumstances exists: (1) Self-Defense. When deadly force reasonably appears to be necessary to... death or serious bodily harm. (2) Serious offenses against persons. When deadly force reasonably appears...

  2. 10 CFR 1047.7 - Use of deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... reasonable person would consider likely to cause death or serious bodily harm. Its use may be justified only... following circumstances exists: (1) Self-Defense. When deadly force reasonably appears to be necessary to... death or serious bodily harm. (2) Serious offenses against persons. When deadly force reasonably appears...

  3. 10 CFR 1047.7 - Use of deadly force.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... reasonable person would consider likely to cause death or serious bodily harm. Its use may be justified only... following circumstances exists: (1) Self-Defense. When deadly force reasonably appears to be necessary to... death or serious bodily harm. (2) Serious offenses against persons. When deadly force reasonably appears...

  4. Investigation of UAS-based SfM Photogrammetry and Bathymetric Inversion for Mapping a Shallow Water, Low-energy Littoral Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Starek, M. J.

    2016-02-01

    Small-scale Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) enable the integration of light weight, low-cost imaging payloads providing a flexible and efficient means for conducting localized littoral surveys. Through exploitation of high imagery overlap and minimal aiding technology, photogrammetric techniques and structure from motion (SfM) methods can be applied to derive accurate 2D and 3D geospatial data about the observed terrain. Furthermore, small-scale UAS enable rapid response capabilities and provide the potential for collecting repeated observations at high temporal frequency making them an exceptional tool for monitoring dynamic coastal environments. This study examines the accuracy of topographic and bathymetric data derived from a UAS-based photogrammetric survey of a low-energy, shallow-water littoral zone. The study site is, an engineered and restored beach, located on Ward Island in Corpus Christi Bay, TX. Two UAS surveys were conducted roughly two months apart using a system called the SenseFly eBee. The eBee is an ultra-lightweight ( 0.7 kg) fully autonomous platform and it was equipped with a 16 megapixel RGB camera. The objectives were to: (1) assess accuracy differences in SfM derived point clouds over exposed and submerged beach; (2) evaluate effects of scene-to-scene variability and flight design on derived data products. Several key components were analyzed in order to assess the accuracy and usefulness of elevation data derived from the UAS/SfM approach. First, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the impacts of image scale and match constraints on the fidelity of 3D point cloud data derived from the SfM processing workflow. Evaluation focused on differences in accuracy and density of point data over exposed and submerged beach. Second, a noise filter was developed to remove non-subtrate returns from the SfM cloud for bathymetric modeling. Finally, a bathymetric inversion approach was applied to derive an estimate of water depth. Results show

  5. Comparative growth and development of spiders reared on live and dead prey.

    PubMed

    Peng, Yu; Zhang, Fan; Gui, Shaolan; Qiao, Huping; Hose, Grant C

    2013-01-01

    Scavenging (feeding on dead prey) has been demonstrated across a number of spider families, yet the implications of feeding on dead prey for the growth and development of individuals and population is unknown. In this study we compare the growth, development, and predatory activity of two species of spiders that were fed on live and dead prey. Pardosa astrigera (Lycosidae) and Hylyphantes graminicola (Lyniphiidae) were fed live or dead fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster. The survival of P. astrigera and H. graminicola was not affected by prey type. The duration of late instars of P. astrigera fed dead prey were longer and mature spiders had less protein content than those fed live prey, whereas there were no differences in the rate of H. graminicola development, but the mass of mature spiders fed dead prey was greater than those fed live prey. Predation rates by P. astrigera did not differ between the two prey types, but H. graminicola had a higher rate of predation on dead than alive prey, presumably because the dead flies were easier to catch and handle. Overall, the growth, development and reproduction of H. graminicola reared with dead flies was better than those reared on live flies, yet for the larger P. astrigera, dead prey may suit smaller instars but mature spiders may be best maintained with live prey. We have clearly demonstrated that dead prey may be suitable for rearing spiders, although the success of the spiders fed such prey appears size- and species specific.

  6. Comparative Growth and Development of Spiders Reared on Live and Dead Prey

    PubMed Central

    Peng, Yu; Zhang, Fan; Gui, Shaolan; Qiao, Huping; Hose, Grant C.

    2013-01-01

    Scavenging (feeding on dead prey) has been demonstrated across a number of spider families, yet the implications of feeding on dead prey for the growth and development of individuals and population is unknown. In this study we compare the growth, development, and predatory activity of two species of spiders that were fed on live and dead prey. Pardosa astrigera (Lycosidae) and Hylyphantes graminicola (Lyniphiidae) were fed live or dead fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster. The survival of P. astrigera and H. graminicola was not affected by prey type. The duration of late instars of P. astrigera fed dead prey were longer and mature spiders had less protein content than those fed live prey, whereas there were no differences in the rate of H. graminicola development, but the mass of mature spiders fed dead prey was greater than those fed live prey. Predation rates by P. astrigera did not differ between the two prey types, but H. graminicola had a higher rate of predation on dead than alive prey, presumably because the dead flies were easier to catch and handle. Overall, the growth, development and reproduction of H. graminicola reared with dead flies was better than those reared on live flies, yet for the larger P. astrigera, dead prey may suit smaller instars but mature spiders may be best maintained with live prey. We have clearly demonstrated that dead prey may be suitable for rearing spiders, although the success of the spiders fed such prey appears size- and species specific. PMID:24386248

  7. Neural network based adaptive control for nonlinear dynamic regimes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shin, Yoonghyun

    Adaptive control designs using neural networks (NNs) based on dynamic inversion are investigated for aerospace vehicles which are operated at highly nonlinear dynamic regimes. NNs play a key role as the principal element of adaptation to approximately cancel the effect of inversion error, which subsequently improves robustness to parametric uncertainty and unmodeled dynamics in nonlinear regimes. An adaptive control scheme previously named 'composite model reference adaptive control' is further developed so that it can be applied to multi-input multi-output output feedback dynamic inversion. It can have adaptive elements in both the dynamic compensator (linear controller) part and/or in the conventional adaptive controller part, also utilizing state estimation information for NN adaptation. This methodology has more flexibility and thus hopefully greater potential than conventional adaptive designs for adaptive flight control in highly nonlinear flight regimes. The stability of the control system is proved through Lyapunov theorems, and validated with simulations. The control designs in this thesis also include the use of 'pseudo-control hedging' techniques which are introduced to prevent the NNs from attempting to adapt to various actuation nonlinearities such as actuator position and rate saturations. Control allocation is introduced for the case of redundant control effectors including thrust vectoring nozzles. A thorough comparison study of conventional and NN-based adaptive designs for a system under a limit cycle, wing-rock, is included in this research, and the NN-based adaptive control designs demonstrate their performances for two highly maneuverable aerial vehicles, NASA F-15 ACTIVE and FQM-117B unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), operated under various nonlinearities and uncertainties.

  8. Simulation of Simple Controlled Processes with Dead-Time.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watson, Keith R.; And Others

    1985-01-01

    The determination of closed-loop response of processes containing dead-time is typically not covered in undergraduate process control, possibly because the solution by Laplace transforms requires the use of Pade approximation for dead-time, which makes the procedure lengthy and tedious. A computer-aided method is described which simplifies the…

  9. Crustal structure of the southern Dead Sea basin derived from project DESIRE wide-angle seismic data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mechie, J.; Abu-Ayyash, K.; Ben-Avraham, Z.; El-Kelani, R.; Qabbani, I.; Weber, M.

    2009-07-01

    As part of the DEad Sea Integrated REsearch project (DESIRE) a 235 km long seismic wide-angle reflection/refraction (WRR) profile was completed in spring 2006 across the Dead Sea Transform (DST) in the region of the southern Dead Sea basin (DSB). The DST with a total of about 107 km multi-stage left-lateral shear since about 18 Ma ago, accommodates the movement between the Arabian and African plates. It connects the spreading centre in the Red Sea with the Taurus collision zone in Turkey over a length of about 1100 km. With a sedimentary infill of about 10 km in places, the southern DSB is the largest pull-apart basin along the DST and one of the largest pull-apart basins on Earth. The WRR measurements comprised 11 shots recorded by 200 three-component and 400 one-component instruments spaced 300 m to 1.2 km apart along the whole length of the E-W trending profile. Models of the P-wave velocity structure derived from the WRR data show that the sedimentary infill associated with the formation of the southern DSB is about 8.5 km thick beneath the profile. With around an additional 2 km of older sediments, the depth to the seismic basement beneath the southern DSB is about 11 km below sea level beneath the profile. Seismic refraction data from an earlier experiment suggest that the seismic basement continues to deepen to a maximum depth of about 14 km, about 10 km south of the DESIRE profile. In contrast, the interfaces below about 20 km depth, including the top of the lower crust and the Moho, probably show less than 3 km variation in depth beneath the profile as it crosses the southern DSB. Thus the Dead Sea pull-apart basin may be essentially an upper crustal feature with upper crustal extension associated with the left-lateral motion along the DST. The boundary between the upper and lower crust at about 20 km depth might act as a decoupling zone. Below this boundary the two plates move past each other in what is essentially a shearing motion. Thermo

  10. Global risk of deadly heat

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mora, Camilo; Dousset, Bénédicte; Caldwell, Iain R.; Powell, Farrah E.; Geronimo, Rollan C.; Bielecki, Coral R.; Counsell, Chelsie W. W.; Dietrich, Bonnie S.; Johnston, Emily T.; Louis, Leo V.; Lucas, Matthew P.; McKenzie, Marie M.; Shea, Alessandra G.; Tseng, Han; Giambelluca, Thomas W.; Leon, Lisa R.; Hawkins, Ed; Trauernicht, Clay

    2017-07-01

    Climate change can increase the risk of conditions that exceed human thermoregulatory capacity. Although numerous studies report increased mortality associated with extreme heat events, quantifying the global risk of heat-related mortality remains challenging due to a lack of comparable data on heat-related deaths. Here we conducted a global analysis of documented lethal heat events to identify the climatic conditions associated with human death and then quantified the current and projected occurrence of such deadly climatic conditions worldwide. We reviewed papers published between 1980 and 2014, and found 783 cases of excess human mortality associated with heat from 164 cities in 36 countries. Based on the climatic conditions of those lethal heat events, we identified a global threshold beyond which daily mean surface air temperature and relative humidity become deadly. Around 30% of the world's population is currently exposed to climatic conditions exceeding this deadly threshold for at least 20 days a year. By 2100, this percentage is projected to increase to ~48% under a scenario with drastic reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and ~74% under a scenario of growing emissions. An increasing threat to human life from excess heat now seems almost inevitable, but will be greatly aggravated if greenhouse gases are not considerably reduced.

  11. Joint Inversion of 3d Mt/gravity/magnetic at Pisagua Fault.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bascur, J.; Saez, P.; Tapia, R.; Humpire, M.

    2017-12-01

    This work shows the results of a joint inversion at Pisagua Fault using 3D Magnetotellurics (MT), gravity and regional magnetic data. The MT survey has a poor coverage of study area with only 21 stations; however, it allows to detect a low resistivity zone aligned with the Pisagua Fault trace that it is interpreted as a damage zone. The integration of gravity and magnetic data, which have more dense sampling and coverage, adds more detail and resolution to the detected low resistivity structure and helps to improve the structure interpretation using the resulted models (density, magnetic-susceptibility and electrical resistivity). The joint inversion process minimizes a multiple target function which includes the data misfit, model roughness and coupling norms (crossgradient and direct relations) for all geophysical methods considered (MT, gravity and magnetic). This process is solved iteratively using the Gauss-Newton method which updates the model of each geophysical method improving its individual data misfit, model roughness and the coupling with the other geophysical models. For solving the model updates of magnetic and gravity methods were developed dedicated 3D inversion software codes which include the coupling norms with additionals geophysical parameters. The model update of the 3D MT is calculated using an iterative method which sequentially filters the priority model and the output model of a single 3D MT inversion process for obtaining the resistivity model coupled solution with the gravity and magnetic methods.

  12. Crustal Deformation across the Jericho Valley Section of the Dead Sea Fault as Resolved by Detailed Field and Geodetic Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamiel, Yariv; Piatibratova, Oksana; Mizrahi, Yaakov; Nahmias, Yoav; Sagy, Amir

    2018-04-01

    Detailed field and geodetic observations of crustal deformation across the Jericho Fault section of the Dead Sea Fault are presented. New field observations reveal several slip episodes that rupture the surface, consist with strike slip and extensional deformation along a fault zone width of about 200 m. Using dense Global Positioning System measurements, we obtain the velocities of new stations across the fault. We find that this section is locked for strike-slip motion with a locking depth of 16.6 ± 7.8 km and a slip rate of 4.8 ± 0.7 mm/year. The Global Positioning System measurements also indicate asymmetrical extension at shallow depths of the Jericho Fault section, between 0.3 and 3 km. Finally, our results suggest the vast majority of the sinistral slip along the Dead Sea Fault in southern Jorden Valley is accommodated by the Jericho Fault section.

  13. Are Brain Dead Individuals Dead? Grounds for Reasonable Doubt.

    PubMed

    Brugger, E Christian

    2016-06-01

    According to the biological definition of death, a human body that has not lost the capacity to holistically organize itself is the body of a living human individual. Reasonable doubt against the conclusion that it has lost the capacity exists when the body appears to express it and no evidence to the contrary is sufficient to rule out reasonable doubt against the conclusion that the apparent expression is a true expression (i.e., when the conclusion that what appears to be holistic organization is in fact holistic organization remains a reasonable explanatory hypothesis in light of the best evidence to the contrary). This essay argues that the evidence and arguments against the conclusion that the signs of complex bodily integration exhibited in ventilated brain dead bodies are true expressions of somatic integration are unpersuasive; that is, they are not adequate to exclude reasonable doubt against the conclusion that BD bodies are dead. Since we should not treat as corpses what for all we know might be living human beings, it follows that we have an obligation to treat BD individuals as if they were living human beings. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. A new approach to adaptive control of manipulators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Seraji, H.

    1987-01-01

    An approach in which the manipulator inverse is used as a feedforward controller is employed in the adaptive control of manipulators in order to achieve trajectory tracking by the joint angles. The desired trajectory is applied as an input to the feedforward controller, and the controller output is used as the driving torque for the manipulator. An adaptive algorithm obtained from MRAC theory is used to update the controller gains to cope with variations in the manipulator inverse due to changes of the operating point. An adaptive feedback controller and an auxiliary signal enhance closed-loop stability and achieve faster adaptation. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme for different reference trajectories, and despite large variations in the payload.

  15. Direct imaging of exoplanets in the habitable zone with adaptive optics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Males, Jared R.; Close, Laird M.; Guyon, Olivier; Morzinski, Katie; Puglisi, Alfio; Hinz, Philip; Follette, Katherine B.; Monnier, John D.; Tolls, Volker; Rodigas, Timothy J.; Weinberger, Alycia; Boss, Alan; Kopon, Derek; Wu, Ya-lin; Esposito, Simone; Riccardi, Armando; Xompero, Marco; Briguglio, Runa; Pinna, Enrico

    2014-07-01

    One of the primary goals of exoplanet science is to find and characterize habitable planets, and direct imaging will play a key role in this effort. Though imaging a true Earth analog is likely out of reach from the ground, the coming generation of giant telescopes will find and characterize many planets in and near the habitable zones (HZs) of nearby stars. Radial velocity and transit searches indicate that such planets are common, but imaging them will require achieving extreme contrasts at very small angular separations, posing many challenges for adaptive optics (AO) system design. Giant planets in the HZ may even be within reach with the latest generation of high-contrast imagers for a handful of very nearby stars. Here we will review the definition of the HZ, and the characteristics of detectable planets there. We then review some of the ways that direct imaging in the HZ will be different from the typical exoplanet imaging survey today. Finally, we present preliminary results from our observations of the HZ of α Centauri A with the Magellan AO system's VisAO and Clio2 cameras.

  16. Comparison of magmatic and amagmatic rift zone kinematics using full moment tensor inversions of regional earthquakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaye Oliva, Sarah; Ebinger, Cynthia; Shillington, Donna; Albaric, Julie; Deschamps, Anne; Keir, Derek; Drooff, Connor

    2017-04-01

    Temporary seismic networks deployed in the magmatic Eastern rift and the mostly amagmatic Western rift in East Africa present the opportunity to compare the depth distribution of strain, and fault kinematics in light of rift age and the presence or absence of surface magmatism. The largest events in local earthquake catalogs (ML > 3.5) are modeled using the Dreger and Ford full moment tensor algorithm (Dreger, 2003; Minson & Dreger, 2008) to better constrain source depth and to investigate non-double-couple components. A bandpass filter of 0.02 to 0.10 Hz is applied to the waveforms prior to inversion. Synthetics are based on 1D velocity models derived during seismic analysis and constrained by reflection and tomographic data where available. Results show significant compensated linear vector dipole (CLVD) and isotropic components for earthquakes in magmatic rift zones, whereas double-couple mechanisms predominate in weakly magmatic rift sectors. We interpret the isotropic components as evidence for fluid-involved faulting in the Eastern rift where volatile emissions are large, and dike intrusions well documented. Lower crustal earthquakes are found in both amagmatic and magmatic sectors. These results are discussed in the context of the growing database of complementary geophysical, geochemical, and geological studies in these regions as we seek to understand the role of magmatism and faulting in accommodating strain during early continental rifting.

  17. Pseudo 2D elastic waveform inversion for attenuation in the near surface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yue; Zhang, Jie

    2017-08-01

    Seismic waveform propagation could be significantly affected by heterogeneities in the near surface zone (0 m-500 m depth). As a result, it is important to obtain as much near surface information as possible. Seismic attenuation, characterized by QP and QS factors, may affect seismic waveform in both phase and amplitude; however, it is rarely estimated and applied to the near surface zone for seismic data processing. Applying a 1D elastic full waveform modelling program, we demonstrate that such effects cannot be overlooked in the waveform computation if the value of the Q factor is lower than approximately 100. Further, we develop a pseudo 2D elastic waveform inversion method in the common midpoint (CMP) domain that jointly inverts early arrivals for QP and surface waves for QS. In this method, although the forward problem is in 1D, by applying 2D model regularization, we obtain 2D QP and QS models through simultaneous inversion. A cross-gradient constraint between the QP and Qs models is applied to ensure structural consistency of the 2D inversion results. We present synthetic examples and a real case study from an oil field in China.

  18. Dead Trees Bring Life to Forest Critters

    Treesearch

    Thomas Nicholls; Mike Ostry

    2003-01-01

    What good is a dying or dead tree in a forest? Dead and dying trees don't awe us with their beauty; they just stand or lie there on the forest floor, offering no promise of lumber or other wood products we need. But if we look more closely at such trees, we may see lots of life in them: a raccoon family huddled in a burrow, a downy woodpecker excavating another...

  19. The Dead Donor Rule: Can It Withstand Critical Scrutiny?

    PubMed Central

    Miller, Franklin G.; Truog, Robert D.; Brock, Dan W.

    2010-01-01

    Transplantation of vital organs has been premised ethically and legally on “the dead donor rule” (DDR)—the requirement that donors are determined to be dead before these organs are procured. Nevertheless, scholars have argued cogently that donors of vital organs, including those diagnosed as “brain dead” and those declared dead according to cardiopulmonary criteria, are not in fact dead at the time that vital organs are being procured. In this article, we challenge the normative rationale for the DDR by rejecting the underlying premise that it is necessarily wrong for physicians to cause the death of patients and the claim that abandoning this rule would exploit vulnerable patients. We contend that it is ethical to procure vital organs from living patients sustained on life support prior to treatment withdrawal, provided that there is valid consent for both withdrawing treatment and organ donation. However, the conservatism of medical ethics and practical concerns make it doubtful that the DDR will be abandoned in the near future. This leaves the current practice of organ transplantation based on the “moral fiction” that donors are dead when vital organs are procured. PMID:20439355

  20. Identifying Attributes of CO2 Leakage Zones in Shallow Aquifers Using a Parametric Level Set Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, A. Y.; Islam, A.; Wheeler, M.

    2016-12-01

    Leakage through abandoned wells and geologic faults poses the greatest risk to CO2 storage permanence. For shallow aquifers, secondary CO2 plumes emanating from the leak zones may go undetected for a sustained period of time and has the greatest potential to cause large-scale and long-term environmental impacts. Identification of the attributes of leak zones, including their shape, location, and strength, is required for proper environmental risk assessment. This study applies a parametric level set (PaLS) method to characterize the leakage zone. Level set methods are appealing for tracking topological changes and recovering unknown shapes of objects. However, level set evolution using the conventional level set methods is challenging. In PaLS, the level set function is approximated using a weighted sum of basis functions and the level set evolution problem is replaced by an optimization problem. The efficacy of PaLS is demonstrated through recovering the source zone created by CO2 leakage into a carbonate aquifer. Our results show that PaLS is a robust source identification method that can recover the approximate source locations in the presence of measurement errors, model parameter uncertainty, and inaccurate initial guesses of source flux strengths. The PaLS inversion framework introduced in this work is generic and can be adapted for any reactive transport model by switching the pre- and post-processing routines.

  1. Donation after circulatory death: burying the dead donor rule.

    PubMed

    Rodríguez-Arias, David; Smith, Maxwell J; Lazar, Neil M

    2011-08-01

    Despite continuing controversies regarding the vital status of both brain-dead donors and individuals who undergo donation after circulatory death (DCD), respecting the dead donor rule (DDR) remains the standard moral framework for organ procurement. The DDR increases organ supply without jeopardizing trust in transplantation systems, reassuring society that donors will not experience harm during organ procurement. While the assumption that individuals cannot be harmed once they are dead is reasonable in the case of brain-dead protocols, we argue that the DDR is not an acceptable strategy to protect donors from harm in DCD protocols. We propose a threefold alternative to justify organ procurement practices: (1) ensuring that donors are sufficiently protected from harm; (2) ensuring that they are respected through informed consent; and (3) ensuring that society is fully informed of the inherently debatable nature of any criterion to declare death.

  2. A sequential coalescent algorithm for chromosomal inversions

    PubMed Central

    Peischl, S; Koch, E; Guerrero, R F; Kirkpatrick, M

    2013-01-01

    Chromosomal inversions are common in natural populations and are believed to be involved in many important evolutionary phenomena, including speciation, the evolution of sex chromosomes and local adaptation. While recent advances in sequencing and genotyping methods are leading to rapidly increasing amounts of genome-wide sequence data that reveal interesting patterns of genetic variation within inverted regions, efficient simulation methods to study these patterns are largely missing. In this work, we extend the sequential Markovian coalescent, an approximation to the coalescent with recombination, to include the effects of polymorphic inversions on patterns of recombination. Results show that our algorithm is fast, memory-efficient and accurate, making it feasible to simulate large inversions in large populations for the first time. The SMC algorithm enables studies of patterns of genetic variation (for example, linkage disequilibria) and tests of hypotheses (using simulation-based approaches) that were previously intractable. PMID:23632894

  3. A Probe for Measuring Moisture Content in Dead Roundwood

    Treesearch

    Richard W. Blank; John S. Frost; James E. Eenigenburg

    1983-01-01

    This paper reports field test results of a wood moisture probe''s accuracy in measuring fuel moisture content of dead roundwood. Probe measurements, corrected for temperature, correlated well with observed fuel moistures of 1-inch dead jack pine branchwood.

  4. Cascadia Subduction Zone

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Frankel, Arthur D.; Petersen, Mark D.

    2008-01-01

    The geometry and recurrence times of large earthquakes associated with the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) were discussed and debated at a March 28-29, 2006 Pacific Northwest workshop for the USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps. The CSZ is modeled from Cape Mendocino in California to Vancouver Island in British Columbia. We include the same geometry and weighting scheme as was used in the 2002 model (Frankel and others, 2002) based on thermal constraints (Fig. 1; Fluck and others, 1997 and a reexamination by Wang et al., 2003, Fig. 11, eastern edge of intermediate shading). This scheme includes four possibilities for the lower (eastern) limit of seismic rupture: the base of elastic zone (weight 0.1), the base of transition zone (weight 0.2), the midpoint of the transition zone (weight 0.2), and a model with a long north-south segment at 123.8? W in the southern and central portions of the CSZ, with a dogleg to the northwest in the northern portion of the zone (weight 0.5). The latter model was derived from the approximate average longitude of the contour of the 30 km depth of the CSZ as modeled by Fluck et al. (1997). A global study of the maximum depth of thrust earthquakes on subduction zones by Tichelaar and Ruff (1993) indicated maximum depths of about 40 km for most of the subduction zones studied, although the Mexican subduction zone had a maximum depth of about 25 km (R. LaForge, pers. comm., 2006). The recent inversion of GPS data by McCaffrey et al. (2007) shows a significant amount of coupling (a coupling factor of 0.2-0.3) as far east as 123.8? West in some portions of the CSZ. Both of these lines of evidence lend support to the model with a north-south segment at 123.8? W.

  5. Reductions in dead space ventilation with nasal high flow depend on physiological dead space volume: metabolic hood measurements during sleep in patients with COPD and controls.

    PubMed

    Biselli, Paolo; Fricke, Kathrin; Grote, Ludger; Braun, Andrew T; Kirkness, Jason; Smith, Philip; Schwartz, Alan; Schneider, Hartmut

    2018-05-01

    Nasal high flow (NHF) reduces minute ventilation and ventilatory loads during sleep but the mechanisms are not clear. We hypothesised NHF reduces ventilation in proportion to physiological but not anatomical dead space.11 subjects (five controls and six chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients) underwent polysomnography with transcutaneous carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) monitoring under a metabolic hood. During stable non-rapid eye movement stage 2 sleep, subjects received NHF (20 L·min -1 ) intermittently for periods of 5-10 min. We measured CO 2 production and calculated dead space ventilation.Controls and COPD patients responded similarly to NHF. NHF reduced minute ventilation (from 5.6±0.4 to 4.8±0.4 L·min -1 ; p<0.05) and tidal volume (from 0.34±0.03 to 0.3±0.03 L; p<0.05) without a change in energy expenditure, transcutaneous CO 2 or alveolar ventilation. There was a significant decrease in dead space ventilation (from 2.5±0.4 to 1.6±0.4 L·min -1 ; p<0.05), but not in respiratory rate. The reduction in dead space ventilation correlated with baseline physiological dead space fraction (r 2 =0.36; p<0.05), but not with respiratory rate or anatomical dead space volume.During sleep, NHF decreases minute ventilation due to an overall reduction in dead space ventilation in proportion to the extent of baseline physiological dead space fraction. Copyright ©ERS 2018.

  6. How much dead wood in channels is enough?

    Treesearch

    T. E. Lisle

    2002-01-01

    Abstract - Private forest managers often seek guidelines on how much dead wood should be retained in streams in order to adequately fulfill ecosystem functions. There are three approaches to answering this question for a particular reach of channel. The first approach uses an understanding of ecologic functions of dead wood in streams to determine the amount needed to...

  7. Dead wood inventory and assessment in South Korea

    Treesearch

    Jong-Su Yim; Rae Hyun Kim; Sun-Jeong Lee; Yeongmo Son

    2015-01-01

    Dead wood (DW) plays a critical role not only in maintaining biodiversity but also in stocking carbon under UNFCCC. From the 5th national forest inventory (NFI5; 2006-2010) in South Korea, field data relevant to the DW including standing and downed dead trees by four decay class, etc. were collected. Based on the NFI5 data,...

  8. Brine Organisms and the Question of Habitat Specific Adaptation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siegel, B. Z.; Siegel, S. M.; Speitel, Thomas; Waber, Jack; Stoecker, Roy

    1984-12-01

    Among the well-known ultrasaline terrestrial habitats, the Dead Sea in the Jordan Rift Valley and Don Juan Pond in the Upper Wright Valley represent two of the most extreme. The former is a saturated sodium chloride-magnesium sulfate brine in a hot desert, the latter a saturated calcium chloride brine in an Antarctic desert. Both Dead Sea and Don Juan water bodies themselves are limited in microflora, but the saline Don Juan algal mat and muds contain abundant nutrients and a rich and varied microbiota, including Oscillatoria, Gleocapsa, Chlorella, diatoms, Penicillium and bacteria. In such environments, the existence of an array of specific adaptations is a common, and highly reasonable, presumption, at least with respect to habitat-obligate forms. Nevertheless, many years of ongoing study in our laboratory have demonstrated that lichens (e.g. Cladonia), algae (e.g. Nostoc) and fungi (e.g. Penicillium, Aspergillus) from the humid tropics can sustain metabolism down to -40°C and growth down to -10°C in simulated Dead Sea or Don Juan (or similar) media without benefit of selection or gradual acclimation. Non-selection is suggested in fungi by higher growth rates from vegetative inocula than spores. The importance of nutrient parameters was also evident in responses to potassium and reduced nitrogen compounds. In view of the saline performance of tropical Nostoc, and its presence in the Antarctic dry valley soils, its complete absence in our Don Juan mat samples was and remains a puzzle. We suggest that adaptive capability is already resident in many terrestrial life forms not currently in extreme habitats, a possible reflection of evolutionary selection for wide spectrum environmental adaptability.

  9. Extremal inversion of lunar travel time data. [seismic velocity structure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burkhard, N.; Jackson, D. D.

    1975-01-01

    The tau method, developed by Bessonova et al. (1974), of inversion of travel times is applied to lunar P-wave travel time data to find limits on the velocity structure of the moon. Tau is the singular solution to the Clairaut equation. Models with low-velocity zones, with low-velocity zones at differing depths, and without low-velocity zones, were found to be consistent with data and within the determined limits. Models with and without a discontinuity at about 25-km depth have been found which agree with all travel time data to within two standard deviations. In other words, the existence of the discontinuity and its size and location have not been uniquely resolved. Models with low-velocity channels are also possible.

  10. Study of key factors influencing dust emission: An assessment of GEOS-Chem and DEAD simulations with observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bartlett, Kevin S.

    Mineral dust aerosols can impact air quality, climate change, biological cycles, tropical cyclone development and flight operations due to reduced visibility. Dust emissions are primarily limited to the extensive arid regions of the world, yet can negatively impact local to global scales, and are extremely complex to model accurately. Within this dissertation, the Dust Entrainment And Deposition (DEAD) model was adapted to run, for the first known time, using high temporal (hourly) and spatial (0.3°x0.3°) resolution data to methodically interrogate the key parameters and factors influencing global dust emissions. The dependence of dust emissions on key parameters under various conditions has been quantified and it has been shown that dust emissions within DEAD are largely determined by wind speeds, vegetation extent, soil moisture and topographic depressions. Important findings were that grid degradation from 0.3ºx0.3º to 1ºx1º, 2ºx2.5º, and 4°x5° of key meteorological, soil, and surface input parameters greatly reduced emissions approximately 13% and 29% and 64% respectively, as a result of the loss of sub grid detail within these key parameters at coarse grids. After running high resolution DEAD emissions globally for 2 years, two severe dust emission cases were chosen for an in-depth investigation of the root causes of the events and evaluation of the 2°x2.5° Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS)-Chem and 0.3°x0.3° DEAD model capabilities to simulate the events: one over South West Asia (SWA) in June 2008 and the other over the Middle East in July 2009. The 2 year lack of rain over SWA preceding June 2008 with a 43% decrease in mean rainfall, yielded less than normal plant growth, a 28% increase in Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), and a 24% decrease in Meteorological Aerodrome Report (METAR) observed visibility (VSBY) compared to average years. GEOS-Chem captured the observed higher AOD over SWA in June 2008. More detailed comparisons of GEOS

  11. Final Technical Report for "Applied Mathematics Research: Simulation Based Optimization and Application to Electromagnetic Inverse Problems"

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Haber, Eldad

    2014-03-17

    The focus of research was: Developing adaptive mesh for the solution of Maxwell's equations; Developing a parallel framework for time dependent inverse Maxwell's equations; Developing multilevel methods for optimization problems with inequality constraints; A new inversion code for inverse Maxwell's equations in the 0th frequency (DC resistivity); A new inversion code for inverse Maxwell's equations in low frequency regime. Although the research concentrated on electromagnetic forward and in- verse problems the results of the research was applied to the problem of image registration.

  12. Evaluation of an Inverse Molecular Design Algorithm in a Model Binding Site

    PubMed Central

    Huggins, David J.; Altman, Michael D.; Tidor, Bruce

    2008-01-01

    Computational molecular design is a useful tool in modern drug discovery. Virtual screening is an approach that docks and then scores individual members of compound libraries. In contrast to this forward approach, inverse approaches construct compounds from fragments, such that the computed affinity, or a combination of relevant properties, is optimized. We have recently developed a new inverse approach to drug design based on the dead-end elimination and A* algorithms employing a physical potential function. This approach has been applied to combinatorially constructed libraries of small-molecule ligands to design high-affinity HIV-1 protease inhibitors [M. D. Altman et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130: 6099–6013, 2008]. Here we have evaluated the new method using the well studied W191G mutant of cytochrome c peroxidase. This mutant possesses a charged binding pocket and has been used to evaluate other design approaches. The results show that overall the new inverse approach does an excellent job of separating binders from non-binders. For a few individual cases, scoring inaccuracies led to false positives. The majority of these involve erroneous solvation energy estimation for charged amines, anilinium ions and phenols, which has been observed previously for a variety of scoring algorithms. Interestingly, although inverse approaches are generally expected to identify some but not all binders in a library, due to limited conformational searching, these results show excellent coverage of the known binders while still showing strong discrimination of the non-binders. PMID:18831031

  13. Evaluation of an inverse molecular design algorithm in a model binding site.

    PubMed

    Huggins, David J; Altman, Michael D; Tidor, Bruce

    2009-04-01

    Computational molecular design is a useful tool in modern drug discovery. Virtual screening is an approach that docks and then scores individual members of compound libraries. In contrast to this forward approach, inverse approaches construct compounds from fragments, such that the computed affinity, or a combination of relevant properties, is optimized. We have recently developed a new inverse approach to drug design based on the dead-end elimination and A* algorithms employing a physical potential function. This approach has been applied to combinatorially constructed libraries of small-molecule ligands to design high-affinity HIV-1 protease inhibitors (Altman et al., J Am Chem Soc 2008;130:6099-6013). Here we have evaluated the new method using the well-studied W191G mutant of cytochrome c peroxidase. This mutant possesses a charged binding pocket and has been used to evaluate other design approaches. The results show that overall the new inverse approach does an excellent job of separating binders from nonbinders. For a few individual cases, scoring inaccuracies led to false positives. The majority of these involve erroneous solvation energy estimation for charged amines, anilinium ions, and phenols, which has been observed previously for a variety of scoring algorithms. Interestingly, although inverse approaches are generally expected to identify some but not all binders in a library, due to limited conformational searching, these results show excellent coverage of the known binders while still showing strong discrimination of the nonbinders. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  14. 50 CFR 18.26 - Collection of certain dead marine mammal parts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Collection of certain dead marine mammal parts. 18.26 Section 18.26 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... dead marine mammal parts. (a) Any bones, teeth or ivory of any dead marine mammal may be collected from...

  15. 50 CFR 18.26 - Collection of certain dead marine mammal parts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Collection of certain dead marine mammal parts. 18.26 Section 18.26 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... dead marine mammal parts. (a) Any bones, teeth or ivory of any dead marine mammal may be collected from...

  16. 50 CFR 18.26 - Collection of certain dead marine mammal parts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Collection of certain dead marine mammal parts. 18.26 Section 18.26 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... dead marine mammal parts. (a) Any bones, teeth or ivory of any dead marine mammal may be collected from...

  17. 50 CFR 18.26 - Collection of certain dead marine mammal parts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Collection of certain dead marine mammal parts. 18.26 Section 18.26 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... dead marine mammal parts. (a) Any bones, teeth or ivory of any dead marine mammal may be collected from...

  18. 50 CFR 18.26 - Collection of certain dead marine mammal parts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Collection of certain dead marine mammal parts. 18.26 Section 18.26 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... dead marine mammal parts. (a) Any bones, teeth or ivory of any dead marine mammal may be collected from...

  19. Deadly Choices empowering Indigenous Australians through social networking sites.

    PubMed

    McPhail-Bell, Karen; Appo, Nathan; Haymes, Alana; Bond, Chelsea; Brough, Mark; Fredericks, Bronwyn

    2017-04-05

    The potential for health promotion through social networking sites (SNSs) is widely recognized. However, while health promotion prides itself in focusing on the social determinants of health, its partiality for persuading individuals to comply with health behaviours dominates the way health promotion utilizes SNSs. This paper contributes to an understanding of collaborative ways SNSs can work for health promotion agendas of self-determination and empowerment in an Indigenous Australia context. An ethnographic study was undertaken with Deadly Choices, an Indigenous-led health promotion initiative. The study involved participant observation of interactions on Deadly Choices SNSs between Deadly Choices and its online community members. Deadly Choices provides an example of SNSs providing a powerful tool to create a safe, inclusive and positive space for Indigenous people and communities to profile their healthy choices, according to Indigenous notions of health and identity. The study found five principles that underpin Deadly Choices' use of SNSs for health promotion. These are: create a dialogue; build community online and offline; incentivise healthy online engagement; celebrate Indigenous identity and culture; and prioritize partnerships. Deadly Choices SNSs empowers Indigenous people and communities to be health promoters themselves, which represents a power shift from health promotion practitioner to Indigenous people and communities and more broadly, an enactment of Indigenous self-determination on SNSs. Mainstream health promotion can learn from Indigenous health promotion practice regarding the use of SNSs for health promotion agendas. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. A fast new algorithm for a robot neurocontroller using inverse QR decomposition

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morris, A.S.; Khemaissia, S.

    2000-01-01

    A new adaptive neural network controller for robots is presented. The controller is based on direct adaptive techniques. Unlike many neural network controllers in the literature, inverse dynamical model evaluation is not required. A numerically robust, computationally efficient processing scheme for neutral network weight estimation is described, namely, the inverse QR decomposition (INVQR). The inverse QR decomposition and a weighted recursive least-squares (WRLS) method for neural network weight estimation is derived using Cholesky factorization of the data matrix. The algorithm that performs the efficient INVQR of the underlying space-time data matrix may be implemented in parallel on a triangular array.more » Furthermore, its systolic architecture is well suited for VLSI implementation. Another important benefit is well suited for VLSI implementation. Another important benefit of the INVQR decomposition is that it solves directly for the time-recursive least-squares filter vector, while avoiding the sequential back-substitution step required by the QR decomposition approaches.« less

  1. An adaptive procedure for defect identification problems in elasticity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gutiérrez, Sergio; Mura, J.

    2010-07-01

    In the context of inverse problems in mechanics, it is well known that the most typical situation is that neither the interior nor all the boundary is available to obtain data to detect the presence of inclusions or defects. We propose here an adaptive method that uses loads and measures of displacements only on part of the surface of the body, to detect defects in the interior of an elastic body. The method is based on Small Amplitude Homogenization, that is, we work under the assumption that the contrast on the values of the Lamé elastic coefficients between the defect and the matrix is not very large. The idea is that given the data for one loading state and one location of the displacement sensors, we use an optimization method to obtain a guess for the location of the inclusion and then, using this guess, we adapt the position of the sensors and the loading zone, hoping to refine the current guess. Numerical results show that the method is quite efficient in some cases, using in those cases no more than three loading positions and three different positions of the sensors.

  2. Are We the Walking Dead? Burnout as Zombie Apocalypse.

    PubMed

    Doolittle, Benjamin R

    2016-11-01

    The Walking Dead , one of the most popular television shows in recent history, uses the plot of a zombie apocalypse as a lens into exploring the human condition. Amidst a particularly dangerous moment, the show's hero references the human struggle to survive by remarking, " We are the walking dead." This offhand comment sheds light upon physicians' struggles in medicine, in particular the high prevalence of burnout and the challenge to cultivate compassion and meaning. This is an important question for our age and for our profession. Are we the walking dead? © 2016 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

  3. Are We the Walking Dead? Burnout as Zombie Apocalypse

    PubMed Central

    Doolittle, Benjamin R.

    2016-01-01

    The Walking Dead, one of the most popular television shows in recent history, uses the plot of a zombie apocalypse as a lens into exploring the human condition. Amidst a particularly dangerous moment, the show’s hero references the human struggle to survive by remarking, “We are the walking dead.” This offhand comment sheds light upon physicians’ struggles in medicine, in particular the high prevalence of burnout and the challenge to cultivate compassion and meaning. This is an important question for our age and for our profession. Are we the walking dead? PMID:28376445

  4. Attributes of standing dead trees in forests of the United States

    Treesearch

    Christopher W. Woodall; James E. Smith; Patrick D. Miles

    2009-01-01

    Standing dead trees in forests of the United States serve as wildlife habitat, a fuel loading component, and carbon stocks. Although standing dead trees are a vital component of forest ecosystems, information regarding this resource across the Nation is lacking. The first annual inventory of standing dead trees across the United States was initiated in 1999, resulting...

  5. Vertical Mixing in the Dead Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gertman, Isaac; Ozer, Tal; Katsenelson, Boris; Lensky, Nadav

    2015-04-01

    For hundreds of years, the Dead Sea was characterized by a stable haline stratification, supported by runoff. The penetration of the winter convection was limited to an upper mixed layer (UML) of about 30-50 m. Below the UML, a stable halocline prevented the mixing. As a result of the runoff reduction, the UML salinity increased and the gravitational stability diminished. During the winter of 1978-1979, the sea water overturned, ending the long-term stable hydrological regime. Since 1979, the haline stratification structure reoccurred twice after extremely rainy winters, in 1980-82 and 1992-1995. In other years, the sea was entirely mixed by winter thermal convection ( which occurs from November to March ) and had a seasonal pycnocline beneath the UML during summer. Profiles of temperature and quasi-salinity (density anomaly from 1000 kg/m3 for the chosen reference temperature of 32° C) during the last 19 years, show the formation of summer ``overturning halocline'' beneath the UML, and the thermocline that supports the stable stratification. Another warm and saline layer is formed also during the summer period near the bottom. This layer spreads from the southern part of the sea, where end-brine is discharged to the sea from the Israeli and Jordanian salt plants' evaporation ponds. The end-brine has extremely high salinity (˜ 350 g/kg) and, in spite of the high temperatures ( ˜ 45° C), high density (1350 kg/m^3), it therefore spreads as a gravitational current in the Dead Sea deep basin. Estimation of the density ratio (Rρ) for the Dead Sea water (where measurements of water salinity is quite difficult) was done using quasi-salinity (σ32) and potential temperature (θ): Rρ= [α(partialθ/partial z)]/[β(partial σ32/partial z)], where α and β are temperature expansion and quasi-salinity contraction coefficients respectively. The values of α and β for the Dead Sea water were defined from water samples collected during 2008. The Rρ values confirm that

  6. A 300m-width sinkhole threatens the stability of the embankment of a saltpan in Jordan, Dead Sea Region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Closson, Damien; Abou Karaki, Najib; Pasquali, Paolo; Riccardi, Paolo

    2013-04-01

    Since the 1980s, the Dead Sea coastal zone is affected by sinkholes. The dynamic of the salt karst system is attested by a drastic increase of collapse events. The energy available for sub-surface erosion (or cavities genesis) is related to the head difference between the water table and the lake level which drop down at an accelerating rate of more than 1 m/yr. In the region of Ghor Al Haditha, Jordan, the size of the craters increased significantly during the last decade. Up to now, the greatest compound structure observed (association of metric subsidence, decametric sinkholes, and landslides) was about 150-200 m in diameter. End of December 2012, a single circular structure having 250-300 m in diameter was identified within a 10 km x 1.5 km saltpan of the Arab Potash Company. This finding raises questions regarding the origin of the underlying cavity and the capability of prediction of all models developed up to now in Israel and Jordan regarding the Dead Sea sinkholes. The analysis of satellite images of the past shows that the appearance of this unique depression is very recent (probably less than 5 years). Cosmo-SkyMed radar images have been processed to map the associated deformation field. Ground motions attest that the overall diameter could be around 600 m. Currently, this sinkhole is threatening the stability of more than one kilometer of a 12 km long dike holding 90 million m3 of Dead Sea brine. This case study underlines the great fragility of the Dead Sea salt karst and demonstrates the need for the setting up of an early warning system.

  7. Present-day stress tensors along the southern Caribbean plate boundary zone from inversion of focal mechanism solutions: A successful trial

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Audemard M., Franck A.; Castilla, Raymi

    2016-11-01

    This paper presents a compilation of 16 present-day stress tensors along the southern Caribbean plate boundary zone (PBZ), and particularly in western and along northern Venezuela. As a trial, these new stress tensors along PBZ have been calculated from inversion of 125 focal mechanism solutions (FMS) by applying the Angelier & Mechler's dihedral method, which were originally gathered by the first author and published in 2005. These new tensors are compared to those 59 tensors inverted from fault-slip data measured only in Plio-Quaternary sedimentary rocks, compiled in Audemard et al. (2005), which were originally calculated by several researchers through the inversion methods developed by Angelier and Mechler or Etchecopar et al. The two sets of stress tensors, one derived from geological data and the other one from seismological data, compare very well throughout the PBZ in terms of both stress orientation and shape of the stress tensor. This region is characterized by a compressive strike-slip (transpressional senso lato), occasionally compressional, regime from the southern Mérida Andes on the southwest to the gulf of Paria in the east. Significant changes in direction of the maximum horizontal stress (σH = σ1) can be established along it though. The σ1 direction varies progressively from nearly east-west in the southern Andes (SW Venezuela) to between NW-SE and NNW-SSE in northwestern Venezuela; this direction remaining constant across northern Venezuela, from Colombia to Trinidad. In addition, the σV defined by inversion of focal mechanisms or by the shape of the stress ellipsoid derived from the Etchecopar et al.'s method better characterize whether the stress regime is transpressional or compressional, or even very rarely trantensional at local scale. The orientation and space variation of this regional stress field in western Venezuela results from the addition of the two major neighbouring interplate maximum horizontal stress orientations (

  8. Benthic foraminifera from the Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone: towards a paleo-oxygenation proxy.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clemence, Caulle; Meryem, Mojtahid; Karoliina, Koho; Andy, Gooday; Gert-Jan, Reichart; Gerhard, Schmiedl; Frans, Jorissen

    2014-05-01

    Benthic foraminifera from the Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone: towards a paleo-oxygenation proxy. C. Caulle1, M. Mojtahid1, K. Koho2,3, A. Gooday4, G. J. Reichart2,3, G. Schmiedl5, F. Jorissen1 1UMR CNRS 6112 LPG-BIAF, University of Angers, 2 bd Lavoisier, 49045 Angers Cedex 2Utrecht University, Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands 3Royal Netherland Institute for Sea Research (Royal NIOZ), Landsdiep 4, 1797 SZ 't Horntje (Texel) 4Southampton Oceanography Centre, Empress Dock, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK 5Department of Geosciences, University of Hamburg, Bundesstraße 55, 20146 Hamburg, Germany The thermohaline circulation oxygenates the deep ocean sediment and therefore enables aerobic life on the sea-floor. In the past, interruption of this deep water formation occurred several times causing hypoxic to anoxic conditions on the sea-floor leading to major ecological turnover. A better understanding of the interaction between climate and bottom water oxygenation is therefore essential in order to predict future oceanic responses. Presently, permanent (stable over decadal timescale) low-oxygen conditions occur naturally at mid-water depths in the northern Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea). Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZ) are key areas to understand the hypoxic-anoxic events and their impact on the benthic ecosystem. In this context, a good knowledge of the ecology and life cycle adaptations of the benthic foraminiferal assemblages living in these low oxygen areas is essential. A series of multicores were recovered from three transects showing an oxygen gradient across the OMZ: the Murray Ridge, the Oman margin and the Indian margin. The stations located at the same depths showed slightly different oxygen concentrations and large differences in organic matter content. These differences are mainly related to the geographic location in the Arabian Sea. We investigated at these stations live and dead benthic

  9. The Role of Eigensolutions in Nonlinear Inverse Cavity-Flow-Theory. Revision.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-06-10

    The method of Levi Civita is applied to an isolated fully cavitating body at zero cavitation number and adapted to the solution of the inverse...Eigensolutions in Nonlinear Inverse Cavity-Flow Theory [Revised] Abstract: The method of Levi Civita is applied to an isolated fully cavitating body at...problem is not thought * to present much of a challenge at zero cavitation number. In this case, - the classical method of Levi Civita [7] can be

  10. Preliminary lumber recovery for dead and live Engelmann spruce.

    Treesearch

    James M. Cahill

    1980-01-01

    Lumber recovery, lumber grade distribution, and log values are presented for logs cut from dead and live Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) trees. The dead sample includes standing and down trees killed by the Engelmann spruce beetle (Dendroctonus ruffipennis Kirby) over 20 years ago.

  11. Natural Oxidation of Bromide to Bromine in Evaporated Dead Sea Brines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gavrieli, Ittai; Golan, Rotem; Lazar, Boaz; Baer, Gidi; Zakon, Yevgeni; Ganor, Jiwchar

    2016-04-01

    Highly evaporated Dead Sea brines are found in isolated sinkholes along the Dead Sea. Many of these brines reach densities of over 1.3 kg/L and pH<5 and are the product of evaporation of Dead Sea brine that drain into the sinkholes. The low pH and the reddish to brownish hue of these brines were an enigma until recently. Despite the rather high total alkalinity (TA) of the Dead Sea (3.826 mmol/kg) the pH of the Dead Sea brine is known to be slightly acidic with a value of ~6.3. In comparison, seawater with the same alkalinity would have a pH value well above 8.3, meaning that H+ activity is 100 fold lower than that of Dead Sea brine. In the present work we assess the apparent dissociation constant value of boric acid (K`B) for the Dead Sea brine and use it to explain the brine's low pH value. We then show that pH decreases further as the brine evaporates and salinity increases. Finally we explain the reddish hue of the hypersaline brines in the sinkholes as due to the presence of dissolved bromine. The latter is the product of oxidation of dissolved bromide, a process that is enabled by the low pH of the hypersaline brines and their high bromide concentration.

  12. Sensitivity of Vadose Zone Water Fluxes to Climate Shifts in Arid Settings

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pfletschinger, H.; Prömmel, K.; Schüth, C.

    2014-01-01

    Vadose zone water fluxes in arid settings are investigated regarding their sensitivity to hydraulic soil parameters and meteorological data. The study is based on the inverse modeling of highly defined soil column experiments and subsequent scenario modeling comparing different climate projections for a defined arid region. In arid regions, groundwater resources are prone to depletion due to excessive water use and little recharge potential. Especially in sand dune areas, groundwater recharge is highly dependent on vadose zone properties and corresponding water fluxes. Nevertheless, vadose zone water fluxes under arid conditions are hard to determine owing to, among other reasons, deepmore » vadose zones with generally low fluxes and only sporadic high infiltration events. In this study, we present an inverse model of infiltration experiments accounting for variable saturated nonisothermal water fluxes to estimate effective hydraulic and thermal parameters of dune sands. A subsequent scenario modeling links the results of the inverse model with projections of a global climate model until 2100. The scenario modeling clearly showed the high dependency of groundwater recharge on precipitation amounts and intensities, whereas temperature increases are only of minor importance for deep infiltration. However, simulated precipitation rates are still affected by high uncertainties in the response to the hydrological input data of the climate model. Thus, higher certainty in the prediction of precipitation pattern is a major future goal for climate modeling to constrain future groundwater management strategies in arid regions.« less

  13. The dead donor rule, voluntary active euthanasia, and capital punishment.

    PubMed

    Coons, Christian; Levin, Noah

    2011-06-01

    We argue that the dead donor rule, which states that multiple vital organs should only be taken from dead patients, is justified neither in principle nor in practice. We use a thought experiment and a guiding assumption in the literature about the justification of moral principles to undermine the theoretical justification for the rule. We then offer two real world analogues to this thought experiment, voluntary active euthanasia and capital punishment, and argue that the moral permissibility of terminating any patient through the removal of vital organs cannot turn on whether or not the practice violates the dead donor rule. Next, we consider practical justifications for the dead donor rule. Specifically, we consider whether there are compelling reasons to promulgate the rule even though its corresponding moral principle is not theoretically justified. We argue that there are no such reasons. In fact, we argue that promulgating the rule may actually decrease public trust in organ procurement procedures and medical institutions generally - even in states that do not permit capital punishment or voluntary active euthanasia. Finally, we examine our case against the dead donor rule in the light of common arguments for it. We find that these arguments are often misplaced - they do not support the dead donor rule. Instead, they support the quite different rule that patients should not be killed for their vital organs.

  14. Modeling decay rates of dead wood in a neotropical forest.

    PubMed

    Hérault, Bruno; Beauchêne, Jacques; Muller, Félix; Wagner, Fabien; Baraloto, Christopher; Blanc, Lilian; Martin, Jean-Michel

    2010-09-01

    Variation of dead wood decay rates among tropical trees remains one source of uncertainty in global models of the carbon cycle. Taking advantage of a broad forest plot network surveyed for tree mortality over a 23-year period, we measured the remaining fraction of boles from 367 dead trees from 26 neotropical species widely varying in wood density (0.23-1.24 g cm(-3)) and tree circumference at death time (31.5-272.0 cm). We modeled decay rates within a Bayesian framework assuming a first order differential equation to model the decomposition process and tested for the effects of forest management (selective logging vs. unexploited), of mode of death (standing vs. downed) and of topographical levels (bottomlands vs. hillsides vs. hilltops) on wood decay rates. The general decay model predicts the observed remaining fraction of dead wood (R2 = 60%) with only two biological predictors: tree circumference at death time and wood specific density. Neither selective logging nor local topography had a differential effect on wood decay rates. Including the mode of death into the model revealed that standing dead trees decomposed faster than downed dead trees, but the gain of model accuracy remains rather marginal. Overall, these results suggest that the release of carbon from tropical dead trees to the atmosphere can be simply estimated using tree circumference at death time and wood density.

  15. The Role of Dead Wood in Maintaining Arthropod Diversity on the Forest Floor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hanula, James L.; Horn, Scott; Wade, Dale D.

    2006-08-01

    Dead wood is a major component of forests and contributes to overall diversity, primarily by supporting insects that feed directly on or in it. Further, a variety of organisms benefit by feeding on those insects. What is not well known is how or whether dead wood influences the composition of the arthropod community that is not solely dependent on it as a food resource, or whether woody debris influences prey available to generalist predators. One group likely to be affected by dead wood is ground-dwelling arthropods. We studied the effect of adding large dead wood to unburned and frequently burnedmore » pine stands to determine if dead wood was used more when the litter and understory plant community are removed. We also studied the effect of annual removal of dead wood from large (10-ha) plots over a 5-year period on ground-dwelling arthropods. In related studies, we examined the relationships among an endangered woodpecker that forages for prey on live trees, its prey, and dead wood in the forest. Finally, the results of these and other studies show that dead wood can influence the abundance and diversity of the ground-dwelling arthropod community and of prey available to generalist predators not foraging directly on dead trees.« less

  16. Kinematical synthesis of an inversion of the double linked fourbar for morphing wing applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aguirrebeitia, J.; Avilés, R.; Fernández, I.; Abasolo, M.

    2013-03-01

    This paper presents the kinematical features of an inversion of the double linked fourbar for morphing wing purposes. The structure of the mechanism is obtained using structural synthesis concepts, from an initial conceptual schematic. Then, kinematic characteristics as instant center of rotation, lock positions, dead point positions and uncertainty positions are derived for this mechanism in order to face the last step, the dimensional synthesis; in this sense, two kinds of dimensional synthesis are arranged to guide the wing along two positions, and to fulfill with the second one some aerodynamic and minimum actuation energy related issues.

  17. Coding for Communication Channels with Dead-Time Constraints

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moision, Bruce; Hamkins, Jon

    2004-01-01

    Coding schemes have been designed and investigated specifically for optical and electronic data-communication channels in which information is conveyed via pulse-position modulation (PPM) subject to dead-time constraints. These schemes involve the use of error-correcting codes concatenated with codes denoted constrained codes. These codes are decoded using an interactive method. In pulse-position modulation, time is partitioned into frames of Mslots of equal duration. Each frame contains one pulsed slot (all others are non-pulsed). For a given channel, the dead-time constraints are defined as a maximum and a minimum on the allowable time between pulses. For example, if a Q-switched laser is used to transmit the pulses, then the minimum allowable dead time is the time needed to recharge the laser for the next pulse. In the case of bits recorded on a magnetic medium, the minimum allowable time between pulses depends on the recording/playback speed and the minimum distance between pulses needed to prevent interference between adjacent bits during readout. The maximum allowable dead time for a given channel is the maximum time for which it is possible to satisfy the requirement to synchronize slots. In mathematical shorthand, the dead-time constraints for a given channel are represented by the pair of integers (d,k), where d is the minimum allowable number of zeroes between ones and k is the maximum allowable number of zeroes between ones. A system of the type to which the present schemes apply is represented by a binary- input, real-valued-output channel model illustrated in the figure. At the transmitting end, information bits are first encoded by use of an error-correcting code, then further encoded by use of a constrained code. Several constrained codes for channels subject to constraints of (d,infinity) have been investigated theoretically and computationally. The baseline codes chosen for purposes of comparison were simple PPM codes characterized by M-slot PPM

  18. Occurrence of organohalogens at the Dead Sea Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tubbesing, Christoph; Kotte, Karsten; Keppler, Frank; Krause, Torsten; Bahlmann, Enno; Schöler, Heinfried

    2013-04-01

    Most arid and semi-arid regions are characterized by evaporites, which are assured sources for volatile organohalogens (VOX) [1]. These compounds play an important role in tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry. The Dead Sea between Israel and Jordan is the world's most famous and biggest all-season water covered salt lake. In both countries chemical plants like the Dead Sea Works and the Arab Potash Company are located at the southern part of the Dead Sea and mine various elements such as bromine and magnesium. Conveying sea water through constructed evaporation pans multifarious salts are enriched and precipitated. In contrast, the Northern basin and main part of the Dead Sea has remained almost untouched by industrial salt production. Its fresh water supply from the Jordan River is constantly decreasing, leading to further increased salinity. During a HALOPROC campaign (Natural Halogenation Processes in the Environment) we collected various samples including air, soils, sediments, halophytic plants, ground- and seawater from the Northern and Southern basin of the Israeli side of the Dead Sea. These samples were investigated for the occurrence of halocarbons using different analytical techniques. Most samples were analyzed for volatile organohalogens such as haloalkanes using gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Interestingly, there is a strong enrichment of trihalomethanes (THM), especially all chlorinated and brominated ones and also the iodinated compound dichloroiodomethane were found in the Southern basin. In addition, volatile organic carbons (VOC) such as ethene and some other alkenes were analyzed by a gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) to obtain further information about potential precursors of halogenated compounds. Halophytic plants were investigated for their potential to release chloromethane and bromomethane but also for their stable carbon and hydrogen isotope composition. For this purpose, a plant chamber was

  19. Pulmonary Dead Space Fraction and Extubation Success in Children After Cardiac Surgery.

    PubMed

    Devor, Renee L; Kang, Paul; Wellnitz, Chasity; Nigro, John J; Velez, Daniel A; Willis, Brigham C

    2018-04-01

    1) Determine the correlation between pulmonary dead space fraction and extubation success in postoperative pediatric cardiac patients; and 2) document the natural history of pulmonary dead space fractions, dynamic compliance, and airway resistance during the first 72 hours postoperatively in postoperative pediatric cardiac patients. A retrospective chart review. Cardiac ICU in a quaternary care free-standing children's hospital. Twenty-nine with balanced single ventricle physiology, 61 with two ventricle physiology. None. We collected data for all pediatric patients undergoing congenital cardiac surgery over a 14-month period during the first 72 hours postoperatively as well as prior to extubation. Overall, patients with successful extubations had lower preextubation dead space fractions and shorter lengths of stay. Single ventricle patients had higher initial postoperative and preextubation dead space fractions. Two-ventricle physiology patients had higher extubation failure rates if the preextubation dead space fraction was greater than 0.5, whereas single ventricle patients had similar extubation failure rates whether preextubation dead space fractions were less than or equal to 0.5 or greater than 0.5. Additionally, increasing initial dead space fraction values predicted prolonged mechanical ventilation times. Airway resistance and dynamic compliance were similar between those with successful extubations and those who failed. Initial postoperative dead space fraction correlates with the length of mechanical ventilation in two ventricle patients but not in single ventricle patients. Lower preextubation dead space fractions are a strong predictor of successful extubation in two ventricle patients after cardiac surgery, but may not be as useful in single ventricle patients.

  20. Restricted Complexity Framework for Nonlinear Adaptive Control in Complex Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, Rube B.

    2004-02-01

    Control law adaptation that includes implicit or explicit adaptive state estimation, can be a fundamental underpinning for the success of intelligent control in complex systems, particularly during subsystem failures, where vital system states and parameters can be impractical or impossible to measure directly. A practical algorithm is proposed for adaptive state filtering and control in nonlinear dynamic systems when the state equations are unknown or are too complex to model analytically. The state equations and inverse plant model are approximated by using neural networks. A framework for a neural network based nonlinear dynamic inversion control law is proposed, as an extrapolation of prior developed restricted complexity methodology used to formulate the adaptive state filter. Examples of adaptive filter performance are presented for an SSME simulation with high pressure turbine failure to support extrapolations to adaptive control problems.

  1. Monitoring the Dead Sea Region by Multi-Parameter Stations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohsen, A.; Weber, M. H.; Kottmeier, C.; Asch, G.

    2015-12-01

    The Dead Sea Region is an exceptional ecosystem whose seismic activity has influenced all facets of the development, from ground water availability to human evolution. Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians living in the Dead Sea region are exposed to severe earthquake hazard. Repeatedly large earthquakes (e.g. 1927, magnitude 6.0; (Ambraseys, 2009)) shook the whole Dead Sea region proving that earthquake hazard knows no borders and damaging seismic events can strike anytime. Combined with the high vulnerability of cities in the region and with the enormous concentration of historical values this natural hazard results in an extreme earthquake risk. Thus, an integration of earthquake parameters at all scales (size and time) and their combination with data of infrastructure are needed with the specific aim of providing a state-of-the-art seismic hazard assessment for the Dead Sea region as well as a first quantitative estimate of vulnerability and risk. A strong motivation for our research is the lack of reliable multi-parameter ground-based geophysical information on earthquakes in the Dead Sea region. The proposed set up of a number of observatories with on-line data access will enable to derive the present-day seismicity and deformation pattern in the Dead Sea region. The first multi-parameter stations were installed in Jordan, Israel and Palestine for long-time monitoring. All partners will jointly use these locations. All stations will have an open data policy, with the Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ, Potsdam, Germany) providing the hard and software for real-time data transmission via satellite to Germany, where all partners can access the data via standard data protocols.

  2. A genetic meta-algorithm-assisted inversion approach: hydrogeological study for the determination of volumetric rock properties and matrix and fluid parameters in unsaturated formations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Szabó, Norbert Péter

    2018-03-01

    An evolutionary inversion approach is suggested for the interpretation of nuclear and resistivity logs measured by direct-push tools in shallow unsaturated sediments. The efficiency of formation evaluation is improved by estimating simultaneously (1) the petrophysical properties that vary rapidly along a drill hole with depth and (2) the zone parameters that can be treated as constant, in one inversion procedure. In the workflow, the fractional volumes of water, air, matrix and clay are estimated in adjacent depths by linearized inversion, whereas the clay and matrix properties are updated using a float-encoded genetic meta-algorithm. The proposed inversion method provides an objective estimate of the zone parameters that appear in the tool response equations applied to solve the forward problem, which can significantly increase the reliability of the petrophysical model as opposed to setting these parameters arbitrarily. The global optimization meta-algorithm not only assures the best fit between the measured and calculated data but also gives a reliable solution, practically independent of the initial model, as laboratory data are unnecessary in the inversion procedure. The feasibility test uses engineering geophysical sounding logs observed in an unsaturated loessy-sandy formation in Hungary. The multi-borehole extension of the inversion technique is developed to determine the petrophysical properties and their estimation errors along a profile of drill holes. The genetic meta-algorithmic inversion method is recommended for hydrogeophysical logging applications of various kinds to automatically extract the volumetric ratios of rock and fluid constituents as well as the most important zone parameters in a reliable inversion procedure.

  3. DEF: an automated dead-end filling approach based on quasi-endosymbiosis.

    PubMed

    Liu, Lili; Zhang, Zijun; Sheng, Taotao; Chen, Ming

    2017-02-01

    Gap filling for the reconstruction of metabolic networks is to restore the connectivity of metabolites via finding high-confidence reactions that could be missed in target organism. Current methods for gap filling either fall into the network topology or have limited capability in finding missing reactions that are indirectly related to dead-end metabolites but of biological importance to the target model. We present an automated dead-end filling (DEF) approach, which is derived from the wisdom of endosymbiosis theory, to fill gaps by finding the most efficient dead-end utilization paths in a constructed quasi-endosymbiosis model. The recalls of reactions and dead ends of DEF reach around 73% and 86%, respectively. This method is capable of finding indirectly dead-end-related reactions with biological importance for the target organism and is applicable to any given metabolic model. In the E. coli iJR904 model, for instance, about 42% of the dead-end metabolites were fixed by our proposed method. DEF is publicly available at http://bis.zju.edu.cn/DEF/. mchen@zju.edu.cn Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

  4. Improvements of Travel-time Tomography Models from Joint Inversion of Multi-channel and Wide-angle Seismic Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Begović, Slaven; Ranero, César; Sallarès, Valentí; Meléndez, Adrià; Grevemeyer, Ingo

    2016-04-01

    Commonly multichannel seismic reflection (MCS) and wide-angle seismic (WAS) data are modeled and interpreted with different approaches. Conventional travel-time tomography models using solely WAS data lack the resolution to define the model properties and, particularly, the geometry of geologic boundaries (reflectors) with the required accuracy, specially in the shallow complex upper geological layers. We plan to mitigate this issue by combining these two different data sets, specifically taking advantage of the high redundancy of multichannel seismic (MCS) data, integrated with wide-angle seismic (WAS) data into a common inversion scheme to obtain higher-resolution velocity models (Vp), decrease Vp uncertainty and improve the geometry of reflectors. To do so, we have adapted the tomo2d and tomo3d joint refraction and reflection travel time tomography codes (Korenaga et al, 2000; Meléndez et al, 2015) to deal with streamer data and MCS acquisition geometries. The scheme results in a joint travel-time tomographic inversion based on integrated travel-time information from refracted and reflected phases from WAS data and reflected identified in the MCS common depth point (CDP) or shot gathers. To illustrate the advantages of a common inversion approach we have compared the modeling results for synthetic data sets using two different travel-time inversion strategies: We have produced seismic velocity models and reflector geometries following typical refraction and reflection travel-time tomographic strategy modeling just WAS data with a typical acquisition geometry (one OBS each 10 km). Second, we performed joint inversion of two types of seismic data sets, integrating two coincident data sets consisting of MCS data collected with a 8 km-long streamer and the WAS data into a common inversion scheme. Our synthetic results of the joint inversion indicate a 5-10 times smaller ray travel-time misfit in the deeper parts of the model, compared to models obtained using just

  5. Implement Method for Automated Testing of Markov Chain Convergence into INVERSE for ORNL12-RS-108J: Advanced Multi-Dimensional Forward and Inverse Modeling

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bledsoe, Keith C.

    2015-04-01

    The DiffeRential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis (DREAM) method is a powerful optimization/uncertainty quantification tool used to solve inverse transport problems in Los Alamos National Laboratory’s INVERSE code system. The DREAM method has been shown to be adept at accurate uncertainty quantification, but it can be very computationally demanding. Previously, the DREAM method in INVERSE performed a user-defined number of particle transport calculations. This placed a burden on the user to guess the number of calculations that would be required to accurately solve any given problem. This report discusses a new approach that has been implemented into INVERSE, the Gelman-Rubin convergence metric.more » This metric automatically detects when an appropriate number of transport calculations have been completed and the uncertainty in the inverse problem has been accurately calculated. In a test problem with a spherical geometry, this method was found to decrease the number of transport calculations (and thus time required) to solve a problem by an average of over 90%. In a cylindrical test geometry, a 75% decrease was obtained.« less

  6. Meaning of visualizing retinal cone mosaic on adaptive optics images.

    PubMed

    Jacob, Julie; Paques, Michel; Krivosic, Valérie; Dupas, Bénédicte; Couturier, Aude; Kulcsar, Caroline; Tadayoni, Ramin; Massin, Pascale; Gaudric, Alain

    2015-01-01

    To explore the anatomic correlation of the retinal cone mosaic on adaptive optics images. Retrospective nonconsecutive observational case series. A retrospective review of the multimodal imaging charts of 6 patients with focal alteration of the cone mosaic on adaptive optics was performed. Retinal diseases included acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (n = 1), hydroxychloroquine retinopathy (n = 1), and macular telangiectasia type 2 (n = 4). High-resolution retinal images were obtained using a flood-illumination adaptive optics camera. Images were recorded using standard imaging modalities: color and red-free fundus camera photography; infrared reflectance scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. On OCT, in the marginal zone of the lesions, a disappearance of the interdigitation zone was observed, while the ellipsoid zone was preserved. Image recording demonstrated that such attenuation of the interdigitation zone co-localized with the disappearance of the cone mosaic on adaptive optics images. In 1 case, the restoration of the interdigitation zone paralleled that of the cone mosaic after a 2-month follow-up. Our results suggest that the interdigitation zone could contribute substantially to the reflectance of the cone photoreceptor mosaic. The absence of cones on adaptive optics images does not necessarily mean photoreceptor cell death. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Quantifying surface water runoff from Wadi Arogut towards the Dead Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geyer, Stefan; Khayat, Saed; Marei, Amer

    2015-04-01

    The surrounded area of the Dead Sea, especially the west side suffers from many hydrological problems. While the Dead Sea level drop considered a major problem that affect the quality of the surrounded freshwater resources, a lot of the surface water flood from the adjacent Wadi are lost through direct run off without any exploitation. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a type of balance between surface water exploitation through the Wadi and at the same time allow a sufficient amount of flow to the Dead Sea to ensure its sustainability. In this study, we choose one of the larger tributaries in the western side of the Dead Sea basin. The stream was modelled for runoff response to different rainfall amount and climate conditions (dry, normal, and wet seasons) which were chosen from the rainy seasons in the previous 30 years. Finally, the amount of surface water contribution from each of the three seasons of the Dead Sea was quantified. The outcome of the model shows the results from the normal rainy season, which is frequently reoccurs and common in the region. The model data show that such events normally contribute with about 18-22 MCM annually to the Dead Sea. The problem is with the recurrence of dry season such as 2005/2006, by which the amount of the surface water decrease and consequently has adverse effect on the Dead Sea. However, the presence of less frequent thunder storm season such as that one in 1991/1992 has also a positive effect on the Dead Sea level. In the rainy season 1991/1992 there was a higher amount of rainfall over the study area that reaches around 155 MCM. Despite the presence of this high amount most of the recharge lost to the ground as groundwater recharge. The high amount of rain increases the amount of inundated surface water out of the Wadi banks and covers more surfaces all over the study area, which in role promote more water loss to the ground. That is why the total loss (rather than surface runoff) was much higher (77

  8. Never Declared Brain Dead Potential Organ Donors-An Additional Source of Donor Organs?

    PubMed

    Webster, Patricia A; Markham, Lori E

    2018-03-01

    Patients never declared brain dead may represent an additional source of donor organs. To determine the number of likely brain dead potential donors who are never declared brain dead and to compare them with brain dead and donation after cardiac death potential organ donors. This study was a retrospective chart review of all catastrophically brain-injured patients referred to a single-organ procurement organization (OPO) over a 4-year period. This study identified 159 likely brain dead potential organ donors, 902 brain dead potential organ donors, and 357 potential donation after circulatory death donors over a 4-year period. None. This study did not predetermine outcome measures before data collection because the study group, likely brain dead potential organ donors, had not previously been described. Likely brain dead potential donors were significantly older than brain dead potential donors ( P < .0001) but were otherwise not different demographically. They were more likely to be a late referral to the OPO ( P < .0001) and less likely to be in the donor registry ( P < .0001). The most commonly identified factors associated with a failure to declare brain death were an unwillingness to continue supportive care by the family, premention of donation, a nontimely imminent death referral, known prior objection to donation, terminal instability, and a lack of cooperation with the OPO.

  9. 37 CFR 1.422 - When the inventor is dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false When the inventor is dead. 1.422 Section 1.422 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE... File An International Application § 1.422 When the inventor is dead. In case of the death of the...

  10. 37 CFR 1.422 - When the inventor is dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false When the inventor is dead. 1.422 Section 1.422 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE... File An International Application § 1.422 When the inventor is dead. In case of the death of the...

  11. 37 CFR 1.422 - When the inventor is dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false When the inventor is dead. 1.422 Section 1.422 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE... File An International Application § 1.422 When the inventor is dead. In case of the death of the...

  12. Survey of pediatricians' opinions on donation after cardiac death: are the donors dead?

    PubMed

    Joffe, Ari R; Anton, Natalie R; deCaen, Allan R

    2008-11-01

    There has been debate in the ethics literature as to whether the donation-after-cardiac-death donor is dead after 5 minutes of absent circulation. We set out to determine whether pediatricians consider the donation-after-cardiac-death donor as dead. A survey was mailed to all 147 pediatricians who are affiliated with the university teaching children's hospital. The survey had 4 pediatric patient scenarios in which a decision was made to donate organs after 5 minutes of absent circulation. Background information described the organ shortage, and the debate about the term "irreversibility" applied to death in donation after cardiac death. Descriptive statistics were used, with responses between groups compared by using the chi(2) statistic. The response rate was 54% (80 of 147). In each scenario, when given a patient described as dead with absent circulation for 5 minutes, dead, dead," and dead. On at least 1 of the scenarios, 38 (48%) of 147 responded uncertain, disagree, or strongly disagree that the patient is definitely dead. Although the patients in the 4 scenarios were in the identical physiologic state, with absent circulation for 5 minutes, 12 (15%) of 80 respondents did not consistently consider the patients in the state called "dead" between scenarios. Fewer than 5% of respondents answered strongly agree/agree to allow donation after cardiac death while also answering disagree/strongly disagree that the patient is definitely dead, suggesting little support to abandon the dead-donor rule. Most pediatrician respondents were not confident that a donation-after-cardiac-death donor was dead. This suggests that additional debate about the concept of irreversibility applied to donation after cardiac death is needed.

  13. Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) intoxication: an analysis of 49 children.

    PubMed

    Caksen, Hüseyin; Odabaş, Dursun; Akbayram, Sinan; Cesur, Yaşar; Arslan, Sükrü; Uner, Abdurrahman; Oner, Ahmet Faik

    2003-12-01

    Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) intoxication has been infrequently reported in both children and adults in the literature. In this article, the clinical and laboratory findings of 49 children with acute deadly nightshade intoxication are reviewed. Our purpose was to enlighten the findings of deadly nightshade intoxication in childhood. The most common observed symptoms and signs were meaningless speech, tachycardia, mydriasis, and flushing. None of the children required mechanical ventilation or died in our series. The patients were categorized into two groups, mild/moderate and severe intoxication. Children with and without encephalopathy were accepted as severe and mild/moderate intoxication, respectively. While 43 children were placed in the group of mild/moderate intoxication, six were in severe intoxication group. We found that meaningless speech, lethargy, and coma were more common, but tachycardia was less common in the severe intoxication group (children with encephalopathy) (P < 0.05). In the treatment, neostigmine was used in all children because of no available physostigmine in our country. In conclusion, our findings showed that the initial signs and symptoms of acute deadly nightshade intoxication might be severe in some children, but no permanent sequel and death were seen in children. We also showed that meaningless speech, lethargy, coma, and absence of tachycardia were ominous signs in deadly nightshade intoxication in childhood. Lastly, we suggest that neostigmine may be used in cases of deadly nightshade intoxication if physostigmine cannot be available.

  14. Transfer zones and fault reactivation in inverted rift basins: Insights from physical modelling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Konstantinovskaya, Elena A.; Harris, Lyal B.; Poulin, Jimmy; Ivanov, Gennady M.

    2007-08-01

    Lateral transfer zones of deformation and fault reactivation were investigated in multilayered silicone-sand models during extension and subsequent co-axial shortening. Model materials were selected to meet similarity criteria and to be distinguished on CT scans; this approach permitted non-destructive visualisation of the progressive evolution of structures. Transfer zones were initiated by an orthogonal offset in the geometry of a basal mobile aluminium sheet and/or by variations of layer thickness or material rheology in basal layers. Transfer zones affected rift propagation and fault kinematics in models. Propagation and overlapping rift culminations occurred in transfer zones during extension. During shortening, deviation in the orientation of frontal thrusts and fold axes occurred within transfer zones in brittle and ductile layers, respectively. CT scans showed that steep (58-67°) rift-margin normal faults were reactivated as reverse faults. The reactivated faults rotated to shallower dips (19-38°) with continuing shortening after 100% inversion. Rotation of rift phase faults appears to be due to deep level folding and uplift during the inversion phase. New thrust faults with shallow dips (20-34°) formed outside the inverted graben at late stages of shortening. Frontal ramps propagated laterally past the transfer structure during shortening. During inversion, the layers filling the rift structures underwent lateral compression at the depth, the graben fill was pushed up and outwards creating local extension near the surface. Sand marker layers in inverted graben have showed fold-like structures or rotation and tilting in the rifts and on the rift margins. The results of our experiments conform well to natural examples of inverted graben. Inverted rift basins are structurally complex and often difficult to interpret in seismic data. The models may help to unravel the structure and evolution of these systems, leading to improved hydrocarbon exploration

  15. Pulse-Inversion Subharmonic Ultrafast Active Cavitation Imaging in Tissue Using Fast Eigenspace-Based Adaptive Beamforming and Cavitation Deconvolution.

    PubMed

    Bai, Chen; Xu, Shanshan; Duan, Junbo; Jing, Bowen; Yang, Miao; Wan, Mingxi

    2017-08-01

    Pulse-inversion subharmonic (PISH) imaging can display information relating to pure cavitation bubbles while excluding that of tissue. Although plane-wave-based ultrafast active cavitation imaging (UACI) can monitor the transient activities of cavitation bubbles, its resolution and cavitation-to-tissue ratio (CTR) are barely satisfactory but can be significantly improved by introducing eigenspace-based (ESB) adaptive beamforming. PISH and UACI are a natural combination for imaging of pure cavitation activity in tissue; however, it raises two problems: 1) the ESB beamforming is hard to implement in real time due to the enormous amount of computation associated with the covariance matrix inversion and eigendecomposition and 2) the narrowband characteristic of the subharmonic filter will incur a drastic degradation in resolution. Thus, in order to jointly address these two problems, we propose a new PISH-UACI method using novel fast ESB (F-ESB) beamforming and cavitation deconvolution for nonlinear signals. This method greatly reduces the computational complexity by using F-ESB beamforming through dimensionality reduction based on principal component analysis, while maintaining the high quality of ESB beamforming. The degraded resolution is recovered using cavitation deconvolution through a modified convolution model and compressive deconvolution. Both simulations and in vitro experiments were performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Compared with the ESB-based PISH-UACI, the entire computation of our proposed approach was reduced by 99%, while the axial resolution gain and CTR were increased by 3 times and 2 dB, respectively, confirming that satisfactory performance can be obtained for monitoring pure cavitation bubbles in tissue erosion.

  16. Potential Evaporite Biomarkers from the Dead Sea

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morris, Penny A.; Wentworth, Susan J.; Thomas-Keprta, Kathie; Allen, Carlton C.; McKay, David S.

    2001-01-01

    The Dead Sea is located on the northern branch of the African-Levant Rift systems. The rift system, according to one model, was formed by a series of strike slip faults, initially forming approximately two million years ago. The Dead Sea is an evaporite basin that receives freshwater from springs and from the Jordan River. The Dead Sea is different from other evaporite basins, such as the Great Salt Lake, in that it possesses high concentrations of magnesium and has an average pH of 6.1. The dominant cation in the Great Salt Lake is sodium, and the pH is 7.7. Calcium concentrations are also higher in the Dead Sea than in the Great Salt Lake. Both basins are similar in that the dominant anion is chlorine and the salinity levels are approximately 20 %. Other common cations that have been identified from the waters of the Dead Sea and the Great Salt Lake include sodium and potassium. A variety of Archea, Bacteria, and a single genus of a green algal, Dunaliella, has been described from the Dead Sea. Earlier studies concentrated on microbial identification and analysis of their unique physiology that allows them to survive in this type of extreme environment. Potential microbial fossilization processes, microbial fossils, and the metallic ions associated with fossilization have not been studied thoroughly. The present study is restricted to identifying probable microbial morphologies and associated metallic ions. XRD (X Ray Diffraction) analysis indicates the presence of halite, quartz, and orthoclase feldspar. In addition to these minerals, other workers have reported potassium chloride, magnesium bromide, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and calcium sulfate. Halite, calcium sulfate, and orthoclase were examined in this report for the presence of microbes, microbially induced deposits or microbial alteration. Neither the gypsum nor the orthoclase surfaces possesses any obvious indications of microbial life or fossilization. The sand-sized orthoclase particles are

  17. Hybrid Zones: Windows on Climate Change

    PubMed Central

    Larson, Erica L.; Harrison, Richard G.

    2016-01-01

    Defining the impacts of anthropogenic climate change on biodiversity and species distributions is currently a high priority. Niche models focus primarily on predicted changes in abiotic factors; however, species interactions and adaptive evolution will impact the ability of species to persist in the face of changing climate. Our review focuses on the use of hybrid zones to monitor species' responses to contemporary climate change. Monitoring hybrid zones provides insight into how range boundaries shift in response to climate change by illuminating the combined effects of species interactions and physiological sensitivity. At the same time, the semi-permeable nature of species boundaries allows us to document adaptive introgression of alleles associated with response to climate change. PMID:25982153

  18. Supplying osteogenesis to dead bone using an osteogenic matrix cell sheet.

    PubMed

    Uchihara, Yoshinobu; Akahane, Manabu; Okuda, Akinori; Shimizu, Takamasa; Masuda, Keisuke; Kira, Tsutomu; Kawate, Kenji; Tanaka, Yasuhito

    2018-02-22

    To evaluate whether osteogenic matrix cell sheets can supply osteogenesis to dead bone. Femur bone fragments (5 mm in length) were obtained from Fisher 344 rats and irradiated by a single exposure of 60 Gy to produce bones that were no longer viable. Osteogenic matrix cell sheets were created from rat bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSCs). After wrapping the dead bone with an osteogenic matrix cell sheet, it was subcutaneously transplanted into the back of a rat and harvested after 4 weeks. Bone formation around the dead bone was evaluated by X-ray imaging and histology. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC) mRNA expression levels were measured to confirm osteogenesis of the transplanted bone. The contribution of donor cells to bone formation was assessed using the Sry gene and PKH26. After the cell sheet was transplanted together with dead bone, X-ray images showed abundant calcification around the dead bone. In contrast, no newly formed bone was seen in samples that were transplanted without the cell sheet. Histological sections also showed newly formed bone around dead bone in samples transplanted with the cell sheet, whereas many empty lacunae and no newly formed bone were observed in samples transplanted without the cell sheet. ALP and OC mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in dead bones transplanted with cell sheets than in those without a cell sheet (P < 0.01). Sry gene expression and cells derived from cell sheets labeled with PKH26 were detected in samples transplanted with a cell sheet, indicating survival of donor cells after transplantation. Our study indicates that osteogenic matrix cell sheet transplantation can supply osteogenesis to dead bone. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  19. 37 CFR 1.42 - When the inventor is dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false When the inventor is dead. 1.42 Section 1.42 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE... for A Patent § 1.42 When the inventor is dead. In case of the death of the inventor, the legal...

  20. 37 CFR 1.42 - When the inventor is dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false When the inventor is dead. 1.42 Section 1.42 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE... for A Patent § 1.42 When the inventor is dead. In case of the death of the inventor, the legal...

  1. 37 CFR 1.42 - When the inventor is dead.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false When the inventor is dead. 1.42 Section 1.42 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE... for A Patent § 1.42 When the inventor is dead. In case of the death of the inventor, the legal...

  2. Comparative structural analysis of human DEAD-box RNA helicases.

    PubMed

    Schütz, Patrick; Karlberg, Tobias; van den Berg, Susanne; Collins, Ruairi; Lehtiö, Lari; Högbom, Martin; Holmberg-Schiavone, Lovisa; Tempel, Wolfram; Park, Hee-Won; Hammarström, Martin; Moche, Martin; Thorsell, Ann-Gerd; Schüler, Herwig

    2010-09-30

    DEAD-box RNA helicases play various, often critical, roles in all processes where RNAs are involved. Members of this family of proteins are linked to human disease, including cancer and viral infections. DEAD-box proteins contain two conserved domains that both contribute to RNA and ATP binding. Despite recent advances the molecular details of how these enzymes convert chemical energy into RNA remodeling is unknown. We present crystal structures of the isolated DEAD-domains of human DDX2A/eIF4A1, DDX2B/eIF4A2, DDX5, DDX10/DBP4, DDX18/myc-regulated DEAD-box protein, DDX20, DDX47, DDX52/ROK1, and DDX53/CAGE, and of the helicase domains of DDX25 and DDX41. Together with prior knowledge this enables a family-wide comparative structural analysis. We propose a general mechanism for opening of the RNA binding site. This analysis also provides insights into the diversity of DExD/H- proteins, with implications for understanding the functions of individual family members.

  3. Comparative Structural Analysis of Human DEAD-Box RNA Helicases

    PubMed Central

    Schütz, Patrick; Karlberg, Tobias; van den Berg, Susanne; Collins, Ruairi; Lehtiö, Lari; Högbom, Martin; Holmberg-Schiavone, Lovisa; Tempel, Wolfram; Park, Hee-Won; Hammarström, Martin; Moche, Martin; Thorsell, Ann-Gerd; Schüler, Herwig

    2010-01-01

    DEAD-box RNA helicases play various, often critical, roles in all processes where RNAs are involved. Members of this family of proteins are linked to human disease, including cancer and viral infections. DEAD-box proteins contain two conserved domains that both contribute to RNA and ATP binding. Despite recent advances the molecular details of how these enzymes convert chemical energy into RNA remodeling is unknown. We present crystal structures of the isolated DEAD-domains of human DDX2A/eIF4A1, DDX2B/eIF4A2, DDX5, DDX10/DBP4, DDX18/myc-regulated DEAD-box protein, DDX20, DDX47, DDX52/ROK1, and DDX53/CAGE, and of the helicase domains of DDX25 and DDX41. Together with prior knowledge this enables a family-wide comparative structural analysis. We propose a general mechanism for opening of the RNA binding site. This analysis also provides insights into the diversity of DExD/H- proteins, with implications for understanding the functions of individual family members. PMID:20941364

  4. Non-Random Inversion Landscapes in Prokaryotic Genomes Are Shaped by Heterogeneous Selection Pressures

    PubMed Central

    Repar, Jelena; Warnecke, Tobias

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Inversions are a major contributor to structural genome evolution in prokaryotes. Here, using a novel alignment-based method, we systematically compare 1,651 bacterial and 98 archaeal genomes to show that inversion landscapes are frequently biased toward (symmetric) inversions around the origin–terminus axis. However, symmetric inversion bias is not a universal feature of prokaryotic genome evolution but varies considerably across clades. At the extremes, inversion landscapes in Bacillus–Clostridium and Actinobacteria are dominated by symmetric inversions, while there is little or no systematic bias favoring symmetric rearrangements in archaea with a single origin of replication. Within clades, we find strong but clade-specific relationships between symmetric inversion bias and different features of adaptive genome architecture, including the distance of essential genes to the origin of replication and the preferential localization of genes on the leading strand. We suggest that heterogeneous selection pressures have converged to produce similar patterns of structural genome evolution across prokaryotes. PMID:28407093

  5. 9 CFR 309.3 - Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and similar livestock.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and... AND VOLUNTARY INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION ANTE-MORTEM INSPECTION § 309.3 Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and similar livestock. (a) Livestock found to be dead or in a dying condition on the premises of...

  6. 9 CFR 309.3 - Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and similar livestock.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and... AND VOLUNTARY INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION ANTE-MORTEM INSPECTION § 309.3 Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and similar livestock. (a) Livestock found to be dead or in a dying condition on the premises of...

  7. 9 CFR 309.3 - Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and similar livestock.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and... AND VOLUNTARY INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION ANTE-MORTEM INSPECTION § 309.3 Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and similar livestock. (a) Livestock found to be dead or in a dying condition on the premises of...

  8. 9 CFR 309.3 - Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and similar livestock.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and... AND VOLUNTARY INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION ANTE-MORTEM INSPECTION § 309.3 Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and similar livestock. (a) Livestock found to be dead or in a dying condition on the premises of...

  9. 9 CFR 309.3 - Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and similar livestock.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and... AND VOLUNTARY INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION ANTE-MORTEM INSPECTION § 309.3 Dead, dying, disabled, or diseased and similar livestock. (a) Livestock found to be dead or in a dying condition on the premises of...

  10. Nature and Role of Subducting Sediments on the Megathrust and Forearc Evolution in the 2004 Great Sumatra Earthquake Rupture Zone: Results from Full Waveform Inversion of Long Offset Seismic Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, S. C.; Qin, Y.

    2015-12-01

    On active accretionary margins, the nature of incoming sediments defines the locking mechanism on the megathrust, and the development and evolution of the accretionary wedge. Drilling is the most direct method to characterise the nature of these sediments, but the drilling is very expensive, and provide information at only a few locations. In north Sumatra, an IODP drilling is programmed to take place in July-August 2016. We have performed seismic full waveform inversion of 12 km long offset seismic reflection data acquired by WesternGeco in 2006 over a 35 km zone near the subduction front in the 2004 earthquake rupture zone area that provide detailed quantitative information on the characteristics of the incoming sediments. We first downward continue the surface streamer data to the seafloor, which removes the effect of deep water (~5 km) and brings out the refraction arrivals as the first arrivals. We carry out travel time tomography, and then performed full waveform inversion of seismic refraction data followed by the full waveform inversion of reflection data providing detailed (10-20 m) velocity structure. The sediments in this area are 3-5 km thick where the P-wave velocity increases from 1.6 km/s near the seafloor to more than 4.5 km/s above the oceanic crust. The high velocity of sediments above the basement suggests that the sediments are highly compacted, strengthened the coupling near the subduction front, which might have been responsible for 2004 earthquake rupture propagation up to the subduction front, enhancing the tsunami. We also find several thin velocity layers within the sediments, which might be due to high pore-pressure fluid or free gas. These layers might be responsible for the formation of pseudo-decollement within the forearc sediments that acts as a conveyer belt between highly compacted subducting lower sediments and accreted sediments above. The presence of well intact sediments on the accretionary prism supports this interpretation

  11. Gene alterations at Drosophila inversion breakpoints provide prima facie evidence for natural selection as an explanation for rapid chromosomal evolution.

    PubMed

    Guillén, Yolanda; Ruiz, Alfredo

    2012-02-01

    Chromosomal inversions have been pervasive during the evolution of the genus Drosophila, but there is significant variation between lineages in the rate of rearrangement fixation. D. mojavensis, an ecological specialist adapted to a cactophilic niche under extreme desert conditions, is a chromosomally derived species with ten fixed inversions, five of them not present in any other species. In order to explore the causes of the rapid chromosomal evolution in D. mojavensis, we identified and characterized all breakpoints of seven inversions fixed in chromosome 2, the most dynamic one. One of the inversions presents unequivocal evidence for its generation by ectopic recombination between transposon copies and another two harbor inverted duplications of non-repetitive DNA at the two breakpoints and were likely generated by staggered single-strand breaks and repair by non-homologous end joining. Four out of 14 breakpoints lay in the intergenic region between preexisting duplicated genes, suggesting an adaptive advantage of separating previously tightly linked duplicates. Four out of 14 breakpoints are associated with transposed genes, suggesting these breakpoints are fragile regions. Finally two inversions contain novel genes at their breakpoints and another three show alterations of genes at breakpoints with potential adaptive significance. D. mojavensis chromosomal inversions were generated by multiple mechanisms, an observation that does not provide support for increased mutation rate as explanation for rapid chromosomal evolution. On the other hand, we have found a number of gene alterations at the breakpoints with putative adaptive consequences that directly point to natural selection as the cause of D. mojavensis rapid chromosomal evolution.

  12. Gene alterations at Drosophila inversion breakpoints provide prima facie evidence for natural selection as an explanation for rapid chromosomal evolution

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Chromosomal inversions have been pervasive during the evolution of the genus Drosophila, but there is significant variation between lineages in the rate of rearrangement fixation. D. mojavensis, an ecological specialist adapted to a cactophilic niche under extreme desert conditions, is a chromosomally derived species with ten fixed inversions, five of them not present in any other species. Results In order to explore the causes of the rapid chromosomal evolution in D. mojavensis, we identified and characterized all breakpoints of seven inversions fixed in chromosome 2, the most dynamic one. One of the inversions presents unequivocal evidence for its generation by ectopic recombination between transposon copies and another two harbor inverted duplications of non-repetitive DNA at the two breakpoints and were likely generated by staggered single-strand breaks and repair by non-homologous end joining. Four out of 14 breakpoints lay in the intergenic region between preexisting duplicated genes, suggesting an adaptive advantage of separating previously tightly linked duplicates. Four out of 14 breakpoints are associated with transposed genes, suggesting these breakpoints are fragile regions. Finally two inversions contain novel genes at their breakpoints and another three show alterations of genes at breakpoints with potential adaptive significance. Conclusions D. mojavensis chromosomal inversions were generated by multiple mechanisms, an observation that does not provide support for increased mutation rate as explanation for rapid chromosomal evolution. On the other hand, we have found a number of gene alterations at the breakpoints with putative adaptive consequences that directly point to natural selection as the cause of D. mojavensis rapid chromosomal evolution. PMID:22296923

  13. Estimating Soil and Root Parameters of Biofuel Crops using a Hydrogeophysical Inversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuhl, A.; Kendall, A. D.; Van Dam, R. L.; Hyndman, D. W.

    2017-12-01

    Transpiration is the dominant pathway for continental water exchange to the atmosphere, and therefore a crucial aspect of modeling water balances at many scales. The root water uptake dynamics that control transpiration are dependent on soil water availability, as well as the root distribution. However, the root distribution is determined by many factors beyond the plant species alone, including climate conditions and soil texture. Despite the significant contribution of transpiration to global water fluxes, modelling the complex critical zone processes that drive root water uptake remains a challenge. Geophysical tools such as electrical resistivity (ER), have been shown to be highly sensitive to water dynamics in the unsaturated zone. ER data can be temporally and spatially robust, covering large areas or long time periods non-invasively, which is an advantage over in-situ methods. Previous studies have shown the value of using hydrogeophysical inversions to estimate soil properties. Others have used hydrological inversions to estimate both soil properties and root distribution parameters. In this study, we combine these two approaches to create a coupled hydrogeophysical inversion that estimates root and retention curve parameters for a HYDRUS model. To test the feasibility of this new approach, we estimated daily water fluxes and root growth for several biofuel crops at a long-term ecological research site in Southwest Michigan, using monthly ER data from 2009 through 2011. Time domain reflectometry data at seven depths was used to validate modeled soil moisture estimates throughout the model period. This hydrogeophysical inversion method shows promise for improving root distribution and transpiration estimates across a wide variety of settings.

  14. An adaptive Bayesian inversion for upper-mantle structure using surface waves and scattered body waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eilon, Zachary; Fischer, Karen M.; Dalton, Colleen A.

    2018-07-01

    We present a methodology for 1-D imaging of upper-mantle structure using a Bayesian approach that incorporates a novel combination of seismic data types and an adaptive parametrization based on piecewise discontinuous splines. Our inversion algorithm lays the groundwork for improved seismic velocity models of the lithosphere and asthenosphere by harnessing the recent expansion of large seismic arrays and computational power alongside sophisticated data analysis. Careful processing of P- and S-wave arrivals isolates converted phases generated at velocity gradients between the mid-crust and 300 km depth. This data is allied with ambient noise and earthquake Rayleigh wave phase velocities to obtain detailed VS and VP velocity models. Synthetic tests demonstrate that converted phases are necessary to accurately constrain velocity gradients, and S-p phases are particularly important for resolving mantle structure, while surface waves are necessary for capturing absolute velocities. We apply the method to several stations in the northwest and north-central United States, finding that the imaged structure improves upon existing models by sharpening the vertical resolution of absolute velocity profiles, offering robust uncertainty estimates, and revealing mid-lithospheric velocity gradients indicative of thermochemical cratonic layering. This flexible method holds promise for increasingly detailed understanding of the upper mantle.

  15. An adaptive Bayesian inversion for upper mantle structure using surface waves and scattered body waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eilon, Zachary; Fischer, Karen M.; Dalton, Colleen A.

    2018-04-01

    We present a methodology for 1-D imaging of upper mantle structure using a Bayesian approach that incorporates a novel combination of seismic data types and an adaptive parameterisation based on piecewise discontinuous splines. Our inversion algorithm lays the groundwork for improved seismic velocity models of the lithosphere and asthenosphere by harnessing the recent expansion of large seismic arrays and computational power alongside sophisticated data analysis. Careful processing of P- and S-wave arrivals isolates converted phases generated at velocity gradients between the mid-crust and 300 km depth. This data is allied with ambient noise and earthquake Rayleigh wave phase velocities to obtain detailed VS and VP velocity models. Synthetic tests demonstrate that converted phases are necessary to accurately constrain velocity gradients, and S-p phases are particularly important for resolving mantle structure, while surface waves are necessary for capturing absolute velocities. We apply the method to several stations in the northwest and north-central United States, finding that the imaged structure improves upon existing models by sharpening the vertical resolution of absolute velocity profiles, offering robust uncertainty estimates, and revealing mid-lithospheric velocity gradients indicative of thermochemical cratonic layering. This flexible method holds promise for increasingly detailed understanding of the upper mantle.

  16. Selection on Inversion Breakpoints Favors Proximity to Pairing Sensitive Sites in Drosophila melanogaster

    PubMed Central

    Corbett-Detig, Russell B.

    2016-01-01

    Chromosomal inversions are widespread among taxa, and have been implicated in a number of biological processes including adaptation, sex chromosome evolution, and segregation distortion. Consistent with selection favoring linkage between loci, it is well established that length is a selected trait of inversions. However, the factors that affect the distribution of inversion breakpoints remain poorly understood. “Sensitive sites” have been mapped on all euchromatic chromosome arms in Drosophila melanogaster, and may be a source of natural selection on inversion breakpoint positions. Briefly, sensitive sites are genomic regions wherein proximal structural rearrangements result in large reductions in local recombination rates in heterozygotes. Here, I show that breakpoints of common inversions are significantly more likely to lie within a cytological band containing a sensitive site than are breakpoints of rare inversions. Furthermore, common inversions for which neither breakpoint intersects a sensitive site are significantly longer than rare inversions, but common inversions whose breakpoints intersect a sensitive site show no evidence for increased length. I interpret these results to mean that selection favors inversions whose breakpoints disrupt synteny near to sensitive sites, possibly because these inversions suppress recombination in large genomic regions. To my knowledge this is the first evidence consistent with positive selection acting on inversion breakpoint positions. PMID:27343234

  17. Selection on Inversion Breakpoints Favors Proximity to Pairing Sensitive Sites in Drosophila melanogaster.

    PubMed

    Corbett-Detig, Russell B

    2016-09-01

    Chromosomal inversions are widespread among taxa, and have been implicated in a number of biological processes including adaptation, sex chromosome evolution, and segregation distortion. Consistent with selection favoring linkage between loci, it is well established that length is a selected trait of inversions. However, the factors that affect the distribution of inversion breakpoints remain poorly understood. "Sensitive sites" have been mapped on all euchromatic chromosome arms in Drosophila melanogaster, and may be a source of natural selection on inversion breakpoint positions. Briefly, sensitive sites are genomic regions wherein proximal structural rearrangements result in large reductions in local recombination rates in heterozygotes. Here, I show that breakpoints of common inversions are significantly more likely to lie within a cytological band containing a sensitive site than are breakpoints of rare inversions. Furthermore, common inversions for which neither breakpoint intersects a sensitive site are significantly longer than rare inversions, but common inversions whose breakpoints intersect a sensitive site show no evidence for increased length. I interpret these results to mean that selection favors inversions whose breakpoints disrupt synteny near to sensitive sites, possibly because these inversions suppress recombination in large genomic regions. To my knowledge this is the first evidence consistent with positive selection acting on inversion breakpoint positions. Copyright © 2016 by the Genetics Society of America.

  18. Influence of Policy Instruction on Police Use of Deadly Force: Exploratory Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daugherty, Glenn R.

    2017-01-01

    Police organizations routinely train their officers on the use of deadly force policy and procedures. The topic addressed in this study is that deadly force policy training may be inadequate in combining policy along with discretion in shoot or no shoot situations often resulting in improper use of deadly force. The problem is the training that…

  19. El Dia de los Muertos -- Libreto. (The Day of the Dead -- Notebook.)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Espinoza, Delia; Lopez, Santiago, III

    On November 2, all Mexican Americans remember their dead as Mexico does on that same day. Called "El Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead), the dead are remembered posthumously with flowers, candles, music, prayers, chants, and wreaths. The people go to cemeteries to clean tombs, lay fresh or artificial flowers on them, and pray for…

  20. Deadly medicine.

    PubMed

    Bachrach, Susan

    2007-01-01

    This article discusses the methods the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum used to make an exhibition on the complex history of Nazi eugenics accessible to the museum's mass public and at the same time, provocative for special audiences consisting of professionals and students from the biomedical fields. Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race showed how both eugenics and related "euthanasia" programs in Nazi Germany helped pave the road to the Holocaust. The exhibition implicitly evoked the present-day appeal of biological explanations for human behavior and of new visions of human perfection. Educational programs used the exhibition as a springboard for discussions of bioethics and medical ethics.