Using ambient vibration measurements for risk assessment at an urban scale: from numerical proof of concept to Beirut case study (Lebanon)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salameh, Christelle; Bard, Pierre-Yves; Guillier, Bertrand; Harb, Jacques; Cornou, Cécile; Gérard, Jocelyne; Almakari, Michelle

2017-04-01

Post-seismic investigations repeatedly indicate that structures having frequencies close to foundation soil frequencies exhibit significantly heavier damages (Caracas 1967; Mexico 1985; Pujili, Ecuador 1996; L'Aquila 2009). However, observations of modal frequencies of soils and buildings in a region or within a current seismic risk analysis are not fully considered together, even when past earthquakes have demonstrated that coinciding soil and building frequencies leads to greater damage. The present paper thus focuses on a comprehensive numerical analysis to investigate the effect of coincidence between site and building frequencies. A total of 887 realistic soil profiles are coupled with a set of 141 single-degree-of-freedom elastoplastic oscillators, and their combined (nonlinear) response is computed for both linear and nonlinear soil behaviors, for a large number (60) of synthetic input signals with various PGA levels and frequency contents. The associated damage is quantified on the basis of the maximum displacement as compared to both yield and ultimate post-elastic displacements, according to the RISK-UE project recommendations (Lagomarsino and Giovinazzi in Bull Earthq Eng 4(4):415-443, 2006), and compared with the damage obtained in the case of a similar building located on rock. The correlation between this soil/rock damage increment and a number of simplified mechanical and loading parameters is then analyzed using a neural network approach. The results emphasize the key role played by the building/soil frequency ratio even when both soil and building behave nonlinearly; other important parameters are the PGA level, the soil/rock velocity contrast and the building ductility. A numerical investigation based on simulation of ambient noise for the whole set of 887 profiles also indicates that the amplitude of H/ V ratio may be considered as a satisfactory proxy for site amplification when applied to measurements at urban scale. A very easy implementation of this method, using ambient vibration measurements both at ground level and within buildings, is illustrated with an example application for the city of Beirut (Lebanon).[Figure not available: see fulltext.

On the classification of normalized natural frequencies for damage detection in cantilever beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahak, Mustapha; Touat, Noureddine; Benseddiq, Noureddine

2017-08-01

The presence of a damage on a beam causes changes in the physical properties, which introduce flexibility, and reduce the natural frequencies of the beam. Based on this, a new method is proposed to locate the damage zone in a cantilever beam. In this paper, the cantilever beam is discretized into a number of zones, where each zone has a specific classification of the first four normalized natural frequencies. The damaged zone is distinguished by only the classification of the normalized frequencies of the structure. In the case when the damage is symmetric to the vibration node, we use the unchanged natural frequency as a second information to obtain a more accurate location. The effectiveness of the proposed method is shown by a numerical simulation with ANSYS software and experimental investigation of a cantilever beam with different damage.

Lamb wave based damage detection using Matching Pursuit and Support Vector Machine classifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agarwal, Sushant; Mitra, Mira

2014-03-01

In this paper, the suitability of using Matching Pursuit (MP) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) for damage detection using Lamb wave response of thin aluminium plate is explored. Lamb wave response of thin aluminium plate with or without damage is simulated using finite element. Simulations are carried out at different frequencies for various kinds of damage. The procedure is divided into two parts - signal processing and machine learning. Firstly, MP is used for denoising and to maintain the sparsity of the dataset. In this study, MP is extended by using a combination of time-frequency functions as the dictionary and is deployed in two stages. Selection of a particular type of atoms lead to extraction of important features while maintaining the sparsity of the waveform. The resultant waveform is then passed as input data for SVM classifier. SVM is used to detect the location of the potential damage from the reduced data. The study demonstrates that SVM is a robust classifier in presence of noise and more efficient as compared to Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Out-of-sample data is used for the validation of the trained and tested classifier. Trained classifiers are found successful in detection of the damage with more than 95% detection rate.

Level 1 Tornado PRA for the High Flux Beam Reactor

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

Bozoki, G.E.; Conrad, C.S.

This report describes a risk analysis primarily directed at providing an estimate for the frequency of tornado induced damage to the core of the High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR), and thus it constitutes a Level 1 Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) covering tornado induced accident sequences. The basic methodology of the risk analysis was to develop a ``tornado specific`` plant logic model that integrates the internal random hardware failures with failures caused externally by the tornado strike and includes operator errors worsened by the tornado modified environment. The tornado hazard frequency, as well as earlier prepared structural and equipment fragility data,more » were used as input data to the model. To keep modeling/calculational complexity as simple as reasonable a ``bounding`` type, slightly conservative, approach was applied. By a thorough screening process a single dominant initiating event was selected as a representative initiator, defined as: ``Tornado Induced Loss of Offsite Power.`` The frequency of this initiator was determined to be 6.37E-5/year. The safety response of the HFBR facility resulted in a total Conditional Core Damage Probability of .621. Thus, the point estimate of the HFBR`s Tornado Induced Core Damage Frequency (CDF) was found to be: (CDF){sub Tornado} = 3.96E-5/year. This value represents only 7.8% of the internal CDF and thus is considered to be a small contribution to the overall facility risk expressed in terms of total Core Damage Frequency. In addition to providing the estimate of (CDF){sub Tornado}, the report documents, the relative importance of various tornado induced system, component, and operator failures that contribute most to (CDF){sub Tornado}.« less

FREQUENCY CONTENT OF CARTILAGE IMPACT FORCE SIGNAL REFLECTS ACUTE HISTOLOGIC STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.

PubMed

Heiner, Anneliese D; Martin, James A; McKinley, Todd O; Goetz, Jessica E; Thedens, Daniel R; Brown, Thomas D

2012-10-01

The objective of this study was to determine if acute cartilage impact damage could be predicted by a quantification of the frequency content of the impact force signal. Osteochondral specimens excised from bovine lateral tibial plateaus were impacted with one of six impact energies. Each impact force signal underwent frequency analysis, with the amount of higher-frequency content (percent of frequency spectrum above 1 KHz) being registered. Specimens were histologically evaluated to assess acute structural damage (articular surface cracking and cartilage crushing) resulting from the impact. Acute histologic structural damage to the cartilage had higher concordance with the high-frequency content measure than with other mechanical impact measures (delivered impact energy, impact maximum stress, and impact maximum stress rate of change). This result suggests that the frequency content of an impact force signal, specifically the proportion of higher-frequency components, can be used as a quick surrogate measure for acute structural cartilage injury. Taking advantage of this relationship could reduce the time and expense of histological processing needed to morphologically assess cartilage damage, especially for purposes of initial screening when evaluating new impaction protocols.

Structural Damage Detection Using Virtual Passive Controllers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lew, Jiann-Shiun; Juang, Jer-Nan

2001-01-01

This paper presents novel approaches for structural damage detection which uses the virtual passive controllers attached to structures, where passive controllers are energy dissipative devices and thus guarantee the closed-loop stability. The use of the identified parameters of various closed-loop systems can solve the problem that reliable identified parameters, such as natural frequencies of the open-loop system may not provide enough information for damage detection. Only a small number of sensors are required for the proposed approaches. The identified natural frequencies, which are generally much less sensitive to noise and more reliable than the identified natural frequencies, are used for damage detection. Two damage detection techniques are presented. One technique is based on the structures with direct output feedback controllers while the other technique uses the second-order dynamic feedback controllers. A least-squares technique, which is based on the sensitivity of natural frequencies to damage variables, is used for accurately identifying the damage variables.

Advanced Mitigation Process (AMP) for Improving Laser Damage Threshold of Fused Silica Optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Xin; Huang, Jin; Liu, Hongjie; Geng, Feng; Sun, Laixi; Jiang, Xiaodong; Wu, Weidong; Qiao, Liang; Zu, Xiaotao; Zheng, Wanguo

2016-08-01

The laser damage precursors in subsurface of fused silica (e.g. photosensitive impurities, scratches and redeposited silica compounds) were mitigated by mineral acid leaching and HF etching with multi-frequency ultrasonic agitation, respectively. The comparison of scratches morphology after static etching and high-frequency ultrasonic agitation etching was devoted in our case. And comparison of laser induce damage resistance of scratched and non-scratched fused silica surfaces after HF etching with high-frequency ultrasonic agitation were also investigated in this study. The global laser induce damage resistance was increased significantly after the laser damage precursors were mitigated in this case. The redeposition of reaction produce was avoided by involving multi-frequency ultrasonic and chemical leaching process. These methods made the increase of laser damage threshold more stable. In addition, there is no scratch related damage initiations found on the samples which were treated by Advanced Mitigation Process.

Advanced Mitigation Process (AMP) for Improving Laser Damage Threshold of Fused Silica Optics

PubMed Central

Ye, Xin; Huang, Jin; Liu, Hongjie; Geng, Feng; Sun, Laixi; Jiang, Xiaodong; Wu, Weidong; Qiao, Liang; Zu, Xiaotao; Zheng, Wanguo

2016-01-01

The laser damage precursors in subsurface of fused silica (e.g. photosensitive impurities, scratches and redeposited silica compounds) were mitigated by mineral acid leaching and HF etching with multi-frequency ultrasonic agitation, respectively. The comparison of scratches morphology after static etching and high-frequency ultrasonic agitation etching was devoted in our case. And comparison of laser induce damage resistance of scratched and non-scratched fused silica surfaces after HF etching with high-frequency ultrasonic agitation were also investigated in this study. The global laser induce damage resistance was increased significantly after the laser damage precursors were mitigated in this case. The redeposition of reaction produce was avoided by involving multi-frequency ultrasonic and chemical leaching process. These methods made the increase of laser damage threshold more stable. In addition, there is no scratch related damage initiations found on the samples which were treated by Advanced Mitigation Process. PMID:27484188

Natural frequency changes due to damage in composite beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Negru, I.; Gillich, G. R.; Praisach, Z. I.; Tufoi, M.; Gillich, N.

2015-07-01

Transversal cracks in structures affect their stiffness as well as the natural frequency values. This paper presents a research performed to find the way how frequencies of sandwich beams change by the occurrence of damage. The influence of the locally stored energy, for ten transverse vibration modes, on the frequency shifts is derived from a study regarding the effect of stiffness decrease, realized by means of the finite element analysis. The relation between the local value of the bending moment and the frequency drop is exemplified by a concrete case. It is demonstrated that a reference curve representing the damage severity exists whence any frequency shift is derivable in respect to damage depth and location. This curve is obtained, for isotropic and multi-layer beams as well, from the stored energy (i.e. stiffness decrease), and is similar to that attained using the stress intensity factor in fracture mechanics. Also, it is proved that, for a given crack, irrespective to its depth, the frequency drop ratio of any two transverse modes is similar. This permitted separating the effect of damage location from that of its severity and to define a Damage Location Indicator as a sequence of squared of the normalized mode shape curvatures.

The effect of particle size on the genotoxicity of gold nanoparticles.

PubMed

Xia, Qiyue; Li, Hongxia; Liu, Ying; Zhang, Shuyang; Feng, Qiyi; Xiao, Kai

2017-03-01

Despite the increasing biomedical applications of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), their toxicological effects need to be thoroughly understood. In the present study, the genotoxic potential of commercially available AuNPs with varying size (5, 20, and 50 nm) were assessed using a battery of in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity assays. In the comet assay, 20 and 50 nm AuNPs did not induce obvious DNA damage in HepG2 cells at the tested concentrations, whereas 5 nm NPs induced a dose-dependent increment in DNA damage after 24-h exposure. Furthermore, 5 nm AuNPs induced cell cycle arrest in G1 phase in response to DNA damage, and promoted the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the chromosomal aberration test, AuNPs exposure did not increase in the frequency of chromosomal aberrations in Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells. In the standard in vivo micronucleus test, no obvious increase in the frequency of micronucleus formation was found in mice after 4 day exposure of AuNPs. However, when the exposure period was extended to 14 days, 5 nm AuNPs presented significant clastogenic damage, with a dose-dependent increase of micronuclei frequencies. This finding suggests that particle size plays an important role in determining the genotoxicity of AuNPs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 710-719, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Climate change and spring frost damages for sweet cherries in Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chmielewski, Frank-M.; Götz, Klaus-P.; Weber, Katharina C.; Moryson, Susanne

2018-02-01

Spring frost can be a limiting factor in sweet cherry ( Prunus avium L.) production. Rising temperatures in spring force the development of buds, whereby their vulnerability to freezing temperatures continuously increases. With the beginning of blossom, flowers can resist only light frosts without any significant damage. In this study, we investigated the risk of spring frost damages during cherry blossom for historical and future climate conditions at two different sites in NE (Berlin) and SW Germany (Geisenheim). Two phenological models, developed on the basis of phenological observations at the experimental sweet cherry orchard in Berlin-Dahlem and validated for endodormancy release and for warmer climate conditions (already published), were used to calculate the beginning of cherry blossom in Geisenheim, 1951-2015 (external model validation). Afterwards, on the basis of a statistical regionalisation model WETTREG (RCP 8.5), the frequency of frost during cherry blossom was calculated at both sites for historical (1971-2000) and future climate conditions (2011-2100). From these data, we derived the final flower damage, defined as the percentage of frozen flowers due to single or multiple frost events during blossom. The results showed that rising temperatures in this century can premature the beginning of cherry blossom up to 17 days at both sites, independent of the used phenological model. The frequency and strength of frost was characterised by a high temporal and local variability. For both sites, no significant increase in frost frequency and frost damage during blossom was found. In Geisenheim, frost damages significantly decreased from the middle of the twenty-first century. This study additionally emphasises the importance of reliable phenological models which not only work for current but also for changed climate conditions and at different sites. The date of endodormancy release should always be a known parameter in chilling/forcing models.

Climate change and spring frost damages for sweet cherries in Germany.

PubMed

Chmielewski, Frank-M; Götz, Klaus-P; Weber, Katharina C; Moryson, Susanne

2018-02-01

Spring frost can be a limiting factor in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) production. Rising temperatures in spring force the development of buds, whereby their vulnerability to freezing temperatures continuously increases. With the beginning of blossom, flowers can resist only light frosts without any significant damage. In this study, we investigated the risk of spring frost damages during cherry blossom for historical and future climate conditions at two different sites in NE (Berlin) and SW Germany (Geisenheim). Two phenological models, developed on the basis of phenological observations at the experimental sweet cherry orchard in Berlin-Dahlem and validated for endodormancy release and for warmer climate conditions (already published), were used to calculate the beginning of cherry blossom in Geisenheim, 1951-2015 (external model validation). Afterwards, on the basis of a statistical regionalisation model WETTREG (RCP 8.5), the frequency of frost during cherry blossom was calculated at both sites for historical (1971-2000) and future climate conditions (2011-2100). From these data, we derived the final flower damage, defined as the percentage of frozen flowers due to single or multiple frost events during blossom. The results showed that rising temperatures in this century can premature the beginning of cherry blossom up to 17 days at both sites, independent of the used phenological model. The frequency and strength of frost was characterised by a high temporal and local variability. For both sites, no significant increase in frost frequency and frost damage during blossom was found. In Geisenheim, frost damages significantly decreased from the middle of the twenty-first century. This study additionally emphasises the importance of reliable phenological models which not only work for current but also for changed climate conditions and at different sites. The date of endodormancy release should always be a known parameter in chilling/forcing models.

G2 Chromatid Damage and Repair Kinetics in Normal Human Fibroblast Cells Exposed to Low-or High-LET Radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kawata, T.; Ito, H.; Uno, T.; Saito, M.; Yamamoto, S.; Furusawa, Y.; Durante, M.; George, K.; Wu, H.; Cucinotta, F. A.

2004-01-01

Radiation-induced chromosome damage can be measured in interphase using the Premature Chromosome Condensation (PCC) technique. With the introduction of a new PCC technique using the potent phosphatase inhibitor calyculin-A, chromosomes can be condensed within five minutes, and it is now possible to examine the early damage induced by radiation. Using this method, it has been shown that high-LET radiation induces a higher frequency of chromatid breaks and a much higher frequency of isochromatid breaks than low-LET radiation. The kinetics of chromatid break rejoining consists of two exponential components representing a rapid and a slow time constant, which appears to be similar for low- and high- LET radiations. However, after high-LET radiation exposures, the rejoining process for isochromatid breaks influences the repair kinetics of chromatid-type breaks, and this plays an important role in the assessment of chromatid break rejoining in the G2 phase of the cell cycle.

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

Vinnikov, B.; NRC Kurchatov Inst.

According to Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the USA and Russia in the field of nuclear engineering the Idaho National Laboratory has transferred to the possession of the National Research Center ' Kurchatov Inst. ' the SAPHIRE software without any fee. With the help of the software Kurchatov Inst. developed a Pilot Living PSA- Model of Leningrad NPP Unit 1. Computations of core damage frequencies were carried out for additional Initiating Events. In the submitted paper such additional Initiating Events are fires in various compartments of the NPP. During the computations of each fire, structure of the PSA - Modelmore » was not changed, but Fault Trees for the appropriate systems, which are removed from service during the fire, were changed. It follows from the computations, that for ten fires Core Damaged Frequencies (CDF) are not changed. Other six fires will cause additional core damage. On the basis of the calculated results it is possible to determine a degree of importance of these fires and to establish sequence of performance of fire-prevention measures in various places of the NPP. (authors)« less

Increased consumer density reduces the strength of neighborhood effects in a model system.

PubMed

Merwin, Andrew C; Underwood, Nora; Inouye, Brian D

2017-11-01

An individual's susceptibility to attack can be influenced by conspecific and heterospecifics neighbors. Predicting how these neighborhood effects contribute to population-level processes such as competition and evolution requires an understanding of how the strength of neighborhood effects is modified by changes in the abundances of both consumers and neighboring resource species. We show for the first time that consumer density can interact with the density and frequency of neighboring organisms to determine the magnitude of neighborhood effects. We used the bean beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus, and two of its host beans, Vigna unguiculata and V. radiata, to perform a response-surface experiment with a range of resource densities and three consumer densities. At low beetle density, damage to beans was reduced with increasing conspecific density (i.e., resource dilution) and damage to the less preferred host, V. unguiculata, was reduced with increasing V. radiata frequency (i.e., frequency-dependent associational resistance). As beetle density increased, however, neighborhood effects were reduced; at the highest beetle densities neither focal nor neighboring resource density nor frequency influenced damage. These findings illustrate the importance of consumer density in mediating indirect effects among resources, and suggest that accounting for consumer density may improve our ability to predict population-level outcomes of neighborhood effects and our use of them in applications such as mixed-crop pest management. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Fatigue damage monitoring for basalt fiber reinforced polymer composites using acoustic emission technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wentao; Li, Hui; Qu, Zhi

2012-04-01

Basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) is a structural material with superior mechanical properties. In this study, unidirectional BFRP laminates with 14 layers are made with the hand lay-up method. Then, the acoustic emission technique (AE) combined with the scanning electronic microscope (SEM) technique is employed to monitor the fatigue damage evolution of the BFRP plates in the fatigue loading tests. Time-frequency analysis using the wavelet transform technique is proposed to analyze the received AE signal instead of the peak frequency method. A comparison between AE signals and SEM images indicates that the multi-frequency peaks picked from the time-frequency curves of AE signals reflect the accumulated fatigue damage evolution and fatigue damage patterns. Furthermore, seven damage patterns, that is, matrix cracking, delamination, fiber fracture and their combinations, are identified from the time-frequency curves of the AE signals.

Daily tornado frequency distributions in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsner, J. B.; Jagger, T. H.; Widen, H. M.; Chavas, D. R.

2014-01-01

The authors examine daily tornado counts in the United States over the period 1994-2012 and find strong evidence for a power-law relationship in the distribution frequency. The scaling exponent is estimated at 1.64 (0.019 s.e.) giving a per tornado-day probability of 0.014% (return period of 71 years) that a tornado day produces 145 tornadoes as was observed on 27 April 2011. They also find that the total number of tornadoes by damage category on days with at least one violent tornado follows an exponential rule. On average, the daily number of tornadoes in the next lowest damage category is approximately twice the number in the current category. These findings are important and timely for tornado hazard models and for seasonal and sub-seasonal forecasts of tornado activity.

Structural damage identification using damping: a compendium of uses and features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, M. S.; Sha, G. G.; Gao, Y. F.; Ostachowicz, W.

2017-04-01

The vibration responses of structures under controlled or ambient excitation can be used to detect structural damage by correlating changes in structural dynamic properties extracted from responses with damage. Typical dynamic properties refer to modal parameters: natural frequencies, mode shapes, and damping. Among these parameters, natural frequencies and mode shapes have been investigated extensively for their use in damage characterization by associating damage with reduction in local stiffness of structures. In contrast, the use of damping as a dynamic property to represent structural damage has not been comprehensively elucidated, primarily due to the complexities of damping measurement and analysis. With advances in measurement technologies and analysis tools, the use of damping to identify damage is becoming a focus of increasing attention in the damage detection community. Recently, a number of studies have demonstrated that damping has greater sensitivity for characterizing damage than natural frequencies and mode shapes in various applications, but damping-based damage identification is still a research direction ‘in progress’ and is not yet well resolved. This situation calls for an overall survey of the state-of-the-art and the state-of-the-practice of using damping to detect structural damage. To this end, this study aims to provide a comprehensive survey of uses and features of applying damping in structural damage detection. First, we present various methods for damping estimation in different domains including the time domain, the frequency domain, and the time-frequency domain. Second, we investigate the features and applications of damping-based damage detection methods on the basis of two predominant infrastructure elements, reinforced concrete structures and fiber-reinforced composites. Third, we clarify the influential factors that can impair the capability of damping to characterize damage. Finally, we recommend future research directions for advancing damping-based damage detection. This work holds the promise of (a) helping researchers identify crucial components in damping-based damage detection theories, methods, and technologies, and (b) leading practitioners to better implement damping-based structural damage identification.

Chromosome territories reposition during DNA damage-repair response

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Local higher-order chromatin structure, dynamics and composition of the DNA are known to determine double-strand break frequencies and the efficiency of repair. However, how DNA damage response affects the spatial organization of chromosome territories is still unexplored. Results Our report investigates the effect of DNA damage on the spatial organization of chromosome territories within interphase nuclei of human cells. We show that DNA damage induces a large-scale spatial repositioning of chromosome territories that are relatively gene dense. This response is dose dependent, and involves territories moving from the nuclear interior to the periphery and vice versa. Furthermore, we have found that chromosome territory repositioning is contingent upon double-strand break recognition and damage sensing. Importantly, our results suggest that this is a reversible process where, following repair, chromosome territories re-occupy positions similar to those in undamaged control cells. Conclusions Thus, our report for the first time highlights DNA damage-dependent spatial reorganization of whole chromosomes, which might be an integral aspect of cellular damage response. PMID:24330859

Nonlinear damage identification of breathing cracks in Truss system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jie; DeSmidt, Hans

2014-03-01

The breathing cracks in truss system are detected by Frequency Response Function (FRF) based damage identification method. This method utilizes damage-induced changes of frequency response functions to estimate the severity and location of structural damage. This approach enables the possibility of arbitrary interrogation frequency and multiple inputs/outputs which greatly enrich the dataset for damage identification. The dynamical model of truss system is built using the finite element method and the crack model is based on fracture mechanics. Since the crack is driven by tensional and compressive forces of truss member, only one damage parameter is needed to represent the stiffness reduction of each truss member. Assuming that the crack constantly breathes with the exciting frequency, the linear damage detection algorithm is developed in frequency/time domain using Least Square and Newton Raphson methods. Then, the dynamic response of the truss system with breathing cracks is simulated in the time domain and meanwhile the crack breathing status for each member is determined by the feedback from real-time displacements of member's nodes. Harmonic Fourier Coefficients (HFCs) of dynamical response are computed by processing the data through convolution and moving average filters. Finally, the results show the effectiveness of linear damage detection algorithm in identifying the nonlinear breathing cracks using different combinations of HFCs and sensors.

Detecting damage in full-scale honeycomb sandwich composite curved fuselage panels through frequency response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leone, Frank A., Jr.; Ozevin, Didem; Mosinyi, Bao; Bakuckas, John G., Jr.; Awerbuch, Jonathan; Lau, Alan; Tan, Tein-Min

2008-03-01

Preliminary tests were conducted using frequency response (FR) characteristics to determine damage initiation and growth in a honeycomb sandwich graphite/epoxy curved panel. This investigation was part of a more general study investigating the damage tolerance characteristics of several such panels subjected to quasi-static internal pressurization combined with hoop and axial loading. The panels were tested at the Full-Scale Aircraft Structural Test Evaluation and Research (FASTER) facility located at the Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ. The overall program objective was to investigate the damage tolerance characteristics of full-scale composite curved aircraft fuselage panels and the evolution of damage under quasi-static loading up to failure. This paper focuses on one aspect of this comprehensive investigation: the effect of state-of-damage on the characteristics of the frequency response of the subject material. The results presented herein show that recording the frequency response could be used for real-time monitoring of damage growth and in determining damage severity in full-scale composites fuselage aircraft structures.

Frequency-dependent failure mechanisms of nanocrystalline gold interconnect lines under general alternating current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, X. M.; Zhang, B.; Zhang, G. P.

2014-09-01

Thermal fatigue failure of metallization interconnect lines subjected to alternating currents (AC) is becoming a severe threat to the long-term reliability of micro/nanodevices with increasing electrical current density/power. Here, thermal fatigue failure behaviors and damage mechanisms of nanocrystalline Au interconnect lines on the silicon glass substrate have been investigated by applying general alternating currents (the pure alternating current coupled with a direct current (DC) component) with different frequencies ranging from 0.05 Hz to 5 kHz. We observed both thermal fatigue damages caused by Joule heating-induced cyclic strain/stress and electromigration (EM) damages caused by the DC component. Besides, the damage formation showed a strong electrically-thermally-mechanically coupled effect and frequency dependence. At lower frequencies, thermal fatigue damages were dominant and the main damage forms were grain coarsening with grain boundary (GB) cracking/voiding and grain thinning. At higher frequencies, EM damages took over and the main damage forms were GB cracking/voiding of smaller grains and hillocks. Furthermore, the healing effect of the reversing current was considered to elucidate damage mechanisms of the nanocrystalline Au lines generated by the general AC. Lastly, a modified model was proposed to predict the lifetime of the nanocrystalline metal interconnect lines, i.e., that was a competing drift velocity-based approach based on the threshold time required for reverse diffusion/healing to occur.

The influence of operational and environmental loads on the process of assessing damages in beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furdui, H.; Muntean, F.; Minda, A. A.; Praisach, Z. I.; Gillich, N.

2015-07-01

Damage detection methods based on vibration analysis make use of the modal parameter changes. Natural frequencies are the features that can be acquired most simply and inexpensively. But this parameter is influenced by environmental conditions, e.g. temperature and operational loads as additional masses or axial loads induced by restraint displacements. The effect of these factors is not completely known, but in the numerous actual research it is considered that they affect negatively the damage assessment process. This is justified by the small frequency changes occurring due to damage, which can be masked by the frequency shifts due to external loads. The paper intends to clarify the effect of external loads on the natural frequencies of beams and truss elements, and to show in which manner the damage detection process is affected by these loads. The finite element analysis, performed on diverse structures for a large range of temperature values, has shown that the temperature itself has a very limited effect on the frequency changes. Thus, axial forces resulted due to obstructed displacements can influence more substantially the frequency changes. These facts are demonstrated by experimental and theoretical studies. Finally, we succeed to adapt a prior contrived relation providing the frequency changes due to damage in order to fit the case of known external loads. Whereas a new baseline for damage detection was found, considering the effect of temperature and external loads, this process can be performed without other complication.

Future property damage from flooding: sensitivities to economy and climate change

DOE PAGES

Liu, Jing; Hertel, Thomas; Diffenbaugh, Noah; ...

2015-08-09

Using a unique dataset for Indiana counties during the period 1995-2012, we estimate the effects of flood hazard, asset exposure, and social vulnerability on property damage. This relationship then is combined with the expected level of future flood risks to project property damage from flooding in 2030 under various scenarios. We compare these scenario projections to identify which risk management strategy offers the greatest potential to mitigate flooding loss. Results show that by 2030, county level flooding hazard measured by extreme flow volume and frequency will increase by an average of 16.2% and 7.4%, respectively. The total increase in propertymore » damages projected under different model specifications range from 13.3% to 20.8%. Across models future damages consistently exhibit the highest sensitivity to future increases in asset exposure, reinforcing the importance of non-structural measures in managing floodplain development.« less

Protective Effect of Onion Extract on Bleomycin-Induced Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity in Human Lymphocytes

PubMed Central

Cho, Yoon Hee; Lee, Joong Won; Woo, Hae Dong; Lee, Sunyeong; Kim, Yang Jee; Lee, Younghyun; Shin, Sangah; Joung, Hyojee; Chung, Hai Won

2016-01-01

Following one of the world’s largest nuclear accidents, occured at Fukushima, Japan in 2011, a significant scientific effort has focused on minimizing the potential adverse health effects due to radiation exposure. The use of natural dietary antioxidants to reduce the risk of radiation-induced oxidative DNA damage is a simple strategy for minimizing radiation-related cancer rates and improving overall health. The onion is among the richest sources of dietary flavonoids and is an important food for increasing their overall intake. Therefore, we examined the effect of an onion extract on cyto- and geno-toxicity in human lymphocytes treated with bleomycin (BLM), a radiomimetic agent. In addition, we measured the frequency of micronuclei (MN) and DNA damage following treatment with BLM using a cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus assay and a single cell gel electrophoresis assay. We observed a significant increase in cell viability in lymphocytes treated with onion extract then exposed to BLM compared to cells treated with BLM alone. The frequency of BLM induced MN and DNA damage increased in a dose-dependent manner; however, when lymphocytes were pretreated with onion extract (10 and 20 μL/mL), the frequency of BLM-induced MN was decreased at all doses of BLM and DNA damage was decreased at 3 μg/mL of BLM. These results suggest that onion extract may have protective effects against BLM-induced cyto- and genotoxicity in human lymphocytes. PMID:26907305

Protective Effect of Onion Extract on Bleomycin-Induced Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity in Human Lymphocytes.

PubMed

Cho, Yoon Hee; Lee, Joong Won; Woo, Hae Dong; Lee, Sunyeong; Kim, Yang Jee; Lee, Younghyun; Shin, Sangah; Joung, Hyojee; Chung, Hai Won

2016-02-19

Following one of the world's largest nuclear accidents, occured at Fukushima, Japan in 2011, a significant scientific effort has focused on minimizing the potential adverse health effects due to radiation exposure. The use of natural dietary antioxidants to reduce the risk of radiation-induced oxidative DNA damage is a simple strategy for minimizing radiation-related cancer rates and improving overall health. The onion is among the richest sources of dietary flavonoids and is an important food for increasing their overall intake. Therefore, we examined the effect of an onion extract on cyto- and geno-toxicity in human lymphocytes treated with bleomycin (BLM), a radiomimetic agent. In addition, we measured the frequency of micronuclei (MN) and DNA damage following treatment with BLM using a cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus assay and a single cell gel electrophoresis assay. We observed a significant increase in cell viability in lymphocytes treated with onion extract then exposed to BLM compared to cells treated with BLM alone. The frequency of BLM induced MN and DNA damage increased in a dose-dependent manner; however, when lymphocytes were pretreated with onion extract (10 and 20 μL/mL), the frequency of BLM-induced MN was decreased at all doses of BLM and DNA damage was decreased at 3 μg/mL of BLM. These results suggest that onion extract may have protective effects against BLM-induced cyto- and genotoxicity in human lymphocytes.

Intelligent-based Structural Damage Detection Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Eric Wai Ming; Yu, Kin Fung

2010-05-01

This paper presents the application of a novel Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model for the diagnosis of structural damage. The ANN model, denoted as the GRNNFA, is a hybrid model combining the General Regression Neural Network Model (GRNN) and the Fuzzy ART (FA) model. It not only retains the important features of the GRNN and FA models (i.e. fast and stable network training and incremental growth of network structure) but also facilitates the removal of the noise embedded in the training samples. Structural damage alters the stiffness distribution of the structure and so as to change the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the system. The measured modal parameter changes due to a particular damage are treated as patterns for that damage. The proposed GRNNFA model was trained to learn those patterns in order to detect the possible damage location of the structure. Simulated data is employed to verify and illustrate the procedures of the proposed ANN-based damage diagnosis methodology. The results of this study have demonstrated the feasibility of applying the GRNNFA model to structural damage diagnosis even when the training samples were noise contaminated.

Study of cumulative fatigue damage detection for used parts with nonlinear output frequency response functions based on NARMAX modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Honglan; Mao, Hanying; Mao, Hanling; Zheng, Weixue; Huang, Zhenfeng; Li, Xinxin; Wang, Xianghong

2017-12-01

Cumulative fatigue damage detection for used parts plays a key role in the process of remanufacturing engineering and is related to the service safety of the remanufactured parts. In light of the nonlinear properties of used parts caused by cumulative fatigue damage, the based nonlinear output frequency response functions detection approach offers a breakthrough to solve this key problem. First, a modified PSO-adaptive lasso algorithm is introduced to improve the accuracy of the NARMAX model under impulse hammer excitation, and then, an effective new algorithm is derived to estimate the nonlinear output frequency response functions under rectangular pulse excitation, and a based nonlinear output frequency response functions index is introduced to detect the cumulative fatigue damage in used parts. Then, a novel damage detection approach that integrates the NARMAX model and the rectangular pulse is proposed for nonlinear output frequency response functions identification and cumulative fatigue damage detection of used parts. Finally, experimental studies of fatigued plate specimens and used connecting rod parts are conducted to verify the validity of the novel approach. The obtained results reveal that the new approach can detect cumulative fatigue damages of used parts effectively and efficiently and that the various values of the based nonlinear output frequency response functions index can be used to detect the different fatigue damages or working time. Since the proposed new approach can extract nonlinear properties of systems by only a single excitation of the inspected system, it shows great promise for use in remanufacturing engineering applications.

Human activity and damaging landslides and floods on Madeira Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baioni, D.

2011-11-01

Over the last few decades, the island of Madeira has become an important offshore tourism and business center, with rapid economic and demographic development that has caused changes to the landscape due to human activity. In Madeira's recent history, there has been an increase over time in the frequency of occurrence of damaging landslide and flood events. As a result, the costs of restoration work due to damage caused by landslide and flood events have become a larger and larger component of Madeira's annual budget. Landslides and floods in Madeira deserve particular attention because they represent the most serious hazard to human life, to property, and to the natural environment and its important heritage value. The work reported on in this paper involved the analysis of historical data regarding damaging landslide and flood events on Madeira (in particular from 1941 to 1991) together with data on geological characteristics, topographic features, and climate, and from field observations. This analysis showed that the main factor triggering the occurrence of damaging landslide and flood events is rainfall, but that the increase in the number of damaging events recorded on Madeira Island, especially in recent times, seems to be related mostly to human activity, specifically to economic development and population growth, rather than to natural factors.

Vibro-Acoustic Modulation Based Damage Identification in a Composite Skin-Stiffener Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ooijevaar, T. H.; Loendersloot, R.; Rogge, M. D.; Akkerman, R.; Tinga, T.

2014-01-01

The vibro-acoustic modulation method is applied to a composite skin-stiffener structure to investigate the possibilities to utilize this method for damage identification in terms of detection, localisation and damage quantification. The research comprises a theoretical part and an experimental part. An impact load is applied to the skin-stiffener structure, resulting in a delamination underneath the stiffener. The structure is interrogated with a low frequency pump excitation and a high frequency carrier excitation. The analysis of the response in a frequency band around the carrier frequency is employed to assess the damage identification capabilities and to gain a better understanding of the modulations occurring and the underlying physical phenomena. Though vibro-acoustic is shown to be a sensitive method for damage identification, the complexity of the damage, combined with a high modal density, complicate the understanding of the relation between the physical phenomena and the modulations occurring. more research is recommended to reveal the physics behind the observations.

Frequency and Type of Situational Awareness Errors Contributing to Death and Brain Damage: A Closed Claims Analysis.

PubMed

Schulz, Christian M; Burden, Amanda; Posner, Karen L; Mincer, Shawn L; Steadman, Randolph; Wagner, Klaus J; Domino, Karen B

2017-08-01

Situational awareness errors may play an important role in the genesis of patient harm. The authors examined closed anesthesia malpractice claims for death or brain damage to determine the frequency and type of situational awareness errors. Surgical and procedural anesthesia death and brain damage claims in the Anesthesia Closed Claims Project database were analyzed. Situational awareness error was defined as failure to perceive relevant clinical information, failure to comprehend the meaning of available information, or failure to project, anticipate, or plan. Patient and case characteristics, primary damaging events, and anesthesia payments in claims with situational awareness errors were compared to other death and brain damage claims from 2002 to 2013. Anesthesiologist situational awareness errors contributed to death or brain damage in 198 of 266 claims (74%). Respiratory system damaging events were more common in claims with situational awareness errors (56%) than other claims (21%, P < 0.001). The most common specific respiratory events in error claims were inadequate oxygenation or ventilation (24%), difficult intubation (11%), and aspiration (10%). Payments were made in 85% of situational awareness error claims compared to 46% in other claims (P = 0.001), with no significant difference in payment size. Among 198 claims with anesthesia situational awareness error, perception errors were most common (42%), whereas comprehension errors (29%) and projection errors (29%) were relatively less common. Situational awareness error definitions were operationalized for reliable application to real-world anesthesia cases. Situational awareness errors may have contributed to catastrophic outcomes in three quarters of recent anesthesia malpractice claims.Situational awareness errors resulting in death or brain damage remain prevalent causes of malpractice claims in the 21st century.

Multi-frequency local wavenumber analysis and ply correlation of delamination damage.

PubMed

Juarez, Peter D; Leckey, Cara A C

2015-09-01

Wavenumber domain analysis through use of scanning laser Doppler vibrometry has been shown to be effective for non-contact inspection of damage in composites. Qualitative and semi-quantitative local wavenumber analysis of realistic delamination damage and quantitative analysis of idealized damage scenarios (Teflon inserts) have been performed previously in the literature. This paper presents a new methodology based on multi-frequency local wavenumber analysis for quantitative assessment of multi-ply delamination damage in carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite specimens. The methodology is presented and applied to a real world damage scenario (impact damage in an aerospace CFRP composite). The methodology yields delamination size and also correlates local wavenumber results from multiple excitation frequencies to theoretical dispersion curves in order to robustly determine the delamination ply depth. Results from the wavenumber based technique are validated against a traditional nondestructive evaluation method. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Evaluation of external hazards to nuclear power plants in the United States

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

Kimura, C.Y.; Budnitz, R.J.

1987-12-01

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has performed a study of the risk of core damage to nuclear power plants in the United States due to externally initiated events. The broad objective has been to gain an understanding of whether or not each external initiator is among the major potential accident initiators that may pose a threat of severe reactor core damage or of large radioactive release to the environment from the reactor. Four external hazards were investigated in this report. These external hazards are internal fires, high winds/tornadoes, external floods, and transportation accidents. Analysis was based on two figures-of-merit,more » one based on core damage frequency and the other based on the frequency of large radioactive releases. Using these two figures-of-merit as evaluation criteria, it has been feasible to ascertain whether the risk from externally initiated accidents is, or is not, an important contributor to overall risk for the US nuclear power plants studied. This has been accomplished for each initiator separately. 208 refs., 17 figs., 45 tabs.« less

Impact of low-frequency sound on historic structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutherland, Louis C.; Horonjeff, Richard D.

2005-09-01

In common usage, the term soundscape usually refers to portions of the sound spectrum audible to human observers, and perhaps more broadly other members of the animal kingdom. There is, however, a soundscape regime at the low end of the frequency spectrum (e.g., 10-25 Hz), which is inaudible to humans, where nonindigenous sound energy may cause noise-induced vibrations in structures. Such low frequency components may be of sufficient magnitude to pose damage risk potential to historic structures and cultural resources. Examples include Anasazi cliff and cave dwellings, and pueblo structures of vega type roof construction. Both are susceptible to noise induced vibration from low-frequency sound pressures that excite resonant frequencies in these structures. The initial damage mechanism is usually fatigue cracking. Many mechanisms are subtle, temporally multiphased, and not initially evident to the naked eye. This paper reviews the types of sources posing the greatest potential threat, their low-frequency spectral characteristics, typical structural responses, and the damage risk mechanisms involved. Measured sound and vibration levels, case history studies, and conditions favorable to damage risk are presented. The paper concludes with recommendations for increasing the damage risk knowledge base to better protect these resources.

The Researches on Damage Detection Method for Truss Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Meng Hong; Cao, Xiao Nan

2018-06-01

This paper presents an effective method to detect damage in truss structures. Numerical simulation and experimental analysis were carried out on a damaged truss structure under instantaneous excitation. The ideal excitation point and appropriate hammering method were determined to extract time domain signals under two working conditions. The frequency response function and principal component analysis were used for data processing, and the angle between the frequency response function vectors was selected as a damage index to ascertain the location of a damaged bar in the truss structure. In the numerical simulation, the time domain signal of all nodes was extracted to determine the location of the damaged bar. In the experimental analysis, the time domain signal of a portion of the nodes was extracted on the basis of an optimal sensor placement method based on the node strain energy coefficient. The results of the numerical simulation and experimental analysis showed that the damage detection method based on the frequency response function and principal component analysis could locate the damaged bar accurately.

Damage detection in sandwich composite materials using laser vibrometry in conjunction with nonlinear system identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Underwood, Sara; Koester, David; Adams, Douglas E.

2009-03-01

Fiberglass sandwich panels are tested to study a vibration-based method for locating damage in composite materials. This method does not rely on a direct comparison of the natural frequencies, mode shapes, or residues in the forced vibration response data. Specifically, a nonlinear system identification based method for damage detection is sought that reduces the sensitivity of damage detection results to changes in vibration measurements due to variations in boundary conditions, environmental conditions, and material properties of the panel. Damage mechanisms considered include a disbond between the core and face sheet and a crack within the core. A panel is excited by a skewed piezoelectric actuator over a broad frequency range while a three-dimensional scanning laser vibrometer measures the surface velocity of the panel along three orthogonal axes. The forced frequency response data measured using the scanning laser vibrometer at multiple excitation amplitudes is processed to identify areas of the panel that exhibit significant nonlinear response characteristics. It is demonstrated that these localized nonlinearities in the panel coincide with the damaged areas of the composite material. Because changes in the measured frequency response functions due to nonlinear distortions associated with the damage can be identified without comparing the vibration data to a reference (baseline) signature of the undamaged material, this vibration technique for damage detection in composite materials exhibits less sensitivity to variations in the underlying linear characteristics than traditional methods. It is also demonstrated that the damage at a given location can be classified as either due to a disbond or core crack because these two types of damage produce difference signatures when comparing the multi-amplitude frequency response functions.

Modulation of hexavalent chromium-induced genotoxic damage in peripheral blood of mice by epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and its relationship to the apoptotic activity.

PubMed

García-Rodríguez, María Del Carmen; Montaño-Rodríguez, Ana Rosa; Altamirano-Lozano, Mario Agustín

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between modulation of genotoxic damage and apoptotic activity in Hsd:ICR male mice treated with (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)]. Four groups of 5 mice each were treated with (i) control vehicle only, (ii) EGCG (10 mg/kg) by gavage, (iii) Cr(VI) (20 mg/kg of CrO3) intraperitoneally (ip), and (iv) EGCG in addition to CrO3 (EGCG-CrO3). Genotoxic damage was evaluated by examining presence of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MN-PCE) obtained from peripheral blood of the caudal vein at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h after treatment. Induction of apoptosis and cell viability were assessed by differential acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining. EGCG treatment produced no significant changes in frequency of MN-PCE. However, CrO3 treatment significantly increased number of MN-PCE at 24 and 48 h post injection. Treatment with EGCG prior to CrO3 injection decreased number of MN-PCE compared to CrO3 alone. The MN-PCE reduction was greater than when EGCG was administered ip. The frequency of early apoptotic cells was elevated at 48 h following EGCG, CrO3, or EGCG-CrO3 exposure, with highest levels observed in the combined treatment group, while the frequencies of late apoptotic cells and necrotic cells were increased only in EGCG-CrO3 exposure. Our findings support the view that EGCG is protective against genotoxic damage induced by Cr(VI) and that apoptosis may contribute to elimination of DNA-damaged cells (MN-PCE) when EGCG was administered prior to CrO3. Further, it was found that the route of administration of EGCG plays an important role in protection against CrO3-induced genotoxic damage.

Effect of low velocity impact damage on the natural frequency of composite plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chok, E. Y. L.; Majid, D. L. A. A.; Harmin, M. Y.

2017-12-01

Biodegradable natural fibers have been suggested to replace the hazardous synthetic fibers in many aerospace applications. However, this notion has been limited due to their low mechanical properties, which leads to the idea of hybridizing the two materials. Many aircraft components such as radome, aft body and wing are highly susceptible to low velocity impact damage while in-service. The damages degrade the structural integrity of the components and change their dynamic characteristics. In worst case scenario, the changes can lead to resonance, which is an excessive vibration. This research is conducted to study the dynamic characteristic changes of low velocity impact damaged hybrid composites that is designed for aircraft radome applications. Three materials, which are glass fiber, kenaf fiber and kenaf/glass fiber hybrid composites, have been impacted with 3J, 6J and 9J of energy. Cantilevered and also vertically clamped boundary conditions are used and the natural frequencies are extracted for each of the specimens. The obtained results show that natural frequency decreases with increasing impact level. Cantilevered condition is found to induce lower modes due to the gravitational pull. To eliminate mass and geometrical effects, normalized modes are computed. Among the three materials considered, glass fiber composites have displayed the highest normalized frequency that reflects on its higher stiffness compared to the other two materials. As the damage level is increased, glass fiber composites have shown the highest frequency reduction to a maximum of 35% while kenaf composites have the least frequency reduction in the range of 1 - 18%. Thus, kenaf fiber is taken to be helpful in stalling the damage progression and reducing the effect of damage. This has been proven when the percentage frequency decrement shown by kenaf/glass fiber composite lies between glass fiber and kenaf fiber composites.

Monitoring and Failure Analysis of Corroded Bridge Cables under Fatigue Loading Using Acoustic Emission Sensors

PubMed Central

Li, Dongsheng; Ou, Jinping; Lan, Chengming; Li, Hui

2012-01-01

Cables play an important role in cable-stayed systems, but are vulnerable to corrosion and fatigue damage. There is a dearth of studies on the fatigue damage evolution of corroded cable. In the present study, the acoustic emission (AE) technology is adopted to monitor the fatigue damage evolution process. First, the relationship between stress and strain is determined through a tensile test for corroded and non-corroded steel wires. Results show that the mechanical performance of corroded cables is changed considerably. The AE characteristic parameters for fatigue damage are then established. AE energy cumulative parameters can accurately describe the fatigue damage evolution of corroded cables. The failure modes in each phase as well as the type of acoustic emission source are determined based on the results of scanning electron microscopy. The waveform characteristics, damage types, and frequency distribution of the corroded cable at different damage phases are collected. Finally, the number of broken wires and breakage time of the cables are determined according to the variation in the margin index. PMID:22666009

Local cochlear damage reduces local nonlinearity and decreases generator-type cochlear emissions while increasing reflector-type emissions.

PubMed

Dong, Wei; Olson, Elizabeth S

2010-03-01

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) originate in cochlear nonlinearity and emerge into the ear canal as an apparent sum of emission types, one of which (generator) travels directly out and the other (reflector) travels out following linear reflection. The present study explores intracochlear sources of DPOAEs via simultaneous ear canal and intracochlear pressure measurements in gerbils. A locally damaged cochlea was produced with reduced local intracochlear nonlinearity and significant elevation of the compound action potential thresholds at frequencies represented within the damaged region. In the DPOAE the comparison of healthy to locally damaged cochleae showed the following: (1) In the broad frequency region corresponding to the locally damaged best frequency, DPOAEs evoked by wider f(2)/f(1) stimuli decreased, consistent with the reduction in local nonlinearity. (2) DPOAEs evoked by narrow f(2)/f(1) stimuli often had a bimodal change, decreasing in a lower frequency band and increasing in a band just adjacent and higher, and the DPOAE phase-vs-frequency slope steepened. These changes confirm the complex nature of the DPOAE.

Variation in the Level of Grain Defect Light Flecks and Spots on Cattle Hides

PubMed Central

Nafstad, O; Grønstøl, H

2001-01-01

The occurrence of hide damage light flecks and spots was determined on tanned hides from 28 herds during a period of 8 to 12 months. Light flecks and spots are described as small areas of grain loss up to 3 mm in diameter that are seen on dyed crust cattle leather. Damage was found on 75.8% of all hides. The neck and shoulders were the anatomical region with the highest prevalence of damage. Sixty-eight per cent of all hides had light flecks and spots in this region. The forelimbs and dewlap were the anatomical region with the second highest occurrence with a prevalence of 39.1%. This distribution corresponded to the known distribution of lice in cattle. No significant differences were observed in age, sex, prevalence of lice in the herd assessed in March or infestations with different lice species. The frequency of light flecks and spots varied significantly during the year. The frequency was highest in the late winter and early spring, decreased significantly during the summer and was lowest in the autumn. This variation supported the importance of lice in the development of light flecks and spots and suggested a relatively long healing period for the damages induced by lice. PMID:11455905

Study of RF breakdown and multipacting in accelerator components

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

Pande, Manjiri; Singh, P., E-mail: manjiri@barc.gov.in, E-mail: psingh@barc.gov.in

2014-07-01

Radio frequency (RF) structures that are part of accelerators and energy sources, operate with sinusoidally varying electromagnetic fields under high RF energy. Here, RF breakdown and multipacting take place in RF structures and limit their performance. Electron field emission processes in a RF structure are precursors for breakdown processes. RF breakdown is a major phenomena affecting and causing the irreversible damage to RF structures. Breakdown rate and the damage induced by the breakdowns are its important properties. The damage is related to power absorbed during breakdown, while the breakdown rate is determined by the amplitudes of surface electric and magneticmore » fields, geometry, metal surface preparation and conditioning history. It limits working power and produces irreversible surface damage. The breakdown limit depends on the RF circuit, structure geometry, RF frequency, input RF power, pulse width, materials used, surface processing technique and surface electric and magnetic fields. Multipactor (MP) is a low power, electron multiplication based resonance breakdown phenomenon in vacuum and is often observed in RF structures. A multipactor discharge is undesirable, as it can create a reactive component that detunes the resonant cavities and components, generates noise in communication system and induces gas desorption from the conductor surfaces. In RF structures, certain conditions are required to generate multipacting. (author)« less

Fatigue Life Prediction of Metallic Materials Based on the Combined Nonlinear Ultrasonic Parameter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yuhua; Li, Xinxin; Wu, Zhenyong; Huang, Zhenfeng; Mao, Hanling

2017-08-01

The fatigue life prediction of metallic materials is always a tough problem that needs to be solved in the mechanical engineering field because it is very important for the secure service of mechanical components. In this paper, a combined nonlinear ultrasonic parameter based on the collinear wave mixing technique is applied for fatigue life prediction of a metallic material. Sweep experiments are first conducted to explore the influence of driving frequency on the interaction of two driving signals and the fatigue damage of specimens, and the amplitudes of sidebands at the difference frequency and sum frequency are tracked when the driving frequency changes. Then, collinear wave mixing tests are carried out on a pair of cylindrically notched specimens with different fatigue damage to explore the relationship between the fatigue damage and the relative nonlinear parameters. The experimental results show when the fatigue degree is below 65% the relative nonlinear parameter increases quickly, and the growth rate is approximately 130%. If the fatigue degree is above 65%, the increase in the relative nonlinear parameter is slow, which has a close relationship with the microstructure evolution of specimens. A combined nonlinear ultrasonic parameter is proposed to highlight the relationship of the relative nonlinear parameter and fatigue degree of specimens; the fatigue life prediction model is built based on the relationship, and the prediction error is below 3%, which is below the prediction error based on the relative nonlinear parameters at the difference and sum frequencies. Therefore, the combined nonlinear ultrasonic parameter using the collinear wave mixing method can effectively estimate the fatigue degree of specimens, which provides a fast and convenient method for fatigue life prediction.

Damage detection in composites using nonlinear ultrasonically modulated thermography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malfense Fierro, G.-P.; Dionysopoulos, D.; Meo, M.; Ciampa, F.

2018-03-01

This paper proposes a novel nonlinear ultrasonically stimulated thermography technique for a quick and reliable assessment of material damage in carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite materials. The proposed nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method requires narrow sweep ultrasonic excitation using contact piezoelectric transducers in order to identify dual excitation frequencies associated with the damage resonance. High-amplitude signals and higher harmonic generation are necessary conditions for an accurate identification of these two input frequencies. Dual periodic excitation using high- and low-frequency input signals was then performed in order to generate frictional heating at the crack location that was measured by an infrared (IR) camera. To validate this concept, an impact damaged CFRP composite panel was tested and the experimental results were compared with traditional flash thermography. A laser vibrometer was used to investigate the response of the material with dual frequency excitation. The proposed nonlinear ultrasonically modulated thermography successfully detected barely visible impact damage in CFRP composites. Hence, it can be considered as an alternative to traditional flash thermography and thermosonics by allowing repeatable detection of damage in composites.

Identification of damage in plates using full-field measurement with a continuously scanning laser Doppler vibrometer system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Da-Ming; Xu, Y. F.; Zhu, W. D.

2018-05-01

An effective and reliable damage identification method for plates with a continuously scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (CSLDV) system is proposed. A new constant-speed scan algorithm is proposed to create a two-dimensional (2D) scan trajectory and automatically scan a whole plate surface. Full-field measurement of the plate can be achieved by applying the algorithm to the CSLDV system. Based on the new scan algorithm, the demodulation method is extended from one dimension for beams to two dimensions for plates to obtain a full-field operating deflection shape (ODS) of the plate from velocity response measured by the CSLDV system. The full-field ODS of an associated undamaged plate is obtained by using polynomials with proper orders to fit the corresponding full-field ODS from the demodulation method. A curvature damage index (CDI) using differences between curvatures of ODSs (CODSs) associated with ODSs that are obtained by the demodulation method and the polynomial fit is proposed to identify damage. An auxiliary CDI obtained by averaging CDIs at different excitation frequencies is defined to further assist damage identification. An experiment of an aluminum plate with damage in the form of 10.5% thickness reduction in a damage area of 0.86% of the whole scan area is conducted to investigate the proposed method. Six frequencies close to natural frequencies of the plate and one randomly selected frequency are used as sinusoidal excitation frequencies. Two 2D scan trajectories, i.e., a horizontally moving 2D scan trajectory and a vertically moving 2D scan trajectory, are used to obtain ODSs, CODSs, and CDIs of the plate. The damage is successfully identified near areas with consistently high values of CDIs at different excitation frequencies along the two 2D scan trajectories; the damage area is also identified by auxiliary CDIs.

Detection of Earthquake-Induced Damage in a Framed Structure Using a Finite Element Model Updating Procedure

PubMed Central

Kim, Seung-Nam; Park, Taewon; Lee, Sang-Hyun

2014-01-01

Damage of a 5-story framed structure was identified from two types of measured data, which are frequency response functions (FRF) and natural frequencies, using a finite element (FE) model updating procedure. In this study, a procedure to determine the appropriate weightings for different groups of observations was proposed. In addition, a modified frame element which included rotational springs was used to construct the FE model for updating to represent concentrated damage at the member ends (a formulation for plastic hinges in framed structures subjected to strong earthquakes). The results of the model updating and subsequent damage detection when the rotational springs (RS model) were used were compared with those obtained using the conventional frame elements (FS model). Comparisons indicated that the RS model gave more accurate results than the FS model. That is, the errors in the natural frequencies of the updated models were smaller, and the identified damage showed clearer distinctions between damaged and undamaged members and was more consistent with observed damage. PMID:24574888

Slope topography-induced spatial variation correlation with observed building damages in Corso during the May 21, 2003, M w 6.8, Boumerdes earthquake (Algeria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messaoudi, Akila; Laouami, Nasser; Mezouar, Nourredine

2017-07-01

During the May 21, 2003 M w 6.8 Boumerdes earthquake, in the "Cité des 102 Logements" built on a hilltop, in Corso, heavy damages were observed: near the crest, a four-story RC building collapsed while others experienced severe structural damage and far from the crest, slight damage was observed. In the present paper, we perform a 2D slope topography seismic analysis and investigate its effects on the response at the plateau as well as the correlation with the observed damage distribution. A site-specific seismic scenario is used involving seismological, geological, and geotechnical data. 2D finite element numerical seismic study of the idealized Corso site subjected to vertical SV wave propagation is carried out by the universal code FLUSH. The results highlighted the main factors that explain the causes of block collapse, located 8-26 m far from the crest. These are as follows: (i) a significant spatial variation of ground response along the plateau due to the topographic effect, (ii) this spatial variation presents high loss of coherence, (iii) the seismic ground responses (PGA and response spectra) reach their maxima, and (iv) the fundamental frequency of the collapsed blocks coincides with the frequency content of the topographic component. For distances far from the crest where slight damages were observed, the topographic contribution is found negligible. On the basis of these results, it is important to take into account the topographic effect and the induced spatial variability in the seismic design of structures sited near the crest of slope.

Seismic damage diagnosis of a masonry building using short-term damping measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouris, Leonidas Alexandros S.; Penna, Andrea; Magenes, Guido

2017-04-01

It is of considerable importance to perform dynamic identification and detect damage in existing structures. This paper describes a new and practical method for damage diagnosis of masonry buildings requiring minimum computational effort. The method is based on the relative variation of modal damping and validated against experimental data from a full scale two storey shake table test. The experiment involves a building subjected to uniaxial vibrations of progressively increasing intensity at the facilities of EUCENTRE laboratory (Pavia, Italy) up to a near collapse damage state. Five time-histories are applied scaling the Montenegro (1979) accelerogram. These strong motion tests are preceded by random vibration tests (RVT's) which are used to perform modal analysis. Two deterministic methods are applied: the single degree of freedom (SDOF) assumption together with the peak-picking method in the discrete frequency domain and the Eigen realisation algorithm with data correlations (ERA-DC) in the discrete time domain. Regarding the former procedure, some improvements are incorporated to locate rigorously the natural frequencies and estimate the modal damping. The progressive evolution of the modal damping is used as a key indicator to characterise damage on the building. Modal damping is connected to the structural mass and stiffness. A square integrated but only with two components expression for proportional (classical) damping is proposed to fit better with the experimental measurements of modal damping ratios. Using this Rayleigh order formulation the contribution of each of the damping components is evaluated. The stiffness component coefficient is proposed as an effective index to detect damage and quantify its intensity.

Biomonitoring with Micronuclei Test in Buccal Cells of Female Farmers and Children Exposed to Pesticides of Maneadero Agricultural Valley, Baja California, Mexico.

PubMed

Castañeda-Yslas, Idalia Jazmin; Arellano-García, María Evarista; García-Zarate, Marco Antonio; Ruíz-Ruíz, Balam; Zavala-Cerna, María Guadalupe; Torres-Bugarín, Olivia

2016-01-01

Feminization of the agricultural labor is common in Mexico; these women and their families are vulnerable to several health risks including genotoxicity. Previous papers have presented contradictory information with respect to indirect exposure to pesticides and DNA damage. We aimed to evaluate the genotoxic effect in buccal mucosa from female farmers and children, working in the agricultural valley of Maneadero, Baja California. Frequencies of micronucleated cells (MNc) and nuclear abnormalities (NA) in 2000 cells were obtained from the buccal mucosa of the study population (n = 144), divided in four groups: (1) farmers (n = 37), (2) unexposed (n = 35), (3) farmers' children (n = 34), and (4) unexposed children (n = 38). We compared frequencies of MNc and NA and fitted generalized linear models to investigate the interaction between these variables and exposition to pesticides. Differences were found between farmers and unexposed women in MNc (p < 0.0001), CC (p = 0.3376), and PN (p < 0.0001). With respect to exposed children, we found higher significant frequencies in MNc (p < 0.0001), LN (p < 0.0001), CC (p < 0.0001), and PN (p < 0.004) when compared to unexposed children. Therefore working as a farmer is a risk for genotoxic damage; more importantly indirectly exposed children were found to have genotoxic damage, which is of concern, since it could aid in future disturbances of their health.

Biomonitoring with Micronuclei Test in Buccal Cells of Female Farmers and Children Exposed to Pesticides of Maneadero Agricultural Valley, Baja California, Mexico

PubMed Central

Castañeda-Yslas, Idalia Jazmin; Arellano-García, María Evarista; García-Zarate, Marco Antonio; Ruíz-Ruíz, Balam; Zavala-Cerna, María Guadalupe; Torres-Bugarín, Olivia

2016-01-01

Feminization of the agricultural labor is common in Mexico; these women and their families are vulnerable to several health risks including genotoxicity. Previous papers have presented contradictory information with respect to indirect exposure to pesticides and DNA damage. We aimed to evaluate the genotoxic effect in buccal mucosa from female farmers and children, working in the agricultural valley of Maneadero, Baja California. Frequencies of micronucleated cells (MNc) and nuclear abnormalities (NA) in 2000 cells were obtained from the buccal mucosa of the study population (n = 144), divided in four groups: (1) farmers (n = 37), (2) unexposed (n = 35), (3) farmers' children (n = 34), and (4) unexposed children (n = 38). We compared frequencies of MNc and NA and fitted generalized linear models to investigate the interaction between these variables and exposition to pesticides. Differences were found between farmers and unexposed women in MNc (p < 0.0001), CC (p = 0.3376), and PN (p < 0.0001). With respect to exposed children, we found higher significant frequencies in MNc (p < 0.0001), LN (p < 0.0001), CC (p < 0.0001), and PN (p < 0.004) when compared to unexposed children. Therefore working as a farmer is a risk for genotoxic damage; more importantly indirectly exposed children were found to have genotoxic damage, which is of concern, since it could aid in future disturbances of their health. PMID:26981119

Seismic velocities and geologic logs from boreholes at three downhole arrays in San Francisco, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gibbs, James F.; Fumal, Thomas E.; Borcherdt, Roger D.; Warrick, Richard E.; Liu, Hsi-Ping; Westerlund, Robert E.

1994-01-01

The Loma Prieta earthquake of October 17, 1989 (1704 PST), has reinforced observations made by Wood and others (1908) after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, that poor ground conditions (soft soil) increase the likelihood of shaking damage to structures. Since 1908 many studies (for example Borcherdt, 1970, Borcherdt and Gibbs, 1976, Borcherdt and Glassmoyer, 1992) have shown that soft soils amplify seismic waves at frequencies that can be damaging to structures. Damage in the City of San Francisco from the Loma Prieta earthquake was concentrated in the Marina District, the Embarcadero, and the China Basin areas. Each of these areas, to some degree, is underlain by soft soil deposits. These concentrations of damage raise important questions regarding the amplification effects of such deposits at damaging levels of motion. Unfortunately, no strong-motion recordings were obtained in these areas during the Loma Prieta earthquake and only a limited number (< 10) have been obtained on other soft soil sites in the United States. Consequently, important questions exist regarding the response of such deposits during damaging earthquakes, especially questions regarding the nonlinear soil response. Towards developing a data set to address these important questions, borehole strong-motion arrays have been installed at three locations. These arrays consist of groups of wide-dynamic-range pore-pressure transducers and three-component accelerometers, the outputs of which are recorded digitally. The arrays are designed to provide an integrated set of data on ground shaking, liquifaction-induced ground failure, and structural response. This report describes the detailed geologic, seismic, and material-property determinations derived at each of these sites.

Studies on Auditory and Vestibular End Organs and Brain Stem Nuclei. [inner ear damage and hearing defects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ades, H. W.

1974-01-01

Cats were exposed to tones of 125, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz at sound pressure levels in the range 120 to 157.5 db, and for durations of one hour (1000, 2000, 4000 Hz) or four hours (125 Hz). Pure tone audiograms were obtained for each animal before and after exposure. Cochleas of animals were examined by phase-contrast microscopy. Extent of inner ear damage and range of frequencies for which hearing loss occurred increased as exposure tone was decreased in frequency. For example, exposure to 4000 Hz produced damage in a restricted region of the cochlea and hearing loss for a relatively narrow range of frequencies; exposure to 125 Hz produced wide-spread inner ear damage and hearing loss throughout the frequency range 125 to 6000 Hz.

Towards Coupling of Macroseismic Intensity with Structural Damage Indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouteva, Mihaela; Boshnakov, Krasimir

2016-04-01

Knowledge on basic data of ground motion acceleration time histories during earthquakes is essential to understanding the earthquake resistant behaviour of structures. Peak and integral ground motion parameters such as peak ground motion values (acceleration, velocity and displacement), measures of the frequency content of ground motion, duration of strong shaking and various intensity measures play important roles in seismic evaluation of existing facilities and design of new systems. Macroseismic intensity is an earthquake measure related to seismic hazard and seismic risk description. Having detailed ideas on the correlations between the earthquake damage potential and macroseismic intensity is an important issue in engineering seismology and earthquake engineering. Reliable earthquake hazard estimation is the major prerequisite to successful disaster risk management. The usage of advanced earthquake engineering approaches for structural response modelling is essential for reliable evaluation of the accumulated damages in the existing buildings and structures due to the history of seismic actions, occurred during their lifetime. Full nonlinear analysis taking into account single event or series of earthquakes and the large set of elaborated damage indices are suitable contemporary tools to cope with this responsible task. This paper presents some results on the correlation between observational damage states, ground motion parameters and selected analytical damage indices. Damage indices are computed on the base of nonlinear time history analysis of test reinforced structure, characterising the building stock of the Mediterranean region designed according the earthquake resistant requirements in mid XX-th century.

A constructive nonlinear array (CNA) method for barely visible impact detection in composite materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malfense Fierro, Gian Piero; Meo, Michele

2017-04-01

Currently there are numerous phased array techniques such as Full Matrix Capture (FMC) and Total Focusing Method (TFM) that provide good damage assessment for composite materials. Although, linear methods struggle to evaluate and assess low levels of damage, while nonlinear methods have shown great promise in early damage detection. A sweep and subtraction evaluation method coupled with a constructive nonlinear array method (CNA) is proposed in order to assess damage specific nonlinearities, address issues with frequency selection when using nonlinear ultrasound imaging techniques and reduce equipment generated nonlinearities. These methods were evaluated using multiple excitation locations on an impacted composite panel with a complex damage (barely visible impact damage). According to various recent works, damage excitation can be accentuated by exciting at local defect resonance (LDR) frequencies; although these frequencies are not always easily determinable. The sweep methodology uses broadband excitation to determine both local defect and material resonances, by assessing local defect generated nonlinearities using a laser vibrometer it is possible to assess which frequencies excite the complex geometry of the crack. The dual effect of accurately determining local defect resonances, the use of an image subtraction method and the reduction of equipment based nonlinearities using CNA result in greater repeatability and clearer nonlinear imaging (NIM).

Research on Damage Identification of Bridge Based on Digital Image Measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Yingjing; Huan, Shi; Tao, Weijun

2017-12-01

In recent years, the number of the damage bridge due to excessive deformation gradually increased, which caused significant property damage and casualties. Hence health monitoring and the damage detection of the bridge structure based on the deflection measurement are particularly important. The current conventional deflection measurement methods, such as total station, connected pipe, GPS, etc., have many shortcomings as low efficiency, heavy workload, low degree of automation, operating frequency and working time constrained. GPS has a low accuracy in the vertical displacement measurement and cannot meet the dynamic measured requirements of the current bridge engineering. This paper presents a bridge health monitoring and damage detection technology based on digital image measurement method in which the measurement accuracy is sub-millimeter level and can achieve the 24-hour automatic non-destructive monitoring for the deflection. It can be concluded from this paper that it is feasible to use digital image measurement method for identification of the damage in the bridge structure, because it has been validated by the theoretical analysis, the laboratory model and the application of the real bridge.

Nuclear Containment Inspection Using AN Array of Guided Wave Sensors for Damage Localization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cobb, A. C.; Fisher, J. L.

2010-02-01

Nuclear power plant containments are typically both the last line of defense against the release of radioactivity to the environment and the first line of defense to protect against intrusion from external objects. As such, it is important to be able to locate any damage that would limit the integrity of the containment itself. Typically, a portion of the containment consists of a metallic pressure boundary that encloses the reactor primary circuit. It is made of thick steel plates welded together, lined with concrete and partially buried, limiting areas that can be visually inspected for corrosion damage. This study presents a strategy using low frequency (<50 kHz) guided waves to find corrosion-like damage several meters from the probe in a mock-up of the containment vessel. A magnetostrictive sensor (MsS) is scanned across the width of the vessel, acquiring waveforms at a fixed interval. A beam forming strategy is used to localize the defects. Experimental results are presented for a variety of damage configurations, demonstrating the efficacy of this technique for detecting damage smaller than the ultrasonic wavelength.

Method for detecting moment connection fracture using high-frequency transients in recorded accelerations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodgers, J.E.; Elebi, M.

2011-01-01

The 1994 Northridge earthquake caused brittle fractures in steel moment frame building connections, despite causing little visible building damage in most cases. Future strong earthquakes are likely to cause similar damage to the many un-retrofitted pre-Northridge buildings in the western US and elsewhere. Without obvious permanent building deformation, costly intrusive inspections are currently the only way to determine if major fracture damage that compromises building safety has occurred. Building instrumentation has the potential to provide engineers and owners with timely information on fracture occurrence. Structural dynamics theory predicts and scale model experiments have demonstrated that sudden, large changes in structure properties caused by moment connection fractures will cause transient dynamic response. A method is proposed for detecting the building-wide level of connection fracture damage, based on observing high-frequency, fracture-induced transient dynamic responses in strong motion accelerograms. High-frequency transients are short (<1 s), sudden-onset waveforms with frequency content above 25 Hz that are visually apparent in recorded accelerations. Strong motion data and damage information from intrusive inspections collected from 24 sparsely instrumented buildings following the 1994 Northridge earthquake are used to evaluate the proposed method. The method's overall success rate for this data set is 67%, but this rate varies significantly with damage level. The method performs reasonably well in detecting significant fracture damage and in identifying cases with no damage, but fails in cases with few fractures. Combining the method with other damage indicators and removing records with excessive noise improves the ability to detect the level of damage. ?? 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A New Approach of evaluating the damage in simply-supported reinforced concrete beam by Local mean decomposition (LMD)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xuebing; Liu, Ning; Xi, Jiaxin; Zhang, Yunqi; Zhang, Wenchun; Yang, Peipei

2017-08-01

How to analyze the nonstationary response signals and obtain vibration characters is extremely important in the vibration-based structural diagnosis methods. In this work, we introduce a more reasonable time-frequency decomposition method termed local mean decomposition (LMD) to instead the widely-used empirical mode decomposition (EMD). By employing the LMD method, one can derive a group of component signals, each of which is more stationary, and then analyze the vibration state and make the assessment of structural damage of a construction or building. We illustrated the effectiveness of LMD by a synthetic data and an experimental data recorded in a simply-supported reinforced concrete beam. Then based on the decomposition results, an elementary method of damage diagnosis was proposed.

A flexural crack model for damage detection in reinforced concrete structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamad, W. I.; Owen, J. S.; Hussein, M. F. M.

2011-07-01

The use of changes in vibration data for damage detection of reinforced concrete structures faces many challenges that obstruct its transition from a research topic to field applications. Among these is the lack of appropriate damage models that can be deployed in the damage detection methods. In this paper, a model of a simply supported reinforced concrete beam with multiple cracks is developed to examine its use for damage detection and structural health monitoring. The cracks are simulated by a model that accounts for crack formation, propagation and closure. The beam model is studied under different dynamic excitations, including sine sweep and single excitation frequency, for various damage levels. The changes in resonant frequency with increasing loads are examined along with the nonlinear vibration characteristics. The model demonstrates that the resonant frequency reduces by about 10% at the application of 30% of the ultimate load and then drops gradually by about 25% at 70% of the ultimate load. The model also illustrates some nonlinearity in the dynamic response of damaged beams. The appearance of super-harmonics shows that the nonlinearity is higher when the damage level is about 35% and then decreases with increasing damage. The restoring force-displacement relationship predicted the reduction in the overall stiffness of the damaged beam. The model quantitatively predicts the experimental vibration behaviour of damaged RC beams and also shows the damage dependency of nonlinear vibration behaviour.

Application of the lymphocyte Cytokinesis-Block Micronucleus Assay to populations exposed to petroleum and its derivatives: Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Angelini, Sabrina; Bermejo, Justo Lorenzo; Ravegnini, Gloria; Sammarini, Giulia; Hrelia, Patrizia

The lymphocyte cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay is applied in many different in vivo biomonitoring studies of human exposure to genotoxic chemicals. Among extensively chemicals investigated, we identified petroleum and its derivatives, in particular benzene and the most common mixture of benzene, toluene, and xylene. Although conflicting results have been reported on the effects of benzene exposure, the number of positive findings in independent studies suggests that occupational exposure to benzene causes DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes. To assess current evidence on this hypothesis, we conducted a meta-analysis. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of benzene exposure on genetic damage, quantified using the CBMN assay on individuals occupationally exposed to petroleum and its derivatives. Statistical analyses were conducted using the rmeta package from the free Software Environment for Statistical Computing R. Combined study results indicated that benzene exposure is associated with an increased level of genetic damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes, as reflected by an increased MN frequency. The summary mean difference in MN frequency between exposed and unexposed individuals was 1.64 (95% CI: 0.80-2.47). Overall, this finding points to MN frequency as a sensitive biomarker which could be used to evaluate genetic damage induced by occupational - industrial or environmental - exposure to benzene. This review also identified some important knowledge gaps as well as the need of large, well-designed studies. In particular, it is fundamental to accurately characterize the investigated population, including dietary habits and genetic variability which could modulate MN frequency in both exposed individuals and unexposed controls. In conclusion, according to present findings the use of the CBMN assay in biomonitoring studies could provide objective evidence to guide prioritization of preventive interventions in subjects occupationally exposed to petroleum derivatives, and in particular benzene. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vibration-based structural health monitoring of the aircraft large component

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavelko, V.; Kuznetsov, S.; Nevsky, A.; Marinbah, M.

2017-10-01

In the presented paper there are investigated the basic problems of the local system of SHM of large scale aircraft component. Vibration-based damage detection is accepted as a basic condition, and main attention focused to a low-cost solution that would be attractive for practice. The conditions of small damage detection in the full scale structural component at low-frequency excitation were defined in analytical study and modal FEA. In experimental study the dynamic test of the helicopter Mi-8 tail beam was performed at harmonic excitation with frequency close to first natural frequency of the beam. The index of correlation coefficient deviation (CCD) was used for extraction of the features due to embedded pseudo-damage. It is shown that the problem of vibration-based detection of a small damage in the large scale structure at low-frequency excitation can be solved successfully.

Synergistic Effects of Frequency and Temperature on Damage Evolution and Life Prediction of Cross-Ply Ceramic Matrix Composites under Tension-Tension Fatigue Loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longbiao, Li

2017-10-01

In this paper, the synergistic effects of loading frequency and testing temperature on the fatigue damage evolution and life prediction of cross-ply SiC/MAS ceramic-matrix composite have been investigated. The damage parameters of the fatigue hysteresis modulus, fatigue hysteresis dissipated energy and the interface shear stress were used to monitor the damage evolution inside of SiC/MAS composite. The evolution of fatigue hysteresis dissipated energy, the interface shear stress and broken fibers fraction versus cycle number, and the fatigue life S-N curves of SiC/MAS composite under the loading frequency of 1 and 10 Hz at 566 °C and 1093 °C in air condition have been predicted. The synergistic effects of the loading frequency and testing temperature on the degradation rate of fatigue hysteresis dissipated energy and the interface shear stress have been analyzed.

Detection of damage in welded structure using experimental modal data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abu Husain, N.; Ouyang, H.

2011-07-01

A typical automotive structure could contain thousands of spot weld joints that contribute significantly to the vehicle's structural stiffness and dynamic characteristics. However, some of these joints may be imperfect or even absent during the manufacturing process and they are also highly susceptible to damage due to operational and environmental conditions during the vehicle lifetime. Therefore, early detection and estimation of damage are important so necessary actions can be taken to avoid further problems. Changes in physical parameters due to existence of damage in a structure often leads to alteration of vibration modes; thus demonstrating the dependency between the vibration characteristics and the physical properties of structures. A sensitivity-based model updating method, performed using a combination of MATLAB and NASTRAN, has been selected for the purpose of this work. The updating procedure is regarded as parameter identification which aims to bring the numerical prediction to be as closely as possible to the measured natural frequencies and mode shapes data of the damaged structure in order to identify the damage parameters (characterised by the reductions in the Young's modulus of the weld patches to indicate the loss of material/stiffness at the damage region).

Temperature experienced during incubation affects antioxidant capacity but not oxidative damage in hatchling red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans).

PubMed

Treidel, L A; Carter, A W; Bowden, R M

2016-02-01

Our understanding of how oxidative stress resistance phenotypes are affected by the developmental environment is limited. One component of the developmental environment, which is likely central to early life oxidative stress among ectothermic and oviparous species, is that of temperature. We investigated how incubation temperature manipulations affect oxidative damage and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) hatchlings. First, to determine whether temperature fluctuations elicit oxidative stress, eggs from clutches were randomly assigned to either a constant (29.5 °C) or daily fluctuating temperature incubation (28.7 ± 3 °C) treatment. Second, to assess the effect of temperature fluctuation frequency on oxidative stress, eggs were incubated in one of three fluctuating incubation regimes: 28.7 ± 3 °C fluctuations every 12 h (hyper), 24 h (normal) or 48 h (hypo). Third, we tested the influence of average incubation temperature by incubating eggs in a daily fluctuating incubation temperature regime with a mean temperature of 26.5 °C (low), 27.1 °C (medium) or 27.7 °C (high). Although the accumulation of oxidative damage in hatchlings was unaffected by any thermal manipulation, TAC was affected by both temperature fluctuation frequency and average incubation temperature. Individuals incubated with a low frequency of temperature fluctuations had reduced TAC, while incubation at a lower average temperature was associated with enhanced TAC. These results indicate that although sufficient to prevent oxidative damage, TAC is influenced by developmental thermal environments, potentially because of temperature-mediated changes in metabolic rate. The observed differences in TAC may have important future consequences for hatchling fitness and overwinter survival. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Vibration-response due to thickness loss on steel plate excited by resonance frequency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudus, S. A.; Suzuki, Y.; Matsumura, M.; Sugiura, K.

2018-04-01

The degradation of steel structure due to corrosion is a common problem found especially in the marine structure due to exposure to the harsh marine environment. In order to ensure safety and reliability of marine structure, the damage assessment is an indispensable prerequisite for plan of remedial action on damaged structure. The main goal of this paper is to discuss simple vibration measurement on plated structure to give image on overview condition of the monitored structure. The changes of vibration response when damage was introduced in the plate structure were investigated. The damage on plate was simulated in finite element method as loss of thickness section. The size of damage and depth of loss of thickness were varied for different damage cases. The plate was excited with lower order of resonance frequency in accordance estimate the average remaining thickness based on displacement response obtain in the dynamic analysis. Significant reduction of natural frequency and increasing amplitude of vibration can be observed in the presence of severe damage. The vibration analysis summarized in this study can serve as benchmark and reference for researcher and design engineer.

Identification of characteristic frequencies of damaged railway tracks using field hammer test measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oregui, M.; Li, Z.; Dollevoet, R.

2015-03-01

In this paper, the feasibility of the Frequency Response Function (FRF)-based statistical method to identify the characteristic frequencies of railway track defects is studied. The method compares a damaged track state to a healthy state based on non-destructive field hammer test measurements. First, a study is carried out to investigate the repeatability of hammer tests in railway tracks. By changing the excitation and measurement locations it is shown that the variability introduced by the test process is negligible. Second, following the concepts of control charts employed in process monitoring, a method to define an approximate healthy state is introduced by using hammer test measurements at locations without visual damage. Then, the feasibility study includes an investigation into squats (i.e. a major type of rail surface defect) of varying severity. The identified frequency ranges related to squats agree with those found in an extensively validated vehicle-borne detection system. Therefore, the FRF-based statistical method in combination with the non-destructive hammer test measurements has the potential to be employed to identify the characteristic frequencies of damaged conditions in railway tracks in the frequency range of 300-3000 Hz.

Damage detection of an in-service condensation pipeline joint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briand, Julie; Rezaei, Davood; Taheri, Farid

2010-04-01

The early detection of damage in structural or mechanical systems is of vital importance. With early detection, the damage may be repaired before the integrity of the system is jeopardized, resulting in monetary losses, loss of life or limb, and environmental impacts. Among the various types of structural health monitoring techniques, vibration-based methods are of significant interest since the damage location does not need to be known beforehand, making it a more versatile approach. The non-destructive damage detection method used for the experiments herein is a novel vibration-based method which uses an index called the EMD Energy Damage Index, developed with the aim of providing improved qualitative results compared to those methods currently available. As part of an effort to establish the integrity and limitation of this novel damage detection method, field testing was completed on a mechanical pipe joint on a condensation line, located in the physical plant of Dalhousie University. Piezoceramic sensors, placed at various locations around the joint were used to monitor the free vibration of the pipe imposed through the use of an impulse hammer. Multiple damage progression scenarios were completed, each having a healthy state and multiple damage cases. Subsequently, the recorded signals from the healthy and damaged joint were processed through the EMD Energy Damage Index developed in-house in an effort to detect the inflicted damage. The proposed methodology successfully detected the inflicted damages. In this paper, the effects of impact location, sensor location, frequency bandwidth, intrinsic mode functions, and boundary conditions are discussed.

Megasonic cleaning strategy for sub-10nm photomasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Jyh-Wei; Samayoa, Martin; Dress, Peter; Dietze, Uwe; Ma, Ai-Jay; Lin, Chia-Shih; Lai, Rick; Chang, Peter; Tuo, Laurent

2016-10-01

One of the main challenges in photomask cleaning is balancing particle removal efficiency (PRE) with pattern damage control. To overcome this challenge, a high frequency megasonic cleaning strategy is implemented. Apart from megasonic frequency and power, photomask surface conditioning also influences cleaning performance. With improved wettability, cleanliness is enhanced while pattern damage risk is simultaneously reduced. Therefore, a particle removal process based on higher megasonic frequencies, combined with proper surface pre-treatment, provides improved cleanliness without the unintended side effects of pattern damage, thus supporting the extension of megasonic cleaning technology into 10nm half pitch (hp) device node and beyond.

Natural frequencies of thin rectangular plates clamped on contour using the Finite Element Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

(Barboni Haţiegan, L.; Haţiegan, C.; Gillich, G. R.; Hamat, C. O.; Vasile, O.; Stroia, M. D.

2018-01-01

This paper presents the determining of natural frequencies of plates without and with damages using the finite element method of SolidWorks program. The first thirty natural frequencies obtained for thin rectangular rectangular plates clamped on contour without and with central damages a for different dimensions. The relative variation of natural frequency was determined and the obtained results by the finite element method (FEM) respectively relative variation of natural frequency, were graphically represented according to their vibration natural modes. Finally, the obtained results were compared.

Analysis of frequency shifting in seismic signals using Gabor-Wigner transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Roshan; Sumathi, P.; Kumar, Ashok

2015-12-01

A hybrid time-frequency method known as Gabor-Wigner transform (GWT) is introduced in this paper for examining the time-frequency patterns of earthquake damaged buildings. GWT is developed by combining the Gabor transform (GT) and Wigner-Ville distribution (WVD). GT and WVD have been used separately on synthetic and recorded earthquake data to identify frequency shifting due to earthquake damages, but GT is prone to windowing effect and WVD involves ambiguity function. Hence to obtain better clarity and to remove the cross terms (frequency interference), GT and WVD are judiciously combined and the resultant GWT used to identify frequency shifting. Synthetic seismic response of an instrumented building and real-time earthquake data recorded on the building were investigated using GWT. It is found that GWT offers good accuracy for even slow variations in frequency, good time-frequency resolution, and localized response. Presented results confirm the efficacy of GWT when compared with GT and WVD used separately. Simulation results were quantified by the Renyi entropy measures and GWT shown to be an adequate technique in identifying localized response for structural damage detection.

Evaluation of potential severe accidents during low power and shutdown operations at Surry, Unit 1: Analysis of core damage frequency from internal events during mid-loop operations, Appendices E (Sections E.1--E.8). Volume 2, Part 3A

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

Chu, T.L.; Musicki, Z.; Kohut, P.

1994-06-01

During 1989, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) initiated an extensive program to carefully examine the potential risks during low power and shutdown operations. The program includes two parallel projects being performed by Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). Two plants, Surry (pressurized water reactor) and Grand Gulf (boiling water reactor), were selected as the plants to be studied. The objectives of the program are to assess the risks of severe accidents initiated during plant operational states other than full power operation and to compare the estimated core damage frequencies, important accident sequences and other qualitative and quantitativemore » results with those accidents initiated during full power operation as assessed in NUREG-1150. The objective of this report is to document the approach utilized in the Surry plant and discuss the results obtained. A parallel report for the Grand Gulf plant is prepared by SNL. This study shows that the core-damage frequency during mid-loop operation at the Surry plant is comparable to that of power operation. The authors recognize that there is very large uncertainty in the human error probabilities in this study. This study identified that only a few procedures are available for mitigating accidents that may occur during shutdown. Procedures written specifically for shutdown accidents would be useful.« less

Damage assessment in PRC and RC beams by dynamic tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capozucca, R.

2011-07-01

The present paper reports on damaged prestressed reinforced concrete (PRC) beams and reinforced concrete (RC) beams experimentally investigated through dynamic testing in order to verify damage degree due to reinforcement corrosion or cracking correlated to loading. The experimental program foresaw that PRC beams were subjected to artificial reinforcement corrosion and static loading while RC beams were damaged by increasing applied loads to produce bending cracking. Dynamic investigation was developed both on undamaged and damaged PRC and RC beams measuring natural frequencies and evaluating vibration mode shapes. Dynamic testing allowed the recording of frequency response variations at different vibration modes. The experimental results are compared with theoretical results and discussed.

Geospatial analysis of residential proximity to open-pit coal mining areas in relation to micronuclei frequency, particulate matter concentration, and elemental enrichment factors.

PubMed

Espitia-Pérez, Lyda; Arteaga-Pertuz, Marcia; Soto, José Salvador; Espitia-Pérez, Pedro; Salcedo-Arteaga, Shirley; Pastor-Sierra, Karina; Galeano-Páez, Claudia; Brango, Hugo; da Silva, Juliana; Henriques, João A P

2018-09-01

During coal surface mining, several activities such as drilling, blasting, loading, and transport produce large quantities of particulate matter (PM) that is directly emitted into the atmosphere. Occupational exposure to this PM has been associated with an increase of DNA damage, but there is a scarcity of data examining the impact of these industrial operations in cytogenetic endpoints frequency and cancer risk of potentially exposed surrounding populations. In this study, we used a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach and Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) methods to perform a spatial and statistical analysis to explore whether exposure to PM 2.5 and PM 10 pollution, and additional factors, including the enrichment of the PM with inorganic elements, contribute to cytogenetic damage in residents living in proximity to an open-pit coal mining area. Results showed a spatial relationship between exposure to elevated concentrations of PM 2.5, PM 10 and micronuclei frequency in binucleated (MNBN) and mononucleated (MNMONO) cells. Active pits, disposal, and storage areas could be identified as the possible emission sources of combustion elements. Mining activities were also correlated with increased concentrations of highly enriched elements like S, Cu and Cr in the atmosphere, corroborating its role in the inorganic elements pollution around coal mines. Elements enriched in the PM 2.5 fraction contributed to increasing of MNBN but seems to be more related to increased MNMONO frequencies and DNA damage accumulated in vivo. The combined use of GIS and IDW methods could represent an important tool for monitoring potential cancer risk associated to dynamically distributed variables like the PM. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nonlinear ultrasonic stimulated thermography for damage assessment in isotropic fatigued structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fierro, Gian Piero Malfense; Calla', Danielle; Ginzburg, Dmitri; Ciampa, Francesco; Meo, Michele

2017-09-01

Traditional non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and structural health monitoring (SHM) systems are used to analyse that a structure is free of any harmful damage. However, these techniques still lack sensitivity to detect the presence of material micro-flaws in the form of fatigue damage and often require time-consuming procedures and expensive equipment. This research work presents a novel "nonlinear ultrasonic stimulated thermography" (NUST) method able to overcome some of the limitations of traditional linear ultrasonic/thermography NDE-SHM systems and to provide a reliable, rapid and cost effective estimation of fatigue damage in isotropic materials. Such a hybrid imaging approach combines the high sensitivity of nonlinear acoustic/ultrasonic techniques to detect micro-damage, with local defect frequency selection and infrared imaging. When exciting structures with an optimised frequency, nonlinear elastic waves are observed and higher frictional work at the fatigue damaged area is generated due to clapping and rubbing of the crack faces. This results in heat at cracked location that can be measured using an infrared camera. A Laser Vibrometer (LV) was used to evaluate the extent that individual frequency components contribute to the heating of the damage region by quantifying the out-of-plane velocity associated with the fundamental and second order harmonic responses. It was experimentally demonstrated the relationship between a nonlinear ultrasound parameter (βratio) of the material nonlinear response to the actual temperature rises near the crack. These results demonstrated that heat generation at damaged regions could be amplified by exciting at frequencies that provide nonlinear responses, thus improving the imaging of material damage and the reliability of NUST in a quick and reproducible manner.

Detecting Tooth Damage in Geared Drive Trains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nachtsheim, Philip R.

1997-01-01

This paper describes a method that was developed to detect gear tooth damage that does not require a priori knowledge of the frequency characteristic of the fault. The basic idea of the method is that a few damaged teeth will cause transient load fluctuations unlike the normal tooth load fluctuations. The method attempts to measure the energy in the lower side bands of the modulated signal caused by the transient load fluctuations. The method monitors the energy in the frequency interval which excludes the frequency of the lowest dominant normal tooth load fluctuation and all frequencies above it. The method reacted significantly to the tooth fracture damage results documented in the Lewis data sets which were obtained from tests of the OH-58A transmission and tests of high contact ratio spiral bevel gears. The method detected gear tooth fractures in all four of the high contact ratio spiral bevel gear runs. Published results indicate other detection methods were only able to detect faults for three out of four runs.

DNA Damage Levels Determine Cyclobutyl Pyrimidine Dimer Repair Mechanisms in Alfalfa Seedlings.

PubMed Central

Quaite, F. E.; Takayanagi, S.; Ruffini, J.; Sutherland, J. C.; Sutherland, B. M.

1994-01-01

Ultraviolet radiation in sunlight damages DNA in plants, but little is understood about the types, lesion capacity, and coordination of repair pathways. We challenged intact alfalfa seedlings with UV doses that induced different initial levels of cyclobutyl pyrimidine dimers and measured repair by excision and photoreactivation. By using alkaline gel electrophoresis of nonradioactive DNAs treated with a cyclobutyl pyrimidine dimer-specific UV endonuclease, we quantitated ethidium-stained DNA by electronic imaging and calculated lesion frequencies from the number average molecular lengths. At low initial dimer frequencies (less than ~30 dimers per million bases), the seedlings used only photoreactivation to repair dimers; excision repair was not significant. At higher damage levels, both excision and photorepair contributed significantly. This strategy would allow plants with low damage levels to use error-free repair requiring only an external light energy source, whereas seedlings subjected to higher damage frequencies could call on additional repair processes requiring cellular energy. Characterization of repair in plants thus requires an investigation of a range of conditions, including the level of initial damage. PMID:12244228

Assessment of DNA damage in Ardea cinerea and Ciconia ciconia: A 5-year study in Portuguese birds retrieved for rehabilitation.

PubMed

Santos, Cátia S A; Brandão, Ricardo; Monteiro, Marta S; Bastos, Ana C; Soares, Amadeu M V M; Loureiro, Susana

2017-02-01

Over the past decades, the presence of micronucleated blood cells has been used to detect genotoxic effects of xenobiotics in fish, amphibians and birds. This study assessed the frequency of micronuclei (MN) and other nuclear abnormalities in erythrocytes of individuals of Ardea cinerea and Ciconia ciconia retrieved for rehabilitation in order to evaluate the influence of age, temporal and spatial factors on the occurrence of DNA damage in Portuguese wild birds. Blood smears from 65 birds with different life-history backgrounds (e.g. geographic origin, age) were collected between 2007 and 2011 and the frequency of erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities (ENAs) was analysed. Differences in DNA damage between ages were observed to occur in C. ciconia, with chicks displaying significantly higher frequencies of ENAs (both when looking at total ENAs or only MN frequency) than juveniles and adults. Additionally, significant differences in ENAs frequencies were observed between different years and geographic origins, whereas MN frequency alone did not show significant alterations concerning spatial and temporal variations. These results suggest that the assessment of ENAs rather than MN frequency alone may be a useful and valuable tool to complement the evaluation of DNA damage in populations of birds, as prompted by individual life-history traits and environmental factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structural damage detection for in-service highway bridge under operational and environmental variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Chenhao; Li, Jingcheng; Jang, Shinae; Sun, Xiaorong; Christenson, Richard

2015-03-01

Structural health monitoring has drawn significant attention in the past decades with numerous methodologies and applications for civil structural systems. Although many researchers have developed analytical and experimental damage detection algorithms through vibration-based methods, these methods are not widely accepted for practical structural systems because of their sensitivity to uncertain environmental and operational conditions. The primary environmental factor that influences the structural modal properties is temperature. The goal of this article is to analyze the natural frequency-temperature relationships and detect structural damage in the presence of operational and environmental variations using modal-based method. For this purpose, correlations between natural frequency and temperature are analyzed to select proper independent variables and inputs for the multiple linear regression model and neural network model. In order to capture the changes of natural frequency, confidence intervals to detect the damages for both models are generated. A long-term structural health monitoring system was installed on an in-service highway bridge located in Meriden, Connecticut to obtain vibration and environmental data. Experimental testing results show that the variability of measured natural frequencies due to temperature is captured, and the temperature-induced changes in natural frequencies have been considered prior to the establishment of the threshold in the damage warning system. This novel approach is applicable for structural health monitoring system and helpful to assess the performance of the structure for bridge management and maintenance.

Structural Damage Detection with Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giurgiutiu, Victor

2011-07-01

Piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) are lightweight and inexpensive enablers for a large class of damage detection and structural health monitoring (SHM) applications. This paper starts with a brief review of PWAS physical principles and basic modelling and continues by considering the various ways in which PWAS can be used for damage detection: (a) embedded guided-wave ultrasonics, i.e., pitch-catch, pulse-echo, phased arrays, thickness mode; (b) high-frequency modal sensing, i.e., the electro-mechanical (E/M) impedance method; (c) passive detection, i.e., acoustic emission and impact detection. An example of crack-like damage detection and localization with PWAS phased arrays on a small metallic plate is given. The modelling of PWAS detection of disbond damage in adhesive joints is achieved with the analytical transfer matrix method (TMM). The analytical methods offer the advantage of fast computation which enables parameter studies and carpet plots. A parametric study of the effect of crack size and PWAS location on disbond detection is presented. The power and energy transduction between PWAS and structure is studied analytically with a wave propagation method. Special attention is given to the mechatronics modeling of the complete transduction cycle from electrical excitation into ultrasonic acoustic waves by the piezoelectric effect, the transfer through the structure, and finally reverse piezoelectric transduction to generate the received electric signal. It is found that the combination of PWAS size and wave frequency/wavelength play an important role in identifying transduction maxima and minima that could be exploited to achieve an optimum power-efficient design. The multi-physics finite element method (MP-FEM), which permits fine discretization of damaged regions and complicated structural geometries, is used to study the generation of guided waves in a plate from an electrically excited transmitter PWAS and the capture of these waves as electric signals at a receiver PWAS. Wave diffraction from a hole damage is illustrated through time-frame snapshots. The paper ends with conclusions and suggestions for further work.

Dynamic response of RC beams strengthened with near surface mounted Carbon-FRP rods subjected to damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capozucca, R.; Blasi, M. G.; Corina, V.

2015-07-01

Near surface mounted (NSM) technique with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) is becoming a common method in the strengthening of concrete beams. The availability of NSM FRP technique depends on many factors linked to materials and geometry - dimensions of the rods used, type of FRP material employed, rods’ surface configuration, groove size - and to adhesion between concrete and FRP rods. In this paper detection of damage is investigated measuring the natural frequency values of beam in the case of free-free ends. Damage was due both to reduction of adhesion between concrete and carbon-FRP rectangular and circular rods and cracking of concrete under static bending tests on beams. Comparison between experimental and theoretical frequency values evaluating frequency changes due to damage permits to monitor actual behaviour of RC beams strengthened by NSM CFRP rods.

Experimental Investigations on Effect of Damage on Vibration Characteristics of a Reinforced Concrete Beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srinivas, V.; Jeyasehar, C. Antony; Ramanjaneyulu, K.; Sasmal, Saptarshi

2012-02-01

Need for developing efficient non-destructive damage assessment procedures for civil engineering structures is growing rapidly towards structural health assessment and management of existing structures. Damage assessment of structures by monitoring changes in the dynamic properties or response of the structure has received considerable attention in recent years. In the present study, damage assessment studies have been carried out on a reinforced concrete beam by evaluating the changes in vibration characteristics with the changes in damage levels. Structural damage is introduced by static load applied through a hydraulic jack. After each stage of damage, vibration testing is performed and system parameters were evaluated from the measured acceleration and displacement responses. Reduction in fundamental frequencies in first three modes is observed for different levels of damage. It is found that a consistent decrease in fundamental frequency with increase in damage magnitude is noted. The beam is numerically simulated and found that the vibration characteristics obtained from the measured data are in close agreement with the numerical data.

Monitoring of corrosion damage using high-frequency guided ultrasonic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chew, D.; Fromme, P.

2014-03-01

Due to adverse environmental conditions corrosion can develop during the life cycle of industrial structures, e.g., offshore oil platforms, ships, and desalination plants. Both pitting corrosion and generalized corrosion leading to wall thickness loss can cause the degradation of the integrity and load bearing capacity of the structure. Structural health monitoring of corrosion damage in difficult to access areas can in principle be achieved using high frequency guided waves propagating along the structure from accessible areas. Using standard ultrasonic transducers with single sided access to the structure, high frequency guided wave modes were generated that penetrate through the complete thickness of the structure. Wall thickness reduction was induced using accelerated corrosion in a salt water bath. The corrosion damage was monitored based on the effect on the wave propagation and interference of the different modes. The change in the wave interference was quantified based on an analysis in the frequency domain (Fourier transform) and was found to match well with theoretical predictions for the wall thickness loss. High frequency guided waves have the potential for corrosion damage monitoring at critical and difficult to access locations from a stand-off distance.

Monitoring of corrosion damage using high-frequency guided ultrasonic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chew, D.; Fromme, P.

2015-03-01

Due to adverse environmental conditions corrosion can develop during the life cycle of industrial structures, e.g., offshore oil platforms, ships, and desalination plants. Both pitting corrosion and generalized corrosion leading to wall thickness loss can cause the degradation of the integrity and load bearing capacity of the structure. Structural health monitoring of corrosion damage in difficult to access areas can in principle be achieved using high frequency guided waves propagating along the structure from accessible areas. Using standard ultrasonic transducers with single sided access to the structure, high frequency guided wave modes were generated that penetrate through the complete thickness of the structure. Wall thickness reduction was induced using accelerated corrosion in a salt water bath. The corrosion damage was monitored based on the effect on the wave propagation and interference of the different modes. The change in the wave interference was quantified based on an analysis in the frequency domain (Fourier transform) and was found to match well with theoretical predictions for the wall thickness loss. High frequency guided waves have the potential for corrosion damage monitoring at critical and difficult to access locations from a stand-off distance.

[Physical activity: positive impact on brain plasticity].

PubMed

Achiron, Anat; Kalron, Alon

2008-03-01

The central nervous system has a unique capability of plasticity that enables a single neuron or a group of neurons to undergo functional and constructional changes that are important to learning processes and for compensation of brain damage. The current review aims to summarize recent data related to the effects of physical activity on brain plasticity. In the last decade it was reported that physical activity can affect and manipulate neuronal connections, synaptic activity and adaptation to new neuronal environment following brain injury. One of the most significant neurotrophic factors that is critical for synaptic re-organization and is influenced by physical activity is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The frequency of physical activity and the intensity of exercises are of importance to brain remodeling, support neuronal survival and positively affect rehabilitation therapy. Physical activity should be employed as a tool to improve neural function in healthy subjects and in patients suffering from neurological damage.

Helicopter rotor blade frequency evolution with damage growth and signal processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Niranjan; Ganguli, Ranjan

2005-05-01

Structural damage in materials evolves over time due to growth of fatigue cracks in homogenous materials and a complicated process of matrix cracking, delamination, fiber breakage and fiber matrix debonding in composite materials. In this study, a finite element model of the helicopter rotor blade is used to analyze the effect of damage growth on the modal frequencies in a qualitative manner. Phenomenological models of material degradation for homogenous and composite materials are used. Results show that damage can be detected by monitoring changes in lower as well as higher mode flap (out-of-plane bending), lag (in-plane bending) and torsion rotating frequencies, especially for composite materials where the onset of the last stage of damage of fiber breakage is most critical. Curve fits are also proposed for mathematical modeling of the relationship between rotating frequencies and cycles. Finally, since operational data are noisy and also contaminated with outliers, denoising algorithms based on recursive median filters and radial basis function neural networks and wavelets are studied and compared with a moving average filter using simulated data for improved health-monitoring application. A novel recursive median filter is designed using integer programming through genetic algorithm and is found to have comparable performance to neural networks with much less complexity and is better than wavelet denoising for outlier removal. This filter is proposed as a tool for denoising time series of damage indicators.

Experimental assessment of an RFID-based crack sensor for steel structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

E Martínez-Castro, R.; Jang, S.; Nicholas, J.; Bansal, R.

2017-08-01

The use of welded steel cover plates had been a common design practice to increase beam section capacity in regions of high moment for decades. Many steel girder bridges with cover plates are still in service. Steel girder bridges are subject to cyclic loading, which can initiate crack formation at the toe of the weld and reduce beam capacity. Thus, timely detection of fatigue cracks is of utmost importance in steel girder bridge monitoring. To date, crack monitoring methods using in-house radio frequency identification (RFID)-based sensors have been developed to complement visual inspection and provide quantitative information of damage level. Offering similar properties at a reduced cost, commercial ultra-high frequency (UHF) passive RFID tags have been identified as a more financially viable option for pervasive crack monitoring using a dense array of sensors. This paper presents a study on damage sensitivity of low-cost commercial UHF RFID tags for crack detection and monitoring on metallic structures. Using backscatter power as a parameter for damage identification, a crack sensing system has been developed for single and multiple tag configurations for increased sensing pervasiveness. The effect on backscatter power of the existence and stage of crack propagation has been successfully characterized. For further automation of crack detection, a damage index based on the variation of backscatter power has also been established. The tested commercial RFID-based crack sensor contributes to the usage of this technology on steel girder bridges.

Assessment of DNA damage in ceramic workers.

PubMed

Anlar, Hatice Gul; Taner, Gokce; Bacanli, Merve; Iritas, Servet; Kurt, Turker; Tutkun, Engin; Yilmaz, Omer Hinc; Basaran, Nursen

2018-02-24

It is known that ceramic workers are potentially exposed to complex mixture of chemicals such as silica, inorganic lead, lime, beryllium and aluminum that can be associated with an increased risk of several diseases. All operations in the ceramic industries such as mixing, moulding, casting, shaking out and finishing jobs, have been associated with the higher exposure levels and in most of the silica-related industries, average overall exposure exceeded permissible exposure levels for respirable crystalline silica. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible genotoxic damage in ceramic workers exposed to complex mixture of chemicals mainly crystalline silica. For this purpose, the blood and buccal epithelial cell samples were taken from the ceramic workers (n = 99) and their controls (n = 81). The genotoxicity was assessed by the alkaline comet assay in isolated lymphocytes and whole blood. Micronucleus (MN), binucleated (BN), pyknotic (PYC), condensed chromatin (CC), karyolytic (KYL), karyorrhectic (KHC) and nuclear bud (NBUD) frequencies in buccal epithelial cells and plasma 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) levels were also evaluated. In the study, 38 workers were diagnosed with silicosis, 9 workers were suspected to have silicosis, whereas 52 workers were found to be healthy. DNA damage in blood and lymphocytes; MN, CC + KHC, PYC frequencies in buccal epithelial cells and 8-oxodG levels in plasma were increased in workers compared to their controls. These results showed that occupational chemical mixture exposure in ceramic industry may cause genotoxic damage that can lead to important health problems in the workers.

Relationship between genotoxicity and oxidative stress induced by mercury on common carp (Cyprinus carpio) tissues.

PubMed

García-Medina, Sandra; Galar-Martínez, Marcela; Gómez-Oliván, Leobardo Manuel; Ruiz-Lara, Karina; Islas-Flores, Hariz; Gasca-Pérez, Eloy

2017-11-01

Mercury is one of the most toxic metals in aquatic systems since it is able to induce neurobehavioral disorders as well as renal and gastrointestinal tract damage. The common carp Cyprinus carpio is an important species from both an ecological and economic viewpoint as it is consumed in many countries, the top producers being Mexico, China, India and Japan. The present study aimed to evaluate the relation between Hg-induced oxidative stress and genotoxicity in diverse tissues of C. carpio. Specimens were exposed to 0.01mgHg/L (the maximum permissible limit for aquatic life protection), and lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl content and the activity of antioxidant enzymes were evaluated at 96h. Micronuclei frequency and DNA damage by comet assay were determined at 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96h. Hg induced oxidative stress and genotoxicity on exposed fish, since inhibition of antioxidant enzymes activity and increases in lipid peroxidation, DNA damage and micronuclei frequency occurred. Blood, gill and liver were more susceptible to oxidative stress, while blood were more sensitive to genotoxicity. In conclusion, Hg at concentrations equal to the maximum permissible limit for aquatic life protection induced oxidative stress and genotoxicity on C. carpio, and these two effects prove to be correlated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Safety considerations for wireless delivery of continuous power to implanted medical devices.

PubMed

Lucke, Lori; Bluvshtein, Vlad

2014-01-01

Wireless power systems for use with implants are referred to as transcutaneous energy transmission systems (TETS) and consist of an implanted secondary coil and an external primary coil along with supporting electronics. A TETS system could be used to power ventricular assist systems and eliminate driveline infections. There are both direct and indirect safety concerns that must be addressed when continuously transferring power through the skin. Direct safety concerns include thermal tissue damage caused by exposure to the electromagnetic fields, coil heating effects, and potential unwanted nerve stimulation. Indirect concerns are those caused by potential interference of the TETS system with other implanted devices. Wireless power systems are trending towards higher frequency operation. Understanding the limits for safe operation of a TETS system across a range of frequencies is important. A low frequency and a high frequency implementation are simulated to demonstrate the impact of this trend for a VAD application.

Induction of genomic instability after an acute whole-body exposure of mice to 56Fe ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rithidech, Kanokporn; Supanpaiboon, Wisa; Whorton, Elbert

Different types of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) are present in space and have large mass and energy (HZE particles). Among these, stripped 56 Fe ions are of major concern. Although HZE particles are approximately 1% of GCR, their contribution to health risk could be significant because of (1) their high linear energy transfer (LET) resulting in a larger amount of energy being deposited in the hit cells, and (2) the lack of information on the effectiveness of these particles in cancer induction. To better protect astronauts in space environments, it is essential that we improve our understanding of the 56 Fe-ion-induced damage associated with the increased risk of late occurring diseases (such as cancer). It has been well established that acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the major malignancies associated with exposure to ionizing radiation in both human beings and in mice. It is therefore one of the most important cancers related to space flights. For these reasons, it is important to investigate 56 Fe ion-induced damage in in vivo systems, especially in those cells that are known to be at risk for health problems associated with radiation, such as hematopoietic cells, the known target cell for radiation-induced leukemia. Since in vivo studies of humans are not possible, animal studies are critically important. It has been widely suggested that elevation of delayed chromosomal damage (normally known as genomic instability) is associated with cancer risk. We therefore determined dose-response relationships for the frequencies of micronuclei (MN) in mouse blood erythrocytes as a measure of both initial radiation damage and the induction of genomic instability. The frequencies of MN were measured in mature normochromatic-erythrocytes (MN-NCEs) and immature polychromatic-erythrocytes (MN-PCEs). These measurements were made as a function of radiation dose, radiation quality, time after irradiation and the genetic background of exposed mice. Blood samples were collected from CBA/CaJ and C57BL/6J mice at different times up to 3 months following an acute whole-body exposure to various doses of 1 GeV/amu 56 Fe ions (0, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 cGy) or 137 Cs gamma rays (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 3.0 cGy, as a reference radiation). These strains of mouse are known to be sensitive (CBA/CaJ) or resistant (C57BL/6J) to radiation-induced chromosomal damage and AML. At 2 days after the exposure, our data indicated that there was no increase in the frequency of MN-PCEs in CBA/CaJ mice exposed to 56 Fe ions while the frequency of MN-PCEs elevated as a function of dose in the C57BL/6J mice. At day 4, there was no dose related increase in either strain of mouse exposed to either 56 Fe ions or 137 Cs gamma rays. We also found that at the early sacrifice times (2 and 4 days) the 56 Fe ions were slightly more effective, per unit dose, in inducing MN-NCEs than 137 Cs gamma rays in both strains. Likewise, no increase in the frequency of MN-NCEs was found at late times after an acute exposure to either type of radiation. In contrast, both types of radiation induced increased MN-PCE frequencies in irradiated CBA/CaJ mice, but not C57BL/6J mice, at late times post-exposure. This finding indicates the potential induction of genomic instability in hematopoietic cells of CBA/CaJ mice by both types of radiation. The finding also demonstrates the influence of genetic background on radiation-induced genomic instability in vivo. Research funded by NASA Grant #NAG9- 1 52 .

Disentangling factors that control the vulnerability of forests to catastrophic wind damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dracup, E.; Taylor, A.; MacLean, D.; Boulanger, Y.

2017-12-01

Wind is an important driver of forest dynamics along North America's north-eastern coastal forests, but also damages many commercially managed forests which society relies as an important source of wood fiber. Although the influence of wind on north-eastern forests is well recognized, knowledge of factors predisposing trees to wind damage is less known, especially in the context of large, powerful wind storm events. This is of particular concern as climate change is expected to alter the frequency and severity of strong wind storms affecting this region. On 29 September 2003, Hurricane Juan made landfall over Nova Scotia, Canada as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 158 km/h, and gusts of up to 185 km/h. Hurricane Juan variously damaged a swath of over 600,000 ha of forest. The damaged forest area was surveyed using aerial photography and LandSAT imagery and categorized according to level of wind damage sustained (none, low, moderate, severe) at a resolution of 15 x 15 m square cells. We used Random Forest to analyze and compare level of wind damage in each cell with a myriad of abiotic (exposure, depth to water table, soil composition, etc.) and biotic (tree species composition, canopy closure, canopy height, etc.) factors known or expected to predispose trees to windthrow. From our analysis, we identified topographic exposure, precipitation, and maximum gust speed as the top predictors of windthrow during Hurricane Juan. To our surprise, forest stand factors, such as tree species composition and height, had minimal effects on level of windthrow. These results can be used to construct predictive risk maps which can help society to assess the vulnerability of forests to future wind storm events.

Effects of the pulse width on the reactive species production and DNA damage in cancer cells exposed to atmospheric pressure microsecond-pulsed helium plasma jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joh, Hea Min; Choi, Ji Ye; Kim, Sun Ja; Kang, Tae Hong; Chung, T. H.

2017-08-01

Plasma-liquid and plasma-cell interactions were investigated using an atmospheric pressure dc microsecond-pulsed helium plasma jet. We investigated the effects of the electrical parameters such as applied voltage and pulse width (determined by the pulse frequency and duty ratio) on the production of reactive species in the gas/liquid phases and on the DNA damage responses in the cancer cells. The densities of reactive species including OH radicals were estimated inside the plasma-treated liquids using a chemical probe method, and the nitrite concentration was detected by Griess assay. Importantly, the more concentration of OH resulted in the more DNA base oxidation and breaks in human lung cancer A549 cells. The data are very suggestive that there is strong correlation between the production of OH in the plasmas/liquids and the DNA damage.

Analyses of Diamond Wire Sawn Wafers: Effect of Various Cutting Parameters

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

Sopori, Bhushan; Basnyat, Prakash; Devayajanam, Srinivas

We have evaluated surface characteristics of diamond wire cut (DWC) wafers sawn under a variety of cutting parameters. These characteristics include surface roughness, spatial frequencies of surface profiles, phase changes, damage depth, and lateral non-uniformities in the surface damage. Various cutting parameters investigated are: wire size, diamond grit size, reciprocating frequency, feed rate, and wire usage. Spatial frequency components of surface topography/roughness are influenced by individual cutting parameters as manifested by distinct peaks in the Fourier transforms of the Dektak profiles. The depth of damage is strongly controlled by diamond grit size and wire usage and to a smaller degreemore » by the wire size.« less

Effects of a fruit-vegetable dietary pattern on oxidative stress and genetic damage in coke oven workers: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Xie, Zheng; Lin, Haijiang; Fang, Renfei; Shen, Weiwei; Li, Shuguang; Chen, Bo

2015-05-06

Coke oven workers (COWs) are exposed to high level of genotoxic chemicals that induce oxidative stress and genetic damage. The dietary intake of certain types of foods may reverse these effects. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 51 topside COWs, 79 other COWs, and 67 controls, to assess the effects of dietary patterns on oxidative stress and genetic damage. Compared to the controls, both topside and other COWs had significantly higher urinary 1-hydroxypyrene levels, serum oxidant levels [malondialdehyde, (MDA)], and genetic damage [micronucleus (MN) frequency & 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG)], but lower antioxidant levels [superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase, (GPx)]. The fruit-vegetable (FV) dietary pattern was positively correlated with serum SOD levels and negative correlated with serum MDA, MN frequency, and urinary 8-OH-dG. COWs with an FV patter in the highest quartile (Q4) had significantly increased antioxidant levels (SOD and GPx) and decreased oxidant levels (MDA) and genetic damage (MN frequency and 8-OH-dG) than those with an FV pattern in the lowest quartile (Q1). Compared to control subjects, COWs had increased oxidative stress and genetic damage. A FV dietary pattern may reverse oxidative stress and genetic damage in COWs.

Evaluation of potential severe accidents during low power and shutdown operations at Surry, Unit 1: Analysis of core damage frequency from internal events during mid-loop operations, Appendices A--D. Volume 2, Part 2

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

Chu, T.L.; Musicki, Z.; Kohut, P.

1994-06-01

During 1989, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) initiated an extensive program to carefully examine the Potential risks during low Power and shutdown operations. The program includes two parallel projects being performed by Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). Two plants, Surry (pressurized water reactor) and Grand Gulf (boiling water reactor), were selected as the Plants to be studied. The objectives of the program are to assess the risks of severe accidents initiated during plant operational states other than full power operation and to compare the estimated core damage frequencies, important accident sequences and other qualitative and quantitativemore » results with those accidents initiated during full power operation as assessed in NUREG-1150. The objective of this report is to document the approach utilized in the Surry plant and discuss the results obtained. A parallel report for the Grand Gulf plant is prepared by SNL. This study shows that the core-damage frequency during mid-loop operation at the Surry plant is comparable to that of power operation. We recognize that there is very large uncertainty in the human error probabilities in this study. This study identified that only a few procedures are available for mitigating accidents that may occur during shutdown. Procedures written specifically for shutdown accidents would be useful. This document, Volume 2, Pt. 2 provides appendices A through D of this report.« less

[Pulse-modulated Electromagnetic Radiation of Extremely High Frequencies Protects Cellular DNA against Damaging Effect of Physico-Chemical Factors in vitro].

PubMed

Gapeyev, A B; Lukyanova, N A

2015-01-01

Using a comet assay technique, we investigated protective effects of. extremely high frequency electromagnetic radiation in combination with the damaging effect of X-ray irradiation, the effect of damaging agents hydrogen peroxide and methyl methanesulfonate on DNA in mouse whole blood leukocytes. It was shown that the preliminary exposure of the cells to low intensity pulse-modulated electromagnetic radiation (42.2 GHz, 0.1 mW/cm2, 20-min exposure, modulation frequencies of 1 and 16 Hz) caused protective effects decreasing the DNA damage by 20-45%. The efficacy of pulse-modulated electromagnetic radiation depended on the type of genotoxic agent and increased in a row methyl methanesulfonate--X-rays--hydrogen peroxide. Continuous electromagnetic radiation was ineffective. The mechanisms of protective effects may be connected with an induction of the adaptive response by nanomolar concentrations of reactive oxygen species formed by pulse-modulated electromagnetic radiation.

Quantification and identification of lightning damage in tropical forests.

PubMed

Yanoviak, Stephen P; Gora, Evan M; Burchfield, Jeffrey M; Bitzer, Phillip M; Detto, Matteo

2017-07-01

Accurate estimates of tree mortality are essential for the development of mechanistic forest dynamics models, and for estimating carbon storage and cycling. However, identifying agents of tree mortality is difficult and imprecise. Although lightning kills thousands of trees each year and is an important agent of mortality in some forests, the frequency and distribution of lightning-caused tree death remain unknown for most forests. Moreover, because all evidence regarding the effects of lightning on trees is necessarily anecdotal and post hoc, rigorous tests of hypotheses regarding the ecological effects of lightning are impossible. We developed a combined electronic sensor/camera-based system for the location and characterization of lightning strikes to the forest canopy in near real time and tested the system in the forest of Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Cameras mounted on towers provided continuous video recordings of the forest canopy that were analyzed to determine the locations of lightning strikes. We used a preliminary version of this system to record and locate 18 lightning strikes to the forest over a 3-year period. Data from field surveys of known lightning strike locations (obtained from the camera system) enabled us to develop a protocol for reliable, ground-based identification of suspected lightning damage to tropical trees. In all cases, lightning damage was relatively inconspicuous; it would have been overlooked by ground-based observers having no knowledge of the event. We identified three types of evidence that can be used to consistently identify lightning strike damage in tropical forests: (1) localized and directionally biased branch mortality associated with flashover among tree and sapling crowns, (2) mortality of lianas or saplings near lianas, and (3) scorched or wilting epiphytic and hemiepiphytic plants. The longitudinal trunk scars that are typical of lightning-damaged temperate trees were never observed in this study. Given the prevalence of communications towers worldwide, the lightning detection system described here could be implemented in diverse forest types. Data from multiple systems would provide an outstanding opportunity for comparative research on the ecological effects of lightning. Such comparative data are increasingly important given expected increases in lightning frequency with climatic change.

DNA damage protection by bulk and nano forms of quercetin in lymphocytes of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exposed to the food mutagen 2-amino-3-methylimidazo [4,5-f]quinolone (IQ).

PubMed

Habas, Khaled; Abdulmwli, Mhamoued; Demir, Eşref; Jacob, Badie K; Najafzadeh, Mojgan; Anderson, Diana

2018-05-25

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in humans, describes a group of lung conditions characterised by airflow limitation that is poorly reversible. The airflow limitation usually progresses slowly and is related to an abnormal inflammatory response of the lung to toxic particles. COPD is characterised by oxidative stress and an increased risk of lung carcinoma. The 2-amino-3-methylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) is one of a number of mutagenic/carcinogenic heterocyclic amines found mainly in well-cooked meats which are thus part of the regular diet. Antioxidants are very important in order to protect the cells against oxidative damage. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of IQ on the level of DNA damage and susceptibility to a potent mutagen in peripheral blood cells of COPD patients. DNA damage and the frequency of micronuclei (MNi) were evaluated using the Comet and micronucleus assays, respectively. Differential expressions of both mRNA and protein of the endogenous antioxidant enzyme catalase were evaluated with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blot analysis, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of bulk and nano forms of quercetin and their combination with IQ were examined. Results of the present study clearly demonstrated that MNi frequency in the peripheral blood lymphocytes exhibited a positive correlation with the DNA damage as evident from the different Comet assay parameters. Increase of the endogenous antioxidant catalase also showed there was a stimulation of this enzyme system by IQ. Whereas, the endogenous antioxidant quercetin significantly reduced oxidative stress in COPD patients and healthy individuals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identification of Damaged Wheat Kernels and Cracked-Shell Hazelnuts with Impact Acoustics Time-Frequency Patterns

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A new adaptive time-frequency (t-f) analysis and classification procedure is applied to impact acoustic signals for detecting hazelnuts with cracked shells and three types of damaged wheat kernels. Kernels were dropped onto a steel plate, and the resulting impact acoustic signals were recorded with ...

High-frequency microwave ablation method for enhanced cancer treatment with minimized collateral damage.

PubMed

Yoon, Jeonghoon; Cho, Jeiwon; Kim, Namgon; Kim, Dae-Duk; Lee, Eunsook; Cheon, Changyul; Kwon, Youngwoo

2011-10-15

To overcome the limits of conventional microwave ablation, a new frequency spectrum above 6 GHz has been explored for low-power and low collateral damage ablation procedure. A planar coaxial probe-based applicator, suitable for easy insertion into the human body, was developed for our study to cover a wideband frequency up to 30 GHz. Thermal ablations with small input power (1-3 W) at various microwave frequencies were performed on nude mice xenografted with human breast cancer. Comparative study of ablation efficiencies revealed that 18-GHz microwave results in the largest difference in the temperature rise between cancer and normal tissues as well as the highest ablation efficiency, reaching 20 times that of 2 GHz. Thermal profile study on the composite region of cancer and fat also showed significantly reduced collateral damage using 18 GHz. Application of low-power (1 W) 18-GHz microwave on the nude mice xenografted with human breast cancer cells resulted in recurrence-free treatment. The proposed microwave ablation method can be a very effective process to treat small-sized tumor with minimized invasiveness and collateral damages. Copyright © 2010 UICC.

Damage assessment in reinforced concrete using nonlinear vibration techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Den Abeele, K.; De Visscher, J.

2000-07-01

Reinforced concrete (RC) structures are subject to microcrack initiation and propagation at load levels far below the actual failure load. In this paper, nonlinear vibration techniques are applied to investigate stages of progressive damage in RC beams induced by static loading tests. At different levels of damage, a modal analysis is carried out, assuming the structure to behave linearly. At the same time, measurement of resonant frequencies and damping ratios as function of vibration amplitude are performed using a frequency domain technique as well as a time domain technique. We compare the results of the linear and nonlinear techniques, and value them against the visual damage evaluation.

Decision tree analysis of factors influencing rainfall-related building damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spekkers, M. H.; Kok, M.; Clemens, F. H. L. R.; ten Veldhuis, J. A. E.

2014-04-01

Flood damage prediction models are essential building blocks in flood risk assessments. Little research has been dedicated so far to damage of small-scale urban floods caused by heavy rainfall, while there is a need for reliable damage models for this flood type among insurers and water authorities. The aim of this paper is to investigate a wide range of damage-influencing factors and their relationships with rainfall-related damage, using decision tree analysis. For this, district-aggregated claim data from private property insurance companies in the Netherlands were analysed, for the period of 1998-2011. The databases include claims of water-related damage, for example, damages related to rainwater intrusion through roofs and pluvial flood water entering buildings at ground floor. Response variables being modelled are average claim size and claim frequency, per district per day. The set of predictors include rainfall-related variables derived from weather radar images, topographic variables from a digital terrain model, building-related variables and socioeconomic indicators of households. Analyses were made separately for property and content damage claim data. Results of decision tree analysis show that claim frequency is most strongly associated with maximum hourly rainfall intensity, followed by real estate value, ground floor area, household income, season (property data only), buildings age (property data only), ownership structure (content data only) and fraction of low-rise buildings (content data only). It was not possible to develop statistically acceptable trees for average claim size, which suggest that variability in average claim size is related to explanatory variables that cannot be defined at the district scale. Cross-validation results show that decision trees were able to predict 22-26% of variance in claim frequency, which is considerably better compared to results from global multiple regression models (11-18% of variance explained). Still, a large part of the variance in claim frequency is left unexplained, which is likely to be caused by variations in data at subdistrict scale and missing explanatory variables.

[Distribution of individuals by spontaneous frequencies of lymphocytes with micronuclei. Particularity and consequences].

PubMed

Serebrianyĭ, A M; Akleev, A V; Aleshchenko, A V; Antoshchina, M M; Kudriashova, O V; Riabchenko, N I; Semenova, L P; Pelevina, I I

2011-01-01

By micronucleus (MN) assay with cytokinetic cytochalasin B block, the mean frequency of blood lymphocytes with MN has been determined in 76 Moscow inhabitants, 35 people from Obninsk and 122 from Chelyabinsk region. In contrast to the distribution of individuals on spontaneous frequency of cells with aberrations, which was shown to be binomial (Kusnetzov et al., 1980), the distribution of individuals on the spontaneous frequency of cells with MN in all three massif can be acknowledged as log-normal (chi2 test). Distribution of individuals in the joined massifs (Moscow and Obninsk inhabitants) and in the unique massif of all inspected with great reliability must be acknowledged as log-normal (0.70 and 0.86 correspondingly), but it cannot be regarded as Poisson, binomial or normal. Taking into account that log-normal distribution of children by spontaneous frequency of lymphocytes with MN has been observed by the inspection of 473 children from different kindergartens in Moscow we can make the conclusion that log-normal is regularity inherent in this type of damage of lymphocytes genome. On the contrary the distribution of individuals on induced by irradiation in vitro lymphocytes with MN frequency in most cases must be acknowledged as normal. This distribution character points out that damage appearance in the individual (genomic instability) in a single lymphocytes increases the probability of the damage appearance in another lymphocytes. We can propose that damaged stem cells lymphocyte progenitor's exchange by information with undamaged cells--the type of the bystander effect process. It can also be supposed that transmission of damage to daughter cells occurs in the time of stem cells division.

Alleviation effect of alginate-derived oligosaccharides on Vicia faba root tip cells damaged by cadmium.

PubMed

Ma, L J; Zhang, Y; Bu, N; Wang, S H

2010-02-01

Cadmium has been shown to prevent Vicia faba growth by inhibiting cell mitosis. In this study we investigated the role of Alginate-derived Oligosaccharides (ADO) in alleviating Vicia faba root tip cells damaged by 6 and 8 mg L(-1) CdCl2. Micronucleus assay and chromosomal aberration assay were used to determine mitotic index, micronucleus frequency and chromosomal aberration frequency. The results showed that micronucleus frequency of Vicia faba root tip cells was inhibited under all the ADO concentrations. Especially, the inhibition ratio of 0.125% ADO highly reached 66.11 and 67.17% in 6 and 8 mg L(-1) CdCl2, respectively. Furthermore, the mitotic index increased (p < 0.05) and chromosomal aberration frequency decreased (p < 0.05) under all the ADO concentrations. This indicated that ADO had a significant alleviation effect on Vicia faba root tip cells damaged by cadmium.

MOF Suppresses Replication Stress and Contributes to Resolution of Stalled Replication Forks.

PubMed

Singh, Dharmendra Kumar; Pandita, Raj K; Singh, Mayank; Chakraborty, Sharmistha; Hambarde, Shashank; Ramnarain, Deepti; Charaka, Vijaya; Ahmed, Kazi Mokim; Hunt, Clayton R; Pandita, Tej K

2018-03-15

The human MOF (hMOF) protein belongs to the MYST family of histone acetyltransferases and plays a critical role in transcription and the DNA damage response. MOF is essential for cell proliferation; however, its role during replication and replicative stress is unknown. Here we demonstrate that cells depleted of MOF and under replicative stress induced by cisplatin, hydroxyurea, or camptothecin have reduced survival, a higher frequency of S-phase-specific chromosome damage, and increased R-loop formation. MOF depletion decreased replication fork speed and, when combined with replicative stress, also increased stalled replication forks as well as new origin firing. MOF interacted with PCNA, a key coordinator of replication and repair machinery at replication forks, and affected its ubiquitination and recruitment to the DNA damage site. Depletion of MOF, therefore, compromised the DNA damage repair response as evidenced by decreased Mre11, RPA70, Rad51, and PCNA focus formation, reduced DNA end resection, and decreased CHK1 phosphorylation in cells after exposure to hydroxyurea or cisplatin. These results support the argument that MOF plays an important role in suppressing replication stress induced by genotoxic agents at several stages during the DNA damage response. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Immunohistochemical Analysis of the Structure of Injured Peripheral Nerve Neuroma after Electrosurgical Welding Intervention.

PubMed

Korsak, A V; Chaikovskii, Yu B

2015-10-01

Immunohistochemical analysis of changes in neuroma after surgical treatment of damaged peripheral nerve with the use of high frequency electrosurgical device for high frequency current welding of soft tissues was carried out. No adverse effects of this technology and the bipolar instrument on degeneration and regeneration of damaged nerve stem were detected.

Detection of Non-Symmetrical Damage in Smart Plate-Like Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blanks, H. T.; Emeric, P. R.

1998-01-01

A two-dimensional model for in-plane vibrations of a cantilever plate with a non-symmetrical damage is used in the context of defect identification in materials with piezoelectric ceramic patches bonded to their surface. These patches can act both as actuators and sensors in a self-analyzing fashion, which is a characteristic of smart materials. A Galerkin method is used to approximate the dynamic response of these structures. The natural frequency shifts due to the damage are estimated numerically and compared to experimental data obtained from tests on cantilever aluminum plate-like structures damaged at different locations with defects of different depths. The damage location and extent are determined by an enhanced least square identification method. Efficacy of the frequency shift based algorithms is demonstrated using experimental data.

Current perspectives on CHEK2 mutations in breast cancer

PubMed Central

Apostolou, Panagiotis; Papasotiriou, Ioannis

2017-01-01

Checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK2) is a serine/threonine kinase which is activated upon DNA damage and is implicated in pathways that govern DNA repair, cell cycle arrest or apoptosis in response to the initial damage. Loss of kinase function has been correlated with different types of cancer, mainly breast cancer. CHEK2 functionality is affected by different missense or deleterious mutations. CHEK2*1100delC and I157T are most studied in populations all over the world. Although these variants have been identified in patients with breast cancer, their frequency raises doubts about their importance as risk factors. The present article reviews the recent advances in research on CHEK2 mutations, focusing on breast cancer, based on the latest experimental data. PMID:28553140

Current perspectives on CHEK2 mutations in breast cancer.

PubMed

Apostolou, Panagiotis; Papasotiriou, Ioannis

2017-01-01

Checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK2) is a serine/threonine kinase which is activated upon DNA damage and is implicated in pathways that govern DNA repair, cell cycle arrest or apoptosis in response to the initial damage. Loss of kinase function has been correlated with different types of cancer, mainly breast cancer. CHEK2 functionality is affected by different missense or deleterious mutations. CHEK2*1100delC and I157T are most studied in populations all over the world. Although these variants have been identified in patients with breast cancer, their frequency raises doubts about their importance as risk factors. The present article reviews the recent advances in research on CHEK2 mutations, focusing on breast cancer, based on the latest experimental data.

Effect of higher frequency components and duration of vibration on bone tissue alterations in the rat-tail model

PubMed Central

PEELUKHANA, Srikara V.; GOENKA, Shilpi; KIM, Brian; KIM, Jay; BHATTACHARYA, Amit; STRINGER, Keith F.; BANERJEE, Rupak K.

2015-01-01

To formulate more accurate guidelines for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) linked to Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), delineation of the response of bone tissue under different frequencies and duration of vibration needs elucidation. Rat-tails were vibrated at 125 Hz (9 rats) and 250 Hz (9 rats), at 49 m/s2, for 1D (6 rats), 5D (6 rats) and 20D (6 rats); D=days (4 h/d). Rats in the control group (6 rats for the vibration groups; 2 each for 1D, 5D, and 20D) were left in their cages, without being subjected to any vibration. Structural and biochemical damages were quantified using empty lacunae count and nitrotyrosine signal-intensity, respectively. One-way repeated-measure mixed-model ANOVA at p<0.05 level of significance was used for analysis. In the cortical bone, structural damage quantified through empty lacunae count was significant (p<0.05) at 250 Hz (10.82 ± 0.66) in comparison to the control group (7.41 ± 0.76). The biochemical damage was significant (p<0.05) at both the 125 Hz and 250 Hz vibration frequencies. The structural damage was significant (p<0.05) at 5D for cortical bone while the trabecular bone showed significant (p<0.05) damage at 20D time point. Further, the biochemical damage increased with increase in the duration of vibration with a significant (p<0.05) damage observed at 20D time point and a near significant change (p=0.08) observed at 5D time point. Structural and biochemical changes in bone tissue are dependent upon higher vibration frequencies of 125 Hz, 250 Hz and the duration of vibration (5D, 20D). PMID:25843564

Susceptibility to DNA damage in workers occupationally exposed to pesticides, to tannery chemicals and to coal dust during mining

PubMed Central

Kvitko, Katia; Bandinelli, Eliane; Henriques, João A.P.; Heuser, Vanina D.; Rohr, Paula; da Silva, Fernanda R.; Schneider, Naye Balzan; Fernandes, Simone; Ancines, Camile; da Silva, Juliana

2012-01-01

Our mutagenesis group has been studying with important economic drivers of our state, such as agriculture, the foot-wear and leather industry and open-cast coal mining. Working conditions in these sectors have potentially harmful to humans. The aim of these studies is to determine the health risk of workers by biomonitoring subjects exposed to genotoxic agents. The main results of our studies with vineyard farmers we observed a high rate of MN and DNA damage in individuals exposed to pesticides (p < 0.001). In addition, some effects of genetic polymorphisms in the modulation of MN results were observed in this group. Tobacco farmers were also evaluated at different crop times. The results showed a significant increase in the Damage index and frequency in tobacco farmers compared to the non-exposed group, for all crop times. The results for footwear and tannery workers showed a significant increase in the mean ID for the solvent-based adhesive (p < 0.001) group in comparison to the water-based adhesive group and control (p < 0.05). For open-cast coal mine workers, the EBCyt indicated a significant increase in nuclear bud frequency and cytokinetic defects in the exposed group compared to the non-exposed group (p < 0.0001). We were able to associate specific genetic susceptibility with each type of exposure and with the non-use or improper use of personal protection equipment and diet adequacy. These results show how important the continuous education of exposed workers is to minimizing the effect of the occupational exposure and the risk of disease associated with the work. PMID:23413045

Atomic precision etch using a low-electron temperature plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorf, L.; Wang, J.-C.; Rauf, S.; Zhang, Y.; Agarwal, A.; Kenney, J.; Ramaswamy, K.; Collins, K.

2016-03-01

Sub-nm precision is increasingly being required of many critical plasma etching processes in the semiconductor industry. Accurate control over ion energy and ion/radical composition is needed during plasma processing to meet these stringent requirements. Described in this work is a new plasma etch system which has been designed with the requirements of atomic precision plasma processing in mind. In this system, an electron sheet beam parallel to the substrate surface produces a plasma with an order of magnitude lower electron temperature Te (~ 0.3 eV) and ion energy Ei (< 3 eV without applied bias) compared to conventional radio-frequency (RF) plasma technologies. Electron beam plasmas are characterized by higher ion-to-radical fraction compared to RF plasmas, so a separate radical source is used to provide accurate control over relative ion and radical concentrations. Another important element in this plasma system is low frequency RF bias capability which allows control of ion energy in the 2-50 eV range. Presented in this work are the results of etching of a variety of materials and structures performed in this system. In addition to high selectivity and low controllable etch rate, an important requirement of atomic precision etch processes is no (or minimal) damage to the remaining material surface. It has traditionally not been possible to avoid damage in RF plasma processing systems, even during atomic layer etch. The experiments for Si etch in Cl2 based plasmas in the aforementioned etch system show that damage can be minimized if the ion energy is kept below 10 eV. Layer-by-layer etch of Si is also demonstrated in this etch system using electrical and gas pulsing.

Indoor Air Problems and Hoarseness in Children.

PubMed

Kallvik, Emma; Putus, Tuula; Simberg, Susanna

2016-01-01

A well-functioning voice is becoming increasingly important because voice-demanding professions are increasing. The largest proportion of voice disorders is caused by factors in the environment. Moisture damage is common and can initiate microbial growth and/or diffusion of chemicals from building materials. Indoor air problems due to moisture damage are associated with a number of health symptoms, for example, rhinitis, cough, and asthma symptoms. The purpose of this study was to investigate if children attending a day care center, preschool, or school with indoor air problems due to moisture damage were hoarse more often than the children in a control group. Information was collected through electronic and paper questionnaires from the parents of 6- to 9-year-old children (n = 1857) attending 57 different day care centers, preschools, or schools with or without indoor air problems due to moisture damage. The results showed a significant correlation between the degree of indoor air problem due to moisture damage and the frequency of hoarseness. Significant predictors for the child being hoarse every week or more often were dry cough, phlegm cough, and nasal congestion. The results indicate that these symptoms and exposure to indoor air problems due to moisture damage should be included in voice anamnesis. Furthermore, efforts should be made to remediate indoor air problems due to moisture damage and to treat health symptoms. Copyright © 2016 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Feasibility study of modeling liver thermal damage using minimally invasive optical method adequate for in situ measurement.

PubMed

Zhao, Jinzhe; Zhao, Qi; Jiang, Yingxu; Li, Weitao; Yang, Yamin; Qian, Zhiyu; Liu, Jia

2018-06-01

Liver thermal ablation techniques have been widely used for the treatment of liver cancer. Kinetic model of damage propagation play an important role for ablation prediction and real-time efficacy assessment. However, practical methods for modeling liver thermal damage are rare. A minimally invasive optical method especially adequate for in situ liver thermal damage modeling is introduced in this paper. Porcine liver tissue was heated by water bath under different temperatures. During thermal treatment, diffuse reflectance spectrum of liver was measured by optical fiber and used to deduce reduced scattering coefficient (μ ' s ). Arrhenius parameters were obtained through non-isothermal heating approach with damage marker of μ ' s . Activation energy (E a ) and frequency factor (A) was deduced from these experiments. A pair of averaged value is 1.200 × 10 5  J mol -1 and 4.016 × 10 17  s -1 . The results were verified for their reasonableness and practicality. Therefore, it is feasible to modeling liver thermal damage based on minimally invasive measurement of optical property and in situ kinetic analysis of damage progress with Arrhenius model. These parameters and this method are beneficial for preoperative planning and real-time efficacy assessment of liver ablation therapy. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Fiber Optic Doppler Sensor and Its Application in Debonding Detection for Composite Structures

PubMed Central

Li, Fucai; Murayama, Hideaki; Kageyama, Kazuro; Meng, Guang; Ohsawa, Isamu; Shirai, Takehiro

2010-01-01

Debonding is one of the most important damage forms in fiber-reinforced composite structures. This work was devoted to the debonding damage detection of lap splice joints in carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) structures, which is based on guided ultrasonic wave signals captured by using fiber optic Doppler (FOD) sensor with spiral shape. Interferometers based on two types of laser sources, namely the He-Ne laser and the infrared semiconductor laser, are proposed and compared in this study for the purpose of measuring Doppler frequency shift of the FOD sensor. Locations of the FOD sensors are optimized based on mechanical characteristics of lap splice joint. The FOD sensors are subsequently used to detect the guided ultrasonic waves propagating in the CFRP structures. By taking advantage of signal processing approaches, features of the guided wave signals can be revealed. The results demonstrate that debonding in the lap splice joint results in arrival time delay of the first package in the guided wave signals, which can be the characteristic for debonding damage inspection and damage extent estimation. PMID:22219698

A fiber optic Doppler sensor and its application in debonding detection for composite structures.

PubMed

Li, Fucai; Murayama, Hideaki; Kageyama, Kazuro; Meng, Guang; Ohsawa, Isamu; Shirai, Takehiro

2010-01-01

Debonding is one of the most important damage forms in fiber-reinforced composite structures. This work was devoted to the debonding damage detection of lap splice joints in carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) structures, which is based on guided ultrasonic wave signals captured by using fiber optic Doppler (FOD) sensor with spiral shape. Interferometers based on two types of laser sources, namely the He-Ne laser and the infrared semiconductor laser, are proposed and compared in this study for the purpose of measuring Doppler frequency shift of the FOD sensor. Locations of the FOD sensors are optimized based on mechanical characteristics of lap splice joint. The FOD sensors are subsequently used to detect the guided ultrasonic waves propagating in the CFRP structures. By taking advantage of signal processing approaches, features of the guided wave signals can be revealed. The results demonstrate that debonding in the lap splice joint results in arrival time delay of the first package in the guided wave signals, which can be the characteristic for debonding damage inspection and damage extent estimation.

Feral livestock threatens landscapes dominated by columnar cacti

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malo, J. E.; Acebes, P.; Giannoni, S. M.; Traba, J.

2011-05-01

The introduction and naturalization of alien species represents a serious threat to many natural protected areas. One such case of worldwide concern is the impact of feral livestock on arid ecosystems. Damage suffered by Echinopsis (= Trichocereus) terscheckii dominating the landscape of rocky slopes was surveyed in seven locations within the Ischigualasto-Talampaya World Heritage Site (Argentina) by measuring the frequency, position on the plant and extent of damage. At the same time we employed transects to estimate the abundance of autochtonous and feral large herbivores ( Lama guanicoe, Bos taurus, Equus asinus) from their dung. Our results show relatively high damage levels (40-77% of individuals damaged, more than 5 dm 3 removed by plant in some sites), particularly within 0.50-1.75 m above the ground, showing herbivores to be the main responsible for them. We also found significant differences between sites in variables measuring damage level and in the intensity of use by the two feral livestock species but not by guanacos. The frequency of damaged cacti below 1.75 m (but not above) was significantly positively correlated among locations with the frequencies of cattle and donkey dung, and the damage suffered by individual cacti was also correlated with donkey and cattle dung in their surroundings after correcting for spatial effects. However, all correlations were non-significant in the case of guanacos. We conclude that the continued presence of feral livestock, particularly donkeys, leads to damages to columnar cacti with potential effects on their populations and the physiognomy of this protected landscape.

Impact damage visualization in a honeycomb composite panel through laser inspection using zero-lag cross-correlation imaging condition.

PubMed

Girolamo, Donato; Chang, Huan-Yu; Yuan, Fuh-Gwo

2018-07-01

A fully non-contact laser-based nondestructive inspection (NDI) system is developed to detect and visualize damage in structures. The study focuses on the size quantification and characterization of a barely visible impact damage (BVID) in a honeycomb composite panel. The hardware consists of a Q-switched Nd:YAG pulse laser that probes the panel by generating broadband guided waves via thermo-elastic expansion. The laser, in combination with a set of galvano-mirrors is used to raster scan over a two-dimensional surface covering the damaged region of an impacted quasi-isotropic [60/0/-60] s honeycomb composite panel. The out-of-plane velocities are measured at a fixed location normal to the surface by a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). An ultrasonic full wavefield assembled from the three-dimensional space-time data matrix in the interrogated area is first acquired and then processed for imaging the impacted damage area. A wavenumber filtering technique in terms of wave vectors is applied to distinguish the forward and backward wavefields in the wavenumber-frequency domain. A zero-lag cross correlation (ZLCC) imaging condition is then employed in the space-frequency domain for damage imaging. The ZLCC imaging condition consists of cross correlating the incident and reflected wavefields in the entire scanned region. The condition not only images the damage boundary between incident and reflected waves outside the damage region but also, for longer time windows, enables to capture the momentary standing waves formed within the damaged region. The ZLCC imaging condition imaged two delaminated region: a main delamination, which was a skewed elliptic with major and minor axis lengths roughly 17 mm and 10 mm respectively, and a secondary delamination region approximately 6 mm by 4 mm, however, which can only be shown at higher frequency range around 80-95 kHz. To conclude, the ZLCC results were in very good agreement with ultrasonic C-scan and X-ray computed tomographic (X-ray CT) scan results. Since the imaging condition is performed in the space-frequency domain, the imaging from ZLCC can also reveal resonance modes which are shown in the main delaminated area by windowing a narrow frequency band sequentially. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A discussion on the merits and limitations of using drive-by monitoring to detect localised damage in a bridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hester, David; González, Arturo

2017-06-01

Given the large number of bridges that currently have no instrumentation, there are obvious advantages in monitoring the condition of a bridge by analysing the response of a vehicle crossing it. As a result, the last two decades have seen a rise in the research attempting to solve the problem of identifying damage in a bridge from vehicle measurements. This paper examines the theoretical feasibility and practical limitations of a drive-by system in identifying damage associated to localised stiffness losses. First, the nature of the damage feature that is sought within the vehicle response needs to be characterized. For this purpose, the total vehicle response is considered to be made of 'static' and 'dynamic' components, and where the bridge has experienced a localised loss in stiffness, an additional 'damage' component. Understanding the nature of this 'damage' component is crucial to have an informed discussion on how damage can be identified and localised. Leveraging this new understanding, the authors propose a wavelet-based drive-by algorithm. By comparing the effect of the 'damage' component to other key effects defining the measurements such as 'vehicle speed', the 'road profile' and 'noise' on a wavelet contour plot, it is possible to establish if there is a frequency range where drive-by can be successful. The algorithm uses then specific frequency bands to improve the sensitivity to damage with respect to limitations imposed by Vehicle-Bridge vibrations. Recommendations on the selection of the mother wavelet and frequency band are provided. Finally, the paper discusses the impact of noise and road profile on the ability of the approach to identify damage and how periodic measurements can be effective at monitoring localised stiffness changes.

Genotoxicity following Organophosphate Pesticides Exposure among Orang Asli Children Living in an Agricultural Island in Kuala Langat, Selangor, Malaysia.

PubMed

Sutris, J M; How, V; Sumeri, S A; Muhammad, M; Sardi, D; Mohd Mokhtar, M T; Muhammad, H; Ghazi, H F; Isa, Z M

2016-01-01

Agriculture is an important sector for the Malaysian economy. The use of pesticides in agriculture is crucial due to its function in keeping the crops from harmful insects. Children living near agricultural fields are at risk of pesticide poisoning. To evaluate the genotoxic risk among children who exposed to pesticides and measure DNA damage due to pesticides exposure. In a cross-sectional study 180 Orang Asli Mah Meri children aged between 7 and 12 years were studied. They were all living in an agricultural island in Kuala Langat, Selangor, Malaysia. The data for this study were collected via modified validated questionnaire and food frequency questionnaire, which consisted of 131 food items. 6 urinary organophosphate metabolites were used as biomarkers for pesticides exposure. For genotoxic risk or genetic damage assessment, the level of DNA damage from exfoliated buccal mucosa cells was measured using the comet assay electrophoresis method. Out of 180 respondents, 84 (46.7%) showed positive traces of organophosphate metabolites in their urine. Children with detectable urinary pesticide had a longer tail length (median 43.5; IQR 30.9 to 68.1 μm) than those with undetectable urinary pesticides (median 24.7; IQR 9.5 to 48.1 μm). There was a significant association between the extent of DNA damage and the children's age, length of residence in the area, pesticides detection, and frequency of apple consumption. The organophosphate genotoxicity among children is associated with the amount of exposure (detectability of urinary pesticide) and length of residence in (exposure) the study area.

A comparative assessment of different frequency based damage detection in unidirectional composite plates using MFC sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Medeiros, Ricardo; Sartorato, Murilo; Vandepitte, Dirk; Tita, Volnei

2016-11-01

The basic concept of the vibration based damage identification methods is that the dynamic behaviour of a structure can change if damage occurs. Damage in a structure can alter the structural integrity, and therefore, the physical properties like stiffness, mass and/or damping may change. The dynamic behaviour of a structure is a function of these physical properties and will, therefore, directly be affected by the damage. The dynamic behaviour can be described in terms of time, frequency and modal domain parameters. The changes in these parameters (or properties derived from these parameters) are used as indicators of damage. Hence, this work has two main objectives. The first one is to provide an overview of the structural vibration based damage identification methods. For this purpose, a fundamental description of the structural vibration based damage identification problem is given, followed by a short literature overview of the damage features, which are commonly addressed. The second objective is to create a damage identification method for detection of the damage in composite structures. To aid in this process, two basic principles are discussed, namely the effect of the potential damage case on the dynamic behaviour, and the consequences involved with the information reduction in the signal processing. Modal properties from the structural dynamic output response are obtained. In addition, experimental and computational results are presented for the application of modal analysis techniques applied to composite specimens with and without damage. The excitation of the structures is performed using an impact hammer and, for measuring the output data, accelerometers as well as piezoelectric sensors. Finite element models are developed by shell elements, and numerical results are compared to experimental data, showing good correlation for the response of the specimens in some specific frequency range. Finally, FRFs are analysed using suitable metrics, including a new one, which are compared in terms of their capability for damage identification. The experimental and numerical results show that the vibration-based damage methods combined to the metrics can be used in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems to identify the damage in the structure.

Sister chromatid exchange rate and alkaline comet assay scores in patients with ovarian cancer.

PubMed

Baltaci, Volkan; Kayikçioğlu, Fulya; Alpas, Idil; Zeyneloğlu, Hulusi; Haberal, Ali

2002-01-01

Sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequencies were studied in patients with different types of ovarian malignancies and in healthy volunteers. The level of DNA damage in patients with ovarian malignancy and control subjects has also been studied by alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE), also known as the comet assay. Peripheral blood was collected from 30 patients after histological confirmation of malignancy and 20 healthy female volunteers. The cells were evaluated according to their grade of damage. We found that the sister chromatid exchange frequencies of cancer cases were significantly greater than that of controls (P < 0.001). The frequency of exchange in chromosomal groups A, B, and C, which include chromosomes 1-12, was higher than that of the other chromosomal groups in both groups. Comparison of the results of the alkaline comet assay in patient and control subjects showed a significant difference in the number of damaged cells. The frequency of limited migrated and extensive migrated cells in the women with ovarian malignancies was higher than that of control women (P < 0.001). SCE and SCGE can be used successfully to monitor DNA damage in women with ovarian cancer.

A novel nonlinear damage resonance intermodulation effect for structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciampa, Francesco; Scarselli, Gennaro; Meo, Michele

2017-04-01

This paper is aimed at developing a theoretical model able to predict the generation of nonlinear elastic effects associated to the interaction of ultrasonic waves with the steady-state nonlinear response of local defect resonance (LDR). The LDR effect is used in nonlinear elastic wave spectroscopy to enhance the excitation of the material damage at its local resonance, thus to dramatically increase the vibrational amplitude of material nonlinear phenomena. The main result of this work is to prove both analytically and experimentally the generation of novel nonlinear elastic wave effects, here named as nonlinear damage resonance intermodulation, which correspond to a nonlinear intermodulation between the driving frequency and the LDR one. Beside this intermodulation effect, other nonlinear elastic wave phenomena such as higher harmonics of the input frequency and superharmonics of LDR frequency were found. The analytical model relies on solving the nonlinear equation of motion governing bending displacement under the assumption of both quadratic and cubic nonlinear defect approximation. Experimental tests on a damaged composite laminate confirmed and validated these predictions and showed that using continuous periodic excitation, the nonlinear structural phenomena associated to LDR could also be featured at locations different from the damage resonance. These findings will provide new opportunities for material damage detection using nonlinear ultrasounds.

Response-only method for damage detection of beam-like structures using high accuracy frequencies with auxiliary mass spatial probing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Shuncong; Oyadiji, S. Olutunde; Ding, Kang

2008-04-01

This paper proposes a new approach based on auxiliary mass spatial probing using spectral centre correction method (SCCM), to provide a simple solution for damage detection by just using the response time history of beam-like structures. The natural frequencies of a damaged beam with a traversing auxiliary mass change due to change in the inertia of the beam as the auxiliary mass is traversed along the beam, as well as the point-to-point variations in the flexibility of the beam. Therefore the auxiliary mass can enhance the effects of the crack on the dynamics of the beam and, therefore, facilitate the identification and location of damage in the beam. That is, the auxiliary mass can be used to probe the dynamic characteristic of the beam by traversing the mass from one end of the beam to the other. However, it is impossible to obtain accurate modal frequencies by the direct operation of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) of the response data of the structure because the frequency spectrum can be only calculated from limited sampled time data which results in the well-known leakage effect. SCCM is identical to the energy centrobaric correction method (ECCM) which is a practical and effective method used in rotating mechanical fault diagnosis and which resolves the shortcoming of FFT and can provide high accuracy estimate of frequency, amplitude and phase. In the present work, the modal responses of damaged simply supported beams with auxiliary mass are computed using the finite element method (FEM). The graphical plots of the natural frequencies calculated by SCCM versus axial location of auxiliary mass are obtained. However, it is difficult to locate the crack directly from the curve of natural frequencies. A simple and fast method, the derivatives of natural frequency curve, is proposed in the paper which can provide crack information for damage detection of beam-like structures. The efficiency and practicability of the proposed method is illustrated via numerical simulation. For real cases, experimental noise is expected to corrupt the response data and, ultimately, the natural frequencies of beam-like structures. Therefore, the response data with a normally distributed random noise is also studied. Also, the effects of crack depth, auxiliary mass and damping ratios on the proposed method are investigated. From the simulated results, the efficiency and robustness of the proposed method is demonstrated. The results show that the proposed method has low computational cost and high precision.

Acoustical Detection Of Leakage In A Combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Puster, Richard L.; Petty, Jeffrey L.

1993-01-01

Abnormal combustion excites characteristic standing wave. Acoustical leak-detection system gives early warning of failure, enabling operating personnel to stop combustion process and repair spray bar before leak grows large enough to cause damage. Applicable to engines, gas turbines, furnaces, and other machines in which acoustic emissions at known frequencies signify onset of damage. Bearings in rotating machines monitored for emergence of characteristic frequencies shown in previous tests associated with incipient failure. Also possible to monitor for signs of trouble at multiple frequencies by feeding output of transducer simultaneously to multiple band-pass filters and associated circuitry, including separate trigger circuit set to appropriate level for each frequency.

Functional and histological bladder damage in mice after photodynamic therapy: the influence of sensitiser dose and time of administration.

PubMed Central

Stewart, F. A.; Oussoren, Y.

1993-01-01

The bladders of anaesthetised mice were illuminated with red laser light (630 nm) at intervals of 1 day to 4 weeks after i.p. administration of Photofrin. Light was delivered intravesically by inserting a fibre optic, with a diffusing bulb tip, into the centre of fluid filled bladders. A single light dose of 11.3 J cm-2 applies 1 day after 10 mg kg-1 Photofrin caused a severe acute response, with increased urination frequency (five to seven times control) and hematuria. Recovery was good, however, and by 10 weeks only a mild (approximately two-fold) increase in frequency remained. There was no reduction in the amount of acute bladder damage or in the rate of healing when the interval between Photofrin and light was increased from 1 to 7 days but a 2 to 3 week interval lead to a significant reduction in damage. For an interval of 4 weeks there was only a mild (less than two-fold) increase in urination frequency during the first week. A drug dose of 2.5 mg kg-1 given 1 day before illumination caused transient haematuria but no increase in urination frequency. Doses of 5, 7.5 or 10 mg kg-1 all caused photosensitisation and the amount of bladder damage was drug dose dependent. The bladder seems to be well able to recover from severe acute damage induced by PDT. Occasional incidences of pyelonephritis were seen, however, suggesting that urinary tract infection during the acute period may lead to permanent renal damage. Images Figure 5 PMID:8398691

Propogation loss with frequency of ultrasound guided waves in a composite metal-honeycomb structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saxena, Indu F.; Baid, Harsh K.; Guzman, Narciso; Kempen, Lothar U.; Mal, Ajit

2009-05-01

Non-destructive testing of critical structural components is time consuming, while necessary for maintaining safe operation. Large aerospace structures, such as the vertical stabilizers of aircraft undergo inspection at regular intervals for damage diagnostics. However, conventional techniques for damage detection and identification before repair can be scheduled are conducted off-line and therefore can take weeks. The use of guided ultrasound waves is being investigated to expedite damage detection in composites. We measure the frequency dependent loss of ultrasonic guided waves for a structure comprising a boron-nitride composite skin sandwiching an aluminum honeycomb. A wide range of ultrasound frequencies propagate as measured using PZTs, with the lowest attenuation observed about 200-250 kHz. These measurements are confirmed using optical fiber Bragg grating arrays used as ultrasound transducers.

A Continuum Damage Mechanics Model for the Static and Cyclic Fatigue of Cellular Composites

PubMed Central

Huber, Otto

2017-01-01

The fatigue behavior of a cellular composite with an epoxy matrix and glass foam granules is analyzed and modeled by means of continuum damage mechanics. The investigated cellular composite is a particular type of composite foam, and is very similar to syntactic foams. In contrast to conventional syntactic foams constituted by hollow spherical particles (balloons), cellular glass, mineral, or metal place holders are combined with the matrix material (metal or polymer) in the case of cellular composites. A microstructural investigation of the damage behavior is performed using scanning electron microscopy. For the modeling of the fatigue behavior, the damage is separated into pure static and pure cyclic damage and described in terms of the stiffness loss of the material using damage models for cyclic and creep damage. Both models incorporate nonlinear accumulation and interaction of damage. A cycle jumping procedure is developed, which allows for a fast and accurate calculation of the damage evolution for constant load frequencies. The damage model is applied to examine the mean stress effect for cyclic fatigue and to investigate the frequency effect and the influence of the signal form in the case of static and cyclic damage interaction. The calculated lifetimes are in very good agreement with experimental results. PMID:28809806

Material damage modeling and detection in a thin metallic sheet and sandwich panel using passive acoustic transmission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Hao

A method is developed for modeling, detecting, and locating material damage in homogeneous thin metallic sheets and sandwich panels. Analytical and numerical models are used along with non-contact, passive acoustic transmission measurements. It is shown that global and local damage mechanisms characterized by both material and geometrical changes in structural components can be detected using passive acoustic transmission measurements. Theoretical models of a flat sheet and sandwich panel are developed to describe the effects of global material damage due to density, modulus, or thickness changes on backplane radiated sound pressure level distributions. To describe the effects of local material damage, a three-segment stepped beam model and finite element beam, plate, and sandwich panel models are developed and analyzed using the acoustic transmission approach. It is shown that increases or decreases in transmitted sound energy occur behind a damaged material component that exhibits changes in thickness or other geometric or material properties. The damage due to thickness and density changes can be detected from the acoustic transmission, but modulus changes cannot. If the damage is located at an anti-node of a certain forced vibration pattern, the damage can be more readily observed in the data. Higher excitation frequencies within the operating spectrum are preferred to lower frequencies for damage detection. With the finite element beam, plate, and sandwich panel models, local damage detection has been performed in simulations. Experiments on a baffled homogeneous sheet and sandwich panel subjected to broadband acoustic energy show that transmitted intensity measurements with non-contact probes can be used to identify and locate material defects in the sheet and sandwich panel. Material damage is most readily identified where the changes in transmitted sound intensity are largest in the resonant frequency range of the panel. The three main contributions of this research are: (1) the use of non-contact sensing to detect global and localized damage in structural components; (2) the analytical and numerical modeling of material and geometrical damage mechanisms in structural components; and, (3) the experimental verification of acoustic transmission measurements for detecting both material and geometric damage mechanisms.

Flies compensate for unilateral wing damage through modular adjustments of wing and body kinematics

PubMed Central

Iwasaki, Nicole A.; Elzinga, Michael J.; Melis, Johan M.; Dickinson, Michael H.

2017-01-01

Using high-speed videography, we investigated how fruit flies compensate for unilateral wing damage, in which loss of area on one wing compromises both weight support and roll torque equilibrium. Our results show that flies control for unilateral damage by rolling their body towards the damaged wing and by adjusting the kinematics of both the intact and damaged wings. To compensate for the reduction in vertical lift force due to damage, flies elevate wingbeat frequency. Because this rise in frequency increases the flapping velocity of both wings, it has the undesired consequence of further increasing roll torque. To compensate for this effect, flies increase the stroke amplitude and advance the timing of pronation and supination of the damaged wing, while making the opposite adjustments on the intact wing. The resulting increase in force on the damaged wing and decrease in force on the intact wing function to maintain zero net roll torque. However, the bilaterally asymmetrical pattern of wing motion generates a finite lateral force, which flies balance by maintaining a constant body roll angle. Based on these results and additional experiments using a dynamically scaled robotic fly, we propose a simple bioinspired control algorithm for asymmetric wing damage. PMID:28163885

Flies compensate for unilateral wing damage through modular adjustments of wing and body kinematics.

PubMed

Muijres, Florian T; Iwasaki, Nicole A; Elzinga, Michael J; Melis, Johan M; Dickinson, Michael H

2017-02-06

Using high-speed videography, we investigated how fruit flies compensate for unilateral wing damage, in which loss of area on one wing compromises both weight support and roll torque equilibrium. Our results show that flies control for unilateral damage by rolling their body towards the damaged wing and by adjusting the kinematics of both the intact and damaged wings. To compensate for the reduction in vertical lift force due to damage, flies elevate wingbeat frequency. Because this rise in frequency increases the flapping velocity of both wings, it has the undesired consequence of further increasing roll torque. To compensate for this effect, flies increase the stroke amplitude and advance the timing of pronation and supination of the damaged wing, while making the opposite adjustments on the intact wing. The resulting increase in force on the damaged wing and decrease in force on the intact wing function to maintain zero net roll torque. However, the bilaterally asymmetrical pattern of wing motion generates a finite lateral force, which flies balance by maintaining a constant body roll angle. Based on these results and additional experiments using a dynamically scaled robotic fly, we propose a simple bioinspired control algorithm for asymmetric wing damage.

Damage detection based on acceleration data using artificial immune system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chartier, Sandra; Mita, Akira

2009-03-01

Nowadays, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is essential in order to prevent damages occurrence in civil structures. This is a particularly important issue as the number of aged structures is increasing. Damage detection algorithms are often based on changes in the modal properties like natural frequencies, modal shapes and modal damping. In this paper, damage detection is completed by using Artificial Immune System (AIS) theory directly on acceleration data. Inspired from the biological immune system, AIS is composed of several models like negative selection which has a great potential for this study. The negative selection process relies on the fact that T-cells, after their maturation, are sensitive to non self cells and can not detect self cells. Acceleration data were provided by using the numerical model of a 3-story frame structure. Damages were introduced, at particular times, by reduction of story's stiffness. Based on these acceleration data, undamaged data (equivalent to self data) and damaged data (equivalent to non self data) can be obtained and represented in the Hamming shape-space with a binary representation. From the undamaged encoded data, detectors (equivalent to T-cells) are derived and are able to detect damaged encoded data really efficiently by using the rcontiguous bits matching rule. Indeed, more than 95% of detection can be reached when efficient combinations of parameters are used. According to the number of detected data, the localization of damages can even be determined by using the differences between story's relative accelerations. Thus, the difference which presents the highest detection rate, generally up to 89%, is directly linked to the location of damage.

Design of a piezoelectric-based structural health monitoring system for damage detection in composite materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kessler, Seth S.; Spearing, S. Mark

2002-07-01

Cost-effective and reliable damage detection is critical for the utilization of composite materials. This paper presents the conclusions of an experimental and analytical survey of candidate methods for in-situ damage detection in composite structures. Experimental results are presented for the application of modal analysis and Lamb wave techniques to quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy test specimens containing representative damage. Piezoelectric patches were used as actuators and sensors for both sets of experiments. Modal analysis methods were reliable for detecting small amounts of global damage in a simple composite structure. By comparison, Lamb wave methods were sensitive to all types of local damage present between the sensor and actuator, provided useful information about damage presence and severity, and present the possibility of estimating damage type and location. Analogous experiments were also performed for more complex built-up structures. These techniques are suitable for structural health monitoring applications since they can be applied with low power conformable sensors and can provide useful information about the state of a structure during operation. Piezoelectric patches could also be used as multipurpose sensors to detect damage by a variety of methods such as modal analysis, Lamb wave, acoustic emission and strain based methods simultaneously, by altering driving frequencies and sampling rates. This paper present guidelines and recommendations drawn from this research to assist in the design of a structural health monitoring system for a vehicle. These systems will be an important component in future designs of air and spacecraft to increase the feasibility of their missions.

Experimental research on crack detection in pipes based on Fiber Bragg grating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Lin; Wei, Qin; Yu, Zhaoxiang; Lu, Ming; Li, Xiaowei

2017-11-01

Crack is one of the primary faults in pipes, and its detection is a significant measure to ensure the safety of pipes. The feasibility of circumferential crack detection in pipes on the basis of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) detection technology is discussed through experimental research. Crack is formed on the surface of a metal pipe, the circumferential length of crack is one index of the damage degree. In the experiments, both electronic vibration sensor and FBG strain sensors are used to collect response signals of impulse excitation in different damage degrees. Furthermore, the characteristics of damage detection are analysed in both frequency domain and time domain. First, the natural frequencies are compared between practical and simulated results in different damage degrees of pipes; second, the multi-fractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) is applied to acquire the singular values α as the characteristic parameter. The experimental results indicate that FBG strain sensors can perceive the impulse response of the pipe and change in different damage degrees effectively, like the vibration sensor. And both the natural frequency and the singular value are sensitive to increasing length of crack, they are able to distinguish different degrees of crack on the pipe.

Pileated woodpecker damage to red-cockaded woodpecker cavity trees in eastern Texas

Treesearch

Daniel Saenz; Richard N. Conner; Clifford E. Shackelford; D. Craig Rudolph

1998-01-01

The authors surveyed all known red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) cavity trees (n = 514) in the Angelina National Forest in eastern Texas for pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) damage. They compared the frequency of pileated woodpecker damage to red-cockaded woodpecker cavity trees in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) habitat to damage in loblolly (P....

Real time studies of Elastic Moduli Pu Aging using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiorov, Boris

Elastic moduli are fundamental thermodynamic susceptibilities that connect directly to thermodynamics, electronic structure and give important information about mechanical properties. To determine the time evolution of the elastic properties in 239Pu and it Ga alloys, is imperative to study its phase stability and self-irradiation damage process. The most-likely sources of these changes include a) ingrowth of radioactive decay products like He and U, b) the introduction of radiation damage, c) δ-phase instabilities towards α-Pu or to Pu3Ga. The measurement of mechanical resonance frequencies can be made with extreme precision and used to compute the elastic moduli without corrections giving important insight in this problem. Using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy, we measured the time dependence of the mechanical resonance frequencies of fine-grained polycrystalline δ-phase 239Pu, from 300K up to 480K. At room temperature, the shear modulus shows an increase in time (stiffening), but the bulk modulus decreases (softening). These are the first real-time measurements of room temperature aging of the elastic moduli, and the changes are consistent with elastic moduli measurements performed on 44 year old δ-Pu. As the temperature is increased, the rate of change increases exponentially, with both moduli becoming stiffer with time. For T>420K an abrupt change in the time dependence is observed indicating that the bulk and shear moduli have opposite rates of change. Our measurements provide a basis for ruling out the decomposition of δ-Pu towards α-Pu or Pu3Ga, and indicate a complex defect-related scenario from which we are gathering important clues.

Measuring single-shot, picosecond optical damage threshold in Ge, Si, and sapphire with a 5.1-μm laser

DOE PAGES

Agustsson, R.; Pogorelsky, I.; Arab, E.; ...

2015-11-18

Optical photonic structures driven by picosecond, GW-class lasers are emerging as promising novel sources of electron beams and high quality X-rays. Due to quadratic dependence on wavelength of the laser ponderomotive potential, the performance of such sources scales very favorably towards longer drive laser wavelengths. However, to take full advantage of photonic structures at mid-IR spectral region, it is important to determine optical breakdown limits of common optical materials. To this end, an experimental study was carried out at a wavelength of 5 µm, using a frequency-doubled CO 2 laser source, with 5 ps pulse length. Single-shot optical breakdowns weremore » detected and characterized at different laser intensities, and damage threshold values of 0.2, 0.3, and 7.0 J/cm 2, were established for Ge, Si, and sapphire, respectively. As a result, the measured damage threshold values were stable and repeatable within individual data sets, and across varying experimental conditions.« less

Measuring single-shot, picosecond optical damage threshold in Ge, Si, and sapphire with a 5.1-μm laser

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

Agustsson, R.; Pogorelsky, I.; Arab, E.

Optical photonic structures driven by picosecond, GW-class lasers are emerging as promising novel sources of electron beams and high quality X-rays. Due to quadratic dependence on wavelength of the laser ponderomotive potential, the performance of such sources scales very favorably towards longer drive laser wavelengths. However, to take full advantage of photonic structures at mid-IR spectral region, it is important to determine optical breakdown limits of common optical materials. To this end, an experimental study was carried out at a wavelength of 5 µm, using a frequency-doubled CO 2 laser source, with 5 ps pulse length. Single-shot optical breakdowns weremore » detected and characterized at different laser intensities, and damage threshold values of 0.2, 0.3, and 7.0 J/cm 2, were established for Ge, Si, and sapphire, respectively. As a result, the measured damage threshold values were stable and repeatable within individual data sets, and across varying experimental conditions.« less

Regulation of the DNA damage response by DNA-PKcs inhibitory phosphorylation of ATM

PubMed Central

Zhou, Yi; Lee, Ji-Hoon; Jiang, Wenxia; Crowe, Jennie L; Zha, Shan; Paull, Tanya T.

2017-01-01

SUMMARY Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) regulates the DNA damage response as well as DNA double-strand break repair through homologous recombination. Here we show that ATM is hyperactive when the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) is chemically inhibited or when the DNA-PKcs gene is deleted in human cells. Pre-incubation of ATM protein with active DNA-PKcs also significantly reduces ATM activity in vitro. We characterize several phosphorylation sites in ATM that are targets of DNA-PKcs and show that phospho-mimetic mutations at these residues significantly inhibit ATM activity and impair ATM signaling upon DNA damage. In contrast, phospho-blocking mutations at one cluster of sites increase the frequency of apoptosis during normal cell growth. DNA-PKcs, which is integral to the non-homologous end joining pathway, thus negatively regulates ATM activity through phosphorylation of ATM. These observations illuminate an important regulatory mechanism for ATM that also controls DNA repair pathway choice. PMID:27939942

Regulation of the DNA Damage Response by DNA-PKcs Inhibitory Phosphorylation of ATM.

PubMed

Zhou, Yi; Lee, Ji-Hoon; Jiang, Wenxia; Crowe, Jennie L; Zha, Shan; Paull, Tanya T

2017-01-05

Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) regulates the DNA damage response as well as DNA double-strand break repair through homologous recombination. Here we show that ATM is hyperactive when the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) is chemically inhibited or when the DNA-PKcs gene is deleted in human cells. Pre-incubation of ATM protein with active DNA-PKcs also significantly reduces ATM activity in vitro. We characterize several phosphorylation sites in ATM that are targets of DNA-PKcs and show that phospho-mimetic mutations at these residues significantly inhibit ATM activity and impair ATM signaling upon DNA damage. In contrast, phospho-blocking mutations at one cluster of sites increase the frequency of apoptosis during normal cell growth. DNA-PKcs, which is integral to the non-homologous end joining pathway, thus negatively regulates ATM activity through phosphorylation of ATM. These observations illuminate an important regulatory mechanism for ATM that also controls DNA repair pathway choice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relative effectiveness of HZE iron-56 particles for the induction of cytogenetic damage in vivo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, A.; Bao, S.; Rithidech, K.; Couch, L. A.; Braby, L. A.

2001-01-01

One of the risks of prolonged manned space flight is the exposure of astronauts to radiation from galactic cosmic rays, which contain heavy ions such as (56)Fe. To study the effects of such exposures, experiments were conducted at the Brookhaven National Laboratory by exposing Wistar rats to high-mass, high-Z, high-energy (HZE) particles using the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS). The biological effectiveness of (56)Fe ions (1000 MeV/nucleon) relative to low-LET gamma rays and high-LET alpha particles for the induction of chromosome damage and micronuclei was determined. The mitotic index and the frequency of chromosome aberrations were evaluated in bone marrow cells, and the frequency of micronuclei was measured in cells isolated from the trachea and the deep lung. A marked delay in the entry of cells into mitosis was induced in the bone marrow cells that decreased as a function of time after the exposure. The frequencies of chromatid aberrations and micronuclei increased as linear functions of dose. The frequency of chromosome aberrations induced by HZE particles was about 3.2 times higher than that observed after exposure to (60)Co gamma rays. The frequency of micronuclei in rat lung fibroblasts, lung epithelial cells, and tracheal epithelial cells increased linearly, with slopes of 7 x 10(-4), 12 x 10(-4), and 11 x 10(-4) micronuclei/binucleated cell cGy(-1), respectively. When genetic damage induced by radiation from (56)Fe ions was compared to that from exposure to (60)Co gamma rays, (56)Fe-ion radiation was between 0.9 and 3.3 times more effective than (60)Co gamma rays. However, the HZE-particle exposures were only 10-20% as effective as radon in producing micronuclei in either deep lung or tracheal epithelial cells. Using microdosimetric techniques, we estimated that 32 cells were hit by delta rays for each cell that was traversed by the primary HZE (56)Fe particle. These calculations and the observed low relative effectiveness of the exposure to HZE particles suggest that at least part of the cytogenetic damage measured was caused by the delta rays. Much of the energy deposited by the primary HZE particles may result in cell killing and may therefore be "wasted" as far as production of detectable micronuclei is concerned. The role of wasted energy in studies of cancer induction may be important in risk estimates for exposure to HZE particles.

Imidacloprid Causes DNA Damage in Fish: Clastogenesis as a Mechanism of Genotoxicity.

PubMed

Iturburu, Fernando G; Simoniello, María F; Medici, Sandra; Panzeri, Ana M; Menone, Mirta L

2018-06-01

Neonicotinoids are one of the most widely used insecticides in the world. DNA damage is considered an early biological effect which could lead to reproductive and carcinogenic effects. The present study aimed to evaluate DNA damage and bases oxidation as a mechanism of genotoxicity, on the freshwater fish Australoheros facetus acutely exposed to imidacloprid (IMI). The Comet assay with the nuclease ENDO III enzyme was performed for detecting pyrimidine bases oxidation using blood samples. Micronucleus and other nuclear abnormalities frequencies were also quantified. A significant increase of damage index at 100 and 1000 µg/L IMI was detected; while ENDO III score increased from 1 to 1000 µg/L IMI; varying both in a linear concentration-response manner. MN frequency increased in fish exposed to 1000 µg/L IMI. These results show that short-term exposures to environmentally relevant concentrations of IMI could affect the genetic integrity of fishes through oxidative damage.

Modeling extreme hurricane damage in the United States using generalized Pareto distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dey, Asim Kumer

Extreme value distributions are used to understand and model natural calamities, man made catastrophes and financial collapses. Extreme value theory has been developed to study the frequency of such events and to construct a predictive model so that one can attempt to forecast the frequency of a disaster and the amount of damage from such a disaster. In this study, hurricane damages in the United States from 1900-2012 have been studied. The aim of the paper is three-fold. First, normalizing hurricane damage and fitting an appropriate model for the normalized damage data. Secondly, predicting the maximum economic damage from a hurricane in future by using the concept of return period. Finally, quantifying the uncertainty in the inference of extreme return levels of hurricane losses by using a simulated hurricane series, generated by bootstrap sampling. Normalized hurricane damage data are found to follow a generalized Pareto distribution. tion. It is demonstrated that standard deviation and coecient of variation increase with the return period which indicates an increase in uncertainty with model extrapolation.

How plant neighborhood composition influences herbivory: Testing four mechanisms of associational resistance and susceptibility

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Neighboring plants can decrease or increase each other’s likelihood of damage from herbivores through associational resistance or susceptibility, respectively. Associational effects (AE) can transpire through changes in herbivore or plant traits that affect herbivore movement, densities, and feeding behaviors to ultimately affect plant damage. While much work has focused on understanding the mechanisms that underlie associational effects, we know little about how these mechanisms are influenced by neighborhood composition, i.e., plant density or relative frequency which is necessary to make predictions about when AE should occur in nature. Using a series of field and greenhouse experiments, I examined how plant density and relative frequency affected plant damage to Solanum carolinense and four mechanisms that underlie AE; (i) accumulation of insect herbivores and arthropod predators, (ii) microclimate conditions, (iii) plant resistance, and (iv) specialist herbivore preference. I found a positive relationship between S. carolinense damage and the relative frequency of a non-focal neighbor (Solidago altissima) and all four AE mechanisms were influenced by one or multiple neighborhood components. Frequency-dependence in S. carolinense damage is most likely due to greater generalist herbivore load on S. carolinense (through spillover from S. altissima) with microclimate variables, herbivore preference, predation pressures, and plant resistance having relatively weaker effects. Associational effects may have long-term consequences for these two plant species during plant succession and understanding context-dependent herbivory has insect pest management implication for other plant species in agriculture and forestry. PMID:28486538

Adding teeth to wave action: the destructive effects of wave-borne rocks on intertidal organisms.

PubMed

Shanks, Alan L; Wright, William G

1986-06-01

Observations in rocky intertidal areas demonstrate that breaking waves 'throw' rocks and cobbles and that these missiles can damage and kill organisms. Targets in the intertidal were dented by impacts from wave-borne rocks. New dents/day in these targets was positively correlated with the daily maximum significant wave height and with new patches/day in aggregations of the barnacle Chthamalus fissus. Impact frequency was highest in the upper intertidal and varied dramatically between microhabitats on individual boulders (edges, tops and faces). These patterns were reflected in the microhabitat abundances of 'old' and 'young' barnacles. Comparisons were made of the survivorship and the frequency of shell damage in two populations of the limpet Lottia gigantea living in habitats which differed primarily in the number of moveable rocks (i.e. potential projectiles). The mortality rate and frequency of shell damage were significantly higher in the projectilerich habitat. In addition only in this habitat did the frequency of shell damage covary significantly with seasonal periods of high surf. Investigation of the response of limpet shells to impacts suggests that shell strength varies between species and increases with shell size. Species-specific patterns of non-fatal shell breakage may have evolved to absorb the energy of impacts. In two of the intertidal habitats studied, wave-borne rock damage was chronic and, at least in part, may have governed the faunal makeup of the community by contributing to the physical 'boundaries" of the environment within which the inhabitants must survive.

Experimental investigation on frequency shifting of imperfect adhesively bonded pipe joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haiyam, F. N.; Hilmy, I.; Sulaeman, E.; Firdaus, T.; Adesta, E. Y. T.

2018-01-01

Inspection tests for any manufactured structure are compulsory in order to detect the existence of damage.It is to ensure the product integrity, reliability and to avoid further catastrophic failure. In this research, modal analysis was utilized to detect structural damage as one of the Non Destructive Testing (NDT) methods. Comparing the vibration signal of a healthy structure with a non-healthy signal was performed. A modal analysis of an adhesively bonded pipe joint was investigated with a healthy joint as a reference. The damage joint was engineered by inserting a nylon fiber, which act as an impurity at adhesive region. The impact test using hammer was utilized in this research. Identification of shifting frequency of a free supported and clamped pipe joint was performed.It was found that shifting frequency occurred to the lower side by 5%.

DNA-damage response associated with occupational exposure, age and chronic inflammation in workers in the automotive industry.

PubMed

Savina, Natalya V; Smal, Marharyta P; Kuzhir, Tatyana D; Ershova-Pavlova, Alla A; Goncharova, Roza I

2012-10-09

The evaluation of genome integrity in populations occupationally exposed to combine industrial factors is of medical importance. In the present study, the DNA-damage response was estimated by means of the alkaline comet assay in a sizeable cohort of volunteers recruited among workers in the automotive industry. For this purpose, freshly collected lymphocytes were treated with hydrogen peroxide (100μM, 1min, 4°C) in vitro, and the levels of basal and H(2)O(2)-induced DNA damage, and the kinetics and efficiency of DNA repair were measured during a 180-min interval after exposure. The parameters studied in the total cohort of workers were in a range of values prescribed for healthy adult residents of Belarus. Based on the 95th percentiles, individuals possessing enhanced cellular sensitivity to DNA damage were present in different groups, but the frequency was significantly higher among elderly persons and among individuals with chronic inflammatory diseases. The results indicate that the inter-individual variations in DNA-damage response should be taken into account to estimate adequately the environmental genotoxic effects and to identify individuals with an enhanced DNA-damage response due to the influence of some external factors or intrinsic properties of the organism. Underling mechanisms need to be further explored. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cytostatic and genotoxic effect of temephos in human lymphocytes and HepG2 cells.

PubMed

Benitez-Trinidad, A B; Herrera-Moreno, J F; Vázquez-Estrada, G; Verdín-Betancourt, F A; Sordo, M; Ostrosky-Wegman, P; Bernal-Hernández, Y Y; Medina-Díaz, I M; Barrón-Vivanco, B S; Robledo-Marenco, M L; Salazar, A M; Rojas-García, A E

2015-06-01

Temephos is an organophosphorus pesticide that is used in control campaigns against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which transmit dengue. In spite of the widespread use of temephos, few studies have examined its genotoxic potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic, cytostatic and genotoxic effects of temephos in human lymphocytes and hepatoma cells (HepG2). The cytotoxicity was evaluated with simultaneous staining (FDA/EtBr). The cytostatic and genotoxic effects were evaluated using comet assays and the micronucleus technique. We found that temephos was not cytotoxic in either lymphocytes or HepG2 cells. Regarding the cytostatic effect in human lymphocytes, temephos (10 μM) caused a significant decrease in the percentage of binucleated cells and in the nuclear division index as well as an increase in the apoptotic cell frequency, which was not the case for HepG2 cells. The comet assay showed that temephos increased the DNA damage levels in human lymphocytes, but it did not increase the MN frequency. In contrast, in HepG2 cells, temephos increased the tail length, tail moment and MN frequency in HepG2 cells compared to control cells. In conclusion, temephos causes stable DNA damage in HepG2 cells but not in human lymphocytes. These findings suggest the importance of temephos biotransformation in its genotoxic effect. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Elevated Frequencies of Micronuclei and other Nuclear Abnormalities of Chrome Plating Workers Occupationally Exposed to Hexavalent Chromium.

PubMed

Sudha, S; Kripa, S K; Shibily, P; Shyn, J

2011-01-01

Biomonitoring provides a useful tool to estimate the genetic risk from exposure to genotoxic agents. The aim of this study was to assess the potential cytogenetic damage associated with occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium by using micronuclei (MN) as a biomarker. This was a cross-sectional study and all participants were males. Both the exposed and control individuals were selected from Coimbatore, Southern India. Exfoliated buccal cells from 44 chrome plating workers and 40 age and sex matched control subjects were examined for MN frequency and nuclear abnormalities (NA) other than micronuclei, such as binucleates, broken eggs, karyorrhexis, karyolysis and pyknosis. Results showed statistically significant difference between chrome plating workers and control groups. MN and NA frequencies in chrome plating workers were significantly higher than those in control groups (p < 0.05) and also significantly related to smoking habit (P < 0.05). A significant difference in NA was observed in workers exposed to chromium for longer duration. In addition to this, a higher degree of NA was observed among smokers. MN and other NA reflect genetic changes, events associated with carcinogenesis. Therefore the results of this study indicate that chrome plating workers are under risk of significant cytogenetic damage. Therefore, there is a need to educate those who work with heavy metals about the potential hazard of occupational exposure and the importance of using protective measures.

Two-time scale fatigue modelling: application to damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devulder, Anne; Aubry, Denis; Puel, Guillaume

2010-05-01

A temporal multiscale modelling applied to fatigue damage evolution in cortical bone is presented. Microdamage accumulation in cortical bone, ensued from daily activities, leads to impaired mechanical properties, in particular by reducing the bone stiffness and inducing fatigue. However, bone damage is also known as a stimulus to bone remodelling, whose aim is to repair and generate new bone, adapted to its environment. This biological process by removing fatigue damage seems essential to the skeleton lifetime. As daily activities induce high frequency cycles (about 10,000 cycles a day), identifying two-time scale is very fruitful: a fast one connected with the high frequency cyclic loading and a slow one related to a quasi-static loading. A scaling parameter is defined between the intrinsic time (bone lifetime of several years) and the high frequency loading (few seconds). An asymptotic approach allows to decouple the two scales and to take into account history effects (Guennouni and Aubry in CR Acad Sci Paris Ser II 20:1765-1767, 1986). The method is here applied to a simple case of fatigue damage and a real cortical bone microstructure. A significant reduction in the amount of computation time in addition to a small computational error between time homogenized and non homogenized models are obtained. This method seems thus to give new perspectives to assess fatigue damage and, with regard to bone, to give a better understanding of bone remodelling.

Synthetic Modifications In the Frequency Domain for Finite Element Model Update and Damage Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

Sensitivity-based finite element model updating and structural damage detection has been limited by the number of modes available in a vibration test and...increase the number of modes and corresponding sensitivity data by artificially constraining the structure under test, producing a large number of... structural modifications to the measured data, including both springs-to-ground and mass modifications. This is accomplished with frequency domain

Cytogenetic damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of children exposed to pesticides in agricultural areas of the department of Cordoba, Colombia.

PubMed

Ruiz-Guzmán, Javier Alonso; Gómez-Corrales, Pamela; Cruz-Esquivel, Ángel; Marrugo-Negrete, José Luis

2017-12-01

Pesticides offer benefits, like optimization of agricultural production and disease control; however, these toxic substances can contaminate the environment and pose risks to human health. The aim of this study was to assess pesticide exposure and frequency of cytogenetic damage in infant populations in agricultural areas of the department of Córdoba, Colombia. Urine and peripheral blood samples were taken from children living in the villages of La Ceibita (municipality of Cereté), Cabuya (municipality of San Carlos), Aguas Negras (municipality of Montería), Pelayito (municipality of San Pelayo), and the city of Monteria (control group). The work evaluated biomarkers of exposure to pesticides (atrazine urinary concentrations (ATZ) and its metabolites) and biomarkers of cytogenetic damage (micronucleus frequency (MN), nuclear buds, and apoptotic cells in peripheral blood lymphocytes). Measurable ATZ concentrations and/or its metabolites were recorded in the Pelayito, Aguas Negras, and Cabuya zones, which had higher MN frequencies, nuclear buds, and apoptotic cells than the control. Infant exposure to one of the more-often used pesticides in the agricultural areas evaluated and an increasing trend in the frequency of markers of cytogenetic damage in the groups of the agricultural areas, as compared to the control group, were evident. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The frequency and severity of extinction after stroke affecting different vascular territories.

PubMed

Chechlacz, Magdalena; Rotshtein, Pia; Demeyere, Nele; Bickerton, Wai-Ling; Humphreys, Glyn W

2014-02-01

We examined the frequency and severity of visual versus tactile extinction based on data from a large group of sub-acute patients (n=454) with strokes affecting different vascular territories. After right hemisphere damage visual and tactile extinction were equally common. However, after left hemisphere damage tactile extinction was more common than visual. The frequency of extinction was significantly higher in patients with right compared to left hemisphere damage in both visual and tactile modalities but this held only for strokes affecting the MCA and PCA territories and not for strokes affecting other vascular territories. Furthermore, the severity of extinction did not differ as a function of either the stimulus modality (visual versus tactile), the affected hemisphere (left versus right) or the stroke territory (MCA, PCA or other vascular territories). We conclude that the frequency but not severity of extinction in both modalities relates to the side of damage (i.e. left versus right hemisphere) and the vascular territories affected by the stroke, and that left hemisphere dominance for motor control may link to the greater incidence of tactile than visual extinction after left hemisphere stroke. We discuss the implications of our findings for understanding hemispheric lateralization within visuospatial attention networks. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DNA damage in an animal model of maple syrup urine disease.

PubMed

Scaini, Giselli; Jeremias, Isabela C; Morais, Meline O S; Borges, Gabriela D; Munhoz, Bruna P; Leffa, Daniela D; Andrade, Vanessa M; Schuck, Patrícia F; Ferreira, Gustavo C; Streck, Emilio L

2012-06-01

Maple syrup urine disease is an inborn error of metabolism caused by a severe deficiency of the branched chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex. Neurological dysfunction is a common finding in patients with maple syrup urine disease. However, the mechanisms underlying the neuropathology of brain damage in this disorder are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated whether acute or chronic administration of a branched chain amino acid pool (leucine, isoleucine and valine) causes transient DNA damage, as determined by the alkaline comet assay, in the brain and blood of rats during development and whether antioxidant treatment prevented the alterations induced by branched chain amino acids. Our results showed that the acute administration of branched chain amino acids increased the DNA damage frequency and damage index in the hippocampus. However, the chronic administration of branched chain amino acids increased the DNA damage frequency and damage index in both the hippocampus and the striatum, and the antioxidant treatment was able to prevent DNA damage in the hippocampus and striatum. The present study demonstrated that metabolite accumulation in MSUD induces DNA damage in the hippocampus and striatum and that it may be implicated in the neuropathology observed in the affected patients. We demonstrated that the effect of antioxidant treatment (N-acetylcysteine plus deferoxamine) prevented DNA damage, suggesting the involvement of oxidative stress in DNA damage. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A multi-damages identification method for cantilever beam based on mode shape curvatures and Kriging surrogate model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Fengle; Jiang, Zhansi; Jiang, Hui

2018-05-01

This paper presents a multi-damages identification method for Cantilever Beam. First, the damage location is identified by using the mode shape curvatures. Second, samples of varying damage severities at the damage location and their corresponding natural frequencies are used to construct the initial Kriging surrogate model. Then a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is employed to identify the damage severities based on Kriging surrogate model. The simulation study of a double-damaged cantilever beam demonstrated that the proposed method is effective.

A probabilistic estimate of maximum acceleration in rock in the contiguous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Algermissen, Sylvester Theodore; Perkins, David M.

1976-01-01

This paper presents a probabilistic estimate of the maximum ground acceleration to be expected from earthquakes occurring in the contiguous United States. It is based primarily upon the historic seismic record which ranges from very incomplete before 1930 to moderately complete after 1960. Geologic data, primarily distribution of faults, have been employed only to a minor extent, because most such data have not been interpreted yet with earthquake hazard evaluation in mind.The map provides a preliminary estimate of the relative hazard in various parts of the country. The report provides a method for evaluating the relative importance of the many parameters and assumptions in hazard analysis. The map and methods of evaluation described reflect the current state of understanding and are intended to be useful for engineering purposes in reducing the effects of earthquakes on buildings and other structures.Studies are underway on improved methods for evaluating the relativ( earthquake hazard of different regions. Comments on this paper are invited to help guide future research and revisions of the accompanying map.The earthquake hazard in the United States has been estimated in a variety of ways since the initial effort by Ulrich (see Roberts and Ulrich, 1950). In general, the earlier maps provided an estimate of the severity of ground shaking or damage but the frequency of occurrence of the shaking or damage was not given. Ulrich's map showed the distribution of expected damage in terms of no damage (zone 0), minor damage (zone 1), moderate damage (zone 2), and major damage (zone 3). The zones were not defined further and the frequency of occurrence of damage was not suggested. Richter (1959) and Algermissen (1969) estimated the ground motion in terms of maximum Modified Mercalli intensity. Richter used the terms "occasional" and "frequent" to characterize intensity IX shaking and Algermissen included recurrence curves for various parts of the country in the paper accompanying his map.The first probabilistic hazard maps covering portions of the United States were by Milne and Davenport (1969a). Recently, Wiggins, Hirshberg and Bronowicki (1974) prepared a probabilistic map of maximum particle velocity and Modified Mercalli intensity for the entire United States. The maps are based on an analysis of the historical seismicity. In general, geological data were not incorporated into the development of the maps.

Study of Composite Plate Damages Using Embedded PZT Sensors with Various Center Frequency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Kyoung-Tak; Chun, Heoung-Jae; Son, Ju-Hyun; Byun, Joon-Hyung; Um, Moon-Kwang; Lee, Sang-Kwan

This study presents part of an experimental and analytical survey of candidate methods for damage detection of composite structural. Embedded piezoceramic (PZT) sensors were excited with the high power ultrasonic wave generator generating a propagation of stress wave along the composite plate. The same embedded piezoceramic (PZT) sensors are used as receivers for acquiring stress signals. The effects of center frequency of embedded sensor were evaluated for the damage identification capability with known localized defects. The study was carried out to assess damage in composite plate by fusing information from multiple sensing paths of the embedded network. It was based on the Hilbert transform, signal correlation and probabilistic searching. The obtained results show that satisfactory detection of defects could be achieved by proposed method.

Baseline frequency of chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges in peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy individuals living in Turin (North-Western Italy): assessment of the effects of age, sex and GSTs gene polymorphisms on the levels of genomic damage.

PubMed

Santovito, Alfredo; Cervella, Piero; Delpero, Massimiliano

2016-05-01

The increased exposure to environmental pollutants has led to the awareness of the necessity for constant monitoring of human populations, especially those living in urban areas. This study evaluated the background levels of genomic damage in a sample of healthy subjects living in the urban area of Turin (Italy). The association between DNA damage with age, sex and GSTs polymorphisms was assessed. One hundred and one individuals were randomly sampled. Sister Chromatid Exchanges (SCEs) and Chromosomal Aberrations (CAs) assays, as well as genotyping of GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes, were performed. Mean values of SCEs and CAs were 5.137 ± 0.166 and 0.018 ± 0.002, respectively. Results showed age and gender associated with higher frequencies of these two cytogenetic markers. The eldest subjects (51-65 years) showed significantly higher levels of genomic damage than younger individuals. GSTs polymorphisms did not appear to significantly influence the frequencies of either markers. The CAs background frequency observed in this study is one of the highest reported among European populations. Turin is one of the most polluted cities in Europe in terms of air fine PM10 and ozone and the clastogenic potential of these pollutants may explain the high frequencies of chromosomal rearrangements reported here.

Authentication Sensing System Using Resonance Evaluation Spectroscopy (ASSURES)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trolinger, James D.; Dioumaev, Andrei K.; Lal, Amit K.; Dimas, Dave

2017-08-01

This paper describes an ongoing instrument development project to distinguish genuine manufactured components from counterfeit components; we call the instrument ASSURES (Authentication Sensing System Using Resonance Evaluation Spectroscopy). The system combines Laser Doppler Vibrometry with acoustical resonance spectroscopy, augmented with finite element analysis. Vibrational properties of components, such as resonant modes, damping, and spectral frequency response to various forcing functions depend strongly upon the mechanical properties of the material, including its size, shape, internal hardness, tensile strength, alloy/composite compositions, flaws, defects, and other internal material properties. Although acoustic resonant spectroscopy has seen limited application, the information rich signals in the vibrational spectra of objects provide a pathway to many new applications. Components with the same shape but made of different materials, different fatigue histories, damage, tampering, or heat treatment, will respond differently to high frequency stimulation. Laser Doppler Vibrometry offers high sensitivity and frequency bandwidth to measure the component's frequency spectrum, and overcomes many issues that limit conventional acoustical resonance spectroscopy, since the sensor laser beam can be aimed anywhere along the part as well as to multiple locations on a part in a non-contact way. ASSURES is especially promising for use in additive manufacturing technology by providing signatures as digital codes that are unique to specific objects and even to specific locations on objects. We believe that such signatures can be employed to address many important issues in the manufacturing industry. These include insuring the part meets the often very rigid specifications of the customer and being able to detect non-visible internal manufacturing defects or non-visible damage that has occurred after manufacturing.

Systematic analysis of nonlinear ground motion and temporal changes of material properties produced by small and medium earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, C.; Peng, Z.; Ben-Zion, Y.

2009-12-01

Recent studies based on spectral ratio analysis have found clear temporal changes of material properties in the shallow crust and around active fault zones during large earthquakes with peak ground acceleration (PGA) larger than 100-200 gals (e.g., Sawazaki et al., GRL, 2006; Rubenstein et al., JGR, 2007; Wu et al., GJI, 2009). The temporal evolution of properties is generally characterized by a clear drop of resonant frequency and increased damping, followed by logarithmic recoveries with time. The shift in resonant frequency and damping are considered two hallmarks of nonlinear response associated with increasing material damage. However, an existing damage can produce similar changes in resonance curves with increasing wave amplitude, even in cases when the material damage does not increase (Lyakhovsky et al., GJI, 2009). In such cases the recovery of resonance properties with reduced source amplitude should be essentially instantaneous. It is important to distinguish with in situ seismic data nonlinear wave propagation effects that reflect fixed vs. evolving material damage. Here we systematically analyze temporal changes of material properties and nonlinear response associated with small and medium earthquakes, using seismic data recorded by the Japanese Strong Motion Network KIK-Net, a temporary 10-station PASSCAL seismic network along the North Anatolian Fault in Turkey, and the borehole and surface stations around the Parkfield section of the San Andreas fault. We compute the spectral ratios of windowed records from a pair of target and reference stations, and apply the sliding-window to the entire seismic records including the pre-event noise, P and S waves, and the early and late S-coda waves. We choose small and medium events to reduce the effects from additional material damage and use small sliding-window size to capture the subtle changes in the spectral ratios. The spectral ratio traces from windows within certain PGA ranges are then stacked to enhance the stability of the results. The preliminary results from the KIK-Net data suggest that the resonant frequency starts to decrease for PGA levels of several tens of gals, followed by near instantaneous recovery. Updated results from analysis of all the datasets will be presented in the meeting.

Use of Modal Acoustic Emission to Monitor Damage Progression in Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Tows and Implications for Composite Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waller, Jess M.; Saulsberry, Regor L.; Nichols, Charles T.; Wentzel, Daniel J.

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the use of Modal Acoustic Emission to monitor damage progression to carbon fiber/epoxy tows. There is a risk for catastrophic failure of composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) due to burst-before-leak (BBL) stress rupture (SR) failure of carbon-epoxy (C/Ep) COPVs. A lack of quantitative nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is causing problems in current and future spacecraft designs. It is therefore important to develop and demonstrate critical NDE that can be implemented during stages of the design process since the observed rupture can occur with little of no advanced warning. Therefore a program was required to develop quantitative acoustic emission (AE) procedures specific to C/Ep overwraps, but which also have utility for monitoring damage accumulation in composite structure in general, and to lay the groundwork for establishing critical thresholds for accumulated damage in composite structures, such as COPVs, so that precautionary or preemptive engineering steps can be implemented to minimize of obviate the risk of catastrophic failure. A computed Felicity Ratio (FR) coupled with fast Fourier Transform (FFT) frequency analysis shows promise as an analytical pass/fail criterion. The FR analysis and waveform and FFT analysis are reviewed

Permeability recovery of damaged water sensitive core using ultrasonic waves.

PubMed

Khan, Nasir; Pu, Chunsheng; Li, Xu; He, Yanlong; Zhang, Lei; Jing, Cheng

2017-09-01

It is imperative to recover the well productivity lose due to formation damage nearby wellbore during variant well operations. Some indispensable issues in conventional techniques make ultrasonic technology more attractive due to simple, reliable, favorable, cost-effective, and environment friendly nature. This study proposes the independent and combined use of ultrasonic waves and chemical agents for the treatment of already damaged core samples caused by exposure to distilled water. Results elucidate that ultrasonic waves with optimum (20kHz, 1000W) instead of maximum frequency and power worked well in the recovery owing to peristaltic transport caused by matching of natural frequency with acoustic waves frequency. In addition, hundred minutes was investigated as optimum irradiation time which provided ample time span to detach fine loosely suspended particles. However, further irradiation adversely affected the damaged permeability recovery. Moreover, permeability improvement attributes to cavitation due to ultrasonic waves propagation through fluid contained in porous medium and thermal energy generated by three different ways. Eventually, experimental outcomes indicated that maximum (25.3%) damaged permeability recovery was witnessed by applying ultrasonic waves with transducer #2 (20kHz and 1000W) and optimum irradiation timeframe (100min). This recovery was further increased to 45.8% by applying chemical agent and optimum ultrasonic waves simultaneously. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Does prolonged radiofrequency radiation emitted from Wi-Fi devices induce DNA damage in various tissues of rats?

PubMed

Akdag, Mehmet Zulkuf; Dasdag, Suleyman; Canturk, Fazile; Karabulut, Derya; Caner, Yusuf; Adalier, Nur

2016-09-01

Wireless internet (Wi-Fi) providers have become essential in our daily lives, as wireless technology is evolving at a dizzying pace. Although there are different frequency generators, one of the most commonly used Wi-Fi devices are 2.4GHz frequency generators. These devices are heavily used in all areas of life but the effect of radiofrequency (RF) radiation emission on users is generally ignored. Yet, an increasing share of the public expresses concern on this issue. Therefore, this study intends to respond to the growing public concern. The purpose of this study is to reveal whether long term exposure of 2.4GHz frequency RF radiation will cause DNA damage of different tissues such as brain, kidney, liver, and skin tissue and testicular tissues of rats. The study was conducted on 16 adult male Wistar-Albino rats. The rats in the experimental group (n=8) were exposed to 2.4GHz frequency radiation for over a year. The rats in the sham control group (n=8) were subjected to the same experimental conditions except the Wi-Fi generator was turned off. After the exposure period was complete the possible DNA damage on the rat's brain, liver, kidney, skin, and testicular tissues was detected through the single cell gel electrophoresis assay (comet) method. The amount of DNA damage was measured as percentage tail DNA value. Based on the DNA damage results determined by the single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) method, it was found that the% tail DNA values of the brain, kidney, liver, and skin tissues of the rats in the experimental group increased more than those in the control group. The increase of the DNA damage in all tissues was not significant (p>0.05). However the increase of the DNA damage in rat testes tissue was significant (p<0.01). In conclusion, long-term exposure to 2.4GHz RF radiation (Wi-Fi) does not cause DNA damage of the organs investigated in this study except testes. The results of this study indicated that testes are more sensitive organ to RF radiation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Frequency Response of an Aircraft Wing with Discrete Source Damage Using Equivalent Plate Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krishnamurthy, T.; Eldred, Lloyd B.

2007-01-01

An equivalent plate procedure is developed to provide a computationally efficient means of matching the stiffness and frequencies of flight vehicle wing structures for prescribed loading conditions. Several new approaches are proposed and studied to match the stiffness and first five natural frequencies of the two reference models with and without damage. One approach divides the candidate reference plate into multiple zones in which stiffness and mass can be varied using a variety of materials including aluminum, graphite-epoxy, and foam-core graphite-epoxy sandwiches. Another approach places point masses along the edge of the stiffness-matched plate to tune the natural frequencies. Both approaches are successful at matching the stiffness and natural frequencies of the reference plates and provide useful insight into determination of crucial features in equivalent plate models of aircraft wing structures.

Weather-Related Flood and Landslide Damage: A Risk Index for Italian Regions

PubMed Central

Messeri, Alessandro; Morabito, Marco; Messeri, Gianni; Brandani, Giada; Petralli, Martina; Natali, Francesca; Grifoni, Daniele; Crisci, Alfonso; Gensini, Gianfranco; Orlandini, Simone

2015-01-01

The frequency of natural hazards has been increasing in the last decades in Europe and specifically in Mediterranean regions due to climate change. For example heavy precipitation events can lead to disasters through the interaction with exposed and vulnerable people and natural systems. It is therefore necessary a prevention planning to preserve human health and to reduce economic losses. Prevention should mainly be carried out with more adequate land management, also supported by the development of an appropriate risk prediction tool based on weather forecasts. The main aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between weather types (WTs) and the frequency of floods and landslides that have caused damage to properties, personal injuries, or deaths in the Italian regions over recent decades. In particular, a specific risk index (WT-FLARI) for each WT was developed at national and regional scale. This study has identified a specific risk index associated with each weather type, calibrated for each Italian region and applicable to both annual and seasonal levels. The risk index represents the seasonal and annual vulnerability of each Italian region and indicates that additional preventive actions are necessary for some regions. The results of this study represent a good starting point towards the development of a tool to support policy-makers, local authorities and health agencies in planning actions, mainly in the medium to long term, aimed at the weather damage reduction that represents an important issue of the World Meteorological Organization mission. PMID:26714309

Weather-Related Flood and Landslide Damage: A Risk Index for Italian Regions.

PubMed

Messeri, Alessandro; Morabito, Marco; Messeri, Gianni; Brandani, Giada; Petralli, Martina; Natali, Francesca; Grifoni, Daniele; Crisci, Alfonso; Gensini, Gianfranco; Orlandini, Simone

2015-01-01

The frequency of natural hazards has been increasing in the last decades in Europe and specifically in Mediterranean regions due to climate change. For example heavy precipitation events can lead to disasters through the interaction with exposed and vulnerable people and natural systems. It is therefore necessary a prevention planning to preserve human health and to reduce economic losses. Prevention should mainly be carried out with more adequate land management, also supported by the development of an appropriate risk prediction tool based on weather forecasts. The main aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between weather types (WTs) and the frequency of floods and landslides that have caused damage to properties, personal injuries, or deaths in the Italian regions over recent decades. In particular, a specific risk index (WT-FLARI) for each WT was developed at national and regional scale. This study has identified a specific risk index associated with each weather type, calibrated for each Italian region and applicable to both annual and seasonal levels. The risk index represents the seasonal and annual vulnerability of each Italian region and indicates that additional preventive actions are necessary for some regions. The results of this study represent a good starting point towards the development of a tool to support policy-makers, local authorities and health agencies in planning actions, mainly in the medium to long term, aimed at the weather damage reduction that represents an important issue of the World Meteorological Organization mission.

Site effects in Avcilar, West of Istanbul, Turkey, from strong- and weak-motion data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ozel, O.; Cranswick, E.; Meremonte, M.; Erdik, M.; Safak, E.

2002-01-01

Approximately 1000 people were killed in the collapse of buildings in Istanbul, Turkey, during the 17 August 1999 I??zmit earthquake, whose epicenter was roughly 90 km east of the city. Most of the fatalities and damage occurred in the suburb of Avcilar that is 20 km further west of the epicenter than the city proper. To investigate this pattern of damage, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI), deployed portable digital seismographs at seven free-field sites in western Istanbul, to record aftershocks during the period from 24 August to 2 September. The primary objective of this deployment was to study the site effects by comparing the aftershock ground motions recorded at sites inside and outside the damaged area, and to correlate site effects with the distribution of the damaged buildings. In addition to using weak-motion data, mainshock and aftershock acceleration records from the KOERI permanent strong-motion array were also used in estimating the site effects. Site effects were estimated using S waves from both types of records. For the weak-motion data set, 22 events were selected according to the criteria of signal-to-noise ratio (S/N ratio) and the number of stations recording the same event. The magnitudes of these events ranged from 3.0 to 5.2. The acceleration data set consisted of 12 events with magnitudes ranging from 4.3 to 5.8 and included two mainshock events. Results show that the amplifying frequency band is, in general, less than 4 Hz, and the physical properties of the geologic materials are capable of amplifying the motions by a factor of 5-10. In this frequency band, there is a good agreement among the spectral ratios obtained from the two mainshocks and their aftershocks. The damage pattern for the 17 August I??zmit earthquake is determined by several factors. However, our study suggests that the site effects in Avcilar played an important role in contributing to the damage.

Time-frequency analysis of GPR data to investigate the damage of monumental buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leucci, Giovanni; Masini, Nicola; Persico, Raffaele

2012-08-01

The presence of particular microclimatic conditions inside monumental buildings is responsible for bio-deterioration processes. In many cases, efflorescence and moulds are visible on the facades of several monuments of historical importance. In many other cases, the effects of decay processes are not visible, thus making difficult the diagnosis and the consequent setup of effective rehabilitation and preservation interventions, especially in the presence of a complex geometry and/or a large variability of construction materials. In such cases, a valuable contribution could be provided by geophysical methods (such as electrical resistivity, electromagnetic conductivity, ground-penetrating radar (GPR), etc), which have been proved to be successful tools for sub-surface investigation and characterization of historical buildings. In old monumental buildings, the masonry structures frequently exhibit cracks, voids, detachments and high moisture contrasts that can give rise to reflection events in radar signals. However, the complexity of the geometry and the structural heterogeneity that characterize these old structures often make the GPR results difficult to analyse and interpret. In particular, the spatial variation in GPR signal attenuation can provide important information about the electrical properties of the investigated materials that, in turn, can be used to assess the physical parameters associated with damage. In this paper, we propose an approach that analyses the data in the form of ‘frequency maps’ to evidence absorption losses probably linked to higher moisture content. Two real case histories back up the proposed method.

Reconstructing patterns of temperature, phenology, and frost damage over 124 years: spring damage risk is increasing.

PubMed

Augspurger, Carol K

2013-01-01

Climate change, with both warmer spring temperatures and greater temperature fluctuations, has altered phenologies, possibly leading to greater risk of spring frost damage to temperate deciduous woody plants. Phenological observations of 20 woody species from 1993 to 2012 in Trelease Woods, Champaign County, Illinois, USA, were used to identify years with frost damage to vegetative and reproductive phases. Local temperature records were used in combination with the phenological observations to determine what combinations of the two were associated with damage. Finally, a long-term temperature record (1889-1992) was evaluated to determine if the frequency of frost damage has risen in recent decades. Frost < or = -1.7 degrees C occurred after bud-break in 14 of the 20 years of observation. Frost damage occurred in five years in the interior and in three additional years at only the forest edge. The degree of damage varied with species, life stage, tissue (vegetative or reproductive), and phenological phase. Common features associated with the occurrence of damage to interior plants were (1) a period of unusual warm temperatures in March, followed by (2) a frost event in April with a minimum temperature < or = -6.1 degrees C with (3) a period of 16-33 days between the extremes. In the long-term record, 10 of 124 years met these conditions, but the yearly probability of frost damage increased significantly, from 0.03 during 1889-1979 to 0.21 during 1980-2012. When the criteria were "softened" to < or = -1.7 degrees C in April and an interval of 16-37 days, 31 of 124 years met the conditions, and the yearly damage probability increased significantly to 0.19 for 1889-1979 and 0.42 for 1980-2012. In this forest, the combination of warming trends and temperature variability (extremes) associated with climate change is having ecologically important effects, making previously rare frost damage events more common.

Frequencies and Flutter Speed Estimation for Damaged Aircraft Wing Using Scaled Equivalent Plate Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krishnamurthy, Thiagarajan

2010-01-01

Equivalent plate analysis is often used to replace the computationally expensive finite element analysis in initial design stages or in conceptual design of aircraft wing structures. The equivalent plate model can also be used to design a wind tunnel model to match the stiffness characteristics of the wing box of a full-scale aircraft wing model while satisfying strength-based requirements An equivalent plate analysis technique is presented to predict the static and dynamic response of an aircraft wing with or without damage. First, a geometric scale factor and a dynamic pressure scale factor are defined to relate the stiffness, load and deformation of the equivalent plate to the aircraft wing. A procedure using an optimization technique is presented to create scaled equivalent plate models from the full scale aircraft wing using geometric and dynamic pressure scale factors. The scaled models are constructed by matching the stiffness of the scaled equivalent plate with the scaled aircraft wing stiffness. It is demonstrated that the scaled equivalent plate model can be used to predict the deformation of the aircraft wing accurately. Once the full equivalent plate geometry is obtained, any other scaled equivalent plate geometry can be obtained using the geometric scale factor. Next, an average frequency scale factor is defined as the average ratio of the frequencies of the aircraft wing to the frequencies of the full-scaled equivalent plate. The average frequency scale factor combined with the geometric scale factor is used to predict the frequency response of the aircraft wing from the scaled equivalent plate analysis. A procedure is outlined to estimate the frequency response and the flutter speed of an aircraft wing from the equivalent plate analysis using the frequency scale factor and geometric scale factor. The equivalent plate analysis is demonstrated using an aircraft wing without damage and another with damage. Both of the problems show that the scaled equivalent plate analysis can be successfully used to predict the frequencies and flutter speed of a typical aircraft wing.

Structural damage diagnostics via wave propagation-based filtering techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayers, James T., III

Structural health monitoring (SHM) of aerospace components is a rapidly emerging field due in part to commercial and military transport vehicles remaining in operation beyond their designed life cycles. Damage detection strategies are sought that provide real-time information of the structure's integrity. One approach that has shown promise to accurately identify and quantify structural defects is based on guided ultrasonic wave (GUW) inspections, where low amplitude attenuation properties allow for long range and large specimen evaluation. One drawback to GUWs is that they exhibit a complex multi-modal response, such that each frequency corresponds to at least two excited modes, and thus intelligent signal processing is required for even the simplest of structures. In addition, GUWs are dispersive, whereby the wave velocity is a function of frequency, and the shape of the wave packet changes over the spatial domain, requiring sophisticated detection algorithms. Moreover, existing damage quantification measures are typically formulated as a comparison of the damaged to undamaged response, which has proven to be highly sensitive to changes in environment, and therefore often unreliable. As a response to these challenges inherent to GUW inspections, this research develops techniques to locate and estimate the severity of the damage. Specifically, a phase gradient based localization algorithm is introduced to identify the defect position independent of excitation frequency and damage size. Mode separation through the filtering technique is central in isolating and extracting single mode components, such as reflected, converted, and transmitted modes that may arise from the incident wave impacting a damage. Spatially-integrated single and multiple component mode coefficients are also formulated with the intent to better characterize wave reflections and conversions and to increase the signal to noise ratios. The techniques are applied to damaged isotropic finite element plate models and experimental data obtained from Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometry tests. Numerical and experimental parametric studies are conducted, and the current strengths and weaknesses of the proposed approaches are discussed. In particular, limitations to the damage profiling characterization are shown for low ultrasonic frequency regimes, whereas the multiple component mode conversion coefficients provide excellent noise mitigation. Multiple component estimation relies on an experimental technique developed for the estimation of Lamb wave polarization using a 1D Laser Vibrometer. Lastly, suggestions are made to apply the techniques to more structurally complex geometries.

Adaptive Piezoelectric Circuitry Sensor Network with High-Frequency Harmonics Interrogation for Structural Damage Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-17

AFRL-OSR-VA-TR-2014-0255 ADAPTIVE PIEZOELECTRIC CIRCUITRY SENSOR NETWORK KON -WELL WANG MICHIGAN UNIV ANN ARBOR Final Report 09/17/2014 DISTRIBUTION A...Harmonics Interrogation for Structural Damage Detection FA9550-11-1-0072 Kon -Well Wang and Jiong Tang The Regents of the University of Michigan, 3003...mechanism. These efforts have yielded a complete methodology of adaptive high-frequency piezoelectric self-sensing interrogation. None None None SAR Kon

Ultrasound Imaging of DNA-Damage Effects in Live Cultured Cells and in Brain Tissue.

PubMed

Tadayyon, Hadi; Gangeh, Mehrdad J; Vlad, Roxana; Kolios, Michael C; Czarnota, Gregory J

2017-01-01

High-frequency ultrasound (>20 MHz) spectroscopy can be used to detect noninvasively DNA damage in cell samples in vitro, and in live tissue both ex vivo and in vivo. This chapter focuses on the former two aspects. Experimental evidence suggests that morphological changes that occur in cells undergoing apoptosis result in changes in frequency-dependent ultrasound backscatter. With advances in research, ultrasound spectroscopy is advancing the boundaries of fast, label-free, noninvasive DNA damage detection technology with potential use in personalized medicine and early therapy response monitoring. Depending on the desired resolution, parametric ultrasound images can be computed and displayed within minutes to hours after ultrasound examination for cell death.

Enhancement of the Feature Extraction Capability in Global Damage Detection Using Wavelet Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saleeb, Atef F.; Ponnaluru, Gopi Krishna

2006-01-01

The main objective of this study is to assess the specific capabilities of the defect energy parameter technique for global damage detection developed by Saleeb and coworkers. The feature extraction is the most important capability in any damage-detection technique. Features are any parameters extracted from the processed measurement data in order to enhance damage detection. The damage feature extraction capability was studied extensively by analyzing various simulation results. The practical significance in structural health monitoring is that the detection at early stages of small-size defects is always desirable. The amount of changes in the structure's response due to these small defects was determined to show the needed level of accuracy in the experimental methods. The arrangement of fine/extensive sensor network to measure required data for the detection is an "unlimited" ability, but there is a difficulty to place extensive number of sensors on a structure. Therefore, an investigation was conducted using the measurements of coarse sensor network. The white and the pink noises, which cover most of the frequency ranges that are typically encountered in the many measuring devices used (e.g., accelerometers, strain gauges, etc.) are added to the displacements to investigate the effect of noisy measurements in the detection technique. The noisy displacements and the noisy damage parameter values are used to study the signal feature reconstruction using wavelets. The enhancement of the feature extraction capability was successfully achieved by the wavelet theory.

Frequency of polymorphism -262 c/t in catalase gene and oxidative damage in Slovak children with bronchial asthma.

PubMed

Babusikova, Eva; Jesenak, Milos; Evinova, Andrea; Banovcin, Peter; Dobrota, Dusan

2013-12-01

Bronchial asthma is a complex disease in which genetic factors, environmental factors and oxidative damage are responsible for the initiation and modulation of disease progression. If antioxidant mechanisms fail, reactive oxygen species damage the biomolecules followed by progression of the disease. Catalase is one of the most important endogenous enzymatic antioxidants. In the present study, we examined the hypothesis that increased oxidative damage and polymorphism in the CAT gene (-262 promoter region, C/T) are associated with childhood bronchial asthma. Genotyping of the polymorphisms in the CAT gene in healthy (249) and asthmatic children (248) was performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Markers of oxidative damage: content of sulfhydryl groups and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances were determined by spectrophotometry in children. The TT genotype of catalase was more frequent among the asthmatic patients (22.6%) than in healthy children (4.8%) (odds ratio=5.63; 95% confidence interval=2.93-10.81, P<.001). The amount of sulfhydryl groups decreased significantly and conversely, the content of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances increased significantly in bronchial asthma and in catalase TT genotype compared to other catalase genotypes of this gene. These results suggest that catalase polymorphism might participate in development of bronchial asthma and in enhanced oxidative damage in asthmatic children. Genetic variation of enzymatic antioxidants may modulate disease risk. Copyright © 2013 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Laser Induced Damage of Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate (KDP) Optical Crystal Machined by Water Dissolution Ultra-Precision Polishing Method

PubMed Central

Gao, Hang; Wang, Xu; Guo, Dongming; Liu, Ziyuan

2018-01-01

Laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) is an important optical indicator for nonlinear Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate (KDP) crystal used in high power laser systems. In this study, KDP optical crystals are initially machined with single point diamond turning (SPDT), followed by water dissolution ultra-precision polishing (WDUP) and then tested with 355 nm nanosecond pulsed-lasers. Power spectral density (PSD) analysis shows that WDUP process eliminates the laser-detrimental spatial frequencies band of micro-waviness on SPDT machined surface and consequently decreases its modulation effect on the laser beams. The laser test results show that LIDT of WDUP machined crystal improves and its stability has a significant increase by 72.1% compared with that of SPDT. Moreover, a subsequent ultrasonic assisted solvent cleaning process is suggested to have a positive effect on the laser performance of machined KDP crystal. Damage crater investigation indicates that the damage morphologies exhibit highly thermal explosion features of melted cores and brittle fractures of periphery material, which can be described with the classic thermal explosion model. The comparison result demonstrates that damage mechanisms for SPDT and WDUP machined crystal are the same and WDUP process reveals the real bulk laser resistance of KDP optical crystal by removing the micro-waviness and subsurface damage on SPDT machined surface. This improvement of WDUP method makes the LIDT more accurate and will be beneficial to the laser performance of KDP crystal. PMID:29534032

Assessing the Economic Cost of Landslide Damage in Low-Relief Regions: Case Study Evidence from the Flemish Ardennes (Belgium)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vranken, L.; Van Turnhout, P.; Van Den Eeckhaut, M.; Vandekerckhove, L.; Vantilt, G.; Poesen, J.

2012-04-01

Several regions around the globe are at risk to incur damage from landslides. These landslides cause significant structural and functional damage to public and private buildings and infrastructure. Numerous studies investigated how natural factors and human activities control the (re-)activation of landslides. However, few studies have concentrated on a quantitative estimate of the overall damage caused by landslides at a regional scale. This study therefore starts with a quantitative economic assessment of the direct and indirect damage caused by landslides in the Flemish Ardennes (Belgium), a low-relief region (area=ca. 700 km2) susceptible to landslides. Based on focus interviews as well as on semi-structured interviews with homeowners, civil servants (e.g. from the technical services from the various towns), or with the owners and providers of lifelines such as electricity and sewage, we have quantitatively estimated the direct and indirect damage induced by landsliding and this for a 10 to 30 year period (depending on the type of infrastructure or buildings). Economic damage to public infrastructure and buildings was estimated for the entire region, while for private damage 10 cases with severe to small damage were quantified. For example, in the last 10 year, costs of road repair augmented to 814 560 €. Costs to repair damaged roads that have not yet been repaired, were estimated at 669 318 €. In the past 30 years, costs of measures to prevent road damage augmented to at least 14 872 380 €. More than 90% of this budget for preventive measures was spent 30 years ago, when an important freeway was damaged and had to be repaired. These preventive measures (building a grout wall and improving the drainage system) were effective as no further damage has been reported until present. To repair and prevent damage to waterworks and sewage systems, expenditures amounted to 551 044 € and this for the last 30 years. In the past 10 years, a new railway line connecting two important Belgian cities has been built and within that one project, the cost to prevent damage to railroads augmented already to at least 4 567 822 €. The value of real estate located in regions affected by landslides decreased with 15% to 35%. All these damage costs were then used to made potential damage maps. Based on the inventory of landslides, frequency of landslides' re-activation and land use, we categorized regions that are affected by landslides according to their temporal probability of landslide re-activation. This allowed us to produce a (semi-) qualitative risk map for regions that were affected by landslides in the past. This paper shows that, though generally not spectacular, landsliding in low-relief regions susceptible to landslides is a slow but continuously operating process with considerable damage allowing one to identify several medium to high landslide risk zones. As such this study provides important information for government officials, especially those in charge of spatial planning and of town and environmental planning, as it clearly informs about the costs associated with certain land use types in landslide prone areas. This information can be particularly useful for regions in which increasing demand for building land pressures government officials and (local) political leaders to expand the built environment.

Frequency selection for coda wave interferometry in concrete structures.

PubMed

Fröjd, Patrik; Ulriksen, Peter

2017-09-01

This study contributes to the establishment of frequency recommendations for use in coda wave interferometry structural health monitoring (SHM) systems for concrete structures. To this end, codas with widely different central frequencies were used to detect boreholes with different diameters in a large concrete floor slab, and to track increasing damage in a small concrete beam subjected to bending loads. SHM results were obtained for damage that can be simulated by drilled holes on the scale of a few mm or microcracks due to bending. These results suggest that signals in the range of 50-150kHz are suitable in large concrete structures where it is necessary to account for the high attenuation of high-frequency signals. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A physiological frequency-position map of the chinchilla cochlea.

PubMed

Müller, Marcus; Hoidis, Silvi; Smolders, Jean W T

2010-09-01

Accumulating evidence indicates that mammalian cochlear frequency-position maps (location of maximum vibration of the basilar membrane as a function of frequency) depend on the physiological condition of the inner ear. Cochlear damage desensitizes the ear, after the damage the original location of maximum vibration is tuned to a lower sound frequency. This suggests that frequency-position maps, derived from such desensitized ears, are shifted to lower frequencies, corresponding to a shift of the basilar membrane vibration pattern towards the base for a given stimulus frequency. To test this hypothesis, we re-mapped the cochlear frequency-position map in the chinchilla. We collected frequency-position data from chinchillas in normal physiological condition ("physiological map") and compared these to data previously established from sound overexposed ears ("anatomical map"). The characteristic frequency (CF) of neurons in the cochlear nucleus was determined. Horse-radish peroxidase (HRP) or biocytin (BCT) were injected iontophoretically to trace auditory nerve fibers towards their innervation site in the organ of Corti. The relationship between distance from the base (d, percent) and frequency (f, kHz) was described best by a simple exponential function: d = 61.2 - 42.2 x log(f). The slope of the function was 2.55 mm/octave. Compared to the "anatomical map", the "physiological map" was shifted by about 0.3 octaves to higher frequencies corresponding to a shift of the basilar membrane vibration pattern of 0.8 mm towards the apex for a given stimulus frequency. Our findings affirm that frequency-position maps in the mammalian cochlea depend on the condition of the inner ear. Damage-induced desensitization in mammalian inner ears results in similar shifts of CF (about 0.5 octaves) but different shifts of the maximum of the vibration pattern towards the base at given frequencies, dependent on the mapping constant of the species, longer basilar membranes showing a larger basal shift. Furthermore, the results substantiate the notion that "crowding" at lower frequencies appears to be a specialization rather than a general feature. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genotoxic effects of 1064-nm Nd:YAG and 532-nm KTP lasers on fibroblast cell cultures.

PubMed

Senturk, N; Bedir, A; Bilgici, B; Aydin, F; Okuyucu, A; Ozmen, Z C; Turanli, A Y

2010-07-01

Several different laser types are used in cutaneous surgery. The neodymium:yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Nd:YAG) and frequency-doubled Nd:YAG (KTP, potassium titanyl phosphate) lasers are widely used in dermatology. To investigate the possible genotoxic effects on fibroblasts of irradiation with a 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser and a 532-nm KTP laser. Fibroblast cell cultures were exposed to each of the lasers, using 10-mm spot size at 60 ms pulse duration with 10, 20, 40 J/cm(2) and 3, 6, 12 J/cm(2) fluences, respectively. Fibroblasts in passages 1-6 were used. During laser irradiation, 96-well microplate cultures were kept on a cooling block and transported on ice and in the dark, and processed immediately for single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay (also known as a comet assay). DNA damage was determined by computerized assessment of comet assay. There was increasing damage with increasing numbers of passages. For the Nd:YAG laser, the greatest damage occurred on passages 5 and 6, whereas the greatest damage appeared at passages 3 and 4 for KTP and returned to baseline at passages 5 and 6. Damage also increased with each dose increment for both wavelengths. At the highest dose for both wavelengths (Nd:YAG 40 J/cm(2) and KTP 12 J/cm(2)), damage was higher with the Nd:YAG laser. Different patterns of cellular damage were seen for different cell-culture passages, treatment doses, and laser wavelengths. These dose ranges are generally used for the treatment of vascular and pigmented lesions and for rejuvenation purposes. As replicative ageing or cell senescence is one of the critical factors determining the extent of cell damage induced by laser therapy, these results may have important implications for clinical practice.

Elevated Frequencies of Micronuclei and other Nuclear Abnormalities of Chrome Plating Workers Occupationally Exposed to Hexavalent Chromium

PubMed Central

Sudha, S; Kripa, SK; Shibily, P; Shyn, J

2011-01-01

Background Biomonitoring provides a useful tool to estimate the genetic risk from exposure to genotoxic agents. The aim of this study was to assess the potential cytogenetic damage associated with occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium by using micronuclei (MN) as a biomarker. Methods This was a cross-sectional study and all participants were males. Both the exposed and control individuals were selected from Coimbatore, Southern India. Exfoliated buccal cells from 44 chrome plating workers and 40 age and sex matched control subjects were examined for MN frequency and nuclear abnormalities (NA) other than micronuclei, such as binucleates, broken eggs, karyorrhexis, karyolysis and pyknosis. Results Results showed statistically significant difference between chrome plating workers and control groups. MN and NA frequencies in chrome plating workers were significantly higher than those in control groups (p < 0.05) and also significantly related to smoking habit (P < 0.05). A significant difference in NA was observed in workers exposed to chromium for longer duration. In addition to this, a higher degree of NA was observed among smokers. Conclusion MN and other NA reflect genetic changes, events associated with carcinogenesis. Therefore the results of this study indicate that chrome plating workers are under risk of significant cytogenetic damage. Therefore, there is a need to educate those who work with heavy metals about the potential hazard of occupational exposure and the importance of using protective measures. PMID:26328050

Extremely low-frequency magnetic fields can impair spermatogenesis recovery after reversible testicular damage induced by heat.

PubMed

Tenorio, Bruno Mendes; Ferreira Filho, Moisés Bonifacio Alves; Jimenez, George Chaves; de Morais, Rosana Nogueira; Peixoto, Christina Alves; Nogueira, Romildo de Albuquerque; da Silva Junior, Valdemiro Amaro

2014-06-01

Male infertility is often related to reproductive age couples experiencing fertility-related issues. Men may have fertility problems associated with reversible testicular damage. Considering that men have been increasingly exposed to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields generated by the production, distribution and use of electricity, this study analyzed whether 60 Hz and 1 mT magnetic field exposure may impair spermatogenesis recovery after reversible testicular damage induced by heat shock using rats as an experimental model. Adult male rats were subjected to a single testicular heat shock (HS, 43 °C for 12 min) and then exposed to the magnetic field for 15, 30 and 60 d after HS. Magnetic field exposure during the spermatogenesis recovery induced changes in testis components volume, cell ultrastructure and histomorphometrical parameters. Control animals had a reestablished and active spermatogenesis at 60 d after heat shock, while animals exposed to magnetic field still showed extensive testicular degeneration. Magnetic field exposure did not change the plasma testosterone. In conclusion, extremely low-frequency magnetic field may be harmful to fertility recovery in males affected by reversible testicular damage.

Clustered DNA damages induced in isolated DNA and in human cells by low doses of ionizing radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sutherland, B. M.; Bennett, P. V.; Sidorkina, O.; Laval, J.; Lowenstein, D. I. (Principal Investigator)

2000-01-01

Clustered DNA damages-two or more closely spaced damages (strand breaks, abasic sites, or oxidized bases) on opposing strands-are suspects as critical lesions producing lethal and mutagenic effects of ionizing radiation. However, as a result of the lack of methods for measuring damage clusters induced by ionizing radiation in genomic DNA, neither the frequencies of their production by physiological doses of radiation, nor their repairability, nor their biological effects are known. On the basis of methods that we developed for quantitating damages in large DNAs, we have devised and validated a way of measuring ionizing radiation-induced clustered lesions in genomic DNA, including DNA from human cells. DNA is treated with an endonuclease that induces a single-strand cleavage at an oxidized base or abasic site. If there are two closely spaced damages on opposing strands, such cleavage will reduce the size of the DNA on a nondenaturing gel. We show that ionizing radiation does induce clustered DNA damages containing abasic sites, oxidized purines, or oxidized pyrimidines. Further, the frequency of each of these cluster classes is comparable to that of frank double-strand breaks; among all complex damages induced by ionizing radiation, double-strand breaks are only about 20%, with other clustered damage constituting some 80%. We also show that even low doses (0.1-1 Gy) of high linear energy transfer ionizing radiation induce clustered damages in human cells.

Fatigue behavior of a cross-ply ceramic matrix composite at elevated temperature under tension-tension loading. Master`s thesis

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

Steiner, C.D.

This study investigated the fatigue behavior and damage mechanisms of a (0/90)4s SiC/MAS ceramic matrix composite under tension-tension loading at two elevated temperatures and two frequencies. Stress and strain hystereses, maximum and minimum strain, and modulus of elasticity were evaluated to characterize the material behavior. Microscopy and fractography were used to evaluate damage progression and mechanisms. Fatigue life was independent of frequency at both temperatures.

Methods and Piezoelectric Imbedded Sensors for Damage Detection in Composite Plates Under Ambient and Cryogenic Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Engberg, Robert; Ooi, Teng K.

2004-01-01

New methods for structural health monitoring are being assessed, especially in high-performance, extreme environment, safety-critical applications. One such application is for composite cryogenic fuel tanks. The work presented here attempts to characterize and investigate the feasibility of using imbedded piezoelectric sensors to detect cracks and delaminations under cryogenic and ambient conditions. A variety of damage detection methods and different Sensors are employed in the different composite plate samples to aid in determining an optimal algorithm, sensor placement strategy, and type of imbedded sensor to use. Variations of frequency, impedance measurements, and pulse echoing techniques of the sensors are employed and compared. Statistical and analytic techniques are then used to determine which method is most desirable for a specific type of damage. These results are furthermore compared with previous work using externally mounted sensors. Results and optimized methods from this work can then be incorporated into a larger composite structure to validate and assess its structural health. This could prove to be important in the development and qualification of any 2" generation reusable launch vehicle using composites as a structural element.

Nonlinear Dynamic Behavior of Impact Damage in a Composite Skin-Stiffener Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ooijevaar, T. H.; Rogge, M. D.; Loendersloot, R.; Warnet, L.; Akkerman, R.; deBoer, A.

2013-01-01

One of the key issues in composite structures for aircraft applications is the early identification of damage. Often, service induced damage does not involve visible plastic deformation, but internal matrix related damage, like delaminations. A wide range of technologies, comprising global vibration and local wave propagation methods can be employed for health monitoring purposes. Traditional low frequency modal analysis based methods are linear methods. The effectiveness of these methods is often limited since they rely on a stationary and linear approximation of the system. The nonlinear interaction between a low frequency wave field and a local impact induced skin-stiffener failure is experimentally demonstrated in this paper. The different mechanisms that are responsible for the nonlinearities (opening, closing and contact) of the distorted harmonic waveforms are separated with the help of phase portraits. A basic analytical model is employed to support the observations.

Surface Profiling and Core Evaluation of Aluminum Honeycomb Sandwich Aircraft Panels Using Multi-Frequency Eddy Current Testing

PubMed Central

Reyno, Tyler; Underhill, P. Ross; Krause, Thomas W.; Marsden, Catharine; Wowk, Diane

2017-01-01

Surface damage on honeycomb aircraft panels is often measured manually, and is therefore subject to variation based on inspection personnel. Eddy current testing (ECT) is sensitive to variations in probe-to-specimen spacing, or lift-off, and is thus promising for high-resolution profiling of surface damage on aluminum panels. Lower frequency testing also allows inspection through the face sheet, an advantage over optical 3D scanning methods. This paper presents results from the ECT inspection of surface damage on an approximately flat aluminum honeycomb aircraft panel, and compares the measurements to those taken using optical 3D scanning technology. An ECT C-Scan of the dented panel surface was obtained by attaching the probe to a robotic scanning apparatus. Data was taken simultaneously at four frequencies of 25, 100, 400 and 1600 kHz. A reference surface was then defined that approximated the original, undamaged panel surface, which also compensated for the effects of specimen tilt and thermal drift within the ECT instrument. Data was converted to lift-off using height calibration curves developed for each probe frequency. A damage region of 22,550 mm2 area with dents ranging in depth from 0.13–1.01 mm was analyzed. The method was accurate at 1600 kHz to within 0.05 mm (2σ) when compared with 231 measurements taken via optical 3D scanning. Testing at 25 kHz revealed a 3.2 mm cell size within the honeycomb core, which was confirmed via destructive evaluation. As a result, ECT demonstrates potential for implementation as a method for rapid in-field aircraft panel surface damage assessment. PMID:28906434

Surface Profiling and Core Evaluation of Aluminum Honeycomb Sandwich Aircraft Panels Using Multi-Frequency Eddy Current Testing.

PubMed

Reyno, Tyler; Underhill, P Ross; Krause, Thomas W; Marsden, Catharine; Wowk, Diane

2017-09-14

Surface damage on honeycomb aircraft panels is often measured manually, and is therefore subject to variation based on inspection personnel. Eddy current testing (ECT) is sensitive to variations in probe-to-specimen spacing, or lift-off, and is thus promising for high-resolution profiling of surface damage on aluminum panels. Lower frequency testing also allows inspection through the face sheet, an advantage over optical 3D scanning methods. This paper presents results from the ECT inspection of surface damage on an approximately flat aluminum honeycomb aircraft panel, and compares the measurements to those taken using optical 3D scanning technology. An ECT C-Scan of the dented panel surface was obtained by attaching the probe to a robotic scanning apparatus. Data was taken simultaneously at four frequencies of 25, 100, 400 and 1600 kHz. A reference surface was then defined that approximated the original, undamaged panel surface, which also compensated for the effects of specimen tilt and thermal drift within the ECT instrument. Data was converted to lift-off using height calibration curves developed for each probe frequency. A damage region of 22,550 mm² area with dents ranging in depth from 0.13-1.01 mm was analyzed. The method was accurate at 1600 kHz to within 0.05 mm (2σ) when compared with 231 measurements taken via optical 3D scanning. Testing at 25 kHz revealed a 3.2 mm cell size within the honeycomb core, which was confirmed via destructive evaluation. As a result, ECT demonstrates potential for implementation as a method for rapid in-field aircraft panel surface damage assessment.

Evaluation of genotoxicity in workers exposed to low levels of formaldehyde in a furniture manufacturing facility.

PubMed

Peteffi, Giovana Piva; da Silva, Luciano Basso; Antunes, Marina Venzon; Wilhelm, Camila; Valandro, Eduarda Trevizani; Glaeser, Jéssica; Kaefer, Djeine; Linden, Rafael

2016-10-01

Formaldehyde (FA) is a chemical widely used in the furniture industry and has been classified as a potential human carcinogen. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occupational exposure of workers to FA at a furniture manufacturing facility and the relationship between environmental concentrations of FA, formic acid concentration in urine, and DNA damage. The sample consisted of 46 workers exposed to FA and a control group of 45 individuals with no history of occupational exposure. Environmental concentrations of FA were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Urinary formic acid concentrations were determined by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. DNA damage was evaluated by the micronucleus (MN) test performed in exfoliated buccal cells and comet assay with venous blood. The 8-h time-weighted average of FA environmental concentration ranged from 0.03 ppm to 0.09 ppm at the plant, and the control group was exposed to a mean concentration of 0.012 ppm. Workers exposed to higher environmental FA concentrations had urinary formic acid concentrations significantly different from those of controls (31.85 mg L(-1) vs. 19.35 mg L(-), p ≤ 0.01 Mann-Whitney test). Significant differences were found between control and exposed groups for the following parameters: damage frequency and damage index in the comet assay, frequency of binucleated cells in the MN test, and formic acid concentration in urine. The frequency of micronuclei, nuclear buds, and karyorrhexis did not differ between groups. There was a positive correlation between environmental concentrations of FA and damage frequency (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient [r s] = 0.24), damage index (r s = 0.21), binucleated cells (r s = 0.34), and urinary formic acid concentration (r s = 0.63). The results indicate that, although workers in the furniture manufacturing facility were exposed to low environmental levels of FA, this agent contributes to the observed increase in cytogenetic damage. In addition, urinary formic acid concentrations correlated strongly with occupational exposure to FA. © The Author(s) 2015.

Launch vehicle payload adapter design with vibration isolation features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Gareth R.; Fadick, Cynthia M.; Fram, Bryan J.

2005-05-01

Payloads, such as satellites or spacecraft, which are mounted on launch vehicles, are subject to severe vibrations during flight. These vibrations are induced by multiple sources that occur between liftoff and the instant of final separation from the launch vehicle. A direct result of the severe vibrations is that fatigue damage and failure can be incurred by sensitive payload components. For this reason a payload adapter has been designed with special emphasis on its vibration isolation characteristics. The design consists of an annular plate that has top and bottom face sheets separated by radial ribs and close-out rings. These components are manufactured from graphite epoxy composites to ensure a high stiffness to weight ratio. The design is tuned to keep the frequency of the axial mode of vibration of the payload on the flexibility of the adapter to a low value. This is the main strategy adopted for isolating the payload from damaging vibrations in the intermediate to higher frequency range (45Hz-200Hz). A design challenge for this type of adapter is to keep the pitch frequency of the payload above a critical value in order to avoid dynamic interactions with the launch vehicle control system. This high frequency requirement conflicts with the low axial mode frequency requirement and this problem is overcome by innovative tuning of the directional stiffnesses of the composite parts. A second design strategy that is utilized to achieve good isolation characteristics is the use of constrained layer damping. This feature is particularly effective at keeping the responses to a minimum for one of the most important dynamic loading mechanisms. This mechanism consists of the almost-tonal vibratory load associated with the resonant burn condition present in any stage powered by a solid rocket motor. The frequency of such a load typically falls in the 45-75Hz range and this phenomenon drives the low frequency design of the adapter. Detailed finite element analysis is used throughout to qualify the design for vibration isolation performance as well as confirm its static and dynamic strength.

Structural Damage Detection Using Changes in Natural Frequencies: Theory and Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, K.; Zhu, W. D.

2011-07-01

A vibration-based method that uses changes in natural frequencies of a structure to detect damage has advantages over conventional nondestructive tests in detecting various types of damage, including loosening of bolted joints, using minimum measurement data. Two major challenges associated with applications of the vibration-based damage detection method to engineering structures are addressed: accurate modeling of structures and the development of a robust inverse algorithm to detect damage, which are defined as the forward and inverse problems, respectively. To resolve the forward problem, new physics-based finite element modeling techniques are developed for fillets in thin-walled beams and for bolted joints, so that complex structures can be accurately modeled with a reasonable model size. To resolve the inverse problem, a logistical function transformation is introduced to convert the constrained optimization problem to an unconstrained one, and a robust iterative algorithm using a trust-region method, called the Levenberg-Marquardt method, is developed to accurately detect the locations and extent of damage. The new methodology can ensure global convergence of the iterative algorithm in solving under-determined system equations and deal with damage detection problems with relatively large modeling error and measurement noise. The vibration-based damage detection method is applied to various structures including lightning masts, a space frame structure and one of its components, and a pipeline. The exact locations and extent of damage can be detected in the numerical simulation where there is no modeling error and measurement noise. The locations and extent of damage can be successfully detected in experimental damage detection.

Influence of the Spatial Dimensions of Ultrasonic Transducers on the Frequency Spectrum of Guided Waves.

PubMed

Samaitis, Vykintas; Mažeika, Liudas

2017-08-08

Ultrasonic guided wave (UGW)-based condition monitoring has shown great promise in detecting, localizing, and characterizing damage in complex systems. However, the application of guided waves for damage detection is challenging due to the existence of multiple modes and dispersion. This results in distorted wave packets with limited resolution and the interference of multiple reflected modes. To develop reliable inspection systems, either the transducers have to be optimized to generate a desired single mode of guided waves with known dispersive properties, or the frequency responses of all modes present in the structure must be known to predict wave interaction. Currently, there is a lack of methods to predict the response spectrum of guided wave modes, especially in cases when multiple modes are being excited simultaneously. Such methods are of vital importance for further understanding wave propagation within the structures as well as wave-damage interaction. In this study, a novel method to predict the response spectrum of guided wave modes was proposed based on Fourier analysis of the particle velocity distribution on the excitation area. The method proposed in this study estimates an excitability function based on the spatial dimensions of the transducer, type of vibration, and dispersive properties of the medium. As a result, the response amplitude as a function of frequency for each guided wave mode present in the structure can be separately obtained. The method was validated with numerical simulations on the aluminum and glass fiber composite samples. The key findings showed that it can be applied to estimate the response spectrum of a guided wave mode on any type of material (either isotropic structures, or multi layered anisotropic composites) and under any type of excitation if the phase velocity dispersion curve and the particle velocity distribution of the wave source was known initially. Thus, the proposed method may be a beneficial tool to explain and predict the response spectrum of guided waves throughout the development of any structural health monitoring system.

Influence of the Spatial Dimensions of Ultrasonic Transducers on the Frequency Spectrum of Guided Waves

PubMed Central

Samaitis, Vykintas; Mažeika, Liudas

2017-01-01

Ultrasonic guided wave (UGW)-based condition monitoring has shown great promise in detecting, localizing, and characterizing damage in complex systems. However, the application of guided waves for damage detection is challenging due to the existence of multiple modes and dispersion. This results in distorted wave packets with limited resolution and the interference of multiple reflected modes. To develop reliable inspection systems, either the transducers have to be optimized to generate a desired single mode of guided waves with known dispersive properties, or the frequency responses of all modes present in the structure must be known to predict wave interaction. Currently, there is a lack of methods to predict the response spectrum of guided wave modes, especially in cases when multiple modes are being excited simultaneously. Such methods are of vital importance for further understanding wave propagation within the structures as well as wave-damage interaction. In this study, a novel method to predict the response spectrum of guided wave modes was proposed based on Fourier analysis of the particle velocity distribution on the excitation area. The method proposed in this study estimates an excitability function based on the spatial dimensions of the transducer, type of vibration, and dispersive properties of the medium. As a result, the response amplitude as a function of frequency for each guided wave mode present in the structure can be separately obtained. The method was validated with numerical simulations on the aluminum and glass fiber composite samples. The key findings showed that it can be applied to estimate the response spectrum of a guided wave mode on any type of material (either isotropic structures, or multi layered anisotropic composites) and under any type of excitation if the phase velocity dispersion curve and the particle velocity distribution of the wave source was known initially. Thus, the proposed method may be a beneficial tool to explain and predict the response spectrum of guided waves throughout the development of any structural health monitoring system. PMID:28786924

The hazard of exposure to impulse noise as a function of frequency, volume 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patterson, James H., Jr.; Carrier, Melvin, Jr.; Bordwell, Kevin; Gautier, Ilia M.; Hamernik, Roger P.

1991-06-01

The energy spectrum of a noise is known to be an important variable in determining the effects of a traumatic exposure. However, existing criteria for exposure to impulse noise do not consider the frequency spectrum of an impulse as a variable in the evaluation of the hazards to the auditory system. This report presents the results of a study that was designed to determine the relative potential that impulsive energy concentrated at different frequencies has in causing auditory system trauma. One hundred and eighteen (118) chinchilla, divided into 20 groups with 5 to 7 animals per group, were used in these experiments. Pre- and post-exposure hearing thresholds were measured at 10 test frequencies between 0.125 and 8 kHz on each animal using avoidance conditioning procedures. Quantitative histology (cochleograms) was used to determine the extent and pattern of the sensory cell damage. The noise exposure stimuli consisted of six different computer-generated narrow band tone bursts having center frequencies located at 0.260, 0.775, 1.350, 2.450, and 3.550 kHz. Each narrow band exposure stimulus was presented at two to four different intensities. An analysis of the audiometric and histological data allowed frequency weighing functions to be derived.

Cytogenetic damage in the buccal epithelium of Brazilian aviators occupationally exposed to agrochemicals.

PubMed

Minasi, L B; Costa, E O A; Silva, D M; Melo, C O A; de Almeida, J G; Vieira, T C; Silva Júnior, R L; Ribeiro, C L; da Silva, C C; da Cruz, A D

2011-12-12

The frequency of micronuclei in both buccal cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes is extensively used as a biomarker of chromosomal damage and genome stability in human populations. We examined whether prolonged exposure to complex mixtures of pesticides leads to an increase in cytogenetic damage. The exposed group comprised 50 agricultural aviators, mainly from Central and Southeast regions of Brazil, who had inhaled agrochemicals for more than 10 years without personal protection equipment; the control group consisted of 17 men from the same regions, without indication of exposure to pesticides, There were three times higher frequencies of micronuclei (P < 0.05) and 2.5 times higher frequencies of binucleated cells in the aviators when compared to controls. However, cytotoxic alterations such as broken eggs and karyorrhexis did not present statistically significant differences between the exposed and control groups. Therefore, diverse agrochemicals used to combat pests in agriculture possess genotoxic effects in the oral mucosa of the agricultural pilots, as showed in this study.

Amplification of earthquake ground motions in Washington, DC, and implications for hazard assessments in central and eastern North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pratt, Thomas L.; Horton, J. Wright; Munoz, Jessica; Hough, Susan E.; Chapman, Martin C.; Olgun, C. Guney

2017-01-01

The extent of damage in Washington, DC, from the 2011 Mw 5.8 Mineral, VA, earthquake was surprising for an epicenter 130 km away; U.S. Geological Survey “Did-You-Feel-It” reports suggest that Atlantic Coastal Plain and other unconsolidated sediments amplified ground motions in the city. We measure this amplification relative to bedrock sites using earthquake signals recorded on a temporary seismometer array. The spectral ratios show strong amplification in the 0.7 to 4 Hz frequency range for sites on sediments. This range overlaps with resonant frequencies of buildings in the city as inferred from their heights, suggesting amplification at frequencies to which many buildings are vulnerable to damage. Our results emphasize that local amplification can raise moderate ground motions to damaging levels in stable continental regions, where low attenuation extends shaking levels over wide areas and unconsolidated deposits on crystalline metamorphic or igneous bedrock can result in strong contrasts in near-surface material properties.

Instantaneous Wavenumber Estimation for Damage Quantification in Layered Plate Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mesnil, Olivier; Leckey, Cara A. C.; Ruzzene, Massimo

2014-01-01

This paper illustrates the application of instantaneous and local wavenumber damage quantification techniques for high frequency guided wave interrogation. The proposed methodologies can be considered as first steps towards a hybrid structural health monitoring/ nondestructive evaluation (SHM/NDE) approach for damage assessment in composites. The challenges and opportunities related to the considered type of interrogation and signal processing are explored through the analysis of numerical data obtained via EFIT simulations of damage in CRFP plates. Realistic damage configurations are modeled from x-ray CT scan data of plates subjected to actual impacts, in order to accurately predict wave-damage interactions in terms of scattering and mode conversions. Simulation data is utilized to enhance the information provided by instantaneous and local wavenumbers and mitigate the complexity related to the multi-modal content of the plate response. Signal processing strategies considered for this purpose include modal decoupling through filtering in the frequency/wavenumber domain, the combination of displacement components, and the exploitation of polarization information for the various modes as evaluated through the dispersion analysis of the considered laminate lay-up sequence. The results presented assess the effectiveness of the proposed wavefield processing techniques as a hybrid SHM/NDE technique for damage detection and quantification in composite, plate-like structures.

A 2D Model of Hydraulic Fracturing, Damage and Microseismicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wangen, Magnus

2018-03-01

We present a model for hydraulic fracturing and damage of low-permeable rock. It computes the intermittent propagation of rock damage, microseismic event locations, microseismic frequency-magnitude distributions, stimulated rock volume and the injection pressure. The model uses a regular 2D grid and is based on ideas from invasion percolation. All damaged and connected cells during a time step constitute a microseismic event, where the size of the event is the number of cells in the cluster. The magnitude of the event is the log _{10} of the event size. The model produces events with a magnitude-frequency distribution having a b value that is approximately 0.8. The model is studied with respect to the physical parameters: permeability of damaged rock and the rock strength. "High" permeabilities of the damaged rock give the same b value ≈ 0.8, but "moderate" permeabilities give higher b values. Another difference is that "high" permeabilities produce a percolation-like fracture network, while "moderate" permeabilities result in damage zones that expand circularly away from the injection point. In the latter case of "moderate" permeabilities, the injection pressure increases substantially beyond the fracturing level. The rock strength and the time step do not change the observed b value of the model for moderate changes.

Quantification of impact damage in CMC thermal protection systems using thin-film piezoelectric sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhr, Samuel J.; Blackshire, James L.

2007-04-01

Thermal protection systems (TPS) are frequently subjected to impacts from micrometeoroids and ground handling during refurbishment. The damage resulting from such impacts can greatly reduce the vehicle's overall ability to resist extreme temperatures. Therefore, it is essential to have a reliable method to detect and quantify the damage resulting from impacts. In this effort, the effectiveness of lightweight thin film piezoelectric sensors was evaluated for impact detection and quantification in CMC wrapped TPS. The sensors, which were adhered to the bottom of the TPS tile, were used to sense impact events occurring on the top of the tile, with the ultimate goal of quantifying the level of impact level and damage state based on the sensed signals. A reasonable correlation between impact load levels and sensed response were observed for load levels between 0.07-1.00 Joules. An increase in signal frequency content was also observed as impact levels were increased, with specific frequency bands occurring in the 2-16 kHz range. A preliminary nondestructive evaluation of the impact damage sites was also accomplished, where a reasonable correlation between the gross damage features (i.e. impact crater dimensions) and signal response was observed.

A Study on Active Disaster Management System for Standardized Emergency Action Plan using BIM and Flood Damage Estimation Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, C.; Om, J.; Hwang, J.; Joo, K.; Heo, J.

2013-12-01

In recent, the frequency of extreme flood has been increasing due to climate change and global warming. Highly flood damages are mainly caused by the collapse of flood control structures such as dam and dike. In order to reduce these disasters, the disaster management system (DMS) through flood forecasting, inundation mapping, EAP (Emergency Action Plan) has been studied. The estimation of inundation damage and practical EAP are especially crucial to the DMS. However, it is difficult to predict inundation and take a proper action through DMS in real emergency situation because several techniques for inundation damage estimation are not integrated and EAP is supplied in the form of a document in Korea. In this study, the integrated simulation system including rainfall frequency analysis, rainfall-runoff modeling, inundation prediction, surface runoff analysis, and inland flood analysis was developed. Using this system coupled with standard GIS data, inundation damage can be estimated comprehensively and automatically. The standard EAP based on BIM (Building Information Modeling) was also established in this system. It is, therefore, expected that the inundation damages through this study over the entire area including buildings can be predicted and managed.

Correlation between He-Ne scatter and 2.7-microm pulsed laser damage at coating defects.

PubMed

Porteus, J O; Spiker, C J; Franck, J B

1986-11-01

A reported correlation between defect-initiated pulsed laser damage and local predamage scatter in multilayer infrared mirror coatings has been analyzed in detail. Examination of a much larger data base confirms the previous result on dielectric-enhanced reflectors with polished substrates over a wide range of energy densities above the damage onset. Scatter signals from individual undamaged defects were detected using a He-Ne scatter probe with a focal spot that nearly coincides with the 150-microm-diam (D1/e(2)) focal spot of the damage-probe beam. Subsequent damage frequency measurements (1-on-1) were made near normal or at 45 degrees incidence with 100-ns pulses at 2.7-microm wavelength. The correlation is characterized by an increase in damage frequency with increasing predamage scatter signal and by equivalence of the defect densities indicated by the two probes. Characteristics of the correlation are compared with a simple model based on focal spot intensity profiles. Conditions that limit correlation are discussed, including variable scatter from defects and background scatter from diamond-turned substrates. Results have implication for nondestructive defect detection and coating quality control.

Erythrocyte shape abnormalities, membrane oxidative damage, and β-actin alterations: an unrecognized triad in classical autism.

PubMed

Ciccoli, Lucia; De Felice, Claudio; Paccagnini, Eugenio; Leoncini, Silvia; Pecorelli, Alessandra; Signorini, Cinzia; Belmonte, Giuseppe; Guerranti, Roberto; Cortelazzo, Alessio; Gentile, Mariangela; Zollo, Gloria; Durand, Thierry; Valacchi, Giuseppe; Rossi, Marcello; Hayek, Joussef

2013-01-01

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a complex group of neurodevelopment disorders steadily rising in frequency and treatment refractory, where the search for biological markers is of paramount importance. Although red blood cells (RBCs) membrane lipidomics and rheological variables have been reported to be altered, with some suggestions indicating an increased lipid peroxidation in the erythrocyte membrane, to date no information exists on how the oxidative membrane damage may affect cytoskeletal membrane proteins and, ultimately, RBCs shape in autism. Here, we investigated RBC morphology by scanning electron microscopy in patients with classical autism, that is, the predominant ASDs phenotype (age range: 6-26 years), nonautistic neurodevelopmental disorders (i.e., "positive controls"), and healthy controls (i.e., "negative controls"). A high percentage of altered RBCs shapes, predominantly elliptocytes, was observed in autistic patients, but not in both control groups. The RBCs altered morphology in autistic subjects was related to increased erythrocyte membrane F2-isoprostanes and 4-hydroxynonenal protein adducts. In addition, an oxidative damage of the erythrocyte membrane β-actin protein was evidenced. Therefore, the combination of erythrocyte shape abnormalities, erythrocyte membrane oxidative damage, and β-actin alterations constitutes a previously unrecognized triad in classical autism and provides new biological markers in the diagnostic workup of ASDs.

Erythrocyte Shape Abnormalities, Membrane Oxidative Damage, and β-Actin Alterations: An Unrecognized Triad in Classical Autism

PubMed Central

Ciccoli, Lucia; De Felice, Claudio; Pecorelli, Alessandra; Belmonte, Giuseppe; Guerranti, Roberto; Cortelazzo, Alessio; Durand, Thierry; Valacchi, Giuseppe; Rossi, Marcello; Hayek, Joussef

2013-01-01

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a complex group of neurodevelopment disorders steadily rising in frequency and treatment refractory, where the search for biological markers is of paramount importance. Although red blood cells (RBCs) membrane lipidomics and rheological variables have been reported to be altered, with some suggestions indicating an increased lipid peroxidation in the erythrocyte membrane, to date no information exists on how the oxidative membrane damage may affect cytoskeletal membrane proteins and, ultimately, RBCs shape in autism. Here, we investigated RBC morphology by scanning electron microscopy in patients with classical autism, that is, the predominant ASDs phenotype (age range: 6–26 years), nonautistic neurodevelopmental disorders (i.e., “positive controls”), and healthy controls (i.e., “negative controls”). A high percentage of altered RBCs shapes, predominantly elliptocytes, was observed in autistic patients, but not in both control groups. The RBCs altered morphology in autistic subjects was related to increased erythrocyte membrane F2-isoprostanes and 4-hydroxynonenal protein adducts. In addition, an oxidative damage of the erythrocyte membrane β-actin protein was evidenced. Therefore, the combination of erythrocyte shape abnormalities, erythrocyte membrane oxidative damage, and β-actin alterations constitutes a previously unrecognized triad in classical autism and provides new biological markers in the diagnostic workup of ASDs. PMID:24453417

Damage-mitigating control of aircraft for high performance and life extension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caplin, Jeffrey

1998-12-01

A methodology is proposed for the synthesis of a Damage-Mitigating Control System for a high-performance fighter aircraft. The design of such a controller involves consideration of damage to critical points of the structure, as well as the performance requirements of the aircraft. This research is interdisciplinary, and brings existing knowledge in the fields of unsteady aerodynamics, structural dynamics, fracture mechanics, and control theory together to formulate a new approach towards aircraft flight controller design. A flexible wing model is formulated using the Finite Element Method, and the important mode shapes and natural frequencies are identified. The Doublet Lattice Method is employed to develop an unsteady flow model for computation of the unsteady aerodynamic loads acting on the wing due to rigid-body maneuvers and structural deformation. These two models are subsequently incorporated into a pre-existing nonlinear rigid-body aircraft flight-dynamic model. A family of robust Damage-Mitigating Controllers is designed using the Hinfinity-optimization and mu-synthesis method. In addition to weighting the error between the ideal performance and the actual performance of the aircraft, weights are also placed on the strain amplitude at the root of each wing. The results show significant savings in fatigue life of the wings while retaining the dynamic performance of the aircraft.

Relationship between spontaneous γH2AX foci formation and progenitor functions in circulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells among atomic-bomb survivors.

PubMed

Kajimura, Junko; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Kubo, Yoshiko; Misumi, Munechika; Yoshida, Kengo; Hayashi, Tomonori; Imai, Kazue; Ohishi, Waka; Nakachi, Kei; Weng, Nan-Ping; Young, Lauren F; Shieh, Jae-Hung; Moore, Malcolm A; van den Brink, Marcel R M; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

2016-05-01

Accumulated DNA damage in hematopoietic stem cells is a primary mechanism of aging-associated dysfunction in human hematopoiesis. About 70 years ago, atomic-bomb (A-bomb) radiation induced DNA damage and functional decreases in the hematopoietic system of A-bomb survivors in a radiation dose-dependent manner. The peripheral blood cell populations then recovered to a normal range, but accompanying cells derived from hematopoietic stem cells still remain that bear molecular changes possibly caused by past radiation exposure and aging. In the present study, we evaluated radiation-related changes in the frequency of phosphorylated (Ser-139) H2AX (γH2AX) foci formation in circulating CD34-positive/lineage marker-negative (CD34+Lin-) hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) among 226Hiroshima A-bomb survivors. An association between the frequency of γH2AX foci formation in HSPCs and the radiation dose was observed, but the γH2AX foci frequency was not significantly elevated by past radiation. We found a negative correlation between the frequency of γH2AX foci formation and the length of granulocyte telomeres. A negative interaction effect between the radiation dose and the frequency of γH2AX foci was suggested in a proportion of a subset of HSPCs as assessed by the cobblestone area-forming cell assay (CAFC), indicating that the self-renewability of HSPCs may decrease in survivors who were exposed to a higher radiation dose and who had more DNA damage in their HSPCs. Thus, although many years after radiation exposure and with advancing age, the effect of DNA damage on the self-renewability of HSPCs may be modified by A-bomb radiation exposure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationship between spontaneous γH2AX foci formation and progenitor functions in circulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells among atomic-bomb survivors

PubMed Central

Kajimura, Junko; Kyoizumi, Seishi; Kubo, Yoshiko; Misumi, Munechika; Yoshida, Kengo; Hayashi, Tomonori; Imai, Kazue; Ohishi, Waka; Nakachi, Kei; Weng, Nan-ping; Young, Lauren F.; Shieh, Jae-Hung; Moore, Malcolm A.; van den Brink, Marcel R.M.; Kusunoki, Yoichiro

2016-01-01

Accumulated DNA damage in hematopoietic stem cells is a primary mechanism of aging-associated dysfunction in human hematopoiesis. About 70 years ago, atomic-bomb (A-bomb) radiation induced DNA damage and functional decreases in the hematopoietic system of A-bomb survivors in a radiation dose-dependent manner. The peripheral blood cell populations then recovered to a normal range, but accompanying cells derived from hematopoietic stem cells still remain that bear molecular changes possibly caused by past radiation exposure and aging. In the present study, we evaluated radiation-related changes in the frequency of phosphorylated (Ser-139) H2AX (γH2AX) foci formation in circulating CD34-positive/lineage marker-negative (CD34 + Lin−) hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) among 226Hiroshima A-bomb survivors. An association between the frequency of γH2AX foci formation in HSPCs and the radiation dose was observed, but the γH2AX foci frequency was not significantly elevated by past radiation. We found a negative correlation between the frequency of γH2AX foci formation and the length of granulocyte telomeres. A negative interaction effect between the radiation dose and the frequency of γH2AX foci was suggested in a proportion of a subset of HSPCs as assessed by the cobblestone area-forming cell assay (CAFC), indicating that the self-renewability of HSPCs may decrease in survivors who were exposed to a higher radiation dose and who had more DNA damage in their HSPCs. Thus, although many years after radiation exposure and with advancing age, the effect of DNA damage on the self-renewability of HSPCs may be modified by A-bomb radiation exposure. PMID:27169377

Neurological Diagnostic Tests and Procedures

MedlinePlus

... stem auditory evoked response ) are used to assess high-frequency hearing loss, diagnose any damage to the acoustic ... imaging , also called ultrasound scanning or sonography, uses high-frequency sound waves to obtain images inside the body. ...

Alkylating agent (MNU)-induced mutation in space environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohnishi, T.; Takahashi, A.; Ohnishi, K.; Takahashi, S.; Masukawa, M.; Sekikawa, K.; Amano, T.; Nakano, T.; Nagaoka, S.

2001-01-01

In recent years, some contradictory data about the effects of microgravity on radiation-induced biological responses in space experiments have been reported. We prepared a damaged template DNA produced with an alkylating agent (N-methyl-N-nitroso urea; MNU) to measure incorrect base-incorporation during DNA replication in microgravity. We examined whether mutation frequency is affected by microgravity during DNA replication for a DNA template damaged by an alkylating agent. Using an in vitro enzymatic reaction system, DNA synthesis by Taq polymerase or polymerase III was done during a US space shuttle mission (Discovery, STS-91). After the flight, DNA replication and mutation frequencies were measured. We found that there was almost no effect of microgravity on DNA replication and mutation frequency. It is suggested that microgravity might not affect at the stage of substrate incorporation in induced-mutation frequency.

Quantification of a thermal damage threshold for astrocytes using infrared laser generated heat gradients.

PubMed

Liljemalm, Rickard; Nyberg, Tobias

2014-04-01

The response of cells and tissues to elevated temperatures is highly important in several research areas, especially in the area of infrared neural stimulation. So far, only the heat response of neurons has been considered. In this study, primary rat astrocytes were exposed to infrared laser pulses of various pulse lengths and the resulting cell morphology changes and cell migration was studied using light microscopy. By using a finite element model of the experimental setup the temperature distribution was simulated and the temperatures and times to induce morphological changes and migration were extracted. These threshold temperatures were used in the commonly used first-order reaction model according to Arrhenius to extract the kinetic parameters, i.e., the activation energy, E a, and the frequency factor, A c, for the system. A damage signal ratio threshold was defined and calculated to be 6% for the astrocytes to change morphology and start migrating.

[Neuroendocrine dysfunction and brain damage. A consensus statement].

PubMed

Leal-Cerro, Alfonso; Rincón, María Dolores; Domingo, Manel Puig

2009-01-01

This consensus statement aims to enhance awareness of the incidence and risks of hypopituitarism in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and/or brain hemorrhages among physicians treating patients with brain damage. The importance of this problem is related not only to the frequency of TBI but also to its prevalence in younger populations. The consequences of TBI are characterized by a series of symptoms that depend on the type of sequels related to neuroendocrine dysfunction. The signs and symptoms of hypopituitarism are often confused with those of other sequels of TBI. Consequently, patients with posttraumatic hypopituitarism may receive suboptimal rehabilitation unless the underlying hormone deficiency is identified and treated. This consensus is based on the recommendation supported by expert opinion that patients with a TBI and/or brain hemorrhage should undergo endocrine evaluation in order to assess pituitary function and, if deficiency is detected, should receive hormone replacement therapy.

Study on the water related disaster risks using the future socio-economic scenario in Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiguchi, M.; Hatono, M.; Ikeuchi, H.; Nakamura, S.; Hirabayashi, Y.; Kanae, S.; Oki, T.

2014-12-01

In this study, flood risks in the present and the end of the 21st century in Asia are estimated using a future socio-economic scenario. Using the runoff data of 7 GCMs (RCP 8.5) of CMIP5, the river discharge, inundation area, and inundation depth are calculated for the assessment of flood risk. Finally, the flood risk is estimated using a function of damage. The flood frequency in the end of the 21st century in Asia tends to increase. Inundation area in Japan, Taiwan, and Kyrgyz is almost unchanged. At the same time, that in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Laos, and Myanmar reached about 1.4-1.6 times compared to present. Damage cost is largely influenced by economic growth, however, we show that it is important that we distinguish the influence of climate change from economic development and evaluate it when we think about an adaptation.

Genetic spell-checking: gene editing using single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides.

PubMed

Rivera-Torres, Natalia; Kmiec, Eric B

2016-02-01

Single-stranded oligonucleotides (ssODNs) can be used to direct the exchange of a single nucleotide or the repair of a single base within the coding region of a gene in a process that is known, generically, as gene editing. These molecules are composed of either all DNA residues or a mixture of RNA and DNA bases and utilize inherent metabolic functions to execute the genetic alteration within the context of a chromosome. The mechanism of action of gene editing is now being elucidated as well as an understanding of its regulatory circuitry, work that has been particularly important in establishing a foundation for designing effective gene editing strategies in plants. Double-strand DNA breakage and the activation of the DNA damage response pathway play key roles in determining the frequency with which gene editing activity takes place. Cellular regulators respond to such damage and their action impacts the success or failure of a particular nucleotide exchange reaction. A consequence of such activation is the natural slowing of replication fork progression, which naturally creates a more open chromatin configuration, thereby increasing access of the oligonucleotide to the DNA template. Herein, how critical reaction parameters influence the effectiveness of gene editing is discussed. Functional interrelationships between DNA damage, the activation of DNA response pathways and the stalling of replication forks are presented in detail as potential targets for increasing the frequency of gene editing by ssODNs in plants and plant cells. © 2015 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chromosome-damaging effect of betel leaf.

PubMed

Sadasivan, G; Rani, G; Kumari, C K

1978-05-01

The chewing of betel leaf with other ingredients is a widespread addiction in India. The chromosome damaging effect was studied in human leukocyte cultures. There was an increase in the frequency of chromatid aberrations when the leaf extract was added to cultures.

Iceberg Scour and Shell Damage in the Antarctic Bivalve Laternula elliptica

PubMed Central

Harper, Elizabeth M.; Clark, Melody S.; Hoffman, Joseph I.; Philipp, Eva E. R.; Peck, Lloyd S.; Morley, Simon A.

2012-01-01

We document differences in shell damage and shell thickness in a bivalve mollusc (Laternula elliptica) from seven sites around Antarctica with differing exposures to ice movement. These range from 60% of the sea bed impacted by ice per year (Hangar Cove, Antarctic Peninsula) to those protected by virtually permanent sea ice cover (McMurdo Sound). Patterns of shell damage consistent with blunt force trauma were observed in populations where ice scour frequently occurs; damage repair frequencies and the thickness of shells correlated positively with the frequency of iceberg scour at the different sites with the highest repair rates and thicker shells at Hangar Cove (74.2% of animals damaged) compared to the other less impacted sites (less than 10% at McMurdo Sound). Genetic analysis of population structure using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) revealed no genetic differences between the two sites showing the greatest difference in shell morphology and repair rates. Taken together, our results suggest that L. elliptica exhibits considerable phenotypic plasticity in response to geographic variation in physical disturbance. PMID:23029484

355 nm and 1064 nm-pulse mixing to identify the laser-induced damage mechanisms in KDP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyné, Stéphane; Duchateau, Guillaume; Natoli, Jean-Yves; Lamaignère, Laurent

2011-02-01

Nanosecond laser-induced damage (LID) in potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4 or KDP) remains an issue for light-frequency converters in large-aperture lasers such as NIF (National Ignition Facility, in USA) LMJ (Laser MegaJoule, in France). In the final optic assembly, converters are simultaneously illuminated by multiple wavelengths during the frequency conversion. In this configuration, the damage resistance of the KDP crystals becomes a crucial problem and has to be improved. In this study, we propose a refined investigation about the LID mechanisms involved in the case of a multiple wavelengths combination. Experiments based on an original pump-pump set-up have been carried out in the nanosecond regime on a KDP crystal. In particular, the impact of a simultaneous mixing of 355 nm and 1064 nm pulses has been experimentally studied and compared to a model based on heat transfer, the Mie theory and a Drude model. This study sheds light on the physical processes implied in the KDP laser damage. In particular, a three-photon ionization mechanism is shown to be responsible for laser damage in KDP.

The hazard of exposure to impulse noise as a function of frequency, volume 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patterson, James H., Jr.; Carrier, Melvin, Jr.; Bordwell, Kevin; Lomba, Ilia M.; Gautier, Roger P.

1991-06-01

The energy spectrum of a noise is known to be an important variable in determining the effects of a traumatic exposure. However, existing criteria for exposure to impulse noise do not consider the frequency spectrum of an impulse as a variable in the evaluation of the hazards to the auditory system. This report presents the results of a study that was designed to determine the relative potential that impulsive energy concentrated at different frequencies has in causing auditory systems trauma. One hundred and eighteen (118) chinchilla, divided into 20 groups with 5 to 7 animals per group, were used in these experiments. Pre- and post-exposure hearing thresholds were measured at 10 test frequencies between 0.125 and 8 kHz on each animal using avoidance conditioning procedures. Quantitative histology (cochleograms) was used to determine the extent and pattern of the sensory cell damage. The noise exposure stimuli consisted of six different computer-generated narrow band tone bursts having center frequencies located at 0.260, 0.775, 1.025, 1.350, 2.450, and 3.550 kHz. Each narrow band exposure stimulus was presented at two to four different intensities. An analysis of the audiometric and histological data allowed a frequency weighting function to be derived. The weighting function clearly demonstrates that equivalent amounts of impulsive energy concentrated at different frequencies is not equally hazardous to auditory function.

Acoustic emission monitoring of concrete columns and beams strengthened with fiber reinforced polymer sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Gao; Li, Hui; Zhou, Wensong; Xian, Guijun

2012-04-01

Acoustic emission (AE) technique is an effective method in the nondestructive testing (NDT) field of civil engineering. During the last two decades, Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) has been widely used in repairing and strengthening concrete structures. The damage state of FRP strengthened concrete structures has become an important issue during the service period of the structure and it is a meaningful work to use AE technique as a nondestructive method to assess its damage state. The present study reports AE monitoring results of axial compression tests carried on basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) confined concrete columns and three-point-bending tests carried on BFRP reinforced concrete beams. AE parameters analysis was firstly utilized to give preliminary results of the concrete fracture process of these specimens. It was found that cumulative AE events can reflect the fracture development trend of both BFRP confined concrete columns and BFRP strengthened concrete beams and AE events had an abrupt increase at the point of BFRP breakage. Then the fracture process of BFRP confined concrete columns and BFRP strengthened concrete beams was studied through RA value-average frequency analysis. The RA value-average frequency tendencies of BFRP confined concrete were found different from that of BFRP strengthened concrete beams. The variation tendency of concrete crack patterns during the loading process was revealed.

A targeted sequencing panel identifies rare damaging variants in multiple genes in the cranial neural tube defect, anencephaly

PubMed Central

Cullup, T.; Boustred, C.; James, C.; Docker, J.; English, C.; Lench, N.; Copp, A.J.; Moore, G.E.; Greene, N.D.E.; Stanier, P.

2018-01-01

Neural tube defects (NTDs) affecting the brain (anencephaly) are lethal before or at birth, whereas lower spinal defects (spina bifida) may lead to lifelong neurological handicap. Collectively, NTDs rank among the most common birth defects worldwide. This study focuses on anencephaly, which despite having a similar frequency to spina bifida and being the most common type of NTD observed in mouse models, has had more limited inclusion in genetic studies. A genetic influence is strongly implicated in determining risk of NTDs and a molecular diagnosis is of fundamental importance to families both in terms of understanding the origin of the condition and for managing future pregnancies. Here we used a custom panel of 191 NTD candidate genes to screen 90 patients with cranial NTDs (n = 85 anencephaly and n = 5 craniorachischisis) with a targeted exome sequencing platform. After filtering and comparing to our in‐house control exome database (N = 509), we identified 397 rare variants (minor allele frequency, MAF < 1%), 21 of which were previously unreported and predicted damaging. This included 1 frameshift (PDGFRA), 2 stop‐gained (MAT1A; NOS2) and 18 missense variations. Together with evidence for oligogenic inheritance, this study provides new information on the possible genetic causation of anencephaly. PMID:29205322

Flood frequencies and durations and their response to El Niño Southern Oscillation: Global analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, P. J.; Kummu, M.; Lall, U.

2016-08-01

Floods are one of the most serious forms of natural hazards in terms of the damages they cause. In 2012 alone, flood damages exceeded 19 billion. A large proportion of the damages from several recent major flood disasters, such as those in South India and South Carolina (2015), England and Wales (2014), the Mississippi (2012), Thailand (2011), Queensland (Australia) (2010-2011), and Pakistan (2010), were related to the long duration of those flood events. However, most flood risk studies to date do not account for flood duration. In this paper, we provide the first global modelling exercise to assess the link between interannual climate variability and flood duration and frequency. Specifically, we examine relationships between simulated flood events and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Our results show that the duration of flooding appears to be more sensitive to ENSO than is the case for flood frequency. At the globally aggregated scale, we found floods to be significantly longer during both El Niño and La Niña years, compared to neutral years. At the scale of individual river basins, we found strong correlations between ENSO and both flood frequency and duration for a large number of basins, with generally stronger correlations for flood duration than for flood frequency. Future research on flood impacts should attempt to incorporate more information on flood durations.

Does leisure time moderate or mediate the effect of daily stress on positive affect? An examination using eight-day diary data

PubMed Central

Qian, Xinyi Lisa; Yarnal, Careen M.; Almeida, David M.

2013-01-01

This study tested the applicability of moderation and mediation models to leisure time as a stress coping resource. Analyzing eight-day diary data (N=2,022), we examined the within-person process of using leisure time to cope with daily stressors. We found that relatively high daily stress frequency, while reducing positive affect, prompted an individual to allocate more time to leisure than usual, which then increased positive affect, thus partially remedying the damage by high daily stress frequency. This within-person process, however, is significantly stronger among those with less leisure time on average than leisure-rich individuals. The findings support a partial counteractive mediation model, demonstrate between-person difference in the within-person coping process, and reveal the importance of positive affect as a coping outcome. PMID:25221350

Does leisure time moderate or mediate the effect of daily stress on positive affect? An examination using eight-day diary data.

PubMed

Qian, Xinyi Lisa; Yarnal, Careen M; Almeida, David M

2014-01-01

This study tested the applicability of moderation and mediation models to leisure time as a stress coping resource. Analyzing eight-day diary data (N=2,022), we examined the within -person process of using leisure time to cope with daily stressors. We found that relatively high daily stress frequency, while reducing positive affect, prompted an individual to allocate more time to leisure than usual, which then increased positive affect, thus partially remedying the damage by high daily stress frequency. This within-person process, however, is significantly stronger among those with less leisure time on average than leisure-rich individuals. The findings support a partial counteractive mediation model, demonstrate between-person difference in the within-person coping process, and reveal the importance of positive affect as a coping outcome.

Involvement of DNA polymerase beta in repairing oxidative damages induced by antitumor drug adriamycin

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

Liu Shukun; Wu Mei; Zhang Zunzhen, E-mail: zhangzunzhen@163.co

2010-08-01

Adriamycin (ADM) is a widely used antineoplastic drug. However, the increasing cellular resistance has become a serious limitation to ADM clinical application. The most important mechanism related to ADM-induced cell death is oxidative DNA damage mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Base excision repair (BER) is a major pathway in the repair of DNA single strand break (SSB) and oxidized base. In this study, we firstly applied the murine embryo fibroblasts wild-type (pol {beta} +/+) and homozygous pol {beta} null cell (pol {beta} -/-) as a model to investigate ADM DNA-damaging effects and the molecular basis underlying these effects. Here,more » cellular sensitivity to ADM was examined using colorimetric assay and colony forming assay. ADM-induced cellular ROS level and the alteration of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured by commercial kits. Further, DNA strand break, chromosomal damage and gene mutation were assessed by comet assay, micronucleus test and hprt gene mutation assay, respectively. The results showed that pol {beta} -/- cells were more sensitive to ADM compared with pol {beta} +/+ cells and more severe SSB and chromosomal damage as well as higher hprt gene mutation frequency were observed in pol {beta} -/- cells. ROS level in pol {beta} -/- cells increased along with decreased activity of SOD. These results demonstrated that pol {beta} deficiency could enable ROS accumulation with SOD activity decrease, further elevate oxidative DNA damage, and subsequently result in SSB, chromosome cleavage as well as gene mutation, which may be partly responsible for the cytotoxicity of ADM and the hypersensitivity of pol {beta} -/- cells to ADM. These findings suggested that pol {beta} is vital for repairing oxidative damage induced by ADM.« less

Assessing forest windthrow damage using single-date, post-event airborne laser scanning data

Treesearch

Gherardo Chirici; Francesca Bottalico; Francesca Giannetti; Barbara Del Perugia; Davide Travaglini; Susanna Nocentini; Erico Kutchartt; Enrico Marchi; Cristiano Foderi; Marco Fioravanti; Lorenzo Fattorini; Lorenzo Bottai; Ronald McRoberts; Erik Næsset; Piermaria Corona; Bernardo Gozzini

2017-01-01

One of many possible climate change effects in temperate areas is the increase of frequency and severity of windstorms; thus, fast and cost efficient new methods are needed to evaluate wind-induced damages in forests. We present a method for assessing windstorm damages in forest landscapes based on a two-stage sampling strategy using single-date, post-event airborne...

Plant compensatory growth in aspen seedlings: the role of frequency and intensity of herbivory and resource availability

Treesearch

Nadir Erbilgin; David A. Galvez; Bin Zhang

2012-01-01

Plant ecologists have debated the mechanisms used by plants to cope with the impact of herbivore damage for more than a century. During that time, plant resistance mechanisms, which reduce the amount of herbivore damage before and during herbivory, have received most of the attention, while plant tolerance mechanisms, which may minimize the impacts of damage after...

Detection of Damage in Hydraulic Components by Acoustic Emission Techniques.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-04-01

49 ".-4.- Vane Pumps 50 Piston Pumps 61 Gear Pumps 66 VI FIELD TESTS (GEAR PUMPS) 108 Pump Cavitation 108 Internal Mechanical Damage Test Procedure...with Bad Bearing 60 5.6 a Frequency Spectrum (0-100 KHz) of Piston Pump. Cavitation Test, Inlet Pressure =1.55 atm (Normal) 63 5.6 b Frequency Spectrum...0-100 KHz) of Piston Pump. Cavitation Test, Inlet Pressure =1.38 atm (Incipient) 64. vi i . .e 0" S.. j~ * .’ *"-.i’.-..N.?.. .. ° .,LIST OF FIGURES

SansEC: A New Dimension to Sensing Electrical Sensors with No Electrical Connections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

This DVD contains an introduction to SansEC, a new electrical sensor technology without electrical connections. This new class of sensors represents a stand-alone 2-dimensional geometric pattern of electrically open circuits without electrical connections. The sensor is powered with an external, harmonic magnetic field and as the property being sensed changes, responds to frequency, amplitude or bandwidth changes. This response is interrogated using an external antenna, a single electrical component having no electrical connections. The sensor can be encased in any nonconductive material to provide protection from its environment. If the container is nonconductive, the sensor can be placed external to the container without contacting it, making installation very simple. An encased sensor can also be placed inside a container for measuring the level of any fluid or material, including acids. Any readout device can be used with the sensor, including standard or digital gauges. SansEC sensors can be used to measure real-time fluid slosh to determine if a fuel tank's internal structural isogrid can be used to replace some of the baffles surface, thus reducing the overall baffle weight and giving a better understanding of the effect that isogrids have on fluid motion. Any SansEC sensor can also be used for damage or tamper detection. When damaged, torn or tampered with, the measured response shift in frequency is commensurate to the detected damage, with the response frequency increasing with rising damage. The unique sensor design allows it to function even if damaged, because unlike other circuits, there is no single point on the sensor that, if damaged, renders it non-functional. The broad metallic coverage of the array allows the array to be one of many thermal insulation layers. Two such arrays were tested to understand the effects of high velocity damage. Each test article was targeted with metal projectiles emulating micrometeorite or orbital debris impact. Even with the damage that the sensors received every sensor was still functional with the new response baseline, and remained capable of detecting even more damage.

Natural Frequencies Evaluation on Partially Damaged Building using Ambient Vibration Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamarudin, A. F.; Zainal Abidin, M. H.; Daud, M. E.; Noh, M. S. Md; Madun, A.; Ibrahim, A.; Matarul, J.; Mokhatar, S. N.

2018-04-01

Severe damages observed on the school blocks, roads, retaining walls and drainage within the compound of SMK Kundasang Sabah possibly due to the ground movements triggered by the Ranau earthquake in 1991. Ambient vibration measurements were carried on the remaining demolished 3-storey building which partially damaged in order to measure the predominant building frequencies using tri-axial 1 Hz seismometer sensors. Popular methods of Horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios (HVSR) and Fourier amplitude spectra (FAS) were used to compute the ambient vibration wave fields of each building axes (Transverse or North-South (NS), Longitudinal or East-West (EW) and vertical) into Fourier spectra. Two main modes of translation and torsion were observed from the peaks frequencies obtained at 2.99 to 3.10 Hz (1st mode), 4.85 Hz (2nd mode) and 5.63 to 5.85 Hz (3rd mode). The building experiencing translation modes of bending and shear in the NS and EW directions. It could be seen when the amplitudes tends to increase when the floor are increased. Meanwhile, the torsional bending mode is expected to occur when the deformation amplitudes are found to be increasing horizontally, when moving into partially structural damaged section located on the East wing of building.

Heavy snowfall damage Virginia pine

Treesearch

Richard H. Fenton

1959-01-01

In the Coastal Plain from Virginia to Pennsylvania, snowstorms heavy enough to damage trees are unusual. Weather Bureau records for the general area show that heavy snowfall - 8 to 25 inches in a single storm - occurs at an average frequency of about once in 7 years.

Correlation of acoustic emissions associated with effects from diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samuel, Stanley

2007-12-01

This research has investigated the correlation of acoustic emissions with associated contrast-mediated ultrasound bio-effects. The hypothesis that motivated this study was that during exposure with ultrasound, the cavitation occurring in tissue emits acoustical signals, which if correlated with specific bio-effects, could provide a way to monitor the potential bio-effects of exposure. A good bio-effects indicator would find immediate use in research on drug and gene delivery, and could have clinical application in avoiding bio-effects in diagnosis. Studies conducted to test the hypothesis involved investigation of (i) the influence of pulse repetition frequency (PRF) and number of exposures on cell damage, (ii) the effect of total exposure duration and pulse-to-pulse bubble distribution on acoustic emissions and corresponding cell damage, and (iii) the translation of in vitro effects to an in situ environment. Exposures were primarily conducted at a peak rarefactional pressure of 2 MPa, 2.25 MHz insonating frequency and pulse length of 46 cycles. PRFs of 1-, 10-, 100-, 500-, and 1000 Hz were compared. High speed photography (2000 fps) was employed for the investigation of pulse-to-pulse bubble distribution while intravital microscopy was used for in situ studies. A strong correlation was observed between acoustic emissions and bio-effects with the availability of bubbles of resonant size serving as a key link between the two. It was observed that total exposure duration may play an important role in cell damage. Damage increased with increasing total exposure duration from 0 ms to 100 ms with a plateau at above 100 ms. These results were consistent for all studies. There is, therefore, an implication that manipulating these parameters may allow for measurement and control of the extent of bioeffects. Moreover, the correlation of acoustic emission and extravasation observed in in situ studies reveals that cumulative function of the relative integrated power spectrum (CRIPS) of the emissions may find use as a monitoring method related to tissue damage due to contrast-mediated ultrasound in vivo.

Improved analysis of ground vibrations produced by man-made sources.

PubMed

Ainalis, Daniel; Ducarne, Loïc; Kaufmann, Olivier; Tshibangu, Jean-Pierre; Verlinden, Olivier; Kouroussis, Georges

2018-03-01

Man-made sources of ground vibration must be carefully monitored in urban areas in order to ensure that structural damage and discomfort to residents is prevented or minimised. The research presented in this paper provides a comparative evaluation of various methods used to analyse a series of tri-axial ground vibration measurements generated by rail, road, and explosive blasting. The first part of the study is focused on comparing various techniques to estimate the dominant frequency, including time-frequency analysis. The comparative evaluation of the various methods to estimate the dominant frequency revealed that, depending on the method used, there can be significant variation in the estimates obtained. A new and improved analysis approach using the continuous wavelet transform was also presented, using the time-frequency distribution to estimate the localised dominant frequency and peak particle velocity. The technique can be used to accurately identify the level and frequency content of a ground vibration signal as it varies with time, and identify the number of times the threshold limits of damage are exceeded. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Damage detection of rotating wind turbine blades using local flexibility method and long-gauge fiber Bragg grating sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Ting-Yu; Shiao, Shen-Yuan; Liao, Wen-I.

2018-01-01

Wind turbines are a cost-effective alternative energy source; however, their blades are susceptible to damage. Therefore, damage detection of wind turbine blades is of great importance for condition monitoring of wind turbines. Many vibration-based structural damage detection techniques have been proposed in the last two decades. The local flexibility method, which can determine local stiffness variations of beam-like structures by using measured modal parameters, is one of the most promising vibration-based approaches. The local flexibility method does not require a finite element model of the structure. A few structural modal parameters identified from the ambient vibration signals both before and after damage are required for this method. In this study, we propose a damage detection approach for rotating wind turbine blades using the local flexibility method based on the dynamic macro-strain signals measured by long-gauge fiber Bragg grating (FBG)-based sensors. A small wind turbine structure was constructed and excited using a shaking table to generate vibration signals. The structure was designed to have natural frequencies as close as possible to those of a typical 1.5 MW wind turbine in real scale. The optical fiber signal of the rotating blades was transmitted to the data acquisition system through a rotary joint fixed inside the hollow shaft of the wind turbine. Reversible damage was simulated by aluminum plates attached to some sections of the wind turbine blades. The damaged locations of the rotating blades were successfully detected using the proposed approach, with the extent of damage somewhat over-estimated. Nevertheless, although the specimen of wind turbine blades cannot represent a real one, the results still manifest that FBG-based macro-strain measurement has potential to be employed to obtain the modal parameters of the rotating wind turbines and then locations of wind turbine segments with a change of rigidity can be estimated effectively by utilizing these identified parameters.

Coseismic Damage Generation in Fault Zones by Successive High Strain Rate Loading Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aben, F. M.; Doan, M. L.; Renard, F.; Toussaint, R.; Reuschlé, T.; Gratier, J. P.

2014-12-01

Damage zones of active faults control both resistance to rupture and transport properties of the fault. Hence, knowing the rock damage's origin is important to constrain its properties. Here we study experimentally the damage generated by a succession of dynamic loadings, a process mimicking the stress history of a rock sample located next to an active fault. A propagating rupture generates high frequency stress perturbations next to its tip. This dynamic loading creates pervasive damage (pulverization), as multiple fractures initiate and grow simultaneously. Previous single loading experiments have shown a strain rate threshold for pulverization. Here, we focus on conditions below this threshold and the dynamic peak stress to constrain: 1) if there is dynamic fracturing at these conditions and 2) if successive loadings (cumulative seismic events) result in pervasive fracturing, effectively reducing the pulverization threshold to milder conditions. Monzonite samples were dynamically loaded (strain rate > 50 s-1) several times below the dynamic peak strength, using a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar apparatus. Several quasi-static experiments were conducted as well (strain rate < 10-5-s). Samples loaded up to stresses above the quasi-static uniaxial compressive strength (qsUCS) systematically fragmented or pulverized after four successive loadings. We measured several damage proxies (P-wave velocity, porosity), that show a systematic increase in damage with each load. In addition, micro-computed tomography acquisition on several damage samples revealed the growth of a pervasive fracture network between ensuing loadings. Samples loaded dynamically below the qsUCS failed along one fracture after a variable amount of loadings and damage proxies do not show any a systematic trend. Our conclusions is that milder dynamic loading conditions, below the dynamic peak strength, result in pervasive dynamic fracturing. Also, successive loadings effectively lower the pulverization threshold of the rock. However, the peak loading stress must exceed the qsUCS of the rock, otherwise quasi-static fracturing occurs. Pulverized rocks found in the field are therefore witnesses of previous large earthquakes.

Analysis of Surface and Subsurface Damage Morphology in Rotary Ultrasonic Machining of BK7 Glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong-xiang, Wang; Chu, Wang; Jun-liang, Liu; Shi, Gao; Wen-Jie, Zhai

2017-11-01

This paper investigates the formation process of surface/subsurface damage in the rotary ultrasonic machining of BK7 glass. The results show that during the milling using the end face of the tool, the cutting depth and the residual height between the abrasive grains constantly change with the high-frequency vibration, generating lots of cracks on both sides of the scratches. The high-frequency vibration accelerates the chips falling from the surface, so that the chips and thermal damage are reduced, causing the grinding surface quality better. A plastic deformation area is formed during the grinding, due to the non-uniform cutting force on the material surface, and the residual stress is produced in the deformation area, inducing the median/lateral cracks.

Tsunami Induced Resonance in Enclosed Basins; Case Study of Haydarpasa Port In Istanbul

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kian, Rozita; Cevdet Yalciner, Ahmet; Zaytsev, Andrey; Aytore, Betul

2015-04-01

Coincidence of the frequency of forcing mechanisms and the natural frequency of free oscillations in the harbors or basins leads to formation of resonance oscillations and additional amplifications in the basins. This phenomenon becomes much more critical when it is caused by a tsunamis. In the cases of tsunami induced basin resonances, the wave amplifications may occur with more and unexpected damages. The harbor resilience against the marine hazards is important for the performance and success of recovery operations. Classifying the tsunami effects on the ports and harbors and on their functions is the main concern of this study. There are two types of impacts; direct impacts including structural damages due to strong currents, high water elevation and indirect ones because of basin resonance expose to seiche oscillations. The sea of Marmara has experienced numerous (more than 30) tsunamis in history where a highly populated metropolitan city Istanbul is located at North coast of Maramara sea. There are numerous ports and harbors located at Istanbul Coast. Haydarpasa port (41.0033 N, 29.0139 E) in Istanbul coast near Marmara sea, as a case study is selected to test its resilience under tsunami attack by numerical experiments. There are two breakwaters in Haydarpasa port with total length of three kilometers and the shape of basins are regular. Applying numerical model (NAMI DANCE) which solves nonlinear form of shallow water equations, the resonance oscillations in Haydarpasa Port is investigated by following the method given in Yalciner and Pelinovsky, (2006). In the applications, high resolution bathymetry and topography are used and an initial impulse is inputted to the study domain in the simulations. The computed time histories of water surface fluctuations at different locations inside the harbor are analyzed by using Fast Fourier Transform technique. The frequencies where the peaks of spectrum curves indicates the amplification of waves in the respective gauge location. Therefore these frequencies are the natural frequencies of the Haydarpasa port. The peak points in the spectrum curves are selected as the the resonance frequencies of the Haydarpasa port. Furthermore the coincidence of these frequencies with the frequency of waves of extreme events are discussed and consequent amplification in the Harbor and their effects on harbor operations are discussed.

Responses of CO2 Fluxes to Arctic Browning Events in a Range of High Latitude, Shrub-Dominated Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phoenix, G. K.; Treharne, R.; Emberson, L.; Tømmervik, H. A.; Bjerke, J. W.

2017-12-01

Climatic and biotic extreme events can result in considerable damage to arctic vegetation, often at landscape and larger scale. These acute events therefore contribute to the browning observed in some arctic regions. It is of considerable concern, therefore, that such extreme events are increasing in frequency as part of climate change. However, despite the increasing importance of browning events, and the considerable impact they can have on ecosystems, to date there is little understanding of their impacts on ecosystem carbon fluxes. To address this, the impacts of a number of different, commonly occurring, extreme events and their subsequent browning (vegetation damage) on key ecosystem CO2 fluxes were assessed during the growing season at a range of event damaged sites of shrub dominated vegetation. Sites were located from the boreal to High Arctic (64˚N-79˚N) and had been previously been damaged by events of frost-drought, extreme winter warming, ground icing and caterpillar (Epirrita autumnata) outbreaks. Plot-level CO2 fluxes of Ecosystem Exchange (NEE), Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Ecosystem Respiration (Reco) were assessed using vegetation chambers. At a sub-set of sites, NDVI (greenness) in flux plots was also assessed by hand-held proximal sensor, allowing the relationship between NDVI of damage plots to CO2 flux to be calculated. Despite the contrasting sites and drivers, damage had consistent, major impacts on all fluxes. All sites showed reductions in GPP and NEE with increasing damage, despite efflux from Reco also declining with damage. When scaled to site-level, reductions of up to 81% of NEE, 51% of GPP and 37% of Reco were observed. In the plot-level NDVI-flux relationship, NDVI was shown to explain up to 91% of variation in GPP, and therefore supports the use of NDVI for estimating changes in ecosystem CO2 flux at larger scales in regions where browning has been driven by extreme events. This work is the first attempt to quantify the impacts of different event drivers of arctic browning on the main ecosystem CO2 fluxes at a range of sites. These insights provide an important step towards incorporating extreme events into our understanding of how ecosystem CO2 balance at high latitudes will respond to continuing climate change.

Deletion of p66Shc in mice increases the frequency of size-change mutations in the lacZ transgene.

PubMed

Beltrami, Elena; Ruggiero, Antonella; Busuttil, Rita; Migliaccio, Enrica; Pelicci, Pier Giuseppe; Vijg, Jan; Giorgio, Marco

2013-04-01

Upon oxidative challenge the genome accumulates adducts and breaks that activate the DNA damage response to repair, arrest, or eliminate the damaged cell. Thus, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by endogenous oxygen metabolism are thought to affect mutation frequency. However, few studies determined the mutation frequency when oxidative stress is reduced. To test whether in vivo spontaneous mutation frequency is altered in mice with reduced oxidative stress and cell death rate, we crossed p66Shc knockout (p66KO) mice, characterized by reduced intracellular concentration of ROS and by impaired apoptosis, with a transgenic line harboring multiple copies of the lacZ mutation reporter gene as part of a plasmid that can be recovered from organs into Escherichia coli to measure mutation rate. Liver and small intestine from 2- to 24-month-old, lacZ (p66Shc+/+) and lacZp66KO mice, were investigated revealing no difference in overall mutation frequency but a significant increase in the frequency of size-change mutations in the intestine of lacZp66KO mice. This difference was further increased upon irradiation of mice with X-ray. In addition, we found that knocking down cyclophilin D, a gene that facilitates mitochondrial apoptosis acting downstream of p66Shc, increased the size-change mutation frequency in small intestine. Size-change mutations also accumulated in death-resistant embryonic fibroblasts from lacZp66KO mice treated with H2 O2 . These results indicate that p66Shc plays a role in the accumulation of DNA rearrangements and suggest that p66Shc functions to clear damaged cells rather than affect DNA metabolism. © 2012 The Authors Aging Cell © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Diagnostic usefulness of the oedema-infarct ratio to differentiate acute from chronic myocardial damage using magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Yamada, Kiyoyasu; Isobe, Satoshi; Suzuki, Susumu; Kinoshita, Kousuke; Yokouchi, Kazuhiko; Iwata, Hirokazu; Ohshima, Satoru; Hirai, Makoto; Sawada, Ken; Murohara, Toyoaki

2012-04-01

To differentiate acute from chronic damage to the myocardium in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) using DE and T2w MR. Short-axis T2w and DE MR images were acquired twice after the onset of MI in 36 patients who successfully underwent emergency coronary revascularisation. The areas of infarct and oedema were measured. The oedema-infarct ratio (O/I) of the left ventricular area was calculated by dividing the oedema by the infarct area. The oedema size on T2w MR was significantly larger than the infarct size on DE MR in the acute phase. Both the oedema size on T2w MR and the infarct size on DE MR in the acute phase were significantly larger than those in the chronic phase. The O/I was significantly greater in the acute phase compared with that in the chronic phase (P < 0.05). An analysis of relative cumulative frequency distributions revealed an O/I of 1.4 as a cut-off value for differentiating acute from chronic myocardial damage with the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 85.1%, 82.7% and 83.9%, respectively. The oedema-infarct ratio may be a useful index in differentiating acute from chronic myocardial damage in patients with MI. MR can differentiate reversible from irreversible myocardial damage after myocardial infarction. MR is a useful modality to noninvasively differentiate the infarct stages. The O/I is an important index to decide therapeutic strategies.

DNA damage in spermatozoa from infertile men with varicocele evaluated by sperm chromatin dispersion and DBD-FISH.

PubMed

Cortés-Gutiérrez, Elva I; Dávila-Rodríguez, Martha I; Fernández, José Luis; López-Fernández, Carmen; Aragón-Tovar, Anel R; Urbina-Bernal, Luis C; Gosálvez, Jaime

2016-01-01

Evaluation of DNA integrity is an important test, possessing greater diagnostic and prognostic significance for couples requiring assisted reproduction. In this study, we evaluate the levels of DNA damage in infertile patients with varicocele with respect to fertile males by the sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) test. The presence of DNA breaks in spermatozoa was confirmed by DNA breakage detection-fluorescence in situ hybridization (DBD-FISH). In this study, the frequency of sperm cells with fragmented DNA was studied in a group of 20 infertile patients with varicocele and compared with 20 fertile males. The spermatozoa were processed to classify different levels of DNA fragmentation using the Halosperm(®) kit, an improved SCD test, and DBD-FISH. Patients with varicocele showed 25.54 ± 28.17 % of spermatozoa with fragmented DNA, significantly higher than those of the group of fertile subjects (11.54 ± 3.88 %). The proportion of degraded cells in total sperm cells with fragmented DNA was sixfold higher in the case of patients with varicocele. The presence of DNA breaks in spermatozoa was confirmed by DBD-FISH. 5-bp Classical satellite-2 regions showed greater sensitivity to damage or "breakage" than alphoid satellite regions. Our finding preliminary demonstrated an increase of DNA fragmentation associated to severe sperm damage, in infertile patients with varicocele with respect to fertile males. 5-bp Classical satellite-2 regions showed greater sensitivity to damage or "breakage" than alphoid satellite regions.

IL-1α is Critical for Resistance Against Highly Virulent Aspergillus fumigatus Isolates.

PubMed

Caffrey-Carr, Alayna K; Kowalski, Caitlin H; Beattie, Sarah R; Blaseg, Nathan A; Upshaw, Chanell R; Thammahong, Arsa; Lust, Hannah E; Tang, Yi-Wei; Hohl, Tobias M; Cramer, Robert A; Obar, Joshua J

2017-09-25

Heterogeneity amongst Aspergillus fumigatus isolates results in unique virulence potential and inflammatory responses. How these isolates drive specific immune responses and how this affects fungal-induced lung damage and disease outcome is unresolved. We demonstrate that the highly virulent CEA10 strain is able to rapidly germinate within the immune competent lung environment inducing greater lung damage, vascular leakage, and IL-1α release compared to the low virulent Af293 strain that germinates with lower frequency in this environment. Importantly, clearance of CEA10 was consequently dependent on IL-1α in contrast to Af293. Release of IL-1α occurred in a caspase 1/11- and P2XR7-independent mechanism, but was dependent on calpain activity. Our finding that early fungal conidia germination drives greater lung damage and IL-1α dependent inflammation is supported by three independent experimental lines. First, pre-germination of Af293 prior to in vivo challenge drives lung damage and an IL-1α dependent neutrophil response. Second, the virulent EVOL20 strain, derived from Af293, is able to germinate in the airways, leading to enhanced lung damage and IL-1α dependent inflammation and fungal clearance. Third, primary environmental A. fumigatus isolates that rapidly germinate in the airway conditions follow the same trend toward IL-1α dependency. Our data support the hypothesis that A. fumigatus phenotypic variation significantly contributes to disease outcomes. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

FREQUENCY OF LINGUAL NERVE INJURY IN MANDIBULAR THIRD MOLAR EXTRACTION: A COMPARISON OF TWO SURGICAL TECHNIQUES.

PubMed

Shad, Samia; Shah, Syed Majid Hussain; Alamgir; Abbasi, Masroor Manshad

2015-01-01

Surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molar is associated with a number of complications including postoperative bleeding, dry socket, postoperative infection, and injury to regional nerves. Lingual nerve damage is one of the main complications. To prevent this complication different techniques had been used. Lingual flap reflection is one of these procedures in which lingual soft tissue is reflected and retracted deliberately, the nerve is identified and is kept out of the surgical field. The objective of this study was to evaluate a surgical technique for third molar removal which is associated with minimum frequency of lingual nerve damage. A randomized controlled trial was performed. A total of 380 patients with impacted mandibular third molars were included in this study. Each patient was allotted randomly by blocked randomization to group A where procedure was performed by reflection and retraction of lingual flap in addition to buccal flap and group B where procedure was performed by retraction of buccal flap only. Lingual nerve damage occurred in 8.94% in Group A in which lingual flap retraction was performed but damage was reversible. In group B, 2.63% lingual nerve damage was observed and nature of damage was permanent. The difference was statistically significant (p=0.008). Lingual flap retraction poses 3.4 times increased risk of lingual nerve damage during extraction of mandibular third molar when lingual flap is retracted but the nature of damage is reversible.

Insect herbivory fluctuations through geological time.

PubMed

Pinheiro, Esther R S; Iannuzzi, Roberto; Duarte, Leandro D S

2016-09-01

Arthropods and land plants are the major macroscopic sources of biodiversity on the planet. Knowledge of the organization and specialization of plant-herbivore interactions, such as their roles in food webs is important for understanding the processes for maintaining biodiversity. A limited number of studies have examined herbivory through geological time. The most have analyzed localities from one restricted interval within a geological period, or a time transition such as the Paleocene-Eocene boundary interval. In the present study, we analyzed the frequency of herbivory and density of damage type (DT) from the Middle Devonian to the early Miocene. The data were compiled from literature sources and focused on studies that describe occurrences of leaves with DTs indicating herbivore consumption as a proportion of the total number of leaves analyzed. The data were standardized based on the DT categories in the Damage Type Guide, and the age of each locality was updated based on the most recent geochronological standard and expressed in millions of years. Temperature and geological age were the best descriptors of the variation in herbivory frequency, which tended to increase at higher temperatures. Two models were equivalent to explain DT density: the interaction between CO 2 levels and geological age, and O 2 levels and geological age had the same predictive power. The density of DT tended to increase with higher content of atmospheric CO 2 and O 2 compared to modern values. The frequency of herbivory and the density of DTs appear to be influenced by long-term atmospheric variables. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Lamin A/C Depletion Enhances DNA Damage-Induced Stalled Replication Fork Arrest

PubMed Central

Singh, Mayank; Hunt, Clayton R.; Pandita, Raj K.; Kumar, Rakesh; Yang, Chin-Rang; Horikoshi, Nobuo; Bachoo, Robert; Serag, Sara; Story, Michael D.; Shay, Jerry W.; Powell, Simon N.; Gupta, Arun; Jeffery, Jessie; Pandita, Shruti; Chen, Benjamin P. C.; Deckbar, Dorothee; Löbrich, Markus; Yang, Qin; Khanna, Kum Kum; Worman, Howard J.

2013-01-01

The human LMNA gene encodes the essential nuclear envelope proteins lamin A and C (lamin A/C). Mutations in LMNA result in altered nuclear morphology, but how this impacts the mechanisms that maintain genomic stability is unclear. Here, we report that lamin A/C-deficient cells have a normal response to ionizing radiation but are sensitive to agents that cause interstrand cross-links (ICLs) or replication stress. In response to treatment with ICL agents (cisplatin, camptothecin, and mitomycin), lamin A/C-deficient cells displayed normal γ-H2AX focus formation but a higher frequency of cells with delayed γ-H2AX removal, decreased recruitment of the FANCD2 repair factor, and a higher frequency of chromosome aberrations. Similarly, following hydroxyurea-induced replication stress, lamin A/C-deficient cells had an increased frequency of cells with delayed disappearance of γ-H2AX foci and defective repair factor recruitment (Mre11, CtIP, Rad51, RPA, and FANCD2). Replicative stress also resulted in a higher frequency of chromosomal aberrations as well as defective replication restart. Taken together, the data can be interpreted to suggest that lamin A/C has a role in the restart of stalled replication forks, a prerequisite for initiation of DNA damage repair by the homologous recombination pathway, which is intact in lamin A/C-deficient cells. We propose that lamin A/C is required for maintaining genomic stability following replication fork stalling, induced by either ICL damage or replicative stress, in order to facilitate fork regression prior to DNA damage repair. PMID:23319047

Probabilistic evaluation of uncertainties and risks in aerospace components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, A. R.; Shiao, M. C.; Nagpal, V. K.; Chamis, C. C.

1992-01-01

This paper summarizes a methodology developed at NASA Lewis Research Center which computationally simulates the structural, material, and load uncertainties associated with Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) components. The methodology was applied to evaluate the scatter in static, buckling, dynamic, fatigue, and damage behavior of the SSME turbo pump blade. Also calculated are the probability densities of typical critical blade responses, such as effective stress, natural frequency, damage initiation, most probable damage path, etc. Risk assessments were performed for different failure modes, and the effect of material degradation on the fatigue and damage behaviors of a blade were calculated using a multi-factor interaction equation. Failure probabilities for different fatigue cycles were computed and the uncertainties associated with damage initiation and damage propagation due to different load cycle were quantified. Evaluations on the effects of mistuned blades on a rotor were made; uncertainties in the excitation frequency were found to significantly amplify the blade responses of a mistuned rotor. The effects of the number of blades on a rotor were studied. The autocorrelation function of displacements and the probability density function of the first passage time for deterministic and random barriers for structures subjected to random processes also were computed. A brief discussion was included on the future direction of probabilistic structural analysis.

Forensic aspects and assessment of school bullying.

PubMed

Freeman, Bradley W; Thompson, Christopher; Jaques, Cory

2012-12-01

This article describes school's obligations related to bullying behavior, the assessment of bullying students and their victims, the evaluation of claimed damages due to bullying, and potential interventions for both individuals and school systems to reduce the frequency of bullying behavior. This article assists evaluators when assessing youth who are involved in bullying behavior, either as victims or perpetrators. Key areas highlighted include an overview of bullying behaviors, legal issues related to a school's responsibility in preventing or curtailing bullying behaviors, important components of a bullying assessment, and proposed interventions to minimize bullying. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Micronucleus, Nucleoplasmic Bridge, and Nuclear Budding in Peripheral Blood Cells of Workers Exposed to Low Level Benzene.

PubMed

Jamebozorgi, I; Mahjoubi, F; Pouryaghoub, G; Mehrdad, R; Majidzadeh, T; Saltanatpour, Z; Nasiri, F

2016-10-01

Benzene is one of the important occupational pollutants. There are some reports about the leukemogenic effects related to low-level exposure to benzene. To study the frequency of micronucleus (MN), nucleoplasmic bridge (NB), and nuclear budding (NBUD) in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of petrochemical workers with low level exposure to benzene. We enrolled 50 workers exposed to low-level benzene and 31 unexposed workers of a petrochemical industry. After exclusion of 3 samples, peripheral blood lymphocytes of the remaining 47 exposed and 31 unexposed workers were analyzed for the frequency of MN, NB, and NBUD by cytochalasin-blocked MN technique. MN was present in 28 (60%) exposed and 18 (58%) unexposed workers. NB was observed in 6 (13%), and 2 (7%) exposed and unexposed workers, respectively; the frequency for NBUD was 20 (43%), and 13 (42%), respectively. No significant difference was found in the observed frequencies of MN, NB, and NBUD in the peripheral blood lymphocytes between the exposed and unexposed group workers. Occupational exposure to low-level benzene does not increase the frequency of MN, NB, and NBUD in the peripheral blood lymphocytes, biomarkers for DNA damage.

Dose-rate effect of ultrashort electron beam radiation on DNA damage and repair in vitro.

PubMed

Babayan, Nelly; Hovhannisyan, Galina; Grigoryan, Bagrat; Grigoryan, Ruzanna; Sarkisyan, Natalia; Tsakanova, Gohar; Haroutiunian, Samvel; Aroutiounian, Rouben

2017-11-01

Laser-generated electron beams are distinguished from conventional accelerated particles by ultrashort beam pulses in the femtoseconds to picoseconds duration range, and their application may elucidate primary radiobiological effects. The aim of the present study was to determine the dose-rate effect of laser-generated ultrashort pulses of 4 MeV electron beam radiation on DNA damage and repair in human cells. The dose rate was increased via changing the pulse repetition frequency, without increasing the electron energy. The human chronic myeloid leukemia K-562 cell line was used to estimate the DNA damage and repair after irradiation, via the comet assay. A distribution analysis of the DNA damage was performed. The same mean level of initial DNA damages was observed at low (3.6 Gy/min) and high (36 Gy/min) dose-rate irradiation. In the case of low-dose-rate irradiation, the detected DNA damages were completely repairable, whereas the high-dose-rate irradiation demonstrated a lower level of reparability. The distribution analysis of initial DNA damages after high-dose-rate irradiation revealed a shift towards higher amounts of damage and a broadening in distribution. Thus, increasing the dose rate via changing the pulse frequency of ultrafast electrons leads to an increase in the complexity of DNA damages, with a consequent decrease in their reparability. Since the application of an ultrashort pulsed electron beam permits us to describe the primary radiobiological effects, it can be assumed that the observed dose-rate effect on DNA damage/repair is mainly caused by primary lesions appearing at the moment of irradiation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

Detection of micronuclei formation and nuclear anomalies in regenerative nodules of human cirrhotic livers and relationship to hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

de Almeida, Terezinha M B; Leitão, Regina C; Andrade, Joyce D; Beçak, Willy; Carrilho, Flair J; Sonohara, Shigueko

2004-04-01

Human cirrhosis is considered an important factor in hepatocarcinogenesis. The lack of substantial genetics and cytogenetics data in human cirrhosis led us to investigate spontaneous micronuclei formation, as an indicator of chromosomal damage. The analysis was performed in hepatocytes of regenerative, macroregenerative, and tumoral nodules from 30 cases of cirrhosis (paraffin-embedded archival material), retrospectively selected: cryptogenic, hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis C virus associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thirteen control liver samples of healthy organ donors were included. Micronucleated hepatocytes were analyzed with Feulgen-fast-green dyeing techniques. The spontaneous frequency of micronucleated hepatocytes in both regenerative and macroregenerative nodules of all cirrhotic patients was significantly higher than for the normal control group. There was no significant difference in frequency of micronucleated hepatocytes in regenerative nodules compared with macroregenerative nodules for all cases analyzed, whereas a significantly higher frequency of micronucleated hepatocytes was detected in tumoral nodules, compared with cirrhotic regenerative nodules and normal parenchyma. A higher frequency of the nuclear anomalies termed broken-eggs was observed in hepatitis C virus-related samples. Chromatinic losses and genotoxicity already existed in the cirrhotic regenerative nodules, which might predispose to development of HCC.

Corrosion monitoring using high-frequency guided ultrasonic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fromme, Paul

2014-02-01

Corrosion develops due to adverse environmental conditions during the life cycle of a range of industrial structures, e.g., offshore oil platforms, ships, and desalination plants. Both pitting corrosion and generalized corrosion leading to wall thickness loss can cause the degradation of the structural integrity. The nondestructive detection and monitoring of corrosion damage in difficult to access areas can be achieved using high frequency guided waves propagating along the structure from accessible areas. Using standard ultrasonic transducers with single sided access to the structure, guided wave modes were generated that penetrate through the complete thickness of the structure. The wave propagation and interference of the different guided wave modes depends on the thickness of the structure. Laboratory experiments were conducted and the wall thickness reduced by consecutive milling of the steel structure. Further measurements were conducted using accelerated corrosion in a salt water bath and the damage severity monitored. From the measured signal change due to the wave mode interference the wall thickness reduction was monitored. The high frequency guided waves have the potential for corrosion damage monitoring at critical and difficult to access locations from a stand-off distance.

Cumulative co-seismic fault damage and feedbacks on earthquake rupture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitchell, T. M.; Aben, F. M.; Ostermeijer, G.; Rockwell, T. K.; Doan, M. L.

2017-12-01

The importance of the damage zone in the faulting and earthquake process is widely recognized, but our understanding of how damage zones are created, what their properties are, and how they feed back into the seismic cycle, is remarkably poorly known. Firstly, damaged rocks have reduced elastic moduli, cohesion and yield strength, which can cause attenuation and potentially non-linear wave propagation effects during ruptures. Secondly, damaged fault rocks are generally more permeable than intact rocks, and hence play a key role in the migration of fluids in and around fault zones over the seismic cycle. Finally, the dynamic generation of damage as the earthquake propagates can itself influence the dynamics of rupture propagation, by increasing the amount of energy dissipation, decreasing the rupture velocity, modifying the size of the earthquake, changing the efficiency of weakening mechanisms such as thermal pressurisation of pore fluids, and even generating seismic waves itself . All of these effects imply that a feedback exists between the damage imparted immediately after rupture propagation, at the early stages of fault slip, and the effects of that damage on subsequent ruptures dynamics. In recent years, much debate has been sparked by the identification of so-called `pulverized rocks' described on various crustal-scale faults, a type of intensely damaged fault rock which has undergone minimal shear strain, and the occurrence of which has been linked to damage induced by transient high strain-rate stress perturbations during earthquake rupture. Damage induced by such transient stresses, whether compressional or tensional, likely constitute heterogeneous modulations of the remote stresses that will impart significant changes on the strength, elastic and fluid flow properties of a fault zone immediately after rupture propagation, at the early stage of fault slip. In this contribution, we will demonstrate laboratory and field examples of two dynamic mechanisms that have been proposed for the generation of pulverized rocks; (i) compressive loading by high-frequency stress pulses due to the radiation of seismic waves and (ii) explosive dilation in tension in rocks containing pressurized pore fluids.

Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial DNA Damage and Their Role in Age-Related Vascular Dysfunction

PubMed Central

Mikhed, Yuliya; Daiber, Andreas; Steven, Sebastian

2015-01-01

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is significantly increased in the older population. Risk factors and predictors of future cardiovascular events such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, or diabetes are observed with higher frequency in elderly individuals. A major determinant of vascular aging is endothelial dysfunction, characterized by impaired endothelium-dependent signaling processes. Increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to oxidative stress, loss of nitric oxide (•NO) signaling, loss of endothelial barrier function and infiltration of leukocytes to the vascular wall, explaining the low-grade inflammation characteristic for the aged vasculature. We here discuss the importance of different sources of ROS for vascular aging and their contribution to the increased cardiovascular risk in the elderly population with special emphasis on mitochondrial ROS formation and oxidative damage of mitochondrial DNA. Also the interaction (crosstalk) of mitochondria with nicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases is highlighted. Current concepts of vascular aging, consequences for the development of cardiovascular events and the particular role of ROS are evaluated on the basis of cell culture experiments, animal studies and clinical trials. Present data point to a more important role of oxidative stress for the maximal healthspan (healthy aging) than for the maximal lifespan. PMID:26184181

Hole hopping through tyrosine/tryptophan chains protects proteins from oxidative damage

PubMed Central

Gray, Harry B.; Winkler, Jay R.

2015-01-01

Living organisms have adapted to atmospheric dioxygen by exploiting its oxidizing power while protecting themselves against toxic side effects. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species formed during oxidative stress, as well as high-potential reactive intermediates formed during enzymatic catalysis, could rapidly and irreversibly damage polypeptides were protective mechanisms not available. Chains of redox-active tyrosine and tryptophan residues can transport potentially damaging oxidizing equivalents (holes) away from fragile active sites and toward protein surfaces where they can be scavenged by cellular reductants. Precise positioning of these chains is required to provide effective protection without inhibiting normal function. A search of the structural database reveals that about one third of all proteins contain Tyr/Trp chains composed of three or more residues. Although these chains are distributed among all enzyme classes, they appear with greatest frequency in the oxidoreductases and hydrolases. Consistent with a redox-protective role, approximately half of the dioxygen-using oxidoreductases have Tyr/Trp chain lengths ≥3 residues. Among the hydrolases, long Tyr/Trp chains appear almost exclusively in the glycoside hydrolases. These chains likely are important for substrate binding and positioning, but a secondary redox role also is a possibility. PMID:26195784

[Assessment of impacts of combined treatment of solid urban waste landfill leachate and sewage on aquatic biota].

PubMed

Mannarino, Camille Ferreira; Moreira, Josino Costa; Ferreira, João Alberto; Arias, Ana Rosa Linde

2013-11-01

The impact on tilapia fish of combined treatment of landfill leachate and domestic sewage was monitored in a waste treatment plant that operated on a pilot scale using the activated sludge process. Biomarkers of sub-lethal toxicity were used to indicate the possibility of damage to organisms due to interaction with pollutants. The concentration of metallothioneins did not indicate the increased presence of metals in fish exposed than in control groups. Acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity was inhibited in only one of the exposed groups, indicating the possible presence of organophosphate and/or carbamate pesticides in treated effluent. The PAHs used as biomarkers (naphthalene, pyrene, benzo(a)pyrene and 1-hydroxypyrene) indicated that exposed fish had a greater absorption of PAHs than control groups of fish, indicating the likely presence of these compounds in at least one of the combined treatment effluents. The frequencies of micronuclei and other erythrocytic nuclear abnormalities also indicate greater genotoxic damage in cells of organisms exposed than in control groups. The use of biomarkers proved to be important to permit an evaluation of sub-lethal damage present in organisms exposed to the pollution source studied.

Comparative evaluation of genotoxicity by micronucleus assay in the buccal mucosa over comet assay in peripheral blood in oral precancer and cancer patients.

PubMed

Katarkar, Atul; Mukherjee, Sanjit; Khan, Masood H; Ray, Jay G; Chaudhuri, Keya

2014-09-01

Early detection and quantification of DNA damage in oral premalignancy or malignancy may help in management of the disease and improve survival rates. The comet assay has been successfully utilised to detect DNA damage in oral premalignant or malignancy. However, due to the invasive nature of collecting blood, it may be painful for many unwilling patients. This study compares the micronucleus (MN) assay in oral buccal mucosa cells with the comet assay in peripheral blood cells in a subset of oral habit-induced precancer and cancer patients. For this, MN assay of exfoliated epithelial cells was compared with comet assay of peripheral blood leucocytes among 260 participants, including those with oral lichen planus (OLP; n = 52), leukoplakia (LPK; n = 51), oral submucous fibrosis (OSF; n = 51), oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC; n = 54) and normal volunteers (n = 52). Among the precancer groups, LPK patients showed significantly higher levels of DNA damage as reflected by both comet tail length (P < 0.0001) and micronuclei (MNi) frequency (P = 0.0009). The DNA damage pattern in precancer and cancer patients was OLP < OSF < LPK < OSCC, and with respective oral habits, it was multiple habits > cigarette + khaini > cigarette smokers > areca + khaini > areca. There was no significant difference in the comet length and MNi frequency between males and females who had oral chewing habits. An overall significant correlation was observed between MNi frequency and comet tail length with r = 0.844 and P < 0.0001. Thus, the extent of DNA damage evaluation by the comet assay in peripheral blood cells is perfectly reflected by the MN assay on oral exfoliated epithelial cells, and MNi frequency can be used with the same effectiveness and greater efficiency in early detection of oral premalignant conditions. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the UK Environmental Mutagen Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

When theory and observation collide: Can non-ionizing radiation cause cancer?

PubMed

Havas, Magda

2017-02-01

This paper attempts to resolve the debate about whether non-ionizing radiation (NIR) can cause cancer-a debate that has been ongoing for decades. The rationale, put forward mostly by physicists and accepted by many health agencies, is that, "since NIR does not have enough energy to dislodge electrons, it is unable to cause cancer." This argument is based on a flawed assumption and uses the model of ionizing radiation (IR) to explain NIR, which is inappropriate. Evidence of free-radical damage has been repeatedly documented among humans, animals, plants and microorganisms for both extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMF) and for radio frequency (RF) radiation, neither of which is ionizing. While IR directly damages DNA, NIR interferes with the oxidative repair mechanisms resulting in oxidative stress, damage to cellular components including DNA, and damage to cellular processes leading to cancer. Furthermore, free-radical damage explains the increased cancer risks associated with mobile phone use, occupational exposure to NIR (ELF EMF and RFR), and residential exposure to power lines and RF transmitters including mobile phones, cell phone base stations, broadcast antennas, and radar installations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Damage Detection in Composite Structures with Wavenumber Array Data Processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tian, Zhenhua; Leckey, Cara; Yu, Lingyu

2013-01-01

Guided ultrasonic waves (GUW) have the potential to be an efficient and cost-effective method for rapid damage detection and quantification of large structures. Attractive features include sensitivity to a variety of damage types and the capability of traveling relatively long distances. They have proven to be an efficient approach for crack detection and localization in isotropic materials. However, techniques must be pushed beyond isotropic materials in order to be valid for composite aircraft components. This paper presents our study on GUW propagation and interaction with delamination damage in composite structures using wavenumber array data processing, together with advanced wave propagation simulations. Parallel elastodynamic finite integration technique (EFIT) is used for the example simulations. Multi-dimensional Fourier transform is used to convert time-space wavefield data into frequency-wavenumber domain. Wave propagation in the wavenumber-frequency domain shows clear distinction among the guided wave modes that are present. This allows for extracting a guided wave mode through filtering and reconstruction techniques. Presence of delamination causes spectral change accordingly. Results from 3D CFRP guided wave simulations with delamination damage in flat-plate specimens are used for wave interaction with structural defect study.

3D Guided Wave Motion Analysis on Laminated Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tian, Zhenhua; Leckey, Cara; Yu, Lingyu

2013-01-01

Ultrasonic guided waves have proved useful for structural health monitoring (SHM) and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) due to their ability to propagate long distances with less energy loss compared to bulk waves and due to their sensitivity to small defects in the structure. Analysis of actively transmitted ultrasonic signals has long been used to detect and assess damage. However, there remain many challenging tasks for guided wave based SHM due to the complexity involved with propagating guided waves, especially in the case of composite materials. The multimodal nature of the ultrasonic guided waves complicates the related damage analysis. This paper presents results from parallel 3D elastodynamic finite integration technique (EFIT) simulations used to acquire 3D wave motion in the subject laminated carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites. The acquired 3D wave motion is then analyzed by frequency-wavenumber analysis to study the wave propagation and interaction in the composite laminate. The frequency-wavenumber analysis enables the study of individual modes and visualization of mode conversion. Delamination damage has been incorporated into the EFIT model to generate "damaged" data. The potential for damage detection in laminated composites is discussed in the end.

Damage capitation in the modern liability climate: a primer for neurosurgeons and systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Lepard, Jacob R; Walters, Beverly C; Rozzelle, Curtis J

2018-04-01

OBJECTIVE Neurosurgery, and particularly spine surgery, is among the most highly litigated medical specialties in the US, rendering the current malpractice climate of primary importance to spine surgeons nationwide. One of the primary methods of tort reform in the civil justice system is malpractice damage capitation (or "caps"); however, its efficacy is widely debated. The purpose of this article is to serve as a review for the practicing neurosurgeon, with particular emphasis on short- and long-term effects of damage caps and on the current debate regarding their utility, based on a systematic review of the literature. METHODS The Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines for systematic review of observational studies were used in the design of the study. Multiple medical and legal online databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, and JSTOR) were queried using the key words "malpractice" and "damage capitation" for articles from 2000 to 2014. A total of 96 abstracts were screened for inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, 22 articles were reviewed in full and another 15 were excluded for study design or poor quality of data. Five more studies were added after cross-checking the bibliographies of the included articles. The resulting 12 articles were evaluated; relevant data were extracted using a standardized metric. RESULTS Five studies were found showing varying effects of capitation on physician availability, with only 1 of these specifically showing increased availability of neurosurgery and elective spine coverage in states with capitation. Four studies demonstrated that capitation overall succeeds in decreasing jury awards and frequency of claims filed. Last, 3 studies were found showing an overall decrease in malpractice premiums for states that passed damage capitation. CONCLUSIONS There is evidence in the literature showing that total and noneconomic damage capitation has the potential to improve the practice environment for neurosurgeons nationwide. Additionally, there are other factors that affect malpractice premium rates, such as the investment markets, which are not affected by these laws. All of these are important for spine surgeons to consider and be aware of in advocating for appropriate reform measures in their states.

The influence of seizure frequency on anterograde and remote memory in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

PubMed

Voltzenlogel, Virginie; Vignal, Jean-Pierre; Hirsch, Edouard; Manning, Liliann

2014-10-01

Seizure frequency, although considered as an important factor in memory impairment in mesial temporal epilepsy (mTLE), is mostly confounded with other clinical variables, making it unclear to what extent recurrent seizures actually interfere with memory. The present study focuses on the influence of seizure frequency, studied as a main variable, on anterograde and remote memory. Seventy-one patients with unilateral mTLE were divided into two subgroups, as a function of their seizure frequency (monthly versus weekly seizures). Other seizure-related variables were controlled, namely, lateralisation and type of lesion, age at onset, years of ongoing seizures, etiologic factors, and number of AED. A comprehensive neuropsychological examination, including anterograde memory (verbal and non verbal recognition memory and free recall) tasks together with a large range of tests exploring different domains of remote memory, was carried out. Despite similar results on IQ, executive functions and attention, the low seizure-frequency group performed significantly better than the high seizure-frequency group on anterograde memory tests. Loss of autobiographical episodes and public-events memory, concomitant with spared personal semantic knowledge, was observed in both patient groups compared with healthy subjects. A worsening effect of high seizure frequency was recorded for autobiographical incidents and news-events memory, but unexpectedly, not for memory for famous people. The study of seizure frequency as the main variable leads us to suggest that high seizure frequency, itself, potentiates the effects of mesial temporal lobe damage on episodic memory deficits. Copyright © 2014 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vibration fatigue using modal decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mršnik, Matjaž; Slavič, Janko; Boltežar, Miha

2018-01-01

Vibration-fatigue analysis deals with the material fatigue of flexible structures operating close to natural frequencies. Based on the uniaxial stress response, calculated in the frequency domain, the high-cycle fatigue model using the S-N curve material data and the Palmgren-Miner hypothesis of damage accumulation is applied. The multiaxial criterion is used to obtain the equivalent uniaxial stress response followed by the spectral moment approach to the cycle-amplitude probability density estimation. The vibration-fatigue analysis relates the fatigue analysis in the frequency domain to the structural dynamics. However, once the stress response within a node is obtained, the physical model of the structure dictating that response is discarded and does not propagate through the fatigue-analysis procedure. The structural model can be used to evaluate how specific dynamic properties (e.g., damping, modal shapes) affect the damage intensity. A new approach based on modal decomposition is presented in this research that directly links the fatigue-damage intensity with the dynamic properties of the system. It thus offers a valuable insight into how different modes of vibration contribute to the total damage to the material. A numerical study was performed showing good agreement between results obtained using the newly presented approach with those obtained using the classical method, especially with regards to the distribution of damage intensity and critical point location. The presented approach also offers orders of magnitude faster calculation in comparison with the conventional procedure. Furthermore, it can be applied in a straightforward way to strain experimental modal analysis results, taking advantage of experimentally measured strains.

Environmental Perturbations Caused by the Impacts of Asteroids and Comets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toon, Owen B.; Zahnle, Kevin; Morrison, David; Turco, Richard; Covey, Curt

1997-01-01

We review the major mechanisms proposed to cause extinctions at the Cretaceous-Tertiary geological boundary following an asteroid impact. We then discuss how the proposed extinction may relate to the impact of asteroids or comets in general. We discuss the limitations of these mechanisms in terms of the spatial scale that may be affected, and the time scale over which the effects may last. Our goal is to provide relatively simple prescriptions for evaluating the importance of colliding objects having a range of energies and compositions. We also identify the many uncertainties concerning the environmental effects of impacts. We conclude that, for impact energies below about 10(exp 4) Mts (megatons of TNT equivalent) - i.e., impact frequencies less than in 6 x 10(exp 4) yr, corresponding to comets and asteroids with diameters smaller than about 400 m and 650 m, respectively - blast damage, earthquakes, and fires should be important on a scale of 10(exp 4) or 10(exp 5) km (exp 2), which corresponds to the area damaged in many natural disasters of recent history. However, tsunami could be more damaging, flooding a kilometer of coastal plane over entire ocean basins. In the energy range of 10(exp 4) to 10 (exp 5) Mts (intervals up to 3 x 10(exp 5) yr; comets and asteroids with sizes up to 800 m and 1.5 km, respectively) water vapor injections and ozone loss become significant on the global scale. In the submicrometer dust injection fraction from the pulverized target material is much higher than is presently thought to be most likely, then dust injection could be important in this energy range.

Evaluation of Genotoxicity in Automobile Mechanics Occupationally Exposed to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Using Micronuclei and Other Nuclear Abnormalities

PubMed Central

Khan, Mohammed Rafiq; Sudha, Sellappa

2012-01-01

Background Occupational and environmental exposures mostly represent mixtures of genotoxic agents, whereas the specificity of biomarker measurements varies widely. Exploration of correlations among biomarkers contributes to the further progress of molecular cancer epidemiology and to the selection of the optimal biomarkers for the investigation of human exposure to carcinogens. The aim of this study was to assess the potential cytogenetic damage associated with occupational exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) among automobile mechanics by using Micronuclei (MN) and other Nuclear Abnormalities (NA) as a biomarker. Methods The study population composed of 110 occupationally exposed automobile mechanics and 100 unexposed controls. All the study participants were males. Both the exposed and control individuals were selected from automobile garages located in the urban area of Coimbatore City, South India. Exfoliated buccal cells were collected from 110 automobile mechanics and 100 age and sex matched controls. Further, cells were examined for MN frequency and Nuclear Abnormalities (NA) other than micronuclei, such as binucleates, broken eggs and karyolysis. Results Results showed a statistically significant difference between occupationally exposed automobile mechanics and control groups. MN and NA frequencies in automobile mechanics were significantly higher than those in control groups (p < 0.05) and also significantly related to smoking habit (p < 0.05). In addition, a higher degree of NA was observed among the exposed subjects with smoking, drinking, tobacco chewing, which is an indicative of cytogenetic damage in these individuals. Conclusion MN and other NA reflect genetic changes, events associated with carcinogenesis. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that automobile mechanics exposed to PAHs are under risk of significant cytogenetic damage. Therefore, it is important to provide and offer better awareness of occupational hazards among these workers to promote occupational safety. PMID:25628826

Impedance-Based Structural Health Monitoring for Composite Laminates at Cryogenic Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tseng, Kevin

2003-01-01

One of the important ways of increasing the payload in a reusable launch vehicle (RLV) is to replace heavy metallic materials by lightweight composite laminates. Among various parts and systems of the RLV, this project focuses on tanks containing cryogenic fuel. Historically, aluminum alloys have been used as the materials to construct fuel tanks for launch vehicles. To replace aluminum alloys with composite laminates or honeycomb materials, engineers have to make sure that the composites are free of defects before, during, and after launch. In addition to robust design and manufacturing procedures, the performance of the composite structures needs to be monitored constantly.In recent years, the impedance-based health monitoring technique has shown its promise in many applications. This technique makes use of the special properties of smart piezoelectric materials to identify the change of material properties due to the nucleation and progression of damage. The piezoceramic patch serves as a sensor and an actuator simultaneously. The piezoelectric patch is bonded onto an existing structure or embedded into a new structure and electrically excited at high frequencies. The signature (impedance or admittance) is extracted as a function of the exciting frequency and is compared with the baseline signature of the healthy state. The damage is quantified using root mean square deviation (RMSD) in the impedance signatures with respect to the baseline signature. A major advantage of this technique is that the procedure is nondestructive in nature and does not perturb the properties and performance of the materials and structures. This project aims at applying the impedance-based nondestructive testing technique to the damage identification of composite laminates at cryogenic temperature.

Identification of ground motion features for high-tech facility under far field seismic waves using wavelet packet transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Shieh-Kung; Loh, Chin-Hsiung; Chen, Chin-Tsun

2016-04-01

Seismic records collected from earthquake with large magnitude and far distance may contain long period seismic waves which have small amplitude but with dominant period up to 10 sec. For a general situation, the long period seismic waves will not endanger the safety of the structural system or cause any uncomfortable for human activity. On the contrary, for those far distant earthquakes, this type of seismic waves may cause a glitch or, furthermore, breakdown to some important equipments/facilities (such as the high-precision facilities in high-tech Fab) and eventually damage the interests of company if the amplitude becomes significant. The previous study showed that the ground motion features such as time-variant dominant frequencies extracted using moving window singular spectrum analysis (MWSSA) and amplitude characteristics of long-period waves identified from slope change of ground motion Arias Intensity can efficiently indicate the damage severity to the high-precision facilities. However, embedding a large hankel matrix to extract long period seismic waves make the MWSSA become a time-consumed process. In this study, the seismic ground motion data collected from broadband seismometer network located in Taiwan were used (with epicenter distance over 1000 km). To monitor the significant long-period waves, the low frequency components of these seismic ground motion data are extracted using wavelet packet transform (WPT) to obtain wavelet coefficients and the wavelet entropy of coefficients are used to identify the amplitude characteristics of long-period waves. The proposed method is a timesaving process compared to MWSSA and can be easily implemented for real-time detection. Comparison and discussion on this method among these different seismic events and the damage severity to the high-precision facilities in high-tech Fab is made.

The effect of space radiation on the induction of chromosome damage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

George, K.; Wu, H.; Willingham, V.; Cucinotta, F. A.

2001-01-01

To obtain information on the cytogenetic damage caused by space radiation, chromosome exchanges in lymphocytes from crewmembers of long-term Mir missions, and a shorter duration shuttle mission, were examined using fluorescence in situ hybridization. A significant increase in chromosomal aberrations was observed after the long duration flights. The ratio of aberrations identified as complex was higher post-flight for some crewmembers, which is thought to be an indication of exposure to high-LET radiation. Ground-based studies have shown that the frequency of aberrations measured post-flight could be influenced by a mitotic delay in cells damaged by high-LET radiation and this effect could lower biological dose estimates. To counteract this effect, prematurely condensed chromosome (PCC) spreads were collected. Frequencies of aberrations in PCC were compared with those in metaphase spreads.

Ultraviolet mutagenesis studies of [psi], a cytoplasmic determinant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Tuite, M F; Cox, B S

1980-07-01

UV mutagenesis was used to probe the molecular nature of [psi], a nonmitochondrial cytoplasmic determinant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae involved in the control of nonsense suppression. The UV-induced mutation from [psi+] to [psi-] showed characteristics of forward nuclear gene mutation in terms of frequency, induction kinetics, occurrence of whole and sectored mutant clones and the effect of the stage in the growth cycle on mutation frequency. The involvement of pyrimidine dimers in the premutational lesion giving the [psi-] mutation was demonstrated by photoreactivation. UV-induced damage to the [psi] genetic determinant was shown to be repaired by nuclear-coded repair enzymes that are responsible for the repair of nuclear DNA damage. UV-induced damage to mitochondrial DNA appeared to be, at least partly, under the control of different repair processes. The evidence obtained suggests that the [psi] determinant is DNA.

Mitochondrial DNA Damage and Diseases.

PubMed

Singh, Gyanesh; Pachouri, U C; Khaidem, Devika Chanu; Kundu, Aman; Chopra, Chirag; Singh, Pushplata

2015-01-01

Various endogenous and environmental factors can cause mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage.  One of the reasons for enhanced mtDNA damage could be its proximity to the source of oxidants, and lack of histone-like protective proteins. Moreover, mitochondria contain inadequate DNA repair pathways, and, diminished DNA repair capacity may be one of the factors responsible for high mutation frequency of the mtDNA. mtDNA damage might cause impaired mitochondrial function, and, unrepaired mtDNA damage has been frequently linked with several diseases. Exploration of mitochondrial perspective of diseases might lead to a better understanding of several diseases, and will certainly open new avenues for detection, cure, and prevention of ailments.

Method for assaying clustered DNA damages

DOEpatents

Sutherland, Betsy M.

2004-09-07

Disclosed is a method for detecting and quantifying clustered damages in DNA. In this method, a first aliquot of the DNA to be tested for clustered damages with one or more lesion-specific cleaving reagents under conditions appropriate for cleavage of the DNA to produce single-strand nicks in the DNA at sites of damage lesions. The number average molecular length (Ln) of double stranded DNA is then quantitatively determined for the treated DNA. The number average molecular length (Ln) of double stranded DNA is also quantitatively determined for a second, untreated aliquot of the DNA. The frequency of clustered damages (.PHI..sub.c) in the DNA is then calculated.

Low frequency mechanical modes of viruses with atomic detail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dykeman, Eric; Sankey, Otto

2008-03-01

The low frequency mechanical modes of viruses can provide important insights into the large global motions that a virus may exhibit. Recently it has been proposed that these large global motions may be excited using impulsive stimulated Raman scattering producing permanent damage to the virus. In order to understand the coupling of external probes to the capsid, vibrational modes with atomic detail are essential. The standard approach to find the atomic modes of a molecule with N atoms requires the formation and diagonlization of a 3Nx3N matrix. As viruses have 10^5 or more atoms, the standard approach is difficult. Using ideas from electronic structure theory, we have developed a method to construct the mechanical modes of large molecules such as viruses with atomic detail. Application to viruses such as the cowpea chlorotic mottle virus, satellite tobacco necrosis virus, and M13 bacteriophage show a fairly complicated picture of the mechanical modes.

Micronucleus analysis in a Portuguese population exposed to pesticides: preliminary survey.

PubMed

Costa, Carla; Silva, Susana; Coelho, Patrícia; Roma-Torres, Joana; Teixeira, João Paulo; Mayan, Olga

2007-05-01

The general population is exposed in their everyday life to different chemicals namely to pesticides. Many of these compounds are capable of inducing mutations in DNA and lead to several diseases including cancer. With this study we intended to evaluate DNA damage inflicted by pesticide exposure in a population occupationally exposed to those chemicals by means of the micronucleus (MN) test. The obtained results showed a significant increase in MN frequency in occupationally exposed individuals (p<0.001) compared with the control group. Higher frequencies of MN were associated with a specific workplace (greenhouses) and the lack of protective measures (gloves) during labour activities. These results reinforce that conditions in workplace should be improved to minimize exposure to these chemicals. This study also emphasizes the need to reinforce the good practices campaigns in order to enlighten those who work with pesticides on the potential hazard of occupational exposure and the importance of using protective measures.

Effect of Surface Impulsive Thermal Loads on Fatigue Behavior of Constant Volume Propulsion Engine Combustor Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Dongming; Fox, Dennis S.; Miller, Robert A.; Ghosn, Louis J.; Kalluri, Sreeramesh

2004-01-01

The development of advanced high performance constant-volume-combustion-cycle engines (CVCCE) requires robust design of the engine components that are capable of enduring harsh combustion environments under high frequency thermal and mechanical fatigue conditions. In this study, a simulated engine test rig has been established to evaluate thermal fatigue behavior of a candidate engine combustor material, Haynes 188, under superimposed CO2 laser surface impulsive thermal loads (30 to 100 Hz) in conjunction with the mechanical fatigue loads (10 Hz). The mechanical high cycle fatigue (HCF) testing of some laser pre-exposed specimens has also been conducted under a frequency of 100 Hz to determine the laser surface damage effect. The test results have indicated that material surface oxidation and creep-enhanced fatigue is an important mechanism for the surface crack initiation and propagation under the simulated CVCCE engine conditions.

Rapid condition assessment of structural condition after a blast using state-space identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eskew, Edward; Jang, Shinae

2015-04-01

After a blast event, it is important to quickly quantify the structural damage for emergency operations. In order improve the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of condition assessments after a blast, the authors have previously performed work to develop a methodology for rapid assessment of the structural condition of a building after a blast. The method involved determining a post-event equivalent stiffness matrix using vibration measurements and a finite element (FE) model. A structural model was built for the damaged structure based on the equivalent stiffness, and inter-story drifts from the blast are determined using numerical simulations, with forces determined from the blast parameters. The inter-story drifts are then compared to blast design conditions to assess the structures damage. This method still involved engineering judgment in terms of determining significant frequencies, which can lead to error, especially with noisy measurements. In an effort to improve accuracy and automate the process, this paper will look into a similar method of rapid condition assessment using subspace state-space identification. The accuracy of the method will be tested using a benchmark structural model, as well as experimental testing. The blast damage assessments will be validated using pressure-impulse (P-I) diagrams, which present the condition limits across blast parameters. Comparisons between P-I diagrams generated using the true system parameters and equivalent parameters will show the accuracy of the rapid condition based blast assessments.

"What--me worry?" "Why so serious?": a personal view on the Fukushima nuclear reactor accidents.

PubMed

Gallucci, Raymond

2012-09-01

Infrequently, it seems that a significant accident precursor or, worse, an actual accident, involving a commercial nuclear power reactor occurs to remind us of the need to reexamine the safety of this important electrical power technology from a risk perspective. Twenty-five years since the major core damage accident at Chernobyl in the Ukraine, the Fukushima reactor complex in Japan experienced multiple core damages as a result of an earthquake-induced tsunami beyond either the earthquake or tsunami design basis for the site. Although the tsunami itself killed tens of thousands of people and left the area devastated and virtually uninhabitable, much concern still arose from the potential radioactive releases from the damaged reactors, even though there was little population left in the area to be affected. As a lifelong probabilistic safety analyst in nuclear engineering, even I must admit to a recurrence of the doubt regarding nuclear power safety after Fukushima that I had experienced after Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. This article is my attempt to "recover" my personal perspective on acceptable risk by examining both the domestic and worldwide history of commercial nuclear power plant accidents and attempting to quantify the risk in terms of the frequency of core damage that one might glean from a review of operational history. © 2012 Society for Risk Analysis.

Detection of damage on single- or double-stranded DNA in a population exposed to arsenic in drinking water.

PubMed

Jiménez-Villarreal, J; Rivas-Armendariz, D I; Pineda-Belmontes, C P; Betancourt-Martínez, N D; Macías-Corral, M A; Guerra-Alanis, A J; Niño-Castañeda, M S; Morán-Martínez, J

2017-05-18

Different studies have suggested an association between arsenic (As) exposure and damage to single-stranded DNA by reactive oxygen species derived from the biotransformation of arsenic. The single strand damages are converted to double strand damage upon interaction with ultraviolet radiation. Analysis of genomic integrity is important for assessing the genotoxicity caused by environmental pollutants. In this study, we compared the concentration of As in drinking water, nutritional status, lifestyle variables, and the level of genotoxicity in an exposed population and a control group. Arsenic content of water was determined using a portable Arsenator ® kit. DNA fragmentation was determined using the two-tailed comet assay. Our results show that the exposed population had low nutritional consumption compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the water consumed by the exposed group had As concentration of 14.3 ± 8.4 mg/L, whereas the As level in the water consumed by the control group was 7.7 ± 3.5 mg/L. Analysis shows that the frequency of double strand break (DSB) fragmentation was higher in the population exposed to higher levels of As compared to that of the control group. These results suggest a possible association between the concentration of As in drinking water and lifestyle variables, with increasing fragmentation of DSBs in the exposed population.

Detection of structural damage in multiwire cables by monitoring the entropy evolution of wavelet coefficients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibáñez, Flor; Baltazar, Arturo; Mijarez, Rito; Aranda, Jorge

2015-03-01

Multiwire cables are widely used in important civil structures. Since they are exposed to several dynamic and static loads, their structural health can be compromised. The cables can also be submitted to mechanical contact, tension and energy propagation in addition to changes in size and material within their wires. Due to the critical role played by multiwire cables, it is necessary to develop a non-destructive health monitoring method to maintain their structure and proper performance. Ultrasonic inspection using guided waves is a promising non-destructive damage monitoring technique for rods, single wires and multiwire cables. The propagated guided waves are composed by an infinite number of vibrational modes making their analysis difficult. In this work, an entropy-based method to identify small changes in non-stationary signals is proposed. A system to capture and post-process acoustic signals is implemented. The Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is computed in order to obtain the reconstructed wavelet coefficients of the signals and to analyze the energy at different scales. The feasibility of using the concept of entropy evolution of non-stationary signals to detect damage in multiwire cables is evaluated. The results show that there is a high correlation between the entropy value and damage level of the cable. The proposed method has low sensitivity to noise and reduces the computational complexity found in a typical time-frequency analysis.

Development of integrated damage detection system for international America's Cup class yacht structures using a fiber optic distributed sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akiyoshi, Shimada; Naruse, Hiroshi; Uzawa, Kyoshi; Murayama, Hideaki; Kageyama, Kazuro

2000-06-01

We constructed a new health monitoring system to detect damage using a fiber optic distributed sensor, namely a Brillouin optical time domain reflectometer (BOTDR), and installed it in International America's Cup Class (IACC) yachts, the Japanese entry in America's Cup 2000. IACC yachts are designed to be as fast as possible, so it is essential that they are lightweight and encounter minimum water resistance. Advanced composite sandwich structures, made with carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) skins and a honeycomb core, are used to achieve the lightweight structure. Yacht structure designs push the strength of the materials to their limit and so it is important to detect highly stressed or damaged regions that might cause a catastrophic fracture. The BOTDR measures changes in the Brillouin frequency shift caused by distributed strain along one optical fiber. We undertook two experiments: a pulling test and a four point bending test on a composite beam. The former showed that no slippage occurred between the optical fiber glass and its coating. The latter confirmed that a debonding between the skin and the core of 300 mm length could be found with the BOTDR. Next we examined the effectiveness with which this system can assess the structural integrity of IACC yachts. The results show that our system has the potential for use as a damage detection system for smart structures.

[Challenge and treatment strategy for ocular surface damage in patients with long term use of antiglaucoma drugs].

PubMed

He, Xiang-Ge

2011-02-01

Long term use of topical anti-glaucoma drugs has been shown to induce chronic conjunctivitis, superficial punctate keratitis (SPK) and dry eye symptom. Under these conditions, a loss of goblet cells in conjunctiva, epithelial squamous metaplasia and apoptosis were morphologically revealed. Benzalkonium Chloride (BKC), a most frequently used preservative in eye drops, has been found to be an important factor causing ocular surface damage. Furthermore, a big challenge for ophthalmologists is that toxic damage of medication to ocular surface tissues is mild, poor specificity, and delayed manifestation in patients, especially when coexisting with other ocular surface diseases. Impairment of ocular surface tissues greatly impacts the life quality of patients and subsequently influences compliance with glaucoma therapy. This paper emphasizes to take measures to prevent ocular surface tissue damage resulted from chronic use of topical anti-glaucoma drugs and further discusses the treatment strategy. Effective and long-lasting action drugs should always be selected for glaucomatous patients in order to decrease the frequency of topical instillation or at a more expensive medication, a fixed combination formula can be considered for glaucoma therapy. An early surgery or laser treatment is also proposed for the patients who require an IOP reduction with an existing ocular surface impairment. Future investigation and development of new medications with long-term efficacy and appropriate BKC are suggested and preservative-free or drugs with new preservative materials recommended.

Modal Frequency Detection in Composite Beams Using Fiber Optic Sensors

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-04-18

Structures 4, 270-280 (1995). [35] Chen-Jung Li and Ray Asok , "Neural Network Representation of Fatigue Damage Dynamics," Smart Materials and Structures 3...37] Roland Ray Kilcher, "Modal Analysis and Impact Damage Assessment of Composite Laminates: an Experimental Study," M.S. thesis, University of

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Health Monitoring and Materials Damage Prognosis for Metallic Aerospace Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

framework of orientation distribution functions and crack-induced texture o Quantify effects of temperature on damage behavior and damage monitoring...measurement model was obtained from hidden Markov modeling (HMM) of joint time-frequency (TF) features extracted from the PZT sensor signals using the...considered PZT sensor signals recorded from a bolted aluminum plate. About only 20% of the samples of a signal were first randomly selected as

Using Participatory Risk Mapping (PRM) to Identify and Understand People's Perceptions of Crop Loss to Animals in Uganda

PubMed Central

Webber, Amanda D.; Hill, Catherine M.

2014-01-01

Considering how people perceive risks to their livelihoods from local wildlife is central to (i) understanding the impact of crop damage by animals on local people and (ii) recognising how this influences their interactions with, and attitudes towards, wildlife. Participatory risk mapping (PRM) is a simple, analytical tool that can be used to identify and classify risk within communities. Here we use it to explore local people's perceptions of crop damage by wildlife and the animal species involved. Interviews (n = 93, n = 76) and seven focus groups were conducted in four villages around Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda during 2004 and 2005. Farms (N = 129) were simultaneously monitored for crop loss. Farmers identified damage by wildlife as the most significant risk to their crops; risk maps highlighted its anomalous status compared to other anticipated challenges to agricultural production. PRM was further used to explore farmers' perceptions of animal species causing crop damage and the results of this analysis compared with measured crop losses. Baboons (Papio anubis) were considered the most problematic species locally but measurements of loss indicate this perceived severity was disproportionately high. In contrast goats (Capra hircus) were considered only a moderate risk, yet risk of damage by this species was significant. Surprisingly, for wild pigs (Potamochoerus sp), perceptions of severity were not as high as damage incurred might have predicted, although perceived incidence was greater than recorded frequency of damage events. PRM can assist researchers and practitioners to identify and explore perceptions of the risk of crop damage by wildlife. As this study highlights, simply quantifying crop loss does not determine issues that are important to local people nor the complex relationships between perceived risk factors. Furthermore, as PRM is easily transferable it may contribute to the identification and development of standardised approaches of mitigation across sites of negative human-wildlife interaction. PMID:25076415

Detection of Low Level Microwave Radiation Induced Deoxyribonucleic Acid Damage Vis-à-vis Genotoxicity in Brain of Fischer Rats

PubMed Central

Deshmukh, Pravin Suryakantrao; Megha, Kanu; Banerjee, Basu Dev; Ahmed, Rafat Sultana; Chandna, Sudhir; Abegaonkar, Mahesh Pandurang; Tripathi, Ashok Kumar

2013-01-01

Background: Non-ionizing radiofrequency radiation has been increasingly used in industry, commerce, medicine and especially in mobile phone technology and has become a matter of serious concern in present time. Objective: The present study was designed to investigate the possible deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damaging effects of low-level microwave radiation in brain of Fischer rats. Materials and Methods: Experiments were performed on male Fischer rats exposed to microwave radiation for 30 days at three different frequencies: 900, 1800 and 2450 MHz. Animals were divided into 4 groups: Group I (Sham exposed): Animals not exposed to microwave radiation but kept under same conditions as that of other groups, Group II: Animals exposed to microwave radiation at frequency 900 MHz at specific absorption rate (SAR) 5.953 × 10−4 W/kg, Group III: Animals exposed to 1800 MHz at SAR 5.835 × 10−4 W/kg and Group IV: Animals exposed to 2450 MHz at SAR 6.672 × 10−4 W/kg. At the end of the exposure period animals were sacrificed immediately and DNA damage in brain tissue was assessed using alkaline comet assay. Results: In the present study, we demonstrated DNA damaging effects of low level microwave radiation in brain. Conclusion: We concluded that low SAR microwave radiation exposure at these frequencies may induce DNA strand breaks in brain tissue. PMID:23833433

Using Spectral Losses to Map a Damage Zone for the Source Physics Experiments (SPE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knox, H. A.; Abbott, R. E.; Bonal, N.; Preston, L. A.

2013-12-01

We performed a series of cross-borehole seismic experiments in support of the Source Physics Experiments (SPE). These surveys, which were conducted in a granitic body using a sparker source and hydrophone string, were designed to image the damage zone from two underground explosions (SPE2 and SPE3). We present results here from a total of six boreholes (the explosive shot emplacement hole and 5 satellite holes, 20-35 meters away) where we found a marked loss of high frequency energy in ray paths traversing the region near the SPE explosions. Specifically, the frequencies above ~400 Hz were lost in a region centered around 45 meters depth, coincident with SPE2 and SPE3 shots. We further quantified these spectral losses, developed a map of where they occur, and evaluated the attenuation effects of raypath length (i.e. source-receiver offset). We attribute this severe attenuation to the inelastic damage (i.e. cracking and pulverizing) caused by the large chemical explosions and propose that frequency attenuation of this magnitude provides yet another tool for detecting the damage due to large underground explosions. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Reliability of plant root comet assay in comparison with human leukocyte comet assay for assessment environmental genotoxic agents.

PubMed

Reis, Gabriela Barreto Dos; Andrade-Vieira, Larissa Fonseca; Moraes, Isabella de Campos; César, Pedro Henrique Souza; Marcussi, Silvana; Davide, Lisete Chamma

2017-08-01

Comet assay is an efficient test to detect genotoxic compounds based on observation of DNA damage. The aim of this work was to compare the results obtained from the comet assay in two different type of cells extracted from the root tips from Lactuca sativa L. and human blood. For this, Spent Pot Liner (SPL), and its components (aluminum and fluoride) were applied as toxic agents. SPL is a solid waste generated in industry from the aluminum mining and processing with known toxicity. Three concentrations of all tested solutions were applied and the damages observed were compared to negative and positive controls. It was observed an increase in the frequency of DNA damage for human leukocytes and plant cells, in all treatments. On human leukocytes, SPL induced the highest percentage of damage, with an average of 87.68%. For root tips cells of L. sativa the highest percentage of damage was detected for aluminum (93.89%). Considering the arbitrary units (AU), the average of nuclei with high levels of DNA fragmentation was significant for both cells type evaluated. The tested cells demonstrated equal effectiveness for detection of the genotoxicity induced by the SPL and its chemical components, aluminum and fluoride. Further, using a unique method, the comet assay, we proved that cells from root tips of Lactuca sativa represent a reliable model to detect DNA damage induced by genotoxic pollutants is in agreement of those observed in human leukocytes as model. So far, plant cells may be suggested as important system to assess the toxicological risk of environmental agents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biodosimetry Based on γ-H2AX Quantification and Cytogenetics after Partial- and Total-Body Irradiation during Fractionated Radiotherapy.

PubMed

Zahnreich, Sebastian; Ebersberger, Anne; Kaina, Bernd; Schmidberger, Heinz

2015-04-01

The aim of this current study was to quantitatively describe radiation-induced DNA damage and its distribution in leukocytes of cancer patients after fractionated partial- or total-body radiotherapy. Specifically, the impact of exposed anatomic region and administered dose was investigated in breast and prostate cancer patients receiving partial-body radiotherapy. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) were quantified by γ-H2AX immunostaining. The frequency of unstable chromosomal aberrations in stimulated lymphocytes was also determined and compared with the frequency of DNA DSBs in the same samples. The frequency of radiation-induced DNA damage was converted into dose, using ex vivo generated calibration curves, and was then compared with the administered physical dose. This study showed that 0.5 h after partial-body radiotherapy the quantity of radiation-induced γ-H2AX foci increased linearly with the administered equivalent whole-body dose for both tumor entities. Foci frequencies dropped 1 day thereafter but proportionality to the equivalent whole-body dose was maintained. Conversely, the frequency of radiation-induced cytogenetic damage increased from 0.5 h to 1 day after the first partial-body exposure with a linear dependence on the administered equivalent whole-body dose, for prostate cancer patients only. Only γ-H2AX foci assessment immediately after partial-body radiotherapy was a reliable measure of the expected equivalent whole-body dose. Local tumor doses could be approximated with both assays after one day. After total-body radiotherapy satisfactory dose estimates were achieved with both assays up to 8 h after exposure. In conclusion, the quantification of radiation-induced γ-H2AX foci, but not cytogenetic damage in peripheral leukocytes was a sensitive and rapid biodosimeter after acute heterogeneous irradiation of partial body volumes that was able to primarily assess the absorbed equivalent whole-body dose.

A novel model of interaction between high frequency electromagnetic non-ionizing fields and microtubules viewed as coupled two-degrees of freedom harmonic oscillators.

PubMed

Caligiuri, Luigi Maxmilian

2015-01-01

The question regarding the potential biological and adverse health effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields on living organisms is of primary importance in biophysics and medicine. Despite the several experimental evidences showing such occurrence in a wide frequency range from extremely low frequency to microwaves, a definitive theoretical model able to explain a possible mechanism of interaction between electromagnetic fields and living matter, especially in the case of weak and very weak intensities, is still missing. In this paper it has been suggested a possible mechanism of interaction involving the resonant absorption of electromagnetic radiation by microtubules. To this aim these have been modeled as non-dissipative forced harmonic oscillators characterized by two coupled "macroscopic" degrees of freedom, respectively describing longitudinal and transversal vibrations induced by the electromagnetic field. We have shown that the proposed model, although at a preliminary stage, is able to explain the ability of even weak electromagnetic radiating electromagnetic fields to transfer high quantities of energy to living systems by means of a resonant mechanism, so capable to easily damage microtubules structure.

Wave Dynamic Analysis of the Seismic Response of a Reinforced Concrete Building

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

Astroza, Rodrigo; Saragoni, G. Rodolfo

2008-07-08

This paper evaluates the response of the seven-story instrumented building, Holiday Inn Hotel, during the 1994 Northridge earthquake through the wave propagation dynamic analysis. The building has been instrumented during other earthquakes, the most important of these was the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, where the building was located only 22 [km] from the epicenter and didn't showing structural damage. From the accelerograms analysis is detected the propagation of Rayleigh and soil waves in the building, where the first has a polarized particle motion on a vertical plane and the second has a coupled particle motion in the horizontal plane. Bothmore » waves impose their frequencies to the building response, whose fundamental frequency (1.4 [Hz] according to ambient vibration test) is less than the frequencies of the identified waves. Due to the impact that these observations have in the seismic design of buildings, as a first attempt, a simple method is proposed to estimate the drift produced by the propagation of a Rayleigh wave in buildings.« less

Blast-induced tinnitus and hyperactivity in the auditory cortex of rats.

PubMed

Luo, Hao; Pace, Edward; Zhang, Jinsheng

2017-01-06

Blast exposure can cause tinnitus and hearing impairment by damaging the auditory periphery and direct impact to the brain, which trigger neural plasticity in both auditory and non-auditory centers. However, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms of blast-induced tinnitus are still unknown. In this study, we induced tinnitus in rats using blast exposure and investigated changes in spontaneous firing and bursting activity in the auditory cortex (AC) at one day, one month, and three months after blast exposure. Our results showed that spontaneous activity in the tinnitus-positive group began changing at one month after blast exposure, and manifested as robust hyperactivity at all frequency regions at three months after exposure. We also observed an increased bursting rate in the low-frequency region at one month after blast exposure and in all frequency regions at three months after exposure. Taken together, spontaneous firing and bursting activity in the AC played an important role in blast-induced chronic tinnitus as opposed to acute tinnitus, thus favoring a bottom-up mechanism. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nondestructive Structural Damage Detection in Flexible Space Structures Using Vibration Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ricles, James M.

1991-01-01

Spacecraft are susceptible to structural damage over their operating life from impact, environmental loads, and fatigue. Structural damage that is not detected and not corrected may potentially cause more damage and eventually catastrophic structural failure. NASA's current fleet of reusable spacecraft, namely the Space Shuttle, has been flown on several missions. In addition, configurations of future NASA space structures, e.g. Space Station Freedom, are larger and more complex than current structures, making them more susceptible to damage as well as being more difficult to inspect. Consequently, a reliable structural damage detection capability is essential to maintain the flight safety of these structures. Visual inspections alone can not locate impending material failure (fatigue cracks, yielding); it can only observe post-failure situations. An alternative approach is to develop an inspection and monitoring system based on vibration characterization that assesses the integrity of structural and mechanical components. A methodology for detecting structural damage is presented. This methodology is based on utilizing modal test data in conjunction with a correlated analytical model of the structure to: (1) identify the structural dynamic characteristics (resonant frequencies and mode shapes) from measurements of ambient motions and/or force excitation; (2) calculate modal residual force vectors to identify the location of structural damage; and (3) conduct a weighted sensitivity analysis in order to assess the extent of mass and stiffness variations, where structural damage is characterized by stiffness reductions. The approach is unique from other existing approaches in that varying system mass and stiffness, mass center locations, the perturbation of both the natural frequencies and mode shapes, and statistical confidence factors for structural parameters and experimental instrumentation are all accounted for directly.

Locating damage using integrated global-local approach with wireless sensing system and single-chip impedance measurement device.

PubMed

Lin, Tzu-Hsuan; Lu, Yung-Chi; Hung, Shih-Lin

2014-01-01

This study developed an integrated global-local approach for locating damage on building structures. A damage detection approach with a novel embedded frequency response function damage index (NEFDI) was proposed and embedded in the Imote2.NET-based wireless structural health monitoring (SHM) system to locate global damage. Local damage is then identified using an electromechanical impedance- (EMI-) based damage detection method. The electromechanical impedance was measured using a single-chip impedance measurement device which has the advantages of small size, low cost, and portability. The feasibility of the proposed damage detection scheme was studied with reference to a numerical example of a six-storey shear plane frame structure and a small-scale experimental steel frame. Numerical and experimental analysis using the integrated global-local SHM approach reveals that, after NEFDI indicates the approximate location of a damaged area, the EMI-based damage detection approach can then identify the detailed damage location in the structure of the building.

Frequency of comandra blister rust infection episodes on lodgepole pine

Treesearch

William R. Jacobi; Brian W. Geils; Jane E. Taylor

2002-01-01

Comandra blister rust is a damaging canker disease of lodgepole pine in the Central Rocky Mountains. Our knowledge of previous blister rust outbreaks and the effects of weather and climate on rust epidemiology has not been sufficient to explain the frequency and severity of disease outbreaks. Thus, we sought to describe the seasonal and annual frequency and duration of...

Detailed Vibration Analysis of Pinion Gear with Time-Frequency Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mosher, Marianne; Pryor, Anna H.; Lewicki, David G.

2003-01-01

In this paper, the authors show a detailed analysis of the vibration signal from the destructive testing of a spiral bevel gear and pinion pair containing seeded faults. The vibration signal is analyzed in the time domain, frequency domain and with four time-frequency transforms: the Short Time Frequency Transform (STFT), the Wigner-Ville Distribution with the Choi-Williams kernel (WV-CW), the Continuous Wavelet' Transform (CWT) and the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT). Vibration data of bevel gear tooth fatigue cracks, under a variety of operating load levels and damage conditions, are analyzed using these methods. A new metric for automatic anomaly detection is developed and can be produced from any systematic numerical representation of the vibration signals. This new metric reveals indications of gear damage with all of the time-frequency transforms, as well as time and frequency representations, on this data set. Analysis with the CWT detects changes in the signal at low torque levels not found with the other transforms. The WV-CW and CWT use considerably more resources than the STFT and the DWT. More testing of the new metric is needed to determine its value for automatic anomaly detection and to develop fault detection methods for the metric.

Application of a neural network as a potential aid in predicting NTF pump failure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, James L.; Hill, Jeffrey S.; Lamarsh, William J., II; Bradley, David E.

1993-01-01

The National Transonic Facility has three centrifugal multi-stage pumps to supply liquid nitrogen to the wind tunnel. Pump reliability is critical to facility operation and test capability. A highly desirable goal is to be able to detect a pump rotating component problem as early as possible during normal operation and avoid serious damage to other pump components. If a problem is detected before serious damage occurs, the repair cost and downtime could be reduced significantly. A neural network-based tool was developed for monitoring pump performance and aiding in predicting pump failure. Once trained, neural networks can rapidly process many combinations of input values other than those used for training to approximate previously unknown output values. This neural network was applied to establish relationships among the critical frequencies and aid in predicting failures. Training pairs were developed from frequency scans from typical tunnel operations. After training, various combinations of critical pump frequencies were propagated through the neural network. The approximated output was used to create a contour plot depicting the relationships of the input frequencies to the output pump frequency.

Theoretical research and experimental validation of elastic dynamic load spectra on bogie frame of high-speed train

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Ning; Sun, Shouguang; Li, Qiang; Zou, Hua

2016-05-01

When a train runs at high speeds, the external exciting frequencies approach the natural frequencies of bogie critical components, thereby inducing strong elastic vibrations. The present international reliability test evaluation standard and design criteria of bogie frames are all based on the quasi-static deformation hypothesis. Structural fatigue damage generated by structural elastic vibrations has not yet been included. In this paper, theoretical research and experimental validation are done on elastic dynamic load spectra on bogie frame of high-speed train. The construction of the load series that correspond to elastic dynamic deformation modes is studied. The simplified form of the load series is obtained. A theory of simplified dynamic load-time histories is then deduced. Measured data from the Beijing-Shanghai Dedicated Passenger Line are introduced to derive the simplified dynamic load-time histories. The simplified dynamic discrete load spectra of bogie frame are established. Based on the damage consistency criterion and a genetic algorithm, damage consistency calibration of the simplified dynamic load spectra is finally performed. The computed result proves that the simplified load series is reasonable. The calibrated damage that corresponds to the elastic dynamic discrete load spectra can cover the actual damage at the operating conditions. The calibrated damage satisfies the safety requirement of damage consistency criterion for bogie frame. This research is helpful for investigating the standardized load spectra of bogie frame of high-speed train.

Genotoxic effect of exposure to metal(loid)s. A molecular epidemiology survey of populations living and working in Panasqueira mine area, Portugal.

PubMed

Coelho, Patrícia; García-Lestón, Julia; Costa, Solange; Costa, Carla; Silva, Susana; Dall'Armi, Valentina; Zoffoli, Roberto; Bonassi, Stefano; de Lima, João Pereira; Gaspar, Jorge Francisco; Pásaro, Eduardo; Laffon, Blanca; Teixeira, João Paulo

2013-10-01

Previous studies investigating the exposure to metal(loid)s of populations living in the Panasqueira mine area of central Portugal found a higher internal dose of elements such as arsenic, chromium, lead, manganese, molybdenum and zinc in exposed individuals. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the extent of genotoxic damage caused by environmental and occupational exposure in individuals previously tested for metal(loid) levels in different biological matrices, and the possible modulating role of genetic polymorphisms involved in metabolism and DNA repair. T-cell receptor mutation assay, comet assay, micronucleus (MN) test and chromosomal aberrations (CA) were performed in a group of 122 subjects working in the Panasqueira mine or living in the same region. The modifying effect of polymorphisms in GSTA2, GSTM1, GSTP1, GSTT1, XRCC1, APEX1, MPG, MUTYH, OGG1, PARP1, PARP4, ERCC1, ERCC4, and ERCC5 genes was investigated. Significant increases in the frequency of all biomarkers investigated were found in exposed groups, however those environmentally exposed were generally higher. Significant influences of polymorphisms were observed for GSTM1 deletion and OGG1 rs1052133 on CA frequencies, APEX1 rs1130409 on DNA damage, ERCC1 rs3212986 on DNA damage and CA frequency, and ERCC4 rs1800067 on MN and CA frequencies. Our results show that the metal(loid) contamination in the Panasqueira mine area induced genotoxic damage both in individuals working in the mine or living in the area. The observed effects are closely associated to the internal exposure dose, and are more evident in susceptible genotypes. The urgent intervention of authorities is required to protect exposed populations. © 2013.

DNA damage in buccal mucosa cells of pre-school children exposed to high levels of urban air pollutants.

PubMed

Ceretti, Elisabetta; Feretti, Donatella; Viola, Gaia C V; Zerbini, Ilaria; Limina, Rosa M; Zani, Claudia; Capelli, Michela; Lamera, Rossella; Donato, Francesco; Gelatti, Umberto

2014-01-01

Air pollution has been recognized as a human carcinogen. Children living in urban areas are a high-risk group, because genetic damage occurring early in life is considered able to increase the risk of carcinogenesis in adulthood. This study aimed to investigate micronuclei (MN) frequency, as a biomarker of DNA damage, in exfoliated buccal cells of pre-school children living in a town with high levels of air pollution. A sample of healthy 3-6-year-old children living in Brescia, Northern Italy, was investigated. A sample of the children's buccal mucosa cells was collected during the winter months in 2012 and 2013. DNA damage was investigated using the MN test. Children's exposure to urban air pollution was evaluated by means of a questionnaire filled in by their parents that included items on various possible sources of indoor and outdoor pollution, and the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) and NO2 in the 1-3 weeks preceding biological sample collection. 181 children (mean age ± SD: 4.3 ± 0.9 years) were investigated. The mean ± SD MN frequency was 0.29 ± 0.13%. A weak, though statistically significant, association of MN with concentration of air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5 and NO2) was found, whereas no association was apparent between MN frequency and the indoor and outdoor exposure variables investigated via the questionnaire. This study showed a high MN frequency in children living in a town with heavy air pollution in winter, higher than usually found among children living in areas with low or medium-high levels of air pollution.

Assessment of the level of damage to the genetic material of children exposed to pesticides in the province of Córdoba.

PubMed

Bernardi, Natalí; Gentile, Natalia; Mañas, Fernando; Méndez, Álvaro; Gorla, Nora; Aiassa, Delia

2015-04-01

In the past decades, several authors have investigated the genotoxicity caused by exposure to chemicals, but there are no reports on studies analyzing such effects on children in Argentina. The objective of this study was to establish the micronucleus frequency in exfoliated buccal mucosa cells in children from urban areas with environmental exposure (through inhalation) and to compare it with the micronucleus frequency in children from urban regions far from areas subjected to spraying. Fifty children living in the town of Marcos Juárez (Córdoba) at different distances from pesticide spraying areas and twenty-five children from the city of Río Cuarto (Córdoba), who are considered not exposed to pesticides, were studied; the micronucleus assay in buccal mucosa cells was used. A significant difference was observed between exposed children living less than 500 m from areas subjected to spraying and those who were not exposed. Forty percent of exposed children suffer some type of persistent condition, which may be associated with chronic exposure to pesticides. Results indicate that genotoxicity is present in a group of children compared to the other one, and highlight the importance of the micronucleus assay in buccal mucosa cells for genetic biomonitoring and public health surveillance. This assay is capable of detecting a level of damage that can be reversible.

Mitotic UV Irradiation Induces a DNA Replication-Licensing Defect that Potentiates G1 Arrest Response

PubMed Central

Morino, Masayuki; Nukina, Kohei; Sakaguchi, Hiroki; Maeda, Takeshi; Takahara, Michiyo; Shiomi, Yasushi; Nishitani, Hideo

2015-01-01

Cdt1 begins to accumulate in M phase and has a key role in establishing replication licensing at the end of mitosis or in early G1 phase. Treatments that damage the DNA of cells, such as UV irradiation, induce Cdt1 degradation through PCNA-dependent CRL4-Cdt2 ubiquitin ligase. How Cdt1 degradation is linked to cell cycle progression, however, remains unclear. In G1 phase, when licensing is established, UV irradiation leads to Cdt1 degradation, but has little effect on the licensing state. In M phase, however, UV irradiation does not induce Cdt1 degradation. When mitotic UV-irradiated cells were released into G1 phase, Cdt1 was degraded before licensing was established. Thus, these cells exhibited both defective licensing and G1 cell cycle arrest. The frequency of G1 arrest increased in cells expressing extra copies of Cdt2, and thus in cells in which Cdt1 degradation was enhanced, whereas the frequency of G1 arrest was reduced in cell expressing an extra copy of Cdt1. The G1 arrest response of cells irradiated in mitosis was important for cell survival by preventing the induction of apoptosis. Based on these observations, we propose that mammalian cells have a DNA replication-licensing checkpoint response to DNA damage induced during mitosis. PMID:25798850

A targeted sequencing panel identifies rare damaging variants in multiple genes in the cranial neural tube defect, anencephaly.

PubMed

Ishida, M; Cullup, T; Boustred, C; James, C; Docker, J; English, C; Lench, N; Copp, A J; Moore, G E; Greene, N D E; Stanier, P

2018-04-01

Neural tube defects (NTDs) affecting the brain (anencephaly) are lethal before or at birth, whereas lower spinal defects (spina bifida) may lead to lifelong neurological handicap. Collectively, NTDs rank among the most common birth defects worldwide. This study focuses on anencephaly, which despite having a similar frequency to spina bifida and being the most common type of NTD observed in mouse models, has had more limited inclusion in genetic studies. A genetic influence is strongly implicated in determining risk of NTDs and a molecular diagnosis is of fundamental importance to families both in terms of understanding the origin of the condition and for managing future pregnancies. Here we used a custom panel of 191 NTD candidate genes to screen 90 patients with cranial NTDs (n = 85 anencephaly and n = 5 craniorachischisis) with a targeted exome sequencing platform. After filtering and comparing to our in-house control exome database (N = 509), we identified 397 rare variants (minor allele frequency, MAF < 1%), 21 of which were previously unreported and predicted damaging. This included 1 frameshift (PDGFRA), 2 stop-gained (MAT1A; NOS2) and 18 missense variations. Together with evidence for oligogenic inheritance, this study provides new information on the possible genetic causation of anencephaly. © 2017 The Authors. Clinical Genetics published by John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL APPROACHES OF TOPOGRAPHIC SITE EFFECTS CLAIMED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR 1909 PROVENCE EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE DISTRIBUTION

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duval, A.; Bertrand, E.; Régnier, J.; Grasso, E.; Gance, J.; Glinsky, N.; Semblat, J.

2009-12-01

One of the strongest historical earthquakes in France metropolitan territory occurred in 1909, in Provence, south of France. In the eighties, a scenario study predicted that a similar earthquake may lead to more than the 46 deaths of 1909 and a tremendous economical cost caused by increasing urbanisation in this area. The 1909 maximal intensity was estimated at IX. But a lot of municipalities exhibited strong variations in damage distribution. For some of them, like Rognes and Vernègues, the historical perched village suffered more damage than constructions built on the flat part of the territories. While seismologists realised site effect importance in earthquakes, this 1909 damage distribution became the most famous french illustration of topographic site effect. But if ray theory explains that relief can indubitably focus waves and amplify seismic signal for specific wavelength according to the location on the slope, some doubts remain about the real impact of topographic effects in 1909 damage distribution. It may also be related to the fact that the different types of building were not uniformly spread on the territories and/or that the old structures were more vulnerable than new ones. Finally, was the seismic signal really different along the relief during 1909 earthquake ? Trying to solve this question, several field campaigns were conducted on the village of Rognes. The first one consisted in measuring microtremors on several points and computing H/V ratios (Nogoshi, 1970, Nakamura, 1989). The H/V curves on flat part of the territory do not exhibit any clear peak except for one site on the north where a high frequency peak should be relative to a superficial and thin soft layer. On the contrary, the H/V curves obtained on the top of the relief show a high peak around 1 Hertz. We then decided to install 9 seismic stations to record continuously seismicity at key-points of the relief. The seismicity rate is very low in this region, but the 2 years of operation allow to compare recordings of local, regional and teleseismic events both in time and spectral domains. The first analyse confirms the importance of signal amplification on the top of the relief. Now, numerical simulations are conducted to confirm this amplification and the concerned frequency range. It should precise the repartition of the amplification along a 2D profile. These simulations are conducted simultaneously with different techniques (Finite Elements, Fast Multipole method, Discontinuous Galerkin Finite Elements). These numerical results, confirmed by experimental results, should latter drive to canonical models of seismic response for different relief. They may be directly used to predict ground motion along hills, which is an essential task for seismic risk mitigation, particularly in south France.

Climate change impacts on flood risk and asset damages within mapped 100-year floodplains of the contiguous United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wobus, Cameron; Gutmann, Ethan; Jones, Russell; Rissing, Matthew; Mizukami, Naoki; Lorie, Mark; Mahoney, Hardee; Wood, Andrew W.; Mills, David; Martinich, Jeremy

2017-12-01

A growing body of work suggests that the extreme weather events that drive inland flooding are likely to increase in frequency and magnitude in a warming climate, thus potentially increasing flood damages in the future. We use hydrologic projections based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) to estimate changes in the frequency of modeled 1 % annual exceedance probability (1 % AEP, or 100-year) flood events at 57 116 stream reaches across the contiguous United States (CONUS). We link these flood projections to a database of assets within mapped flood hazard zones to model changes in inland flooding damages throughout the CONUS over the remainder of the 21st century. Our model generates early 21st century flood damages that reasonably approximate the range of historical observations and trajectories of future damages that vary substantially depending on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions pathway. The difference in modeled flood damages between higher and lower emissions pathways approaches USD 4 billion per year by 2100 (in undiscounted 2014 dollars), suggesting that aggressive GHG emissions reductions could generate significant monetary benefits over the long term in terms of reduced flood damages. Although the downscaled hydrologic data we used have been applied to flood impacts studies elsewhere, this research expands on earlier work to quantify changes in flood risk by linking future flood exposure to assets and damages on a national scale. Our approach relies on a series of simplifications that could ultimately affect damage estimates (e.g., use of statistical downscaling, reliance on a nationwide hydrologic model, and linking damage estimates only to 1 % AEP floods). Although future work is needed to test the sensitivity of our results to these methodological choices, our results indicate that monetary damages from inland flooding could be significantly reduced through substantial GHG mitigation.

Investigation of piezoelectric impedance-based health monitoring of structure interface debonding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Li; Chen, Guofeng; Chen, Xiaoming; Qu, Wenzhong

2016-04-01

Various damages might occur during the solid rocket motor (SRM) manufacturing/operational phase, and the debonding of propellant/insulator/composite case interfaces is one of damage types which determine the life of a motor. The detection of such interface debonding damage will be beneficial for developing techniques for reliable nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and structural health monitoring (SHM). Piezoelectric sensors are widely used for structural health monitoring technique. In particular, electromechanical impedance (EMI) techniques give simple and low-cost solutions for detecting damage in various structures. In this work, piezoelectric EMI structural health monitoring technique is applied to identify the debonding condition of propellant/insulator interface structure using finite element method and experimental investigation. A three-dimensional coupled field finite element model is developed using the software ANSYS and the harmonic analysis is conducted for high-frequency impedance analysis procedure. In the experimental study, the impedance signals were measured from PZT and MFC sensors outside attached to composite case monitoring the different debonding conditions between the propellant and insulator. Root mean square deviation (RMSD) based damage index is conducted to quantify the changes i n impedance for different de bonding conditions and frequency range. Simulation and experimental results confirmed that the EMI technique can be used effectively for detecting the debonding damage in SRM and is expected to be useful for future application of real SRM's SHM.

Space Radiation Induced Cytogenetic Damage in the Blood Lymphocytes of Astronauts: Persistence of Damage After Flight and the Effects of Repeat Long Duration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

George, Kerry; Rhone, Jordan; Chappell, L. J.; Cucinotta, F. A.

2010-01-01

Cytogenetic damage was assessed in blood lymphocytes from astronauts before and after they participated in long-duration space missions of three months or more. The frequency of chromosome damage was measured by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) chromosome painting before flight and at various intervals from a few days to many months after return from the mission. For all individuals, the frequency of chromosome exchanges measured within a month of return from space was higher than their prefight yield. However, some individuals showed a temporal decline in chromosome damage with time after flight. Statistical analysis using combined data for all astronauts indicated a significant overall decreasing trend in total chromosome exchanges with time after flight, although this trend was not seen for all astronauts and the yield of chromosome damage in some individuals actually increased with time after flight. The decreasing trend in total exchanges was slightly more significant when statistical analysis was restricted to data collected more than 220 days after return from flight. In addition, limited data on multiple flights show a lack of correlation between time in space and translocation yields. Data from three crewmembers who has participated in two separate long-duration space missions provide limited information on the effect of repeat flights and show a possible adaptive response to space radiation exposure.

An Improved Spectral Analysis Method for Fatigue Damage Assessment of Details in Liquid Cargo Tanks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Peng-yuan; Huang, Xiao-ping

2018-03-01

Errors will be caused in calculating the fatigue damages of details in liquid cargo tanks by using the traditional spectral analysis method which is based on linear system, for the nonlinear relationship between the dynamic stress and the ship acceleration. An improved spectral analysis method for the assessment of the fatigue damage in detail of a liquid cargo tank is proposed in this paper. Based on assumptions that the wave process can be simulated by summing the sinusoidal waves in different frequencies and the stress process can be simulated by summing the stress processes induced by these sinusoidal waves, the stress power spectral density (PSD) is calculated by expanding the stress processes induced by the sinusoidal waves into Fourier series and adding the amplitudes of each harmonic component with the same frequency. This analysis method can take the nonlinear relationship into consideration and the fatigue damage is then calculated based on the PSD of stress. Take an independent tank in an LNG carrier for example, the accuracy of the improved spectral analysis method is proved much better than that of the traditional spectral analysis method by comparing the calculated damage results with the results calculated by the time domain method. The proposed spectral analysis method is more accurate in calculating the fatigue damages in detail of ship liquid cargo tanks.

Frequency Analysis Using Bootstrap Method and SIR Algorithm for Prevention of Natural Disasters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, T.; Kim, Y. S.

2017-12-01

The frequency analysis of hydrometeorological data is one of the most important factors in response to natural disaster damage, and design standards for a disaster prevention facilities. In case of frequency analysis of hydrometeorological data, it assumes that observation data have statistical stationarity, and a parametric method considering the parameter of probability distribution is applied. For a parametric method, it is necessary to sufficiently collect reliable data; however, snowfall observations are needed to compensate for insufficient data in Korea, because of reducing the number of days for snowfall observations and mean maximum daily snowfall depth due to climate change. In this study, we conducted the frequency analysis for snowfall using the Bootstrap method and SIR algorithm which are the resampling methods that can overcome the problems of insufficient data. For the 58 meteorological stations distributed evenly in Korea, the probability of snowfall depth was estimated by non-parametric frequency analysis using the maximum daily snowfall depth data. The results show that probabilistic daily snowfall depth by frequency analysis is decreased at most stations, and most stations representing the rate of change were found to be consistent in both parametric and non-parametric frequency analysis. This study shows that the resampling methods can do the frequency analysis of the snowfall depth that has insufficient observed samples, which can be applied to interpretation of other natural disasters such as summer typhoons with seasonal characteristics. Acknowledgment.This research was supported by a grant(MPSS-NH-2015-79) from Disaster Prediction and Mitigation Technology Development Program funded by Korean Ministry of Public Safety and Security(MPSS).

A cytogenetic biomonitoring of industrial radiographers occupationally exposed to low levels of ionizing radiation by using cbmn assay.

PubMed

Shakeri, Mahsa; Zakeri, Farideh; Changizi, Vahid; Rajabpour, Mohammad Reza; Farshidpour, Mohammad Reza

2017-06-15

Industrial radiography is the process of using either gamma-emitting radionuclide sources or X-ray machines to examine the safety of industrial materials. The average annual effective dose in industrial radiography is one of the highest among radiation workers. The aim of this study was to investigate the cytogenetic effects of ionizing radiation in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 60 industrial radiographers and 40 non-exposed individuals as the control group by using cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. Totally, the frequencies of micronuclei (MN), nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs) and nuclear buds (NBUDs) were significantly higher in the industrial radiographers than in the controls (p = 0.000). The mean MN frequency per 1000 binucleated cells in the industrial radiographers with last 5-y radiation dose of >100 mSv was significantly higher than those with ≤100 mSv (34.81 ± 12.7‰ vs. 26.33 ± 7.94‰, p = 0.024). The effect of age was observed in the control group and subjects with the age of >30 y showed significantly higher MN frequency compared with the subjects with the age of ≤30 y (9.45 ± 3.71‰ vs. 6.81 ± 3.05‰, p = 0.02). No obvious trend of increased MN as a function of either duration of employment or age or smoking status was observed in the industrial radiographers. The results show the increased levels of cytogenetic damages in the industrial radiographers. Even the workers exposed to the permissible doses are subjected to elevated frequencies of DNA damages. These findings confirm the importance of cytogenetic biomonitoring program beside physical dosimetry, surveying radiation safety of equipment and periodic training of workers for improvement of safety and radiation protection. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Follow-up studies on genome damage in children after Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.

PubMed

Fucic, Aleksandra; Aghajanyan, Anna; Druzhinin, Vladimir; Minina, Varvara; Neronova, Elizaveta

2016-09-01

As children are more susceptible to ionizing radiation than adults, each nuclear accident demands special attention and care of this vulnerable population. The Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred in a region populated with a large number of children, but despite all efforts and expertise of nuclear specialists, it was not possible to avoid casualties. As vast regions of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia were exposed to doses of ionizing radiation, which are known to be related with different diseases, shortly after the accident medical surveillance was launched, which also included analysis of genome damage. Child population affected by internal and external radiation consisted of subjects exposed prenatally, postnatally (both evacuated and non-evacuated), born by irradiated fathers who worked as liquidators, and parents exposed environmentally. In all groups of children during the last 30 years who were exposed to doses which were significantly higher than that recommended for general population of 1 mSv per year, increased genome damage was detected. Increased genome damage includes statistically higher frequency of dicentric and ring chromosomes, chromated and chromosome breaks, acentric fragments, translocations, and micronuclei. The presence of rogue cells confirmed internal contamination. Genome instability and radiosensitivity in children was detected both in evacuated and continuously exposed children. Today the population exposed to ionizing radiation in 1986 is in reproductive period of life and follow-up of this population and their offspring is of great importance. This review aims to give insight in results of studies, which reported genome damage in children in journals without language restrictions.

Modeled changes in 100 year Flood Risk and Asset Damages within Mapped Floodplains of the Contiguous United States

EPA Science Inventory

A growing body of recent work suggests that the extreme weather events that drive inland flooding are likely to increase in frequency and magnitude with a warming climate. These changes are likely to increase flooding damages in the future. We use hydrologic projections from 2...

The Italian Submarine Force in the Battle of the Atlantic: Left in the Dark

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-12

ADM Admiral ASW Anti-submarine warfare BDA Battle damage assessment C2 Command and Control CDR Commander HF/DF High frequency direction finder...damage assessment ( BDA ) if you will, the submarine captain decided if further action might be warranted, and made a decision as to how to engage

Intensive longleaf pine management for hurricane recovery: fourth-year results

Treesearch

David S. Dyson; Dale G. Brockway

2015-01-01

The frequency and intensity of hurricanes affecting the United States has been projected to increase during coming decades, and this rising level of cyclonic storm activity is expected to substantially damage southeastern forests. Although hurricane damage to forests in this region is not new, recent emphasis on longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill...

Eddy Current System and Method for Crack Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wincheski, Russell A. (Inventor); Simpson, John W. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

An eddy current system and method enables detection of sub-surface damage in a cylindrical object. The invention incorporates a dual frequency, orthogonally wound eddy current probe mounted on a stepper motor-controlled scanning system. The system is designed to inspect for outer surface damage from the interior of the cylindrical object.

Fatigue analysis of the bow structure of FPSO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Zhi-Qiang; Gao, Zhen; Gu, Yong-Ning

2003-06-01

The bow structure of FPSO moored by the single mooring system is rather complicated. There are many potential hot spots in connection parts of structures between the mooring support frame and the forecastle. Mooring forces, which are induced by wave excitation and transferred by the YOKE and the mooring support frame, may cause fatigue damage to the bow structure. Different from direct wave-induced-forces, the mooring force consists of wave frequency force (WF) and 2nd draft low frequency force (LF)[3], which are represented by two sets of short-term distribution respectively. Based on two sets of short-term distribution of mooring forces obtained by the model test, the fatigue damage of the bow structure of FPSO is analyzed, with emphasis on two points. One is the procedure and position selection for fatigue check, and the other is the application of new formulae for the calculation of accumulative fatigue damage caused by two sets of short-term distribution of hot spot stress range. From the results distinguished features of fatigue damage to the FPSO’s bow structure can be observed.

Organic extracts of coke oven emissions can induce genetic damage in metabolically competent HepG2 cells.

PubMed

Xin, Lili; Wang, Jianshu; Guo, Sifan; Wu, Yanhu; Li, Xiaohai; Deng, Huaxin; Kuang, Dan; Xiao, Wei; Wu, Tangchun; Guo, Huan

2014-05-01

Coke oven emissions (COEs) containing various carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent the coal-burning pollution in the air. Organic pollutants in the aerosol and particulate matter of COEs were collected from the bottom, side, and top of a coke oven. The Comet assay and cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay were conducted to analyze the genetic damage of extractable organic matter (EOM) of COEs on HepG2 cells. All the three EOMs could induce significant dose-dependent increases in Olive tail moment, tail DNA, and tail length, micronuclei, nucleoplasmic bridges, and nuclear buds frequencies, which were mostly positively correlated with the total PAHs concentration in each EOM. In conclusion, EOMs of COEs in the three typical working places of coke oven can induce DNA strand breaks and genomic instability in the metabolically competent HepG2 cells. The PAHs in EOMs may be important causative agents for the genotoxic effects of COEs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Variability in Estrogen-Metabolizing Genes and Their Association with Genomic Instability in Untreated Breast Cancer Patients and Healthy Women

PubMed Central

Alves dos Santos, Raquel; Teixeira, Ana Cláudia; Mayorano, Mônica Beatriz; Carrara, Hélio Humberto Angotti; Moreira de Andrade, Jurandyr; Takahashi, Catarina Satie

2011-01-01

In the present study, we investigated the relationship between polymorphisms in the estrogen-metabolizing genes CYP17, CYP1B1, CYP1A1, and COMT and genomic instability in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 62 BC patients and 62 controls considering that increased or prolonged exposure to estrogen can damage the DNA molecule and increase the genomic instability process in breast tissue. Our data demonstrated increased genomic instability in BC patients and that individuals with higher frequencies of MN exhibited higher risk to BC when belonging Val/Met genotype of the COMT gene. We also observed that CYP17 and CYP1A1 polymorphisms can modify the risk to BC depending on the menopause status. We can conclude that the genetic background in estrogen metabolism pathway can modulate chromosome damage in healthy controls and patients and thereby influence the risk to BC. These findings suggest the importance to ally biomarkers of susceptibility and effects to estimate risk groups. PMID:21716904

Effects of space-radiation damage and temperature on CCD noise for the Lyman FUSE mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murowinski, Richard G.; Gao, Linzhuang; Deen, Mohamed J.

1993-09-01

Charge coupled device (CCD) imaging arrays are becoming more frequently used in space vehicles and equipment, especially space-based astronomical telescopes. It is important to understand the effects of radiation on a CCD so that its performance degradation during mission lifetime can be predicted, and so that methods to prevent unacceptable performance degradation can be found. Much recent work by various groups has focused on the problems surrounding the loss of charge transfer efficiency and the increase in dark current and dark current spikes in CCDs. The use of a CCD as the fine error sensor in the Lyman Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) is limited by its noise performance. In this work we attempt to understand some of the factors surrounding the noise degradation due to radiation in a space environment. Later, we demonstrate how low frequency noise can be used as a characterization tool for studying proton radiation damage in CCDs.

Noise as a Health Hazard for Children, Time to Make a Noise about it.

PubMed

Thakur, Neha; Batra, Prerna; Gupta, Piyush

2016-02-01

Noise, a modern day curse of advancing infrastructure and technology, has emerged as an important public health problem. Exposure to noise during pregnancy may result in high-frequency hearing loss in newborns, growth retardation, cochlear damage, prematurity and birth defects. Newborns exposed to sound above 45 decibels may experience increase in blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate; decreased oxygen saturation; and increased caloric consumption. Noise exposure in older children may result in learning disabilities, attention difficulties, insulin resistance, hypertension, stress ulcers and cardiovascular diseases. Sudden exposure to loud noise can lead to rupture of eardrum. The damaging effects of noise pollution are more noticeable in large metropolitan cities, the hubs of urban settlements and industrial growth. Another concern is noise pollution inside the hospitals (particularly intensive care areas) that can lead to serious health consequences both for caregivers and for children. The issue needs to be addressed by both researchers and policy makers on an urgent basis.

Nonlinear air-coupled emission: The signature to reveal and image microdamage in solid materials

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

Solodov, Igor; Busse, Gerd

2007-12-17

It is shown that low-frequency elastic vibrations of near-surface planar defects cause high-frequency ultrasonic radiation in surrounding air. The frequency conversion mechanism is concerned with contact nonlinearity of the defect vibrations and provides efficient generation of air-coupled higher-order ultraharmonics, ultrasubharmonics, and combination frequencies. The nonlinear air-coupled ultrasonic emission is applied for location and high-resolution imaging of damage-induced defects in a variety of solid materials.

High-Frequency, High-Temperature Fretting Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matlik, J. F.; Farris, T. N.; Haake, F. K.; Swanson, G. R.; Duke, G. C.

2005-01-01

Fretting is a structural damage mechanism observed when two nominally clamped surfaces are subjected to an oscillatory loading. A critical location for fretting induced damage has been identified at the blade/disk and blade/damper interfaces of gas turbine engine turbomachinery and space propulsion components. The high-temperature, high-frequency loading environment seen by these components lead to severe stress gradients at the edge-of-contact. These contact stresses drive crack nucleation and propagation in fretting and are very sensitive to the geometry of the contacting bodies, the contact loads, materials, temperature, and contact surface tribology (friction). To diagnose the threat that small and relatively undetectable fretting cracks pose to damage tolerance and structural integrity of in-service components, the objective of this work is to develop a well-characterized experimental fretting rig capable of investigating fretting behavior of advanced aerospace alloys subjected to load and temperature conditions representative of such turbomachinery components.

The insecticide buprofezin induces morphological transformation and kinetochore-positive micronuclei in cultured Syrian hamster embryo cells in the absence of detectable DNA damage.

PubMed

Herrera, L A; Ostrosky-Wegman, P; Schiffmann, D; Chen, Q Y; Ziegler-Skylakakis, K; Andrae, U

1993-11-01

The insecticide buprofezin was examined for its genotoxicity in cultured Syrian hamster embryo cells in order to better understand the mechanisms underlying the genotoxicity of the compound in mammalian cells. Exposure to buprofezin concentrations of 12.5-100 microM did not significantly affect the colony-forming ability of the cells, but did result in increased frequencies of morphologically transformed colonies. Treatment with buprofezin did not cause a detectable induction of DNA repair synthesis, an indicator of DNA damage, but significantly increased the frequency of micronuclei. Immunostaining of the cells with antikinetochore antibody (CREST antibody) showed that essentially all of the buprofezin-induced micronuclei were kinetochore-positive. The results suggest that morphological transformation of Syrian hamster embryo cells by buprofezin results from an interaction of the compound or a metabolite of it with the mitotic apparatus rather than from DNA damage.

Guided Wave Propagation Study on Laminated Composites by Frequency-Wavenumber Technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tian, Zhenhua; Yu, Lingyu; Leckey, Cara A. C.

2014-01-01

Toward the goal of delamination detection and quantification in laminated composites, this paper examines guided wave propagation and wave interaction with delamination damage in laminated carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites using frequency-wavenumber (f-kappa) analysis. Three-dimensional elastodynamic finite integration technique (EFIT) is used to acquire simulated time-space wavefields for a CFRP composite. The time-space wavefields show trapped waves in the delamination region. To unveil the wave propagation physics, the time-space wavefields are further analyzed by using two-dimensional (2D) Fourier transforms (FT). In the analysis results, new f-k components are observed when the incident guided waves interact with the delamination damage. These new f-kappa components in the simulations are experimentally verified through data obtained from scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (SLDV) tests. By filtering the new f-kappa components, delamination damage is detected and quantified.

Damage evaluation and repair methods for prestressed concrete bridge members

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanafelt, G. O.; Horn, W. B.

1980-11-01

The types of accidental damage occurring and the severity and frequency of their occurrence are summarized. Practices and equipment used for assessing damage and making repairs are presented and evaluated. Guidelines for inspection, assessing damage, and selection of repair methods are given. Methods of repair includes adding external prestress, a metal sleeve splice, and splicing broken strands or rods. The findings of this study suggest that in some instances better repair techniques should be used. The findings of this study also indicate that proper selection of repair methods may reduce the number of damaged girders presently being replaced. Plausible methods of repair requiring additional research are identified and techniques for testing are outlined.

Mitochondrial DNA Damage and Diseases

PubMed Central

Singh, Gyanesh; Pachouri, U C; Khaidem, Devika Chanu; Kundu, Aman; Chopra, Chirag; Singh, Pushplata

2015-01-01

Various endogenous and environmental factors can cause mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage.  One of the reasons for enhanced mtDNA damage could be its proximity to the source of oxidants, and lack of histone-like protective proteins. Moreover, mitochondria contain inadequate DNA repair pathways, and, diminished DNA repair capacity may be one of the factors responsible for high mutation frequency of the mtDNA. mtDNA damage might cause impaired mitochondrial function, and, unrepaired mtDNA damage has been frequently linked with several diseases. Exploration of mitochondrial perspective of diseases might lead to a better understanding of several diseases, and will certainly open new avenues for detection, cure, and prevention of ailments. PMID:27508052

Induction of micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities in tadpoles of the common toad (Rhinella arenarum) treated with the herbicides Liberty® and glufosinate-ammonium.

PubMed

Lajmanovich, Rafael C; Cabagna-Zenklusen, Mariana C; Attademo, Andrés M; Junges, Celina M; Peltzer, Paola M; Bassó, Agustín; Lorenzatti, Eduardo

2014-07-15

The assessment of micronucleated erythrocytes (ME) in blood represents a widely used method for the detection of chromosomal damage by chemical agents, such as herbicides that may occur as water contaminants. We investigated the changes in some circulating blood-cell parameters of tadpoles of the common toad (Rhinella arenarum) that were exposed during 48 or 96 h to three sub-lethal concentrations (3.75, 7.5, and 15 mg/L) of a commercial formulation of a glufosinate-ammonium (GLA)-based herbicide (Liberty(®), LY(®)) as well as to the corresponding active ingredient GLA. The frequency of ME and other erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities (ENA, i.e., lobed nuclei, binucleates or segmented nuclei, kidney-shaped nuclei, notched nuclei, and picnotic nuclei) were evaluated and compared with positive (cyclophosphamide, CP, 40 mg/L) and negative (de-chlorinated tap water) controls. The results indicate that the exposure of R. arenarum tadpoles to LY(®) induces a concentration-dependent increase in ME frequency. The ENA frequency at 48 h was also significantly higher than that in the negative control group for all the chemicals assayed (CP, LY(®) and GLA) whereas at 96 h, increases in ENA over the negative control group were found only for CP and GLA (7.5 mg/L). Our study demonstrates that the commercial formulation of a GLA-based herbicide induces micronucleus formation in R. arenarum tadpoles, in contrast to the active ingredient. According to these results, the inert ingredients of the commercial formulation played an important role in the production of genotoxic damage in erythrocytes of amphibian tadpoles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of Arbutin on Radiation-Induced Micronuclei in Mice Bone Marrow Cells and Its Definite Dose Reduction Factor

PubMed Central

Nadi, Saba; Monfared, Ali Shabestani; Mozdarani, Hossein; Mahmodzade, Aziz; Pouramir, Mahdi

2016-01-01

Background: Interactions of free radicals from ionizing radiation with DNA can induce DNA damage and lead to mutagenesis and carsinogenesis. With respect to radiation damage to human, it is important to protect humans from side effects induced by ionizing radiation. In the present study, the effects of arbutin were investigated by using the micronucleus test for anti-clastogenic activity, to calculate the ratio of polychromatic erythrocyte to polychromatic erythrocyte plus normochromatic erythrocyte (PCE/PCE+NCE) in order to show cell proliferation activity. Methods: Arbutin (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally (ip)administered to NMRI mice two hours before gamma radiation at 2 and 4 gray (Gy). The frequency of micronuclei in 1000 PCEs (MnPCEs) and the ratio of PCE/PCE+NCE were calculated for each sample. Data were statistically evaluated using one-way ANOVA, Tukey HSD test, and t-test. Results: The findings indicated that gamma radiation at 2 and 4 Gy extremely increased the frequencies of MnPCE (P<0.001) while reducing PCE/PCE+NCE (P<0.001) compared to the control group. All three doses of arbutin before irradiation significantly reduced the frequencies of MnPCEs and increased the ratio of PCE/PCE+NCE in mice bone marrow compared to the non-drug-treated irradiated control (P<0.001). All three doses of arbutin had no toxicity effect on bone marrow cells. The calculated dose reduction factor (DRF) showed DRF=1.93 for 2Gy and DRF=2.22 for 4 Gy. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that arbutin gives significant protection to rat bone against the clastogenic and cytotoxic effects of gamma irradiation. PMID:27217601

Investigating the effects of dietary folic acid on sperm count, DNA damage and mutation in Balb/c mice.

PubMed

Swayne, Breanne G; Kawata, Alice; Behan, Nathalie A; Williams, Andrew; Wade, Mike G; Macfarlane, Amanda J; Yauk, Carole L

2012-09-01

To date, fewer than 50 mutagens have been studied for their ability to cause heritable mutations. The majority of those studied are classical mutagens like radiation and anti-cancer drugs. Very little is known about the dietary variables influencing germline mutation rates. Folate is essential for DNA synthesis and methylation and can impact chromatin structure. We therefore determined the effects of folic acid-deficient (0mg/kg), control (2mg/kg) and supplemented (6mg/kg) diets in early development and during lactation or post-weaning on mutation rates and chromatin quality in sperm of adult male Balb/c mice. The sperm chromatin structure assay and mutation frequencies at expanded simple tandem repeats (ESTRs) were used to evaluate germline DNA integrity. Treatment of a subset of mice fed the control diet with the mutagen ethylnitrosourea (ENU) at 8 weeks of age was included as a positive control. ENU treated mice exhibited decreased cauda sperm counts, increased DNA fragmentation and increased ESTR mutation frequencies relative to non-ENU treated mice fed the control diet. Male mice weaned to the folic acid deficient diet had decreased cauda sperm numbers, increased DNA fragmentation index, and increased ESTR mutation frequency. Folic acid deficiency in early development did not lead to changes in sperm counts or chromatin integrity in adult mice. Folic acid supplementation in early development or post-weaning did not affect germ cell measures. Therefore, adequate folic acid intake in adulthood is important for preventing chromatin damage and mutation in the male germline. Folic acid supplementation at the level achieved in this study does not improve nor is it detrimental to male germline chromatin integrity. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Continuous exposure to low-frequency noise and carbon disulfide: Combined effects on hearing.

PubMed

Venet, Thomas; Carreres-Pons, Maria; Chalansonnet, Monique; Thomas, Aurélie; Merlen, Lise; Nunge, Hervé; Bonfanti, Elodie; Cosnier, Frédéric; Llorens, Jordi; Campo, Pierre

2017-09-01

Carbon disulfide (CS 2 ) is used in industry; it has been shown to have neurotoxic effects, causing central and distal axonopathies.However, it is not considered cochleotoxic as it does not affect hair cells in the organ of Corti, and the only auditory effects reported in the literature were confined to the low-frequency region. No reports on the effects of combined exposure to low-frequency noise and CS 2 have been published to date. This article focuses on the effects on rat hearing of combined exposure to noise with increasing concentrations of CS 2 (0, 63,250, and 500ppm, 6h per day, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks). The noise used was a low-frequency noise ranging from 0.5 to 2kHz at an intensity of 106dB SPL. Auditory function was tested using distortion product oto-acoustic emissions, which mainly reflects the cochlear performances. Exposure to noise alone caused an auditory deficit in a frequency area ranging from 3.6 to 6 kHz. The damaged area was approximately one octave (6kHz) above the highest frequency of the exposure noise (2.8kHz); it was a little wider than expected based on the noise spectrum.Consequently, since maximum hearing sensitivity is located around 8kHz in rats, low-frequency noise exposure can affect the cochlear regions detecting mid-range frequencies. Co-exposure to CS 2 (250-ppm and over) and noise increased the extent of the damaged frequency window since a significant auditory deficit was measured at 9.6kHz in these conditions.Moreover, the significance at 9.6kHz increased with the solvent concentrations. Histological data showed that neither hair cells nor ganglion cells were damaged by CS 2 . This discrepancy between functional and histological data is discussed. Like most aromatic solvents, carbon disulfide should be considered as a key parameter in hearing conservation régulations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of plasma-induced damage and bias temperature instability depending on type of antenna layer using current-starved ring oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kishida, Ryo; Furuta, Jun; Kobayashi, Kazutoshi

2018-04-01

Plasma-induced damage (PID) and bias temperature instability (BTI) are inevitable reliability issues that degrade the performance of transistors. In this study, PID and BTI, depending on the type of antenna layer, are evaluated in current-starved ring oscillators (ROs) to separate degradations in PMOS and NMOS transistors in a 65 nm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process. Oscillation frequencies of ROs fluctuate with the performance of MOSFET switches between power/ground rails and virtual power/ground nodes. The initial frequencies of ROs with PMOS switches having antennas on upper layers decrease. However, those with NMOS switches become higher than those without PID because high-k dielectrics are damaged by positive charges. The degradation induced by negative BTI (NBTI) in PMOS is 1.5 times larger than that induced by positive BTI (PBTI) in NMOS. However, both NBTI- and PBTI-induced degradations are the same among different antenna layers. The frequency fluctuation caused by PID is converted to threshold voltage shifts by circuit simulations. Threshold voltages shift by 8.4 and 11% owing to PID in PMOS and NMOS transistors, respectively.

Evaluation the urban atmospheric conditions in different cities using comet and micronuclei assay in Tradescantia pallida.

PubMed

Sposito, Juliana Caroline Vivian; Crispim, Bruno do Amaral; Romãn, Amanda Izadora; Mussury, Rosilda Mara; Pereira, Joelson Gonçalves; Seno, Leonardo Oliveira; Grisolia, Alexeia Barufatti

2017-05-01

In the present study, genotoxicity and mutagenicity were investigated in Tradescantia pallida exposed to vehicular traffic at different sites in a high-altitude tropical climate. During March, May, July, September, and November 2014, a comet assay and micronucleus bioassays were conducted on young inflorescences and leaves of T. pallida collected from twelve towns in the southern region of Mato Grosso do Sul with different amounts of vehicular traffic. Weather parameters (temperature, relative humidity and rainfall) were measured and vehicles were counted to determine traffic levels in each town. A higher frequency of genotoxic and mutagenic damage was observed in the municipality of Dourados. The highest frequency of genetic damage was observed in September and November according to both assays. Relative humidity and rainfall were inversely proportional to the frequency of genetic damage in T. pallida during the collection period. Based on these results, we conclude that the bioassays are efficient for assessing the effects of vehicular traffic in these towns with respect to weather conditions over time. These bioassays can be applied to identify risk areas, which are determined by climatic conditions and air pollutants released. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the Possible Persistent Genotoxic Damage in Workers Linked to the Ardystil Syndrome.

PubMed

Montoro, Alegria; Sebastià, Natividad; Hervás, David; Esteban, Valentín; Bonafont, Jose; Barquinero, Joan Francesc; Almonacid, Miguel; Cervera, Jose; Such, Esperanza; Verdú, Gumersindo; Soriano, José Miguel; Villaescusa, Juan Ignacio

2016-02-01

A combination of several factors including a change in the paint application system; a lack of proper hygiene; and inadequate safety measures caused a severe health impact in the workers of some textile painting factories. This outbreak, mainly characterized by respiratory disorders, caused the death of six people and it has been classified as Ardystil syndrome. Fifty-two workers involved in the outbreak and 48 healthy subjects not known to have exposed to the potentially mutagenic agents participated in the study. The program evaluated possible genotoxic damage through the sister chromatid exchange (SCE) cytogenetic biomarker assay. We determined the frequency of SCE, high-frequency cells (HFCs), and a ratio, which can be considered as a new parameter, allowing for the study of the SCE distribution pattern among the chromosomes. There was no statistically significant difference in the SCE frequency and in the mean number of HFCs between the control and the Ardystil-affected groups. However, smoking increased the incidence of all parameters studied in both the case and control groups. This study shows that workers involved in the Ardystil syndrome did not suffer genotoxic damage as measured by SCE and HFCs when compared with the control group.

Audiological Management of Patients Receiving Aminoglycoside Antibiotics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konrad-Martin, Dawn; Wilmington, Debra J.; Gordon, Jane S.; Reavis, Kelly M.; Fausti, Stephen A.

2005-01-01

Aminoglycoside antibiotics, commonly prescribed for adults and children to treat a wide range of bacterial infections, are potentially ototoxic, often causing irreversible damage to the auditory and vestibular systems. Ototoxic hearing loss usually begins at the higher frequencies and can progress to lower frequencies necessary for understanding…

Hidden flexion injury of the cervical spine.

PubMed

Webb, J K; Broughton, R B; McSweeney, T; Park, W M

1976-08-01

This paper describes seven patients who developed late vertebral deformity after flexion injuries of the cervical spine. In four the clinical and radiological features were subtle and because the patients walked into an emergency department the severity of the injury was not initially appreciated. Certain specific clinical and radiological features of flexion injury are described and emphasis is placed on the importance of correct management. A radiological tetrad is described which should alert the surgeon to the possibility of damage to the posterior interspinous complex of the cervical spine and so lead to further radiological investigations. Despite the frequency of flexion injuries the alarming complications described in this paper are rare.

Material State Awareness for Composites Part I: Precursor Damage Analysis Using Ultrasonic Guided Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI).

PubMed

Patra, Subir; Banerjee, Sourav

2017-12-16

Detection of precursor damage followed by the quantification of the degraded material properties could lead to more accurate progressive failure models for composite materials. However, such information is not readily available. In composite materials, the precursor damages-for example matrix cracking, microcracks, voids, interlaminar pre-delamination crack joining matrix cracks, fiber micro-buckling, local fiber breakage, local debonding, etc.-are insensitive to the low-frequency ultrasonic guided-wave-based online nondestructive evaluation (NDE) or Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) (~100-~500 kHz) systems. Overcoming this barrier, in this article, an online ultrasonic technique is proposed using the coda part of the guided wave signal, which is often neglected. Although the first-arrival wave packets that contain the fundamental guided Lamb wave modes are unaltered, the coda wave packets however carry significant information about the precursor events with predictable phase shifts. The Taylor-series-based modified Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI) technique is proposed to quantify the stretch parameter to compensate the phase shifts in the coda wave as a result of precursor damage in composites. The CWI analysis was performed on five woven composite-fiber-reinforced-laminate specimens, and the precursor events were identified. Next, the precursor damage states were verified using high-frequency Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) and optical microscopy imaging.

Impact Induced Delamination Detection and Quantification With Guided Wavefield Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tian, Zhenhua; Leckey, Cara A. C.; Yu, Lingyu; Seebo, Jeffrey P.

2015-01-01

This paper studies impact induced delamination detection and quantification by using guided wavefield data and spatial wavenumber imaging. The complex geometry impact-like delamination is created through a quasi-static indentation on a CFRP plate. To detect and quantify the impact delamination in the CFRP plate, PZT-SLDV sensing and spatial wavenumber imaging are performed. In the PZT-SLDV sensing, the guided waves are generated from the PZT, and the high spatial resolution guided wavefields are measured by the SLDV. The guided wavefield data acquired from the PZT-SLDV sensing represent guided wave propagation in the composite laminate and include guided wave interaction with the delamination damage. The measured guided wavefields are analyzed through the spatial wavenumber imaging method, which generates an image containing the dominant local wavenumber at each spatial location. The spatial wavenumber imaging result for the simple single layer Teflon insert delamination provided quantitative information on delamination damage size and location. The location of delamination damage is indicated by the area with larger wavenumbers in the spatial wavenumber image. The impact-like delamination results only partially agreed with the damage size and shape. The results also demonstrated the dependence on excitation frequency. Future work will further investigate the accuracy of the wavenumber imaging method for real composite damage and the dependence on frequency of excitation.

ATR suppresses endogenous DNA damage and allows completion of homologous recombination repair.

PubMed

Brown, Adam D; Sager, Brian W; Gorthi, Aparna; Tonapi, Sonal S; Brown, Eric J; Bishop, Alexander J R

2014-01-01

DNA replication fork stalling or collapse that arises from endogenous damage poses a serious threat to genome stability, but cells invoke an intricate signaling cascade referred to as the DNA damage response (DDR) to prevent such damage. The gene product ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) responds primarily to replication stress by regulating cell cycle checkpoint control, yet it's role in DNA repair, particularly homologous recombination (HR), remains unclear. This is of particular interest since HR is one way in which replication restart can occur in the presence of a stalled or collapsed fork. Hypomorphic mutations in human ATR cause the rare autosomal-recessive disease Seckel syndrome, and complete loss of Atr in mice leads to embryonic lethality. We recently adapted the in vivo murine pink-eyed unstable (pun) assay for measuring HR frequency to be able to investigate the role of essential genes on HR using a conditional Cre/loxP system. Our system allows for the unique opportunity to test the effect of ATR loss on HR in somatic cells under physiological conditions. Using this system, we provide evidence that retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells lacking ATR have decreased density with abnormal morphology, a decreased frequency of HR and an increased level of chromosomal damage.

Reduction of spontaneous somatic mutation frequency by a low-dose X irradiation of Drosophila larvae and possible involvement of DNA single-strand damage repair.

PubMed

Koana, Takao; Takahashi, Takashi; Tsujimura, Hidenobu

2012-03-01

The third instar larvae of Drosophila were irradiated with X rays, and the somatic mutation frequency in their wings was measured after their eclosion. In the flies with normal DNA repair and apoptosis functions, 0.2 Gy irradiation at 0.05 Gy/min reduced the frequency of the so-called small spot (mutant cell clone with reduced reproductive activity) compared with that in the sham-irradiated flies. When apoptosis was suppressed using the baculovirus p35 gene, the small spot frequency increased four times in the sham-irradiated control group, but the reduction by the 0.2-Gy irradiation was still evident. In a non-homologous end joining-deficient mutant, the small spot frequency was also reduced by 0.2 Gy radiation. In a mutant deficient in single-strand break repair, no reduction in the small spot frequency by 0.2 Gy radiation was observed, and the small spot frequency increased with the radiation dose. Large spot (mutant cell clone with normal reproductive activity) frequency was not affected by suppression of apoptosis and increased monotonically with radiation dose in wild-type larvae and in mutants for single- or double-strand break repair. It is hypothesized that some of the small spots resulted from single-strand damage and, in wild-type larvae, 0.2 Gy radiation activated the normal single-strand break repair gene, which reduced the background somatic mutation frequency.

On the modal characteristics of damaging structures subjected to earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlo Ponzo, Felice; Ditommaso, Rocco; Auletta, Gianluca; Iacovino, Chiara; Mossucca, Antonello; Nigro, Antonella; Nigro, Domenico

2015-04-01

Structural Health Monitoring, especially for structures located in seismic prone areas, has assumed a meaning of great importance in last years, for the possibility to make a more objective and more rapid estimation of the damage occurred on buildings after a seismic event. In the last years many researchers are working to set-up new methodologies for Non-destructive Damage Evaluation based on the variation of the dynamic behaviour of structures under seismic loads. The NDE methods for damage detection and evaluation can be classified into four levels, according to the specific criteria provided by the Rytter. Each level of identification is correlated with specific information related to monitored structure. In fact, by increasing the level it is possible to obtain more information about the state of the health of the structures, to know if damage occurred on the structures, to quantify and localize the damage and to evaluate its impact on the monitored structure. Several authors discussed on the possibility to use the mode shape curvature to localize damage on structural elements, for example, by applying the curvature-based method to frequency response function instead of mode shape, and demonstrated the potential of this approach by considering real data. Damage detection approach based on dynamic monitoring of structural properties over time has received a considerable attention in recent scientific literature. In earthquake engineering field, the recourse to experimental research is necessary to understand the mechanical behaviour of the various structural and non-structural components. In this paper a new methodology to detect and localize a possible damage occurred on a framed structure after an earthquake is presented and discussed. The main outcomes retrieved from many numerical non linear dynamic models of reinforced concrete framed structures characterized by 3, 5 and 8 floors with different geometric configurations and designed for gravity loads only are here presented. In addition, the main results of experimental shaking table tests carried out on a steel framed model are also showed to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed procedure. Acknowledgements This study was partially funded by the Italian Civil Protection Department within the project DPC-RELUIS 2014 - RS4 ''Seismic observatory of structures and health monitoring''.

Modeled changes in 100 year Flood Risk and Asset Damages within Mapped Floodplains of the Contiguous United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wobus, C. W.; Gutmann, E. D.; Jones, R.; Rissing, M.; Mizukami, N.; Lorie, M.; Mahoney, H.; Wood, A.; Mills, D.; Martinich, J.

2017-12-01

A growing body of recent work suggests that the extreme weather events that drive inland flooding are likely to increase in frequency and magnitude in a warming climate, thus increasing monetary damages from flooding in the future. We use hydrologic projections based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) to estimate changes in the frequency of modeled 1% annual exceedance probability flood events at 57,116 locations across the contiguous United States (CONUS). We link these flood projections to a database of assets within mapped flood hazard zones to model changes in inland flooding damages throughout the CONUS over the remainder of the 21st century, under two greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions scenarios. Our model generates early 21st century flood damages that reasonably approximate the range of historical observations, and trajectories of future damages that vary substantially depending on the GHG emissions pathway. The difference in modeled flood damages between higher and lower emissions pathways approaches $4 billion per year by 2100 (in undiscounted 2014 dollars), suggesting that aggressive GHG emissions reductions could generate significant monetary benefits over the long-term in terms of reduced flood risk. Although the downscaled hydrologic data we used have been applied to flood impacts studies elsewhere, this research expands on earlier work to quantify changes in flood risk by linking future flood exposure to assets and damages at a national scale. Our approach relies on a series of simplifications that could ultimately affect damage estimates (e.g., use of statistical downscaling, reliance on a nationwide hydrologic model, and linking damage estimates only to 1% AEP floods). Although future work is needed to test the sensitivity of our results to these methodological choices, our results suggest that monetary damages from inland flooding could be substantially reduced through more aggressive GHG mitigation policies.

Histological alterations in gills of Macrobrachium amazonicum juveniles exposed to ammonia and nitrite.

PubMed

Dutra, Fabrício Martins; Rönnau, Milton; Sponchiado, Dircelei; Forneck, Sandra Carla; Freire, Carolina Arruda; Ballester, Eduardo Luis Cupertino

2017-06-01

Aquaculture has shown great growth in the last decades. Due to the restrictions on water use, production systems are becoming increasingly more intensive, raising concerns about the production water quality. Macrobrachium amazonicum is among the freshwater prawn species with favorable characteristics for production and possibility of intensification. Nitrogen compounds such as ammonia and nitrite affect the health of aquatic organisms since they quickly reach toxic concentrations. These compounds can also cause damage to the gill structure, leading to hypoxia in tissues, affecting acid-base balance, osmoregulation (salt absorption) and ammonia excretion, decreasing the immune capacity of the animal and, in extreme cases, cause death. The aim of this study was to assess histological changes in the gills of Macrobrachium amazonicum juveniles subjected to different concentrations of total ammonia and nitrite. The prawns were subjected to different concentrations of those compounds and their gills were removed and preserved for histological analysis. The gills were assessed for changes according to the Organ Index (I org ) and, for each change, an importance factor (w) was attributed according to the degree of reversibility and applied according to the degree of extension or frequency of the damage. The damage to the gills in the treatments with 100% mortality, both for ammonia and nitrite, corresponded to the high occurrence of progressive, regressive, circulatory, and inflammation damages. The other treatments (which caused less mortality) had mainly inflammation and regressive damages, whose occurrence increased according to the increase in ammonia and nitrite concentration. The histological analysis confirmed that the higher the total ammonia and nitrite concentrations, the larger the damages caused to the gill structure and that lower nitrite concentrations caused similar damages to those caused by higher total ammonia concentrations, which reflects the lower capacity M. amazonicum has to tolerate nitrite. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of PZT-excited stroboscopic shearography for full-field nondestructive evaluation.

PubMed

Asemani, Hamidreza; Park, Jinwoo; Lee, Jung-Ryul; Soltani, Nasser

2017-05-01

Nondestructive evaluation using shearography requires a way to stress the inspection target. This technique is able to directly measure the displacement gradient distribution on the object surface. Shearography visualizes the internal structural damages as the anomalous pattern in the shearograpic fringe pattern. A piezoelectric (PZT) excitation system is able to generate loadings in the vibrational, acoustic, and ultrasonic regimes. In this paper, we propose a PZT-excited stroboscopic shearography. The PZT excitation could generate vibrational loading, a stationary wavefield, and a nonstationary propagation wave to fulfill the external loading requirement of shearography. The sweeping of the PZT excitation frequency, the formation of a standing wave, and a small shearing to suppress the incident wave were powerful controllable tools to detect the defects. The sweeping of the PZT excitation frequency enabled us to determine one of the defect-sensitive frequencies almost in real time. In addition, because the defect sensitive frequencies always existed in wide and plural ranges, the risk of the defect being overlooked by the inspector could be alleviated. The results of evaluation using stroboscopic shearography showed that an artificial 20 mm-diameter defect could be visualized at the excitation frequencies of 5-8 kHz range and 12.5-15.5 kHz range. This technique provided full field reliable and repeatable inspection results. Additionally, the proposed method overcame the important drawback of the time-averaged shearography, being required to identify the resonance vibration frequency sensitive to the defect.

Induction of homologous recombination following in utero exposure to DNA-damaging agents.

PubMed

Karia, Bijal; Martinez, Jo Ann; Bishop, Alexander J R

2013-11-01

Much of our understanding of homologous recombination, as well as the development of the working models for these processes, has been derived from extensive work in model organisms, such as yeast and fruit flies, and mammalian systems by studying the repair of induced double strand breaks or repair following exposure to genotoxic agents in vitro. We therefore set out to expand this in vitro work to ask whether DNA-damaging agents with varying modes of action could induce somatic change in an in vivo mouse model of homologous recombination. We exposed pregnant dams to DNA-damaging agents, conferring a variety of lesions at a specific time in embryo development. To monitor homologous recombination frequency, we used the well-established retinal pigment epithelium pink-eyed unstable assay. Homologous recombination resulting in the deletion of a duplicated 70 kb fragment in the coding region of the Oca2 gene renders this gene functional and can be visualized as a pigmented eyespot in the retinal pigment epithelium. We observed an increased frequency of pigmented eyespots in resultant litters following exposure to cisplatin, methyl methanesulfonate, ethyl methanesulfonate, 3-aminobenzamide, bleomycin, and etoposide with a contrasting decrease in the frequency of detectable reversion events following camptothecin and hydroxyurea exposure. The somatic genomic rearrangements that result from such a wide variety of differently acting damaging agents implies long-term potential effects from even short-term in utero exposures. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Examination of flood characteristics at selected streamgages in the Meramec River Basin, eastern Missouri, December 2015–January 2016

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holmes, Robert R.; Koenig, Todd A.; Rydlund, Jr., Paul H.; Heimann, David C.

2016-09-13

OverviewHeavy rainfall resulted in major flooding in the Meramec River Basin in eastern Missouri during late December 2015 through early January 2016. Cumulative rainfall from December 14 to 29, 2015, ranged from 7.6 to 12.3 inches at selected precipitation stations in the basin with flooding driven by the heaviest precipitation (3.9–9.7 inches) between December 27 and 29, 2015. Financial losses from flooding included damage to homes and other structures, damage to roads, and debris removal. Eight of 11 counties in the basin were declared a Federal Disaster Area.The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District, operates multiple streamgages along the Meramec River and its primary tributaries including the Bourbeuse River and Big River. The period of record for streamflow at streamgages in the basin included in this report ranges from 24 to 102 years. Instrumentation in a streamgage shelter automatically makes observations of stage using a variety of methods (submersible pressure transducer, non-submersible pressure transducer, or non-contact radar). These observations are recorded autonomously at a predetermined programmed frequency (typically either 15 or 30 minutes) dependent on drainage-area size and concomitant flashiness of the stream. Although stage data are important, streamflow data are equally or more important for streamflow forecasting, water-quality constituent loads computation, flood-frequency analysis, and flood mitigation planning. Streamflows are computed from recorded stage data using an empirically determined relation between stage and streamflow termed a “rating.” Development and verification of the rating requires periodic onsite discrete measurements of streamflow throughout time and over the range of stages to define local hydraulic conditions.The purpose of this report is to examine characteristics of flooding that occurred in the Meramec River Basin in December 2015–January 2016 including peak stages, peak streamflows, and the flood-frequency statistics associated with the peak flows. A comparison between the December 2015–January 2016 flood and a similar flood in December 1982 in the Meramec River Basin also is included.

Experimental Study on Damage Detection in Timber Specimens Based on an Electromechanical Impedance Technique and RMSD-Based Mahalanobis Distance

PubMed Central

Wang, Dansheng; Wang, Qinghua; Wang, Hao; Zhu, Hongping

2016-01-01

In the electromechanical impedance (EMI) method, the PZT patch performs the functions of both sensor and exciter. Due to the high frequency actuation and non-model based characteristics, the EMI method can be utilized to detect incipient structural damage. In recent years EMI techniques have been widely applied to monitor the health status of concrete and steel materials, however, studies on application to timber are limited. This paper will explore the feasibility of using the EMI technique for damage detection in timber specimens. In addition, the conventional damage index, namely root mean square deviation (RMSD) is employed to evaluate the level of damage. On that basis, a new damage index, Mahalanobis distance based on RMSD, is proposed to evaluate the damage severity of timber specimens. Experimental studies are implemented to detect notch and hole damage in the timber specimens. Experimental results verify the availability and robustness of the proposed damage index and its superiority over the RMSD indexes. PMID:27782088

Experimental Study on Damage Detection in Timber Specimens Based on an Electromechanical Impedance Technique and RMSD-Based Mahalanobis Distance.

PubMed

Wang, Dansheng; Wang, Qinghua; Wang, Hao; Zhu, Hongping

2016-10-22

In the electromechanical impedance (EMI) method, the PZT patch performs the functions of both sensor and exciter. Due to the high frequency actuation and non-model based characteristics, the EMI method can be utilized to detect incipient structural damage. In recent years EMI techniques have been widely applied to monitor the health status of concrete and steel materials, however, studies on application to timber are limited. This paper will explore the feasibility of using the EMI technique for damage detection in timber specimens. In addition, the conventional damage index, namely root mean square deviation (RMSD) is employed to evaluate the level of damage. On that basis, a new damage index, Mahalanobis distance based on RMSD, is proposed to evaluate the damage severity of timber specimens. Experimental studies are implemented to detect notch and hole damage in the timber specimens. Experimental results verify the availability and robustness of the proposed damage index and its superiority over the RMSD indexes.

The Coupling between Ca2+ Channels and the Exocytotic Ca2+ Sensor at Hair Cell Ribbon Synapses Varies Tonotopically along the Mature Cochlea

PubMed Central

Cho, Soyoun

2017-01-01

The cochlea processes auditory signals over a wide range of frequencies and intensities. However, the transfer characteristics at hair cell ribbon synapses are still poorly understood at different frequency locations along the cochlea. Using recordings from mature gerbils, we report here a surprisingly strong block of exocytosis by the slow Ca2+ buffer EGTA (10 mM) in basal hair cells tuned to high frequencies (∼30 kHz). In addition, using recordings from gerbil, mouse, and bullfrog auditory organs, we find that the spatial coupling between Ca2+ influx and exocytosis changes from nanodomain in low-frequency tuned hair cells (∼<2 kHz) to progressively more microdomain in high-frequency cells (∼>2 kHz). Hair cell synapses have thus developed remarkable frequency-dependent tuning of exocytosis: accurate low-latency encoding of onset and offset of sound intensity in the cochlea's base and submillisecond encoding of membrane receptor potential fluctuations in the apex for precise phase-locking to sound signals. We also found that synaptic vesicle pool recovery from depletion was sensitive to high concentrations of EGTA, suggesting that intracellular Ca2+ buffers play an important role in vesicle recruitment in both low- and high-frequency hair cells. In conclusion, our results indicate that microdomain coupling is important for exocytosis in high-frequency hair cells, suggesting a novel hypothesis for why these cells are more susceptible to sound-induced damage than low-frequency cells; high-frequency inner hair cells must have a low Ca2+ buffer capacity to sustain exocytosis, thus making them more prone to Ca2+-induced cytotoxicity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In the inner ear, sensory hair cells signal reception of sound. They do this by converting the sound-induced movement of their hair bundles present at the top of these cells, into an electrical current. This current depolarizes the hair cell and triggers the calcium-induced release of the neurotransmitter glutamate that activates the postsynaptic auditory fibers. The speed and precision of this process enables the brain to perceive the vital components of sound, such as frequency and intensity. We show that the coupling strength between calcium channels and the exocytosis calcium sensor at inner hair cell synapses changes along the mammalian cochlea such that the timing and/or intensity of sound is encoded with high precision. PMID:28154149

Frequency of Symptoms of Temporomandibular Disorders among Prishtina Dental Students

PubMed Central

Bicaj, Teuta; Shala, Kujtim; Krasniqi, Teuta Pustina; Ahmedi, Enis; Dula, Linda; Lila-Krasniqi, Zana

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) is important for prevention of greater damages of the parts of the oro-facial system. There are early symptoms that can be used as predictors of TMD. AIM: The study aimed to assess the frequency of the symptoms of TMD among dental students. METHODS: Total number of 166 respondents, all undergraduate dental students, (84 female, 82 male), mean age 22, participated in this study. For the study, the questionnaire of Fonseca was used. There were ten questions to answer with: no, sometimes and yes. Fonseca-Clinical index classification is: 0-15 points, no TMD; 20-40 points, mild TMD; 45-65 points, moderate TMD and 70-100 points, severe TMD. RESULTS: Forty-six point four percentages of the students, had no symptoms of TMD, 44.6 % had mild TMD, 7.8% moderate TMD and only 1.2 % had severe TMD. By conventional criteria, there is not any statistical difference of the TMD between male and female (χ2 = 1.133, p = 0.769). CONCLUSION: Fonseca questionnaire has its importance in the early diagnosis of TMD that can occur in the young population. PMID:29104690

Comparison of Data on Mutation Frequencies of Mice Caused by Radiation with Low Dose Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manabe, Yuichiro; Bando, Masako

2013-09-01

We propose low dose (LD) model, the extension of LDM model which was proposed in the previous paper [Y. Manabe et al.: J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 81 (2012) 104004] to estimate biological damage caused by irradiation. LD model takes account of cell death effect in addition to the proliferation, apoptosis, repair which were included in LDM model. As a typical example of estimation, we apply LD model to the experiment of mutation frequency on the responses induced by the exposure to low levels of ionizing radiation. The most famous and extensive experiments are those summarized by Russell and Kelly [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79 (1982) 539], which are known as ``mega-mouse project''. This provides us with important information of the frequencies of transmitted specific-locus mutations induced in mouse spermatogonia stem-cells. It is found that the numerical results of the mutation frequency of mice are in reasonable agreement with the experimental data: the LD model reproduces the total dose and dose rate dependence of data reasonably. In order to see such dose-rate dependence more explicitly, we introduce the dose-rate effectiveness factor (DREF). This represents a sort of dose rate dependent effect, which are to be competitive with proliferation effect of broken cells induced by irradiation.

Single event burnout sensitivity of embedded field effect transistors

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

Koga, R.; Crain, S.H.; Crawford, K.B.

Observations of single event burnout (SEB) in embedded field effect transistors are reported. Both SEB and other single event effects are presented for several pulse width modulation and high frequency devices. The microscope has been employed to locate and to investigate the damaged areas. A model of the damage mechanism based on the results so obtained is described.

Single event burnout sensitivity of embedded field effect transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koga, R.; Crain, S. H.; Crawford, K. B.; Yu, P.; Gordon, M. J.

1999-12-01

Observations of single event burnout (SEB) in embedded field effect transistors are reported. Both SEB and other single event effects are presented for several pulse width modulation and high frequency devices. The microscope has been employed to locate and to investigate the damaged areas. A model of the damage mechanism based on the results so obtained is described.

Somatic mutation load of estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors predicts overall survival: an analysis of genome sequence data.

PubMed

Haricharan, Svasti; Bainbridge, Matthew N; Scheet, Paul; Brown, Powel H

2014-07-01

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in women. While there are several effective therapies for breast cancer and important single gene prognostic/predictive markers, more than 40,000 women die from this disease every year. The increasing availability of large-scale genomic datasets provides opportunities for identifying factors that influence breast cancer survival in smaller, well-defined subsets. The purpose of this study was to investigate the genomic landscape of various breast cancer subtypes and its potential associations with clinical outcomes. We used statistical analysis of sequence data generated by the Cancer Genome Atlas initiative including somatic mutation load (SML) analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, gene mutational frequency, and mutational enrichment evaluation to study the genomic landscape of breast cancer. We show that ER(+), but not ER(-), tumors with high SML associate with poor overall survival (HR = 2.02). Further, these high mutation load tumors are enriched for coincident mutations in both DNA damage repair and ER signature genes. While it is known that somatic mutations in specific genes affect breast cancer survival, this study is the first to identify that SML may constitute an important global signature for a subset of ER(+) tumors prone to high mortality. Moreover, although somatic mutations in individual DNA damage genes affect clinical outcome, our results indicate that coincident mutations in DNA damage response and signature ER genes may prove more informative for ER(+) breast cancer survival. Next generation sequencing may prove an essential tool for identifying pathways underlying poor outcomes and for tailoring therapeutic strategies.

An automatic damage detection algorithm based on the Short Time Impulse Response Function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auletta, Gianluca; Carlo Ponzo, Felice; Ditommaso, Rocco; Iacovino, Chiara

2016-04-01

Structural Health Monitoring together with all the dynamic identification techniques and damage detection techniques are increasing in popularity in both scientific and civil community in last years. The basic idea arises from the observation that spectral properties, described in terms of the so-called modal parameters (eigenfrequencies, mode shapes, and modal damping), are functions of the physical properties of the structure (mass, energy dissipation mechanisms and stiffness). Damage detection techniques traditionally consist in visual inspection and/or non-destructive testing. A different approach consists in vibration based methods detecting changes of feature related to damage. Structural damage exhibits its main effects in terms of stiffness and damping variation. Damage detection approach based on dynamic monitoring of structural properties over time has received a considerable attention in recent scientific literature. We focused the attention on the structural damage localization and detection after an earthquake, from the evaluation of the mode curvature difference. The methodology is based on the acquisition of the structural dynamic response through a three-directional accelerometer installed on the top floor of the structure. It is able to assess the presence of any damage on the structure providing also information about the related position and severity of the damage. The procedure is based on a Band-Variable Filter, (Ditommaso et al., 2012), used to extract the dynamic characteristics of systems that evolve over time by acting simultaneously in both time and frequency domain. In this paper using a combined approach based on the Fourier Transform and on the seismic interferometric analysis, an useful tool for the automatic fundamental frequency evaluation of nonlinear structures has been proposed. Moreover, using this kind of approach it is possible to improve some of the existing methods for the automatic damage detection providing stable results also during the strong motion phase. This approach helps to overcome the limitation derived from the use of techniques based on simple Fourier Transform that provide good results when the response of the monitored system is stationary, but fails when the system exhibits a non-stationary behaviour. The main advantage derived from the use of the proposed approach for Structural Health Monitoring is based on the simplicity of the interpretation of the nonlinear variations of the fundamental frequency. The proposed methodology has been tested on numerical models of reinforced concrete structures designed for only gravity loads without and with the presence of infill panels. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach for the automatic evaluation of the fundamental frequency over time, the results of an experimental campaign of shaking table tests conducted at the seismic laboratory of University of Basilicata (SISLAB) have been used. Acknowledgements This study was partially funded by the Italian Civil Protection Department within the project DPC-RELUIS 2015 - RS4 ''Seismic observatory of structures and health monitoring''. References Ditommaso, R., Mucciarelli, M., Ponzo, F.C. (2012) Analysis of non-stationary structural systems by using a band-variable filter. Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering. DOI: 10.1007/s10518-012-9338-y.

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

Van Ootegem, Luc; SHERPPA — Ghent University; Verhofstadt, Elsy

Depth–damage-functions, relating the monetary flood damage to the depth of the inundation, are commonly used in the case of fluvial floods (floods caused by a river overflowing). We construct four multivariate damage models for pluvial floods (caused by extreme rainfall) by differentiating on the one hand between ground floor floods and basement floods and on the other hand between damage to residential buildings and damage to housing contents. We do not only take into account the effect of flood-depth on damage, but also incorporate the effects of non-hazard indicators (building characteristics, behavioural indicators and socio-economic variables). By using a Tobit-estimationmore » technique on identified victims of pluvial floods in Flanders (Belgium), we take into account the effect of cases of reported zero damage. Our results show that the flood depth is an important predictor of damage, but with a diverging impact between ground floor floods and basement floods. Also non-hazard indicators are important. For example being aware of the risk just before the water enters the building reduces content damage considerably, underlining the importance of warning systems and policy in this case of pluvial floods. - Highlights: • Prediction of damage of pluvial floods using also non-hazard information • We include ‘no damage cases’ using a Tobit model. • The damage of flood depth is stronger for ground floor than for basement floods. • Non-hazard indicators are especially important for content damage. • Potential gain of policies that increase awareness of flood risks.« less

Photonic Analog-to-Digital Converters

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

Edward W. Taylor, “Gamma-Ray Induced Damage and Recovery Behavior in an Erbium-Doped Fiber Laser ”, SPIE Proceedings, Vol. 4547, Sep. 2001, pp.126-133...requirements. The center frequency of the bandpass filter determined the laser mode-locked frequency. SNDP’s COEO had an operating frequency of... laser . Better filters and amplifiers were needed to improve operation and to reduce the phase noise to a level comparable with Delfyett’s actively

[Effects of therapeutic complexes including balneoradonokinesitherapy, electromyostimulation and low-frequency magnetotherapy on regional blood flow in patients with postrraumatic gonarthritis].

PubMed

Raspopova, E A; Udartsev, E Iu

2006-01-01

Balneoradonokinesitherapy alone and its combination with electrostimulation and low-frequency magnetotherapy were used for the treatment of regional blood flow disorders in 76 patients with posttraumatic gonarthritis. Balneoradonokinesitherapy in combination with electromyostimulation improved blood circulation. When low-frequency magnetotherapy was added to the latter complex, the regress of regional blood flow disorders of a damaged extremity was most significant.

Is mobile phone radiation genotoxic? An analysis of micronucleus frequency in exfoliated buccal cells.

PubMed

de Oliveira, F M; Carmona, A M; Ladeira, C

2017-10-01

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) are classified as "possibly carcinogenic" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Some publications have reported associations between EMF exposure and DNA damage, but many other studies contradict such findings. Cytomorphological changes, such as micronuclei (MN), indicative of genomic damage, are biomarkers of genotoxicity. To test whether mobile phone-associated EMF exposure affects the MN frequency in exfoliated buccal cells, we obtained cells smears from the left and right inner cheeks of healthy mobile phone users, aged 18-30 (n=86), who also completed a characterization survey. MN frequencies were tested for potential confounding factors and for duration of phone use and preferential side of mobile phone use. No relationship was observed between MN frequency and duration of mobile phone use in daily calls. Cells ipsilateral to mobile phone use did not present a statistically significantly higher MN frequency, compared to cells contralateral to exposure. A highly statistically significant (p<0.0001) increase in MN frequency was found in subjects reporting regular exposure to genotoxic agents. Therefore, our results suggest that mobile phone-associated EMF do not to induce MN formation in buccal cells at the observed exposure levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantifying clustered DNA damage induction and repair by gel electrophoresis, electronic imaging and number average length analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sutherland, Betsy M.; Georgakilas, Alexandros G.; Bennett, Paula V.; Laval, Jacques; Sutherland, John C.; Gewirtz, A. M. (Principal Investigator)

2003-01-01

Assessing DNA damage induction, repair and consequences of such damages requires measurement of specific DNA lesions by methods that are independent of biological responses to such lesions. Lesions affecting one DNA strand (altered bases, abasic sites, single strand breaks (SSB)) as well as damages affecting both strands (clustered damages, double strand breaks) can be quantified by direct measurement of DNA using gel electrophoresis, gel imaging and number average length analysis. Damage frequencies as low as a few sites per gigabase pair (10(9)bp) can be quantified by this approach in about 50ng of non-radioactive DNA, and single molecule methods may allow such measurements in DNA from single cells. This review presents the theoretical basis, biochemical requirements and practical aspects of this approach, and shows examples of their applications in identification and quantitation of complex clustered damages.

Role of Macronutrients and Micronutrients in DNA Damage: Results From a Food Frequency Questionnaire.

PubMed

Ladeira, Carina; Carolino, Elisabete; Gomes, Manuel C; Brito, Miguel

2017-01-01

The links between diet and genomic instability have been under investigation for several decades, and evidence suggests a significant causal or preventive role for various dietary factors. This study investigates the influence of macronutrients (calories, protein, and glucides) and micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, as assessed by a food frequency questionnaire, on genotoxicity biomarkers measured by cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus assay and comet assay. The results found significant positive and negative correlations. Micronucleus frequency tends to increase with higher intake of caffeine, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and protein ( P < .05, Spearman correlation). Calorie and omega-6 intakes are negatively correlated with DNA damage measured by the comet assay. These results are somewhat controversial because some of the correlations found are contrary to dominant views in the literature; however, we suggest that unraveling the association between diet and genetic instability requires a much better understanding of the modulating role of macronutrients and micronutrients.

Does a role for selenium in DNA damage repair explain apparent controversies in its use in chemoprevention?

PubMed Central

Diamond, Alan M.

2013-01-01

The trace element selenium is an essential micronutrient that has received considerable attention for its potential use in the prevention of cancer. In spite of this interest, the mechanism(s) by which selenium might function as a chemopreventive remain to be determined. Considerable experimental evidence indicates that one possible mechanism by which selenium supplementation may exert its benefits is by enhancing the DNA damage repair response, and this includes data obtained using cultured cells, animal models as well as in human clinical studies. In these studies, selenium supplementation has been shown to be beneficial in reducing the frequency of DNA adducts and chromosome breaks, consequentially reducing the likelihood of detrimental mutations that ultimately contribute to carcinogenesis. The benefits of selenium can be envisioned as being due, at least in part, to it being a critical constituent of selenoproteins such as glutathione peroxidases and thioredoxin reductases, proteins that play important roles in antioxidant defence and maintaining the cellular reducing environment. Selenium, therefore, may be protective by preventing DNA damage from occurring as well as by increasing the activity of repair enzymes such as DNA glycosylases and DNA damage repair pathways that involve p53, BRCA1 and Gadd45. An improved understanding of the mechanism of selenium’s impact on DNA repair processes may help to resolve the apparently contradicting data obtained from decades of animal work, human epidemiology and more recently, clinical supplementation studies. PMID:23204505

Efficient visual object and word recognition relies on high spatial frequency coding in the left posterior fusiform gyrus: evidence from a case-series of patients with ventral occipito-temporal cortex damage.

PubMed

Roberts, Daniel J; Woollams, Anna M; Kim, Esther; Beeson, Pelagie M; Rapcsak, Steven Z; Lambon Ralph, Matthew A

2013-11-01

Recent visual neuroscience investigations suggest that ventral occipito-temporal cortex is retinotopically organized, with high acuity foveal input projecting primarily to the posterior fusiform gyrus (pFG), making this region crucial for coding high spatial frequency information. Because high spatial frequencies are critical for fine-grained visual discrimination, we hypothesized that damage to the left pFG should have an adverse effect not only on efficient reading, as observed in pure alexia, but also on the processing of complex non-orthographic visual stimuli. Consistent with this hypothesis, we obtained evidence that a large case series (n = 20) of patients with lesions centered on left pFG: 1) Exhibited reduced sensitivity to high spatial frequencies; 2) demonstrated prolonged response latencies both in reading (pure alexia) and object naming; and 3) were especially sensitive to visual complexity and similarity when discriminating between novel visual patterns. These results suggest that the patients' dual reading and non-orthographic recognition impairments have a common underlying mechanism and reflect the loss of high spatial frequency visual information normally coded in the left pFG.

A real time neural net estimator of fatigue life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Troudet, T.; Merrill, W.

1990-01-01

A neural net architecture is proposed to estimate, in real-time, the fatigue life of mechanical components, as part of the Intelligent Control System for Reusable Rocket Engines. Arbitrary component loading values were used as input to train a two hidden-layer feedforward neural net to estimate component fatigue damage. The ability of the net to learn, based on a local strain approach, the mapping between load sequence and fatigue damage has been demonstrated for a uniaxial specimen. Because of its demonstrated performance, the neural computation may be extended to complex cases where the loads are biaxial or triaxial, and the geometry of the component is complex (e.g., turbopump blades). The generality of the approach is such that load/damage mappings can be directly extracted from experimental data without requiring any knowledge of the stress/strain profile of the component. In addition, the parallel network architecture allows real-time life calculations even for high frequency vibrations. Owing to its distributed nature, the neural implementation will be robust and reliable, enabling its use in hostile environments such as rocket engines. This neural net estimator of fatigue life is seen as the enabling technology to achieve component life prognosis, and therefore would be an important part of life extending control for reusable rocket engines.

Chromosome aberrations of clonal origin are present in astronauts' blood lymphocytes.

PubMed

George, K; Durante, M; Willingham, V; Cucinotta, F A

2004-01-01

Radiation-induced chromosome translocations remain in peripheral blood cells over many years, and can potentially be used to measure retrospective doses or prolonged low-dose rate exposures. However, several recent studies have indicated that some individuals possess clones of cells with balanced chromosome abnormalities, which can result in an overestimation of damage and, therefore, influence the accuracy of dose calculations. We carefully examined the patterns of chromosome damage found in the blood lymphocytes of twelve astronauts, and also applied statistical methods to screen for the presence of potential clones. Cells with clonal aberrations were identified in three of the twelve individuals. These clonal cells were present in samples collected both before and after space flight, and yields are higher than previously reported for healthy individuals in this age range (40-52 years of age). The frequency of clonal damage appears to be even greater in chromosomes prematurely condensed in interphase, when compared with equivalent analysis in metaphase cells. The individuals with clonal aberrations were followed-up over several months and the yields of all clones decreased during this period. Since clonal aberrations may be associated with increased risk of tumorigenesis, it is important to accurately identify cells containing clonal rearrangements for risk assessment as well as biodosimetry. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

Chromosome aberrations of clonal origin are present in astronauts' blood lymphocytes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

George, K.; Durante, M.; Willingham, V.; Cucinotta, F. A.

2004-01-01

Radiation-induced chromosome translocations remain in peripheral blood cells over many years, and can potentially be used to measure retrospective doses or prolonged low-dose rate exposures. However, several recent studies have indicated that some individuals possess clones of cells with balanced chromosome abnormalities, which can result in an overestimation of damage and, therefore, influence the accuracy of dose calculations. We carefully examined the patterns of chromosome damage found in the blood lymphocytes of twelve astronauts, and also applied statistical methods to screen for the presence of potential clones. Cells with clonal aberrations were identified in three of the twelve individuals. These clonal cells were present in samples collected both before and after space flight, and yields are higher than previously reported for healthy individuals in this age range (40-52 years of age). The frequency of clonal damage appears to be even greater in chromosomes prematurely condensed in interphase, when compared with equivalent analysis in metaphase cells. The individuals with clonal aberrations were followed-up over several months and the yields of all clones decreased during this period. Since clonal aberrations may be associated with increased risk of tumorigenesis, it is important to accurately identify cells containing clonal rearrangements for risk assessment as well as biodosimetry. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Microwave NDE of impact damaged fiberglass and elastomer layered composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenawald, E. C.; Levenberry, L. J.; Qaddoumi, N.; McHardy, A.; Zoughi, R.; Poranski, C. F.

2000-05-01

Layered composites have been proposed as advanced materials for future use in large naval sonar domes. Unlike today's steel/rubber composite domes, such materials promise engineered acoustic properties and less costly resin-transfer fabrication methods. The development and deployment of these large and complex composite structures will result in challenging NDE requirements for both manufacturing quality assurance and in-service needs. Among the anticipated in-service requirements is the detection and characterization of the impact damage associated with striking a submerged object at sea. A one-sided inspection method is desired, preferably applicable in the underwater environment. In this paper, we present preliminary microwave NDE results from impact test coupons of a proposed thick FRP/elastomer/FRP "sandwich" composite. The coupons were scanned using a near-field microwave probe that responds to the composite's dielectric properties. The unprocessed scan data was displayed in an image format to reveal damaged areas. Results are compared with those from x-ray backscatter imaging and ultrasonic testing, and are verified by destructive analysis of the coupons. The difficulties posed by the application are discussed, as are the operating principles and advantages of the microwave methods. The importance of optimizing inspection parameters such as frequency and standoff distance is emphasized for future work.

Effects of maternal vitamin B6 deficiency and over-supplementation on DNA damage and oxidative stress in rat dams and their offspring.

PubMed

Almeida, Mara Ribeiro; Venâncio, Vinícius Paula; Aissa, Alexandre Ferro; Darin, Joana Darc Castania; Pires Bianchi, Maria Lourdes; Antunes, Lusânia Maria Greggi

2015-06-01

Vitamin B6 is a cofactor for more than 140 essential enzymes and plays an important role in maternal health and fetal development. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal vitamin B6 on DNA damage and oxidative stress status in rat dams and their offspring. Female Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three dietary groups fed a standard diet (control diet), a diet supplemented with 30 mg/kg of vitamin B6, or a deficient diet (0 mg/kg of vitamin B6) for 10 weeks before and during mating, pregnancy and lactation. The dams were euthanized at weaning, and their male pups were euthanized either 10 days or 100 days after birth. We found that maternal vitamin B6 deficiency increased the micronucleus frequency in peripheral blood and bone marrow cells and also increased the concentration of hepatic TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) in newborn pups (10 days old). In conclusion, maternal 5- to 6-fold over-supplementation of vitamin B6 had no adverse effects, however its deficiency may induce chromosomal damage and hepatic lipid peroxidation in the offspring. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Importance of secondary damage in downer cows.

PubMed

Poulton, P J; Vizard, A L; Anderson, G A; Pyman, M F

2016-05-01

To investigate the relative importance in downer cows of the primary cause of recumbency in comparison with secondary complications. Downer dairy cows were monitored during their recumbency under field conditions in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. The cause of the original recumbency of the 218 cows was determined and secondary damage, status on day 7 and final outcome were recorded. Some type of secondary damage was found in 183/218 (84%) cows, of which 173/218 (79%) had damage deemed to be clinically important. By day 7, 52 (24%) had recovered and 69 (32%) eventually recovered. Of the 149 (68%) cows that were euthanased or died, 23 (15%) were deemed to have been lost solely from the primary cause, 107 (72%) from secondary damage and 19 (13%) from a combination of both. There was no difference in recovery among the five broad groups of causes of primary recumbency. Secondary damage was very common and presented in a large variety of ways, with many cows having multiple types of secondary damage concurrently. For most cows the secondary damage was more important than the initial primary damage in determining their fate. © 2016 Australian Veterinary Association.

Smart RC elements for long-life monitoring of civil infrastructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zonta, Daniele; Pozzi, Matteo; Forti, Marco; Bursi, Oreste S.

2005-05-01

A research effort has been launched at the University of Trento, aimed at developing an innovative distributed construction system based on smart prefabricated concrete elements allowing for real-time condition assessment of civil infrastructures. So far, two reduced-scale prototypes have been produced, each consisting of a 0.2 by 0.3 by 5.6m RC beam specifically designed for permanent instrumentation with 8 long-gauge Fiber Optics Sensors (FOS) at the lower edge. The sensors employed are Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) -based and can measure finite displacements both in statics and dynamics. The acquisition module uses a single commercial interrogation unit and a software-controlled optical switch, allowing acquisition of dynamic multi-channel signals from FBG-FOS, with a sample frequency of 625 Hz per channel. The performance of the system underwent validation I n the laboratory. The scope of the experiment was to correlate changes in the dynamic response of the beams with different damage scenarios, using a direct modal strain approach. Each specimen was dynamically characterized in the undamaged state and in various damage conditions, simulating different cracking levels and recurrent deterioration scenarios, including concrete cover spalling and partial corrosion of the reinforcement. The location and the extent of damage are evaluated by calculating damage indices which take account of changes in frequency and in strain-mode-shapes. This paper presents in detail the results of the experiment and demonstrates how the damage distribution detected by the system is fully compatible with the damage extent appraised by inspection.

Shell damage and shell repair in the Antarctic limpet Nacella concinna from King George Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cadée, Gerhard C.

1999-03-01

Nacella concinna is the most conspicuous macroinvertebrate in the intertidal of King George Island. An important predator, the Kelp gull Larus dominicanus, feeds on Nacella during spring low tides. The gulls deposit empty Nacella shells as regurgitates mainly on roosts on coastal rocks. The regurgitates were found to consist of 40% shell fragments by weight and 60% intact shells. Faeces of Kelp gulls contained much smaller fragments than the regurgitates. Some of the Nacella, particularly those too large to ingest, are handled in the intertidal. The middens are, therefore, inadequate to study size selection by Kelp gulls: the largest Nacella are underrepresented. Seventy-five per cent of the intact Nacella shells from the Larus middens showed one or more shell repairs. Such repairs may be due to unsuccessful attacks by gulls, but more probably they indicate damage caused by rolling ice blocks and stones in the intertidal and shallow subtidal. A number of living Nacella were found stranded on the beach, detached from the rocks. They showed damage along the shell margin and even one Nacella was collected without any shell left. The observed repair frequency of 75% in Nacella was much higher than in other (smaller) intertidal gastropods at Potter Peninsula (3-11%, av. 8%). Comparably high frequencies are observed for instance in tropical intertidal gastropods, where repair is due to heavy unsuccessful crab predation; however, shell-crushing crabs are absent on King George Island. This indicates that palaeontologists should be cautious in ascribing all shell repairs in fossil shells (particularly from tidal environments) to predators. Shell repair in the related Nacella deaurata, collected in a less exposed site at Port Stanley (Falkland Islands), occurred only in 13% of the specimens. Another conspicuous form of shell damage was due to grazing by Nacella on the boring algae living in other Nacella shells. Epigrowth of crustose calcareous algae inhibited such grazing, but in the absence of epigrowth deep hollows were scraped in the shells, the parallel scratches by the radula clearly visible, urging Nacella to repair its shell by producing more shelly material on the inside.

Effects of ion beam irradiation on size of mutant sector and genetic damage in Arabidopsis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hase, Yoshihiro; Nozawa, Shigeki; Narumi, Issay; Oono, Yutaka

2017-01-01

Size of mutant sector and genetic damage were evaluated in Arabidopsis to further our understanding of effective ion beam use in plant mutation breeding. Arabidopsis seeds, heterozygous for the GLABRA1 (GL1) gene (GL1/gl1-1), were irradiated with 15.8 MeV/u neon ions (mean linear energy transfer (LET): 352 keV/μm), 17.3 MeV/u carbon ions (113 keV/μm), or 60Co gamma rays. The frequency and size of glabrous sectors generated because of inactivation of the GL1 allele were examined. The frequency and overall size of large deletions were evaluated based on the loss of heterozygosity of DNA markers using DNA isolated from glabrous tissue. Irrespective of the radiation properties, plants with mutant sectors were obtained at similar frequencies at the same effective dosage necessary for survival reduction. Ion beams tended to induce larger mutant sectors than gamma rays. The frequency of large deletions (>several kbp) increased as the LET value increased, with chromosome regions larger than 100 kbp lost in most large deletions. The distorted segregation ratio of glabrous plants in the progenies of irradiated GL1/gl1-1 plants suggested frequent occurrence of chromosome rearrangement, especially those subjected to neon ions. Exposure to ion beams with moderate LET values (30-110 keV/μm) is thought effective for inducing mutant sectors without causing extensive genetic damage.

Laboratory simulation of volcano seismicity.

PubMed

Benson, Philip M; Vinciguerra, Sergio; Meredith, Philip G; Young, R Paul

2008-10-10

The physical processes generating seismicity within volcanic edifices are highly complex and not fully understood. We report results from a laboratory experiment in which basalt from Mount Etna volcano (Italy) was deformed and fractured. The experiment was monitored with an array of transducers around the sample to permit full-waveform capture, location, and analysis of microseismic events. Rapid post-failure decompression of the water-filled pore volume and damage zone triggered many low-frequency events, analogous to volcanic long-period seismicity. The low frequencies were associated with pore fluid decompression and were located in the damage zone in the fractured sample; these events exhibited a weak component of shear (double-couple) slip, consistent with fluid-driven events occurring beneath active volcanoes.

Damage evaluation of fiber reinforced plastic-confined circular concrete-filled steel tubular columns under cyclic loading using the acoustic emission technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dongsheng; Du, Fangzhu; Ou, Jinping

2017-03-01

Glass-fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP)-confined circular concrete-filled steel tubular (CCFT) columns comprise of concrete, steel, and GFRP and show complex failure mechanics under cyclic loading. This paper investigated the failure mechanism and damage evolution of GFRP-CCFT columns by performing uniaxial cyclic loading tests that were monitored using the acoustic emission (AE) technique. Characteristic AE parameters were obtained during the damage evolution of GFRP-CCFT columns. Based on the relationship between the loading curve and these parameters, the damage evolution of GFRP-CCFT columns was classified into three stages that represented different damage degrees. Damage evolution and failure mode were investigated by analyzing the b-value and the ratio of rise time to waveform amplitude and average frequency. The damage severity of GFRP-CCFT columns were quantitatively estimated according to the modified index of damage and NDIS-2421 damage assessment criteria corresponding to each loading step. The proposed method can explain the damage evolution and failure mechanism for GFRP-CCFT columns and provide critical warning information for composite structures.

Detection the nonlinear ultrasonic signals based on modified Duffing equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yuhua; Mao, Hanling; Mao, Hanying; Huang, Zhenfeng

The nonlinear ultrasonic signals, like second harmonic generation (SHG) signals, could reflect the nonlinearity of material induced by fatigue damage in nonlinear ultrasonic technique which are weak nonlinear signals and usually submerged by strong background noise. In this paper the modified Duffing equations are applied to detect the SHG signals relating to the fatigue damage of material. Due to the Duffing equation could only detect the signal with specific frequency and initial phase, firstly the frequency transformation is carried on the Duffing equation which could detect the signal with any frequency. Then the influence of initial phases of to-be-detected signal and reference signal on the detection result is studied in detail, four modified Duffing equations are proposed to detect actual engineering signals with any initial phase. The relationship between the response amplitude and the total driving force is applied to estimate the amplitude of weak periodic signal. The detection results show the modified Duffing equations could effectively detect the second harmonic in SHG signals. When the SHG signals include strong background noise, the noise doesn't change the motion state of Duffing equation and the second harmonic signal could be detected until the SNR of noisy SHG signals are -26.3, yet the frequency spectrum method could only identify when the SNR is greater than 0.5. When estimation the amplitude of second harmonic signal, the estimation error of Duffing equation is obviously less than the frequency spectrum analysis method under the same noise level, which illustrates the Duffing equation has the noise immune capacity. The presence of the second harmonic signal in nonlinear ultrasonic experiments could provide an insight about the early fatigue damage of engineering components.

High dietary antioxidant intakes are associated with decreased chromosome translocation frequency in airline pilots.

PubMed

Yong, Lee C; Petersen, Martin R; Sigurdson, Alice J; Sampson, Laura A; Ward, Elizabeth M

2009-11-01

Dietary antioxidants may protect against DNA damage induced by endogenous and exogenous sources, including ionizing radiation (IR), but data from IR-exposed human populations are limited. The objective was to examine the association between the frequency of chromosome translocations, as a biomarker of cumulative DNA damage, and intakes of vitamins C and E and carotenoids in 82 male airline pilots. Dietary intakes were estimated by using a self-administered semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Translocations were scored by using fluorescence in situ hybridization with whole chromosome paints. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate rate ratios and 95% CIs, adjusted for potential confounders. Significant and inverse associations were observed between translocation frequency and intakes of vitamin C, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lutein-zeaxanthin from food (P < 0.05). Translocation frequency was not associated with the intake of vitamin E, alpha-carotene, or lycopene from food; total vitamin C or E from food and supplements; or vitamin C or E or multivitamin supplements. The adjusted rate ratios (95% CI) for > or =median compared with or =median compared with

High dietary antioxidant intakes are associated with decreased chromosome translocation frequency in airline pilots1234

PubMed Central

Petersen, Martin R; Sigurdson, Alice J; Sampson, Laura A; Ward, Elizabeth M

2009-01-01

Background: Dietary antioxidants may protect against DNA damage induced by endogenous and exogenous sources, including ionizing radiation (IR), but data from IR-exposed human populations are limited. Objective: The objective was to examine the association between the frequency of chromosome translocations, as a biomarker of cumulative DNA damage, and intakes of vitamins C and E and carotenoids in 82 male airline pilots. Design: Dietary intakes were estimated by using a self-administered semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Translocations were scored by using fluorescence in situ hybridization with whole chromosome paints. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate rate ratios and 95% CIs, adjusted for potential confounders. Results: Significant and inverse associations were observed between translocation frequency and intakes of vitamin C, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and lutein-zeaxanthin from food (P < 0.05). Translocation frequency was not associated with the intake of vitamin E, α-carotene, or lycopene from food; total vitamin C or E from food and supplements; or vitamin C or E or multivitamin supplements. The adjusted rate ratios (95% CI) for ≥median compared with

Amplification of flood frequencies with local sea level rise and emerging flood regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchanan, Maya K.; Oppenheimer, Michael; Kopp, Robert E.

2017-06-01

The amplification of flood frequencies by sea level rise (SLR) is expected to become one of the most economically damaging impacts of climate change for many coastal locations. Understanding the magnitude and pattern by which the frequency of current flood levels increase is important for developing more resilient coastal settlements, particularly since flood risk management (e.g. infrastructure, insurance, communications) is often tied to estimates of flood return periods. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report characterized the multiplication factor by which the frequency of flooding of a given height increases (referred to here as an amplification factor; AF). However, this characterization neither rigorously considered uncertainty in SLR nor distinguished between the amplification of different flooding levels (such as the 10% versus 0.2% annual chance floods); therefore, it may be seriously misleading. Because both historical flood frequency and projected SLR are uncertain, we combine joint probability distributions of the two to calculate AFs and their uncertainties over time. Under probabilistic relative sea level projections, while maintaining storm frequency fixed, we estimate a median 40-fold increase (ranging from 1- to 1314-fold) in the expected annual number of local 100-year floods for tide-gauge locations along the contiguous US coastline by 2050. While some places can expect disproportionate amplification of higher frequency events and thus primarily a greater number of historically precedented floods, others face amplification of lower frequency events and thus a particularly fast growing risk of historically unprecedented flooding. For example, with 50 cm of SLR, the 10%, 1%, and 0.2% annual chance floods are expected respectively to recur 108, 335, and 814 times as often in Seattle, but 148, 16, and 4 times as often in Charleston, SC.

Damage detection on sudden stiffness reduction based on discrete wavelet transform.

PubMed

Chen, Bo; Chen, Zhi-wei; Wang, Gan-jun; Xie, Wei-ping

2014-01-01

The sudden stiffness reduction in a structure may cause the signal discontinuity in the acceleration responses close to the damage location at the damage time instant. To this end, the damage detection on sudden stiffness reduction of building structures has been actively investigated in this study. The signal discontinuity of the structural acceleration responses of an example building is extracted based on the discrete wavelet transform. It is proved that the variation of the first level detail coefficients of the wavelet transform at damage instant is linearly proportional to the magnitude of the stiffness reduction. A new damage index is proposed and implemented to detect the damage time instant, location, and severity of a structure due to a sudden change of structural stiffness. Numerical simulation using a five-story shear building under different types of excitation is carried out to assess the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed damage index for the building at different damage levels. The sensitivity of the damage index to the intensity and frequency range of measurement noise is also investigated. The made observations demonstrate that the proposed damage index can accurately identify the sudden damage events if the noise intensity is limited.

Foreign Object Damage by Steel Ball Projectiles in a SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composite at Ambient and Elevated Temperatures

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-29

under a quasi-static condition. The duration of the impact is relatively long compared with the period of the fundamental natural frequency of the...Y, Katano, Y, and Matoba, K, 1989, “Spherical-Impact Damage and Strength Degradation in Silicon Nitrides for Automobile Turbocharger Rotors,” J. Am

Angle-Beam Shear Wave Scattering from Buried Crack-like Defects in Bonded Specimens (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-01

wavenumber filtering and spatial windowing is proposed and implemented as an alternative approach to quantify scattering from damage. 15. SUBJECT...TERMS Backscattering . Ultrasonography . Spatial filtering . Ultrasonic scattering . Scattering measurement 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17...of frequency- wavenumber filtering and spatial windowing is proposed and implemented as an alternative approach to quantify scattering from damage

Seismic Risk Studies in the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Algermissen, S.T.

A new seismic risk map of the United States is presented, along with strain release and maximum Modified Mercalli intesity maps of the country. Frequency of occurrence of damaging earthquakes was not considered in zone ratings, but included frequency studies may aid interpretation. Discussion of methods is included with review of calculations. (MH)

Semi-active control of monopile offshore wind turbines under multi-hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, C.

2018-01-01

The present paper studies the control of monopile offshore wind turbines subjected to multi-hazards consisting of wind, wave and earthquake. A Semi-active tuned mass damper (STMD) with tunable natural frequency and damping ratio is introduced to control the dynamic response. A new fully coupled analytical model of the monopile offshore wind turbine with an STMD is established. The aerodynamic, hydrodynamic and seismic loading models are derived. Soil effects and damage are considered. The National Renewable Energy Lab monopile 5 MW baseline wind turbine model is employed to examine the performance of the STMD. A passive tuned mass damper (TMD) is utilized for comparison. Through numerical simulation, it is found that before damage occurs, the wind and wave induced response is more dominant than the earthquake induced response. With damage presence in the tower and the foundation, the nacelle and the tower response is increased dramatically and the natural frequency is decreased considerably. As a result, the passive TMD with fixed parameters becomes off-tuned and loses its effectiveness. In comparison, the STMD retuned in real-time demonstrates consistent effectiveness in controlling the dynamic response of the monopile offshore wind turbines under multi-hazards and damage with a smaller stroke.

Damage detection and quantification in a structural model under seismic excitation using time-frequency analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Chun-Kai; Loh, Chin-Hsiung; Wu, Tzu-Hsiu

2015-04-01

In civil engineering, health monitoring and damage detection are typically carry out by using a large amount of sensors. Typically, most methods require global measurements to extract the properties of the structure. However, some sensors, like LVDT, cannot be used due to in situ limitation so that the global deformation remains unknown. An experiment is used to demonstrate the proposed algorithms: a one-story 2-bay reinforce concrete frame under weak and strong seismic excitation. In this paper signal processing techniques and nonlinear identification are used and applied to the response measurements of seismic response of reinforced concrete structures subject to different level of earthquake excitations. Both modal-based and signal-based system identification and feature extraction techniques are used to study the nonlinear inelastic response of RC frame using both input and output response data or output only measurement. From the signal-based damage identification method, which include the enhancement of time-frequency analysis of acceleration responses and the estimation of permanent deformation using directly from acceleration response data. Finally, local deformation measurement from dense optical tractor is also use to quantify the damage of the RC frame structure.

Effects on Diagnostic Parameters After Removing Additional Synchronous Gear Meshes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Decker, Harry J.

2003-01-01

Gear cracks are typically difficult to diagnose with sufficient time before catastrophic damage occurs. Significant damage must be present before algorithms appear to be able to detect the damage. Frequently there are multiple gear meshes on a single shaft. Since they are all synchronous with the shaft frequency, the commonly used synchronous averaging technique is ineffective in removing other gear mesh effects. Carefully applying a filter to these extraneous gear mesh frequencies can reduce the overall vibration signal and increase the accuracy of commonly used vibration metrics. The vibration signals from three seeded fault tests were analyzed using this filtering procedure. Both the filtered and unfiltered vibration signals were then analyzed using commonly used fault detection metrics and compared. The tests were conducted on aerospace quality spur gears in a test rig. The tests were conducted at speeds ranging from 2500 to 5000 revolutions per minute and torques from 184 to 228 percent of design load. The inability to detect these cracks with high confidence results from the high loading which is causing fast fracture as opposed to stable crack growth. The results indicate that these techniques do not currently produce an indication of damage that significantly exceeds experimental scatter.

Prediction of Fretting Crack Location and Orientation in a Single Crystal Nickel Alloy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matlik, J. F.; Farris, T. N.; Haynes, J.; Swanson, G. R.; Ham-Battista, G.

2005-01-01

Fretting is a structural damage mechanism arising between two nominally clamped surfaces subjected to an oscillatory loading. A critical location for fretting induced damage has been identified at the blade/disk and blade/damper interfaces of gas turbine engine turbomachinery and space propulsion components. The high- temperature, high-frequency loading environment seen by these components lead to severe stress gradients at the edge-of-contact that could potentially foster crack growth leading to component failure. These contact stresses drive crack nucleation in fretting and are very sensitive to the geometry of the contacting bodies, the contact loads, materials, temperature, and contact surface tribology (friction). Recently, a high-frequency, high-temperature load frame has been designed for experimentally investigating fretting damage of single crystal nickel materials employed in aircraft and spacecraft turbomachinery. A modeling method for characterizing the fretting stresses of the spherical fretting contact stress behavior in this experiment is developed and described. The calculated fretting stresses for a series of experiments are then correlated to the observed fretting damage. Results show that knowledge of the normal stresses and resolved shear stresses on each crystal plane can aid in predicting crack locations and orientations.

Beaver dams, hydrological thresholds, and controlled floods as a management tool in a desert riverine ecosystem, Bill Williams River, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andersen, D.C.; Shafroth, P.B.

2010-01-01

Beaver convert lotic stream habitat to lentic through dam construction, and the process is reversed when a flood or other event causes dam failure. We investigated both processes on a regulated Sonoran Desert stream, using the criterion that average current velocity is < 0.2 m s-1 in a lentic reach. We estimated temporal change in the lotic:lentic stream length ratio by relating beaver pond length (determined by the upstream lentic-lotic boundary position) to dam size, and coupling that to the dam-size frequency distribution and repeated censuses of dams along the 58-km river. The ratio fell from 19:1 when no beaver dams were present to < 3:1 after 7 years of flows favourable for beaver. We investigated the dam failure-flood intensity relationship in three independent trials (experimental floods) featuring peak discharge ranging from 37 to 65 m3 s-1. Major damage (breach ??? 3-m wide) occurred at ??? 20% of monitored dams (n = 7-86) and a similar or higher proportion was moderately damaged. We detected neither a relationship between dam size and damage level nor a flood discharge threshold for initiating major damage. Dam constituent materials appeared to control the probability of major damage at low (attenuated) flood magnitude. We conclude that environmental flows prescribed to sustain desert riparian forest will also reduce beaver-created lentic habitat in a non-linear manner determined by both beaver dam and flood attributes. Consideration of both desirable and undesirable consequences of ecological engineering by beaver is important when optimizing environmental flows to meet ecological and socioeconomic goals. ?? 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Delayed and reduced carbon uptake in a subarctic peatland following an extreme winter event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parmentier, F. J. W.; Rasse, D. P.; Lund, M.; Bjerke, J. W.; Drake, B. G.; Weldon, S.; Tømmervik, H. A.; Hansen, G.

2017-12-01

An increase in the frequency of extreme winter events in the Arctic may lead to more widespread damage to shrub-dominated ecosystems, including peatlands. In principle, such damage should reduce carbon uptake in the following summer, but the resilience of northern ecosystems to extreme winter events remains unclear due to a dearth of flux measurements from affected areas. In this talk, therefore, we report CO2 fluxes measured with eddy covariance from a peatland in northern Norway and show that vegetation productivity was delayed and reduced during the summer of 2014, following an extreme winter event. Strong frost and the absence of a protective snow cover in January of that year - its combined intensity unprecedented in the local climate record - led to severe dieback of the shrub species Calluna vulgaris and Empetrum nigrum. Similar vegetation damage was reported at the time along 1000 km of coastal Norway, indicating the widespread impact of this frost drought event. Consequently, gross primary production (GPP) showed a strong delayed response to temperature, from snowmelt up to the peak of summer, potentially reducing carbon uptake by 15 (0-24) g C m-2 ( 13% of GPP in that period). The delayed response of the vegetation was also exhibited in remotely-sensed NDVI values, with a maximum two weeks later than normal and at the lowest level in more than a decade. Photosynthesis was eventually stimulated by the warm and sunny summer, but ecosystem respiration increased as well - which limited net carbon uptake. This study shows that damage from a single extreme winter event can have a profound impact on ecosystem CO2 uptake, and it highlights the importance of including winter-induced shrub damage in terrestrial ecosystem models to accurately predict vegetation and carbon sequestration trends in the arctic and boreal region.

Requirement of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae APN1 Gene for the Repair of Mitochondrial DNA Alkylation Damage

PubMed Central

Acevedo-Torres, Karina; Fonseca-Williams, Sharon; Ayala-Torres, Sylvette; Torres-Ramos, Carlos A.

2010-01-01

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae APN1 gene that participates in base excision repair has been localized both in the nucleus and the mitochondria. APN1 deficient cells (apn1Δ) show increased mutation frequencies in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) suggesting that APN1 is also important for mtDNA stability. To understand APN1-dependent mtDNA repair processes we studied the formation and repair of mtDNA lesions in cells exposed to methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). We show that MMS induces mtDNA damage in a dose-dependent fashion and that deletion of the APN1 gene enhances the susceptibility of mtDNA to MMS. Repair kinetic experiments demonstrate that in wild-type cells (WT) it takes 4 hr to repair the damage induced by 0.1% MMS, whereas in the apn1Δ strain there is a lag in mtDNA repair that results in significant differences in the repair capacity between the two yeast strains. Analysis of lesions in nuclear DNA (nDNA) after treatment with 0.1% MMS shows a significant difference in the amount of nDNA lesions between WT and apn1Δ cells. Interestingly, comparisons between nDNA and mtDNA damage show that nDNA is more sensitive to the effects of MMS treatment. However, both strains are able to repair the nDNA lesions, contrary to mtDNA repair, which is compromised in the apn1Δ mutant strain. Therefore, although nDNA is more sensitive than mtDNA to the effects of MMS, deletion of APN1 has a stronger phenotype in mtDNA repair than in nDNA. These results highlight the prominent role of APN1 in the repair of environmentally induced mtDNA damage. PMID:19197988

Diverse responses of different structured forest to drought in Southwest China through remotely sensed data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Peipei; Zhou, Tao; Zhao, Xiang; Luo, Hui; Gao, Shan; Li, Zheng; Cao, Leyao

2018-07-01

Global climate change leads to gradual increases in the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme drought events. Human activities such as afforestation and deforestation have led to spatial variation in forest structure, causing forests to exhibit an age-spatial structure relationship. Thus, it is of great importance to accurately evaluate the effects of drought stress on forest ecosystems with different forest age structures. Because the spatial heterogeneity varies with drought stress intensity, forest age, there are still a lot of uncertainties in current studies. In this study, based on the field measurement, and the proxy index of stand age (based on forest canopy height from LiDAR and stock volume from inventory) at the regional scale, we analyzed the different drought responses of forest ecosystems with various forest ages across different scales in Yunnan province, southwest China from 2001 to 2014. At the local scale, significant differences in the effects of drought stress were found among forests with various ages, suggesting that older forests suffer more under drought stress than younger forests. At the regional scale, the investigation statistics of forest damage indicated a maximum damage ratio in the forest with tall trees (>32 m), whereas damage was minimal in the forest with short trees (<25 m). The stock volume of the forest exhibited the same pattern, that is, the forest damage ratio increased as the stock volume increased. These data demonstrate that the responses of forest drought could be affected by forest age. Under drought stress, older forests show greater vulnerability and risk of damage, which will require special attention for forest managers, as well as improved risk assessments, in the context of future climate change.

Functional and Neuromuscular Changes in the Hamstrings After Drop Jumps and Leg Curls

PubMed Central

Sarabon, Nejc; Panjan, Andrej; Rosker, Jernej; Fonda, Borut

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to use a holistic approach to investigate changes in jumping performance, kinaesthesia, static balance, isometric strength and fast stepping on spot during a 5-day recovery period, following an acute bout of damaging exercise consisted of drop jumps and leg curls, where specific emphasis was given on the hamstring muscles. Eleven young healthy subjects completed a series of highly intensive damaging exercises for their hamstring muscles. Prior to the exercise, and during the 5-day recovery period, the subjects were tested for biochemical markers (creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase), perceived pain sensation, physical performance (squat jump, counter movement jump, maximal frequency leg stamping, maximal isometric torque production and maximally explosive isometric torque production), kinaesthesia (active torque tracking) and static balance. We observed significant decreases in maximal isometric knee flexion torque production, the rate of torque production, and majority of the parameters for vertical jump performance. No alterations were found in kinaesthesia, static balance and fast stepping on spot. The highest drop in performance and increase in perceived pain sensation generally occurred 24 or 48 hours after the exercise. Damaging exercise substantially alters the neuromuscular functions of the hamstring muscles, which is specifically relevant for sports and rehabilitation experts, as the hamstrings are often stretched to significant lengths, in particular when the knee is extended and hip flexed. These findings are practically important for recovery after high-intensity trainings for hamstring muscles. Key Points Hamstring function is significantly reduced following specifically damaging exercise. It fully recovers 120 hours after the exercise. Prevention of exercise-induced muscle damage is cruicial for maintaining normal training regime. PMID:24149148

Strengthening the weak link: Built Environment modelling for loss analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millinship, I.

2012-04-01

Methods to analyse insured losses from a range of natural perils, including pricing by primary insurers and catastrophe modelling by reinsurers, typically lack sufficient exposure information. Understanding the hazard intensity in terms of spatial severity and frequency is only the first step towards quantifying the risk of a catastrophic event. For any given event we need to know: Are any structures affected? What type of buildings are they? How much damaged occurred? How much will the repairs cost? To achieve this, detailed exposure information is required to assess the likely damage and to effectively calculate the resultant loss. Modelling exposures in the Built Environment therefore plays as important a role in understanding re/insurance risk as characterising the physical hazard. Across both primary insurance books and aggregated reinsurance portfolios, the location of a property (a risk) and its monetary value is typically known. Exactly what that risk is in terms of detailed property descriptors including structure type and rebuild cost - and therefore its vulnerability to loss - is often omitted. This data deficiency is a primary source of variations between modelled losses and the actual claims value. Built Environment models are therefore required at a high resolution to describe building attributes that relate vulnerability to property damage. However, national-scale household-level datasets are often not computationally practical in catastrophe models and data must be aggregated. In order to provide more accurate risk analysis, we have developed and applied a methodology for Built Environment modelling for incorporation into a range of re/insurance applications, including operational models for different international regions and different perils and covering residential, commercial and industry exposures. Illustrated examples are presented, including exposure modelling suitable for aggregated reinsurance analysis for the UK and bespoke high resolution modelling for industrial sites in Germany. A range of attributes are included following detailed claims analysis and engineering research with property type, age and condition identified as important differentiators of damage from flood, wind and freeze events.

The Effect of a Mars Mission on Chromosome Damage in the Blood Lymphocytes of Astronauts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

George, Kerry A.; Durante, M.; Cucinnotta, F. A.

2006-01-01

The radiation environment encountered during a manned mission to Mars will lead to significant elevation of biological damage in astronauts. Here we present estimates of the increased frequencies of chromosome aberrations in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of astronauts after a hypothetical Mars mission using radiation dose estimations and lymphocyte biology. Results will incorporate previously published data on in vivo induced chromosome damage in the blood lymphocytes of crewmembers after ISS and Mir missions, along with recent findings on the time dependant decay of chromosome aberrations after space flight.

SITE AMPLIFICATION OF EARTHQUAKE GROUND MOTION.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hays, Walter W.

1986-01-01

When analyzing the patterns of damage in an earthquake, physical parameters of the total earthquake-site-structure system are correlated with the damage. Soil-structure interaction, the cause of damage in many earthquakes, involves the frequency-dependent response of both the soil-rock column and the structure. The response of the soil-rock column (called site amplification) is controversial because soil has strain-dependent properties that affect the way the soil column filters the input body and surface seismic waves, modifying the amplitude and phase spectra and the duration of the surface ground motion.

[The distribution of radiation-induced breaks in the chromosomes of irradiated subjects].

PubMed

Shemetun, O V; Pidlins'ka, M A; Shemetun, H M

2000-01-01

Distribution of radiation-induced breakpoints in chromosomes and its bands in persons recovered from acute radiation sickness and personnel from Chernobyl NPP were investigated using G-banding staining. The frequency of damaged bands and breakpoints in groups exposed to radiation was significantly higher as compared with the control group. It was shown that in exposed to radiation persons damage depends on its length. Most frequently damaged bands in the observed groups were determined. The G-negative bands and telomeres of chromosomes were more sensitive to radiation.

Probabilistic Evaluation of Blade Impact Damage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, C. C.; Abumeri, G. H.

2003-01-01

The response to high velocity impact of a composite blade is probabilistically evaluated. The evaluation is focused on quantifying probabilistically the effects of uncertainties (scatter) in the variables that describe the impact, the blade make-up (geometry and material), the blade response (displacements, strains, stresses, frequencies), the blade residual strength after impact, and the blade damage tolerance. The results of probabilistic evaluations results are in terms of probability cumulative distribution functions and probabilistic sensitivities. Results show that the blade has relatively low damage tolerance at 0.999 probability of structural failure and substantial at 0.01 probability.

Dose rate effect of pulsed electron beam on micronucleus frequency in human peripheral blood lymphocytes.

PubMed

Acharya, Santhosh; Sanjeev, Ganesh; Bhat, Nagesh N; Narayana, Yerol

2010-03-01

The micronucleus assay in human peripheral blood lymphocytes is a sensitive indicator of radiation damage and could serve as a biological dosimeter in evaluating suspected overexposure to ionising radiation. Micronucleus (MN) frequency as a measure of chromosomal damage has also extensively been employed to quantify the effects of radiation dose rate on biological systems. Here we studied the effects of 8 MeV pulsed electron beam emitted by Microtron electron accelerator on MN induction at dose rates between 35 Gy min-1 and 352.5 Gy min-1. These dose rates were achieved by varying the pulse repetition rate (PRR). Fricke dosimeter was employed to measure the absorbed dose at different PRR and to ensure uniform dose distribution of the electron beam. To study the dose rate effect, blood samples were irradiated to an absorbed dose of (4.7+/-0.2) Gy at different rates and cytogenetic damage was quantified using the micronucleus assay. The obtained MN frequency showed no dose rate dependence within the studied dose rate range. Our earlier dose effect study using 8 MeV electrons revealed that the response of MN was linear-quadratic. Therefore, in the event of an accident, dose estimation can be made using linear-quadratic dose response parameters, without adding dose rate as a correction factor.

Fiber optic sensor for continuous health monitoring in CFRP composite materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rippert, Laurent; Papy, Jean-Michel; Wevers, Martine; Van Huffel, Sabine

2002-07-01

An intensity modulated sensor, based on the microbending concept, has been incorporated in laminates produced from a C/epoxy prepreg. Pencil lead break tests (Hsu-Neilsen sources) and tensile tests have been performed on this material. In this research study, fibre optic sensors will be proven to offer an alternative for the robust piezoelectric transducers used for Acoustic Emission (AE) monitoring. The main emphasis has been put on the use of advanced signal processing techniques based on time-frequency analysis. The signal Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT) has been computed and several robust noise reduction algorithms, such as Wiener adaptive filtering, improved spectral subtraction filtering, and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) -based filtering, have been applied. An energy and frequency -based detection criterion is put forward to detect transient signals that can be correlated with Modal Acoustic Emission (MAE) results and thus damage in the composite material. There is a strong indication that time-frequency analysis and the Hankel Total Least Squares (HTLS) method can also be used for damage characterization. This study shows that the signal from a quite simple microbend optical sensor contains information on the elastic energy released whenever damage is being introduced in the host material by mechanical loading. Robust algorithms can be used to retrieve and analyze this information.

Seismic fault zone trapped noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillers, G.; Campillo, M.; Ben-Zion, Y.; Roux, P.

2014-07-01

Systematic velocity contrasts across and within fault zones can lead to head and trapped waves that provide direct information on structural units that are important for many aspects of earthquake and fault mechanics. Here we construct trapped waves from the scattered seismic wavefield recorded by a fault zone array. The frequency-dependent interaction between the ambient wavefield and the fault zone environment is studied using properties of the noise correlation field. A critical frequency fc ≈ 0.5 Hz defines a threshold above which the in-fault scattered wavefield has increased isotropy and coherency compared to the ambient noise. The increased randomization of in-fault propagation directions produces a wavefield that is trapped in a waveguide/cavity-like structure associated with the low-velocity damage zone. Dense spatial sampling allows the resolution of a near-field focal spot, which emerges from the superposition of a collapsing, time reversed wavefront. The shape of the focal spot depends on local medium properties, and a focal spot-based fault normal distribution of wave speeds indicates a ˜50% velocity reduction consistent with estimates from a far-field travel time inversion. The arrival time pattern of a synthetic correlation field can be tuned to match properties of an observed pattern, providing a noise-based imaging tool that can complement analyses of trapped ballistic waves. The results can have wide applicability for investigating the internal properties of fault damage zones, because mechanisms controlling the emergence of trapped noise have less limitations compared to trapped ballistic waves.

Pulse sequences for efficient multi-cycle terahertz generation in periodically poled lithium niobate.

PubMed

Ravi, Koustuban; Schimpf, Damian N; Kärtner, Franz X

2016-10-31

The use of laser pulse sequences to drive the cascaded difference frequency generation of high energy, high peak-power and multi-cycle terahertz pulses in cryogenically cooled (100 K) periodically poled Lithium Niobate is proposed and studied. Detailed simulations considering the coupled nonlinear interaction of terahertz and optical waves (or pump depletion), show that unprecedented optical-to-terahertz energy conversion efficiencies > 5%, peak electric fields of hundred(s) of mega volts/meter at terahertz pulse durations of hundred(s) of picoseconds can be achieved. The proposed methods are shown to circumvent laser induced damage limitations at Joule-level pumping by 1µm lasers to enable multi-cycle terahertz sources with pulse energies > 10 milli-joules. Various pulse sequence formats are proposed and analyzed. Numerical calculations for periodically poled structures accounting for cascaded difference frequency generation, self-phase-modulation, cascaded second harmonic generation and laser induced damage are introduced. The physics governing terahertz generation using pulse sequences in this high conversion efficiency regime, limitations and practical considerations are discussed. It is shown that varying the poling period along the crystal length and further reduction of absorption can lead to even higher energy conversion efficiencies >10%. In addition to numerical calculations, an analytic formulation valid for arbitrary pulse formats and closed-form expressions for important cases are presented. Parameters optimizing conversion efficiency in the 0.1-1 THz range, the corresponding peak electric fields, crystal lengths and terahertz pulse properties are furnished.

Fifty hertz extremely low-frequency magnetic field exposure elicits redox and trophic response in rat-cortical neurons.

PubMed

Di Loreto, Silvia; Falone, Stefano; Caracciolo, Valentina; Sebastiani, Pierluigi; D'Alessandro, Antonella; Mirabilio, Alessandro; Zimmitti, Vincenzo; Amicarelli, Fernanda

2009-05-01

Large research activity has raised around the mechanisms of interaction between extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) and biological systems. ELF-MFs may interfere with chemical reactions involving reactive oxygen species (ROS), thus facilitating oxidative damages in living cells. Cortical neurons are particularly susceptible to oxidative stressors and are also highly dependent on the specific factors and proteins governing neuronal development, activity and survival. The aim of the present work was to investigate the effects of exposures to two different 50 Hz sinusoidal ELF-MFs intensities (0.1 and 1 mT) in maturing rat cortical neurons' major anti-oxidative enzymatic and non-enzymatic cellular protection systems, membrane peroxidative damage, as well as growth factor, and cytokine expression pattern. Briefly, our results showed that ELF-MFs affected positively the cell viability and concomitantly reduced the levels of apoptotic death in rat neuronal primary cultures, with no significant effects on the main anti-oxidative defences. Interestingly, linear regression analysis suggested a positive correlation between reduced glutathione (GSH) and ROS levels in 1 mT MF-exposed cells. On this basis, our hypothesis is that GSH could play an important role in the antioxidant defence towards the ELF-MF-induced redox challenge. Moreover, the GSH-based cellular response was achieved together with a brain-derived neurotrophic factor over-expression as well as with the interleukin 1beta-dependent regulation of pro-survival signaling pathways after ELF-MF exposure.

A cross-linguistic data bank for oral picture naming in Dutch, English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish (PEDOI).

PubMed

Kremin, Helgard; Akhutina, Tanya; Basso, Anna; Davidoff, Jules; De Wilde, Martine; Kitzing, Peter; Lorenz, Antje; Perrier, Danièle; van der Sandt-Koenderman, Mieke; Vendrell, Josep; Weniger, Dorothea; Apt, Pia; Arabia, Catherine; De Bleser, Ria; Cohen, Henri; Corbineau, Mathilde; Dolivet, Marie-Christine; Hirsh, Kathi; Lehoux, Emilie; Metz-Lutz, Mari Noëlle; Montañes, Patricia; Plagne, Stéphanie; Polonskaya, Natalya; Sirois, Mélanie; Stachowiak, Franz; Sweeney, Trione; Vish-Brink, Evy

2003-11-01

The well established effect of word frequency on adult's picture naming performance is now called into question. This is particularly true for variables which are correlated with frequency, as is the case of age of word acquisition. Since the work of [Carrol and White, 1973] there is growing agreement among researchers to confer an important role in lexical access to this variable. Indeed, it has been shown ( [Hodgson and Ellis, 1998]) that for normal English-speaking adults only the variables 'age-of-acquisition' and 'name agreement' are independent predictors of naming success among the various variables considered. However, when brain-damaged subjects with and without degenerative pathologies are studied, word frequency and word length as well as concept familiarity all give significant effects ( [Hirsh and Funnell, 1995]; [Lambon Ralph et al., 1998]; [Nickels and Howard, 1995]). Finally, it has been suggested that the production of specific error types may be related to such variables. According to [Nickels and Howard, 1994] the production of semantic errors is specifically affected by 'imageability' and in the recent study by [Kremin et al., 2001] 'age of acquisition' predicts (frank) word finding difficulties.

Persistence of space radiation induced cytogenetic damage in the blood lymphocytes of astronauts.

PubMed

George, K; Chappell, L J; Cucinotta, F A

2010-08-14

Cytogenetic damage was assessed in blood lymphocytes from 16 astronauts before and after they participated in long-duration space missions of 3 months or more. The frequency of chromosome damage was measured by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) chromosome painting before flight and at various intervals from a few days to many months after return from the mission. For all individuals, the frequency of chromosome exchanges measured within a month of return from space was higher than their preflight yield. However, some individuals showed a temporal decline in chromosome damage with time after flight. Statistical analysis using combined data for all astronauts indicated a significant overall decreasing trend in total chromosome exchanges with time after flight, although this trend was not seen for all astronauts and the yield of chromosome damage in some individuals actually increased with time after flight. The decreasing trend in total exchanges was slightly more significant when statistical analysis was restricted to data collected more than 220 days after return from flight. When analysis was restricted to data collected within 220 days of return from the mission there was no relationship between total exchanges and time. Translocation yields varied more between astronauts and there was only a slight non-significant decrease with time after flight that was similar for both later and earlier sampling times. Copyright (c) 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): A review of genetic damage investigations.

PubMed

Vijayalaxmi; Fatahi, Mahsa; Speck, Oliver

2015-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful, non-invasive diagnostic medical imaging technique widely used to acquire detailed information about anatomy and function of different organs in the body, in both health and disease. It utilizes electromagnetic fields of three different frequency bands: static magnetic field (SMF), time-varying gradient magnetic fields (GMF) in the kHz range and pulsed radiofrequency fields (RF) in the MHz range. There have been some investigations examining the extent of genetic damage following exposure of bacterial and human cells to all three frequency bands of electromagnetic fields, as used during MRI: the rationale for these studies is the well documented evidence of positive correlation between significantly increased genetic damage and carcinogenesis. Overall, the published data were not sufficiently informative and useful because of the small sample size, inappropriate comparison of experimental groups, etc. Besides, when an increased damage was observed in MRI-exposed cells, the fate of such lesions was not further explored from multiple 'down-stream' events. This review provides: (i) information on the basic principles used in MRI technology, (ii) detailed experimental protocols, results and critical comments on the genetic damage investigations thus far conducted using MRI equipment and, (iii) a discussion on several gaps in knowledge in the current scientific literature on MRI. Comprehensive, international, multi-centered collaborative studies, using a common and widely used MRI exposure protocol (cardiac or brain scan) incorporating several genetic/epigenetic damage end-points as well as epidemiological investigations, in large number of individuals/patients are warranted to reduce and perhaps, eliminate uncertainties raised in genetic damage investigations in cells exposed in vitro and in vivo to MRI. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fluid dynamic aspects of cardiovascular behavior during low-frequency whole-body vibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nerem, R. M.

1973-01-01

The behavior of the cardiovascular system during low frequency whole-body vibration, such as encountered by astronauts during launch and reentry, is examined from a fluid mechanical viewpoint. The vibration characteristics of typical manned spacecraft and other vibration environments are discussed, and existing results from in vivo studies of the hemodynamic aspects of this problem are reviewed. Recent theoretical solutions to related fluid mechanical problems are then used in the interpretation of these results and in discussing areas of future work. The results are included of studies of the effects of vibration on the work done by the heart and on pulsatile flow in blood vessels. It is shown that important changes in pulse velocity, the instantaneous velocity profile, mass flow rate, and wall shear stress may occur in a pulsatile flow due to the presence of vibration. The significance of this in terms of changes in peripheral vascular resistance and possible damage to the endothelium of blood vessels is discussed.

Plasma Acceleration by Rotating Magnetic Field Method using Helicon Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furukawa, Takeru; Shimura, Kaichi; Kuwahara, Daisuke; Shinohara, Shunjiro

2017-10-01

Electrodeless plasma thrusters are very promising due to no electrode damage, leading to realize further deep space exploration. As one of the important proposals, we have been concentrating on Rotating Magnetic Field (RMF) acceleration method. High-dense plasma (up to 1013 cm-3) can be generated by using a radio frequency (rf) external antenna, and also accelerated by an antenna wound around outside of a discharge tube. In this scheme, thrust increment is achieved by the axial Lorentz force caused by non linear effects. RMF penetration condition into plasma can be more satisfied than our previous experiment, by increasing RMF coil current and decreasing the RMF frequency, causing higher thrust and fuel efficiency. Measurements of AC RMF component s have been conducted to investigate the acceleration mechanism and the field penetration experimentally. This study has been partially supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B: 17H02995) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Micro/nano-particle decorated metal wire for cutting soft matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wei; Feng, Liang-liang; Wu, Fan; Zhang, Run-run; Wu, Cheng-wei

2016-09-01

To cut soft materials such as biological tissues with minimal damage and reduced positional error is highly desired in medical surgery and biomechanics. After years of natural selection and evolution, mosquitoes have acquired the ability to insert their proboscises into human skin with astonishingly tiny forces. This can be associated with the unique structure of their proboscises, with micro/nano sawteeth, and the distinctive insertion manner: high frequency reciprocating saw cutting. Inspired by these, this communication describes the successful implantation of metal oxide particles onto molybdenum wire surfaces through a sol-calcination process, to form a biomimetic sawblade with a high density of micro/nano saw teeth, where the acidification is essential in terms of generating active anchoring sites on the wire. When used as a sawblade in conjunction with reciprocating action to cut the viscoelastic gel, both the cut-in force and cut-in displacement could be decreased substantially. The cutting speed and frequency of reciprocating action are important operating parameters influencing cut-in force.

Damage Identification of Wind Turbine Blades Using Piezoelectric Transducers

DOE PAGES

Choi, Seong-Won; Farinholt, Kevin M.; Taylor, Stuart G.; ...

2014-01-01

This paper presents the experimental results of active-sensing structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques, which utilize piezoelectric transducers as sensors and actuators, for determining the structural integrity of wind turbine blades. Specifically, Lamb wave propagations and frequency response functions at high frequency ranges are used to estimate the condition of wind turbine blades. For experiments, a 1 m section of a CX-100 blade is used. The goal of this study is to assess and compare the performance of each method in identifying incipient damage with a consideration given to field deployability. Overall, these methods yielded a sufficient damage detection capability to warrantmore » further investigation. This paper also summarizes the SHM results of a full-scale fatigue test of a 9 m CX-100 blade using piezoelectric active sensors. This paper outlines considerations needed to design such SHM systems, experimental procedures and results, and additional issues that can be used as guidelines for future investigations.« less

Frequency Domain Reflectometry Modeling and Measurement for Nondestructive Evaluation of Nuclear Power Plant Cables

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

Glass, Samuel W.; Fifield, Leonard S.; Jones, Anthony M.

Cable insulation polymers are among the more susceptible materials to age-related degradation within a nuclear power plant. This is recognized by both regulators and utilities, so all plants have developed cable aging management programs to detect damage before critical component failure in compliance with regulatory guidelines. Although a wide range of tools are available to evaluate cables and cable systems, cable aging management programs vary in how condition monitoring and NDE is conducted as utilities search for the most reliable and cost-effective ways to assess cable system condition. Frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) is emerging as one valuable tool to locatemore » and assess damaged portions of a cable system with minimal cost and only requires access in most cases to one of the cable terminal ends. This work examines a physics-based model of a cable system and relates it to FDR measurements for a better understanding of specific damage influences on defect detectability.« less

Selection of assessment methods for evaluating banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) damage on highland cooking banana (Musa spp., genome group AAA-EA).

PubMed

Gold, C S; Ragama, P E; Coe, R; Rukazambuga, N D T M

2005-04-01

Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) is an important pest on bananas and plantains. Population build-up is slow and damage becomes increasingly important in successive crop cycles (ratoons). Yield loss results from plant loss, mat disappearance and reduced bunch size. Damage assessment requires destructive sampling and is most often done on corms of recently harvested plants. A wide range of damage assessment methods exist and there are no agreed protocols. It is critical to know what types of damage best reflect C. sordidus pest status through their relationships with yield loss. Multiple damage assessment parameters (i.e. for the corm periphery, cortex and central cylinder) were employed in two yield loss trials and a cultivar-screening trial in Uganda. Damage to the central cylinder had a greater effect on plant size and yield loss than damage to the cortex or corm periphery. In some cases, a combined assessment of damage to the central cylinder and cortex showed a better relationship with yield loss than an assessment of the central cylinder alone. Correlation, logistic and linear regression analyses showed weak to modest correlations between damage to the corm periphery and damage to the central cylinder. Thus, damage to the corm periphery is not a strong predictor of the more important damage to the central cylinder. Therefore, C. sordidus damage assessment should target the central cylinder and cortex.

Condition Assessment of Foundation Piles and Utility Poles Based on Guided Wave Propagation Using a Network of Tactile Transducers and Support Vector Machines

PubMed Central

Yu, Yang; Niederleithinger, Ernst; Li, Jianchun; Wiggenhauser, Herbert

2017-01-01

This paper presents a novel non-destructive testing and health monitoring system using a network of tactile transducers and accelerometers for the condition assessment and damage classification of foundation piles and utility poles. While in traditional pile integrity testing an impact hammer with broadband frequency excitation is typically used, the proposed testing system utilizes an innovative excitation system based on a network of tactile transducers to induce controlled narrow-band frequency stress waves. Thereby, the simultaneous excitation of multiple stress wave types and modes is avoided (or at least reduced), and targeted wave forms can be generated. The new testing system enables the testing and monitoring of foundation piles and utility poles where the top is inaccessible, making the new testing system suitable, for example, for the condition assessment of pile structures with obstructed heads and of poles with live wires. For system validation, the new system was experimentally tested on nine timber and concrete poles that were inflicted with several types of damage. The tactile transducers were excited with continuous sine wave signals of 1 kHz frequency. Support vector machines were employed together with advanced signal processing algorithms to distinguish recorded stress wave signals from pole structures with different types of damage. The results show that using fast Fourier transform signals, combined with principal component analysis as the input feature vector for support vector machine (SVM) classifiers with different kernel functions, can achieve damage classification with accuracies of 92.5% ± 7.5%. PMID:29258274

Repair-dependent cell radiation survival and transformation: an integrated theory.

PubMed

Sutherland, John C

2014-09-07

The repair-dependent model of cell radiation survival is extended to include radiation-induced transformations. The probability of transformation is presumed to scale with the number of potentially lethal damages that are repaired in a surviving cell or the interactions of such damages. The theory predicts that at doses corresponding to high survival, the transformation frequency is the sum of simple polynomial functions of dose; linear, quadratic, etc, essentially as described in widely used linear-quadratic expressions. At high doses, corresponding to low survival, the ratio of transformed to surviving cells asymptotically approaches an upper limit. The low dose fundamental- and high dose plateau domains are separated by a downwardly concave transition region. Published transformation data for mammalian cells show the high-dose plateaus predicted by the repair-dependent model for both ultraviolet and ionizing radiation. For the neoplastic transformation experiments that were analyzed, the data can be fit with only the repair-dependent quadratic function. At low doses, the transformation frequency is strictly quadratic, but becomes sigmodial over a wider range of doses. Inclusion of data from the transition region in a traditional linear-quadratic analysis of neoplastic transformation frequency data can exaggerate the magnitude of, or create the appearance of, a linear component. Quantitative analysis of survival and transformation data shows good agreement for ultraviolet radiation; the shapes of the transformation components can be predicted from survival data. For ionizing radiations, both neutrons and x-rays, survival data overestimate the transforming ability for low to moderate doses. The presumed cause of this difference is that, unlike UV photons, a single x-ray or neutron may generate more than one lethal damage in a cell, so the distribution of such damages in the population is not accurately described by Poisson statistics. However, the complete sigmodial dose-response data for neoplastic transformations can be fit using the repair-dependent functions with all parameters determined only from transformation frequency data.

Time-frequency vibration analysis for the detection of motor damages caused by bearing currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prudhom, Aurelien; Antonino-Daviu, Jose; Razik, Hubert; Climente-Alarcon, Vicente

2017-02-01

Motor failure due to bearing currents is an issue that has drawn an increasing industrial interest over recent years. Bearing currents usually appear in motors operated by variable frequency drives (VFD); these drives may lead to common voltage modes which cause currents induced in the motor shaft that are discharged through the bearings. The presence of these currents may lead to the motor bearing failure only few months after system startup. Vibration monitoring is one of the most common ways for detecting bearing damages caused by circulating currents; the evaluation of the amplitudes of well-known characteristic components in the vibration Fourier spectrum that are associated with race, ball or cage defects enables to evaluate the bearing condition and, hence, to identify an eventual damage due to bearing currents. However, the inherent constraints of the Fourier transform may complicate the detection of the progressive bearing degradation; for instance, in some cases, other frequency components may mask or be confused with bearing defect-related while, in other cases, the analysis may not be suitable due to the eventual non-stationary nature of the captured vibration signals. Moreover, the fact that this analysis implies to lose the time-dimension limits the amount of information obtained from this technique. This work proposes the use of time-frequency (T-F) transforms to analyse vibration data in motors affected by bearing currents. The experimental results obtained in real machines show that the vibration analysis via T-F tools may provide significant advantages for the detection of bearing current damages; among other, these techniques enable to visualise the progressive degradation of the bearing while providing an effective discrimination versus other components that are not related with the fault. Moreover, their application is valid regardless of the operation regime of the machine. Both factors confirm the robustness and reliability of these tools that may be an interesting alternative for detecting this type of failure in induction motors.

Process compensated resonance testing modeling for damage evolution and uncertainty quantification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biedermann, Eric; Heffernan, Julieanne; Mayes, Alexander; Gatewood, Garrett; Jauriqui, Leanne; Goodlet, Brent; Pollock, Tresa; Torbet, Chris; Aldrin, John C.; Mazdiyasni, Siamack

2017-02-01

Process Compensated Resonance Testing (PCRT) is a nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method based on the fundamentals of Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS). PCRT is used for material characterization, defect detection, process control and life monitoring of critical gas turbine engine and aircraft components. Forward modeling and model inversion for PCRT have the potential to greatly increase the method's material characterization capability while reducing its dependence on compiling a large population of physical resonance measurements. This paper presents progress on forward modeling studies for damage mechanisms and defects in common to structural materials for gas turbine engines. Finite element method (FEM) models of single crystal (SX) Ni-based superalloy Mar-M247 dog bones and Ti-6Al-4V cylindrical bars were created, and FEM modal analyses calculated the resonance frequencies for the samples in their baseline condition. Then the frequency effects of superalloy creep (high-temperature plastic deformation) and macroscopic texture (preferred crystallographic orientation of grains detrimental to fatigue properties) were evaluated. A PCRT sorting module for creep damage in Mar-M247 was trained with a virtual database made entirely of modeled design points. The sorting module demonstrated successful discrimination of design points with as little as 1% creep strain in the gauge section from a population of acceptable design points with a range of material and geometric variation. The resonance frequency effects of macro-scale texture in Ti-6Al-4V were quantified with forward models of cylinder samples. FEM-based model inversion was demonstrated for Mar-M247 bulk material properties and variations in crystallographic orientation. PCRT uncertainty quantification (UQ) was performed using Monte Carlo studies for Mar-M247 that quantified the overall uncertainty in resonance frequencies resulting from coupled variation in geometry, material properties, crystallographic orientation and creep damage. A model calibration process was also developed that evaluates inversion fitting to differences from a designated reference sample rather than absolute property values, yielding a reduction in fit error.

Health diagnosis of arch bridge suspender by acoustic emission technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dongsheng; Ou, Jinping

2007-01-01

Conventional non-destructive methods can't be dynamically monitored the suspenders' damage levels and types, so acoustic emission (AE) technique is proposed to monitor its activity. The validity signals are determined by the relationship with risetime and duration. The ambient noise is eliminated using float threshold value and placing a guard sensor. The cement mortar and steel strand damage level is analyzed by AE parameter method and damage types are judged by waveform analyzing technique. Based on these methods, all the suspenders of Sichuan Ebian Dadu river arch bridge have been monitored using AE techniques. The monitoring results show that AE signal amplitude, energy, counts can visually display the suspenders' damage levels, the difference of waveform and frequency range express different damage type. The testing results are well coincide with the practical situation.

Dynamic fiber Bragg gratings based health monitoring system of composite aerospace structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panopoulou, A.; Loutas, T.; Roulias, D.; Fransen, S.; Kostopoulos, V.

2011-09-01

The main purpose of the current work is to develop a new system for structural health monitoring of composite aerospace structures based on real-time dynamic measurements, in order to identify the structural state condition. Long-gauge Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) optical sensors were used for monitoring the dynamic response of the composite structure. The algorithm that was developed for structural damage detection utilizes the collected dynamic response data, analyzes them in various ways and through an artificial neural network identifies the damage state and its location. Damage was simulated by slightly varying locally the mass of the structure (by adding a known mass) at different zones of the structure. Lumped masses in different locations upon the structure alter the eigen-frequencies in a way similar to actual damage. The structural dynamic behaviour has been numerically simulated and experimentally verified by means of modal testing on two different composite aerospace structures. Advanced digital signal processing techniques, e.g. the wavelet transform (WT), were used for the analysis of the dynamic response for feature extraction. WT's capability of separating the different frequency components in the time domain without loosing frequency information makes it a versatile tool for demanding signal processing applications. The use of WT is also suggested by the no-stationary nature of dynamic response signals and the opportunity of evaluating the temporal evolution of their frequency contents. Feature extraction is the first step of the procedure. The extracted features are effective indices of damage size and location. The classification step comprises of a feed-forward back propagation network, whose output determines the simulated damage location. Finally, dedicated training and validation activities were carried out by means of numerical simulations and experimental procedures. Experimental validation was performed initially on a flat stiffened panel, representing a section of a typical aeronautical structure, manufactured and tested in the lab and, as a second step, on a scaled up space oriented structure, which is a composite honeycomb plate, used as a deployment base for antenna arrays. An integrated FBG sensor network, based on the advantage of multiplexing, was mounted on both structures and different excitation positions and boundary conditions were used. The analysis of operational dynamic responses was employed to identify both the damage and its position. The system that was designed and tested initially on the thin composite panel, was successfully validated on the larger honeycomb structure. Numerical simulation of both structures was used as a support tool at all the steps of the work providing among others the location of the optical sensors used. The proposed work will be the base for the whole system qualification and validation on an antenna reflector in future work.

Wind damage and salinity effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on coastal baldcypress forests of Louisiana: Chapter 6F in Science and the storms-the USGS response to the hurricanes of 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doyle, Thomas W.; Conner, William H.; Day, Richard H.; Krauss, Ken W.; Swarzenski, Christopher M.

2007-01-01

The frequency of hurricane landfall in a given coastal stretch may play a more important role in the ecology of coastal forests than previously thought because of direct and indirect impacts of fallen trees and the introduction of salt water that lingers long after the storm passes. Findings show that surge events can inundate interior freshwater forests many miles from the coast and elevate soil salinities twofold to threefold. These elevated salinities may contribute to delayed mortality of certain tree species and set the stage for eventual forest decline and dieback.

Understanding a reference-free impedance method using collocated piezoelectric transducers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Eun Jin; Kim, Min Koo; Sohn, Hoon; Park, Hyun Woo

2010-03-01

A new concept of a reference-free impedance method, which does not require direct comparison with a baseline impedance signal, is proposed for damage detection in a plate-like structure. A single pair of piezoelectric (PZT) wafers collocated on both surfaces of a plate are utilized for extracting electro-mechanical signatures (EMS) associated with mode conversion due to damage. A numerical simulation is conducted to investigate the EMS of collocated PZT wafers in the frequency domain at the presence of damage through spectral element analysis. Then, the EMS due to mode conversion induced by damage are extracted using the signal decomposition technique based on the polarization characteristics of the collocated PZT wafers. The effects of the size and the location of damage on the decomposed EMS are investigated as well. Finally, the applicability of the decomposed EMS to the reference-free damage diagnosis is discussed.

A review of spatial aspects of forest damage and recovery on the South Carolina coast following hurricane Hugo

Treesearch

Thomas M. Williams; Bo Song; Carl C. Trettin; Charles A. Gresham

2013-01-01

Southern US coastal forests are subject to damage by major Atlantic Hurricanes at a frequency that influences forest succession. Forest species may be: a) resistant: unchanged in mortality and growth; b) susceptible: increase in mortality and decrease in growth, and c) resilient: increase in mortality but increase in abundance and growth, or d) usurper: absent prior to...

Measurement of Device Parameters Using Image Recovery Techniques in Large-Scale IC Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scheick, Leif; Edmonds, Larry

2004-01-01

Devices that respond to radiation on a cell level will produce histograms showing the relative frequency of cell damage as a function of damage. The measured distribution is the convolution of distributions from radiation responses, measurement noise, and manufacturing parameters. A method of extracting device characteristics and parameters from measured distributions via mathematical and image subtraction techniques is described.

Genetic polymorphisms of genes involved in DNA repair and metabolism influence micronucleus frequencies in human peripheral blood lymphocytes.

PubMed

Dhillon, Varinderpal S; Thomas, Philip; Iarmarcovai, G; Kirsch-Volders, Micheline; Bonassi, Stefano; Fenech, Michael

2011-01-01

The cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome (CBMNCyt) assay is a widely used technique for measuring DNA damage in human populations. The formation of micronuclei (MN) in dividing cells can result from chromosome breakage due to unrepaired or mis-repaired DNA lesions or chromosome malsegregation due to mitotic malfunction. The sensitivity of the MN assay to polymorphisms in various genes involved in DNA repair, activation/deactivation of carcinogens/chemicals/drugs/alcohol, folate metabolism pathway and micronutrient transport has been extensively reported in the literature. MN frequency is also an important index for determining DNA repair efficiency phenotype (including mis-repair), response to environmental exposure and identifying various dietary factors required for optimal genome stability. The aim of the present study is to review the reported in vivo associations between genotype and MN frequency in humans taking into considerations the presence of interactions with nutrients levels and/or exposure to genotoxins. One hundred and eleven publications linking MN frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes to gene polymorphism were retrieved from PubMed. After applying exclusion criteria, only 37 studies were evaluated in the present review. Polymorphisms in XRCC1 (Arg280His), ERCC2 (Lys751Gln), CYP2E1 (c1/c2) and MTR (A2756G) were consistently associated with the MN formation. These results contribute substantial evidence to the hypothesis that genotype may influence MN frequency in human cells.

Investigation of hydroelastic ship responses of an ULOC in head seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xue-liang; Temarel, Pandeli; Hu, Jia-jun; Gu, Xue-kang

2016-10-01

Investigation of hydroelastic ship responses has been brought to the attention of the scientific and engineering world for several decades. There are two kinds of high-frequency vibrations in general ship responses to a large ocean-going ship in its shipping line, so-called springing and whipping, which are important for the determination of design wave load and fatigue damage as well. Because of the huge scale of an ultra large ore carrier (ULOC), it will suffer seldom slamming events in the ocean. The resonance vibration with high frequency is springing, which is caused by continuous wave excitation. In this paper, the wave-induced vibrations of the ULOC are addressed by experimental and numerical methods according to 2D and 3D hydroelasticity theories and an elastic model under full-load and ballast conditions. The influence of loading conditions on high-frequency vibration is studied both by numerical and experimental results. Wave-induced vibrations are higher under ballast condition including the wave frequency part, the multiple frequencies part, the 2-node and the 3-node vertical bending parts of the hydroelastic responses. The predicted results from the 2D method have less accuracy than the 3D method especially under ballast condition because of the slender-body assumption in the former method. The applicability of the 2D method and the further development of nonlinear effects to 3D method in the prediction of hydroelastic responses of the ULOC are discussed.

A multi-frequency fatigue testing method for wind turbine rotor blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eder, M. A.; Belloni, F.; Tesauro, A.; Hanis, T.

2017-02-01

Rotor blades are among the most delicate components of modern wind turbines. Reliability is a crucial aspect, since blades shall ideally remain free of failure under ultra-high cycle loading conditions throughout their designated lifetime of 20-25 years. Full-scale blade tests are the most accurate means to experimentally simulate damage evolution under operating conditions, and are therefore used to demonstrate that a blade type fulfils the reliability requirements to an acceptable degree of confidence. The state-of-the-art testing method for rotor blades in industry is based on resonance excitation where typically a rotating mass excites the blade close to its first natural frequency. During operation the blade response due to external forcing is governed by a weighted combination of its eigenmodes. Current test methodologies which only utilise the lowest eigenfrequency induce a fictitious damage where additional tuning masses are required to recover the desired damage distribution. Even with the commonly adopted amplitude upscaling technique fatigue tests remain a time-consuming and costly endeavour. The application of tuning masses increases the complexity of the problem by lowering the natural frequency of the blade and therefore increasing the testing time. The novel method presented in this paper aims at shortening the duration of the state-of-the-art fatigue testing method by simultaneously exciting the blade with a combination of two or more eigenfrequencies. Taking advantage of the different shapes of the excited eigenmodes, the actual spatial damage distribution can be more realistically simulated in the tests by tuning the excitation force amplitudes rather than adding tuning masses. This implies that in portions of the blade the lowest mode is governing the damage whereas in others higher modes contribute more significantly due to their higher cycle count. A numerical feasibility study based on a publicly available large utility rotor blade is used to demonstrate the ability of the proposed approach to outperform the state-of-the-art testing method without compromising fatigue test requirements. It will be shown that the novel method shortens the testing time and renders the damage evolution with a higher degree of fidelity.

Pre-exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields modifies menadione-induced genotoxic effects in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.

PubMed

Luukkonen, Jukka; Liimatainen, Anu; Höytö, Anne; Juutilainen, Jukka; Naarala, Jonne

2011-03-23

Extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields (MF) are generated by power lines and various electric appliances. They have been classified as possibly carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, but a mechanistic explanation for carcinogenic effects is lacking. A previous study in our laboratory showed that pre-exposure to ELF MF altered cancer-relevant cellular responses (cell cycle arrest, apoptosis) to menadione-induced DNA damage, but it did not include endpoints measuring actual genetic damage. In the present study, we examined whether pre-exposure to ELF MF affects chemically induced DNA damage level, DNA repair rate, or micronucleus frequency in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Exposure to 50 Hz MF was conducted at 100 µT for 24 hours, followed by chemical exposure for 3 hours. The chemicals used for inducing DNA damage and subsequent micronucleus formation were menadione and methyl methanesulphonate (MMS). Pre-treatment with MF enhanced menadione-induced DNA damage, DNA repair rate, and micronucleus formation in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Although the results with MMS indicated similar effects, the differences were not statistically significant. No effects were observed after MF exposure alone. The results confirm our previous findings showing that pre-exposure to MFs as low as 100 µT alters cellular responses to menadione, and show that increased genotoxicity results from such interaction. The present findings also indicate that complementary data at several chronological points may be critical for understanding the MF effects on DNA damage, repair, and post-repair integrity of the genome.

Biological damage induced by ionizing cosmic rays in dry Arabidopsis seeds.

PubMed

Kranz, A R; Bork, U; Bucker, H; Reitz, G

1990-01-01

In September 1987 dry seeds containing embryos of the crucifer plant Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh, were flown in orbit for 13 days on the Kosmos 1887 satellite. The seeds were fixed on CNd detectors and stored in units of Biorack type I/O. One unit was exposed inside, another one outside the satellite. The temperature profile of the flown seeds inside the satellite was simulated on earth in an identical backup control sample (BC). An additional control (SC) was studied with the original seeds sample. By use of the CNd-detector, HZE-tracks were measured with a PC-assisted microscope. The biological damages were investigated by growing the seeds under controlled climatic conditions. The following biological endpoints of the cosmic radiation damage were studied: germination, radicle length, sublethality, morphological aberrations, flower development, tumorization, embryo lethality inside the siliques. The summarized damage (D) and the mutation frequencies of embyronic lethal genes were calculated. The following results were obtained: the damages increase significantly in orbit at all biological endpoints; germination and fiowerings especially, as well as embryo lethality of fruits and lethal mutation frequency, were maximum mostly for HZE-hit seeds. Additionally, an increase of damage was observed for the seeds of the outside-exposed Biorack in comparison to the inside ones, which was probably caused by less radiation shielding and free space vacuum. The significance of the results obtained is discussed with respect to stress and risk and, thus, the quality of the RBE-factors and heavy ionizing radiation all needed for the very definition of radiation protection standards in space.

Damage to Sperm DNA Mediated by Reactive Oxygen Species: Its Impact on Human Reproduction and the Health Trajectory of Offspring.

PubMed

Gavriliouk, Dan; Aitken, Robert John

2015-01-01

Disruptions to the genetic integrity of the mammalian spermatozoon play a major role in determining the subsequent developmental trajectory of the embryo. This chapter examines the causative links that connect DNA damage in human spermatozoa and the appearance of mutations in the progeny responsible for a variety of clinical conditions from autism to cancer. Integral to this discussion is an abundance of evidence indicating that human spermatozoa are vulnerable to free radical attack and the generation of oxidative DNA damage. The resolution of this damage appears to be initiated by the spermatozoa but is driven to completion by the oocyte in a round of DNA repair that follows fertilization. The persistence of unresolved oxidative DNA damage following zygote formation has the potential to create mutations/epimutations in the offspring that may have a profound impact on the health of the progeny. It is proposed that the creation of oxidative stress in the male germ line is a consequence of a wide variety of environmental/lifestyle factors that influence the health and well-being of the offspring as a consequence of mutational change induced by the aberrant repair of oxidative DNA damage in the zygote. Factors such as paternal age, subfertility, smoking, obesity, and exposure to a range of environmental influences, including radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation and xenobiotics, have all been implicated in this process. Identifying the contributors to oxidative stress in the germ line and resolving the mechanisms by which such stressors influence the mutational load carried by the progeny will be an important task for the future. This task is particularly pressing, given the extensive use of assisted reproductive technologies to achieve pregnancies in vitro that would have been prevented in vivo by the complex array of mechanisms that nature has put in place to ensure that only the fittest gametes participate in the generative process.

Industrial filter bags cleaned by high-frequency vibration: A concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kooy, A. V.

1973-01-01

System holds filter bag around fine-mesh metal screen and vibrates screen at its resonant frequency. This removes deposited byproducts and protects bag fibers from damaging forces. Because filter bags represent 20 to 40% of any industrial filtering investment, this method of extending bag life should be of interest to those responsible for plant maintenance.

Energy efficient wireless sensor network for structural health monitoring using distributed embedded piezoelectric transducers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Peng; Olmi, Claudio; Song, Gangbing

2010-04-01

Piezoceramic based transducers are widely researched and used for structural health monitoring (SHM) systems due to the piezoceramic material's inherent advantage of dual sensing and actuation. Wireless sensor network (WSN) technology benefits from advances made in piezoceramic based structural health monitoring systems, allowing easy and flexible installation, low system cost, and increased robustness over wired system. However, piezoceramic wireless SHM systems still faces some drawbacks, one of these is that the piezoceramic based SHM systems require relatively high computational capabilities to calculate damage information, however, battery powered WSN sensor nodes have strict power consumption limitation and hence limited computational power. On the other hand, commonly used centralized processing networks require wireless sensors to transmit all data back to the network coordinator for analysis. This signal processing procedure can be problematic for piezoceramic based SHM applications as it is neither energy efficient nor robust. In this paper, we aim to solve these problems with a distributed wireless sensor network for piezoceramic base structural health monitoring systems. Three important issues: power system, waking up from sleep impact detection, and local data processing, are addressed to reach optimized energy efficiency. Instead of sweep sine excitation that was used in the early research, several sine frequencies were used in sequence to excite the concrete structure. The wireless sensors record the sine excitations and compute the time domain energy for each sine frequency locally to detect the energy change. By comparing the data of the damaged concrete frame with the healthy data, we are able to find out the damage information of the concrete frame. A relative powerful wireless microcontroller was used to carry out the sampling and distributed data processing in real-time. The distributed wireless network dramatically reduced the data transmission between wireless sensor and the wireless coordinator, which in turn reduced the power consumption of the overall system.

TNF/TNFR1 signaling up-regulates CCR5 expression by CD8+ T lymphocytes and promotes heart tissue damage during Trypanosoma cruzi infection: beneficial effects of TNF-alpha blockade.

PubMed

Kroll-Palhares, Karina; Silvério, Jaline Coutinho; Silva, Andrea Alice da; Michailowsky, Vladimir; Marino, Ana Paula; Silva, Neide Maria; Carvalho, Cristiano Marcelo Espinola; Pinto, Luzia Maria de Oliveira; Gazzinelli, Ricardo Tostes; Lannes-Vieira, Joseli

2008-06-01

In Chagas disease, understanding how the immune response controls parasite growth but also leads to heart damage may provide insight into the design of new therapeutic strategies. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is important for resistance to acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection; however, in patients suffering from chronic T. cruzi infection, plasma TNF-alpha levels correlate with cardiomyopathy. Recent data suggest that CD8-enriched chagasic myocarditis formation involves CCR1/CCR5-mediated cell migration. Herein, the contribution of TNF-alpha, especially signaling through the receptor TNFR1/p55, to the pathophysiology of T. cruzi infection was evaluated with a focus on the development of myocarditis and heart dysfunction. Colombian strain-infected C57BL/6 mice had increased frequencies of TNFR1/p55+ and TNF-alpha+ splenocytes. Although TNFR1-/- mice exhibited reduced myocarditis in the absence of parasite burden, they succumbed to acute infection. Similar to C57BL/6 mice, Benznidazole-treated TNFR1-/- mice survived acute infection. In TNFR1-/- mice, reduced CD8-enriched myocarditis was associated with defective activation of CD44+CD62Llow/- and CCR5+ CD8+ lymphocytes. Also, anti-TNF-alpha treatment reduced the frequency of CD8+CCR5+ circulating cells and myocarditis, though parasite load was unaltered in infected C3H/HeJ mice. TNFR1-/- and anti-TNF-alpha-treated infected mice showed regular expression of connexin-43 and reduced fibronectin deposition, respectively. Furthermore, anti-TNF-alpha treatment resulted in lower levels of CK-MB, a cardiomyocyte lesion marker. Our results suggest that TNF/TNFR1 signaling promotes CD8-enriched myocarditis formation and heart tissue damage, implicating the TNF/TNFR1 signaling pathway as a potential therapeutic target for control of T. cruzi-elicited cardiomyopathy.

The evaluation of distributed damage in concrete based on sinusoidal modeling of the ultrasonic response.

PubMed

Sepehrinezhad, Alireza; Toufigh, Vahab

2018-05-25

Ultrasonic wave attenuation is an effective descriptor of distributed damage in inhomogeneous materials. Methods developed to measure wave attenuation have the potential to provide an in-site evaluation of existing concrete structures insofar as they are accurate and time-efficient. In this study, material classification and distributed damage evaluation were investigated based on the sinusoidal modeling of the response from the through-transmission ultrasonic tests on polymer concrete specimens. The response signal was modeled as single or the sum of damping sinusoids. Due to the inhomogeneous nature of concrete materials, model parameters may vary from one specimen to another. Therefore, these parameters are not known in advance and should be estimated while the response signal is being received. The modeling procedure used in this study involves a data-adaptive algorithm to estimate the parameters online. Data-adaptive algorithms are used due to a lack of knowledge of the model parameters. The damping factor was estimated as a descriptor of the distributed damage. The results were compared in two different cases as follows: (1) constant excitation frequency with varying concrete mixtures and (2) constant mixture with varying excitation frequencies. The specimens were also loaded up to their ultimate compressive strength to investigate the effect of distributed damage in the response signal. The results of the estimation indicated that the damping was highly sensitive to the change in material inhomogeneity, even in comparable mixtures. In addition to the proposed method, three methods were employed to compare the results based on their accuracy in the classification of materials and the evaluation of the distributed damage. It is shown that the estimated damping factor is not only sensitive to damage in the final stages of loading, but it is also applicable in evaluating micro damages in the earlier stages providing a reliable descriptor of damage. In addition, the modified amplitude ratio method is introduced as an improvement of the classical method. The proposed methods were validated to be effective descriptors of distributed damage. The presented models were also in good agreement with the experimental data. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Snow fracture: From micro-cracking to global failure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capelli, Achille; Reiweger, Ingrid; Schweizer, Jürg

2017-04-01

Slab avalanches are caused by a crack forming and propagating in a weak layer within the snow cover, which eventually causes the detachment of the overlying cohesive slab. The gradual damage process leading to the nucleation of the initial failure is still not entirely understood. Therefore, we studied the damage process preceding snow failure by analyzing the acoustic emissions (AE) generated by bond failure or micro-cracking. The AE allow studying the ongoing progressive failure in a non-destructive way. We performed fully load-controlled failure experiments on snow samples presenting a weak layer and recorded the generated AE. The size and frequency of the generated AE increased before failure revealing an acceleration of the damage process with increased size and frequency of damage and/or microscopic cracks. The AE energy was power-law distributed and the exponent (b-value) decreased approaching failure. The waiting time followed an exponential distribution with increasing exponential coefficient λ before failure. The decrease of the b-value and the increase of λ correspond to a change in the event distribution statistics indicating a transition from homogeneously distributed uncorrelated damage producing mostly small AE to localized damage, which cause larger correlated events which leads to brittle failure. We observed brittle failure for the fast experiment and a more ductile behavior for the slow experiments. This rate dependence was reflected also in the AE signature. In the slow experiments the b value and λ were almost constant, and the energy rate increase was moderate indicating that the damage process was in a stable state - suggesting the damage and healing processes to be balanced. On a shorter time scale, however, the AE parameters varied indicating that the damage process was not steady but consisted of a sum of small bursts. We assume that the bursts may have been generated by cascades of correlated micro-cracks caused by localization of stresses at a small scale. The healing process may then have prevented the self-organization of this small scale damage and, therefore, the total failure of the sample.

Mus308 Processes Oxygen and Nitrogen Ethylation DNA Damage in Germ Cells of Drosophila

PubMed Central

Díaz-Valdés, Nancy; Comendador, Miguel A.; Sierra, L. María

2010-01-01

The D. melanogaster mus308 gene, highly conserved among higher eukaryotes, is implicated in the repair of cross-links and of O-ethylpyrimidine DNA damage, working in a DNA damage tolerance mechanism. However, despite its relevance, its possible role on the processing of different DNA ethylation damages is not clear. To obtain data on mutation frequency and on mutation spectra in mus308 deficient (mus308−) conditions, the ethylating agent diethyl sulfate (DES) was analysed in postmeiotic male germ cells. These data were compared with those corresponding to mus308 efficient conditions. Our results indicate that Mus308 is necessary for the processing of oxygen and N-ethylation damage, for the survival of fertilized eggs depending on the level of induced DNA damage, and for an influence of the DNA damage neighbouring sequence. These results support the role of mus308 in a tolerance mechanism linked to a translesion synthesis pathway and also to the alternative end-joinig system. PMID:20936147

Coupled attenuation and multiscale damage model for composite structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moncada, Albert M.; Chattopadhyay, Aditi; Bednarcyk, Brett; Arnold, Steven M.

2011-04-01

Composite materials are widely used in many applications for their high strength, low weight, and tailorability for specific applications. However, the development of robust and reliable methodologies to detect micro level damage in composite structures has been challenging. For composite materials, attenuation of ultrasonic waves propagating through the media can be used to determine damage within the material. Currently available numerical solutions for attenuation induce arbitrary damage, such as fiber-matrix debonding or inclusions, to show variations between healthy and damaged states. This paper addresses this issue by integrating a micromechanics analysis to simulate damage in the form of a fiber-matrix crack and an analytical model for calculating the attenuation of the waves when they pass through the damaged region. The hybrid analysis is validated by comparison with experimental stress-strain curves and piezoelectric sensing results for attenuation measurement. The results showed good agreement between the experimental stress-strain curves and the results from the micromechanics analysis. Wave propagation analysis also showed good correlation between simulation and experiment for the tested frequency range.

Influence of local climate and climate change on aeroterrestrial phototrophic biofilms.

PubMed

Gladis-Schmacka, Franziska; Glatzel, Stephan; Karsten, Ulf; Böttcher, Heidrun; Schumann, Rhena

2014-01-01

Aeroterrestrial phototrophic biofilms colonize natural and man-made surfaces and may damage the material they settle on. The occurrence of biofilms varies between regions with different climatic conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of meteorological factors on the growth of aeroterrestrial phototrophs. Phototrophic biomass was recorded on roof tiles at six sites within Germany five times over a period of five years and compared to climatic parameters from neighboring weather stations. All correlating meteorological factors influenced water availability on the surface of the roof tiles. The results indicate that the frequency of rainy days and not the mean precipitation per season is more important for biofilm proliferation. It is also inferred that the macroclimate is more important than the microclimate. In conclusion, changed (regional) climatic conditions may determine where in central Europe global change will promote or inhibit phototrophic growth in the future.

Computer capillaroscopy as a new cardiological diagnostics method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurfinkel, Youri I.; Korol, Oleg A.; Kufal, George E.

1998-04-01

The blood flow in capillary vessels plays an important role in sustaining the vital activity of the human organism. The computerized capillaroscope is used for the investigations of nailfold (eponychium) capillary blood flow. An important advantage of the instrument is the possibility of performing non-invasive investigations, i.e., without damage to skin or vessels and causing no pain or unpleasant sensations. The high-class equipment and software allow direct observation of capillary blood flow dynamics on a computer screen at a 700 - 1300 times magnification. For the first time in the clinical practice, it has become possible to precisely measure the speed of capillary blood flow, as well as the frequency of aggregate formation (glued together in clots of blood particles). In addition, provision is made for automatic measurement of capillary size and wall thickness and automatic recording of blood aggregate images for further visual study, documentation, and electronic database management.

The interaction of APEX1 variant with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on increasing chromosome damage and lung cancer risk among male Chinese.

PubMed

Li, Xiaoliang; Wei, Jinyu; Xu, Ping; Yin, Xiangqian; Hu, Die; Zhang, Xiao; Liu, Li; Zhang, Kai; Zhou, Changchun; Wang, Tian; Zhang, Xiaomin; He, Meian; Wu, Tangchun; Yang, Ming; Guo, Huan

2015-06-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the most significant contributors to tobacco-induced lung carcinogenesis. Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) is a central enzyme in the removal of apurinic/apyrimidinic sites caused by DNA damaging agents. This study aimed to investigate the potential interaction of APEX1 polymorphisms and PAHs on genetic damage and lung cancer risk among male Chinese. We recruited an occupational cohort of 922 male coke oven workers and determined their DNA damage levels by calculating the lymphocytic micronucleus (MN) frequencies. Two well-studied APEX1 polymorphisms (-307A > C and Asp148Glu) and their associations with MN frequencies were examined. The impact of MN-related single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on lung cancer risk was further investigated in two case-control studies including 1634 male lung cancer patients and 1678 controls. It was shown that, the APEX1 148Glu allele was associated with significantly higher MN frequencies than 148Asp allele, with strongest associations among the highest PAH-exposure workers (P = 0.008). The APEX1 148Glu allele was also associated with increased lung cancer risk among male smokers, especially among heavy smokers in both case-control studies (odd ratio: 4.40, 95%CI: 3.29-5.72). In addition, APEX1 148Glu variant interacts with smoking in increasing male lung cancer risk, as measured by the attributable proportion due to interaction, which was 0.23 (95%CI: 0.06-0.39). This study showed evidence on interaction between APEX1 148Glu variant and cigarette smoking in increasing lung cancer susceptibility among male Chinese, which may be due to the synergistic effects of APEX1 148Glu and PAHs in increasing chromosome damage levels. The results provide a new insight into gene-interactions in lung carcinogenesis. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Characterization of Hearing Thresholds from 500 to 16,000 Hz in Dentists: A Comparative Study

PubMed Central

Gonçalves, Claudia Giglio de Oliveira; Santos, Luciana; Lobato, Diolen; Ribas, Angela; Lacerda, Adriana Bender Moreira; Marques, Jair

2014-01-01

Introduction High-level noise exposure in dentists' workplaces may cause damages to the auditory systems. High-frequency audiometry is an important tool in the investigation in the early diagnosis of hearing loss. Objectives To analyze the auditory thresholds at frequencies from 500 to 16,000 Hz of dentists in the city of Curitiba. Methods This historic cohort study retrospectively tested hearing thresholds from 500 to 16,000 Hz with a group of dentists from Curitiba, in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Eighty subjects participated in the study, separated into a dentist group and a control group, with the same age range and gender across groups but with no history of occupational exposure to high levels of sound pressure in the control group. Subjects were tested with conventional audiometry and high-frequency audiometry and answered a questionnaire about exposure to noise. Results Results showed that 81% of dentists did not receive any information regarding noise at university; 6 (15%) dentists had sensorineural hearing impairment; significant differences were observed between the groups only at frequencies of 500 Hz and 1,000, 6,000 and 8,000 Hz in the right ear. There was no significant difference between the groups after analysis of mean hearing thresholds of high frequencies with the average hearing thresholds in conventional frequencies; subjects who had been working as dentists for longer than 10 years had worse tonal hearing thresholds at high frequencies. Conclusions In this study, we observed that dentists are at risk for the development of sensorineural hearing loss especially after 10 years of service. PMID:25992172

Understanding DNA under oxidative stress and sensitization: the role of molecular modeling

PubMed Central

Dumont, Elise; Monari, Antonio

2015-01-01

DNA is constantly exposed to damaging threats coming from oxidative stress, i.e., from the presence of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Sensitization from exogenous and endogenous compounds that strongly enhance the frequency of light-induced lesions also plays an important role. The experimental determination of DNA lesions, though a difficult subject, is somehow well established and allows to elucidate even extremely rare DNA lesions. In parallel, molecular modeling has become fundamental to clearly understand the fine mechanisms related to DNA defects induction. Indeed, it offers an unprecedented possibility to get access to an atomistic or even electronic resolution. Ab initio molecular dynamics may also describe the time-evolution of the molecular system and its reactivity. Yet the modeling of DNA (photo-)reactions does necessitate elaborate multi-scale methodologies to tackle a damage induction reactivity that takes place in a complex environment. The double-stranded DNA environment is first characterized by a very high flexibility, but also a strongly inhomogeneous electrostatic embedding. Additionally, one aims at capturing more subtle effects, such as the sequence selectivity which is of critical important for DNA damage. The structure and dynamics of the DNA/sensitizers complexes, as well as the photo-induced electron- and energy-transfer phenomena taking place upon sensitization, should be carefully modeled. Finally the factors inducing different repair ratios for different lesions should also be rationalized. In this review we will critically analyze the different computational strategies used to model DNA lesions. A clear picture of the complex interplay between reactivity and structural factors will be sketched. The use of proper multi-scale modeling leads to the in-depth comprehension of DNA lesions mechanisms and also to the rational design of new chemo-therapeutic agents. PMID:26236706

High power test of a wideband diplexer with short-slotted metal half mirrors for electron cyclotron current drive system

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

Saigusa, M.; Atsumi, K.; Yamaguchi, T.

2014-02-12

The wideband high power diplexer has been developed for combining and fast switching of high power millimeter waves generated by a dual frequency gyrotron. The actual diplexer was tested at the frequency band of 170 GHz in low power. After adjusting a resonant frequency of diplexer for the gyrotron frequency, the evacuated wideband diplexer with short-slotted metal half mirrors was tested at an incident power of about 150 kW, a pulse duration of 30 ms and a frequency band of 170.2–170.3 GHz. Any discharge damage was not observed in the diplexer.

Assessment of the genetic risks of a metallic alloy used in medical implants.

PubMed

Gomes, Cristiano C; Moreira, Leonardo M; Santos, Vanessa J S V; Ramos, Alfeu S; Lyon, Juliana P; Soares, Cristina P; Santos, Fabio V

2011-01-01

The use of artificial implants provides a palliative or permanent solution for individuals who have lost some bodily function through disease, an accident or natural wear. This functional loss can be compensated for by the use of medical devices produced from special biomaterials. Titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) is a well-established primary metallic biomaterial for orthopedic implants, but the toxicity of the chemical components of this alloy has become an issue of concern. In this work, we used the MTT assay and micronucleus assay to examine the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, respectively, of an extract obtained from this alloy. The MTT assay indicated that the mitochondrial activity and cell viability of CHO-K1 cells were unaffected by exposure to the extract. However, the micronucleus assay revealed DNA damage and an increase in micronucleus frequency at all of the concentrations tested. These results show that ions released from Ti-6Al-4V alloy can cause DNA and nuclear damage and reinforce the importance of assessing the safety of metallic medical devices constructed from biomaterials.

Assessment of the genetic risks of a metallic alloy used in medical implants

PubMed Central

Gomes, Cristiano C.; Moreira, Leonardo M.; Santos, Vanessa J.S.V.; Ramos, Alfeu S.; Lyon, Juliana P.; Soares, Cristina P.; Santos, Fabio V.

2011-01-01

The use of artificial implants provides a palliative or permanent solution for individuals who have lost some bodily function through disease, an accident or natural wear. This functional loss can be compensated for by the use of medical devices produced from special biomaterials. Titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) is a well-established primary metallic biomaterial for orthopedic implants, but the toxicity of the chemical components of this alloy has become an issue of concern. In this work, we used the MTT assay and micronucleus assay to examine the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, respectively, of an extract obtained from this alloy. The MTT assay indicated that the mitochondrial activity and cell viability of CHO-K1 cells were unaffected by exposure to the extract. However, the micronucleus assay revealed DNA damage and an increase in micronucleus frequency at all of the concentrations tested. These results show that ions released from Ti-6Al-4V alloy can cause DNA and nuclear damage and reinforce the importance of assessing the safety of metallic medical devices constructed from biomaterials. PMID:21637553

In vitro assessment of anticytotoxic and antigenotoxic effects of CANOVA(®).

PubMed

do Nascimento, Henrique Fonseca Sousa; Cardoso, Plínio Cerqueira Dos Santos; Ribeiro, Helem Ferreira; Mota, Tatiane Cristina; Gomes, Lorena Monteiro; Khayat, André Salim; Guimarães, Adriana Costa; Amorim, Marucia Irena Medeiros; Burbano, Rommel Rodriguéz; Bahia, Marcelo de Oliveira

2016-08-01

CANOVA(®) (CA) is a homeopathic immunomodulator. It contains several homeopathic medicines prepares according to the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia. CA is indicated in clinical conditions in which the immune system is impaired and against tumors. N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (NMU) is an N-nitroso compound, with genotoxic/mutagenic properties. Although several studies have shown promising results in the use of CA, there are no studies reporting possible antigenotoxic effects. This study evaluated the in vitro antigenotoxic and anticytotoxic effects of CA in human lymphocytes exposed to NMU. Samples of human lymphocytes that were subjected to different concentrations of a mixture containing CA and NMU were used. The genotoxicity/antigenotoxicity of CA was evaluated by the comet assay, anticytotoxicity was assessed by quantification of apoptosis and necrosis using acridine orange/ethidium bromide. CA significantly reduced DNA damage induced by NMU and reduced significantly the frequency of NMU-induced apoptosis after 24 h of treatment. CA has an important cytoprotective effect significantly reducing the DNA damage and apoptosis induced by the carcinogen NMU. Copyright © 2016 The Faculty of Homeopathy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and features of peripheral neuropathy in Parkinson's disease patients under different therapeutic regimens.

PubMed

Mancini, F; Comi, C; Oggioni, G D; Pacchetti, C; Calandrella, D; Coletti Moja, M; Riboldazzi, G; Tunesi, S; Dal Fante, M; Manfredi, L; Lacerenza, M; Cantello, R; Antonini, A

2014-01-01

Recent reports suggest increased frequency of peripheral neuropathy (PN) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients on levodopa compared with age-matched controls particularly during continuous levodopa delivery by intestinal infusion (CLDII). The aim of this study is to compare frequency, clinical features, and outcome of PN in PD patients undergoing different therapeutic regimens. Three groups of consecutive PD patients, 50 on intestinal levodopa (CLDII), 50 on oral levodopa (O-LD) and 50 on other dopaminergic treatment (ODT), were enrolled in this study to assess frequency of PN using clinical and neurophysiological parameters. A biochemical study of all PN patients was performed. Frequency of PN of no evident cause was 28% in CLDII, 20% in O-LD, and 6% in ODT patients. Clinically, 71% of CLDII patients and all O-LD and ODT PN patients displayed a subacute sensory PN. In contrast, 29% of CLDII patients presented acute motor PN. Levodopa daily dose, vitamin B12 (VB12) and homocysteine (hcy) levels differed significantly in patients with PN compared to patients without PN. Our findings support the relationship between levodopa and PN and confirm that an imbalance in VB12/hcy may be a key pathogenic factor. We suggest two different, possibly overlapping mechanisms of PN in patients on CDLII: axonal degeneration due to vitamin deficiency and inflammatory damage. Whether inflammatory damage is triggered by vitamin deficiency and/or by modifications in the intestinal micro-environment should be further explored. Proper vitamin supplementation may prevent peripheral damage in most cases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Covariance of dynamic strain responses for structural damage detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X. Y.; Wang, L. X.; Law, S. S.; Nie, Z. H.

2017-10-01

A new approach to address the practical problems with condition evaluation/damage detection of structures is proposed based on the distinct features of a new damage index. The covariance of strain response function (CoS) is a function of modal parameters of the structure. A local stiffness reduction in structure would cause monotonous increase in the CoS. Its sensitivity matrix with respect to local damages of structure is negative and narrow-banded. The damage extent can be estimated with an approximation to the sensitivity matrix to decouple the identification equations. The CoS sensitivity can be calibrated in practice from two previous states of measurements to estimate approximately the damage extent of a structure. A seven-storey plane frame structure is numerically studied to illustrate the features of the CoS index and the proposed method. A steel circular arch in the laboratory is tested. Natural frequencies changed due to damage in the arch and the damage occurrence can be judged. However, the proposed CoS method can identify not only damage happening but also location, even damage extent without need of an analytical model. It is promising for structural condition evaluation of selected components.

Types and Consequences of DNA Damage

EPA Science Inventory

This review provides a concise overview of the types of DNA damage and the molecular mechanisms by which a cell senses DNA damage, repairs the damage, converts the damage into a mutation, or dies as a consequence of unrepaired DNA damage. Such information is important in consid...

The defensive role of foliar endophytic fungi for a South American tree

PubMed Central

González-Teuber, Marcia

2016-01-01

Fungal endophytes colonize living internal plant tissues without causing any visible symptoms of disease. Endophytic fungi associated with healthy leaves may play an important role in the protection of hosts against herbivores and pathogens. In this study, the diversity of foliar endophytic fungi (FEF) of the southern temperate tree Embothrium coccineum (Proteaceae), as well as their role in plant protection in nature was determined. Fungal endophytes were isolated from 40 asymptomatic leaves by the culture method for molecular identification of the 18S rRNA gene. A relationship between FEF frequency and plant protection was evaluated in juveniles of E. coccineum. Fungal endophyte frequency was estimated using real-time PCR analyses to determine endophyte DNA content per plant. A total of 178 fungal isolates were identified, with sequence data revealing 34 different operational taxonomic units (OTUs). A few common taxa dominated the fungal endophyte community, whereas most taxa qualified as rare. A significant positive correlation between plant protection (evaluated in terms of percentage of leaf damage) and FEF frequency was found. Furthermore, in vitro confrontation assays indicated that FEF were able to inhibit the growth of fungal pathogens. The data showed a relatively high diversity of fungal endophytes associated with leaves of E. coccineum, and suggest a positive relationship between fungal endophyte frequencies in leaves and host protection in nature. PMID:27339046

Analysis of nonlinear modulation between sound and vibrations in metallic structure and its use for damage detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Bin; Gang, Tie; Wan, Chuhao; Wang, Changxi; Luo, Zhiwei

2015-07-01

Vibro-acoustic modulation technique is a nonlinear ultrasonic method in nondestructive testing. This technique detects the defects by monitoring the modulation components generated by the interaction between the vibration and the ultrasound wave due to the nonlinear material behaviour caused by the damage. In this work, a swept frequency signal was used as high frequency excitation, then the Hilbert transform based amplitude and phase demodulation and synchronous demodulation (SD) were used to extract the modulation information from the received signal, the results were graphed in the time-frequency domain after the short time Fourier transform. The demodulation results were quite different from each other. The reason for the difference was investigated by analysing the demodulation process of the two methods. According to the analysis and the subsequent verification test, it was indicated that the SD method was more proper for the test and a new index called MISD was defined to evaluate the structure quality in the Vibro-acoustic modulation test with swept probing excitation.

Depopulation of rural landscapes exacerbates fire activity in the western Amazon.

PubMed

Uriarte, María; Pinedo-Vasquez, Miquel; DeFries, Ruth S; Fernandes, Katia; Gutierrez-Velez, Victor; Baethgen, Walter E; Padoch, Christine

2012-12-26

Destructive fires in Amazonia have occurred in the past decade, leading to forest degradation, carbon emissions, impaired air quality, and property damage. Here, we couple climate, geospatial, and province-level census data, with farmer surveys to examine the climatic, demographic, and land use factors associated with fire frequency in the Peruvian Amazon from 2000 to 2010. Although our results corroborate previous findings elsewhere that drought and proximity to roads increase fire frequency, the province-scale analysis further identifies decreases in rural populations as an additional factor. Farmer survey data suggest that increased burn scar frequency and size reflect increased flammability of emptying rural landscapes and reduced capacity to control fire. With rural populations projected to decline, more frequent drought, and expansion of road infrastructure, fire risk is likely to increase in western Amazonia. Damage from fire can be reduced through warning systems that target high-risk locations, coordinated fire fighting efforts, and initiatives that provide options for people to remain in rural landscapes.

Damage detection and locating using tone burst and continuous excitation modulation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zheng; Wang, Zhi; Xiao, Li; Qu, Wenzhong

2014-03-01

Among structural health monitoring techniques, nonlinear ultrasonic spectroscopy methods are found to be effective diagnostic approach to detecting nonlinear damage such as fatigue crack, due to their sensitivity to incipient structural changes. In this paper, a nonlinear ultrasonic modulation method was developed to detect and locate a fatigue crack on an aluminum plate. The method is different with nonlinear wave modulation method which recognizes the modulation of low-frequency vibration and high-frequency ultrasonic wave; it recognizes the modulation of tone burst and high-frequency ultrasonic wave. In the experiment, a Hanning window modulated sinusoidal tone burst and a continuous sinusoidal excitation were simultaneously imposed on the PZT array which was bonded on the surface of an aluminum plate. The modulations of tone burst and continuous sinusoidal excitation was observed in different actuator-sensor paths, indicating the presence and location of fatigue crack. The results of experiments show that the proposed method is capable of detecting and locating the fatigue crack successfully.

Role of Macronutrients and Micronutrients in DNA Damage: Results From a Food Frequency Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Ladeira, Carina; Carolino, Elisabete; Gomes, Manuel C; Brito, Miguel

2017-01-01

The links between diet and genomic instability have been under investigation for several decades, and evidence suggests a significant causal or preventive role for various dietary factors. This study investigates the influence of macronutrients (calories, protein, and glucides) and micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, as assessed by a food frequency questionnaire, on genotoxicity biomarkers measured by cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus assay and comet assay. The results found significant positive and negative correlations. Micronucleus frequency tends to increase with higher intake of caffeine, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and protein (P < .05, Spearman correlation). Calorie and omega-6 intakes are negatively correlated with DNA damage measured by the comet assay. These results are somewhat controversial because some of the correlations found are contrary to dominant views in the literature; however, we suggest that unraveling the association between diet and genetic instability requires a much better understanding of the modulating role of macronutrients and micronutrients. PMID:28469462

Computation of ground motion amplification in Kolkata megacity (India) using finite-difference method for seismic microzonation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiuly, Amit; Kumar, Vinay; Narayan, Jay

2014-06-01

This paper presents the ground motion amplification scenario along with fundamental frequency (F 0) of sedimentary deposit for the seismic microzonation of Kolkata City, situated on the world's largest delta island with very soft soil deposit. A 4th order accurate SH-wave viscoelastic finite-difference algorithm is used for computation of response of 1D model for each borehole location. Different maps, such as for F 0, amplification at F 0, average spectral amplification (ASA) in the different frequency bandwidth of earthquake engineering interest are developed for a variety of end-users communities. The obtained ASA of the order of 3-6 at most of the borehole locations in a frequency range of 0.25-10.0 Hz reveals that Kolkata City may suffer severe damage even during a moderate earthquake. Further, unexpected severe damage to collapse of multi-storey buildings may occur in localities near Hoogly River and Salt Lake area due to double resonance effects during distant large earthquakes.

Depopulation of rural landscapes exacerbates fire activity in the western Amazon

PubMed Central

Uriarte, María; Pinedo-Vasquez, Miquel; DeFries, Ruth S.; Fernandes, Katia; Gutierrez-Velez, Victor; Baethgen, Walter E.; Padoch, Christine

2012-01-01

Destructive fires in Amazonia have occurred in the past decade, leading to forest degradation, carbon emissions, impaired air quality, and property damage. Here, we couple climate, geospatial, and province-level census data, with farmer surveys to examine the climatic, demographic, and land use factors associated with fire frequency in the Peruvian Amazon from 2000 to 2010. Although our results corroborate previous findings elsewhere that drought and proximity to roads increase fire frequency, the province-scale analysis further identifies decreases in rural populations as an additional factor. Farmer survey data suggest that increased burn scar frequency and size reflect increased flammability of emptying rural landscapes and reduced capacity to control fire. With rural populations projected to decline, more frequent drought, and expansion of road infrastructure, fire risk is likely to increase in western Amazonia. Damage from fire can be reduced through warning systems that target high-risk locations, coordinated fire fighting efforts, and initiatives that provide options for people to remain in rural landscapes. PMID:23236144

Influence of Hole Surface Finish, Cyclic Frequency and Spectrum Severity on the Fatigue Behaviour of Thick Section Aluminium Alloy Pin Joints

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-01

with increasing frequency of oscillation, while Reed and Batter (Ref. 25) reported a decrease in fretting damage in 4140 steel when the frequency was...fatigue with reference to aircraft structures. SAE Tech. Pap. no. 790612, 1979. 15. Suresh, S. and Ritchie, R.O. Propagation of short ’atigue cracks...Library British Library, Document Supply Centre CAARC Co-ordinator, Structures Welding Institute, Library British Aerospace Kingston-upon-Thames

Systematic molecular analyses of SHOX in Japanese patients with idiopathic short stature and Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis.

PubMed

Shima, Hirohito; Tanaka, Toshiaki; Kamimaki, Tsutomu; Dateki, Sumito; Muroya, Koji; Horikawa, Reiko; Kanno, Junko; Adachi, Masanori; Naiki, Yasuhiro; Tanaka, Hiroyuki; Mabe, Hiroyo; Yagasaki, Hideaki; Kure, Shigeo; Matsubara, Yoichi; Tajima, Toshihiro; Kashimada, Kenichi; Ishii, Tomohiro; Asakura, Yumi; Fujiwara, Ikuma; Soneda, Shun; Nagasaki, Keisuke; Hamajima, Takashi; Kanzaki, Susumu; Jinno, Tomoko; Ogata, Tsutomu; Fukami, Maki

2016-07-01

The etiology of idiopathic short stature (ISS) and Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (LWD) in European patients is known to include SHOX mutations and copy-number variations (CNVs) involving SHOX and/or the highly evolutionarily conserved non-coding DNA elements (CNEs) flanking the gene. However, the frequency and types of SHOX abnormalities in non-European patients and the clinical importance of mutations in the CNEs remains to be clarified. Here, we performed systematic molecular analyses of SHOX for 328 Japanese patients with ISS or LWD. SHOX abnormalities accounted for 3.8% of ISS and 50% of LWD cases. CNVs around SHOX were identified in 16 cases, although the ~47 kb deletion frequently reported in European patients was absent in our cases. Probably damaging mutations and benign/silent substitutions were detected in four cases, respectively. Although CNE-linked substitutions were detected in 15 cases, most of them affected poorly conserved nucleotides and were shared by unaffected individuals. These results suggest that the frequency and mutation spectrum of SHOX abnormalities are comparable between Asian and European patients, with the exception of a European-specific downstream deletion. Furthermore, this study highlights the clinical importance and genetic heterogeneity of the SHOX-flanking CNVs, and indicates a limited clinical significance of point mutations in the CNEs.

The frequency and intensity of bark beetle infestations recorded in Romanian forests affected by windfall in 1995

Treesearch

V. Mihalciuc; V. Danci; M. Bujila; D. Chira

2003-01-01

Research has been carried out during the past six years (1996-2001), to record the occurrence of wind damage in resinous stands and to monitor the evolution of pest infestations during this period. The level of pest attack has become moderate over time and depended on different types of damaged wood material (cut, broken and fallen trees). We also reported about the...

Urban Landslides Induced by the 2004 Niigata-Chuetsu Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamai, T.; Trandafir, A. C.; Sidle, R. C.

2005-05-01

Landslides triggered by the Chuetsu earthquake occurred in artificial slopes of some new developments in suburban Nagaoka, the largest city in the affected area. The landslides occurred in hilly terrain of the eastern part of Nagaoka between the alluvial plain and Tertiary folded mountains of Yamakoshi. Although the extent of landslides in urban Nagaoka was small compared with landslides on natural slopes (especially near Yamakoshi), they represent an important case study for urban landslide disasters. Slope instabilities in urban residential areas were classified as: A) landslides in steep embankments; B) landslides in gently sloping artificial valley fills; C) re-activation of old landslides; and D) liquefaction in deep artificial valley fills. All these failures occurred in relatively uniform suburban landscapes, which were significantly modified from the original landforms. Recent destructive earthquakes in Japan caused similar types of slope failures in urban regions, suggesting that lessons from past earthquakes were not implemented. The greatest damage due to type-A failures occurred in the 25-yr old Takamachi residential area, where about 70 of 522 homes were judged to be uninhabitable. Before development, this area was an isolated hill (90 m elevation) with an adjacent terrace (60 m elevation) consisting of gravel, sand, and silt of the lower to middle Pleistocene deposits. Development earthworks removed the hill crest and created a wide plateau (70 m elevation); excavated soil was placed on the perimeter as an embankment. During the earthquake, the embankment slope collapsed, including retaining walls, perimeter road, and homes. The most serious damage occurred in five places around the margin of the plateau corresponding to shallow valley fills (5 to 8 m thick). Earthquake response analyses using an equivalent linear model indicated the amplification of seismic waves at the surface of embankment slopes, and the peak earthquake acceleration exceeded 1 G in the case of embankment thicknesses <8 m. The natural frequency at the shoulder of embankment slopes is inversely proportion to fill thickness; less than the predominant frequency of the earthquake (3 Hz). Shallow embankments were unstable compared to deeper embankments because their natural frequency was close to the predominant frequency of the earthquake. Thus, we expect widespread embankment failures in megacities during the next giant earthquake shaking with low predominant frequency originating offshore of the Pacific Ocean.

β2-spectrin depletion impairs DNA damage repair

PubMed Central

Horikoshi, Nobuo; Pandita, Raj K.; Mujoo, Kalpana; Hambarde, Shashank; Sharma, Dharmendra; Mattoo, Abid R.; Chakraborty, Sharmistha; Charaka, Vijaya; Hunt, Clayton R.; Pandita, Tej K.

2016-01-01

β2-Spectrin (β2SP/SPTBN1, gene SPTBN1) is a key TGF-β/SMAD3/4 adaptor and transcriptional cofactor that regulates TGF-β signaling and can contribute to liver cancer development. Here we report that cells deficient in β2-Spectrin (β2SP) are moderately sensitive to ionizing radiation (IR) and extremely sensitive to agents that cause interstrand cross-links (ICLs) or replication stress. In response to treatment with IR or ICL agents (formaldehyde, cisplatin, camptothecin, mitomycin), β2SP deficient cells displayed a higher frequency of cells with delayed γ-H2AX removal and a higher frequency of residual chromosome aberrations. Following hydroxyurea (HU)-induced replication stress, β2SP-deficient cells displayed delayed disappearance of γ-H2AX foci along with defective repair factor recruitment (MRE11, CtIP, RAD51, RPA, and FANCD2) as well as defective restart of stalled replication forks. Repair factor recruitment is a prerequisite for initiation of DNA damage repair by the homologous recombination (HR) pathway, which was also defective in β2SP deficient cells. We propose that β2SP is required for maintaining genomic stability following replication fork stalling, whether induced by either ICL damage or replicative stress, by facilitating fork regression as well as DNA damage repair by homologous recombination. PMID:27248179

Evaluation of the genotoxic and antigenotoxic potential of Baccharis dracunculifolia extract on V79 cells by the comet assay.

PubMed

Munari, Carla Carolina; Alves, Jacqueline Morais; Bastos, Jairo Kenupp; Tavares, Denise Crispim

2010-01-01

Baccharis dracunculifolia (Asteraceae), the main botanical source of green propolis, is a shrub of the Brazilian 'cerrado'. In folk medicine it is used as an anti-inflammatory agent, mainly for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the genotoxic and antigenotoxic effects of B. dracunculifolia ethyl acetate extract (Bd-EAE) on Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (V79 cells) by the comet assay. Methyl methanesulfonate (MMS; 200 microM) was used as an inducer of DNA damage. Genotoxicity was evaluated using four different concentrations of Bd-EAE: 12.5, 25.0, 50.0 and 100.0 microg ml(-1). Antigenotoxicity was assessed before, simultaneously, and after treatment with the mutagen. The results showed a significant increase in the frequency of DNA damage in cultures treated with 50.0 and 100.0 microg ml(-1) Bd-EAE. Regarding its antigenotoxic potential, Bd-EAE reduced the frequency of DNA damage induced by MMS. However, this chemopreventive activity depended on the concentrations and treatment regimens used. The antioxidant activity of phenolic components present in Bd-EAE may contribute to reduce the alkylation damage induced by MMS. In conclusion, our findings confirmed the chemopreventive activity of Bd-EAE and showed that this effect occurs under different mechanism.

Ubc9 is required for damage-tolerance and damage-induced interchromosomal homologous recombination in S. cerevisiae.

PubMed

Maeda, Daisuke; Seki, Masayuki; Onoda, Fumitoshi; Branzei, Dana; Kawabe, Yoh-Ichi; Enomoto, Takemi

2004-03-04

Ubc9 is an enzyme involved in the conjugation of small ubiquitin related modifier (SUMO) to target proteins. A Saccharomyces cerevisiae ubc9 temperature sensitive (ts) mutant showed higher sensitivity to various DNA damaging agents such as methylmethanesulfonate (MMS) and UV at a semi-permissive temperature than wild-type cells. The sensitivity of ubc9ts cells was not suppressed by the introduction of a mutated UBC9 gene, UBC9-C93S, whose product is unable to covalently bind to SUMO and consequently fails to conjugate SUMO to target proteins. Diploid ubc9ts cells were more sensitive to various DNA damaging agents than haploid ubc9ts cells suggesting the involvement of homologous recombination in the sensitivity of ubc9ts cells. The frequency of interchromosomal recombination between heteroalleles, his1-1/his1-7 loci, in wild-type cells was remarkably increased upon exposure to MMS or UV. Although the frequency of spontaneous interchromosomal recombination between the heteroalleles in ubc9ts cells was almost the same as that of wild-type cells, no induction of interchromosomal recombination was observed in ubc9ts cells upon exposure to MMS or UV. Copyright 2003 Elsevier B.V.

Study on quantitative risk assessment model of the third party damage for natural gas pipelines based on fuzzy comprehensive assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Zeyang; Liang, Wei; Wang, Xue; Lin, Yang; Zhang, Meng

2017-05-01

As an important part of national energy supply system, transmission pipelines for natural gas are possible to cause serious environmental pollution, life and property loss in case of accident. The third party damage is one of the most significant causes for natural gas pipeline system accidents, and it is very important to establish an effective quantitative risk assessment model of the third party damage for reducing the number of gas pipelines operation accidents. Against the third party damage accident has the characteristics such as diversity, complexity and uncertainty, this paper establishes a quantitative risk assessment model of the third party damage based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE). Firstly, risk sources of third party damage should be identified exactly, and the weight of factors could be determined via improved AHP, finally the importance of each factor is calculated by fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model. The results show that the quantitative risk assessment model is suitable for the third party damage of natural gas pipelines and improvement measures could be put forward to avoid accidents based on the importance of each factor.

Magnetic Hyperthermia and Oxidative Damage to DNA of Human Hepatocarcinoma Cells.

PubMed

Cellai, Filippo; Munnia, Armelle; Viti, Jessica; Doumett, Saer; Ravagli, Costanza; Ceni, Elisabetta; Mello, Tommaso; Polvani, Simone; Giese, Roger W; Baldi, Giovanni; Galli, Andrea; Peluso, Marco E M

2017-04-29

Nanotechnology is addressing major urgent needs for cancer treatment. We conducted a study to compare the frequency of 3-(2-deoxy-β-d-erythro-pentafuranosyl)pyrimido[1,2-α]purin-10(3 H )-one deoxyguanosine (M₁dG) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) adducts, biomarkers of oxidative stress and/or lipid peroxidation, on human hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells exposed to increasing levels of Fe₃O₄-nanoparticles (NPs) versus untreated cells at different lengths of incubations, and in the presence of increasing exposures to an alternating magnetic field (AMF) of 186 kHz using 32 P-postlabeling. The levels of oxidative damage tended to increase significantly after ≥24 h of incubations compared to controls. The oxidative DNA damage tended to reach a steady-state after treatment with 60 μg/mL of Fe₃O₄-NPs. Significant dose-response relationships were observed. A greater adduct production was observed after magnetic hyperthermia, with the highest amounts of oxidative lesions after 40 min exposure to AMF. The effects of magnetic hyperthermia were significantly increased with exposure and incubation times. Most important, the levels of oxidative lesions in AMF exposed NP treated cells were up to 20-fold greater relative to those observed in nonexposed NP treated cells. Generation of oxidative lesions may be a mechanism by which magnetic hyperthermia induces cancer cell death.

Magnetic Hyperthermia and Oxidative Damage to DNA of Human Hepatocarcinoma Cells

PubMed Central

Cellai, Filippo; Munnia, Armelle; Viti, Jessica; Doumett, Saer; Ravagli, Costanza; Ceni, Elisabetta; Mello, Tommaso; Polvani, Simone; Giese, Roger W.; Baldi, Giovanni; Galli, Andrea; Peluso, Marco E. M.

2017-01-01

Nanotechnology is addressing major urgent needs for cancer treatment. We conducted a study to compare the frequency of 3-(2-deoxy-β-d-erythro-pentafuranosyl)pyrimido[1,2-α]purin-10(3H)-one deoxyguanosine (M1dG) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) adducts, biomarkers of oxidative stress and/or lipid peroxidation, on human hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells exposed to increasing levels of Fe3O4-nanoparticles (NPs) versus untreated cells at different lengths of incubations, and in the presence of increasing exposures to an alternating magnetic field (AMF) of 186 kHz using 32P-postlabeling. The levels of oxidative damage tended to increase significantly after ≥24 h of incubations compared to controls. The oxidative DNA damage tended to reach a steady-state after treatment with 60 μg/mL of Fe3O4-NPs. Significant dose–response relationships were observed. A greater adduct production was observed after magnetic hyperthermia, with the highest amounts of oxidative lesions after 40 min exposure to AMF. The effects of magnetic hyperthermia were significantly increased with exposure and incubation times. Most important, the levels of oxidative lesions in AMF exposed NP treated cells were up to 20-fold greater relative to those observed in nonexposed NP treated cells. Generation of oxidative lesions may be a mechanism by which magnetic hyperthermia induces cancer cell death. PMID:28468256

Silicon Nitride Deposition for Flexible Organic Electronic Devices by VHF (162 MHz)-PECVD Using a Multi-Tile Push-Pull Plasma Source.

PubMed

Kim, Ki Seok; Kim, Ki Hyun; Ji, You Jin; Park, Jin Woo; Shin, Jae Hee; Ellingboe, Albert Rogers; Yeom, Geun Young

2017-10-19

Depositing a barrier film for moisture protection without damage at a low temperature is one of the most important steps for organic-based electronic devices. In this study, the authors investigated depositing thin, high-quality SiN x film on organic-based electronic devices, specifically, very high-frequency (162 MHz) plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (VHF-PECVD) using a multi-tile push-pull plasma source with a gas mixture of NH 3 /SiH 4 at a low temperature of 80 °C. The thin deposited SiN x film exhibited excellent properties in the stoichiometry, chemical bonding, stress, and step coverage. Thin film quality and plasma damage were investigated by the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and by electrical characteristics of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices deposited with SiN x , respectively. The thin deposited SiN x film exhibited a low WVTR of 4.39 × 10 -4  g (m 2 · day) -1 for a single thin (430 nm thick) film SiN x and the electrical characteristics of OLED devices before and after the thin SiN x film deposition on the devices did not change, which indicated no electrical damage during the deposition of SiN x on the OLED device.

DNA damage response curtails detrimental replication stress and chromosomal instability induced by the dietary carcinogen PhIP

PubMed Central

Mimmler, Maximilian; Peter, Simon; Kraus, Alexander; Stroh, Svenja; Nikolova, Teodora; Seiwert, Nina; Hasselwander, Solveig; Neitzel, Carina; Haub, Jessica; Monien, Bernhard H.; Nicken, Petra; Steinberg, Pablo; Shay, Jerry W.; Kaina, Bernd; Fahrer, Jörg

2016-01-01

PhIP is an abundant heterocyclic aromatic amine (HCA) and important dietary carcinogen. Following metabolic activation, PhIP causes bulky DNA lesions at the C8-position of guanine. Although C8-PhIP-dG adducts are mutagenic, their interference with the DNA replication machinery and the elicited DNA damage response (DDR) have not yet been studied. Here, we analyzed PhIP-triggered replicative stress and elucidated the role of the apical DDR kinases ATR, ATM and DNA-PKcs in the cellular defense response. First, we demonstrate that PhIP induced C8-PhIP-dG adducts and DNA strand breaks. This stimulated ATR-CHK1 signaling, phosphorylation of histone 2AX and the formation of RPA foci. In proliferating cells, PhIP treatment increased the frequency of stalled replication forks and reduced fork speed. Inhibition of ATR in the presence of PhIP-induced DNA damage strongly promoted the formation of DNA double-strand breaks, activation of the ATM-CHK2 pathway and hyperphosphorylation of RPA. The abrogation of ATR signaling potentiated the cell death response and enhanced chromosomal aberrations after PhIP treatment, while ATM and DNA-PK inhibition had only marginal effects. These results strongly support the notion that ATR plays a key role in the defense against cancer formation induced by PhIP and related HCAs. PMID:27599846

Differential response of two cell lines sequentially irradiated with low X-ray doses.

PubMed

Güerci, A M; Dulout, F N; Grillo, C A; Seoane, A I

2005-05-01

An experiment was designed to compare the effect of repeated low doses of X-rays in two different cell lines: one transformed, epithelial like and aneuploid Chinese hamster ovary K-1 (CHO-K1); the other originated from a human primary culture, fibroblast, diploid and non-transformed, MRC-5. CHO and MRC-5 cells were cultured for 14 or eight passages, respectively. Irradiation was performed once per passage when cells were in the quiescent state (90 - 95% in G1/G0). Cells were exposed to 10.0 mSv X-ray doses. Ionizing radiation did not induce apoptosis or necrosis in the exposed CHO cell population. Significant increases of low-level damaged cells (degrees 1 and 2) were found for the 14 cycles of radiation when compared with controls, except for the first irradiation cycle. No significant increases in the frequency of cells with severe damage were observed. The frequency of MRC-5 cells with low-level damage increased significantly when compared with controls for radiation cycles seven and eight. Significant increases of apoptosis, necrosis and severe damage were found only for the highest dose. Transformed and non-transformed cell types responded differently to direct and indirect damage using low-dose repeat exposures to ionizing radiation. Though more investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms of radiation effects in chronic low-dose-exposed cell populations, cellular type should be taken into account in the design of in vitro experiments for understanding low-dose-irradiation effects.

Evaluation of potential severe accidents during low power and shutdown operations at Surry, Unit 1. Volume 5: Analysis of core damage frequency from seismic events during mid-loop operations

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

Budnitz, R.J.; Davis, P.R.; Ravindra, M.K.

1994-08-01

In 1989 the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) initiated an extensive program to examine carefully the potential risks during low-power and shutdown operations. The program included two parallel projects, one at Brookhaven National Laboratory studying a pressurized water reactor (Surry Unit 1) and the other at Sandia National Laboratories studying a boiling water reactor (Grand Gulf). Both the Brookhaven and Sandia projects have examined only accidents initiated by internal plant faults--so-called ``internal initiators.`` This project, which has explored the likelihood of seismic-initiated core damage accidents during refueling shutdown conditions, is complementary to the internal-initiator analyses at Brookhaven and Sandia. Thismore » report covers the seismic analysis at Surry Unit 1. All of the many systems modeling assumptions, component non-seismic failure rates, and human error rates that were used in the internal-initiator study at Surry have been adopted here, so that the results of the two studies can be as comparable as possible. Both the Brookhaven study and this study examine only two shutdown plant operating states (POSs) during refueling outages at Surry, called POS 6 and POS 10, which represent mid-loop operation before and after refueling, respectively. This analysis has been limited to work analogous to a level-1 seismic PRA, in which estimates have been developed for the core-damage frequency from seismic events during POSs 6 and 10. The results of the analysis are that the core-damage frequency of earthquake-initiated accidents during refueling outages in POS 6 and POS 10 is found to be low in absolute terms, less than 10{sup {minus}6}/year.« less

Evaluation of potential severe accidents during low power and shutdown operations at Grand Gulf, Unit 1. Volume 5: Analysis of core damage frequency from seismic events for plant operational state 5 during a refueling outage

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

Budnitz, R.J.; Davis, P.R.; Ravindra, M.K.

In 1989 the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) initiated an extensive program to examine carefully the potential risks during low-power and shutdown operations. The program included two parallel projects, one at Sandia National Laboratories studying a boiling water reactor (Grand Gulf), and the other at Brookhaven National Laboratory studying a pressurized water reactor (Surry Unit 1). Both the Sandia and Brookhaven projects have examined only accidents initiated by internal plant faults---so-called ``internal initiators.`` This project, which has explored the likelihood of seismic-initiated core damage accidents during refueling outage conditions, is complementary to the internal-initiator analyses at Brookhaven and Sandia. Thismore » report covers the seismic analysis at Grand Gulf. All of the many systems modeling assumptions, component non-seismic failure rates, and human effort rates that were used in the internal-initiator study at Grand Gulf have been adopted here, so that the results of the study can be as comparable as possible. Both the Sandia study and this study examine only one shutdown plant operating state (POS) at Grand Gulf, namely POS 5 representing cold shutdown during a refueling outage. This analysis has been limited to work analogous to a level-1 seismic PRA, in which estimates have been developed for the core-damage frequency from seismic events during POS 5. The results of the analysis are that the core-damage frequency for earthquake-initiated accidents during refueling outages in POS 5 is found to be quite low in absolute terms, less than 10{sup {minus}7}/year.« less

Cell killing and chromatid damage in primary human bronchial epithelial cells irradiated with accelerated 56Fe ions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suzuki, M.; Piao, C.; Hall, E. J.; Hei, T. K.

2001-01-01

We examined cell killing and chromatid damage in primary human bronchial epithelial cells irradiated with high-energy 56Fe ions. Cells were irradiated with graded doses of 56Fe ions (1 GeV/nucleon) accelerated with the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The survival curves for cells plated 1 h after irradiation (immediate plating) showed little or no shoulder. However, the survival curves for cells plated 24 h after irradiation (delayed plating) had a small initial shoulder. The RBE for 56Fe ions compared to 137Cs gamma rays was 1.99 for immediate plating and 2.73 for delayed plating at the D10. The repair ratio (delayed plating/immediate plating) was 1.67 for 137Cs gamma rays and 1.22 for 56Fe ions. The dose-response curves for initially measured and residual chromatid fragments detected by the Calyculin A-mediated premature chromosome condensation technique showed a linear response. The results indicated that the induction frequency for initially measured fragments was the same for 137Cs gamma rays and 56Fe ions. On the other hand, approximately 85% of the fragments induced by 137Cs gamma rays had rejoined after 24 h of postirradiation incubation; the corresponding amount for 56Fe ions was 37%. Furthermore, the frequency of chromatid exchanges induced by gamma rays measured 24 h after irradiation was higher than that induced by 56Fe ions. No difference in the amount of chromatid damage induced by the two types of radiations was detected when assayed 1 h after irradiation. The results suggest that high-energy 56Fe ions induce a higher frequency of complex, unrepairable damage at both the cellular and chromosomal levels than 137Cs gamma rays in the target cells for radiation-induced lung cancers.

Increased mitochondrial DNA deletions and copy number in transfusion-dependent thalassemia

PubMed Central

Calloway, Cassandra

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND. Iron overload is the primary cause of morbidity in transfusion-dependent thalassemia. Increase in iron causes mitochondrial dysfunction under experimental conditions, but the occurrence and significance of mitochondrial damage is not understood in patients with thalassemia. METHODS. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to nuclear DNA copy number (Mt/N) and frequency of the common 4977-bp mitochondrial deletion (ΔmtDNA4977) were quantified using a quantitative PCR assay on whole blood samples from 38 subjects with thalassemia who were receiving regular transfusions. RESULTS. Compared with healthy controls, Mt/N and ΔmtDNA4977 frequency were elevated in thalassemia (P = 0.038 and P < 0.001, respectively). ΔmtDNA4977 was increased in the presence of either liver iron concentration > 15 mg/g dry-weight or splenectomy, with the highest levels observed in subjects who had both risk factors (P = 0.003). Myocardial iron (MRI T2* < 20 ms) was present in 0%, 22%, and 46% of subjects with ΔmtDNA4977 frequency < 20, 20–40, and > 40/1 × 107 mtDNA, respectively (P = 0.025). Subjects with Mt/N values below the group median had significantly lower Matsuda insulin sensitivity index (5.76 ± 0.53) compared with the high Mt/N group (9.11 ± 0.95, P = 0.008). CONCLUSION. Individuals with transfusion-dependent thalassemia demonstrate age-related increase in mtDNA damage in leukocytes. These changes are markedly amplified by splenectomy and are associated with extrahepatic iron deposition. Elevated mtDNA damage in blood cells may predict the risk of iron-associated organ damage in thalassemia. FUNDING. This project was supported by Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland Institutional Research Award and by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, through UCSF-CTSI grant UL1 TR000004. PMID:27583305

Frequency analyses for recent regional floods in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Melcher, Nick B.; Martinez, Patsy G.; ,

1996-01-01

During 1993-95, significant floods that resulted in record-high river stages, loss of life, and significant property damage occurred in the United States. The floods were caused by unique global weather patterns that produced large amounts of rain over large areas. Standard methods for flood-frequency analyses may not adequately consider the probability of recurrence of these global weather patterns.

Effect of heat and radio frequency electric field treatments on membrane damage and intracellular leakage of UV-substances of Escherichia coli K-12 in apple juice

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The need for a nonthermal intervention technology that can achieve microbial safety without altering nutritional quality of liquid foods led to the development of the radio frequency electric fields (RFEF) process. Previously, we documented formation of surface blebs on Escherichia coli cells treate...

Increased frequency of micronuclei in peripheral blood lymphocytes of subjects infected with Helicobacter pylori.

PubMed

Suárez, Susanna; Sueiro, Rosa Ana; Araujo, Manuel; Pardo, Fernanda; Menéndez, M Dolores; Pardiñas, M Carmen; Alvarez, Angel

2007-01-10

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a close association between infection with Helicobacter pylori and the development of gastric carcinoma and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas in humans. The cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay was performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes of H. pylori-infected patients in order to investigate the possible induction of genotoxic damage. The study group consisted of 70 infected subjects including 33 women and 37 men, and 66 healthy controls (37 females and 29 males). Our results indicate that in the infected group the overall frequency of binucleated micronucleated cells (BNMN) per 1000 cells was higher (17.65+/-1.55) than in the controls (7.39+/-0.66), this difference being statistically significant. No differences were found between the infected and control groups regarding the cytokinesis-block proliferation index (CBPI). When the effect of different counfounding factors was evaluated, mutivariate statistical analysis revealed that age and alcohol consumption modulated the frequency of BNMN in infected people, and the interaction between alcohol use-smoking-infection also affected the BNMN frequency in H. pylori patients. Our results indicate that infection by H. pylori is associated with an increased level of cytogenetic damage in the cells of the host.

900 MHz radiation does not induce micronucleus formation in different cell types.

PubMed

Hintzsche, Henning; Jastrow, Christian; Kleine-Ostmann, Thomas; Schrader, Thorsten; Stopper, Helga

2012-07-01

The exposure of the population to non-ionising electromagnetic radiation is still increasing, mainly due to mobile communication. Whether low-intensity electromagnetic fields can cause other effects apart from heating has been a subject of debate. One of the effects, which were proposed to be caused by mobile phone radiation, is the occurrence of mitotic disturbances. The aim of this study was to investigate possible consequences of these mitotic disturbances as manifest genomic damage, i.e. micronucleus induction. Cells were irradiated at a frequency of 900 MHz, which is located in one of the main frequency bands applied for mobile communication. Two cell types were used, HaCaT cells as human cells and A(L) cells (human-hamster hybrid cells), in which mitotic disturbances had been reported to occur. After different post-exposure incubation periods, cells were fixed and micronucleus frequencies were evaluated. Both cell types did not show any genomic damage after exposure. To adapt the protocol for the micronucleus test into the direction of the protocol for mitotic disturbances, the post-exposure incubation period was reduced and exposure time was extended to one cell cycle length. This did not result in any increase of the genomic damage. In conclusion, micronucleus induction was not observed as a consequence of exposure to non-ionising radiation, even though this agent was reported to cause mitotic disturbances under similar experimental conditions.

Time reversal invariance for a nonlinear scatterer exhibiting contact acoustic nonlinearity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanloeuil, Philippe; Rose, L. R. Francis; Veidt, Martin; Wang, Chun H.

2018-03-01

The time reversal invariance of an ultrasonic plane wave interacting with a contact interface characterized by a unilateral contact law is investigated analytically and numerically. It is shown analytically that despite the contact nonlinearity, the re-emission of a time reversed version of the reflected and transmitted waves can perfectly recover the original pulse shape, thereby demonstrating time reversal invariance for this type of contact acoustic nonlinearity. With the aid of finite element modelling, the time-reversal analysis is extended to finite-size nonlinear scatterers such as closed cracks. The results show that time reversal invariance holds provided that all the additional frequencies generated during the forward propagation, such as higher harmonics, sub-harmonics and zero-frequency component, are fully included in the retro-propagation. If the scattered waves are frequency filtered during receiving or transmitting, such as through the use of narrowband transducers, the recombination of the time-reversed waves will not exactly recover the original incident wave. This discrepancy due to incomplete time invariance can be exploited as a new method for characterizing damage by defining damage indices that quantify the departure from time reversal invariance. The sensitivity of these damage indices for various crack lengths and contact stress levels is investigated computationally, indicating some advantages of this narrowband approach relative to the more conventional measurement of higher harmonic amplitude, which requires broadband transducers.

Main drivers of flood-risk dynamics along the Po River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domeneghetti, Alessio; Carisi, Francesca; Castellarin, Attilio; Brath, Armando

2017-04-01

The increasing frequency with which floods damages are recorded, or reported by media, strengthen the common perception that the flood risk is dramatically increasing in Europe and other areas of the world, due to a combination of different causes, among which climate change is often described as the major factor. However, there is a growing awareness of how anthropogenic pressures, such as uncontrolled urban and industrial expansion on flood-prone areas, may strongly impact the evolution of flood-risk in a given area, increasing potential flood damages and losses. Starting from these considerations, our study aims at shedding some light on the impact and relative importance of different factors controlling the flood risk. Focusing in particular on the middle-lower portion of the River Po, we analyze the evolution of flood hazard in the last half century referring to long streamflow series for different gauging stations located along the study reach ( 450 km), while the modification of anthropogenic pressure is evaluated by referring to land-use and demographic dynamics observed from 1950s. Our study proposes simplified flood-vulnerability indices to be used for large scale flood-risk assessments and, on the basis of these indices, (1) we assess the importance of the different elements contributing to the definition of flood risk and (2) represent the evolution of flood risk in time along the middle and lower portion of the River Po.

Pre-Exposure to 50 Hz Magnetic Fields Modifies Menadione-Induced Genotoxic Effects in Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells

PubMed Central

Luukkonen, Jukka; Liimatainen, Anu; Höytö, Anne; Juutilainen, Jukka; Naarala, Jonne

2011-01-01

Background Extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields (MF) are generated by power lines and various electric appliances. They have been classified as possibly carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, but a mechanistic explanation for carcinogenic effects is lacking. A previous study in our laboratory showed that pre-exposure to ELF MF altered cancer-relevant cellular responses (cell cycle arrest, apoptosis) to menadione-induced DNA damage, but it did not include endpoints measuring actual genetic damage. In the present study, we examined whether pre-exposure to ELF MF affects chemically induced DNA damage level, DNA repair rate, or micronucleus frequency in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Methodology/Principal Findings Exposure to 50 Hz MF was conducted at 100 µT for 24 hours, followed by chemical exposure for 3 hours. The chemicals used for inducing DNA damage and subsequent micronucleus formation were menadione and methyl methanesulphonate (MMS). Pre-treatment with MF enhanced menadione-induced DNA damage, DNA repair rate, and micronucleus formation in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Although the results with MMS indicated similar effects, the differences were not statistically significant. No effects were observed after MF exposure alone. Conclusions The results confirm our previous findings showing that pre-exposure to MFs as low as 100 µT alters cellular responses to menadione, and show that increased genotoxicity results from such interaction. The present findings also indicate that complementary data at several chronological points may be critical for understanding the MF effects on DNA damage, repair, and post-repair integrity of the genome. PMID:21448285

Seismic response and damage detection analyses of an instrumented steel moment-framed building

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodgers, J.E.; Celebi, M.

2006-01-01

The seismic performance of steel moment-framed buildings has been of particular interest since brittle fractures were discovered at the beam-column connections in a number of buildings following the M 6.7 Northridge earthquake of January 17, 1994. A case study of the seismic behavior of an extensively instrumented 13-story steel moment frame building located in the greater Los Angeles area of California is described herein. Response studies using frequency domain, joint time-frequency, system identification, and simple damage detection analyses are performed using an extensive strong motion dataset dating from 1971 to the present, supported by engineering drawings and results of postearthquake inspections. These studies show that the building's response is more complex than would be expected from its highly symmetrical geometry. The response is characterized by low damping in the fundamental mode, larger accelerations in the middle and lower stories than at the roof and base, extended periods of vibration after the cessation of strong input shaking, beating in the response, elliptical particle motion, and significant torsion during strong shaking at the top of the concrete piers which extend from the basement to the second floor. The analyses conducted indicate that the response of the structure was elastic in all recorded earthquakes to date, including Northridge. Also, several simple damage detection methods employed did not indicate any structural damage or connection fractures. The combination of a large, real structure and low instrumentation density precluded the application of many recently proposed advanced damage detection methods in this case study. Overall, however, the findings of this study are consistent with the limited code-compliant postearthquake intrusive inspections conducted after the Northridge earthquake, which found no connection fractures or other structural damage. ?? ASCE.

Development of the monitoring technique on the damage of piles using the biggest shaking table "E-defense"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Kazuhiro; Hachimori, Wataru; Kaneda, Shogo; Tamura, Shuji; Saito, Taiki

2017-10-01

In case of earthquake damage to buildings, the damage to a superstructure is visible, but the damage to a foundation structure, e.g. the underground pile, is difficult to detect. In this study, the authors aim to develop a monitoring technique for pile damage due to earthquakes. The world's biggest shaking table, E-Defense, was used to reproduce damage to RC pile models embedded in the soil inside a large scale shear box (8m in diameter and 6.5m in height). The diameter of the RC pile model was 154mm. It consisted of mortar (27.2N/mm2 in compressive strength), 6 main reinforcements (6.35mm in diameter) and shear reinforcement hard steel wire (2mm in diameter at intervals of 20mm). The natural period of the superstructure above the pile models is around 0.12sec. The soil consisted of 2 layers. The lower layer is Albany sand of 80% relative density while the upper layer is only 2m from the surface ground and is Kaketsu sand of 60% relative density. Primary four excitations were scaled from JMA Kobe waves in notification at different amplitudes. The maximum acceleration of each wave is 31gal, 67gal, 304gal, and 458gal, respectively. In the test result, reinforcing steels at the pile head of the RC model yielded when the maximum acceleration was 304gal. After that, mortar of the pile head peeled off and a bending shear failure occurred when the maximum acceleration was 458gal. The peak frequency of rotational spectrum on the foundation did not change in elastic range in the piles. However, the peak frequency fell after the plastic hinge occurred.

Alterations in histone acetylation following exposure to 60Co γ-rays and their relationship with chromosome damage in human lymphoblastoid cells.

PubMed

Tian, Xue-Lei; Lu, Xue; Feng, Jiang-Bin; Cai, Tian-Jing; Li, Shuang; Tian, Mei; Liu, Qing-Jie

2018-05-17

Chromosome damage is related to DNA damage and erroneous repair. It can cause cell dysfunction and ultimately induce carcinogenesis. Histone acetylation is crucial for regulating chromatin structure and DNA damage repair. Ionizing radiation (IR) can alter histone acetylation. However, variations in histone acetylation in response to IR exposure and the relationship between histone acetylation and IR-induced chromosome damage remains unclear. Hence, this study investigated the variation in the total acetylation levels of H3 and H4 in human lymphocytes exposed to 0-2 Gy 60 Co γ-rays. Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, was added to modify the histone acetylation state of irradiated cells. Then, the total acetylation level, enzyme activity, dicentric plus centric rings (dic + r) frequencies, and micronucleus (MN) frequencies of the treated cells were analyzed. Results indicated that the acetylation levels of H3 and H4 significantly decreased at 1 and 24 h, respectively, after radiation exposure. The acetylation levels of H3 and H4 in irradiated groups treated with SAHA were significantly higher than those in irradiated groups that were not treated with SAHA. SAHA treatment inhibited HDAC activity in cells exposed to 0-1 Gy 60 Co γ-rays. SAHA treatment significantly decreased dic + r/cell and MN/cell in cells exposed to 0.5 or 1.0 Gy 60 Co γ-rays relative to that in cells that did not receive SAHA treatment. In conclusion, histone acetylation is significantly affected by IR and is involved in chromosome damage induced by 60 Co γ-radiation.

Damage identification of a reinforced concrete frame by finite element model updating using damage parameterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Sheng-En; Perera, Ricardo; De Roeck, Guido

2008-06-01

This paper develops a sensitivity-based updating method to identify the damage in a tested reinforced concrete (RC) frame modeled with a two-dimensional planar finite element (FE) by minimizing the discrepancies of modal frequencies and mode shapes. In order to reduce the number of unknown variables, a bidimensional damage (element) function is proposed, resulting in a considerable improvement of the optimization performance. For damage identification, a reference FE model of the undamaged frame divided into a few damage functions is firstly obtained and then a rough identification is carried out to detect possible damage locations, which are subsequently refined with new damage functions to accurately identify the damage. From a design point of view, it would be useful to evaluate, in a simplified way, the remaining bending stiffness of cracked beam sections or segments. Hence, an RC damage model based on a static mechanism is proposed to estimate the remnant stiffness of a cracked RC beam segment. The damage model is based on the assumption that the damage effect spreads over a region and the stiffness in the segment changes linearly. Furthermore, the stiffness reduction evaluated using this damage model is compared with the FE updating result. It is shown that the proposed bidimensional damage function is useful in producing a well-conditioned optimization problem and the aforementioned damage model can be used for an approximate stiffness estimation of a cracked beam segment.

Seismic response monitoring of the Arno river masonry embankment during the conservation works after the Lungarno Torrigiani riverbank landslide (Florence - May 25, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lotti, Alessia; Pazzi, Veronica; Chiara, Paolo; Lombardi, Luca; Nocentini, Massimiliano; Casagli, Nicola

2017-04-01

Geohazards are the most relevant processes that can damage or increase the risk of human beings, properties, critical and transport infrastructures, and environment itself. They also could involve the interruption of human activities. The concepts of disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management involve the development, improvement, and application of policies, strategies, and practices to minimize disaster risks throughout society. Since 1972 (UNESCO Convention) the identification, protection, and preservation of cultural and natural heritage has been recognized to be of outstanding value to humanity, and a key resource to build resilient societies. Nevertheless, world architectural wealth is accumulating damages and heavy losses because of both materials deterioration and exceptional natural or man-made events. The "health" of buildings/structures/infrastructures may be evaluate by its deterioration or damage level. Thus, structure dynamic characterization and microtremor analysis are considered powerful techniques, even thought seismic noise techniques in densely populated area are hardly to carry out because of the background noise due to the human activities. A wide bibliography about buildings/structures/infrastructures seismic dynamic characterization is counterposed to a missing one about their seismic response during conservation/safety works, even thought the seismic vibration monitoring (SVM) is widely used. On May 25, 2016 a riverbank landslide seriously damaged a portion roughly 100 m long of the Lungarno Torrigiani historical masonry embankment wall (left river bank of the Florence urban stretch of the Arno river, between Ponte alle Grazie e Ponte Vecchio). The street next to the embankment wall collapsed, and the earth fill material was fully retained by the embankment wall that did not collapse but seriously deformed towards the Arno river, fracturing itself in three main areas (a cusp roughly in the middle of the damaged wall, where is also concentrated the maximum landslide pressure, and two hinges). In this work we present the results of the SVM carried out during the conservation works. The SVM (sampling frequency 200 Hz) was carried out from August 14 to October 10, 2016 by means of three high gain triaxle velocimeters SS45 (own frequency 4.5 Hz), each one coupled with a SL06 24-bit digitiser, located onto the masonry embankment wall, in the three main fractured areas. The H/V results of the traces acquired to evaluate the resonance frequency of the masonry embankment wall showed that its main resonance frequency was between 4 Hz and 15 Hz, in agreement with the frequency range of roughly 10-meters-high, squat and monolithic structure. Moreover, the maximum peak component particle velocities substantially increased during the roto-percussion piling works, and clearly showed the works advancement. The spectra analysis showed that the NS component, perpendicular to the wall, was the most stressed until the end of the piling works. The SMV indicated that the piling works stressed more the embankment wall section between Ponte alle Grazie hinge and the cusp. Finally, the hinge zones seem to be more sensitive to the vibrations characterized by low-frequency content, while the cusp section (the most damaged one) was more sensitive to vibrations associated with on site works.

Multi-Frequency Harmonics Technique for HIFU Tissue Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rybyanets, Andrey N.; Lugovaya, Maria A.; Rybyanets, Anastasia A.

2010-03-01

New technique for enhancing of tissue lysis and enlarging treatment volume during one HIFU sonification is proposed. The technique consists in simultaneous or alternative (at optimal repetition frequency) excitation of single element HIFU transducer on a frequencies corresponding to odd natural harmonics of piezoceramic element at ultrasound energy levels sufficient for producing cavitational, thermal or mechanical damage of fat cells at each of aforementioned frequencies. Calculation and FEM modeling of transducer vibrations and acoustic field patterns for different frequencies sets were performed. Acoustic pressure in focal plane was measured in water using calibrated hydrophone and 3D acoustic scanning system. In vitro experiments on different tissues and phantoms confirming the advantages of multifrequency harmonic method were performed.

Concentration-Dependent Protection by Ethanol Extract of Propolis against γ-Ray-Induced Chromosome Damage in Human Blood Lymphocytes.

PubMed

Montoro, A; Barquinero, J F; Almonacid, M; Montoro, A; Sebastià, N; Verdú, G; Sahuquillo, V; Serrano, J; Saiz, M; Villaescusa, J I; Soriano, J M

2011-01-01

Radioprotection with natural products may be relevant to the mitigation of ionizing radiation-induced damage in mammalian systems; in this sense, propolis extracts have shown effects such as antioxidant, antitumoral, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulant. We report for the first time a cytogenetic study to evaluate the radioprotective effect, in vitro, of propolis against radiation-induced chromosomal damage. Lymphocytes were cultured with increasing concentrations of ethanol extract of propolis (EEP), including 20, 40, 120, 250, 500, 750, 1000, and 2000 μg mL(-1) and then exposed to 2 Gy γ-rays. A significant and concentration-dependent decrease is observed in the frequency of chromosome aberrations in samples treated with EEP. The protection against the formation of dicentrics was concentration-dependent, with a maximum protection at 120 μg mL(-1) of EEP. The observed frequency of dicentrics is described as negative exponential function, indicating that the maximum protectible fraction of dicentrics is approximately 44%. Free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities are the mechanisms that these substances use to protect cells from ionizing radiation.

Concentration-Dependent Protection by Ethanol Extract of Propolis against γ-Ray-Induced Chromosome Damage in Human Blood Lymphocytes

PubMed Central

Montoro, A.; Barquinero, J. F.; Almonacid, M.; Montoro, A.; Sebastià, N.; Verdú, G.; Sahuquillo, V.; Serrano, J.; Saiz, M.; Villaescusa, J. I.; Soriano, J. M.

2011-01-01

Radioprotection with natural products may be relevant to the mitigation of ionizing radiation-induced damage in mammalian systems; in this sense, propolis extracts have shown effects such as antioxidant, antitumoral, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulant. We report for the first time a cytogenetic study to evaluate the radioprotective effect, in vitro, of propolis against radiation-induced chromosomal damage. Lymphocytes were cultured with increasing concentrations of ethanol extract of propolis (EEP), including 20, 40, 120, 250, 500, 750, 1000, and 2000 μg mL−1 and then exposed to 2 Gy γ-rays. A significant and concentration-dependent decrease is observed in the frequency of chromosome aberrations in samples treated with EEP. The protection against the formation of dicentrics was concentration-dependent, with a maximum protection at 120 μg mL−1 of EEP. The observed frequency of dicentrics is described as negative exponential function, indicating that the maximum protectible fraction of dicentrics is approximately 44%. Free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities are the mechanisms that these substances use to protect cells from ionizing radiation. PMID:20981159

Vibration based structural health monitoring of an arch bridge: From automated OMA to damage detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magalhães, F.; Cunha, A.; Caetano, E.

2012-04-01

In order to evaluate the usefulness of approaches based on modal parameters tracking for structural health monitoring of bridges, in September of 2007, a dynamic monitoring system was installed in a concrete arch bridge at the city of Porto, in Portugal. The implementation of algorithms to perform the continuous on-line identification of modal parameters based on structural responses to ambient excitation (automated Operational Modal Analysis) has permitted to create a very complete database with the time evolution of the bridge modal characteristics during more than 2 years. This paper describes the strategy that was followed to minimize the effects of environmental and operational factors on the bridge natural frequencies, enabling, in a subsequent stage, the identification of structural anomalies. Alternative static and dynamic regression models are tested and complemented by a Principal Components Analysis. Afterwards, the identification of damages is tried with control charts. At the end, it is demonstrated that the adopted processing methodology permits the detection of realistic damage scenarios, associated with frequency shifts around 0.2%, which were simulated with a numerical model.

Effects of near-ultraviolet light on mutations, intragenic and intergenic recombinations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Machida, I; Saeki, T; Nakai, S

1986-03-01

The effects of far (254 nm) and near (290-350 nm) ultraviolet (UV) light on mutations, intragenic and intergenic recombinations were compared in diploid strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. At equivalent survival levels there was not much difference in the induction of nonsense and missense mutations between far- and near-UV radiations. However, frameshift mutations were induced more frequently by near-UV than by far-UV radiation. Near-UV radiation induced intragenic recombination (gene conversion) as efficiently as far-UV radiation and the induced levels were similar in both radiations at equitoxic doses. A strikingly higher frequency was observed for the intergenic recombination induced by near-UV radiation than by far-UV radiation when compared at equivalent survival levels. Photoreactivation reduced the frequency only slightly in far-UV induced intergenic recombination and not at all in near-UV induction. These results indicate that near-UV damage involves strand breakage in addition to pyrimidine dimers and other lesions induced, whereas far-UV damage consists largely of photoreactivable lesions, pyrimidine dimers, and near-UV induced damage is more efficient for the induction of crossing-over.

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

Tan, Jin; Zhang, Yingchen; Krad, Ibrahim

Power system frequency needs to be maintained close to its nominal value at all times to avoid machine damage, under-frequency load-shedding and even blackouts. Adequate primary frequency response and secondary frequency response are the primary forces to correct an energy imbalance at the second to minute level. As wind energy becomes a larger portion of the world's energy portfolio, there are greater oppotunities for wind to provide frequency response services. This paper addresses one area of frequency control that has been missing in previous work - the reliabilty impacts and interactions between primary and secondary frequency control. The lack ofmore » a commercially available tools to simulate the interaction of these two responses has limited the energy industry's understanding of when the depletion of primary control reserve will impact the performance of secondary conrol response or vice versa. To investigate this issue, in this paper we develop a multi-area frequency response integration model with combined primary and secondary frequency control capabilities.« less